It's no surprise to any that the Lady Monique Greenmarch, who has long taken an avid interest in all things Eurus, should find herself seeking out a way to meet with the Eurusi contingent headed for Arvum's shores. "Purely out of a deep desire to learn more and to extend the diplomatic relations of the Telmarch," is the official reason given. She even has new assistants, Quintus (Sebastian) and Sextus, Septimus and Octavus (Ansel's guards), and Nonus (Swift) for such an important journey.

The unofficial reason, though, is far more exciting.

The Minx of the Marches has enlisted the help of her trusted, talented allies and friends to get her to Sungreet at Farmorn Point, to finesse the way for her to meet with Prince Damik'uhl'daja privately. With the assistance of Delia, and possibly a stolen ship from a charming fellow named Argus the Cruel, they'll try to meet with the Eurusi contingent before they ever make land fall. Her goal? To beguile the Eurusi Royal and make of him an ally in that foreign land, with the ultimate goal being to seduce his support of Dawn Baseborn and Leo Fidante, whom she has reason to believe are in Eurus, acting against the Emperor. The Minx will employ all of her tricks, up to and including offering Prince Damik an unknown assassin to help him eliminate his siblings, who clamor for the crown. If they are successful in cutting a deal, she'll give him a letter from one Dante DiFidante, an introduction to his cousin Leo, speaking well of Monique and her helpfulness, among other things.

While Sebastian will be traveling with Monique to Sungreet, he by no means plans to travel as himself. Instead of being a representative of Pravus, he travels as one of Monique's assistants. His goal: to assist Monique with getting her private audience -- whether that means finding and bribing the right assistant to give her a small window of opportunity, distracting guards with a well-timed drinking contest, stealing a copy of Prince Damik'uhl'daja's itinerary to find the right moment to approach him, or all of the above.

Giving his blessing to this little attempt at 'diplomacy', Ansel isn't going to be attending in person. Instead, the Duke of Telmar is providing some resources that he sets at Monique's disposal. A sum of silver, a few guards masquarading as assistants and a few other things that he believes that she might find useful in her attempt to turn the Crown Prince.

Seems like Arianna and Sebastian have spent a lot of time together lately, he is her cousin after all and she does love him so. It makes sense she'd tag along to keep this delegation on track. Not really. She tends to be trouble when she's left to her own devices. Thankfully Monique is one of the very few people who can keep her on a tight leash, which is how she prefers it sometimes not gonna lie. In any case she's here to do what Arianna does best -- be a persuasive little thing and assist in the diplomacy. Or seductions. Most people would call it seduction but really it's her one tried and true method of getting everyone to get along.

If things go awry.

Well...the First Knight of Setarco is no meager combatant and as one of the foremost experts on making murder look like art she will utilize those skills if need be on just about any and every obstacle between the delegation and safety. Hopefully it doesn't come to that but if it does we all know she's going to do her very best to keep Monique and her second favorite cousin alive. (Don't ask who the first one is, the mystery is just so much better.)

Anisha Whisper is an excellent courtier, and her coming along with the expedition fulfills a two-fold purpose. First of all, she's very good at what she does - making people feel welcome, safe, and willing to speak on any number of subjects.

Secondly, she actually speaks Eurusi. Which she intends to keep from the delegation, and use to suss out hidden information for Monique. After all, there's something to be said for what can be spoken of in front of strangers, and Anisha has a gift for truth. So, she seeks to learn information useful to Monique's mission - particularly as regards to the Prince and his rivals for the throne, siblings or not.

Swift will be going along, ostensibly as a servant and assistant to the nobility, using her skill with medicine and alchemy to ensure if anyone becomes sick or wounded that they can be tended immediately. She will be on hand to concoct any necessary poultices or potions as required and in general to just keep her ears open and her mouth shut. A former Thrall, she knows exactly how to go about being part of the scenery, working quietly at the tasks set to her without disrupting others.

Ships. Dante won't be taking one of those anywhere, not anymore. Instead he does what he can from Arx. He's not the diplomatic type, and not being there negates his ability with a sword. So, in case things do go awry, he'll train the ship's crew in tactics that can be used on sea or land, should violence become necessary.

