RB 3-17: Strategic Update & Escorting Olbenym

Mission Report

Wednesday, Jan 3, 2018 ((Sep 8, 2019))
Party: Lyndi Fletcher (Aslene), Haelra Vayn (Basil), Cadeos (DragoN), Proud Flame (Aunne) (late arrival)
Absent: Cyrus Riggs (Sielic), Jane Irwin (Cael)

The Raptors get a comprehensive strategic update from Max. They make some key decisions about Mr. Smith's blackmail files, R3M's alliance with the Night Market, and Oskar's future. Then they escort Olbenym to the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. Emyla, an angel of Bahamut, welcomes Olbenym home. Emyla teaches the Raptors more about being Unbound, including the Wall, and then tests them. The Raptors pass the tests and return to Chicago.

Between Missions

Max (text): Rictus, Haelra, and Draco have been analyzing all the intel and salvage from the ops over the past few weeks, with Joslin's help. This includes the battle against the mechadead hydra at Indiana Harbor and the antimagic device the team retrieved. Based this trove of information and materiel, they have a preliminary analysis. I'm preparing a formal report for Nails to approve and share with our allies, but here's the short version.
As you know, the Breakwater is a peak example of Unbound arcanists using a technomagical paradigm. Under the Rational Ascendancy's preferred, dominant paradigm, the Breakwater is actually is a dynamic phenomenon. It's the constructive interference of datawaves. RA channels power from the Axis of Elusive Truths to create a kind of harmonic standing wave in the Weave. This wave isolates the Closeness, including Earth, Cryos, and Tessera, from the rest of the multiverse. That includes the Feywild and Shadowfell. ...
At Indiana Harbor, the antimagic field projected by the device was using signature frequencies that perfectly match the Breakwater. These frequencies are highly classified by Farwatch. Even their existence has only been the stuff of secretive rumors, until now. Evidently, the frequencies have been leaked or stolen. Caterina Berrett's mechadead ritual also used these metaphysical frequencies. That's how the mechadead transformation could still occur in spite of the antimagic field. There's a lot of technomagical craft involved, but in layperson's terms, channeling the ritual across the Breakwater made it unaffected by the antimagic field, much like subtracting a negative number yields addition.
All of this is very much like a coder building a back door into a digital security system. Essentially, RA built a "back door" into the Breakwater. It allows anyone with the signature frequencies to bypass the Breakwater and even its enhanced mode, Palisade. This clearly includes communication and transit, as well as at least some kinds of more aggressive magic. The Brotherhood of the Shroud and the League of the Rusted Crown have been exploiting this back door.

Strategic Update

• ((Coming to the end of Season 3, do some housekeeping, some decisions to make; tie some big plot points together and wrap up some stuff))

• The Fort: Conference Room
• On screen: Known Adintech

• Jane has joined Brother Iron and other druids in hunting down the remaining traffickers in mechadead animals
• Zoraida's order, the Metaphysical College of Paris, has asked her to remain in France for the time being; she's helping coordinate a team doing their own research on adintech and the Conspiracy's activities in Europe
• ((OOC: Enough time has passed in game to need an IC explanation for Quorgi leaving the table))
• Cyrus is checking in with Cryos command
• Proud is running an errand for Max and will join late
• In terms of losing Zora's expertise, In matters of arcane analysis and labwork, the team has Haelra, Draco, and Rictus, plus Vae'gaun, as far you trust him
• ((OOC: so you can RP async with Razas as either of his NPCs))

• Max: The team has done an outstanding job collecting intel and materiel over the past month
  • Max: Nails and I conferred with Myriad for their intel on the NeoCyclic facility in Iowa. We've folded this intel into our overall model of the Adintech Conspiracy.
  • We can fill in some gaps, make some decisions, set next steps

