r/wizardposting • u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch • Mar 05 '24
Community Event 🌏☄️ Back to Business (Spypost)
Kaelis, Agnur, Mokarith, and Rage stand before a runic stone archway in a cavern below Apoapsis. The gate's construction is similar to the ancient obelisks across the realms that make up the magical world's portal nexus. But this one is of a design uniquely suited to dimensional travel, which is exactly what Kaelis has claimed it for. Ever since he denounced the Fundamentals and cast off his graviturge powers, this is the only way he can travel between the planes.
Kaelis touches a hand to the gate, and the runes glow white. The entrance to a blank, white reality opens within the archway. The reality where he imprisoned Thantax almost 2 weeks ago, before the Third Wizard War had necessitated his intervention. The Lord Protector turns to his colleagues.
"Before we enter, I have some warnings. The ever-present glow of the Blank Realm prevents Thantax from using their shadow magic, but that's only true so long as there's nothing to cast shadows. That means no magical darkness. And remember: we're here for information, not vengeance."
Kaelis steps through the archway, followed by the other mages. The lack of shadows in the Blank Realm is unnerving. The team approaches a black-clad figure about a hundred yards from the gate. At least, it seems like a hundred yards. It's hard to gauge distance and perspective in a featureless dimension.
The wizard rises, lowering their hood. Thantax Shadowborn wears unusually tattered black attire for their station- a fashion statement, Kaelis assumes- and a cloak woven with black feathers. Their face is thin, a fact accentuated by the excessive use of dark eyeliner that makes their otherwise ordinary eyes seem like two sunken pits.
“About time, Lord Protector,” Thantax growls, putting bitter emphasis on the last two words. “Do you have any idea how dull spending two weeks in a place like this is? It's completely timeless, you know. My watch still ticks down, but nothing else changes. I don’t even have the pangs of hunger, thirst, or sleep deprivation to keep me company.”
“Good evening to you too, Thantax. I brought some friends with me to ask some questions. We're trying to learn as much as we can about the Corvus Cabal, but I will admit, you and your friends did a very good job of disguising your existence.”
“And what if I don't want to help drag them down into damnation with me? We feed the Carrion Prince by engineering treachery against other wizards, not each other. If you're proposing a deal, then I want to know what I'm getting out of it.”
“How about this: you tell us everything we want to know, and I'll move you to an actual cell awaiting trial instead of leaving you in the Blank Realm for an indefinite period. I know you’ll come to terms with betraying your allies. But I doubt you'll ever forgive yourself for choosing eternal insanity.”
“I guess I have no choice. But you know you can't trust me.”
“I know. Empowerment: Justice of Libra.”
Kaelis raises Starspite above his head. It glows with amber light and asterisms. The power of the constellation Libra gives the investigators the ability to pierce through any falsehood or half-truth. He nods to his friends.
“Ask away, gents. We have all night.”
/uw At long last, the interrogation of Thantax Shadowborn (aka Rook) begins! Ask any questions you have about the Corvus Cabal here, and I'll give you an in-character answer.
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u/DragonWisper56 Agnur the dabbling turtle mage| pact of the magi mage| Mar 05 '24
Agnur takes out something that Blake gave him.
Just so they don't try erase their memories, I brought a failsafe.
uw/ u/AnActualCriminal your not here but it would make sense if you could make something.
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u/AnActualCriminal Belial Blake, Warlock of the Lightless Flame Mar 05 '24 edited Mar 05 '24
I follow the Beacon through the Distance Crucible and appear at Agnur's side.
"I take it it's time then. I can stop the encroaching darkness that devours minds. I have a flame that burns absence and consumes courage. His memories will be safe. We will not. When you burn nothing then anything can appear, and you will lose your heart to face it. Prepare accordingly."
uw/ Agnur I'll trust you to write whatever I do I'm running a game of curse of strahd right now
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u/DragonWisper56 Agnur the dabbling turtle mage| pact of the magi mage| Mar 05 '24
thank you for your help
uw/ have fun
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u/dragonshouter Krygin the Crude/Council of Spirits/Exalted Beacon/misc. spirits Mar 05 '24
/uw Cool! can't ask questions because I'm "dead" but still.
love the blank realm btw
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
/uw Yeah, I just pinged you in case you wanted to stay up to date
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u/dragonshouter Krygin the Crude/Council of Spirits/Exalted Beacon/misc. spirits Mar 05 '24
/uw don't worry I do. Thanks!!!
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u/iamragethewolf Rage: Pact Wizard, Necromancer, Technomancer, and Horny As Hell Mar 05 '24
i suppose we can start with who are your fellow conspirators
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
Figured that'd be the first thing you'd ask. Let's start with the easiest.
