Leola performs the rite of cleansing

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TLDR. Sacrifices are - a falcon mask, a sheet of leather, Aletta's leather hood and Briar's reins (giving them their freedom), Nature's Strength spear, the Lodge's hunting horn, aeterna gloves, honey, an Aged Preodynium Pendant from the Oriel storyline, a paladin's sash, a teaset, a waxed cloak, her leather armor, and a sculpture commemorating the lodge

Calypso attends, with interest, Leola's cleansing ceremony. She even turns up sober!

Ophelia and Sir Harrier attend Leola's cleansing ceremony and observe with quiet contemplation. They are both eager to support their friend during this important ritual.

Blessed Brigida will be in attendance as well to support Leola in her cleansing, along with Oswald the pig and Daisy the goat. After all they like Leola just as much.

Leola makes her sacrifices. She makes sacrifices for renewal in the Grove of Renewal. She sacrifices a mask to declare herself needing no masks. She sacrifices leather to indicate her desire to continue to craft leather. She sacrifices hood and bridle to release falcon and horse, Aletta and Briar, from their bonds. She sacrifices spear to indicate her willingness to learn, and her willingness to choose the more comfortable weapon, the bow. She sacrifices the horn to represent the growth of the Lodge past its call. She sacrifices gloves for memory of a friend, for memory of deer guts and foalings. She sacrifices honey, in memory of the First Feast. She sacrifices a pendant in memory of a sacrifice to the land, and in intention to dedicate herself to that land. She sacrifices a sash, the echo of the one she wears as a paladin. She sacrifices a tea set in memory of a friend, in memory of healing the tainted. She sacrifices a waxed cloak in honor of water and wind. She sacrifices her leathers, desiring to make her own in self-sufficience. She sacrifices a sculpture of the tree to reiterate and reiterate that she stands for Petrichor, the wood, the beasts, the birds, and the hunt.

The fire flickers. There are noises outside the grove. Aletta and Briar crowd in, as if for warmth, or as if reaffirming their loyalties. Their eyes are wide and dark in the night. The noises continue. Howls and squawks, whinnies and wails, calls and answers, a wild cacophony. Then, there is silence. Utter. Leola thinks, in that silence, that she can hear the growing of the grass. Smell the richness of the soil. The spoor of the mouse and the down of an owl hidden in a nearby tree. She does not feel like an empress, no, not so removed as that. She feels more like part of the land, part of the woods, part of the grove, and beneath and beyond. The animals are a humming mass around her, listening, respectful. Free. Even Aletta and Briar and every beast she's ever bound, free. Attached to her by choice and always by choice. Invigorated, inspired, intensified. For a moment, it's almost as if she can see a host of connections leading from her outward.

And then it fades. The sense of deep connection, of being central, of being land and tree and beast. The fire flares. Leola breathes out and feels heard. By the gods, by the world, by the host.

Let's build a really big dock in the Lyceum! Well, at very least impressively expand the size of Southport's dock.

Lord Martino Malvici will be working with others to secure their expertise and their finances to aid building a larger trading dock in Southport for the use of the Lyceum as a whole and the Malvici family. There will be additional warehouses built to store goods, as well as integrating better office facilities to ensure goods can move quicker through the port. It will be built to connect to Lady Eirene's work with the Shav's in Malvici lands (Action 3882) and Duchess Calypso's to improve the defenses (Action 3858) with the direct connections to Goldhawk Naval Base.

Ships will have more space to dock and wider access points to allow both larger ships to arrive, but also move goods on and off quicker. Ultimately accuracy and speed of loading, with ships later disembarking, will be the goal for Martino in this. High turnover of ships means higher trading profits and more tariffs coming in through the city's coffers. Shipping off more Southport Steel, Southport Spiced Red and wider Lyceum trade goods who make use of the port. As well as the warehouses.

There will also be an opportunity to recruit more fishermen to the Southport coastline, and further afield. With a larger port, there is planned to be more space to allow Clan Brass Hawk and Clan Crimson Malvicus to further integrate into Southport and help fish for the city.

Martino's own role will be to recruit those to help build this. From those within Southport to work, to the Clans outside of the City to aid in building it. To find builders from outside of the Malvici fealty and offering to them the opportunity to work on one of the biggest construction projects ever. After built, he will be travelling to Lyceum cities to make a pitch to their Ministers of Trade and staff to bring goods down to Southport to be shipped out. That, being the Southern point, will mean they see their silver return quicker than in anywhere else.

The name? Dame Arsenia Malvici's Trading Port. The Malvici who build Southport.

Calypso will provide leadership (and the occasional motivational shouting), keeping an eye on how all of the different parts of this project are moving and making sure that everyone has what they need when they need it. Running a big construction project like this isn't, after all, all THAT much different from running a war.

Improving the docks of Southport is something that Domonico readily agrees to assist with, bring his considerable naval knowledge and experience to the project.

He'll review the plans for the improved and widened docks, making sure that they indeed will work, and that the necessary facilities are there to properly and quickly secure ships in order to make sure they are as efficient as possible. He'll test the dock workers and the facilities using a variety of ships from longships, galleys and cogs up to dromonds and his caravel the Tempest (action 3706). He'll also work to plot out the best routes to use entering and leaving the harbour in order to make the operation of the dock goes smoothly and that trade can continue unimpeded.

In addition, he will make sure that the new docks take into account the new defenses that are being implemented in Southport (Action 3858) in order to best protect the Trade Port.

Verity is helping as only an Oathlander among Lycene can: securing buy-in for cooperation through earnest friendliness. She'll assist Martino in convincing trade ministers by providing enthusiastic letters of recommendation and introduction to various Oathlands trading companies, banking on Chevalle's recently-obtained reputation for Lycene cooperation to bring a credible air of inter-fealty commerce. Since she has no problem speaking to her fellow commoners, she'll similarly reach out to various southern traders who will have opportunity to use the new port and attempt to convince them to begin drawing up new routing plans to make use of the soon-to-be superior facilities.

In the spirit of cooperation between the two families, and the contract being negotiated, Zoey has agreed to put her financial acumen toward helping her brother-in-law with his ambitious dock project. Much of her time dedicated to it is spent with ledgers, making sure funds are accounted for and distributed properly. She also ensures that wheat is spent is spent wisely and efficiently, stretching each bit of coin as far as it reasonably can be stretched.

Eirene, as Malvici Minister of Population (Domain Population:1) makes sure there's housing built for all the workers as well as infrastructure to handle the increase in population needed to manage the port. New sewers. Water sources. Housing that's not a slum. All those logistical things that make life run smoothly for a worker's population. She's good at bossing people around to make sure it all happens.

Miranda is going to provide a good deal of resources to Martino's project. For a change, she will build something rather than destroy. Her Malvici Cousin wants to make a dock that suits his ego, well.. who is she to say no! Nobody, that's who. (He's got his wife for that!) However, she can easily supply the resources - or some of them - to make this possible. In addition, she will supply motivation for others, encouraging them to help add their own resources because a stronger port in Southport means more money and a better Lyceum for all!

Master craftsman Waldemai Isenhu stands ready to work on any construction project, by working himself, training apprentices to support the local community, providing and repairing tools for workers in other crafts, and organizing bands of workers for projects too large for one person.

If there is anything Iseulet knows, it's trading. If Martino needs help with negotiating, she can do that during the building process attempting to keep the costs low and drive profits up just that little bit more. But her speciality and focus is in the long term gains for House Malvici. She begins to send word to all of her merchantile contacts throughout the Empyrean Route and ties in the Route to the new docks, bringing in plenty of goods from all over the Compact to sell and then taking Malvici goods elsewhere to sell too. It's a win for everyone!

Bringing a slightly softer yet spirited set of skills to smooth the way for success, Valencia lends her abundant charm, talents and extensive expertise in raising strong support and funds to the project.

Bringing together various leadership, workers, merchants, suppliers, the clans and communities (both in and outside of the city), the Velenosan princess works tirelessly to inspire cooperation, partnerships and passion for the project, while also securing support from various ministers of trade, merchants, traders, shipping companies and other businesses so they can forge new business opportunities and be part of what is sure to be the one of the grandest, busiest and most profitable docks in all of Avrum.

Jules is helping with Martino's Southport dock project and is primarily taking on the role of helping not just to find deals but finding the largest deals possible. He's supplying 10,000 writs to assist in the process. He'll also be willing to help in any other necessary details such as haggling or interacting with people who have any need of his skills.

Being that Southport will forever be his hometown, and the root tradeyard that allowed him to prosper and gain some notorious success in the merchant business, the charming Alexio feels more than compelled to financially support the advancement and growth of his beloved city. The Dame Arsenia Malvici Trading Port certainly seems like a noteworthy investment in his eyes; significantly more when, with the promise of a certain notable Malvici lord, he has already secured a spot in it for a future merchant fleet.

Military (1k) and economic (1k) favors are claimed, and a hefty amount of coin (500k) are invested as well, by the Donatti, in order to have the project be a success.

Thea is doing something out of the ordinary for her. Kinda. She will NOT be doing anything medically related, nope. It's time to get your drink on!

Thea will be getting some of the builders working on expanding the port and the warehouses to add a tavern for her to enjoy. And others as well. (She's not that selfish. Sharing is caring or whatever) She'll be chatty with them to convince them to build it while Martino isn't looking and afterwards will advertise it out to other merchants so they know - Thea's Bar is open! Who wouldn't want a place named after them?! It'll be like Cheers! Where Everybody knows your name!

It is not an easy thing to grow a duchy. Much of the focus needs to be on keeping all the plates spinning to maintain stability. Making genuine advancement and growth takes a massive amount of time, effort, and of course, money. So, so much money.

Martino works on recruiting workers from local clans, incorporating them into the populace and turning them into laborers and fishermen. Calypso develops a new method of motivational shouting to keep people energized and engaged in their tasks, while Dominico works security, both in the short and long term. Verity wheels and deals and seems to have a knack for finding the vendors willing to take a chance on a new venture, and though sometimes these conversations run long, and occasionally happen behind closed doors, they all seem rather smug and pleased with the deals made. Lady Zoey's skill with economics ensures that the venture is a resounding success, creating profits at unprecedented rate. Eirene works with the people, ensuring there is housing, food and supplies for the new citizens to streamline and ensure there are no shortages and blocks. Miranda keeps a weather eye on any potential troublemakers, assisting Domonico's efforts in security. Waldemai lends his personal experience in building and construction, while Iseulet's experiences in trade, when worked in tandem with Zoey's book smarts, contributes to those outstanding results. Alexio and Jules donate copious amounts of money, seed money for Zoey and Iseulet's efforts. Thea and Valencia make a phenomenal team, keeping morale high, culminating in the opening of a tavern, the Canted Lever, which is an instant hit and social hub of the docks, which have been named: Dame Arsenia Malvici's Trading Port.

Jaenelle has called the Lyceum fleet to action by reaching out to her banners. Through her leadership, she will unify the Lyceum to this threat. She will go to Lenosia to see preparations are being made herself, but will return to Arx afterwards.

Admiral Antonio Velenosa will take lead, working with the other houses of the Lyceum and Prince Victus Thrax or whomever he has placed in charge of the Mourning Isle's Fleet.

The Lyceum fleet will be helping to transport members of the Templars beneath Sir Preston's leadership.

The Isles Canines Fleet, including the two Caravels will be going with Velenosa for this intervention? Juliana as Voice for the Isles has committed them to Jaenelle. Jules will be going along but in the complicity of a Healer and if needed Diplomat.

While actually leading Malvici's fleet will be Domonico's responsibility, Calypso is the one in possession of the Duchess Beatstick, so she takes the responsibility of rounding up her vassals and making sure they understand that 1) This not a drill and 2) She will be paying very close attention to who responds and who doesn't. She reminds the reticent that the Eurusi threat isn't just to the Mourning Isles and Setarco, and if it's not turned back while it's still far away, the Lyceum is going to find itself fighting a war on two fronts.

Calypso isn't blind to the concerns her vassals might have about the Thornweave threat, however, and makes sure they understand that she's taking it into account. She reminds them that Southport's city guards and ground forces will be staying in Southport at the ready, and they'll be able to respond quickly if there's need to do so, and she even offers Southport's protection in the event of trouble, telling the truly reticent about the improvements the city has made to its defenses (Action #3858) and about the new and improved city guard and the very competent woman who leads them (Thea). She even drops hints about dock improvements being made by Martino (Action #3852), a subtle reminder that Malvici's wealth and power in the region is only growing, making them a very good friend to have. She makes sure they understand that the shav issue is being handled by Eirene (Action #3882) and won't make itself into a distraction at an inopportune moment; quite to the contrary, they as well as Malvici will be protected by Malvici allied ships patrolling the coast.

Between proving that Malvici has it's collective shit well and truly together, her offers of safety, and the Duchess Beatstick, Calypso is hoping to make sure the political calculus that her vassals do leads them to the conclusion that they're going to get more out of rallying to her banner with everything they can muster than they'll protect by holding back.

War is a tricky thing. /Banners/ are a tricky thing. The Compact has experienced two wars in recent years that span across the Great Houses, but there still must be resistance to the idea of sailing the Lenosian fleet off to the /Mourning Isles/. So Berenice is going to make sure to minimize that resistance. She will charm the Lenosian armies -- navies? military -- into action. A smile, a word, a promise of glory and Lenosian greatness. A reminder of promises made to allies, and the importance of standing with them against foreign hostile forces -- even if only to protect the Lyceum in the end. Whatever gets the job done.

The entire Southport Fleet sails in response to Velenosa calling their banners and Domonico will be commanding them from his own caravel, the Tempest. This is what the fleet and Domonico have been training for for some time now and they aim to see it through.
The Malvici Admiral will offer his expertise and assistance to Admiral Antonio and the other naval leaders, in tactics, strategems and particularly in the field of helping enable inter House communication and co-ordination, both with Lycene fleets and those of the other fealties, something that he has specifically trained for (Action #3052 and Action #3462). The book Compact Naval Lexicon will be of good use here.
The Malvici Fleet have been bolstered by a dozen ships from Saik, (6 Longships and 6 Galleys) which have been placed under the command of Admiral Domonico and will be fighting alongside the main fleet.
The fleet will be well equipped with arms and armour from Southport Steel (Action #3190) and supplies from Goldhawk Naval Base (Action #2351).
The Malvici fleet will form around their Dromonds and in particular the siege weapon armed Sea Hawk, with the longships aiming to board and take the fight to ships that have been rammed by the galleys. The Tempest will use it's speed and maneuverability to be where it is needed most in the Malvici fleet, as well as coordinating it.
If it comes to battle then Admiral Domonico and the fleet will not shirk their duties.

Ornella is going to act as Antonio's bodyguard during the assault. If it comes too close, it will find itself on a long swim back to shore. If it gets uppity, she has a cutting implement for that. Antonio is in good hands. If it turns out that Antonio needs her to go perform more personal missions, then she can do that too.

Quenia answers the call of the banners and directs a bulk of her naval forces to travel with the Lyceum fleet, putting them under the direct charge of Admiral Antonio Velenosa. She also does her best to talk up the efforts Jaenelle is making to create a unified fleet, reminding the members of the Lyceum that their very freedom could be at stake if they fail to answer the call themselves.

Cambria makes certain that her own city-state of Ostria heeds the call of its liege, Velenosa. It is important not only to reassure the citizens, but also ensure the soldiery is in prime condition for action. Through her leadership, Duchess Cambria Mazetti does her utmost to show the Lyceum - and the rest of the Compact, that Ostria is ready to tackle anything.

Selene carries the title "Whisper of Peace," earned for her tireless efforts dealing with the Great Road. She relies on that reputation as the travels among the Hundred Cities, reaching out to the smaller and far-flung domains and the largest cities alike. At each place, she throws wide the glittering net of  Whisper prestige and influence to pull the beloved Lycene population close. The message is direct and clear -- lending assistance to the Archduchess' efforts to repulse the Eurusi navy, to once again rise with grace and dark wit to overcome their enemies' cunning. Is not this the appropriate hour to remind the whole of the Compact that the Lyceum can tip the balance in war with more than simply strength of arms? Everyone has a part to play from devising brilliant naval strategy to increasing the expansion of sail-weaving, rope making, setting supplies for hungry crews or marshalling resources to support those gone to war.

She speaks to merchants and nobles, sailors and sword-dancers of their possible contributions. Let them walk away with ideas humming in their ears, for a chance to make their mark on the annals of history. Where conflict or opposition to participation is found, she hears out the parties' concerns and seeks a collaborative resolution. At the least she informs Jaenelle to unsnarl the snarls, and otherwise lower hurdles, dazzles the reluctant, and employs the full, seductive force of her charms to just about deliver many a boat or crew to her patroness. Why not try to be the face that launched a hundred ships? (Hey, a thousand could be overkill.)

Having recently discovered a gift for communication laced with persuasion, Ophelia will use such an ability to speak to those of the Lyceum that may be wavering their support in regards to assisting the Archduchess and the calling of banners. The princess will travel throughout the Lyceum and speak to those both inside and outside of her social circle, drawing people in to help unite and support Jaenelle. Many know Ophelia to be overwhelmingly sweet and kind, but she is also adorably convincing when she sets her mind toward swaying an opinion -- such a heart-melting combination, how could /anyone/ say no to her? She will work tirelessly to see that the Lyceum is united with its support.

The Lyceum's fleet has been put in his care, so of course Antonio will see to all the necessary logistics to make sure said fleet is ready to sail on time, and be well supplied for the trip. In addition, in his capacity as admiral and minister of war, he's never stopped building up Lenosia's forces for such an occasion- both by using the shipyards he's had access to, as well continuing Lenosia's privateering program to capture and re-fit shav and pirate ships for Lenosia's usage. Lenosia's grounds forces have also been bolstered- new soldiers trained and experienced veterans coaxed out of retirement to join the battles. To that end, he was given a dragonweep gemstone by Jaenelle, to sell and use the proceeds for recruitment, in addition to Lenosia's considerable military forces.

Waldemai will accompany the Malvici fleet, sailing on Lord Domonico's ship The Tempest. Waldemai will provide skilled crafting support before and after the battle, repairing and improving armor and weapons for the troops and whatever can be done for the ships as well. An experienced soldier who led a company at Setarco and fought pirates under Lady Calypso, he will be fighting in any battles as well.

Saoirse spends the days, weeks, after Jaenelle calls the banners researching Lycene lore -- stories of different houses, of families, of wars past, love, loss, and moments of pride. Armed with scores of papers and mountains of books about each and every house -- from great to small -- Saoirse Velenosa begins a tour of the Lyceum with her family.

She arrives as a guest of great honor and spends her time in each region regaling the houses with stories of their histories, of how they came to be Lycene, of why they unite under Velenosa, and of anything pertinent that would so convince a house to lift their banners.

And with so much research, Saoirse comes to know an *awful lot* about Lycene lore, the players within it, and the players who play now. She uses her web of influence and her ability to spot intriguing connections between people and houses to convince the troops to rally -- and that may involve subtle manipulation between two fractious houses or reminders of favors granted.

