Councillor Haia
Councillor Haia
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“Nothing personal: this is merely how top-level Council politics plays out. If it helps, I'd be happy to feign remorse.
Councillor Haia is a member of the Arcane Council who tried to kill the other councillors by modifying the Snaff Savant's VAL-A Golems. Although the Snaff Savant and Zojja made the council aware of Haia's scheme, they could not find solid evidence tracking back to her, so Haia was allowed to stay in the council although the councillors would keep an eye on her.
Biography[edit]
Personal story[edit]
In 1325 AE, Zojja approached the latest winner of the Snaff Prize and revealed that the VAL-A Golem models based on this Snaff Savant's design had gone berserk and killed the people they were supposed to be serving at Mrot Boru and Desider Atum.[1] After defeating the rampaging golem at Desider Atum and inspecting its remains, the Savant discovered that the golem had been tampered with because its aether couplings had been misaligned, its control parameters were all wrong, the logic arcanum had been twisted beyond recognition, and, most distressingly, it had only served cold beer instead of warm lager and fine wine.
While investigating the matter, the Savant discovered that three people had checked out the original model's blueprints in the Rata Sum archives: Councillor Haia, Mink, and Keppa. Further investigation revealed that each asura had modified the designs for their own reasons, and the Savant set out to learn more about these modifications. Haia gave the Savant a warm welcome during the investigation and, unlike Mink and Keppa, let the Savant peruse her version of modified blueprints without issue. She had baked cookies in the meantime and promised to send them to the Savant's lab. A closer look at the blueprints revealed that, unlike the other two asura's suspicious modifications, Haia had seemingly improved on the design by swapping the golem's power source with a new, more efficient source of the same size and weight.[2]
However, investigating the two remaining suspects led to a dead end as neither asura's haphazard designs could have caused such a complex malfunction. Using the process of elimination, the Savant and Zojja came to the troubling conclusion that Haia had to have been behind the sabotage and had somehow covered her tracks despite her ostensible innocence. The pair tested the theory by building a VAL-A golem according to Haia's blueprints, which led to the golem going haywire. Zojja concluded that the changed power core had to contain some hidden exploit to drive the golems to murder.
Armed with this knowledge, Zojja, her golem Mr. Sparkles and the Savant rushed to the Arcane Council's chambers to meet with Haia but found her waiting for them along the way instead. Although the pair threatened to expose Haia in front of the entire council with the proof they had, Haia laughingly dismissed them by pointing out that she had already sent her underlings to retrieve the incriminating blueprints from the pair's lab. She also revealed that she intended to use the modified VAL-A golems to dispose of the rest of the council while framing the pair for the entire incident.
Realizing that they had been played and that Haia's plan was already underway, Zojja and the Savant left the councillor behind and rushed to the Arcane Council's chambers. Upon arriving, the pair heard the council discuss that the golems were a gift from an anonymous donor just as the golems went berserk. Rallying the councillors to fight beside them, Zojja and the Savant defeated the golems after a fierce battle without any casualties in the council.
After the battle, Zojja and the Savant confronted High Councillor Flax and told him about Haia tampering with the Savant's design and what her plan had been. Flax needed no more convincing as he was well aware of Haia's bold moves although he also knew that Haia was clever enough to never leave evidence behind that could be traced back to her. Flax thanked the pair for their assistance but insisted that they drop the subject and let the council handle Haia. According to Flax, the council would keep an eye on Haia for any future acts of treachery and might even send a "lethal gift" to her should she step out of line again. Zojja was more skeptical of the council's effectiveness, however, expecting Haia's power and wealth to allow her to get off with a mere slap on the wrist although the Savant pointed out that another councillor might very well do her in one day.[3]
Living World Season 3[edit]
Haia accompanied other councillors on a tour in the recently discovered lost city of Rata Novus in 1329 AE after the Elder Dragon Mordremoth had been slain. While there, a tour guide informed them about the history of Rata Novus and how the fallen city's asuran denizes had made some breakthrough research on how to defend against the asura's old nemesis, the Elder Dragon Primordus. According to the guide, Councillor Phlunt and other krewe leaders were hard at work on uncovering new data on Primordus from the Rata Novan databanks that Rata Sum would use to its advantage in the future.
The Icebrood Saga[edit]
Following the Elder Dragon Jormag's awakening in 1333 AE, the Ice Dragon's champion Ryland Steelcatcher approached the Arcane Council with an offer to exchange knowledge and collaborate with the asura to defeat Primordus, Jormag's enemy, for good as the Fire Dragon's rise was inevitable. Haia and the rest of the council agreed to Jormag's terms and saw the truce as logical in order to finally destroy the Fire Dragon which had driven asuran ancestors from the Depths of Tyria centuries ago.