Immediate issue: prisoners

• Officer: Calvin Doyle
• Trooper: Dennis Nangle
• Both former Irish Republican Army insurgents
• They've cooperated with questioning
• Worked as security for Bradain Holdings, assigned to the undercity relay station/lab in September 2017 (before the Iowa Event)
• Thanks to R3M agents Query and Adiva, we know that Connor Bradain has been making deals with the League of the Rusted Crown
• Connor Bradain is fighting non-Hodgkin lymphoma here in Chicago, and seeking paranormal treatment
• The undercity relay station/lab was constructed by Bradain Holdings
• He supplied the facility and personnel to the Brotherhood, either through the League or directly
• Incidentally, there are rumors that Primex wants to acquire Bradain Holdings
• Bradain Holdings is a signatory to the Council of RA, as a member of the Corporate Bloc
• We need to return the prisoners, although we can question them further
• We can also make a formal complaint through CRA, but Nails wants to keep our intel close-hold until the Council hearing
• Max: > I'll ensure that the prisoners are well-guarded and monitored
• Max: > The cultists that were killed may have had more intel; it's better to capture than kill

The primary threat is Adintech

• • Today is Jan 3, 2018
  • 20 years ago, in Dec 1999, there was a raid on Quarenzend
    • Quarenzend: ancient illithid citadel
    • The raid was by Legions of Hell (devils), League of the Rusted Crown, others
    • Stole notes on proto-adintech
  • The Legions and the League did extensive R&D on adintech
  • Products have included bloodstones, metabiotic crystals, graven hulks, living archives
  • Seen the consequences on Tessera (esp. hulks, Strain) and Earth (esp. crystals)

Living Archives

• We hadn't seen many, or at least that's what we thought
• Known living archives include:
  • Oskar
  • Tundinzarn
  • Adinzar, aka The Black Pyramid
  • Some seized files imply that there may be more living archives we don't know about yet
• Olbenym, the woman rescued from the undercity relay station/lab
  • A female gold dragon in human form
  • Her prison is called an Archive Shell, an early prototype of living archive tech
• The League has Tundinzarn and has been removing pages to use in technomagical jumpgates
• Directly or through our allies, we have the following pages
  • Edge of Loss, links to an outer plane called Pandemonium
  • Fields of Gold, was used to link to the NeoCyclic facility in Iowa
  • Homeland of the Orcs, was used to link to the Edonia region on Tessera
  • She Who Dallies with Shadows, was used to link to the Shadowfell
  • Through a Mirror Darkly, was used to link to a demiplane called Ravenloft
  • Towers of Greed, was used to link to Chicago
• Now we know that the League and Brotherhood was using these pages to bypass the Breakwater with technomagical jumpgates, because they had the signature frequencies
• If it's possible to reverse the transformation of Tundin Zarn, to turn the book into the man, we'll need the book itself, and we'll probably need most or all the missing pages
• Remaining Objective: Lyndi has spoken with the page Fields of Gold to let Bree Ambersheaf know about how her son (Ordin Zarn) tried to save Papa (Tundin Zarn). There was no apparent reaction. However, we have noticed that among the golden waves of grain, there is a small farmhouse with a porch, and a woman is sitting in a rocking chair. It might be Bree.
  • With other pages, it's only been possible to replace one prisoner with another, not to simply free a prisoner
  • The replacement may need to satisfy certain conditions (e.g., She Who Dallies with Shadows imprisons someone who has bargain with fiends or with denizens of the Shadowfell)
• DM: > With Lyndi's hint, the team finds a match between Towers of Greed and the two known instances: Brass Leaves buildings in Chicago, and Tower of Brass Leaves in Sigil
• DM: > Some discussion of Lyndi's warning that the Order of the Four Dragon Path be cautious about having their land taken

Who's responsible

• • Nicol Bolas was behind at least some of the Adintech Conspiracy, and may be the mastermind Nails has dubbed the Puppeteer
  • Bolas involvement includes the actions of one of his generals, the dracolich necromancer Mr. Smith
  • Cultists in the Brotherhood of the Shroud refer to Nicol Bolas as the Grandmaster and Mr. Smith as the Master
  • Mr. Smith's apprentices included Caterina Berrett
  • As part of her work for Bolas and Smith, Berrett lead one or more Brotherhood cells
• Nicol Bolas is missing, possibly trapped inside the Black Pyramid
• Caterina Berrett: thanks to Haelra and Draco, and Lyndi and Jane, we've traced her to Sigil
  • Once we have clearance from Farwatch to travel to Sigil, we can take the fight to her
  • Thanks to Haelra and the soul shadow of Perfidy, we have allies in Sigil

