[IP] Uncaring Stars Options

[Jack_Spade]

[ Spoiler ]

The host is R4, Firewall 7, lock is slaved to it, nothing unusual

The dwarf woke up looking confused - which turned instantly to a belingerent stare.
"Give me one good reason not to fry you to a crisp this very instant."

[Thanee]

Nova responded in a very calm voice.

"I am asking to be civil and that is your answer? Because, if you try that, my promise is moot. You will die then and I will not. Is that good enough reason for you? I'm not scared by your magic. I have seen much stronger mages. Vampires, even. And, yeah, they are dead now. And I'm still here."

"Let us try that again. We are NOT your enemy, girl. I do not want to kill you. But I will hesitate not for one second, if you force my hand."

[ Spoiler ]

She is blindfolded, not much staring there.

[Jack_Spade]

"Civil? You sent a fragging bull man to kidnap me, kidnap... Carl and open fire on him when I try to rescue him. The last thing Domovoi showed me was him losing his grip on Carl 20 above the pavement and you open fire on me among a bunch of other people.
You can talk, but I certainly won't betray the brotherhood."
She replied frostily

[Volker]

[ Spoiler ]

Watchdog: 22d6t5 6
Opposed roll: 11d6t5 5
Close enough call for 11 dice difference...

Enter Host.
Watchdog: 3#22d6t5 4 10 9
Opposed roll: 3#4d6t5 1 1 2

GIGO: GIGO: 19d6t5 7
Opposed roll unnecessary
I'll make another GIGO, but I'll just buy the hits.
I'd also like to hack the security camera in front of said door and plant a GIGO there as well. Again, I'd buy the hits unless you want me to roll.

GIGO on the camera: As soon as it receives a text messages with a certain code, it activates (if it is not activated), gives bnc access and a MARK to it and sends her a messages.
1st GIGO on the door: If someone pushes the reset button three times, said text message is sent to the camera (instead of opening the door).
2nd GIGO: our own enter code
Deck reboot.

<@team <dun. 2enter u need2press *2# simultaneously. if some1 enters the code the boy made4em, ill get a notification and a camshot. no Anna thats not the thing you luv tho it sounds similar>>

[Thanee]

"As I said, sorry that things escalated. The boy, Carl, made it safely to the ground. We do realize now, that you only wanted to help him. When we saw the spirit, it could have been anything. It could have meant, that the boy is getting killed. We did not want that. We were never shooting at him, only at the spirit. To save him, actually. Yeah, it might sound a little strange from your perspective."

"Anyways, that means you are, as we suspected all along, with the Lovci Stínu, correct? Did I pronounce that right? Probably not. What do you know about ley lines? Or the Horrors?"

[Volker]

"What she wants to say", James chimes in, "is that we're not on the same team, but we fight for the same cause. You kill vampires, so do we. You wanna save the world from demons, so do we. There's no reason to trust us, obviously, but that we tried to protect the boy from a spirit that took him and that I only used gel ammo to bring you down after you refused to talk to Taurus in a civil way, should give you a hint how we work. By the way, the bullman didn't try to kidnap you, but to fragging talk to you. I was the one who kidnapped you when talking failed and I concluded that we don't have the time to play hide-and-seek with potential allies for an extended time. Doesn't make it that much better, I know, but don't blame it on the meta if you don't must."

[Gilga]

She sighs and then says "I can enchant you for the pain if you want me to, you have been to a lot, this is not how we wanted things to go."
She'll cast the resist pain if the dwarf wishes to, and then continues, calmly trying to swing past resistance and tell the story differently.

"We did Carl a favor, he could have attracted a worse kind of attention - he was not as discreet as he thought. In fact, we were about to let him go, and only negotiated the terms of releasing his deck. About the spirit, I am sorry for disrupting the noble spirit but Carl was so terrified when it grabbed him... We could not just leave him to some unknown fate. We are after some very dangerous mages, and we only had a brief moment to decide. This is not how we wanted things to go... She pauses and after a short while
she adds " Look Lizzy, You are either a problem, or you are part of the solution, calm down and make up your mind. Our team is on a very tight clock, following the noble goal of preventing rouge mages from bringing the evil horrors into this realm. I am sure that you can appreciate this motivation. "

