120116-fallen-to-darkness-chapter-1-episode-1

== Content ==
			
The Black Dagger Society recently started an episodic series of roleplay events for our guild members.  We created a loose plot concept and we're running new episodes every few weeks for our guild members to advance the story.  It's sort of like a guildwide choose-your-own-adventure where the major plot points are scripted but the actions of the guild members in the RP events influence the flow of the story significantly.
 
As part of what we're doing, we are transcribing the chat logs from each event into a narrative form.  This is so guild members who can't attend the events can still read what happened and to some extent feel like they were there, if only in the background.  All of the dialogue below was actually voiced by guild members during the event, although there was some editing when we transcribed it into story form.  All of the character names you see referenced are actual members of the Black Dagger Society and the locations/sets are either out in the world or on housing plots of our members.
 
The first episode took the form of an in-character guild meeting designed to set up the story moving forward.  Future events will have slightly more action in them :)
 
We're posting this here to share with the Wildstar community - because, well, we think it's going to be a pretty darn good story!  We hope you enjoy reading about it as much as we're enjoying doing these!
 
 
 
Chapter 1:  Among Us
 
The sun had set not long before, bathing the Stonehenge outdoor bar in shadows.  Dim lights flickered from tabletops or areas where torches had been set out.  At a table in the corner of the uppermost deck sat a Mordesh, clad in laboratory scrubs that seemed out of place in the fancy rooftop bar.  As he sat, another Mordesh joined him, this one dressed in a dark uniform.
 
“May I join you?” asked the newcomer.
 
In reply, the first Mordesh inclined his head towards the seat across from him.  Sitting down, the newcomer leaned forward, revealing feminine features in the flickering candlelight.
 
“Can we talk?”
 
Across the table, Doctor Ikabod Harker let out a sigh.  “If you insist, Zhilly.”
 
Zhilly looked around cautiously and then leaned forward, lowering her voice to the barest whisper.  “They must not know everything.  We can’t cause a panic.”
 
Doctor Harker simply nodded.  “I plan on letting Chaide do most of the talking.  He doesn’t know everything”.
 
“Probably for the best,” responded Zhilly.  “Nephele told me that some of her tools were missing.  Whoever it is, they’re getting bolder.”
 
Doctor Harker looked down at the crowd growing around the bonfire just outside the bar.  “I wonder if they are here now…”
 
At this, Zhilly glanced around warily.  “This is too much.  Someone must know something.  Whoever is doing this has a plan.”  She reached out, lightly touching Ikabod’s arm.  I hope we can stop this before something terrible happens…. You must be careful.”
 
Ikabod simply nodded again.  “Of course.  We’ll catch them, and get to the bottom of this.”  He looked down again, where a Granok was standing up and waving to everyone.  “He’s starting.”
 
As Ikabod got up to join the gathering below, Zhilly sat there for a moment, murmuring “I pray to Kemos that we do” before going to join the gathering herself.
 
 
***
 
 
Off to one side of the rooftop bar, a large bonfire had been lit.  Various cuts of meat sizzled and popped on sticks, and a nearby table held refreshments.  To all the world it looked like an evening party in progress, but the grim looks on the faces of many of the individuals gathered around it bespoke a different purpose for the gathering.  On one side of the fire, a large Granok clad in a greasy apron stood up on top of a table, motioning to the others to take their seats so that he could begin.
 
The crowd was as diverse as any you might find on Nexus.  Around the fire sat a hodge-podge of people.  Some wore business attire, others rough travel clothing, and a few sported tactical vests or heavy armor.  The one thing they all had in common though was a symbol of a stylized black dagger, somewhere on their clothing.
 
A dark-haired Aurin, with two lethal-looking pistols holstered on her thighs, leaned over to the tall, lean human sitting next to her.  “What’s going on Hooch, do you know anything?”  Her partner arched an eyebrow and whispered back.  “All I know is that someone has appropriated some of our equipment without authorization… and they didn’t trip the security systems.  Very… intriguing.”
 
