un: lockwood - audio - Discussion post Threadjacking encouraged!

[recklessenough]

[ Having not been quite as discreet as perhaps he should have been when he visited Messalina, Lockwood has recently found himself on the wrong end of the stick when it comes to Caius Justus' orders and mandates. Lockwood isn't unused to being on the wrong end of the stick when it comes to authority figures, and while he's never had to seriously go underground to avoid being hauled in by the law, he at least knows how to keep his head down.

For the past few days, as Caius Justus has been upending the landscape, Lockwood has been observing from deeper shadows. Caius' first few moves had been alarming, but it had been the aggressive stance he'd ordered the Hand to take with its own civilians that had finally tipped the younger man towards his decision.

Lockwood uses audio for a few reasons. First and foremost, his voice always sounds older; particularly when it is separated from his youthful features. Second he's somewhere in the dark so no one was going to see anything anyway. Third ... it just seems safer not to provide any visual clues to his whereabouts. ]

Hello team. [ All these months, he still doesn't know what their little group calls themselves. ]

I'm not going to waste everyone's time with a long pontification. I know that we all had varying opinions regarding Messalina and her request of the Senate. All of us brought up good points in that argument, even if our views opposed. But now, I hope, we can all agree that events have now gone well beyond those discussions and have taken a turn that is alarming to us all.

Caius Justus is harming his own people through his use of the Hand. We have a dictator who now has the taste for absolute authority, in command of an enhanced army headed by an individual with a zealot's loyalty to said dictator. History has shown us, time and again, that a scenario like this never ends well and it is the innocents who suffer the most.

I had an opportunity to speak with Apollonius and I asked him about the Hand and Narula. In the spirit of transparency, I was looking for a way to separate the Hand from Narula. No luck on that score. What I did learn was that Narula's fanatical worship of Caius Justus is such that should he -Narula- suspect betrayal from Justus, he is going to react badly.

Initially I wasn't sure what leveraging this information might accomplish. But as Caius Justus continues to close an iron fist around this city, I think I have my answer. We need to drive a wedge between Narula and Caius Justus. We need to fracture Caius Justus' control over the city's military and help these people take back control of their Senate.

But I am only one voice and a move like this would need to be a group decision, as it will affect all of us and, well, frankly it may take all of us to mop up the aftermath IF we are able to come up with a way to implement this idea. As such I am reaching out to everybody who can hear through our network to ask;

Should we try to fracture the relationship between the head of the government and the leader of the military, and restore power to the Senate as a whole?

If yes, does anyone have any ideas about the best route to make Narula believe he's been betrayed by Caius Justus?

[OOC: This is the network post to help kick off the coup. Lockwood is making it, but it is meant to be a place for open discussions to please threadjack to your hearts' content!]

Comments

un: Black Prince; text

[blackscales]

What was the long term goal of this?

I think Narula is too far gone to control, at this point, and Caius Justus is obviously a risk. With that in mind, I've been looking for a replacement for Narula and I may have found one. If, for some reason, he was given to believe that Caius Justus also wanted to replace him he may begin to feel betrayed.

We'd just have to make sure he went for Caius Justus first, not my replacement.

[recklessenough]

Would there be any need to put the name of your proposed replacement out into the discussion at this point?

Could we keep it vague? Push the narrative that Caius Justus is unhappy with Narula's work and has a 'successor' waiting in the wings?

[blackscales]

I think that depends on Narula, and on the framing. If he's sufficiently paranoid and unhinged, a few whispers may be enough. Especially if the angle lays enough blame at the door of Caius Justus. Says he doubts him, is unsatisfied with his work, perhaps has been heard criticising him in ways that twist the knife.

[recklessenough]

All good routes. The bigger question is which ears do we need to get these whispers started, so that the right voices bring them to Narula?

[blackscales]

Presumably contacts within the Hand. I believe we had a few undercover there, if not we could intercept his normal method of communication. He takes orders from Caius Justus directly, but I believe they are often sent by pigeon or servant. There's potential for sabotage there.

