voice. [locked to residents]

[wildkotetsu]

 [It's been almost two weeks since the mission, and Kotetsu's barely managed to hold himself together during that time; a royal mess, you'd say. But with the arrival of Kaede and the underlying truth that, eventually, it'd be brought up... He decides he'll put his two cents out there.] 

... A while ago, me and a buncha' others went on a mission. It was s'pposed to be a pretty normal thing; I mean, routine stuff. But then, we were attacked... and things got a little fuzzy and crazier than it should've. [A pause, as he considers what to say. How to say it. Maybe he shoulda' picked out someone who was better at words or... hell, even wrote down what he was planning to say. As it is, he's sitting here with a few bullet points scribbled out, itching his head.]

From what everyone could tell, it was a band of dream shifters, like the kind people fought before. And that General Ass--... guy was in there, too. I met him in a dream, and he basically helped to get me out of it. Like he did for other people. It's pretty confusing, you know? That he'd help us out. But he told me... before everything got hard to keep track of, he told me that...

[He massages his temple, trying to remember the exact words.]

He said they wanted to offer us to the planet. Some--special hour, or something. That his people had a bigger plan for us. Said he'd kill me right where I was if it wasn't for everything else goin' on. Tch, he was basically just a confusing bastard. But what I could tell was that there were people like him--those third party fellas--that weren't on his side. Dream guys who wanted him to go down, because he was just as stuck as we were by the looks of it. Or else he'd just let us all die and be on his way, right? 

And--! (shi-) [flipping over a paper, one sec] He said something about.... Shamans...? That things don't stay dead without 'em. He was looking for one while we were stuck there.

[There's a hushed silence. Sounding pretty uncool there Kaburagi. Try to at least sound like you know exactly what to include.]

I, uh, don't know what else I should add. It was all a pretty big blur, but I figured... the malnosso tried to get me to talk about it, but I figured it'd be better off here. The people who were there can also add some stuff here. Leave the line open for all the stuff they can--contribute? [is that a decent way of phrasing it] Or if anyone has any questions I'll try my best to answer 'em. I think this info is just as much yours as it is anyone there. The others probably got things more thought-out than me... so...

Alright.

[OKAY I'M GOOD

I'LL JUST

STOP HERE

because talking in length about this frustrating shit is too much]

((ooc: basically a free-for-all, especially for anyone who has anything to offer from the mission! I figured we could have this up even without everything threaded out, can add replies as we go? go for the stars, n' stuff. :|))

Comments

[Voice]

[meanoldnut]

[Silver had mentioned upon his arrival that the Sparties wanted to make them one with the world, except that the Malnosso are trying to prevent that from happening. Does this has to do with what is being said on the journal right now? Possibly so, but it doesn't hurt to get some more information to clarify some things]

This General and his plans to... offer us to the planet. Did he ever mentioned how or why?

[Voice]

[wildkotetsu]

No... He didn't really say much. Just that we all had some purpose bigger than death, or something. The guy's obviously cracked in the head. Maybe being here too long made him snap. Or something.

[Written/Filtered]

[eyesofstrength]

[Filtered to residents present for the recent mission and the Rataneran Keep mission (including Syre) who are still present in Luceti/100% unhackable and appears early on the 11th.]

I am hesitant to share this information with the entire village, because it is something that I was not supposed to share and even if I wasn't advised not to share it, it could create quite the stir in the village.

First, some background on this information and why I'm including people who were on the mission in Rataneran Keep in this filter, because you're involved as well.

As some of you may have suspected, that mission was just a cover for another more secretive mission. Those of us on that mission were sworn not to share it with the others, that is why we said nothing. Considering what has happened, I consider that agreement to be something that will only do harm and also that those who asked me not to share this did not keep up their end of the bargain, so I no longer have a need to keep my own.

The real mission behind that was that we were to capture the Count and deliver him to a member of the Security Forces who was going to deliver him to the cultists to be sacrificed.

I was the one who performed that delivery. Since then, he went missing. Things were fine here and I thought the issue over with.

It turns out it isn't. The Shaman we encountered is part of a group of traitors being led by the Count. On top of that, she knew of my role and mentioned it in front of the General, so he now knows about it since he threatened to not kill her to get me to speak of it. Had he not killed her, we would all have been sacrificed.

So now we have two factions of cultists. One led by the General, one led by the Count who are traitors to the General's faction. Do not think of working with this new faction, we have more chance of an alliance with the General, and all know the chances of that ever happening.

