File: Infernal activity and the "Three Pieces of a hellish artifact"
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Members of the council,
The Wild Walkers have many birds that whisper rumors, and a rather persistent one is why we reach out to the council today.
It has caught the attention of The Wild Walkers, that an artefact of infernal origin has been found. The artefact is believed to be a weapon of sorts against devils and demons, and it is rumored that the artifact is in fact a prison for one. We passed one piece to Bryce, hoping that he as a priest would see it destroyed. Instead, the piece has been stolen.The birds whisper that all three pieces are now in the hands of one group, with ties to one or more counsellors of 12. Furthermore, they whisper that said group is seeking to combine all three pieces, yet to what specific end, the birds cannot agree on.
- Some say it is because one of their peers made a pact with a demon or devil, and that the group seek to use the artefact to destroy the being with whom the deal was struck.
- Some birds sing songs of some people studying these artifacts, to unlock their true power.
- Others say the artefact is being assembled, to unleash the being within.
- A few believe it is a combination of the three.
Levi, Naresh, as you are the closest we come to arcane council. Is there any truth to the whispers of our birds?
Is it something to which the Wild Walkers must step in to handle on behalf of the husk dwellers, or can you handle it yourselves? Those of the Oath trust you both to be men of honor and wisdom, and hope you may shed light on the matter for us.Adrienne Hawthorn
Wild Walker -
The piece I had was stolen, Almost certainly by Nethki who chose to pilfer my pack when I was wounded by a sand assassin.
She implicated herself when I requested it's return stating she didn't have it and perhaps the goblins had run off with it, confirming she must have followed myself and Bron invisibly when we chased the assassin to know goblins fought us as well.
I have my suspicions on their desires for this stave as if they desired to kill a demon they could have suggested co operation.
Bryce
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I can tell you what I know about them, but really it's a pretty limited set of informations as I've only ever properly studied one of the pieces.
The "Staff" is a prison for some kind of infernal being, though I don't really know the nature of the being. Probably something of power, but frankly I am confused as to why someone would bother. Banishing a fiend and destroying whatever linked them to the Prime is normally enough to keep them out of the Prime for a few hundred years, so there is probably another reason they're imprisoned. I am convinced that whoever seeks the staff is behind the local dissemination of infernal knowledge, but do not possess any actual evidence to this end. The initial seal of this being may have been done with the aid of the Late Mandy Thorne or one of her ancestors (The more likely scenario, in my opinion,) though I am unsure if it is even possible to tell which.
As far as I know, no one organization has all three pieces, because I definitely know that Marcus of the Ravens has at least one. It's the oldest piece to have been discovered of late, though it wasn't until later I received confirmation that he had one. It was recovered from a gnollish tribe that was summoning devils just a few days after I arrived in Arabel, and at the time I was in little position to remove it from his person. As he has made few public or private appearances of late, there have been precious few opportunities to glean information on the subject from him.
I know that the person who really wants the staff might as well not even exist, which has made proving his existence more than a little pain and makes me sound like a Lunatic when I talk about him. We call him Lawrence, and I know he's working with the Ravens though perhaps not in an official capacity since he has been apparently threatening their members with death if they do not deliver the pieces. He also apparently eats human flesh. If I am honest, this man scares me much more than whatever is in the staff if only because I don't know anything relevant about what he is or who he is and cannot be sure who informs for him. Only that he appears human, but definitely isn't.
Knowing as much as possible is my preferred mode of operation, but I really don't know much more than this, which is frankly less than useful. It is also the reason I don't like being prompted for information, because frankly, I just don't know enough to make a decent guess.
That is what I know about the staff and the individual that is after it. As far as I know there's no immediate danger in the pieces being assembled, but I suppose that could change at any time.
Secondly. Bryce, Bron is in our (the Clovers) employ now since you and Nahlo managed to alienate the only other adventuring helmite in town in addition to almost literally every other adventurer. I find it much more likely Bron simply told Nethki about what happened while musing over how funny you look while facedown in the dirt, and this is just another attempt at furthering your baseless and useless vendetta against the Precept. It is flimsy evidence in the best of situations, and I know how you hate that, so if you attack my Crew based entirely on that I will make it very clear that the repercussions will be severe.
