From owner-wod-l@netcom.com Mon Jul 29 04:05:27 1996 Received: from netcom12.netcom.com (root@netcom12.netcom.com [192.100.81.124]) by mail.nada.kth.se (8.6.10/8.6.10) with ESMTP id EAA06538 for ; Mon, 29 Jul 1996 04:05:21 +0200 Received: (from daemon@localhost) by netcom12.netcom.com (8.6.13/Netcom) id SAA18334; Sun, 28 Jul 1996 18:42:09 -0700 Received: (from sjwriter@localhost) by netcom12.netcom.com (8.6.13/Netcom) id SAA18318; Sun, 28 Jul 1996 18:42:07 -0700 Date: Sun, 28 Jul 1996 18:42:06 -0700 (PDT) From: "Stephen C. Johnson" Subject: Washington Cathedral Chantry To: For Mages and the Magick they become , For a World of Darkness , "For Storyteller's a Resource" Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Sender: owner-wod-l@netcom.com Precedence: list Reply-To: wod-l@netcom.com Status: RO X-Status: Well this something I've been doing up for my Chronicles and I thought I'd contribute it to the lists in part for the WoD City project we're all contemplating. The Washington Cathedral Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Fortress of Mt. St. Alban It sits in the center of Technocratic and Kindred power, a Fortress of Faith and Hope in the midst of urban sprawl, arrogant uncaring power and blatant corruption. Created in full view of the public and in the teeth of Technocratic might, is has lost many battles but triumphed in those that truly mattered and stands ready to continue the fight. Though dedicated to the Celestial Chorus, it welcomes mages of all the other Traditions and crafts. Seeking in unity of purpose the strength to carry on the fight and to use the diversity of it's members to reach out an help all while continuing towards victory in the Ascension War. The Cabals of the Chantry Six Cabals with some Thirty Two mage serve the Cathedral Chantry (the two terms are functionally interchangeable to the mages) and it's interests. Ranging from powerful Masters to stumbling Apprentices; from prayerful priests to irreverent and rather determined sinners. The Cathedral protects and nurtures them all, in turn they defend and serve the Cathedral. Paladins of St George most subtle Members: Five Father Thomas O'Malley (Celestial Chorus, Master) Father Adrian Mendsk (Celestial Chorus, Adept) Sir Jonathan Whyte (Order of Hermes, Adept) Sister Annie Brock (Virtual Adept, Adept) Sara Brant (Celestial Chorus, Disciple) Background: One of the two original Cabals that tapped and tamed the Nodes that created the Chantry, the Paladins of St. George most subtle are both it's Primary defenders and main weapons in the fight against the enemies that surround them. It's a bit much of a job for five mage, especially with the Technocracy and Elder Kindred jealous of the Cathderal's power. Early on mages of the Paladins of St. George most subtle have been slowly been building a force of sleeper Consors and Acolytes both as an intelligence network and as a fighting force as needed. Referred to as the Knights and Squires respectively they are under the exclusive control of the Paladins of St. George most subtle and beyond that little is know about them, though the Masters of the Keepers of the Manifold keys of Knowledge have been known use them on occasion. Communicants of the Sisters of Gabrielle Members: Three Sister Bernadette Veyieves (Celestial Chorus, Master) Sister Liane Winthrop (Celestial Chorus, Adept) Jane "Cloudwalker" Whitefeather (Dreamspeaker, Disciple) Background: While the Paladins of St. George most subtle focus on the physical defenses of the Chantry, the Communicants of the Sisters of Gabrielle focus on the defense of the Chantry in the Umbrae. They maintain the small but extremely well protected Horizon and tend to the spirits and angels in and around the Chantry as well. Though currently understrength, they have established a Portal directly to their namesake's Chantry of New Delos and have an informal agreement of assistance in times of need. It is also rumored that they have contact with various other supernatural creatures in and about the community and have aided them in the past. Followers of St. Francis Members: Four Father Lamont Reeves (Celestial Chorus, Disciple) Nana Carter (Verbena, Disciple) Dr. Elane Smith (Euthanatos, Disciple) Jim Banks (Akashic Brotherhood, Disciple) Background: Formed shortly after the actual building of the Cathedral proper had begun, the original intent of Cabal's founders had been to radicalize the surrounding population as protection for the Cathedral. One trip into the slums and other lower class dwellings of the city changed that completely. Today the Cabal and it's members are dedicated to helping there sleeping brethren throughout the surrounding community. In a sense however the Cabal has succeeded in the original intent of it's founders though, so interwoven into the community is the Cathedral at the direction of the Followers of St. Francis that nothing short of an Act of God in the form of an Uthra taking direct action could harm it now. Seekers of the Path of Harmony Members: Five Wyatt James (Akashic Brotherhood, Adept) Professor Carl Madox, Phd (Son of Ether, Adept) Jennifer Loo (Cult of Ecstasy, Disciple) Andrew Stouffer (Hollow One, Disciple) Marus Grimes (Verbena, Disciple) Background: When the Technocracy realized that they had failed to stop and then that could neither co-opt or seize the Cathedral outright. They embarked on a truly vicious application of the Pogrom and managed to capture a number of Tradition mages in the region in under a day. Fortunately for both the captured mages and the Cathedral the Paladins of St. George most subtle were able discover the location of the captured mages and rescue them. That was the beginnings of the Seekers of the Path of Harmony as the rescued mages formed a Cabal of their own in association with the Cathedral. Since that time the mages of the Cabal have acted as a liaison of sorts with other Chantries and the Traditions in general. Keepers of the Manifold Keys of Knowledge Members: Four Sir Gordon Chen (Order of Hermes, Master) Dr. Mentubo Kwatzumi (Son of Ether, Master) Mammud al-Alkar (Ali-i-Batin, Master) Kakishita, Sonoko (Akashic Brotherhood, Master) Background: When the Technocracy seized Cantistel College Chantry shortly before the First World War the surviving Masters, including Sir Gordon Chen, went Errant. In the horrific chaos that was the First World War, Sir Gordon Chen fought bravely and well but when the War was over, he was but one of the near broken survivors of the fighting. Still Masters, no matter what their Tradition, are rare enough so a place was made for him at the Cathedral. The First World War had created an new generation of fresh Apprentices as well and it was with them that Sir Gordon Chen managed to heal his wounds, mental, physical and spiritual. Seeing a need he created the Keepers of the Manifold keys of Knowledge and with his fellow Masters has retired to a life of mentoring and teaching younger mages the mystic arts and the necessary skill to survive, fight and win the Ascension War. The Masters of this Cabal have settled into a very comfortable and posh retirement of sorts, teaching and Mentoring the various Mages of the Chantry. They find their various Students and Apprentices, by turns, to be rather agreeably difficult, quarrelsome and problematic; and woe until the fool, Technocratic, Kindred or otherwise who seeks to harm them while under their keeping. The members of the Cabal have privately agreed amongst themselves to step in and protect the Chantry if the necessity arises, but to otherwise... enjoy themselves. Students of the Mystic Arts Members: Eleven Dame Penelope Wilkenson (Celestial Chorus, Apprentice) David Carter (Akashic Brotherhood, Apprentice) Rashid Hajhassen (Ali-i-Batin, Apprentice) Dianna Greene (Order of Hermes, Apprentice) Christine Merson (Verbena, Apprentice) Ahmad Binaie (Order of Hermes, Apprentice) Robert Monahan (Son of Ether, Apprentice) Kenneth Sylvestri (Virtual Adepts, Apprentice) Vasilis Panoutsopolos (Akashic Brotherhood, Apprentice) Michael Gobell (Son of Ether, Apprentice) Randall Knepp (Hollow One, Apprentice) Background: The most transitory of all the Cabals, it's also the least powerful, if most numerous. Once a member of this Cabal reaches the abilities of a Disciple of any Sphere they are moved to another Cabal within the Cathedral or to another Cabal or Chantry entirely. Nodes of the Chantry Four Nodes, two within the grounds of the Cathedral, provide the power required to sustain the small Horizon Realm of the Chantry and protect and defend the Cathedral its self. The Bishop's Garden Statterlee enjoyed working in the garden as a respite from the problems besetting himself and the struggling young Chantry. Having had a small medieval stone gazebo, the Shadow House, built in the garden as the years passed it became the focus of the Node. Quite early on the Technocracy scored a victory over the struggling Chantry by using government authority to insist that the Bishop's Garden be made accessible to the public. It backfired quite badly however as the faithful poured in to the garden each day after mass. Accomplishing by their sheer devotion, prayer, spirituality and numbers what the desperate Tradition mages could not. The sheer dedication of all those sleeper wishes, prayers and devotion has actually chased off a number of Qui La Machinae in the past. Today hundreds tour the garden daily and the Technocracy still wonders how they can fail so dramatically in all their attempts to sterilize such a public and open node. Other Specifics: The atmosphere of the garden is very peaceful, almost holy in it's presence. Invariably during the hottest of Washington summers there is a cooling breeze blowing through the garden, during the coldest Winters there is a certain warmth to sustain those who walk through the paths. The Shallowing of the Node is very powerful here even when few if any people are present, as more of the faithful enter into the garden the greater the Shallowing. At both Noon and Midnight the Gauntlet practically disappears and yet it is extremely difficult for anyone to wander out of the garden into the Umbra unless they are aware that they can and wish to do so. The Guardian of this Node is known only to the members of the Paladins of St. George most subtle and the Communicants of the Sisters of of Gabrielle and appears to serve as Guardian voluntarily. It appears as a Throne, an Angel of the inner most circle of Angels of the First Rank, Eight pairs of golden wings covering a body of eyes, fire and pure white smoke. Tentatively it might be ranked as a Preceptor, however that may be accounting it as too weak. It is present in the Umbra at all times and occasionally manifests physically to select sleepers, a fact the mages of the Chantry have gone to great pains to conceal. Washington's Statue Location & Description: In a little triangular park between Massachusetts Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue that is technically on Cathedral grounds is the heavily gilded bronze statue of the young lieutenant general astride a graceful, well-muscled horse. According to rumor the sculptor Herbert Hazeltine crafted the horse to be the spitting image of the famous racehorse Man O' War and the statue was given to the Cathedral as a gift for where it stands. Almost within days of the statute's unveiling the mages in the Cathedral knew something odd was happening around and about it. For one thing it drew many admirers and for another thing mages who were not members of the Chantry who approached the statue felt themselves gaining paradox the closer they came to it. Deciding to simply observe the statue and leave it alone, about three years passed until one stormy night when the statue strode in through the West entrance into the Narthex to behold all the seals of the States of the Union inset on the floor before it. As this was in the midst of a midnight Mass there was some understandable astonishment on the part of the sleeper worshipers present. According to Urban Legend, and Cathedral records, the Statue spoke, asking Statterlee a number of questions about the Cathedral and the country. Then the Statue drew it's sword and swore to aid, defend and protect the Cathedral and the country before returning to resume it's place where it had originally stood. Of course no one believed the absolutely astonished sleeper witnesses and the one Technocracy attempt to destroy the Statue resulted in the disappearance of the Technomancers! Since that night a ley line has run directly from the pedestal to the central Nave, infusing the massive four central pillars and Pulpit with Quintessence which is then available for the Chantry's use. Everytime a new State Seal has been added to the Narthex the Statue enters to behold the Seal, question the mages present about the new State and then return to the pedestal, the flow of Quintessence then increases. Ever since the first of these nightly excursions, the missing presence of the Statue has been "covered" by either the Communicants of the Sisters of of Gabrielle or the Paladins of St. George most subtle both of whom are the only mages who can approach the statue and speak to it in the Umbra or to whom the Statue will speak when active. Other Specifics: Mostly ignored in the rush of traffic, there appears to be a form of active arcane at work here. When tourists or others step off of the sidewalks on to the brick walkways or grass they immediately notice the Statue, or perhaps more appropriately the Statue notices them. Each person then feels as if they are being judged before being allowed to either come closer or move on. Either way the one Nephandus the Chantry knows of who walked up to the Statue, spray painted a mystical symbol of evil on the pedestal and then left, was run over by a metrobus within a block of the Statue, twice. Once a person has entered and been judged they slowly begin to feel a sense of peace, the quiet before the Storm as many have described it. If a person remains long enough eventually they will feel a sense of overwhelming urgency and need to accomplish something of importance in their life and then depart. Apprentices are occasionally "sent to the Statue" when having difficulty with their studies, they invariable master the problem shortly thereafter. The only exception to this is a varied group of apparently homeless persons who congregate around the Statue and sleep in it's shadow nightly. The Followers of St. Francis make certain they receive at least one decent meal a day and blankets and shelter as needed. In turn they seem to believe they are responsible for the astonishing safety of the streets surrounding the cathedral. The Cornerstone of Congress Location & Description: Though the Cornerstone of the building was officially laid in 1793 by George Washington, it's actual location has since been lost. It is however the mystical focus for the enormous powers loosed within the building and the grounds. Statterlee found the Cornerstone during one of his frequent visits to Congress and negotiated an agreement with the Guardian of the Cornerstone to tap into it's power. Beyond that little is known about the Node, though supposedly the Guardianship of the Cornerstone, as well as it's location, is known to the Paladins of St. George most subtle and is a closely guarded secret. Other Specifics: The impact of having a powerful Node in the Congress of the United States makes an already strange building... stranger, eerie even in places. The Technocracy knows that there is a Node here and that it has been tapped, it's finding it that's the problem. While the shallowing in the building is not terribly noticable, the manifestations are. Time does some fairly strange things here, not to mention the people. Yet this in an arena of political power and corruption is rampant, though still held in check for the moment. The Dog Fighting House Location & Description: Located in Western Loudon County, Virginia it was seized quite by accident from a Nephandus who was attempting to utterly corrupt the ancient node. Used