RB 4-1: Petitioning the Council

Mission Report

Friday, Jan 5, 2018 ((Sep 15, 2019))
Party: Lyndi Fletcher (Aslene), Jane Irwin (Cael), Cyrus Riggs (Sielic), Cadeos (DragoN), Haelra Vayn (Basil)
Absent: Proud Flame (Aunne) (on a separate mission for Nails)

Max briefed the team on the Council of Rational Ascendancy hearing. The team attended the hearing. Several new observers attended, but the League of the Rusted Crown was conspicuously absent. Max presented many details of the Adintech Conspiracy and argued for R3M's petition for Operation Stiletto. Harold Zhao started to argue against the petition. Exannarq appeared and transported the team and some Council proxies to another time.

Between Missions

Draco (text): An email from emyla@mt.celestia.divinity arrived. Evidently, as one of our rewards for passing her tests, Emyla has shared the complete 3rd and 4th stanzas of the Bloodstone Prophecy. Max and I have updated our annotated copy: https://wiki.edgewar.com/index.php?title=Bloodstone_Prophecy

Max (text): This seems like a good time to share our updated annotations on "Hymn 101." We've made some new connections from all the intel the team has been looting. https://wiki.edgewar.com/index.php?title=Hymn_101

Briefing

• Thursday, January 4, 2018
• Intel updates
  • Annotated Bloodstone Prophecy
  • Annotated Hymn 101
  • Proud has theories, which he wants to discuss when he returns

• Max: > Caterina is in the Tower of Brass Leaves in Sigil

• Max: Haelra got a scroll with Bahamut's seal: By fighting alongside these dragon souls, you have advanced my lord's cause. My lord does not wish to be in your debt, but neither does He wish to interfere with your chosen Path. He has traded a favor to your patron, and gives you a gift from Her.

• Silver tube message from CRA
  • The Council of the Rational Ascendancy, Louisiana Chapter, will convene on Friday, January 5, to hear the petition of Rogue Raptor Risk Management for Operation Stiletto. You will refer to the enclosed details and adhere to all specified parameters.

• Council of RA Hearing (CRA)
• Similar to the hearing we attended on Nov 9
• Mission Brief shared
• Raptor Blue is petitioning to travel beyond the Closeness, to Sigil and likely elsewhere: Operation Stiletto
• Nails will make the presentation
• He may ask members of the team to share expert opinions
• During the deliberations, other members of the council may also question the team

• Divide and conquer: each Raptor focus on one or two members to monitor their reactions and profile them
  • Government Bloc: Cadeos
  • Colonial Bloc: Cryos
  • Corporate Bloc: Lyndi
  • NGO Bloc
  • Tesseran Bloc: Haelra

• In light of events the last time we attended a Council hearing
• We're transporting ourselves, not using someone else's jumpgates
  • Floorplan with security features
  • Transponder codes added to your P3

• Location
• East Hyde Park, east of the University of Chicago
• Overlooking Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan itself
• Cover story: Midwest Commodities Boutique
• Five-story office tower
• Owned in trust by the Council
• Neutral ground; all RA members are pledged to enforce this
• Two sub-basements of parking
• First floor is two front companies and a small food court
• Floors 2-3 are office space that RA members and observers can lease
• Floor 4 is the Council's HQ office
• Floor 5 is the Chrome Anubis Club

• You'll use your ethereal sheaths
  • Only draw if necessary
  • Another member could argue that we're technically violating the provision of neutral ground
  • But spellcasters always have their spells, so people rarely complain

• Max: > has something of a background in Edge etiquette
• Max: > Talarin originally threw in with the Corp Bloc, but struck out on their own, and dressed more in their native apparel
• Max: > I'll work with Joslin to ensure that everyone is showing R3M colors.
• DM: > R3M colors: navy and gray
• DM: > Jane works on purifying the ground of Indiana Harbor
• DM: > Jane puts out the word that some requests for help (e.g., hydra in sewer) maybe didn't get through. So try again or ask One Terra

