Beginning Reasearch

[*Darkrob]

The following paper is delivered to the Bureau of Research (Bureau Chief level only) and to the personal office of the Factol. It is marked as confidential and sensitive. It contains notes and plans for pending research.

1: The first batch of papers explains the reasoning behind the research and is as follows:

Several Cycles ago I had initiated a plan to bring into Fraternity control a sizable cache of information in the form of an ancient Library from one of the hundreds of Factions that existed before the cleansing of the city and the creation of the Fifteen. This particular faction had inferred that they had come into understanding on the activation and locking of portals, even the creation of such, throughout the city. This activation and creation of portals went far and beyond the chaotic and uncertain ability by those who call themselves Gatecrashers. They had claimed that they could exert control over the cities portals in their entirety, her Serenities permission allowing, managing to lock or open them at will. So long as the portals were known, they could be manipulated from their base of operations. While they never actually demonstrated this ability (at least nothing that was externally documented) they did record all of their research, findings and other pertinent information within the archives that have now been brought into our control.

Before this faction could make use of their findings, Her Serenity demanded the creation of the fifteen. This faction foolishly declined the opportunity to join in the formation of the Fraternity and paid dearly for it.

It is my belief that should this information be correct, or even logically sound, I will be able to turn this to the advantage of the Fraternity by giving us a measure of control over the portals that litter this city. If not, at the very least I will be able to disprove their theory and relegate it to the annuls of history as improbable and erroneous law.

2: The second batch of papers details a rundown of required resources necessary to conduct the research. They include everything from a secure facility, a trained and secure research team and a list of miscellaneous materials.

The paperwork contains all the necessary permits, files and papers filled out by B4 Seph of the Bureau of the courts.

He then awaits the necessary response on his material and personnel requests, and any specific requests from the Factol before proceeding.

[*Darkrob]

After several days of research it is apparent that he is missing a few pieces of key information. He spends a few days cross referencing tomes and other archives until he comes up with three potential locations for this information to exist. Satisfied with the results he then pens a request to be posted within his department. He sends it off to Caterina to post during her morning team meeting.

Administrator, in order to keep expenses low during my research IÂ’ll need to use some resources I have available from my own department. With that being said, I require a few volunteers to help me find some missing information that I require. This will entail them heading out to potentially dangerous areas to retrieve missing objects.

Please do what you can to facilitate this request without creating too much disturbance within the department.

Thank you

[*Springer79]

When the request gets passed down, Xander vounteers and offers to assist in the situation where he may.

[*Sunshine]

A bored looking water genasi aide (some Aide Fronn by the name on her badge) carries several folders to the conference room the Bureau chief has chosen for his team.

Each of the folders contains the hints the Bureau Chief found so far, hints pointing at three possible sources for lost Gatecrasher lore or other useful information.

The first is a unique tome which was once in the possession of the powerful sage and mage Ebricht III. who died in Sigil in 32Ha. Tracking it down through records or by asking relatives should not be too hard.

The second is about some strange plane travelling device or vehicle which was abandoned in the astral plane by its former owner, some sorceress called Helena of Toril. The location of a portal leading to it is known, as is the key, a scrap of fabric from some Orphan's clothes.


Not much is known about the last source- only that there was some guvner researcher dabbling in this lore about 70 years ago. A note might be the most promising clue however it is written in an outdated Fraternity code and has yet to be deciphered:

MVY AOL MHJAVS HUK IBYLHB JOPLMZ VUSF, IF AOLYLTPU ZHUKZ, B3.

MHJAVS, P OLYLIF WYLZLUA AOL YLZBSAZ VM PUCLZAPNHAPVU 136A-LF (JVUJLYUPUN AOL TPZZPUN JOPLM YLZLHYJOLY HSNVUK AOL DPJRLK, A3)

P OHCL XBLZAPVULK ZLCLYHS DPAULZZLZ HUK HMALY HUHSFGPUN AOL PUMVYTHAPVU NHPULK P JVTL AV AOL JVUJSBZPVU AOHA JOPLM YLZLHYJOLY HSNVUK DHZ THGLK IF OLY ZLYLUPAF MVY OPZ HAALTWAZ AV ISVJR OLY JVUAYVS VCLY ZPNPS\'Z WVYAHSZ.

