eternity:kallidion_savkohos [Labyrinth]

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====== Kallidion Savkohos ======

=====  Black Ops in Ezu =====

Kallidion has been working undercover on the Ezu Plateau, of and on, for a few years now. Working alongside Pree Ama to first learn the Ezu language, and then infiltrate and slowly spread dissent and dissatisfaction with the caste system amongst the people. 

In that time, he had seen much of the unique culture of the Plateau, from its isolated warrior monasteries, to its rural villages, to its few larger towns, to its opal mines. He had seen both luxury and poverty, a more stark disparity between the top and the bottom than //any// other place he had visited, and yet, nothing he had seen could compare to the Holy City of Ezu. 

The centre of the city of Ezu is given over to a vast temple complex, a city within a city. Within this walled complex, tens of miles across, are dozens of temples and shrines, hundreds of private meditation chambers, many places of incredible cultivated natural beauty, fountains, and other such places of quiet serenity where the priests might seek out contemplation. It also possesses housing for a few hundred Priests, a few thousand Servants, and over ten thousand Labourers to perform the tasks beneath the notice of Servants. Though the Labour Caste in the temple complex live comparatively better lives than their counterparts outside the walls, once they are chosen for this sacred duty, they are never again permitted to leave its walls, nor speak to those from outside it.

Surrounding this enormous walled-off display of opulence and beauty is the much larger city, populated by the Merchants, Warriors, Labourers and Menials, with each caste having its own dedicated areas of the city, forming concentric rings of increasing wealth as you get closer to the centre.

It had taken 7 years of the Ministry's agents learning to blend in amongst the Ezu people before any even //attempted// to make his way inside the temple complex itself.

Now, disguised as temple Labourers, several had been living within the sacred space of the Ezu people for almost 6 months. Working, listening, //observing,// and had thus learned a great many interesting things.

Kallidion now understood precisely //why// no one from the lower castes who enters is ever permitted to leave. The servants dare not risk that they will tell the others what they have witnessed, the truth about the Priests of Ezu.

Much as Pree Ama had speculated might be the case, the Priests are a mere figurehead, true power lies in the hands of the Servants. But more than that, even their so-called religious teachings and visions (in truth, little more than the hallucinations caused by frequent Ether inhalation) were guided by the hands of the Servants. 

The Priests speak of their 'visions' in a great conclave of many priests, and they debate the meaning until they 'interpret' the 'correct' meaning. In truth, each Priest at the conclave is surrounded by a handful of Servants, each whispering guidance into the ears of their respective charges, ensuring that the 'correct' interpretation always supports the status quo.

Kallidion had begun this mission thinking rather poorly of the Priests, living their lives of luxury while the lower castes lived lives of struggle just outside their walls. But having now seen it for himself, having been within the temple complex, able to witness the true faces of the Priests when they are not visible to the public, it becomes increasingly hard to view them with anything but //pity//.

Lifetimes of Ether use had taken a serious toll upon both their minds and bodies, leaving them feeble-minded, frail, and easy to influence. Many of the older Priests where barely capable of speech, some almost entirely catatonic. The reason Priests rarely venture from the Holy City, and never without Servants as escorts, is to keep the people from realising just how severe their impairments are.

And now, having learned everything that he could learn, having judiciously planted a few seeds of rebellion in the ears of a few trustworthy Labourers, it was time for him to let things take their course. But first, he would create a little chaos, to add a little more kindling to the bonfire he had been building in secret these long years.

It had taken them four months to learn where the Servants kept the main store of Ether secured. Another month to learn the various security measures, memorise the guard patrols, learn the necessary pass phrases... now all they needed was a key.

For most of his time here, Kallidion had dressed as a member of the Labour caste, not wishing to risk disguising himself as a Servant. Though there were still thousands of them, they were far more likely to be challenged by someone of higher rank if they were not recognised... 

Still, today it would be necessary, for the Labour caste are not permitted into the vault.

He stole the robes of a high ranking Servant from the laundry, making sure to pick the correct hat, as the small differences in their shape signified a servant's area of specialisation.

Through the hallways of a particular building, he made his way to the office of a particular clerk, one of only a few dozen with a key to the vault, one Kallidion had observed many times removing the key (which he was //supposed// to wear on a chain around his neck at all times) and placing it on his desk, as he found the sensation of wearing the chain unpleasant. He had even seen the man misplace the key amongst the many loose documents strewn haphazardly upon his desk. Even better, when it happened, although he panicked, his //immediate// (and, at the time, correct) assumption was that he misplaced it, he began tearing his office apart, and demanded that no one present report the key missing...

In his line of work, there was only one thing Kallidion found more helpful than absentminded people, and that was those who's first priority in a crisis is to hide their own mistakes...

A few minutes later, having distracted the clerk with a complex request, Kallidion left the office, key safely hidden in his pocket. As soon as he was unobserved, he placed the chain around his own neck.

Through corridors, past guards who demand pass-phrases, changed weekly, and through the great steel door of the vault.

This was it, take away the priests' Ether, and the Temple Complex would be in an uproar. And by all accounts, it was becoming increasingly difficult for the Ezu people to convince the lowlanders to sell them Ether. Sequestered away inside their city within a city, they likely did not realise how much of an Ether-keg their Plateau had become...

With any luck, this might be the spark that sets the whole thing off.

For all that effort, there was surprisingly //little// Ether within. Perhaps a few pounds of assorted crystals of various sizes, ready to be melted down and inhaled as vapours. On the one hand, it was a vast quantity of an exceedingly valuable resource, more than he had ever seen in one place outside of the Mausolea. On the other, given the constant demand from hundreds of Priests, it was a shockingly small stockpile.

Small enough, in fact, that by splitting it up between several pockets, as well as hidden pouches worn beneath his robes, he was able to carry almost all of it with him.

He made a mental note not to stand near any open flames, as he made his escape.