Traveling to the Hearing

• Max to Lyndi
  • Nails isn't doing well
  • Send Proud on a secret mission
  • It's on me to make the presentation

• Gear check
  • Weapons must be in ethereal sheathes, or left in the Fort or on Bron
  • Draco is riding with Jane

• Chicago map: Fort to the Chrome Anubis Club
• Clear, cold day; white-blue sky
• Bron to the roof of the Club, elevator to 5th floor lobby

• In the club
• Closed sign, guards with discrete firearms and armor
• Spectacular view of Lake Michigan
• Interior architecture
  • Light gray plaster with subtle texture
  • Brushed aluminum and glass
  • Scattered throughout: Egyptian pillars, sculpture, and papyrus art
  • Table tops are smoked glass (opaque), chairs are brushed aluminum with reed backs and sky blue cushions
  • Tables have signs indicating different blocs (Government, Colonial, Corporate, etc.)
  • Servers circulating with trays of hor d'oeuvres and juices
  • Bar is also open
  • Buffet offers hot and cold dishes
• Live music: Jazz trio on the stage
• Dozens of people
  • Mostly staying in their own groups
  • Many are using mobile devices
  • Some are conspicuously dressed very similarly (e.g., the Government Bloc includes several officers in militaries uniform, the Tesseran Bloc includes several elves in colorful layered silks suitable for a royal court)
  • Some are mingling between groups, probably networking
• Spread out: Banner Stands
  • Blocs
  • Observers
  • Feywild
  • Shadowfell

The Hearing

• Ra Conference Room
• Four giant wall screens, two on each side; cameras on motorized gimbals
• Each bloc: glass-topped desk, leather executive-style office chairs; laptops and tablets
• Beyond the desks: restaurant chairs for aides and bodyguards
• One desks for the petitioner
• Restaurant chairs for observers and guests

• Jane Irwin: Jane gets a whole-ass steak on a lovely fancy plate and gives it to Phobos.
• Lyndi 3.0: Phobos doesn't eat it, because he's a working dog on the job... but it disappears. Into his ephemeral sheath, perhaps? Dire wolf magic? The next time he's not on the job, he will be eating the steak.
• DM: > Cap Lashell Kinton is with the gov bloc

• General Lincoln
  • Chair is a dubious honor, he can influence Council business and meetings, but it prevents him from sending a proxy

• • It's also an insult to the Government bloc to be in Cryos BDUs; he communicates something by wearing his Cryos BDUs instead of a formal uniform, much less a business suit

• He also communicates something with his choice of Senior Secretary
• Secretary: Madison Foley

• Directs Secretary Foley to activate the reality anchor
  • Reality anchor (no scrying, alteration, conjuration, teleportation, shapeshifting, or magical healing or regeneration)
  • Kennet asks whether the reality anchor has been adjusted to jam the Breakwater's signature frequencies
  • Giordana objects to the discussion of signature frequencies
  • Lincoln says save it for the closed session
• Lincoln explains that Ms. Foley is permitted to wear a weapon out of respect for her people's traditions; from age 3 onward, Cryos nomads never go about unarmed

• Roll call
• Foley reports that all delegates have chosen to send their proxies
• The execution of Erik Holloway left a vacancy in the proxy for the Corporate Bloc
  • Council accepts Dr. Harold Zhao as Mr. Holloway's successor
• Where is Nails?
  • Max will be representing the NGO Bloc

• Returning observers
  • Burec Felpike of the kingdom of Grimstone
  • Lex, Winter Court of Chicago
  • Baron Vince Suganda, the Night Market
  • Wether Wakeman, independent
• Proxies to an observer
  • In place of Brother Iron, representing the Order of One Terra: Yardley McBride, apprentice to Brother Iron (a black male firbolg druid; also a skater; 7'6")
  • Correction: Ryu is here; In place of Ryu, representing the Order of the Four Dragon Paths: Cadeos
• Absent
  • League of the Rusted Crown

