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Action by The Prismatic Order for Forgetfulness Plague

(Public Action, OOC Date: Jan. 8, 2024, 8:46 p.m.)

The Prismatic Order hits the books.

We know that Azazel absorbed Fable, Ruin, and Legion. What we want to know, is what does this mean? How does this affect Azazel and how might be different? What strengths could he gain and what weaknesses might come along with it? Ultimately, he must be defeated. So do this, we need to understand who we are facing.

So, the Prismatic Order will comb through information. They will dust off old texts and seek understanding through whatever means inspires them. Maybe there's something out there, that will tell them more. As their own adventures takes them to different places, it gives them the opportunity to look everywhere.

Fortunato has a lot (a lot) of wild ideas, but this is not what they need right now. Where he can, he'll look for anything thematically relevant to intersections, archfiend absorption (gods, has this EVER happened??), reconfigurations in gods and their reflections, limits to absorptions, aaaanything. Where he can't, he'll have his old pal and assistant Ugarte collate. Certainly Ugarte should not be adventuring out in the woods. He's a purely urban fellow.

Time for the time-honored Aleksei tradition of figuring this out: hope that he luckily stumbles on the right tome. At least the Archive is more full these days, and even if this is an entirely unprecedented situation, maybe people have theorized? Or maybe there's records of this happening on a lower level (demon eating demon, etc.). Let's see if they can find it!

Faye has access to a lot of old records in the back rooms at the House of Questions. There are boxes of records from her father's time, as well as from Shreve's time. While mentions of Azazel might be excised, mention of the others may not be, particularly in accounts Inquisitors may have have had with those evil forces. As usual, it's often a matter of reading between the lines and trying to see what used to be there.

Research is something that Ann is good at. She will use her resources such as Inquisitor and Iron Guard to see if they have any information she might have missed in the old texts or if there are other ways to find the information that they seek.

Tikva will apply her inquisitorial skills to the problem and dig through all of Laric's weird-ass stuff in the old refectory and in his office while the others are prowling the archives. Surely between Vellicor's knowledge and the occultist texts and notes that have been accumulated over time they'll be able to sort out some kind of concrete plan for dealing with Azazel.

Keely can read! But everyone else has that covered, so she will use her social skills to schmooze and charm whichever scholars, Inquisitors, librarians, etc. that might hold the key to finding what team Prism is looking for.

While Khanne meditates, searching for answers in her soul's memories a bit related to these very questions (Action 4942), she also will seek more information on Azazel. Has this happened before? How did it 'change the game'? What tools were in place to defeat him? Are there weaknesses we have not yet discovered? Were there plans in place to defeat or stop him? She'll try to see if the parts of her soul that Ylaria's memories reside in can provide any information that might be able to help her.

It's a start. Azazel has the power of a dark god now, but even at his full strength, Baalphrigor was defeated in battle and driven into slumber then sealed. Through research, they are able to discover a few useful strands that might have value. Or might not. But it's something to start. Something to work with.

In order to pass through the Thinnest Point into the Shining Realms, a being needs to take physical form and coalesce into a manifestation to pass. The Thinnest Point is large, perhaps twice as large as a man, but something needs to physically pass through- it cannot do so in an insubstantial state, for reasons related to the way souls pass through death. So if Azazel intends to enter, he must become small enough to do so, and be able to be physically attacked before he passes.

The combined forces of much of the world was able to bring Baalphrigor low, and every indication was the Archfiend of Tyranny physically manifested on the world was significantly mightier than most of the other archfiends combined. This is intensely problematic if he should arrive, but it does mean that if Azazel is in physical form, he could potentially be defeated by enough raw force.

Azazel was brought into existence, amplified really, due to a working by Pyrite, the Great Seal, who some know as Aldwin the forch Archscholar of Vellichor. Pyrite had the magic that led to his creation, perhaps he could unmake it, if he met Azazel in person. And perhaps, though a grim thought, his death could serve to unmake Azazel. Though considering the great seal's death would almost certainly release Baalphrigor, that might not be very helpful. If his death does unmake Azazel, Azazel is likely unaware of it or does not believe it to be the case.

It's not much to go on. Much of the answers about Azazel and his original construction would be with an old man in Eurus, who currently has the Dune Emperor and Prophet of the Sands trying to kill him. It's thin, but it's there.

Action by The Prismatic Order for The Breaking of the Despite

(Public Action, OOC Date: Nov. 15, 2023, 6:59 p.m.)

The reemergence of magic in Arvum doesn't just spell trouble; it also opens up opportunity. And with Prism discovered to be suffering from poison, hopefully this newly emerging freedom will provide them more room discovering a cure. And so Aleksei is going to ask whoever might willing and able to help in exploring possible routes to helping Prism. He knows that she's suffering from a poison related to Legion, based on the skittering he saw inside of her. He knows that Triscali, one of Prism's past lives that she split off from herself several years ago, was bitten by a centipede at the battle at Sungreet. And he knows that Triscali is now acting a bit...erratic.

Aleksei has an IDEA, which is related to the events that took place the night of the Eclipse of Mirrors: if a number of people choosing with all their hearts to sacrifice a dream could help to divert disaster with Destiny's awakening, could a similar logic be applied to a rite to cleanse Prism of Legion? Choices, after all, are the antithesis of Legion's power. Aleksei is going to be doing whatever he can think of to investigate and explore the basic premise, particularly now that he's crossed another threshold with magic and has a LITTLE more ability under his belt.

Fortunato is here to dig, obsessively, in the archives. To seek inspiration through sitting in odd places. To cross-reference, cross-dream, situate and re-situate. He's relying on as much intuition as old texts.

As Khanne travels in the Northlands for other purposes, she is speaking to many people, visiting many towns and tribes. She takes this as an opportunity to expand their research. Perhaps the Northlands histories will hold some information on the Poison of Legion... ways to help cleanse Prism of his presence. She's had some luck in the apst finding truths in tales and songs of old, perhaps she will be lucky this time as well.

Faye concentrates her energy on considering the black roses their group collected some time ago and they have been cultivating. She visits the greenhouse where they are growing, gently pruning them to promote health and growth, removing dead leaves and such, keeping them company. And sometimes she just listens to them, sitting with them and meditating. Considering their connection to Triscali, they may have some link or key their group can use. And as she meditates, she draws a mandala in simple pen and ink. The drawing is a circle of twisting vines and blooms, something like automatic writing, adding closer detail as she goes, where she will see what has developed in the end.

Tikva is a pretty good investigator at this point and carries the full weight of a senior inquisitor as well as her balalaika and her spellsinging chops. The archive is a good source, but so are the stranger resources held in the old refectory, and as far as finding a dream to spend, she is sure she can come up with something, individual and distinct but in concert towards that same goal. She will also provide musical accompaniment to help people on focus. I hear classical strains can help with this.

Denica is not a words person, but she's really good with pictures. She will see if there's any answers in art. She will hit the archives, galleries, anywhere she can find old art, diagrams, symbols, charts and the like. Talking to people to see if they've seen anything that might provide some insight and guidance.

Ann is really good at finding out things that others might have missed. She is willing to help in this investigation in hopes of finding the answers to perhaps cure Prism from their suffering. Her magic skills are min so she can at least do background work for others if needed so others could use their strengths in that way.

It takes a great deal of effort, but they *think* they have a ritual that will work. Aleksei's idea seems to have precisely the right resonance, though it is a certainty that it will have to be used with Triscali present, and attempting to find sacrifices that resonante with aspects of her personality and reign, that have meaning to her and remind her of the parts of her life when freedom was not a burden, and why her soul embraced it. It puts Triscali (and Prism) at great risk, and if the ritual goes badly, it could potentially empower Legion to act- while preventing Skald from acting in return, which would herald doom. But inaction carries more than its share of risks, so they think they can try.

Action by Aleksei for Skal'dajan Diplomacy

(Public Action, OOC Date: March 14, 2020, 7:42 p.m.)

It's time to have a little rebellion.

Easier said than done. Aleksei has left the expert matters of smuggling to Evaristo and his team of sailors, pirates, and merchants -- both the smuggling in of weapons and the smuggling /out/ of thralls in Action #3945. Aleksei doesn't know smuggling. He's /terrible/ at boats. That is why he recruited people who were the opposite of that.

