3871 Reese is going to be leading the Crownlands Defense at the Mouth of the Gray River. She is coordinating her action with an action to help the defense that will be lead by Marquis Malesh. She is heading to the mouth of the Gray River with a good portion of the Grayson military and with allies. The goal of this defense is to make sure that the Eurusi do not enter the Crownlands through the Gray River route. The goal is to protect Grayson lands, The lands of Grayson vassals and to protecte the crownlands. In order to be mobile, Reese will be bringing the Grayson navy along with her. Everything done here has been coordinated with Princess Liara.

She will bring the cavlary with the hopes that they can be mobile, moving to differen stations along the river as need be. They are sending some of the Archers, Pike men and Infantry to Thrax and a few will need to stay in Compact as well. STill she will have 1000 infantry, five hundred pike and 500 archers with her. This will be the less mobile force stationed near the mouth of the river where she thinks the eurusi would land. If they do land she hopes to attack the Eurusi right as they dock to get the upper hand if possible.

The cavalry and ships will be ready for movement. She is working the House Deepwood (Rymarr and Jessa), House Whikehawk (Jauffrey) and house Ashood (Rhiannon). House Stonewood is doing a seperate, but related action at the same area and Reese plans to communicate closely with them. Reese wants to be ready to move as needed, to response to orders and to be alert to any messages from the King or Liara. 4

The 1st Banner under the command of Marquis-Consort Rymarr Deepwood sets out from Old Oak to join with the gathering banner of the Crownlands. Under General Reese Grayson's instruction the plan is to wait for possible incursion by the Eurusi into the Compacts lands and catch them when they're making landfall. So that's the plan he intends to follow. On the prospective battlefield he sets himself about the task of organize his troops, conveying orders through Captains, and delegating some of the command responsibilities to Lady Jessa Deepwood. If this will be their place to defend, then Rymarr sets about the task of ordering defenses and pickets established in order to defend that beachhead against a threat to the Compact.

The 2nd Banner under the command of Lady Jessa Deepwood is called to arms. The Infantry is set in parallel to the 1st Banner. Jessa and Rymarr have coordinated a tag-team cohesion, ensuring their armies can have each other's backs in a pinch. Her defense is primarily for the innocent people in the area, focused on being the solid line (or wall of Woods) between Eurus at the coast and the rest of the Compact.

Rhiannon, as the Ashford General, is bringing all the Ashford troops to bear that are not under other leadership for this engagement. She leads the bulk of the Ashford troops to protect Grey River. Rhiannon doesn't just have the Ashford Infantry, she is a scout at heart and she will have some scouts at her disposal to be located along the river mouth and the land leading to the river. These scouts have ways to signal through sound and hidden markings in the forests to share information with infantry or cavalry to have a heads up on any movement toward the river by hostile forces. She leads these Ashford information networks just by sending out troops to keep an eye out.

The bulk of the Ashford Troops will be at the river at the possible landing spots into Grayson and Crown lands. They will coordinate with Princess Reese in protecting the river mouth and ensuring that this location can be defended and not used as a site for incursion into Grayson and Crown lands.

While not of a military mind, Rey is assisting House Grayson and Princess Reese with the defense of the Gray River by making sure that Brighthold is able to support the troops, offering the city and port as a place for rest and supplies. Rey will also be sure that there are mercies on hand should anyone be need in medical attention, first aid supplies and medical tents at the ready. As well as a place to use to send out patrols and the like from. Including adding Laveer's army to the troop numbers.

Cabbit must stay home this time while Bedivere heads out to the Crownlands Defense at the Mouth of the Gray River : with a whole slew of Solace and Whitehawk (with a siege weapon) behind him to join up with his fellow commanders.

Liam will join Reese with a force from the Riven lands to join in the defense of the gray river mouth. He and the Riven warriors will deploy with the main detachment allowing others to handle more scouting duties. Liam will offer what insight he can to preparing their defenses and readiness happy to hold the line in case of invaders.

