Corco's Villa (IC)

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Vassarious had asked Halycone for some funds previously... if they do not have enough left, V will ask for the funds and place the order.

Sure. Have eight thousand.

[ericthered]

Halcyone will be able to get inside the home and place the bugs... I think she's done all the footwork for that. Roll acting or a substitute to get out safe.


Roll some skill to place the bugs.



Halcyone, are you trying to find out something specific or just generally investigating the conspiracy?


Do you have a plan to change the plans for the emperor's wall?

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Halcyone will be able to get inside the home and place the bugs... I think she's done all the footwork for that. Roll acting or a substitute to get out safe.
Roll some skill to place the bugs.

Well, I'll throw in an observation in case we go ahead with my kidnap fericus plan. Want to know where the garage is, Fericus's bedroom, whether there are other residents, etc.

[358] 22-03-04 17:13:19 GMT
Acting
3d6 <= 15
1 + 3 + 2 = 6 ... success
[359] 22-03-04 17:13:38 GMT
Camouflage
3d6 <= 16
3 + 2 + 6 = 11 ... success
[360] 22-03-04 17:22:10 GMT
Observation
3d6 <= 16
6 + 5 + 3 = 14 ... success

Originally Posted by ericthered

Halcyone, are you trying to find out something specific or just generally investigating the conspiracy?

Mostly just generally investigating the conspiracy. The emperor may be content to throw his heroes at us, but I don't think he knows what we're trying to achieve. The conspiracy might get an inkling, and they might try to pull something at a crucial point. Maybe if we could replace Fericus, we could have the conspiracy do the hard work of changing the emperor's wall.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Do you have a plan to change the plans for the emperor's wall?

Not yet. Guess I'll have to investigate who has access to the plans in the first place.

[ericthered]

The stone blocks will arrive quite soon. Anything Vassarious will be doing before then?

Originally Posted by TGLS

Well, I'll throw in an observation in case we go ahead with my kidnap fericus plan. Want to know where the garage is, Fericus's bedroom, whether there are other residents, etc.

The garage is on the right side of the house. It is quite large. Fericus has a much younger woman as his wife, and the master bedroom is upstairs on the left side of the house.

Mostly just generally investigating the conspiracy. The emperor may be content to throw his heroes at us, but I don't think he knows what we're trying to achieve. The conspiracy might get an inkling, and they might try to pull something at a crucial point. Maybe if we could replace Fericus, we could have the conspiracy do the hard work of changing the emperor's wall.

ok... hmmm. The house is bugged. How are you going to find the few instances when he might be talking about the conspiracy?

Not yet. Guess I'll have to investigate who has access to the plans in the first place.

Any actions Halcyone or Vassarious will take on that?

[the_matrix_walker]

Vassarious is stuck as a gas cloud until the blocks arrive but they are willing to assist Halycone in any part of their investigation that she might ask.

Once they get the blocks, they can build their phone booth and safely use the pen to contact holo-Maximus' group and verify the timing for the attack.

Vassarious will attempt to take Halycone's shape when they have the protection in place... Vassarious is hoping they can use Haly's version of disguise undetected so they can make changes in the field if needed.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

ok... hmmm. The house is bugged. How are you going to find the few instances when he might be talking about the conspiracy?

I don't suppose I can't just buy Speech to Text software and have everything transcribed that way.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Any actions Halcyone or Vassarious will take on that?

If I recall, the existence of the Emperor's wall isn't a state secret (you mentioned the distance was famously 100 paces). So I guess I could look up which department or position would be responsible for keeping the plans, then look it up at a free moment at Cyraelian's work, or perhaps from any notes that I've made before.

[361] 22-03-07 19:15:37 GMT
Research
3d6 <= 15 : 4 + 5 + 6 = 15 ... success

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I don't suppose I can't just buy Speech to Text software and have everything transcribed that way.

Good idea! ... that's $100.



Transcribing and then searching through the data (hidden GM roll), you find him discussing an upcoming memoir with the author... and him telling the man that certain pieces of information could lead people to suspect the emperor's change, and that he has orders from the current High Priest and Governor of Arthus that they don't want knowledge of the "reorganizers" to be public, even just presenting them as a group of friends.

If I recall, the existence of the Emperor's wall isn't a state secret (you mentioned the distance was famously 100 paces). So I guess I could look up which department or position would be responsible for keeping the plans, then look it up at a free moment at Cyraelian's work, or perhaps from any notes that I've made before.

So there are two walls to worry about here. One is an intricate wall inside of the emperor's tomb, hidden from the public view. It is very much not public knowledge. The Second wall is the wall around all of the tombs, both emperor's and the immortals, and that one is very public knowledge.


The records of how to construct the emperor's walls are kept by the priests of architecture, and specifically they have official physical records kept in two vaults. One is in the temple complex itself, behind the second wall, and the other is in the priest's offices outside the complex but downtown. A third set of instructions is "hidden securely" by the high priest of architecture. There are digital records as well... held in the priest's office down town.



Do you have any requests for your partner to help with this? Two is better than one...

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Vassarious is stuck as a gas cloud until the blocks arrive but they are willing to assist Halycone in any part of their investigation that she might ask.

The blocks have arrived... The booth takes quite a while to build, but its built, and Vassarious can change forms safely within it. Where will you be building it? Do you want to have bought more than one?