By the time the Pact Commander, Braham Eirsson and Rytlock Brimstone arrived at Rata Sum, they witnessed Ryland having a discussion with Councillors Vark and Zudo. Shortly after, Vark, Zudo and her sister Ludo attended Taimi's briefing at the Advanced Metamystics Lab alongside the Commander, Rytlock and Ryland. Taimi explained that she had been using her network to track the recent earthquakes happening throughout Tyria although she was unsure if all of it was related to Primordus or movements of ley energy. Vark found Taimi's findings odd, though, as the council had never seen any activity that far below the crust.
Suddenly, Taimi's readings indicated activity beneath Rata Sum. As if on cue, the city was invaded by Primordus's destroyers which proved to be stronger than previous destroyer generations. Haia fought alongside the rest of the Arcane Council, Ryland's Frost Legion, Braham, Rytlock, Taimi and the Commander and forced the destroyers into retreat once they had felled the destroyer lieutenant leading the invasion force.
Later, Haia and Vark were present with Taimi and Gorrik as they relayed their latest findings on Primordus to Ryland: the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik's death had amplified a feedback loop between Primordus and destroyers so that each of them strengthened the other in preparation for Primordus's rise.
By the time the Commander arrived and questioned the council on why Ryland had been allowed in the council chambers, Haia explained that it would take more than the Pact and the Commander to defeat as destructive a force as Primordus. While discussing how to cut the flow between Primordus and destroyers, Haia suggested boosting Jormag's power to level the field between the two rival Elder Dragons. Gorrik found Haia's suggestion a reasonable approach although he questioned whe wisdom behind it.
Location[edit]
Story involvement[edit]
Personal story[edit]
- Chapter 1: Experiments Gone Wrong
- Chapter 2: Interested Parties
Living World Season 3[edit]
- Episode 1: Out of the Shadows
- Episode 2: Rising Flames
The Icebrood Saga[edit]
Combat abilities[edit]
- Skills
-
Lightning Orb - Launch an orb of lightning that fires projectiles at nearby foes.
Trivia[edit]
- Haia wears Sorcerer's Masque, Epaulets, Coat, and Livery, combined with Feathered Pants and Boots. As four of those pieces are human light Tier 3 cultural armor, she is one of the few NPCs wearing cultural armor of another race.
Quotes[edit]
- Greets
- What is it?
- Make it quick.
- Yes?
- Greetings.
- Do we need to call the Arcane Eye?
References[edit]
- ^ Serving Up Trouble
- Zojja: Thanks for coming by. Quick question for you: your first invention was a service golem, correct?
- <Character name>: Now that takes me back. My blueprints for the VAL-A got me accepted to all three colleges, and then I was able to pick at my leisure.
- <Character name>: Designed to handle menial daily tasks...cleaning, dressing, dining, etc., so the owner could focus on intellectual endeavors.
- Zojja: Well, unless murder is a "menial daily task," something's gone wrong. Your VAL-A golem went berserk and killed the people it was supposed to be serving.
- ^ Short Fuse
- Councillor Haia: Hello, dear. I'm so glad I ran into you. I understand you were inquiring after your VAL-A golem blueprints. I must say, I found them most elucidating.
- Councillor Haia: Please have a look at the modifications I made. I'm no Snaff Prize Savant, but we can all benefit from a little constructive criticism, yes?
- <Character name>: Of course. Thank you, Councillor. It's an honor to have your input.
- Councillor Haia: The honor was all mine. Oh, I also baked you some cookies. I'll have them sent 'round to your lab right away. [...]
- Councillor Haia's Blueprints: At a higher magnification, it can be determined that something has changed in the core—the golem's power source.
- <Character name>: Enhance.
- Councillor Haia's Blueprints: The core has been swapped out for what appears to be a new, more efficient power source of the same size and weight.
- ^ Magnum Opus
- Zojja: Well, that settles that. The core that Haia swapped in must contain a hidden exploit to drive the golems to murder. [...]
- Zojja: Haia! We know you're the one who turned the VAL-A golem into an anti-personnel device.
- <Character name>: We've got all the proof we need, and we're going to expose your machinations to the entire council.
- Councillor Haia: Proof? You mean those blueprints I gave you, the ones my underlings are retrieving from your lab at this very moment?
- Councillor Haia: You're not in my league, dearies. And after my modified VAL-As are finished with my fellow councillors...no one else will be, either.
- Councillor Haia: You'll get the blame of course. Nothing personal: this is merely how top-level Council politics plays out. If it helps, I'd be happy to feign remorse. [...]
- <Character name>: Those VAL-A golems were based on my designs. Councillor Haia tampered with them and sent them to kill as much of the council as possible.
- Zojja: I can vouch for this. Haia is making a power play. We don't have hard evidence, but—
- Councillor Flax: Say no more. Bold moves are Haia's style, and she never leaves evidence that can be traced back to her.
- Councillor Flax: Leave Haia to us. We'll keep an eye on her. She may well receive a lethal gift of her own someday soon. In the meantime, you have our thanks.
