[Zuudaria] No Haven For The Guilty

[Faith Augustin]

11th Cylus, 719
Immediately following: this

There was no doubting it, she thought, they were all here. They actually were. Not long ago, she had stood here in front of the Zuuda and now, she stood in front of their friends and family. And like the Zuuda and the wisps before them, they looked at her. Famula's War General, Champion of the Immortal and apparently tireless worker for justice and fairness. She knew what people said, she heard it; but Faith didn't feel it. She was afraid, and small and woefully unable to do this. But that wasn't an option and so, she lifted her head and she spoke.

And they answered.

Thank all the Immortals, they answered. Varlum first, and Faith nodded. "When I wrote to you all, I wrote to Ilaren. I have a meeting." When he suggested that he might get in touch with Ethelynda, Faith smiled in pleasure at that. "If you would try, I would be so grateful. Thank you." A number of them were Wardens, and that was a very good thing as far as Faith was concerned. A very good thing indeed. So yes, please, she was very clear. If Varlum could speak to Ethelynda, that would be excellent. Then, Maxine spoke. Would become a killing field? That was a fair point. "In terms of our land becoming a killing field. In light of full disclosure. Over a hundred undead attacked. In order to find out everything I could, I used an ability granted to me by Vri to experience their death. Being undead, that usually wasn't on my apparently-manicured lawn. It gave a lot of information - but it also means that I'm holding the experience of one hundred plus deaths. I can give them out, one at a time. When I do that, when I share them, they are absolute clarity. You.. I... experience the death." It was probably not a surprise that she looked tired, really. "When I used it before on the man trying to stab me while I was in labour, he was completely incapacitated. So, thank you," she said, with a tight smile. "I'd forgotten to let people know that. As for money, I've written a letter to a friend to pull in mercenaries from Yaralon, we will most certainly use our resources, whatever is needed. In terms of knowledge gathering, you're right. I've got some ideas, I'll come to it in just a second"

To Nir'wei, then, and Faith listened to him with amazement in her expression. Rynmere? Plague-filled Rynmere? He was out of his mind. But just when she was going to say no, no that wasn't what she was doing, he couldn't, Faith looked at him. Her brother in her heart and her friend. He believed he could do this, and she was not about to stop him. "Make it so, if you can. Let me know if there's anything you need?" She met his gaze and held it, for a moment. Would he be alright? She trusted him, there was no doubt. No doubt at all. then, Hart spoke and Faith smiled. "I was in the tent. Kneeling next to Cassander," she said, thinking back to that time. She'd been owned by Tristan then, his brother. It was just downright odd, all things being what they were, there was no doubt about it. She'd also been at the front of the civil war, working as a healer. So, she understood exactly the point he was making. "and you're right. I have some ideas for that, which I'll show you in a moment." She looked at him seriously, then, though and added. "But no necromancers. None of the Zuuda can, or will, work with them. Famula is clear in her directives. Having as many people, yes, having rumours and networks, absolutely. But no necromancers." As for Edasha, Faith didn't hesitate. "Yes, please, any and all help. Thank you."

When Gennadiya spoke, Faith nodded. "We will fight this war on more fronts than just Rharne, I suspect. We need to send out information to the Order, put together equipment lists and ensure that all the logistics are sorted. If you can help, that would be great." She smiled at her fellow Order member, evidently entirely meaning it when she said, "thank you." Her gratitude was very genuine - especially since Gennadiya had no need to help, but was doing so anyhow. People like her, and Hart, they weren't friends and still they helped. Faith found it overwhelming. Kura, of course, was very much a friend and Faith agreed entirely with her self-assessment of what she could offer. But then, there was the suggestion of contacting Karem and the Empire. Faith didn't hesitate. "I think that would be a very good thing. Let's do that. Please could you arrange it?"

Patrick, then, took them back to Maxine's point, and Faith considered it. "No. He's got links with Ellasin and we don't know what they are yet. Information first." That Alistair Venora was a necromancer still cut her in a way which she couldn't easily describe, but the bottom line was. "Sephira is right. We have to be careful. Find out information, yes, always. But we have to play our own cards close to our chest, too. Thus, if there is anyone that you are unsure of, think very carefully. However, since we've got numbers, I think that's a great place to start." She breathed in, slightly unnerved at having to speak the words. "And then, we can discuss how we play this shell game, how we get this information."

