The Thieves' Gambit
The Thieves' Gambit was an event on Solstice: Meridian that took place on August 11th.
Event Details
A day before the event, the Pathfinder communicator frequency was hacked by the Check Mates. Blitz and Checkers can be heard, announcing their intention to pull off 'the greatest heist' and liberate the Anchor's livestock, as well as various other Pathfinder-held farm animals.
The Check Mates turn up in their airship, shaped like a rook chess piece with a cowboy hat shaped balloon. Blitz and Checkers are accompanied by two others, Virgo/Jester and Apotheosis.
They utilize fragile soul gems to snatch up cows, pigs, chicken, and sheep. Once they've collected enough animals, they depart on their airship. Many Pathfinders have boarded the ship by this point, and thus are taken along as well. The ship, piloted by the Check Mates' autopilot function, visit several other locations around Locus Astra, such as Grainland, The Four Perils' base, and Seaside Cyber.
Wherever the Check Mates land, they 'liberate' more animals by opening fence gates to allow animals to leave. They also briefly debate whether the Four Perils' ship, the Dragon, counts as an animal.
Along the way, the cowboy hat balloon is detached from the rook, and the rest of the journey takes place on the hat itself rather than on the ship as a whole.
Eventually, the hat takes the group out West to the world border, where the Check Mates release all the animals they captured, freeing them. The hat then departs upwards, seemingly heading into space...?
The group eventually makes it back to the Anchor, where the Check Mates make their escape through a waystone.