Across the group, greetings and conversations died down to a murmur as Ikabod Harker stepped into the firelight, followed closely by Zhilly.   Glancing at them, the big Granok smiled and boomed “Doctor Harker!   It has been a while.  How are you?  I haven’t wanted to disturb your research.”
 
Ikabod looked sharply at Chaide.  “Have no fear.  *You* are not the one disturbing it.”
 
Another Aurin, late to arrive, flopped down next to the others, huffing.  “Sorry I’m late, I was trying to climb your tree, Chaide, but I couldn’t” said the pink-haired Aurin”  She made as if to keep speaking when the dark-haired Aurin elbowed her roughly.  “Shut up Quil, this is important!” said Matillda.
 
Ignoring the outburst, Chaide looked intently at Doctor Harker.  “What has been happening?  I got your message…perhaps too late…”
 
To this the Doctor merely replied, “Perhaps.”
 
As Chaide readied himself to speak, Matillda leaned over to Hooch again, pointing.  Over to one side, Zhilly had stepped back to a point where she could see the entire gathering, and was briskly tapping notes into a datachron.  “Something’s wrong, Hooch.”  Glancing up, Matillda reached over to her own datachron, setting her scanbot to record and monitor.
 
Sighing, Chaide turned to address everyone.  “I want you to hear this from Doctor Harker… but it seems we have a thief in our midst.”  He paused, waiting for the expressions of shock to die down.  “I’m glad you all came.  We need to talk about this.”
 
Immediately a half-dozen voices began blurting out questions.  Hooch stood, momentarily drowning out the others.  “How did the thief bypass the teleporter security?”  As Chaide attempted to say more, others rose to their feet, demanding answers.  “What was taken?”  “Who did it?”  “Why would anyone do such a thing?”
 
A tall human with silvery blonde hair, sitting off to one side, said quietly.  “Hush everyone.”  Although spoken softly, her words carried the weight of authority.  Those who had been shouting questions a moment before gradually sat back down.
 
“Doctor,” said Nephele.  “Why don’t you tell us what happened, from the beginning?”
 
As Doctor Harker stood to speak, all eyes turned to him, as those around listened intently.  Nervous, Matillda pulled out a small robotic plushie, turning it over in her hands and petting it softly.
 
Doctor Harker looked out towards the assembled crowd.  “As Chaide said, it would seem that there is a thief among us.  At this time, we are unsure of the identity of this unsavory individual.  It may be one of us, or perhaps an outside source.  We can only guess.”
 
“A thief, Doc?” asked Chaide, draining a mug of beer in one giant gulp.  “Are you sure?”
 
As the rest of the crowd looked around at each other, confused, Doctor Harker continued.  “Several items have been taken from my lab.”
 
All around the fire, murmurs burst out among the crowd.  “Your lab?” asked Chaide.  “That could be very dangerous.”  Before Doctor Harker could respond, Quilynn asked “What did they take?”
 
Motioning for quiet, the Doctor continued.  “This is not all.  Wyatt Hex and Zhilly have both reported thefts as well.  And Molu….” He paused, looking around the fire for a moment, then sighed.  “Of course Molu isn’t here.”
 
Nephele spoke next.  “I am missing some tools as well, from my workshop.  Did Molu see something, Doctor?”
 
“Molu says that he saw an intruder, but not closely enough to identify them” said the Doctor.  “As I heard mentioned by one of you earlier… no, none of our security measures were tripped.”
 
Hooch spoke again.  “Is there a pattern here?  What was stolen?  Just tools and lab equipment?  Is anyone else missing anything?”  Next to him, Matillda fidgeted nervously.  “Ummmm….well, maybe a couple of my meowkapows” she said, showing the robotic plushie she was holding.  “But I honestly couldn’t tell you if they were stolen or if I used them.”
 
At this, there were chuckles from some of those assembled.  “BOOMBOOM” Matillda’s reputation was well earned.
 
