#cryptarchy

"What is this doing here?"

"That's... Isn't that one of those Awoken statues?"

"Well... yes... or at least it's mimicking that form."

"Mimicking?"

"It's the same pose and style and all, but look at the materials, the detail. It's nowhere near as fine as the examples attested from the Reef."

"Maybe that just means it wasn't made in the Dreaming City. The ground ain't made of crystals everywhere, right?"

"Fair point. Could it be... Do you think one of the early Awoken who came to Earth made it?"

"What do you mean 'early'?"

"You know the Earthborn are all descended from Awoken who left the Reef during the Dark Age, right?"

"Right."

"Well, could be one of those Reefborn who first came to Earth made this out of local materials. We'd have to do dating and other analysis to confirm that, but..."

"You don't think one of the Warlocks who built this floating nonsense just stuck that in here for a laugh?"

"Also possible, I suppose. But we're not going to know till we call the Cryptarchy, get an archaeological team in here to survey the site and all that."

"And you think they're gonna send in a team like that on the off chance this dingus might be interesting?"

"They will if I ask nicely."

"Oh yeah?"

"Let's just say Master Rahool owes me a favor."

🔷Factions Special🔶

“I don’t care if the Cryptarchy cleaned it up. I’m still not touching that thing.”

“Oh come on. This has so many more safeguards than Drifter’s prototype, you couldn’t hurt yourself if you tried. And he’s not even the one collecting the umbral residue now.”

“First of all, if you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you in the Manhattan Nuclear Zone. Second, even if that’s true, you think it’s OK letting the Cryptarchy pile up a stock of Darkness goo? The same Cryptarchy it turned out had live SIVA stashed here in the City?”

“Well... shouldn’t the cryptarchs be studying Darkness? We need to learn whatever we can to fight it, right?”

“Studying it? Sure. Collecting it? Nope. Especially not with Drifter’s shady tech that does who knows what under the hood.”

“But it must be above board if the Vanguard is OK putting it in their brand new command center.”

“...Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I mean—hey, where are you going?”

“Hey! Don’t you knock?”

“Drifter is evil. He sells guns full of ontopathogenic goo and pressures Guardians into killing each other. Straight evil.”

“Oh, on the Traveler? You just now figured that out?”

“No, I’ve know it just about the whole damn time he’s been around, and so has everybody else! So tell me why in the nine hells the Cryptarchy is working with him!”

“They are?”

“Haven’t you been to the H.E.L.M.? Haven’t you seen his horrid machines?”

“His what now?”

“Ugh. The Cryptarchy is working with Drifter to perfect his garbage-crafted contraptions for siphoning Darkness off corrupted engrams, and now the Vanguard has installed that hardware right in the middle of their goddamn shiny new operations center! Unbelievable!”

“Huh. Does it work?”

“What? Of course it works. Drifter used the prototypes to skim Darkness material for months before the cryptarchs got involved.”

“If it works, isn’t that good?”

“No! No, it isn’t good! How is it good to let Drifter amass reservoirs of Darkness stuff with no adult supervision? And who knows whether he’s bribed the Cryptarchy, or has someone on the inside? The whole institution could be corrupted...”

“Have you slept lately? You seem... stressed.”

“I am stressed! This is worrisome! How are you NOT stressed?!”

“You don’t think it’s a little... creepy?”

“Empty libraries at night always are.”

“No, I mean wearing a helmet and hood, sneaking around here in the dark.”

“Plenty of Guardians come and go through the City without taking off their helmets. And you remember that Hunter we met who thought if she ever let her hood down she’d lose her good luck.”

“Walking around town is one thing. Snooping about in libraries after hours is another.”

“I need the HUD to scan for the materials we need—or would you rather we spend all night checking every book on every shelf?”

“It’s just... if someone finds us in here, it’ll look even worse than if you weren’t wearing a helmet. You’ll seem even more sus.”

“More what?”

“Sus. You know suspicious.”

“Trying to pick up slang from the cool Ghosts again, I see.”

“...They’re just so clever...”

“Listen, of course it’s creepy. We’re about a creepy business here, trying to find out what the Cryptarchy’s got on the Darkness without anybody knowing we looked.”

“I wish you would’ve just asked. I know you think they wouldn’t let you see—”

“They wouldn’t.”

“—but maybe if Ikora made the request on your behalf, or...”

“They still wouldn’t let me in here. Or, worse, they’d let me in but wouldn’t let me conduct my own research—and they’d keep all the good stuff hidden. Plus, can’t say I’d be too pleased to let Ikora know what I’m looking for.”

“She likes you. She wouldn’t hold it against you.”

“Maybe not, but she might feel obliged to exercise some oversight of our work.”

“You don’t think she’d have you watched? The Hidden have to be busy with better things to do.”

“I’m sure they are, but the Vanguard has more resources than just their spy network to keep track of wayward Guardians.”

“Is that what you are now? Wayward?”

“No. But they might think so.”

“The Cryptarchy seems to be in New Monarchy’s pocket.”

“I noticed they’re practically handing out swords now. Those things might as well be neon projection ads.”

“This is why the Consensus should’ve passed that ordnance against corporate influence on political organizations.”

“But New Monarchy is a political organization.”

“Yes, but the statute had provisions that would’ve limited their influence-buying as well. Scuttlebutt from Consensus chambers is New Monarchy more or less single-handedly stopped it from passing.”

“Maybe that explains the sudden profusion of their flashy gear: they know there could be more legislative restriction coming their way, and they’re trying to build a surge of popular support among Guardians before the rest of the Consensus tries to rein them in again.”

“Could be. Or maybe they know they have such a chokehold on the Consensus that they can give away their swords and armor and retrogressive indoctrination without fear of consequence or accountability.”

Hillary and Bill Speak at a 'Cryptarchy Utilizing Nationalist Tendencies' Benefit

ASHBURN , Virginia –  More than 5,000 diehard fans packed Edlemen Financial Field this afternoon for one of the largest rallies of the 2016 Democratic nomination process. Alexandria, VA  Mayor Allison Silderberg kicked off the festivities by introducing former Secretary Clinton to the t...