[Jack_Spade]

"I'd like to believe you. But that is also what a bunch of hired killers of the Krug would say to make me betray the others.
I'll tell you what you likely know anyway: The brotherhood fights the monsters of the night. The monsters have many connections and a lot of money. So if you want to fight them you must make sure they can't learn who you are. I received a tip, that some vampire witches are planning a ritual at the gallery. I asked my friend's nephew if he could open a door for me after dark, so I could go there to stop them.
I don't know what exactly they are planning - I was there to investigate, when I saw your mage assessing me. I left and was accosted by your bull man, calling out to the world that I am a vampire hunter. He might as well have painted a bullseye on me."

[Thanee]

"You want to stop them... alone? Are you out of your mind? You know what you are doing, obviously. That spirit of yours was not bad at all. But the last ritual team we stopped had three accomplished mages, spirits, and two kidnapped teenagers to sacrifice for power or whatever they are hoping for. Maybe we can show you some videos and news reports of what went down in germany a few days ago. There was a similar ritual site, and a similar threat. Maybe that will help you understand. We could even call one of the parents and ask them of their opinion. I'm pretty sure they are quite happy now, as opposed to grieving for their children, if we hadn't intervened."

Nova removed the blindfold.

"I assume, there is no need for this, anymore. Here, Carl."

Then she handed the backpack back to the boy.

[Gilga]

Anna briefly comments "Anna" when the dwarf mentions her name. She listens to the sides talking intently feeling that there is a breakthrough.

[Jack_Spade]

"No. As I told you I was examining the place. If you know what to do and when and where, you don't need to resort to shooting people. And now show me that so called evidence for your good deeds - preferably by telling me on which news site I can read about it."
The dwarf replied. The boy still kept his mouth shut, watching uncomfortably.

[Volker]

What on Earth is a rouge mage? A mage wearing rouge?
bnc is distracted for a split-second, then focusses on the conversation again, restraining herself from intervening too much. This was their faces' job, not their decker's. Until it became their decker's. When the dwarf asks for evidence, she provides it, and plenty thereof: links to newspaper articles, camera shots and footage she made herself. The map they drew. Voice recordings.

"I left and was accosted by your bull man, calling out to the world that I am a vampire hunter. He might as well have painted a bullseye on me."

"Yeah, about that ... I didn't say he wasn't dumb. Just that he meant well. Nice one with the bullseye, by the way."

[Crossbow]

Taurus has been watching the interrogation silently, but he made a point of being in the line of sight when the dwarf could see again.

"So, you want to tell us about the razorboy and his girlfriend? Or are we supposed to keep pretending we don't know about them?"

[Jack_Spade]

The dwarf looked up from the material taking Taurus in for the first time: "No. But you may pretent what you want.
This material is a good start, but I'm far from convinced enough to tell you anything that could endanger someone else. It's bad enough, that you as good as published my identity. Prague is full of spies, agents and also cultists. The Krug is watching and if not they then someone else who makes their living by selling such information.
Speaking of: Who hired you to go to the Black Forrest and then to come here?"

[Crossbow]

"I mentioned your group in passing, you are the one who started screaming like a lunatic. We are not telling you everything while you hold cards we know you have. Who is the muscle? Where are they now? Do we need to worry about them trying an ill-conceived and poorly executed rescue as well?"

Taurus continues to glare at the dwarf alone.

[Thanee]

"We cannot tell you who our employer is, obviously, but I can tell you this much. It's someone that is non-corporate and concerned with the problems these ritualists might cause, if they are not stopped. I will ask, if a meeting can be arranged, if you are interested, though. How about you tell us something about that... Krug you mentioned a few times. Are they the ones that plan to perform the ritual at the gallery? Our main problem, and I guess the cause for the whole mess we got into with you and Carl, is that we know the time and location, but not much else. That is what we are trying to piece together at the moment. How can we convince you completely, that we are on the same side here?"

[Volker]

James turns towards Taurus, meeting his eyes. But bnc speaks through the team channel, not allowing our guests to witness the conversation.

