HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

[Morty]

[Laboratory]

This should be concerning to Dorota. Being given power by imprisoned titans? An alarm bell if there ever was one, but instead she feels sympathy. Being denied your ambitions because of your lack of wealth and station?

"I know exactly how that feels," she says, smiling. "My help came from a decidedly more mundane direction, but I was also hungry for knowledge and denied access to it. I have to say, though, the motif of titans who came before the gods came up a lot during my studies."

[Reinholdt]

[VIGIL Meeting]

Rein raises an eyebrow at Dorota and shoots her a questioning glance. He can think of at least three people in HALO capable of physically restraining someone. Why is she putting forward the idea that they couldn't? Maybe she just wasn't familiar with the members, but that made it even odder that she would speak so generally about their so options. Or did she mean the royal we? Better save a little face. "Ah, what she means is that Sizewell is too blocky for the job. There are those with other skillsets that can likely get the job done."

He clears his throat. "Anyways, that information about the church of Asthenia will make things much easier, thank you," Reinholdt gives Khafir a warm smile, having thought of one or two ways to leverage Ashtenia to their advantage in their efforts to get to Korvin.

Turning slightly, Reinholdt faces Ambrosia. "Of course, I'm interested in your role in this mission," Rein states inquisitively, having no further questions about Klaus at the moment.

[Library]

"Is that a cat who is a girl or a girl who is a cat?" Maria asks, writing down the unfamiliar name. "Dragons sometimes control fey as familiars or friends, but it is most unusual to hear of fey who exercise control in the other direction." Dragons are pretty clear as to who they think is at the top of the food chain.

"Do you often have prophecies about the King in Rags? Are they your only prophecies? When did they start?" Zhareen's seemed to have at least two now! That's considered high.

[Fish Watching: Pool]

"Well it certainly would mean you don't need to dunk your head in water to figure it out." Most people know by now whether they need to breathe. Being a dryad must be difficult.

"Uh-oh, you made a friend. She might sleep on your back all day." Reinholdt smiles, but goes to grab a fluffy towel. Something warm and inviting to dry Manja off. "You can hand her here." He doesn't want Venus to feel forced to handle a kid she wasn't ready to watch.

[Shadowcaller]

[VIGIL Meeting]

Ah, the part Ambrosia very much hadn't looked forward to.
She exchanges a glance with Cessie who shrugs. It was completely up to her, but considering she had made the trouble of going here it seemed that she had committed to this...

The scholar takes a deep breath. Unlike Cessie she doesn't stand up before speaking however. "Yes, as you might know I'm not actually a VIGIL member. A status that lady Mithar and Dr. Khafir believes to be asset in this regard. Instead I'm doing this as a favor to VIGIL itself." She gestures to Rein. "One I actually believe HALO to be involved with, however tangentially." Her eyebrows raise. "Are you familiar with a prophecy made by one of your members involving a dragon? One that was delivered to VIGIL by a female clone of yours? Well, regardless if that was just a coincidence or not that information helped me out as I'm supposedly the dragon mentioned in it." She exchanges looks with Cessie again. "VIGIL would have had to inform you of this sooner or later-" And so Ambrosia looks back to Rein. "-but I attacked VIGIL while under the influence of the 'rag king' and they managed to free me of its influence."

Cessie takes the chance to interject as Ambrosia pauses for a moment. "She means the King in Rags." She clarifies.

The scholar nods. "Yes, that creature. I attempted to destroy it when something went wrong and then... I was suddenly VIGIL's problem. Since I wasn't speaking in metaphors when I said that I'm a dragon. I know that you might be familiar with a VIGIL member known as 'Calm Reed' who calls herself one but I'm closer to what the term more commonly refers to."

Once more Cessie raises her hand to interject. "If I may..."

"Go ahead." The scholar nods politely but a small sigh still escapes her lips.

"Ambrosia is more specifically a more spiritual kind of dragon. She isn't actually shapeshifted, she's actually possessing this body." The commander clarifies with a gesture at Ambrosia whose starting to look a tad uncomfortable with the subject, which is perhaps while Cessie connects it back to the mission without getting into more details.
"So she can actually be far more stealthy than one might think a dragon is capable of. Which is why I believe she could be of great use here. She could simply air lift Klaus out of the city if you manage to get close enough to him."

[Library]

"Is that a cat who is a girl or a girl who is a cat?" Maria asks, writing down the unfamiliar name. "Dragons sometimes control fey as familiars or friends, but it is most unusual to hear of fey who exercise control in the other direction." Dragons are pretty clear as to who they think is at the top of the food chain.

"Do you often have prophecies about the King in Rags? Are they your only prophecies? When did they start?" Zhareen's seemed to have at least two now! That's considered high.

[Library]

"A girl, well woman really, with cat ears and a cat tail." Zhareen clarifies. "She's quite cute, a relative of Rein's I believe? Or was that clone?" She shakes her head. "Erm, anyway, I think I can explain why I'm getting so many prophecies regarding him as of late. See, fey are actually often featured in prophecies due to their narrative nature and it seems like the King in Rags has a particularly strong affiliation with such narratives even among fey. I think that his activities has railed up the spirit world which is why I'm getting so many visions involving him." The merfolk nods sagely.
"Normally I rarely get visions at all unless I go and seek them out. I get them a few times a year at most. But they have become more common as of late."

