abraxasooc | EVENT #17: EPULUM

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EVENT #17: EPULUM - COORDINATION POST

Event #17 - Coordination

OOC Plotting Post ⦁ IC Event Log ⦁ Nocwich

This post is for coordination while the event is ongoing, to prevent the IC Event Log from being overrun by OOC mod and player communications. The comments section will contain applicable comments and forms for you to reply to as needed.

Use this post to:

◎ Contact the mods
◎ Submit your suspected culprit
◎ Investigate the crime or track ongoing investigations
◎ Submit noticeable actions
◎ Write rapid IC exchanges

Available Forms

For details on each form, see the sections below.
Be sure to reply under the applicable category as required.

Mod Communications

If you have any questions about the limits or scope of what you can do before you formalize it in an investigation, you can go over the details with us here. You can also submit the suspect to Celeste under the appropriate heading. Submitting the name of the suspect is not required to complete the mystery, but doing so may contribute to whether the suspect is caught or escapes.

If you have questions about non-investigative aspects of the event, see the Questions thread on the OOC Plotting Post.

Contact Us

Investigations

To leave opportunities for others, please limit the scope of your actions per submission. For example, if you'd like to test a key, you must specify a narrow set of locks in a particular section. Additionally, while there are no strict limits on how many investigations you can be involved in, we do ask that you try to stagger them a little to help us keep pace.

You can investigate something multiple times as long as it makes sense for your character to try again. This includes following up with witnesses if characters learn new information. To investigate, fill out the form, then comment under the item you're investigating.

Investigate a witness, scene, or evidence

IC Exchanges

Use this option if you have an interaction you'd like to play out, but setting up a standard IC thread would be impracticable. For example, if your character wants to speak to several people about a piece of evidence, you might want to do an IC exchange. IC exchanges can take place in the real world or the Horizon.

Treat this like an informal IC network thread done in person, where character reactions, snippets of dialogue, and other details can be quickly played out and concluded in-game without committing to a full log thread. Exchanges are game canon, and can count towards Activity Check under the category of a Network thread.

Start an IC exchange

Using the provided form is optional. Begin a thread freeform if you prefer.

Notable Actions

Submit any notable actions that are likely to gain attention from other players such as fights or disturbances.

Submit a notable action

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Player Name: Dee & Terra
Character Name: Istredd
Other characters involved: Cassian Andor

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Babis

Action: After talking to Soraya and getting suspicious about the Nether, they will talk to the guards about any Draconae they may have seen showing an interest, and based on Babis' description in the log, end up looking for him.

Istredd will introduce himself as one of the Summoned alchemists who helped save the dragons and create the cure. If Babis has heard anything about that, he probably could recognize Istredd's name. He'll say he spoke with Anneth and intends to further help research potions for the dragons. He asks how she and the dragons have been doing since they left.

He asks him if he usually attends the Ikorr party and how he's enjoying the evening so far.

Cassian will mention he was not there during the dragon cure, but he is very glad to hear the Summoned could help. They are just starting this convo out carefully to see his reaction to the Summoned-Nether connection.

Thread: thread still in progress
Notes: Not as of right now.

Babis is a cheerful and unassuming soul. Covered head to toe in glitter, and drinking glass after glass of wine, he's having a great time which he declares enthusiastically upon meeting Istredd and Cassian. He's very bright-eyed and looks so excited to speak to them in person since he wasn't able to when they came to the Nether.

He says his cousins tell him the dragons are doing well, which he's grateful for. He insist on getting them a drink and will ask them how they've found Ikorr. This is his first time here, he's only arrived in the past few weeks and has been having a fabulous time.

Istredd takes the drink and says he's enjoying Ikorr a great deal, although he is a historian so he's far more interested in culture and art. He'll say he went to the art gallery here to admire it, and saw the Twin Latchkeys painting. He'll ask if Babis has seen it himself.

Cassian comments on how odd it is there are so many security guards around, it seems they've doubled in size recently. He asks if Babis has seen anything strange tonight.

When the subject turns to the Twin Latchkeys, Babis becomes interested. He's seen it and admired it, too. He heard of the stories in the Nether. One of the reasons he came to Ikorr was because he heard that it was found around here and he wanted to see the painting for himself.

He agrees that the increase in guards is unusual, but he's never been to an event like this before and says that the Ikorrans are probably paranoid.

Babis says the parade breakdown was weird. From what he's heard, nothing ever goes wrong on Epulum. It's a tightly run event that's planned for nearly a year or more. Ikorr takes extreme care to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

Cassian is curious what one of the stories Babis has heard about the Twin Latchkeys and what about it in particular interested Babis?