Chaide motioned for quiet.  “Doc, you make it sound like the thief targeted you directly.  I mean, let’s not get too hasty here.  Are you sure it wasn’t random?”  As he spoke, Chaide looked around nervously, his face a mask of concern and worry.  “I mean, even the thought that it might be one of us responsible…that’s just…”
 
“Doc,” asked Matillda.  “I have to ask…. The things that were stolen from your labs…. Were they being used for any….unsavory experiments?”  Across the fire, Zhilly stopped taking notes for a moment to glary at the young Aurin.  Sitting next to Matillda, Hooch just grinned.  Blanching a little, Matillda continued.  “I mean, could someone have something with a terrible disease in it or anything like that?”
 
“Contrary to what you may have heard,” said Doctor Harker, “I would hardly call anything about my work ‘unsavory’ – and while I did not intend on divulging the nature of my work, I will make an exception in this case.”
 
The Doctor paused for a moment, looking around those assembled.  “I have been working to unlock the secrets of the Strain.  My experiments have revolved primarily around determining the level of intellect and self-awareness this… thing… possesses.”
 
Around the fire, people exchanged nervous glances with those sitting next to them.  All of the Daggers had encountered the Strain during their time on Nexus, and seen firsthand the horrors it brought.  The Doctor continued, “Included in my equipment that has gone missing is a set of scalpels, and pieces to my incinerator – which means, in short, that I am no longer easily able to dispose of the samples in my lab.”
 
Hooch started to speak.  “So, if something were to endanger your containment now….”  At this, the pink-haired Aurin jumped up, excited  “You can just employ me for your lab, Doc!” Quilynn said enthusiastically.  “I’m pretty great at killing strain, if I do say so myself!”
 
Quilynn looked around for a moment, noting the expressions on the faces of those around her, and the icy glare being directed at him from Zhilly.  “Uh…well… maybe I’m not as certain as an incinerator.  And it doesn’t really solve the problem of the things that were stolen, I guess.”  Quilynn sat back down.
 
Chaide raised a hand for silence.  “Daggers,” he began, “we have thefts from multiple locations, reported by multiple members.  Every single time, none of our security systems have been tripped.  This is too large to be anything other than an inside job.”  Chaide continued.  “We’ve never had something like this happen before, but that’s what all the evidence points to.  We need to figure out who is responsible and why this is happening.”
 
“I concur,” said Hooch.  “Tools aren’t a goal in and of themselves.  They’re a means to something else.  Perhaps the question we should be asking is what can be made with all of these tools when considered together?”
 
“Are we sure about that?” interjected a pale Aurin.  “Were these thefts deliberate, or simply a side result of some other motive?”  Looking nervous, the bounty hunter known only as Doom Kitty reached over and clutched the hand of the human sitting next to her.  “I mean, maybe they were after something else and were taking these things to cover their tracks or something?  It’s what I would do.”
 
Agitated, Matillda jumped to her feet.  “But what if it was something from his lab!” she cried, pointing at Doctor Harker.  “You’ve been studying intelligent strain, Doctor!  What if it’s been studying you all this time!”
 
“But that would mean…” Hooch said, trailing off.  Another human, sitting next to Doom Kitty, spoke up.  “Ohhh great.  You think that something slipped out of his lab and is VISITING us?”  All around the group, murmurs and whispers started up.  No one wanted to think about a Strain beast loose in their own homes.
 
“Calm down, everyone,” said a yellow-haired Aurin sitting next to Chaide.  “I highly doubt, based on the security measures the Doc takes, that something slipped out, as it were.”
 
“You are correct, Chestnut” said the Doctor.  “All of my samples have been accounted for.”
 
--------------------------------------
 
Chaide looked resigned.  “Do you think we need to do an internal investigation, Doctor Harker?”
 
“I think we do, Chaide” said the Doctor, earning a shudder from his Granok counterpart.  “I think one of our members could be working for the Dominion.”
 
Chestnut snorted.  “Really?  The Dominion?  A Dagger?”
 
“Yes Chestnut, I do actually believe it,” continued the Doctor.  “I have not completed psychological exams on all of our personnel yet, not even everyone here – and who else would want to unleash the Strain upon our home?”
 
