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Agents of Chaos

Scene details

Setting: The sorceress Camellia has trailed the Star Chasers on their journey west from Zerhem, being aware that their alliance with the eidola Kernunnos allows the party to detect the missing arms of the Crux of Creation, the artifact that will lead to the lost legacy of the Star-Crowned. She thus witnessed the merfolk chief Silrug Dac summon Elemental Chaos at the river delta with the aether gems fused to his scaled skin, then ambushed him to cruelly extract some of them for study. She is distracted from the Crux by the prospect of studying this intriguing source of power, and after the heroes emerge victorious from the Drowned Undercity, she attempts to retrace their steps in the hopes of learning more about blasphemous beastkin magic.

But the dungeon's watery traps and primeval denizens prove too much for even a talented sorceress to handle alone, and she must call upon the assistance of the rogue Revonus ninja Yari to make her way to the ruined forum at its depths. There she makes an extraordinary discovery: the Star Chasers have opened the way to Meloda's Blessing, a stabilized and persistent manifestation of Chaos that serves as an endless turbine, effectively an infinite source of magical energy. However, no mortal alive has the requisite knowledge, skill, or resources to either recreate Meloda's Blessing or harness and divert it from its original purpose. She must seek still more assistance.

Rumors swirl in Zerhem about the leader of its thriving underworld, a talking capybara with a penchant for invention who has grown interested in researching and developing the advanced magitech now being sold and traded from Cosmopolis. For over a century, Cosmopolis was sealed away from the world, both protecting other nations from the threat posed by the Gate of Creation and jealously guarding the energy it yielded. Now, with the Gate sealed, an equivalent energy source for powering the next generation of magitech is lacking. It would be only natural if such a dangerous and calculating character were to be attracted to the promise of Chaos.

And Chaos, essentially, is the capacity to remake and recategorize the world in defiance of the gods' plans for it. Why, one could make the impossible possible with Chaos. Any so-called mad invention could become a reality, and the wildest and most eccentric of dreams could be realized -- at least, theoretically.

Thus do our story's agents of chaos gather, at the licentious lakeside town where Granse's underworld holds greatest sway. And with them is none other than a truly baffled Ivo Galvan, who has found that the capybara godfather has decided to take the young man under his wing -- an offer Ivo cannot refuse.

Log

  • Character: The Capo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Today is a landmark day in the annals of La Prosa Nostra, the organization at the core of Granse's underworld; a day in which its latest endeavor has emerged fully into the light... or, at least, the thin gray band between light and darkness. Owing to a formerly inconsequential loophole in the laws and charters of the kingdom of Granse, it seems that no small number of otherwise regulated or criminalized vices become suddenly legal so long as one is upon the waters of Lake Gerisia or its tributaries.

Thus was born the enormous, multi-story riverboat that only fifteen minutes ago set out on its maiden voyage from the docks of the town on the lake's shores, carrying hundreds of tourists not only from Granse, but from Oradia and Castia. Its exterior is freshly painted in gleaming white and red, and enormous, metallic gold painted lettering on the side proudly announces its name to the world; Sweet Francine.

Even only a few months ago, to move such a monstrosity would be impossible even in the water... but therein lies the piece de resistance of the vessel. Two enormous waterwheels on either side of the boat churn it slowly but steadily through the water, driven by an enormous magitechnological engine in its belly. It seems the technology trickling out of Cosmopolis has finally reached La Prosa Nostra, and whatever brilliant mind is at the center of its always-startling magitechnological arsenal.

The main floor is a sprawling casino, full of table games ranging from blackjack to roulette, run by tuxedo-clad dealers. In one corner are an array of experimental magitech machines; a fully automated gambling machine, consisting of a number of randomly spinning reels driven by a simple lever. Already people crowd around them, awed by their flashing lights and ringing bells... not to mention the allure of the golden coins that even now spill out of one of the machines into the cupped hands of a lucky winner.

Waitresses wearing little more than underwear and heels, adorned with fake rabbit ears and tails, deftly navigate the casino floor, carrying trays of [JUICE] to the gamblers. More than a few of them risk their [SOCKS] popping out of their [SHOES] every time they lean forwards.

Meanwhile, on the uppermost story of the riverboat, a number of people sit in plush leather chairs, around a long, ornate wooden table, in a dimly lit conference room. At the head of the table sits a figure shrouded in shadow; it lifts a device to what must be its lips, and after a brief mechanical whirr, exhales a cloud of vapor into the air over the table. Only then does it lean forward into the light.