The Black Pyramid

• Remaining Objective: Investigate the desert dreams some Raptors are having, which are likely related to the Black Pyramid
  • Max: Using Mosaic space, Draco and I have analyzed the memories of Lyndi and Jane, who were visited by a strange being
  • We've cross-referenced the Mosaic construct against the Codex of the Final Pyramid (the jeweled gold book obtained from Baron Ordric Brown)
  • We conclude that the dreams are of Amonkhet, or at least a version of Amonkhet preserved in the living archive of the Black Pyramid
• This dovetails with another line of inquiry
• Over the past month, Raptor Blue has lead the discovery and investigation of another branch of adintech research: mechadead
  • The diagram from the undercity lab shows that mechadead R&D was contributing to a goal called "eternals"
  • Through our allies, we know that eternals are an advanced form of highly-resilient undead, coated in a rare mineral called lazotep that has only been found on Amonkhet
• Nicol Bolas was building an army of eternals he called the DreadHorde, in preparation for invading from Amonkhet to another plane
• Through our allies, we know that Nicol Bolas' endgame is trying to become a god, or perhaps even return to godhood
• Mechadead research was aimed both at creating mechadead and controlling undead in general
• Some of that mind control tech came from Primex, although Primex claims to have severed ties with the League after Lyndi and Raptor Blue revealed the alien evil behind metabiotic crystals
• On Amonkhet, something went wrong with Nicol Bolas' plan; based on what we've learned from one or more mysterious beings inside the Black Pyramid; when the living archive was finished and activated in Dec 2004, there was a kind of rebellion on Amonkhet
• Bolas hasn't been seen since
• Haelra: any experience with lazotep or eternals? Could clockwork injectors be used to complete a mechadead transformation in the field, using lazotep to produce an eternal?
• Haelra confirms as much, since injectors have been used with metametal (e.g., to raise the mechadead hydra)
• DM: > Lyndi directs Haelra to work with Rictus on countering eternals

Disappearances of prophets

• Remaining Objective
  • We've worked with some allies to investigate
  • Brotherhood of the Shroud serves the Devourer, could call them a doomsday cult
  • They revere Chaos, not Order; they probably wouldn't knowingly work with devils
  • They didn't steal the adintech from Quarenzend
  • However, they saw that the spread of adintech would create chaos
  • They've been kidnapping and sacrificing prophets, seers, and other diviners, to impede anyone from investigating the Adintech Conspiracy
  • In addition, the League has been kidnapping diviners (like Alpine Autumn Sky) and giving them to the Brotherhood, as part of their deal
• Our allies have used the intel from Raptor raids to root other cells of Brotherhood on Earth, including on the west coast
• Tentatively, we believe the threat to diviners is resolved, at least here on Earth
• However, we're still letting our allies know to be mindful of the location and safety of their diviners
• Draco is a diviner
  • Was getting training in self defense from Ryu
  • Nails recommends that Cadeos take over that training, and that Cadeos and Proud pay special attention to Draco's safety
• OK?
• > Cadeos agrees

Olbenym

• • Female gold dragon
  • Rescued from the undercity relay station/lab
  • Trapped by Mr. Smith, used to control mechadead
  • Freeing her means that at least some mechadead are revolting against their controllers
• Found her and the undercity lab based on intel gathered during the battle with the mechadead hydra
  • We conclude that you weren't supposed to survive the battle, since it exposed the lab to being located
  • Mr. Smith was extremely paranoid; he compartmentalized many of his operations
  • We extrapolate that Caterina Berrett didn't know the full nature of the undercity lab or even Olbenym's existence, or she would have increased the lab's defenses or moved Olbenym
• Olbenym is traumatized and physically weak
• She wishes to return to Bahamut's court in Mount Celestia, one of the Outer Planes
  • She has a means of returning but needs the Raptors' help to get there
  • That will be your next mission, which I'll brief you on at the end of this meeting

Bron is ready to go

• • Fort roof has been reinforced to handle his landings and parking
  • Jamming systems also installed on the roof and around the whole property of the Fort, including screens to disrupt visual observation
• The jumpcore is installed in Bronislav
  • With the jumpcore, the spelljamming helm, Bron's innate abilities, and even Tundinzarn, Bron is now an extraordinarily mobile gunship

