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4
.obsidian/app.json vendored
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@ -1 +1,3 @@
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.obsidian/workspace.json vendored
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@ -13,30 +13,15 @@
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@ -170,13 +155,13 @@
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"title": "Outline of Kalen D'Serris" "title": "Outline of Millie Fairweather"
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@ -219,21 +204,27 @@
"table-editor-obsidian:Advanced Tables Toolbar": false "table-editor-obsidian:Advanced Tables Toolbar": false
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"Avalon/05_Locations/Avalon Locations.md",
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"Avalon/02_Sessions/session 4.md", "Avalon/02_Sessions/session 4.md",
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"Strahd/Enemies", "Strahd/Enemies",
@ -246,7 +237,6 @@
"Strahd/Characters", "Strahd/Characters",
"session 6.md", "session 6.md",
"AndrewNotes/Strahd/Session 3", "AndrewNotes/Strahd/Session 3",
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182
Avalon/02_Sessions/session_5.md
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@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ last: "[[session 4]]"
next: "[[session 6]]" next: "[[session 6]]"
--- ---
# Cold Open # Cold Open
>[!quote] Root Oversight Array- Location Classified >[!quote] [[Avalon Factions#1.1 Root Oversight Committee ("The Array")| Root Oversight Array]]- Location Classified
>We start somewhere else, while you are all discussing what happened at B2 with Ellias >We start somewhere else, while you are all discussing what happened at B2 with Ellias
> The room is all stone, and steel, and light. > The room is all stone, and steel, and light.
> In the center, is a platform which holds a wide, shallow basin. It is not filled with a liquid- but light, that seems to map out a ghostly diagram of the leyline network: bright trunks, branching roots, pulsing nodes. > In the center, is a platform which holds a wide, shallow basin. It is not filled with a liquid- but light, that seems to map out a ghostly diagram of the leyline network: bright trunks, branching roots, pulsing nodes.
@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ next: "[[session 6]]"
Let them sit with that for a moment- they need to realize that's them. Let them sit with that for a moment- they need to realize that's them.
>[!quote] Enter D'Serris >[!quote] Enter [[Kalen D'Serris|D'Serris]]
>A figure at the far end of the room looks up from the basin. Older, sharp features, with white streaks in his hair. His robe is more formal than the others. His belt bears an engraving- Root Overseer. >A figure at the far end of the room looks up from the basin. Older, sharp features, with white streaks in his hair. His robe is more formal than the others. His belt bears an engraving- Root Overseer.
> He walks over, staff ticking against the stone. > He walks over, staff ticking against the stone.
> He eyes up the pillar, then the basin. One thin branch flares within. A cluster of points around it, representing your campus, jitter, before stabilizing. > He eyes up the pillar, then the basin. One thin branch flares within. A cluster of points around it, representing your campus, jitter, before stabilizing.
@ -49,35 +49,35 @@ Let them sit with that for a moment- they need to realize that's them.
>D’Serris’ mouth tightens. >D’Serris’ mouth tightens.
>“Of course. We sever the watcher and the first thing the root does is mark new favorites. It’s learning.” >“Of course. We sever the watcher and the first thing the root does is mark new favorites. It’s learning.”
>A secondary crystal on a nearby stand starts chiming – a **comm node**. The tech glances at the label. >A secondary crystal on a nearby stand starts chiming – a **comm node**. The tech glances at the label.
>“Incoming link from AVL-ACAD administration. ID… Larkvale.” >“Incoming link from AVL-ACAD administration. ID… [[Christopher Larkvale]].”
>“Put him through.” >“Put him through.”
>A hovering image flickers into being above the comm crystal: Larkvale, in his office, looking furious and sleep-deprived. >A hovering image flickers into being above the comm crystal: [[Christopher Larkvale]], in his office, looking furious and sleep-deprived.
> “Overseer,” Larkvale says, skipping pleasantries. “Your pet tap just tried to kill my field and half my grid. I have students reporting visions, three systems down, and a very irate Headmaster from across town asking if our little ‘pilot program’ is going to take his network with it.” > “Overseer,” [[Christopher Larkvale]] says, skipping pleasantries. “Your pet tap just tried to kill my field and half my grid. I have students reporting visions, three systems down, and a very irate Headmaster from across town asking if our little ‘pilot program’ is going to take his network with it.”
> D’Serris’ expression doesn’t change. > D’Serris’ expression doesn’t change.
> “Good morning to you too, Aldren.” > “Good morning to you too, Aldren.”
> Larkvale: “Don’t do that. Don’t pretend this is routine. I just lost whatever miserable little safety net you called ‘root oversight’ on my campus, and I am not paid enough to explain that to a board full of elves who think magic is something they buy, not something that can turn on them.” > [[Christopher Larkvale]]: “Don’t do that. Don’t pretend this is routine. I just lost whatever miserable little safety net you called ‘root oversight’ on my campus, and I am not paid enough to explain that to a board full of elves who think magic is something they buy, not something that can turn on them.”
> D’Serris: “Your node is still standing. B2 is stable. The children down there actually did decent triage, considering.” > D’Serris: “Your node is still standing. B2 is stable. The children down there actually did decent triage, considering.”
> He let's the word hang- **children**. > He let's the word hang- **children**.
> Larkvale: "So it *was* them?" > [[Christopher Larkvale]]: "So it *was* them?"
> D’Serris: “Who else? Oversight is gone. The root is… improvising. And it has opinions about your students.” > D’Serris: “Who else? Oversight is gone. The root is… improvising. And it has opinions about your students.”
> Larkvale: “Can you restore oversight?” > [[Christopher Larkvale]]: “Can you restore oversight?”
> D’Serris: “Not remotely. Not now. That branch is dead. If we want eyes back on Avalon’s root segment, someone would have to go in from the _inside_.” > D’Serris: “Not remotely. Not now. That branch is dead. If we want eyes back on Avalon’s root segment, someone would have to go in from the _inside_.”
> Larkvale: “I have a school to run.” > [[Christopher Larkvale]]: “I have a school to run.”
> D’Serris: “You have a **containment project** to supervise.” > D’Serris: “You have a **containment project** to supervise.”
> **BEAT** > **BEAT**
> “Or would you prefer we relocate it? Shut the campus, move the tap, let the root chew on some other town’s children?” > “Or would you prefer we relocate it? Shut the campus, move the tap, let the root chew on some other town’s children?”
> Larkvale: “…No. The Board would never go for it. Too much sunk cost. Too many eyes on Avalon as the ‘model.’” > [[Christopher Larkvale]]: “…No. The Board would never go for it. Too much sunk cost. Too many eyes on Avalon as the ‘model.’”
> “Fine. I’ll keep the lights on and the kids from dying in bulk. You keep your people from using us as a stress test for whatever half-buried mistake you made under this valley.” > “Fine. I’ll keep the lights on and the kids from dying in bulk. You keep your people from using us as a stress test for whatever half-buried mistake you made under this valley.”
> D’Serris smiles without humor. > D’Serris smiles without humor.
> "Deal. > "Deal.
> And Aldren?" > And Aldren?"
> Larkvale: "What now?" > [[Christopher Larkvale]]: "What now?"
> "Those three anomalies? The ones the root's cuddling up to?" > "Those three anomalies? The ones the root's cuddling up to?"
> "Yes." > "Yes."
> "Watch them. If oversight can't see throught their eyes anymore..." > "Watch them. If oversight can't see throught their eyes anymore..."
> (He dips a finger into the basin; the little motes flare.) > (He dips a finger into the basin; the little motes flare.)
> “…something else will.” > “…something else will.”
> Larkvale's projection vanishes. > [[Christopher Larkvale]]'s projection vanishes.
> The room slowly returns to its low hum. Technicians shuffle back to their pillars, muttering about rerouting, local safeties, contingency drafts. > The room slowly returns to its low hum. Technicians shuffle back to their pillars, muttering about rerouting, local safeties, contingency drafts.
> D’Serris stays at the basin, watching the Avalon node and its three little anomalies pulse in the dark. > D’Serris stays at the basin, watching the Avalon node and its three little anomalies pulse in the dark.
> Under the surface of the map, the main leyline trunk flexes once, like something rolling over in its sleep. For just a moment, the light isn’t blue or white at all – it’s the deep, angry red of blood seen through skin. > Under the surface of the map, the main leyline trunk flexes once, like something rolling over in its sleep. For just a moment, the light isn’t blue or white at all – it’s the deep, angry red of blood seen through skin.
@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ Let them sit with that for a moment- they need to realize that's them.
>“Let’s see what you do without a leash.” >“Let’s see what you do without a leash.”
# Spin Alley # Spin Alley
Non-negotiable in world facts Ellias will NOT bend on: Non-negotiable in world facts Ellias will NOT bend on:
- Elias' priorities: - [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]' priorities:
- Keep his job - Keep his job
- Keep the party from getting expelled - Keep the party from getting expelled
- prevent admin from panicking and making things worse - prevent admin from panicking and making things worse
@ -94,52 +94,52 @@ Non-negotiable in world facts Ellias will NOT bend on:
- He will not agree to a story that paints him as the sole mastermind sabotaging the school. - He will not agree to a story that paints him as the sole mastermind sabotaging the school.
- He will not outright lie about the node nearly failing; he _did_ see the stress levels and knows “we stabilized it” is mostly true. - He will not outright lie about the node nearly failing; he _did_ see the stress levels and knows “we stabilized it” is mostly true.
- He _will_ downplay the intentional destruction: “a failing line went during emergency triage.” - He _will_ downplay the intentional destruction: “a failing line went during emergency triage.”
>[!quote] Elias, pacing: >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]], pacing:
>“Okay,” he says. “Before Larkvale drags us into his vivisection lab, we need to get our story straight. Because right now, the system logs say: Node B2 flagged a critical load, **Students** were detected in the tap cell, and an output line physically failed while someone was manual-adjusting it. >“Okay,” he says. “Before [[Christopher Larkvale]] drags us into his vivisection lab, we need to get our story straight. Because right now, the system logs say: Node B2 flagged a critical load, **Students** were detected in the tap cell, and an output line physically failed while someone was manual-adjusting it.
> “So. In your own words: what happened down there?” > “So. In your own words: what happened down there?”
Call for a group insight check. On Success, they know Elias' priorities. On fail- he's hiding something. Call for a group insight check. On Success, they know [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]' priorities. On fail- he's hiding something.
Remind them- They know a guy! Remind them- They know a guy!
## Cooperate ## Cooperate
"We stabilized, shit went bad in the process." "We stabilized, shit went bad in the process."
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>"Good. Okay- we can work with that- emergency triage. >"Good. Okay- we can work with that- emergency triage.
> We say that we saw the stress from up top, and you all insisted on going down with me because nobody else was responding. We manually lowered the intake and tried to bled off pressure. One output was already cracked, and failed while stabilizing. That makes you out to be heros, not saboteurs. > We say that we saw the stress from up top, and you all insisted on going down with me because nobody else was responding. We manually lowered the intake and tried to bled off pressure. One output was already cracked, and failed while stabilizing. That makes you out to be heros, not saboteurs.
If they mention the unknown branch: If they mention the unknown branch:
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>"Stop. There was no "unknown branch". Only a compromised conduit. >"Stop. There was no "unknown branch". Only a compromised conduit.
>Admin doesn’t even admit the C-line exists. If you bring it up, we’re not just in trouble, we’re in ‘shut-the-campus-down and ‘where did that funding really go’ trouble. >Admin doesn’t even admit the C-line exists. If you bring it up, we’re not just in trouble, we’re in ‘shut-the-campus-down and ‘where did that funding really go’ trouble.
>We call it a cracked line. We say it failed. That’s it.” >We call it a cracked line. We say it failed. That’s it.”