[Beans]

[Laboratory]

This should be concerning to Dorota. Being given power by imprisoned titans? An alarm bell if there ever was one, but instead she feels sympathy. Being denied your ambitions because of your lack of wealth and station?

"I know exactly how that feels," she says, smiling. "My help came from a decidedly more mundane direction, but I was also hungry for knowledge and denied access to it. I have to say, though, the motif of titans who came before the gods came up a lot during my studies."

Siiva nods, smiling more genuinely. "I've heard of it a good deal as well---I can't help but wonder what got my patrons in their current position, who was more in the right about what... but the one I'm most attuned to, I feel for her on a lot of levels. She's all about order---she is order, really. She wants things to be in their place and harmonious. And I align with that a good deal---I want to fix things because it helps clear uncertainty and fear and chaos from people's lives, and then they can work together better. I've been nibbling away at learning civic planning, because I also want to know how to... how to build a space for communities, you know?" She sweeps a hand, making a sort of little model town out of crystalline light. It hangs in the air and rotates slowly. "But my chief patron is very much about hierarchy, and she doesn't really... get the whole deal with free will, and that's a bit awkward. As much as I sympathize on a lot of things with her, I can also see why folks wouldn't want her running the show."

[Rebonack]

[Normal Escort Mission]

"For what purpose, I wonder?" Neshi muses aloud, fixing the woman with an intense stare for just long enough to be uncomfortable.

Then she sets off again, moving toward the shuttles to the surface.

There is, after all, a job to do.

A purpose to fulfill.

Vermin to stamp out and secrets to hurl once more into the land of forgetfulness.

Upon reaching the shuttles the definitely normal fishing villager pauses to eyes the machine critically.

So many strange contrivances have been created during her slumber. So many secrets uncovered.

She finds it galling.

"Do you know how to operate this artifice?" she inquires of her guide.

[Morty]

[Laboratory]

Siiva nods, smiling more genuinely. "I've heard of it a good deal as well---I can't help but wonder what got my patrons in their current position, who was more in the right about what... but the one I'm most attuned to, I feel for her on a lot of levels. She's all about order---she is order, really. She wants things to be in their place and harmonious. And I align with that a good deal---I want to fix things because it helps clear uncertainty and fear and chaos from people's lives, and then they can work together better. I've been nibbling away at learning civic planning, because I also want to know how to... how to build a space for communities, you know?" She sweeps a hand, making a sort of little model town out of crystalline light. It hangs in the air and rotates slowly. "But my chief patron is very much about hierarchy, and she doesn't really... get the whole deal with free will, and that's a bit awkward. As much as I sympathize on a lot of things with her, I can also see why folks wouldn't want her running the show."

Dorota's eyes narrow slightly.

"I haven't had a good experience with people thinking about things in terms of hierarchy, no. At home, we have a... caste system, you could say. And by birth, I belonged the lineage, or caste, of traders and service providers. Not people they want to learn or be scholars. So I think you're doing the right thing by not aligning with your patron on everything."

[VIGIL Meeting]

Ambrosia is a dragon? It takes Dorota a moment to internalize that. She doesn't deal with surprises well. Doubly so when the information about her attacking Vigil is revealed.

"A dragon appearing in Skyside would cause a great deal of confusion. But this could work in our favor," she simply says. "As for myself, preparing something that will disable him completely is too risky. It could kill him, especially with his condition. But I can supply something that will slow him down enough for other members, or Ambrosia, to have an easier time subduing him. Getting close enough to him to apply it and then capture him is another matter, given the people he's surrounded with."

[Ironsmith]

[VIGIL Meeting]

"That may very well be the simple part." Khafir elaborates. "Mister Quire's organization nominally works against the Slaver's Guild in Skyside, and accepts newcomers on a regular basis. Posing as new recruits would allow you to get into his base of operations without arousing suspicion." She slowly reclaims her seat as she says this, noting that Rein had neglected to stand and deciding to emulate his behavior for the moment. "...The obvious caveat, of course, is that nobody within that organization knows that Klaus and Korvin are the same person. Given the scarcity of anti-Guild forces within Skyside, it may be prudent to avoid revealing that information."

[5a Violista]

[Fish Watching: Pool]

When Venus first arrived at HALO, she did mention she had powers that knew she had but didn't know how to use them. Which is why the first stop was with the Fourth Tower people.
Maybe this is just an extension of that.

Venus doesn't mind having the kid there, because all kids are cute, especially ones this young. The only negative is the claws.

"Yeah, okay," She wades through the water towards him, so that the baby can be taken right from her back into the towel. "I wouldn't mind, but probably best to get her out of the pool."

