eternities:slough [Omen]

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======The Slough Institute of Magical Sciences======

==== Institutional Stasis ====

As with any sufficiently old institute, Slough remained almost entirely unaffected by the events surrounding the Havering Hill Assembly. Reports from those in the institute at the time indicated that, even in the face of the possible end of the world, Slough continued on as if nothing were amiss.

Perhaps the most noticeable change was the expansion of the institute, moving from the site it had been on since it's inception to a new, custom built site. This larger area allowed for a boon in magical research, seeing a massive shift in the research being done there. While Slough had always been a front runner in the areas of Magical research, this cemented them as the pinnacle of research throughout the world.

However not everything was plain sailing during this period. While it's not clear whether this was poor financial planning on the part of the administration, or some other problems at play, Slough experienced some great financial difficulty during this period. Great lengths were taken to cover these shortcomings up (particularly in the face of having recently completed the new buildings) so news of this problem never really became widespread. The only noticeable effect it had was a period of several months where the institute cancelled all new applications for funding, and cut down on a number of notable expenses. 

While there are a number of guesses as to how the Institute got itself into such a dire financial situation, it is not remotely clear what got them out of it. Rumour has it that the Gaian of Slough was somehow involved the proceedings, though how this was done is very much disputed.

> "All I'm saying is that one day the Bank of England has the contents of its vault emptied, the next Slough miraculously becomes financially independent. I know Academics aren't your typical bank-robbing types, but all that just adds to the cover story. And if there's a bunch of people who would be clever enough to work out how to do a fool-proof bank heist, working in Slough would be the perfect way to hide those talents..."

--- Part of an interview in //Modern Myths// by Vanessa Cyrenene

==== The Troubleshooters ====

The troubleshooters have always had an interesting relationship with the Slough institute. During the incidents around the Omens, that relationship became very strained, and the two organisations finally separated fully. Given that a large percentage of the financial security of the institute came from the Troubleshooters, it is believed this was the cause of the financial crisis Slough faced during the period, combined with their expenditure on a new site.

What exactly the final push was to cause the separation of the two groups is relatively unknown; Slough weren't especially keen to publicise these events, and the Troubleshooters had always been fairly low-key when it came to reporting, finding it best not to draw too much attention to itself. One of the most common rumours is the Troubleshooters were tired of the passive approach the institute had to the dramatic events at the time, and were fed up of their inactivity.

==== The Slough Gaian Controversy ====

The other main event of note from this transitory period was a series of accusations levelled at the Gaian of Slough, claiming that they weren't at Gaian at all, but were in fact a Demon. The Gaian had had close ties with the institute for longer that anyone can particularly remember, and was one of the most esteemed members of the institute, attending most formal events and seen by many to be the unofficial public face of the institute.

While a few different people made claims about the Gaian's status, the main proponent of the attacks was Zaque Stonewell, a former researcher at the institute. Tensions between the two were noted to be high, culminating in several public outbursts by Zaque, claiming to have evidence of the Gaian's demonic status.

Curiously, these accusations dies down, and many people noted that Zaque and Slough seemed to have become friends towards the end of the Havering Hill Meetings. The movement didn't pick up a great deal of traction, and the Gaian of Slough seemed relatively un-phased by the accusations, so the controversy quickly died down, the truth of the matter never particularly publicised.
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