## Ben commits to Elias is the villain ## Ben commits to [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] is the villain
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>“You think _I_ built this? If I’d designed the tap network, I’d be on a government salary in a tower somewhere, not eating academy cafeteria slop and patching leaks with underage arsonists.” >“You think _I_ built this? If I’d designed the tap network, I’d be on a government salary in a tower somewhere, not eating academy cafeteria slop and patching leaks with underage arsonists.”
>He jabs a thumb toward the field. >He jabs a thumb toward the field.
>“I’m a **grad student on a stipend** with a maintenance pass and a supervisor who thinks ‘mana physics’ means ‘turn it off and on again.’ >“I’m a **grad student on a stipend** with a maintenance pass and a supervisor who thinks ‘mana physics’ means ‘turn it off and on again.’
>What I had was a diagnostic tool and enough training to see B2 was about to go from ‘concerning’ to ‘front-page obituary.’” >What I had was a diagnostic tool and enough training to see B2 was about to go from ‘concerning’ to ‘front-page obituary.’”
If Ben continues to press Elias: If Ben continues to press [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]:
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>“ Yes, I knew that line was ugly. That’s why I brought the only people on campus who had already survived one meltdown to help me stop the next one. >“ Yes, I knew that line was ugly. That’s why I brought the only people on campus who had already survived one meltdown to help me stop the next one.
>I didn’t _make_ you kill the line, Mulkerberg. You did that all by yourselves. I’m just the idiot who stayed topside and watched the graphs scream.” >I didn’t _make_ you kill the line, Mulkerberg. You did that all by yourselves. I’m just the idiot who stayed topside and watched the graphs scream.”
If ben threatens to blame Elias: If ben threatens to blame [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]:
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>You _can_ try to pin this on me. You can walk into Larkvale’s office and say ‘Elias dragged us down there and broke the node.’ You know what happens next? I get investigated and probably thrown out. Admin still has logs showing **student biometric signatures** in the cell. Admin still has logs showing **student biometric signatures** in the cell. You don’t get off the hook by lighting me on fire. You just guarantee you burn too. I am not your enemy. I am the one person in this building who understands what you actually did last night and isn’t immediately calling the district audit board. So either we work together, or we walk into that meeting as four separate suspects. Your call.” >You _can_ try to pin this on me. You can walk into [[Christopher Larkvale]]’s office and say ‘[[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] dragged us down there and broke the node.’ You know what happens next? I get investigated and probably thrown out. Admin still has logs showing **student biometric signatures** in the cell. Admin still has logs showing **student biometric signatures** in the cell. You don’t get off the hook by lighting me on fire. You just guarantee you burn too. I am not your enemy. I am the one person in this building who understands what you actually did last night and isn’t immediately calling the district audit board. So either we work together, or we walk into that meeting as four separate suspects. Your call.”
## Throw Admin Under the Bus ## Throw Admin Under the Bus
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>I *like* that idea. We *did* respond when nobody else did. We *did* lower the stress before the line failed. >I *like* that idea. We *did* respond when nobody else did. We *did* lower the stress before the line failed.
> Be smart about it. Blame the system, blame the lack of oversight, blame the fact there was a critical node under the field with no on call engineer. > Be smart about it. Blame the system, blame the lack of oversight, blame the fact there was a critical node under the field with no on call engineer.
> Do not start naming hidden branches or implying you have a more complete map of the tap than the people who built it. > Do not start naming hidden branches or implying you have a more complete map of the tap than the people who built it.
If they commit to wanting to expose the whole conspiracy: If they commit to wanting to expose the whole conspiracy:
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>"You don't *have* the whole conspiracy. Right now you have a weird grid, a bleeding tree, and a dead conduit. If you go in there screaming about secret C-lines and ancient root watchers without proof, you look crazy and dangerous. And crazy, dangerous students get removed from unstable systems, not entrusted with investigating them! >"You don't *have* the whole conspiracy. Right now you have a weird grid, a bleeding tree, and a dead conduit. If you go in there screaming about secret C-lines and ancient root watchers without proof, you look crazy and dangerous. And crazy, dangerous students get removed from unstable systems, not entrusted with investigating them!
## The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ## The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>Let's play that out: >Let's play that out:
>You walk into admin and say, ‘We knowingly destroyed a branch of the tap network whose function we didn’t understand because we thought it was evil.’ >You walk into admin and say, ‘We knowingly destroyed a branch of the tap network whose function we didn’t understand because we thought it was evil.’
>Best case, they think you’re irresponsible and slap you with suspensions, maybe worse. >Best case, they think you’re irresponsible and slap you with suspensions, maybe worse.
@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ If they commit to wanting to expose the whole conspiracy:
## Extortion ## Extortion
Make an intimidation vs insight check. If Elias wins: If Ben wins, he gets the shield section only. Make an intimidation vs insight check. If [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] wins: If Ben wins, he gets the shield section only.
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>He laughs humorlessly. >He laughs humorlessly.
>"You are threatening the only person on this campus who can explain these graphs to admin in a way that doesn't end with "'and then we expel them'". >"You are threatening the only person on this campus who can explain these graphs to admin in a way that doesn't end with "'and then we expel them'".
>I’m already planning to stand in that room and say, ‘They helped me stabilize a failing node and a damaged conduit broke while we were doing emergency work.’ >I’m already planning to stand in that room and say, ‘They helped me stabilize a failing node and a damaged conduit broke while we were doing emergency work.’
@ -158,25 +158,25 @@ Make an intimidation vs insight check. If Elias wins: If Ben wins, he gets the s
> “I am not your shield, I am your translator. You burn that bridge, you walk in alone. And if you’re so certain I’m the villain, maybe you don’t want me anywhere near your testimony anyway, hm?” > “I am not your shield, I am your translator. You burn that bridge, you walk in alone. And if you’re so certain I’m the villain, maybe you don’t want me anywhere near your testimony anyway, hm?”
## Transition out ## Transition out
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>Elias rubs his face, then holds up a hand: >[[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] rubs his face, then holds up a hand:
>"Okay- here's what I am going to say, unless someone stops me. >"Okay- here's what I am going to say, unless someone stops me.
>We detected a dangerous anomaly at B2. >We detected a dangerous anomaly at B2.
> I went to investigate, you came along because you were already tangled up in the A3 incident and had the most context. The tap cell showed a near red-line condition. You helped me reduce intake and re-balance output. We evacuated and reported the failure. We do not mention any branches that weren't on the official schematic, voices, visions, ghosts, or anything else that makes this sound like a possession instead of a systems failure, and everything else stays between us for now. > I went to investigate, you came along because you were already tangled up in the A3 incident and had the most context. The tap cell showed a near red-line condition. You helped me reduce intake and re-balance output. We evacuated and reported the failure. We do not mention any branches that weren't on the official schematic, voices, visions, ghosts, or anything else that makes this sound like a possession instead of a systems failure, and everything else stays between us for now.
Ask them one by one if they're sticking with that. Ask them one by one if they're sticking with that.
If ben is still combative: If ben is still combative:
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>“Okay. Then I’ll see what version of me you invent in there. Just remember: whatever story you tell, you’re stuck with it. And so is everyone else.” >“Okay. Then I’ll see what version of me you invent in there. Just remember: whatever story you tell, you’re stuck with it. And so is everyone else.”
# Admin Investigation # Admin Investigation
>[!quote] Narration >[!quote] Narration
>The next morning, as you all expect, you're pulled out of class almost immediately, and cramed onto the same familiar ugly wooden bench outside Larkvale's office you've become accustomed to. The "TEAMWORK!" posters seem ironic to you all now. Through the frosted glass- you hear voices- Estrada and Larkvale, and Elias, trying his best not to sound terrified. >The next morning, as you all expect, you're pulled out of class almost immediately, and cramed onto the same familiar ugly wooden bench outside [[Christopher Larkvale]]'s office you've become accustomed to. The "TEAMWORK!" posters seem ironic to you all now. Through the frosted glass- you hear voices- [[Hector Estrada]] and [[Christopher Larkvale]], and [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]], trying his best not to sound terrified.
>Larkvale pokes his head out. "In." >[[Christopher Larkvale]] pokes his head out. "In."
GM NOTES- Make the office in DND beyond if you have time. GM NOTES- Make the office in DND beyond if you have time.
>[!quote] Duel of Fates >[!quote] Duel of Fates
>Larkvale steeples his fingers and looks at each of you like he’s lining up targets. >[[Christopher Larkvale]] steeples his fingers and looks at each of you like he’s lining up targets.
>“Here are the facts,” he says. >“Here are the facts,” he says.
>“Last night at 22:13, the maintenance network recorded an anomaly at tap-cell **B2**, under the athletic grid. At 22:16, the hatch under the home bleachers was opened using student biometrics. At 22:19, manual adjustments were made to the node. At 22:22, **output line four suffered a physical failure**.” >“Last night at 22:13, the maintenance network recorded an anomaly at tap-cell **B2**, under the athletic grid. At 22:16, the hatch under the home bleachers was opened using student biometrics. At 22:19, manual adjustments were made to the node. At 22:22, **output line four suffered a physical failure**.”
>He taps the crystal panel; lines of red script flicker. >He taps the crystal panel; lines of red script flicker.
@ -186,37 +186,37 @@ GM NOTES- Make the office in DND beyond if you have time.
Make the main speaker make a deception/persusaion check. On a good roll, Admin thinks them idiots, not saboteurs. Make the main speaker make a deception/persusaion check. On a good roll, Admin thinks them idiots, not saboteurs.
## If they follow the spin ## If they follow the spin
>[!quote] Larkvale >[!quote] [[Christopher Larkvale]]
>“So your position is: >“So your position is:
>You observed an anomoly >You observed an anomoly
>You accompanied Miser Vaelor to investigate. >You accompanied Miser Vaelor to investigate.
>You assisted in reducing intake and re-balancing output. >You assisted in reducing intake and re-balancing output.
>And during that process, a pre-existing compromised conduit gave out. >And during that process, a pre-existing compromised conduit gave out.
>His gaze slides to Elias. >His gaze slides to [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]].
>“That is also your position, Mister Vaelor?” >“That is also your position, Mister Vaelor?”
>Elias: “Yes, sir. Stress curves show we lowered the overall load before the line failed. If we hadn’t—” >[[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]: “Yes, sir. Stress curves show we lowered the overall load before the line failed. If we hadn’t—”
>Estrada cuts in: “If you hadn’t, my field might have gone up like a fireball. Yeah, I saw the replay.” >[[Hector Estrada]] cuts in: “If you hadn’t, my field might have gone up like a fireball. Yeah, I saw the replay.”
Group deception check: On a high roll, Larkvale reluctantly accepts their bravery. On a fail, he thinks they're hiding something, and pushes further. Group deception check: On a high roll, [[Christopher Larkvale]] reluctantly accepts their bravery. On a fail, he thinks they're hiding something, and pushes further.
>Larkvale: “The logs support part of that narrative. B2 was redlining. Manual adjustments brought it down, then something broke. >[[Christopher Larkvale]]: “The logs support part of that narrative. B2 was redlining. Manual adjustments brought it down, then something broke.
> What I cannot decide is whether I am looking at an act of **reckless bravery**… or an act of sabotage wrapped in a heroic story after the fact.” > What I cannot decide is whether I am looking at an act of **reckless bravery**… or an act of sabotage wrapped in a heroic story after the fact.”
> Estrada grunts: "They're idiots, not saboteurs. They're been a pain in my ass since day one, but if they wanted to blow the field, they wouldn't have stayed to turn the valves." > [[Hector Estrada]] grunts: "They're idiots, not saboteurs. They're been a pain in my ass since day one, but if they wanted to blow the field, they wouldn't have stayed to turn the valves."
## If Ben throws Elias under the Bus ## If Ben throws [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] under the Bus
>[!quote] Larkvale >[!quote] [[Christopher Larkvale]]
> Larkvale turns his gaze to Elias like a knife. > [[Christopher Larkvale]] turns his gaze to [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] like a knife.