Faith moved and picked up some pieces of parchment, then spoke. "In total, we have five hundred and forty thousand, five hundred and forty one Zuuda. They are broken down into the following. Four hundred and five thousand, four hundred and six favored, one hundred and four thousand, one hundred and sixty seven adored, thirty four thousand, five hundred and forty three exalted, and five other champions. Of the just over half a million Zuuda total, thirty nine of them have more than one immortal mark. There are also five thousand Wisps. " Faith knew that saying the numbers would make her worry. It did. It was a lot of people.

"I've asked them to come back on 1st Ymiden. In the meantime, they gather information, intelligence, resources and they train. They'll come back with every scrap of intelligence that half a million people can get, and the resources they can find to help us. Also, I've had a thought about the Wisps. But first." She pinned up, to the wall, a large map of the world, with marks on it.

The Map

"Each mark is a 'cell' - each cell will have three tasks. Intelligence gathering, resource gathering and, finally, targeted strikes. The Wisps will be helping us to gather a second, invisible army. The army of ghosts. My thought is that, when Ellasin raises the undead in an army, we have an army of ghosts ready to posses the corpses, thus breaking her control."

She waited to see what the others thought of this. "Any thoughts or comments? We can do the same between now and then, I'll be here every trial, with the aim of having a world-wide network in place. The cells will exist independently of each other. I'll be the only one that knows all the information, to minimise risk, but also we will exist outside of them. The aim - for us all - is that we gather intelligence and resources to both be able to respond to her actions, but to pre-empt them and find her. Padraig and I will be working on some tracking devices, because those will be important. "

Faith looked around and said, quite genuinely. "Anyone got any thoughts? I'd really welcome them."

!

Message from: Aegis

Varlum may write a thread where he approaches Ethelynda for help, in whatever way he would. If he has a placeholder, this may be grandfathered. When complete, I will modnote in the result. This should be done soon, as it’s effect might be important. Hart may write a thread where he approaches Edasha for help, in whatever way he would. If he has a placeholder, this may be grandfathered. When complete, I will modnote in the result. This should be done soon, as it’s effect might be important. Kura may write a thread where she approaches Karem and the Eternal Empire for help, in whatever way he would. If he has a placeholder, this may be grandfathered. When complete, I will modnote in the result. This should be done soon, as it’s effect might be important. Wisps: Assume that there is some movement of anchor and the numbers you have are more or less accurate. The success of the Wisps trying to raise a ghost army will be revealed at the appropriate time. By 1st Ymiden, you may assume that things are going well and you have approximately 15,000 ghosts at your disposal.

[Max]

From her vantage point in the back, Max was all for trying to understand all the players on this vast chessboard. There were more strangers than familiar faces. Even of the familiar faces, there were even fewer she remotely even dared to suggest she trusted. It was something she hated already. There wasn't much about the situation she'd found herself in that she didn't loathe, actually. The ex-convict sat quietly, listening and passing her judgement with her arms uncompromisingly crossed.

So far she'd discovered superficial statistics about each in attendance. Varlum, the insanely large lizard man, was a mage. He practiced something called Hone and, less than ideal, he was skilled in Defiance. His connection to the Immortals was no idle boast either. Max sized him up with her eyes where he sat ahead of her. He reminded her of the Ithecal mercenaries from Yaralon that she and Qit'ria had bloodily dispatched in Rynmere. He was a warrior through and through. All brute strength and violence, from what she could tell. A not-so-errant thought warned her it was possible he'd do more than resemble them in the future. If that was the case, so be it.

The next stranger revealed himself to be the spoken-for Padraig Augustin. He was the other half of the couple the Becomer had perished defending. Unlike Faith, Maxine knew next to nothing about the man other than what he admitted. His words suggested he was their resident scholar. If Varlum was purely the sword, he came across as the quill. He was the brains, and it seemed he was also the one who would be tasked with overseeing the intelligence of this great undertaking.

