to all;

[righteously]

Okay, look. We need to talk.

What the hell is going on around here? That whole 'make the summoned run around like trained jackasses' thing? Not kosher.

Before I say anything else, I'll be the first to admit, I didn't let the bug loose. It was a bad call, somebody got hurt, and I'm sorry. I really am. If I could go back knowing what it did, I'd have let it out in a heartbeat.

But that's the thing, isn't it? I mean, seriously. Let's break this whole thing down.

Those douchebags running the Free Cities (or Thorne, or Solvunn) drag us in from wherever we were, without asking, against our will.

A highly reclusive nation decides to let us come hang out for a Disney vacation in their deeply secretive community as a gesture of good faith.

At a time when Summoned from all three factions coincidentally happen to be hanging out in the same reclusive ass place, something mysterious and terrible happens. I don't know about the rest of you, but I, for one, am shocked it didn't go as planned.

Instead of sending guards, the Free Cities sends us freaking couriers with the most useless note in the history of the goddamn planet telling us to release a device we know nothing about, without telling us what it does, just that we need to be real friggin sketchy about it.

When not everybody obeys without question like good little soldiers, one of our own gets hurt, and they shake the shame finger at us like it's our own fault? Are you kidding me?

First of all, if they can send couriers they can send their own friggin guards to handle crap like this. Or, hell, have the damn couriers release the things, they have hands, they could've prepped the packages their own damn selves instead of foisting it off onto the people who didn't even ask to be here in the first place.

Second of all, even if they COULDN'T, how about they slap in a goddamn paragraph or two on what the thing is? If everything's all hunky dory, and all that little bitch does is provide a protective shield, who CARES if a note that was gonna SELF-DESTRUCT ANYWAY gets read over somebody's shoulder?

This whole thing reeks of grooming us to start following orders without full intel. Surely nothing will come of that. Except, oh wait, Libertas just got friggin' bombed. The continent's going to war, and we're getting played.

And here's the other thing: I'm pretty sure Free Cities kids weren't the only ones running around doing sketchy crap during the happy fun werewolf party. Thorne, Solvunn, you two wanna weigh in here? Bueller? Anyone?

( threadjacking is highly encouraged, so long as whoever you're jumping in with is cool with it! hit me at paingravy if you need me! )

Comments

[aquilus]

[All right. He does not like or trust this manner of communication, but circumstances have changed enough that Altaïr will swallow his distaste. The handwriting is plain and precise, with no flourishes — as close to anonymous as it can get, but nowhere near as close as he would like.]

It is not a coincidence that events unfolded as they did. We are being manipulated. To believe otherwise is pure folly.

[In other words: what Dean said. Altaïr knows he isn't offering any stunning insights, but he feels the need to speak in support of what some may wish to deny.]

[ooc - Absolutely cool with threadjacking! This is Altaïr's very first internet network communication of any kind, how wonderful.]

[itookashot]

Get this too. At the peace summit, everything was going fine until there was this suspicious 'almost' attack when representatives of the groups were on stage together, and then they all blame each other and the summit ends without peace happening.

Sounds a bit familiar, only this time, we're directly involved.

anonymously (threadjacking okay)

[wewillwewill]

It is no surprise the nations treat each others' assets as they did.

That aside, I suggest you use caution. While many of the Summoned may have good intentions, one of our own may well have been the cause behind these events. And still others will report your messages to the authorities that seek to govern our actions for good or ill.

I for one would like to see a neutral investigation, yet it be harder to move freely if your current thoughts on the matter are viewed as treasonous by the nation you reside in.

threadjack welcomed to Inej anywhere on post

[shadowthief]

I had no reason to release the bug, I can only trust that my Saints guided my hand in the right direction this time. But I hadn't considered it the way you said. Grooming us. I do not wish to be someone's blind soldier.
-I.G.

[righteously]

THANK YOU
This guy gets it

[righteously]

It's almost like whoever's pulling the strings realized that a faction war in and of itself wouldn't be enough to get the Summoned invested, but targeting our own people? That might just do the trick.