It's a good, sensible plan to defend the mouth of the Gray River. Of course, it's often said that no plan survives contact with the enemy, and in this case well before it, as the strategic position has greatly changed since they first received their orders. The Eurusi fleet is being met at Sungreet by the combined forces of the Lyceum, the Mourning Isles and the Faith, and a great whirlpool now blocks Arx's harbor. This has made a defensive position there to intercept incoming Eurusi forces not as pressing a need as was originally planned.

Which is not to say that they don't have threats they need to respond to.

Word comes up from House Leary lands that a great many of the refugees may, in fact, be dangerous and they had to stop some refugees that were clearly advanced scouts of Skal'daja sent with orders to torch the farms and villages of the Crownlands. There's indications of fires and attacks throughout the Crownlands, and their forces are the ones in position to respond. So they march upriver in search of hostile forces.

Princess Reese directs scouting missions with the different forces under her command, finding evidence of minor villages being attacked and farms being burned throughout the Crownlands, and some murders of Eurusi refugees with evidence that suggests it was from Skal'dajans trying to stop innocent Eurusi from giving warning. Ashford troops under Rhiannon's command report movements from along the Gray River and the groups of refugees that have turned inland, and Laveer and Riven forces under Rey and Bedivere respectively track inland giving aid to villages that were attacked. And then it falls upon Rymarr and Jessa leading their Deepwood banners north from the river to hunt down the Eurusi saboteurs.

Rymarr and Jessa march quickly passed torched farmlands, and tragic signs of farmers put to the sword, of Grayson, Bisland and other vassals cut down as they worked their land. As Rymarr presses his troops for speed, the first signs of smoke are seen, and he steadily follows a line of ravaging towards Deepwood lands, including passing a slaughtered picket near Deepwood's borders. Several dozen dead soldiers, but they had bought time, and it's not long after that at a small hamlet named Lost Tree near Old Oak that Rymarr and Jessa find the raiders.

There's not many of them. A few dozen mounted Eurusi who had been riding hard and burning and killing everything on their way. The hamlet of Lost Tree is aflame when they arrive, the huts burned and bodies of cut down villagers in the street. There's the sounds of battle as raiders ride down villagers, and Rymarr sees a pair of templars desperately trying hold the door of the local church, where the children had managed to be ushered for safety. There's only a handful of armed villagers, and a robed Eurusi barking orders is pointing his scimitar at the church.

Rymarr and Jessa lead the charge, their archers taking mounted Eurusi off their horses while some crossbow fire comes in return. Jessa brings her forces around to encircle the village and to be certain none of the mounted raiders could ride off into the woods and continue their slaughter, and her pikemen manages to plug potential escape routes as Jessa matches swords with an Eurusi raider. The clash of her diamondplate sooted blade Storm's Fury splits the air as the Eurusi slashes again and again with his scimitar, but Jessa finds and opening and cuts the man down.

Rymarr is charging through the hamlet, cutting a rider off his horse that comes at him, and Rymarr doesn't even break stride as he parries another charging Eurusi and cuts the man in half.

The robed Eurusi points at the templars guarding the church, and both of the men scream and tumble over, bursting into a black flame that turns them to ash where they stand. The fighting is quickly dying down with most of the Eurusi down to Deepwood soldiers as Rymarr and as the robed figure turns and starts to gesture towards Rymarr, the Marquis of Old Oak cuts the Eurusi's arm off, sending him sprawling off his horse and mortally wounded.

There's a haunting bubbling laugh that comes from the dying Eurusi bleeding on the ground, who with his remaining hand lifts a dagger up and then plunges it into his own heart, his laughter silencing. And then the ground rumbles. Jessa, Rymarr and most of the Deepwood soldiers struggle to contain their footing as the ground shakes from a sudden, impromptu earthquake, and Rymarr is coming to his feet when he is thrown back towards the church as the ground by him and the corpse of the Eurusi suddenly erupts in a gyser of flame and a beastial inhuman roar that further shakes the earth.