Cyraelian asks that since someone else is home, can he not be tied up all day? He promises not to run away.

Vassarious will attempt to take Halycone's shape when they have the protection in place... Vassarious is hoping they can use Haly's version of disguise undetected so they can make changes in the field if needed.

Nice... Hadn't thought of that. Done. You have her Tendriloid Body trait, plus extra attack and ambidexterity.

Once they get the blocks, they can build their phone booth and safely use the pen to contact holo-Maximus' group and verify the timing for the attack.

Communications with Holo-Maximus are up.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Vassarious will attempt to take Halycone's shape when they have the protection in place... Vassarious is hoping they can use Haly's version of disguise undetected so they can make changes in the field if needed.

I carefully inspect V the next time I see them, "Hm. It's like being back back in the conditioning center."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Transcribing and then searching through the data (hidden GM roll), you find him discussing an upcoming memoir with the author... and him telling the man that certain pieces of information could lead people to suspect the emperor's change, and that he has orders from the current High Priest and Governor of Arthus that they don't want knowledge of the "reorganizers" to be public, even just presenting them as a group of friends.

Well I guess that means they're in the dark... I suppose I could try to distract/panic them by starting a whispers campaign implying the "reorganizers" are connected in some way, and have them start chasing shadows, but I think that's a good risk alerting them we exist so...

Originally Posted by ericthered

So there are two walls to worry about here. One is an intricate wall inside of the emperor's tomb, hidden from the public view. It is very much not public knowledge. The Second wall is the wall around all of the tombs, both emperor's and the immortals, and that one is very public knowledge.

The records of how to construct the emperor's walls are kept by the priests of architecture, and specifically they have official physical records kept in two vaults. One is in the temple complex itself, behind the second wall, and the other is in the priest's offices outside the complex but downtown. A third set of instructions is "hidden securely" by the high priest of architecture. There are digital records as well... held in the priest's office down town.

Do you have any requests for your partner to help with this? Two is better than one...

Well first I'll ask V if they noticed anything that looked like a place where the high priest of architecture might be hiding something important when they visited his residence last. Then start monitoring the bugs V planted at the HP of Architecture's residence.

Would I or V be able to gain access to the office while disguised as Cyraelian? Or maybe V could transform into a cloud and case one or both of the vaults? There's probably a fourth set of plans out there, held by the conspiracy; we can't just destroy the plans.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Cyraelian asks that since someone else is home, can he not be tied up all day? He promises not to run away.

No complaints from me.

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Well first I'll ask V if they noticed anything that looked like a place where the high priest of architecture might be hiding something important when they visited his residence last.

If Vassarious can think of such a place, they will describe it.

Originally Posted by TGLS

Then start monitoring the bugs V planted at the HP of Architecture's residence.

Vassarious planted those bugs for someone else... If they have the info for monitoring the transmissions, they will supply it, but they did not program the receiver, so I doubt they ever had access to the information on how to connect to the bugs. (Sorry)

Originally Posted by TGLS

Would I or V be able to gain access to the office while disguised as Cyraelian? Or maybe V could transform into a cloud and case one or both of the vaults? There's probably a fourth set of plans out there, held by the conspiracy; we can't just destroy the plans.

Vassarious could probably be swayed, but believes trying to penetrate the tomb multiple times is likely to give them the chance to improve their detection and increase the security if they catch wind we're still interested... and if they catch us looking into the plans, it could reveal the endgame.

The "damage control" and case-building against the conspirators is fine, as long as it doesn't interfere with the primary objective, but it seems to me to be a bit like cleaning up the floor before stopping the leak.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Cyraelian asks that since someone else is home, can he not be tied up all day? He promises not to run away.

Vassarious doesn't like the idea of taking the risk... They will get in the "booth" and call Corco's people and see if they can come grab a prisoner and hold them more comfortable until we are done with his identity though (if they can borrow Halycone's pen). He'd love the gardens.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Well first I'll ask V if they noticed anything that looked like a place where the high priest of architecture might be hiding something important when they visited his residence last.

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

If Vassarious can think of such a place, they will describe it.

There is a safe...

Would I or V be able to gain access to the office while disguised as Cyraelian?

Yes, he typically shows up at that office once a week or so.

Vassarious planted those bugs for someone else... If they have the info for monitoring the transmissions, they will supply it, but they did not program the receiver, so I doubt they ever had access to the information on how to connect to the bugs. (Sorry)

indeed. You know someone who has the bugs... but He'll probably charge money.

The "damage control" and case-building against the conspirators is fine, as long as it doesn't interfere with the primary objective, but it seems to me to be a bit like cleaning up the floor before stopping the leak.

Ok, so the one tactic is to alter the plans, knock down the wall, and then rely on the altered plans will get the wall rebuilt properly. The other tactic is to knock down the wall to disable the emperor and then... I'm not sure what the plan is then. Possibly an action afterwords would work... what does V have in mind?

Vassarious doesn't like the idea of taking the risk... They will get in the "booth" and call Corco's people and see if they can come grab a prisoner and hold them more comfortable until we are done with his identity though (if they can borrow Halycone's pen). He'd love the gardens.

The call is taken by a lieutenant of Gurdo. He declines to store the kidnapped priest. "Also, aren't you taking steps to avoid the emperor seeing you? a portal will light things right up! Have you tried your local allies? I know you gave them the other end of this device. Could they hold him?"