[righteously]

A little too late for that warning, but thanks for the heads-up anyway.

Guess we're about to find out just exactly how 'free' the cities actually are.

consciously attempting anon; open to threadjacking

[ushiri]

[ It takes him time to relay these words, posed not just to the original sender but to all: ]

Thorne was given a similar test of faith at the ceremonies.
We were instructed not to let our hosts become aware of our actions.

Who has the most to gain from these attacks?

[righteously]

Me neither.

Doesn't help that back where I'm from we have a whole different definition for the term "bug", seemed like it might be hilariously on the nose at the time.

[shadowthief]

The only peace that summit brought was taking me to you. We all knew it was a farce anyway.

[righteously]

Frankly, the whole damn place has been on the brink of war since before I showed up. They've got different opinions on what to do with the big ass magic rock.

If they duke it out, obviously the winner gets dibs on it, so. Could be coming from either side, Free Cities or Thorne.


But hey, you know what? I like to bet on the underdog, I say the plot twist is it's been Solvunn all along. Look at 'em out there, laying low, being polite. They're like the Canada of Abraxas. It's suspicious as hell.

ota

[sorser]

Was the attack only contained to Libertas?
Would be great if everyone in the Free Cities checked in for a headcount.

[WORRED. STRESSED. This happened all too quickly to account for, and now war's all but a foregone conclusion.]

If we’re getting played by an outside party, then we’re going to need some hard evidence to prove it. The queen’s not exactly in a reasonable mood right now.

[aquilus]

The source may not be a single faction, either. All were encouraged to act quickly to avoid a vague catastrophe. I doubt any one group received more specific guidance than the others.

[But hey, Thorne and Solvunn people, now's the time to clarify if this is not the case.]

[aquilus]

It seems they meant to encourage paranoia from the start.

[shadowthief]

Ah. An unfortunate misconception.

...what did you think it was for?

[She's curious, sue her.]

threadjacking welcome

[provenforce]

One of Thorne's native mages was assassinated in addition to our delegate being injured, so if you're saying the factions are sabotaging themselves that isn't the case, at least here. The queen seemed... legitimately angry.

Pretend this is in a different font lol

[itookashot]

Not to mention there were those mages who took people out of Thorne a year ago and have never been heard from again. Who were they working with? Is there another group we know nothing about? Not to take the blame away from Thorne, fuck them, but it’s suspicious.

[itookashot]

It’s true, we knew that even then. This seems like a better version.

[righteously]

Where I'm from, a bug is another word for a device you plant somewhere hidden and use it to spy on people.

Like maybe, I don't know, a tightly guarded society that's been withholding its culture and its knowledge from the world and just opened its doors for the first time in who knows how long?

If I were a shady government on the brink of war that needed an advantage, I know what I'd do.

still anon, he's a stubborn boy.

[wewillwewill]

I suppose it might be, depending on the climes of each nation. Yet the conversation is early. Some frustrations may be excused given the circumstances and if you keep the conversation constructive going forward.

May I ask for the details you have on the bombing of Libertas from your perspective? Only what is publicly known, of course.

[techmaturgy]

I'm less worried about those among us who did or did not carry out a vague assignment and more concerned with the fact that Libertas is in flames as a result of an apparent war crime. We should be coordinating a humanitarian effort, not wasting our time on conspiracy.

[shadowthief]

Does everything where you're from have a machine to do it?

That does make sense, though. The world is big, and how many of us actually traveled anywhere outside of the three main faction cities?

You lot haven't come across something hinky in your desert trips that tips to any mysterious, unknown entities like that, I presume.

[shadowthief]

The three of us need to talk.

[She doesn't specify which three. He knows.]

[aquilus]

Angry she may be, but that does not guarantee no one from her court was involved.

[righteously]

You're not wrong, but the douchebags in charge have it all shut down. We can't strap on our Red Cross uniforms and head over until they give us the go-ahead.

In the meantime, maybe if we figure out who in the hell's pulling the strings, we can keep the next bombing from happening.