A powerhouse of influence in her own right, Princess Valencia sets aside her misgivings for now to see that her House and the people of Lyceum -- noble and common alike -- are well supported, supplied, inspired and kept in high spirits. With seemingly no diplomatic means to end this threat, the little vixen of Lycene mobilizes her connections and adds her voice, resources and talents to the call for Lyceum and its allies to stand in solidarity, doing what is needed to summon strong support for the effort and her people at home and abroad.

As Minister of Civil Welfare she takes particular care to see that the homefront is well supported, prepared and protected. This way soldiers and those assisting in their noble work can focus on the fight at hand and Lyceum can firmly hold the line and remain protected from other foes while continuing to support the defense of the Mourning Isles. As a princess of Lycnene, she also quickly joins the others in their efforts to bolster, inspire and support the troops/fleet and their support units.

However, the little vixen doesn't stop there. Before the fleet even sets sail, a secret campaign of unrest and fear against Euris is also launched to sow seeds of uncertainty and dissent designed undermine the enemy and destroy them from within in an effort to gain advantage and, with luck, help to win the fight by peaceful means or not.

Silvio is using both his physical and diplomatic skills in the assistance of the Skal'dajan affair. He is able to disarm most people that he speaks with through the use of confounding and confusing ramblings, which are all expertly executed for that exact purpose. Manipulative and seductive, he gleefully submits himself to the mission and whatever tasks are assigned to him, even if it means his doom, such is his confidence. He's also fairly distracting and good for morale.

Strozza commands the forces of he First Fleet from the flagship Caravel the Erudite - providing transport for troops or harrier support should he call for such and Duchess Cambria can release him for such duties

Alejandro isn't a naval commander. His role is far more diplomatic and swings to the side of propaganda. Using his skills, he will charm whomever needs charming, work with whomever needs working with and will do what he can to smoothe the process for everyone involved and help make a successful Lycene effort successful.

There are scores of city-states underneath the banner of House Velenosa, and mobilizing the hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of sailors and soldiers from all across the Lyceum has normally taken months. This time, it does not take months. Through all of their efforts, the forces consolidate under Antonio's overall command in quite possibly the fastest mobilization in Lycene history, with templars and forces of the Faith militant picked up from hundreds of different rally points throughout the Compact. The massive Lycene fleet, far bigger than many expected since the departure of House Pravus, meets with the fleet of the Mourning Isle and sets sail for Sungreet.

Of course, while the speed is astonishing, the templars are only given landfall slightly before the arrival of the Eurusi. The Eurusi fleet declines to engage the combined forces of the Mourning Isles and the Lyceum, and bizarrely begins to fight among itself before roughly two thirds sail from Sungreet to the south and southwest. Which suggests an attack upon the Saffron, potentially.

With mounting evidence that Lord Aramis Fournier is the guilty party responsible for the attacks on the Prodigal Mercy Hopefuls as well as the dozens of Templars en route to Blancbier, Duke Cristoph Laurent is orchestrating a meeting between House Laurent, House Fournier, House Lyonnesse, House Fidante and House Malvici. He'll be encouraging Count Fournier to assist in apprehending and turning him over to the Templars for them to decide his fate. While he understand this is a difficult decision to make as Lord Aramis is his son and /also/ has a military grip on the duchy, Cristoph encourages him to make the right decision. He also explains that his sister is prepared to encircle the border of the county (JAEL ACTION#3534) and is aided by the Templars themselves. She can swoop in to assist in any military skirmishes that happen as well as ensure Lord Aramis does not escape or attempt to turn the entire county against him.

Additionally, he makes a very strong case for Count Fournier for approach Marquess Davegia about a marriage alliance between their two families to really put this thing to rest. Preferably a marriage between one of his less trecherous children and an eligible member of her family.

After previous success with negotiating with house Fournier, Mabelle is ready to hit the field again and be of assistance. Anythign to prevent bloodshed and bring to justice those who have caused it. She has her own personal reasons to be there, of course, but initially, to help the family's interests as Minister of Population.

Standing in as a representative for Fournier's liege house is Lady Jenessa, Lyonesse's acting Voice serving in Demura's stead. She accompanies Duke Cristoph to the meeting between Houses, offering her support to her own liege lord while also making it clear where Lyonesse stands on the matter with Lord Aramis. Jenessa aligns with the Duke and his encouragement of the Count to turn Aramis over to the Faith, in addition giving her own _strong recommendation_ for a marital alliance between Fournier and Daviega. She offers promises and assurances that nothing ill will befall the County for turning Lord Aramis over, and whatever worst case scenario the Count fears will not be allowed to come to pass. No riots. No uprisings. No people getting up in arms and setting anything on fire..etc.

Coming off the success of a previous campaign with Duke Cristoph and House Laurent, Calista Fidante, gladly accepts the invitation to return to the Oathlands on a diplomatic mission. She is there to fortify Cristoph's suggestion of a marriage between Fournier and Davegia. If anyone knows about marrying one's enemies for a successful outcome, it is the Duchess of Roses who married Inigo Malvici of Southport. Bridging gaps and all that seems to be Calista's jam.

In the interests of the Faith, as their Godsworn Knights of the Holy Templars were proven to be slain by Lord Aramis Fournier and his military, the Legate of Concepts will be attending the meeting coordinated and led by Duke Cristoph Laurent. To aid in their goals to peacefully acquire Lord Aramis and ensure discourse by the Fournier military is kept to a minimum, Ailith will be leading an effort to make it easier on Count Gael Fournier to agree to the set forth terms by Duke Cristoph. And if needed, have the swift approval of the Faith over the marriage contract.

Ailith will coordinate with local seraphs and other faith leaders to conduct sermons and counsel of the Faithful, especially the "Warders of the True Oathlands', of their obligations to the Faith, that the oaths every Oathlands holds extremely dear is held as the exemplar of piety to the Compact. This will be contrasted subtly with what Lord Aramis Fournier and the Warders committed, especially drawing attention to the breaking of Oaths and the direct assault on Godsworn who are, after all, servants of the Gods themselves. She and her associates will lay emphasis on the striking down of Templars, a thing unheard of for an Oathlander to do. Her aim will be to contrast the Faithfulness of the slaughtered Templars and pilgrims with the Oathbreaking and Faith-attacking Lord Aramis. It is her hope, by applying such societal pressure, the grip Lord Aramis has on the Fournier military lessens. That the people, too, will encourage absolution and penance by the Faith, and perhaps, Lord Aramis, himself, as a noble lord, a knight of the Oathlands, will present himself to the Legate of Concepts.

Dipomacy is GREAT. Norwood would really love for diplomacy to go really well. The thing is that diplomacy doesn't always work. So Norwood's presence here is super simple.

Don't say anything.

Stay with Cristoph at all times.

Stab anyone who gets close to Cristoph.

Make sure anything that tries to hurt Cristoph doesn't get a chance to do it again.

Calypso will be along to help present justice for her vassal. She will be working alongside Duke Cristoph to make sure everyone plays nice and follows the rules.

After the first diplomatic mission was a success, this time Martino is joining with Duke Cristoph and the wider Laurent mission with the Malvici branch of the family to work under Cristoph and Calypso’s direction.

He will be supporting the comments and suggestions of a marriage between House Fournier and House Daviega. Martino will be in communication as well through messengers with House Daviega with updates on the potential marriage and progress on capturing the guilty Lord.

Keeping things calm, but also proposing how this is the best solution for House Fournier will be Lord Martino Malvici’s direction and line of communication. Playing on his role last time trying to find peace, to show how this really will give us peace at last.

It is, in a word, tense. Count Gael Fournier doesn't seem thrilled to see either the voice of his direct liege or his banner duke again, nor word of Jael and others leading military forces on his lands, but he is quite willing to listen, and the diplomatic expertise of Mabelle and Calista are critical there, as well as the pressure brought to by Ailith as Shield of the Faith, and the Malvici representatives with the Duchess of Southport and her commander Martino. Despite the clear reluctance on Gael's part, he has little desire to stand alone against Lyonesse, Laurent, Malvici and others, and even his baronies sworn to him are quite obviously manifestly reluctant to back him in a fight with the Faith, particularly when the evidence against Lord Aramis is so strong.

After several days of negotiations, Count Gael decrees that his son shall not be protected by House Fournier forces, and that templars can take him into custody for a fair trial- though he is not aware of his precise location, and the search is left to others. He does agree that his younger son, Lord Erroll Fournier, will wed Marquessa Magdalena Daveiga and they will work out various concessions to Daveiga to have a lasting peace. Gael is almost a little too conciliatory, and it's possible someone had some leverage over him in addition to what was visible.

Domonico has ordered and will be directing efforts in the construction of a new facility at Southport, which will be named Southport Steel, that will both be smelting high quality steel from iron ore and manufacturing it into weapons and armour. The primary function of this will be to make sure that House Malvici and the armies and navies of Southport are well equipped. The House of War makes sure that every citizen of Southport serves and trains in the military and will ensure that they are given the best quality armour and armaments for the tasks. As a secondary purpose, what Southport Steel forges that is not marked for the military will also be used as trade items with other Houses, particularly those who are also members of the Empyrean Trade Route.

The facility will be designed by Malvici engineers and craftsmen but will consult with Houses Brass Hawk and Crimson Malvicus (who both assisted on creation of the Goldhawk Naval Base) and hopefully this will enable House Malvici to build the best possible facilities and that Southport Steel really helps entrench Southport's reputation as the 'City of Swords'

Aahana is now a fully fledged Malvici and will be assisting with the Southport Steel project. She'll be bringing all her economic knowhow to the fore, helping to secure good prices on building materials, raw materials for forging as well as negotiating the best prices for the finished products. Her keen head for maximising profits will be focusse on bringing her husbands vision to life and thus she pours a lot of her own resources into Southport Steel

Lord Domonico Malvici has expressed the desire to build an armor/armaments industry in the Southport area. As a master armorsmith (and minor league weaponsmith) from Southport he has asked Waldemai to play a large role in setting up the industry and training apprentices. Waldemai has already been working with the youth of the area who were part of coming to declare fealty to Malvici at Southport, and he is a loyal retainer of the Malvici, so he agreed immediately.

Valenzo and his crew aboard the Tasty Terrapin have been tasked with transporting the materials necessary for constructing the Southport Steel facility and production to the site in Southport, and they will set to with gusto; the crew is also willing to aid in construction efforts, and once everything is complete and the Terrapin will transport the final product out to the various vassals for testing and use.

Upon hearing her cousin's idea, Caelis immediately thought of this opportunity as a great resource for the Arvum Refugee Relief Group. Turning to the organization, Caelis has set about sourcing out individuals and families with skill around the crafting of weaponry to voluntarily relocate for this undertaking.

Calypso will be signing off on the plans she's presented with, helping with providing military knowledge and offering a presence while the project is being completed.

Miranda's been asked to be part of Domonico's plan for Southport Steel via quality testing. She will take the initial products that Southport Steel makes and test them for durability, design, weight, strength, and so forth. In some cases, she may suggest design changes. She'll test the weapons against dummies and opponents and make sure the armor is fitted well with thought to how a soldier might need to quickly put the armor on or get it off in a pinch. How fast can a sword be wielded? Is the hilt merely beautiful or practical? And so on.

Lucita's Barony is one of the Malvici vassals and to have a facility from which to attain high quality steel armor and weapons so close by is only beneficial to Saikland. Army members consisting of footsoldiers, pike, archers and cavalry are all easier to recruit and maintain when they are confident of having the best of such steel protection and weapons. Therefore Lucita lends her charm and stewardship skills to the project. She knows just who to contact and how to make arrangements to facilitate the effort.

Santi has offered his assistance in testing the practicality of these weapons in the field. Having spent much of his military career among the common footsoldiers, he is in a position to understand the unique problems that harry infantrymen and their equipment - being exposed to the elements, having to go for longer periods of time between cleaning and maintaining, et cetera. As such, he will establish a series of stress tests to see how well the rank and file equipment will hold up and how easy it is to repair in the field; for example, how the wrapping and fittings on swords will hold up to being wet for extended periods, how durable the wooden shafts on spears and arrows are, et cetera. Basically, worst-case scenario sorts of things.

Jaenelle approves of the Lyceum strengthening their militaries, especially with the unknown threats the Compact faces. She will assist with recruiting able bodied craftspeople to work the steel, she'll help broker deals between Lenosia and Southport for well priced ingots to smelt and create into the arms the new facility will forge, and she'll assist with any diplomatic areas that rise.

Roxana is supporting her dear Malvici Nephew in his efforts to build up industry in Southport. Her job is mostly to talk up the project in Southport and among her other contacts (Grayson surely) so that once Southport steel is being manufactured there is heavy demand by other houses. She will charm whoever needs charming among trade delegations and ensure that the business venture is successful however she can.

Grazia will provide the stone for construction from her Gemecittan quarries. The bulk of the building will be laid out in heavy but beautifully sturdy granite, and the showrooms will be floored with exquisite marbles, all of the finest design. She'll work with the architects to really coordinate with the style of the building and it will have a most beautiful edifice.

On behalf of Rubino-Zaffria, Seymour offers his services to the construction project at Southport. He will do this by reviewing the plans for logistics and the material that the new facility will be using, taking time to review the sources for incoming supplies, vet the expertise of architects, and similar paperwork heavy tasks that undoubtably he is not alone in doing and nobody really wants to read about in detail. His efforts may be slightly curtailed by a clear worry of running into Mrs. Oak, his ex-wife still based in Southport.

Recently arriving in Arx, Thea has been recruited to lead the organisation of the medical tents and health of those testing the new Southport Steel and working on the construction of the facility. She will be leading teams of medical staff to care for wounds such as burns and cuts.

Having only recently left Southport - Thea will be applying her knowledge of the local area to hire the best medical staff to ensure that anything hurt during the work is well looked after

Stepping forward with his ability to influence a deal favourable to the Malvici, Martino will be schmoozing those that Domonico and others bring in to work on the project. He will be there to keep spirits high for those staying in Southport, and treated to House Malvici's hospitality, so that they leave with a positive impression on the House.

He will be working with Lady Aahana Malvici to secure good economic terms, but primarily to ensure that a diverse group of people produce an exemplary facility and product.

Ysabel is concerned with the rising threats to the Compact and resolves to help Southport with their project. After all having strong allies is a good thing and she is sure she can get a good price on the finished goods. Using her Economic knowledge she will work to help Lord Domonico make Southport Steel a success

Lady Kaia Bisland enjoys reading (even if it’s the boring stuff, yes, that’s why she’s her House’s historian after all), and has an exceedingly sharp eye for organization. She is a master at keeping the mind-numbing but crucially essential papers and documents well sorted and available. She is, also, quite good at being bossy, and both her family and friends know it –or perhaps will learn of it just now. Beware lackeys! You shall not hear the end of the petite lady’s voice until all tasks are well done and completed! So get to it!

Her innate charm makes it all too easy for people to do as she asks whenever she leads or commands tasks. More often, than not, they can’t seem to bring themselves to tell her no. I mean, who can blame them?! She’s just too good and crafty with her arguments on why this would be better done this way or that way, or persuading them on why it would even turn out to be beneficial for them –even if in reality it would not; and so, she takes advantage of these skills to provide her Malvici friends aid in gathering the right people to keep the humongous piles of compiled paperwork for the project outstandingly well-organized.

The end goal is to facilitate and speed up the whole process of accessing the right documentations, for permits and other legal matters, which may be required for the development of this clever and advantageous Southport effort.

Southport Steel is a big success - with Lord Domonico and Lady Aahana working to get it established, they lead the way and make the plans. Waldemai helps set up armaments, Valenzo makes sure the materials are transported safely and on time. Princess Caelis helps by finding large groups of craftsmen to take on the tasks, and Duchess Calypso signs off on everything.

And their allies just keep on helping - Baroness Lucita gives aid, and Lady Miranda tests the weapons created. Santi helps test weapons too, and Princess Jaenelle not only approves the entire thing but brokers deals between Lenosia and Southport to provide access to ingots for extremely reasonable prices. Duchess Grazia provides the stone for the project, good Gemecittan stone at that. Lady Kaia and Baroness Ysabel, Seymour and Thea make sure everything is set up and all the workers are accounted for and taken care of, right down to the very last detail.

And Lady Roxana and Lord Martino make sure everyone knows exactly who's responsible for what is a triumph of Southport, and everyone is soon talking about all the wonderful advances made in Southport. The economy is booming, people are joining the army knowing that they'll be well-equipped to fight, and overall, things are looking up for now.

Pirate Hunting with the Malvici

Assisting with marine/boarding situations on the Great Malvici Pirate Hunt

Dora has been asked by her cousin to join him in hunting pirates. Dora isn't the most experienced fighter, but finding things. Ah, now that is where she excels.

With a fierce grin on her face she can be found at the helm, or the map, or the prow of the ship. Always her eyes are ahead as she finds targets among the southern waters.

Calypso is not directly involved, but will be inputting heavily. She owns this fleet, for the most part, and they should not be pursuing and retreating forces under her own orders above all else. Take prisoners from the captured ships for interrogation. In this effort, she is putting 250,000 silver into upgrading the armor, weapons, and training of the fleet before it leaves harbor. This includes the ships going out with Thrax, to benefit from these donations. They can keep them.

It's time. As promised, Jasher's brought himself and three vessels carrying battle-ready sailors to aid the Malvicis in their great pirate hunt. While no doubt there will be blood spilled, the prince is also looking to capture some of the pirates for the Malvicis to wring information from like damp towels. The watchword here is caution: Jasher is careful to try not to overextend his reach, and to sail relatively near Domonico's ships so that he can fall back for assistance--or offer assistance himself--in a moment's notice in the event of an ambush. He also assigns lookouts on his ships to keep an eye and report anything unusual, and that means /anything/ whether it's bloodwater or a bread box.

It's really uncanny how well they are able to track the pirates. Most of the sailors from House Malvici assume that Lady Dora Malvici is some sort of spymaster, with advanced information on where some of the spies have been harboring, as she helps direct their forces towards the southwestern Lycene coast where the Empyrean Trade Route has been hardest hit. Sure enough, in those waters, a merchant galley is being pursued by two longships flying black serpent flags... which promptly turn to flee through the shallows at the sign of the Compact flags, hoping they can't be pursued

Lord Domonico expertly guides the galleys in pursuit, stunning his sailors with how well he manages to lead his three ships through the treacherous shallows with ease. Then Jasher's ships show from the other direction coming in a pincer, and the pirates have no choice but to be brought to battle.

Lord Santi leads the boarding action, and the fight is short but brutal, with the outnumbered pirates being quickly overwhelmed under the Malvici and Thrax onslaught. The Malvici ship Shrike takes significant damage in one of the ramming actions, but aside from that, they are able to claim two prizes.

With the massive funding supplied by Calypso, it's remarkable what they are able to discover. The pirates they were able to run down were members of the Undrowned Sons, and had been recently raiding in the employ of a red haired pirated queen operating out of Port Defiance. At least four other sell-sail or piratical groups were doing the same, but none were on the initial wave of pirates that hit Empyrean shipping in a coordinated way and immediately stopped. Near as the Undrowned Sons have heard it from rumors in Port Defiance, it was a sellsword group that was trying to stir up trouble with local lords, who then decided to turn a blind eye because they felt the Empyrean Trade Route was a threat to their autonomy, as a result of some extremely misleading propaganda that was spread against it. The Undrowned Sons and others just started rading since if the locals weren't going to patrol their own waters, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

After several other patrols and running down other pirates that tell similar tales, piratical activity dies down for now in Lycene waters, having heard that Malvici patrolled areas are just too dangerous to trifle with.

