text; un: lanxichen | dated: day of, before the start of the gala

[calmness]

Greetings.

I know many of us searching for information that would help us succeed in this mission and some have already uncovered details and items that could be of use.

In an effort to consolidate and keep all the information gathered in one place, would others be amenable to share what you've already uncovered here? This way, more of us are able to be intentional in our hunt for more information about the Orb and situation here. Additionally, further discussions can be facilitated during the course of the Gala this evening.

I have information to share that I will add in as a follow up to my own message, for clearer organization. But first, I would also like to share that both my brother, Wangji, and I are able to create silencing paper talismans for those who may need them. These can be used to block all sound within a space from getting out or silencing an individual. It will be easier for one of us to share with other members of the Featherstone, but exchanges with members of other Families can be arranged at the Gala tonight or worked out afterwards for those interested.

[ooc note: please threadjack away, respond around to info that seems useful and share info all around!]

Comments

text; un: lanxichen

[calmness]

A group of us have looked into information around the old layouts of Braccia and something of use. The city used to be known as "Braccia of the Mines" there were once three functional mines here, seemingly belonging to each Family. The mines were located as follows:

- Miniera Lucenta right on the edge of the city's east side.
- Miniera Ruvida almost exactly in the center of the city.
- Miniera Tenebra towards the south-western corner of the city.

Each of the mines are closed now, but the Miniera Ruvida mina, which the Lionetta headquarters sits, on has a functional entrance. The door of which is golden and ornate, with a lock we need to find a key for.

text; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

[bindsthedead]

And the locations of the mines roughly correspond to the family's territories.

If we cannot find the key, I could try bespelling the door open? But given how common magic is here, it's almost certainly guarded against lesser spells, so it might not be easy.

text; un: alenko

[majorbiotic]

Since that entrance has a key, I would assume it's still being used and probably patrolled. We should see if we can watch that entrance for any signs of people coming in and out. Learn the patrolling pattern, maybe steal a uniform and try to sneak in that way?

un: shen.qingqiu

[peerlesscucumber]

Building on what Lan Xichen has said, while the main entrance is likely there at the base of the Lionetta headquarters, side shafts on map came out in a few places not paved over entirely.

1. Under a Lionetta club near the HQ.
2. At the commemorative spot where there's now a fountain.

Brom is a recent return, such as things are, where his family was originally driven out of Braccia years past. They were known as the Gradas at the time, and are what are now known as the Featherstones.

thought-to-text | un: blue

[firstroar]

Something of value resides within the topmost floor of the Lionetta's main building, but even some of the highest members of that group are not allowed up there.

It may very well be our quarry.

text; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

[bindsthedead]

And it's presumably well protected, by both technological and magical means.

But the Ti'Shaaz seem to be in charge of the magical trade, so perhaps they'll have some knowledge of ways to get past at least some of those protections.

text, un: silent

[callada]

I'm currently right outside the entrance to the higher-ranking Lionetta headquarters. The door is halfway up one of the tall buildings that's about a five-minute walk from Cherry on Top. Can't get in from the ground floor.

Access looks like it's via a black badge with some kind of symbol. I haven't been able to make it out yet.

I'm just watching, for now. Will let you all know if anything else happens.

[calmness]

Please keep us updated.

It seems like someone else uncovered a key but one that does not match the description of what you are seeing used. Are you able to tell if there are other locks on this door from the distance you are surveilling from?

text, un: Star Lord

[spacedisaster]

Hello. I don't think we've met before, name's Peter Quill.

From there, can you tell if there are any cameras or special security around the entrance?

text; un: Finn; post-Gala

[hatejakku]

James and I snuck into Cheri's office during the Gala. It's kind of a story but to sum up

There was a key on her desk. We stole it, and I have it with me now. Don't know if it's the one that goes to this lock you guys have mentioned.

Her calendar listed the day of the Gala as an anniversary, not a birthday. There was more, something about a date night, a few names with monetary values next to them, but James got a better look at it than I did. He can tell you more.

