IN> [Asmodeus Month] Investigating The Game – Internal Affairs

[James Walker]

Internal investigations are highly political, highly
risky matters. The Gamester is investigating a demon
with a similar mindset, skill set, and web of
connections. Failure is almost certainly fatal.

The first and most important consideration is the
relative ranks of the Gamesters. Investigating a
junior Hound is comparatively safe; your rank and
greater resources should ensure success.
 Some gamesters will routinely purge their underlings,
investigating and arresting any who have been around
long enough to pose a threat. This has the downside of
leaving the Asmodean with an inexperienced work force.
Despite this, most Gamesters will do so when they are
first promoted, determined to find their predecessor's
skeletons. The alternative is being blamed for their
predecessor's mistakes, possibly years (or centuries!)
later.
Experienced Hounds keep underlings incredibly busy, so
that they lack the time to scheme against them; or to
encourage them to plot against each other, and arrange
the transfer/promotion of any subordinate who proves
themselves superior to their colleagues. Most PCs will
have previously served a boss like this before
becoming a favored Servitor.
Investigating a colleague is an unprofitable,
dangerous endeavor. Unfortunately, failure to do so
regularly will inspire paranoia in your boss (and
other ranking Gamesters, such as the local Seneschal)
– if you're not plotting against your colleagues, they
will assume that you are plotting against *them*. 
The goal of the Hound investigating colleagues is to
take down the Asmodean most unpopular with his peers;
making it look like a personal vendetta allays the
fears of the other Gamesters, and their dislike will
encourage them to help you destroy him. Long term
relationships need to be formed with other colleagues,
of course. Counter-intuitively, the best move is to
give your colleagues a (very minor) piece of blackmail
information they can use against you - perhaps
knowledge of a regular bribe you receive.
Inexperienced Gamesters will immediately use it
against you, and be disappointed when you simply hand
the bribe over to your boss. These callow individuals
can be eliminated later. Smarter Asmodeans will demand
a piece of the action – and because you are paying
them off, they cease to be threats. They can be
cultivated later. The wisest Hounds will recruit you
to help them cover their own indiscretions: you are
now partners in crime, and must cover each other's
tracks to prosper. As a team, you may be strong enough
to investigate your boss.

 Arranging the arrest of your direct superior is
regarded as the fast track to promotion by junior
Asmodeans: but few Gamester claw their way up this
way. For starters, senior Asmodeans didn't get there
by trusting their subordinates. And if a Hound
replaces their boss, the next demon up the chain is
going to regard them as a threat – and eliminate them.
A safer option is to simply record all of your
superiors' misdeeds, and store proof away for later.
Don't blackmail them, or force a trial – wait for a
more powerful Asmodean to being proceedings. *Then* go
to the plaintiff, and offer to sell your information.
And demand a high price. As a member of the
organization, you'll need a transfer elsewhere to
avoid the looming purge; describe that as 'witness
protection'. This may be how you got posted to the
Corporeal in the first place!

The exception is if you have reason to believe that a
Gamester is considering going Renegade – then, you
need to call Asmodeus *immediately*. As in: when you
get the proof – not a second later. If proof cannot be
easily acquired, invoke Asmodeus the moment your
suspicions are aroused. Even if you do provide
information, if it looks like you 'hesitated from a
false sense of loyalty' or 'were slothful in your
pursuit of a suspected Renegade' you may end up
executed anyway! Then, your only consolation will be a
less painful execution than that of those Hounds who
didn't even realize there was a problem.


      ____________________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo!7 Mail has just got even bigger and better with unlimited storage on all webmail accounts.
http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/unlimitedstorage.html