(Reference: Request Ticket ID 9883 -- an effort to comply with requirements to expand land area) Nearby land area UNCLAIMED by any Lycene houses is surveyed, explored, and mapped to the west, south, and north to avoid being too close to Brasshall March, the closest Lycene holding to Saikland Greens. East is the bay. Shav villages and camps, areas in use by them are mapped and noted. Areas suitable for establishing a Cavalry Training Facility with necessary pastures, farms (feed, food, stockpiling for lean years), homes (workers/staff), lumber (fences, buildings, cook-fires), training trails in various terrains (woods, hills, shore, marsh, creeks, open, rough) with lengthy routes for coordinated exercises and endurance building rides for horses and men. (Not competitive with horse breeders but to give military an area for groups to use, return to their units and other sessions to start.) Students and instructors in this benefit Saikland by serving as an additional military presence and patrols along the perimeter trails to supplement Saikland military.

Saikland land area is too small, just 5 at present, and growing population and economy may well cause overcrowding and hardship for the people, something Lucita is stern in avoiding. (reference: Action 1963, Action 2116) Land area is also needed in order to establish the Cavalry Facility to help serve the Lycene and Compact military. 1500 economic resources are attached to this action to represent investment in infrastructure, roads, improvements and any necessary buildings. We hired (fee-4000 silver and 15 writs each) three Society of Explorers people to have mappers, surveyors, explorers, etc. to make sure this was done safely and properly. Several ships are available to use for transport of people and supplies.

Saik military and any who wish to support the effort move in to help map, explore, and establish a perimeter and patrol area to claim such area as is not in use by Shavs then follow the steps below when Shavs are encountered. We have already begun to increase our military, not to threaten but to prepare men to defend new holdings, maintain peace, oust hostile Shav's and help teach. Saik military added, a few at a time, during the fall and winter months of 1008-1009 were 15 infantry-150 mil, 3 pike-45 mil, 5 cavalry-150 mil, 5 archers-100 mil--an investment of 445 military resources to reach 200 army. An additional 1000 military resources are added to the action for Calvary Training Facility Trainers, staff and additional military-increases growth.

When Shavs are encountered, translators, diplomats and propagandaists are sent meet with them (military to ensure safety) to initiate peaceable negotiations aimed toward bending the knee and ensure no dangerous cults or factors endanger newly acquired areas. If hostile groups or cults exist or Shav's decline to bend the knee, they will have to be moved away from Saikland borders to avoid having enemies close at hand. Faith is consulted to confirm any bending the knee are meeting current faith efforts. Templars attached to the action and groups provided by Duchess Calypso protect diplomats and negotiators if attacked and handle any abyssals encountered. This is an attempt to build good relationships and avoid bloodshed if possible of those who may become useful, productive and content new citizens using techniques such as succeeded in the Southport action, but enemies can not be permitted to remain in or in dangerous proximity to Saikland. (Reference: Action by Calypso for Turmoil in Southport (Private Action, OOC Date: April 20, 2018.) Lucita has taken the time to learn Lycene Shav language so she can communicate directly with them. 1000 social resources are attached to this action to represent investment and support of these diplomatic, peaceable efforts.

Calypso will fully support this measure for the Barony of Saikland. She will commit 30 of her cavalry to the action as advisors in order to help identify the most ideal land.

Additionally, Calypso will rally House Grey Raptor to help explore these lands. These explorers should be able to ride forward and speak to Abandoned and help convince them to either work with Saik, move off the land, but PRIMARILY to join in with Saik. Grey Raptor has been one of the huge recipients of aid and faith after the Southport conflict and they would be the ideal force to ride with the cavalry and seek peaceful resolution. Prior to Grey Raptor leaving, Calypso would voice this as a test effort for Grey Raptor to move forward without causing violence. If they prove their ability, they will be some of the first to take the training and be able to ride more freely into exploration under proper training. She intends to turn them into a force of Rangers.

At the request of Baroness Lucita, the Faith are taking an active interest in this expansion, especially as it is liable to come across Shav tribes that might be integrated and to ensure it is done by the proper methods. Preston is taking a decent force of 200 cavalry 300 archers and 500 infantry (attached to the action) to monitor events. If the Faithful are threatened, or the Shavs turn out to worship the Abyss, or somehow the Shavs attack the Faith forces directly, they will intervene and put the Shavs to the sword, obeyind Gloria's tenants as they do of course. If the Shavs are willing to talk, the Godsworn of the group including Preston will explain proper worship of the Pantheon, and the benefits that come from the Faith - including training in proper ways of war by the Templars. The large force hopefully will convince the Shavs that fighting is a bad solution for this. The Faith will also bless the land for the cavalry facility in the name of Gloria for Lucita, and will let local Templars know to support the effort and make use of it.

Reese is coming to help Baroness Lucita. She would like to use her leadership skills, propaganda skills and experience in relating with Shavs to help try and speak with the Shavs and encourage them gently to join Saik. She will fight, but only in self-defense unless she runs into agents of the abyss. Then she will fight eh agents of the abyss. Reese will remain uninterested in using physical force or threats to encourage anyone to join, but she is very willing to turn on her charm, use her long history of relating well with Shavs and being fair to them and propaganda talk to them about the greatness of Baroness Lucita and Saik.

Look, Lord Karadoc Saik's here. Yes, he's trying to prove himself useful to this VERY IMPORTANT project to expand Saikland Greens lands into territory that's unclaimed by Lycene Houses but occupied by Lycaean Shav'arvani. Look, he's kinda wary about Prodigals, okay? He'll leave all the diplomacy and straight-talk to the diplomats, courtiers, and Whispers. He's working behind the curtain, again, to take care of this project's logistics (intellect) while keeping a very careful eye on supplies (economics.)

Friends help friends. And that's why Sasha is traveling with House Saik to help convince the peaceful tribe of Shavs to bend a knee. In this task the Oathlander turned Northerner throws her all, projecting to the tribe the poise and grace of a former princess, telling the Shavs all that they can gain from bending a knee; security, prosperity, and purpose in a strong and growing alliance of many people. She shows them goods that could be theirs if they join The Compact, food, clothing, tools - all things that they likely have limited access to due to the ban on trading with Shavs. All this to hopefully convince them that it is in their interest to swear fealty to The Compact.

Softest Whisper Saedrus is more than happy to assist Baroness Lucita and House Saik in their endeavour. He will accompany whatever groups lead out into the territories of abandoned tribes to help negotiations of land and joining the compact. It's all with a little charm and gentle diplomacy, with the aid of translators, he hopes to speak with the shav'arvani and see matters sorted out in benefit to the Saik and Abandoned peacefully. He brings with him social, economic and military favours (100 resources each) to help bolster the Saik's efforts.

Zebulon will provide his ship to Lucita to assist in ferrying supplies back and forth as needed to assist with the expansion of Saikland and cavalry camp setup.

Not only will Ariella be making the Red Bargain available for ferrying supplies to Saikland, but she will also be making regular patrols along the coasts in search of potential threats before they become a problem, while also acting as an escort with other cargo ships, her doughty group of sailors offering protection for those ships whose sailors may not have been battle hardened in places such as Setarco.

Leola acts as an outrider for the Saik forces. She knows the lands (Survival), knows what land will likely be valuable (Agriculture), and takes the opportunities to guide the Saik forces to the places that will be most of use to her liege.

Juliana will be using one of her ships from Isles Canines to join and help the Baroness in her quest. Having spent time amoung the Lycene Shavs before the war, to convince them to join Pravus in it's efforts, she will use that experience in working with these to show them how it will benefit them to side with the Baroness Lucita. Not only will she be using her charm and propaganda to help but as they move through the people, Juliana will also do what she can to treat those that need medical attention.

Duchess Calista Fidante offers her assistance in the form of hype and diplomacy. She is known for speaking elegantly and truly getting to the heart of various situations, easing the confusion of those who might be on the fence of bending the knee. She also gives good hype. Hype Hype Hype - Saik is great!

No vassal, even a non-direct one, is too small to not deserve the attention of the Archduchess of Lenosia. In fact, as a show of her respect and affection for House Saik, the Archduchess arrives in person to speak with whatever Abandoned tribes are found. She stresses the strength of not only House Saik, but of the unified Lyceum that stands behind them. Though sheer force of personality, Eleyna attempts to move and persuade them into bending the knee, painting it as an opportunity not just for protection for their tribe, but a chance to join the Compact, a force united against all those that would threaten it, from the Great Houses to the Prodigal tribes that bend the knee.

Scouting! Mapping! Exploring! Yes, that is what Caspian is doing. Working with the other Explorers, Caspian is doing his best to help map out the potential lands without having the party get killed or lost.

Eirene comes along in her official capacity as VOICE OF SOUTHPORT as well as a Healer of the Explorers to make this all official like if anyone has doubts about the validity of the expansion. She's there to ensure the new shav tribes are not diseased and to spread goodwill with her medical knowledge. She's also familiar with the general region if not the specific due to years of Malvici patrols and military exercises in the Saiklands.

Despite an army accompanying them, there's an awful lot of notables in this group of people, and Valarian is there to make sure anyone who would try to slip through and take a stab at any get stabbed first. Accordingly, the giant sellsword and Explorer will hang near the most vulnerable members of the party to provide defense.

Baroness-Regent Lucita Saik continues to strengthen her lands - this time with an expansion of her lands outward. Her Barony is becoming very used to having Very Important People in town to help them with infrastructure and building projects, and when they speak of Lucita now, they speak of her not as the wife of their former Baron-Regent, not as an Igniseri, but as the Baroness who is making sure their home thrives.

First, the Grey Raptor clan, recently-Prodigal shav from Southport arrive, at the direction of Duchess Calypso. Lady Eirene shows up in her role as Voice to help oversee the process, and they start scouting likely territories of receptive shav.

Then Sir Preston arrives with a sizeable force (for a non-Crusade, which is to say, sans trebuchet and sans completely overwhelming force) of Templars too, providing some muscle on behalf of the Faith. And by "muscle" here that is of course to say "measured conversations about the joys and benefits of the Faith.

Princess Reese also shows up to help lend her military expertise, along with Dame Leola, Grandmaster Caspian, and Valarian Harrow of the Crimson Blades. Their experiences and skillsets range from military to scouting, and they work with the Grey Raptors and Lady Eirene and her healers to find shav willing to bend the knee, and convince them through wily strategy not to fight.

Logistics are masterminded - errrr, organized! by Lord Karadoc, and he puts together the charts and plans and schedules for supplies and their transport. Supplies are ferried in to support both the military campaign and the expected expansion, with Lady Ariella's Red Bargain and Sir Zebulon's ship leading the way.

And then the diplomatic corps sweeps in. Alongside Baroness Lucita? Archduchess Eleyna herself comes to entreat people to join the Compact. Lady Calista is so cheerful and excited for this expansion of Saikland Greens. Lady Juliana uses her experience convincing shavs near Pravus to join the Compact and applies that to good effect. Whisper Saedrus helps ease negotiations with the Abandoned-hopefully-soon-to-be-Prodigal. Marquessa Sasha speaks eloquently of all they stand to gain.

In the end, this is a very successful campaign, and Baroness Lucita finds herself in the middle of a Barony that is suddenly quite a bit larger, with infrastructure projects ongoing, and new Prodigals bending the knee and starting to integrate to call Saikland Greens their home.

Iseulet begins spearheading a campaign to put into motion a new -MASSIVE- permanent trading route by water that stretches from the Telmarch, round the coast of the Oathlands, heading south round the Lyceum, to the Thraxian Isles, and cutting across to Arx up to Stonehearth.

Each House that participates is asked to donate 50-100 military writs for the funding of security escorts and the fightin' off of Pirates - river and otherwise). Optionally, each House can /also/ donate some social writs to help spread the word along.

The goal is to stimulate trade between Houses - Houses both import and export goods and benefit from the taxes and stimulated economy! Thereby giving a monthly income boost (and maybe some initial economic writs) to all houses represented here. Every House gets an equal share of all the profits, with the exception of the Houses contracted to secure the route from bandits/pirates (those that have attached ships to the action). Not only are these houses entitled to a bigger share of the profits (due to their increased risk) any and all contraband seized by pirates along the route will of course, be theirs.

The Count of Riva himself has taken a very strong interest in this wonderful mission, probably most likely because the idea was born out of a conversation with he and Iseulet. He knew he would be especially helpful among the peoples on the rivers and so the Count would head out to use his charm and diplomatic skill, as well as his life experiences and relationships to assist in the negotiating among not just the peoples of the rivers, but anyone who seemed inclined to hear him.

Belladonna endorses the deal, meeting with merchants and sailors around her port city and spreading word, building hype and excitement for this new trade route that will open up new revenue streams for the bold and daring who sieze the opportunity at hand!

Baroness Skye Blackshore lends Lady Iseulet the resources she needs to start the trading route, giving her military escort and blessing to move forward with these trading agreements.

Lady Tesha Telmar has spoken with Lord Ansel Telmar and they have decided that this is a good idea for the Telmarch to join in. So they are going to be providing Military and Social support for Lady Blackshore in hopes that this venture goes smoothly and without any bumps.

Always on the lookout to place Caina in traderoutes, Oriana, as a Voice of Inverno, interviews her ship captains to carve a new force from Caian's navy specifically to provide safe passage for trade from New Hope and spreads the word through her contacts and mertchant captains at home and in Arx.

As the Queen of Silver for the isles of Ischia, it's important to pursue business policy and trade like it's nobody's business. No pun intended. So when Lady Iseulet begins such a massive campaign she knew she had to be a part of it and was grateful for the opportunity. Providing ships and the Black Curs' finest corsairs, this southern House hopes to protect the vested interests (and further them when possible) of everyone involved. With the blessings of Gild and the spirits of air, luck and sea, Prisila will work closely with the Voice of Inverno and contribute her forces to helping provide safe passage as well as investing economically into this beautiful project.

Aethan will be supporting Lady Blackshore in her trade endeavors by escorting trade ships as needed, as well as clearing pirates from optimal trade routes able to be accessed by the Kennex navy.

Octavia notes the need for Stormward to be part of the building trade route, and commits significant resources to the establishment and securing of the trade route. The Stormward Fleet, an anti-pirate patrol by its origins, will certainly be excited to join the fray and tear the pirates apart.

Having received contact from Iseulet, Marquis Fairen meets with his staff and vassals to discuss the trade route, examining it's feasability to improve on the economy of Leaholdt. The resulting meeting ensures that not only does Fairen support the goals and objectives of the project, but he also uses this as a way to improve the sales on the unique product, Leaholdt Dreamwine: A rare and expensive alcoholic drink with a milky, herbal texture, and forest green in color said to produce lucid dreams if the consumer drink a full glass. Not to mention, the Marquis encourages his vassals and the merchants in Leaholdt to take advantage of this trade arrangement.

When she was a young woman, Petra listened to the wind and used her gift of clarity to guide her tribe to safe paths. Now that she is helping her family rebuild after the tragedy that Brand inflicted upon them, she has been relying on this ability again and she does so in this instance to help establish a trade route. She asked the voices threaded within the breezes which route they should follow: 'What course best balances safety and prosperity?' When she is given an answer, she relays it to the others and advises them which currents to follow.

Following the lead of Tesha, Ansel will be assisting in commiting the resources of the Telmarch to bear on establishing and maintaining the trade route project. As the northernmost bastion of the Oathlands, the Telmarch itself holds a key position in economic routes through the area, and Telmarine forces will be dedicated specifically to establishing and safeguarding the route. They will clear the way of any bandits, help establish any trading posts along the way, and provide security for the first few rounds of caravans that make the trip, in order to establish it as a safe trading route.

While the Trade Route is largely over sea, but for it to be successful once it finally reaches the end of the route in the Oathlands, where there are relatively few ports, there has to be ways goods can reach overland, as well as goods reach Sanctum and other Oathland Ports so they can travel back along the route. Edain will focus his efforts on setting up solidly defended trade line to Pride Hall to the East and Farhaven to the North. Attempting to extend the reach of the Blackshore's trade route, and to give the Oathlands, Crownlands and Northlands more ways to access the route if they are far inland from it. Where Isabeau is brokering most of the deals, Edain will do his best to make certain they are well protected and those roads are safe.

On behalf of House Valardin and the overarching route(s) through the Oathlands, Princess Isabeau will coordinate and negotiate with local merchants and militia knights to ensure that trade is fair and the caravans are secure. What's more, she will offer a small tax incentive for merchants who wish to travel on the new trade route and/or share their goods with customers outside of the Oathlands. She will also do what she can to help coordinate with the other Oathlands houses and provide assistance to them where required. (Assisting with an additional 200 writs of economic, military, and social resources.)

With the desire to trade by sea and Harthall being an Island based house, the two mesh rather well. Orvyn will work closely with Iseulet and others to best organize the ships and their routes. His own contacts among the various sailing groups will come into play as the pocketbooks of others will likely aid in ensuring that proper bribes and deals take place throughout the seas of the compact. He will commit several of the house trade ships and encourage their sailors and captains to find ways to follow the prescribed routes in an attempt to streamline the fee structures. Further organization with the other Voices and heads will take place so that two ships loaded with similar goods will not pass each other on the seas, organizing bills of trade so that expedience and profit can both be maximized.

It is Hadrian's attention to set about making arrangements for the planned commerce within the city-state of Ostria through acute applications of... delegation! Putting the proper minds to work within Ostria itself to work in establishing the necessary measures to safeguard Ostria and House Mazetti. Making absolutely certain that visitors, whether merchants or otherwise, to the city-state adhere to the laws and traditions of Ostria and remain in the Outer Round. The fleet of House Mazetti shall patrol their own waters and, if necessary, defend traveling merchants with utmost tenacity from the First Ostrian Fleet. Ostria will welcome escorts attached to commercial traffic in order to maintain the safety of the convoys of merchant vessels. The escorts will however be expected to maintain a respectable distance from the Walled City by the Sea. House Mazetti too will be promoting the endeavor, urging those citizens in need of employment to make inquiries at the docks with the potential boom of new trade. Finally, Hadrian will be dispatching his invaluable lawyer to review any documentation before providing his final nod to Hadrian before anything is agreed upon by the Hydra.

Lady Catalana Kennex will be supporting these endeavors. She will personally speak to every noble of Stormward to negotiate such things. She will happily trade with Blackshore of course to boost both of their economies.

The Crown Minister of Coin permits the use of the harbours and ports in the vicinity of the City of Arx as part of the trade route and provides a measure of support in economic waivers, military permits and social connections for the suitable parties. All in all, the effort is more administrative, indicating that on behalf of the Crown and King that the initiative will not be hindered. All they take, of course, is their cut through taxes from any eventual profits.