I'd say I'd be happy to cooperate with you, but at this point I am unsure if you are even capable of sharing information or credit and so can only tell you
to get fuckedthat you truly want to get to the bottom of this, then start sharing what you know and help us find out who's really after this stupid thing.-Levi
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We are perfectly willing to co-operate and share credit.
What is known so far is the item can be used to kill or imprison infernal beings, My study revealed this was usually done on powerful ones they didnt want to come back at all as they could in time with a banishment.
I have seen it kill a Succubi that merely touched it, and previously have been threatend for it by the fiendish orcs that seem to serve this "Daisy" that also wishes to feast on human flesh.
Are we certain that "Daisy" and Laurence are seperate and not merely the fiend taking a human disguise?
Bryce
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I saw them in the same room as each other just the other day, so probably not?
-Levi
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I am posting a bounty for this Daisy creature, as I have heard his name before.
Is there any more information that can be gleamed regarding this.. Lawrence character?
-Clerk Johnson
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Members of the Council,
I think it is due time you all look yourselves in the mirror and consider why you sit on this council. If the answer is not, to serve the realm, then at least there is a reason behind the utter lack of cooperation and sharing of information. The Wild Walkers stand neutral to the Husk Dwellers politics. Our interests are purely keeping the realm safe from those who wish to harm it.
We shall share all we know of this debacle. You can decide amongst yourselves, who are telling the truth, and who are keeping secret, and to what end. From the perspective of the Oath, this looks like several entities on this council, are willfully keeping the defenders of the realm in the dark. And that contradicts the purpose of this council entirely.
The Oath has pieced together the following pieces of the puzzle, as to this staff, its origin, its purpose, and who is keeping the pieces to themselves. The final pieces of the puzzle came when Bryce and I ventured to the desert and was given visions of the past to illuminate the present, so the best course of action can be taken to protect the realm in the future.
For centuries, people have battled the entity, trapped within the staff. Countless have died, fighting the being of shadow and flame. As one died, another took his place. Yet the devil was too powerful for mortal man to slay. And so a man of the line of Thorne, along with several companions, created a staff, and trapped the being of shadow and flame within. Either those who created the prison used dark magic to create the staff, or the staff became corruptive, due to the nature of the prison’s resident. Fearing the artifact, The War Wizards of Cormyr took action. They could not destroy the staff without setting the being free, so they broke the staff into three pieces, and hid them in the vast desert, so that it may never be assembled again.
As time passed, a young woman by the name of Mandy Thorne, gifted with strange powers of necromancy, sought the legacy of her bloodline, for she is a descendant of the man who trapped the creature. She searched for answers to the origin of her powers, and searched the stonelands for pieces of her past, and she was successful in finding one.
The woman was instrumental to finishing the deeds of her ancestors, and formed a bond with the tiefling Precept, Nethki,, who is also gifted with similar powers. The two worked together to finish the work. Yet on her way home from Immersea, after visiting her lover, the Black Dragon took the life of Mandy Thorne, and he passed the piece of the staff to Jadzia of Eveningstar, to what ends we can only guess.
Greg of the Oath had uncovered another piece. Yet knowing not that the two were linked, passed the piece to Bryce, for him to destroy it. Yet the piece was lost while fighting Sand Snakes with Bron.
Marcus of the Ravens of Tilverton, around the same time, uncovered the third piece of the staff.
Slade of the Greywatch, while searching for the piece lost by Bryce, came to Nethki. His questioning brought him information that the Black Clovers had assembled all three pieces, or at the very least, Nethki had the piece lost by Bryce.
By Slade’s testimony, Levi Drago admitted to having all the pieces, and needing the staff to combat a being hunting one from their group, because the staff holds power to combat beings of an infernal nature.
Yet from the words of Levi Drago in these files, he has barely had anything to do with this ordeal. The oath have meditated the matter, and see three possibilities.- Slade and the Greywatch are spreading lies, to create a war between the Oath, the Black Clovers, and the Precept Arcanum
- The seer who showed Bryce and I these visions, fed us illusions instead of visions
- Levi Drago, the Black Clovers, and members of the Precept Arcanum, are piecing together a staff of untold power, strong enough to make the War Wizards so scared that they hid the pieces as far from Cormyr as possible, possibly because they have meddled with matters of the infernal, and are trying to keep the Council of 12 in the dark about their misdeeds
Perhaps Dawnlord Jadzia can inform us of whether she still holds the item, or if she passed it to anyone?