Istredd mentions that in his experience stories like that have a glimmer of truth, and he wonders if the Twin Latchkeys is real, and still exists. He mentions that when they were negotiating their visit to the Nether, it was said the Nether had an artifact of their own, and he wonders if Babis knows more about that artifact or if they could be related.

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abraxasmods - 2024-02-23 19:57 (UTC) - Expand

Player Name: Kara and Ran
Character Name: Brother Cadfael
Other characters involved: Kelson Haldane

Witness: Babis
Action: Cadfael and Kelson will attempt to follow Babis to see what he is up to, where he goes, who he talks to etc. They are both in their carnival costumes and neither of them stands out or is someone important or recognizable.

If caught, Cadfael will introduce himself as a Summoned medic and Kelson as his patron, ask Babis politely how he's enjoying the Carnival, does he live in Ikorr, if not how long is he visiting, and what he thinks about city. He will comment how sad it is that current disturbance has soured everyone's time. He'd admit they actually were looking for him.

Since Kelson is from world with magic and Cadfael from one without, they could not agree on the solution for a puzzle. Babis has been referred to them as expert lock-picker. Would he be so kind and help them determine which of them is right.

The puzzle is a locked room puzzle with added magic and goes like this: There's a precious golden vase in a locked room. There are no windows to the room and might magical wards on the door that's guarded around the clock with guards on shifts. Kelson says it's impossible to get in with wards there, and Cadfael says there's always a way even with magic. Would Babis help them resolve their dispute and explain how he would approach this puzzle?

All the while Cadfael is talking, Kelson is observing, looking for anything suspicious.

Thread: Thread, just started.
Notes: Cadfael has no magical skills, Kelson can tell if someone is lying.

Babis appears to be having a fantastic night. They will find him indulging in all manner of fun as any youth would on his 20th birthday.

Like many of the partiers, Babis is seemingly oblivious that a crime has taken place and thinks they're referring to the parade the broke down, which he will sympathetically say is a shame but that it hasn't soured anything. He feels sorry for the performers, though, as they must've worked hard only to have their display ruined.

Babis looks sheepish when they call him an expert lock-picker. He says that he made bad decisions in the past, and that he isn't here to cause trouble. Since he is unfortunately not sober, they'll have to repeat the scenario a few times before he gets it, but he enthusiastically participates. He says that a complex puzzle like that would probably require some help. It's important to have friends! If Cadfael and Kelson would look at it as a collaborative challenge than something to argue about, they might come to an answer.

Cadfael would say he meant no offense or improper suggestion on his part. People have all kinds of unusual skills and he thinks it's admirable to want to learn new things. Kelson would add that he has some experience in magical locks himself, which is why he's holding the position he has in their puzzle debate.

Cadfael wouldn't mention that he meant something else other than the parade breaking down, and agree that it's a shame. He's never seen anything like it and was completely mesmerized by it. He will emphatically agree that having friends is very important.

Following that he will ask how long Babis is in Ikorr, does he have any friends here. If Babis confirms, Cadfael will ask if it's common for his people to leave their home to travel or even live in other places. He left his own country when he was young so he's curious does it also happen elsewhere. If there's any particular reason he chose to come to Ikorr and not say Cadens or any other city.

What can either of them Cadfael and Kelson sense from the guy? Other than that he's drunk and merry? Is there anything he seems to omit, has odd reactions to any of Cadfael's comments?

Babis will seem a little surprised at the question and confirm that of course, the Draconae are occasionally around places like the Free Cities and Thorne, as well as Nocwich. His people can usually be spotted around in either place. They don't go to Solvunn which is less welcoming to people who aren't interested in becoming permanent members of the commune.

The Draconae commonly leave their homes to explore the world. He says he picked Ikorr since he heard of the festival. It seemed like an opportunity to see something new. However, he has plans to go to the Free Cities next. Or Thorne? He hasn't decided, but the Free Cities sounds appealing since he likes the heat.

Babis will seem a little uncertain as the conversation goes on since he feels like they're probing for answers he doesn't have. He'll ask what new things Cadfael wants to learn. Is he also interested in the vaults downstairs? Has he never seen magical locks before? He tells Kelson that magic locks are of particular interest to him. They're different than the kinds he grew up with. Magic is less powerful in the Nether.

Cadfael says there's no magic were he comes from, at least not anymore, so everything about it is new to him. He says he didn't think about the vaults specifically and asks is there anything special about them.
Kelson adds that he's most used to locks tailored to specific people and asks what kind of locks Babis knows since he mentioned that magical ones are different than what he's used too?