A dark-haired human spoke.  “Is the Dominion so desperate to do us in that they’ll resort to using the Strain?”
 
“It makes sense,” said Hooch.  “Think about it, Moxine – whose ship did you fly to Nexus in?  The Dominion has wanted revenge ever since Chiron, and hasn’t been able to get it.”
 
Matillda spoke up angrily.  “Well, how do we find this traitor?”
 
Hooch spoke again.  “The common element with all of us is the Dagger security protocols.  Without those our systems are all fairly independent.  That means there should be some record of who accessed each area around the times the thefts occurred.”  He paused for a moment.  “Doctor, all of the members of my Graves division have microtansmitters implanted subdermally.  I’ll have Cam make those records available immediately to you.”
 
The Doctor nodded to Hooch.  “That would be most excellent.  I would like those sent to my personal datachron as soon as possible.”
 
Chaide cleared his throat, making a great rumbling noise.  “It does seem that one of us is indeed responsible.  And as the Boss, my number one concern has to be the safety of our members and the security of our livelihood.”  He paused and looked around at those assembled.  “I need everyone to cooperate with the Doctor in his investigation.  We have to find out who is responsible for this.”
 
Standing at the edge of the firelight, Zhilly spoke.  “Chaide.  I have some… contacts.  Friends, you could say, that would be willing to help if needed.”
 
Chaide looked startled.  “Outside help?  At a time like this?”  He turned to Nephele.  “Neph, what do you think.  Outsiders?”
 
After a moment, Nephele spoke.  “I think outside help may be our best choice.  We have no idea who might be responsible.  None of us can be trusted to be objective.  As hard as it is, we need someone who can look at this situation from the outside, and help us find the culprit.”
 
Hooch looked sharply at Zhilly, suspicion filling his eyes.  “What kind of friends, Zhilly?  ….not the Widow, I hope?”  This earned him a glare in response, but before Zhilly could respond, a dark-haired human chimed in from the back, her hands resting just beside the dual pistols on her belt.  “Can they be trusted?
 
Quilynn, looking upset, chimed in.  “Moxine, it doesn’t look like we can even trust each other anymore!”
 
Chaide held up his hands.  “Hold on, let’s not go that far… I mean, we are still Daggers.  We’ve been through a lot together.  We can’t let this tear us apart.  Whoever it is, we have to find them.  And we have to burn ‘em up real crispy, like this guy here!”  He gestured towards the rowsdower on the spit above the fire.
 
Quilynn nodded.  “After all… the person responsible isn’t really a Dagger.  At least not in my mind.”
 
After a moment, Matillda looked up.  “What I want to know is how we’re supposed to accomplish our missions if we can’t even trust each other?  I rely on you guys to have my back… this is really serious.”
 
Zhilly turned to Chaide.  “My contacts are not as far outside as you think.  We will talk later.”
 
Chaide thought for a moment.  “Alright.  We can discuss this later.  I want to hear everything before a decision is made, with all of us.  Especially fi they are not as outside as you say.”
 
A pained silence fell over the group then, everyone glancing worriedly at those around them, or looking at the ground, no one willing to make an accusation, but all of them shaken by the revelation that there was a traitor in their midst.
 
Across it all, Zhilly looked towards Doctor Harker, trying to make eye contact.  “Ikie…”
 
Perhaps too loudly, Doctor Harker said, “Yes, Zhilly.  You have something to say?”  Zhilly looked down, then back up as if to speak, before everyone’s attention was drawn to Hooch, visibly distressed and arguing with someone over his commlink.
 
“No!  No, Cam.  Not again.  Not ever again.”  Hooch, trying to keep his voice quiet, was shaking his head as if arguing with someone.  After a moment, he noticed everyone watching him.
 
“Hooch,” said Doctor Harker.
 
Glancing around nervously, Hooch replied.  “It… was a long time ago.”
 
“Please, share.” Said the doctor.  
 