From the cracked earth, a clawed black fist as large as a man rises from the ground, slowly pulling a mishapen beast from the earth. The scaled monstrosity looks like a mix of alligator, ox and man, with horned tusks, scales and rows of fangs in an elongated snout. Covered in flames and hulking at twenty feet at the shoulder, it bellows in rage and stares at the church where the villagers and their children are hiding and starts moving forward, as Deepwood archers feather arrows at it.

And the only one standing between the demon and the church is Marquis Rymarr Deepwood, once of the King's Own.

What stands in the memory of the Deepwood soldiers afterwards is the complete lack of hesitation on the part of the Marquis of Old Oak. The roar of the beast has hardened soldiers turning pale and stumbling backwards, screaming in terror, and Rymarr is running as well- but he's running directly at the beast.

The beast's clawed fist swipes at Rymarr, and he batters away the claw, his alaricite shield bending under the inhuman pressure. Rymarr's alaricite sword flashes, cutting the hand away as he charges, slashing the underbelly of the beast and drawing a cry of pain and rage.

A frightening fast turn of the beast's body and a massive tail slams into Rymarr from the side, but he rolls away on the ground before its maw finds him and snaps him up. Rymarr then slashes into it's jaw, drawing another roar as he's splashed with the black acidic ichor of its blood, and Rymarr's shield is torn away by another claw that finally catches around his waist as his alaricite armor makes a shrill squeal as it bends under the demonic strength.

The Marquis slashes off a demon's finger, but the beast lifts him into his maw. Its fangs that are the size of a man's arm closing in on him, and biting through his armor with a horrifying crunch as it tries to swallow him. As the fangs pierce through Rymarr's chest and his upper body enters the beast's mouth, he thrusts his sword up with all his might, the blade piercing all the way up through its skull.

The beast's monstrous body turns black and begins to disintegrate into ash and smoke, with Rymarr falling to the ground as Deepwood troops rush and surround him. His body ravaged, the Sir Rymarr Lyonesse and Marquis Rymarr Deepwood of Old Oak lets out a final shuddering breath. It's silent in the village, save for the sobs of relief from the villagers in the Church. Not much is said for a very long time, but all the soldiers and villagers agree.

None had seen a man die as valorously as Rymarr.

Great Road Patrol/Reese is going lead a patrol of the Great Road in the Crownlands in the name of Grayson and Solace. Her goal is to keep the road for travelers, merchants and civilians safe. She wants to help keep the road in Bastian as a safe place to travel and she wants to contribute toward the road being used to help increased trade in the Crownlands. She is bringing along about half of the Grayson army. She is going to try avoid battles if possible. She will be focusing on chasing off thieves, those stealing and attacking from the road. She will not attack anyone who is not hostile to their patrol, clearly tainted by the abyss unless they are someone attacking others who will not cease such. She will retreat from overwhelming odds. She will try diplomatic means before going into combat if possible. She really wants to bring back the army in one piece. They are staying on or close to the road. They are going to follow the normal paths that Solace would take. She is not going to venture into the lands of Grayson Vassals because she respects agency. So while she patrols the pathways, she won't go chasing down bad guys in Riven lands for example. She hopes to make a positive show of force that will help those in the Bastian. She hopes to a patrol that reflects well on both Grayson and Solace. She will throw in the weight of her name as the Knight of Ribbons and the Grayson General to help in the image of the patrol. Since many important members of her family supported the road, she also hopes to give the road a better image as well.

Reese has invited Rey to be the head Mercy that moves on the road with this large group. She will be there to offer healing to the warriors as well as any on the road that has need. During this time she will be looking and marking sites for warstations to be placed along the road itself.

Rymarr will be present to aid in the patrols of the Great Road alongside House Grayson's efforts. He will be present to offer himself in the physical sense, but to also act as counsel when sought by the General of House Grayson.

