Ysbail smiles, "Pearlspire, Our lands border after a fashion then I think." Ysbail notes "I don't think I've ever been in this place before though. I'm quite curious to see what the event deems as an unusual threat." Cobalt eyes glittering.

Merek has put on his black attire with his cloak, and also come to visit the Academy to listen to the talk about tactics. He settles at a place to listen.

2 Ashford House Guard, Bethany arrive, following Olivia.

Ouida offers a smile to Ysbail, as well as bow of the head, though she does not interrupt the conversation, and offering the same to the others seated nearby and joining. Whe the Duke arrives, she will stand, briefly, until he is settled and she once more take her seat.

The door that leads back to the office halls opens up just enough for Natalia to poke her head out. Yes, yes, there are people here, and so the rest of her follows a moment later, though she turns and says something to somebody that's still back there. There's just a little bit of back and forth before the blonde tugs the door closed and crosses towards the little table by the stage. It helpfully has a glass and a pitcher set there already, and she pours herself some of whatever it is before she turns to slip up onto the stage.

The room itself has been setup a bit differently than the usual roundtables; the war tables are out and being used for their intended purposes, the maps those of Arx, the Wards, and the immediately surrounding areas. There's a grip of little wooden pieces (and some Big Wooden Pieces, too). Seating has been arranged /around/ the maps, and the food and drink is on long tables along the sides of the room (but that's normal).

2 Novice Keaton Huntsmen, River, a juvenile Oakhaven bloodhound, Barf, the Bog Dog arrive, following Amari.

Olivia slips in silently finding a seat on the outskirts.

Natalia has joined the an exquisite wooden stage.

Olivia has joined the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

Inclining his head slightly to Ouida, Valdemar settles on one of the sofas, taking a look at the map tables that have been placed at the center of the seating. He then leans back a bit, making himself comfortable while waiting for the discussion to begin.


Zeriax made his way to the Academy of War, curious to see what the night had to offer. He'd heard what the presentation was going to be about, and was delighted to hear that people were considering things typically outside the norm. When he saw Peri, a familiar face, he decided to make his way towards her table. Not long after, he noticed there were a couple other familiar faces. "May I have a seat?" He asked, still on approach.


If nothing's currently on fire, or anything out of the ordinary like that, Amari will enter quietly, flanked by rather huge dogs. Holding their leashes, she's only able to wiggle her fingers at familiar folks rather than wave properly. Natalia and Maru both get a smile with theirs, Ysbail and Olivia polite nods before she's found her way to the central table with all the maps. Those demand a quick perusal before she gets around to sitting somewhere.

"First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for coming," Natalia greets the audience once she's found her spot on the stage, her voice lifted to carry easily through the room. "Please help yourselves to food and drink. As I see a great many new faces, I'd like to remind everyone that disruptions will not be tolerated. Side conversations are fine, but please conduct them quietly." She pauses there, long enough to take a quick drink before continuing. "Tonight's topic is fighting unusual creatures. We've had some -- interesting times, these last few months, and it's likely to continue. There are three main areas I'd like to talk about -- size, whether big or small, flying creatures -- particularly, very large flying creatures, and things that we might not be able to see. Now, could anyone who has an experience that falls into one of those areas please indicate so? If you're willing to tell the story, that is." At this point she does look to the guard at the doors, who close them. Most of the staff clears out, though not all of them. It's not exactly private, but it's clear there is some control of people passing through.


Peri looks up to see Zeriax, the fortunate and new members of the explorers. "Congratulations on becoming a member," She says. "Join us, do."

A jingle of bells can be heard as Kanean enters the Academy. He looks around and finds an empty seat as the gathering starts. He finds one and quietly takes a seat and takes a look at the table with maps.

Zeriax has joined the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

Kanean has joined the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

As the staff leaves, Ouida subtly continues to monitor the room, her eyes resting on each cluster of individuals, as if seeking to anticipation of their needs, in the staff's absence.

Ysbail says, "Perhaps it is worth noting - that in the case of things one does not see, the topics you suggest are not exactly easy for public consumption, nor for that matter are they truly safe to discuss. Perhaps if you gave examples or names to these - creatures we might better be able to match our experience?"


Zeriax, upon hearing Natalia speak, hustled to take his seat. As things settled down, and people began to file out to make sure things were calm and orderly, the wild-looking man peered around to see who was who, and where everyone was in the room. It took a few moments to orient himself, and he dipped his head to Peri, acknowledging her offer with a silent bit of thanks.


