[ locked to the snitch squad ]

[spellheal]

[ For those of you who answered Genette's call for support, she's decided to check in on your thoughts and comments on Shehui thus far. ]

Those willing to help me discover more about Shehui...thank you. I understand that this country...city? I'm not sure. This place is superficial, so any information is going to be limited. Don't worry about that for now.

Mostly I'm interested in your experience so far. Have you been challenged here -- had any incidents? It's probably a stupid question because of how hands off this all is...

If anything, I'm going to ask about any plans you may have for trying to find where they keep contraband items -- they must have them somewhere. The hard thing is that if we make waves and don't have contact with Qri in order to take us out of this place, then we could all be in danger. No one knows where you go when you get kicked out; I know that much!

Should we start being naughtier to try and get info? I'm not so good at these things, and Brie isn't really interested in leaving a world with so much junk food.

[ OOC: don't worry if your character hasn't had a lot of time to investigate -- that's not on you! Shehui!Dark hasn't really kicked in, so your character can use this post to interact with other Snitches about their ideas about the situation. What you say will be used as a litmus test for how to ICly move forward! ]

Comments

[spaceforged]

We also don't know what exactly happened to make them this scared of magic. They treat it like a crime. I haven't brought it up myself but I definitely noticed that attitude. It's made more suspicious by the lack of any history we can look up.

[guerrilla]

Me and a couple other guys were trying to look into this, actually. I have some...experience stealing information, if this is something we want to pursue.

[spaceforged]

How much experience? We need to know the extent of their fears, and if they can track magic use.

[guerrilla]

Two years. Mostly I moved money, but I spent a lot of time gathering enough intel to keep myself alive, too.

[spaceforged]

I get the feeling we'll need to hack their computers at some point. Asking questions directly seems to just get a brick wall of generic responses.

[oneandmikleonly]

I mean, one way is for us to actually leave some sort of contraband item out in public and try to track the reaction and where it's brought? Like...maybe Brie makes a sword, and she makes it move around independently from a distance if she can do that. Or someone else in the coven -- I know we've got at least one person able to float things around.

Less obvious than one of us directly lighting ourselves up with magic or transforming in the middle of the city square. Though if they can track an artifact's magic to the source that makes this plan less ideal.

[reckoner]

Similarly, it could be possible to create the appearance of an immense magical disturbance.

[ Illusion powers. The utility of which might be limited if cross-checked against any recordings, as he doesn't think he could fool a machine. ]

But, it has the same drawback if they can track magic to its source. Unless that source was willing to be the sacrifice. Depending on their awareness of our telepathy, it might be possible to remain in touch during, thus worthwhile.

[oneandmikleonly]

It's true; they don't seem to have noticed that, and if they do have something nulling general magic usage in the city, well, it obviously doesn't affect what Qri gives. So I think we can assume they'd have a hard time shutting it down whether we sense it or not.

What I'm worried about is the fact that we don't know what's outside. Whoever was willing to be that drastic about it is potentially risking a lot: not only physical risk if it's a toxic environment, but there's an affect on us if we go too far away from Qri, isn't there?

[reckoner]

That's if they do have something that nullifies other magic. We are not the only visitors from another world. I'd be slow to assume with total confidence that they are, or would be, unable to address our magic once more aware of it.

I haven't heard much about the repercussions of traveling from Qri. What happens? But, you're right. If it's impossible to breathe outside of the city, that might not even matter.

[guerrilla]

There are a couple ways to get information, little lady. We can try to steal it, or we can do a classier sort of infiltration - y'know, try to get close to the higher-ups with more access than visitors. I always say you can never be too careful, but if we're worried about speed, the former would probably be a little more efficient...though it's a lot riskier. I guess it depends on what you and we are all willing to try.

[lohengrins]

Jay is gathering info through his clerical position. The hospital's given me some idea as to how the healthcare system in this land operates, but I'll need to get in a closer range to the government for information of utmost value.

I can take care of working on the inside so long as someone tends to the outside.

[rootandbranch]

I've been flying over the city whenever I need to stretch my wings, just looking at how it's put together. It's not too hard to tell what goes where, but I've been trying to get a closer look at anything that looks strange, too. I thought I might be able to tell where they were patrolling most heavily already... what if we aren't the only people here who might be using a lot of magic?

[spaceforged]

It's possible. I can tell you that the hospital is the most openly guarded place. They said it was due to it being a more populated place and patients potentially being unpredictable.

Any other areas you've spotted from above?

[rootandbranch]

There are a lot of built places, like bridges or around water. I've never seen a city like this before, but the layout seems like it makes sense. The things like bridges that I would target if I were trying to destroy this place in a war aren't guarded that much... it's strange.

I think that the places they're most worried about besides the ones with a lot of people are the ones where newcomers are. That means us.

[spaceforged]

It certainly makes you wonder if they're catching on to us and our magic.

Does their society seem a little one-note to you, Geir? Even for a resort, it feels like they're acting out a script of responses.

[rootandbranch]

[that makes him pause. he's not really experienced with a lot of different societies...]

...what were you expecting?

[spaceforged]

Usually any society has layers to it. You have your general citizens that go about their day to day lives. From small shop owners who have had their businesses in their families for generations to bigger corporations. They all have varying opinions about the various rules and regulations of their society.

There are always places of knowledge or education...with how proud of their life these people are you'd think they'd want to prove why their city is so superior. Instead, they focus on the present. They stonewall anyone who asks with focus on the now.

Places that require security have hired help. Aside from those watching us. It's almost like a machine.

Even as a resort, it's strange. Resorts usually handle their own security, less burden on the guests who are supposed to be there to relax. Yet they want us to integrate into their society and think only of now.

[rootandbranch]

Do you think that everything they're afraid of is in their past? Or is it in their future, too?

[spaceforged]

With the way they're acting...I think it's both. Whatever made them this afraid of any magic. It might have roots in their past, but the threat might still be around.

Whatever it was or is. To get anywhere I think we need to know what it is.

[rootandbranch]

...you've got that right. Which means, we have to do something to get it into the open-- don't we?

[spaceforged]

We do.

Is there any areas you can see from above that we can’t access from street level? Anywhere that has no way to get to it save by air.

[rootandbranch]

I've looked but not found anything. Moon's Pokemon might be have seen something I haven't-- they're smaller.

[spaceforged]

...so for now, we can seemingly access all areas of the city. It’s possible there are underground areas hidden from visitors but will probably have to be discovered if they even exist.

We really need something to work with. We keep going in circles.

[rootandbranch]

Ugh, I know. Half of me wants to get kicked out just to tell the rest of you where I end up.

[spaceforged]

That's too risky. We don't know what is out there. ...It could be like the Hub with its empty space.

[rootandbranch]

Let's bite the spine of this question. What exactly do we want to know, and how much risk is it worth?

[spaceforged]

We want to locate the Qri, find the magic source here, and if possible shut down their defenses against magic long enough to get both out of here.

There's...if we don't get the Qri we might not get out of here. That's worth all possible risks we might face. I'm saying, however, that once we're banned we don't know what is outside or how to get back in.

It will make all our objectives that much more difficult.

[rootandbranch]

Of course you're right! I just don't see what options we have to get what we want except the risky ones, at this point.

[his tone's discouraged...]

[spaceforged]

I don't either. That's what's worrying me.

Let's shift our focus. What areas are worth the risk to investigate? I think one of those areas is the hospital.

[rootandbranch]

The dome. Or figuring out where they'd take magic objects.

[spaceforged]

And that could also lead us to just what they're doing to prevent magic in the city. Good thinking.

[rootandbranch]

...we could leave a magical object out somewhere and see what they do with it...