Malesh is going to commission a brand new trade center at Stonehearth. Port facilities will be expanded, as well as new warehouses and vaults. City defenses in general shall be beefed up as well, in an effort to make Stonehearth THE place to trust your goods with quick an easy access to several trade routes including this new one. As his people handle that at his expense, he will be busy touring the existing routes speaking to the benefit of this new route as well as the virtues of Gild and, of course, the value of trading through Stonewood. Stonewood forces will take charge of protecting the final leg of the trade route, from Arx to Stonehearth, both on the river and along side it. (1000 Economic Resources, 500 each Social and Military)

Ariel will be hosting a trade fair and festival to Gild to coincide with the trade route announcement. She is aiming for a week-long event showcasing the goods, services, and performers of the region. A tithe of 10% will be given to Gild of all money's made/raised. She will be putting forth the money to host the event so the craftsmen spend nothing out of pocket to set up. The trade fair will run during the day why the night will be devoted to performers. Singers, dancing, and theatre productions.

Amari, acting as House Keaton's Minister of Finance, will oversee the Oakhaven leg of the trade route, while the Riverdogs under the command of her cousin are committed to escort merchant ships and inspect them for contraband. A strong supporter of Lady Iseulet's endeavor, she'll tout the benefits to local merchants and others in Arx she's dealt with during her tenure and offer incentives to bring them on board. Otherwise she mainly concerns herself with the numbers and logistics of the undertaking with a lawyer's eye for detail and compliance, trying to make sure it's all as profitable and legal as can be.

Operating as a merchant for years, Lord Fredrik knows the best and most profitable routes among the Isles. How to avoid pirates, how to get the best profit for your returns, and how to make certain that you are not ripped off by the hundreds of hidden fees that are scattered in every port authority. He will bend this knowledge to help the trade efforts, as well as examining the rest of the route thoroughly for wastage or investment opportunities, trying to make this route one large, flowing river of product that benefits everyone involved.

Duarte represents not only Bravura, but also the greater goal and group, in negotiating trade routes and costs with transporters and contractors, mercenaries and merchants. Tying together such an intricately detailed route and nailing down precise agreements for the benefit of all is not always as straight forward as 'Let's do the thing!' and Duarte is there to help smooth the waters and finalize the commitments as a new, but adept, diplomat.

Lys, Voice of Afflua, will of course help! Granted, Fen de Lire is not particularly nearby the water. So she'll be doing what she can to put the word out for the project and see if she can get people to help with it! And of course they'll provide some extra muscle via the Valorous Few.

Lucita evaluates the maps and plans shown her and decides to assist. She uses her charm and skills with propaganda to heighten interest in this project, both locally in Saikland Greens and amid the trade partners she has already established, Secure trade and steady protection and trade partners can only help build the economy and strengthen the military protection against pirates of all who are involved. 100 military resources are put into helping fund the protection from pirates, 300 economic resources are invested.

Lady Cadenza Fidante is happy to assist with this endeavor. As both the Voice of Hawkmour as well as the Admiral of the Tempest Rose, she will be ensuring that Tor and their vassal's lands are properly patrolled and protected as they have always done. She will see to it that the waters around Tor and Brassfall March are properly guarded for the trade route to be safe and successful. In addition, of course Brassfall will be taking part of this trading endeavor to boost their economy.

Duchess Calista Fidante is well know for her charming ways and when it comes to public relations, there are few who can match her talent. She speaks with the Merchants of Tor about new trade commissions and how this opportunity will stimulate the economy. Tor is a city-state that is rich with resources. More trade means more money and everyone likes money.

While gratuitously thanking House Malvici for its offer to protect areas which include areas under control of Tor, their offer will have to be declined. House Fidante has protected Tor and her surrounding lands for a very long time. Knight-Captain Ignacio Fidante shall instead however increase patrols within the Torean region to ensure any efforts by bandits or pirates will be thwarted.

Quenia hears out Iseulet's plan, and agrees to talk to her merchants and her nobles. She works to convince them that this would be a good idea, bringing in new goods, and much needed new avenues for export. She also reminds them that all the new goods would also be traveling to Gemcitta, since Granato is the hub for trade with Rubino-Zaffria lands as well, which should help convince them. She talks to her fleets, and sees that they handle additional protection around the ports of Granato. It's not that she doesn't trust Malvici, getting on with the Duchess well, just she wants her own people to be out in the waters as well in a combined effort to protect the trade routes. Working as one Lyceum. As such, she invests military favors (100) and economic favors (200) into seeing this prosper.

House Malvici will most certainly not come anywhere near Lenosia with its ships. House Velenosa shall protect its own waters, with their own ships, and ensure the proper passing of any trade vessels along its part of the sea route. Prince Mydas Velenosa makes that abundantly clear, before setting to work on using his own knowledge of economics to ensure the venture is a successful one. He also brings in the Silver Consortium as its Voice, to supply their expertise and existing networks to the effort. All for commerce! And to each their own waters!

The proposed trade-route precisely fits with Sudara's hopes for the kingdom as a whole and the Truesworn in particular. Given Esterhold's location, this plan could bring many advantages to her beloved Prodigals: she is committing herself and her little House to its support. Personally, this entails uncovering as much relevant information as possible, and accurately passing it on to her people to help them serve as guides and guardians in their home waters: the latest maps, schedules, accounts of seasonal changes in weather and currents and tides, recognition signals and flags for all the nations and Houses, and more besides. Her hope is that she can make the waters near Esterhold as safe as possible for merchant shipping, and turn her little fief into a favoured port of call.

Tenebrae, like her Lady Sudara, is devoted to helping her people gain power and riches that they deserve. She will do all she can to assist in this endeavor, though with her skills, it will probably be restricted to ensuring the safety of ships around Esterhold and assisting with the navigation of the nearby seas.

Pasquale represents Malespero in seeing the trade route established, putting what military weight his young House has into helping secure the waters and encouraging Nilanza's sailors and merchants to utilize the route for buying and selling. He also puts some of his own personal time to use in studying the raiding patterns of pirates along the route and tries to come up with strategies to avoid and combat them.

Duke Harlan Ashford will also supply social and military support towards this endeavor, but also bring up the fact that he's expanding Fortune's Harvest in Oak's Rest -- and suggests expanding the trading route towards there, especially as he's already building a road from Arx that will lead there -- and the Knights of Solace are patrolling (see action 2250)! The duke will also be allocating 100 military and social writs to the cause.

Lady Olivia authorizes House Ashford's participation in the route, as well as encouraging its (NPC!) vassals to participate and supplying resources in support of the endeavor. In terms of personal contribution, while not a merchant, she is an expert in agricultural affairs and will effectively use that skillset to try and leverage Ashford's participation in the network as a food exporter, studying crop patterns and directing a focus toward those likely to create surpluses in excess of local use. She can also to a degree export that agricultural knowledge as a good itself, ie by selling good seed stocks and other such bounties to their trade partners, hopefully increasing production among all the participating holdings.

Dycard will be working his way through the social scene, reinforcing that this is a great idea and the profit should be rich - and that other trade routes will likely come of it. Not in on this one? Well, when it's a success, there'll be others. Worried about changes? Life is change, and not all changes are for the bad.

Turo commits to protecting the trade routes to and from his waters, ensuring clean hand-offs of responsibility to other fleets as they occur. He also commits his formidable skills and experience in planning naval efforts to maximising these routes. Turo collaborates with the merchants in Escuma, as well as the Arts Academy, and brings Estil - the minister of Income - into those discussions as well.

Arcelia will work to support the additional trading routes at port sites around Escuma. She will also attempt to combine her own efforts in establishing trade routes(@action 2257) for Escuma with Iseulet's much larger expansion of trade routes around Arvum. She will attempt to utilize her relations with the Marin'alfar to expand trade routes to them as well, an attempt to see to it that our potential underwater allies are well supported.

Given the proximity of House Darkwater, Redreef, and Blackshore - Edward already knows these routes fairly well. These are the routes that his family, when he was still Redreef, had him personally following and tracking to ensure efficiency and little loss of cargo for the two Houses. Now he will apply this same knowledge for House Blackshore, showing Iseulet how to incorporate House Blackshore into these trade routes which includes at least two routes down to the Lycem, one specifically going to Setarco. This information is meant to be used to not establish the route since there is one but to ensure the depth of its efficiency - knowing when it is safe to push hugging the coast line against when it is okay to move out. How much cargo can be moved before spillage takes place in terms of perishables, and what the most commonly desired imports for those places are so there is no guesswork to be had.

As Voice of House Tyde, Archeron is keen to promote trade which takes Tyde's hardwoods and other exotic goods wider than just the Mourning Isles and the East coast, especially as they are trying to expand their forestry. Tyde provides a good number of resources to acquire military guards, even recommending a few of the old reavers who have retired from House service but who know the waves and how to defend goods. They also put the feelers out to their vassal houses, spreading the word through their social skills and resources. Archeron will be as charming as he can, of course, to those who wish to trade - showing them the fine qualities of Tyde hardwoods, with the confidence a woodsman has. And of course, direct the leaders to the best and most skilled former soldiers, as mentioned, to defend them.

While her brother, Valdemar, sets up the trade routes, Ingrid's focus is to ensure an economical boost to exports while expertly managing the taxes and other red tape associated with establishing a trade route coming in/out of Grihem's Point. Understanding that often you must spend resources to net in a bigger profit, House Grimhall does just that, using some of their economical clout to influence potential new partners.

Ember prepares Redreef Shores for an influx in trade by organizing patrols to protect the trading ships entering the waters near Redreef shore as well as meeting with local merchants so Redreef Shore may benefit from the new trade.

Donato will take command of Caina's fleet and help to secure the burgeoning trade route. He will drill the sailors and inspect the fleet to ensure they are fighting fit and disciplined and help to plan out the most effective and efficient naval patrol routes to ensure everything goes according to plan.

Demura has given Anabelle the responsibility to oversee the new investments of the Trade Route with Blackshore, and as such the girl has taken an interest in learning more about the world of Investments and the Finnacial Stability of Lyon's Redoubt and her family. The girl seem very interested in the potential of this great partnership to be used for something more among the Dominions, and will make sure that the profit is guaranteed to all parts.

Marquessa Demura Lyonesse will command personally the Lyonesse navy to make sure the first few days of the trade route will go smoothly. She will organise routine patrols and establish proper scouting alongside her strecht of the route to make sure no merchant will be harmed while trying to pass through the Lyon's Redoubt, while promoting the incoming trade goods among her folk. (100 military resources will be donated, 100 social resources will be donated and the Lyonesse navy will be added to the action)

Clover would give aid in spreading the news about this campaign, talking to people and getting others interested in not only investing but using this new trade route once it's settled. She has friends in all sorts of places, and connections plenty. She would see if she could also get independent captains willing to provide help with protection.

House Farshaw adds to this trade route some of its merchant fleet to assist in the shipment of goods as well as two ships to help with escort. What is good for the betterment of the west also is for the betterment of Westcrown. All in Farshaw are in agreement increased trade is to the benefit of all. There is a profit to be made here.

Calypso is going to be using her newest assets to their fullest extent. While using the new naval base (still pending @action, Apost still needed to review early) as a logistical strongpoint for her fleet, she will be directing it to help ensure that the ships she is applying to the trade route not only are deployed properly, but that she is exercising the best coverage. Being relied-on to guarantee the southern route for now, she will be ordering her ships to keep a watchful eye for pirates. Ships Captains are expected to prosecute pirates with extreme prejudice. Her vessels will not be entering waters recognized as belonging to other Houses, however. In the meantime she has been coordinating with Valardin about the logistical angles while building out her combat fleet (Apost is aware of plans, pending base @action approval) and plans to spend a few days in Southport directly rallying her troops and sailors, getting them motivated and putting her best people forward. (The Army attachment should include pending additional Longship purchases, as discussed.)

There's a lot more pirates than expected. A -lot- more. And they seem to have caught word of exactly this new trade route, with a suspicious amount of forewarning about exactly when and where different galleys would be making port calls, as well as a decent amount of resistance by coastal lords who are resistant to seeing any warships in their waters even to guard commerce, which makes things tense and difficult.

It's still a spectacular success.

The amount of diplomatic work in easing tensions, and the amount of military forces dispatched to help oversee this, even with the limitation on where they can and can't go, means that the overwhelming majority of galleys are making their port calls, and after a few crushing defeats of piratical forces, it doesn't look like much will threaten that... provided that the forces stay committed to patrolling the waters of their domains.

The Empyrean Trade Route, as it is being known, covers over thirty primary domains as ports of call or in-land trading partners, and the gains in commerce is significant, even if it is just starting.

Calypso has ordered the construction of a new naval base and port/shipwright at Southport, which we will be calling Goldhawk Naval Base. The primary function of this base will be to build combat fleets and logistical support ships. As a secondary purpose, it will serve as an armory, barracks, and command post for the fleets being put to ocean by Malvici. These fleets will be directly involved in massive patrol operations of the Empyrean Trade Route and will require heavy command and control.

The facilities will be designed by Malvici engineers but heavily consulted with on by Houses Brass Hawk and Crimson Malvicus. The understanding that these two have in deep water operations and also engineering/construction should be mutually beneficial to provide the best facilities that we can build.

Goldhawk starts to immediately pay dividends in increased trade and commerce around it, resulting in a significant increase in incomes for House Malvici, and other houses take note of the new shipyard. It does stand ready to help produce new ships. ((Those will have to be done by hand, don't have the means to automate decreased costs just yet, so by request, or action if trying to roll to decrease costs past the 20 percent))

This is part two of the ongoing economic development plan for Saikland Greens started in action 1963 and incorporates its organization, planning, and can be referenced for details. The focus of this action shifts from direct input of resources and silver to acquiring them through improved trade of wines, whiskey and Saikland Greens Glassworks products. Intended usage is silver and military resources added to Saik bank accounts to save and use for military and barony needs, economic resources and some silver to be directly funneled back into Saikland for improvements and adding farms, populace, jobs, addition of a specific archive or archive room (explained below). Silver and resources are not added to the effort because this is supposed to generate them.

Initiation:
Lucita uses charm to spread word of mouth to increase popularity, sales and trade of Saikland Greens whiskey, wine and glassworks products throughout the Compact and to recruit others to help her do this. She uses skills in investigation to review reports of other successful efforts, talk to people to ask what worked and what did not. This is not just 'dry numbers' strict economics but also current trends and popularity as well as reviewing 'old standbys' that are always needed and wanted.
Marcos, Karadoc and Lucita hosted a dinner at which guests were served Saik house wines, given ornate bottles of premium whiskey or gift boxes of higher quality wines. Guests that assisted with prior econimic actions for Saikland were given a one-of-a-kind keepsake boxes, customized just for them, other guests given whiskey or wine. (dinner guests were: Jaenelle, Calypso, Quenia, Luis, Karadoc, Lucita, Katarina, Ignacio, Vitalis, Delilah, Marcos, Cadenza, Emily). Additional keepsake boxes were given to Hadrian, Ian and Zoey, Alarissa, Leola, Eleyna, Eleanor, Silvio and Lysander, Aiden. Wines and whiskeys have been used in rp and used as gifts.
Barony Expense mitigation to free resources and silver for other purposes: Self-funding military family support--'Saikland Remembers' Whiskey, suggestive of remembering old stories, songs, or toasting, not just Saiklanders but all across the Compact. It is good enough whiskey that people would buy and drink it no matter what name is stuck on the label. Profit (after expenses) from that brand to help support families of Saikland military who fell in battles 1006 and onward. This would be ongoing not a limited edition whiskey. Sales/trade frees up resources to expend on more direct improvements. The realizition 'We take care of our own.' improves morale and word of mouth of it helps the Barony seem a desirable area in which to live.

Usage of whatever gains are achieved:

Military resources: bank-save (ships, train general, more army later).
Silver: Bank and improvement assists.
Economic
1. Add one room to existing Saikland archives
or if we have no archives, this is a beginning of it.
Purpose--area for 1006 and later historical records AND a unique war memorial, a double purpose, very cost efficient resource use and space to last for years. Shelf end uprights have years (start-1006 and ongoing) carved at the top and below, in small letters, names of the Saikland military fallen in battle that year. The cases on which the names are carved are left for scholars to acquire tomes and references, and for Saiklanders to leave momentos to help to create their own war memorial. Backs of shelves in the room center usable for Saikland 'allies' whose family actually visit Saikland Greens to add a name and item, giving reasons to visit and something to view/do while there. Suggested name: Saikland Remembers Memorial Archive.
2. Additional population and the variety of buildings needed for infrastructure improvements and moving closer toward eligibility to become a larger holding. Such growth to use resources generated from trade on ongoing logical/wise/balanced growth as detailed in action 1963. with housing, crops for making wines/whiskey and food plus extra to store, jobs, security, health and sanitation, education, faith all carefully balanced as the barony grows. Care is taken to avoid growing too rapidly to sustain or be self sufficient and to avoid a negative impact on existing businesses and economy.

Lady Cadenza Fidante has become rather close with the Baroness of Saik and has had the pleasure of tasting these wonderful wines and whiskeys of Saikland. Being a sailor...she has always loved her libations and now that she is the Admiral of the Rose Tempest....she will be sharing the love of this land's whiskeys with her men! What better way to raise morale as the new admiral than to gift them all battles of whiskey from Saik. Being neighbors and all, why not share the love of drinks amongst each other.

Marquessa Quenia Igniseri encourages her merchants to pick up trade with Saikland Greens products, particularly any glass products that might be needed. Fancy new glass blown bottles for perfumes, new colored bottles for wines, or other glass products for general use - such as tableware or window panes. She also encourages her merchants to pick up bottles of Saikland Remembers Whiskey - reminding them that House Igniseri and House Saik have close ties to one another now that the former Lady Lucita Igniseri is now Baroness Lucita Saik, and that House Igniseri honors the sacrifices House Saik made in the battle against the Gyre in Setarco.

Being the good neighbor that she is, and given the Baroness's long relationship with Gemecitta as a vassal, Duchess Grazia Rubino is donating the marble for many of the statues involved in the war memorial, as well as offering a small but useful discount on the other stone required for the project. She will encourage trade with Saikland to help build its economy and further diversify her own economy.

Lord Karadoc Saik will work his charms on merchants that are bound north and east - waxing lyrical on all the positive products that Saikland Greens has for export. With an extra emphasis on the 'Saikland Remembers' branded whiskey. Northerners like whiskey, right? And those sailors sorts in the Mourning Isles like their drink, don't they?

Saedrus can't help directly with the trade out of Saikland Greens anymore, but he can help from a distance. It's through the Grotto and the Whisper House that wines are tasted-- delicious, yes? Alas, there is no rights to selling them here, it is an old favour he even receives them; they are all sold by Saik traders. He speaks with his merchant clientele, all smiles and gentle flattery, to have goods exported to get the Saik name travelling a little further. It's not much, but it is a start.

Calypso, fresh off the Southport item, is using her popularity to spread certain words in order to help not just her own home, but that of Saik. The Duchess will be bringing bottles of Saik whiskey and wines with her to various dinners and events through the city. A few will even be donated to local bars and taverns, delivered as thanks for the greater efforts and faith in Malvici and her lower Houses. Of course, Calypso will pay market value for these so as not to off-set the intent of gain. Further, she is going to begin whispering that she's considering sending some people to Saik for cavalry training because the land is ideal and she has been wanting to set up a cavalry training facility for some time. It might do good to invest in House Saik militarily, wink wink nudge nudge, and in turn Malvici might be willing to smile on them in the future if their own Houses need training.