Perhaps Levi Drago of House Mossmere can explain whether there is any truth to the accusations brought against him and his fellows by the Greywatch?
Perhaps the Greywatch can explain if they are trying to start a war with fabricated information, if that is their objective?From the feelings and the expression of the Seer, the tiefling and Mandy Thorne had no ill intends in their work. We do not accuse her of trying to unleash a devil with foul intentions, that must be made clear. But several counsellors are keeping secrets that can bring the realm in danger, and it is due time the secrecy stops.
Adrienne Hawthorn
On behalf of the wildwalkers@Valkyrie @HellzYeah @V-Rage @Lord_Acererak @Crimson_King @Zap
Character: Wouldnt you like to know?
Olouthitis: Character does awesome things for a few months, but inevitability hijacks an air ship and crashes it into an evil faction head quarters screaming battle cries. -
Adrienne.
I suspect it may be the third possibilty, The Greywatch has no desire to start a war. What I do know is I showed the piece I held to Nethki and asked her if she knew the infernal tounge, as it had runes on it, And informed her that it was likely a weapon or prison against demons and as at the time I believed it could be useful against the infernal orcs and demons in the region suggested to her co-operation between the Greywatch and Precept against the threat of the demon summoners and infernal orcs
Yet as we know she took it when I fell against the Sand Snakes. Naturally as the hand of co-operation had been pushed aside and something dangerous stolen I suspected the worst
If the Clovers do not have all the parts it is likely they lied to Slade that they did , Hoping I would attack them so Levi could try and push for reprecussions for the Greywatch for striking a councillor as his earlier writing confirms
Secondly. Bryce, Bron is in our (the Clovers) employ now since you and Nahlo managed to alienate the only other adventuring helmite in town in addition to almost literally every other adventurer. I find it much more likely Bron simply told Nethki about what happened while musing over how funny you look while facedown in the dirt, and this is just another attempt at furthering your baseless and useless vendetta against the Precept. It is flimsy evidence in the best of situations, and I know how you hate that, so if you attack my Crew based entirely on that I will make it very clear that the repercussions will be severe.
We can only presume as well that they have hired Bron to protect them from being searched for the stolen goods, As his latest procolomation states
https://nodebb.cityofarabel.com/topic/54602/office-of-the-sheriff
Bryce
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I try to remain objective to the reasonings behind the actions taken by certain members of the council and their friends. That is why we felt it necessary to share all obtained information openly, so that they have a chance to explain, elaborate, or disprove that which we have uncovered together.
From what you and I witnessed yesterday, this artifact is too powerful for it to remain secret to the Council and the King. Perhaps the Clovers reached the simple conclusion, that secrecy was the best defense of this item. That the Council, and its constant infighting was a threat to the safety of the populace. Or their motives are more sinister, and the council must come together against the threat.
I shall await the response of Levi and Naresh, before reaching any conclusions.
Adrienne
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For what it is worth i did reveal I held part of it in the strange orcs file
I believe I encountered a similar orc in the smuggling tunnels a few nights back.
It sought the symbol of Gargauth found near a ritual there.
I believe the symbol is only half of a object though as the orc referred to it as a stave.
Bryce
The Ortrant head piece bears the Symbol of Gargauth, It is my understanding that Gargauth is a former Archdevil that became a god of corruption and that after the red lightning shortly after Thornes murder simply being in posession of the object made me feel lethargic and drained though it could be staved off with lesser restorative blessings
Bryce
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I assure you The Aster still retains the rod that was given over to our care. I had plans to study the object further and see about cleansing the item but this is something much more than a soul fragment trapped in rod if this information is accurate.
Dawnlord Jadzia Sunguard
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The Greywatch recieved this shortly after Thornes killing
"Vigilantes",
By now, the necromantic artifact in question is in the hands of The House of Morning in Eveningstar. I do have my doubts that they are as pious as they claim to be, so consider this missive my test of their resolve. I find that the truth can be more deadly than an executioners axe, so that I give you.
Mandy Thorne was executed, for being what she is. However, she comes from a long line of "wizards" as she put it. The old Crones Gandfather, was a practitioner of the arts, but was hindered by the War Wizards themselves, for his deeds.