Ysbail's question draws Natalia's attention, and she shakes her head. "If you don't have a personal experience of fighting something you couldn't see, then please do not worry. We'll be moving along to brainstorming soon. As far as the reluctance to speak, if you are not comfortable participating in a discussiion about them, I will request that you excuse yourself. We are here today to talk about specific topics that were announced well in advance, and I would not have done so if I felt it would endanger anyone here."

With the question asked about whether anyone present has experience fighting any such creatures, Valdemar glances around for a short time before finally shaking his head slightly. "The closest thing I've fought to any of those was a...sort of worm...that inhabits and puppets dead bodies. I was told that it was called 'Grisly Bones'. We were able see the body it was using to get around and feed itself easily enough, but the worm itself was hidden inside the skull. Which had to be cracked in order to get the thing out so that it could be cut up and burned. I am not sure if that is the sort of thing you mean by creatures that can't be seen, though," Valdemar offers, his brow furrowed deeply as he speaks of the experience.

Ysbail exhales, "Rather looking for a context." Ysbail notes after a moment, nose wrinkling as Vlademar speaks. "That is utterly horrifying."

Maru turns from the conversation he's having with the others sitting near him on the sofa in the back, and listens rather raptly to Valdemar's account. His eyes widen and the corners of his mouth turn down in a frown. Horrifying indeed.


Zeriax looked over to Valdemar as he spoke up, his interest very much piqued. "Grisly Bones, hmm?" He muttered quietly, listening in. Until the floor was opened for discussion, he'd keep other commentary to himself. He'd had plenty of experience in the wilds, but nothing of the sort that was worth speaking up about. Unlike the expressions of disgust or horror shown by others, Zeriax seemed...excited?


Ouida's attention is captured by Valdemar's tale, her lips pressed into a think line. "Agreed," she adds, to Ysbail's comment about it being horrifying. "I would imagine it prbably took some time to figure out the source, until you observed it!"

Kanean nods, "I fear there are much more terrifying than that outside of the Compact."

Up, up, up goes one of Natalia's eyebrows for Ysbail's notation. She clears her throat, then explains patiently, "For example, something that might be invisible. Or something that might be playing puppet master," and she gestures to Valdemar. "Or something that might be only a shadow, hiding in them on the floor or ceiling. You will need to use your imagination when we get there, if you do not have any experience that immediately comes to mind." She smiles politely, then looks to Valdemar. If she's disturbed by the story he has, she doesn't give any indication of it, instead just prompting, "Did you know ahead of time that the worm was controlling the thing? How did you figure out what needed to happen?" And to the group in general, "What are some thoughts on how to swiftly break into a skull of a moving creature? Or some ideas to figure out if something might be a puppet?"

Inclining his head to Ysbail, Valdemar agrees easily enough, "It was definitely unpleasant. If my companions and I had not been there specifically hunting it, the thing might well have gotten the better of us. We were prepared for it, though. Or at least about as prepared as one can be for such a thing. Other than the body being a bit bloated, it was not of special size, though." When Natalia asks if he knew ahead of time that the worm was controlling the body, he nods his slightly. "One of those with me had faced the thing before, so he had some knowledge of what we were facing. He knew it would be found in the skull, but even with a heavy weapon, cracking a skull open is no easy feat. Especially when said skull is trying to eat you. However, another of my companions was able to skewer the thing by stabbing through the eye-socket," he explains further.


Zeriax took out a quill and parchment. While he had something of a quality memory, able to recite things he'd seen or heard with unusual clarity, there was something to be said for documentation. At Natalia's question, he spoke up. "The head is a difficult target. If it was moving erratically, as one might assume so..." He looked over to Valdemar, as if he were requesting verification with his eyes. "...Then perhaps the first step would be to immobilize it. Nets happen to work fine on regular humans. One might even be able to capture these things for study in isolation, if that were the case." He paused, clearing his throat. "Then again, this is about combat, not capture. Either way, it seems like a good first measure to determine whether or not a person is afflicted with these worm-creatures."


Amund is late for class, but he wants to learn what the Academy has to say about these subjects. So he settles down, as a visitor, in one of the back rows, paying attention to the class.

"It is a difficult balance," Ouida observes, albeit in a gentle tone. "I would say that most hunters or warriors know how to crack a skull--the difficulty lies in preventing skull cracking just in case, or unfounded suspicions." She listens to Valdemar, however, nodding. "So there had been some previous experiences with it then. Sometimes though, it takes some time to sift through what is rumor."