As a skulky investigator from the Lowers of Arx, Ras has recently upped his charges when it comes to dangerous cases, and Monique was willing to pay his fee. He's been hired to find out some extra information about Damik'ul'daja before the attempt to sway the prince is made by the Minx and the others.

Since Monique briefed him on the target, he knows that Damik has siblings who clamor for the emperor's throne, and that he is the son of the Vizier, not the emperor. So what he's looking for is whether the prince is Abyssally tainted, what more he might want, if he's controlled already by strings that need to be cut, and those types of things.

The first stage of his investigation begins immediately (before Monique goes to Sungreet) in the Lowers, where he knows black market traders who deal with Eurusi smugglers, and contacts them to learn what they know. Further, he uses his awkward knowledge of the language to converse with refugees from Eurus (from action 3843). He speaks more directly with the few refugee families that he's befriended lately, too - all with the hope of finding out more regarding the prince.

The second stage of his investigation is in Sungreet. There, he uses street contacts - some of them smugglers, many of them fluent speakers of Eurusi, who can blend in well with any groups of rabble among camp followers, the city's slums, seedy taverns, and anywhere rumors might be spread. The information is directed towards Monique.

With her decent acting chops, Alessia joins the endeavor, posing as one of Monique's assistants, Nonus. As violence isn't anticipated, she'll remain placid and charming for the most part, though will keep her eyes peeled for any threats to any member of her party, especially the Greenmarch herself. In true Lycene fashion, she's armed but not visibly so. With a hidden dagger and sharp hair ornaments on her person, she's well prepared to face any physical threat if things take a dark turn.

Delia heads off to Sungreet ahead of the others, renting a berth on a merchant ship going that way. She's going to appear as if she's there for regular courtier-type stuff, and she probably will actually do some of that for appearances' sake. However, her real purpose is to get chatting to nobles of House Helianthus, especially those who appear to be familiar with sea routes or the Eurusi. Once she finds someone suitable, she means to charm and persuade that person into telling her all about it. That creates options. Perhaps the others will want to get ahead and go try to meet the foreign fleet before it gets to Sungreet. Otherwise, it just provides some more information about which way they might come from and where they might go. Once she's all done with this, she'll wait for Monique's ship and go along for the ride, to be persuasive elsewhere if she can, or find a way to safety if danger looms.

Getting an audience isn't easy. They arrive at Farmorn Point well before the Eurusi, and find Sungreet bustling with activity. Many of the domains of the Compact have done similar to Monique's claim of being diplomatic envoys from the Telmarch, with voices of scores of domains present to speak to House Helianthus or in hopes of a conversation with the Eurusi and find out first if war is inevitable. With the bustling chaos, Sebastian is able to track down and talk to scores of different Helianthus officials and use Ras' contacts to finally track down exactly who to talk to, and from there Anisha and Delia as trained diplomats are able to find out exacting details on when and where the Eurusi are expected to arrive and just who is due to speak to them. A few bribes, cajoling and deft diplomatic maneuvers later, and Monique's Telmarch delegation is added as official envoys that have Helianthus permission to speak to the Eurusi.

Of course, House Helianthus almost certainly expected Monique's group to be one of dozens to eventually speak and would be far down the list, but the Minx of the Marches has recently acquired a very fine ship, and once there's even a threadbare official cover so the Eurusi are expecting her, there's really no need to wait. They sail ahead to jump the line and boldly see if the Crown Prince of Skal'daja will let them board and speak in person.

The Eurusi are more than a bit dubious at the entreaties to come aboard, but Monique, Alessia, Swift, Anisha, Sebastian and Delia are all extremely convincing. To be honest, most of them have been convincing people for a living for a very long time, and that's not about to stop now. So Monique, escorted by the disguised cohorts, comes aboard and has her private meeting with the Crown Prince of Skal'daja, Prince Damik'uhl'daja.

Monique and the prince meet in private for what seems like an awfully long time, and during the time of the meeting Anisha and Delia are able to find out that the crew is a mix of fanatically loyal slave soldiers, higher rank freemen from commoner families, and the officers are almost all Skal'dajan nobility. The fleet is huge and largely divided. A third is under Damik's personal command, while the other two thirds are split in command by two of his brothers, and Anisha is able to hear a fair bit of scuttlebutt about tensions between the three, as all vie for the approval of their father. The sailors gossip about the frictions and how Damik was given command because he's the least reckless and less violent compared to Ulrik'uhl'daja the Butcher of Skal'daja or Galik'uhl'daja the Whip of Skal'daja. THe sailors point that one tends to not get titles like that in Skal'daja by being pleasant. The gossip goes on, and many of the Eurusi are interested to meet the Arvani as curiosities, but at long last Lady Monique Greenmarch emerges and all of Arvum will get to find out just how convincing the Minx of the Marches could be.

