vault backup: 2025-12-03 14:34:03

.obsidian/workspace.json

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
               "type": "markdown",
               "state": {
                 "file": "AndrewNotes/Avalon/02_Sessions/session_5.md",
-                "mode": "preview",
+                "mode": "source",
                 "source": true
               },
               "icon": "lucide-file",

AndrewNotes/Avalon/02_Sessions/session_5.md

@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ status: planned
 Let them sit with that for a moment- they need to realize that's them.
 
 >[!quote] Enter 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- K. D'Serris. Root Oversight.
+>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 eyes up the pillar, then the basin. One thin branch flares within. A cluster of points around it, representing your campus, jitter, before stabilizing.
 > "B2 again?"
-> The tech nods- gulping. "Yes sir. Load divergense from A series root. It... uh.. it looks liek locl intervention. Manual."
+> The tech nods- gulping. "Yes sir. Load divergense from A series root. It... uh.. it looks like lock intervention. Manual."
 > D'Serris: "Maintenance?"
 > Tech: "No scheduled work orders."
 > D'Serris is lost in throught for a moment- "Nobody under thirty moves this recklessly." 
@@ -83,16 +83,9 @@ Let them sit with that for a moment- they need to realize that's them.
 >“Let’s see what you do without a leash.”
 # Spin Alley
 Non-negotiable in world facts Ellias will NOT bend on:
-- Admin already has:
-	- A timestamped grid anomaly.
-	- A log that B2 was manually adjusted shortly before line 4 died.
-	- Sensors on the hatch that say the doors were opened.
--  Elias was watching the tap from topside; he knows:
-	- Stress went up, then down, then the unknocn branch died. 
-	- This wasn't just "it popped on it's own".
 - Elias' priorities:
 	- Keep his job
-	- keep you guys from getting expelled
+	- Keep the party from getting expelled
 	- prevent admin from panicking and making things worse
 	- stop them from admitting they destroyed expensive government property out loud.
 	- He will not agree to a story that paints him as the sole mastermind sabotaging the school.
@@ -101,6 +94,9 @@ Non-negotiable in world facts Ellias will NOT bend on:
 >[!quote] 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.
 > “So. In your own words: what happened down there?”
+
+Remind them- They know a guy!
+
 ## Cooperate
 "We stabilized, shit went bad in the process."
 >[!quote] Elias
@@ -111,7 +107,7 @@ If they mention the unknown branch:
 >"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.
 >We call it a cracked line. We say it failed. That’s it.”
-## Ben commits to Elias is the villian
+## Ben commits to Elias is the villain
 >[!quote] 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.”
 >He jabs a thumb toward the field.  
@@ -135,4 +131,166 @@ If ben threatens to blame Elias:
 If they commit to wanting to expose the whole conspiracy:
 
 >[!quote] 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
+>[!quote] Elias
+>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.’
+>Best case, they think you’re irresponsible and slap you with suspensions, maybe worse.
+>Worst case? They decide you’re either a security risk who might be working for someone else, or perfectly aligned with whoever’s trying to destabilize the tap, and you don’t see daylight without a scrying collar for the rest of the year.”
+> “Is that really what you want? To be benched while the people who built this mess go back to pretending it’s fine?
+> Or do you want to stay in the game, keep your access, and maybe actually find out what was on the other end of that branch before it fell on someone else’s head?”
+
+## Extortion
+>[!quote] Elias
+>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'".
+>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.’
+> If you’d prefer I say, ‘I don’t know why they were down there at all,’ that is absolutely an option we can explore.”
+> “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
+>[!quote] Elias
+>Elias rubs his face, then holds up a hand:
+>"Okay- here's what I am going to say, unless someone stops me.
+>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.
+
+Ask them one by one if they're sticking with that.
+If ben is still combative:
+>[!quote] 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.”
+# Admin Investigation
+>[!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.
+>Larkvale pokes his head out. "In."
+
+GM NOTES- Make the office in DND beyond if you have time.
+
+>[!quote] Duel of Fates
+>Larkvale steeples his fingers and looks at each of you like he’s lining up targets.
+>“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**.”
+>He taps the crystal panel; lines of red script flicker.
+>“At 22:24, Mister Vaelor filed a report of ‘near-catastrophic load failure avoided by emergency triage.’”
+>His eyes narrow.  
+“You three were down there. So. Tell me exactly what you were doing in my tap cell.”
+## If they follow the spin
+>[!quote] Larkvale
+>“So your position is:
+>You observed an anomoly
+>You accompanied Miser Vaelor to investigate.
+>You assisted in reducing intake and re-balancing output.
+>And during that process, a pre-existing compromised conduit gave out.
+>His gaze slides to Elias.
+>“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—”  
+>Estrada cuts in: “If you hadn’t, my field might have gone up like a fireball. Yeah, I saw the replay.”
+>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.”
+> 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
+>[!quote] Larkvale
+> Larkvale turns his gaze to Elias like a knife.
+> “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.”
+
+If Ben continues:
+>[!quote] 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.
+>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.”
+>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
+>[!quote] Larkvale
+>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.”
+
+>“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:
+>[!quote] Larkvale
+>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.”
+## When they fuck with Estrada
+>[!quote] 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.”
+
+>[!quote] 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.”
+
+# D'Serris Reveal
+>[!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.
+> Larkvale grimaces. “Of course.”
+> He taps the crystal.
+> “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.
+> 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.”
+> **A beat**
+> “Assistant Headmaster 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.
+> “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.
+> I would like to hear, in your own words, what you think you did.”
+
+No matter what they say- he responds from a systems perspective, not a normal one. 
+>[!quote] D'Serris
+>“You reduced intake,” he summarizes. “You redistributed load. You watched a compromised conduit die instead of the node. That is, from a certain angle, correct triage.”
+>From another angle, it is vandalism of infrastructure you DO NOT UNDERSTAND!
+
+If they mention the unknown branch:
+>[!quote] D'Serris
+>His eyes narrow, just a fraction. 
+>“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.”
+>Larkvale shoots a worried gaze at D'Serris' projection.
+>D'Serris looks to Larkvale
+>"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.”
+> 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.”
+> 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.”
+> The transmission ends.
+
+>[!quote] Larkvale
+> Larkvale straightens a stack of papers that doesn’t need straightening.
+> “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.”
+>  “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.”
+>  “Three: You will **not** go spelunking in my sublevels without explicit authorization again. If you do, I will have you off this campus before you can say ‘appeal hearing.’ There will be no second warning.”
+>  “And four, if you notice any further… anomalies – voices, visions, static, unexplained glitches – you will report them through Mister Vaelor, not through hallway gossip.”
+>  “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
+### If they try to bargain for a reward:
+>[!quote] 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.”
+
+Offer a DC 13 Persuasion- if they succeed, they get what they want (within reason).
+>[!quote] On fail
+>“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:
+>[!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.”
+> “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:
+>[!quote] 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.”
+>“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.”
+
+### Get out of jail free cards
+>[!quote] 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**.’”
+>“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**.
+>I cannot – even if I were inclined – wave this away with a coupon.”
+>“Here is the only thing this ridiculous piece of cardstock can touch today: the **detentions**.”
+>“If I honor it, I waive the after-school punishment and the formal mark attached to _this_ incident. That is all.
+>You still attended a dangerous failure. You are still now on Mister Vaelor’s ‘safety briefing’ schedule. You are still on my informal list of ‘students who will be nowhere near my sublevels without permission’.”