Ysbail shivers, "If you've notes on the account I'd love to see them later, Why is it always bugs." She exhales, patently drawing a breath. "I know of many things, monsters entirely formed of writhing centipedes, creatures forged of names using abyssal magic, I also know of things which eat and have ears that hear far beyond what you would expect, a type of magic if you will." She sighs, "I need a context to know where to start. With the understanding that this space while - safe after a fashion is not one in which certian names should ever be spoken."

"As to its movement...it was clearly not human, even if the body it was puppeting once was. There is no way it could pass for being a normal, living person, unless it was /very/ dark and you were at a distance. As for knowing specifically what it was...a worm-creature inside the body's skull...that would have been a bit more difficult to tell unless someone with you had a prior encounter with the thing. We were very fortunate that we did. Just in case you ever have the misfortune of running into one, though, the thing marks its territory with piles of bones. The remains of its meals," Valdemar adds, clarifying for the sake of some of the other questions asked about his encounter with the thing.

Vern, 2 Novice Keaton Huntsmen arrive, following Kael.

"Capture for study is not a bad thought," Natalia answers Zeriax, moving finally to step down from the stage and walking to where the chairs are arranged to settle in beside the others. "If such is possible. Nets are a good idea -- and something we might all want to consider adding to our kits. Does anyone have any suggestions on someone that might be able to make nets that are strong enough to hold unusual strength?" Valdemar's sharing has her frowning a little bit, finally, but she does nod. "So in the case of the worm puppet, it had both visual cues in its movement, and then the pile of bones. That's good to know. The person who skewered it through the eye, it got the worm? So the skull didn't need to be cracked? Was it an arrow used, or something else?" She glances to where Amari is sitting when she asks that, for whatever reason. She flashes a quick grin that way, then looks to Ysbail. "There are many, many, many things out there, yes. Thank you. If you have a personal experience story to share, we would like to hear it. Otherwise, I am quite certain that there are others here that might wish to follow up with you later, because all of that does sound _very_ interesting. It's just a bit outside of the scope of today's meeting."

Harlen arrives, following Duarte.

Ysbail falls quiet.

Ouida's attention turns to Natalia. "Chair Natalia, may we have more time for some questions?" she asks, tilting her head slightly as if to indicate there may be more questioners nearby.


Zeriax looked to Valdemar and nodded. "Identification, so long as information is a little more widespread, doesn't seem to be much of a problem then. Treating these things like parasites, one must wonder if there's an alchemical solution to be had? Perhaps a scent that they'll avoid or react to in some way. The worms, that is. Maggots find their way into bodies after death; maybe there's a way to keep them from infesting bodies in the first place?" There was a pause as he listened to Natalia. "Skewering them through the eye socket? I wouldn't consider that a normally viable first resort. Not for the average person, anyhow. Not all of us are duellists. Cracking their heads open once they're immobilized seems a safer bet. I'm still curious to see if some sort of alchemical gas would be more effective. As far as the nets go? I got nothing. Maybe simply spearing their limbs, or staking them once they're down could help quicken the process. That's all I have on that topic." He looked to Valdemar, clearly interested in hearing more about the creatures, perhaps at a later date.


From the way that Kael arrives, it might be a reasonable assumption that he may have jogged all the way from the Valardin Ward. Surely that is not so, right? Nonetheless, the Keaton Marquis looks reasonably winded by the time he strides in through the entryway and into the grand chamber. Not, mind you, that he is jogging anymore at this point. By now, other than those hints of exertion, he is moving toward the large table in a reasonably noble fashion. Though he does not interrupt, once he catches sight of Natalia, he's mouthing, 'Sorry' her way. Ouida gets no mouthed commentary cast her way, but there is an inclination of his head, a deep thing with a hint of apologetic nature there.

Duarte certainly did not jog here. Rather, he seems to drift in and then decide to settle quietly in a seat. Almost as if he were passing by and happened to see people and lights and food. He really could've landed anywhere, but here he is. The first things he hears about are maggots, eye stabbings and cracking heads. So is interest is piqued pretty rapidly.

