Getting good answers out of The Oracle, the ancient source of knowledge on the moving city of Ambulon, turns out to be rather smooth after the first hurdle. There are some obvious questions to ask, whose answers prompt further questions. It is almost as if the encounter were scripted. 'Who is the master of the […]
The acolytes have got someone's attention, but not the good kind. Mercenaries storm the mansion the undercover acolytes are staying in, quickly sweeping the building for signs of life and exterminating it. Matthias unfortunately ventures out of his room in time to be shot at point blank range by two mercenaries coming up the stairs, […]
As Dariel gets bloodied, Matthias and Xerxes go exploring around the Alabaster Court, looking for anything peculiar. Xerxes is thinking ahead and wants to know on what pretence they are wandering the halls and corridors, in case they are spotted. 'We'll hit them with clubs', is Matthias's curious response. 'That doesn't really answer the question […]
An invitation to the Alabaster Court, headquarters of the Joyous Choir, is gracefully accepted by the acolytes. The evening's entertainment starts with a play, where an underhiver has been drugged to 'play' the lead role, which culminates with his very real death at the hands of the narrator. The acolytes, naturally, are rather aghast at […]
The acolytes have bargained for a data slate containing what they hope to be relevant information in their investigation in to the Joyous Choir, and are meeting their contact in a busy market square in the mid hive. Xerxes volunteers to make the hand-off, carrying the case containing two thousand Thrones in exchange for the […]
'Hang on', the dealer is starting to get suspicious of these fancy boys ineptly trying to buy farcosia from him. 'You're not Inquisition, are you?' 'No.' Matthias's reply is firm and clear, there can be no mistaking it for anything other than a denial. 'Really?' 'Yes.' Sticking to his cover like this is genius, almost […]
'Maybe we can buy these drugs on our expense account', suggests Dariel, 'after all, we are doing this on official business.' 'Yeah, you're right', Matthias agrees, somewhat mockingly. 'It's not like anyone's going to find out.' 'Exactly!' 'We only work for The Inquisition, who clearly don't have the resources or capability to perform in-depth investigations, […]
A couple of the acolytes got hopped up on goofballs. It was at a soiree thrown as a way to get them closer to the inner circle of the Joyous Choir, and the farcosia drug they took is now having an effect. The addicted pair are a little shaky and looking for a hit, and […]
The acolytes are, naturally, working undercover. Rather than simply having different names to use, which often causes problems of its own, they are pretending to be noble cousins from a different world. Fenksworld, in fact. Thinking that they are from Fenksworld is causing its own problems, though, mostly them trying to work out if they […]
Our tech-priest is interesting some of the other acolytes, whose only exposure to technology doesn't even extend to an electric toothbrush. 'What part of you is robotic?', one asks. Taking his own uncomfortably close look, Matthias answers for Xerxes the tech-priest, 'his nose hair'. But marvelling at such high-tech solutions to mundane issues is short-lived. […]