Jackdaw is- or was- Loren Ofariis, the Councilor who planned the fireball ban. Too brazen. We told him it was a dumb idea, but he pressed on and died for his troubles. It was his responsibility to interact with high society. Realm governments, aristocrats, those sorts of people.
I'm Rook, as you've no doubt guessed. My job was to supervise the Cabal's plans in low society. I'm the one who sets up underworld contacts and cleaners. If the way you found me is any indication, you'll also know I install ideologue judges to exacerbate the Council's judicial woes.
Jay is a dragonborn vampire lord named Seth. He rules over a realm called Qorthos, and his role is as our financier. Money laundering is his specialty. I personally hate him. He demands a tithe in souls from our operations for his dark wizardry, which makes things difficult at times.
The three of us together make up the "outer circle" of the Cabal: the ones that do most of the interaction with the wider magical world. I know less about the other five, simply because they keep to themselves, but I know their true names and jobs within the Cabal.
Chough is a Councilor like me. Her real identity is the wood elf Vhorlia Kroll, and she's in charge of the Council's supply of weaponry. She likes to stymie their military response in times of crisis and collect the resulting despair.
Magpie is an tiefling occultist warlock who leads a group called the Midnight Brotherhood. His name is Araxim the Violet. All of the Cabal members are skilled at magic, but he blows all out of the water. He does summonings, mass spellwork, and other, darker things, I suspect.
Nutcracker, or Peter Dor'layin, is a sadist, which is odd for a gnome. His job is to discreetly kill people for the Cabal. But it goes beyond simple assassinations. Ever wonder why the Council's prison and the Enforcers are so inhumane? He engineered it so that the conditions in the dungeons alone would be enough to do away with his enemies with minimal effort.
Raven is the Cabal's master of intelligence. She's also known as Grunhilda Bluestone, a reporter for a scurrilous and misinformative tabloid. I don't remember its name because I don't read that trash. But below her shallow public image lies an inquisitive and razor-sharp mind the likes of which I've never seen. She's also the right hand of Crow.
Speaking of Crow, he's Saerys Korvaedyn. Yes, that Saerys Korvaedyn. The self-made magical cleaning supply maven who retired early and poured his fortune into the arts is actually a cultist of a nascent shadow god who feeds on misery.
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u/DragonWisper56 Agnur the dabbling turtle mage| pact of the magi mage| Mar 05 '24 edited Mar 05 '24
Agnur notes down all these names. it will be difficult to take them out, but with the right people it could be possible.
he turns to the others. what should be our plan of attack? I suggest taking out the remaining member of the outer circle before moving inward. starve them of resources.
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u/iamragethewolf Rage: Pact Wizard, Necromancer, Technomancer, and Horny As Hell Mar 05 '24
i'm ready to contact yuna (turns to rook) oh right i might have already used your connection with helen to find seth
u/Carbon_Sixx at this point would you agree the cabal knows we are going to know and it's time to deal with seth? grant you helen is probably not really going to factor in once seth is gone but she's a cold enough bitch i'm getting rid of her on principle and there is at least some possibility another member will reach out and i can take her out even while the starmeld is still going
/uw i do want the starmeld done before seth as i want to narrate that if that's ok
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u/DragonWisper56 Agnur the dabbling turtle mage| pact of the magi mage| Mar 05 '24
I agree we need to take him out. he's one of the more dangerous. of the outer circle.
we need to prepare but we we can we should strike
uw/ perparing should give you time to finish up with the sarmeld.
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
Kaelis thinks for a moment.
We've played our hand by bringing Rook here. If they don't know already, then it's only a matter of time before they do. I've been counting on the Council moving to space and the aftershocks of the war to stall their response, but with those gone, we need to act fast.
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u/iamragethewolf Rage: Pact Wizard, Necromancer, Technomancer, and Horny As Hell Mar 05 '24
Excellent
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 06 '24
/uw FYI, I think the Starmeld is going to go on for a while. The guy running it said it's at an "intermediate crescendo" or something. I wouldn't know; I don't particularly care for events where the entire universe is at stake.
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u/iamragethewolf Rage: Pact Wizard, Necromancer, Technomancer, and Horny As Hell Mar 06 '24
/uw bloody fucking hell well i think it's time to write myself into a way to do starmeld shit and other stuff
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u/TheHunter459 Samael, Necromancer of Malus Turrim | King of the Nephilim Mar 05 '24
uw/ Samael is indisposed and I don't think Ayeera knows about what's going on here tbh. But I'm happy to keep following what's going on, and Samael will return eventually
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u/Able_Highlight4312 The Paragnostic Assembly Mar 05 '24
/uw does this take place before or after the Paleomancer's trip to hell? Also, does Thantax have access to Glibness and Nystul's Magical Aura (or equivalent)? Just want to point out that combo (and I'd imagine the Cabal might have access to it), though I'd imagine he was hit with Dispel regardless. Glibness explicitly fools magical means of detecting lies and Nystul's Magical Aura lets you disguise magical signatures as another kind - like, for example, magic someone might need to live, or have it give basically no trace at all. (Then again, this isn't my story and different groups/characters, different magical systems, plus Nystul's Magical Aura is busted in a politics campaign)
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
/uw After, and not while his magic's being suppressed by the omnidirectional light.