It is a capybara wearing a suit.

"I'm sure you all already know why I've brought you here today," The Capo announces. "There's a change coming to this world, at the hands of Meloda's Blessing. And I intend to be at the cutting edge of that change. But I'm gettin' ahead of myself."

The capybara reaches out and sets his magitech vape pen on the table in front of him, and then... clasps his little paws together in front of him. "So long as I'm hosting, we do things my way. And that means before we start this meetin'... let us pray."

The capybara closes his eyes, opens his mouth to speak... and then hesitates. After a beat, he opens his eyes again. "My daughter tells me that it's... 'toxic'... to be exclusionary to those with other beliefs. So before I begin I want to let yous all know that this is a prayer for all faiths. So don't feel like you cannot participate."

The capybara closes his eyes again, muses for a moment, and then begins, "Dear Jesus of Nazareth..."

A dashing young man, typically tousled hair neatly slicked back, is seated at the capybara capo's right hand, his own hands folded devoutly before him. His eyes close as though in prayer as he quietly contemplates, before whatever deities may be observing him, the most profound question upon which his mind now dwells.

*What* is he *doing* here?

Ivo Galvan is so committed to this up-and-coming gangster look that he has left behind his blue cloak in favor of a striking blue doublet, showcasing Cosmopolitan formalwear that echoes his usual look while suiting the surroundings. Or so it might seem. In fact, his own decisions had little to do with this. The Capo's underworld assistants were quite insistent that the young man not disgrace his powerful host with inadequate garb at the capybara's table.

Out of a perhaps misguided effort to protect his young friends, Ivo has not informed his party of his attendance here. Simply put, while he has royal permission to operate his magitech laboratory within the aqueduct at Zerhem's outskirts, the underworld's permission is harder to come by. And anything to do with the magitech now entering Granse, and indeed spreading across the world, seems to interest the shockingly inventive crime boss. So, until he has a clearer sense of what these menacing rodent intends, he is going to play it safe and play along.

"Dear Yeezus of Jazzy Jeff..."

He's never heard of this person or place, but far be it from him to disrespect his host. As he follows along, he returns to the greatest mystery of all: how exactly it was that he managed to impress The Capo. All that he'd heard from the boss's minions was something about "how impressively ya hid those olive presses."

Ivo really couldn't tell anyone what that's about.

Cracking an eye open, he glances between the others present. At least his good friend and fellow scientist Fabroxo is here too. And, of course, the striking beauty Camellia. So long as he's here, he can keep his eyes off the bunny girls and focus. Unless he starts thinking about her [SOCKS] peeking out from [SHOES] like those.

Focus, focus.

  • Character: Fabroxo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Sitting in one of the many chairs, every part of him haphazardly smeared with thick black grease, sits the man who has until VERY recently been down in the engine room. It's busy down there today, as the maiden voyage of the Sweet Francine has had no shortage of small kinks to address, unforseen issues to squash, fires to put out.



Literal fires. Almost thirty percent fewer than projected!



Fabroxo, brilliant inventor and erstwhile menace to the general peace, considers this a MASSIVE success.



Presently, he is bowing his head respectfully, because the last time he insisted on adding his own monologue to one of the Capo's prayers, no amount of insistence on his status as an independant contractor who has the right to speak freely in any normal work situation prevented several warning shots from entering his right thigh in rapid succession.



While this WAS an excellent opportunity for Fabroxo to field test a new sprayon medical formula, it DID put him significantly behind on the rest of the day's experiments. Lesson learned?

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Why is Camellia here? How is Camellia here? ....Good questions, really.

Well, it wouldn't be unheard of for her to be called on, as a mildly prominent figure in the region as of late. When word gets around of a strange, blind woman making odd inquiries in fields of aetherical origin, along with causing no small number of unsavory incidents both inside and outside of cities, one gets a bit of a picture for what she may be after. Or at the very least, what sort of agenda she has.

Thus, she sits in on this meeting, umbrella folded up, seated in a nice leather chair, pondering where exactly she went wrong in her life to be sitting in on a meeting led by a capybara in a suit. And more importantly, why can she actually feel the charisma he exudes through from that furry facade?

Questions for later.