But where does that leave them? Here is what Aleksei knows: there are some ten thralls in Sungreet for every free citizen. It is perhaps the bastion of traditionalism in the Isles, meaning that the thralls there have likely not been treated softly. He knows that thralls are often controlled by the threat of violence not only against themselves, but against their family and loved ones who might be more vulnerable. He knows that these are going to be people who might be deeply reluctant to even think about something like a rebellion. These are the things he knows.

So he makes sure he has answers to these things. He has asked Brass for his help, for his magic, and for his involvement; he hopes for a number of the weapons smuggled in to be those artificed by Brass for just this purpose. As many as he's willing to make them. He'll bring Brass with them, if Brass is willing. He's asked /Prism/ for help, however she is able to; he knows that she is a powerful illusionist, and she may be able to help to move people from place to place without being seen. Certainly no lock will be able to stand against her mere presence.

But even more important are the others he gathers to help. The regular people, just like him, each with their own valuable skills. With the most vulnerable thralls hopefully able to make it out via the smuggling efforts, he tries to use the contacts and information he may have garnered from Action #3924 to give them a place to start. They'll start quiet conversations with those who are amenable and well-positioned to help influence others. The first step, after all, is convincing them to organize at all. Give them hope. Aleksei is the First Liberator, the Paladin of Freedom, and though he tries to keep his presence quiet overall -- considering who he is -- he also tries to leverage it in those private moments. He isn't there to just throw weapons at them and tell them to rebel while he slips away, after all; he will stand with them. He will fight. He tells them that House Helianthus has no intention of honoring Prince Victus's abolition of thralldom, and that Duke Ivan is surely stalling for time while the Eurusi fleet travels to his shores. That Skal'daja is a City of Slavery, built on chains and auction blocks, and matters will only become worse if their fleet is able to arrive.

It is a scary prospect, but there is also hope. They bring armament, and word that Thrax and the Faith are acting, that their fleet should arrive before Eurus. Aleksei and his team will try to organize the thralls into cells so as to keep things secure. Word has to be passed quietly. People will need to be convinced, and they will need to be trained. Signals will have to be arranged and organized. Quietly. Still quietly.

And when the time is ready? They will need to be led. Timing, of course, is tricky, and will depend on some other things. If Thrax and the Faith show up and battle breaks out -- well, then it's /definitely/ time. But if Eurus looks soon to land without anyone getting in the way? Then it's also time to act.

[OOC: Things might possibly change and adjust as people put in assists and we get closer to deadline!]

Shard intends to let the others do most of the talking and convincing, while she works on helping to keep everything quiet. Secret. Organizing cells? Well, she can work on the logistics of that. Finding quiet places for meetings or safe places to store weaponry? She can probably do that too. Actually teaching willing thralls to learn how to fight? Well, Shard's not much of a teacher, but she /can/ teach, and in a pinch, she actually does have some talent to inspire, particularly when it comes to killing slavers and striving for freedom. She'll keep to the shadows when she's not needed in order to avoid drawing attention to the group, as well as to keep a keen eye out for trouble.

But mostly? Mostly Shard is here for the inevitable fight. She intends to fight by Aleksei's side, and, should things go incredibly poorly, try to get as many people out alive as possible. If they can't get out of Sungreet, then she'll have places already worked out where they can try to bunker down and wait for reinforcements, or go to ground entirely. In her mind, it's always best to prepare for the worst.

But as for the best? Well, she'll be very, very happy indeed if they manage to create a successful uprising at exactly the wrong time for Ivan Helianthus.

The Crownbreaker Wars were started when one conniving princess seduced the guard on watch, and then slit his throat so she could open the gate to the Thraxian warriors. Mirari knows this story better than most, and seduction is an old practiced move for her at this point. So while the others are inspiring the thralls to rebellion, or bringing weapons to help, or teaching the thralls a mnemonic, Mirari will be going under the guise of a recently widowed woman returning from another island to; flirt, seduce, and ensnare the guard captain and his team. Any she thinks she can either distract at a key moment or that she can turn to their side through seduction.

She's got such a pretty smile, and when her knife is hidden under her elaborately braided hair she looks oh so harmless.

She'll also be tossing in some coin to add to the funding of hiring on men-at-arms to help.

He's no Brass and no Prism, but Raymesin has been hired to help - and helping is what he does. A master of back-alley knife-em-ups and dirty fighting in general, he's there to show people that they can and should stand up for themselves and each other. Fighting with honour only counts if the other side is willing to extend that honour to you, and it doesn't matter how good a swordsman is if ten people rush in with sticks, clubs, knives and anything else that comes to hand. But, most important, Raymesin's there to show people how to turn their everyday tools into weapons. Fish-cleaners use knives, and there's not /that/ much difference between gutting fish and gutting people. Farmers lay hedges, prune, mow, and reap - and all of that takes tools, tools that can be turned to ends other than growing food for other people to eat and keeping their land tidy for them. Why should the nobility of House Helianthus benefit so much from someone else's work?

But mostly, Raymesin's here for the fight. He got hired to show these people how to use the skills they already have, and he'll make no bones about that - no-one would believe he was here out of the goodness of his own heart, even if it was true - but when it comes down to it, having the odd professional in with the rebellion they're hoping to raise can't hurt in the slightest. He's not particularly subtle, but then he's not going out to change hearts and minds. He's working with the hearts and minds that are already in, to help them become effective.

Fortunato cannot fight worth shit. Although he is a Whisper, he is not known for his persuasive weight. But he has brought some poetry. Poetry can enliven the heart and the like. He assumes thralls, unique among folk of Arvum, may not be literate, so he reads his poems aloud. He encourages memorization. He says that if they are hurt by someone stronger, or forced to do something they do not desire to do, that reciting one of these poems in private may give them heart.

Reprisal

I have been hurt.
You who hurt me.
Should understand hurt.
This is my plea.

Rescue

I have been chained.
You who chain me.
Should understand chains.
I will be free.

Moving amongst the lowest of the low is something that Raja knows. She will be going in disguise to mingle amongst the Thralls, speaking with them, being them for all intents and purposes. She will hide her dagger and cover her leather armor in the rags of thralls. She will dirty herself and even sport a bruised cheek (which she did to herself) to blend in all the more. Using this disguise, she will help spread dissent and assist in leading away the children and infirmed to safer locales to be smuggled out. She will help spread weapons through the masses.

    Venturo is only too happy to help setup distractions across the area under the guise of carnivals. He'll bring the Kismet Carnival into town, so to speak. He'll be hand picking the performers and entertainers, ones he knows and trusts well, and will give Aleksei and others the opportunity to embed some of their own agents into the carnivals as well. It will serve two points:

    First is the spread of information and organization to the thralls and others who are engaged in these activities. People come and go at these festivities, everyone is drinking and enjoying themselves... and there are plenty of areas to have clandestine conversations to organize a rebellion.

    The second thing Venturo will aim to do is to hold a large celebration for the /important/ people of the House there. The nobles. The beauracrats. The movers and shakers. A large celebration of House Helianthus and their lands. Drinks will be served for free to toast the long life of the House and their deeds, alcohol shall flow freely. And if a group of rebels seeking to free the thralls uses the opportunity to round up so many important, tipsy lords and ladies and dignitaries of Helianthus in one spot? Well, all the better!

The Blackrose lives and she has come to help.

Thralls are criminals and getting what they deserve. That's the philosophy and culture of the Mourning Isles, and particularly in traditionalist holdings such as House Helianthus' Sungreet, where thralls are just not treated softly in general. A majority of thralls are Abandoned seized from their home by war parties, with their thrall debts written as a war debt for raising arms against the Compact, even if the shav'arvani had never touched a blade or seen a member of the Compact before. And their treatment is even worse, since they are treated as murderous raiders that are ancestral enemies of the Compact.

Timing is everything, and it's hard to determine the exact right moment to start their rebellion. Weapons are smuggled in, and some of the non-combatants are smuggled out. Liberators lay the ground work. Mirari spends a great deal of time with some of the guards, and is able to help them all move freely through the city, as Mirari manages to sway a guard captain into being extremely sympathetic to their cause (though mostly to her in particular). Venturo's propaganda is proliferated through the city, priming many of the thralls for the moment, and Raja is able to help smuggle them all around the city, particularly Aleksei and Fortunato for when the time is right. Triscali, well. She is able to move herself without being seen, and wait for the moment.

The moment comes when the templars under command of Sir Preston tries to arrest Duke Ivan Helianthus.