It was the fulfillment of her "fate", that she travelled from Tilverton to Arabel to accomplish. It is what the Precepts of the Arcanum were aiding her in. That was her final words, before she was executed. Imagine our suprise, when we found, what is clearly a powerful necromantic artifact on her person.
It is the precise same work, that the "Blood Dragon", your fellow Council Member, is charged to protect her doing.
What happens to the Artifact, is the fate of the Dawnlord to decide. What you can now decide, is whether to share this information with the rest of the Council, and do what good people would, have the Precepts removed from the Council. You can also keep digging into the mysteries of the Precepts... Or you can do what everyone expects of you, nothing, proving to all that you are the toothless dogs they think you are.
Choices, choices choices.
The Black Dragon
After the vision myself and Adrienne recieved we can confirm at least part of this is true, The War Wizards did split the stave into three,
The Greywatch did make attempts to confirm if Thorne lived in Tilverton but we were hampered by Marcus of the Raven, A known associate of some members of the Precept.
Bryce
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@O-louth said in File: Infernal activity and the "Three Pieces of a hellish artifact":
We shall share all we know of this debacle. You can decide amongst yourselves, who are telling the truth, and who are keeping secret, and to what end. From the perspective of the Oath, this looks like several entities on this council, are willfully keeping the defenders of the realm in the dark. And that contradicts the purpose of this council entirely.
This is hysterically funny. The hypocrisy in this statement is astounding. You and Bryce knew about this piece apparently for weeks while I was searching for it in the desert and didn't tell the council. Yet for some reason I am expected to elucidate the council on those very same matters when, for all I knew at the time, it was something only I and my Crew were looking into.
As time passed, a young woman by the name of Mandy Thorne, gifted with strange powers of necromancy, sought the legacy of her bloodline, for she is a descendant of the man who trapped the creature. She searched for answers to the origin of her powers, and searched the stonelands for pieces of her past, and she was successful in finding one.
She was not alone in this task. A raven was assisting her when we found her, very likely under orders from Lawrence. We could ask her, perhaps, but the Dawnlord seems intent on not letting anyone near the artifact in her possession.
By Slade’s testimony, Levi Drago admitted to having all the pieces, and needing the staff to combat a being hunting one from their group, because the staff holds power to combat beings of an infernal nature.
I admitted to knowing where they all were. Which is true. It is also true that it is the one thing I can use to draw out the thing that is threatening my Crew. I have a plan. No, I won't tell you the details here. Ask me if you like in private, but I'm not putting the details of a delicate plan in a compromised file. But also- I don't owe you a gods damned thing. Until very recently I had assumed I was the only one who was doing something about this. It was Clover business, and I hoped to keep it that way until all the pieces were in place. Now I am expected instead to defend myself for doing the same thing the Wild Walkers and the Greywatch were doing for weeks until someone forced their hand.
Yet from the words of Levi Drago in these files, he has barely had anything to do with this ordeal. The oath have meditated the matter, and see three possibilities.
I told you what I knew. All of these things are the truth.
- Levi Drago, the Black Clovers, and members of the Precept Arcanum, are piecing together a staff of untold power, strong enough to make the War Wizards so scared that they hid the pieces as far from Cormyr as possible, possibly because they have meddled with matters of the infernal, and are trying to keep the Council of 12 in the dark about their misdeeds
This I take extreme offense at.
The path of bargaining with the Infernal is one of lazy idiots. It is a quick path to power bargained with the only possession one has of any true value. The trade is inevitably never worth the cost and only those ignorant or uncaring or too stupid to realize the costs would bother doing so. I am not an idiot. I understand the gravity of such promises, and have made every public and private effort during the past weeks to make it clear that I am not some two-bit caster looking for a quick path to power I can simply reach with simple practice and time. The fact that I or anyone else in my Crew could be accused of being infernalists at this point is laughable.
These devils cannot promise me or my Crew anything that we cannot get together. That is what makes us Crew.
Lawrence wants these pieces, and he has threatened my Crew in order to get them. Because he has proven impossibly hard to get in one place so I can kill him, I needed bait. That's all the Staff is to me, is a shot at Lawrence. Once he's done, the pieces will likely be handed over to three separate organizations to be kept apart.