Unresolved clues

• • The Bloodstone Prophecy
  • Hymn 101
• R3M and Talarin experts are continuing their analysis; we should have a new report for you soon

Decisions About Files, Barony, & Oskar

Handling Mr. Smith's Files

• On Nails' orders, Max and Draco have decrypted and compiled the files, and performed a preliminary analysis
• They are blackmail files and other extortion material, on many prominent leaders on Earth, Tessera, and elsewhere
• R3M's President and CEO is Colonel Bernard MacLachlan
• Col. MacLachlan wants a recommendation on how to handle the files
• Recommendation?
• DM: > Proud, via text, says destroy the files
• Draco: > I vote to extract the information of strategic value against known adversaries, and destroy the rest
• DM: > Jane, via text, says dig into strategic value information, and delay destroying the files
• Bron: > I prefer fighting face to face, but I don't understand all the battles you fight, so I defer to your judgment
• Lyndi recommends that strategic information about R3M's adversaries be preserved, and the rest destroyed

Handling R3M's relationship with the Barony

• • Loose alliance began when Raptor Blue found and confronted the Reaver in the Vilmora Building, about 1 month ago
  • Baron Rixa Galdan was formerly part of the Circus Divergia
  • Rixa Galdan was under the effects of a secrecy enchantment
  • The Circus was almost certainly using the enchantment to spy on Raptor Blue and others
  • Nails learned that Rixa had history with the Circus via a confidential contact
  • We now suspect that contact works for Baron Vince Suganda
  • Raptor Blue was somewhat manipulated into fighting the hydra and breaking the enchantment
• Nails wants a recommendation on whether to (1) continue the alliance, (2) sever the alliance, or (3) sever the alliance and bring a formal complaint to the Council of RA
• Recommendation?
• Draco: > I respect the situation that Rixa was in. Beings want and deserve to be free. I would forgive her.
• Bron: > What Draco said
• Max: > I'll formally communicate our continuance of the alliance, with our discontent at the manipulation

Handling Oskar

• Book Tree, assemblers were a gift from Myriad
  • We're unsure if it's possible to reverse the Living Archive process
  • Oskar is willing to participate in the necessary experiments
  • Can serve as a guide to Amonkhet
• The assemblers make Oskar contraband
• Recommendation: keep Oskar at the Fort? With the team? Send him to Talarin? Send him to Tessera or Cryos?
• Recommendation?
• Draco: > Again, I believe beings want and deserve to be free. Oskar should be consulted.
• Bron: > What Draco said
• DM: > Oskar explains his desire to help bring justice to the Conspiracy for what was done to him and Amonket
• DM: > Some discussion of Oskar becoming a treant
• DM: > Oskar will consider it
• DM: > Joslin puts Oskar in the common room, with Phobos nearby

In the near future

• • Council of Ra hearing, on Friday
  • Camping trip

Trip to DC

• Mission Brief

• DM: > Olbenym dons a tactical vest, and changes her appearance to a different female human
• Proud Flame becomes the archtypical florida tourist, complete with floral shirt, sandals and socks, and cargo pants.
• Proud Flame: Yes. In winter.
• Proud Flame: Chain, to Olbenym: *This way, if you make a social error, I can cover by being annoyed, and all you need to say is Daaaaaad in a giant whine and /everything/ will be forgiven.*

• Bron flies from the Fort to over the lake, then jumps to Virginia
• Bron reports that he tastes salt (possibly a side effect of the jumpcore, and/or the presence/awareness of Dol'modeen)
• Haelra confirms their approach to DC with Farwatch

• Washington, DC
• Jefferson Memorial at night across water
• Jefferson Memorial Floor Plan

• Team disembarks
• Cadeos: wears a thick hoodie with dark black jean/leggeins. and a large backpack, hiding his quiver and crossbow. A feather hangs loosely around his neck on a dark metal chain. He wears some black Converse that have been laced quite tightly and the traction-bottom looks more complicated. Finnaly, he wears some dark-shaded glasses that make him look very "i'm trying to be goth but i'm failing and look nerdy"
• Olbenym prays
• Gate opens to Mount Celestia
• Good, clean air; innate draw on the heroes to step through the gate
• Emyla (deva), Angel of Bahamut, appears
• Danana (Cadeos): also I forgot to mention that Cadeos is in his "tall handsome japanese" form
• Haelra Vayn: Haelra kinda curtsys a bit at the angel wings before recovering
• bumblebasil (Haelra Vayn): because Apollos angel
• Cadeos: bows down in a japanese style bow before holding his head low in respect as he rises
• Lyndi 3.0: Lyndi has her back to the angel and the dragon, looking outward.

