Lore:Stolen Intelligence: Difference between revisions

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VIP #1121, well-known to Guardians of the inner system as [[Variks, the Loyal|Variks]] or Variks the Loyal. Directly responsible for the release of the murderer [[Uldren Sov]] from the [[Prison of Elders]], #1121 subsequently fled [[Awoken]] holdings in the [[Reef]] and now styles himself the Kell of Kells, still representing [[House of Judgment|House Judgement]]. The [[Praxic Order]] has petitioned the [[Vanguard]] for permission to detain #1121. The Awoken monarchy, acting through the [[Queen's Wrath]], has claimed jurisdiction over #1121 and further stated that any prosecution in absence of their involvement will be considered an act of war. The Vanguard has not yet made a statement about their position on the issue.

In addition, whatever the findings of said intelligence records may be, it should be stressed that one or two sympathetic outliers cannot be relied upon to erase the wrongs of past centuries, nor should their good-faith efforts to correct the sins of their forebears be taken as sufficient symbolic reparation.

In the spirit of honest self-reflection in the face of justified skepticism, we have begun to discuss the possibility of stepping down to invite new leadership into our place, as well as the general merits of disbanding the Vanguard entirely—largely because we believe that this crisis of identity will plague anyone who steps into this role. We recognize that this is ill-timed, and we will endeavor to involve the [[Consensus]], the Guardians themselves, and all other interested parties in the discussion as appropriate. I specifically invite the Hidden to closely monitor the situation without my involvement. Should you agree that we are doing more harm than good, please do not hesitate to take whatever actions you agree are necessary.

Our current inclination is to caucus with the Hunters to debate the benefits of opening the position to any interested and well-qualified Hunter. Such a debate is, of course, contingent upon the continued existence of the Vanguard itself. We will make an effort to convene the Hunters as soon as possible, but this group should be well aware that most credible candidates have fled the Tower in anticipation of such a debate.

DECRYPTION KEY: 73XK5V2PG1$AUN-326<br>

REP #: 002-A899OF-COC<br>

SUBJ: Intercepted transmission

==Ringer==

SUBJ: Latest [[Hassan Shimizu|Shimizu]] paper

DECRYPTION KEY: 73XK5V2PG1$AUN-326<br>

REP #: 198-VESTA-DC<br>

SUBJ: Re: possible forgeries

2. In these messages, the sender briefly purports to be none other than one [[Eris Morn|ERI-223]], providing fanciful details regarding her origins as a human woman who grew up in an apparent settlement of Old Russia known as St. Petersburg. None of this account sat well with anyone who actually knows ERI-223—not simply because none of her close confederates had any firsthand knowledge or belief that she knew of her pre-Guardian origins, but also because she is still active in the field and has personally denied sending these messages. That being said, in accordance with our rigor for skeptical inquiry, this agent was dispatched in pursuit of hard evidence to the contrary.

Of the photos, original digital files are unavailable, but radiocarbon dating clearly identifies the earliest prints as more than three hundred years old. This is consistent with the timestamps of footage provided by volunteer Ghosts who were present during the same period. As to whether the child we believe to be ERI-223 is indeed ERI-223, please see the second compressed folder attached to this report for full double-blind forensics.

6. Given the importance of #2014's contributions to our defense efforts as well as the recent downfall of the Awoken prince, this agent is deeply troubled by the idea that a malicious entity might seek to sway or confuse #2014 through the context of trusted allies. #2014's Ghost made brief mention of some kind of waking hallucination in one of its messages. Have we reached out to corroborate that report or provide additional counsel?

SUBJ: Sitrep

2. Related to the above, #3801's aggressive propaganda campaign appears to have been successful. Despite #3801's recent inactivity, sentiment polls captured in the Tower at regular intervals over the last several months indicate that he has successfully swayed a significant percentage of the Red War cohort to believe that he may be a potential ally. Given our history with the Cabal as well as the events of the Red War itself, this is shocking and perhaps attributable to a case of mass traumatic bonding.

SUBJ: Leased space in the Annex

I recognize that this decision will be unpopular with certain agents who have taken it upon themselves to investigate #1315's history and moral character.

1. THIS DATA OBTAINED FROM SURVEILLANCE DEVICES AT 1315-HOME2.

3. Highly recommend we assess #1315 for the influence of paracausal forces or entities. Since the conclusion of the joint Vanguard/Praxic investigation into his operations, the subject has become increasingly erratic. Beyond running his Gambit and Reckoning drills with the Guardian population, he has done nothing but hole up in the Annex. He has always exhibited the signs of stress related to prolonged solitude that are typical of all surviving Risen; this manifests in the subject in prolonged and rambling conversations with either himself or his as-yet-unseen Ghost. However, his musings have become less and less coherent over time. Late into the night, away from the Guardian cohorts, he yells at voices that our surveillance equipment has never picked up. He has spoken to himself about trips across vast, interstellar distances to realms no Guardian has ever described.