Jumps-in-Puddles is approached while he is moving through the Exhibition Gardens by a tall Garou who introduces themselves as Claude. He makes it clear that Jay is to be debriefed by himself so that he can pass any relevant information on to the tribe elders. Claude has a strong European accent, and smokes all through the explanations that Jay provides. He sniffs theatrically when Jumps-in-Puddles covers the two weeks spent at a Bone Gnawer, and when the debreifing is finished, he asks some fairly superficial questions. Frankly he seems very affected, and something definately doesn't ring true to Jay. Claude leaves with a terse goodbye.
While they are standing and waiting for the ritual to be completed, Fujiko quietly says to Jay "They will betray you in the end, you know". He asks if she means the Get, and she says "No, I mean the Shadowlords".
Jay heads over to Hidden Green in order to find someone in the Shadowlords to have a 'talk' with. He finds Drago, the Caern Warder and kind of gives him the rundown of the pack's time over the last few weeks. He's a bit skimpy about details about what happened in the Bunyip homeland with regards to Watcher's story - its probably a bit controversial - but he does give the run down on Huros (not the details, but enough) and the Red Talons and the disputed caern and the deadlands. Drago has an odd accent, as if he learnt english from a tape or book, but his questions are clear enough. He manages to suggest that he knows that Jay is holding back and that the Council will want to know more details, especially about the Bunyip bits. His tribal duty done, Jay heads back to Sleeping Lore.
Jay speaks to Emma about learning the Take the Forgotten gift. She grudgingly agrees to take some time out to summon a possum spirit to teach him the gift. Possum shows up after a time and leads Jumps-in-Puddles away. He asks politely if it would show him how to take things from people without their noticing. Possum says that it will teach him if he steals something from his pack for Possum. Jay is not happy about this idea and counters with stealing more stuff from other people. Possum asks him to steal one thing from anyone once per month in the dark of the moon and dedicate it to Possum - but the catch is he can't use the Gift. Jay agrees and the possum shows him the trick.
Jay finds himself running to the caern up Swanston St just as the storm hits. It goes dark very quickly and starts to rain in large big drops. As Jumps-in-Puddles walks past one of the college entrances, lightning flashes and he realises someone is there watching him. The man comes down the stairs and asks if Jay is, well, Jay - a small amount of assent from the lupus and the man says his name is Xanthipides - could they go somewhere and talk?
Jay does a quick sense unnatural - the man senses of Magic and demonic in generous dollops, and then a mix of the Triat with Wyld being fairly predominant. He is dressed in fairly heavy clothing for what was such a summer's day, although they are both quickly getting soaked. He seems to be about mid 20s. Jay cautiously agrees to go with Xanthipides.
They go to a coffee shop and chat. Xanthipides says that he works for the demon Cybele - the gatekeeper that they met in the Shadowlands. Cybele wants to call in their favour, and she doesn't think they'll mind. Fundamentally the demon would like to get rid of the mages that are plaguing Melbourne at the moment - she does not like that they are becoming so powerful as they are upsetting things. Xanthipides has been sent to help them out as well, but he says that primarily he'll be looking for information, and leaving the hitting parts up to the Garou. He seems to know an awful lot about the Claws of Wisdom, which Jay gathers Cybele told him.
Jay is happy about the help, but Xanthipides has a favour to ask as well - he doesn't want Jay to tell the rest of his pack about their meeting. He can teach Jay a little ritual that will let them talk without meeting. Jay is reluctant, and wants to know why. Frankly, Xanthipides doesn't trust the temper of the other Garou, especially considering the events of New Years Eve. He doesn't force the issue, but makes it clear that he'd rather keep things between just the two of them at the moment. Jay eventually agrees and Xanthipides gives him a phone number to ring when Jumps-in-Puddles can get away for a while so Jay can be taught the ritual.