Though not one to call herself deeply religious, the lady can at least have a bit of tact and close her eyes as well as lower her head slightly in prayer. All while ignoring that Ivo Galvan. Gilbert's son, yes? She's run into him a few times now. Which makes it even more odd that he's here, given the company he keeps. But she's not about to ask how and why now.

"....Dear Gee Sus of Snazzy Reps..."

Welp.

  • Character: The Capo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

The Capo's prayer is, mercifully, brief, though it does include more than a small amount of some foreign language that sounds like something between gibberish and racist caricature. It's only fifteen seconds or so, though, before he announces, "Amen."

He pauses briefly to pick his magitech vape pen back up, and then turns his gaze on each of the others at the table in turn. "Now... we may begin."

"Regrettably, not everyone I invited could make it today. It's no huge matter," he admits, waving a paw dismissively. "I'll see to it that they're brought into the fold later. But it does somewhat complicate the question of how we should formalize our covenant."

"Obviously it would be inappropriate to simply officially induct some of yous into La Prosa Nostra. No offense intended to the young lady, of course." The capybara nods his head towards Camellia. "But there's certain protocols there that it wouldn't do to breach, and it comes with certain... responsibilities."

"So perhaps we should formally declare a new organization, for this purpose. So the foremost question then, of course, becomes... what do we refer to this organization as?"

  • Character: Fabroxo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"I want to make a clock!" Fabroxo screams out, seemingly appropro of absolutely nothing. He lets that hang for a few moments.



"I mean, no, what? Uh, name? Why do we even need to think about that, names are easy." He scoffs, slamming his greasy hand down on the table, leaving a dirty black handprint.



"Organization mkI!" He beams proudly, having obviously solved this.

Ivo's gaze continues to roam, the only beauty able to tear his eyes from Camellia being the Sweet Francine herself. The Cosmopolitan has never seen such an extraordinary creation outside the limits of the once sealed city. His characteristic wonder is tempered only by his deep unease. Thus far, the Star Chasers' own vessel has been the only example of such engine technology on the western continent, at least to his knowledge, and the small Romancing SaGa is dwarfed by the power and majesty of this riverboat casino.

As the prayers come to a close, he reflects that he cannot decide what prospect is more fearsome: that this technology will fall into the hands of ambitious nations, or that this gangster might possess the power of a nation himself.

"Boss," Ivo says. The temperature is pleasant, yet he is sweating faintly. "Our covenant binds us in mutual pursuit of the power of Elemental Chaos, still so little understood, its forbidden knowledge forgotten even by the beastkin." He's hesitant about speaking up, but even more worried about the prospect of staying silent. "Perhaps--"

Fabroxo's loud interjection silences him. But as he listens to the ranting man, Ivo relaxes a bit for the first time, looking at Fabroxo with gratitude. Of course. He should just be himself. Surely what matters most to The Capo is that he is useful.

"I was going to suggest the Covenant of Chaos," he remarks, "but simplicity has its charms." As though the word 'charms' reminds him of her, his gaze shifts back to Camellia as he speaks. "What thinks our fine sorceress?" He's also grateful that she hasn't brought up Ivo's split loyalties, though he figures that has as much to do with sheer confusion as anything.

He can relate to that.

"Why a clock?" he finally asks.

Quietly, Fabroxo's outburst having helped him to somewhat regain his composure, Ivo begins to think of how he might take advantage of this situation. Aurita Meloda would greatly benefit from being able to harness Meloda's Blessing, if only to mitigate its power and prevent it from sucking the surrounding ocean dry of life so that the city might be restored again. He likely can't stop these people, not now, and some good might come of these efforts in the end.

If he plays his cards right.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Camellia seems ill concerned about any 'offense' that may have been made to her. Given her vision impairment, she doesn't react very much and just raises a hand slightly to indicate that it's not an issue. But with that out of the way, they seem to be getting to the meat of their gathering.

...Which is to find a name? Organization? Is this really what they're doing? Oh boy...

She crosses her arms, leaning back in her seat with a quirked brow. "A name, hm...?" Tapping a finger against her bicep, she ponders. "........" Annnnd she falls short. A name? To find a name that isn't riduculous or hammy is actually pretty tough.

"A good question..." She closes her eyes, quiet for a time, until they open again. Though she stares straight forward at nothing in particular, she seems to address Ivo. "Convenant of Chaos... It works for me. A simple name that describes what we're all here for."

