On the request of Corban, the Templars are mustering to help out defending the lodge proper. They will be bringing in their two large permanent trebuchets - Aion and Skald - into place at the grounds, and also taking sufficient wood and ropes to assemble simple torsion bolt throwers, which Dame Esoka will oversee while Preston manages the large trebuchets and their defense. They will stand with the Solace who are also at the lodge (2694). Finally in preparation for the battle, Preston will be getting the Templars he is bringing with them to construct earth and wood defenses along with the others, pits to slow the gargantuans and force them to move left and right (allowing them to hit them on the effective dead stop of the turn). By the trebuchets, raised mounds will be used to mount the bolt throwers with a bit of height and rings of earth and spikes will protect the artillery crews (and hopefully delay the gargantuans, along with the infantry, should it get to that point blank situation. Point blank trebuchet to the face has to hurt. Worst comes to worst I guess you don't load it and just slap them in the face. Handbags at dawn style). It probably ruins a bit of the lovely pristine beauty and nature of the lodge, but....some of the artillery crew are effectively 'civilians', and Gloria demands we protect the innocent, not the tourism revenue.

Their main target are the gargantuans, but until they are in the field, they will aim for any large distribution of the enemy. They will use three types of ammunition - simple rocks for ranging, bolts and rocks with ropes and nets attached to slow the garagantuans and pin them, and rocks with iron banding around it for when they have got their range on the gargantuans and got them pinned (make those hits count!). And they will be defending the machines themselves, obviously. Preston will have Crusader just in case it gets to that stage.

The lodge will also act as the command point for any templars fighting elsewhere, and a place for Preston to send out messengers and the like. The army with the trebuchets is attached, and there is also resources and silver to cover supplies for the stationary bolt throwers to be built (timber and rope and nails and military engineer time).

Dame Esoka Greenblood will be assisting the Templars with the Lodge defense, helping to array weaponry against the gargantuans. She enlists the disciples in gathering supplies for the simple torsion bolt throwers, volunteer to help assemble them, and deploy them in battle when the time comes. She will do her best to get lots of rocks for smashing! Failing smashing with siege weapons, she'll smash with herself, armed with her diamondplate sword and general verve for demon-stabbing.

In order to free up Preston for some of the larger command decisions, Legate Cassandra has offered her services to take field command at Skald. She will use her skills to get a lay of the land before the battle begins and do a survey to make sure that the trebuchets have the clearest and most accurate field of fire.

Not only this, but the Legate has dipped into her own funds to ensure that the men that man the trebuchets and handling construction and gathering ammunition are kept well fed and paid so that when joined in with daily prayer and meditation that the men and women are high in morale. She will be leading from the trebuchet herself - she may not be the warrior that some others are, but she will have Chivalry's Point at the ready if needed.

It's a good thing they had those trebuchet. And some idea of how to fight an unsundered gargantuan too. The losses were heavy, but in the end the Lodge stands. Maybe the Faith should consider springing for a few more siege weapons after all.

With the growing threat in the East, and at the request of the leaders of the Faith and acting on behalf of the Grandmaster, Preston approached Cassandra and requested her certification that the cause of fighting against the Pirate King and the heretical cults supporting him was a righteous cause for the calling of the Templar Levies. Cassandra agreed. Accordingly, Preston has sent out missives to all parishes of the compact for their Templars to muster and assemble.

The plan is to have the forces form into three and a bit groups. The current Templars on Parade force will remain at Arx to secure the nearby beaches and act as a strategic reserve. We will be splitting the newly raised infantry roughly in the middle between the two main columns, one going to Crovane under Sir Preston and one to Serteco under Blessed Cassandra. Archers we will bias in favour of Serteco. Pike biased towards Crovane (as they only have limited ability in terms of holding gates etc in a siege) and cavalry entirely towards the crovane force (for field warfare). A small force of 50 infantry and archers will be broken off to go to Darkwater Watch under Emilia.

In his letter, to which Preston will include missives from other Faith figures on the importance of the raising of levies, Preston will urge the seraphs to ensure the full force is sent - not only urging that we now face not just a threat to the compact but to the Faith, and now for the first time in centuries the Templars must fulfill their duty to the full and muster their full strength to ensure the Faith remains undespoiled by invaders. He will of course list the great successes, and talk about how not since the time of the 4th Great Valardin Crusade has the order gathered in these numbers, that it will be something the disciples will talk of to their children, their grand children, their names will be carved on the stones of their parishes, and any left in bed who did not answer the call would shrink in regret and shame each time they passed the shrine.

