Xurizu smiled at Dashu, looking up from the panel he was studying.  "The panels are overrides, failsafes, things like that," he explains to Dashu.  "They're keyed only to Celestial Essence, like this one is keyed to Lunar Essence, so they could give us advantages that only we could claim, depending on just how they functions were locked down.  I'd guess a White Jade one was keyed only to Dragonblooded but ..." Xurizu considered.  "I might be able to do something about that."
[Private to GM: I rolled up above, and got 3 lore sux!]

Group organization (All)

By now, the assault group consisting of Danae, Dena, Eternal and Immy have already left up the stairs. The group preparing to enter negotiations with the Gatekeeper are still waiting on Third, or more specifically, any other suggestions on subjects to query the database with. [Private to Third Beneficiary of Orderly Knowledge: You should be able to answer Perian's question about communication between Gatekeepers, though I'm not sure if he meant using the earpiece communicators, or using the terminal you're on. Anyway, the earpieces would be a 'no' since their range is too short. Using the terminals would likely be too much trouble to be worth it. Gatekeepers have been segregated from each other for centuries. It'd take some pretty invasive programming and hardware tweaking to bypass that, and you could trigger a ton of security alerts before you're done with it.]

Veldygar orders his demons, Dezephiel and Gugoona, to remain in the central column with Dashu, Xurizu and Kilani. Harmony and Cog offer to stay with the backup group as well, unless Third or Veldygar (respectively) wish their company.

Since it doesn't seem like anyone wants the spare earpiece communicator, no one contests Kilani claiming it for herself. This means Danae holds the only communicator for the assault group, and Third holds the only one available to the negotiation group at this time. [Private to Kilani Sorune: You may wish to join Dashu and Xurizu's search, below. Up to you!]

Searching the column (Dashu, Xurizu)

The moonsilver panel on the fourth floor, and its orichalcum and starmetal lookalikes, look very similar to the panels Third, Higura and Nanaret operated in the Gatekeeper of Water Core. Their predominant feature is a twist lever, each fashioned in the magical material associated with the Celestial that must operate it. Xurizu and Dashu would both recall that when they used them, they had to be activated simultaneously, and with a sizable use of Essence.

However, one important thing comes to Xurizu's mind while looking over the moonsilver panel: channeling Essence into it hastily may well alert the Gatekeeper or subordinate AIs of the presence of a Celestial. As Danae has warned, the Gatekeeper of Earth is actually well in the pocket of the Terrestrials and currently believes himself to be Pasiap. Therefore activating or testing these panels, MAY in fact compromise attempts to negotiate with the Gatekeeper, and turn him hostile.

Unfortunately, he can't be completely sure about how the Gatekeeper will react without trying it. They are likely a form of manual override. Perhaps it may bypass permissions that the Terrestrials installed after taking over. But it could just as well be a trap.

On the other hand, the white jade panel Dashu found on the first floor of the column is nothing like the panels above. It is not hidden by illusion, nor does it contain a single trace of any other material besides white jade, nor does it seem to be touched by any sort of obvious Essence power source. It's simply a blank panel, which could be manually pried open to reveal what lies behind it.

[Private to Ledaal Xurizu; Peleps Dashu: Check for traps on the white jade panel with Perception+Awareness or Larceny. Or you can just not care about that and attempt to open it up. You could be careful with it and use Dex+Craft (I can see Magitech, Earth or Fire working here) though without proper tools, you may incur a penalty. Or you can use a Feat of Strength of a Strength+Athletics total of 7. Remember you can use cooperation, stunts or willpower to increase this total.

Conversely you can try to get another look at the orichalcum, moonsilver and starmetal panels. I'll allow another Int+Lore or Investigation roll, though at a -1 external penalty from Xurizu since he already tried once. Stunting a creative or different approach may remove that penalty. I wouldn't recommend taking those panels apart like the jade one unless you trust your skills in that!]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:00, Thu 26 Nov 2009.

Nanaret looks from Perian back to Third. "I not sure that database have any more use for us. It is somehow altered. Possibly Terrestrials that do this, they make sure keep Gatekeeper from truth somehow."