It's unclear what exactly happened at the beaches as House Helianthus met with the templars, but a fight does break out and troops from House Helianthus move to assist and provide an opening. When that happens, Fortunato is struck by a number of chained thralls laboring as masons and working on a new building all stop and begin to recite the poem he had written, a poem they could never had heard, ignoring the angry shout of a guard to stop.

And then it all starts to happen at once.

Some of the thralls near Fortunato slip their manacles, as if their manacles were a size too large, and several guards are tackled. Cries raise up from a score of different buildings as the sounds of battle echoes throughout the city of Sungreet. Guards begin to pour out of buildings and march out from the castle of House Helianthus, and thralls are charging into the streets, frantic fights happening as the thralls are trying to get free and out of the city.

Aleksei is surrounded by dozens of thralls, giving a speech on freedom to cheers that go up around him. Raymesin shivs a Helianthus archer a moment before he would have shot Aleksei, and Mirari is ducking in and out of houses dealing with problems best resolved by sharp instruments. Mirari charges into one barracks alone to help some thralls that were trapped in there, and oddly it seems as if the entire place goes darker, and shadows seem to follow her. She emerges some time later bloody but unharmed.

Thousands of thralls are in the streets fighting Helianthus guards, though there's significantly more Helianthus troops than expected. Some of the Helianthus troops begin to fight against other Helianthus troops, including Mirari's guard captain, cheering on the liberated thralls, though the troops loyal to Duke Ivan Helianthus are cutting down thralls wherever they can, and making a push towards the gates to try to seal the city, and cut the forces of the Faith off.

Scores of armed and armored Helianthus troops rush the open gates to seal it, and are met by one woman wearing a crown and beautifully armored, holding a glaive. Perhaps a handful might recognize the artwork that had immortalized Queen Triscali the Blackrose. Perhaps a few might question why a single armed woman was there to stop them. Perhaps. But they charge all the same, swords raised and letting out battle cries at the one woman there to stop them.

There's a blast of radiant light as Triscali's glaive meets the first sword swung at her, and a dozen men are knocked off their feet. A flick of her wrist and another man charging at her is spun away with such force that him and three other men are imbedded inside a wall. Another man swings his sword at her and stands bemused as Triscali explodes into glittering pink butterflies that fade into wisps of light, and her glaive cuts him down as she reappeared behind him. Another swing of her hand and a dozen men are suddenly blinded, and she points her glaive and utters a word as the ground swallows up another group of soldiers.

And then the swell of hundreds of Helianthus soldiers and hundreds of freed thralls arrive at the gates, and it's a great melee. Eurusi are coming on land as well, and there's battle cries as swarms of Eurusi soldiers try to take the Faith in the rear. Raymesin and Mirari are fighting back to back keeping Helianthus soldiers away from Aleksei and Fortunato, as thralls trained by Raymesin are taking the fight to House Helianthus, a solid mass of armed and liberated former thralls around Venturo guarding him, many of whom are deeply grateful for the man's carnivals providing just the cover they needed for them to be armed and trained. Meeting the charging Eurusi head on is Shard, with dozens of shav ex-thralls around her as they form a wedge to stop the Eurusi from entering the city. She feathers a dozen men before they reach the walls, and then it's time for swords, as she holds a line with determined thralls who would far rather die free than return to the life they had known until today.

Queen Triscali is suddenly among the Eurusi ranks, fighting robed figures that are hurling fire and darkness at her, keeping Eurusi mages at bay. As the Black Rose fights, Aleksei hears an odd buzzing of insects and sees centipedes skittering on the ground. The buzzing gradually becomes more and more audible as he sees swarms of insects moving across the ground, "Sk... skk... skka... skaaa... SKALD. SKALD. SKALD. KIL... KILL... KILL... SKALD... KILL SKALD. KILL SKALD. KILL SKALD." In the midst of the fighting, dozens of snake-sized centipedes start trying to bite at Aleksei, as he, Fortunato and thralls around them stomp and swat at the things, as then there's a howl and a terrible snarl as a giant half-man half-wolf thing half knocks Aleksei over to get at the centipedes, tearing them apart and bitting and rending, and then leaps a solid twenty feet towards a rising humanoid form made up of centipedes, tackling to the ground and disappearing beneath a swirling melee of combatants.

As the Eurusi press in, a second force of Eurusi is arriving and attacking them, coming to the aid of the badly pressed Faith militant forces. The battle is turning as Triscali cuts down another mage trying to launch black fire towards the ranks of the Faith, and the hostile Eurusi and forces under Duke Ivan Helianthus start to withdraw, fighting a savage rearguard action as they fight their way towards the docks and beaches of the city, with both Eurusi ships and ships under Duke Ivan Helianthus begin to depart.

The battle is getting more sporadic and spread out, and the swell has left Fortunato and Aleksei as they recover an unconscious and bloody Shard with torn clothes and armor, and then Fortunato starts to have a very bad feeling. A very, very bad one he can't quite place, but a sensation of overwhelming dread. And he sees it.

One small little centipede, glowing with a sickly green, skittering through the bloody grass at Triscali, as she is fighting desperately to protect a group of unarmed thralls from a Eurusi surrounded by a dark nimbus of flame. Fortunato opens his mouth to call out a warning, even as Triscali finishes an incantation that vaporizes the Eurusi in a wave of light, and she looks up as the little green centipede wraps around her boot and bites deep, through her armor. She instinctively gestures downward and the centipede shrieks and turns to ash, but Triscali's veins in her forehead for a moment pulses a sickly green, and she tumbles over unconscious.

And then the battle is over. House Helianthus is now split in a civil war, with Lord Trevor Helianthus, Ivan's heir, has turned against him, and the Eurusi split as well, with Damik'uhl'daja the Crown Prince of Skal'daja having voiced interest in joining the Compact. Sungreet stands liberated and free... but the Mourning Isles are now at war, and two thirds of the Eurusi fleet is sailing away to the South and Southwest. Towards the Saffron, not towards Eurusi.

They are surrounded by the dead, and unconscious Shard and Triscali. Thousands of grateful thralls are free, cheering Aleksei and his friends. Many have tears of joy, knowing the first freedom since childhood. It's a victory, despite the dead, and considerable alarm over Triscali and Shard and others. And it's a beautiful day, battle aside.

Though on the horizon to the east, there's storm clouds.

Action by Bianca for The Despite of Fable

(Public Action, OOC Date: Feb. 15, 2018, 10:55 a.m.)

As "Let No Question Go Unanswered" continues going strong, the next phase in the project pushes forward. While prior the focus had been on historical knowledge in a general sense, attentions now add in addition the involvement of the Faith throughout history. Bianca has outlined a curriculum passed to the extended parishes and libraries throughout Arvum and the isles of the Scholars of Vellichor, encouraging the discipleship to further educate the general population of the Faith's struggles and successes. As in prior projects, what once was considered matters of legend are now gently reintroduced to the public in subtle subtext of the studies as truth. The miracles of the gods are real though easy to miss in our daily lives. Small successes of a fresh rain after a dry spell, the enhanced beauty of a particularly well crafted armchair... all of these things are their blessings and in them we are given vision of the divine.

There are various ways those who seek to lend themselves to the cause may assist. Hosting their own classes, writing songs or stories about the heroes of the past, copying tomes to be distributed freely... How will you rise to the call of education?

Christine will continue with her work copying those tomes, songs and documents so they can be distributed around and shared with others. She will also copy some illustrations if they aren't too hard!

Although he is Legate of Concepts rather than Arts, with the position of Legate of Arts currently open, Orazio makes a special effort to take on the work of facilitating the distribution of the curriculum beyond the Scholars. He writes to godsworn, particularly in the Lyceum where he has friends and associates, encouraging them to take it up, and giving guidance on how to handle doctrinal issues from the gentle reintroduction of some unusual concepts. He also takes it upon himself to encourage people with concerns to speak to him, and uses his diplomatic skills to address those concerns and soothe ruffled feathers and worries. Basically, making the effort to be a solid, tradition-respecting face of the Faith to lend credence and respectability to the ideas involved.

Ilvin easily warms to the concept of the miracles of the gods sprinkled throughout the lives of the populace. He does not so much teach as encourage those he encounters to teach each other, sharing an abbreviated version of the story of their own lives while Ilvin and the others so assembled listen and share their own thoughts about the effects that the gods have had on the sharer's life. In some cases he acts only as facilitator, while in others he takes a more active role, depending on the makeup of the group, in order that the participants end the process with a more powerful feeling of the gods' influence in their own lives.