Nir'wei was a whole different animal. In fact, he was surrounded by them. Wolves were at his every flank. He had paws on the ground at his beck and call and wings in the sky. At mention of a trip to Rynmere to gather more flying mount resources, Maxine stifled a patronizing laugh. Nir'wei could stomp all over that wretched island all he wanted. She was happy never going back, and if anyone else in the room had an ounce of sense between their ears, they'd avoid the place like the plague, too. Talk of that terrible country didn't stop with Wolf Boy's endeavor. Hart pulled clever references from their history, offering comprehensive strategy that made even Max consider them with appreciation. Perhaps she'd revisit his good points later if she cared to speak.

Gennidaya brought forth the importance of stockpiling and defending gathered resources. This was the first time she'd laid eyes on the woman, but the idea of another healer on site was always a welcomed one. Kura, conversely, was not a stranger at all. Per usual, she dove right into sharing about her strengths, connections, and suggestions to bolster their chances of success with diplomatic prowess and military might. After Maxine had spoken her own deduction, she was pleasantly surprised by the response of the others.

The Rharnian piped up his endorsement of her point. It amused her to hear him call her by the nickname he'd crafted and used in Emea. As of late, she was beginning to notice there was little the two hard-drinkers debated. They were on the same page. That was worthy of remembrance in the trials to come. It was the Special Assistant's outright verbalization of explicit agreement that piqued both Maxine's amusement and attention.

"Just when I thought we'd never agree on anything, Blackwood," she mused lowly with a smirk. The Special Assistant likely came to immediately regret her words, but there was no taking them back now. After impressive talk of dedicated Element, Lightning Knight, Zuuda, and wisp numbers were shared, Faith addressed her point. It wasn't good news. Over a hundred undead attacked and were felled on the yard Max had crudely referenced. Over a hundred. That was the small force Ellasin had employed to kill an unsuspecting family long before a single soul was formally dedicated to fighting a war to protect them.

The fuck kind of ratio of corpses would she throw at an organized army standing in her way? One of over a million strong? For fuck's sake.

Yeah, she was sure now. This was by the far the stupidest god damn thing she'd ever gotten herself involved with. There was no question. Even the Rynmere mission was being made out as a low-stakes venture at this point. The ex-convict subtly glanced over her shoulder toward the exit of the mausoleum. She settled back into her seat, facing forward, and listened further to what was announced at this forum. In the middle of more answers, Maxine rose from her pew toward the door. She slipped a joint of Ambrosia between her lips and paused near the threshold, leaning forward to light the end with the burning wick of a candle. She returned to her seat thereafter. A sharp inhale of her vice turned the end of the joint a bright, glowing orange. If anyone had something to say about the drug, she'd be quick to point out the Councillor's example.

Her unenthused eyes regarded the map pinned to the front of the room. The lull in voices came again. Her leg bounced. She didn't have the desire to be like these people. She didn't want to tell them about her Immortal marks, the Diri, her armor, or about her gloves. War or not, what she could do belonged to her. Her strengths and flaws were no one's god damn business. She didn't owe them any of that knowledge. And yet every half trill of silence that ticked by, her compulsion to speak grew.

Dammit.

"Spreading bad information is as useful as gaining good information," Max reluctantly agreed, raising her voice for the woman at the podium to hear. "It's easy, too. I know because I've done it. I can do it again if you know what kind of lies you want told where." Taverns were easy targets. An arc ago she'd used taverns to manipulate the public for the better part of a season. Gradually, she managed to fan the flames against the Elements on Scalvoris. A group of masked subscribers marched straight up to the Element stronghold to fight the soldiers and set it to flame. Her twisted sentiments weren't lost when the crowd turned to rebel either, and some did pick up arms when the arriving soldiers played to confirmation bias. Lies were the easy part.

"Most of the things you need, I can't help you with," Max continued very matter-of-fact. Can't do. Won't do. Sometimes those two things were one and the same. She kicked her feet up on the back of the pew ahead of her, slouching back against her seat. She took a leisurely, thoughtful pause, tilting her head back and blowing smoke in a gentle, steady stream toward the high ceiling.