"What were you thinking, Taurus? We all tried to engage in this as secretly as possible and you just run up to them and blurt out their identity in open space? This is the second time you endanger all of us. Can you not confer with us before you act foolhardishly on your own? Initiative is to be praised, but recklessness is not."

[Jack_Spade]

Lizzy looked grimmly at Taurus: "You asked loud enough for everyone to hear if I am a Vampire Hunter. And when I denied, you doubled down. Calling you a would be rapist was the only thing I could think of in this moment to get you to back off, since subtle social cues didn't seem to work. And if you don't want to get ambushed and gunned down for no reason at all, your best chance would be to let me an Carl go."
She turned to Nova: "Alright, I can tell you about the Krug. Translated it means "circle". It's what I call a certain cabal of vampires, that I suspect are behind the increased disappearance of homeless people.
I haven't seen any of them so far, but I managed to get glimpses of their astral signature here and there. They are all at least sorcerers, at least one is a full mage and/or a mystic adept. They have killed quite a few Vampire Hunters over the last years - them and their families. Getting suspected as one is almost as good as a death sentence.
The Krug have always dabbled in dark magic and blood magic. I received a message from a trusted source, that they will be preparing a ritual at the gallery when there is a mana spike through the leyline there. Since this is my specialty, I was asked to take a look at it and see what this is likely about. The surprising thing is, that the original leyline is health aspected. But inside the gallery, the mana is turned dark. My best guess is, that the Krug is trying to get rid of their allergies to sunlight and silver."

[Gilga]

Anna commented about the mana "It may have something to do with that awful statue, perhaps they got it into the exhibition ahead of time to facilitate the ritual?"

[ Spoiler ]

Just to check if she get anything smarter to say.
Magical Theory: 6d6t5 3

[Thanee]

"At this point, I see no danger in letting you go, so yes, you are free to go. You are, obviously, not working with our enemy, but against them. I guess, we should at least get you somewhere, where it is a bit easier to get back into the city, though. It's the least we can do. We will definitely do something about that ritual. It seems a much better idea to coordinate our efforts, instead of hindering each other."

[Jack_Spade]

Lizzy nodded at Anna's remark: "Yes, that was my impression as well. Had Carl not been discovered he would have been supposed to find out more about the statue as well. Me too for that matter.

Alright. Since you already had my link and therefore my number, you could return the favor. I'll research what you have shown me some more - if it pans out I'll get in contact with you."

[ Spoiler ]

@gilga That's pretty spot on

[Volker]

bnc/James just barely restrained herself from rubbig her forehead when she learns that Taurus's move possibly sentenced one of those few ambitioned men who, in a world like the Sixth, fought against evil, to death.

"You can reach us over the 'link from which I sent you evidence of our earlier action. My name is bnc."
James reaches her his hand.
<@team <i know it mite b dangerous but i think we can give carl his stuff back. itd be a display of trust>>
"We have a decker, a mage, and two muscles. We're also apt in B&E. Can we support you in accomplishing what we kept you from doing?"
How many, do you suppose, members does the Krug have? Do you know where to find them?

[Jack_Spade]

"I don't know - at least not for sure. A typical number in such cabals would be 5 - but it easily could be 7 just as well - or 13. Certainly not more than that, unless there were a lot more attacks on people that no-one is aware off."
Lizzy replied.

[Crossbow]

>>I think I am beginning to see why Sharkboy took a walk, count yourself lucky I am a lot more professional.

I did not intend to threaten the dwarf's life, had I known that the group that had been hired by the city in an official capacity was not culturally acceptable to be spoken of in public I wouldn't have approached them as such. I did not paint a target on her, that is her paranoia, I spoke to her.

I am taking a 'bad cop' role here, since you all seem to be tripping over yourselves to believe this person, who has still not given us any reason to trust her. NONE. It is a role though and I would have thought you understood that.

Going back to my actions, have you been putting your online activities up to a group vote before acting? I am a walking target, it is my job to act with expediency and take hits meant for others. That means I assess a situation and then I act, just like you do.

[Volker]

"Actually, yes, Taurus. Unless split-seconds did matter, I asked for your go every single time. Especially before breaking the Masquerade. If you're a pro, please, don't get personal but rather try to work with us as a team, not a gang of solos."

"With increased capacities, do you deem an attack on them sensible?"