Manja, of course, once the towel is ready goes straight to it. It's fun to swim around, but being cold and having wet fur is annoying, when you're out of the water. Once out of the water, she turns back into not-kitten form to get rid of the wet fur.

All-in-all...it was a success? Kind-of? At least she knows she doesn't need to risk drowning herself to practice not breathing.

[Beans]

[Laboratory]
Dorota's eyes narrow slightly.

"I haven't had a good experience with people thinking about things in terms of hierarchy, no. At home, we have a... caste system, you could say. And by birth, I belonged the lineage, or caste, of traders and service providers. Not people they want to learn or be scholars. So I think you're doing the right thing by not aligning with your patron on everything."

Siiva shakes her head. "Oh, I hate things like that---keeping someone from their passion by accident of birth, or money, it's nonsense. I want society to have order, but bad order can be worse than no order at all!" Her voice takes on a strange undertone, like a glass harp. "Disorder you can at least use as a blank slate, but---" As her mark glows brighter, she catches herself. "Sorry! Sorry. I get worked up about things, it's---I'm good." With visible effort, she damps down the green glow and it fades to nothing; the undertone also fades from her voice.

[Reinholdt]

[Library]

Maria will have to look up what or who a Rein is later. "So the King in Rags' presence and actions are stirring up the spiritual world. I shall research to see if other phenomena along these lines are occurring more frequently than normal in a broad local spectrum."

She scribbles a few notes. "Though the countermeasures to such a fey appear to be painfully obvious. If stories about his triumphant return and victories are fueling him, then actively spreading stories of his defeat and failures... well they may not destroy such a creature, but given fey's connection to stories, would likely change his nature accordingly and weaken him considerably. Ah... uh... just a working theory of course." Not one Maria's been able to test in any meaningful way.

[Fish Watching: Pool]

Dream powers, breathing powers, the possibilities just don't end!

Manja immediately gets wrapped up in the towel. Sure it's drying her off, but it's also definitely a prison like wrapping as her father picks her up. She's not going anywhere while being held like that.

Admittedly it's a super warm, super safe, super comfy prison so maybe that's ok. A gilded cage is fine once in a while.

"Thank you," Rein tells Venus. "Are you going to keep semi-drowning yourself or try not breathing on land?" One of those things means he's gotta stick around and make sure she doesn't die.

[Vigil Meeting]

Reinholdt doesn't have a very strong reaction to Ambrosia being a dragon. It's a curiosity perhaps, but dragons passing as humanoids was a generally accepted practice as far as he was aware. Or maybe he just feels the solidarity of having four legs and pretending to have two.

Either way, he doesn't consider it a particularly big deal or anything. "So you're here to go on the mission," Rein states, boiling away the fluff. Seems this was Ambrosia's penance for an attack that Reina made a prophecy about. Well... even those circumstances don't really change much about the goal. "That shouldn't be a problem. We look forward to working with you."

He listens to Khafir's suggestion that they pose as new recruits and considers it for a moment. Before deciding anything, he looks back to Ambrosia. "How comfortable are you with deceptive roles? Would you imagine yourself able to pretend to be a fanatic for microbes?"

[Shadowcaller]

[VIGIL Meeting]

Ambrosia nods to Rein as to confirm his summary of what she said.
But as soon as he brings up Khafir's suggestion of posing as recruits, she raises a hand as if in protest. "Can I suggestion an alteration to that plan? Since my position as a scholar does allow me to go to places where others can't and this wouldn't be the first time I've set my foot in Skyside either.
So may I suggest that instead of trying to take up a new identity, something which I have no experience in, I simply pose as myself trying to learn more about the cult? I may be a dragon scholar, as in my expertise is dragons, but I've learned from experience that nearly everything can be connected to dragons if you just try hard enough so I'm confident that I can come up with something.
Otherwise I would probably have to come up with a guise and a much more complicated cover story as again, I've already been seen in Skyside and my scholarly travels around the nexus aren't completely unknown either. Seems that I leave an impression with people."

[Library]

Zhareen raises her finger and gestures towards Maria, seemingly approving of this. "Yes! Exactly. The idea did occur to me as well but you would have to come up means to spread it if we were even to test this theory out. Is HALO capable of such things? Maybe we should ask another fey if they're capable to do such a thing for us. That's usually what the fourth tower does, when you're incapable of doing something yourself it's always best to ask someone else. Trade of goods and services is how the world goes around after all." The warlock nods, seemingly quite confident her their methodology.

[Morty]

[VIGIL Meeting]

"Posing as a scholar may be easier than posing as recruits," Dorota says slowly, thinking about it. "HALO members could claim to be Ambrosia's research assistants. Recruits are going to be put through the onboarding process and under scrutiny. If the party can convince them they're only there to learn, they might move more freely. As I understand it, the best cover story is one that's close to the truth."

[Laboratory]

Dorota watches Siiva with some concern, but it abates when she calms herself down.

"I understand. I used to be... a lot more angry about it. I try to approach it as a scholar now. My people claim that the social order was ordained by the gods. So I decided to find out if it's true. So far, evidence is inconclusive, but I've learned a lot about other deities and divinity in general, so it was worthwhile. And it all intersects with more temporal power."