The proposal of marriage from the Crown Prince of Skal'daja to Monique is still something of a surprise. Monique can be very, very, very convincing it seems.

To say it shocks the crew of Damik'uhl'daja's flagship is something of an understatement too, as this simply isn't done. Many are aghast when Damik goes on to explain that he intends to ally himself with the Arvani, and that a letter from Monique helped convince him that he's been fighting on the wrong side of the war in Eurus, and Skal'daja should turn against the Dune Emperor and break free from the fetters of the Emperor and Damik's father, the Grand Vizier. Damik, by his side, proceeds to give a stirring speech about how Skal'daja could rise to be a bright beacon in Eurus, and the continent could be liberated from the forces that have held it in sway for generations.

It really does not take long for assassins to attack after that.

Alessia notices them first. There's a hiss from a cat (wait, how is there a cat on board this ship?) and she sees Skal'dajan nobles associated with Damik's brother Ulrik edge closer in the crowd after he gives the speech. She sees the daggers surreptitiously being drawn, and she has time to draw her own weapon and shout a warning right as the assassins move to suddenly charge.

Fortunately for Damik'uhl'daja, Monique's guards Sextus, Septimus and Octavus were standing by the pair and react immediately to Alessia's shouted threat, getting swords out of their scabbards as they move forward to to place themselves in between the assassins and Lady Monique. Septimus manages to parry a dagger but a second assassin stabs him in the throat, who is then cut down in turn by Sextus. Octavus impales a third man before a crossbow bolt catches him in the chest. Sextus is stabbed from behind by a hulking Eurusi in plate mail, while Monique deftly sweeps the leg of one attacker to cut his throat as he falls then stabs the plate-clad Eurusi through the heart, her dagger punching through the metal like it was paper.

A cry goes up from the deck in Eurusi, "Damik has betrayed Skal'daja, death to him and his Arvani dogs! Rally to Ulrik!" An answering cry bellows up from most of the slaves and numerous soldiers, "Protect the Prince!" "For Damik!" "For a free Skal'daja!"

And then the battle is truly joined.

Prince Damik is shouting orders, as the ship begins to turn hard to port and a robed figure near the prow of the ship waves flagged signals. Catapults, archers and ballistae on the decks of hundreds of Eurusi ships begin to fire at one another, as the ships under Damik's command and the ships of his brothers start to clash.

On board his flagship, scores of Eurusi are trying to kill Damik, his supporters, and all of the Arvani guests. Alessia's glaive is out and the glaivedancer of House Mazetti demonstrates her unique style, dancing nimbly away from three attackers as she impales one and flings the body overboard. Sebastian has his Diamond Thorn free and is frantically trying to defend himself and Swift Grayhope. One attacker is attacking with far more strength than seems humanly possible for the thin Eurusi's frame, knocking Sebastian off his feet. Swift throws some powder into the Eurusi's face, making him scream in anguish, but the attacker grabs and brutally slams Swift to the deck of the ship with horrifying force, Swift's cry of shock cut terribly short as she impacts and lies broken and prone. Sebastian is able to recover and cut the man down, but at a glance it's unclear if Swift is still alive.

A bolt of fire lances through the air as Alessia manages to dance away at the last moment, some of her hair being singed by the blast. A robed mirrormask is chanting and pointing, as arcane symbols appear floating in the air then fly forward and burn three sailors fighting to Damik to ashes. More chanting is heard but it's suddenly cut short as the man is pulled backwards and his throat is cut by Monique, who is moving on to her next target before the body hits the floor.

Alessia and Sebastian find themselves fighting back to back, cutting down their own attackers and as their attackers fall they become aware of cheers from the deck. Scores of armed supporters are cheering around Damik, and the battle has died down as quickly as it started, as it seems the assassins could only inspire a thin minority to turn on the Crown Prince of Skal'daja. Able to catch their breath, they can look out from the ship and see what's become of the fleet.