She also saw us when we were leaving. Apparently, we tripped an alarm. But she believed at the time that it was a mistake and didn't suspect us of anything. If she notices the key's missing, that could change.

[bindsthedead]

Interesting. Do you want me to take a look at the key? If it is to the door to the mine, there might be some kind of spell on it we can replicate.

Unless it's purely technological, in which case we'll need someone else to look at it.

text; un: Star-Lord | Also post-Gala

[spacedisaster]

Ey there, Finn. I've also heard that Cheri has been seeing someone in secret. Do you know the exact date of the Date night?

text; un: widow

[nothinglasts]

Either Olexa is fully in charge of Lionetta or she has a psychic connection to someone who is. My money's not on the psychic thing. I think she's the key to finding the orb, maybe even getting to it.

text; un: Star Lord

[spacedisaster]

Listening to the folks around here, you can tell they're still on the 'women should be in the kitchen' mindset. It's no wonder she might be pulling the strings but using a figurehead to make sure everything works the way she wants.

You're with the Lionetta, then? In the auction, Yelena and I heard that some of the men have regular card night games, and they get chatty. Maybe it would be a good idea to participate in one of those and see if we get more useful information.

I don't think we spoke before? Name's Peter Quill. I'm part of the Featherstones.

Text | Posted the day after the Gala/Auction

[spacedisaster]

Oh, this is great and very helpful to keep track of everything. Good thinking.

Yelena and I posed as a couple for the Gala and got into the auction, here's what we've got:

1] The head of the Featherstones, Broom, has been trying to woo Cheri for a while without success. Brom's cousin is also getting married to one of the dancers at Cherry on Top but we don't know the exact date.

2] Cheri is much older than she looks due to her species. It's rumored that the treason why she might be rejecting Broom's advances, it's because she is already seeing someone else in secret. At the Gala, she was wearing dresses and jewels that were too similar to Olexa Lionetta's to be a coincidence. This leads me to believe that the person Cheri is seeing might either have infiltrated the Lionetta's house to steal the dresses/jewel, OR someone from that house gave them to her.

...or maybe she's seeing Olexa herself.

3] The security at the Lionetta's HQ has increased recently. Some of their men have regular card games that are being interrupted/made more difficult to organize due to said security and the lackeys are bummed about it.

Perhaps we could use that to our advantage? One of us from the Lionetta's family could participate in the card games and try to learn more information. Or we could organize a card game the same night of the theft for an extra distraction.

4] The Alonetti mine is only half a block away from the main mine (the Miniera Ruvida) and is where the Lionetta HQ now stands. It's where the crown jewel was found and that's why there's a commemorative spot with a fountain built on top of the spot... that it's also a notable place to propose marriage to someone. Such a thing could be used as an excuse to have people snooping around without looking out of place.

If we do any investigation in the mines, we need to make sure we have the right equipment to avoid a cave-in or toxic fumes. I have a high-tech retractable helmet that's suited for breathing in the vacuum of space. It could filter any toxicity in the air, but I only have the one and if there's a lot of us going into the caves, we're going to need more than that.

5] Yelena managed to slip a listening device into the pockets of one of the Lionetta's lackeys (thanks tony for that tech) so we might get some more information soon.

text | un: shen.qingqiu

[peerlesscucumber]

Related to the mines, that fountain's likely the most accessible way in should we figure it out, to then navigate up underneath the Lionetta HQ. Or out through, in all honesty.

The technology of your helmet, would you be able to find anything similar in the markets of this city?

text; un: lanxichen

[calmness]

You make a good point on equipment for the mines... I believe we could create some talismans that could function for those who do not have a helmet long term.

Additionally... if the air is unsafe and some have perished there, my brother and I can see if any spirits linger and have some advice for anyone trying to make their way through.

text; un: p.derolo

[whitestonelives]

I found something rather interesting in the Ti'shaaz archives. It's a diary that belongs to Ti'shaaz himself, and I think the contents may be relevant.

