From: Intios; Adeptus Administratum & Acolyte of the Holy Inquisition, Ordo Hereticus

My Investigation Notes
I receive my invitation to the Alabaster Court after paying our 20,000 throne fee to Counsellor Cort Abroag. The invitation was for me and one guest and it was decided that Odessa would accompany me. We are in line to the Alabaster Court when we start to chat with Octavia Nile, who is in line in front of us. As we are chatting, a member of the choir holds a harmony meter in front of Odessa and immediately announces her as “True”. A nearby noble hears this and steps towards us and introduces himself as Eldagizio Glaive, from Sirus Volpa. He congratulates Odessa and tells her that he has been working on being True for 4 months.

As we enter the Court, Odessa is immediately feeling suppressed from within the hall. We are greeted by Lady Borella and Siprit Daneen. She tells us that entertainment will be arranged by Elsergi Krin this evening. A masked figure steps onto the stage and the crowd goes silent in anticipation of the performance. His mask lights up and he says, “Call me Chorus, prepare for a tale of woe.” There is an emaciated man staggering on stage. The masked actor yells, “Hail Cyperen!” The play goes on until the masked actor says to Cyperen, “What fate is suitable for such as you?” The staggering man says, “The Emperor will punish you.” The actor pulls out a power sword and impales the emaciated man from behind. Intios is taken aback from this apparent spurring that just occurred. [Aside: Intios takes two insanity points from this display. Really? A member of the inquisition is appalled by seeing someone stabbed through the chest?]

The actor takes off his mask and is revealed to be Elsergi Krin himself. The crowd applauds while Elsergi approaches me. He says to me, “Never seen such fine acting on your backwater world of Fenksworld?” I respond, “I’ve seen this play and your acting is the same as that on Fenksworld.” My response is calculated and meant as a mild insult. Nevertheless, I am challenged to a duel within the Bloodsquare by Elsergi. By this time, Odessa is feeling her powers suppressed from the floor and an intense disturbance from upstairs and to the right of the stage.

My idea was to have Odessa search the premises while the nobles are distracted by my duel with Elsergi. The duel is non-lethal and to the first wound. Elsergi is able to get the first hit but not necessarily a wound. I respond with an all-out-attack that hits Elsergi in the body and the nobles that seconded the duel immediately call for an end. We return the dueling blades to the aiding nobles and Elsergi says, “Not only do I need acting lessons, but dueling lessons as well!” The crowd of on-looking nobles applaud and cheer. As the duel is winding down, a member of the choir, named Quinto, approaches Odessa and hands her two pills and says that these will make you feel better.

Once the duel is over, we ask the serving staff to take us to our room. We are escorted to room 260. In the meantime, our new contact, Terlian, is weaving in and out of the party disguised as a member of the staff. He stops by our room with room service and then hands us a map of the various floors of the Alabaster Court. We tell Terlian to contact the rest of the team and have the two of them head out. As Odessa and I head back to the main hall, we see Caros Shoal being escorted in. He is obviously the man of the hour and the rest of the nobles settle in to hear him speak.

Terlian makes a call to House Strophes and tells Arion and Trantor to start their part of the plan to infiltrate the Court. They break into the lodge after hours and go through the access port in order to repel down to the Alabaster Court’s balcony suites. The two make it to the balcony and Trantor is able to bypass the security panel to get into the suite.

By this time, Odessa and I go back up to the suites to meet the rest of the team just as they exit the room and enter the hallway. There are various reinforced doors that we are not able to break into due to their high level of security. We start using las-cutters on some doors but are forced to halt due to various disturbances from servants and routine patrols of servitor skulls. It seems the guards may have seen one of our semi-cut doors and called for more help to investigate.

Our team heads down to the main hall and try to blend in. At this time, Arion decides to enter the door next to the Bloodsquare. He sees Shoal in a conversation with a hooded figure. When the Black Robed Figure turns sideways to look at Arion, there is instant recognition. This is the same person who assassinated Orday and got away with the data slate. Arion, knowing that he is not properly equipped for a confrontation, quickly steps out of the room.

After Arion quickly informs the team of his discovery, we get Terlian’s attention and ask if he has heard anything today about this BRF. Apparently the BRF entered through the kitchen earlier today. He is from the interdicted planet of Tranch, where the Pale Throng are fighting the Imperial Guard. He also heard Shoal say to the BRF that he has made the others a fortune on Ambulon.

Knowing that we may have been identified by the BRF and this may be our only chance to investigate the Alabaster Court; we leave the main hall and try some of the secured doors within this level. The only door we are able to break into seems to belong to the BRF. We find autopistol clips and a fueling receipt for an orlothoptor. Within the room we find various fuel bills, papers with code numbers and a rag with fresh oil drops within a drawer. Inside a small dresser was a tube of ungents.

With the Joyous Choir guards increasing their security sweeps, we decide to make our way back out through the balcony suite. After an arduous climb, especially for Intios, we all make it out and back to House Strophes.