There's smoke rising from Sungreet, and obvious battle in the distance on the ground. It's hard to make out, but throngs of thralls are fighting in what seems to be a revolt against House Helianthus, and ships from Galik'uhl'daja's fleet have made landfall with forces fighting against revolting slaves and supporting Helianthus... who seem to have other forces of Helianthus fighting them. On the sea, dozens of ships are sinking and fighting is happening across scores of decks, but it looks like roughly half of the Eurusi forces are withdrawing... though to the South and Southwest, not East towards Eurus.

Damik has his forces move to support the Arvani who are freeing the thralls, and Monique, Sebastian, and Alessia move to the ground with the forces landing, while Anisha and Delia look after the prone Swift. She's clearly in a coma and likely to perish, even with aid from Mercies on land.

As they land, it becomes obvious that House Helianthus is in a civil war, with forces of the Duke fighting alongside of Damik's brothers against a thrall slave revolt and the Faith of the Pantheon. Templars and Knights of Solace battle desperately against mages and adepts from Eurus who are wrecking horrifying damage, but Damik's forces joining on the side of the Faith decisively tips the balance and prevents a slaughter of thralls. As Monique, Sebastian, Alessia and hundreds of Damik's Eurusi take the loyalist forces of Skal'daja and Helianthus by the rear, it turns into a rout. Some of the forces loyal to the Duke escape by sea, but Sungreet falls to the free forces.

As night falls, the Compact finds itself at war. A war both with a foreign foe, as Damik's brothers lead a little under two thirds of the Eurusi fleet against the Compact, and also a civil war, as the Mourning Isles turns upon itself. But Monique's mission may have saved matters, and they have a new powerful ally.

Now she just has to decide what to do about a marriage proposal.

The streets of Ostria will be filled with a grand military display in the first annual War Parade of the Hydra. The forces of the II Hydra Legion will be present in the streets of Ostria for a full week, where they will perform exhibits of military prowess from elaborate marching formations from foot soldiers as well as highly skilled and precision cavalry movements. The week will culminate in a day of military contests including swordsmanship, jousting, and archery. The goal of the weeklong events is to create an aura of prestige for the soldiers of the II Hydra Legion to encourage more citizens to enlist for training, and to instill a scenario where Ostria's children dream of the day they can join such an elite force as well.

Being a former Sword of, Knight of, and Infantry Commander of Gemecitta, Miranda knows what it means to give impressive demonstrations of fighting skills. Now, newly Mazetti and wife of the new Marshal, Ostria can benefit from her expertise. Along with a specialized group of soldiers, Miranda leads a team in a demonstration of fighting skills highlighting precision routines, impressive displays of technique and strength! It's all very coordinated, much like a synchronized swim team, but better with pointy swords, scimitars, and the colors of Mazetti in Gold, Blue, and White. Hydras are stylized upon the uniforms which are crisp and clean.

Cambria, though she will be present and visible during the parade itself, does most of her work behind the scenes. She manages the details, large and small, coordinates with the various points of contact, and in general makes certain that everything runs smoothly so that on the grand day itself, the parade goes off without a hitch. Only when one is fully prepared and ready to respond with back-ups can standing before the gathered citizens as a figure both serene and glorious be possible. And that is just what the Hydra of Ostria desires.

The people need to hear the voice of their Duchess and in this case they get a Voice of their Duchess. The Hydra of Ostria wants them! The fighting men and women of the Hydra Legions require their support and camaraderie! As the dangers of the world turn their attentions haphazardly about, Ostria must ever be prepared to defend the Walled City. He speaks of the honor given to House Mazetti for each who joins the ranks. He speaks of the honor those who join bring upon themselves and their families. He speaks of the compensation that those who serve are afforded; because sometimes it's simply silver that talks. He brings up the past Marshal of Ostria, Lord Valerio Mazetti, and his heroism. The newest Marshal of Ostria, Lord Marzio Mazetti, long may he prosper in his role as a defender of Ostria is also given ample acclaim from the ruling seat of Ostria. Hadrian speaks of the great work that Lord Marzio has undertaken as the General of the II Hydra Legion, which has formed the backbone of House Mazetti's military. While the Guardians of Ostria are highly selective of those who earn such a distinction and the Glaivedancers are chosen from birth, the Hydra Legions still require those patriots of Ostria ready to defend it against all who would dare lift a hand against it, but also those who wish to pursue peace through strength of arms. Overall Hadrian spends his time among the people, spinning words and promoting the perception among the people that to serve the Hydra is a worthy, honorable ambition. Maybe those who show themselves to be truly exemplary will even find themselves counted among the ranks of the elite and celebrated III Hydra Legion!

