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Session 17

Some Personal Growth

Overview

Locations: Various locations reflecting the aftermath of recent events, including Egypt, and references to the New World and Middle Eastern mythologies.

Key Themes: Processing trauma, materialism, and deepening mysteries around Nachahi, Anansi, and Augustus Larkin.

Focus Areas: Jacob's evolving powers and personal struggles, ongoing research, and connections to mythological figures.

Key Events and Developments

Jacob's Recovery and Materialism

New Possessions: Jacob acquires a cane designed to house the rapier taken from the shapeshifting individual (Jonah / The Man from Israel). Performing Psychometry on the rapier reveals strong emotions of pain and pride, and a vision of its original owner:

  • A younger version of the man receives the sword in a large hall.
  • The sword is handed to him by a masked individual.
  • The mask features intricate patterns and symbols, with a crescent moon prominently displayed on the forehead.

Commemorating Sarah: Jacob gets a tattoo matching Sarah's to honour her memory.

Materialistic Coping: After receiving an inheritance from his aunt's passing, Jacob indulges in luxury items as a coping mechanism, spending a significant portion of the money on expensive possessions.

Magical Experimentation and Consequences

Failed Casting: Jacob attempts to cast The Mantle of Command on Claire McCloughlin but fails due to his poor clay sculpting abilities, resulting in an inability to complete the spell.

Mark of Nachahi: The black mark left on Jacob's chest from casting a spell during the confrontation with Nachahi remains unhealed, serving as a lingering physical reminder of his trauma.

Ongoing Research

Nachahi and Mythological Connections: Research into Nachahi reveals references to giant spiders in mythologies worldwide:

  • Middle Eastern Myths: A spider god associated with manipulation and scheming.
  • African Myths: The trickster god Anansi, linked to shape-shifting and subterfuge. Anansi is widely recognised among African pagan traditions in the New World (America and the Caribbean).

Tony's Discovery: Tony shares a book taken from the Sewage Treatment Plant, mostly written in Swahili, with chaotic text later transitioning into an unknown language. A symbol carved into the front of the book resembles brackets with dots, almost like a flower.

References in the Book: A page depicts a Vitruvian Man with a tattooed chest and abdomen, similar to Augustus Larkin, with a black cloud exiting his mouth. Augustus Larkin's name appears in the book, noted in the footnotes.

Professor Milgrew's Departure

To Egypt: Professor Milgrew has departed to Egypt to continue archaeological research, potentially tied to the group's broader investigations.

Unfolding Mysteries

The Symbolic Book: What is the significance of the Swahili text and the unknown language in Tony's book? How does the symbol on its cover connect to the broader conspiracy?

Augustus Larkin's Role: Larkin's presence in the book and his tattoo's resemblance to the Vitruvian Man's mark suggest deeper ties to the cult or supernatural forces.

Nachahi's Mythological Context: The connections to Anansi and Middle Eastern spider gods point to an ancient web of manipulation and power.

The Crescent Moon Mask: What role does the masked individual play in the rapier's history and the larger narrative?

Handwriting?