Miscellaneous Notes
In the hangar, there is a habitat, and Littlefoot the Omegan saurian dwells there. He was eager to join us.
Reminder that the youngest Mem counsellor, Dyrinek, is still free.
All of our heroes were infected by the insect-like parasites on Omega, which swam in our eyes and wriggled in our arms.
Downtime Activities
Relaxation or Gains?
Moth, Franky, and Meade Grey tried to relax in the sauna, but Hard Drive fucked it up by working out very loudly in the adjoining room. Even more irksome (to Moth at least), Hard Drive criticized our relaxation tradition, and told us we should be working out too. Franky eventually joined Hard Drive in sweaty grunting and personal records. Moth and Meade tried to relax more, but the vibe was ruined.
Liquid Raid
Later, Moth (Mevakor Ortcutt) developed an antiparasitic treatment to rid us of the infestation. First, a cocktail of antibodies derived from the Vigilance mystic's approach to keeping the infestation at bay, then a hefty antibiotic - the equivalent of liquid raid in our veins.
Cube Bro
After much careful investigation of the new black cube, "Cube Bro" Frank "Franky" Heather had a fight with Cube Bro. Moth initially tried to help, but got frustrated toward Franky again -- still bearing some resentment toward Franky for "siding" with Hard Drive in the argument over whether we should relax or work out. Moth stormed off, but Franky kept working until he fell asleep in the laboratory chair.
Later that night, Moth returned to the lab, and pored over Franky's audio memos as to his research progress. Eventually moth developed the magnetic resonance needed to activate Cube Bro and hopefully talk to the audiophages.
Red Herrings
Mead and Moth each made efforts to reduce the amount of heat on the Firedrake in the Rin system (if Mike remembers correctly). Moth's approach was to ask Jackev to tell the authorities he is in Brekk.
Artifact Revelations
Franky used an elaborate puppet show / makebelieve session to entice the Cryptext to explain itself better to us. We learned that all of the artifacts we've collected were in some sense designed for "us" (those sentient beings left behind the Ur). In a sense, they are like an invitation or citizenship test.
As part of assisting Franky with this, Moth accessed Malklaith records (easier now that we are temporarily aligned with Malklaith), to check on unreleased or unofficial documentation about Ur artifacts. Unwillingly, he also learned that Harmony's body had Ur artifacts implanted in it to enhance her abilities. Specifically, she had an emerald hear, an artifact found by the Mendicants, which granted her to the ability to heal the others.
The Way of Light Mission
Preparation for Mission
After some discussion, we decided to escort the mighty weapons platform to the Way of Light, and use our connections with the zealots of that organization to sneak our way onboard, disable the ship, and unravel the mind of Diana, the high priestess.
Meanwhile, the Malklaith fighters arrayed to face the Flame Paladin ships. And Malklaith's nuclear-armed weapons platform advances steadily toward the Moon of Warren.
Mounting Tension
We brought Mpho in her cocoon (or maybe it was a decoy?) and proposed the offer that Moth would provide the opportunity for a "special few" to transcend the bounds of aging through extractions from her body. Hard Drive posed as an indentured servant of Moth.
Diana met us in a throne room surrounded by about two dozen power armored warriors of the Flame, clad in gold and white. Diana shared with us a bottle of Ortcutt white.
Because his father built the ship, Franky was able to get a tour of it. Meanwhile, Moth and Hard Drive were led to the Room of Purification.
Aram revealed himself by taking off his helmet and inspected Meade, sensing there may be a Way presence within him. Meade revealed the eye behind the eye patch, which has a "metallic sphincter door" (aka aperture), which can be used to detect artifact energies. Diana told Aram that this was an acceptable use of a limited Way power for a purpose.
Diana and Meade seemed to ensorcel one another with talk calculated to win the other's trust. Meade spoke of recently finding faith through the struggle, while Diana spoke of her goal to end poverty and overthrow the unjust chains of Malklaithian oppression. Leaning close, Diana told Meade that as her consort, there was much they could accomplish together.
Shit Goes Down
In the Room of Purification, Moth encountered Aleena Goodchild, who recognized him from their previous encounter on Warren. Moth tried to defray her suspicion with a lame attempt at flirtation: "Few things at the party were as pretty as you!" Aleena led Moth to a radiation chamber, placing within it a prisoner, and led his hand to the button, as a loyalty test.
Moth, unwilling to take this life, even if it would compromise the mission, instead attempted to sedate Aleena with a prepared syringe of "vitamin H." Aleena wrecked Moth's hand but succumbed to the sedation.
At this, Hard Drive alerted Franky that "shit was going down," and Franky deactivated the ship, providing a relaxed but also somehow taunting announcement over the PA system.
Red lights began to blink -- the Way of Light "martyr device" activated and the hymns of self-immolation began.
In the throne room, Meade's eye revealed to him that Diana herself possessed a Way artifact -- nay, in fact her brain is a way artifact, an Ur-bot brain! Then, while this revelation was still fresh in Meade's mind, Aram lunged forth, tore out Meade's new eye with his fingers, and then crushed it.
In the Room of Purification, Moth attempted to put on his "swim goggle" infrared vision one-handed (Hard Drive helped) and free the prisoner one-handed. However, Moth was too slow and got repeatedly zapped by the pain sticks of the numerous guards in the room. It was the worst pain Moth ever felt. Hard Drive clobbered the guards in the room, piled Moth (and someone else Mike forgets) on the gourney, and wheeled us back out to escape.
In the dark, Meade seized both Aram and Diana in the confusion. He attempted to use his catalytic hand to transfer the electrical power from Diana's bot-brain and stun Aram. He succeeded, spared them both from death or permanent disability, and also learned something more...
The Revelation of the Flame
Aram does not truly serve Diana. Aram created Diana. He engineered her with her Ur brain, and he has orchestrated the Church of the Stellar Flame as a whole. Aram believes the Way is a finite resource, and his goal is to use the Flame to wipe out other mystics and collect more -- MORE -- power for himself alone. He believes the Way may be getting used up, and he wants full control of it. With that, Aram thinks he may become a god.
Ultimatum Countdown
The weapons platform has come fully into position over Warren, uncontested by the now disabled Way of Light. It issues its ultimatum -- the Church of the Stellar Flame has 48 hours to surrender, or it will bombard Warren's fusion stations. We estimate that this will crack the planet's core.