Lisebet has been asked to come along, bringing her diplomatic skills. She's there to try that diplomatic approach in an attempt to settle things peacefully wherever possible. To that end, she'll be studying up on the lands they're going on, and making sure she's got a good idea of who she might be speaking to and with, so that when they are there, she will be at her best. Although she's not a Whisper, she's a fairly good diplomat, and used to helping out in such ways.

As a former Crownsworn and with a fierce loyalty to the crown and the vassal houses under the Graysons, if Princess Reese asks Jyri to help, he will come. So, using his expertise as a soldier, he will join this effort. He has a vested personal interest in the safety of the road as well, and it fits perfectly with his wish to see that refugees can travel safely to safe areas. The safer this part of the road is, the better for them. He will keep to what Reese orders, but offer his expertise at living in the wilds, work as a scout in the nearby forests to look for trouble, and he can also talk Crownlands Shav'arvani should they face any Shav'arvani of that kind - not that he's much of a diplomat, but he can translate if needed. And of course, if it becomes violent, he knows how to use that spear.

As per the modus operandi of Princess Reese, Lord Bedivere rides forth with Hawkhold's Soldiers and some promising Solace recruits mixed in ((from @action 3080)) at a 10:1 ratio. He will help patrol that Great Road which he and his men helped build. Whenever come close to Whitehawk lands, they temporarily detour to check those then join back up with the Grayson patrol.

Olivia is comming along to help keep the group healthy. She is not a fighter and won't be able to contribute in any martial way, but hopefully her knowledge of Medicines, Herbs, Alchemy, will help keep everyone in top top shape! Ideally though the group stays safe and healthy enough to not need her skills.

A show of force is enormously helpful. The Crownlands were spared much of the worst of the problems facing the rest of Arvum as a result of the Great Road, due to Alaric forbidding construction in areas that would have cut through largely Shav'arvani controlled lands. Being spared the worst doesn't mean 'no', however, as more than one Abandoned group took advantage of the distraction of the chaos of the Great Road to prey on travelers, and brigand attacks are at a high not seen in decades. Reese patrol largely puts an end to that.

Some of the groups can be talked down, of course, particularly with force behind them. Lisebet is able to resolve one inane border conflict between House Twinstone and House Ratherford, two of the baronies sworn to Grayreeve that had quarreled since Augustus' declaration. Jyri is able to convince the Gray Forest Reavers to stay well clear of this, after some had ventured from closer to Nox lands. Rey and Olivia help aid many of the wounded on the road, which turns out to be more than might be expected- there was at least four significant skirmishes between Whitehawk soldiers under Bedivere's command and brigand groups, ending with the latter's apprehension.

Reese and Rymarr lead the main Grayson forces, and there is one major engagement against a several-hundred strong force of Clan Wildrage, who seemed to be preparing a major raid against villages near Old Oak lands. Suspiciously, Clan Wildrage is closer to Grayreeve lands than it is to Old Oak, making it exceedingly odd that they would have been able to travel that far unchallenged, but unfortunately the handful of ones that surrendered were clan spearcarriers that only knew that they were told by their leaders that Old Oak lands were vulnerable and ripe for raids.

At any rate, as a result of the patrols, the Crownlands are significantly safer for it, and word spreads of their success.

Reese would like to encourage the Shavs she had ready to bend the knee for a barony to instead bend the knee to Deepwood and Riven somewhere along the lines of half and half. Not wanting to part families or anything like that, she will try to keep people together who want to stay together and will worry about that over being exactly even. She will once again not force anyone bend the knee, but instead will try to rely upon her charm and diplomacy to encourage such. She will stress the need to be safe from the slaver as a reason. Anyone who changes their mind about bending the knee will not be forced. With this she hopes to protect those she gathered to bend the knee from being taken by the slaver, but she also hopes to help increase the size of Riven and Deepwood. She hopes to strengthen her bonds with them and her image as a protector of the Gray Forest. She is going to encourage Countess Mia and Marquesa Samantha to help with such and will support them setting their own terms when it comes to bending the knee. Beyond not forcing the issue, she will honor and aid Mia and Samantha in doing things their way. Although she is pretty sure they wouldn't force anyways and has great faith in their ability to handle this well.