I spoke of none of this to the Malnosso. It should not be spoken of to any members of the Malnosso or even Rem. The only ones who know about this mission are CJ and Specialist Davis. To speak of it to any others risks not only myself, but Specialist Davis and CJ who have helped us a lot. I do not mind it being shared with others in Luceti, but please only speak of it to those you can trust and not mention my name.

I do not think we were betrayed by the Specialist. He would not wish for the cultists to get stronger. He was likely betrayed by the cultists.

[Written/Filtered]

[deathsdoctor]

[If anything important could snap Law's mind from grief, it is this.

Long moments pass as he taps the pen against paper. He was on the mission to the Keep, and he certainly noted the Count's absence as he played the General to the masses. He had noted Leonhardt's absence as well, as he noted others, but since it was an infiltration mission, he did not question it... and in the mad scramble to pack up and leave, no one had time to question anything.

He should have, though.

But he will now. Things are much too suspicious.

Law gathers his thoughts, puts pen to paper, and writes:]

This is troubling to hear. I too suspect betrayal... although perhaps not by just the cultists. Somehow I doubt it was just Count Zompano's silver tongue that spared him and gained him so much influence.

[He does recall certain things said by the trees.]

[Not Here]

[windandrain]

[Saori reads the message, filing it away for later. The kidnapping effect she's presently suffering from prevents her from really caring enough to comment, but it's certainly interesting. She'll be more inclined to speak to Leonhardt later, when things are clearer in her own head. For now, it's just more information, and something that makes her more angry.]

(ooc: Sorry for the not here, it's something she'd address in the future, but timing ~_~)

[Written/Filtered]

[removeimpurity]

[No. No Godsdamned way.]

[Syre's eyes regard the written message with a mix of emotions -- primarily anger. She had gotten herself killed... for a mission that, apparently, meant nothing?]

[She ends the simulation she had been studying, empties the contents of her bag out onto the floor, and picks up the first writing implement that comes close to her. Her writing is not as neat as it should be, her hands shaking as she puts pen to paper.]

... So now we have a new set of dogs loyal to the Count, on top of the General's ever-looming threat. Fantastic.

[Written/Filtered]

[wildkotetsu]

So nobody gets along around this world.

[IF HE WERE ON VOICE, HE'D BE SO GRUMBLING.

But really, he's also a little pissed that this sort of information wasn't brought up 'til now. Kotetsu's not sure if it would have changed a damn thing about their mission, but it's still something he would have wanted to know more about... But he has to hold his tongue for once. Last thing he needs is someone giving information to think he's anything but neutral.]

So, what, the Special Forces were trying to get on the cultist's good sides? Or is the Count just someone both sides wanna do in? What the hell's the difference between The General's crew and the Shaman one?

[As far as he's concerned, they're all villains who need a fist crammed in their faces.]

[Written/Filtered]

[tsuntrader]

[No much can compare to that when it comes to getting someone's attention. Silver stares at his journal for a while and looks over what other people have said.]

Thanks for sharing.

[He might as well lay that down, at least. There's a lot of risk involved with sharing that kind of information.

...Of course, given the situation, honesty might just be the best policy. If this information manages to negatively impact Luceti as a whole, at least it's not just one person or a couple of people hiding something big from everyone and getting fingers pointed at them.

It's too bad that Luceti is about as divided as everyone else in this world. The only person's motive that's clean cut is the General's.]

[Written/Filtered]

[wise_maiden]

More factions...

This does put this all into a greater perspective. Thank you for filling us in on what really happened.

[Filtered] /latest but

[endgames]

Don't think of working with either of them. We have no chance of an alliance with either group at this time, and to think so is pointless.

[Just contributing that while he mulls this information over about the Specialist. So that's who she meant...]

[Written]

[abjurer]

[Written carefully and precisely to disguise his normal handwriting.]

You were trapped in dreams, so I've heard. Could anyone tell me a little more about this? It is something I am not unfamiliar with. I might have a few ideas but I need more information.

[Written]

[wildkotetsu]

[...

He'd rather not. But he feels like he has an obligation--and he'll see it through, even if he has a lump in his throat and a fluttering in his chest at the memory of it. He bears it with a sturdy jot of his pen.]

You couldn't even tell you were taken by it. It just... takes ya', puts you in a place you wouldn't wanna leave. Honestly, I don't know how to get out of it, other than someone outside of your dream breaking you out.

[God, makes it sound like a prison... Guess it's pretty similar, in that way.]

[goldenglasses]

[Third party members who weren't on the side of the General. It was good to hear that.] Who attacked you first? The General? [Curious if you really were just bystanders of the dream shifters trying to get to him, or if they also just wished to attack the Malnosso you were with as well.]

