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Last we left off…
The Rat's Nest performed emptiness once. It did not perform it twice.
When the watchers outside confirmed signs of life, a covered lantern flashed its signal two streets out, turning a quiet surveillance sweep into an active hunt. Driven into the dark, the party took to the pipe-works sewer system—navigating ancient Dwarven-era channels while dodging throwing knives and freezing underground drainage. Shaking off the pursuit, they found refuge in the back storeroom of The Salty Starfish, a rundown dive bar that asks no questions so long as the coin is good.
We reached The Cinderblock clean. Meeting Tessa Mireille in her corner booth, their preparation paid off in full. Tessa yielded the complete layout and operational profile for the Aethenaeum:
The Access Protocol: Duty Administrator Collen Voss's habits, sign-in procedures, and a 20-minute transition gap during shift changes where service tier staff density drops.
The Facility Layout: Service tier routing, substrate loading chambers (currently sitting at 60% capacity), and a maintenance stairwell in the northeast corner behind a door marked in Dwarven notation.
The Critical Revelation: Silas's "clerical error" passes for the upper offices drop the team directly into the maintenance stairwell—bypassing the densely populated central processing corridor entirely.
The Inside Contact: Edran Sollis, an administrator inside for 18 months who has spent 8 months quietly building a clandestine supply cache.
Tessa's Offer: Tessa offered to enter the service tier alongside the team as a Records Synthesis auditor to handle Administrator Voss directly.
Returning to the Rat's Nest, the group hardened their sanctuary—recalibrating the warning alarm, adding a contractor cover layer, and opening a secondary Dwarven escape tunnel. Shortly after, a Pale Knife runner delivered a direct summons signed by Dalla Sharp: a parley tomorrow, two hours before midday, at the blue chalk mark in the Ashpipe Corridor.
The Maintenance Stairwell Shortcut: Silas's upper office access credentials allow entry into an administrative section connecting straight to the northeast maintenance stairwell, bypassing the high-density service processing corridor entirely.
Sublevel Engine Status: Substrate loading chambers sit at 60% capacity, compressing the 3-to-6 week timeline against the substrate's degradation limits.
Edran Sollis Identified: Inside asset inside the Aethenaeum for 18 months. Can confirm shift rotations, procure ciphers, confirm substrate timelines, and provide an operational cover story inside.
Tessa Mireille (Operational Ally): Provided complete sublevel routing and offered to walk into the service tier as audit cover for the team.
Collen Voss: Duty administrator for the upcoming MIA inspection window.
Dalla Sharp: Issued a direct meeting summons in her own territory (Ashpipe Corridor) signed with her mark "DS."
Hardened Rat's Nest: Upgraded with recalibrated entry alarms, mundane contractor cover, and a secondary Dwarven escape tunnel.
Tessa's Operational Package: Sublevel layout, shift change windows, access reference numbers, and Edran Sollis's profile.
🎭 Narrative & Roleplay
The Ashpipe Parley: Dalla set the terms: "Come as many as you like. I will come as many as I like." How does your character want to approach this meeting? What information remains strictly off-limits?
Tessa's Offer: Do you accept Tessa's offer to walk into the Aethenaeum as your audit cover, or is the operational risk to her life too high?
Rekki's Diversion Parameters: Finalize your answers for Rekki's three diversion questions (Tier, Time of Day, Accident vs. Attack)....
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