• Olbenym steps through

• Olbenym offers to bring other guests home
• Draco Young
  • Eshlix Anzaar, female gold dragonborn cleric of Bahamut, wants to pass on, does so; she can be seen as solid on the far side
  • Tolayn Warmheart, female gold dragon tutor, wants to stay
• Bronislav
  • Nakagro the Trampler, male copper dragon, wants to return to war, "too much subtlety and waiting"
  • Nakagro flies through the memorial and Raptors in spectral form, passes through the gate
• Emyla notices that Cyrus (and Ractor) aren't present

• Looks at TJ
  • A man of contradictions: helped lead a triumph of liberty over tyranny, and yet also a slaveowner
  • He bargained with our lord, asked for His blessing on the new nation
  • Lord Bahamut cautioned that with an organization like RA, balancing fidelity to Order and to Good would always be a challenge
  • Too much fidelity to Order could compromise fidelity to Good, especially when that Order includes keeping secrets

Path, River Wheel

• Emyla teaches the Raptors about the The Path, the River, and the Wheel

• Emyla: The Path is the story you tell yourself about yourself. It can be and should be your true calling. What you ultimately want to be and do should align with what you can be and do, and what you should be and do. You should strive to find your own Path and to walk it with courage, determination, and perseverance.
• Emyla: The River is the flow of the multiverse beside and across your Path. It is the challenges, resources, allies, enemies, and opportunities that the multiverse brings to you. You may let them float by, grab at them, or even be buffeted by them. At times, your Path may even be the River itself. Sometimes you must fight the current, and sometimes you must travel with it.
• Emyla: The Wheel is recoil and reciprocity. What you send out into the multiverse affects what comes back to you. Your actions have consequences. When you feel a desire or set a goal, you should consider what you can send out so that the Wheel brings back what you want.

• The Wall: you progress in levels of power. But all Unbound face an obstacle. The obstacle may have external factors, but ultimately the barrier is within you.
• You must face and pass through your Wall before levels 10, 13, 16, and 19.

Tests

• Emyla: My lord directs me to offer you Five Tests, to prove you are ready for what lies ahead on your Path. Each of you must choose a Test, until all have chosen. You also chose whether to face the test alone or with your team.
• Only corporeal Raptors test: Lyndi, Proud, Cadeos, Haelra
• Solidarity, Knowledge, Ambition, Zeal, Strength
• Cadeos chooses Ambition solo: Would you rather
  • Go a day and a night without food, to know a secret about your enemy
  • Be unable to receive healing for a week, to save the life of an innocent
  • Be clumsy in your hands and feet, to be more agile with your words, or vice versa
  • Cadeos choose unable to receive healing until Jan 10
• Lyndi chooses Solidarity as a team
  • Alarm goes off: Farwatch response: troopers and officer
  • Officer: I need you to immediately report any and all soul shadows and connections with so-called divine powers
  • Lyndi refuses
  • Troops vanish
  • Lyndi passes
• Haelra choose Knowledge as a team
  • Emyla offers a riddle
  • My body slight, my head in white, With cord I'm laced around. Often hit hard, right through the yard, Cross fields and on the mound. My voice is heard across the world, Where urgency must lie. I bid them come, to dance and hum, To march and stand and die.
  • Haelra passes
• Proud chooses Zeal as a team
  • Emyla presents a sword and has the four corporeal Raptors grip it
  • The sword causes excruciating pain, nearly killing several Raptors
  • The Raptors spread the damage around
  • Cadeos demonstrates a willingness to die for the team
  • Pain and injuries gone; Cadeos is allive
  • Proud and team passes
• The Strength test remains a mystery

Returning to the Fort

• Emyla departs
• The gate closes
• The team returns to Bron, who flies out of DC, jumps to Lake Michigan, and flies back to the Fort (he again tastes salt)