Window of Opportunity
05/14/1996
©1996 Greg Porter

The Window of Opportunity is one of those permanent magical 
objects hinted at in the Epiphany rules. It dates back nearly a 
thousand years, to when the original Imperial Palace in Soqtruil was 
built. Among its many rooms, halls and balconies are many suited for 
private conversation, and indeed the palace was built with this in 
mind. His Illustriousness felt it was better to have scheming done in 
his palace rather than someplace else behind his back, so the 
corridors of power were made to be perfect for intrigue.

What no one but His Illustrious and a few chosen workmen knew, is 
that all the best spots are monitored in a way that none have 
suspected. Each prime spot for conspiring had a window 
installed...and removed. However, His Illustriousness used the time 
that these windows existed to Know them, and then put this 
knowledge and his substantial resources into physical form. From 
his own chambers, he can open the Shade of the window, and look, 
listen and even reach through it if necessary, and it does not have 
any corresponding presence at the location being monitored. Of 
course, while it can't be seen, the viewer must remain quiet or the 
sounds will filter through, alerting the people being viewed. 
Originally there were nearly a dozen Windows, but only three remain 
at this time. The current Lord Protector of Atlantis has all the 
records of his predecessors, and can account for the destruction or 
malfunction of all but one of the missing Windows, and it has never 
turned up anywhere else.

The Windows are responsible for two little-known events of 
Atlantean intrigue. The first was approximately 400 years ago. Two 
nobles were plotting a coup in a secluded nook, and their arrogance 
so infuriated the Lord Protector that he ordered his guards to the 
spot and told them to excute anyone involved in foul play. A minute 
later, he shot one of the conspirators through the Window. The other 
conspirator realized what had happened, but was in turn "shot while 
trying to escape" before he could pass the knowledge on to anyone 
else. The other event was about 60 years ago. The Illustrious Ozal's 
father passed the knowledge of the Windows on to his son, in case he 
died suddnly. Ozal, however, was tired of his father's long life, and 
took this knowledge and the opportunity to bash his father head 
against his desk, and then throw him through a Window which opened 
onto an outside balcony. It was never determined how the late Lord 
Protector fell from that height to his untimely death, but the 
Illustrious Ozal tried and executed several potential threats to his 
new regime as scapegoats for the crime...

Game notes - How exactly the Windows were created has never been 
duplicated, which is one reason no one has ever suspected the 
Windows. Normally, if a person creates the Shade of a door or 
window, they just get the object, with no connection to its original 
location or orientation.