Baroness Lucita Saik is not taking any time after the birth of her children to slow down and rest. Already she is full of plans to improve Saikland Greens. Reaching out to her allies - to Lady Cadenza Fidante, Marquessa Quenia Igniseri, Duchess Grazia Rubino, Lord Karadoc Saik, and Duchess Calypso Malvici, along with Saedrus Whisper who smooths communication and just makes everything seem that much easier, she puts both money and effort into developing Saik's economy.

"Saikland Remembers" whiskey sees a strong upsurgence in popularity particularly, thanks to Duchess Calypso and Lady Cadenza, among the military. A war memorial is carved from exceptionally fine marble from Gemecitta, thanks to Duchess Grazia. House Igniseri makes it a point to buy wines and some of that fine Saikland glass. Trade is on the upswing and the Barony of Saik is developing as an economic strength.

Duchess-General Calypso Malvici is taking the lead on the matter at Southport. With the sixty thousand Shav in attendance she will descend with her own guards and invited diplomatic personnel in order to see what they can get done. In addition to the other actions of the Faith and medical teams, this is the prime effort to get these people rallied in proper support of loyalty. Its a full court press. Calypso will be seeing to the following:

* Speeches involving extolling the virtues of the Compact and the Malvici House and that they will be respected as warriors. This will include an outline of the House's victorious past and how they can all make a difference. She will also make it clear that these people will need to prove their loyalty and point out those among them who do not feel as they do, that they must remove the threats from their body in order to save the health of the whole. She's of course referring to those who are under the direct orders of the First Speaker, but she doesn't need to say as much.

* Providing everything needed to them for a month. The House will be donating in excess of $600,000 to ensuring that the Shav can get a full start, but it will be explained that they will need to supplement this on their own and get to work immediately to begin cultivating their own food and hunting. Meanwhile others will need to get to work building their homes with the stone that is being delivered at a gracious discount, and the wood of the land.

* Negotiations will be handled not only by Calypso but also with the aid and assistance of others.

Lucita assists Calypso with her efforts to negotiate. Although she is accompanied by guards and translators, her obvious pregnancy and charm contribute to an air of benign helpfulness. Lucita moves amid the people singing to children, talking with the women and men in a way intended to make them more receptive to negotiation efforts. She subtly investigates through observation and conversation to learn what skills they possess, any particular needs such as tools, discovering newcomers to groups, any who seem more resistant or any potential negotiation stumbling blocks (and reporting this to Calypso). She uses respect and charm in gently reiterating key points of Calypso's speeches. This is intended to assist in the quick implementation and organization of necessary builders, farmers, healers, and such and help smooth and quicken the negotiations.

Calista offers to help Calypso and House Malvici any way that she can. The Duchess of Roses is known for her charm and grace as well as her ability to assuage her target audience during times of high anxiety. Her marriage to Inigo Malvici has slowly but surely made the former enemies into allies. She speaks to those gathered outside Southport, those who will listen, perhaps even moving from group to group, giving them individual attention to let them know she is not just a mouthpiece but someone who will listen to them in return.

Grazia is providing a substantial discount on stone as well as sending Gemecittan stone masons to take the trip to Southport with Calypso. They will help with the building of simple homes in a simple village. They are particularly there to build municipal infrastructure like roads, temples, and homes and not military infrastructure like walls and barracks.

Duchess Calypso leads a diplomatic team to address shav issues as well. They want to bend the knee, or so they claim? Well, Duchess Calypso aims to show them how the Malvici treat their people. With coffers of silver and she leaves Southport behind and moves to the area where they've camped. She has clearly invested a lot of time and effort into preparing for this, and that preparation pays off in tolerance and acceptance from those assembled, and she has time to roll out her plan.

She speaks of the Compact and House Malvici, extolling their virtues and speaking of how they work to protect their people. She points to the way the Compact came together recently at Setarco and Stormwall and Darkwater, not just pushing back their enemies but also in efforts to rebuild.

Then Duchess Grazia steps up, explaining the loads of stone that have been sent from Gemecitta, and stoneworkers with it. Their intent is to help those who truly want to bend the knee establish safe, comfortable homes in a home outside Southport. To give them a place to live this new life as part of the Compact.

Calista, Duchess of Roses, works with Baroness Lucita Saik. They meet people, mend wounds, talk to mothers and children and fathers and do general outreach. In their talks they gain a great deal of insight too on these people. There are a wide array of tribes represented here. The Crimson Malvicus are sailors (some might say pirates but never on a diplomatic mission) who just want the freedom of the open seas. Cacciatores? They like to fight, and let's not pretend they're not bitterly disappointed in the lack of battles held already. House Gray Raptor just wants to explore in peace, and one horizon seems very much as welcome as the next. Clan Brass Hawk? They like making things, and all of this upset makes it hard to focus on their crafts.

But there are other clans too - and though they make up the minority, they are powerful and powerfully feared. Lestatores. Shadow Falcons. And of course the Shadowspeakers. Their tribes are spoken of in hushed tones and with deference and respect. But never without fear.

All in all, it seems most of these people are willing to bend the knee and mean it - but there are still some holdouts among them that make this a dangerous course.

Then again, this is the Lyceum. And politics without danger is boring.

General Calypso is heading back to Southport once more. This time to defend her city from the pirate named Reveka Tyde. Calypso will personally be taking point on commanding the efforts going on there and coordinating all military efforts going on in and around the city. With the large host of Shav currently sitting outside the gates of Southport, she is also being cautious to maintain their safety until the threat has passed and negotiations can begin. Keeping a watchful eye to how they behave in this tense moment in the city, she hope to learn a little more about her new guests or at the very least, keep them under control while she defends the city.

Her own forces will be joined by two others:
Archduchess Eleyna Velenosa will be bringing half of the Velenosa army under her command. These troops will stay outside the city walls as a standing force to be commanded if and when there is an engagement.
Duke Cristoph Laurent has been given one-third of the Valardin Cavalry to command as well. These cavalry forces will be used as scout and patrol for the surrounding areas and will be on standby to engage if and when there is an attack.

---Southport Preparation Specifics ---

* Chains are being laid across the entrance to the harbor to be pulled taught in an engagement.
* Most of the harbor itself is being shut down, and we are only allowing a slow trickle or merchant vessels in at a time. This is to help Mirari and her crew search the incoming vessels more easily and limit our risks of unknown ships coming in.
* Two balliste have been constructed at the entrance to the harbor and are being manned by Sargent Xander.
* Encouraging the use of the Lycean Split as a means to get to and from Southport safely rather than the mostly locked down harbor. This is the supply line that is being kept open. On the West side rather than the East where the threat is expected to arrive from.
* Fiora is commanding the archers, with Harmon making a pitch and copper concoction to rain green fire down at the enemy ships.
* Anze is commanding the Ground Troops that will be at the ready inside the city of Southport.
* Eirene is on point for civilian evacuation and commanding the healers brigade to keep us alive and handle wounded.

Eirene marshalls her units in Southport to prepare for a siege by either harbor and outside gate; stockpiling medicines and supplies, preparing evacuation plans for the civilians in either district. She wants to be ready to handle either crisis, moving people towards the city center and away from where there might be fighting. If there's combat, there will be wounded. She wants to be ready.

Under the overall command of General Calypso, Anze prepares the troops for an assault on the city. Soldiers are stationed at the gates and in support of the archers as would be expected and some soldiers are left at the harbor to help with the shut down harbor. The remaining forces are kept at the city center as a response team, ready to move towards the gates or the harbor depending upon where an assault might come from to make sure the Malvici ground army can be used where most effective.

Xander has been tasked with operating a pair of heavy ballistas on the bay that have been set up to protect the bay from what nastiness that Calypso expects to show up. He, and a group of soldiers are to man and defend the ballistas, firing upon anything that shows up that isn't a Compact ship. They're aware that just manning heavy artillery is going to make them a pretty large target, so Xander has picked soldiers that are okay with that kind of mission. Needless to say, they don't intend on abandoning their post once the fighting starts. Either the ballistas are destroyed or whatever they're firing at falls over dead. One of those two things will happen, and these hardy men and women, still loyal soldiers of Southport are okay with that.

Harmon realizes that the coming enemy will use sea monsters as terror weapons, and as such will reply in kind. He sets to work on collecting the materials and assistances required to produce significant amounts of pitch resin while producing a copper sulfate solution through alchemy. The copper solution, once finished and added to the pitch, should produce fire that is not only sticky but green in rough approximation to the research he's done to "witch fire." It isn't the actual stuff, but the enemy won't know any better when it's rained down them through coated arrows and catapulted clay containers.

Archduchess Eleyna Velenosa will have half of the House Velenosa at her disposal in Southport. She'll keep her troops stationed outside of Southport's walls, near to the shav'Arvani camped there, yet make no overtures toward the Abandoned as of yet. Rather, the Archduchess will do her best to make sure that these Abandoned see her and her soldiers as a protective force, keeping them safe from whatever horrors might come. Her men will conduct regular patrols around the outside of the city to monitor for and eliminate suspicious activity.

In all of this, as the reports of casualties come in and weary commanders sit down to write letters to the loved ones of dead soldiers, people look strangely at a sizeable force sent to Southport. The Malvici armies stayed in Southport - which, considering there are shav camped outside is understandable - but for some reason some Valardin forces and Velenosan forces also deployed there. With no public reports of the Pirate-King targeting Southport or sending his fleets there why, people wonder, were ground troops sent there at all?

In truth, some in Redrain wonder at the heavy deployment of ground forces in Setarco, what with the entire fleet deployed there too. Some argue that it was necessary for Setarco to be saved so that the chain of cities beyond that initial port weren't vulnerable. But then what about Grayson and Redrain lands? Are they not important too? They look at the destruction of Stormwall and they wonder - why so many?

And they look too to the armies at Southport and they wonder - is there some kind of corruption in the Ministry of Defense, that Compact forces were diverted to the city ruled by the Minister of Defense herself? Or was there some reason others are not privy to that made the deployment make sense? As with any confusing strategy, people start talking about it and become very passionate as they argue one pet theory or another. Overall though, Calypso, Edain, Alis, and Eleyna take some heat with Redrain, Thrax, Darkwater, and Pravus folks for diverting soldiers to a port that was never in danger from the Pirate King. Perhaps, as tempers run high, it's time for a little diplomacy.

For those in the army deployed to Southport though, the people are less concerned - particularly as they were just following orders. And, when it became clear there was nothing to do in Southport and that Setarco was seriously under siege? They high tailed it to the thick of the fighting and did their level best to make sure that they helped keep the Silk City free from the tyranny of pirates. After all, the Lyceum may be full of shenanigans and people of dubious moral character, but they're not pirates. Most of them. They're far too civilized for that.

Duchess General Calypso will be heading back home to Southport to be with her people during this time of turmoil. Having a very public and visible presence with her signature state of calm and grace in hopes that it will reassure those who would otherwise be unsure of her leadership. She will be appointing new leaders to fill the positions that were lost and bring stability back to the military. During this time she will also be having her two children, Cosette and Lukas Malvici, naming Cosette the heir and assuring the line of succession. Hopefully giving the people something to celebrate. She will also be enlisting the support of allied politicians to help spread the word of her competence, and allied economists to help sure up the stability of the Duchy and make best use of its resources while others hunt down the missing silver.

Anze is going to southport to be side by side with Calypso not only to be visible along with her but to be present for the birth of their children. Anze may not have calm and grace in the same way that Calypso does but he has worked to make himself a part of the Malvici and instead of relying on grace will instead try and use charm and good nature to calm the people of Southport. Anze will also pull no stops in giving honest opinions of his wife. How she is brilliant, capable, talented, and strong and the best leader Southport could possibly have in this time or in any other.

Harald will send several longships to accompany Calypso in her homecoming, to further illustrate that even traditional rivals support the Duchess against her enemies. One ship of veterans who fought with Harald and Calypso at the Battle of Giant's Fall will get a brief vacation in the Lyceum as winter looms near. Harald's message is that so long as Calypso and Malvici rule, all is well. Should they be overthrown... not so much.

Reese would like to support Calypso by talking about how great a leader she and trying to prompt her leadership in Southport

Edain has assigned 25 of his 100 sworn blades that are present in Arx, under the command of Captain Calevaro to escort to Archlector Bianca in her efforts to assist Lady Eirene in finding the missing Southport Soldiers.

On a more personal note, Edain will do his best to show his faith in Duchess Calypso publicly, and will send some new shipments of lumber to Southport for their ship building efforts to continue and keep up with their contracts. Edain will take this opportunity to distribute some pamphlets about the great achievements of Duchess Calypso as the MInister of Defense and the leader of Southport.

Alarissa's putting her silvered tongue to good use with regards to the Duchess Calypso. Never has she met a woman who even blindfolded, knows how precisely to complete a task effeciently and correctly and come out shining on the other end. Where Calypso's name comes up or even an opportunity to apropriately laud the woman, Alarissa is doing just that. Her support of the Duchess Calypso is without fault. Sure as the sun rises in the morning, Thrax and the Princess-Consort supports Calypso.

Calista Fidante is known for being an exemplary courtier prior to taking up the role as Duchess of Roses and as such there are few who can hold a candle to her charm and grace. When called upon by Duchess Calypso Malvici to offer assistance to Southport, Calista did not think twice. One time fierce enemies, the two cities are bonded by the bridge of marriage. The pending arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Tor's first child and heir is the perfect opportunity to help assuage the ill feelings the people of Southport are feeling these days. The pen is mightier than the sword and words offer a soothing balm to ease the disgruntled citizens. There are many friends and allies to Southport who are coming out in support of House Malvici and Duchess Calypso. Calista will make sure to reiterate this to the people of Southport and do all in her power to make sure they understand they are not alone and will not be left in the dark during troubled times.

Eleyna Velenosa, Archduchess of Lenosia and Grand Duchess of the Lyceum, lets stand no question as to her feelings regarding the competence of Duchess Calypso Malvici. But it's not in what the Archduchess does that speaks to her faith in her vassal, but what she does NOT do. Despite rumors of unrest and turmoil, she does not march Velenosa soldiers into Southport to secure the city. Despite the dire situation that seems to be unfolding, Eleyna doesn't seem particularly moved to 'sweep in and save the day'. It's not as if rebellion and political intrigue are particularly unusual in the Lyceum. Instead, when she is asked, the Grand Duchess simply explains that she trusts Calypso to set things right, which speaks more to her liege's confidence in her abilities than an incessant insistence on the fact.

The Newly made countess of Magotta has a vested interest in her new county and its ports. She will reach out to the serfs and providing morale where morale is short. Spreading propaganda of Calypso's great deeds and reassuring she has the best intentions for all that live within.

Princess Roxana Grayson was first and foremost a Malvici and is loyal to her siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews just as they are to her. She will attempt to assist the family while staying in Arx, letting Calypso handle what needs handling in Southport itself. Roxana will be writing letters to nobles she is in contact with back 'home' in Southport to reassure them that the Duchy is as safe and reliable as it ever has been under the rule of House Malvici, and praising the work of her sister Eirene and her niece Calypso in their dedication to addressing this turmoil. In addition she will be sharing those same opinions with her contacts in her house-by-marriage, House Grayson. Her status as a Grayson princess and a widowed one at that has elicted warmth and sympathy for years, and she will leverage this through gentle cajoling and occasional hints of manipulation. The focus will be having Calypso's competence praised on several fronts, enough so that any support among her contacts for a rebellion in Southport is quashed and redirected.

Donella doesn't just talk Calypso Malvici and her leadership up at home with Northerners who do business in the south. She makes overtures to captains on the Lycene coastal transport routes (esp. those interested in Redrain business), and puts a ship or two of bullish veterans who served as raiders and soldiers during the Silence crisis on shore leave in Southport. With extra coin to spend on resupply and repairs, of course. She makes sure that crews talk war stories on the way into port, encouraging effusiveness in their praise of the Duchess, and generosity during the process of social lubrication. Because nothing speaks louder, literally or figuratively, than a man (Thrax or otherwise) waxing poetic about the woman who successfully led them in battle. It just doesn't happen that often, unless there's something extraordinary to praise. The captains themselves can speak to the prosperity of Southport with an outsider's perspective. "The princess-consort of Farhaven will gladly take Calypso's leadership wherever it lands. Arx would not still stand if not for her able administration of our defense effort."

Karadoc will call in every favor he has to stimulate trade to and from Southport, get the silver flowing, even if, in some cases, this means trading IOUs for IOUs until the coffers can support the ebbs and flows of day-to-day exchange. He will lean hardest on markets that need Southport goods the most, and are thus most likely to accept brief hiccups. (He will, of course, try to keep the hiccups modest to low. Eradicate where possible!)

Marquis Mydas Nightgold aids by applying his knowledge of economics to Southport's aid. As such, he works with Karadoc to not only ensure trade flows, but pays particular attention to ensure proper book-keeping is kept of the finances, with as many copies as is required to ensure no information regarding the economy is lost. As such, his role is far more the one of an accountant, than to personally encourage further trade or making deals with various houses and groups.

Cicero will work with Karadoc and Mydas to bring trade and commerce to Southport to get that tax/customs money flowing. Silver Consortium gonna Consort

Dafne works on encouraging trade between Gemecitta and Southport, assuring Gemecittan merchants that such trade is both safe and profitable, and Southport is stable under the rule of Duchess Calypso. Among the goods flowing to Southport is a certain amount of Gemecittan granite, just in case any fortifications need repair.

Quenia will be speaking to her various nobles and merchants, and sending letters to Granato, letting her people know she has complete faith and confidence in House Malvici and Duchesss Calypso. She'll also remind them what an important trade hub Southport is, and that if trade fails there, that the effects of the disrupted economy may very well hit their own bottom line.

The King of the Compact aims to cut off support to rebellious factions in Southport by any party who wants to hedge against a possible change at the top (or get ahead by getting in on the ground floor of an potential transition) by making it known through various diplomatic channels that the Crown judges the situation in Southport to have very suspicious indications of an externally directed plot to personally discredit an effective Minister of War by foreign powers that would stand to gain a lot by the Compact -not- having an effective Minister of War. As such any aid at all to the rebellious factions is actively discouraged by the clear implication that anyone found doing so will draw attention to their own dealings in Arx and with the Crown for invasive scrutiny by the Inquisition for any other evidence of collaborating with enemies of the Compact. And the Inquisition has a reputation for being good at finding things, whether they were originally there or not.

Alis will be singing Calypso's prpaises as a General and a Leader every chance she gets, going so far as to give anecdotes and stories from each of the battles they have fought together. Strong, smart, capable, loyal. And she will encourage those cavalry that were given to Malvici as part of the marriage contract between Edain and Caelis to do the same.