Between studying doctrine, the letters by Preston and Cassandra, old notes left by the former Legate of the Arts (Guiscard Blanchard, former Grandmaster of the Knights of the Temple), and the stories of the Faith Militant commonly told in the Oathlands, Ailith has a firm basis in which to compose an impassioned plea to the Templars -- reminders of their oaths and vows and of Gloria, how by rising up they stand shoulder to shoulder to make history like many of their heroic Templars, and ultimately of the righteousness to defeat the evil in this realm.

Cassandra is already busy writing letters to the disciples of Gloria and everyone else, but she adds to her work to send out even more missives to the distant realms of the Compact on behalf of the Templar forces. She writes to the leaders of more remote cells from Arx, targeting groups of known Templars or their allies, and calls them to arms.

    Gloria teaches us the ways of honor and chivalry; she demands of us that we retain these concepts and codes when we go to War. The Compact is going to War, my friends; honor and chivalry demand that those of us with strength defend those without. Your sword is needed; your courage is needed; your hammer and anvil, your bandages, your soothing touch: all these are needed.
    Across Arvum the banners are being called and soldiers rally for war against the pirate king sailing from the east. You are now called. Gloria demands your service, and the Faith issues the summons.

    Archlector Cassandra of Gloria

With all his charmed talents Saedrus willingly steps in to assist Preston to help gather the Faith's strength to arms. It is with an empathic call that Saedrus helps rally the Templars to the cause. Missives are sent, and the courtier meets with small groups to voice poignant prose to stir the recipients to answer their duty, to bolster them in the face of their fears and remind them that great honour is found in their bravery.

Under the leadership of the redoubtable Sir Preston, the Templars are gathering. From Crovane to Setarco, throughout the land the call goes out - the Gods need your strong arm. Seraph Ailith reaches out to the Seraphs of Arvum, reminding them of their oaths and their vows, of Gloria and how this is their chance to rise up and stand shoulder to shoulder to make history. This is their moment to see that Arx stands triumphant against the forces of the abyss.

Archlector Cassandra of Gloria joins that call too - a reminder to all Templars as she calls them to arms. "Gloria teaches us the ways of honor and chivalry," she reminds them. "She demands of us that we retain these concepts and coddes when we go to War. The Compact is going to War, my friends; honor and chivalry demand that those of us with strength defend those without. You are now called. Gloria demands your service, and the Faith issues the summons." Saedrus Whisper joins this call with an empathetic summons of his own, reminding those who don't respond of the need to protect their smaller parishes, reminding those who do to serve with honor.

The Templars are called to War.

Tarik will be searching for the weapons cache located at the remains of LastLight Hold, or close to it. He will be bringing 350 military resources in the form of sellswords of various levels of experiences from the favors that he collected over the years. The plan is to locate the weapons cache, and gather any hidden knowledge that might among the remains that related to the fight against Legion. Base on Tarik's past's experiences with dealing with previous thought dead beings coming alive, they will be taking cautious appoints. Tarik's sellswords will be divided upon guarding the non-combatants traveling with him, rapidly retrieving any injured personal bringing them to the healers, and the first few ranks in the formation. Extra care will be protection to allow for quick movement, but keeping noise to the minimal. The standing operating procedures if engage by hostile forces is to protect the flanks, and the non-combatants. It is to keep a tight formation in which no unit can be isolated. They will seek aid from any shavs to aid in the of securing of the weapons cache. If they are successful, they will depart the area in the quickest and most efficient way possible. Tarik speech to the people with them, "We are going to the place where Clan Morien after spilling theirs' and enemies' blood sacrificed their lives to by time for those mustering their forces. Yes, it was a small battle, but that battle led to the Compact. This mission might be a small mission, but it will lead to defeat of the Compact's greatest enemy. So for this brief moment in time, until we are gone. Be like the best of your ancestors, draw from their strength, and make sure no history could ever hide the fact that you gave all for the Compact!
Sir Preston lend Morien the use 50 military resources in the form of Templars.
Dame Thena lent 300 military resources to Tarik in the form of Solace soldiers. The unit consists of 30 sworn Knights and 70-foot soldiers under a commanding officer. The 30 sworn knights will be split between guarding supply lines between camps as needed, and the camp themselves taking in consideration in account for the maximum effectiveness. The Templars lent to him by Sir Preston, and the 70-foot soldiers will make up the bulk of the force. If successful in finding the weapons cache, the Templars will be asked to move to the rear flank to help protect their escape. Tarik will spend 300 economic resources to make sure everyone has enough food, fishing and hunting supplies, extremely warm clothes, material to make on the spot repairs, even extra journals so that any knowledge gain or final thoughts if the worse happens might not be loss for all time. He will spend 50,000 silver on medical supplies. Tarik will spend 300 social resources on calling on favors among the Refugees and Golden Hart's sailors and Merchant to find enough ships to help transport everyone to northwest Arvum, and heading east towards the mountain. They will do their best to establish a main camp followed by a secondary and tertiary camp as needed. Since the area that they are exploring is vast, they will move the collapse and set up the main camp as needed for safety and security. Noncombatants will be housed in the main camp, and triage will be set inside.