"I remember Granite Creed." She shakes her head disapprovingly. "He was leader of mining camp we stayed at after leaving Water District. He made contact with Hive Irix Chilomena, the builder bugs who help us plan takeover of Inner Temple. She tell us that only month or two ago, Creed and others in camp were eliminated. Was not an accident. A powerful artifact was used, turned living things to pile of ash. I saw these piles myself."

"So is possibly better that we speak in such way that Gatekeeper believes our honesty. Unless there some other way to show Gatekeeper what truths been kept from him." Here Nanaret shrugs, knowing such a plan is well beyond her capabilities, as well.

"Putting the Gatekeepers into communication would likely yield results, yes." Higura continues, as the group makes its hypotheses. "It was one of the suggested theories when we last spoke to the Gatekeeper of Water. One of the first things the Terrestrials did, when securing the support of the five Gatekeepers, was to sever their links to one another - keeping them isolated and unable to communicate with the other ones. Perhaps they feared that united, the spirits might have the ability to plot and organize themselves... Or perhaps even see past some of the lies they had to feed to some of them."

The doctor pauses for a moment, shaking his head softly. "Of course, the Gatekeeper will likely not want to hear any of this before his conviction in being Pasiap has been shaken. Until then, it is very likely not to want to put weight in our words... Or in the responsibilities is has outside of the image it has created for itself."

When Nanaret speaks, Higura nods somberly, lowering his head slightly. "This is the length to which our enemy is willing to go to to keep its affairs secret. Which means that it also still fears the truth. Those secure in their ability to enforce their might and power do not fear the truth - they enforce it, even. This means that we have a chance of turning the Gatekeeper then, since much effort is spent trying to keep it in the dark."

"We will need to work as a unit to achieve this, however. Alone, our respective strengths are likely to be brushed aside. Together, however, there is a much greater chance one of us will find the crack in the proverbial armor, at which point we need only push through the one opening until me manage to tear apart the whole mask."

Third shakes its head, cutting the idea short. "The dangers would be extreme, and our chances low. We cannot enlist the Gatekeeper of Water in this, sadly." It nods at Higura's words confidently. " But you are correct. We can convince this being. We are Lawbringers, Viziers of Fate, Wardens of Creation." The Solar looks up, eyes looking unusually focused as it clenches a hand, speaking in the voice of someone quite different. " We must go forwards into the light. The Gatekeeper will see the truth, whether it wants to or not." Shining Eye says, striding confidently, ready to face the Gatekeeper, sword left in its scabbard at the Solar's side.

"I am ready," says Nanaret simply, following Third (or is it Shining Eye?) along with Higura, Perian and Veldygar to the elevator going to the Core.

"As am I," Perian says, intent and focused. "I will speak of the present, then, when suitable. And we will speak of the future."

Before heading up, he pauses to look at where Dashu and Xurizu are working. "You know your work better than I do, but the stories I've heard have echoes that reach far and wide. Perhaps they will help," he says, sketching an odd symbol in the air.

[Private to GM: OOC: I still have 6 'prayer' points, which might be applicable here, as magitech is one of the domains covered.

Incidentally, are the ex-Immaculates around? They might know more about the local technology, or provide elemental essence.]

The symbol Perian traces seems to glitter in the air faintly, briefly capturing Garnet Cog's interest. For a moment she regards Perian curiously, but it doesn't last long. The machine-spirit is more concerned with Veldygar, conferring with him quietly before declaring, "Very well, I will accompany you."

[Private to Kares Perian; Saina Nanaret; Third Beneficiary of Orderly Knowledge; Veldygar Arhandor; Yaishin Higura: I'd really like you all to wrap this up and show up in Central Core ASAP. Thanks!]

[Private to Kares Perian: The ex-Immaculates are outside with the rest of the rebel troops. That entire group of soldiers, workers, defectors etc. continues to fight and endanger themselves while the Celestials negotiate with Gatekeeper.

If you want to use some of your prayer points to help Xurizu or Dashu you can, as long as your next post also implies you heading upstairs withthe others.]

