Doctor Carlisle was the reason Joshua risked so much to journey into the farthest reaches of the Umbra. Few have gone beyond the Sojourn, truly at the edge of the Tellurian itself. Then again, perhaps it's true that past our "solar system," there may be others -- entirely independent Tellurians in and of themselves?

Ben and Joshua have a long history together, dating back to the 1980's and Joshua's second cabal. There's been much blood spilled between them, both Technocrats'...and their own. Claiming a special responsibility for Ben, Joshua crafted his own wonder out of Hermetic arts, a ship capable of making the journey, just to search for his wayward friend. And it seemed that he'd succeeded; they returned, after all, with several master mages to revitalize the Traditions and the Ascension War.

Some change for the worse seems to have taken place in Morgan and Joshua's absence, however...or perhaps it was happening right under their noses. Joshua's dearest friend has become a dire enemy of the mage chantry, forcing them out of their lair in a suburban junkyard and into refuge at Joshua's nightclub.

Even Ben's own children were not immune to the predation of the Nephandi, and nearly fell to corruption or death themselves. Whatever the story behind this fall, the consequences are sure to be devastating if Morgan and Joshua ever return to Seattle.