Cybele is a teacher. Cybele teaches disciples of Lagoma, in the House of Solace. Cybele teaches students in the Apotechary College of Tor (Arx Branch). Cybele teaches as part of the Scholars of Vellichor's teaching programme, as a curator and assistant there. Cybele teaches. And Cybele is happy to share in what they know, with whomever asks, and all the more happy to visit any and all parts of Arx to share in their knowledge ever more.

Wylla is eager to help! She wants to teach the history of the Faith through artworks -- including even armchairs. She's already had the painting festival, and now she has the concert. She'd like to help Jayus' miracles be known throughout the Compact. Even if she can't express herself that well in spoken word, she is a ready assistant to let others speak of the Faith through their works.

Reigna is a teacher and a historian and she is working to devise a history curriculum for the people of Oakhaven, focusing on more than just local history, but seeking to broaden the average understanding of the history of Arvum in general. She is also going to write out her own treatise on medicinal remedies and techniques focusing on the local flora found in Oakhaven. Once she has finished these books, she will be having them copied and sent to the scholars at Keaton Keep and work with them on lesson plans to teach the serfs and villagers. Here in Arx she works as a teacher at the Academy, offering classes and expanding minds here.

As the intermediary between the Scholars of Vellichor and the Arvum Philosophical Society of the Empowerment and Enlightenment of Curious Minds (The Salon), Sparte is doing his part by focusing on helping people ask questions.

Where Bianca is leading the charge in making information available, he is attempting to give people that spark of curiousity and wonder.

"I believe this is the single greatest opportunity to realize the mission of the Salon since its formation. It is our role to embolden people to ask questions. To give them the spark of wonder and curiousity and nurture it into a flame. The wisdom the Scholars are sharing is the kindling that will bring those flames to life, and the Salon stands with them."

In addition to putting his personal time and effort into it, he has requested a special disbursement of resources from the Salon to help realize this vision.

Samael is a skill orator and teacher. He'll do his time teaching classes on various topics.

Estaban will help by aid in copying tomes, songs and documents so they can be distributed around and shared with others. He will also open up the Saik garden once a week for a few hours to the children of Arx for a story day, each day he will tell about a different Heros in the Faith!

Fortunato lends his illumination skills to the project, focusing on detailed, realistic work, taking historical accounts and interpreting them with the greatest fidelity pen and brush can lend. Myth and heroic legend he depicts, but roots them in such a way that they don't /seem/ like myth and heroic legend. Unicorns as physical as horses, the heroes of the Reckoning as human as neighbors, clergy, soldiers. The past was as real as the present, the future is as real as the present. Fortunato's goal in his art is to make the forgotten things, the miracles, seem within the realm of today's possibility. You, too, could be great.

Prince Aiden has taken his duties as a scholar-liaison with utmost duty and care. He coordinates with students from other organizations (SoE) as well as paying close attention to the scholar teaching programme for individuals seeking skills he possesses, and freely offering himself with no obligation to the student other than their time. The Prince shows his dedication through taking this personal time to host teaching lessons, such as survival and archery in large sessions (previous @events), using the Silver Wings to assist when it comes to Archery to set up targets and help keep an eye out on the students.

There also might be a volume or two of personal writings that he has quietly stocked in bookshelves around Arvum, speaking of the topic he had been most impassioned about. Though it is a quiet addition, allowing the curiosity of readers to find it on their own time rather than declaring it's existance. With exposing legends of the old through this manner, he hopes more people will come to speak of their curiosities on the matter or perhaps, they can add more to his collected data.

He repeats throughout his mentoring and writing: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. We will seek it."

Around the time the project finally comes to a close and the last books are being put into their appropriate places in the catalog, something /changes/. Those in the Archives find there are new rooms -- rooms they don't remember being there, full of books that no one seems to have cataloged. While few date back before the Great Fire, there are still new memoirs written by those who fought alongside Queen Alarice the Great; indeed, even some of Alarice's own journals are found among the items, delighting historians.

Even more confusingly, one of the Scholars trusted to venture into the Deep Labyrinth notes that things down there seem /different/. The uneasy sense of being /watched/ that most report in the Labyrinth is gone, though there's still a feeling of a /presence/ there. It's as though something lurking down there is asleep, or distracted.

A handful of Scholars seem awfully unsettled by all of this, even downright upset, perhaps due to the seemingly inexplicable nature of things. But most merely question why these rooms had been sealed off, while expressing great gratitude that they've been rediscovered. (And, of course, it's nice that people are no longer being spooked by some imaginary bogeyman down in the Deep Labyrinth.)

But whatever it all means, /something/ has changed around the Archives, and for the moment they're charged with a new sense of purpose.

There are, after all, a great many new -- well, old -- journals and books to catalog now.

Action by Bianca for The Despite of Fable

(Public Action, OOC Date: Dec. 26, 2017, 8:45 a.m.)

The truth shall set us free.

The call has been made and a great archival is being set into motion by the Scholars of Vellichor, reaching out to the entirety of the discipleship far and wide in an effort to duplicate and spread information contained in each outpost of Vellichor’s faithful from the grandest library to the smallest monastery.

The plan itself is no small task and in reality Bianca is aware it will take years to come to fruition, but they had to start somewhere.

Phase 1: Organization - A rather large focus team is gathered utilizing local Scholars and overseen by three Senior Scholars (NPCs) to take point on the clerical end of the Archival process. The role of this team is ongoing, their job being to disseminate information to the known enclaves of the discipleship throughout the many territories of Arvum regarding the archival process and how it will function. Once the process begins, they will be the ones dealing with the incoming reports and developing an encoded master inventory list of all outlying literary collections within the jurisdiction of the Scholars. A secondary list will also be created in regards to the location of lost relics that may be hidden away though in the possession of the Scholars. This secondary list shall also be encoded, its construction remains solely in the hands of the three senior scholars on point for this team and is only to be viewed by them and Archscholar Bianca. Once both lists are completed a secondary action will be taken to protect the contents of the pages (either via in-game actions or a storyrequest). From there a procedure will be set in place for all future acquisitions to be reported to the Archives to be properly categorized and added to the proper encoded list.

Phase 2: Reproduction - The next step of this accounting is the duplication of documented works. Any pieces of literary record (fiction AND historical) not found in duplicate shall be reproduced by the Scholars located in the parish these works are found to be and aid from Arx will be sent to the smaller libraries in the form of manpower to help. The goal is that a copy of everything not deemed ‘imprimatur’ will be replicated and disseminated to the Archives as well as the discipleship’s library in each of the five regional capitals: Sanctum, Lenosia, Maelstrom, Farhaven, Bastion. Anything deemed ‘imprimatur’ will also be duplicated though these duplications will only be sent to the Great Archive. This process will also be applied to all new information coming into the Archives or discovered by the discipleship moving forward.

Phase 3: Dissemination to the Public - While the Archives have always been open to the public and all noble houses, an immediate public relations campaign is set in place to better inform those of Arx and Arvum on the whole that the pursuit of knowledge and information will not be turned away or looked upon with wary eyes. This campaign is to be fostered by /all/ of the discipleship setting the stage for an open door policy and as more information is collected in Phase 1 and Phase 2, the Archive will be able to ideally provide direction if not a copies of what is being sought. The title of the campaign is “Let no question go unanswered.” For those seeking knowledge that extends beyond the bounds of what is considered safe for public consumption, they will be directed to petition the Scholars for access. A small council of senior scholars headed by Archscholar Bianca will be set to task in reviewing such requests and disseminating information on a case by case basis (unless of course PCs come to her directly).

Now, with the discipleship’s funds recently diminished due to the recent expenditure in Stormward, Bianca is also reaching out to all those outside the Scholars willing to aid with this tremendous undertaking. Donations are to be accepted in specific to aid in the Archival as well as individual manpower for replication of books not marked ‘imprimatur,’ though the most poignant request in the forefront is martial cooperation and aid. There is a great danger present and those tasked with the duplication or simply traveling to disperse information and transport copies will undoubtedly need protection and assistance while traversing the many territories of Arvum. And sometimes boats. Boats are cool and there are a lot of islands to be reached.

Lady Monique Greenmarch has a wide net of contacts she employs, along with their silver and her own gratuitous charm, on behalf of the ArchScholar's endeavor. How does she find out the things she does? It's impossible to know, but she will attempt to secure safe roads to travel, and trusted safe houses for those scholars and their handlers to stay in, alongside vaults for the information to be saved.