Dashu makes his way up to the hidden panels Xurizu discovered to see if he could figure anything out.  He went about his observations methodically.  With each panel, he focused his attention initially directly on the panel.  He then gradually took in the items and patterns surrounding each panel.  As his attention progessed outward, he tried to understand how each object related to the others.  Once he finished with one panel, he moved on to the next.

[Private to GM:
15:15, Today: Peleps Dashu rolled 4 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 10,6,4,7,8,4. Int + Investigation. ]

Xurizu frowned at the strange symbol Perian drew upon the air, committing it to memory.  "Thank you," he nodded to the man.  "Good luck in convincing the Gatekeeper," he says.  Then he resumes his study of the panels, visiting each one of them in turn with Dashu.  Each of them is opened up in the same way, studied for traps or clues as to the function.  "We're going to need three of us to open these, and it might not do anything," he says to Dashu.  "Lets go back to the one you found and have a look at that," he continues.  "It doesn't sound like these, but maybe it can give us some clues?"  Unless there is dissent, he goes with Dashu to the white jade panel.  That too, is checked for anything untoward.
[Private to GM: 01:36, Today: Ledaal Xurizu rolled 5 successes using 8d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,8,10,1,5,9,3,7. Int+Lore, again. +1 sux -1 penalty.  to understand the celestial panels, take 2
01:43, Today: Ledaal Xurizu rolled 3 successes using 12d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,4,3,4,3,3,1,8,1,3,7,3. Per+Awe+armour+2 excellency. checking the white jade panel for nastiness]

"It comes from an old tale of the Earth District, from when the Coils were still under Celestial supervision. I believe it will help, though I do not know these devices well enough to state how," Perian explains. Then, focusing himself on his coming duties, he releases a flicker of essence within himself, and follows the others into the elevator.

[Private to GM: Activating Temptation Resisting Stance. +4 to mental DV, motes committed from personal.]

After he concludes his study of the Celestially aligned panels, Dashu follows Xurizu over to the white jade panel.  "Good idea.  Maybe we can find a way to operate that one."  He then begins to study it as he studied the other three: starting with the panel itself and then moving outward, observing it's surroundings and taking careful notes.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:44, Mon 30 Nov 2009.

"It looks like we might be able to pry it open," Xurizu remarks of the White Jade panel in front of him.  "I don't really have much skill with the more correct ways of doing so, but it looks like it might lift away quite cleanly," he glanced at Dashu for his opinion.

"If not, we should go and find Kilani and let her know what we found, and get her to relay up to the negotiators that we can trigger the panels, but that we're not sure if we should just yet."

The negotiation group departs, along with Garnet Cog. Only Xurizu, Dashu and Kilani remain in the Central Column. For whatever reason Kilani seems quiet or perhaps overwhelmed by the surroundings, or situation about her, and has not yet responded to anything or anyone since accepting the powerbow from Nanaret.

Orichalcum, moonsilver and starmetal panels

Together Dashu and Xurizu continue to examine the three fourth floor panels more thoroughly, Xurizu utilizing his sharp senses while Dashu uses his attention to detail to determine more about them.

Besides the caveat they already know (that activating the levers MAY alert the Gatekeeper to Celestial presence), the first thing they notice is that the panels have been used very rarely. The last time it was accessed could have been at least 200 years ago. Yet their construction shows them to be millenia old. It's very likely that, in order to create whatever block there is on the Gatekeeper's memory, the Dragon-blooded still had to force Celestials via the collar to access these controls.

This further strengthens their theory that the panels are indeed a form of Celestial override bypassing permissions. Parameters may have been significantly altered through this 'superuser' mode, or a subordinate AI introduced as a 'filter' on data entered and processed. If the latter, attempting to activate the levers may force the subordinate to materialize.

Xurizu might recall a bit more, examining the mechanisms of the panel and comparing it to similar constructions he has seen during his years working for Sienna. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu: Xurizu was under the influence of his mistress, so he only remembers it in fragments. Himself, and two others, a Solar and a Sidereal controlled by Sienna's colleagues Zerabia and Misa (respectively) were brought to a Wood District control room. The walls were curved, organic, formed from roots of green jade, glowing with power lines resembling streaks of sap, or capillaries. As he and the other two Celestials poured their essence into the machine, the lines flared from green to a scintillating iridescent, flashing in all colors of the rainbow, hypnotizing and beautiful. Xurizu realized in that moment he were looking into a vision of pure chaos, beautiful yet utterly disordered: true knowledge lay there in the midst of that madness, and he would learn from it, no matter the cost.