Matillda looked over at Hooch and grasped her old friend’s hand.  “Don’t do it Hooch.  There’s someone here you can’t trust.  They’ll turn it against you!”  Hooch looked down at her for a moment and then sighed.  “No.  I can’t keep it from them.”
 
The group gathered closer to listen as Hooch began.  “The Graves weren’t always a part of FCON.  We used to work for the Widow, doing some of her less… respectable work.”  He paused for a moment, looking around at everyone.  “Cam and I were tasked with infiltrating Dominion ships, before the massacre at Chiron.  We know about hiding our identities among enemies.”
 
“I’m sorry,” Hooch continued.  “I will advise, and help as much as I can, but there are some things I won’t do again.  No matter the reason.  The Widow didn’t understand that.”
 
Around the fire, reactions were a mix of icy glares and compassionate looks.  No one was quite sure what to make of this revelation.  The Graves had been working with the Daggers since their arrival on Nexus.  No one wanted to think of them as infiltrators.
 
The uncomfortable silence was shattered by an insistent buzz.  Startled, Nephele looked down at her datachron, then at Chaide.
 
“Chaide, I have to go.  Someone is trying to access Lucy’s arming mechanisms.”
 
Everyone looked up, startled.  “Lucy?”, asked Chestnut.  Hooch looked alarmed, as did others nearby.  Everyone in the Daggers knew what would happen if Lucy fell into the wrong hands.  “Go Neph, quickly!” said Hooch.  “We have no idea what the thief is capable of with the tools they’ve stolen!”
 
Nephele rose quickly, unslinging her rifle and hurrying towards the teleporter.  She stopped only momentarily, as Matillda tossed one of the robotic plushies to her.  “Take this meowkapow Neph… you may need it.”  Then Nephele was gone.
 
It was Doom Kitty who spoke next, looking confused.  “I don’t understand…. What is happening?”  Hooch answered.  “We’re under attack.  This is just the beginning.”
 
It was Chaide who spoke next.  “I agree.  This isn’t just petty thefts anymore.  We are actively under attack.”
 
Chestnut rose, looking angrily about.  “Well, it can’t be someone here, if Lucy is being tampered with!”
 
“Unless there’s more than one of them..” said Hooch darkly.
 
“Don’t worry, Hooch,” said Chaide.  We will end this.”  Hooch nodded grimly.
 
Moxine spoke next.  “If it’s the Dominion, then there’s no doubt the ICI is involved.  They could have files on every one of us.”
 
Unexpectedly, Hooch grinned.  “That can go both ways, Moxine.”
 
“Hooch,” said Doctor Harker.  “I would appreciate any information you would be willing to share.  I would like to bring you into the investigation…. Of course, only as an advisor.  Nothing more.”
 
“Of course,” replied Hooch.  “As our first order of business I suggest we create false files on the Daggers…”
 
The Doctor cut him off.  “We can discuss this in private, later.”  Hooch nodded.  “The Graves, as always, are at your disposal, Ghosts of Chiron.  The price you paid was too high for us to walk away.”
 
“We will get to the bottom of this, Daggers!” announced Chaide.  “I am putting Doctor Harker on point for this.  Doctor, you can head up the investigation as you see fit.  Everyone, please listen to the Doctor, and take anything you find to him immediately.”
 
The Doctor nodded.  “I encourage all of you to remain vigilant.  Report anything, no matter how small it seems, to me immediately.  You are all dismissed.”
 
------------------------------------------------
 
As the Daggers filtered out in twos and threes, many of them fingering their weapons and with grim looks on their faces, a few remained by the fire a moment longer.  Hooch and Matillda walked over to stand next to Doctor Harker.
 
“Doctor, will you begin to analyze the tools that have gone missing and what purpose they could be put to?”
 
The doctor looked at Hooch gravely before answering.  “I will look into it, Hooch.”
 
“Good.” Hooch replied.  “My team will begin searching for sabotage or surveillance equipment.”
 
Matillda broke in.  “Hey!  You know, as your local explosives expert you should let me know if you need any… uh… loud points made.”
 
Hooch chuckled slightly at this.  “Mati, we could use your help looking for sabotage.  You may see something we would miss.”
 