Khanne is known for many things, for those who know her. She is not widely known as an economist though, despite her role in the NDC (she prefers to be thought of as an idea person on that front), so lets Darren and Mydas help support Calypso and Southport when it comes to their economy. She is not known as a soldier, so is more than happy to let those more capable help there. She is also not widely known for her negotiating skills or diplomacy so to speak... though she does have experience there. What she might be known for is her ability to connect to people, understand their concerns, and speak to them in ways that ease their minds. This is where she focuses her time in helping, knowing and working with Calypso for some time, as a fellow Crown Minister, she assures them that the Duchess General is more than capable in her position, and is not responsible for Southport's current issue. She agrees with King Alaric that it was an external force of some sort. She would emphasize the fact that all of the Houses of the Compact are behind her offering their support and assistance as needed to help Southport thrive again, through economics, trade, and whatever support is needed. She would talk to those in Arx, but would also travel to Southport to spread the word if it would be of further help.

As High Lord of Redrain, Darren will offer his public and private support to Calypso and the Malvici family as a whole. Darren is going to be sure anyone who will listen will hear about how much confidence he has in her leadership, and at a time when evils from outside the Compact threaten our shores, we must all stand behind the Minister of Defense. Patriotism and all that. Finally, to seal the deal, Darren is going to encourage the distillers on Farhaven to release a special, "Calypso's Reserve" whiskey brand, top shelf stuff with the slogan "Strong, but smooth - like the General herself." Because, you know, the Northlands!

And now Duchess Calypso Malvici arrives in Southport herself. She brings offerings from her friends, and she brings friends as well - a special limited edition whiskey from Redrain, a ship full of Redrain sailors speaking well of her. Grayson charm and Velenosan confidence, words of support from Fidante, praise from the Princess-Consort of Maelstrom and longships of Grimhall as an escort. Soldiers from Valardin and trade credit from Saik and the Silver Consortium alike - well and carefully accounted for. Trade with Gemecitta and personal friends too, as well as an endorsement from the King of the Compact himself!

All of this means that Calypso arrives with friends and allies and gifts aplenty, ready to set things right in Southport. Indeed, as she arrives she finds the path eased for her by Hadrian and Melinda. She finds work done by Eirene, Orazio, Bianca, Leola, and Sophie. She works to establish order. She works to make peace, to fill in the ranks that were decimated by soldiers not at their posts. In short, she steps off the ship and she goes to work.

Is it enough?

Sasha, along with those who with to come along, is going to be spending some time at the Lodge at Petrichor. She is sleeping during the day so that she can be awake all night to try and see the Unicorns. She wants to ask them if they guard the mystical Moonflower or know where to find it. And she hopes they can guide her or give directions to it since she seeks it for her cure.

Cirroch will be coming along to meet the Unicorns. This is Sasha's quest and he is here as support for her. If given the chance he might chime in with a plea for their help using the skills he has honed in the battlefield and as a Marquis of Giant's Reach.

Sasha's plight of illness has always been a concern to Aiden. They are second cousins after all, with a relationship that started when they were both young. They've supported eachother over the years and it goes without saying that if Sasha asks him to help, he will. He will attend the Lodge at her side. Due to recent events with other First Children, he will be reluctant to do much more than introduce himself, unless they ask something of him. However, he will make thorough notes on where the Moonflower is, should that be revealed.

Jayanthi goign with Sasha on her unicorn venture. She's going to do what she can to use her medicinal knowledge to help obtain the moonflower.

In an attempt to assist her March Lord and his future intended, Amarantha is tagging along to meet the Unicorns. If needed she's happy to negotiate, charm, and in general use her social skills to help things run smoother! Worst comes to worst she can write them a song? Right? Right?

Bianca will be assisting to the best of her abilities, her first priority being Sasha's health despite her immediate desire to you know... see a unicorn. For the most part she will be acting as a diplomatic envoy as needed, otherwise documenting events as they unfold for Sasha's future reference should it be necessary.

Calypso has been spending a fair amount of time at the Lodge of Petrichor. A light sleeper, means she spends mornings, before dawn breaks, walking the ground. If there are any unicorns around, Calypso will talk to them about moonflowers.

"Come back when you have the rest of the ingredients, and the Lodge is safe. And we will help you make the potion. I will stir it with my own horn," said the Herdmother, and this promise keeps Sasha warm as she travels back to Arx and continues her quest. She has found the Moonflower, and with the promise of the unicorns now she must finish gathering the rest of the ingredients - and hopefully find a way to help protect the Lodge. The cure may yet be possible.

Watchwords are circulated to allies, to be given when any Isles warship approaches. Allies are also encouraged to group their merchants into convoys for ease of protection and inspection. One week later, to allow this new policy to spread, Mourning Isles patrols will begin challenging all ships in Kennex waters. If the watchword is wrong, the ship in question will be boarded and inspected, to be confiscated if evidence of smuggling or piracy is found (inaccurate ship's ledger suggesting smuggling, illegal cargo, goods suggesting trade with Abandoned, etc.)

The warships of the Grim Fleet will spread into smaller squadrons of 2-3, in order to patrol more widely among the thousands of merchant ships coming and going from Stormward.

Yet again, The Grim Duke calls, and yet again, House Navegant answers. As voice, the lady navegant will mobilize her forces in suport of the dukes actions. The Navegant fleet, instead of protecting it's own traders, will instead be forming a picket and defense line of patrolling vessles. This new "Mourning Watch" will dedicate itself to full spectrum maritime patrol operations. This includes, escort, anti-piracy actions, rescue operations if needed, and Watchword questioning with Visting, board, search, and seizure operations as needed. To see the boarding operations in case of a failure to utter the correct watchword, Regla has detached Navegant Marines with each warship.

Victus will be committing the full might of the Thrax Fleet to hunting down these smugglers and false flag pirates. Ensuring to learn of the proper watchwords and pass them through the crew. Much like in dealing with the Thralls and Mutineers, Victus will be personally there for this. However he will not be bringing the Red Serpent, as to not immediately reveal that the High Lord of the Mourning Isles has re-entered Kennex waters. Rather he'll be taking more of a backseat role, standing in as a Lord to ensure no international incidents are going to happen if one or two vessels ends up forgetting their watchwords. Or even if the smugglers may learn of one themselves.

Edward will accompany boarding crews that are to inspect ships for smuggling to check manifests and other ships documentation for signs of deception or malfeasance. In addition, given this was part of his job for House Redreef he will apply his know how to searching ships for hidden compartments and where cargo may commonly be stashed - as well as the types of tricks that smugglers may use. Such as towing, barreling, keel riding and so on.

Sameera is doing as she normally does on missions Harald undertakes: She is managing inventory, keeping track of the people and organzing things on the ship to run as smoothly as possible. She has the added duty of checking ship ledgers and trying to find any suspicious activity. Anything that might give cause for concern is reported to Harald. As per normal for her all other duties are disregarded if a Thrax or Grimhalll family member is at risk (AKA has a potential of dying or running off to do something dangerous alone) and she will put her life on the line to protect them.

Faelan is going to be leading one of the longship squadrons in the hunt for more pirates and smugglers.

So, not much into the sneaky stuff. But as soon as one of these pirates gets caught?  I’m gonna axe him a question.

Ian, hopefully along with Wash, Porter and Aethan, will be setting up a small task force that adds actual hunting and deterrence to Harald's strategy of pirate isolation. They'll be setting up a 'bait' ship, ie a ship that seems like a lone merchant ship or trader, a plum target for pirates. The 'merchant sailors' of course will be Kennex pirate hunters, and any pirate who takes the bait and tries to board the 'merchant ship' will live (or not live, as the case may be) to regret it.

Porter will be accompanying Ian on a task force to attempt to bait the pirates into attacking them, and then fight back! Porter will be laying in weight with the ambush crowd.

Aethan will be taking part in the pirate hunting expdition with his brothers and Wash.

Duchess General Calypso works closely with Harald Grimhall and his fleet to support this new policy. Her captains have been given the Watchwords and been instructed to cast out any pirates, smugglers or otherwise undocumented and unwanted travelers on her ships. This only pertains to the fleet she had originally sent out in to Kennex waters.

Titania will be supporting Harald in this and leanding aid in whatever way she can with both Kennex Soldiers and Ships. She will be making sure that all work with Harald so that the situation in Kennex is not taken advantage of and Smuggling and Piracy will be stopped and dealt with.

Lark has forwarded the watchwords to her vassals to use as needed. So as not to confuse the issue, however, she has reduced Grayson naval footprint in Stormward waters to nilch, and suggested that her vassals similarly reduce their traffic there while Grimhall deals with pirates and criminals.

Wash will disguise himself and his personal vessel as a merchant ship, load it down with armed sailors from other Kennex vessels and attempt to lure the pirates into a raid. He will spread word through the lower boroughs (through proxies) of the wealth the ship is bringing to Stormward. Wash will be in command of the vessel, despite his usual disinclination toward hand to hand combat.

Darrow joins the efforts in the Stormward March with his marines and ship, the Reaper, to sail in the efforts of Harald Grimhall. He himself and a squadron of the Lament marines place themselves on the bait ship, knowing that it is likely to draw the most interest of pirates, smugglers, or any other submarine forces that might be lurking. This bait will not be easy prey with Darrow on its deck.

Valery is researching how to improve her smoke bombs, adding pigments so the smoke will come in different colors. (Action 1435) She's been told that could be used for signals!
She's handing Harald a few of these experiments, 3 of three different colors (red, yellow and blue) and another 3 white, making a total of 12.
(Added ap and resources for their cost)

Once watchwords are distributed, the Valardin navy will offer aid in light of increased piracy to escort and defend merchant vessels that are confirmed to be pirate free in the spirit of protecting and bolstering trade while giving the small and growing navy some opportunity to hone it's teeth on pirate vessels.

Watchwords are better than nothing, but actionable intelligence is what Halsim deals with. While everyone else is handling naval issues, Halsim goes pro-active and consults with informants across the Isles about pirates and probable false flaggers, sending any serious leads to Harald for him to actively hunt down. Narrowing the wide net to actual problems.

is going to take a different approach to the smuggling issue. Most lords think the problem is at the sea, that boarding will solve the problems, and often they're right. However, the Crimson giant and his men will be at the ports, stopping anything that they can that falls through the cracks. If contraband is spotted, he will threaten and beat his way to the source, and in turn he will turn over those hiding spots to the boarding parties, as not to let them be tricked twice.

201 ships participate in the massive pickets surrounding Kennex waters. The watchwords catch a number of smugglers off guard, and at least in the initial weeks, 4 longships and 2 galleys are captured running false flags, with their crews turned over to House Grimhall and the ships confiscated. Piracy dies down overnight, and if there were more than that they are definitely avoiding Kennex waters at present.

Calypso is sending a letter to Baroness Kima, Sword of Southport, with an invitation and request for her to come back to Arx and join the group for Malvici Fealty Dinner, lovingly referred to as the Debriefing Dinner. These are typically the group’s chance to speak openly and freely and gain alignment and set out towards new goals. Having the Baroness there is crucial.

She is sending Costas with the letter, trusting him to deliver it directly. He will be taking his ship to get there and back swiftly and will offer to captain for her voyage back to Arx.

At the end of the dinner, Calypso will ask Mirari to help out by having the Fealty’s blades sharpened and prepared for the next engagement, and suggest to have Skysplitter prepared as well. Offering up her own alaricite sword, Truestrike, to go with it as a sort of subtle assurance that the blades will be coming back.

When Mirari takes the blade, she will be doing so with the intent of trying to understand the origins of Skysplitter, and any connections it might have to the lance of the same name mentioned in Dragonslayers, Fact or Fiction. She will be looking at it from both the perspective of a weapon smith and alchemist.

Skysplitter is left in Kima's room. Of the baroness, there's no sign at all. She's clearly gone missing, and has been missing for some time, with currently no explanation to her whereabouts or what might have happened. There was a trace of blood in her room though, alongside of the bed, and a stain (carefully hidden) under the pillow, as if someone was stabbed or had their throat cut while they slept.

Duchess Calypso was told by Duke Asger that a school of mermaids was escorted to Southport Harbor. Which is both a great honor, and a troubling thought all in one. They are First Children and must be protected. But, they hate men and have a tendency to lure them to their deaths, or so she was told. Calypso has pooled together a group of -female only- crew members and negotiators to go out and talk to the mermaids. The goal is to convince them only to use their siren songs to protect Southport and the Compact, and not to harm the male sailors and merchant ships that pass by the area.

Arcelia has been asked along to help negotiate with them. Eirene is there as Voice of House Malvici and to help if there are any injuries. Caelis is there to sail the ship out to greet them. And Fiora is there to help keep a watchful eye and to serve as protection if anything does go wrong.

The trip to see the mermaids is at first uneventful, until the sailors realize what they're going to do. Sailors are superstitious so it's hard to convince them to keep sailing, but Calypso manages - barely. It doesn't take long before they hear the song and they are ensnared almost immediately - not by anything more tangible than the lure of one's heart's desire. There are no words to this beautiful, haunting song, and yet somehow it speaks to each woman differently. It sings the songs of lovers waiting, of lust in the dark, of that fury of touch and desire of course. Of these things are stories made. And yet it speaks of more, and the longer the song goes on the more ensnared they all are, caught in the sure and certain knowledge that if they find the source of this song all their hearts' desires will come true.

And yet when the ship at last sights the mermaid sitting on the rock, the song cuts off abruptly. It gives them time to recover their senses, to get in the longboat and head over to speak with the siren. She watches them with eyes devoid of feeling, curiosity the only emotion present. They start the negotiations and she listens for a while, tail flapping against the stone. At length she says, in a voice smooth as refined honey - "We agreed to try. We cannot stay here forever, but for while we are here and are not the guardians but instead the guarded we will try. But we will not make promises and agreements. What are treaties to a Daughter of the Waves? We will not go out of our way to lure your ships and haunt your sailors. But we cannot deny our natures, after all. Perhaps you will understand better soon." So saying, she flips into the water and is gone.

It seems at first that this is a failure, but no song follows them, luring them back to the rock jutting out of the water. And while there is still a place that sailors are starting to avoid, no sunken ships are reported - at least no more than can reasonably be attributed to the normal predations of piracy and weather. But the song haunts every member of the crew for a week, singing in their dreams and enticing them to go back and chase their heart's desire. It is, after all, their nature.

After the expedition to track activity by the Horned God/Metallic Traitor, the Ministry of Defense scouting team brought back what Aleksei believes to be a Writ-bound Abandoned slave. Based on new information he's received regarding the history of spellsingers among the Sylv'alfar, and the connection of the Metallic Traitor to that history, he's recruited Tikva -- whose gift sounds an AWFUL LOT LIKE THAT -- to see if her ability might have the same effect of returning the Abandoned prisoner's identity to him and breaking the Writ.

Tikva will be singing about names and identity and remembering oneself, trying to encourage the prisoner's soul to remember its own name so he can find his way back to himself. If she's successful, and if the prisoner is able to answer questions (maybe after a break -- possibly an extended one), Lady General Calypso will be present to ask about any information he might be able to provide about the Metallic Traitor, his movements, his plans, or anything else that might be helpful or relevant.

Vision sent, it worked ok

The Malvici Guards have been dispatched in the Ward of the Lyceum at Minister Vincere's request. They have been given the orders to keep the peace in the ward should the chaos of tonight's actions get out of hand and to apprehend any Iron Guard deserters for questioning.

House Malvici's guard helps restore order near the Lyceum district, though the situation is -extremely- confused. They do manage to capture some iron guards that were fighting against the crown, but the meant don't outwardly have any loyalty to foreign forces, they were just obeying the commands of their lawful commander, Lord Everard, and got caught up in the chaos.

Calypso is taking 25% of Malvici's forces, and at Niccolo's Request, 25% of Velenosa's forces, in to the Gray Forest to fight the Bringers. Nothing fancy, just good military tactics and cold hard steel to bash their bringer brains in.

With the rumors of an attack on Arx itself to happen near the same time, Calypso has instructed her Guard Captain to help defend the city with the 25 men allotted to them inside the city of Arx.


In addition to managing her own forces and Velenosa's in the field, she and Prince Ainsley are acting field commanders under Duke Gabriel. The three of them will coordinate any on-field changes that need to be made.

(For the Battle of Pridehall, see the crisis update). Initial scouting actions go quite well, as House Malvici forces are able to harass the foraging parties of shavs that are providing for a main body of the shav forces led by bringers, even if Calypso never finds a bringer isolated herself.

It becomes increasingly apparent that a giant column is headed westward towards Pridehall, and Gabriel, after being informed by Lycene forces, decides to pick a fight at the defensible Pridehall Ford, and try to entrap and destroy the shav forces that he outnumbers near two to one.

During the battle, the Malvici forces come under heavy attack. Calypso helps to rally the Malvici forces, fighting alongside Fiora as their position is nearly overwhelmed, but managing to turn the tide.

Lady General Calypso Malvici has been assigned as the field commander to lead an assault up-river to attack one of the four columns of Brand’s army. She will be leading forces from House Malvici, House Velenosa and House Pravus in the form of infantry and archers. Other commanders she is coordinating with are Prince Victus Thrax, Princess Deva Redrain, Princess Alis Valardin and Duke Valkieri Rubino.

The host of Compact forces will be traveling up-river by boats provided by Thrax, the Lyceum and the Black Mountain Training Company. We will be searching for an ideal location to set up our assault. High ground for archers, a place to anchor the ships and a field for the infantry. All with the goal of eliminating the entire column of Brand’s forces to weaken the army by one fourth.

Calypso will also be wielding Truestrike, the alaricite rapier during this battle.

The group of soldiers Inigo is in command of are the remnants of the same crew he commanded at the Battle of Pridehall, additional men filled in to replenish the losses from the previous battle of course. He wields Recompense, the diamondplate longsword, hoping this time to be more effective at taking down Bringers, saving his men from their wrath. The battalion's mission is to do as much damage as possible to Brand's army, fighting fiercely at the front lines of combat.

As the result of a discussion with Eirene, at least one member of the battalion will possess bow and arrows, the arrows themselves tied with highly visible cloth that will be fired into the air should the group encounter a High Bringer. This is to alert any of the special forces that are intended to take down such targets that one has been found. Inigo will, of course, engage any he sees himself, as he is the best equipped in the battalion to take on such a threat. The goal is to either slay the High Bringer, or delay it long enough for one of the special forces to arrive and kill the creature.'

Costas will be Calypso's bodyguard for the campaign, at her side at all times as well as defending her in battle. He sleeps in the same tent as her to ward against potential assassins, and is only ever removed from her vicinity for private discussions with other nobility.

Although sending squadrons of the Malvici Phoenixes to assist the other Compact forces, Eirene brings her hand-picked finest battle medics to accompany herself to the front with General Calypso. She will ensure the triage centers are defendable and coordinate medical efforts with the Mercy's and other assigned medics.

Waldemai will be deploying with the field forces under Calypso's command to provide on-site armor evaluations, upgrades and repairs.

Harmon will accompany Eirene, supplementing her medical expertise with his knowledge of occult matters as well as alchemy in order to stretch out supplies without losing efficacy.

Mirari will be joining Eirene and her medics, providing medical supplies via her apothecary skills, where she can. And defending the medical tents and medics with her small blades should forces break through the lines and to the medic station.

For the next stage of the Bringer's march on Arx, Alis will be accompanying the combined forces led by Lady General Calypso Malvici.