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abraxasmods - 2024-02-22 02:37 (UTC) - Expand

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abraxasmods - 2024-02-23 17:46 (UTC) - Expand

Player Name: Noa
Character Name: Geralt
Other characters involved: Thancred Waters

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Babis
Action: Thancred is pretending to be intoxicated while Geralt is...quote unquote playing along. They're going to try to get Babis to talk about the wine that he stole, with Thancred playing up his (true) history as a bit of a thief and a scoundrel himself. Thancred will keep plying him with alcohol.
Thread: Thread
Notes: Geralt will not be as helpful with the playacting, but if Babis catches on or starts to disengage, Geralt will just straightforwardly tell him about the investigation and that he should help. Frankly, Geralt doesn't think this kid has anything to do with it, or if he does, he's not the mastermind behind it.

Babis is fairly intoxicated, so it would be possible to bait him to talk about one of his past thefts. However, like any Draconum, Babis likes to make challenges. Therefore, he'll tell Thancred that if the two of them want to know more, they'll need to prove their thieving skills.

He will retrieve a lockbox from his bag and challenge either Thancred or Geralt to open it. While the lock is complex, they have two options:

1. They can address the challenge directly
2. They can pick his pocket and use his own key against him

Geralt may also stop the charade at any point, which will disappoint Babis. It is possible to simply make him talk via coercion since he isn't trying to get in trouble, but he may give up less information without prompting.

Hopping in to say that Thancred will be using the lockpick he found from this investigation, which he is fairly certain must be Babis', in order to try and open the lockbox. This will be a way of flexing on him to show that it seems he apparently already thieved something of his. Time to see how that goes!

Geralt will hang back and supervise this, but he's going to be keeping a close eye on Babis in particular, observing his reaction.

Babis will be quite startled to see his Thancred pull out his own lockpick. He asks Thancred where he found it, for he thought he lost it back at the Feasting Quarter. He adds sheepishly that he was not trying to steal anything. It's his good luck charm!

He seems impressed with Thancred's success at picking the lock, which the lockpick will aid greatly. While it's unclear what aspect of the craftsmanship allows it to breach complex locks, the results are undeniable.

Babis is pleased by the demonstration and acknowledges Thancred as a fellow troublemaker. He says he will let Thancred in on a little secret, which is that his most impressive feat to date (stealing an exclusive bottle of fancy wine) was actually a crime of opportunity. Someone forgot to put their wards up, so breaking into the physical lock was easy. He didn't even know the wine was in there. He just took the most expensive looking thing he could find.

When asked where Thancred "found it," he'll slyly mention that it was around the bathing tent. There will be no admission that he straight-up stole it, with the vibe being more "oh, it was just lying around."

Thancred will note that the lockpick itself helps with the act, either because of its fine quality or because it and the lockbox were made by the same person, perhaps? Is there anything inside the lockbox, now that it's open?

He'll find Babis' admission and story amusing, but will ask where this happened. Was it back in the Nether? When he visited, he realized quickly that the Draconae do not take kindly to things being taken from them, so he'd be surprised to learned it was there (and that Babis isn't locked up somewhere, if so). Does he know who this wine belonged to?

Geralt will be hanging out and listening for now, but Noa wanted to toss in a mention that he can tell if people are lying if it affects their heartbeat.

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abraxasmods - 2024-02-24 05:59 (UTC) - Expand

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funbreaker - 2024-02-24 23:16 (UTC) - Expand

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funbreaker - 2024-02-26 03:05 (UTC) - Expand

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abraxasmods - 2024-02-27 01:20 (UTC) - Expand

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funbreaker - 2024-02-27 01:24 (UTC) - Expand

Player Name: Elizabeth
Character Name: Jon Snow
Other characters involved: Sansa Stark, Koby

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Babis
Action: After speaking to Soraya in a little more detail, the gang comes away with no particular reason to keep bothering her, and checked in on the IC info exchange board. Because Soraya mentioned that there may be people who know more about the artifact, and Istredd says Babis does and is a good person to talk to, they decide to try him next.

Jon tells Babis that he's heard that Babis knows as much about the artifact as anyone -- more than the Ikorrans, in fact. (Impressive!) What can he tell them about it? Why is it dangerous? He mentions that they've seen the condition of the last owner's body; he means beyond that, the bigger implications. What's Babis's own opinion?

Koby, who is himself a wide-eyed innocent, asks if Babis was at least having a good time on his birthday. Also, who does Babis think would want the Twin Latchkeys?

Sansa asks why Babis was in the gallery during the parade, instead of watching the parade.

Thread: n/a
Notes: Sansa watches Babis's demeanor as they talk. Is the "wide-eyed innocent" thing something of an act? Are there moments when it slips -- does he get feverish talking about the artifact? Etc.