originally as a weekly meeting place for Dog Fighting and other cruel ritual killings of animals. It was the murder of a priest attempting to stop the dog fights which drew the attention of the Paladins of St. George most subtle to the House and into instant mortal conflict with the Nephandus within. Once the Nephandus was destroyed the fight to bring the Node back from the corruption that it was degrading to began. In the end the task was so great that the Communicants of the Sisters of Gabrielle eventually had to appeal to Masters of Prime from other Traditions to assist them in the cleansing. Eventually with the help of many additional Masters the Node was cleansed and became available for the use of the Chantry. Since that time the House and grounds have been used as a religious retreat of sorts, safe house for Tradition mages and with it's calm serenity a place for the injured to convelese and heal. With all of the traffic of Tradition mages to and from the house it should be suspected that the Technocracy has divined the location of the Node. However the Technocracy has never attacked or even appeared to noticed. Other Specifics: There is an atmosphere of calm serenity that infuses the House and grounds. If a person meditates too deeply and too long it is possible to awaken in the Umbra the Shallowing it so great. One problem is that while the Node appears to be able to aid those who are healing from wounds; physical, mental or spiritual. The Node seems to require that the people around it be of a specifically calm, devout and accepting state of mind. If a person can maintain this state of being they can move about the Node without difficult or even heal with astonishing speed. However the farther one strays from the requisite state of mind the more difficult it becomes to be near the Node and in two cases the wounds of the injured have worsened. The HorizonJRealm Until recently, up to the completion of the physical structure in 1990, the Cathedral had no Horizon Realm. Shortly after the completion ceremonies however an Apprentice noticed a door in the Wilson Vault where she did not remember one being. Opening the door she found herself staring through it at a wind swept rough stone ground with clouds beyond the edge. Physically dragging one of the utterly dumbfounded Keepers of the Manifold Keys of Knowledge to the door and flung it open. The absolutely delighted Master astonished the Apprentice by kissing her on the cheek and stepping out through the door to begin the shaping of the virgin Horizon Realm. Basic Concept description The Horizon Realm grounds are currently a surface of roughly 157 acres on top of a granite pillar mesa thrust upwards into the sky, surrounded by a virtual sea of cloud tops. In the distance, usually requiring a telescope or binoculars to see at all, there are other similar near flat surfaces of rock poking out from the sea of clouds that stretches in all directions. Where the Chantry had obtained access to the Realm there was nothing but granite, but with Master mages bending their collective Wills to the task, this has changed. Environment description Within hours of gaining access to the Realm the granite had been changed to fertile soil where grass grew and various trees and other plants began to grow at an astonishing rate. A few days later the sleeper Master Stone Carvers and Masons who assembled the original Cathedral in Washington and were maintaining their work and completing the final stone sculptures, were brought into the Realm and introduced to now staggering amounts of work ahead of them. Within a few weeks a Daughter of Ether had assembled a crude but serviceable Cloudship and sailed to a number of the relatively nearby mesa's and discovered vast quantities of stone awaiting quarrying. As well as some other inhabitants of the Realm who were not at all happy to discover Humans, much less magi, in their midst. In the years that have followed the basic structure of a replica Cathedral has been assembled in the Horizon Realm. Enough so that three corresponding portals in both structures have been matched. Beyond the Cathedral structure have been established a small village worth of dressed stone buildings for the sleeper craftsmen who have happily moved in to conduct the task before them. Throughout the rest of the available surface a forest of fruit and nut trees and other vegetation grows in wild abundance. While on the apparent northern and southern edges of the mesa, dock stations have been established for the small numbers of Cloudships used to move between the scattered mesas now used by the Realm's Human inhabitants. Two expeditions have scaled down the side of the granite pillar on which the mesa rests. The first descended into thickening clouds to some thousand feet before a lack of rope forced them to return. The second expedition penetrated downwards some two thousand four hundred or so feet to break through to the underside of the clouds. In the darkness under the clouds a constant rain appears to pervade on a sea a few hundred feet farther down. The second descent discovered the sea to be but lightly salted, almost fresh in fact, and inhabited with enormous creatures that threatened the group and forced them to turn back. The other mesa's, those not currently inhabited, have proven to be a source of either stone for construction or worth farming and raising sheep and other animals for food. This has created a small traffic of Cloudships within the Realm and a small group of sleeper Cloudsailors has taken to charting the Realm, venturing out across the Cloudsea when they can, or dare to more truthfully. The sun shines down with a burnished golden light and at night a trio of large and luminescent moons wax and wane in their travels across the sky. There is a Polestar of sorts in the night sky, but the patterns of stars are totally new and unrecognizable from those of Earth. The weather is always warm and mildly breezy during the day, though occasionally a higher then usual cloud bank will sweep across the top of the mesa. When that happens the rains fall gently and everything is washed clean and bright. Denizens of the Horizon Realm When the first Daughter of Ether ventured out across the Cloudsea, the first land she put foot on she found to be inhabited. By a very large, ill tempered, highly intelligent and pissed off Dragon. A Dragon that was not at all happy to find it's self confronting a Human and even more upset when it discovered that Human to be a magi. The Daughter of Ether retreated at once to the original mesa and informed the first available Master she could find with astonishing speed. The Dragons as well spread word quickly and within their own ranks and moved to confront the mages by dawn of the very next day. Fortunately neither side truly wished for a conflict and a peaceful coexistence of sorts has been worked out. A coexistence that has become much more comfortable with the introduction of sheep and cattle on other unused mesas that the Dragons may feed off of in limited but growing numbers. The Dragons have spoken little to the Humans since the mages and they reached an agreement of coexistence. Some of the Cloudsailers have reported seeing the Dragons dive into the Cloudsea and it is speculated that they hunt in the clouds and even down into dark seas under the clouds. In one case a trio of Cloudsailers was able to rescue a floundering infant Dragon and get word to other Dragons of the injured infant. There are also reports of Dragons pacing exploring Cloudsailors as they strike out across the Cloudsea to chart the Realm. In addition to the Dragons there appears to be an ecology of some sort active in the Cloudsea itself. Cloudsailers have reported strange ballon-like creatures rising slightly above the tops of the clouds and long elongated sinuous creatures with fins or wings as well. Occasionally Cloudships will be bumped from below in their journeys, but thus far nothing more then that has happened. In time perhaps someone will investigate, at the moment both