RB 1-12: The Council of RA

Mission Report

Thursday, November 9, 2017 ((Sep 2, 2018))
Team: Lyndi Fletcher (Aslene), Jane Irwin (Cael), Chuck Nielson (Ari), Edward Chase (Aunne), Ryu (Dargren), Quill Draper (quorgi)

Briefing

• Nails in suit
• Max in suit (with slacks)
• CRA: Divide and conquer: each Raptor focus on one or two members to monitor their reactions and profile them
• Briefing on Location and Approach

The Chrome Anubis Club

Friday, November 10, 2017

Location

• East Hyde Park, east of the University of Chicago
• Overlooking Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan itself
• Sign: Midwest Commodities Boutique
• Five-story office tower
• Owned in trust by the Council
• Neutral ground; all RA members 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 regional office (HQ is in Washington)
• Floor 5 is the Chrome Anubis Club

Approach

• Each faction given their own parking location
• Travel by short-range jumpgate directly to restaurant
• Given a portal key
• Underground parking garage
• Shipping container
• Jumpgate: R3M branding

Some discussion of strategy

Team travels to their parking garage

• Shipping container with R3M jumpgate
• Nails gives Lyndi the portal key

Unbound sense tingles; lots of Unbound in the restaurant

Restaurant

• 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 tables with hot and cold dishes
• 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 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
• 2 tielfings in corp bloc
  • Male: black and scaly with dreads, in a suit
  • Female: poison-green iridescent scales, in jumpsuit with combat armor
• 1 aasimar colonial bloc
  • Female: blue-silver skin, in jumpsuit with combat armor
• Next to each stand: 2 metal cabinets with hardened glass doors
  • Please leave your weapons and portal key in a cabinet
  • Lyndi given keys to cabinets
• Zach Hunter recognizes Chuck Nielson, talks some with him
• Brother Iron approaches
  • I sensed and promptly used the Helm's tear, went to Feywild, used my grove to return to Earth, brought back planar contract for Bronislav
  • Gives bracelet to Nails, who passes it to Lyndi
  • Lyndi connects with Bron, Bron talks about laser-guided cluster munitions, she tells him to run war games to measure his capabilities, Phobos helps him understand his sensor suite as a sense of smell

Council Hearing

Private Dining 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
• Two desks with chairs for the plaintiff and the defendant (petitioner and respondent)
• Lone chair for a witness
• Restaurant chairs for observers and guests