    (ooc note: This going to be done in place of getting the barony for Reese. She would rather the people safe and sworn houses she has faith in then waiting for around.)

Samantha of couse, is mad happy with the notion of adding land and people to her domain. As Mia has already indicated, she will want to more or less go through her now familiar process when it comes to incorporating would-be prodigals. She'll want to meet with the Shav'arvani leadership of the tribes and clans who want to consider swearing fealty to her, as much for them to talk to her as it is for her to talk to them. She'll offer a clear overview of Old Oak law and her expectations (she has not, to date, demanded her people join the Faith), and she'll want to address their expectations in return. She has the means to let her reputation speak for her, but she will also do some outreach with the shav'arvani population that is hoping to be incorporated, take time to expose herself to their particular clan culture and lives. Basically showing that she cares about respecting their way of life. If all goes well, assuming the 50/50 split Reese has proposed, she sit down with their leaders along with Mia and Reese, to determine the border between county and March.

Mia will do as she has so often done with the shav'arvani -- ride out to meet with them herself, and speak to them of all the possibilities of their future together, strenghtened by one another. To this point, she will wish to meet with the leaders of all of the clans and tribes, to hear out their concerns, their requests, their requirements. The utmost respect will be shown to them and to their elders over the course of these discussions, and each point addressed not with vague promises but with specific, pertinent examples of situations faced by others who have joined her banners, with frank honesty given as to their results and current state as best she is able. She will lay forth her own, which are simple enough, as they pertain to the laws of Riven and the requirements of the Compact. Mia will point, too, to the large number of Prodigals that have settled in the County in the last fifteen years, and what has become of them -- their lives, their fortunes, their successes, and yes, their service. Emphasis will be placed on the dire circumstances which Riven and the Greenwoods found themselves in once, with strong comparisons made to the threats made by the Horned God and his minions now, and how each may assure the survival of the other now as was done then, with Thesarin to stand as evidence of the benefits of unity. She will, too, speak of her future hopes and plans for the County -- for developing its lands, for strengthening its defenses, and soon for expanding its armies, all of which may provide opportunity for those who have been displaced from their homes and forced to abandon their property in the face of current threats, thus giving them hope of a more secure future for them and for their children. (NOTE: I have not added resources to this as I was uncertain if they'd be needed, based on Reese already having the people. However, if they would be beneficial to the outcomes as outlined in my/our OOC intent, then I am more than happy to contribute 250 Econ/350 Social from my personal inventory.)

Thesarin will, once again, be riding into the Grey Forest to welcome the Prodigals into the Compact. His own example, he hopes, will serve as a show of the treatment of Abandoned in the Houses of Deepwood and Riven, and he hopes his reputation (mixed though it might be) will carry weight to people in the Grey Forest. As the Prodigal Count-Consort of a largely Prodigal land, welcoming to many peoples, and with his own fame (or infamy) to draw on, he hopes to peacably gain lands and people; with his experience fighting the Slaver's monsters in the woods, and with the fang of Braxxus the Bloodsniffer set at the pommel of his sword, he looks to show the dangers they face and the protection he offers.

The current state of the Gray Forest creates great risk for the average person unaffiliated with the Compact. With Old Oak and its ruler prepared to accept more potential citizens, Rymarr's duties are in need once again. Security is increased in the interest of providing these latest individuals seeking to join with the March with added safety. Rymarr has progressively become more and more accustomed to directing and coordinating large groups of people; first as the Marquis of Lyon's Redoubt, then onward to the King's Own, the Iron Guard, and of course as the military leader of House Deepwood. Outside of warfare, there's plenty of opportunity and reason to employ such skills in the aid of both those committing themselves once more to joining the Compact through House Deepwood and House Deepwood itself.