[What follows is a transcription of the diary entries.]

text; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

[bindsthedead]

So combined with what widow says... Olexa's the Devil, and she made a pact with the Orb longer ago than I thought.

But it always demands a price. What did she offer in exchange- her parents? She seems to have received power and a long life in exchange. And if she's willing to go that far to keep the Orb... we need a way to keep her as far away from Lionetta headquarters as possible when we take the orb.

text / un: starkov

[peasant]

a friend and i heard a similar story at the gala. ti'shaaz's mother — dnria — sensed some kind of artifact. she called it "something she had felt before". i'm guessing that it must have been the orb.

when she went to confront the devil, she never came back. they found her lying down in front of a mine with some kind of red fog in the air. her body was ... there's really no nice way to say broken. bent in ways a body should never bend, and the mine was covered in rubble. whatever power the devil has, ti'shaaz was right — it's too terrible to consider.

finch seemed afraid of olexa when i mentioned her, too. he claims he's not, but i could tell. sabriel and widow have to be right: olexa has to be the devil, and i think the more important members of the collective know exactly who and what she is.

text; un: alenko

[majorbiotic]

That lines up with what I was told on the history tour. They told me about a material found in the mines that was a large jewel-like stone. The guide said no one wanted it but based on what you found, that's obviously just a story passed down through the centuries to keep people from asking questions.

They didn't tell me the name of the owner and his wife. Interesting that Alonetti is an anagram for Lionetta. This is going to sound crazy, but what if the daughter Ruvia is the Devil? She disappears, and then this Lionetta family comes along to buy the mine. I wasn't here for the last mission but I heard the orb was tied to a person's life force. Maybe it's the same here? We don't know what these things are fully capable of yet.

I'm not liking what we're learning about the mine. If we do send a team down there, they may be walking into something potentially deadly.

text. | un: parkour

[webdesigned]

i don't know if this will help anybody, but i wanna share out anyway

i tailed olexa a little. she spends most of her time in one HQ or the other, barely anywhere else. and uh... well, i never saw her doing anything suspicious. but is it me or is THAT suspicious? she never talks to anybody in other families. like, ever. and she never does missions of her own, just sends other people to do it for her.

and a couple times, i saw her go into the main HQ, and waited ages for her to come out, and then

i don't know, she just... went in again??? it was like one of those chase scenes in scooby doo. which is to say, maybe there's a secret entrance/exit to the main lionetta hq. which could help us if we want to sneak in.

that's all i got ama if you wanna




....wait one more thing. she's got two super cute alien dogs. i pet them once while she was inside doing something and they like reservedly wagged their tails at me. i don't think that's a hint or anything but maybe pet them if you see them outside off the clock or something they deserve it

[callada]

I watched her for a while when we first arrived. Not as thoroughly as you did, but just general observation all lines up. She has no kids, no husband or wife, no friends. She's just always working or on her own.

Also, the woman I've been doing jobs for keeps treats in her car for those dogs. Don't know if that's just a "she likes dogs" thing or a "bribe the dogs for your own well-being" thing, but regular dog treats from the shop must do the trick.

[spacedisaster]

Aww puppies...Murder puppies, but still.

We should carry dog treats that have been mixed with some sort of sleep medication. If we knock out the dogs, no one would get hurt, animals included.

text; un: kovacs

[kovach]

Got my hands on a badge. Sounds like it might be what people have been talking about. Belongs to a senior Lionetta, so it should give access to getting inside without needing to sound any alarms. Though I wouldn't suggest anyone just waltzing in without a plan first.

text; un: the.doctor

[lateness]

[ All in all, a successful side quest! ]

and a pink fuzzy shawl!

well, the shawl's a bit useless for anything except a bit of distraction really

but we did meet some very nice girls

and we get free drinks at the rear end

[ Yes, that's the name of the club. ]