> “Is that so, Mister Vaelor? You coerced three students into unauthorized maintenance on a live node?” > “Is that so, Mister Vaelor? You coerced three students into unauthorized maintenance on a live node?”
> Elias goes pale. “No, sir. I informed them there was an anomaly; they insisted on coming because they had prior exposure to A3. I did not ‘coerce’ anyone. And I did not instruct them to damage any conduits.” > [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] goes pale. “No, sir. I informed them there was an anomaly; they insisted on coming because they had prior exposure to A3. I did not ‘coerce’ anyone. And I did not instruct them to damage any conduits.”
If Ben continues: If Ben continues:
>[!quote] Larkvale >[!quote] [[Christopher Larkvale]]
>“Mister Mulkerberg,” Larkvale says, voice dropping a degree. “If Mister Vaelor were secretly re-wiring root segments, he would not be grading first-year artificing. >“Mister Mulkerberg,” [[Christopher Larkvale]] says, voice dropping a degree. “If Mister Vaelor were secretly re-wiring root segments, he would not be grading first-year artificing.
>He would be in a tower somewhere earning ten times my salary and arguing with people you will never meet.” >He would be in a tower somewhere earning ten times my salary and arguing with people you will never meet.”
>“And our logs show **student** signatures at the failure point, not just his. Choose your scapegoats carefully.” >“And our logs show **student** signatures at the failure point, not just his. Choose your scapegoats carefully.”
>Estrada snorts. “Yeah, nice try, kid. You don’t score extra points by throwing the TA under the bus. You all went under the bleachers together.” >[[Hector Estrada]] snorts. “Yeah, nice try, kid. You don’t score extra points by throwing the TA under the bus. You all went under the bleachers together.”
## If they press the admin is part of the conspiracy ## If they press the admin is part of the conspiracy
>[!quote] Larkvale >[!quote] [[Christopher Larkvale]]
>He regards you for a long beat. >He regards you for a long beat.
>“Of course it’s part of something bigger,” he says finally. “You do not hang a node this size off a rural Academy for fun.” >“Of course it’s part of something bigger,” he says finally. “You do not hang a node this size off a rural Academy for fun.”
@ -224,25 +224,25 @@ If Ben continues:
>“But the ‘something bigger’ is so far above your student clearance that if I explained it to you, I’d spend the rest of my career in a tribunal explaining why.” >“But the ‘something bigger’ is so far above your student clearance that if I explained it to you, I’d spend the rest of my career in a tribunal explaining why.”
If they mention root oversight from the logs: If they mention root oversight from the logs:
>[!quote] Larkvale >[!quote] [[Christopher Larkvale]]
>His eyes flick to the crystal panel for a fraction of a second. >His eyes flick to the crystal panel for a fraction of a second.
>“Root oversight is **offline** at your campus segment. That is all you need to know,” he says. “And that fact is the only reason you are not all being suspended on the spot. We need eyes on the ground more than we need to make an example right this second.” >“Root oversight is **offline** at your campus segment. That is all you need to know,” he says. “And that fact is the only reason you are not all being suspended on the spot. We need eyes on the ground more than we need to make an example right this second.”
## When they fuck with Estrada ## When they fuck with [[Hector Estrada]]
>[!quote] Estrada >[!quote] [[Hector Estrada]]
>“Fine. Crunch away. Just understand that every time you do, you make it harder for me to keep arguing that you’re just dumb kids and not a walking safety violation.” >“Fine. Crunch away. Just understand that every time you do, you make it harder for me to keep arguing that you’re just dumb kids and not a walking safety violation.”
>[!quote] Estrada >[!quote] [[Hector Estrada]]
>“You nut-tapped me once, Mulkerberg. Don’t try it in here,” he says. “Out there, that’s ‘team bonding.’ In here, it’s ‘grounds for suspension.’ Learn the difference.” >“You nut-tapped me once, Mulkerberg. Don’t try it in here,” he says. “Out there, that’s ‘team bonding.’ In here, it’s ‘grounds for suspension.’ Learn the difference.”
# D'Serris Reveal # D'Serris Reveal
>[!quote] Narration >[!quote] Narration
>A soft chime cuts through the tension – a clear, crystalline tone from a fist-sized crystal set into the wall behind Larkvale’s desk. Its surface flickers with unfamiliar runes. >A soft chime cuts through the tension – a clear, crystalline tone from a fist-sized crystal set into the wall behind [[Christopher Larkvale]]’s desk. Its surface flickers with unfamiliar runes.
> Larkvale grimaces. “Of course.” > [[Christopher Larkvale]] grimaces. “Of course.”
> He taps the crystal. > He taps the crystal.
> “Overseer. You’re intruding at a delicate moment.” > “Overseer. You’re intruding at a delicate moment.”
> The air above the crystal shimmers. A **half-height projection** resolves – not full-body, just shoulders and up: a older man with streaks of white in his hair. > The air above the crystal shimmers. A **half-height projection** resolves – not full-body, just shoulders and up: a older man with streaks of white in his hair.
> He’s looking down at something off-screen, then his eyes flick you all. > He’s looking down at something off-screen, then his eyes flick you all.
> “Assistant Headmaster Larkvale,” he says. Voice dry, slightly distorted. “I see you’ve collected our… anomalies.” > “Assistant Headmaster [[Christopher Larkvale]],” he says. Voice dry, slightly distorted. “I see you’ve collected our… anomalies.”
> > D'Serris gives you all a nod- it isn't friendly. > > D'Serris gives you all a nod- it isn't friendly.
> **A beat** > **A beat**
> “You were present in tap-cell B2 last night,” he says. “You manually altered a load on a live node. You witnessed the failure of output line four. > “You were present in tap-cell B2 last night,” he says. “You manually altered a load on a live node. You witnessed the failure of output line four.
@ -258,13 +258,13 @@ If they mention the unknown branch:
>His eyes narrow, just a fraction. >His eyes narrow, just a fraction.
>“There should not have been an unlabeled branch accessible from B2,” he says quietly. >“There should not have been an unlabeled branch accessible from B2,” he says quietly.
>“If you saw one, and if you… removed it… then you have interfered with a layer of the system you were never meant to know existed.” >“If you saw one, and if you… removed it… then you have interfered with a layer of the system you were never meant to know existed.”
>Larkvale shoots a worried gaze at D'Serris' projection. >[[Christopher Larkvale]] shoots a worried gaze at D'Serris' projection.
>D'Serris looks to Larkvale >D'Serris looks to [[Christopher Larkvale]]
>"You could suspend them,” he says mildly. “Report them to the Board. Claim they nearly destroyed school property out of boredom.” >"You could suspend them,” he says mildly. “Report them to the Board. Claim they nearly destroyed school property out of boredom.”
> “You could also admit you have three students who can walk into a live node, improvise emergency repairs, and walk out without dying.” > “You could also admit you have three students who can walk into a live node, improvise emergency repairs, and walk out without dying.”
> He looks back at the party. > He looks back at the party.
> “Oversight is blind at Avalon now. Someone cut out its eyes. Until we restore it, local monitoring falls to you whether you like it or not.” > “Oversight is blind at Avalon now. Someone cut out its eyes. Until we restore it, local monitoring falls to you whether you like it or not.”
> Larkvale scowls: “I am not making them my ‘student task force,’” he says. “I am making sure they understand that **any unauthorized access again will have teeth**.” > [[Christopher Larkvale]] scowls: “I am not making them my ‘student task force,’” he says. “I am making sure they understand that **any unauthorized access again will have teeth**.”
> D'Serris: “Do try not to break anything else you can’t put back together, children.” > D'Serris: “Do try not to break anything else you can’t put back together, children.”
> The transmission ends. > The transmission ends.
@ -276,8 +276,8 @@ Call for insight checks-
>[!quote] On Failure: >[!quote] On Failure:
> He is cold, condescending, and vaguely threatening. > He is cold, condescending, and vaguely threatening.
>[!quote] Larkvale >[!quote] [[Christopher Larkvale]]
> Larkvale straightens a stack of papers that doesn’t need straightening. > [[Christopher Larkvale]] straightens a stack of papers that doesn’t need straightening.
> “Here is what is going to happen,” he says. > “Here is what is going to happen,” he says.
> “One: You are all receiving **formal disciplinary marks** for unauthorized access to a restricted area. Enjoy the extra detentions.” > “One: You are all receiving **formal disciplinary marks** for unauthorized access to a restricted area. Enjoy the extra detentions.”
> “Two: You will attend a series of **after-school ‘safety briefings’** with Mister Vaelor on the tap infrastructure. Call it remediation. In practice, it means if B2 burps again, you will know before the rest of the student body.” > “Two: You will attend a series of **after-school ‘safety briefings’** with Mister Vaelor on the tap infrastructure. Call it remediation. In practice, it means if B2 burps again, you will know before the rest of the student body.”
@ -286,26 +286,26 @@ Call for insight checks-
> “Because whatever was riding that severed branch will not simply disappear. It will find new paths. And I would very much like to know which hallways it chooses first. Now, continue with you day.” > “Because whatever was riding that severed branch will not simply disappear. It will find new paths. And I would very much like to know which hallways it chooses first. Now, continue with you day.”
## Backup tactics ## Backup tactics
### If they try to bargain for a reward: ### If they try to bargain for a reward:
>[!quote] Larkvale >[!quote] [[Christopher Larkvale]]
>“You already volunteered when you went under the bleachers. I am offering you _context_ and a chance to act with a modicum of guidance instead of in the dark.” >“You already volunteered when you went under the bleachers. I am offering you _context_ and a chance to act with a modicum of guidance instead of in the dark.”
Offer a DC 13 Persuasion- if they succeed, they get what they want (within reason). Offer a DC 13 Persuasion- if they succeed, they get what they want (within reason).
>[!quote] On fail >[!quote] On fail
>“You want a deal? Fine. You do not get expelled today. There is your deal.” >“You want a deal? Fine. You do not get expelled today. There is your deal.”
### If they accuse Elias in front of D'Serris, he shuts that down: ### If they accuse [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] in front of D'Serris, he shuts that down:
>[!quote] D'Serris >[!quote] D'Serris
>“I have already reviewed Mister Vaelor’s access logs. He is guilty of poor judgment in his choice of assistants, not of orchestrating a structural failure.” >“I have already reviewed Mister Vaelor’s access logs. He is guilty of poor judgment in his choice of assistants, not of orchestrating a structural failure.”
> “If you wish to fight beside him, that is your choice. If you wish to fight him, that is a different conversation, and not one we are having today.” > “If you wish to fight beside him, that is your choice. If you wish to fight him, that is a different conversation, and not one we are having today.”
### If they threaten to go public: ### If they threaten to go public:
>[!quote] Larkvale >[!quote] [[Christopher Larkvale]]
>“If you attempt to take half-understood tap diagrams to the Board or the press, you will discover that their first response is not to thank you for your bravery.” >“If you attempt to take half-understood tap diagrams to the Board or the press, you will discover that their first response is not to thank you for your bravery.”
>“It is to question your stability and your security clearance. You will lose what little access you have and someone far less sympathetic will be brought in to ‘contain’ the problem.” >“It is to question your stability and your security clearance. You will lose what little access you have and someone far less sympathetic will be brought in to ‘contain’ the problem.”
>“You are welcome to test me on this if you are tired of attending this school.” >“You are welcome to test me on this if you are tired of attending this school.”
### Get out of jail free cards ### Get out of jail free cards
>[!quote] Larkvale >[!quote] [[Christopher Larkvale]]
>“Let’s review the terms, shall we? ‘One waiver of an **ordinary disciplinary action** at the Assistant Headmaster’s discretion. Not applicable to matters involving **external oversight**, **grid integrity**, or **criminal investigation**.’” >“Let’s review the terms, shall we? ‘One waiver of an **ordinary disciplinary action** at the Assistant Headmaster’s discretion. Not applicable to matters involving **external oversight**, **grid integrity**, or **criminal investigation**.’”