OOC: BTW, the chaos effect you see there is actually because the Wood District's Gatekeeper is Wyld-mad, this is not actually common to all Gatekeepers. Though Xurizu might not know that for sure. :P]

White jade panel

This panel is much more straightforward than the Celestial-access ones. As stated, it is simply a cover for whatever is underneath.

Once again, Xurizu's keen eyes manage to find a trap rigged to trigger should someone attempt to tamper with its seal. If triggered it will deliver a significantly painful shock of lightning to whomever is unfortunate enough to touch it, but more importantly it is hooked up to a security system, which may alert sentinels to the area. [Private to Ledaal Xurizu; Peleps Dashu: This needs an Dex+Larceny roll to get past. Difficulty is 4. Just prying it open anyway needs a feat of strength, as above (don't forget you can teamwork on this) or Dex+appropriate Craft diff 2. Actually, since neither of you have Craft, you could also use Larceny now that I think about it. So, two rolls Dex+Larceny, one Diff 4 (disarm), the other Diff 2 (open). -1 external penalty to each of you lack proper tools.

BTW: Dashu should already have a communicator, though it possibly makes sense to let Kilani speak while you're busy with the panels. *if* she posts... :P]
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:19, Fri 04 Dec 2009.

Xurizu is about to lean in, to lever at the white jade panel, when something catches his eye and he pulls back, quickly.  "Okay, blindly pulling might get us killed," he says, pointing out the lightning trap.  "Do you think you can safely disable that?" he asks of Dashu.  "And is there anything I could do to help, if you're not sure?"

He decides to leave the Celestial panels for the moment, at least until they get some feedback on how the negotiations are going.  After all, inappropriate activation could doom the negotiations, as well as using motes which might be needed for a counter-attack.  Perhaps they could check the database though, if those details were recorded ... "Do you think the database might have more of an idea about these panels?"
[Private to Gatekeeper; Peleps Dashu: The comment about helping was also to Gatekeeper.  Is is possible?  Or is there only enough room for one person to work?]

Dashu frowns when the trap is pointed out to him.  "I don't know.  This isn't my forte." Maybe with some help, I could do it, but it look like it will still be difficult, especially if we don't have the proper tools.  I think checking the database might be a good idea.

"Hmmm, I might have an idea to get around that," Xurizu says after thinking a little while.  "Well, at least make it a little safer to disable," he says, wandering off and returning with a shockpike.  This he makes sure is partially discharged, before he sets it to its charging mode and leans it against the wall to be touching very near to the lightning trap.  "Now if it does go off, it should earth itself in there, not in us," he says.  "So we can just worry about the relay to the Gatekeeper.  Hopefully," he finishes with a grin.

Then he leans in with a collection of improvised and not-entirely-appropriate tools:  Some scalpels and some tweezers borrowed from a medical kit, a few slivers of the magical materials, pried from one of the armoured suits trashed in the fighting, a couple of items from the kit Dashu had improvised.  With this kit he attacked the alarm, carefully prying back the covering, then, its working laid bare he began to trace out essence channels.  Both the channels which would cause the lightning to discharge and the ones which vanished behind the panel, to bear warning to the Gatekeeper.  It was the latter wires he concentrated on at first, spearing some and shorting others until the alarm couldn't talk home.  After that, disabling the lightning trap was almost anti-climatic...

"There," he says to Dashu.  "That seems to have done it."

[Private to GM: Ledaal Xurizu rolled 5 successes using 11d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,9,10,8,3,8,3,2,5,3,6. Dex + Larceny + 1st Dex + wp.
00:55, Today: Ledaal Xurizu rolled 3 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,8,2,8,7,4. Dex + Larceny (Lever open door gently).]
[Private to Ledaal Xurizu: Just fixed a tag!]
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:11, Thu 03 Dec 2009.