Perhaps Levi Drago of House Mossmere can explain whether there is any truth to the accusations brought against him and his fellows by the Greywatch?
I'm not of House Mossmere and I'm not an Infernalist. Nor are any of my Crew.
Perhaps the Greywatch can explain if they are trying to start a war with fabricated information, if that is their objective?
I think Slade merely misinterpreted or extrapolated upon what I told him, which is that I know where all three are. Not that we were in possession of all three.
From the feelings and the expression of the Seer, the tiefling and Mandy Thorne had no ill intends in their work. We do not accuse her of trying to unleash a devil with foul intentions, that must be made clear. But several counsellors are keeping secrets that can bring the realm in danger, and it is due time the secrecy stops.
Again, you were one of these Councilors until your hand was forced. Nobody here gets to play this card, except maybe for Grurec and Ezri who, as far as I can tell, are the only ones who have been ignorant of these pieces which took me a lot of work to discover their purpose. As far as I was aware until very recently, this was my business and my business only.
@V-Rage said in File: Infernal activity and the "Three Pieces of a hellish artifact":
If the Clovers do not have all the parts it is likely they lied to Slade that they did , Hoping I would attack them so Levi could try and push for reprecussions for the Greywatch for striking a councillor as his earlier writing confirms
Again, I think this was just him pushing a little too far with what I said. I don't think it was intentional malice, I think he just thought he was being clever when he really wasn't. Because as I stated before, I don't have all the pieces and I see no benefit to ever claiming I do.
We can only presume as well that they have hired Bron to protect them from being searched for the stolen goods, As his latest procolomation states
I'm fairly sure we hired Bron before your piece went missing. He is also relatively ignorant to the pieces and their purpose, as he is merely a Contracted Mercenary not officially affiliated with the Clovers. The umbridge he takes with the Greywatch and you in particular is seemingly the same as everyone else's.
Again, this could have been avoided if I knew other people were actively trying to solve this problem, but it seems despite everyone's blustering I am still the only one getting to the root of the problem. Someone out there of indeterminate origin who has an indeterminate but likely extensive well of power is trying to assemble these pieces for an unknown reason.
He has threatened my Crew in order to do so, and for that I will kill him or I will die trying. You can help me with this or not.
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Except I did tell the Council.
@V-Rage said in Case file: Strange Orcs:
I believe I encountered a similar orc in the smuggling tunnels a few nights back.
It sought the symbol of Gargauth found near a ritual there.
I believe the symbol is only half of a object though as the orc referred to it as a stave.
Bryce
If you did not read it, chose to ignore it, Or just didn't realise it was part of the same stave there is little I can do. But to say I did not tell the council is simple falsehood
Bryce
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The latter, as the bare minimum effort put forward here hardly would qualify as actionable information.
But I suppose, at least, you tried. So I will not begrudge you that any longer.
-Levi
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I hadn't realized we'd moved the Privvy chambers into the Files storage room since it seems that quite the pissing match took place here.
Levi is correct that this is the first I've heard of this staff in public or private, though I had heard of an object being taken from Mandy.
But, it seems that in terms of being in the dark on this I am in a very small Minority.
I'm fully aware at this point that the council is filled with Squabbling Hypocrites. We're only mortal after all. But, when your pettiness and bickering starts to actively threaten the people you're here to represent and protect then as Adri has said we need to take a long hard look at things.
Bryce. We have already had a long talk about your ability to play well with others. I won't re-iterate it again here. But if you cannot trust your fellow Councillors, remove yourself from the council and send another in your place.
Levi, the same goes for you. If you will not share perhaps vital information on the fear that the council is somehow comprimised, then you are failing at the most important task we share. Indeed, you seem entirely reluctant to share given how Councillor Naresh filed your report in the Black Tower Expedition you petitioned the council for, which you have yet to elaborate on in any way with your findings. You are here to Help the city, not serve yourself.
Adri, you are a dear friend to me. But, while your observations are sound, the accusations you append to them simply add fire to these flames since we cannot confirm or deny any of them. Bring proof of misdeeds so that action may be taken, rather than giving us more reasons to fight eachother.
Dawnlord, despite my personal misgivings about you, you seem at least to have represented yourself and your faith well in Shedding light onto the matters you bring to the council.
