REMINDER

Could all those who want to attend the first Bodyguards of Gaia and Hallowed Chamber Consortium please tell ALEX CROW as soon as possible (and by no later than Friday) so that he knows how many people to prepare for!

— From the Hallowed Chamber noticeboard

To all members of the Hallowed Chamber,

The world is facing a grave threat - not from celestials, but from humans. Or what used to be humans. This isn’t the threat we were expecting, but the world need our help. All those who are able, convene at Montmatre. Alex Crow and Nathan Quail will be there to direct you.

Good luck.

Lydia Taylor

— An urgent missive sent out on the 18th of August, 2032.

“The Hallowed Chamber has changed a little in recent years, but there are some things that remain the same. Although the threat from demons has subsided, we remain ever vigilant against any threat to our world. Although we have a beautiful headquarters, we’re still horribly disorganised. And although we still can’t find anything, we still have a lot of knowledge about celestials and how they work.

“Well, maybe we can work on fixing that last bit. To this end, I declare our new library open!”

— A speech given by Ivory Skye at the opening of the Marcarth and Darzi Memorial Library

A young woman stands, tossing a dagger from hand to hand. It moves oddly, catching the light at strange angles and sending shimmers of colour through the air. Anyone with expertise would recognise it as a conceptual weapon - imbued with Aetherial or Legal properties. Her moves are expert, well practiced, but the scars on her arms suggest this came at a cost. Her frown is one of single-minded determination.

‘Lalita? Are you coming? I know you’re desperate to practice your “moves” but there’s cake, and Josh is back from that trip to Terminus. And your friends want to see you.’

She catches the dagger and puts it down. Her face breaks into a bright and sunny smile and her posture relaxes.

‘I’m on my way.’