monarch types again

[ourtomorrow]

I may have found the Authority.

[ Thanks, Monarch. Good day to you too and all that. ]

There's a bank account called "Vault #0". Nothing's ever withdrawn from it, but employees transfer other accounts' money to it when those accounts come within 20% of its total.

Doesn't that sound like Esme? She'd wanted to be more admired than everyone else. So what if the Avaritia Authority wants to be richer?

.....I don't have a name, though. I apologize.

Comments

[phantasmagorial]

This is a really useful lead. Thank you, Monarch. Even if we don't have a name, having something solid to look into at least will get us on the right track.
I wonder how this person is living here in Avaritia, though. If there's no money being withdrawn, then how are they paying for anything?

1/2

[ourtomorrow]

[ ...HE HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF THAT. ]

2/2

[ourtomorrow]

They must have a second source of revenue. A second account?

[ But that's not the only way someone can have more money than everyone else. Monarch starts running through scenarios in his head, matching them to what they've seen elsewhere. Suspicions of a family.....Odd behavior at the casino.....The casino itself, come to think of it.... ]

[curiositydies]

If it's there simply to store money but not to be withdrawn from, perhaps it's meant to hide something else by existing.

Is it linked to a physical vault?

[ourtomorrow]

I can find out. Since it's only referred to as "Vault #0", that might imply being one of the first accounts....

[ Monarch has this vague, dawning sense that the answer has been right in front of his nose. He just has to push a little further. ]

[phantasmagorial]

It could be. Or maybe they do their business in cash? If they just deposit some of what they have and make sure to keep some money on them at all times, it'd be risky but then they could avoid taking any money out of the account.
But then the question is, just where are they getting all this money in the first place?
Could they be the "Lady Luck" Ruin heard about?

[curiositydies]

If it is one of the first accounts there is likely some kind of information trail that it is part of

When it was created/who it was created by/if there are any other vaults that are the same or created at the same time/if there is special significance in the dates and times the money transfers happen

[ He doubts that last one is going to be of any use, but hey, more detail is good detail. ]

[ourtomorrow]

They could be. Or else...

[ The person or persons making the most money in all of Avaritia... ]

Who owns the casino?

[ourtomorrow]

I see. The account holder's name might be confidential, but there's plenty to be learned from information I have.

[ Kicking himself for not having thought of that! Being part of a group really is nice. They can cover for him, and he can learn from everyone else's good ideas. ]

[phantasmagorial]

I'm not sure. I don't think anyone's been able to identify them yet.
But it's definitely worth investigating.
Every lead could be the one that sends us in the right direction.

[ A pause in her typing, as she thinks it over. ]

Let's ask Ruin to investigate.
He's already gotten some information from the casino. I think he could do it.

[curiositydies]

Correct.

The omission of certain key parts of information is often just as telling as what information you do have
Comparing the information of a standard account with Vault #0's may offer you further insight as well
Though if they are cautious they will have already thought of this. We hope that in this case greed overrides common sense, as it seems to with many of this layer's inhabitants

That said
If the purpose of the vault is to store money from other accounts once it reaches a certain threshold
If we were to open an account and share it, it is entirely likely that gaining large amounts and storing it in that very account may be a way of getting the holder's attention. Not a very subtle solution but it is an option.

[ourtomorrow]

[ He has, hasn't he? Monarch remembers that from the intel sharing. ]

Got it. I'll back him up.

[ With his fancy access to the city's ledgers and whatnot. ]

[ourtomorrow]

[ Well, Monarch knows what he's gonna do his next day at work now. ]

That's like what everyone did with Esme, isn't it? They formed an idol team to challenge her.

How would we make the money?

[phantasmagorial]

Make sure to let me know if there's anything at all I can do to help.
It wouldn't be right to leave it all up to you.
So make sure to tell me if there's any way I can support you.

[ourtomorrow]

[ ...Ah. ]

About that.

[phantasmagorial]

What happened?

[ SHE KNOWS DISASTER FLAGS WHEN SHE SEES THEM ]

[ourtomorrow]

I got the job by sneaking in. So if I try anything with the account to reveal the Authority, I could trap myself.

[ Seeing as the stairs were not friendly last time. ]

I'm willing to risk it. But.

[ oh gosh how does he say this

"I don't want to make any of you sad"

"I have been informed getting myself caught is a bad result"

"help me" ]

[phantasmagorial]

If it puts you in harm's way, then we need to look into other things. People got hurt trying to investigate last time and I don't want that to happen again.

[ No ifs, no buts. ]

[ourtomorrow]

[ There is a slight lag so Monarch can have an emotion or four. ]

Understood.

[curiositydies]

Gambling of course!

With as low a risk as possible naturally. They'd cheat us so its only fair to beat them at their own game and get in first. [ That's how he sees it, anyway. ]

[ourtomorrow]

[ Of....course....?

But that's the whole appeal of gambling, isn't it. The prospect of a sudden windfall.

Which leaves the logistics. ]

Do you know how to cheat?

[heir_to_ruin]

Do you have any way to see if that gross first deposit matches a withdrawal from the casino at the same time? Might give us an indicator for if it was from Miss Fortune, y'know?

Since her win was "the largest payout ever"

[ourtomorrow]

I might. It's a promising lead.

If I can't see the casino's account, but we knew how much she won, we could compare those numbers, too.

[ Trying to consider this from multiple angles. ]

[heir_to_ruin]

I've tried to get a number from people or descriptions of her but no one is willing to talk. I can only push so much before they get suspicious and I don't want to jeopardize my reputation until we're sure we don't need a lot of cash.

Good to know I should definitely not be keeping winnings at the bank though.

[ourtomorrow]

[ Monarch feels a moment of shame at being disinclined to stand up for his employer. Then he remembers what said employer has asked him to do and moves on. ]

That reticence itself might be significant. She's notable, but people don't want to discuss her.

[ He's not sure what it SIGNIFIES. Which is frustrating. But it does seem SIGNIFICANT.

Story of Monarch's afterlife. ]