[Ironsmith]

[Vigil Meeting]

Reinholdt doesn't have a very strong reaction to Ambrosia being a dragon. It's a curiosity perhaps, but dragons passing as humanoids was a generally accepted practice as far as he was aware. Or maybe he just feels the solidarity of having four legs and pretending to have two.

Either way, he doesn't consider it a particularly big deal or anything. "So you're here to go on the mission," Rein states, boiling away the fluff. Seems this was Ambrosia's penance for an attack that Reina made a prophecy about. Well... even those circumstances don't really change much about the goal. "That shouldn't be a problem. We look forward to working with you."

He listens to Khafir's suggestion that they pose as new recruits and considers it for a moment. Before deciding anything, he looks back to Ambrosia. "How comfortable are you with deceptive roles? Would you imagine yourself able to pretend to be a fanatic for microbes?"

[VIGIL Meeting]

Ambrosia nods to Rein as to confirm his summary of what she said.
But as soon as he brings up Khafir's suggestion of posing as recruits, she raises a hand as if in protest. "Can I suggestion an alteration to that plan? Since my position as a scholar does allow me to go to places where others can't and this wouldn't be the first time I've set my foot in Skyside either.
So may I suggest that instead of trying to take up a new identity, something which I have no experience in, I simply pose as myself trying to learn more about the cult? I may be a dragon scholar, as in my expertise is dragons, but I've learned from experience that nearly everything can be connected to dragons if you just try hard enough so I'm confident that I can come up with something.
Otherwise I would probably have to come up with a guise and a much more complicated cover story as again, I've already been seen in Skyside and my scholarly travels around the nexus aren't completely unknown either. Seems that I leave an impression with people."

[VIGIL Meeting]

"Posing as a scholar may be easier than posing as recruits," Dorota says slowly, thinking about it. "HALO members could claim to be Ambrosia's research assistants. Recruits are going to be put through the onboarding process and under scrutiny. If the party can convince them they're only there to learn, they might move more freely. As I understand it, the best cover story is one that's close to the truth."

[VIGIL Meeting]

The moment Rein suggests pretending to be microbe fanatics, Khafir realizes she's miscommunicated and it would be prudent to correct them. Then she realizes he might be referring to a different approach entirely; she's been thinking in terms of luring out Klaus, but going after Korvin would likely achieve a similar effect. Both seemed like valid routes to success.

Then again, why not just do both? A two-pronged approach has twice as many chances at bearing fruit. And they have the numbers to do it.

"Approaching Korvin as a researcher curious about Asthenia would certainly be a possibility." Khafir says, steepling her fingers. "He has certainly made himself rather visible in the Guild's affairs; that someone may just happen to be in town who wants to learn from him hardly strains credulity." She glances over at Ambrosia, again with a critical look in her eye. "It may even be true." She adds, in what was almost certainly a flat attempt at humor. "Though I should again remind you that Korvin does not have any formal association with the church, and pressing too hard on that angle carries its own risks. Perhaps, working in tandem with infiltrators covering Klaus's anti-Guild activities, you would be able to arrange a situation he doesn't expect."

[Reinholdt]

[VIGIL Meeting]

"Hmm... alright. Going as yourself is fine, though I won't leave it to you to just 'come up with' a connection. There will be a disease involved. Probably one that causes great anguish. Hopefully even in new and unique ways. Something that justifies a visit to Asthenia and will catch the eye of a sadist. If it only affects dragons, that would certainly explain your presence as well, but we'll see." It's a work in progress.

Rein turns to Khafir, not hiding his confusion. "You introduced Korvin with a title that very much suggested he was a part of this church for his own sadistic and ideological reasons. You explained that he was imitating the ability to produce miracles and divine power, but are you saying now that he has no actual affiliation with them at all and cannot be found there? And that the organization you referred to against the slaver's guild is not the Church of Asthenia itself, but an as of previously unmentioned organization directly under control of the target in question?" The kind of organization that should definitely be mentioned much, much earlier in the briefing!

[Beans]

[Laboratory]

Dorota watches Siiva with some concern, but it abates when she calms herself down.

"I understand. I used to be... a lot more angry about it. I try to approach it as a scholar now. My people claim that the social order was ordained by the gods. So I decided to find out if it's true. So far, evidence is inconclusive, but I've learned a lot about other deities and divinity in general, so it was worthwhile. And it all intersects with more temporal power."

Siiva nods; the model town she'd made of crystal light collapses into a small cube, which she turns over in her hands in what looks to be a therapeutic bout of fidgeting. "Ultimately, the question of whether the social order is ordained by the gods or not isn't a question of if it's justified, it's a question of where the lion's share of the blame for the injustice lies. If Heaven chooses injustice, then pry open its gates and let them know their choice is unacceptable."