She will be in charge of the Valardin Infantry and Archers. Her instructions to those under her command will be to help divide and flank pockets of the enemy column into more manageable groups; with a warning about the berserker Bringers, and that they should call out a warning when the berserkers are spotted so they can be swarmed and taken down as quickly as possible. She will be participating in the battle.

    Ansel will be leading the Telmar forces in Princess Alis' forces supporting Lady General Calypso' mission of eliminating the shav forces at the river.

    Ansel will be coordinating with, and taking orders directly from, Princess Alis as the forces deploy to engage the shav forces. He's delegated total authority of his subordinate sections to his vassal house's commanders, providing them instruction pertaining to the general goals of the mission, but leaving the exact manner of accomplishing those principles to his subordinate commanders.

    For his part, Ansel will be taking direct command of a small company comprised of a section of archers supporting a small team of hand-picked swordsmen. Their mission will be to identify any Bringers at the outset of the engagement, particularly any beserker Bringers, and eliminate the most serious threat to the Valardin column as quickly as possible. He'll be leveraging the support of the archer section, as well as the Telmar diamondplate heirloom weapon, attempting to dispatch these threats hastily.

As Alis' second-in-command, Fiachra will be coordinating his efforts directly with her, using his knowledge and experience of Greenmarch tactics in facing a larger force. (Particularly from an archer/scout standpoint.) As before, he will be using his particular talents for assessing the terrain (see his metaplot secrets) to any advantage it can afford for the troops under General Calypso's command. He will not be leaving Alis' side, and will be watching for threats to her life.

Barric will be accompanying Calypso's force upriver. During the battle he will be focusing his efforts on identifying and destroying the massive and hulking Bringer beserkers. Presumably with a team of other soldiers doing the same, he will position himself on the battlefield when one of the monstrosities is found and engage them in an attempt to minimize their devastating impact. He has fought one before and wields Elvesbane, the alaricite blade of House Grayson.

The Mirrorguard (led by Talen and Luca), Valorous Few (led by Audric and Kima) and Grayson (Barric and Reese) strike teams have been given the high profile task to break the River Column morale by gunning for the Undead Generals (like Hush!) and Abandoned Beserkers that undoubtedly guard them.
Their troops will be armed with fire and poison (supplied by Eleyna, Blacktongue, etc) for more effective fighting against the standard Bringers and Abandoned respectively while the commanders named above will be using their diamondplate and alaricite weapons in combat with the big baddies - individually, as pairs or in teams as is appropriate.
Talen will be wielding Mirror Blade, the alaricite blade of House Velenosa and as usual will be fighting dirty as fuck.

Holden will be with the Valardin Infrantry forces leading one of the smaller manageable groups under Alis's command. He will be participating in the battle.

Valkieri is leading the combined troops of Rubino, Zaffria, and Igniseri under the coordination of Lady General Calypso. Their naval forces for the journey upriver are under the sub-command of Lady Ariella Igniseri, and Lord Luis Igniseri and Captain Gian Fuller are also a part of their ranks. He will be leading a mix of archers, infantry, and some cavalry, and it is the cavalry that he will be among on his warhorse Tempest.

Kima, for this particular excursion, joins Captain-General Audric of the Valorous Few to do what she does best: slaughter enemies upon the field of battle. With her recent gift of an alaricite blade, the Absolute, she has been chosen as part of the strike force targeting Bringer generals and berserkers.

Audric and the Valorous Few (and Kima, see her action) will be taking part in Calypso's offensive action against one of the oncoming Bringer armies. Specifically, they'll be part of the strike force meant to target the Bringer Generals and Berserkers in an attempt to take out their core leadership. Since alaricite seems to make them basically die instantly, he'll be using Coinspinner, his alaricite sword for the fight.

Luca is joining the special assault squads going to the river column front alongside Talen, leading the Mirrorguard prong of three groups all hunting the biggest, baddest Bringers they can find, whether commander types, berserker types, or anything else monstrous they can cut down with Alaricite or Diamondplate. Luca will be fighting with Viper's Fury, his diamondplate sabre and Viper's Fang, his HQ steel blade, unless Lorelai ends up finding him an alaricite blade before then as she implied might be feasible, in which case he'll fight with diamondplate and alaricite. He is going to try and identify and cut as quick a path as possible to any big bads and asplode them with heart or head shots of the diamondplate (or alaricite). Luca very much will be trying to keep an eye on state of Reese and Barric's team as he wanted to accompany them to see Reese safer but was overruled by Calypso. If Reese ends up in trouble and Luca has any hope in the Abyss of cutting his way to her, it's possible he'd break orders and go and try to save her (and is something our players OOCly sort of want for a bonding moment of fighting side by side). Luca's more than a little burnt out by rage, grief, pain, and discontent with lack of challenge at Pridehall, so it's quite likely he'd take greater risks than he probably _should_ strictly if it meant finding a greater challenge in this battle, though only the sort of risks that would get himself hurt, not that'd kill off hundreds of others depending on him.

Under Valkieri's direction, Gian will be leading the Infantry of Rubino-Zaffria, from the front line. In addition to defending archers or attacking as ordered, he will have a number of guardsmen nearby for a rescue/recovery assignment, in case Duke Valkieri's stupid horse goes down.

Reese is joining the special assault squad going to the river column front alongside Barric, as a member of the three groups all hunting the biggest Bringers they can find, whether commander types, berserker types, or anything else monstrous they can cut down. This is a six person team (Talen, Luca, Audric, Kima, Barric and Reese). Divided into 3 pairs. Reese is with Barric.

Reese is fighting with Devotion, her alaricite superb short sword. Reese plans on using Dex+medium wpn as her attack skills. Her sword is 10 dam, 12 damage bonus and -2 difficulty. She will have Dazzler her rubicund excellent short with her just in case. She will wear her hq steel armor with mitigation 68. She is going to try and identify and cut as quick a path as possible to any big bringers and explode them with heart or head shots (but not mouth shots!) with alatricite. She plans to keep close to her cousin Barric. she will try to watch out for him. She plans to fight side by side with him. If Barric falls in battle, she will be attempting to retrieve Elvesbane, the Grayson house sword from his body.

Ariella will be leading the naval actions of the Rubino, Zaffria, and Igniseri from her ship the Red Bargain, up the river in support of the attack.

GOing with Eirene's healing unit, using uber medical skills, chatting with hurt soldiers for morale boosts, offering last rites to those willling to have them with a THirteenth bent.

Eleyna will be gathering any and all alchemists willing to assist in the upcoming war effort, including Blacktongue and Emeline, to provide additional supplies to the three strike teams put together by Lady General Calypso. The Mirrorguard (led by Talen/Luca), Grayson (led by Reese/Barric) and Valorous Few (led by Audric/Kima) forces will be given fire and poison to fight the Bringers and Abandoned respectively, so their troops which are not wielding alaricite and diamondplate can gain the upper hand when cutting their way towards the generals.

Continuing his role as the back channel logistical man, Maximilian has hired ships to transport and maintain logistical ties for up to 7000 extra men, as well as bringing a few of his river-capable warships along to help keep river pirates off the goods. He's getting paid back for this, right? Right? Why is everyone suddenly quiet?

Max will be investing 300 Military Resources (Darkwater) into outfitting many of the merchant ships as riverine warships, as he anticipates that the enemy will try and cut Calypsos supply line. He will take personal command of this unit and use it to keep the enemy from severing those lines. They will look like normal merchant vessels, just covertly outfitted with weaponry and marines.

Deva will be commanding the Redrain portion of the overall river assault under Calypso's direction. Her forces will consist of approximately half of overall Redrain troops (archers, infantry, etc.), several hundred Nightgold archers and calvary, and at least a chunk of Halfshav infantry as well. The goal is to separate the enemy as best as possible to make it easier to cut them down. Adjustments will be made as necessary per any instructions given in the thick of it, and Deva will be flexible with fighting both ranged with her archers, and up close melee on the front lines as/if needed.

Artorius is leading a battalion of Malvici warriors under General Calypso's command up the river.

Dagon will be joining the forward operation to flank and cut through the ranks of the Bringer army, and focus on finding and eliminating Bringer generals and berserkers; the baddest of the bad. He will be working alongside three other strike teams (Valorous Few, Mirrorguard, and Graysons) with his own hand picked Knights of Tyde. Dagon plans to attack with Reafian, the sword of House Thrax, while wearing rubicund plate, and plans to lead at the head of his unit, and work quickly to cut a path into the generals. In and out, ruthless and efficient; everyone on this mission was hand-picked, and Dagon has no illusions about saving anybody -- not today. They can handle themselves, they are all warriors, and they all are prepared to die. His mind is on breaking this army, here and now, to save those back at Arx the trouble, and he will single out the generals with a one-track determination, trusting his men and the others to cover his back.

Serafine is aiding Dagon Tyde as his second, following his orders but exercising her own judgement and experience, wielding her diamondplate blade, Pathway, to use it to its namesake and cut a path into her foes, using light, well-made, high quality leather armor, efficient and dangerous, using her speed, strength, and endurance to her advantage. With her experience in the past of killing and identifying Bringers in earlier campaigns and missions as well as her exceptional skill at killing the Shav-slaves they keep, she would do her damnedest to get the job done as efficiently as possible, while also do her best to stay safe and, if the Gods allow it, return home to her loved ones, more or less in one piece.

Leta will be joining the Valorous Few, with Audric and Kima, in the attack on the Bringers. Since she just has rubicund and steel, she'll stick to protecting Audric and Kima's backs by helping cut a path to the big Bringers and fending off any counter-attacks with the rest of the Few. Leta isn't planning on any heroics, but if some opportunity presents itself to chop some Bringer in the side, or to attempt a rescue of some of our heroic alaricite wielders, she'll probably take it. If Audric dies, she's grabbing his sword. If there's time for it, she'll also go through his pockets. He would have wanted it that way.

Estaban is joining the Archers under Calypso's comand.

Garza will be joining Audric and the other Valorous Few as part of the strike force meant to target the Bringer Generals and Berserkers in an attempt to take out their core leadership. He'll be fighting with his bow and sword, focusing on range tactics unless he needs to fight in close quarters combat.

Inquisitor Alistair and a cadre of loyal Confessors (loyal to him) will be accompanying Lady General Calypso and her command guard. From there the man will observe the battle, keeping an eye out for the presence of Bringers and any possible abyssal magic that the enemy will be using. He will point out Bringers that he identifies as well as issuing warnings of their approach and/or the workings of any abyssal magic. Further he will be keeping an eye on any Compact soldiers who attempt to use magic, though he will not stop them. If battle is joined his Confessors armed with crossbows and he armed with a blade will fight with the cry "May the Sentinel guard the Righteous!" on their lips.

Halsim is supplying the armies intercepting at the river, along with the archers at the ramparts, with poison for their arrows and other gear they might want. Anyone who wants any other alchemical supplies is welcome to approach him for supplies as well.

Karadoc will be assisting from General Calypso's command tent. A (lazy) genius, he's been pressed into action to support his leige lord family as best as he is able, and is (reluctantly) doing so. A veritable master of economics, he's working to solidify support lines, arranging resupplies, and acting in a manner most mercantile. His efforts are on food and fresh water for the soldiers, leaving the specialized supplies to those better able to provide. He'll be traveling with his favorite cousin Kima, though, will certainly be confined to non-combat rolls, stuck in/around the command tent.

Caelis will be serving under Lady General Calypso largely as transpertation. She'll be leading the Malvici ships carrying troops up the riber and back. While they are up the river she'll join the troops in battle on the field.

Zhayla will be joining the Grayson forces with her alaricite trident, looking for the biggest, meanest bad guys and the worst of the fight where she might make the biggest difference and look ~so heroic~. Even if it is super risky.

Infamous for being the man to survive the poisons of his former position, Blacktonge is the defacto unspoken, but recognized with knowing nods, poison maker for House Velenosa - apples be damned. The Harlequin of House Velenosa will open up his lab, chuck out the apples, and pour all of his work into making the poisons to help along the blades wielded by Talen and crew.

Live GM'd and resulted in the destruction of the Bringer column after a confrontation with a Formorian Bringer of Silence.

Lady General Calypso is taking a few of the Coalition Vessels on an on-shore focused mission to eliminate the Abandoned tribes who are fiercely loyal to the Gyre. She will only be focusing tribes who have been confirmed to be unwilling to bend the knee and who continue to supply the Gyre. These attacks will be relentless and thorough. While there will be prisoners kept for questioning, this is an elimination mission.

The strategic plan on these missions is to sail in at night away from the main encampments and attempt to take them by surprise. Archers will find high ground, infantry will move swiftly.
Though Lady General Calypso will not be there in person, she is dedicating 2/3 of House Malvici's naval forces to these efforts. She has entrusted the command of the On-Shore operations to Lord Ansel Telmar.

Alis will again be leading a contingent of Valardin infantry and archers. This time, to help Calypso eliminate those Abandoned unwilling to bend the knee, and who continue to scupply the Gyre; her second in command for the Valardin troops will be Lord Ansel Telmar.

Ansel has been tasked by Lady General Calypso to take operational control of the land operations against the Gyre-loyal Abandoned tribes. Cognizant of the need to keep as many troops as possible inside the city to defend against the siege, he will be selecting his forces judiciously, bringing along a few sections of Valardin and Greenmarch archers, and a main force of light infantry made up of Telmarine armsmen and Velenosian infantry.

The first objective will be to retain the element of surprise for as long as possible. To this end, Ansel will be launching the main force of infantry and archers from small boats, leaving the main warships just offshore, to aid in a swift departure. Once landed, he will direct the combined Greenmarch/Valardin archer force to take up the high ground, himself remaining with the contingent of infantry. The main infantry force will be swiftly led to any Abandoned camps and villages being targeted in the raids, and the opposing forces put to the sword. Per Calypso's direction, prisoners will not be taken, and quarter not given. His directive is to eliminate any opposing soldiers and fighters as quickly and efficiently as possible. Should supernatural forces be present, Ansel will take a similar approach to the tactics utilized at Pride Hall and the River assault, using Vowkeeper himself, and directing any soldiers bearing alaricite or diamondplate weapons towards the most pressing threat.

While resistance is not expected at first, given the stealthy means of approach, Ansel will instruct the archer force to provide volley fire onto the shav encampments in the event of there being an opposing force stronger than the raiding units. The objective will then be to break contact under cover of the archers, and make a hasty exit on board the light crafts beached at the shore.

While a the majority of Oathlands and Lycene soldiers are committed to the defense of Arx, the Oathlands still find themselves leading the assault against some of the most fanatical holdouts. Lord Ansel Telmar is given overall command, assisted by Princess Alis Valardin leading the Oathlands soldiers, and they leading the assault at Kraken's Maw after other shore operations. The fortress is far tougher than any shav holding has a right to be, and it's a mystery how it has been overlooked for so long, but with siege weaponry under the direction of Ansel and withering archer fire under the direction of Alis, it does eventually fall. No prisoners are taken, as per the standing orders, but the fanatics were in no mood to surrender regardless.

Lady General Calypso is leading the forces at the Ramparts and Gates. This includes all of the Malvici Forces within the city. The group mustered to keep watch there will be working as an information point for the city, keeping their eyes beyond the walls for any movements, new arrivals or anything else they can see coming towards the city on the horizon.

They are also the active point of defense that includes both archers on the walls to take out any advancing troops, and the guarding of the gates to make sure they remain closed and fortified. This group will fight back any and all who approach the city to the best of their ability while staying inside the walls.

Calypso will also be wielding the Alaricite sword, Truestrike during this time.

Artorius moves to the wall/rampart to help support Calypso as she prepares to lead the Malvici forces in the defense of Arx
Artorius takes a group of archers to the south side of the wall, hoping to hit the shavs and bringers in the army's weak spot.

Under the direction of General Calypso, Kima is taking part of the defense of the gate. She knows to remain inside, due to the foul magic possessed by Tolomar Brand. She will be wielding her alaricite sword, the Absolute, during this conflict.

Gabriel will be supporting Calypso in support of the gate with the Bisland forces he has available to him.

Advised to join the wall with the Grayson Archers was the best course of action and placement for the young Prince Aiden during this coordinated effort. He will stand among numbers for the first time against the enemies of Arx, showing a steady countenance in dark leathers and a Grayson cloak, Eagle Strike - his Grayson Bow, and a white gyrfalcon circling above. Aiden will inspire the Archers on the wall with not only his presence, but his ability to take action when it comes time. The Prince will add his arrows to each call to 'loose', as well as taking dynamic attempts to strike at individual targets when the order for 'fire at will' takes place. He will take heart in the men and women around him and will encourage them verbally with a voice like that of a drumbeat: "Aim True, For Our People!"

Per Reese's request, Aislin will be placing Ashford forces -- particularly any present or former Vista Glades (Ashford's elite arboreal scouts and archers) who happen to be the city -- atop the roofs of buildings throughout the city, as well as stringing ropes and such between roofs ahead of time where possible. They'll be concentrated around the gates, but others will be scattered throughout the city as well, with another cluster close to the Lower Boroughs to be able to keep an eye on any approaches to the Pit. The intent here is to give a not-quite bird's eye view of situations in the city -- keep track of enemy movements should any be spotted within the city -- and provide semi-aerial archery coverage.
(Additionally -- given that this /is/ the Vista Glades -- I have been reminded by others to ensure that, if at all possible, ziplines, rope bridges, and parkour be involved if possible. Because... well, crazy arboreal special forces.)

I shall set a healing tent up where I can provide assistance to people who need quick healing. Also, I would like to use stealth to maybe locate Brands army gathering any intel I can before they get close to the gate.

Will be assisting Calypso at the gate with the sword Elvesbane. He will also be wearing a new set of armor to try and help inspire the troops to stand fast against the siege.

Peregrine will be leading the Gold Feathers as a mobile reserve force, guerilla style, to supplement the gate forces in the event of a breach. Anything that gets by will be hunted, with prejudice, by the thousand newly minuted Prodigals.

Eirene will mobilize the Phoenix Brigade to perform triage, moving the wounded back to safety and holding the defenses until reinforcements can take the places of the fallen. As for herself, she will use her studies of the occult to try to prevent and counter any of the more lethal supernatural attacks when not coordinating movement of their medics.

Reese plans to join the Grayson forces at the east gate. She intends to help serve as back up leadership, but will let Lady Maude and Duke Gabriel take point on commanding. She hopes to inspire the troops with her presence. She hopes to service as a heavy hitter if needed against any bringers or Shavs who might breach the gates. She will have her superb Alatricite short sword with her. She will be armed in her hq steel. She intends to fight next to Barric and Zhayla. She will try to help keep them alive if they run into trouble. She will pick up Barric's sword, the Grayson blade, Elvesbane if he falls in battle. She would like to focus on being a charming inspiration more than commanding and hopes to use her charm+leadership pool to inspire the Grayson troops. She hopes to use dexterity + medium wpn to fight if needed.