the sleepers and mages are too busy to do so. Other Details Currently there are perhaps eighty people in the Realm, though this number is certain to grow as the Chantry accepts more refugees from other Horizon Chantries the Technocracy has conquered. The mages themselves know they did not create this Realm and have only just gained access to it. The Dragons certainly are not talking, though given time and increasingly good relations the mages certainly they will. Magick is mostly coincidental in the Realm, save for extreme forms of Technology and Technomagicks. Interestingly computers seem to be immune to this difficulty with Technology and Technomagicks, though there are only a handful in the Realm. The Cloudships are not technomagick per se, they are a result of a fortuitous accident. When the Master mages first began shaping the mesa they changed the rock to soil, planted grasses and trees, then infused the whole area with Quintessence to encourage growth. Within days the entire mesa was covered with a thick verdant forest, and the magick had changed those trees growing on the edge of the mesa into a wood that would float on the tops of the clouds. A description of The Chantry proper The Cathedral in the Horizon Realm has only recently managed to put a roof over the buttresses and curtain walls. For a classically styled Gothic Cathedral this is extraordinarily swift, of course with magick involved it is not terribly surprising. Already it is becoming apparent that the Horizon Realm Cathedral is going to surpass the Cathedral in Washington, though they both resemble each other very closely at the moment. Earthly Manifestations of the Chantry The Cathedral is built in the shape of a cross, with twin towers in the west and a Gloria in Excelsis Tower in the center. Ninety-six carved angels, each with a different face, pose in a frieze around the tower, which holds a 10-bells peal, and a 53-bell carillon. The bells are rung on special occasions, to mark the passage of time and after each mass is celebrated. A tour of the Cathedral shows that in Gothic architecture, structure and symbol merge. The design communicates as much as the hymnals, but often without words, look closely and this can be seen everywhere. As an example, there are narratives and references in the intricate carvings and luminous stained glass windows placed everywhere to give the feeling of a building made of and filled with light. A hallmark of the Gothic Cathedral. Entrance to the Cathedral is at the North or South transepts, or through the doors at the west end. When entering from the west you will find yourself in the narthex (an enclosed porch). Laid into the mosaic floor are the 50 state seals to which the Statue of George Washington drawn each time a new seal is added or to communicate to the mages of the Chantry. In the nave above the Warren Bay is the Space Window, which commemorates the scientists and astronauts of Apollo XI. An actual piece of moon rock is embedded in the glass. When the light of day shines through this window any Changeling who is touched by this light gains a bit of glamour for every hour they remain here. In the Dreaming this area is so magnificent that Changelings have been known to descend into Bedlam if they are not careful. The stone carved angels in the dreaming guard this area, though any Changeling is welcome, attempts to harm it will be met with lethal force. This is the Earth bound end of a Trod that connects directly to Arcadia and the defenses are formidable. Farther down down is the Wilson Bay, containing the tomb of the only president buried in the district of Columbia. Carvings symbolize aspects of Woodrow Wilson's life. A crusader's sword on the sarcophagus symbolizes Wilson's quest for peace through the League of Nations. Look for a thistle (representing his Scottish heritage) and for the seal of Princeton University (Wilson was once its president). This is Haunt and Memorium of Woodrow Wilson himself, unable to achieve what he attempted in life, he is bound to attempt to try to fulfill his goals in death. Dr. Elane Smith, the only Euthanatos in the Chantry is aware of Wilson's presence here and has spoken to him once or twice. Wilson in turn considers her, and by extension the other mages of the Chantry, to be his allies in his crusade. Wilson is a powerful Wraith and considers the entire Cathedral his Haunt, and has the power to back up his beliefs. A few steps towards the center of the Cathedral should place you in the crossing, a magnificent space where the transepts bisect the nave. Four massive stone piers soar 98 feet to meet the vaulted ceiling. In the midst of this is a powerful flow of raw Quintessence from the floor and piers into this central area. Anyone who meditates here will feel the flow through them, for mages however meditating or prayers will replenish the Quintessence in their Life Patterns an invigorate their Avatars. Many a mage has felt the call to begin a Seeking or experienced an Epiphany here while in meditation or prayer. The pulpit is made of stones from Canterbury Cathedral, and it was here that Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his last sermon before his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee. Looking into, or entering, the Umbra before the Pulpit reveals the stone carvings of saints and angels to be alive, standing vigil with each person praying in the material world. The charming Children's Chapel shouldn't be missed. Everything is scaled down and designed to delight the child and it is glamourous in the extreme. The windows tell the stories of Samuel and David as boys, and the kneelers are embroidered with all manner of animals - pets as well as wild beasts. The ceiling is as delicate as a christening gown's lace, the Dreaming the images from the windows and kneelers cavort as chimera at play. The altar panel in the Holy Spirit Chapel was painted on wood by N. C. Wyeth, father of Andrew Wyeth. Golden-haloed angels sing the praises of God on a piercing field of blue. It is rumored that if you close your eyes and listen carefully the hint of the angelic choir can be heard to echo through this chapel. If you walk along the aisles, step more towards the center and admire the nave. Part of the genius of Gothic architecture was the flying buttress, which, by transferring the weight of the roof from the walls, allowed them to be opened with stained-glass windows and flooding the building with light. Scores of windows on either side of the nave depict biblical themes as well as artists who have glorified God in their works: Dante, Milton, Bach, and Christopher Wren. If you stand before the windows of each of these people in turn and open you mind to them, their works will flood over your mind and make for some interesting ideas. Turn towards the western end of the Cathedral to view the dazzling West Rose Window, designed by Rowen LeCompte. It is a fiery wheel (25 feet, 11 inches in diameter) that burns with kaleidoscopic color, particularly as it catches the last rays of the setting sun. It is rumored that shortly after this Window was completed an ancient Kindred stepped before it at Sunset and was granted the Gift of Mortality. Those with chronic illnesses whisper that the sunset light filtered through this Window will cure the faithful, which may be true as mages using Life Magick to help the worse of those who come here report that it appears the most vulgar of Life Magicks is coincidental within certain conditions. On the lower floor, or crypt, you will find four more chapels, burial vaults, a gift shop/bookstore (with excellent cathedral guides), a visitors center and a brass-rubbing center. The gift shop/bookstore was originally an attempt by the Syndicate to begin the conquest of the Cathedral and Chantry for their Convention and the Technocracy. It failed and the founding Syndicate Technomages have never been seen since the first day they entered the Cathedral grounds. The revenue generated by the gift shop/bookstore goes directly to the Cathedral's public