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: 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.

[whitestonelives]

She's the likeliest candidate for the Devil and perhaps even for Ruvia Alonetti, certainly. There's too much that lines up to discount her easily.

If all that is true, I'm more worried now for our people in the Lionetta headquarters. We'll need to be careful in tailing her, and we need to stay in groups as much as possible. Dnria walked into the mine alone and never came out. Perhaps if there are more people then it'll be more survivable.

Or perhaps it'll just be even more of a slaughter. That too.

[peasant]

stop, your optimism is too much for me to handle. save some of that cheeriness for a rousing speech while we're all rushing toward our doom.

i don't suppose you've found any protection magic that could be helpful in the archives? i've heard talk about how ambitious an'alya is, compared to ti'shaaz. maybe she would be willing to help if we mentioned going after what dnria was trying to find.

without telling her we're planning to keep the orb for ourselves, of course. i doubt she would take kindly to that.

[whitestonelives]

Very well, I will save the last bits of it for a motivational speech.

Not yet. I can keep looking, but I can't guarantee I can find anything. As for An'alya...perhaps we could make a deal with her. If we can make her see that this truce with the Lionetta is only going to destroy her Family in the long run, perhaps she'll ally with us. Even subtly.

Oh, of course not. Let's try to keep the orb out of any possible negotiations we might make: should it get on the table as an option, I can't see that alliance ending well. We could lie to her about its availability as an option, but
well, I did that once to an unsteady ally. It turned out somewhat badly.

[peasant]

how bad is somewhat badly? ... actually, you don't have to answer that. i can use my imagination to consider all of the horrible outcomes to that. we'll take that one off the table, unless we get desperate. well. more desperate?

the collective likes dabbling in curses, from what i've heard. i'd rather not be turned into a bat destined to haunt the mines as poetic punishment. showing her it's time to get out from the lionetta's hold would sound much more convincing, anyway, after fearing them for so long.