Fortunato, although no official scholar, is happy to lend his hands and eyes to the work of replication (if with a tiny bit of illumination in the margins as strikes him, not enough to seriously detract from the speed of the task). He is able and willing to travel to the regional archives to aid copying work there as well, if, of course, with escort.

Sophie will be aiding in Phase 2, leading any and all Mercy volunteers to go through the extensive medical records and white journals of known Mercies, collating what is deemed important information. She will also write to the Mercy chapters throughout the Compact, seeking their cooperation, and offering organizational instruction to those wanting. Finally, she'll do what she can to procure what House Valardin has.

Phase I-III: Ailith will coordinate through her increasing network of Seraph contacts across the Compact, and reaching out also to the Seraphs that the Dominus and Legate of Creation informed Ailith about. She'll explain the first Phase of Archlector Bianca's process and encourage the Seraphs in how the parishes may assist such as the Seraphs providing copies of any texts to the Archlector or the three Senior Scholars. Ailith will assist in fielding any questions if the Seraphs respond directly to her. In additional letter will be included.

Calaudrin will be joining with other members of the Iron Guard in helping protect the Faith's documents as they move through the city. He'll be especially on the lookout for anything at all suspicious as they go.

Lord Commander Silas will be helping direct his men in protecting the precious cargo -- copies of invaluable lore from several great libraries and archives. He himself will likely lead the retinue guarding the largest cache. They will avoid all thoroughfares known to be havens for thieves and criminals, and all guardsmen on this mission will be thoroughly armed and alert. They will also not be guardsmen with past criminal history, themselves, no matter how small the theft or how long ago the incident occurred. No chances!

Ainsley will be helping with the Iron Guard portion of things. He'll be assigning more senior soldiers to help with the transportation and dissemination portion-- helping to protect the scholars. He, himself, will be with one squad of people helping to transport and protect. Carrying with him his Alaricite sword and his rubicund plate, as he leads the forces. He'll also supply some of his own military favors, writs, and currency to help with the project.

Harald has given leave for the the scholars of Vellichor to travel to Grihem's Point aboard his ships and under his protection, as well as granting them access to the Grimhall libraries. While the private Grimhall libraries are largely collections of literature (especially traditional poetic sagas which are widely believed simple verse fiction) any pieces desired for copying will be made available. After all, the Scholars certainly aren't likely to find any decent sagas on the mainland; it's a mission of mercy, really.

Phase 1: Knights of Solace agents, in the course of their usual duties, will help disseminate the new archival procedures across Arvum, and bring back reports if needed. They will also be instructed to share with Blessed Bianca or her chosen representatives any information they may have picked up in the course of their journeys regarding the possible locations of valuable documents that should be included in the archival effort. Phase 2: Knights of Solace will help protect sensitive archival works as they are transported to or from the various repositories in Arvum.

Mae has began to distribute the Commoners Bulletin, as well as a primer on a subject (Marin'alfar) that has otherwise been erased from history. She'll be writing more, including a book on reincarnation, and all will be spread far and wide. Take that, Fable!

Christine will help with phase 2, copying books that need to be reproduced, and translating those in Isles shav so they could be spread more easily.

Eirene, with the help of her own soldiers, goes through any of the Malvici libraries in Arx and sends word for the libraries of Southport to be duplicated and the copies added to the efforts, transported as quickly as the lot can be completed. As Malvici has a longstanding history of fighting demonic forces, she hopes to find useful information to be added to the master archives.

Lord Corban Telmar will invest both time, treasure, and resources into the Archscholar's appeal to duplicate and preserve knowledge. He will donate 200,000 in House Telmar silver to copying, transporting, and preserving Archives information in the Oathlands. He will also call in House Telmar's extensive network of military favors to ensure that the convoys transporting the materials are protected, and will personally lead some himself, lending his sword and considerable leadership abilities to the effort.

Armand, as a Templar disciple, will aid in the Scholar's efforts by ensuring their protection, notably during the more dangerous Phase 3 of the project, the dissemination and duplication. Able and willing to travel wherever the Scholars need to go, he will ensure that those he is tasked to protect are able to do their work unhindered. No criminal nor servant of the Abyss shall be allowed to stand in the way of Vellichor's holy work.

The main effort the Templars will offer, as well as general help should they be asked, is during phase 2. With the threat that bandits or indeed things more foul could try to stop the material reaching Arx, the Templars will make up to 1000 men at arms available to escort material from the various holds back to the capital. Alongside this, each Parish will be expected to have their templars provide additional support as material moves through their lands, more a procession of honour though that for military support. As the various archival holdings come together from the regions to head to Arx, the Templars will blob the escorting forces together and ensure that the material makes its way safely to Arx.

Cybele is good at organising and teaching and digging up info, so more than happy to dive into the deep stacks, and set to work looking at what comes in. Besides, the shaman has a knack for finding the right texts. Right? Right.

Delilah will be focusing her efforts on Phase 2, working closely with other scholars to replicate as many texts as she possibly can in her spare time. She will also be speaking with the Master of Questions in an attempt to more closely incorporate the Inquisition with the ongoings of this entire process.

Alaric will be having lots of nice things to say about the project, dropping little mentions to nobles and Crown functionaries and important merchants alike about how nice it would be to hear of people and groups lending some aid to the Vellichorian discipleship with their work, and generally generating some positive PR and motivation for people to get involved with helping.

Fatima will allow the Scholars access to the Thrax libraries available in Maelstrom to aid the Archscholar. More than that, though, she's using her social circle to help circulate the news of Phase 3: Dissemination to the Public. When Bianca signals it's time, Fatima will utilize her propaganda machine to get out the word the Archscholar desires.

Percephon will be participating heavily with the Phase 2 portion of this very important project. Working within his position as Senior Scholar, he will go to the library in Sanctum to assist in creating faithful duplicates of all materials that are that are uncovered and found. With a focus on organizing which overly important and sensitive materials will be sent to the Great Archives.

Estaban will be opening the Saik Library to the scholars of Vellichor, he will also be giving military esscort the schollars where they may need to go.

Victus will be allowing the Scholars of Vellichor within the libraries of the Maelstrom, as well as to comb the Isle the capital fortress is located on for nay other information they deem noteworthy. In addition, he'll be sending a detachment of some Thraxian scholars and stewards who are better versed in history than he is. Surely, the Isles will have LOADs of interesting stories to tell!

Aiden can help considerably in Phase 1 and Phase 2. Since he's had a lot of practice with the Court in reproducing works, that's where he will initially provide the most support, however, he's got a good eye for organization, so he'll certainly swap between the two roles, depending on what's more important at the time. Though since he's an excellent teacher, he puts a lot of his time into Phase 3 as well, answering as honestly as he can and has he has done to anyone in the past who has come to him for answers.

Not being much of a smarty himself, Edain will do his best to give the scholarly types the access and the trust they need to do something good, making sure they have access to the archives in Sanctum. He will also task 100 of his knights with the task of helping to escort the travelling scholars, with as much travel as this entails it is sure to tax even the Knights of Solace and so Edain will do his best to help them escort travelling scholars.

Alis has offered to help Bianca by assigning military escorts to and from Sanctum for the scholars that she sends, ensuring their safety and the safety of any materials they bring with.

Princess Isabeau Valardin will primarily be lending her assistance to this endeavor (in Phase 3) by using her considerable charm and skill in persuasion and propaganda to get the word out to the people that the great Archive's enriched texts are available and that the Scholars of Vellichor can guide everyone, high or low, rich or poor, to greater understanding of their world and the vast knowledge contained within.

Lark is opening the Grayson library to the Scholars, and spending her own time overseeing and directing efforts of scribes to copy their works.

While waiting to offer what aid he can for the protection of contents, Aleksei will also reach out to his the vague network he's beginning to form of those freed or aided in their freedom by the Liberators of Skald. Plenty of ex-thralls served in administrative capacities, and he'll kindly ask if they'd be willing to help the Scholars in their various local parishes. Hopefully it will provide some additional manpower for the copying of books and journals to be conducted under the local Godsworn at these various parishes.

Cicero is promising the scholars the use of the Silver Consortiums contacts and networking of infrastructure for moving about the Compact and keeping their scribes supplied as needed.

Deacon will focus his efforts on Phase 3. As a composer of some small renown, he will write a short series of ballads to promote the knowledge contained within the walls of the Archives. The goal will be to help popularize the pursuit of knowledge on the cultural level. Once he's written the music, he will make it available to every bard and performer whom he can convince to take it.