Of course Rymarr would be missing a golden opportunity not to put on a little show for their arriving citizenry in the form of putting their finest troops forward in hopes of inspiring some of their potential new citizens into enlisting in the ranks of House Deepwood's 2nd Banner.

So they are happy to serve. Maybe a little too happy, in fact. There's one very respected Abandoned priest named Rufus Proudwood who heartily endorses Reese's message, and encourages the different shav groups to settle on Deepwood and Riven lands. Not shamanistic at all, but definitely a divergent line of Pantheon worship that seems to hold Petrichor as the One True God and All Others Are Subservient Before Him And His Wilds, the Divine of the Dirt has been gaining a lot of traction among abandoned groups as of late, and it's a version of worship that is why the Proudwoods were cast out of the Compact during the Elven War. Now the prodigals all bending the knee to Samantha and Mia seem to listen to Thesarin and Rymarr and go out of their way to avoid creating problems, and the patch of proudwood land does pass to Riven while most of the people pass to Deepwood, but some of Rufus' teachings are a little odd. One common sermon supposedly was, "THE GREAT HORNED BEAST IS COMING FOR US ALL! WE NEED TO PROTECT HIS DAUGHTERS OR ELSE ALL IS LOST! WHEN THE CENTIPEDES RISE TO EAT EVERYONE AND FORM SHACKLES OF WRITHING BUGS AROUND THEM, ONLY HIS DAUGHTERS WILL SAVE US!" And so on. It's quite apocalyptic. The proudwoods and their get are VERY happy to settle on Riven and Deepwood lands for some reason.

As for Rufus? Well, accordingly right as they were all about to finally bend the knee, he ran off screaming into the woods saying that 'It had finally come for him!' and was found in a ditch with his barely recognizable devoured form covered in centipedes. So nothing too strange.

With the news that many shav'arvani tribes are fearful for their lives in the face of the Horned God, Samantha has decided to attempt what she has previously done successfully: open her borders to shav'arvani refugees, without obligation of joining the Compact, but with the requirement that they adhere to the rule of law while within her borders. That being said, as there is great concern regarding any spies or Horned God loyalists coming in amongst the refugees, Samantha is going to utilize the procedures that she helped develop when she acted as a Liberator and needed to screen for true criminals amongst the freed thralls when helping them re-establish their lives. She will also turn to her Prodigal population from the time before, asking them to take an active hand in this process, as they themselves can speak from experience as to the veracity of Samantha's word, and she believes they would be extremely scrutinizing in making sure any spies or enemies slip through the process. As before, Samantha will show by example the benefit of joining the Compact, and hope that her actions result in further prosperity.

Grady is used to the quiet spaces. To growing up in the woods, and being away from Arx. Having recently made the journey himself, he'll talk of his own experiences. It's not quite the same journey, mind - he's always been part of the Compact. But it's not so different out in the middle of nowhere. He appreciates the quiet spaces too, and so he'll talk about how expansive the world can be. How there's still room to be free. How the Compact isn't a trap it's a gift of security. He'll mention children too, and building for a bright future together. How the Compact takes care of its own, and in these difficult times that's important. How we fight for each other, and celebrate the joys together, and come together in times of sorrow. We can build together. It's not a bad thing at all, is it?

Marquis-Consort Rymarr Deepwood has sent along notice to Old Oak of the plans of the ruling Marquessa, Samantha. In that notice he calls for volunteers that may be prepared to accept new Prodigals and teach them the way of life in the Compact - ideally pulling from the great many Prodigals already become citizens of Deepwood Hold. Along with that efforts are to be taken to ensure the safety and security of Old Oak, whether from these welcomed Abandoned in the form of a subtly close eye being kept on them or ensuring that they do not bring something altogether unpleasant in with them. Up to and including disease or other less than savory affairs.

