Jokers' Deck: Difference between revisions
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'''Jokers' Deck''' is an exclusive gambling circle for the galaxy's billionaires and trillionaires. Members of Joker's Deck are guaranteed complete anonymity by the group's secretive organisers, and high-stakes events are held at a different location and hosted by a different senior member each time. Billions of [[credits]], entire [[corporations]], and even continents are regularly wagered in Jokers' Deck games, which include deadlock poker, [[Giant Verrix]] racing, and roue mortelle. | '''Jokers' Deck''' is an exclusive gambling circle for the galaxy's billionaires and trillionaires. Members of Joker's Deck are guaranteed complete anonymity by the group's secretive organisers, and high-stakes events are held at a different location and hosted by a different senior member each time. Billions of [[credits]], entire [[corporations]], and even continents are regularly wagered in Jokers' Deck games, which include deadlock poker, [[Giant Verrix]] racing, and roue mortelle. Members are required to sign legal waivers before participating, and are held to a strict code of honour to ensure that they pay their debts. | ||
An undercover investigation by [[Francesca Wolfe]] of the [[Wallglass Investigations Agency]] in September and October 3307 exposed several Jokers' Deck members. Wolfe also related details of the theft of Jokers' Deck's most prized treasure, a centuries-old Joker playing card, by the [[Winking Cat]] thief. | An undercover investigation by [[Francesca Wolfe]] of the [[Wallglass Investigations Agency]] in September and October 3307 exposed several Jokers' Deck members. Wolfe also related details of the theft of Jokers' Deck's most prized treasure, a centuries-old Joker playing card that belonged to the circle's founder, by the [[Winking Cat]] thief. The billionaire [[Lexi October]], who had ceremonial possession of the card when it was stolen, then offered to hire Wolfe and her partner [[Erik Gunnarson]] to find the Winking Cat and recover the card. In December 3307, the thief returned the card to Gunnarson and Wolfe, who found the relic had been stamped with a clue to a two-part treasure hunt that had been prepared for the galactic community. | ||
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== Timeline == | == Timeline == | ||
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23 DEC 3307 | |||
*<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pilots' Federation ALERT*<br/>[[Erik Gunnarson]] of the [[Wallglass Investigations Agency]] provides an overview of the [[Winking Cat]]'s latest escapade. "The meaning of the message scrawled on the back of the Jokers' Deck ceremonial playing card has become clear. This time, the galaxy's most infamous larcenist is actually giving away treasure rather than stealing it. Three mysterious riddles were somehow inserted into the [[GalNet]] feed over the last week. [[Commander]]s have reported that clues within these riddles led them to three concealed caches, each in a different system. According to the dates specified by the Winking Cat, these three caches will only be operational for a two-week period, ending on the 30th of December. We can then deduce that caches four, five and six will activate today, and likewise remain available for the next two weeks. This is not the first philanthropic gesture from the Winking Cat. The long-lost painting Penance Street reappeared in 3305 alongside the thief's signature graphic of a cheeky feline face, but this is a more generous giveaway. Some even see it as a redistribution of wealth, noting that the Winking Cat only ever targets corporations, governments or super-rich individuals."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/61bc615b773c895ebe0f4f86 GalNet: The Winking Cat's Treasure Hunt]</ref> | |||
16 DEC 3307 | |||
*<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pilots' Federation ALERT*<br/>Detective [[Erik Gunnarson]] has claimed that the [[Winking Cat]] thief has something planned for the weeks ahead. "After our investigation into the Jokers' Deck gambling circle, [[Francesca Wolfe|Wolfe]] and I were hired to track down their stolen ceremonial playing card. The good news is that we now have the card in our possession. We can hardly claim credit, however: it was posted to us by the one who stole it! The ancient joker card arrived via a courier service, with no data as to its point of origin. But the playing card now has text stamped on the back, which I'm convinced is intended to be a public message. It simply reads 'The hunt is on!' and is followed by two sets of numbers:<br/>'1, 2, 3: 16th to 30th'<br/>'4, 5, 6: 23rd to 6th'.<br/>At the bottom is a drawing of – you guessed it – a smirking, winking cat's face. It's speculation, of course, but some of these numbers must be dates. Perhaps this 'hunt' is scheduled to happen over the next three weeks. Are we being invited to hunt the Winking Cat, or will something else be the prize? The feline thief has been busy of late, purloining everything from prized artwork to prototype robots. Entertainment mogul [[Oscar Goldsun]] recently reported that his private collection of rarities had been hit, and there are rumours that [[WorldCraft]] corporation's vaults were somehow broken into. How that crime spree connects to this message is a mystery that we've yet to crack."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/61bb1a95752c552400213b53 GalNet: A Gift From a Thief]</ref> | |||