When asked about what was used to stab through the body's eye socket to skewer the worm, Valdemar answers easily enough, "It was a rapier. Any slender blade might do the trick, or an arrow for that matter. And yes, he was able to pull it out through the eye socket, so it was not necessary to crack the skull. As to trapping it...I am not sure if it could have abandoned that body, but if it could, the worm itself was small enough to slip through a lot of nets. You'd need a finer mesh, like something meant for catching small fish." He then shrugs at talk of alchemical solutions. "The companion of mine who knew the most about it didn't mention anything of the sort. Finding something like that would require capturing it and testing, no doubt," he offers in response.

"Oh, absolutely," Natalia looks to Ouida, flashing an encouraging smile that way. "We have an agenda, but if we talk for three hours about worms in skulls, I expect they will be fascinating hours." Zeriax's contribution has that encouraging smile turned on him. "Spearing, staking, nets," she agrees. When she spots Kael and he mouths sorry she just grins at him, shaking her head.

Peri raises her hand to ask a question, it still has a quill in it from all the notes she's been taking. "I have only a few questions about this Grisly Bones." She pulls her hand down, once she has the floor. "Does it have keen senses? If I were caught on my own, I'd need to hide from it. How best would I?" she continues with another question, "And, as I am often in the waters around Pearlspire, do these things inhabit fish or dolphins?"

Ouida bows her head in appreciation to Natalia, and her smile returns as Peri goes forward with her question. Kael too is offered a grin, at his late arrival, and the lifting of a hand in a brief salute.

"Those are fantastic questions," Natalia tells Peri, smiling that way before she looks to Valdemar. "Would you be interested in letting people follow up with you, to get them in contact with your friend for more in-depth knowledge about these things, if you do not know the details for all of it?" Pause. "Does anyone have suggestions on how to hide from things that might have particularly strong senses? What are some ideas of thingss that someone could try, when being chased by something with a magic nose?"

It must be said that Ouida looks a little uncomfortable, though still intrigued, by the talk of magical perception and how to defend against it. "A good friend introduced me to the concept of using mirrored surfaces, even small ones able to be tied to one's arm, that can aid our own sense of awareness and location of others," she explains. "It is good to practice with it at first, as it can be disorienting, but I find it to be enoromously helpful against more mundane concerns, and to literally help watch my back."

"Yes, people can follow up with me later if they are interested in finding out more about Grisly Bones. As to my friend, I would have to ask him, but I'd be willing to attempt setting up meetings with him," Valdemar offers, so that the meeting can go forward. When the question comes up about hiding from things that have particularly strong senses, he goes on to suggest, "I guess that depends on which senses you are talking about. For instance, if it is smell, you probably want to douse yourself with a strong smell that fits in with whatever area you are in. Maybe flowers that are native to the area?"

"I'm not sure what you mean with a magic nose, but if something can feel your scent, you could try splashing on the blood of some beast or somehow rub tree sap on you. That might throw them off somewhat. Better than the alternatives of using waste or urine." Amund replies from his chair, after Natalia brings up the question. "Certainly you want to have something rotten near you if you're to play dead."


Zeriax spoke up once more. "While I'm not quite sure how effective this might be for things of a more unusual nature, there are several easy methods to lose regular creatures with strong sniffer." He looked first to Ouida, listening to her suggestion. By way of his expression, he seemed to appreciate her contribution. Turning back to the floor, he continued. "Much like has been offered," He thumbed towards Valdemar. "''masking'' one's scent has proven effective in the past. Urine, as undesireable as it might sound, is perfect for such occasions. Just...not your own. Don't ask." He cleared his throat. "Additionally, if you're near a river, crossing running water effectively stops scent-based tracking for things that cannot fly."


If he's able to, Kael is slipping into a seat near Amari, attempting to be as unobtrusive as possible after his late entry. He is, at this point, content to settle in an listen. That particular question though sparks interest, even as he leans forward a bit. With Zeriax's explanation, he chins toward him, as though by way of agreement.

Peri's forehead is creased with puzzlement and intrigue at the mention of mirrors. "Truly? I shall think on this. Would mirrors help help with something looking down from above? I would like to learn of tactics for handling creatures such as dragons." She looks disturbed yet fierce by the topic of these creatures. "I have heard tales of spirits and such that elude them. I have not heard great tales about defeating them and dearly wish to."

Natalia checked luck + sewing at difficulty 9, rolling 34 higher.

Natalia drops Greeny, the flying goat.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Amund before departing.

Ysbail blinks, "A magic nose, wouldn't you presumably have to use some form of magical means, or do you mean a nose that detects magic."