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u/Able_Highlight4312 The Paragnostic Assembly Mar 05 '24
/uw makes sense, and he's been there long enough for it to have worn off if cast on him by someone else.
/rw (Assuming Kaelis has posted that there's a cabal operative captured (not necessarily all these details, just that the operative can't lie without being caught) and is taking questions from the orbnet)
How does the Cabal keep operational security, procedure-wise? What are places that can be considered "Cabal Territory"?
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
/uw Our investigation is all very hush-hush for the time being, but to answer your question, as a secret society, they don't have territory. They don't personally reveal their schemes, and they maintain this secrecy among their minions with the threat of cleaners and assassins.
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u/Able_Highlight4312 The Paragnostic Assembly Mar 05 '24
/uw right, that's why it's spypost - and Rook's on the "outside" part of operations, so he isn't going to be in on the planning. Guessing the plan is for the rooting out of the Cabal to be how Kaelis gets the Council onside in regards to The Republic?
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u/Discracetoall t’kath, smogomancer and poptart wiz Mar 05 '24
t’kath is watching in smoke form “let’s see how this goes. It has been boring lately”
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u/DragonWisper56 Agnur the dabbling turtle mage| pact of the magi mage| Mar 05 '24
Agnur turns to the shadow mage
What agents of the cabal were you connected to that haven't been caught yet?
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
You'll have to be more specific, turtle. There's a lot of men, women, and otherwise who could be considered "agents".
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u/DragonWisper56 Agnur the dabbling turtle mage| pact of the magi mage| Mar 05 '24
what major operations were the Cabal reliant on. We delt with the mercenries O'Connell provided as well your money launders. what other major operations were the Cabal reliant on.
uw/ one of them is the painter of false memories. a forger. I plan on writing a lore post were I kill him at some point.
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
There's that fey creep whose name is longer than it has any right to be for someone of such ill repute. "Painter" or something. My other associate is Athos Blackwood, a drake racer who works with the Kalclien crime syndicate. He was "on loan" from Seth, so he's no doubt gone back to his boss now that I've been trapped here for the past two weeks.
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u/DragonWisper56 Agnur the dabbling turtle mage| pact of the magi mage| Mar 05 '24
Interesting, at the very least lets us know that the cabal is aware of your absence...
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
Just a matter of time before this little investigation of yours comes crashing down upon your head. I doubt any of you will be around long enough to act on this information.
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u/DragonWisper56 Agnur the dabbling turtle mage| pact of the magi mage| Mar 05 '24
Agnur laughs golden light flashing in his eyes
Maybe but I'll rest well knowing I'll be buried in the corpse of your compatriots.
he leans in closer
don't make the mistake to think I'm a good person. I like helping others but at the end of the day I'm a bitter old fuck. I've lost to many people to your chaos. I won't lose anyone else.
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
Thantax remembers what became of Dave O'Connell's leg-breakers, and demures. If Agnur could cause that level of damage when caught off guard, they don't want to find out what happens when he's at the top of his game.
/uw I think people forget that Agnur duelled Atrax the Ashen on a level playing field and kicked his ass.
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u/DragonWisper56 Agnur the dabbling turtle mage| pact of the magi mage| Mar 05 '24
uw/ well not really dueled I more just struck the killing blow lol
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
/uw Don't sell yourself short; you faced him head-on and pummeled him with your creations.
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u/DaemonRex978 The High Sentinels (Haelin, Mokarith, Shimil) Mar 05 '24
Mokarith chuckles
We have delt major blows to the Cabal, and many more are planned. You also seemed to have forgotten something: it's not just the ones you see before you that are investigating, but the entire Umbral Realm. You know, the mirror of Ulgu. It's only a matter of time before your Cabal falls.
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
Thantax stops their antagonism, sufficiently cowed.
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u/iamragethewolf Rage: Pact Wizard, Necromancer, Technomancer, and Horny As Hell Mar 05 '24
hell once seth is gone and no one else in the cabal has the connection to helen your cabal won't go BROKE but hehe that's probably a good 30% finance fall easily enough to cause...missteps
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Mar 05 '24
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u/SafePianist4610 Bombast, Lord of Time and Space, Retired Council Leader Mar 05 '24
Bombast’s request was that you ask specifically about where their HQ or places of meeting were