Previously on Mage, the group traveled to 17th century France and learned how Tamara blows up the Pacific Northwest on accident. It tracks back to Bitey's mom, so 

It is now, June 20, 1995. A Tuesday. Hugo learns about a big computer expo in the upcoming weekend. Astrid hears back from the Alan Moran, who had offered to get transcripts of the trial against Astrid's former mentor. 

Jada has found a used car for the group to use, so old 2-door hatchback. 

They arrive at his house, and explains that there was very little information about the trial. He does have one additional piece of info: he did not know Seamus McGuinness personally, but understood that Seamus' magic had a specific flavor. There's a location in the lower Cascades that resonates with a similar resonance. He can provide a map to that location. 

In return, he asks that the group accept a hand off from a visiting Hermetic and wants it delivered right away. He's coming to the tech expo. The person is named Steven Smith, who will meet at the crepe stand outside the Convention Center Saturday afternoon. 

It turns out Hugo is also meeting someone at the conference, and wants to look less... youthy. So they hit up the JCP at Northgate to buy polos and khakis. And one Baja at Tamara's insistence.

The next morning the group drives out to the site. They get to Index, WA, and then start hiking. It is unnaturally quiet, with no animal life detectable nearby. There is tons of Entropy in the area with the same resonance as Astrid's mentor's magic. 

They can half make out music coming from... somewhere? After further walking, Tamara is noticing that there are some spatial distoritions. The music gets louder and they notice a mental compulsion associated with it. Tamara shields them. The mind effect is not done by her mentor, nor is the spatial distortion. 

The spatial distortions intensify, and there is something being hidden. Tamara determines it's a maze of some sort and they begin navigating. 

They come to an area where there is a time-lapse view of growth and decay. It appears to be a broken entroy effect. Astrid wards the group against the entropy effect. Further in, there's a stone cottage, very rustic, thatched roof. There's a nice trail leading up to it. 

Astrid knocks, and Seamus shows up at the door. He is surprised that the group is alive, because he says he is dead. Life magic says he's alive. He was hit on the head and woke up there, and assumes he's dead. 

There is a mental compulsion on him, and Tamara and Hugo spend several hours doing ritual magic, they break the spell and remove him from his cell. 

They drive back to Seattle and go to Jada's bookshop and call the local head Hermetic to catch him up. They go on a shopping trip for some supplies for the furnished apartment. 

Alan shows up and takes a statement from Seamus, and he leaves an amulet for contacting him if something comes up. Astrid gets home and has voice mail from her "Aunt" Linda who reports that Ruby and her assistant fled unexpectedly. 

The group arranges a series of watches. Nothing happens over the night. 

Thursday is when people start to arrive for the convention, and Hugo coordinates with his friends in town. He's meeting X3r0m4nc3r at the Pacific Place food court for lunch. Plot twist: X3r0m4nc3r is a girl. He doesn't act like a dork, but she is stunned by how young Hugo is. And while Hugo has worn the "professional" polo and khakis, she's dressed in a hoodie and JNCOs. 

He changes to his JNCOs and they go off to Seattle Center to play video games and shitty amusement park rides. They have an awkward talk about college. 

Meanwhile, Tamara drags Astrid around to touristy shit. 

In the evening Hugo meets his mentor for dinner at a nicer restaurant. Hugo's mentor has apparently been tapped for the tribunal that will look into the Seamus/Ruby thing. He asks about what Hugo knows. Hugo also talks about his paradox book. 

Tamara and Astrid run into Amy, Tamara's ex and ally, who is dressed up in business attire for the conference.  

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