"Those here that know me would warn you I'm more likely to destroy things. Now that, breaking shit, I'm good at." The ex-convict lowered her head again to peer toward Faith. "Things. People. Anything with ether or a Spark that takes a hit from me has a real bad trial. I can blow up Wells. I can temporarily cut a mage off from their magic. I've probably only scratched the surface of full potential. All I need to do is get close enough to...do what I do." Maxine took another drag on her joint and her devious eyes found the Special Assistant sitting ahead of her. A mischievous smirk spread across her lips. One of her boots propped up on the back of the pew rocked sideways to give the side of the disciplined soldier's head an unwelcomed tap. "Just ask this one."

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Patrick]

Patrick slowly began to realize just how inexperienced he was when it came to this, war was never something he planned to experience much less partake in during his lifetime. The longer he actually took time to listen to everyone else, the more inadequate he started to feel about his place there as well. Planning? Intel gathering? All of this went above his head as he'd been here, mainly, for the sole purpose of putting a crossbow bolt in Ellasin's very skull. The chances of that however felt slim to none for him at this rate, as it became glaringly obvious what this war effort was becoming the longer he stayed.

He might not have had much of a head for all of this, but that didn't mean he couldn't at least try after all. And if information gathering seemed to be a complete and total priority in this, then perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing for him to try and do. Granted last time he'd only managed to piss off the wrong crowd, and get stabbed in the leg for it, he had a little means of pushing influence in the lower parts of Rharne well enough. Getting friends in the higher quarters was where he struggled before, but with Rose at the Harlot to help in that endeavor then maybe... just maybe...

Hearing what the others had to say he took the moment to reflect back on what came about. The big guy Varlum had the right idea on involving Rharne but Pat didn't like it, what with the fact the Flameborn and Faldrun himself remaining a prominent issue for the city. Regardless he felt certain that the Immortal Ilaren would get involved herself, as she wasn't particularly fond of mages when they declared their wars on mortals. He wasn't entirely wrong about having the extra help though, as the city was well known to band against anybody or anything with the intention of harm. The large Ithecal being a mage though made him scowl a little, as he detested that already before he'd even met the creature. Regardless Patrick knew well not all mages were that bad, only that they tended to bring their own bout of trouble at times.

Padraig had admitted to possessing little experience in this whole sort of affair, and admittedly Patrick couldn't see him nor Faith being 'spymaster' material. Not initially. Given the circumstances and how little of a choice that had however, they both had very large shoes to fill in the impending war to come. That meant they needed as many assets as they could attain, and that got Pat to thinking more and more about what little he could actually do. Nir'wei who Pat remembered being good with animals knew ways of preparing mounts, as well as provided insight on what sort of creatures could really turn the tide in the battle to come. It made him think of the fact Lush which was a simple lion could serve as a mount, and therefore the animal tamer a noteworthy man to get insight from. Thus he took mental note of that as he remembered the mention of a creature... Jacadons? What the hell were those?

Something that likely had big wings and big teeth, a thought that chilled Patrick as he frowned yet again. Dominek was getting a kick out of studying his reactions well enough, all while the Rharnian had to listen to what Faith was saying and reflect on what was previously stated. Hart seemed to remark upon the political campaigns that went on in Rynmere, and how it led to the quelling of some rebel king Pat didn't know. It was one of those things that would've easily passed as out of sight out of mind, except the point he made seemed expressively useful in terms of tactical warfare. Would they be able to do the same? No. Not exactly. They were in the dark with almost everything about Ellasin, so coordinating such massive movement seemed difficult for the time.

Gennadiya had brought up the fact a tremendous amount of resources was vital, and granted they were going to amass probably the largest fucking army... of the world no less... That was quite a vast understatement, and honestly Pat didn't even know where to begin with gathering such things. "Focus you useless ass!" The Rharnian had to remind himself as he nearly went astray in thought, his eyes on the lady Kura as he remembered what she'd brought up as well. The Eternal Empire? That was Raskalarn's territory right? Another Immortal in the fray wouldn't be a bad idea, though the thought of several Immortals in one place unnerved him greatly. All that power... yet Ellasin had so much of her own, that she could probably easily contend with them.