Inigo will be directly commanding the three-fourths of the Fidante army promised for the protection of the Seawatch gate. He will be overseeing the troops from the front, leading by example (as best as he currently knows how). The overall actions of the Fidante army will be seen to by Lady General Calypso Malvici, Inigo and the Fidante army will be acting according to her commands and directions. Lord Inigo will be wielding the diamondplate longsword Recompense and will be adorned in a full suit of HQ leather armor (while fondly wishing he had exotic).

Estaban will be up on the ramparts raining arrows from above down to the Bringers below.

Esoka will be there with her Riven peeps to help hold the gates with the Grayson/Lycene forces. She'll have given her prayers to Gloria before the battle, for guidance and favor for her own sword and the lives and honor of her comrades.
She'll be with the Riven forces as they lend their strength, primarily under their liege the Deepwoods and their forces.

Captain Caelis Malvici brings her marines in support of Lady General Calypso in the Seawatch Gate. In her hawk armor with her rubicund blade, she is ready for part two in facing off with the shavs and bringers on the ramparts.

Luca will be joining the defense of the gates in front of part of the Mirrorguard as likely his last act as their Shield. He'll be wielding his (as yet unmade) alaricite blade called Viper's Soul and in his usual diresnake scale exotic leather dueling armor, and as the last fight, would be focusing on cutting down any Bringers he can reach specifically. As the last battle he didn't even touch a Bringer for getting caught up fighting the trashmobs, he'll be tasking the Mirrorguard explicitly to trying to hold them back for him and others with diamondplate or alaricite to focus on the more dangerous foes. The intention I believe is for the mirrorguard to act as mobile strikeforce targetting breaches as they come up so that other forces can plug the holes with more defensive fighters, though this could change as Talen ultimately will be directing strategy.

Fiora will be playing rooftop rascal when the fighting begins. Raining arrows down so fast and furious they will have to fight in the shade! Or, you know, she'll be trying to help harry and harass the Bringers where the Compact wants them to be led. Or just straight up trying to murderface them. That would be good too!

Ferrando will be using his streetwise smarts, connections, and encyclopedic knowledge of the layout of Arx plus some general stealthiness to provide a ground-based compliment to Aislin's aerial rooftop operations. Should small groups of enemy infiltrators make it past the gate area into the city, Ferrando and his allied associates (cashing in some military resources to represent some recruiting among his fellow independent security consultants) will be setting traps and laying ambushes inside the Boroughs and especially along the approach to the Pit to apply his alaricite mace to Bringer faces as often as possible, as well as trying to clear out any enemies pinned down by the archers to free them up to keep scouting.

As the Gemecittans have tragically lost their commander, Dafne has placed her troops under the command of Lady General Calypso. A non-combatant herself, she does visit her troops beforehand and reminds them of what they are fighting. Not only to save all of existence, but to avenge their duke and leader, foully murdered by one of the creatures they now face. FOR VALKIERI!

The forces of Lenosia in the city that helped reinforce Seawatch Gate during the last attack, will be doing so yet again this time around. They will be joining Calypso's forces and any other armies at that location. Niccolo will be commanding those forces himself.

Gian will lead what remains of the Rubino-Zaffria troops in defense of the walls and gates, under Calypso's direction. Without much left to lose, and so recently after failing to defend Valkieri, he and many of the house guard will die before falling back.

Will lend her aid in training troops and fighting herself to whomever asks of her assistance.

Zhayla will be in the thick of the fight with her alarcite trident. She's a little bit reckless, and a lot a bit looking to prove herself, but not stepping out of line of the Deepwood / Grayson / etc. battle orders.

Tikva will be with the archers on the walls, shooting down troops on the advance with the defense of the gate. If the walls breach, she will edificeer some leaps to other roofs and pursue the front line, shooting where she can.

Costas will be walking in Calypso's shadow, on the lookout for any attacks at the Lady General herself. That protection extends to others in the vicinity but his priority is to keep Calypso safe and mobile during the battle.

Dante will be assisting the forces at the gate with a small detachment of Fidante soldiers. He wields the diamondplate blade Rosethorn, and his presence, along with that of the famous blade, should prove to be a boon and a symbol of moral for those soldiers serving with him and around him. He will be actively attempt to go where the fighting is thickest, as he finally has the chance to prove his own valor, and that of his house, on the field of battle.

Maude will be assisting with the deployment and command of Grayson troops. Other than generic generalling and shouting at people, she will continue to focus her attention on defending the city streets behind the gates and the walls, in case of a breach. She's already done much of the planning for this last time. This involves fortifying some points, preparing ambush sites, and having a reserve ready to flank the enemy if it gets through. If the enemy overruns the wall, the idea is feign a retreat to lure that group into the city, whittle away at them with ambushes and archery from rooftops and the inner walls. If possible, surround them with the reserves and counter-attack. It's all very elaborate.

In keeping with Samantha's effort to provide the Prodigals of Deepwood the means of being readily identified, Rymarr will aid in dispensing the various means of identification. Likewise he'll help to coordinate those willing among the refugees occupying Deepwood's turf within Arx in forming groups to more efficiently produces these means and then dispense them in a bid to make the process as fluid and efficient as possible. Ideally through the acute application of Command and Leadership.

On the topic of Old Oak and the Prodigals there which will be harassing the Bringer army from the rear, Rymarr will put his martial planning experience to the test. While not instructing the Prodigals how to fight Bringers, as they're no doubt experienced in that regard by now - Rymarr will at least send a few birds off to Old Oak in order to offer some advice in terms of a battle plan. Sent to the most noteworthy leadership figures among the more martially inclined figures of Old Oak's current warriors, Rymarr will provide some military insights - giving tips on terrain features to utilize, emphasizing teamwork over battling individually, and any other aspects of warfare that Rymarr may feel are prudent to reinforce the importance of War.

As the newly minted Marquis of Deepwood, Rymarr has been tasked with leadership of the House's military forces. Deepwood will make themselves present at the Seawatch Gate and join the assembled forces. Sticking with their direct liege in the form of Bisland and their direct vassal in Riven. Rymarr will be investing some of his own personal armaments(Military Resources) in ensuring that as many of Deepwood's soldiers are appropriately equipped and prepared as possible, for the oncoming battle. Rymarr for his part will be exactly what he is, the former Lord Commander of the King's Own, utilizing that reputation as a means to hopefully aid in keeping the gathered forces in line and steadfastly fighting; i.e., working to prevent a rout through pure Leadership and War planning. Furthermore Rymarr will make absolutely certain that messengers or criers in general circulate through the Compact forces. The message that is cried, screamed, shouted, delivered, spoken, or otherwise is simple and clear: "Deepwood's Prodigals will possess three black lines on a green field", in an effort to differentiate them from the enemy shav forces. Whether said Prodigals arrive from the north or within Arx itself, it should prevent any confusion or . For the fighting itself Rymarr will be carrying Autumn's Grace, an alaricite longsword and a rubicund morningstar as a de facto secondary weapon.

The creation of the siege towers and scaling ladders and deployment of Brand's forces all across the spread of the North wall has not gone unnoticed by the defenders of Arx. The Silent Army intends to attack all three northern wards simultaneously and move over the wall and storm the Seawatch Gate simultaneously. When the attack comes, they'll be ready.

((This will be live GM'd. The AP and military resources greatly reduced the difficulty of the rolls and this will be factored for initial deployments of soldiers, and taken into account. All characters not physically present during the GMing will be noted based on their actions)).

The City of Southport has always held both Mangata and Gloria close, calling them Patrons of the City of Swords. It is only fitting then that Duchess General Calypso Malvici has called for a monument of Mangata to be erected on the southern most tip of Arvum. The priests of the city are. Wong asked to hold devotional worship ceremonies there allowing the people to show their love of the sea and it's Goddess openly.

It is also being said that the Duchess is sending half their fleet and Lord Admiral Estaban to join the fight along with their allies, House Thrax. (This part will be as an assist to Fatima)

While the Phoenix of Malvici tend to honor Lagoma, they are instructed to wash and request Mangata's blessings of purity for their tools by cleaning them in water and then again in alcohol. (Look, sanitization for religious purposes!) They are also given free leave to go to the statue dedication and a night of drinks on their Brigadier General in the Goddess' name.

Caelis will travel down to Southport to assist with the building of the monument. While she is there she'll pray in the ocean off the southern most tip and rinse the stone used in construction with sea water offering more prayers to the goddess.

Lord Captain Artorius joins Lord Admiral Estaban as he goes to fight with their Thrax allies to help ensure his safety and the success of the operation! he lends his blade to join the fight.

Waldemai will use his contacts with the Crafters of the city to locate sculptors and stone carvers to work on the monument, and will use his own skills to keep their tools in good shape as they work.

And never let it be said that Southport is not also devoted to the Goddess too - and so Duchess Calypso Malvici calls for a monument of Mangata to be erected on the southernmost tip of Arvum. Waldemai Isenhu uses his own skills to keep the tools of the crafters sharp, and Lady Caelis Malvici travels to assist with the building of the monument as well. When it is completed a grand dedication ceremony is held, with Caelis making sure the statue itself is washed in sea water during the prayers offered. Lady Eirene brings the Phoenix of Malvici to the shrine's unveiling and treats her people to a night of drinks in the Goddess' name too, and thus is Mangata honored from the north to the south of the continent.

Duchess General Calypso Malvici is leading half of the Malvici Military and hald of the Velenosa Military Northwards to help Duke Vercyn stave off any Abyssal tainted Shavs in the Northlands. They will also hold the area secure in hope of keeping the Horned God's influence from spreading. She intends to travel north with the rest of the committed Lycene troops to help coordinate with the Redrain forces there.

She will also be working to coordinate with Princess Freja's efforts to search for weapons and locate the weapon which is thought to be hidden inside the Palace of Arx.


Calypso will be taking the following team with her in to the Palace to search for the weapon rumored to be there. She has expressed permission from His Majesty King Alaric, with the stipulation that any weapons uncovered become the property of the King's Own. Agreeing to that, the team is formed - Sir Miles of the King's Own, Princess-General Alis Valardin, Princess Reese Grayson and Master Costas.

As is her role as a Brigadier General, Eirene will be taking command of the Malvici battle-medic Phoenix Brigade but will also be coordinating with the other medical forces of the Lycene houses to ensure there is ample medical attention and protection for the healers working in triage outside of the lines.

She will also use her knowledge of occult lore and superstition to be on the lookout for any magical maladies or unusual attacks which may be used against their forces.

Working on the 'wolf of Skald' being a counter to the Horned King's magic, she will keep a small supply (from Eleyna- not poisoned) to test on any out of the ordinary wounds or afflications she may encounter.
She also prepares for frostbite and trenchfoot and other cold-weather maladies.

A man known for being adept with Logistics, Edward will bring his expert skill at quartermastering and logistics to the entirety of Calypso's forces. Working with the Captains and Sergeants he will make sure that each command has the necessary equipment and supplies needed to do their job but also have a proper amount of extra resources allocated to cover unfortunate happenstances. He will work with the supply teams to ensure proper packing of foods and materials that an army on the move will need and ensure that it is packed efficiently and in as few trains as possible to keep a short and tight supply line to limit its vulnerability.

In addition, he brings with him a portion of his own Whitefrost forces who are adept at defensive combat due to the military conditions in the Isles that breed that kind of warrior. He will use his forces as the Duchess General directs with the recommendation she deploy them in a defensive capacity.

To be appended.
Merek will travel with the forces that are heading to the North with Fidante (should any of them be assisting in this, if not then generically he will be under Calypso's Command). He will take a token force of the Iron Guard if permitted to assist them, with permission from Velenosa and Redrain should it be allowed. He also has his three personal guards and champion assigned to his protection, and his secretary for logistic matters. His action is a bit different from the others. While he will be willing to fight and will travel north, and has skill and his special blade in case any Abyssal threats are met that require such weapons, his main focus will be on the monetary and logistics only in a different manner, instead as a Merchant he will be working on forging the best of weapons and armor he can, which admittedly isn't too much, and he will be helping with field repairs as well. In addition to that he will be assisting in funding the expedition so that the army lacks for less as they travel. This likely means he will be assisting 'Edward' in addition to any Fidante forces, to help boost the man's work in logistics. (In other words, non-combatant unless he's required to fight in full. Mostly Command/Logistics/Smithing to some extent)

Special note: His personal Guard is loyal and willing to lay down their lives to ensure his safety, and I accept that if this happens to them it will be a loss of the Agents/Retainers that do such an act.


[He will be bringing 80 Iron Guardsmen to assist the soldiers. A token force at most, but more folk it is nonetheless.]

Since Inigo is marching out, he will be with the Fidante folk, who are under Calypso, and then the Guards he brought will be under him, with oversight of the chain of command upwards but answering to him.

Estaban will be gathering his troops in the next few days running them through drills and since most are from the south teaching them about the cold counditions of the North as he has been there first had and almost froze. Once they are ready he will let Calypso know and they will being prepping to march out at her side.
Estaban will be marching with the House Saik army, I can not add them to the Crisis at the moment because I am Admiral of the Malvici fleet at and can not also command the saik Army at the the same time code wise. I spoke with Apostate and he told me to note it in the crisis.

Alis is going to help Calypso with searching the Palace for a shiny.

Count Artorius Magnotta sends warriors to aid and serve in Duchess Calypso's army in the effort to help the fight against Legion, as well as personally joining the fray himself to fight in the impending conflict.

As the commander of the Army of Tor, Duke Inigo Fidante will be leading half of the strength of the Fidante army north to assist in the military exercise. Inigo has been under the tutelage of the Duchess General in leadership and warfare but is still very green when it comes to engagements. This being the case, the Duke will be issuing commands to his army but under the instruction and guidance of Duchess Malvici. If needed, i.e. if things get messy and he needs to take a more hands on approach, the Duke is outfitted with his armor and diamond plate sword 'Recompense'.

Sparte will be marching out with the Iron Guard contingent, to assist in what ways he can. As a line and file guardsman that may not be much, but he'll still be there. His main contribution will likely be chiding the other guardsmen on packing appropriately for cold weather, and making poor quality maps of things they see along the way.

Anze begins the preparations to support Vercyn with the Malvici troops by making sure that the Malvici forces are well prepared for the journey north. Having grown up in Farhaven and serving under Vercyn, he makes sure to meet with the Malvici forces commanders and Lieutenants to go over the basics of the terrain, their path up, and what the weather might be like. Knowing that the Malvici forces are from the furthest southernmost tip of Arvum, he makes sure that they will bring cloaks and other supplies to keep them warm in the for northern spring.

Any Lycene forces showing an interest in learning what Anze knows also get his support, going over the basics of maps, terrain, and weather so that they know what to expect.

Anze will spend his time helping Calypso command the Malvici forces, and being ready to step in in case she has to move to another location or work with other groups. Having worked with Vercyn and knowing the northern forces well, he would work to make sure that the Malvici and northern forces mesh well and can work together in the most efficient way.

In addition to half of the Velenosa forces being lent to the cause of fighting Legion, Talen has committed half of the Mirrorguard forces as well. He'll personally lead these as a strike force available to the plans and whims of Duchess CAlypso Malvici who has been given the temporary control of southern forces pledged to Darren under her command by Eleyna Velenosa. Talen's agents are primarily focusing on geurilla-style warfare, laying traps and ambushes to known points where the Northlands shavs attack. This will be in addition to any forces provided by Baron Audric De Lire who is sending his Valorous Few, if any, as they are known to have similar styles of assault and a 'get the job done under any means necessary' attitudes.
Talen is using Eleyna's wolf-blood poison (detailed in her action) against the corrupted Shav'Arvani in battle and other creatures under the Horned God's control to demonstrate whether the theory is correct.

Miles will babysit these Malvici (all except Eirene who needs no babysitter) as they bumble about the Palace. To keep them in line he will tactically and strategically grump at them. Miles is working with them to explore the palace, keeping an eye out for potential security breaches and if a weapon is found, securing it for the Crown per His Majesty's orders.

Costas will be present in his role as Calypso's bodyguard as she hunts in the Palace.

Duchess Calista Fidante is assisting House Fidante's actions to better prepare the military for battle in the North.
Duchess Calista Fidante is assisting House Fidante's actions to better prepare the military for battle in the North. House Fidante is sending in half their military forces under the command of Duke Inigo Fidante with Sword of Tor Dante Fidante on the helm. For her part, the Duchesses of Roses will be aiding in diplomatic efforts.

Mirari will be using her knowledge of alchemy and apothecarism. She'll be selecting skilled warriors that she knows won't object-- and she'll be poisoning their blades. Things that will debilitate and make it easier for the warriors to win, but not be particularly torturous or awful.

Being neither a commander nor a scholar of the occult, Eleyna's actions are those of support from Arx rather than traipsing into the field with the others. As a show of her faith in the alliance between Redrain and Velenosa, bonds forged in shared grief and, now, in deep friendship between Eleyna and Darren, she pledges half of the Velenosa army to go North and assist. As a show of trust, she offers Duchess General Calypso Malvici command of those forces in the North as Talen will be focusing on the Mirrorguard, who are better suited toward guerilla-style combat than military maneuvers.

As a small side action, after a discussion with Lady Eirene Malvici, Eleyna retreats into her lab and, using what she learned in the last war regarding spiders and their use against Bringers, mixes up a concoction of wolf's blood (ethically sourced, of course!) sinces wolves were thought to be a 'Skald' thing and nettle poison, known for causing painful blistery rashes. She instructs Talen to put it on his sword at some opportune time. Just as a test.
((Could not add the army due to org permissions, but they will be there!))

As part of the Malvici Military, Fiora accompanies in helping Duke Vercyn by providing archery support and heeding the orders of her cousin, Duchess General Calypso. And for kicks, maybe she'll see about protecting her family members from getting hurt or instead goad her twin brother into fight alongside her like old times. The things people do for family, liege, and fealty.

Lord Dante Fidante, Voice of Fidante and Sword of Tor will be headed North to help in assisting Duke Inigo with the Fidante forces, along with this, as half of the Mirrorguard have been committed to the attack, Dante will be assisting Prince Talen and the Mirrorguard as well. He will mostly be there on a combative basis, and not so much as being in command. Despite this, if Inigo were to need assistance leading the Fidante forces, he is there in his position as both voice and Sword.

Dafne entrusts half of the Rubino-Zaffria troops to Calypso's command for this action. She takes time to give them a stirring speech beforehand. And warm clothing.

Back in the Gray Forest, even more fortifications are being built and strengthened. Baron Edward Stormbreak brings his particular expertise in logistics and quartermastering to aid and advise the forces led by Duchess General Calypso Malvici. Merek Black also comes, helping with the setup of their home away from home and helping make sure that the logistics and supply chain is as secure as possible. Brigadier General Eirene Malvici coordinates a triage center as well, using supplies graciously donated by Princess Eleyna Velenosa. Duchess Dafne Zaffria assists by sending troops, and Mirari Corsetina seems to have developed an unholy interest in polishing blades (that is not a euphemism, folks). Those soldiers willing to let her look at their swords tend to be very careful with handling them afterwards. All in all though, these defenses are a success, and the soldiers operating in the Gray Forest are safer as a result. Estaban, Artorius, Inigo, Sparte, Anze, Talen, Fiora, Dante, Calista, and Calypso are handling some guerilla action as well, drawing the shavs loyal to the Horned God deeper and deeper into a trap.