The other question, which you've avoided, is your long term goal. Separating the Hand from Narula is one thing, but if he stays alive he won't go quietly. Did you expect him to survive this? The same for Caius Justus, for that matter.

un: strange

[rehandle]

[ Does he want to teamwork with Wrathion after his month+ spent as orphan magnet and low grade public enemy? No. But Wrathion is the one with the suggestion, and sometimes needs must. ]

There's at least one shapeshifter in our midst. We can have a Caius Justus overheard if we'd rather those whispers don't depend on the silence or continued cooperation of collaborators.

[blackscales]

Yes, at least one.

[ Ha Ha Ha, Wrathion thinks he's so funny. ]

The trouble is, I don't believe Narula comes to the senate itself. Nobody here likes him, and I don't expect he likes many of them beyond Caius Justus himself. Orders are sent to him. If we want him to overhear directly, it may take more elaborate arrangements.

[Voice, un: howl in one]

[mustact]

[ It would need to be a group decision, he says?

And here Ratonhnhaké:ton was thinking about plotting assassinations out by himself. Maybe that's not the best idea, though. ]

Perhaps the senate could be of help stirring up rumours.

voice; un: Black Prince

[blackscales]

I can start whispers within the senate easily enough. It's a matter of making sure they get back to him, I don't believe he engages with the senate directly.

[mustact]

[ He makes a sound of recognition. That's a good point. ]

Then perhaps we need to target his men. Any who may hope to take over should be lose his post.

[blackscales]

My understanding is the hand is, largely, quite cultlike and very devoted to Narula. There may be weak links, however, among the newer members. Perhaps those of us who went undercover may know who those weak links are.

[mustact]

[ Newer members, huh ...? ]

I wonder if rumours from newer members would have much of an impact.

[ Maybe it would just serve to get them in trouble. ]

[downswing]

And if they have learned nothing?

They are the product of a same vice.



( KILL THEM ALL, CONNOR. )

[mustact]

[ B r o. ]

That remains to be seen.

[downswing]

Can we risk?

[recklessenough]

[ Quite honestly, Lockwood hadn't yet turned his mind towards murder. He was still thinking in terms of machination and manipulation. Had he been considering murder, he might have kept that more on the down low. ]

Do we have anyone in the senate who we trust enough to help with this? Baring trust enough, do we have anyone we feel would be ripe for manipulation?

[mustact]

I believe there are several in the senate who would be glad to see Caius Justus go.

Of course, that does not mean enlisting their help is not a risk.

un: absterge

[downswing]

The Senate. These are the same men that bore their leader. Are they not?



( Solution: Kill the whole Senate. )

[recklessenough]

They are. I certainly can't make an argument for their ability to function with efficiency.

But let's not kid ourselves. One way or another, the long term state of this city's government is not going to be our problem.

[ Because they'll either be gone, or probably dead. Well, at least that feels like the case for Lockwood himself. ]

[downswing]

We cannot destabilise, then flee without care.

un: strange

[rehandle]

They were already unstable. They'll have to figure out how to fix what was broken in a way they can sustain.

[recklessenough]

We don't need to leave without a care but otherwise; yes we can.

We've been trying for weeks to find a workable solution, but no one in power is interested in a workable solution. All they are interested in is holding on to power, and now we've seen a dictator rise.

Maybe it's time this government was destabilized, and the citizens given the opportunity to take back and rebuild on their terms.

audio;

[reparo]

There are people among us who were assigned to act as members of the Hand, correct? Does anyone think that Narula would connect the dots himself should the proof of Caius Justus' betrayal be dropped into his hands, or do we need someone to talk him through it?

audio;

[recklessenough]

If we had more time I'd say that would be a good route to explore.

I'm just not sure how much time we have to sow a slow burn seed of disillusionment. It feels like we need something that will have a more immediate impact.

un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ Five isn’t one to ask the group, but more because this kind of open scheming is bound to be overheard. Since it can’t be helped: ]

There are options. [ His sister being one of them that he won’t suggest for now. ] I’d say there are consequences if you’re found out, but that doesn’t land us in much worse shape than we are now.

What’s your plan b?