Mia will be following Samantha's lead, opening up Riven's borders to allow for the transport of various shav'arvani tribes along the rivers that run north-to-south through the county, ferrying people from dangerous locations to more secure ones. Those who have been thoroughly vetted by all of the procedures laid out may also be permitted to remain at the Twainfort, on condition that all laws of the Compact be adhered to while present.

Moving a large number of people is an undertaking. Moving whole villages into Deepwood territory, in winter, will take food, blankets, foragers, guides, fires, and waystations. Thesarin, and his Riven subjects (Prodigals especially), will be working with Deepwood and Grayson to arrange everything needed to bring the shavs into the refugee camps, and see them protected on their way.

Lord Kaldur will shadow Samantha in her efforts to welcome the shav'arvani who take shelter in Deepwood as the Traitors forces stir. He's reasonably observant, so he'll be on the look out for mannerisms or customs, greetings, physicalities, sayings. He will be of particular use if any cultists are discovered.

Reese would like to help protect the shavs who are wanting to move to safer lands. She would like to try and be a positive force and to gently encourage those in danger to move. She will be highly focused on protecting any shavs as they move.

Dame Esoka's efforts are two-fold. First, she assists with security under the Marquessa's direction, keeping a particular eye (and feel) out for any shavs who might be Abyssal spies. Second, she speaks to those who come about her own experiences as a prodigal among the Deepwoods and Rivens and encourages them to bend the knee, trying to show them they can maintain their pride and tradition within the Compact.

As Voice of Whitehawk, Kenna organizes routes for the shav'arvani who meet the Deepwood requirements through Whitehawk land, as well as places for them to stay within the barony as space and protections exist that deep within the forest. Her greatest effort is directed towards helping arrange passage down the two branches of river that cup surround the Barony to where there are better defenses.

Alaric will be comitting some military resources and support from House Grayson to temporarily bolster garrison postings that have had forces diverted to help in other areas of the effort. Otherwise, he will be putting his diplomatic skills to managing any complaints, disagreements, and other general issues in regards to residents with problems with refugees traversing the Crownlands.

Bethany will bring the Mercier trade network to bear, handling logistics, tracking down suppliers for the needed sundries and negotiating the best possible prices. She won't go herself, but she'll do everything that can be done from the safety of her tea shop to make sure that on the ground, everything runs as smooth as a well oiled... anachronism.

The Baron of Whitehawk will provide his cousin Kenna with the military personnel, food, and resources she may need in assisting the prodigal population to or through Hawkhold. Rangers, healers, boats, caravans - the works. He will delegate the actual orders and organization to her, though, to preserve the plans she has already set in place.

Scouts in the Gray Forest are reporting a significant number of shav who are afraid of the actions being taken in the Forest by a cult figure known only as the Horned God. While most reasonable people in Arx know that this is clearly a figure trying to draw from various scary pieces of folklore, some of the leaders of Grayson are seeing a chance to extend their lands and expand their populations.

Under Marquessa Samantha Deepwood's diplomatic leadership, diplomats from the Compact gather - Countess Mia Riven, Lady Kenna Whitehawk, and Princess Reese Grayson among them. They assemble support - Marquis Rymarr Deepwood, Baron Silas Whitehawk, Lord Grady Deepwood, Dame Esoka Greenblood, Bethany Mercier, Count Thesarin Riven, and Lord Kaldur Seliki - to render aid, tactical leadership, diplomatic outreach, and economic strength to their proposition. King Alaric Grayson even signs off on this attempt, putting his not inconsiderable charm to work.

They offer safe haven for those who want to flee potential "recruitment" by this cult leader. No overt mention is made of the need to bend the knee and yet those responding bend the knee anyway. Without prompting. One tribal leader even comments, 'It's a protection isn't it, to have someone we're oathed to already?' And so it seems. Riven, Whitehawk, and Deepwood lands expand, their populations swell, and for now it seems as though this is a very good thing for everyone.

One wonders what the response in the forest will be to that.