The doctor spoke.  “These are trying times.  You should all keep your guard up.  But for now, please return to your normal duties, and wait for further instructions.”
 
“Understood.”  Hooch turned and left, the aurin in tow.
 
As the others left, Chaide, Zhilly, and Doctor Harker stood clustered together.  After a moment, Zhilly asked, “Shall we go and sit down?”  She motioned to a table at the bar up above.  The others nodded, and together they walked upstairs.  Zhilly and the Doctor took seats, while the big Granok dragged a chair over from a nearby table suitable for his size.
 
Zhilly spoke first.  “We need help.  I have a… friend… who, let’s say, owes me a favor.”
 
Chaide raised a stony eybrow.  “What kind of friend?”
 
“Let’s just say, a colleague” said Zhilly.
 
Chaide pondered this for a moment.  “I’d like a little more information though, considering…”
 
Zhilly went on.  “They’ve already joined the ranks under my advisement after things started to go missing.  I know I should have asked, but time is of the essence.”  She looked at Doctor Harker.  “He needs to know what we’re up against.”
 
The doctor nodded slightly.  “I agree.  Tell him.”
 
Zhilly sat for a moment, then sighed.  “We are worried about what this… thief… may be attempting to do. “  She stopped for a moment, looking glumly at the table.
 
“Well, of course,” said Chaide.  “But are you telling me it’s worse than you let on in the meeting?”
 
“I’ve been analyzing the patterns of the thefts.  They’re not as random as we thought,” said Zhilly.  “It looks like they’re being planned.”
 
The doctor spoke up.  “I agree.  The items stolen are very specific.  The locations where the thefts occurred were not chosen at random.”
 
Chaide leaned forward.  “I was afraid of that.  What could they do?  In the right hands?”
 
“I think they are building a bomb”, said Doctor Harker.
 
There was a moment of stunned silence from Chaide.  “A… a bomb?  What kind of scale are we talking about here?”
 
Zhilly pulled out her datachron and showed a diagram to Chaide.  “Large enough to take out a whole building and anyone inside.”
 
“Or a ship,” added the doctor.  “Or potentially, the remains of one in orbit.”  He motioned to the sky above them.  It went unspoken, but all of them knew that the shell of the Black Dagger still orbited Nexus, now used as a staging ground for orbital drops.
 
Zhilly spoke again.  “They were here tonight.”
 
“How can you be so sure?” asked Chaide.  “I can’t”, said the doctor.  “But until I have more evidence, these are the facts, and this is how they fit best.  The incinerator’s ignition switch is what was stolen in my lab.  Not the entire unit.  I think it is clear what we are dealing with.”
 
“They also stole some rare plants that I have engineered for my explosive rounds,” said Zhilly.  This earned her a sharp look from the doctor.  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
 
“The question is, who is it?” said Doctor Harker.
 
Chaide replied.  “Who indeed.  Well what do you need from me?”
 
It was Zhilly who spoke.  “I’ll be sending my findings to Zhanya.  She was trained by our… employer… for this type of task.”  Chaide nodded at this.  “I hate the idea of involving an outsider, but I understand the need.  You have my approval.”
 
Doctor Harker spoke.  “Chaide, I will also need to bring the group together again.  For Zhanya.  I would like to hold a presentation of my findings with the Strain.”  
 
Chaide simply nodded.  “I have a lot to take care of now, but I’m depending on the two of you to keep me in the loop as best you can.”
 
Doctor Harker nodded solemnly, and Zhilly replied.  “Thank you.  I must see to this data.”  Together, they both rose and left.
 
Chaide reached behind the bar and pulled out a large bottle.  As he poured himself a drink, he thought of all the trials that they had faced since leaving Chiron.  The Daggers were his family, his friends.
 
And now, one of them was a traitor.
 
He downed the fiery liquid in one massive gulp, and poured himself another.
 
 	
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			Also for anyone reading this it may be helpful to read our guild's RP backstory first, if you haven't yet:  https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/112162-the-black-dagger-society/	
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