Amund has joined the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

"Thank you," Natalia tells Valdemar for his assent, and then she's listening to the various suggestions as they get made, nodding along. Ysbail's question has her smiling that way. "Would you have to have magical means?" Peri's mention of a dragon has her eyes jumping that way, a grin appearing. "We are not going to discuss fighting dragons," she says. "For a variety of reasons. However." And with that, she does slide from her chair, moving around to get into one of the boxes that has more pieces for the table. From said box comes a brilliantly green stuffed goat. "We _are_ going to discuss fighting giant flying goats." The goat gets set down on the map just outside the eastern-most gates, sized to be about twice the size in scale as said gate. "It is right now circling the city, up high, scaring everyone. What are the first things that people should do?"

Brady has joined the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

Brady arrives quite late, and sneaks over to a sofa to join Kanean with an upnod, grinning sheepishly.

Duarte raises his hand, "Is it doing something else? If it's just flying around and some people are frightened - could we simply shoo it away? Must it be fought at that point?"

Ysbail lifts a shoulder, "I don't know, I mean presumably if you rolled in the things own urine that should suffice to confuse it but it would depend on what principals are at play." Nose wrinkling.


Zeriax blinked at Natalia's presentation. While it seemed like a perfect opportunity to burst out laughing, the man looked like he was deeply interested in the discussions at hand. Immediately his brows furrowed. He looked up towards Natalia. "I'm not really that well versed in typical warfare, though I would assume many of the same principles of a siege would apply in this situation, to start." He glanced sidelong at Ysbail's comment, and stuck his tongue out. "Har har."


"Have you ever tried to shoo a goat? They're notoriously uncooperative," Natalia tells Duarte, though she grins his way. "It's not a bad thought. How would you know? All we have right now is a giant goat flying around. Maybe it's even friendly, we don't know." Zeriax's reaction has her nodding his way. "There isn't any tradition for giant goats," she says. "So, you're suggesting the use of siege weapons? Do you think modifications would need to be made to them?"

"That's adorable!" Amari exclaims from the place she's totally been seated at, for some time now, listening intently. If that's her default reaction to giant flying goat attacks, she'll probably be the first to die. When Kael joins her, she offers a smile to her cousin and a very quiet 'hello' as to not interupt the discussion much. After, there's a light arch of her brow at Duarte, and a murmur sent his way.

Amari mutters, "We were ... head worms that animate the dead, now it's giant flying cute goats."

"If it had hostile intent, perhaps we could chase it off with ballistae?"

At the mention of dragons, a reserve settles over Ouida, visible, almost like a mask. She seems inwardly focused for a long moment. "I think the most important thing would be to manage the panic that would surely ensue, and understandably so. In some circumstances, you'd be more like to be trampled to death by a crowd stirred by its appearance than anything regarding the dragon itself. I think at the first though, perhaps try to discern if it has a rider."

Valdemar takes a look at the goat, appraising the situation. "Given the size, I'd probably say that the city's best siege engine crews should take positions on the walls. Maybe archers with flaming arrows as well, since a lucky strike could set the thing's fur on fire. The flaming arrows might also do for a warning shot to try to scare it off. Many animals have an instinctive fear of fire and smoke," he suggests thoughtfully.

Ysbail says, "Aren't those the ones that eat everything?" Ysbail asks Peri, before frowning, "Could we maybe lure the goats away with a really tasty treat or are these highly intelligent goats that would detect the trap? Use nets to ground it.""

Olivia has left the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

2 Ashford House Guard have been dismissed.

Bethany have been dismissed.

Peri looks very concerned at the recommendation of fire, "We'd want to avoid setting buildings on fire, if at all possible." To Natalia, "We would need to know how high it could fly, in case our seige weapons cannot reach it. Oh! and we'd need to watch out for dropping the arrows and such on our heads."

Brady lifts a hand to comment, looking around self-consciously for a bit. "Lemme start by saying I have no idea. If I -had- to command others, I'd order people inside, specifically in well fortified buildings. Move civilians off top floors, open streets, et cetera." Gesturing towards someone in the crowd, "Archers should be taking the towers, but not firing until we have some clue of the ... goats intentions."