Wash will be providing transport on his brand new cog. He will commit 50 military resources in order to scrape together a crew of able-bodied crownsworn sailors. This mission is not authorized by the Marquis, so he will not be using Kennex resources for it. He will be bringing his loyal champion, Jayne.

Clover will be taking 100,000silver from the Wyrmguard bank to help pay for the expedition; purchasing gear, sellswords, and the like. While she is going she will also be there to both investigate/research as they go along, and act as a healer.

Rey will be coming along with all of her healing things at the ready to hopefully keep as many people from being killed by the kinds of horrors that require italics (or more commonplace horrors).

Aiden came to Tarik as soon as he could, with the information of the ballad, knowing that he was a Morien. He came to aid Tarik, believing that as one of the last Moriens, that Tarik had the right to the weapons before many many others. He knows that numerous groups are deploying at a rapid pace to try to get their hands on these weapon caches. Afraid that they'd lose valuable time, Aiden struck a bargin with Tarik. He would proceed to go with him on the expedition, and challenge anyone who would otherwise deny Tarik of his right to the cache. Aiden knows the importance of history, of the echos of it. Tarik's people took their last stand over this cache and as a Grayson, he is determined to see the right people get it - He will EXPRESS that to anyone who says otherwise. In return, he only asks that if a bow were to be found, that he has claim to it, to defend the First Children with it.

As unofficial co-leader/supporter and Grayson representative, Aiden brings to the table his survival skills and his awareness of dealing with First Children and Abyssal Creatures. He has spoken to a First Child before and so will COMMAND the group not to attack anything 'animalistic' until he's determined if it was abyssal or not! (Animal Ken Rolls!) He will also aid in scouting, whether by himself or with a small group of Isles Canines that he brings with him (Military Res: take 100) to protect him and to provide support to the military proceedings of the group.

His Speech to the Group: "Together, we will win this fight. Our piece may be small, but put all the small pieces together and it makes a larger picture. We must not let this cache get into the wrong hands. I trust the blood of Morien, who sacrificed themselves to leave us these last measures of strength to free ourselves with. Tarik, will take the cache. As a Morien, it is his to protect and dispense to those warriors who would stand as Moriens did before. A fight to the death, to the end, to the very last!" (command/leadership to inspire!)
Aiden came to Tarik as soon as he could, with the information of the ballad, knowing that he was a Morien. He came to aid Tarik, believing that as one of the last Moriens, that Tarik had the right to the weapons before many many others. He knows that numerous groups are deploying at a rapid pace to try to get their hands on these weapon caches. Afraid that they'd lose valuable time, Aiden struck a bargin with Tarik. He would proceed to go with him on the expedition, and challenge anyone who would otherwise deny Tarik of his right to the cache. Aiden knows the importance of history, of the echos of it. Tarik's people took their last stand over this cache and as a Grayson, he is determined to see the right people get it - He will EXPRESS that to anyone who says otherwise. In return, he only asks that if a bow were to be found, that he has claim to it, to defend the First Children with it.

As unofficial co-leader/supporter and Grayson representative, Aiden brings to the table his survival skills and his awareness of dealing with First Children and Abyssal Creatures. He has spoken to a First Child before and so will COMMAND the group not to attack anything 'animalistic' until he's determined if it was abyssal or not! (Animal Ken Rolls!) He will also aid in scouting, whether by himself or with a small group of Isles Canines that he brings with him (Military Res: 100) to protect him and to provide support to the military proceedings of the group. His skills with the bow are sufficient enough to help provide a line of defense and will likely provide command or support command to archers.

His Speech to the Group: "Together, we will win this fight. Our piece may be small, but put all the small pieces together and it makes a larger picture. We must not let this cache get into the wrong hands. I trust the blood of Morien, who sacrificed themselves to leave us these last measures of strength to free ourselves with. Tarik, will take the cache. As a Morien, it is his to protect and dispense to those warriors who would stand as Moriens did before. A fight to the death, to the end, to the very last!" (command/leadership to inspire!)