AVV SHAL DL YLHSPGLK DOHA OPZ YLZLHYJO AYBSF PZ HIVBA HUK PM DL OHK MVBUK VBA ZVVULY DL DVBSK OHCL ILLU HISL AV ZAVW OPT.

HSS VM OPZ YLZLHYJO KHAH VU WVYAHSZ, RLFZ, AYPNNLYZ, AYPNNLY SVJHAPVUZ HUK JVUKPAPVUZ TBZA OHCL KLLU VU OPZ WLYZVU HA AOPZ APTL, UV JVWPLZ JHU IL MVBUK PU VBY HYJOPCLZ (VY AOLF OHCL ILLU YLTVCLK TVZA LMMLJAPCLSF).

P HT ZBYL AOHA OPZ THGL JHU IL HJJLZZLK AOYVBNO H WVYAHS YPNOA OLYL PU VBY THPU HYJOPCLZ IBA DOHA AOL RLF THF IL P KV UVA RUVD.

P DPSS KV TF ILZA AV JVTL AV YLZBSAZ XBPJRSF, AOLYLTPU ZHUKZ, B3

((You guys can set the Modron NPCs on this note or try to decipher it yourself. It is a substitution cipher, straightforward and neat. :) ))

[*Midnight]

Caterina reads the letter from Garen and begins going over the Bureau's books cutting anything none essential from the budget in order to free up funds. Next she posts on the office notice board requesting volunteers for research into planar travel and the manipulation of extra dimensional laws. Finally she does what she can to clear her schedule, and sends the amended budget onto Garen the newly freed funds clearly marked along with a note.

Bureau Chief Seph

I shall make myself available to over see the research personally.

Caterina Arnders
Administrator I
Bureau of Courts

Finally she would sit down with the coded note and get to work.

[*Darkrob]

That night, just after Anti-peak, Garen remembers to read his daily mail in the short break he has granted himself. With inked up fingers he takes a sip of his hot tea (with sugar snuck in) and reads the note. He smiles wearily and sets it down on the cluttered table. After a few more soothing minutes, he sets the cup aside, hides the contraband sugar, and dives back into his research. It was already a late night and he needed to get done what he could to give himself a few hours sleep before work in the morning.

He never remembered research being so demanding... but then again he was a younger man last he did it.

[*Midnight]

Somewhere still at her desk a weary administrator throws away a crumpled piece of paper and begins scribbling again furiously.

For the Factol and the Bureau Cheifs only, By Therim Sands(possibly a mis translation we should check we have a Therim Sands.) I here by present the results of investigation 136A-LF (concenring the missing researcher Algond the Wicked A3)

I have questioned  several witnesses and after analyzing the information gained I come to the conclusion that cheif researcher Algond was mazed by Her Serenity for his attempts to block her control over Sigil's portals.

Too late we realized what his research is truely about and if we had found out sooner we would have been able to stop him.

All of his research data on portals triggers, trigger locations and conditions must have been on his person at this time, no copies can be found in our archives (or they have been very effectivly removed)

I am sure that his maze can be accessed through a portal right here in our main archives. But What the The Key may be I do not know I will do my best to come to results quickly, Therim Sands B3

If people are being mazed I would advise caution but perhaps we can speak to the Bureau of portals and discover what may lead us to this maze, failing that I suggest we consult a gatecrasher

Whoever wrote this should try doing the cryptic crossword in SIGIS she thought to herself she forwarded the note on to Garen along with the original copy.

[*Sunshine]

((BST!))

[*Midnight]

A meeting had been held to discuss what they had discovered and a decision had been made. They were going to venture into a maze. Caterina ran the words through her mind to make sure she understood them. They were going to venture into a maze. She had volunteered to go into a maze and retrieve someone the Lady had put there. She sat down and reached into the draw of her desk. Inside it was a bottle of dark red wine. She placed it on the desk, went into the kitchen to fetch a glass and promptly filled it to the top. She took a long deep swig of the contents. No it didn't help she had still said she was going into a maze. She stood up glass of wine in hand and began to get ready for bed. She would need a full nights rest.

[*Sunshine]

(( I plan to run the in game event next Sunday at about 1500 GMT. Let me know if this is alright for you guys))