Zeriax looked towards Ouida. "That is exactly what I meant. During a seige, you have to have proper management. If we're talking about defending the city from a possible...uh, 'giant flying goat', then it's important to keep panic on the downlow. It'll slow down lines of communication, which is most important in this situation." Then he heard the offer of ballistae, and looked to Peri. "How do you kill something flying normally? Two ways; Either, be an exceptional archer...or, in this case, have exceptional aim with a weapon like that, which might be unlikely...''or'', you wait for it to land. If you can guide it to land in a space of your choosing, all the better. One might need to bait it." He nodded to Ysbail's suggestion.


"I could see /why/ the goat would lay liege to the city." Duarte says. "They often like to chew on silk and other fabrics and we have some of the finest garments in all of Arvum." He nods. "So perhaps the goat could be coaxed to land outside the gates, for a pile of old discarded wardrobe bits which we would use to lure and then ensnare this..." he motions to the stuffed goat, "...unruliest of beasts..."

Ysbail grins as she gets to her feet. "Thank you Natalia for the discussion and I apologize for being disruptive it was not my intent." A wink thrown at Peri, "Do let me know how you defeat the cuddly flying goat. I apologize but I have a prior engagement which I must attend."

"That's a very good point; at threat of being eaten by an enormous goat, there is going to be a great deal of panic," Natalia agrees, picking the goat up and making it fly only briefly before she sets it back down at the gate, grins at the group in general, and then moves over to drop back into her chair. Plop. "So, we could bait it. I was thinking about building giant chains on the -- big arrows that get shot from the giant wooden frames...could probably help bring it down? What do people think about the likelyhood of it being a net?" She looks to Ysbail, grinning her way, too. Yeah, apparently she is enjoying this part. "I think it's probably safest to assume that it's a smart goat." Ouida's words have her tipping her head back and forth, then asking, "What do we do differently if it does have a rider?" Ysbail standing has her lifting a hand to wave. "Thank you for joining us; I hope you come to the next one."

Kael's amused, there's no denying that. The demonstration that unfolds just has him reaching a hand up, stroking at his bearding in an attempt to conceal his grin. The only peculiar thing is why does he look so proud? He does, you know, as he silently watches the presenter. Squared shoulders, chest puffed up a bit, and most certainly pleased.

Brady has left the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

"With a rare wild creature," Ouida offers quietly, "One may incur less risk of further engagement /if/ one was successful in killing it, than if one accidentally or precipitously kills off a scout or emmissary that might have been neutral to friendly of intent," the knight points out. "And assumptions about our intent may be quite dire."

Brady has joined the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

Maru watches quietly from the sofa, simply listening to all of the discussion. He seems rather entertained by this line of inquiry. Flying goats.

Peri comes out of a moment of deep thought. "Not a chain, maybe a rope. Do you know, like we catch birds of the sea in ropes while sailing."

Ysbail has left the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

Gruffudd, A ridiculously large and fluffy Blackwood forest Cat, Inka Briar leave, following Ysbail.

Amund rests his chin against his fist as he hears the hypotheticals. There is a nod to Olivia and Zeriax as they sit nearby, Ouida given a brief moment of attention as she makes her hypothesis.

Natalia lifts her eyebrows. "I don't know how to do that, could you tell us about how that works?" The question is asked of Peri before she nods to Ouida, agreeably. "I would think a goat with peaceful intent would probably approach differently than a hostile one, but that's not a safe assumption to make." To the room in general, "So if we have a goat circling, and let's say there is a rider, what would we look for to tell how much trouble we are in?"

" Wouldn't there be a way to lure the flying goats to land? " Kanean comment.


Zeriax shrugged. "If we're talking about how we might deal with a creature as we are currently, then I doubt giant chains would be an available option. Even were they available, one has to compare the effort put into such a thing versus the results of the outcome of said efforts. Maximum effort for little gain isn't ideal." At Peri's mention of ropes, he pointed a thumb towards her. "Rope, on the other hand, is cheaper, lighter, and more easily transported. Still, if we're speaking about ''preparation'', then making nets or spears to capture something flying isn't a bad idea. However, if something like that were intelligent, or had a rider, it might be best to take away its ability to ''see''. Smoke clouds, for instance, making it difficult for them to target anything." He paused, listening to Natalia's newest question. "If a hostile flying ''anything'' with a rider came to attack us, specifically, then it would want to accomplish one of two things; create chaos and mayhem, ''or'' attack specific targets of importance. For example, if Ballistae were mounted on towers, or perhaps, even the Crown's palace, or the Archives of Vellichor. Personally, I still believe it would be best to lure it to an available ambush point on the ground, where we would have the advantage." He nodded towards Kanean at the suggestion.


