The Citidel
The Citadel
An Orphaned Astral Realm relating to New York's skyline as it was just after the completion of the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building.
The Realm known by the Consilium is the inner-space of only one tower. The Vistas seen outside the tower are an expanse of infinitly tall structures that point upward, drawing the eye toward the sky. The sky itself remains at a constant twilight. Whether dawn is rising of Dusk is setting is relevant only to an appropriate mood of the setting.
There a several 'Floors' set aside within the Citidel.
The Citadel Hall: where the Cabals meet
The Entry Hall: A common meeting point for those entering without a Cabal terace.
The Inner Council Chamber: A space devoted to the Council and enjoined by individual Council Offices.
The Many Terraces: Spaces given to the private meeting of Cabals
The Toil: A strange mechanical area where the 'Key Press' rests. A Master of Mind and adept of Matter is able to work the 'Key Press' and request a key into the astral space.
The Theater: A Blank Room imprinted with the spell 'Spirit Chess'. Though rather the Spirits, Pawns are astral beings and objects devoted to Virtue.
The Floors seem to be arranged thus
The Theater
The Citadel Hall - The Many Terraces
The Entry Hall - The Inner Council Chamber
The Toil
None but the Golden Ram, Jason, have ventured beyond these floors, nor does there seem to be stairs/evelvators that lead beyond these floors.
Unknown to all, Jason destroyed these doors personally for good reason, keeping Keys he had fashioned himself in in personal Demesne in his office at the Empire State Building.
As of these notes, Ivan has the keys as the office is his now, though he yet to test them.
The Entire Realm is filled with imagery of towers and a serpent flying among them.
At some deep point of the Citadel there lays a skeletal incarnation of the massive serpent. But this raises the question of whether it was birthed by the imagery, or the imagery is based on the remains.
Overall the Realm is a representation of Man's upward reach, though frozen at one point in time. The Realm's orphaned nature has locked it into a stasis the allows for the Consilium to dwell within.
Upward areas are the point at which the Realm is weakened enough to be reintegrated into the Astral. A dangerous prospect that will cause the Realm to accelerate rapidly to the point where man's upward reach stabilize.
Along the path upward are sight veiwers built into windows and on terraces. Here a veiwer can glimpse a vision of what the they require to take figurative 'next step'. An extended roll INT+COMP with a requirment of 5xdiffuclty with each roll costing a point of will. Asnwers are given in puzzel form with imagery seen from with the Mage's own soul.
At the top is the most powerful device. It will answer with imagery of the Mortal realm then arrange for the answer to come about. The Roll dice(not sux) are to be accumulate, and at 50 dice the realm realigns with the rest of Astral.
Metaphorically, the Towers will rush upward without enough time to support their increasing weight. Up into the realm's idealized heavens they will build, then stop as the towers crumble under their own weight.
We don't want this to happen and Jason died without passing on the warning.
The Opposite lies below. Here the a fore mentioned Skeletal Serpent lies at the basement of Man's inertia. A being of pride and greed. It speaks posthumously bidding anyone to bring it it's heart.
The Heart is kept in the Inner Counsel Chamber.
Doing so will rebirth the Serpent. A mile long monster that will attempt to escape it's prison beneath the Citadel. STB.
At release it will begin raising the towers of this realm, destroying it forever.
Again, Jason died without passing on the warning.