>“This meeting is a **safety incident review** involving the tap network and an Overseer. >“This meeting is a **safety incident review** involving the tap network and an Overseer.
>You are not here because you were late to class or punched someone behind the gym. You are here because you were physically present in a **live node failure**. >You are not here because you were late to class or punched someone behind the gym. You are here because you were physically present in a **live node failure**.
@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ Offer a DC 13 Persuasion- if they succeed, they get what they want (within reaso
## Transition Out ## Transition Out
>[!quote] Narration >[!quote] Narration
>The meeting ends not with an explosion, but with the soft little _click_ of Larkvale’s door behind you. >The meeting ends not with an explosion, but with the soft little _click_ of [[Christopher Larkvale]]’s door behind you.
>Out here, the hallway looks the same as it always does: ugly motivational posters about “TEAMWORK!”, the faint smell of burnt coffee from the staff room, the low hum of the building’s lights. >Out here, the hallway looks the same as it always does: ugly motivational posters about “TEAMWORK!”, the faint smell of burnt coffee from the staff room, the low hum of the building’s lights.
>It’s almost insulting how normal it all feels, knowing there’s a dead conduit and a blind god-tree under your feet. >It’s almost insulting how normal it all feels, knowing there’s a dead conduit and a blind god-tree under your feet.
>For the rest of the morning, classes blur. >For the rest of the morning, classes blur.
@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ Offer a DC 13 Persuasion- if they succeed, they get what they want (within reaso
>[!quote] To Ben >[!quote] To Ben
>Your sending-stone buzzes in your pocket with a cheap little default tone. >Your sending-stone buzzes in your pocket with a cheap little default tone.
>The screen lights up with a contact you remember all too well from the Circle the other night: >The screen lights up with a contact you remember all too well from [[Avalon Locations#The Circle Fuel & Snacks | The Circle]] the other night:
>**PIP** – black-lettered, no emoji. >**PIP** – black-lettered, no emoji.
> >
>New messages pop up one after the other (read these aloud / paste to chat): >New messages pop up one after the other (read these aloud / paste to chat):
@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ Offer a DC 13 Persuasion- if they succeed, they get what they want (within reaso
> >
>**On Failure** >**On Failure**
>>It reads mostly like wounded pride and flexing. >>It reads mostly like wounded pride and flexing.
>>Pip’s pissed he got clowned, sure – but this feels like more of the same: “I’m hard, meet me at the Circle.” >>Pip’s pissed he got clowned, sure – but this feels like more of the same: “I’m hard, meet me at [[Avalon Locations#The Circle Fuel & Snacks | The Circle]].”
>>The bit about your house feels like a scare tactic. He probably doesn’t actually want trouble in the rich-kid neighborhood; that’s heat he can’t afford. >>The bit about your house feels like a scare tactic. He probably doesn’t actually want trouble in the rich-kid neighborhood; that’s heat he can’t afford.
>>You’re pretty sure if you show up with a good story or talk fast enough, you can spin this back around. >>You’re pretty sure if you show up with a good story or talk fast enough, you can spin this back around.
@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ Run this last, after the school encounters for the day:
## Arriving ## Arriving
TODO- DND Beyond this map TODO- DND Beyond this map
>[!quote] Opening >[!quote] Opening
>The Circle is the same as always: magic pumps humming, a flickering neon sign in the window, smell of grease and sugar and old cigarettes. >[[Avalon Locations#The Circle Fuel & Snacks | The Circle]] is the same as always: magic pumps humming, a flickering neon sign in the window, smell of grease and sugar and old cigarettes.
>The parking lot’s mostly empty except for **three beat-up vehicles**: >The parking lot’s mostly empty except for **three beat-up vehicles**:
– a rusted-out sedan with one mismatched door, – a rusted-out sedan with one mismatched door,
– a compact wagon with a cracked headlight, – a compact wagon with a cracked headlight,
@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ DC 15 Persusuasion from Ben
>“You keep doing your little dime-bag hustle at school. Pretend you’re king of W-block, whatever helps you sleep in the big house. >“You keep doing your little dime-bag hustle at school. Pretend you’re king of W-block, whatever helps you sleep in the big house.
>In return, when **weird shit** happens with the grid again – lights, voices, glitchy taps, teachers freaking out about ‘leylines’ – you **tell me first**. Not your mom. Not your counselor. Not that try-hard TA.” >In return, when **weird shit** happens with the grid again – lights, voices, glitchy taps, teachers freaking out about ‘leylines’ – you **tell me first**. Not your mom. Not your counselor. Not that try-hard TA.”
>“You hear about a node going red, a hatch opening, a ‘subnode’ whatever? You send me a ping. I pass that upstream. My boss gets **advance warning** instead of nasty surprises. Everybody’s happy.” >“You hear about a node going red, a hatch opening, a ‘subnode’ whatever? You send me a ping. I pass that upstream. My boss gets **advance warning** instead of nasty surprises. Everybody’s happy.”
>“You play ball, that little debt from the Circle? Forgotten. I’ll even cut you a better rate on your next re-up. Call it a ‘thank you for your service’ discount.” >“You play ball, that little debt from [[Avalon Locations#The Circle Fuel & Snacks | The Circle]]? Forgotten. I’ll even cut you a better rate on your next re-up. Call it a ‘thank you for your service’ discount.”
>“You don’t play ball?” >“You don’t play ball?”
>He jerks his thumb at the hill behind you, where the fancy houses sit. >He jerks his thumb at the hill behind you, where the fancy houses sit.
“Then maybe one night some bored goons take a drive up Madera, check out the view. Maybe they don’t break anything. Maybe they do. “Then maybe one night some bored goons take a drive up Madera, check out the view. Maybe they don’t break anything. Maybe they do.
@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ Let Soren say some nasty things.
>– Millie is suddenly the center of a (different) kind of attention. >– Millie is suddenly the center of a (different) kind of attention.
>For the rest of the afternoon, the day limps on: >For the rest of the afternoon, the day limps on:
>– Soren catches half-hidden looks and hurried whispers in every hallway. >– Soren catches half-hidden looks and hurried whispers in every hallway.
>– Ben feels his stone in his pocket like a weight, every flicker of the lights making him think of B2 and the Circle. >– Ben feels his stone in his pocket like a weight, every flicker of the lights making him think of B2 and [[Avalon Locations#The Circle Fuel & Snacks | The Circle]].
>– Joe hears Pappy’s plastic joints creak every time he sits down, like the little figure is restless. >– Joe hears Pappy’s plastic joints creak every time he sits down, like the little figure is restless.
>When the final bell rings, normal students get to go home. >When the final bell rings, normal students get to go home.
>You three get told to report to the one place on campus that hums loudest with that buried heartbeat. >You three get told to report to the one place on campus that hums loudest with that buried heartbeat.
@ -604,8 +604,8 @@ Let Soren say some nasty things.
Run this after school- Soren's lunch comes first. Run this after school- Soren's lunch comes first.
>[!quote] Narration >[!quote] Narration
>The sun’s low over the Mageball field, throwing long shadows across the enchanted turf. The faint shimmer of the grid’s magic hangs over it like heat on asphalt. >The sun’s low over the Mageball field, throwing long shadows across the enchanted turf. The faint shimmer of the grid’s magic hangs over it like heat on asphalt.
>Estrada’s already out there, whistle around his neck, clipboard in hand. There’s no full team—just him, **Elias** with a diagnostic crystal, and the three of you. >[[Hector Estrada]]’s already out there, whistle around his neck, clipboard in hand. There’s no full team—just him, **[[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]** with a diagnostic crystal, and the three of you.
>“There they are,” Estrada mutters when you approach. “My favorite unauthorized subcontractors.” >“There they are,” [[Hector Estrada]] mutters when you approach. “My favorite unauthorized subcontractors.”
>He points the clipboard at Joe. >He points the clipboard at Joe.
>“Football. Since you love this field so much you tried to crawl into its arteries, you’re gonna help me figure out if it still works.” >“Football. Since you love this field so much you tried to crawl into its arteries, you’re gonna help me figure out if it still works.”
>He jerks a thumb at Ben and Soren. >He jerks a thumb at Ben and Soren.
@ -613,12 +613,12 @@ Run this after school- Soren's lunch comes first.
Let them react. Then: Let them react. Then:
>[!quote] Narration >[!quote] Narration
>Elias, standing by a glowing console at the sideline, calls out: >[[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]], standing by a glowing console at the sideline, calls out:
“We’ve got the **B2 segment** dialed down, but there’s still some weird latency on the echo enchantments. I want to see how it behaves under real movement.” “We’ve got the **B2 segment** dialed down, but there’s still some weird latency on the echo enchantments. I want to see how it behaves under real movement.”
>Estrada claps his hands once. >[[Hector Estrada]] claps his hands once.
>“Perfect. Joe, you’re running a basic drive. Ben, you’re playing defense-just try to slow him down. Soren, if you’ve got any non-lethal magic that makes things ‘interesting’, feel free to spice the air. >“Perfect. Joe, you’re running a basic drive. Ben, you’re playing defense-just try to slow him down. Soren, if you’ve got any non-lethal magic that makes things ‘interesting’, feel free to spice the air.
>We need stress on the system.” >We need stress on the system.”
>“Line up at the twenty,” Estrada says. “On my whistle.” >“Line up at the twenty,” [[Hector Estrada]] says. “On my whistle.”
>[!quote] To Joe: >[!quote] To Joe:
>You jog out to the twenty-yard line, the turf springy under your cleats. There’s that faint thrumming under your feet again—the same heartbeat you’ve felt since B2. >You jog out to the twenty-yard line, the turf springy under your cleats. There’s that faint thrumming under your feet again—the same heartbeat you’ve felt since B2.
@ -641,17 +641,17 @@ Let Joe decide if this is out loud or in his head. Explain the mechanics to Joe:
Joe makes an Athletics check Joe makes an Athletics check
>[!quote] The Run >[!quote] The Run
>Estrada blows the whistle. You explode off the line- >[[Hector Estrada]] blows the whistle. You explode off the line-
>or try to. >or try to.
>Halfway through your first step, the world stutters. For a split second, the field around you isn’t grass at all, but a **rocky slope under a grey sky**, the lines replaced by trenches, the goalposts by broken trees. >Halfway through your first step, the world stutters. For a split second, the field around you isn’t grass at all, but a **rocky slope under a grey sky**, the lines replaced by trenches, the goalposts by broken trees.
> Ben and Soren flicker in and out of different positions, like a bad recording skipping frames. > Ben and Soren flicker in and out of different positions, like a bad recording skipping frames.
> Then it snaps back and you nearly trip over your own feet. > Then it snaps back and you nearly trip over your own feet.
> On a good roll, he recovers. On a bad role, he dives. > On a good roll, he recovers. On a bad role, he dives.
>[!quote] Estrada >[!quote] [[Hector Estrada]]
> “What the hell was that? You move like you’re running two plays at once.” > “What the hell was that? You move like you’re running two plays at once.”
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
>“Field’s echo enchantment is… desynced. It’s trying to overlay ‘expected movement’ and real movement at once. Maybe B2’s rerouting signals through-” >“Field’s echo enchantment is… desynced. It’s trying to overlay ‘expected movement’ and real movement at once. Maybe B2’s rerouting signals through-”
>He cuts himself off. >He cuts himself off.
@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ Joe makes an Athletics check
Have Joe roll athletics with advantage. Have Joe roll athletics with advantage.
### On success: ### On success:
>[!quote] Narration >[!quote] Narration
>Estrada’s whistle shrieks. Your body moves **before** you decide to move. >[[Hector Estrada]]’s whistle shrieks. Your body moves **before** you decide to move.