Samael will open up Pridehall libraries and provide military escorts for the Scholars coming to and leaving Pridehall. In addition to that in Phase 3 Samael will help to disseminate information using his oratory skills.

Sasha will in Phase 1 and Phase 2, she is able to reproduce and also translate many texts should the need be there. She is also a very good teacher as well so she will also assist with Phase 3 when the time comes.

Lucita, with her love of music, has been collecting old songs and legends through trading them with other musicians and travelers, bards and music lovers in the taverns, inns, bars and during social events in Arx. Many of these serve as oral history and some have not been documented. This she does and helps contribute to the overall effort toward Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Sebastian will be assisting in accompanying scholars to provide protection and whatever other assistance is needed as they travel throughout the Lyceum to various smaller locations. He will assist in acquiring passage through the lands and courts with which he is familiar, particularly around Setarco and the surrounding isles. He will also assist in locating the smaller repositories of knowledge, acquiring the information and documents required, and seeing their return to Arx during Phase 1. He will also work to help with transcription and the reproduction of drawings and other artistic work contained within the documents acquired during Phase 2. During Phase 3, he will help with the public relations campaign to help promote the use of the Archives and the future expansion of the knowledge contained therein through art and social engagements.

Juliana will be helping Sebastian and the accompanying scholars to provide protection and healing as well as any other assistance is needed as they travel throughout the Lyceum to various smaller locations. She will assisting him in acquiring passage through the lands and courts with which they are familiar, particularly around Setarco and the surrounding isles. She will also assist him in finding the smaller repositories of knowledge and in acquiring the information and documentation, to see that they are returned to Arx during Phase 1. She will also try to help with the work of transcription of the documents acquired during Phase 2. During Phase 3, She will help with the public relations campaign to help promote the use of the Archives and the future expansion of the knowledge contained therein through art and social engagements.

Orathy will be helping Sebastian and Juliana Pravus during the course of the events. He's particularly good at flanking the enemies if there are any, his fighting style coming from the shadows rather than direct assault, therefore, scouting might be his thing. He'll shield Sebastian and Juliana while on mission, body guarding for them.

Nierzen sets to work writing propaganda in support of Phase 3 to move the hearts of people to favour and support the work and effort. He aims propaganda at nobles, motivating them to generously give silver to the Scholarly work, and he aims propaganda at the residents of the Boroughs, moving them to cooperate and even go out of their way to help collect stories and information. In all things, his propaganda tugs at the ideals of duty, faith, and self interest.

The Great Archival Project of 1007 AR causes a complete uproar. In every corner of the Compact, people turn up to add books to the archives, to add knowledge to the archives. To make copies of precious books and send them on. To spread the word - if you need information, your best hope is to find it in the Archives. High Lords and Nobles have opened their libraries. The Templars and the Knights of Solace, as well as many guards hired by various families across Arvum are moving to preserve knowledge and see it safely from the far corners of the Compact into Arx itself. It's a huge project, and under Archscholar Bianca's watchful eye, an incredibly successful one.

Tomes once thought lost are found, copied, and brought to Arx under guard. People are encouraged to come to Arx to seek knowledge. Learn from the Archives of Vellichor, learn from our tutors, our Scholars. Knowledge is available, free for the asking.

Action by Aleksei for Thralldom in the Isles

(Public Action, OOC Date: Nov. 12, 2017, 12:03 a.m.)

The Liberators of Skald have promised aid to all freed thralls: relocation if they wish it to any demense of the Compact, room and board within the housing of the Faith, and assistance finding work or training for it until they have found their feet.

The Liberators of Skald were not expecting twenty thousand people to need this aid at once.

And so Aleksei has reached out to -- pretty much everyone. All the noble houses. Merchant fleets. Friends who have maybe one ship! Basically he's organizing a mass effort to make contact with the newly-freed thralls in Stormward and either get them resituated in Stormward or give them transport elsewhere in the Compact that they may want to go. All of this is stuff he's already set up, but he's having to haul in major support to try and do it on a much larger scale than he was anticipating.

Aleksei will endure the terrors of seasickness to travel to Stormward personally to oversee the efforts of the Liberators and do his best to keep matters calm where possible and work as efficiently as he can.

For those generous enough to offer ships for transport, Aleksei will make sure each ship will have some sort of representative of the Faith on board to help keep an eye on things and discourage any untoward actions in regards to the freed thralls.

Indeed, the Valorous Few are Being Helpful! Since Victus so kindly invited people, Audric (and Shard, and probably a handful of the friendlier types) are heading up with the Liberators. First and foremost will be offering the fabulous life of a sellsword, to any who wish to join up! Money, plunder, see the world, get to kill people fairly frequently, there's nothing but upside, really. Oh, and I guess if there's any room left over they'll help transport some people.

After speaking with Aleksei, the Few have agreed to find space on the ships they're using both for his Faith representatives and his freed Thralls. In fact, Shard's stated her intent to pack everyone in as tightly as possible for the journey, comfort be damned so long as the crew can still function, so between that and Audric's hope to annoy the ears off of the poor priest who gets stuck on his boat, it probably won't be a very pleasant series of trips at all, but at least there will be more people getting to where they need to go.

In addition to this, Shard will be putting in a few words--or many words--or some not so gentle nudges--and maybe some heavy coin--to some people she knows who know some people who know some other people about extra boats and ships for the sole use of Aleksei's cause for the duration. Just don't look too hard at these boats or ask where they came from. They don't take kindly to questions.

Killian is dispatching ships from the Ashford navy to assist with the evacuation of freed thralls, per Aleksei's request. The ships will be providing transport, and staying together with one another, their orders to guardian one another and transport their passengers safely to the appointed destination.

Nicia has agreed to aid Aleksei and the Liberators in their task of helping to resettle the freed thralls, as such she has decided that one galley, and three longships from the Laurent military should be sent to help resettle the freed thralls. Allowing them to choose where they wanted to go, the help is not dependent on them coming to Laurent lands, although she will also make a point of stating that Laurent is willing to accept the resettlement of thralls in their lands.

Belladonna is putting Pravus's fleet at the Liberators' disposal for this. They are fresh and probably antsy for something to do. A skeleton force will be held back to patrol Setarco's borders as they have been, and a scout vessel or two are kept standing by in case the fleet has to be recalled swiftly (plus the ship kept in Arx!), but otherwise they can have use of the fleet as per the terms laid out by Aleksei. They are placed under Alrec's command, and Alrec is directed to report to the Faith on this one (using his judgment). Members of the Faith are most certainly allowed to be on every ship.

As well, she has put forth to both Aleksei and Bianca that those particularly suited for the role of a courtesan and interested in doing so, she will pay for their tuition to and support during the attendance of one of the courtesan schools in Setarco. And! Pioneering spirits that she might be able to interest in Luciva, they are being accepted that way too.

Boots on ground in Stormward while ships are there and have access to people (likely very briefly, but still), they are directed to aid in calming the populace, and provided talking points to do so by Belladonna.

Ford will be kept in the loop by her men as a matter of course throughout the entire mission.

Thena has agreed to assist Aleksei by providing as many Solace agents as can be spared to represent the Faith on ships transporting and resettling freed thralls. Since these agents are already out in the field acting as protectors to travellers and pilgrims, and have a presence long established in the Mourning Isles, shuffling things around shouldn't be too difficult. In addition, Thena is slated to send aid to the Mourning Isles for the Darkwater exploration and should be able to combine these efforts.

Thena is also dispatching a newly commissioned galley to help with transport. The galley will be crewed by freed thralls.

The Knights of Solace will accept freed thralls who wish to work either as soldiers or support staff and pay them a living wage for their services. They need not take vows, though should any wish to follow that path, instruction will be arranged.

Aleksei has asked for support to guard the ships, and knowing that the Knights of Solace will be focusing on supporting the Thralls this means the Templars only need worry about protecting the ships and ensuring that the ships are not mobbed when they land. Accordingly, Preston is making available Templars from the Arx Templars to sail out with the ships and hold order while Solace and the others help the former Thralls. The priority for the Templars is preserving the majority - the boats, the Faith people helping the Thralls. But they are also not the local police force. So. If the boats are at risk of being swamped or a mob forms and attacks the rescue attempts, they will defend. If a mob forms and isn't threatening the boats? Thats for Kennex.

Although she cannot be there in person, Katarina will be sending part of her fleet in her stead; three longships and a galley. These assets are to be used to help ferry newly freed thralls to their intended destinations, with gentle emphasis on a wealth of opportunity that can await them in Valardin-owned lands.