service and welfare funds. Before leaving you might want to go up to the Pilgrim's Observation Gallery, which can be reached by an elevator in the west end of the main level. Located in the twin towers , the 70 windows provide a panoramic view of Washington, Maryland and Virginia, as well as a bird's-eye look at some of the Cathedral's exterior carvings. The mages, through the staff of the Cathedral, also maintain a number of perches for birds of the area. Recently providing and tending to a pair of Peregrine Falcons released here as something of an experiment. There appears to be a Crow who considers the area a home of his as well, but only the mages have seen him. Purpose Originally founded to protect the node on which it was placed, the Chantry has grown and diversified as the Cathedral it's self has grown. It is now in the midst of a long powerful early Summer which the discovery of the Horizon Realm has thusfar prevented from fading into late Summer. A teaching Chantry as well, it protects and defends mages of all Traditions and Crafts, though notably some with more enthusiasm then others. It opposes the excesses of the Technocracy in particular and in general, with this foe there will be quarter, retreat or surrender. The occasional truce however is understandable when facing the Nephandi or the rare Marauder. The destruction of Nephandi is a Holy Mission which the mages of the Chantry take very seriously indeed. Marauders however are mages in need of help the mages of the Chantry feel, it is in how to help them that no one can agree on. The Chantry is determined to help the community surrounding them and provide moral and spiritual support as the de facto premier Cathedral of the Nation. The sleeping population is relatively easy in one way, nigh unto impossible in others, yet the Chantry is committed to the task. The supernatural population is a much more difficult and chancy task, yet the mages pursue the goal of helping them as well. History When Bishop Henry Yates Slatterlee stumbled across the sleeping Node of Mount St. Alban he first called a very young Thomas O'Malley to help him keep watch over the land. That very night a very young Bernadette Veyieves wandered through the streets of the city away from her immigrant family to find the Node. Slatterlee returned the girl to her parents that night but maintained contact with the Awakened child and arranged for her to attend a Catholic School and receive magickal tutelage. From the moment of discovery of the node until the Congressional approval of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Act of 1893, the fight to protect the node from the Technocracy was brutal and bloody. With the victory of an Act of Congress to forestall some of the Technocracy's meddling and the Vision of a House of God in the seat of growing Technocratic influence in a new land. The number of mages associating with the Chantry and their faith in it's survival began to grow. Washington of the time was not a stronghold of the Technocracy after all, the main battlefields of the Ascension War were in Europe and thus the Celestial Chorus was able to triumph. As Slatterlee began the life long task of securing all the available surrounding land and raising funds. His vision began to inspire sleepers and mages alike, two disenchanted Sons of Ether served as architects. George Bodley of Britain and Henry Vaughn of America engaged in a complicated plan of deception against the Technocracy and completed the plans for the sixth-largest cathedral in the world in only 13 months. They in turn helped create and influence the George A. Fuller Company as chief contractor of the project, a position the company held for decades. When Teddy Roosevelt officiated at the 1907 ground breaking ceremonies two cabals of mages stood ready for any difficulties. No one was prepared for the massive influx of Quintessence that resulted from the use of the same silver trowel used by George Washington in laying the cornerstone of the Capital building. However Slatterlee eventually did track it down and the location of the Chantry's second node remains a tightly held secret. As the Cathedral building began in earnest, the Technocracy intensified the Pogrom in the city and surrounding regions. Trying to flush Tradition mages out into the open and drive a wedge into the chantry's keepers. It failed dramatically when the Paladins of St. George most subtle found where a group of mages the Pogrom had captured were being held and rescued them. Bringing the number of cabals active in the Chantry to four. In the years leading up to the First World War the Technocracy's presence in Washington did not change much and the Cathedral basically reverted to minor issue as the sweep of political events in Europe and technological and scientific progress elsewhere made Washington a minor town. With scant resources to wage a battle against four determined Cabals, and installations of their own vulnerable to attack in the city, the Technomancers in the city adopted a live and let live policy by necessity. Unfortunately this was the exact moment that the Sabbat decided that the Cathedral would make for a perfect forward base for their next Crusade on the city. The fight to keep the vampires out drained the Chantry of magickal resources and cost them a number of lives. It also brought the Chantry to the notice of the local Camarilla Prince, who was not at all happy to find a Cathedral full of battle tested mages suddenly appear in his midst. Then quite suddenly the First World War broke out and all of this was put on hold so to speak as the news from Europe seemed to overwhelm other events. The Kindred Prince and the mages of the Cathedral made common cause in the face of another Sabbat Crusade. As the savage fighting slaughtered thousands on European battlefields the Technocracy turned it's eyes to America and the fresh resources of troops and equipment she represented. Suddenly there were more Technomancers in the city, but the War overrode their concern with a Tradition stronghold in their midst. When the United States entered the War the mages of the Cathedral knew that it would only be a matter of time before it ended and the might of the Technocracy was turned on them. They began recruiting Apprentices and cut a deal with the Kindred Prince, providing magickal might for a preemptive strike on Baltimore which cleaned the Sabbat out of the city. More importantly it put the Prince and a Justicar in the Cathedral's debt. Then as the War came to a close the Chantry had a stroke of luck in Sir Gorden Chen, who joined the Chantry mostly to get drunk and whore around in the city. It was Sir Gorden who found Mammud al-Alkar, or perhaps it was the other way around. In any case by remarkable coincidence the two of them were in the nave and sober when the Technocracy struck in an all out attack, both physical and magickal to take the Cathedral. It was a close run thing, and many of the Apprentices died, but in the end the Technocracy retreated and the Traditions remained in control of the Cathedral. The cost of the battle had been high however and in 1919 a Son of Ether named Philip Frohman was brought in to take over the position of Chief Architect and bolster the magickal might of the Chantry. As the Jazz Age took off and the returning soldiers from the Great War desperately made merry, the Cathedral began to regroup and regather it's strength. The cost of the battle for control had been high and it soured the Technocracy on Washington. Once again resources were diverted elsewhere, Washington was a minor capital after all, and the situation returned to a quiet truce. Then came the Hayes Act and Prohibition. Almost at once the sudden influx of cash and sudden illegality of getting drunk brought the city, and the country for that matter, to the boiling point. Out of the fighting amongst the criminal gangs to control the bootleg liquor trade arose three factions. All of them quickly knocked heads with the mages of the Chantry in one way or another and all of