Wednesday13

Events

See CharSecretsMark for a full history of Pandora’s Box, and Trenton’s relationship to the Arcane Order.

The Arcane Order

The island has changed a lot over the past 265 years. Instead of huts, the Order has constructed a castle called the Sanctuary in which they all live. There is a central courtyard, but other than that the entire island has been covered. The castle is around 7 stories tall, with some towers as many as 20 stories in height.

Iason is the current leader of the Arcane Order. He has a white streak in his hair, but is about Merlin’s age. He was in fact Merlin’s childhood friend, before Merlin’s parents were exiled.

Trenton’s parents (Felix & Madison) are there. Seeker escorted them there – they were brought in as witnesses to the experiments being performed by the descendants of the Seven. Though Felix & Madison burned down the complex, and killed the head researcher (Etnia Gryffinclaw, the grandson of the four founding Pandora’s Box members), another descendant involved in the project, Ramses Corsair (Soren’s grandson), survived.

Since the death of Albus, the previous Arcane Order head, the focus of the group has changed – the new leader, Iason, is more proactive. While he still believes in isolation from the rest of the world (or at least has not claimed the Order should begin meddling directly), he has argued that the Order has a moral obligation to impose sanctions on those who originated from the Order and are misusing their gifts. Thus, for his first act as leader, he called upon Seeker, and ordered him to capture Ramses so that he could be tried for his crimes against humanity. With Bullettrain’s help, Seeker tracked down Ramses, and apprehended him a little over a month ago. In that time, the trial has proceeded slowly, with further investigation (Ramses elaborating on Etnia’s death) yielding information about Felix and Madison. Seeker was then instructed to bring them in for questioning, as witnesses to these crimes.

Trenton’s parents reluctantly agreed, provided their safety was provided for – they had recently received death threats from an unknown party (Strife) who claimed they would soon be punished for what they had done. (She was obliquely referencing her plan to kill Trenton.)

Though Trenton’s parents can explain the true history behind Pandora’s Box to Trenton, they do not know much about the Brotherhood or Pandora’s Children, or anything about their connections to Arcadia, necrophagia and StratCo.

The stairway to heaven

Pip did not build the stairway in Valhalla – he built it where the Obelisk once stood. After all, that location was determined to be the origin of the "Voice of God." The tallest tower, 20 stories in height, encloses the spiral staircase, and when one reaches the top, a cylinder of light encompasses the stairs, drawing the person upward into the sky.

The stairway is where celestials first enter the earthly realm. As they walk down the stairs, they are physically constructed. When they reach the bottom, a psionic doorway opens and they step through to their first destination. The stairs spiral upward for 20 stories, and downward into the ground. As the castle has grown in height, the Tower of the Stair has grown on its own, so that it remains the tallest.

While on the island, Malcolm has the distinct feeling he has been here before, and he knows that tower somehow. Malcolm could ascend the stairway to return to "heaven" (though no one else can – the Light only shines on the faithful). Also, from below comes forth the demon Abaddon (a horned devil) who is going to reap the souls of those who welch on the Syndicate suicide agreement.

The Arcane Order knows a bit about the stairway. According to the history texts, it was built by stonemasons from Midgard around 260 years ago, along with the rest of the castle. It was part of a deal struck with the dwarves and gnomes who were responsible for the castle’s construction. They insisted the "stairway to heaven" needed to be built on the site where the Obelisk once stood, due to the "Voice of God" phenomenon. The Order was not to interfere with activity surrounding the Stair, and in return, nothing emerging from the Stair would pay any mind to the Order’s castle or its inhabitants.

Iason, along with many from the Order, have some misgivings about the Stair, but it is part of their castle and they honor the promises of their ancestors. However, if Malcolm indicates he knows anything about it, Iason is quite curious.

Speed Demon’s legacy

Marcus Morningbird ("Bullettrain"): Speed Demon’s son, he developed extreme quickness, super strength and durability, similar to that of his father, but not including flight. He charges his enemies, ramming into them at high speeds to knock them out. He wears a reinforced costume to facilitate this strategy.

As Marcus Morningbird, he is involved as a "double agent" between Gaia’s Order and the New Lunar Order, and has been monitoring both sides and keeping tabs on any dubious elements. In truth, he works for the Arcane Order – on the trail of his sister, he was looking for evidence of the whereabouts or activities of Ramses or other former Pandora’s Box members, and was instrumental in bringing in Ramses.

As the son of an international superhero, Bullettrain has connections to the UNF, and very recently heard the news about "Strife," who he believes is his sister. It has been a couple of weeks since Seeker brought in Trenton’s parents. Now that Marcus has read the report about the link between Trenton and his friends, and Marcus’s sister, Bullettrain wants to speak to them in person. He sends a message to Laiden, asking to meet with him and his crew regarding the pirate incident.

If they agree, Bullettrain shows them a picture of his family: a man (Speed Demon) in a skin-tight SD costume; a woman (Snow White) dressed in a white ninja outfit, complete with cowl; Bullettrain himself as a young man in his thick, padded suit with speeding train logos up and down the arms; and a younger girl in a full-length black leotard, black toolbelt with gravitic drive and short blue jacket with "F" logo. Speed Demon and Bullettrain grin broadly (and Anna’s expression is unreadable behind her mask), with SD’s hand on the girl’s head affectionately, and Bullettrain’s arm around his sister’s shoulders, but she wears a pensive, somewhat melancholy expression.

"Is this girl the one you encountered?" he asks, a hint of fear in his tone. It definitely is. He seems extremely troubled by the news. She has embraced villainy, he says, despite his and his father’s best efforts. "Finesse always admired mother more," he says. "She was always asking questions about mother’s past."

Laura Morningbird ("Strife" – previously "Finesse"): Speed Demon’s second child, born without powers. She was jealous of her brother’s abilities, despite her father’s assurances that she could fight crime without powers ("just look at Batman!"). Ultimately, she rebeled against the family seeking other means of power, and fell in with Pandora’s Box. She embraced the experiments, volunteering for testing, desperate to live up to the family name. Unfortunately, just when the research was completed and her abilities would be perfected, Trenton’s parents burned down the compound, killing Etnia the head researcher and destroying the research, and ran off, denying her her "birthright." Swearing vengeance, she discards her superhero name, "Finesse," in favor of that of a supervillain: "Strife."

Session 14

Deus rite: Pursuing Moss on Mars, Wednesday learns that Nyx is planning to interfere with the Deus rite. Do they learn of Moss’s burgeoning underground necropolis? Of Aries or his corruption at Nyx’s hands?

Session 15-16

Technofearful: Going to Wolf 359 is a chance for Ridge, and everyone onboard the Perseverance, to clear their names, and fight against the smear campaign launched by Pandora’s Children.

Session 17

William Moss: After smashing Lupus, the Technofearful proceed to Sol, with Mars first, then Earth. Moss’s undead legion can effectively combat the technofearful, but at what cost? Can the Wednesday group stop the technofearful and cure William Moss? Or is he doomed to destruction?