Hana is not the world's best teacher, but she's often been lucky in instructing others. And she's nothing if not enthusiastically devoted to Jayus -- the god of both crafting /and/ of hope. So she travels to the Isles as well, trying to give hope to the former thralls who need to learn a new trade -- those who worked menial jobs and desperately want to do something new, something that provides a chance at a better life. She'll be organizing lessons, yes, but she'll also have worked to encourage other Disciples of Jayus to the same -- to travel with her, and to teach /their/ skills as well. Tailoring, baking, carpentry, and so on. Hopefully, it at least makes a small difference.

Without question, Saedrus has agreed to assist Aleksei. First and foremost he intends to accompany Aleksei, and other Liberators, to Stormward not only as a Disciple of Skald, but as a composed and diplomatic voice in what might be a chaotic situation. Though he cannot offer ships or safe escort, he can be present to try and mollify vassals (or persons of the general populace) crying out against the current crisis. A little charm can go a long way, and hopefully Saed can keep things calm.

In addition, though he cannot take many, he will let it be known that the Grotto can take on a small number of ex-thralls as attendants, board and basic needs seen to, and assistance in finding them trades and future work. Furthermore, pending approval of the Radiant, he can take a handful in under the Whisper House as house staff until either they settle to other livelihoods or to continue on for potential future training. The total is miniscule in comparison to the twenty-thousand, but every little bit helps.

As a Liberator Ferrando is coming along to Stormward to try and generally help un-clusterfuck the situation. He's not really a logistical type or a big public speaker. He's a bouncer! It's fair to say his #1 skill to lend to the effort is an ability to move around heavy stuff. He's probably just going to end up dealing with minor things Aleksei is too busy for.

As promised the Scholars of Vellichor are ready to assist at the word of the Archscholar. Messengers have been sent to the parishes of the discipleship present in Stormward to open the doors to their smaller libraries and utilize donations already in stock to help in upholding the offer of a living wage to freed Thralls seeking higher education or tradeskill apprenticeships. Bianca will also be accompanying Blessed Aleksei to Stormward directly to aid immediately with her own diplomatic abilities and personal resources.

Mydas will be making use of his substantial ability in logistics and economics to ensure the resources deployed to aid the newly freed Thralls are not ill spent or wasted. To summarize, Marquis Mydas Nightgold will play the role of the accountant.

Seraph Ailith will reach out to the local Seraphs in aiding the Faith's efforts of providing solace, community outreach, and humanitarian efforts for the many believers. Using her presence and prowess of propaganda, she'll help kindle hope, compassion, and support among the Faithful and within the Faith such as sermons with stories of the compassion, love, charity, and hope, the many gifts of the Gods, in hopes to soothe and provide a steady familiar place of solace (worship in the shrines) during this chaotic time. When not doing these things, she personally heal the injured and sick who come to the Faith and assist them on their way to the outbound ships, should they be departing.

As minister of warfare and with authorisation to release about half the Velenosa armada into a committed liberation fleet, Talen is overseeing the leading arrangements in that regard. Ensuring the that there are captains who know what they're doing to act as transportation for ex-thralls is key. Faith and Liberator representatives are permitted aboard and allowed to direct the efforts with all reasonable requests to make things easier. The Velenosa are focusing primarily on carrying people, so any security escorts to defend the ships from external attacks will come from the Thrax, and Velenosa vassals organised by the Lyceum aid council.

Lianne is lending ships from Nilanza's navy to aid with the safe transport of the recently freed to Arx. Modest financial assistance will be provided to individuals or families interested in resettling in Nilanza, particularly if they are skilled in a trade or capable sailors interested in enlisting in the navy. Representatives of the Faith will be welcomed on board each vessel.

Victus will be providing transport via the 1st Thrax Fleet, namely in his stated offer of paying work in the Maelstrom and safe haven until they can be transported elsewhere in the Compact. Aleksei's Liberators and other agents of the Faith will be allowed passage on these vessels making runs to and from Stormward to assist in the relocation efforts for Thralls lacking employment. With the exception of any ships provided by Grimhall, per Harald's request. It should be noted that freed Thralls who have gone on to commit crimes against Kennex will not be offered the same on Victus' own vessels, as they are Kennex's right to judge for their actions.

In an unofficial capacity, though with no less focus, Rook will be duplicating the efforts of Mydas Nightgold in an effort. It can't hurt to be certain, can it? Resources in, out and spent all about. In addition there's the counting of ex-Thralls shipped out, sprinkled across the Compact, giving as accurate a set of numbers as possible to all takers of the refugees. Did any go missing, how many died, do they have at least enough coin and resources to keep this mission up until all of Stormward's loose freemen are, well, free?

Lacking much in the way of funds or resources, Fortunato employs his skill and that of his apprentices to make flyers, encouraging people of great means and small means to donate to the resettlement effort and otherwise help smooth out the transition, perhaps by hiring the displaced. Need someone in the back room? Someone to knead dough? Someone, perhaps, to draw more flyers?

Monique will accompany the flotilla and use her charm and diplomacy to convince freed Prodigal thralls to resettle in the Compact, using her knowledge of their native tongue to win their trust. She will also use her significant silver to see they are set up with necessities when they arrive at their destinations.

They manage to avoid violence, which is no minor miracle as of the sheer amount of naval force in the region now. Setarco's massive navy is significantly larger than the pride and joy of many Isles houses, a fact most seem completely unaware of even as House Pravus' dromonds and dozens of longships arrive in Kennex waters under the command of Admiral Alrec to assist the liberators. This is not, in any way, to diminish the forces sent by the Knights of Solace, House Laurent, Lianne's fleet of Nilanza, or the detachments by House Velenosa, Katarina's Oathlands fleet, Ashford or Thrax, but all combined it roughly doubles the overall size of the force, which would likely make any lower rank peers of the Isles distinctly uneasy if they realized its scope.

Fortunately, that's unlikely to happen, as the fleet takes place in a great disapora. There is still a significant percentage that opts to stay in Kennex lands with the support to do so, and in this, the Faith is instrumental. The Faith is one of the great consistent institutions across the entire Compact, even in the shamanism heavy north, but the Isles have always been closer to the Faith than that. Orazio, Thena, Preston, Bianca, Ailith in particular are able to make a great deal of difference in many staying, particularly with the economic work by Rook and Mydas helping to make a chaotic situation be broken down into stabilizing a destroyed economy, and peacekeeping efforts from the forces sent. Killian's Ashford men, Nicia's Laurent forces, Lianne's Nilanzans, Audric and Shard's valorous few, Preston's templars, Thena's knights of solace, Setarco marines all do a part to keeping peace on the ground, with the aid of the Valorous Few being a little questionable and a few of them seem determined to put the 'liberation' in Liberators to mean goods that belonged to individuals. A few hangings by Audric fixes that (and these were the friendlier ones, a shame), as well as Ferrando helpfully letting others know where the problematic elements are.

While a small but significant percentage stays, what truly happens is a massive disapora led by the combined fleet. Some prodigals. Setarco, Nilanza, Maelstrom, Maelstrom, and Ashford lands all see a significant amount of ex-thralls wishing to settle, with Setarco as an example seeing a large bump in capable courtesans at Setarco's schools. The Lycene is a bit more popular as in terms of climate, Setarco or Nilanza is closest to the saffron chain, and what the vast majority of former thralls originally came from. Monique as a prodigal has a great deal in common with many of the newer, louder voices from factions of former thralls, and is able to help many peacefully find new homes throughout the Compact- a smaller percentage opt for different vocations in Arx, with Hana having new weaponsmiths, Saedrus having some new employees at the Grotto and potential Whispers, the Valorous Few see a bump in questionable fellows replacing the ones hanged with Shard sorting out the most promising. There's quite a few new templars, knights of Solace and Scholars, particularly from those wishing to see Arx as godsworn. All in all, a massive amount of refugees are resettled peacefully.

All that's the good, the bad is minor but still significant- the huge amount of ships flying Oathlands and Lycene flags are allowing some pirates to take advantage of the confusion and fly false flags to escape justice, with hundreds of ships in Kennex waters without an overall central command, no one really knows who is who which is allowing some smugglers and pirates to hope that Thrax doesn't have the balls to pick on Oathlands or Lycene ships and provoke an incident (unfortunately for all involved, this is probably untrue). Also, while the great disapora helps the refugees, it doesn't help Kenenx- the recovery they see is modest, as most of their workforce is, in effect, leaving with only a minority staying. They still need a massive amount of investment to survive.