That Camellia hasn't brought up Ivo's split loyalties appears to be more of a case of not especially feeling like doing so. If anyone is going to hang him with a rope, it'll be himself.

Then, she considers Fabroxo. "...... Why a clock?" She asks with mild incredulity, finally addressing that random outburst.

  • Character: The Capo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

The Capo doesn't even ask why a clock. He just looks at Fabroxo, expectantly. Apparently any thoughts he has on the proposed names will have to wait.

  • Character: Fabroxo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"A clock tells time, correct?" Fabroxo slides into the center of attention oh so smoothly, as if it's the only natural, logical conclusion to be had from this scenario.

"WRONG! STUPID!" The magiscientist's face contorts in rage as he begins what is CLEARLY a well-rehearsed diatribe. "These FAKE clocks we accept as authentic OBEY time, make all of us SLAVES to it! They enforce an unfair chronology on every man, woman and child in existence!"



And here Fabroxo's face softens, as he begins to speak of his grand vision. "Yet with the power of Meloda's Blessing, at long last I can create a timepiece that does not simply tell time, it tells time what to do! It COMMANDS time! At last, freeing us all from the absurd TYRANNY of linear time!"



And then Fabroxo pauses, coughs, and sits back down. "So...you know. A clock."

Ivo is slowly nodding, his hand on his chin. His eyes sparkle with evident mirth, but his smile is unironic. Rather than being altogether playful, Fabroxo's fellow inventor cannot help being swept up in the mad-ish-man's overflowing enthusiasm. The Cosmopolitan's latent aloofness is ever overcome by his curiosity.

"Indeed," he muses, "if it is true that Chaos supersedes the laws of the three domains, then time travel is not beyond its powers." The goddess of Purification, Eradina, is associated with time, as it is through time that the cycle of Creation and Destruction brings what the gods see as perfection. But it is through Chaos that mortals might proffer their own vision of the perfect. "Such a clock would be within possibility. A..."

He pauses.

"...time machine."

He pauses again.

"No, wait."

Ivo's smile broadens.

"A... clock MkII."

What were they talking about?

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"............"

Camellia quietly 'stares' in the general direction of Fabroxo's voice. A few long, stark seconds pass, and then eventually, she speaks up. "I see. A clock. I understand everything now." She nods to herself sagely, as if everything has suddenly clicked into place and all was right with the world once again.

That's what she's going to run with at any rate.

"Anyway." She abruptly segues away from the matter. "We were talking about names, weren't we?"

  • Character: The Capo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

The Capo continues to stare at Fabroxo for several long seconds after he finishes shouting about the nature of time, and even after the others have chimed in. It is hard to read his expression, because he is, of course, a capybara.

Eventually, he turns back to Camellia and nods, and then turns his gaze to Ivo. "The good Doctor's aspirations aside... I don't know that I like this... 'Covenant of Chaos.'"

"Chaos is..." He pauses for a moment, gesturing vaguely with one paw. "... undesirable. It's more than just a... a technical term. Ain't nobody in the world who wants chaos, not really. They want order... they just want to be the one in charge of that order. Capisce?"

"But I like where your head's at," he admits, with another gesture of his paw, this time at Ivo. "How about this..." He holds his paws up, fingers played, and slowly spreads them apart. "'Covenant to Control Chaos.'"

  • Character: Fabroxo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"No, fundamentally a time machine is a totally different concept, although I'll allow the end result may bear some superficial similarities to..." Fabroxo stops again, a look of irritation crossing his face as the topic of a name is brought up again.



"Didn't I just solve this? As you may have inferred, I don't have the TIME to go retreading old ground like this, if you won't be rational about it..." Fabroxo stands and throws a hand wide. "Just choose whatever, I don't care. I have WORK to do." As if to support his point, there is a small, muffled boom, and soon the faint smell of smoke drifts into the room. "Case in point. Still under projections though."

You roll 1d20.

Comment: Rolling to resist adding MkI to the end of the group's name

Roll(s): 6. Total result is 6.

"Capisce," Ivo agrees, he thinks. He's still figuring out The Capo's distinctive lingo. Pulled from his aspirational scientific reverie, he becomes aware of the sweat dotting his forehead, and pulls a hankerchief from a doublet pocket to dab at his brow. He could use some [JUICE] right about now.

