It’s early morning, and Robin and Amon are waiting in a car to pick someone up. The person who arrives is Father Cortion, an Inquisitor. An Inquisitor of SOLOMON is someone who interviews and tests a subject (usually someone with the craft) to determine if they can become a Hunter. Father Cortion says the air is “oppressive”, here. They drive him into town, and he tells Amon to stop at a park on the way to a church. The Inquisitor finds a large stone and examines it, muttering to himself and sniffing the air. Robin looks closer at the stone and sees it’s covered in Ogham letters, with a large rune in the center: Haglaz.
At the church, Robin visits Father Cortion, who is setting up an Inquisition Machine--a little bit of a relic for modern times, but the Factory deems some scientific measurements necessary, and this was the most modern equipment Inquisitors use. Their methods are a little… medieval. Robin reminisces on her own Inquisition: there weren’t any machines, just words. Father Cortion asks her if she recalls the symbols he gave her during her questioning: the eight runes of Hagal’s eight, sacred numbers linked to the secrets of the Craft. At the time, he suspects she didn’t understand the true meaning, and it would have been easy to become obsessed with their power. Robin recalls the Haglaz rune she saw, and the power it brings. Before they can talk further, the subject is brought in, and Robin has to wait.
She and Amon watch the proceedings on the security cameras. The proceeding is unpleasant. Father Cortion hurls accusations at the subject, dragging out every traumatic experience he’s had as a result of not being able to control his powers, and in turn the man tries to kill Father Cortion. Robin gets concerned that they should intervene, but Amon stops her. In the end, the subject either gains control of his power to hold himself back, or something in the machines prevents him from hurting Father Cortion--it isn’t clear. The result of the Inquisition: while the subject may have held up under pressure, the darkness in his soul was laid bare, and he is unfit to become a Hunter. Robin feels conflicted about these results.
Later, while she and Amon are tailing the subject, Robin has her first hallucination. As she watches the subject wander down an alleyway, suddenly she sees herself standing on a winding dirt path, dressed in a nun’s habit, her clothes fluttering in the wind. She hears Father Cortion’s voice speaking to her, and suddenly she’s in a church, sitting at a long table across from Father Cortion. Is this her Inquisition? Is this how it went?
Father: Excessive power leads humans to eternal darkness. Father: It is for this reason that endless patience is required. Robin: Those who awaken to their Craft must endure any treatment. Father: If they wish to live in this world. Father: But in the end, that proves to be impossible. Robin: What should I do, then? Father: You should know the answer to that. Father: Surrender your will, and leave everything to us. Robin: I didn’t ask to have the powers of a Witch. Father: Why do you use those powers, then? Robin: I don’t know, myself.
Robin turns away, and sees light filtering through slats into the room--into the shape of the Haglaz rune. Confused, she glances back at Father Cortion, but he’s gone. The church is gone.
She’s sitting in the car with Amon again. Amon is talking to Michael on the phone about the possibility that SOLOMON forced this man out of work and into solitary living just to bring out his powers. So that’s a fun thought. They continue to follow him, and find him getting ganged up on by some punks in a park. The man, whose powers involve compression and crushing, starts to crush each of the punks into nothing. Robin and Amon try to stop him. He’s too powerful for the orbo, and tries to crush Amon.
Robin… loses it. She asks the man if it’s that much fun to crush people. She says she won’t forgive him. And then she burns him into ash, completely immolating him into nothing. As she does so, she starts to cry. Amon looks shocked.
Later, as Father Cortion is preparing to leave, he tells Robin that this will probably be the last time they will meet, as it seems Robin has “finally awakened to the pleasure of using your own Craft”. Robin doesn’t understand what he means.
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maleficafe) wrote2018-12-09 11:59 pm
4. The eyes of truth
At the church, Robin visits Father Cortion, who is setting up an Inquisition Machine--a little bit of a relic for modern times, but the Factory deems some scientific measurements necessary, and this was the most modern equipment Inquisitors use. Their methods are a little… medieval. Robin reminisces on her own Inquisition: there weren’t any machines, just words. Father Cortion asks her if she recalls the symbols he gave her during her questioning: the eight runes of Hagal’s eight, sacred numbers linked to the secrets of the Craft. At the time, he suspects she didn’t understand the true meaning, and it would have been easy to become obsessed with their power. Robin recalls the Haglaz rune she saw, and the power it brings. Before they can talk further, the subject is brought in, and Robin has to wait.
She and Amon watch the proceedings on the security cameras. The proceeding is unpleasant. Father Cortion hurls accusations at the subject, dragging out every traumatic experience he’s had as a result of not being able to control his powers, and in turn the man tries to kill Father Cortion. Robin gets concerned that they should intervene, but Amon stops her. In the end, the subject either gains control of his power to hold himself back, or something in the machines prevents him from hurting Father Cortion--it isn’t clear. The result of the Inquisition: while the subject may have held up under pressure, the darkness in his soul was laid bare, and he is unfit to become a Hunter. Robin feels conflicted about these results.
Later, while she and Amon are tailing the subject, Robin has her first hallucination. As she watches the subject wander down an alleyway, suddenly she sees herself standing on a winding dirt path, dressed in a nun’s habit, her clothes fluttering in the wind. She hears Father Cortion’s voice speaking to her, and suddenly she’s in a church, sitting at a long table across from Father Cortion. Is this her Inquisition? Is this how it went?
Father: Excessive power leads humans to eternal darkness.
Father: It is for this reason that endless patience is required.
Robin: Those who awaken to their Craft must endure any treatment.
Father: If they wish to live in this world.
Father: But in the end, that proves to be impossible.
Robin: What should I do, then?
Father: You should know the answer to that.
Father: Surrender your will, and leave everything to us.
Robin: I didn’t ask to have the powers of a Witch.
Father: Why do you use those powers, then?
Robin: I don’t know, myself.
Robin turns away, and sees light filtering through slats into the room--into the shape of the Haglaz rune. Confused, she glances back at Father Cortion, but he’s gone. The church is gone.
She’s sitting in the car with Amon again. Amon is talking to Michael on the phone about the possibility that SOLOMON forced this man out of work and into solitary living just to bring out his powers. So that’s a fun thought. They continue to follow him, and find him getting ganged up on by some punks in a park. The man, whose powers involve compression and crushing, starts to crush each of the punks into nothing. Robin and Amon try to stop him. He’s too powerful for the orbo, and tries to crush Amon.
Robin… loses it. She asks the man if it’s that much fun to crush people. She says she won’t forgive him. And then she burns him into ash, completely immolating him into nothing. As she does so, she starts to cry. Amon looks shocked.
Later, as Father Cortion is preparing to leave, he tells Robin that this will probably be the last time they will meet, as it seems Robin has “finally awakened to the pleasure of using your own Craft”. Robin doesn’t understand what he means.