As Minister of Allegiance and a Guardian, Theron is fully behind the idea to gather military support. So he puts on a display of swordsmanship, and his Hydra Snakeskin armor. His meanuevers will not simply be from the style of duels, but of the first steps he learned as a Guardian. Strength. Control. Skill. Pride. All such things on display. He will also take some time to speak with recruits, and would-be recruits directly. Guardian secrets of course, not revealed.

Braith is a spinner of tales and words and easily uses what she has learned about the Mazetti to greatly embellish their good deeds. She sways the views by discussing the grand showing of the Duchy and its finely adorned military. The Duke and Duchess know best how to serve their people and make certain Ostria is safe. No one else could certainly do it better. Such poise and stoic stature from each well trained and hewn figure (no matter if they don't all match in size and don't march to the same beat all the time) they are impeccable specimen! True to the heart of the people and not only for Ostria but if ever the Compact needed, one could be certain the Duchy of Ostria would certainly provide and oh what a sight it would be!

Alessia, the self-professed face of the glaivedancers, will put on her typical performance for the masses in her striking snakeskin and steelsilk armor. In the hopes of boosting morale, admiration and also potentially luring recruits.

Vitalis is a man of physical poetry, coordination, movement, resonance. It is how he does what he does, the Ghost of Ostria, appearing where no one was, disappearing from plain sight, tracking across trackless wastes, slipping bonds, and living to tell. Those feats are impressive, but to the various martial displays, Vitalis adds his experience training others to do what he does, blunting any doubts harbored by those observing they 'could never do that.' He'll show them through courses and games focused on combat and elusion that, in fact... they very much can.

Strozza will be providing a display of the Ostrian Navy's skill and talent. Precision maneuvering off the coast, war-games reenacting military victories, ETC, all to show the vast capability of the fleet's skill to show how well Ostria is defended and grows in supremacy at sea.

Jaenelle has been planning to take a tour of the Lyceum for some time, and it is especially important now. Ostria is located in the Southern left hand side of the Lyceum, so it is perfectly positioned to start the tour off, and with Mazetti being recently elevated to a ducal house it is important for the people of Ostria to meet the Archduchess that their liege has sworn direct fealty to.

The beginning of Jaenelle's tour just so happens to coincide with War Parade of the Hydra so it is fortuitous that not only will Jae be entertained in watching the might of the Ostria people but she will be able to assist in the message of honor in serving and protecting, hope that in doing so peace will come to the Lyceum and Ostria, and the pride and prosperity that comes from the auspicious positions that those in House Mazetti's military are risen to. Should she call her banners, she wants them to know that she has witnessed their greatness and what they can accomplish.

To show her gratitude to Mouse Mazetti for hosting her in such grand fashion for the beginning of her tour, the Ostria military and those that have excelled in the War Parade's games, the Archduchess will aide in sponsoring the parade with a donation of one million silver to continue to show her support to the Ostria people even after she has departed for other areas on the Lyceum Tour.

The military parade is a smashing success. The columns of proud warriors in their best armor, marching in perfect rhythm, handsome smiles and gleams of pride in their Lycene eyes makes for a spectacular show. The newly appointed Marshal successfully gathers the forces of the II Hydra Legion and drills them until their moves are seamless and instinctive.

Miranda’s efforts in leading a demonstration of precision fighting garners plenty of awe and cheers, while Theron’s personal demonstration is met with equal raucous cheers. While Strozza’s sailors are limited to ground maneuvers, they still manage to inspire cheers with their rope tricks and nimble moves. Alessia’s glaivedancing inspires numerous youths, eyes made starry by the lithe show of grace and strength put on display. And for all those that might quail and think that they could never achieve such things for themselves, well, there is Vitalis offering on the fly instruction in small, achievable goals to inspire belief and motivate even the doubters to join ranks.