[Shadowcaller]

[VIGIL Meeting]

Ambrosia waves her hand dismissively at Rein's prodding. "While I appreciate suggestions I don't think the exact reason I'm there should be worked out during this meeting." She turns to Khafir. "But he's right, this is starting to sound increasingly convoluted. Are you suggesting that HALO is supposed to infiltrate two places at once now? Since I was under the impression we were simply supposed to get an idea of where he was hiding out and what his defenses were."

Cessie takes a deep breath. "The fact that Klaus have two identities, one that's working with an imitation of an already existing church, is making this difficult to explain I suspect. Perhaps we should just let Khafir explain all this from the start and I'm sure it all will make perfect sense."

[Morty]

[Laboratory]

Siiva nods; the model town she'd made of crystal light collapses into a small cube, which she turns over in her hands in what looks to be a therapeutic bout of fidgeting. "Ultimately, the question of whether the social order is ordained by the gods or not isn't a question of if it's justified, it's a question of where the lion's share of the blame for the injustice lies. If Heaven chooses injustice, then pry open its gates and let them know their choice is unacceptable."

"Prying open the gates of heaven is a bit above my weight class," Dorota admits with a smile. "Besides, our gods are gone and dead, according to tradition. We just carry on their legacy. What I'd like to know is if they ever existed. Then my interests expanded to cover divinity in general. Its nature and permutations. Looking for some order to it all, you could say."

[Ironsmith]

[VIGIL Meeting]

"Hmm... alright. Going as yourself is fine, though I won't leave it to you to just 'come up with' a connection. There will be a disease involved. Probably one that causes great anguish. Hopefully even in new and unique ways. Something that justifies a visit to Asthenia and will catch the eye of a sadist. If it only affects dragons, that would certainly explain your presence as well, but we'll see." It's a work in progress.

Rein turns to Khafir, not hiding his confusion. "You introduced Korvin with a title that very much suggested he was a part of this church for his own sadistic and ideological reasons. You explained that he was imitating the ability to produce miracles and divine power, but are you saying now that he has no actual affiliation with them at all and cannot be found there? And that the organization you referred to against the slaver's guild is not the Church of Asthenia itself, but an as of previously unmentioned organization directly under control of the target in question?" The kind of organization that should definitely be mentioned much, much earlier in the briefing!

[VIGIL Meeting]

Ambrosia waves her hand dismissively at Rein's prodding. "While I appreciate suggestions I don't think the exact reason I'm there should be worked out during this meeting." She turns to Khafir. "But he's right, this is starting to sound increasingly convoluted. Are you suggesting that HALO is supposed to infiltrate two places at once now? Since I was under the impression we were simply supposed to get an idea of where he was hiding out and what his defenses were."

Cessie takes a deep breath. "The fact that Klaus have two identities, one that's working with an imitation of an already existing church, is making this difficult to explain I suspect. Perhaps we should just let Khafir explain all this from the start and I'm sure it all will make perfect sense."

[VIGIL Meeting]

Khafir raises an eyebrow. Explain this all from the start? In what sense was that not what she just did? A second attempt would suffer from the same pitfalls as the first if she didn't alter her approach.

Fortunately, if there's one concept she understands, it's the value of another perspective.

Wordlessly, she stands up and makes her way over to a whiteboard in the corner of the meeting room, dragging it over to where the group can see, and producing a marker from her coat. She then draws a set of neat lines and starts briskly writing out the information in what she hopes is a more digestible format:

Korvin	Klaus	Cult of Asthenia	SIN
-Is a fabricated identity, created for infiltration purposes -Has forged but unfalsifiable credentials -Ideologically resonant with but not actually a member of Asthenia's cult -Replicates "miracles" through the use of technology -Guild enforcer -Sadist	-Is the real person behind the mask -Is the head of an anti-guild organization (SIN) -Has a malfunctioning implant which allows Korvin to take on a life of his own -Must be retrieved alive and with minimal possible injury	-Does not recognize Korvin as an official member -Has a germ obsession -May be an asset in the event of a conflict of interests between Korvin and themselves	-Unaware that Klaus and Korvin are the same person -Strong anti-guild sympathies; composed mostly of ex-slaves -Significant anti-guild force; disbanding them would empower the guild further

Once she's done writing that all out, Khafir steps away from the board and turns to face the assembled group and gives them a moment to read what's been written. "...Are there any questions?"

[Reinholdt]

[Library]

"I am unfamiliar with HALO's capabilities in this matter," Maria says. She didn't even recognize the name Rein so she's definitely not the one to talk to about HALO itself. "Another fey could possess the knowledge needed to enact this plan in an accurate and effective manner. Failing that, I actually am familiar with a number of good publishers who assisted in making my personally penned piece a publicly available book." The old fashioned way of creating a top selling hit could possibly duck under any fey attempts at sabotage.

[Vigil Meeting]

Reinholdt frowns considerably at Ambrosia's flippant attitude. That was going to have to be addressed and resolved before she was allowed to go with any HALO members on this mission.