It was inevitable that the boss would decide, so he just nods.

"Well said, sir," he affirms. "The Covenant to Control Chaos, then."

He pauses.

"MkI."

Even in The Capo's presence, he just can't stop himself. But perhaps his cheeky addition will be muffled by the simultaneous sound of a distant explosion, if he's lucky.

"It seems we may have some chaos to control already," he quips, clearly a bit more relaxed than he was when this meeting began, for better or worse. "If we are to study Meloda's Blessing, we'll first have to secure a path to it. Aurita Meloda's Drowned Undercity is a dangerous and formidable place. Its residents are long-impoverished outcasts and the local beastkin, lizardfolk and merfolk, are territorial, but on the verge of peace." He doesn't say how he knows all this, since that would be to emphasize how involved Reize's party has been in these affairs. "If I might venture a proposition, honey might serve us better than vinegar. Though the denizens of Aurita Meloda and its environs are not a great threat, they would be of assistance in navigating the perils of its dungeon, which we might need to do repeatedly if we are to ferry supplies to Meloda's Blessing itself."

Ivo talks briskly, his heart pounding. Is this a mistake? Is he assisting villains in enacting a terrible, world-changing plan? But the alternative might be that they terrorize the party's allies around Aurita Meloda. There's no suppressing the knowledge of Meloda's Blessing now. First he can try to ensure that the inhabitants benefit from the machinations of Granse's underworld, and then he can figure out how to prevent Elemental Chaos from being misused.

He'll figure something out... for sure.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Camellia shrugs.

"I really could not care any less. And our.... associate here, appears to be wanting for..." She trails off as a small explosion sounds nearby, followed by smoke. "....time." Pun grudgingly intended. "Therefore, let's just go with Covenant to Control Chaos."

Yes, and not Convenant of Chaos Control. Ere they need to go out on a quest to beat up a black and red hedgehog and steal a number of multicolored emeralds from his twitching carcass.

Not that it wouldn't be funny, mind you.

  • Character: The Capo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

The Capo shoots Ivo a telling glance, despite the distant explosion; apparently, his addition did not go unnoticed.

"Covenant to Control Chaos it is, then," he declares, after a moment, carefully leaving off the Mk. I. "And of course you're right, bambino. We'll ply the natives with luxuries, human and beastkin alike. That will win them over, I'm certain. Especially if we put a pretty face on it..." When he says that, he looks appraisingly (and unsubtly) at Camellia. "I have it on good authority even beastmen are fond of human women."

"But we'll work the details out in the future," he shrugs, before shooting a glance at Fabroxo. "Do you need to take care of that, doctor?"

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Camellia, naturally, doesn't catch that glance for obvious reasons, but The Capo's words do reach her ears, and a thin smile forms. "I agree. We should put Ivo's face on it. I'm sure the people will go wild.

She actually has no idea what Ivo looks like.

But shhhh.

  • Character: Fabroxo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"Well," Fabroxo seems dissatisfied, "We can workshop it. We'll see how the MkII works out." A thoughtful look appears on his face. "Or perhaps we can iterate until we're satisfied and then rewind the universe to now in order to revise. Or we could--oh, yes, yes." A faint voice from outside the room proclaims how very on fire they are, and Fabroxo begins moving to the door, reaching into a beltpouch to retrieve a helpful handheld rapidly expanding fire retardant capsule.

Or, as some might call it, an extinguishing grenade.



Fabroxo glances back behind him as he hurries out the door. "Just inform me should you require further assistance, and I shall do what I can to help acquire the Blessing." Then he's out the door. His voice echoes from outside, "Now I'm going to count to seven, please hold still and we'll have you put out in no time!"

A lightbulb gleams above Ivo's head, like he's a Romancing SaGa protagonist sparking a new technique. Well, he did design the eponymous speedboat.

"Indeed," he agrees heartily with both sorceress and capybara as Fabroxo hustles away. "Please allow me to take the lead in our diplomatic overtures toward the beastkin and Aurita Meloda. I shall need only the assistance of the lovely Camellia in this endeavor."

A quest and a date. It's perfect. What could go wrong?

In the distance, Ivo hears another quiet explosion.

You roll 1d20.

Comment: Can Ivo convince Camellia to wear the bunny suit

Roll(s): 7. Total result is 7.