Hadrian and Braith work the crowd with stirring speeches, seeding rumors and whispers, increasing the sense of personal pride in the Mazetti. Cambria’s skills in organizing the routes, calculating needs and assessing risks and cost-benefit analysis ensures that while disruptive to day to day business, no one is excessively hindered by the event, creating far more goodwill than annoyance.

When Jaenelle appears, the crowd roars its approval of the Archduchess-Regent, clearly honored by the presence of the Princess that has come to embody all that is Lycene in manner, grace and style. So much so that few if any even recall that she was born to Thrax.

When all is said and done, Mazetti welcomes a healthy crop of new recruits, increasing the size of their infantry, pike, archers and cavalry but substantial numbers.

Marquis-Consort Hadrian Mazetti has began a campaign of expansion on behalf of Ostria and House Mazetti. Prior to the direct conflict with the Gyre and his forces, House Mazetti had reached out to a number of allies and potential allies. Among those potential allies the eye of House Mazetti and Ostria now turns, through the Voice of Marquessa Cambria Mazetti.

Leading up to the war with the Gyre, House Mazetti had extended an offer of fealty to many Abandoned tribes at the borders of Ostria and beyond. Some tribes accepted and now thrive within a growing Ostria, some had consented to an honor duel to decide the matter with varying results, and others had simply politely declined the offer. House Mazetti acted with honor and, some may say dignity, in respecting the choice of those who did not wish to partake in the coming conflict. That particular conflict has passed and the Compact has emerged victorious, so the time is now for House Mazetti to extend the olive branch to those who had shown (polite) reluctance in the past.

To begin with Hadrian will be seeking the aid of capable diplomats and others. Along with that enlistment of skilled individuals, Hadrian will seek out among the Prodigal population in Ostria those who have prospered throughout the economic boom that the city-state has experienced through sound investments, commerce, and more. He will request the aid of these Prodigals in reaching out to those tribes in which the diplomatic campaign will come in contact with, speaking of their own experiences as Prodigals within Ostria and the Compact, along with their successes thus far.

Even soldiers from the banners of House Mazetti will march with the diplomatic party, under strict orders that they will only be acting within a defensive capacity under the command of Lord Valerio Mazetti, the Marshal of Ostria. The ranks of the II Hydra Legion are brought along as a show of support not for the diplomatic party but for those tribes which the diplomatic conducts their efforts with. Hadrian will makes it a point to remind those Abandoned tribes which they deal with throughout the campaign that the Hydra stands ready to defend those who come beneath their banner and join with the Compact through House Mazetti. The evidence is before their very eyes: The Hydra has an army that is battle experienced, known for being territorial, and stands ready to offer aid to those who accept the offer of protection, fealty, and more.

The ultimate message is simple. House Mazetti and Ostria stands ready to provide protection and more to the Abandoned who are willing to swear fealty upon Limerance to Marquessa Cambria Mazetti and her House, thereby joining the Compact. Those offers which meet with success? Hadrian will then attempt to use those successes as something of a domino effect. Utilizing the new Prodigals to act as diplomats with Abandoned tribes who they have peaceful relations with, all in the interest of creating a cascade of oaths sworn in fealty to House Mazetti for the betterment of all involved.

For those which stand ready to refuse the peaceful offer, the Sword of House Mazetti in the form of Lord Theron Mazetti will be asked to represent the House in order to decide the matter once and for all. These duels will be held honorably, without the threat of death or open warfare as any manner of stipulation. They are meant to prevent such things from taking place and thus House Mazetti will conduct itself honorably and present these duels as nothing more than to first blood. As with any duel where deadly weapons are involved, accidents do happen. In the event of any such accidents occur, House Mazetti will provide compensation as a show of good faith in the form of silver and goods. This, of course, is just another clever veil in the diplomatic dance designed to entice the Abandoned into recognizing that House Mazetti will treat them reasonably and fairly. They are Lycene after all.

Hail Hydra.

As a steadfast ally of House Mazetti and a skilled diplomat, Princess Isabeau Valardin will use her bountiful charm, masterful manipulation, and expert skill in propaganda to encourage those Abandoned deemed worthy to bend the knee under the banners of House Mazetti.