them had to be dealt with. The first was Kindred, the Giovanni clan extending it's power through the Sicilian and Italian gangs to provide a foothold for more legitimate businesses. Next were the southern Whites, a mixture of old families and desperate poverty, focused by the KKK on racism and money. Finally there were the poor Black neighborhoods which should not have been a problem, yet something very dangerous moved amongst them. It was the southern Whites and the KKK the Chantry faced first, drawn by the lynchings and the taint of Evil. After numerous encounters the Paladins of St. George most subtle managed to interrogate and then destroy a pair of Sabbat vampires who were allied with some shapechangers named the Black Spirals. That was easily handled by informing the Prince and gathering the Chantry another favor owed. After that the Giovanni had an Apprentice Embraced and sent the poor boy back to the Chantry as a warning not to cross them. The Giovanni had not counted on Sir Gordon however, who knew a Ritual Rote for reversing the Vampiric Embrace and returned the Apprentice to mortality. Then Sir Gordon paid the Giovanni a visit, alone. When he returned he simply handed Slatterlee a letter and the Giovanni have not bothered the Chantry since. In the end it was the gangsters of the poor Black neighborhoods which caused the Chantry the most troubles. The Followers of St. Francis were doing charitable work in the neighborhoods and began to hear rumors of monsters terrifying their parishioners. They investigated and eventually confronted Garou manipulating the liquor trade. Unknowingly the mages involved themselves in a struggle over control of the illegal liquor trade between the Bone Gnawers and the Glass Walkers and paid the price without truly realizing what they had done in the years the followed. With the Stock Market Crash and the Depression which followed the Cathedral struggled along with everyone else as the $yndicate manipulated the economy. It was during this time that the Chantry unknowingly made occasional allies of the Bone Gnawer Garou with their continued charity work. Then with the end of Prohibition and the growing strength of the Nazis in Europe the Technocracy began to make it's presence felt in Washington once again. The years leading up the beginnings of World War Two were the prelude to a nightmare for Technomancer and Tradition mage alike in Washington and around the world. By the time Nazi Germany invaded Poland an informal truce existed between the Chantry and elements of the Technocracy in Washington. Nephandi appeared with alarming frequency in the city and surrounding regions and Marauders were becoming an increasing problem. Meanwhile as the war in Europe demonstrated the power Technomagick the NWO began to realize that once again they were going to need to bring America into the War. To do that they needed to control Washington and in the city only the Cathedral and it's embattled mages stood against them. Forces were gathered and on the night of December 6, 1941 the Technocracy attacked. The date was not a coincidence, persons within the Technocracy had decided on a world wide holocaust for both sleepers and mages. The Cathedral mages paid a dear price both in favors called in with the Kindred Prince and Justicar as well as lives lost, but they held the Chantry against the worst the Technocracy could fling at them. Then the Technocracy turned in on it's self and Technomancers fled to the Cathedral for shelter from the Nephandi revealed within their midst. While the war of the sleepers raged the war between mages was even more ferocious. The Cathedral sheltered mages of both the Technocracy and the Traditions as the conflict raged throughout the city and the world beyond. Eventually, perhaps inevitably, the surviving Technomancers and Tradition mages made common cause to clean out the Nephandi. It was a temporary truce at best, but it served it's purpose by the time the war was over. The Chantry demanded an oath from the Technomancers who sheltered there and they gladly gave it at the time, there was hope for a fresh beginning after the holocaust they had all just endured. It did not last long. In the aftermath of the Second World War the Technocracy moved into Washington to stay. It galled many in the Inner Circle and upper ranks that a Tradition Chantry stood in the middle of such an important base of power. Even worse the Technomancers who knew the city best, had fought the Nephandi an won, refused to move against it. They cited oaths and freely given words of Honor, even worse they acted as if the Pogrom was a bad idea, that there should be a Reconciliation. Those that flat out did not defect were reassign where they could be closely watched. All of them that survived that managed to escape with the Virtual Adepts later on. Still the Technocracy had to take time to consolidate power, especially with an active Kindred Prince subtly fighting them. The Chantry and the Prince made common cause, between them was a history of mutual goals and shared victories, favors given and redeemed. The Prince knew the Chantry mages and could work with them, the new mages of the Technocracy were too, interfering in the Prince's concerns. It took years for the Technocracy to solidify it's position and the defection of the Virtual Adepts hit them just when they thought they might have things under control. It wasn't until the early to mid Seventies that the $yndicate came up with the ingenious plan to attack the Chantry through it's chief contractor for the construction, the George A. Fuller Company and subtly attempt to seize control of the physical structure of the Cathedral it's self. It was a long hard fought struggle for the $yndicate, the Cathedral finances were not of the modern variety. They dated back fifty years and were safely conservative in the extreme, the sleepers involved were also difficult. Slatterlee's vision still reach out to a younger generation. Eventually however the $yndicate simply financially wrecked the George A. Fuller Company to the point of being unable to continue the work. Thus in 1980 the company was released as Chief Contractor and the employees, suddenly out of work, were employed directly by the Cathedral to finish construction. The $yndicate tried with the Gift Shop and failed again. The New World Order attempted anti-Cathedral propaganda and failed spectacularly. They tried to influence Congress and other various Government and Administrative authorities, and lost a lot of Agents. The Progenitors attempted an outbreak of botulism, which backlashed against them as more public support for the Cathedral. Then there was the plague attempt, from imported woods, that failed so spectacularly. Attempts at replacement and infiltration have proven to be useless, somehow the mages of the Chantry know when it has been done. Iteration X attempted three straight military style assaults. The first hit right in the middle of a special service for military personnel from the Grenada invasion, what the Paradox did not deal with the soldiers did. The second assault disappeared without a trace and in fact the Chantry doesn't believe one ever happened. The third assault came in straight through the Bishop's Garden at midnight, they shot a sleeper guard and then the Node's Guardian manifested and dropped the Gauntlet as the mages from the Chantry rushed in. That was eight years ago and Iteration X has yet to present plans for another attempt. The Void Engineers have twice tried to sanitize the known Nodes of the Cathedral in the Umbra. The first time cost them a Qua La Machinae and reports of Angelic visitations on the control deck and horrible killing beasts in the engine spaces. The second attempt was even more timid and half hearted then the first, failing to even find the Nodes before withdrawing. Other Conventions have questioned if the Void Engineers are even interested in dealing with this known Chantry. Thus by 1990 the Cathedral and Chantry had weathered numerous assaults and problems and grandly