Duarte raises his hand again. "The circling itself seems ominous. Like a bird of prey or some sort of vulture waiting for us all to die." A beat, "Which may be several years yet."

Following a brief, quiet discussion with those seated around him, Valdemar suggests, "If you are going to use ropes or chains to try to bring down this flying goat, you are going to need a lot of strong men to actually pull the thing down. Given its size, I'd imagine it has to be a powerful beast." At the next question, regarding how much trouble the city might be in, he lifts his shoulders in a shrug again. "I'm afraid I don't know much about goats in general. I'd have to call in an expert to have any idea on how malicious such a creature could be," he says.

"It does emphasize the need that we often forget--that a variety of talents and skills are needed to safeguard a domain, not just the sword /or/ the diplomat," Ouida says, solemnly. "Are there scholars who might recognize any heraldry? They could research that as more combative preparations are being made. Can we speak to others and find out if there have been strange sightings or reports that they've forgotten about until now? Perhaps they might yield the direction from whence it came. Do we have historians who can comb the archives for any references? At the same time as we move our people to as much safety as we can provide, while we observe and prepare."

Brady starts to lift his hand, then reconsiders, "We'd look at how human the rider was. Let's just uh, assume that if's grotesque and inhuman, it's a very bad thing. If it is human looking, I'd say the second worse thing we could see would be Eurusi clothing or armor."

Brady adds, abruptly, glancing to Ouida, "A shining figure, on the other hand, would be a good sign... in my humble opinion."

Duarte says, "Do they have goats in Eurus?"

Aside from wanting to make friends with it, because that's probably a Keaton's first impulse when dealing with cute goats, Amari says, "My guess would be that we're going to have a bad time, and can't rely on arrows, even giant ones alone. Getting people out of harm's way as orderly as possible is good, and I would make sure we've ample defenses. First, I'd put iron spikes on the roofs and ramparts to deny the beast any place to land, save on the very street itself where it would be vulnerable to attack from the ground and from windows where people could try to stab it and tie it down. Perhaps there'd be some manner of denying it the air as well, so it can't swoop over so easily. A tangle of barbed or hooked poles or ropes on the outer walls? Granted all that would have to be prepared in advance at expense and in full expectation of giant flying goat attacks. So. If they saw all that and were friendly, they'd hopefully have the good sense to land in a field outside to parlay - the rider that is."

Natalia says, "I think they have goats everywhere."

Duarte blinks. Is silent. "I would kind of like to see a Eurusi goat, actually." Straight faced.

Olivia has joined the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

Peri takes a while to respond to Natalia's direct question. She's enthralled by the discussion around her. "Well, it's like this," She waves out the shape of a sailing vessel, "You have a ship, see, and you attach a line to it" She mimics tying a rope to a spar-thing or a sailing-knob. "Strong arms are good, but what we do is attach it to the ship. And then we have something like an anchor," She puts forth her hand as to forstall questions about how the ship is moving, "Not an anchor for the ship. an anchor for the rope. And then you flip the rope around, tangling wings in the line. They're usually following. Did that make sense?"

Peri loses herself in thought for a moment as she recalls the last few minutes of conversation, "Hold, she says. Aamor is not bad. If I were up in the clouds going very fast /I'd/ want armor. Who wouldn't? Imagine getting knocked out by a bird or hail or some such."

Valdemar has left the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

5 Grimhall House Guards, Gustav, a gruff Islander advisor leave, following Valdemar.

"I think...it is likely that riders of flying beasts would have armor of some sort," Ouida observes. "It may not look like steel or leather--the Cardians have steelsilk, for example. BUt if a beast and rider were to approach a city--unless they were totally ignorant of such things, it might be that they know about potentile flung weapons and the like, and are agile enough to avoid them. Unless the rider is something wild or uniquely fearless as well."

Brady tells Peri, clarifying, "Eurusi armor, specifically. We know from experience they're not interested in negotiations." He shrugs, "That's all I was referring to with that... 'What to look for on the rider to know how bad it was'..."

"Yes," Natalia says, grinning Peri's way. "An anchor for the rope to bring it down, tangling the ropes in the wings. It's a good idea." That tone? It's thoughtful, and she does get up now to circle back to her stage table. There's a note made on her paper there before she circles back around to her chair in the circle. Ouida's words have her nodding that way, and Brady's as well. "We've had lots of things to think about, with this one," she says. "I'd like to meet on the same topic in a few weeks, once we've all mulled over the goat issue, and then the one I'm going to bring up now. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fight something that is invisible, or perfectly matches the terrain? Let's say you know at this point that it's in the same room as you. What's better than panic?"