Dashu looks at what Xurizu is doing and lends him his aid.  His years in the security force had taught him many unique ways of dealing with locks and traps.  He had little hope of dealing with something this complicated on his own, but he was able to offer useful tips on reaching some wires without triggering others.

At Xurizu's declaration of being finished, he simply nodded.  He then reached down and started trying to move the panel.  "This thing's heavy," he grumbled out loud.

Xurizu's creative use of the shock pike, medical tools and other available scraps allows him to disarm the trap quite smoothly. In fact Dashu almost finds himself learning more from the Lunar about trap disarmament than vice versa, though Xurizu's skill seems more tied to his ingenuity, and the swift, precise control with which he wields his makeshift tools, rather than any streetwise ability at bypassing security. A typically Lunar solution, improvising with what one has!

Applying the tools to loosen the panel around the edge is elementary once the traps are safely removed. Dashu and Xurizu struggle and pant a bit to lower the panel without it clattering loudly all over the floor, but they do manage it.

Beneath it is open space. An even more anticlimactic revelation than the disarmament, perhaps. Closer examination shows the crawl space to be more than just a storage area: it is an opening into a chute, big enough for one person to fit at a time, with the base of a ladder showing at the far wall. A light source would be needed to climb that ladder, but an anima could do (again, if one is not paranoid about being caught shedding Anathema Essence in the midst of the Gatekeeper's controls).

If Dashu or Xurizu pokes his head in to discern the top of the chute, he will see that it stretches up into darkness. This ladder may well lead up and out of the District -- a Guild of Technicians chute, likely. With the other Celestials distracting the Gatekeeper and his guards, and the Freerunners, Rubies and rebels neutralizing forces outside the column, the Celestials in the backup group have a good shot of climbing their way up undetected.

That is, if they're willing to abandon their 'comrades' (if indeed they thought them as such in the first place).

"I need to get some proper tools for tha-oof.  It is heavy," he agrees, as he takes up the strain of the other half the door.  He'd had to take his gauntlets off to manipulate the trap, limiting the help his armour could give him to the lift.

"Goes up, a long long way," he says to Dashu as he ducks into the hole and then back out again.  "Maybe even all the way up, to the Fire District."  He eyes the hole speculatively.  "We should tell the negotiators about the three Celestial Panels, find Kilani," the he suddenly looks thoughtful.  "And something else we can check the database for, too."  Yes, that would be a helpful thing to look up.

Dashu pulls out the communicator and sends a message to Kilani.  "Hey, come here and meet us we have something interesting to show you."  Here he stops and looks at the lunar.  "So are you saying we should tell them about the celestial panels but not the chute?"

"It's something we can show them after.  It doesn't seem like it's that relevant to their attempts to convert the Gatekeeper to their cause, unlike the Celestial panels.  After all, all we could do is potentially increase the suspicion the Gatekeeper has, if anyone goes up there now," Xurizu explains.

Dashu shrugs and relays the message about the celestial panels across the communicators.  "We found three panels similar to the ones in the Water District.  We're not going to activate them because it might make the Gatekeeper suspicious."

"Hopefully they'll let us know if they have a different opinion," Xurizu says as he walks with Dashu to the database terminal Third had found.

He kneels down in front of it.  "First, lets see if there's any record of those panels being used.  Old records, I would guess," he says, as he starts to key commands into the database.  Searches which directly concerned them, but also side queries, relating to mention of subsidiary systems added, 'maintenance' reports, anything he can think of that might conceal information on the panels.

Once he's run that through, Xurizu tries to get access to the personnel records for the temple.  He'd like to look through the pictographic records until he finds a particular one...
[Private to GM: Looking for the DB he nom'd on.  Wants a name, and perhaps some history.]

Dashu sees Xurizu go over to the terminal but doesn't follow him over there.  Instead he keeps his eyes open for ambush.  They had been sitting still for awhile and that was starting to worry him.  He also waited patiently for a response to his message.  "You find what you're looking for?"  he called over to the man who he had come to think of as his friend.