Jay make his call and meets Xanthipides out of town. Xanthipides says that the ritual is a fairly simple one - it takes about 5 minutes and at the end of it they can speak as if they were face to face. He runs over it a few times for Jay and then gets Jay to copy him. By the end of the day, Jay is able to perform it properly, and Xanthipides teaches him the last few bits that power up the ritual.
Jay finds that after using it, he can faintly sense deadlands, demons and wyld about himself, and resolves to be fairly cautious using the ritual near his pack.
Jay notices that Vlad is not at the Council desk, nor is he easily seen elsewhere. Looking about, he spots his Council representative hiding in nearby shadows. Vlad beckons, and Jay slips away from his pack, who are wrapped up in yelling at Cole.
Vlad says that the Uktena must be forced to give up the information she has, but that it would be ... detrimental ... to Shadow Lord interests if a precedent was set such that the Council could pry into tribal matters. He suggests that the alternative is that Jay convince the Fianna to challenge on behalf of their pack - given the current mood, Vlad feels that the council would put enough pressure on the Uktena to submit to such a challenge. Jay says he will see what he can do.
Jay is wandering back from running an errand for Graeme when he smells a familiar scent in the caern. Its Xanthipides... in the caern. Not... good. Jay follows the scent and it goes out of the caern. He follows it the other way and it leads to a grave with fresh flowers on it. He checks out the flowers and finds a card that says "I miss you. I wish I could speak to you again". Jay is a bit bemused that Xanthipides would have a relative buried here.
However, he realises its been a couple of weeks, so he decides that giving him a call isn't a bad idea. Xanthipides says "Ah! good, you got my message. Is it safe for us to meet?" Jay is a bit confused until he remembers that he told Xanthipides that they shouldn't meet at the start of the interaction with Christian. He says sure, and they agree to meet at a cafe in Coburg.
Xanthipides is curious about what was going on. Jay says they were interacting with a mage that claimed to be from out of town. He explains the sordid story without mentioning motive - specifically without talking about Polly. In the end he says that Christian was killed by unknown assaillants. Xanthipides says that he'd like to help, if Jay is willing to show him the place. In fact, the reason he wanted to meet was that he's had word from some of his associates about an object that might help them out.
In Europe, shortly after World War II, there was word that someone called Victor Julius Ademko had an object called the Chandeen Mirror that would allow one to look into the lands of the dead. Ademko moved to Australia with many other European refugees, and the last place that he was known to be was a town called Drake's Rill in eastern Victoria. Jay asks why that would help, and Xanthipides points out that much of the magicks that he and the others use draw on the inhabitants or the energies of the Shadowlands, and the mirror may reveal them. It might also be that the mirror could throw some light on the events where Christian died.
Jay says that he's not sure about taking Xanthipides up there. Xanthipides offers to help clear up anything he can, just from description, and they talk about why the smashed mirrors near the dead sheep. He is unsure about the significance of the tattoos on Christian's back.
Jay wants to tell his pack about Xanthipides, but the mage is still unsure about the viability of proceeding with that set of events. Jay agrees to think about taking Xanthipides to the site of the death, and that he will pass on about the mirror.
Jay gains a kind of consciousness... he is in deep darkness, sinking further and further downwards. Its dark, and he is sinking downwards. Far above is the sound of rain, muffled. The sound recedes, and he continues to sink. In one hand he has the banelock, and it has a strong weaver and wyrm sense. It begins to pulse regularly in his hand. From below rises a great heat, and it is pulsing at the same speed as the banelock. Jumps-in-Puddles senses an immensely strong, pure Wyrm sense which has the feeling of something slumbering.
Howling begins, a mad, exultant cacophany - it sounds like Dancers. Not close, but not far either. From the darkness steps Krieg, covered in blood, dripping off him as if he'd been immersed. He stays for a moment, then moves back into the darkness. The howling fades, leaving only the pulse. A little white spider descends on a thread and stops, danging in front of Jay. The pulse stops. Jumps-in-Puddles looks down and sees that the bane lock is gone, and he now holds the Silent Stone. A large hand reaches out and takes the fetish, crushes it and fades back into the darkness.