• Jane Irwin: Jane stiffens slightly at the sight, her lips settling in a thin line, and says nothing.
• Jane Irwin: In the Chain: I always twitch at those these days. They keep being used to try to kill us.
• bumblebasil (Haelra Vayn): Don't they know about Russia and the UN
• Jane Irwin: Jane grins, wide and slowly; it's reminicient very muchly of a she-wolf's killing grin. "Darn. What a tragedy," she mutters, softly.
• Lyndi 3.0: Phobos lays down so he's not quite so big, but stares pretty intently at Harold Zhao. Lyndi stands at parade rest slightly behind and to the right of Max, her attention slides across the people at each table, watchful and careful and poker faced.

• Update, by request of the NGO Bloc
  • Moon Stardust Mills, aka Mark Mills, remains in Farwatch custody at an undisclosed location

• Petition from the NGO Bloc: Operation Stiletto
• Max nervous
• Reviews the situation
• Draws on the Adintech Strategic Alert while omitting some details
• Where an army of soldiers or spies may fail, a small force of Unbound operatives may succeed

• Discussion
• Dr. Harold Zhao
  • The Corporate Bloc has concerns that this team of Unbound doesn't prioritize the Lockbox Doctrine
• Lex
  • Giordana objects, Lincoln allows
  • Slouches up
  • Isn't it true that...
  • Recently aided the faerie of Chicago
  • Recently aided the Night Market
  • Aided the Wyrm Princes of the Celestial Circle
  • Farwatch formally apologized to you for their suspicions and behavior
  • So you have some powerful friends
  • Lex winks, sits

• Maj. Zach Hunter
  • Lazotep: may be the body of a banished god
  • We'll share our intel with all members of the Council, and any observers who request it

• Dr. Harold Zhao
  • We believe that the Legions of the Nine Hells play a role in the Adintech Conspiracy
  • Some of the relevant research and development done in Citadel of Mephistar on the layer of Cania, under the direction of archdevil Mephistopheles
  • Jane Irwin is descendent of Mephistopheles
• Zhao: > I was born in Baltimore

• Haelra Vayn: Haelra stays elvishly elegent and calm during this entire process

• Exannarq appears
  • Heed the word of Primus, Lord of Mechanus. The threat to the True Order has not been neutralized. You must persist in your interdiction. I will show you the consequences should you fail.
• Zhao stood up at Exannarq's entrance, dives towards the reality anchor
• Smack of staff, flash of light

Somewhen Else

• It's very cold
• Blizzard outside (wind)

• Conference Room
  • Cool and odd smell
  • Hive layers
• ((It's like the Upside Down from Stranger Things))
  • Furniture gone (chewed up and regurgitated as hive layers)
  • Lots of big lumps glued to the floor (dead bodies)

• Transported
  • Raptor Blue, including Max
  • General John Lincoln
  • General Anastasia Giordana
  • Major Zach Hunter
  • Dr. Tanesha Kennet
• No sign of Exannarq
• Draco shifts into combat form
• Hunter and Kennet draw guns from ethereal sheaths, Hunter hands a gun to Lincoln

• Haelra Vayn: Haelra turns her robes waterproof and her boots into combat rainboots
• Jane Irwin: In the Chain: We need to distrubute weapons to these guys- thankfully Zhao isnt here, so we probably don't have to worry about being shot just yet in the back.
• Cyrus Riggs: Cyrus, in the Chain: Getting an Aliens vibe here.
• Lyndi 3.0: -chain- Do those lumps have heartbeats?
• Jane Irwin: Chain: This is gonna be BAD. We need to be sure nobody dies here. I'll give these things a look in a sec. Also, I can have fae polymorph our guests, if need be.
• DM: > Lyndi: Lincoln buddies with Kennet, Hunter with Max
• Cyrus Riggs: Cyrus: "Lyndi, Ractor senses a chromatic dragon. Unconfirmed, will notify if we get better confirmation."
• Lyndi 3.0: "Roger."
• Draco: > I think this is what Ajami called "the future that could be"