"Blindly lashing out with a sword." Amari answers confidently.

Duarte slips out.

Harlen leaves, following Duarte.

"Setting that room on fire?" Brady posits.


Zeriax turned to Ouida once more. "That brings up the use of smoke. If we can use some sort of alchemical concoction that creates a haze that's difficult to fly through...or, if there's a combustible gas we could launch flaming arrows into, creating explosions in the sky, I'm positive that'd be a far more difficult hazard for a flying beast to ignore or dodge."

When the topic moved on from flying creatures, and towards the invisible, Zeriax took a moment to ponder. "Well, flour is the easy approach. Any type of particulate or liquid substance a person could cast over a large area, and potentially on the creature itself, would work just fine." He looked to Brady. "If the substance was flammable, all the better." Then, more seriously, he peered back to Natalia. "''Or'', if there's no method to detect it visually, then perhaps there's something an individual could force it to react to, in order to bring it out of hiding."


Saying something at his sofa, Amund nods to the other listeners of this session and makes his way out.

Amund has left the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

Olivia has left the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

2 Ashford House Guard, Bethany leave, following Olivia.

"While you search for it, you'd probably want to be back to back with comrades." She frowns in thought. "You did mention something about ceilings, so perhaps someone should be in charge of holding a shield over to guard against something dropping from above." She gives another frown, "In fact, maybe fitting shields together could barricade the hidden foe from getting past a group." She looks back at Natali, "What size is it?"

The change in topic seems to visibly relax the Harthall knight, though for now Ouida seems content to primarily listen, taking a sip from her glass.

"We don't know," Natalia answers Peri with a grin. She catches sight of a redhead with tattoos on her face poking her head out of the office hall doors, and nods that way. A moment later, she's moving to rise. "And on that note, I'm going to call this discussion here. Thank you, everyone, for coming. If anyone has any roundtable discussion topics they'd like to see, please let me know. Otherwise, I think the next few will be on pieces of this discussion -- I very much want to continue theorizing on ways to deal with new threats."

Brady has left the a comfortable ivory leather and mahogany wooden sofa.

Ouida stands to rise as the meeting draws to a close, offering Natalia a courtly bow of the head in warm thanks, and a smile to her companions on the couches.

Brady wanders over to the stage, beckoning discreetly from the floor. "Lemme ask ya something."

When Natalia is calling the meeting to a close, Kael rises up from his spot and offers forth applause. It is, of course, a polite thing and is combined with an inclination of his head in humble fashion. Thereafter? He casts a look toward Amari, commenting quietly to her, "I believe that it is time for me to head back to the Valardin Ward. Are you heading that way?"


Zeriax looked around to the people in the room, perhaps for the first time actually ''seeing'' them. When Natalia mentioned the discussion coming to an end, he looked up to her. "This meeting wasn't held primarily for the academic intention of thought exercises." He said, rather confidently. "Why ''have'' you chosen to bring people together to discuss such odd things? Are we to assume that, should the Crown side solely with Ashe, that the resultant enemies we as a nation make will have such unusual tactics and armaments available to them?"


Brady bluntly tells Zeriax, "The second Reckoning is comin', man. Regardless of who we side with." He offers a consolatory shrug.

Taking her glass to fill it back up, Natalia smiles over at Brady. "Of course," she tells him, gesturing with her free hand to him before she does turn to address the room again. "If anyone wishes to speak about membership that is not, I will be about for a while." And then Brady gets at least most of her attention. When he offers his quiet question she blinks at him, then nods. Immediately. She leans over and offers a soft response, then looks to Zeriax, arching an eyebrow. "This meeting was in fact for the purpose of thought exercises, because we need to start having them." Brady's blunt words have her gesturing to him with her glass in agreement.

"Even without siding with Ashe. The world is still full of things you wouldn't expect. " Kanean replies.

After a little applause herself, Amari lifts both hands and then parts them as if to show the arc of a rainbow. "Magic." She says. Magic. That's her answer to Zeriax before she stands with a nod to Kael, "I am. I'd be glad for the company too, incase of brain worms controlling dead flying giant goats ridden by Eurusi invaders."