For now, he waits through the process of writing everything down on a whiteboard. Rein has plenty of questions. "Is SIN the name or an anacronym for the name? I presume that since the Slaver's Guild is officially recognized that SIN is an illegal and hard to reach organization? Do you have or know of any ways to reach or contact them?" If they don't, that's fine, it's just another aspect of the mission they have to consider. "Since Korvin isn't with SIN or the Church, where can he be found usually when he surfaces? Just within the Slaver's Guild or has he been spotted elsewhere?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Library]

"Ohh! Books are a good way to do it." Though, then after a moment of consideration, adding. "Though, uh, as a author of at least a few academic texts, it's hard to know which ones that are going to gain public recognition or not. But always good as a backup up plan. But as for the fey plan, it too has flaws considering the unpredictability and nature of fey. Since if they ask for a high price who should be paying it?" This seems to be more of a rhetorical question as Zhareen continues the very next moment. "Just things I need to consider while I plan for this." She'd make a comment about how fighting dangerous beings with narratives seemed pretty appropriate for HALO but Maria didn't seem like she'd see that sentiment.

A beat.

"There... is one more thing." Zhareen folds her webbed hands nervously and fidgets. "And, uh, I wasn't even sure I should tell you this as it probably goes under client confidentiality. Though due to our partnership with HALO I still feel like you should know. We might not be the only ones that want to fight the King In Rags as I was to my surprise hired by a man called Eliot to summon an entity to find out more about him and bring him to ruin. Not his exact words but very much the same sentiment. He even had a very specific entity in mind which leads me to suspect he might know a few things that we don't."

[Vigil Meeting]

Cessie nods approvingly as Khafir starts going over the plan on the whiteboard. That had been her basic understanding of what Khafir had told them but it was probably much easier to understand now written up like this.
Rein might get the idea that Ambrosia isn't too keen on this kind of mission so that does seem like an issue to address.
"I get the impression this is more than just about freeing Klaus. It's about undermining the slavers guild too. Or am I just misreading things here?" She asks Khafir once she's done writing.

The commander's eyebrow raises at this line of questioning. "While I would consider that a bonus, don't forget the objective here, Lady Ithil. We need to capture Klaus with as little stress to his body and mind as possible and due to his paranoia I don't think luring him out in the open will be easy unless we go about this carefully. I don't think you can simply break open his roof and swoop him up. Note that Khafir don't have any information on his home location as I don't think he even has one. He might even be moving between safe houses."

"Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective ones. Besides, considering his paranoia we might have to accept there's no way for us to capture him without at least some kind of struggle so we should at least give it some consideration. Scheming people often fail too which is why its so effective against them."

Something about Cessie's expression says that she's not going to consider this solution.

[5a Violista]

[Fish Watching: Pool]

Manja thinks it's not at all a prison because it's currently what she wants. Might change after she's dried off and warmed up, but for now it's okay.


Venus nods and moves towards the way out of the pool. "Probably...first not under water," she says. "Maybe after I've rested a bit, too."
She gets out of the pool.
"I mean, as long as I have a choice, might as well do it the safe way, right?"

[Beans]

[Laboratory]
"Prying open the gates of heaven is a bit above my weight class," Dorota admits with a smile. "Besides, our gods are gone and dead, according to tradition. We just carry on their legacy. What I'd like to know is if they ever existed. Then my interests expanded to cover divinity in general. Its nature and permutations. Looking for some order to it all, you could say."

Siiva shrugs, smiling back. "Well, don't count yourself out yet---but I understand what you mean. Divinity is certainly worth study and understanding, if you're supposed to deal with what they've left behind. Perhaps know why they did what they did, or whether they did what they're said to have done... I also suspect that with the Nexus, there's quite a few strains of divinity around to be studied. The gods of one person's world may work wholly differently from those of another's origin. I have learned something of the gods who cast down my patrons, but I don't imagine they're one-to-one with yours. Or with---there are just deities who walk about in the Nexus, aren't there?" She can't help but chuckle. "Haven't met any myself, but just knowing that happens is already a bit of a trip, imagining passing a god on the street or waiting in line behind one."

[Gullara]

[Normal Escort Mission]

"For what purpose, I wonder?" Neshi muses aloud, fixing the woman with an intense stare for just long enough to be uncomfortable.

Then she sets off again, moving toward the shuttles to the surface.

There is, after all, a job to do.

A purpose to fulfill.

Vermin to stamp out and secrets to hurl once more into the land of forgetfulness.

Upon reaching the shuttles the definitely normal fishing villager pauses to eyes the machine critically.

So many strange contrivances have been created during her slumber. So many secrets uncovered.

She finds it galling.

"Do you know how to operate this artifice?" she inquires of her guide.

[Normal Escort Mission]

Onyeka seems caught off guard by that question. When Neshi moves on, she feels no need to pursue that line of questioning any further. It's a difficult answer to formulate.

"Mm, well enough. They have some sort of guidance imbued within them. All we need to do is step inside and set it into motion." She presses the button that opens the shuttle and gestures tor Neshi to enter ahead of her. Once inside, she'll do as she described and they'll be departing for the surface in no time.