Events

• Chair directs Foley to take the roll; remind why these people matter
• Exannarq appears: "I represent Primus, the One and the Prime, the Clockwork God, Lord of Mechanus. I am here to observe these proceedings."
• Called to order by Chairperson John 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
• Directs Secretary Foley to activate the reality anchor
  • Reality anchor (no scrying, alteration, conjuration, teleportation, shapeshifting, or magical healing or regeneration)
• 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
• Foley reports that all delegates have chosen to send their proxies
• Foley reports that some proxies have submitted written memoranda on current Council business, for the Chair's consideration
• Lincoln: Primex called for this hearing
  • Chair confirms that the suspected malefactor is present
  • Chair asks the suspected malefactor if they have chosen an advocate, that would be Nails
  • Chair asks if suspected associates are present: Lyndi Fletcher, Jane Irwin, Arthur Kelly, Chuck Nielson, Maxine Witkey
• Chair recognizes the proxy for the Corporate Bloc
• Erik Holloway calls attention to matter of grave concern
  • First, note that there were two more suspected associates: an unnamed Unbound man (Joe or Ryu) and an unnamed Unbound woman (Ajami)
  • Primex holding: NeoCyclic
  • Iowa Event: as we all know, attacked by an anonymous force, disrupted containment, lead to the deaths of researchers and research subjects
• Restaurant: Burec Felpike arrives
  • Duergar in black armor
  • "Ambassador to the Prime for the Kingdom of Grimstone."
  • "You may have forgotten us. We have not forgotten you."
• Erik continues
  • Dr. Cole Vanlaere was a survivor, sought refuge at the Stayawhile Inn
  • Primex hired a team of freelancers to secure Dr. Vanlaere and escort him to one of our facilities
  • This is where R3M interfered, precipitous actions lead to the completely unnecessary death of an Unbound
  • Will ask this Council to formally investigate
  • Our friend, Braxton Hilberk, will explicate the charges
• Braxton Hilberk
  • Lester "Vulc@n" Carrington
  • An intelligent man, a talented man, a complicated man
  • Widely respected by his peers for his talents in cyber security
  • This extraordinary Unbound human, this citizen of Earth, life cut short
  • Here to advocate, not for revenge, but for justice
• Gen. Giordana asks about video surveillance; Secretary Foley says no records could be obtained; digital devices malfunctioned or recorded white noise
  • Chair asks about nature of malfunction; Foley says some indications of a substantial technomagical presence, possibly a spirit (Holloway seems pleased by this)
• Major Hunter asks about eyewitness testimony; says fog obscured much of the confrontation
  • Holloway says fog is nature magic, looks Kennet
  • Kennet says Talarin had no role in battle, did help with aftermath
  • Hilberk says we have an eyewitnesses: Lena Mikhalov
  • Nails objects: Lena Mikhalov not trustworthy; Chair notes objection, need to prove not trustworthy
• Gen. Giordana asks about site analysis
  • Foley: Chicago PD secured the scene
  • Based on the reports from responding officers, escalated to Special Threats
  • Lt. Logan Pearson was in command; Unbound, can be called to testify
• Hilberk calls Lena Mikhalov
  • Foley administers the oath: Do you swear that the evidence that you shall give, shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, upon your honor as a free and rational being?
  • Yes, upon my honor
  • Nails calls for the use of Zone of Truth during the hearing
  • Hilberk says unnecessary and offensive, can count on an Unbound to testify with honor and integrity
  • Vote: Government (n), Colonial (y), Corporate (n), NGO (y), Tesseran (y)
  • 16 to 18, no Zone of Truth
• Lena
  • Hired to secure and transport a non-combatant specialist
  • Hilberk: Dr. Cole Vanlaere? Yes
  • Had my team in position for extraction, I was overwatch
  • Observed an unidentified, non-official, Unbound paramilitary team move in and abduct the target
  • I ordered Mills, our rogue, to rescue the target, while Vulcan provided distraction and I provided suppressing fire
  • The paramilitary team resisted with lethal intention, attacking my team from multiple vectors
  • Ordered Vulcan to disengage and evade
  • Ran down by the marauder, that is, the suspected malefactor, and killed without warning
• Nails responds, invoking Article 4
  • Max quietly apologizes to Raptors for not sharing this sooner
  • Explains the threat of bloodstones: trapping a soul (like a lich's phylactery), using it to power magic
  • Know R3M: don't always agree with methods, must agree demonstrated clear commitment to Breakwater
  • Our friends on Tessera dealing with the hazards of bloodstones for almost two decades
  • Bloodstones exacerbated their war, may lead to another war; more importantly, tied to Strain
• Nails calls on Dr. Kennet
  • Oath administered
  • Strain seems to be caused by the creation and use of bloodstones; specifically, transporting bloodstones away from the world on which they were created, and then using them
  • Strain's effects strike any arcanist who uses a bloodstone: madness, mutation, or both
  • Nails: Tesseran special forces uncovered a conspiracy to create and export bloodstones