Sephira's point was the most substantial thing Patrick had to bear in mind, as this helped him think of it more like a card game... or the usual seduction games he so used to enjoy. They had to be quite careful with their information and resources altogether, trying to outsmart their enemy and throw off their game; however possible that may be really. Come the moment Faith brought up the large map of Idalos however, Patrick shifted into a forward lean with his eyes narrowed sharply upon it. So the Coven had these cell operations going on, each carrying out their own tasks to further Ellasin's efforts. Taking them out would be most difficult, and sure enough he noticed Rharne didn't seem to have any marked. Was that because the one he thought Alistair spent time in was out of the picture? Even so that didn't make his home any safer from the lingering threat, and if anything it made his growing job just slightly easier in the Trials to come.

Just as soon as he started to feel ready to pitch his own Maxine, sure enough, pitched in with more to add on the aspect of information. The collective being most important it was almost easy to overlook, that the power of misinformation had a means of turning the tide as well. In a sense it was brilliant and if he could find a way... no it was perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect. He might not have known much about the Shadow Quarter at it's core, but they had a means of filtering any and all information throughout Rharne. Which could only mean they were a valuable source, able to receive as well as spread it if promised enough compensation. Yet that was something beyond Patrick's own means... but if he played it out in Faith's favor then maybe, just maybe, he could sway them to her cause with relative ease. He just hoped that whatever price they asked of her... wouldn't be far too substantial of a compromise on her behalf; seeing as how this war effort would already cost so much out of her.

"I'm unfortunately in the same boat." Patrick stated as he slowly rose to a stand. "As of right now I have very little to offer. To be honest... I kinda just planned on shooting the bitch and be done with it." He'd hoped the hint of enthusiasm might've added humor to those gathered, but whether or not it gave it to them he cleared his throat before continuing. "But I did have a little project I left unattended, a network of informants within Rharne's Dust Quarter as well as the Earth Quarter. If what everyone else has been suggesting is indeed crucial, then I think I do have a means of pitching in. The Shadow Quarter has always been a mythical part of Rharne, even the shadiest of men have a hard time reaching them there."

He focused more on Faith as he hid uncertainty with a faint smile. "I'm gonna do my best to reach them, after I brush up on my fighting skills a bit. I don't know what to expect or what they'll want in getting involved, but with their help we could probably gain another source of information; as well as a means of spreading false information to any we might consider an enemy." At that note he slowly took a seat back down next to his brother, who seemed pretty impressed by the idea himself. Admittedly Patrick didn't quite feel he'd be up to the task, since it already felt so monumental and he... would likely have to begin from scratch again. No... He knew what he had to do, the only real problem was the amount of time between now and when the war officially started.

"Patrick", "Follower"

[Sephira]

The Special Assistant felt the light tap of the boot against her head and snapped around, her pitch black eyes narrowing at the ex-convict. Her flat unamused expression shifted ever so slightly into the barest twitch of a smirk.

“I was having a bad trial, if you don’t remember.” She arched a brow defiantly. “I’d like to see how that attempt goes a second time.” The mage dared with a sickeningly polite smile before turning back around with an exasperated sigh. She didn’t care to discuss the mission to Rynmere any further in front of these people, but that night in Andaris would always be a bit of a sore topic for her. She had been strung out and on the point of breaking when she had confronted Maxine back then. It had been all too easy for the ex-convict to knock the fire out of the soldier and put her on the ground in that moldy tavern they had clashed in.

When the topic of conversation turned to their resources. The number of active Zuuda worldwide startled the soldier. She had never considered the number of Immortal Marked individuals. In truth perhaps no one ever had until this campaign had been launched. Half a million mortals had been called forth to aid Faith and her defeat of a small faction of notably powerful mages. Some small part of that didn’t sit well with the Special Assistant. However she herself had hunted her own kind far more often than she would have liked. Mages were dangerous, that was simply a fact. Their power was their own and it was not dependant on the gods. It was truthfully one of the things Sephira loved about her own magic. True, it came with a heavy cost, but there was a freedom to it that one could never have with an Immortal Mark. With the Immortals, strings always came attached.