We are all here that we might work together to make this city and indeed this nation a safer place. The wage you accept from the city for your service buys your knowledge from you. If you are not willing to give it, do not take the city's coin.
Now that's out of the way, the matter at hand.
This staff does seem to be the best way to Lure out this Lawrence and Daisy Duo, but we cannot risk it truly falling into their hands. Could a forgery be made of the piece already in our possession (Which from my understanding is currently held by the Dawnlord), Perhaps as an Abjurer Levi could trap some number of lesser fiends within a copy so that it might fool the pair long enough to get them close. With the attacks of undead and fat little demonlings of late we might be able to find enough fodder. Such a thing can be purified by the House of the Morning once it's purpose is done, ridding the world of more fiends.
Lets see if we can't solve at least one problem together.
- Ezri
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I only do not speak of this one thing because to do so would be to put it in danger of being exposed. If it is, then all of this work will be for naught and I cannot conscionably let that happen.
I have been as upfront as possible without compromising the work I have put in over the past weeks. The conversation remains about us when it should be about the one who wants these pieces assembled. If anyone else has anything at all to add to the collective knowledge I have put forward, then I will take it gladly. If you have questions, I will answer them to the best of my ability.
As far as creating a fake, I don't think it is realistically possible. The pieces are unique, and the magics are very complex so I do not think I could replicate them to a degree that would fool a practiced caster. I could try, but it would take time that is quickly running out thanks to the popular dissemination of incorrect information. It's irrelevant as well because, again, I do not possess all three pieces nor have I been able to study more than one closely. Marcus of the Ravens was the first to discover a piece of the staff, and that piece is still in his possession if he has not handed it off to Lawrence yet.
-Levi
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Just to make matters clear, Levi,
Blame Naresh for the Mossmere misunderstanding, the information came from him. He knows you far better than I, but pehaps it was a misunderstanding between he and I.Bryce and I learned of some of this information as the sun settled yesterday. The report was in the hands of the council in the time it took to walk back to Arabel, check the files to see if our understanding was correct, consult the oath, and write it all done. We learned just yesterday that things were tied together.
I brought forth, and bring forth all information pertaining to the protection of the realm. Do not point fingers like a child, caught with a hand in a cookie jar, Levi. I am glad you are not meddling with pacts. But more importantly, I am glad you have not had the chance to bring the three items together, no matter how much your crew are being hunted.
For now, I can rest more easily, knowing you have had to assemble all three pieces, but that they still remain seperated. If you feel wrongly accused, I ask your forgiveness. But last time arcanists of the Husk meddled with powers they could not understand, we lost our sacred glade. If my accusations at least brought this matter into the light, rather than in the dark where you hid it from us all, Id say they have proved useful after all.
Adrienne
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Also I would say you do owe something Levi.
That being the return to me of the headpiece that was stolen from me by Nethki.
I presume this is the piece you have studied closely.
Being a councillor does not allow you to posess stolen goods.
Bryce
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Again, Adrienne, I'd say we are all guilty of keeping this from each other. I will not eschew my own guilt on this, but to say I am alone in this deception is laughable. And yet when prompted I think I have been more accommodating than I have to be in regards to the information I have assembled. I am not finger pointing, I am asking for your help and I am continually accused of withholding important information when I have done nothing but elucidate you all.
This wasn't a deception of intent, but of practicality. I simply did not know enough about the Staff and the enemy threatening my Crew, and I needed a plan in order to keep them safe. I know I cannot convince you that it was my intent, once everything was in its place, to bring the Council and the other adventurers into the fold before my plan was enacted but that is the truth. The fact that it has come out early is annoying, but not something I cannot deal with. I have set a trap, and I do not intend to spring it too early. It doesn't need to exclude you all, but it does require that one specific aspect go unsaid. As I said before, I intend to use the pieces as bait for the one who seeks them. I intend to trap him within our base of operations in the Oasis and kill him when he appears.
But, again, the only people so far to put forward plans are myself and Ezri. I don't think it would work, given the unfortunate circumstances, but I am more happy to discuss it and other alternatives than to run in this accusatory circle for a whole week. She's right, as long as we all now know about it I'd like to hear what you all want to do about this.
-Levi