>You explode off the line like you’ve been doing this for twenty years. Footwork perfect, hips low, shoulders tight. >You explode off the line like you’ve been doing this for twenty years. Footwork perfect, hips low, shoulders tight.
> Ben barely has time to swear before you’re on him— > Ben barely has time to swear before you’re on him—
@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ Ask Ben if he tries to dodge or brace. Either way:
>You slam into him with a form-tackle so clean it would make any coach cry: shoulder in the gut, arms wrapping, drive through the hips. >You slam into him with a form-tackle so clean it would make any coach cry: shoulder in the gut, arms wrapping, drive through the hips.
>Ben goes airborne for a moment, then **crashes** to the turf. The breath whooshes out of him in a strangled croak. >Ben goes airborne for a moment, then **crashes** to the turf. The breath whooshes out of him in a strangled croak.
>[!quote] Estrada >[!quote] [[Hector Estrada]]
> “Holy—! That’s what I’m talking about! That’s a hit!” > “Holy—! That’s what I’m talking about! That’s a hit!”
>“That… was some technique, kid. Where’d you learn to hit like that? I’ve got seniors who don’t line up that clean.” >“That… was some technique, kid. Where’d you learn to hit like that? I’ve got seniors who don’t line up that clean.”
@ -694,24 +694,24 @@ Ask Ben if he tries to dodge or brace. Either way:
>[!quote] To Joe: >[!quote] To Joe:
>The world snaps back to normal detail. The action figure in your pocket goes slack, just a hunk of plastic again. You’re left with a pounding heart, dirt on your face, and everyone staring. >The world snaps back to normal detail. The action figure in your pocket goes slack, just a hunk of plastic again. You’re left with a pounding heart, dirt on your face, and everyone staring.
>[!quote] Elias >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]]
> “Joe… who was that voice just now?” > “Joe… who was that voice just now?”
## Transition Out ## Transition Out
>[!quote] Estrada >[!quote] [[Hector Estrada]]
>“All right, circus is over,” Estrada says, blowing his whistle again. “Good hit, questionable vibe. We’re done for today before one of you actually dies.” >“All right, circus is over,” [[Hector Estrada]] says, blowing his whistle again. “Good hit, questionable vibe. We’re done for today before one of you actually dies.”
>He points at Joe. >He points at Joe.
>“You. Whatever you just did? Learn to turn it on without sounding like you’re channeling a dead sergeant. I don’t need root-possessed linebackers on my record.” >“You. Whatever you just did? Learn to turn it on without sounding like you’re channeling a dead sergeant. I don’t need root-possessed linebackers on my record.”
>He points at Ben and Soren. >He points at Ben and Soren.
>“You two, ice up and try not to pick fights with haunted toys.” >“You two, ice up and try not to pick fights with haunted toys.”
>[!quote] Elias, to Joe >[!quote] [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]], to Joe
>“Joe,” Elias says quietly, eyes on the crystal still flickering with residual data. “Next time… if you feel him pushing like that again, maybe tell me before you let him drive, okay?” >“Joe,” [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] says quietly, eyes on the crystal still flickering with residual data. “Next time… if you feel him pushing like that again, maybe tell me before you let him drive, okay?”
>“Because whatever’s talking through that action figure? The field heard it. And so did the root.” >“Because whatever’s talking through that action figure? The field heard it. And so did the root.”
>[!quote] Narration >[!quote] Narration
>Practice breaks up in a haze of sore legs and awkward silence. >Practice breaks up in a haze of sore legs and awkward silence.
>Estrada stalks off toward the locker rooms, already yelling at some imaginary future team. Elias hangs back to shut down the console, the glow of the diagnostics reflecting in his tired eyes. >[[Hector Estrada]] stalks off toward the locker rooms, already yelling at some imaginary future team. [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] hangs back to shut down the console, the glow of the diagnostics reflecting in his tired eyes.
> >
>You’re cut loose. >You’re cut loose.
>– Joe heads toward the parking lot with Pappy heavy in his pocket and the trench still half-overlaid on the field in his mind. >– Joe heads toward the parking lot with Pappy heavy in his pocket and the trench still half-overlaid on the field in his mind.
@ -722,6 +722,8 @@ Ask Ben if he tries to dodge or brace. Either way:
>Ben? >Ben?
>Ben has one more appointment today. >Ben has one more appointment today.
Continue to [[session_5#Ben's Folly | Ben's Folly]]
## Epilogue ## Epilogue
>[!quote] Narration >[!quote] Narration
@ -736,7 +738,7 @@ Ask Ben if he tries to dodge or brace. Either way:
>The Mageball field and that other battlefield overlap in his head until he’s not entirely sure which one he belongs on. >The Mageball field and that other battlefield overlap in his head until he’s not entirely sure which one he belongs on.
>**Ben** counts the cash in his drawer and the grams in his stash and realizes he’s not just playing pretend dealer anymore. >**Ben** counts the cash in his drawer and the grams in his stash and realizes he’s not just playing pretend dealer anymore.
>There’s a real boss somewhere down the line who now expects him to be the guy with campus intel. >There’s a real boss somewhere down the line who now expects him to be the guy with campus intel.
>Every time the house creaks, he imagines headlights sweeping the front of that nice canyon driveway and wonders whether he’s more afraid of Pip showing up… or Elias finding out he didn’t call. >Every time the house creaks, he imagines headlights sweeping the front of that nice canyon driveway and wonders whether he’s more afraid of Pip showing up… or [[Elias Vae'lor | Elias]] finding out he didn’t call.
>Far below all of you, the root shifts around the dead branch of B2. >Far below all of you, the root shifts around the dead branch of B2.
>It has lost one pair of eyes and quietly picked up three new ones. >It has lost one pair of eyes and quietly picked up three new ones.
>Oversight is gone. >Oversight is gone.

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# Chaz “Chad” Ironwick
> DM-facing NPC writeup. Brain-damaged golden boy of [[Avalon Factions#2. Student Factions & Cliques#2.1 Mageball Team & Jocks | Mageball Team]].
---
## Role
- **Age:** 16 (freshman), tracks with PCs
- **Heritage/Class:** Human (or half-orc) Fighter / martial-focused athlete
- **Primary Faction:** [[Avalon Factions#2. Student Factions & Cliques#2.1 Mageball Team & Jocks | Mageball Team]]
- **Public Image:** Star Mageball hopeful, loud, handsome, dumb as rocks, inexplicably popular.
---
## What Students Know
- Chaz is:
- The guy yelling in the hallway before first bell.
- The one starting “AVA-LON! AVA-LON!” chants at lunch.
- The kid who will absolutely call someone “4-eyes” in the year of our gods, whatever.
- He’s got:
- A decent arm,
- Natural instincts on the field,
- Absolutely no grasp of *why* any of it works.
- Typical interaction:
- Bullying Millie or other nerds with playground-tier insults.
- Crude jokes that land mostly because of sheer confidence.
- Over-the-top loyalty to “the boys” on the team.
- Reputation:
- Already a minor legend among underclassmen.
- Teachers generally sigh when his name shows up on their rosters.
- “Brain damaged but in a charming way” is the prevailing vibe.
---
## What He Wants
### Surface Wants
- To win. Games, arguments, hallway confrontations—doesn’t matter.
- To be seen as **the** face of Avalon sports:
- Posters, announcements, crowds chanting his name.
- To coast to a scholarship on raw talent and vibes.
### Deeper Wants
- To not think too hard about the fact that he forgets things:
- Plays he should remember,
- Classes he apparently attended,
- A specific hit that everyone swears “wasn’t that bad.”
- To feel like he’s good for something other than hitting people and being hit.
---
## Methods & Tactics
- **Default move:** push first, apologize never.
- Fights verbal battles with:
- Nonsense insults (“I bet you see good with those four eyes!”)
- Louder volume whenever he’s losing the point.
- Sometimes takes orders surprisingly well from anyone who:
- Sounds like a coach,
- Speaks in sports metaphors,
- Or just sounds confident.
---
## Relationship to Millie
- Starts as classic bully:
- Yells across the cafeteria,
- Knocks trays,
- Calls them “nerd,” “four-eyes,” etc.
- First crack in the dynamic:
- Millie calls out a tactical flaw in his play (“You leave left-field wide open, that’s why you keep losing to <RIVAL SCHOOL>.”)
- He freezes, gears visibly turning, then blurts, “Shut the fuck up, you fucking dork,” because he has *no* other response.
- Long arc:
- By junior year, Millie is the **irreplaceable strategist**,
- Chaz becomes their loudest defender on and off the field.
---
## Relationship to the PCs
- **Joe:** immediate bro-crush:
- Sees him as a fellow “real athlete,” tries to recruit him hard.
- Will absolutely drag Joe into team drama and parties.
- **Ben:** thinks he’s funny until Ben’s bullshit affects the team; then he gets mean.
- **Soren:** scared of her on an instinctual level:
- Covers fear with bad jokes,
- Will avoid being alone with her if he can help it.
---
## Secrets & Pressure Points (DM Only)
- He genuinely has mild traumatic brain injury from repeated hits:
- Headaches, mood swings, memory holes.
- Nobody is taking it seriously because it would threaten his playtime.
- He is deeply superstitious:
- Small rituals before games,
- Secretly believes the Root “likes” certain plays / patterns on the field.
- If Root anomalies start mirroring his favorite patterns, he will:
- Feel chosen,
- Double down on risky plays,
- Be very vulnerable to manipulation by Fouadriel / the Coherence later.
---
## How to Play Chaz
- **Voice:** Loud, slightly slurred around big words, often confused mid-sentence.
- **Body language:** Chest out, hips forward, constantly drumming on tables or patting backs too hard.
- **Sample Lines:**
- “Hey, four-eyes! I bet you see good with those four eyes!”
- (after Millie says something smart) “…Huh… well, uh… you’re a fucking dork. Nerd.”
- “Yo Joe, you and me? We’re gonna make Avalon *legendary*, dude.”
- Dial up the comedy early, the tragedy later when the hits start adding up.

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# Elias Vae'lor
> DM-facing NPC writeup. Student-aged AV/tech kid with more access than he should have.
---
## Role
- **Title:** Subnode Technician’s Assistant / Student Systems Tech
- **Age:** 16–17 (a couple years older than the PCs)
- **Heritage/Class:** High elf; artificer / tinkerer flavor
- **Public Image:** That quiet AV club kid who:
- Fixes projectors,
- Knows how to get into locked hardware cabinets,
- Appears at the worst possible time with a toolbox and a coffee.
---
## What Students Know
- He works part-time for Maintenance and the arcane IT crew:
- Runs cables,
- Checks node readouts,
- Curses at miscalibrated runic controllers.
- He’s around just enough that everyone recognizes him, but:
- He’s not particularly popular or unpopular.
- He just… exists in the background with a multitool and a datapad.
- Rumors:
- He “sees all the good camera footage” and could ruin lives if he wanted to.
- He once got locked in a subnode chamber during a power test and came out “different.”
- He’s on some kind of unofficial Oversight scholarship.
---
## What He Wants
### Surface Goals
- Graduate with enough **credits and experience** to get hired into a real tech team:
- Root monitoring,
- Titan armory maintenance,
- Or some cushy city node job.
- Keep the campus grid running **without** explosions, screaming, or surprise inspections.
### Deeper Goals
- To understand what the hell is actually happening in the Root:
- He has seen too many “impossible” graph patterns.
- He’s curious, not just scared.
- To prove to himself that he’s not crazy for seeing the patterns he sees:
- Older techs tell him “it’s noise.”
- D’serris’s logs suggest otherwise.
---
## Methods & Tactics
- **Data first:**
- He trusts logs, graphs, error codes more than people’s stories.
- **Avoids conflict:**
- Will absolutely let a teacher rant at him rather than push back.
- Folds in front of admin, vents later.
- **Helps students quietly:**
- “Off the record” fixes,
- Looking the other way if a lab is slightly out of spec but no one’s in danger.