Action by Sparte for The King's Rest

(Public Action)

Sparte has been organizing people to contribute flowers, herbs, tree cuttings, and other natural items to be turned into bouquets, wreathes, and other presentations for the enjoyment of the king. Samples known to grow in the Gray Forest and the surrounding region have been focused upon for sentimental reasons in the wake of the suffering taking place there.

Sparte's primary role is requesting help and finding a place to store the plants and keep them alive until they can be brought to the king. Others are being sought to do the presentation that have a better eye for such things.

Godsworn and faithful, Gisele intends to ensure that Sparte's garden has a safe place and tender nurturing within the Shrine of Petrichor (with the Shrine of Lagoma holding any spillover as it's also set up for cultivation). She donates her own time to assist Petrichor's more knowledgable priests in tending the plants (she can pray over them for their health! She's got that much of a green thumb!) and offering her artist's eye to help craft pleasing arrangements (the far superior option for the bookbound Scholar).

Fortunato gathers wild plants in the course of other investigations he's assisting Sparte with, great fun, plucking for aesthetic reasons, cataloging what you plucked, and helping as you can with curation and arrangement.

His majesty greatly appreciates the flowers. One of the first things he asked when he returned to his Gold Suite was asking, "So... who sent these?"

Action by Katarina for Fighting Legion

(Public Action)

Ever since her encounter with the Simurgh of Blackwood, and being inducted into the battle against Legion and the Horned God, Katarina has been actively hunting down tools and searching for the First Children of Sea and Salt to stop him.

With the help of several members of the Faith, she's managed to track the tools of Brimstone and Cobalt to the Weeping Daughter Isle. A team of talented people is being assembled to go and search the uninhabited isle, specifically the lightning storm-wracked summit where there is said to be a graveyard of the slain kin of Brimstone & Cobalt.

Aleksei is going along to /vomit/. That is: he'll spend the entire journey over being seasick, but what's important is what happens once they get to the Island. He brings both his full armor and whatever knowledge of esoterica might come into handy in such an investigation; it's difficult to know what to expect. If he needs to fight, he'll fight. If he needs to try and identify some weird shit, he'll try to identify some weird shit. What is his life even.

Morrighan's attendance with the group heading for the Weeping Daughter isle is, for the most part, personal. The Redrain Knight has, as much as she'll admit, a particular connection with Brimstone, and it's the majority of the reason she's going. That and keeping an eye on someone in particular. She'll gladly assist in whatever manner she can, fight if necessary. Morrighan is determined to find -something- more about Cobalt and Brimstone than she already knows, and perhaps see if she can pick up on anything while there. She'll be armed with her rubicund blade and equipped with her exotic leathers, as well as the bits of knowledge she has involving the two - Cobalt and Brimstone, that is.

Shard makes no secret of why she wants to come along: she's looking for a means, any means, to fight the Horned God, and she's wholly on board with any mission that involves tracking said means down. To that end, she's bringing her weapons, her armor, and her wits. Fighting is most of what she can contribute, but she's also a fair hand at wilderness survival, not the worst (if certainly not the best) at investigation, and she's stubborn as the Abyss itself. One might easily get the impression that her desire to fight the Horned God is personally motivated, and not a little single-minded.

Aislin has no powers or family heritage to bring to the table, but she can provide her years of experience as an explorer -- including one who's sailed the Mourning Isles -- her keen observation and investigative skills, and her knowledge of esoterica. (And, of course, her sword -- just in case.) Her particular goal is to find any lost, forgotten lore that might help with fighting either of the Heralds involved -- albeit with a particular focus on the Horned God, and protecting the spirits. Weapons or relics would also be a worthy find. But mostly she's here to provide service as both the Experienced Explorer and the Encyclopedia Esoterica.

Fortunato brings his eyes for searching, his paints for documentation, and his brain for figuring if needs be. He does his best to stay out of /fighting/, having embarrassed himself on one too many occasions. How can he turn up a chance to paint a storm-wracked summit, though, how can he?

It's possible that there's nothing useful whatsoever to be offered in Aureth risking himself on a voyage of this kind. He can literally count the times that he has been beyond the walls of Arx further than the immediate outskirts on the fingers of one hand. But the lure of information is too much for him, so he will accompany the crew with the thought in his head that he may go and kneel in the graveyard itself and pray to Death for further enlightenment very deliberately on site. I mean, you never know, right

This talented team requires a combat medic because obviously someone will likely get hit by lighting. As such, Ailith will read ahead of time on treating lighting victims and stock up on those supplies, aside from the standard ones a combat medic carries (re: following Mercy & Physician's Guild guidelines). In addition, she'll provide aid where she can with matters of the Faith and inspire with her unwavering faith.

The group travel to the Weeping Daughter Isle. It is a strange, haunting place. Bitterly cold and unwelcoming, but the warmth of the hearthfire hidden high in a mountain cave both warms and challenges them. They come out of it with a weapon of indeterminate use and the memory of the warmth of the Salamander's fire. Strange place.

Action by Aleksei for Thralldom in the Isles

(Public Action)

Aleksei is doing a bit more work in Stormward. Now that so many thralls have been relocated with the help of so many ships, he's turning attention to those who have remained in House Kennex's demense. With those that remain, he's working to try and and continue smoothing over their transition to freedmen, and encouraging the others of Stormward towards a more accepting path with their new fellow citizens. He does his best to approach matters from a place of respect for Thraxian tradition (even if he DOES NOT AT ALL RESPECT IT), at least so far as he knows it will be the best way to relate to the Stormward natives. This includes using some investment of Liberators funds where appropriate to help smooth matters over.

Without question, Saedrus will travel to Stormward with Aleksei and the Liberators to help the transition of freedmen. With a little sale of clothes he's added coin to the coffers to assist in a monetary matter. While in Stormward however he's there as a diplomatic voice to see that everything goes smoothly, and that the locals are assured in the change.

Zhayla intends to help. She heads to Stormward, knowing a little of the Isles as she does, and tries to help. She's not terribly sure how to help, mind - but she is determined to do what she can. So to Stormward she travels, and she reaches out to help Aleksei talk to thralls, and when he gets in over his head she starts glowering and making sure they know to leave him alone even if they don't agree with him. And she makes some effort at trying to lead them to a better path, but this is more Aleksei's gig than hers and so she follows along. She wants to help, but her trident isn't really a diplomatic sort of weapon.

Off on another Stormward venture, Ferrando is similarly engaged with doing stuff for Aleksei that's not quite important enough for his direct attention, getting dispatched to go handle miscellaneous things in a general-purpose sort of way.

Cassandra is joining the Faith's approach to the Kennex crisis by organizing some Templars to visit the affected isles. She's sending a small contingent of disciples and priests to keep order and calm - trusting that warcamps may be very similar to some of the situation the newly freed thralls will face - and organizing refuge points. She's bringing more non-combatants than combatants, though, hoping that some of those impacted in the Isles might find apprenticeships and the like with the smiths, chefs and so on that get brought by the Templar forces.

Knowing how Thraxians revere and respect Mangata's clergy over all others, Blessed Madeleine sends Disciples to assist with the transition and to encourage freedman merchant vessels - yes you can have oar crewed boats, yes they also need to be paid. They offer blessings and support and mediation when needed to help soothe the transition.

Archscholar Bianca arranges for a small group of Scholars specialized in diplomacy to act as Aleksei's extended voices. With their aid, stories of Thraxian histories and traditions are spun in a positive light and it is reinforced that the times they live in are ones of great change and progressive in nature. It is only with the foundation of their past and unity of the people that the Isles can move forward into the future.

Aureth will go with Aleksei to Stormward, not because he is a Liberator, but because Aleksei is his friend, and because all souls are human souls even if some of them make him sigh more than others. Once there, he will make his best efforts to help the locals buy what Aleksei is selling. He may privately think that Thrax culture is garbage, but mo propagandist ever had to believe all his own bullshit.

Fortunato's in the shop with his apprentices churning out some respectful art gifts celebrating Stormward and, of course, freedom. He does not himself go to Stormward, trusting an apprentice with good balance and strong arms to cart the load.

There was always the danger of backsliding into violence, particularly with the amount of religious fanatics on Stormward now. The outreach helps stabilize Stormward significantly further, and while there's certainly a few thousand Orazians there, they don't seem to be on the edge of violence... unless someone should try to undo the reforms, of course.