[changethepast]

[ Serah's pretty torn up still emotionally, not in a good state at all, but-- ]

They... we were attacked first. He was there. Before everyone blacked out.

voice

[tolivefortoday]

[ It's all very interesting, but one part in particular stands out to her. ]

They have shamans?

[written]

[eyesofstrength]

[While Yun would know that Leonhardt had his penalty removed and just returned last night, she'd also know that his voice sounds awful right now and that's why he's writing here.]

From what we can gather, the shaman is the one who performs the sacrifice. Nothing like what you do.

[Voice]

[voidseeing]

[... well. This is an interesting development. The sacrificing part he already knows about - it's pretty common knowledge by this point - but the confirmation that there are members of the Third Party who don't side with the General is new to him.

To the leader of a terrorist organization, however, it doesn't come as a surprise at all. There will always be rebels against any cause.]

Did he try to use his blood-controlling magic on you or anyone else there?

[Voice]

[wildkotetsu]

Ah--yeah. He was able to use that, once we got to this... temple-lookin' place. We couldn't use any of our powers before that. Him either, I guess.

... what the heck kinda power is that, anyway...

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

[Aang was trying to take in all the information quietly as usual, as confusing as it was, but hearing this makes him freeze up for a moment. He feels that he has to inquire.]

W-wait! What do you mean by... blood-controlling?

[Voice]

[yourfononsarewhack]

This is Colonel Jade Curtiss, Maluth Imperial Forces Third Division. I must confess that at the present, my primary knowledge of the Third Party cultists comes from the information in the Newcomer's Guide. I am still in the process of working through the backlogs of these filtered entries.

However, I would appreciate any attempt to help catch me up to speed. I'd like to know more about this General and his capabilities, as well as regarding this apparent opposing faction. Any information not included in the Guide should be mildly helpful at the least.

[chikaidestroyer]

[Slowly but surely, a detailed report describing speech and actions begins appearing over the journal network. Of note to Jade Curtiss would be the fact that the entire report is written in his own handwriting.]

[Voice]

[misterbrief]

So not even the General has a full grasp on his own people. That certainly changes the game, now doesn't it? Were you told anything else other than that on the matter?

[Voice]

[nascidanosargasso]

What's odd is that their side would fracture. We didn't see any trouble inside of them back in the draft of June of the fourth cycle.

Fanatics are often unified behind an extremist belief to the point they're too willing to give their lives even if it doesn't make sense. For someone to have caused a schism inside them must have been something that could change a lot of things for them.

voice;

[universal_charm]

Sounds like a crooked deal on the back end, if you ask me.

voice;

[wildkotetsu]

Tell me about it. I think we're the better off ones, compared to how the rest of these guys work. Better at working things out, anyway.

written

[teardropshaman]

Shamans? So the shamans they mentioned are what keeps us coming back if we die here?

[That's what she's getting out of it, anyway.]

But if they're working with the Cultists... killing us to join with them once we've been revived?

written

[wildkotetsu]

They might be... He made it sound like they're what kill people for real around here. I dunno how we keep coming back... Sounds like they hold a lotta power, though.

voice;

[deadlyjuliet]

...Nothing stays dead without a Shaman, does it...? Well now, isn't that interesting news...

voice;

[wildkotetsu]

[Ugh, you. He remembers you.]

Oi, who invited you?

[Maybe he'd be more welcoming if you weren't such a dick about death.]

[Voice]

[endgames]

Our deaths would've worked against him, the way he made it sound. There's a lot he wouldn't say about the Shamans - that he wouldn't, if he still has loyal ones working under him - but I got enough details to make it worthwhile.

Anyone seeing this should take note. If it's happened once, it will probably happen again.

[The next part he writes out as well as speaks.]

Within the shared dream, the Shaman has a single target. Others are brought in to aid the dreamer; the Dream Shifters latch onto these and attempt to kill them early on so the target has as little help as possible. This makes me think that drawing so many people in is unavoidable, but this isn't confirmed.

If you get past the Dream Shifters, they'll continue to hunt you down. In the dream we couldn't use our own abilities, but we could use advanced Shifting like the cultists do. The General explained that this was because we were brought in as "shades of himself", and so we could use the same powers that he's capable of.

[So who knows, they might have weird blood powers that whole time too without knowing it. He lets that go unsaid.]

If it happens again, anyone involved will no doubt have a different powerset. Figuring out what that includes may be a way to identify the Shaman's target.

[Voice]

[voidseeing]

[Interesting. Gai is filing all of this information away for later use and as kernels of an idea that may be worth experimenting with later.]

I was told that the General was unable to use his blood-controlling powers until the group reached the temple. Is that true?