Aiden is also using his social status to help with diplomacy issues that arrise when traversing, ensuring safe passage. (Social Res: 100). Aiden is also ensuring that there's enough supplies, given his travel to the North before, he's a little more accustomed to what needs to be brought along. (Econ Res: 100)

Cassandra will be talking to the Templars and getting together a small group of volunteers to assist her in taking this. She is looking for a group of veterans who can rally around her and are familiar with how to strike down this end. She is not going to order them into combat but will be expending 100 military resources in this action to ensure it succeeds.

Fiachra will be accompanying Tarik on this mission. If he happens to recall anything about the location of the cache, any potential traps, etc, he will be letting his comrades know. (Please see my character's secrets, if they become applicable during this action.)

Shae will use her knowledge of tracking, and her keen senses to help in assisting with locating and scouting out the area. Looking for any sort of information she might be able to find while doing so. Her dog Deagmund will be assisting her with this. If they should come across any animals (or other creatures) Shae will use her skills and knowledge with them to help defuse any possibility of a bad situation happening. In addition, she would be most willing to try and speak with any Abandon they might come across and try to convince them to join with them in stopping Legion and his forces. As well that if they need help or assistance or new homes that the Lodge of Petrichor can help them. And that as a Disciple of Petrichor Shae will do all that she can to help them. If fighting does occur, Shae does have her bow with her and will do all that she can to help and assist her group with her skill set. ((Shae does have a secret that could possibly come into play in this.))

Lou will be using her extensive knowledge of Arvum (see @clue Lou's Travels) to help in the expedition to find the weapons cache at LastLight Hold. She has maps of her time spent in the far north and in Everwinter, and has the skills (Survival 3) necessary to scout ahead and find safe spaces for encampment and any additional food they might need along the way so they do not risk frost exposure. She will also act as an archer in times of danger, and if it should come to it, switch to hand to hand combat when archery is not an option.
Lou will also spend 25,000 silver towards helping to ensure that the party has enough food, drink, and warm weather supplies to help keep them stocked during the expedition.
I mean -- COLD WEATHER SUPPLIES, not warm weather! -- IE: coats/cloaks, boots, warm socks, gloves, blankets -- Thank you!!

Mason is accompanying Lou and the others to the horrific place of ice and snow. He's surely going to freeze to death, but he loves his wife and so he will go. He'll be lending his experience as an explorer and scholar of the occult, assisting where needed and endlessly muttering in Eurusi about how cold it is. (but no one will really be able to hear it under the 10 layers of clothing and scarves anyway)

The Blackram Marquis will be bringing with him 75 infantry troops, and 25 archers from his March's forces, as well as offering his personal expertise as a scout and huntsman to help survey the land and enemy, as well as engage in guerrilla warfare. Forging trails, using his keen eye to locate potential sources for the cache, as well as setting traps to maim and slow any pursuit by the followers of Legion.
When Gaston was in the wild, he heard the name Legion whispered to him in his dreams. Leola surmised this was perhaps due to Sylv'alfar blood, or perhaps something else. Whatever it is, Gaston will be wary and on guard should the demon seek to speak to him in his dreams once more.

While not skilled in much beyond healing, alchemy, and artwork, Jayanthi is going with Tarik and those supporting him to offer her aid as healing. Given her severe lack of combat capabilities she is keeping her head down and keeping out of the line of fire as much as possible while healing people. Though, she does put special effort into assuring members of the High Lord families stay safe.

Valery hasn't left Arx since she arrived and she doesn't really want to, even less back north! but she cannot really say no to Tarik's request of help, he says he needs her...
So she's reluctantly packing her warmest clothes and a bunch of health supplies (adding 100 economic resources) and she gets ready to help with any healing (or alchemy work) needed.
However, if there is any danger, she's going to try to stay as out of sight and out of trouble as possible: people don't call her Mouse in vain...
(As they are travelling North, Valery's secrets may be relevant.)

The group made the long trip northward without incident. They scouted out a map in an ancient settlement, abandoned to the weather (and a bear). Heading even further north, they did find Lastlight Hold - but that's where things went wonky. A basilisk, ancient rock elemental guardians, and traps galore both protected the weapon and ate quite a few of the people looking for it. In the end, the basilisk was chased off - and it was carefully noted where he lived so that it could be avoided in the future - the weapon was carried to safety, and Tarik's ancestral home was destroyed. Hopefully it was worth the sacrifice.

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.