The Coven however did perhaps merit this sort of global response. They were a faction mostly of necromancers, among others of course. But Sephira understood the potential for a powerful Necromancer to wipe out settlements in mere trials with enough thralls at their command. Even a few hundred of them could muster an army that would rival their own impressive forces.

The soldier rested her fingers on the bridge of her nose as she tended to do when she was anxious.

“This is going to be a war of escalation. The more we throw at the Coven, the harder they will fight to defeat us. We need to understand what that will mean for the people caught in the crossfire.” Sephira said somberly. People were going to die, there was no way around that. But they had to do everything they could to protect places like Scalvoris and Rharne.

She glanced at Patrick before turning back toward Maxine.

“You two are uniquely suited to aim your misinformation at them. That is something myself and my soldiers cannot do. The Elements can provide us with some resources, travel access, and of course a military response to threats that the Coven throws at us. Myself and some of my forces are also skilled in tracking and capturing mages.” the woman said heavily, seeming reluctant to mention that particular fact.

“I’m also an Attuner.” The woman admitted tensely, she was always loathe to admit the presence of her second magic. More than once that secret had saved her life. “I can track those with Sparks once I have their Frequency. Infact, I can track nearly anyone or anything once I have it, and open portals to their locations. Either to move forces there or to spy on them.” She glanced at Max sheepishly with a look that basically admitted to the fact that she had been holding on to her Frequency for a long while.

“We also have access to some limited technology such as the Paradigm cuffs which can temporarily shut down a mage’s Spark. I can ensure that these are provided to you Faith if requested. If we manage to capture any of Ellasin’s mages, then they may be useful.” The mage added as she lowered her hands limply into her lap.

More and more Sephira was realizing her role in this war was going to be both military commander as well as mage hunter. That Mantis bitch Rebekah would have been laughing if she had been in the room.

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Gennadiya Lyosha]

Gennadiya sat quietly and listened as various topics were brought up. The young lady was impressed by the various contacts the other people had. She had plenty of friends and acquaintances but as a healer her experiences had never taken her into such exalted sphere before. Someone was to seek the Immortal Empress and others to spread information and gather it. Everything was a tad overwhelming but the young woman wasn't going to let that intimidate her.

Gennadiya looked at Faith as head of her order addressed Adiya’s concern. Gennadiya nodded her head in acceptance of the assignment. Something like this was up the healers ally. She didn’t have any exotic contacts but she could well work within the orders bounds. “I can make arrangements with the other branches to stick pile supplies so that we will have what we need in quick reach across the world.”

Gennadiya began to review places in here head where she could get supplies even as others continued with there suggestions. Rharne was going to be the main center and Ne’’hear would be a good place for the western stocking place. Desind in the south. She would need to refresher her self on all the major branches of the order as she did this. There were a number of variable to consider as well. They would have to take care to balance what supplies were collected early they wanted them to be there but not strip the order of its needed resources. Genadiya made the mental list and then she turned her attention back to the others to see what else she could help with.

[Pig Boy]

Faith

Experience: 15

Knowledge:

Leadership: 3 x knowledge.
Politics: 3 x knowledge.


Renown: +10

Skill Usage: Appropriate to level

Loot/Losses: none

Injuries/Conditions: none

Consequences: none

Padraig

Experience: 15

Knowledge:

Intelligence: 3 x knowledge
Detection: 2 x knowledge

Renown: +10

Skill Usage: Appropriate to level

Loot/Losses: none

Injuries/Conditions: none

Consequences: none

Everyone else

Experience: 15

Knowledge: 10 x Tactics

Renown: +10

Skill Usage: Appropriate to level / None used.

Loot/Losses: none

Injuries/Conditions: none

Consequences: none

Comments: Was interesting reading how this all began again. A bit bittersweet now that the plot is over, and the whole thing is done. You all brought your best writing to this endeavor though. It shows through in the details given and quality of interactions. Hope you all enjoy your newfound freedom to pursue plots!

If you have any concerns about this review, please PM me about them.