Based on the IC info exchange, the basic idea they've developed here is that Babis might not really be there to celebrate his birthday -- they suspect his real purpose was to confirm the existence and appearance of the artifact for the Draconae. (And maybe steal it, of course, but maybe not.) Jon specifically wonders if they mean to keep it locked away... or somehow use it to do summonings themselves. (Jon was active in the Draconae event but mainly with helping collect ingredients and sometimes playing with the baby dragons, so it seems unlikely that Babis would recognize him. The other two arrived after that event.)

The subject of the stolen wine might come up later if the conversation turns that way.

Babis is surprised and excited to hear they've seen the fossilized torso. He's heard of such a thing existing, but of course it isn't something he thought he could be allowed to look at.

Like most people at the party, Babis is inebriated. He says the theft is worrying, but he's sure the Sentinels have it all worked out. He carries the air of a young man who isn't thinking very far ahead. Since none of this has directly affected him, he's honestly having a fantastic night.

He isn't sure if he's an expert or anything, he's just read a lot about it. He thinks the Ikorrans know more than they've let on which is only natural. Countries like to keep their secrets. He says he knows it's a powerful object with the potential to tear through reality, but that the power it contains isn't meant for mortals to use. He believes the artifact is a cautionary tale.

Moreover, the design is creative. He likes the idea of making a tool such as a key that resembles a weapon. It's clever.

Jon tells Babis he should go ask Soraya about the torso, figuring it's not his problem if she doesn't let the kid look at it.

But Babis's general air of seeming drunk and being in good spirits, coupled with the clues that have come out so far and how much he was into chatting and how readily he discussed his interest in the design, means that they all thank him for his time (sincerely, in all three cases), wish him a happy birthday again (Sansa and Jon both say "nameday"), and move on!

Player Name: Whit
Character Name: Viktor
Other characters involved: N/A

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Babis
Action: After hearing from Istredd about the myth behind the Twin Latchkeys, Viktor will seek out Babis himself. Hopefully he’ll find him drinking, but he won't be picky about where he finally tracks him down.

Viktor will introduce himself as an inventor from the Free Cities, and will lean on their shred interests as craftspeople--he'll say he heard that Babis is a smith (to justify his interest in seeking him out), and make a joke about how annoying it is to outsource blacksmithing for his own operation. He'll ask if there's anything interesting Babis has been working on.

His goals are twofold--first, to see if he can steer the conversation towards the Twin Latchkeys in order to discover more about the supposed nature of the item, and second, to snag one of the glasses Babis has been drinking from on the way out (for the spit).
Thread: Viktor is approaching Babis on his own, but here is his top level for his general activities at the festival.
Notes: N/A

Babis is around the Promenade and has been drinking since the night began. He's enthusiastic to meet Viktor.

While he isn't working on anything right now, he came to Ikorr for inspiration. Ikorr holds a lot of interesting history due to the age of its people. He says his goal is to produce something that would also be remembered by historians and have stories told about it many centuries later.

It would be possible to take a glass off of Babis, but sufficient distraction will be required if Viktor would like to recruit one or two other Summoned to the efforts.

Over the course of the conversation Viktor would happily share some of what he's working on (probably the hydroponics system, maybe the automaton is a little Much), and ask Babis what he thinks that something is--something that would leave a legacy like what he's hoping for.

At some point during the conversation, Hilda will be joining them as her gregarious self, and offer to buy a round of drinks. By inserting herself into the conversation, talking about her own smithing experience, and creating a new shuffling of glasses, the hope is that it will all be an adequate distraction for Viktor to perform a switcheroo.

Edited 2024-02-26 20:00 (UTC)

Babis looks thoughtful. He confesses that although Ikorr's a delightful place, he misses talk of craftsmanship since Ikorr has a strong basis in commerce and trade instead of production. He tells Viktor that his skill lies in metalworking, so he'd like to create a tool or a weapon that could help change people's lives. He doesn't know what that is yet but he hopes that by traveling, he can get some ideas.

A hydroponics system would be very valuable in a place like the Nether. He wishes Viktor luck on his invention.

When Hilda arrives, Babis will happily give his attention to her, too. Hilda may successfully convince him to come look at another piece of art with her. As a result, his drink will be unattended and Viktor may switch the cups.

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techmaturgy - 2024-02-28 15:15 (UTC) - Expand

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abraxasmods - 2024-02-28 16:47 (UTC) - Expand

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techmaturgy - 2024-02-28 16:56 (UTC) - Expand

Player Name: Jay
Character Name: Nanaue
Other characters involved: none

Witness/Scene/Evidence: Babis
Action: NANAUE JUST WANTS TO WISH HIM A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AND PRESENT HIM WITH A HAT

(this hat is one can can be found in the trunks in the tent, he does not actually own this hat)
Thread: N/A
Notes: N/A

Babis will happily accept the hat!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

BABIS

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