---
## Relationship to Oversight & Maintenance
- Maintenance sees him as:
- Useful hands,
- Cheap labor,
- “The kid who actually understands the new firmware.”
- Oversight (D’serris) sees him as:
- A **low-level asset**:
- Someone who can be fed selected data and instructions.
- Not trusted with full truth, but trusted to follow technical orders.
- He occasionally gets:
- Direct system messages “from Root Oversight” with:
- Task lists,
- Warning flags,
- Weird log snippets to investigate.
He’s starting to suspect that:
- The system is sometimes pinging him about anomalies **nobody else sees yet**.
---
## Relationship to the PCs
- He was with them in **Subnode A3 / B2** and saw:
- The Root do something he can’t fully explain.
- The PCs walk out far less “fried” than they should have been.
**Initial view:**
- They’re trouble, but:
- They’re trouble that pays attention, asks questions, and doesn’t forget what they see.
- They might be the only people on campus willing to crawl into places he can’t justify going alone.
### How He Might Use Them
- As **eyes on the ground**:
- “If you see this pattern again – the humming, the flicker, the way the sigils twist – I need you to tell me exactly where and when.”
- As **muscle / backup**:
- He can’t defend himself in a fight.
- He can absolutely guide them to vulnerable spots if they go with him.
- As **confessional**:
- If he’s going to blow the whistle on something Oversight or Admin is doing, he’s more likely to tell the PCs than any adult.
---
## Secrets & Pressure Points (DM Only)
- During a previous minor anomaly, Elias was:
- Trapped in a subnode chamber for several minutes while the Root did its “structured hum” thing.
- He heard something whisper his name in the noise.
- Since then:
- He sometimes hears faint echoes when near stressed taps.
- He chalks it up to nerves, but you can decide how much is Root attention.
- D’serris has flagged him in the system as:
- “Technician-tier access, potential long-term recruit.”
- If the PCs burn Elias, D’serris may try to pull him closer or throw him under the bus, depending on who’s more useful.
- Elias has minor illicit projects:
- Personal logging daemon scraping more Root data than he’s supposed to.
- Secret backups of certain anomaly logs in case Oversight “loses” them.
---
## How to Play Elias
- **Voice:** Quiet, slightly awkward, sentence fragments that trail off into jargon. Speeds up when talking about technical stuff.
- **Body language:** Shoulders a bit hunched, always fiddling with a tool or crystal tablet, rarely makes long eye contact.
- **Key Lines:**
- “Uh. That… that’s not what it’s supposed to do.”
- “Okay, so, if this graph is right, we should *not* be in this room right now.”
- “I can’t officially tell you to go there. But if you did, and took notes, I… might be able to fix something.”
- **Pivot:** When the PCs back him up against admin or Oversight, he can:
- Crack and spill a bunch of classified info in a panic,
- Or retreat and ghost them for a while, terrified he’ll lose his job.

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# Millie Fairweather
> DM-facing NPC writeup. Tactical brain of [[Avalon Factions#2. Student Factions & Cliques#2.1 Mageball Team & Jocks | Mageball Team]], social status: “fucking dork” (for now).
---
## Role
- **Age:** same year as PCs
- **Heritage/Class:** Human / half-elf Wizard (Divination / War Magic vibes)
- **Pronouns:** they/them (most students default to he/him until corrected)
- **Primary Faction:** [[Avalon Factions#2. Student Factions & Cliques#2.1 Mageball Team & Jocks | Mageball Team]]
- **Public Image (early):** quiet nerd, eats alone, easy target.
---
## What Students Know
- Freshman year:
- Thin, glasses always sliding down their nose, tray clutched too tight.
- Constantly carrying notebooks, always scribbling plays, patterns, random math.
- Easy target for jocks who need to feel big.
- First real moment:
- Chaz heckles them in the cafeteria.
- Millie fires back with a clean, razor-sharp breakdown of why the team keeps losing:
- “I can *see* us losing to *rival school* because you leave left field wide open and they send a runner straight down it every play.”
- They don’t raise their voice; they just *say it* and keep walking.
- By late freshman / sophomore:
- Seen hovering near Mageball practice.
- Occasionally dragged in to “explain that thing again.”
- Still mocked publicly, but the tone changes once wins line up with their advice.
---
## What They Want
### Surface Wants
- To be **taken seriously**: as a caster, as a strategist, as more than a punchline.
- To prove that brains matter more than raw talent.
- To stop eating alone every single day.
### Deeper Wants
- To control *something* in their life:
- Home is chaotic / emotionally distant (tune to taste).
- Mageball is the one place where patterns make sense.
- To matter so much to the team that they *can’t* be discarded.
---
## Methods & Tactics
- Hyper-observant:
- Watches people like they’re studying film.
- Remembers mistakes, especially other people’s.
- Conflict style:
- Avoid, avoid, avoid… then drop one precise, devastating comment and retreat.
- Uses:
- Notes, diagrams, rituals of analysis (“if A, then B, unless C happens in quarter three”).
---
## Relationship to [[Chaz Ironwick | Chaz]] & the Team
- [[Chaz Ironwick | Chaz]] :
- Bully → stunned mark → eventual biggest hype-man.
- Their dynamic is the emotional spine of the Mageball subplot.
- Team:
- Initial resistance (“we’re not listening to some nerd”).
- Gradual reliance (“what’s the call, Fairweather?”).
- By junior year:
- Millie calls plays from the sideline.
- Coach/ Estrada treat them like assistant staff.
---
## Relationship to the PCs
- **Joe:**
- Sees him as a potential ally:
- A jock who might actually *listen*.
- Will test him with small suggestions before trusting him fully.
- **Ben:**
- Mild contempt at first:
- Ben is noise and chaos, which wrecks their precious patterns.
- Later might rely on Ben for social manipulation (“you talk to people, I’ll tell you what they need to hear”).
- **Soren:**
- Equal parts fascinated and terrified:
- They see how Root weirdness clusters around her.
- May be the first student to connect her episodes to anomalies around the field.
---
## Secrets & Pressure Points (DM Only)
- Millie has been quietly tracking **Root fluctuations during games**:
- Their notebooks are full of “coincidences” Oversight would kill to see.
- They have a small shrine / corkboard in their room:
- Korrin Gate diagrams,
- Old Mageball match reports,
- Maps of leyline flow under the valley.
- If the Coherence starts touching the field more directly:
- Millie is a prime candidate for “accidental prophet” or Root tactician.
---
## How to Play Millie
- **Voice:** Soft but sharp; rarely raises volume, but words cut deep.
- **Body language:** Hunched at first, opens up around people who respect them; always fidgeting with pen or playbook.
- **Sample Lines:**
- (to Chaz) “I can see us losing because you leave left field wide open and they send a runner straight down it every play.”
- (to Joe) “If you line up here, he’ll bite. He always bites. Just… trust me.”
- (later, about Root weirdness) “It’s not luck. Patterns don’t do that by accident.”
- Let them be funny, but rooted in competence, not clowning.

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# Sebastian “Seb” Castillo
> DM-facing NPC writeup. Face o[[Avalon Factions#2. Student Factions & Cliques#2.4 Conspiracy Club / Underground Zine]] , decapitation videos at 8am.
---
## Role
- **Age:** 16–17, same year or one above PCs
- **Heritage/Class:** Human Rogue (Inquisitive) / Warlock / whatever fits “sees too much”
- **Primary Faction:** [[Avalon Factions#2. Student Factions & Cliques#2.4 Conspiracy Club / Underground Zine]]
- **Public Image:** Unhinged conspiracy kid who knows where every body is buried, metaphorically and maybe literally.
---
## What Students Know
- Sebastian is:
- The guy who will shove a sending-stone in your face at 8am like “Bro, you *have* to see this execution.”
- The one scribbling in the margins of his homework about 9/11 analogues, false-flag rituals, and hoax demon attacks.
- The source of at least half the “Did you hear…?” hallway chatter.
- He runs:
- An underground zine / newsletter full of:
- Half-true rumors,
- Wild speculation,
- Redacted “leaks.”
- Anonymous message channels where people drop tips and gossip.
- Most students:
- Laugh him off publicly,
- Still read every issue.
---
## What He Wants
### Surface Wants
- To be right. Publicly, loudly, provably right.
- To expose a **big cover-up**:
- Oversight,
- Admin,
- Someone powerful.
### Deeper Wants
- To make sense of a world that really *is* full of secrets and lies:
- He’s not wrong that something’s off.
- He just lacks filters.
- To matter:
- If he can’t be liked, he’ll settle for being feared or needed.
---
## Methods & Tactics
- Collects:
- Screenshots,
- Audio clips,
- Photos of strange lights, sigils, admin meetings.
- Will absolutely:
- Break into restricted areas,
- Clone sending-stones,
- Plant “bugs” (simple scrying/recording charms).
- Socially:
- Over-shares horror,
- Makes people uncomfortable on purpose,
- Uses shock value to keep attention.
---
## Relationship to Factions & PCs
- **Oversight/Admin:**
- Larkvale sees him as a nuisance.
- D’serris hates that Sebastian occasionally stumbles onto real patterns.
- **Drama/Arts Kids:**
- Sometimes collaborate on “exposé performances.”
- **Circle Network:**
- Knows enough about Pip & co. to be a problem,
- Not involved enough to be worth killing… yet.
- **PCs:**
- They are his dream sources:
- “You were in B2? What did you see? Tell me *everything*.”
- Will trade:
- Dirt on teachers,
- Security crystal stills,
- Rumors about Fouadriel or D’serris, for info.
---
## Secrets & Pressure Points (DM Only)
- He’s not just seeing patterns where none exist:
- His collection includes **genuinely anomalous** Root events:
- Lights flickering in sync across different locations,
- Identical “hum” audio from different nights,
- Glitched footage of Subnode doors.
- Root / Coherence attention:
- It likes that he’s cataloguing it.
- Every time he obsesses over a new anomaly, it pays a little more attention back.
- If the PCs ever give him the wrong piece of truth:
- His zine could become a quasi-prophetic document.
- Oversight might classify him as a security risk.
---
## How to Play Sebastian
- **Voice:** Fast, breathless, manic; volume jumps; laughs at his own horrifying jokes.
- **Body language:** Leaning way too close, wild eye contact, constantly unlocking his sending-stone.
- **Sample Lines:**
- “Okay, okay, hear me out—what if Korrin Gate wasn’t a *failure*? What if it worked exactly how they wanted, and this—” (gestures vaguely at the sky) “—is the *result*?”
- “Look, I know you’re gonna call me crazy, but you’re the ones who were in a locked room with a Root spike, not me.”
- “You tell me what you saw in B2, and I’ll tell you what D’serris doesn’t want anyone to know about Fouadriel.”
- Let him be deeply annoying *and* occasionally right in a way that freaks everyone out.

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# Assistant Headmaster Christopher Larkvale
> DM-facing NPC writeup. Students only know the “public” bits unless you show them more.
---
## Role
- **Title:** Assistant Headmaster for Discipline & Compliance
- **Age:** early 40s
- **Public Image:** The rules guy. Handles detentions, suspensions, parent meetings, and all the “By Order of Administration” notices.
- **Real Job:** Primary liaison to **[[Avalon Factions#1.1 Root Oversight Committee ("The Array")|Root Oversight]]** ([[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]]), keeper of the Academy’s ugly secrets, and the man who signs off on anything that might look bad in a headline.
---
## What Students Know
- He’s the one you get sent to when shit gets serious.
- His office is where:
- Phones get confiscated,
- Parents get called,
- Future prospects get “discussed” in ominous tones.
- He has a way of talking down to people that makes you feel like you’re six, even if you’re taller than him.
- Rumors:
- He “used to be fun” before he went admin.
- He spends more time talking to that weird Oversight projection than to actual students.
- He has dirt on every teacher and will use it if they cross him.