[Morty]

[Vigil Meeting]

"While violence is likely unavoidable, the appearance of a dragon is going to cause chaos. In a city like Skyside, chaos is dangerous. To us and to innocents," Dorota points out. "The situation is complex enough that any plan is unlikely to survive contact with it."

[Laboratory]

"I've spoken to three deities. One is Felandria, one of our leaders. Or... well, she's a half-goddess. Her father is a god. She doesn't really act very differently from other powerful people I've met. Then there's Civiron, a goddess of hope. She's... also remarkably down to earth when you talk to her. Nice, pleasant and helpful. But she does have a whole realm she created and lives in. And she told me about what it's like to embody a concept like hope." Dorota pauses. "Message was the closest to my expectations when I spoke to them. I didn't see them, the way I saw Felandria or Civiron, just spoke to them through a statue."

[Ironsmith]

[Vigil Meeting]

Reinholdt frowns considerably at Ambrosia's flippant attitude. That was going to have to be addressed and resolved before she was allowed to go with any HALO members on this mission.

For now, he waits through the process of writing everything down on a whiteboard. Rein has plenty of questions. "Is SIN the name or an anacronym for the name? I presume that since the Slaver's Guild is officially recognized that SIN is an illegal and hard to reach organization? Do you have or know of any ways to reach or contact them?" If they don't, that's fine, it's just another aspect of the mission they have to consider. "Since Korvin isn't with SIN or the Church, where can he be found usually when he surfaces? Just within the Slaver's Guild or has he been spotted elsewhere?"

[Vigil Meeting]

Cessie nods approvingly as Khafir starts going over the plan on the whiteboard. That had been her basic understanding of what Khafir had told them but it was probably much easier to understand now written up like this.
Rein might get the idea that Ambrosia isn't too keen on this kind of mission so that does seem like an issue to address.
"I get the impression this is more than just about freeing Klaus. It's about undermining the slavers guild too. Or am I just misreading things here?" She asks Khafir once she's done writing.

The commander's eyebrow raises at this line of questioning. "While I would consider that a bonus, don't forget the objective here, Lady Ithil. We need to capture Klaus with as little stress to his body and mind as possible and due to his paranoia I don't think luring him out in the open will be easy unless we go about this carefully. I don't think you can simply break open his roof and swoop him up. Note that Khafir don't have any information on his home location as I don't think he even has one. He might even be moving between safe houses."

"Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective ones. Besides, considering his paranoia we might have to accept there's no way for us to capture him without at least some kind of struggle so we should at least give it some consideration. Scheming people often fail too which is why its so effective against them."

Something about Cessie's expression says that she's not going to consider this solution.

[Vigil Meeting]

"While violence is likely unavoidable, the appearance of a dragon is going to cause chaos. In a city like Skyside, chaos is dangerous. To us and to innocents," Dorota points out. "The situation is complex enough that any plan is unlikely to survive contact with it."

[Vigil Meeting]

There we go. Now she's got salient questions to answer, instead of retreading old ground. Were it not for her own implants, Khafir would be patting herself on the back right now.

As it stands, she has questions to answer. First, Rein:

"SIN is an acronym, short for Skyside Intelligence Network. Given mister Quire's former employment at GIN back on Earth, I suspect the name was chosen as much out od nostalgia as it was situational awareness." Khafir begins. "By my understanding, the definition of legality within the boundaries of Skyside is somewhat flexible. But yes, SIN's location is hidden and the only way in, under normal circumstances, is to be contacted. Fortunately, these are not normal circumstances." She quickly scribbles down the address of SIN's most prominent safehouse, under that section of the board. "As I said, they normally call on potential recruits, not the other way around. If you were to make use of this information, it would necessarily be a hostile action." She caps the marker and turns to face Rein again. "Korvin most frequently shows himself as a Guild enforcer; anywhere the Guild itself is operating, there's a chance of finding him. Failing that, you might try finding a dark alleyway and looking helpless."

...Nobody ever laughs at her jokes.

Then, to Cessie and Ambrosia: "Preserving SIN as an anti-Guild organization would be an ideal outcome for this mission, yes." Khafir twists the marker in her hands. "And while it is by no means an absolute objective, disbanding or undermining it could easily result in unacceptable levels of collateral damage. Similarly, shock and awe tactics are likely to result in a lethal outcome for at least one of SIN's members; while casualties may eventually become inevitable, violence is unlikely to be productive as a first resort."

And then finally, Dorota. Who doesn't seem to have any questions as such, but with whom she does find herself concurring. "There's that, as well. An overly overt operation by a dragon, or any sufficiently powerful entity, within Skyside will have wider political implications, which may make the victory of rescuing mister Quire from himself... rather pyhrric."

[Beans]

[Laboratory]

"I've spoken to three deities. One is Felandria, one of our leaders. Or... well, she's a half-goddess. Her father is a god. She doesn't really act very differently from other powerful people I've met. Then there's Civiron, a goddess of hope. She's... also remarkably down to earth when you talk to her. Nice, pleasant and helpful. But she does have a whole realm she created and lives in. And she told me about what it's like to embody a concept like hope." Dorota pauses. "Message was the closest to my expectations when I spoke to them. I didn't see them, the way I saw Felandria or Civiron, just spoke to them through a statue."