celebrated the completion of the Cathedral in a spectacle celebrated before Network Television cameras. In the years since then once again the Technocracy has allowed a fragile truce of sorts to emerge regarding the Cathedral. It is after all a useful conduit for communication between the Traditions and Technocracy. And with the increasing numbers of Nephandi and Marauders in and around the city and sprawling surrounding suburbs. The Cathedral mages make very useful allies in the most extreme of cases. Chantry Inhabitants Aside from the eighty or so people in the Horizon Realm, the physical structure of the Cathedral and the surrounding grounds with some five schools and other buildings and programs for the community bring thousands into the Chantries purview daily. Most of the staff is completely and blissfully unaware of even a hint of the supernatural around and in the Chantry. Of those that do have a clue, most dismiss or accept it since the Cathedral is a house of God and that sort of thing is supposed to happen here. This leaves a small core of dedicated Servants, Acolytes and the rare and fully knowledgeable Consor. Also the Paladins of St. George most subtle maintain and intelligence network which is known as the Knights and Squires to those who are aware of it. There are seventy one servants of various sorts in and about the Cathedral performing various tasks at various times. The more active Acolytes, the infamous Knights and Squires number perhaps thirty total, though the exact number is known only to the Paladins of St. George most subtle and is a closely held secret. There are exactly eight Consors to the Chantry, mostly helping or associating a specific mage and they have complete and unhindered access to the entire Chantry and the Horizon Realm. The mages themselves have quarters scattered throughout the grounds and buildings of the Cathedral complex. Mages ranked at Disciple and higher have their choice as to where they wish their quarters to be and in two cases they have chosen to have them outside of the Cathedral Complex completely. Apprentices are housed in a dormitory exclusively set aside for them and except for extraordinary circumstances are expected to be housed in the dormitory. Note that some of the fiercest and most dangerous Wards and Guardians are tasked with defending the Apprentices and their dormitory. The senior mages of the Chantry realize they are training the future of the Traditions and take the responsibility with deadly seriousness. Internal Structure and Relations The Cathedral is not a democracy, however it's not a dictatorship either. Organized along the Deacon, Master, Associate, Colleague and Student/Apprentice line of authority. Consors and senior Apprentices are referred to as Colleagues while all other mage of Disciple learning or better are at least Associates. Note that all graduate Students of the Chantry are at least Associates with some limited access and call on the resources of the Chantry. Visiting mages are given limited Associate status as well and watched carefully unless they are well known. Note that since Slatterlee's death the Bishop of the Cathedral has been a sleeper but is made aware of mages of the Chantry and is the nominal head of the counsel of Deacons. Each of the Cabals of the Chantry appoints a senior member who acts as the Deacon for the Cabal and a Council of Deacons oversees the operations of the the Chantry. Each Cabal of course specializes in a specific aspect of the Cathedral and aside from the Apprentices Cabal, all other Cabals votes are counted twice. The Apprentices receive only one vote both as a token of their status as mages and acknowledgement of their inexperience. The current Bishop of the Cathedral has a single vote as does a representative of the Servants of the Chantry who elect one of their number to serve on the Council of Deacons yearly at Easter. Given the importance the Cathedral places on education any Student may at anytime call upon the Council of Deacons to hear a plea for access to resources or tutelage with no shame, blame or punishment. All Council meetings are open to mages, Consors, Acolytes and Servants alike and not once in it's history has the Council of Deacons ever held a secret meeting. Private politicking is another matter entirely and Apprentices are encouraged to participate in this as part of their training for their future roles as members and leaders of their respective Traditions. Since 1895 the Cathedral's magickal community has been bound to a code of conduct referred to simply as The Articles revised and voted on every thirty one years (1926, 1957, 1988 and once again in 2019) when it becomes simply the law of the Chantry. Currently comprising some four hundred hand written pages, it outlines the various offices and status of the mages of the Cathedral, also their duties and responsibilities as well as their rights and privileges. It covers magickal tutelage and the responsibilities and rights of the Servants, Acolytes and Consors as well. Learning it is easy, Mastering it is a much harder task indeed. External Relations With the other supernatural inhabitants of Washington the Chantry has mixed feelings. For the Kindred the Cathedral it's self is nigh unto unapproachable Holy Ground, even the surrounding grounds are difficult. Yet the Kindred in the community weld powerful influence, which the mages are determined to oppose as necessary. These have not been battles noted for many victories unfortunately. Fortunately for the Chantry such battles have been few as the Kindred Prince of Washington and surrounding environs owes and is owed favors by the Chantry. In the subtle twisted games of Kindred politics this can be as much of a disadvantage as advantage, and as such the contact between the Chantry and Kindred are rare. The Prince has declared the mages of the Cathedral to be under the protection of Elysium, for all the good that does against a hungry Vampire. The Garou are split in their reactions to the Cathedral. The Bone Gnawers maintain a guard over the Statue of George Washington and surrounding, stating that a very powerful Spirit associates with the Statue. The Glass Walkers have long memories and remember being on the losing end of the Prohibition Liquor Trade. The Fionna however are very protective of the Cathedral, having managed to slip two Kinfolk in as deacons on staff. The Silent Striders tend to make the Cathedral, particularly the Pilgram's Observation Gallery which they visit without fail. The Shadow Lords point to the Cathedral's accomidation with the Leech's and the fact they are mages. The Black Fury's appear to be neutral, but are slightly pleased by all the women's programs and shelter. The Silver Fangs, keep their own counsel and that worries all the other Tribes to no end. For Wraiths the Shadowlands of Washington are a metropolis of the dead. The Cathedral, a natural enough place to go to gather Pathos, is too dangerous for any Wraith to tread. The Wraith wearing Wilson's Mask is just too powerful and determined to protect his Haunt of the Cathedral. Still the Shroud is weaker here and there are rumors of some fantastic things being sighted in and around the Cathedral. The Changeling Duke of Washington has his hands full regarding the Cathedral. On the one hand there is the Trod and magnificent Children's Chapel with fairly drips with Glamour. On the other though is the fact the Banality of the place is rather high. Still the Kinian have proven useful here and none of the Prodigal or Wizards has noticed the Changeling interest in parts of the Cathedral, yet. With the nominal Void Engineer Construct of the Naval Observatory a few blocks away watching over the Cathedral, things have been relatively quiet the past few years. If this is a prelude to something more violent or simply business as usual only time will tell. The Void Engineers are happy with the current state of affairs, thought the rest of the Technocracy is not. There are other much more pressing concerns. With the other Tradition