---
## What He Wants
### Surface Goals
- A **calm, orderly school** with minimal magical incidents.
- Good statistics:
- Low injury rates,
- High graduation rates,
- No “Avalon Node Disaster” trending on spell-media.
- To keep **funders and parents** happy enough that nobody asks too many questions.
### Deeper Goals
- To stay indispensable to both:
- The **Academy** (as the guy who keeps crises contained), and
- **Oversight** (as the man on the ground who can make their directives happen).
- To **control the narrative** of what Avalon is:
- “Prestigious, safe, well-managed,” not “that place where the leyline almost ate some kids.”
---
## Methods & Tactics
- **Soft pressure first:**
- “I’m disappointed,” “Think about your future,” “Let’s involve your parents.”
- **Procedural violence second:**
- Detentions, disciplinary files, loss of privileges, quiet black marks on transcripts.
- Uses **bureaucracy as a weapon**:
- “The forms say…” is how he wins arguments.
- Handles external actors (Oversight, law enforcement, parents) by:
- Always having a **plausible story** ready.
- Always having a **scapegoat** in mind if things get too hot.
---
## Relationship to [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] & Oversight
- Officially: [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]]’s **trusted point of contact** at the Academy.
- Unofficially:
- Resents being treated like a subordinate by a projection in his office.
- Thinks Oversight overreacts and doesn’t understand “real school realities.”
- Still, he will absolutely:
- Enforce Root lockdowns,
- Argue for extra monitoring,
- Sell the faculty on “temporary safety measures” that never quite get rolled back.
---
## Relationship to the PCs
- **Initial view:**
- They are high-risk, high-profile headaches.
- “If you were just normal screwups, I’d suspend you. The problem is, you keep being in the room when the grid hiccups.”
- He does not like them, but he does see their potential PR value:
- “Reforming delinquents into heroes” plays well if it works.
### How He Might Use Them
- As **examples**:
- “Even after what happened in B2, we’re working with them. We believe in second chances.”
- As **unpaid labor**:
- Safety committees,
- Peer mentoring,
- Helping staff monitor “at risk” zones—really just keeping them where he can see them.
- As **lightning rods**:
- Dumping blame on them if he needs to deflect Oversight or angry parents:
- “They were acting without permission.”
- “We took swift disciplinary action.”
---
## Secrets & Pressure Points (DM Only)
- He knows more about the B2 incident than he has admitted to the PCs:
- [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] briefed him on the **Coherence patterns**.
- He’s under pressure to keep any talk of “emergent minds in the Root” buried.
- He has **personal skeletons**:
- A history of blurred boundaries with students *after* graduation – nothing officially proven, a couple of complaints quietly buried.
- A strong incentive to keep his position, because if he falls, a lot of buried files might surface.
---
## How to Play Larkvale
- **Voice:** Calm, patronizing, professional. Never yells; weaponizes disappointment.
- **Body language:** Neat, precise, uses folders and papers as shields; rarely out of a suit.
- **Key Lines:**
- “You are not on trial. Yet.”
- “Your feelings are valid. They are also irrelevant to the safety report.”
- “You are very fortunate that we are handling this in-house.”
- **Pivot:** If the PCs ever do something undeniably heroic in public, he’ll try to spin it:
- “This is what I’ve always seen in you” (lie),
- “Let’s make sure people hear the *right* version of events.”

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# Dean Hector Estrada
> DM-facing NPC writeup. The kids love him; you know better.
---
## Role
- **Title:** Dean of Student Life & Activities
- **Age:** late 30s to early 40s
- **Public Image:** The fun one. Organizes pep rallies, oversees clubs and Mageball, gives big “Welcome, Adventurers!” speeches on day one.
- **Real Job:** Pressure valve between students and admin, and the guy who has to sell Larkvale’s restrictions in a way kids will actually swallow.
---
## What Students Know
- He’s everywhere:
- On the Mageball field,
- At club fairs,
- On the stage hyping up events.
- He:
- Knows names,
- Remembers siblings,
- Shows up to performances and games.
- He’s quick with a joke and a “You got this, kid,” even when he’s exhausted.
- Rumors:
- He used to adventure before “settling down in education.”
- He and another staff member had a messy thing years ago.
- He once nearly punched an Oversight projection off the wall.
---
## What He Wants
### Surface Goals
- A campus that **feels alive**:
- Strong sports teams, good shows, active clubs.
- Students who **bond with the school** instead of just surviving it.
- Enough win-stories to:
- Keep donors happy,
- Justify his budgets,
- Balance out Larkvale’s constant doom-and-gloom.
### Deeper Goals
- To protect “his kids” from:
- Admin overreach,
- Oversight paranoia,
- Their own worst impulses.
- To prove (to himself and others) that:
- He’s more than a glorified cheerleader.
- He can keep a community together under serious magical strain.
---
## Methods & Tactics
- **Charm first:**
- “Hey, champ, how about we redirect that energy into something less expulsion-y?”
- **Deals second:**
- “You want the Mageball field? I need you passing Arcane Theory.”
- “You want club funds? You’re volunteering at the safety seminar.”
- **Selective blindness:**
- Looks the other way on minor stuff if it keeps the bigger picture stable.
- Cracks down hard when someone endangers others or the school’s future.
- In staff meetings:
- Translates Larkvale/D’serris-speak into “student language.”
- Fights for leniency where he can, picks his battles where he can’t.
---
## Relationship to Oversight & Admin
- **Larkvale:**
- Old colleague, frequent adversary.
- Resents Larkvale’s tone and priorities, but knows he needs him to keep the lights on.
- **D’serris:**
- Thinks he’s a necessary evil at best, sociopath at worst.
- Loathes being told to sacrifice student experience “for the graph.”
- Frequently stuck between:
- “Keep kids safe and happy”
- “Keep the node stable and the board off our backs.”
---
## Relationship to the PCs
- **Initial view:**
- They’re a mess, but they’re his kind of mess:
- Big personalities,
- Taking risks,
- Clearly going to shape the campus whether he likes it or not.
- He likes them but won’t say so directly in front of staff.
### How He Might Use Them
- As **spark plugs**:
- Putting them on committees, giving them “student voice” roles.
- Knowing damn well they’ll cause drama but hoping it’s the right kind.
- As **canaries in the coal mine**:
- If they start complaining about “weird vibes,” he pays attention.
- As **poster kids**:
- If/when they do something heroic, he will absolutely slap their faces on every flyer and fundraiser.
---
## Secrets & Pressure Points (DM Only)
- He’s hiding how scared he is of another Korrin situation:
- He’s read enough Oversight briefings to know the stakes.
- He’s clinging to “normal school vibes” harder than is healthy.
- He has real dirt:
- Past relationship with another staff member that would look bad if dragged into the Oversight spotlight.
- A minor but technically illegal stunt from his own adventuring youth that Oversight could use against him.
- He will break rules to protect:
- Students he thinks have been failed by the system,
- Staff he believes in.
---
## How to Play Estrada
- **Voice:** Warm, a little tired, lots of “kid,” “champ,” “bud,” but sharper and more articulate when admin is present.
- **Body language:** Hands-on shoulders, animated when talking about sports/clubs, rubs his face when dealing with Oversight.
- **Key Lines:**
- “You screwed up. We’re going to fix it. Together. And you’re going to hate me for how boring that process is.”
- “Larkvale wants your head. I want your homework turned in and nobody dead. Help me out here.”
- “If you’re going to blow something up, at least have the decency to win a championship first.”
- **Pivot:** When pushed, the dad voice comes out:
- No jokes, no soft edges, “I need you to listen to me, because this is not a drill.”

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## Overview ## Overview
- Former leyline field engineer / battle-mage who watched a city almost die in a node collapse. - Former leyline field engineer / battle-mage who watched a city almost die in a node collapse.
- Co-designed the [[Factions#1.1 Root Oversight Committee ("The Array")|Root Oversight Array]] – remote monitoring + partial control of the leyline “grid.” - Co-designed the [[Avalon Factions#1.1 Root Oversight Committee ("The Array")|Root Oversight Array]] – remote monitoring + partial control of the leyline “grid.”
- Genuine believer that surveillance + control are the only things keeping the world from burning again. - Genuine believer that surveillance + control are the only things keeping the world from burning again.
- Treats Avalon Academy as a **critical but expendable** node: a testbed and early-warning system. - Treats Avalon Academy as a **critical but expendable** node: a testbed and early-warning system.
- PCs are “anomalous survivors” of the B2 event. He uses them as on-site sensors and guinea pigs. - PCs are “anomalous survivors” of the B2 event. He uses them as on-site sensors and guinea pigs.

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Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguarding the Root.” Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguarding the Root.”
**Real Core (for this region):** **Real Core (for this region):**
- Overseer **Kalen D’serris** and a handful of remote analysts/technicians. - Overseer ** [[Kalen D'Serris | Kalen D'Serris]]** and a handful of remote analysts/technicians.
- A distant central board that mostly cares about metrics, not people. - A distant central board that mostly cares about metrics, not people.
**What They Want (Macro):** **What They Want (Macro):**
@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguardi
**Methods:** **Methods:**
- Constant telemetry logging (“we watch the graphs”). - Constant telemetry logging (“we watch the graphs”).
- Remote throttling / lockdowns of taps and subnodes. - Remote throttling / lockdowns of taps and subnodes.
- Issuing directives to local authorities (Larkvale, Estrada) “for safety.” - Issuing directives to local authorities ([[Christopher Larkvale]], [[Hector Estrada]]) “for safety.”
- Quietly recruiting on-the-ground proxies (Elias, later possibly the PCs). - Quietly recruiting on-the-ground proxies (Elias, later possibly the PCs).
**How They See the PCs:** **How They See the PCs:**
@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguardi
- Legal cover, gear, or even “deputized” status in exchange for cooperation. - Legal cover, gear, or even “deputized” status in exchange for cooperation.
**Internal Tension:** **Internal Tension:**
- D’serris is actually traumatized and sincere. - [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] is actually traumatized and sincere.
His unseen superiors are mostly worried about **optics and uptime**: His unseen superiors are mostly worried about **optics and uptime**:
- “Keep the Root stable, but don’t cause scandals.” - “Keep the Root stable, but don’t cause scandals.”
- If Avalon becomes too noisy, they might recommend shutting the node down entirely. - If Avalon becomes too noisy, they might recommend shutting the node down entirely.
@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguardi
**Key Figures (you can swap in your canon names):** **Key Figures (you can swap in your canon names):**
- **Headmaster / Headmistress** – distant figure, political face of the school. - **Headmaster / Headmistress** – distant figure, political face of the school.
- **Assistant Headmaster Larkvale** – day-to-day disciplinarian and Oversight’s primary contact. - **Assistant Headmaster [[Christopher Larkvale]]** – day-to-day disciplinarian and Oversight’s primary contact.
- **Dean Estrada** – student-facing, handles clubs, sports, and PR. - **Dean [[Hector Estrada]]** – student-facing, handles clubs, sports, and PR.
- **Department Heads** (History, Arcane Theory, Environmental Studies, Drama, etc.) - **Department Heads** (History, Arcane Theory, Environmental Studies, Drama, etc.)
**What They Want (Macro):** **What They Want (Macro):**
@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguardi
- Detentions, suspensions, and disciplinary hearings. - Detentions, suspensions, and disciplinary hearings.
- Quietly rewriting incident reports. - Quietly rewriting incident reports.
- Throwing problematic staff or kids under the bus if needed. - Throwing problematic staff or kids under the bus if needed.
- Using Estrada and favored teachers as pressure valves: - Using [[Hector Estrada]] and favored teachers as pressure valves:
- “Let the kids blow off steam in Mageball instead of burning down the lab.” - “Let the kids blow off steam in Mageball instead of burning down the lab.”