  • Kennet: Correct, tracked that conspiracy to a stronghold called Ramshead in the Outland in the Outer Planes, near city of Sigil; that's where many of the bloodstones from Tessera have been shipped
• Exannarq interrupts
  • Before he became one with Primus, this mortal was in possession of a bloodstone
  • (Produces bloodstone, sets in on Lincoln's desk)
  • This mortal found the bloodstone on the ground, near where the male human Mills was apprehended
  • (looks at Jane) This mortal had attuned to the stone, but he had not used it, yet
  • Strain is a symptom of a disease. The disease is the decay of the True Order.
  • The leaders of this world must safeguard and uphold the True Order, or agents of Mechanus shall be sent to enforce it for you.
• Lincoln has RA staffer box the bloodstone
• Nails continues
  • Nails: Please tell us about metabiotic crystals
  • Kennet: Highly unstable, super-dense magical objects; one crystal contains a fraction of the soul of a metahuman, such as an elf or an orc; within a ritual, can be used to splice or merge that soul with another metahuman, creating what we are calling a soul shadow
  • Nails: Why do this?
  • Kennet: Could be used to create super soldiers
  • Nails thanks Kennet
• Nails explains multiple incursions by devils and demons
  • Have kept them under control
  • Evidence of systematic effort to pierce the Breakwater and invite fiends to the Prime
  • As you know, fiends are like a virus; once here, spread in influence; demons bring others through, while devils corrupt mortal souls
  • Believe these incursions are related to trafficking and experimentation with metabiotic crystals
• Nails calls Lyndi
  • Introduce yourself
  • Under my command, your team was investigating the trafficking of metabiotic crystals in Chicago
  • What did you suspect about Dr. Cole Vanlaere?
  • When you discovered Dr. Vanlaere's location, what was your intent?
  • How do you feel about Proudflame's use of lethal force?
  • Anything else?
• Chair stops Holloway and Hilberk from questioning Lyndi
• Chair says preliminary hearing; to sum up, we have the word of Dr. Kelly and his team against the word of Director Holloway's mercenaries; difficult to ascertain the truth; discussion
  • Gen. Giordana: don't like any of this; "security company" fighting mercenaries in an American city; need to get to the bottom of this
  • Major Hunter: doesn't seem to a matter of concern for the colonies, except for the bloodstones; haven't heard of any reason to significantly worry about Lockbox or the Breakwater; however, the presence of Exannarq will be a source of discussion among the Colonial bloc
  • Director Holloway: corporations do essential work for national security and global stability; this group threatened the safety of our noncombatant and used excessive, lethal force against our contractor
  • Nails: Proudflame acted appropriately under the circumstances; R3M has complete confidence in his choices
  • Dr. Tennet: R3M carefully selects and trains its operatives; Nails has been a decisive force for order and good in the past; we should believe him
  • Vote: Government (y), Colonial (a), Corporate (y), NGO (n), Tesseran (n)
  • 19 to 16, we proceed
• Giordana
  • Already troubled by what's happening on the West Coast
  • Disturbing details
  • Disturbing trends (gestures to Exannarq and Burec Felpike)
  • Give this Council notice that Farwatch is considering implementing the Palisade Protocol
• Chair
  • Ask that Farwatch entertain discussion with this Council before implementation
  • Giordana: If do move forward with implementing Palisade, we allow this Council to give notice to its members and observers
• Chair
  • Set a date for hearing, ten days?
  • Monday, November 20, 2017
• Chair: need to decide whether to hold the suspected malefactor in custody
  • Nails: Proudflame, Ed obeys orders; he will be at the hearing
  • Kennet: tabaxi have honor; he will obey Nails' orders
  • Giordana: I have been informed that Mr. Chase is actually on loan to R3M, on a temporary basis; we're familiar with Mr. Chase's long-term employer and he has assured us Mr. Chase will comply
  • Also, long-term employer sends his regrets; he asked to be notified if the hearing moves forward, and he will likely attend
  • Vote: Government (n), Colonial (n), Corporate (y), NGO (n), Tesseran (n)
  • 8 to 27, Mr. Chase is released on his own recognizance
• Chair: take a 10 minute break, then will move into closed session for discussion of the West Coast situation and Farwatch's consideration of the Palisade Protocol

After Hearing

• Nails
  • I need to stay for the closed session
  • Max and Ryu have to leave
  • Take the team back to the Fort; from there, continue the investigation of Raph Decosta; you should also discuss this hearing and suggest possible next steps in the investigation of the metabiotic crystals
  • Max: Ramshead, the fortress in the Outland? It's held by the League of the Rusted Crown, same faction that employed Lena and her crew
• Felpike goes to lobby
  • Lyndi invites him over
  • He asks to go with Raptors
  • Wants to collect intel and drink
  • Max thinks that's dangerous, because then R3M responsible for him; Lyndi's call
  • Brother Iron will take him, gets his oath on guest right
• Jumpgate
  • Through gate, into shipping container
  • Opens on a different parking garage
  • Draco: Something is wrong
  • Jumpgate breaks apart behind you (limited explosives designed only to break it)