Siiva smiles a bit. "I've heard about the first two; people seem to like them, Civiron especially. I don't know anything about this Message, though---they certainly sound much more distant and strange compared to... well, the sort of 'just people' divine and semi-divine beings that you might pass on the street."

[Reinholdt]

[Library]

Maria is legitimately only here because she's already finished reading all the books in Inside's libraries.

She tilts her head curiously and flips to a new page, continuing her inquiries. "Who is Eliot and what entity did he wish for you to summon? Did he approach you before or after you started your inquiries into the Banished King?"

[Fish Watching: Pool]

Well Manja gets warming cuddles and a little head nuzzles with Rein's finger.

"Right. Makes sense to me," Reinholdt says, taking a step away. "Alright, well, stay safe. And let me know when you hear from your contact. And when you feel like dream diving I suppose." Rein suspects that Venus won't be prepared for dream nonsense before he has to find another way to deal with it or it resolves itself, but it doesn't hurt to have his options open.

"Take care." Rein finally finishes his turn and starts walking away.

[Vigil Meeting]

"If these implants are as fragile and unstable as is being suggested, then Klaus' activities in Skyside alone is cause for concern. The longer he's there, the more likely his activities are going to lead to a fight of some kind anyways, meaning he'll provide the stress all on his own. To that end, a straightforward approach has the merit of minimizing that." Reinholdt mulls, before looking at Ambrosia. "At least, that's what I would consider if said approach could be surgical. There are too many unknowns to justify not scheming. His location, for starters. The friends he'll have with him. His capabilities. If it's even Klaus we're grabbing. A paranoid person using disguises and masks? Equally likely he may use body doubles as well, considering he's running an organization."

He looks back to Khafir as she explains some things. "I don't know what GIN is either Doctor Khafir," Rein states simply, not laughing at her joke, the idea of it being a joke never actually crossing his mind. "Is there concern that removing Klaus for any length of time would cause SIN to disband for some reason? Are there any patterns to SIN's activities that make it possible to guess as to which Slaver's Guild location will be hit next? Speaking of capabilities, what abilities and skills do Klaus and Korvin possess?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Vigil Meeting]

Cessie nods to Dorota and then to Rein as they point out the flaws in an direct approach. "My point exactly. If there's anything that I've learned from eldritch is that while direct application of force can be effective it also carries with it a lot of unintended effects and in this case our goal happens to be located in a place that, for better or worse, a lot of people call their home so we need to be as cautious as possible."

It seems like Ambrosia will have to concede to that with a nod. "While that wasn't exactly what I had intended, I see your point."

The scholars attention is then drawn to Khafir. Something that she said seems to have given her an idea. "But what if there really was a way for us to lure Korvin to us?" She eyes the others. "Since during my research of dragons I've managed to come across some rather malicious things. Among them is a slave control collar which I believe was originally made by the slavers guild itself but has been heavily modified and enchanted to be able to control any dragon its used on. Or that's at least what its previous owner claimed before, well, I took it from him. I had wanted it be be analyzed by someone to potentially counter its effects but perhaps this could prove an opportunity to use it for some good as the guild would no doubt be interested in possessing it."

[Library]

"I couldn't tell you much about him besides where he wanted the entity to deliver the information he wanted. But, uh, I did try to look him up and it seems like he's some kind of news-person? As in, there were a lot of news-guilds that turn up when you look up his name." Zhareen scratches her head. "As for the entity, its what known as an empyrean. Specifically, one known as Neshiyahel. Patron of the forgotten and the remembered. He seemed to believe it would be in Neshiyahel's interests that the King in Rags is forgotten once more as it seems to be her thing. Remembering things so she can make them forgotten again. A real enemy of memory that one."

Speaking of memory...

"-oh, and he contacted me after I started my research which is what made me so surprised. I would have mentioned him to you already if he had already contacted me by the time we talked for the first time."

[5a Violista]

[Fish Watching: Pool]

Manja's pretty content with what's happening.
She makes that known in a cute manner.

Venus nods, "Yeah, you too. Stay safe, hopefully you figure out your sleep stuff is faster than me figuring out dream stuff." If it's faster, then that would mean it gets solved easily and simply. "I'll make sure to figure this all out. Maybe it'll speed up when the Fourth Tower has time to get back to me." On what they talked about when she first came to HALO. "Bye."

She goes her separate way, heading to the changing room first.

[Morty]

[Vigil Meeting]

Dorota frowns.

"That would get their attention, but we'd need to be extremely careful to make sure they don't actually get their hands on it."

[Laboratory]

"It took me a while to get used to the down to earth sort of deity. I was used to deities even more distant than Message. Our gods are supposedly dead, but other cultures' gods weren't much closer... except when they worshiped corporeal, powerful beings. Like elves serving fey." Dorota smiles. "Not long after I came here, my employer at the time was dating a goddess. It took me by surprise."