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As the Countess of Escuma, Arcelia pulls her resources to assist her Hadrian. An army suddenly marching towards you is not an ideal situation because they would be strictly bending the knee out of fear. As such, Arcelia takes a smaller group (Mercies, Soldiers, Disciples that speak Lycene Shav, etc from Escuma) with her to do some mission work ahead of time. She will bring care packages of food, seeds, medicine, and other important essentials to them and ask for nothing in return except that they let them stay for a few weeks. They will simply act as servants to that tribe in that they will help do chores around their settlement, tell them about what its like living in The Compact, let the Disciples tell them about the Gods, and then at night carelessly party with them. The intention here is that when the rest of the diplomats get here and the army arrives they will have a more positive foundation to work with.

Cambria brings to the table her experience in a leadership capacity, so that Hadrian's expertise in diplomacy is most aptly utilized by bringing together all the right people are brought together under one umbrella of authority. It sounds more luxurious than it in truth is, as much of it involves paperwork, matters of logistics, knowing who will work with whom and the like, all the way down to signing off on how much feed for pack animals must be brought. Her work, therefore, is largely behind the scenes, though she herself does not remain an elusive figure. On the forefront of the project, she makes sure to be both seen and heard by those she works alongside of...and especially those she hopes to sway to the cause.

Alessia brings her martial skills to the table in the event that things go awry despite attempts at diplomacy. Her role will also be to display her abilities as a glaivedancer to the Abandoned via defensive and offensive drills ran by her uncle in the hopes of bolstering the reputation of the Guardians while also honing her own skills during the diplomatic endevour. In addition, she'll offer whatever aid she can to her cousins as they aim to gain the fealty of the Abandoned.

Valerio is always very much of the mind that if one wishes peace, they must prepare for war. However, he is content to let the diplomats be diplomats and keeps Guardians at the ready in the event of failure. Given the unique task at hand, Valerio continually rotates his current Guardian detail into drills. His purpose behind this is to keep the Guardians battleready just in case, but to show the Abandoned just what Guardians can do. Valerio will run both defensive and offensive drills to show the Abandoned just how well Ostrians are protected, and just how well Ostria will go after their enemies.

Marquis Hadrian Mazetti has asked my assistance in dealing with his land and population expansion around Ostria and having abandoned tribes bend the knee. Lucita applies her Lycene Slav linguistics ability, her charm and her propaganda skills in methods that were successfully used in the Saikland land expansion to assist in his effort. She invites some of the Abandoned who seem content and to be adjusting very well to joining the Compact and Saikland to accompany her so the Ostria area tribes can see that protection and fair treatment is given from some who were just like them. .

Diplomacy, word of mouth advertisement, duels, military might - there seems to be someone covering each of these. But who is out there showing what Arvani culture can really produce? Why not the Champion Whisper? As loud and brash as she can be, Bliss knows how to put on a good show and play to her audience. And so she travels among the Abandoned tribes of Ostria with the Mazettis et al, carousing, singing, and performing far flashier duels than the likes House Swords might do - and for far lower stakes. She's here to put on a show and get these people to see how much /fun/ life in the Compact can be, and win hearts and minds over that way. Everyone else has the finer details of integration covered, after all.

Leading up to the war with the Gyre, House Mazetti had extended an offer of fealty to many Abandoned tribes at the borders of Ostria and beyond. Some tribes accepted and now thrive within a growing Ostria, some had consented to an honor duel to decide the matter with varying results, and others had simply politely declined the offer. House Mazetti acted with honor and, some may say dignity, in respecting the choice of those who did not wish to partake in the coming conflict. (That and they were really too busy to go on a shav-killing campaign with the Pirate King threatening) But now that war is over, and the Mazetti forces are back, and they've got that same look on their face. That "let's talk about fealty to the Compact" look.

And so Marquessa Cambria and Marquis Hadrian, along with their family - Lord Theron, Sword of Mazetti and Lady Alessia in particular - travel with their military forces, with Lord Theron and Valerio in command. They reach Ostria and bring the diplomats to the forefront. They've asked some of their allies, Princess Isabeau, Countess Arcelia, Baroness Lucita, and Bliss Whisper to join them as well, reaching out to those who were previously reluctant. With a savvy mixture of inherent threat from the military and diplomatic overtures by the rest, it presents a particularly Lycene offer - and people respond, expanding Ostria as these shavs bend the knee.