19 OCT 3307 | |||
*[[Francesca Wolfe]] of the [[Wallglass Investigations Agency]] has sent a final report from her infiltration of the secretive gambling circle. "The bad news is that Jokers' Deck security caught up with me as I was trying to sneak onboard a ship to get off-planet. The good news is that they didn't gun me down, or even threaten to press charges. Instead, they offered me a job! [[Lexi October]], the current host, was surprisingly gracious. Turns out she's a fan of the Galactic Mysteries pieces that [[Erik Gunnarson|Gunnarson]] and I run, but more importantly, she believes we could give her what she really wants – the [[Winking Cat]]. "She explained that the Joker playing card that was stolen is hugely symbolic to the group, having belonged to its original founder. She also assured me that Jokers' Deck is extremely private but not criminal. Its members sign legal waivers, and there is a strict honour code to ensure all bets are paid. So, Lexi October wants to hire us to track down the infamous Winking Cat thief and retrieve the ceremonial playing card. This may also be a way for her to save face with her fellow super-rich gamblers, who are understandably unhappy about the exposure." Erik Gunnarson, Wolfe's detective partner, added: "It's a huge relief that Wolfe is safe, but what has she got us into now? Will we really be able to catch the Winking Cat? I wouldn't bet on it."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/616eb359e63ade2d12247c9c GalNet: Jokers' Deck Hunts the Winking Cat]</ref> | |||
12 OCT 3307 | 12 OCT 3307 | ||
*The secretive gambling circle of the super-rich has been raided by the notorious criminal known only as the [[Winking Cat]]. The information was revealed by [[Francesca Wolfe]] of the [[Wallglass Investigations Agency]], who infiltrated the event. Her report, which was relayed from an unidentified location, has been published by her fellow detective [[Erik Gunnarson]]. "I'm not sure this will reach Gunnarson, but I must try. After the security alert the staff started getting their IDs checked, which might have revealed mine to be fake. I managed to slip out of the warehouse and into an abandoned industrial district. I still don't know what planet I'm on, but I've found an old comms transmitter to send this message. Before I escaped, I learned what had caused the alert. There was a VIP ceremony involving the group's most precious possession: an ancient Joker playing card. Apparently this has been passed between senior members of Jokers' Deck for centuries, always held by the current host. But when [[Lexi October]] publicly unveiled the card, she found it had been replaced by one showing a different graphic – a winking cat. It's two years since we’ve heard from the galaxy's greatest larcenist, but there's no doubt that only the Winking Cat's legendary skills could have circumvented their security systems. I'm fascinated that a battered scrap of card has greater value than any of the billion-credit items being wagered here. Guards are searching for the thief now. I hope I can get off-world before they find me instead. They're armed to the teeth and not in the mood to talk..."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/616579b5a299dc590f074002 GalNet: Jokers' Deck Hit by Art Thief]</ref> | *The secretive gambling circle of the super-rich has been raided by the notorious criminal known only as the [[Winking Cat]]. The information was revealed by [[Francesca Wolfe]] of the [[Wallglass Investigations Agency]], who infiltrated the event. Her report, which was relayed from an unidentified location, has been published by her fellow detective [[Erik Gunnarson]]. "I'm not sure this will reach Gunnarson, but I must try. After the security alert the staff started getting their IDs checked, which might have revealed mine to be fake. I managed to slip out of the warehouse and into an abandoned industrial district. I still don't know what planet I'm on, but I've found an old comms transmitter to send this message. Before I escaped, I learned what had caused the alert. There was a VIP ceremony involving the group's most precious possession: an ancient Joker playing card. Apparently this has been passed between senior members of Jokers' Deck for centuries, always held by the current host. But when [[Lexi October]] publicly unveiled the card, she found it had been replaced by one showing a different graphic – a winking cat. It's two years since we’ve heard from the galaxy's greatest larcenist, but there's no doubt that only the Winking Cat's legendary skills could have circumvented their security systems. I'm fascinated that a battered scrap of card has greater value than any of the billion-credit items being wagered here. Guards are searching for the thief now. I hope I can get off-world before they find me instead. They're armed to the teeth and not in the mood to talk..."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/616579b5a299dc590f074002 GalNet: Jokers' Deck Hit by Art Thief]</ref> | ||