Chantries of the region the Cathedral maintains cordial and polite relations. Acting as the Senior Chantry of the region, which they are not, and most powerful, which they are. The reputation as a teaching Chantry and the willingness to exchange students and other things helps as well. Status and Reputation The Washington Cathedral has an outstanding reputation as a powerful and determined Chantry in the face of often lethal Technocratic opposition. They have fought the Technocracy and won more often then not, also they are placed in one of the primary seats of sleepers power. As a magickal college they are very well regarded indeed, noted for the fine quality of the mages they graduate and the number of them as well. Policy Regarding Outsiders The Cathedral has taken a cautious approach in the past to mages seeking to join the Chantry or calling on it's services while passing through. Former students have a much easier time of it when just dropping by then do other Tradition and Craft mages. Still the Cathedral struggles to maintain something of an open and accepting attitude, believing that only through setting an example of open friendly cooperation between mages can long held suspicions be put to rest. For defecting Technomancers, and there has been an irregular but steady stream of them over the years, the policy is one of very cautious acceptance. They have yet to really be disappointed by this attitude and it is this policy which angers the Technocracy to no end as it is well known within the ranks of the Technocracy that the Cathedral will accept a defector. Other supernaturals are much more cautiously watched and worried about by the Cathedral, especially as some of them seem to be able to come and go within the Cathedral precincts without the mages noticing them. Allies and Enemies The Washington Cathedral in the city is a National attraction and the center of Celestial Chorus activity in the city and surrounding region. It is also well known to the Technocracy who has failed consistently to seize it for themselves. This is not for lack of trying and before the the Seventies the Technocracy believed that eventually they would eventually succeed. Then the mages of the Chantry gained an ally and the Technocracy began to realize that eventual victory had slipped from their grasp. In the nave above the Warren Bay is the Space Window, it commemorates the scientists and astronauts of Apollo XI. An actual piece of moon rock retrieved on that mission is embedded in with the stained glass. It forms the Earthly base of the only active and safe Trod directly between Arcadia to Earth is one of the favored place for exiled Sidhe to arrive. Therefore the Duke of Washington maintains a watch over the the Trod and protects it from all interference, and by extension the Chantry as well. The Kindred Prince of Washington knows the mages of the Chantry well and owes and is owed by them numerous favors. The Tremere of Washington also know of the Cathedral and have maintained a discrete contact with some of the Hermetic mages of the Chantry. On the other hand the Sabbat despises the Cathedral and would happily tear it down stone by stone. In the Shadowlands of course their resides the very powerful Wraith of former President Woodrow Wilson who considers the Cathedral to be his private Haunt and protects it as such. Certain Garou tribes, most notably the Bone Gnawers, Fianna and Children of Gaia associate themselves covertly with the Cathedral and protect portions of it as well. The Corax have established a Haven of sorts for themselves in the Pilgrim's Observation Gallery which at the moment only the Silent Striders are aware of. A complete listing in detail of all the enemies of the Cathedral is beyond the scope of this work, in fact it would be beyond the scope of a book of a thousand pages or more. The Nephandi despise the Cathedral with a passion rare and pure for them, a feeling returned in kind by the mages of the Chantry. The Nephandus who manages to corrupt and/or destroy the Cathedral will be able to name their own reward to the Greater Powers of Darkness. Also note that where Angels go the Fallen will inevitably follow, there are Demons moving along the edges of the Chantry's notice and only time will tell if they remain on the edges or move in to take advantage of opportunities. Research Capacities The Libraries of the Cathedral are simply superb. The outer mundane Library has an exchange and reciprocal scholar agreement with the Library of Congress and it's Chantry. Between these two resources if you can not find what you are looking for it is quite possibly either lost or does not exist. The magickal Libraries are separated not just by Spheres but also my Tradition. There is also an extensive Cosmological Library with documents and records dating back to pre Pharonic Egypt and some Kindred sources supposedly from their legendary Second City. This Library also possesses a complete copy of the Book of Nod and associated sources. A fact which the mages have been at some pains to conceal from the Kindred they deal with. There are also numerous transcribed texts of Garou oral legends and a number of Enchanted volumes from the Fairie Seelie and Unseelie Court from before the Shattering. The Cathedral maintains a small publishing press and creates limited print runs of books by other mages and reprints of older works. Supply these books to other Chantries to maintain the availability of magickal knowledge, spread such knowledge against loss and of course for the good will it generates. Many a mage has built their personal Library from the Cathedral's print runs and since Paradigma uses the Cathedral press as an alternative publishing source when necessary. There has been a growing number of independent mages seeking to have their own works published for the magickal community at large. Not that each Student that graduates from the Chantry is given a small but useful Library of magickal reference books as a present. The Cathedral would dearly love to begin publishing some items on CD-ROM, but frankly is at a loss as to how to proceed. Also there are the computer networks which the Cathedral has installed but is still struggling to figure out how to use and maintain properly. Since there are only two Virtual Adepts in the Cathedral, and both of them are busy with either learning or other duties, the Library staff has struggled along with the equipment at hand. There is a proposal to invite in some Virtual Adepts to organize this aspect of the Chantry, however the two attempts to talk the the Adepts so disturbed (read completely pissed off) the Deacons that it has been shelved for the moment. Currently the Deacons and Librarians have begun contemplating moving the majority of the magickal Libraries into the Horizon Realm. A massive undertaking that would require the creation of buildings and structures in the Horizon Realm not currently existent and doubtless concern the Dragons there. Still it doubtless will happen at some point in the future. Until then the collection remains scattered in various safe locations throughout the Cathedral Complex. Also scattered throughout the the Cathedral Complex are a variety of teaching rooms and Sanctums for the research and study of various forms of magick. Each Master is given lavish facilities for such work and assigned Students and Associates as needed or requested. Associates may have facilities assigned for their use and may also request the assistance of Students in their researches. Tass for research and learning is under the strict control of the Keepers of the Keys of Manifold Knowledge and must be released by them to a specific person. The Keepers of the Keys of Manifold Knowledge also have unrestricted access to the sanctums and facilities of everyone within the Chantry. As a courtesy they maintain open open sanctums and facilities to everyone else but it is only most brave and foolhardy of Students who will intrude upon them in the midst of their experiments! Well that's all of it, Comments? Stephen