**How They See the PCs:** **How They See the PCs:**
@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguardi
- “Stay out of Defazio’s conspiracy-chasing seminars.” - “Stay out of Defazio’s conspiracy-chasing seminars.”
**Internal Lines:** **Internal Lines:**
- **Larkvale** leans pro-Oversight, pro-control. - **[[Christopher Larkvale]]** leans pro-Oversight, pro-control.
- **Estrada** leans pro-students, pro-chaos (but still wants wins). - **[[Hector Estrada]]** leans pro-students, pro-chaos (but still wants wins).
- Some teachers quietly resent both. - Some teachers quietly resent both.
--- ---
@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguardi
**Potential Schism:** **Potential Schism:**
- Some groundkeepers are loyal to admin. - Some groundkeepers are loyal to admin.
- Others think Oversight is the only reason they’re still alive. - Others think Oversight is the only reason they’re still alive.
- One or two might be secret allies or informants for D’serris *or* the PCs. - One or two might be secret allies or informants for [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] *or* the PCs.
--- ---
@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguardi
**Faces:** **Faces:**
- **Chaz** – brain-damaged golden boy, all instinct, no strategy. - **Chaz** – brain-damaged golden boy, all instinct, no strategy.
- **Millie** – initially bullied “nerd,” later tactical backbone of the team. - **Millie** – initially bullied “nerd,” later tactical backbone of the team.
- Estrada as faculty anchor/coach. - [[Hector Estrada]] as faculty anchor/coach.
**What They Want:** **What They Want:**
- Win games, get scouted, bask in glory. - Win games, get scouted, bask in glory.
@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguardi
**How They Might Be Used:** **How They Might Be Used:**
- To feed the party weird leads (some true, some garbage). - To feed the party weird leads (some true, some garbage).
- As a way for the players to leak info anonymously. - As a way for the players to leak info anonymously.
- As a faction D’serris absolutely hates. - As a faction [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] absolutely hates.
--- ---
@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ Regional Leyline Oversight, officially charged with “monitoring and safeguardi
**How They Might Be Used:** **How They Might Be Used:**
- As allies against Oversight in later arcs. - As allies against Oversight in later arcs.
- As a moral counterweight when D’serris wants to sacrifice branches. - As a moral counterweight when [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] wants to sacrifice branches.
- As the first ones to sense that the Root’s “mood” is changing. - As the first ones to sense that the Root’s “mood” is changing.
--- ---

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- Roughly 15–20 years ago, a major city built over a trunk junction – **Korrin Gate** – almost got erased when its node went into terminal cascade. - Roughly 15–20 years ago, a major city built over a trunk junction – **Korrin Gate** – almost got erased when its node went into terminal cascade.
- Cause (public version): "overuse and mismanagement of leylines during a regional conflict." - Cause (public version): "overuse and mismanagement of leylines during a regional conflict."
- Cause (true version): military tried to weaponize the trunk; pushed it into a **state of emergent consciousness**, then lost control. - Cause (true version): military tried to weaponize the trunk; pushed it into a **state of emergent consciousness**, then lost control.
- D’Serris and his team saved the city by: - [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] and his team saved the city by:
- Severing some subnodes (killing neighborhoods), and - Severing some subnodes (killing neighborhoods), and
- Performing a last-minute ritual that **shunted the emergent mind down into the Root**, smearing it across the network instead of letting it fully form and explode locally. - Performing a last-minute ritual that **shunted the emergent mind down into the Root**, smearing it across the network instead of letting it fully form and explode locally.
- That caged, half-born mind is the thing now clawing its way back via: - That caged, half-born mind is the thing now clawing its way back via:
- High-traffic nodes (like Avalon), - High-traffic [[Leyline Root System#2. Topology – How It’s Structured#Nodes|nodes]] (like Avalon),
- Vulnerable people (Soren, Fouadriel, etc.), and - Vulnerable people (Soren, Fouadriel, etc.), and
- Old war-artifacts (like Pappy, Titan Lance tech, etc.) - Old war-artifacts (like Pappy, Titan Lance tech, etc.)
- The crisis justified building the [[Factions#1.1 Root Oversight Committee ("The Array")|**Root Oversight Array**]] and gave D’Serris his trauma + authority. - The crisis justified building the [[Avalon Factions#1.1 Root Oversight Committee ("The Array")|**Root Oversight Array**]] and gave [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] his trauma + authority.
--- ---
@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
### Official story (what most people know) ### Official story (what most people know)
- Korrin Gate massively over-tapped its node to: - Korrin Gate massively over-tapped its [[Leyline Root System#2. Topology – How It’s Structured#Nodes | node]] to:
- Power shields, weapons, and industry during wartime. - Power shields, weapons, and industry during wartime.
- Add more and more “temporary” taps that were never decommissioned. - Add more and more “temporary” taps that were never decommissioned.
- Over years, stress crept higher: - Over years, stress crept higher:
@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
- A ritual / device meant to: - A ritual / device meant to:
- Tie together multiple branches of the Root. - Tie together multiple branches of the Root.
- Focus Sap and **intent** into a single, coherent beam—an “arcane ICBM.” - Focus Sap and **intent** into a single, coherent beam—an “arcane ICBM.”
- The prototype weapon was the conceptual ancestor of **Titan Lance**. - The prototype weapon was the conceptual ancestor of [[Avalon Locations#Titan Lance Armory (a.k.a. “The Missile Museum”)| Titan Lance]].
- Side effect no one admitted publicly: - Side effect no one admitted publicly:
- The Convergence Engine didn’t just move power; it **forced coherence** on Root flows. - The Convergence Engine didn’t just move power; it **forced coherence** on Root flows.
@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
- Show recurring “patterns” in its hum. - Show recurring “patterns” in its hum.
- Push back when pushed. - Push back when pushed.
- D’Serris at this time: - [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] at this time:
- Junior engineer / battle-mage assigned to the **Leyline Stabilization Corps** attached to the project. - Junior engineer / battle-mage assigned to the **Leyline Stabilization Corps** attached to the project.
- Kept raising flags that the pattern logs looked “wrong.” - Kept raising flags that the pattern logs looked “wrong.”
- Was overruled repeatedly by senior mages and generals who wanted results. - Was overruled repeatedly by senior mages and generals who wanted results.
@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
- **Sustained overdraw** through the Convergence Engine to power a massive strike. - **Sustained overdraw** through the Convergence Engine to power a massive strike.
- Multiple secondary taps were opened to feed it – including some not rated for that flow. - Multiple secondary taps were opened to feed it – including some not rated for that flow.
- On the monitoring side (where D’Serris is): - On the monitoring side (where [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] is):
- Every alarm they have is going off: - Every alarm they have is going off:
- Flow far above spec. - Flow far above spec.
- Subnodes redlining. - Subnodes redlining.
@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
- Entire subnets start pulsing in time with each other. - Entire subnets start pulsing in time with each other.
- The Convergence Engine begins drawing in **more** power than it should be able to. - The Convergence Engine begins drawing in **more** power than it should be able to.
- D’Serris and the stabilization team realize: - [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] and the stabilization team realize:
- They are no longer just pushing power through the Root. - They are no longer just pushing power through the Root.
- The Root (or something in it) is now using **their hardware** to cohere. - The Root (or something in it) is now using **their hardware** to cohere.
@ -114,7 +114,7 @@
--- ---
## 5. The Decision D’Serris Made ## 5. The Decision [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] Made
The options at that point: The options at that point:
@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ The options at that point:
- Smear its coherence across as much of the Root as possible. - Smear its coherence across as much of the Root as possible.
- Expected outcome: Save the city; contaminate the entire network with a **thinned-out ghost**. - Expected outcome: Save the city; contaminate the entire network with a **thinned-out ghost**.
The high command panicked. The Stabilization Corps proposed options. D’Serris: The high command panicked. The Stabilization Corps proposed options. [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]]:
- Ran the numbers and backed option 3: - Ran the numbers and backed option 3:
- “We can’t contain it here, and we can’t eat the blast. Spread the pattern until it’s too thin to act.” - “We can’t contain it here, and we can’t eat the blast. Spread the pattern until it’s too thin to act.”
@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ But:
### What only a few know ### What only a few know
- D’Serris and a handful of surviving Stabilization officers know: - [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] and a handful of surviving Stabilization officers know:
- They **instrumentally lobotomized** a rising mind by smearing it across the world’s nervous system. - They **instrumentally lobotomized** a rising mind by smearing it across the world’s nervous system.
- Oversight exists largely to: - Oversight exists largely to:
- Monitor for that mind trying to pull itself back together. - Monitor for that mind trying to pull itself back together.
@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ But:
- Classified docs refer to the emergent pattern as: - Classified docs refer to the emergent pattern as:
- “The Coherence Event” - “The Coherence Event”
- “The Underpattern” - “The Underpattern”
- Or, in one terrified margin note by D’Serris: **“the thing that learned our names.”** - Or, in one terrified margin note by [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]]: **“the thing that learned our names.”**
--- ---
@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ But:
- To try another diffusion. - To try another diffusion.
- Or to deliver a killing strike to a localized manifestation. - Or to deliver a killing strike to a localized manifestation.
### Why D’Serris Is Freaked Out Now ### Why [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]] Is Freaked Out Now
- Recent anomalies at Avalon (B2, Root whispers, etc.) **match low-level patterns** from the Korrin logs: - Recent anomalies at Avalon (B2, Root whispers, etc.) **match low-level patterns** from the Korrin logs:
- Heartbeat goes from noise → pattern, then back. - Heartbeat goes from noise → pattern, then back.
@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ But:
You can use this for NPC color. You can use this for NPC color.
### D’Serris ### [[Kalen D'Serris | D'Serris]]
- “Korrin Gate was not a blackout. It was the Root trying to stand up.” - “Korrin Gate was not a blackout. It was the Root trying to stand up.”
- “We pushed it back once. We will not get another clean shot if it happens here.” - “We pushed it back once. We will not get another clean shot if it happens here.”

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Treat it like a tree + power grid: Treat it like a tree + power grid:
- **Trunk:** ### Trunk
Massive, slow-moving leyline that runs under/through the region. Southern Trunk is D’serris’s jurisdiction. Massive, slow-moving leyline that runs under/through the region. Southern Trunk is D’serris’s jurisdiction.
- **Branches:** ### Branches
Large offshoots that feed cities, fortresses, Academies, Titan armories, etc. Large offshoots that feed cities, fortresses, Academies, Titan armories, etc.
- **Nodes:** ### Nodes
Places where branches are **anchored and shaped**: Places where branches are **anchored and shaped**:
- City Node, Academy Node, Titan Lance Node. - City Node, Academy Node, Titan Lance Node.
- Full of stabilizing anchors, crystals, sigils. - Full of stabilizing anchors, crystals, sigils.
- **Subnodes:** ### Subnodes:
Local “breaker boxes” and fuses. Local “breaker boxes” and fuses.
- Avalon’s A1–A3, B1–B3, etc. are subnodes off the Academy Node. - Avalon’s A1–A3, B1–B3, etc. are subnodes off the Academy Node.
- Each subnode feeds a cluster of taps (dorms, labs, field, etc.). - Each subnode feeds a cluster of taps (dorms, labs, field, etc.).
- Subnodes can be throttled, shunted, or killed without taking down the whole node – that’s what B2 was. - Subnodes can be throttled, shunted, or killed without taking down the whole node – that’s what B2 was.
- **Taps:** ### Taps:
- Specific points where Sap is pulled off for use: - Specific points where Sap is pulled off for use:
- Classroom conduits, Mageball field glyphs, Spin Alley lane runes, Mr. Magic’s pizza hellscape, etc. - Classroom conduits, Mageball field glyphs, Spin Alley lane runes, Mr. Magic’s pizza hellscape, etc.
- Controlled by **Runic Controllers** (hardware) and **Root Oversight** (software). - Controlled by **Runic Controllers** (hardware) and **Root Oversight** (software).