While Princess Coraline Thrax begins her humanitarian efforts in the east as planned, Princess Katarina Valardin turns her attention westward toward the heart of the Oathlands as the base for her own philanthropic operation. She wants to use her position as Valardin Minister of the Hearth to create new learning centers within Sanctum and other major settlements across the Oathlands.

While Dayne's Academy serves as an institution dedicated to taking Knight Aspirants and turning them into shining examples of chivalry, honor, and martial prowess in which the Oathlands prides itself upon, these schools will cater to those who choose pursuits beyond that of knighthood and military service.

Curriculum choices will be extensive. From applied sciences to linguistics and diplomacy, the courses of study made available will cater to a broad range of interests.

In order to raise awareness of her efforts and generate backers from the ranks of the nobility of the Oathlands, Katarina recruits the aid of her like-minded peers to donate their time and resources in a variety of ways suited to them. Be it taking on a young protege to teach them in a chosen craft, hosting forum-style discussions on the possibilities of their futures, or allowing them along in expeditions to inspire in them a thirst for knowledge and adventure, Katarina is supporting it all in a safe and productive environment.

Warfare is one thing that Marquis Rymarr Deepwood knows. A son of the Oathlands, hailing from Tristfell March and Lyon's Redoubt within it, there he served in a number of campaigns against hostile shav'arvani groups and tribes. Then he went away from the Oathlands to pursue other dreams and learned even more. At one point from Duke Gabriel Bisland himself. Now the time has come to pass that knowledge along to others, because while the heaviest of fighting has arrived at a lull - it's not over. Where many have stepped right back into their usual peaceful routines, Marquis Rymarr Deepwood is a Lyonesse at heart and knows eventually, sooner than later, it will all go south.

Marquis Rymarr fully intends to write up a series of rules of warfare to be expanded upon and presented to those seeking out information on the subject of military strategy and maneuvers. Be where your enemy least expects it, don't try to face down a cavalry charge on open terrain, and the rest. Fairly standard explanations and basic levels of instruction, but for some that is the first step to a larger world.

While Alaric can't go to Sanctum personally, he does have a number of Crown operatives at his disposal which he will direct mostly to make sure that no toes get stepped on with respect to the Faith's existing programs for general education and trade learning and that the collective effort is as collaborative as possible without individual groups getting territorial and defensive about matters.

Simone will reach out to the people of both House Greenmarch and House Telmar to try to spread the word of the schools that Princess Katarina is working to establish. She will assist with gathering names and topics for subjects that people may be interested in learning more about. She will also use her charm to convince some of their people to assist with the project as teachers. Though her own skills in teaching are very minimal, she will offer those if needed as well. Her experience in handling diplomatic situations is fairly well known. In addition, she relishes the idea of discussions and explorations alongside other students both into the Faith and into shamanism.

Marius throws his support behind Princess Katarina's initative wholeheartedly. The Marquis of Greenmarch has extensive experience in diplomacy and negotiation, ranging all the way from dealing with Shav tribes, to help negotiating entry into the Compact itself, to the various treaties he has been involved in since. He helps in shaping the curriculum for that subject, offering aid in teaching the teachers of diplomacy, and makes himself available to the students to answer questions periodically.

Additionally, Marius orders room cleared and assistance rendered to build one of the centers on Greenmarch lands for the benefit of his people and the Oathlands in general.

Alis will be lending her voice and leadership skills to Katarina's efforts. Being a leader is not just limited to leading troops, and she will be more then happy to teach some of the finer points of that particular type of expertise at whichever of the learning centers she is needed. In addition, she will spread word far and wide about the new endeavor.

Lisebet is from the far west, and yes, she has every intention of spreading this initiative, one day. This is not that day. So for now, she is throwing her assistance in with this more central work, able to add some resources to Princess Katarina's plan, and to talk to her friends, family and acquaintances about the goodness that this improved education will bring to all. She's not a very good teacher so doesn't imagine she'd be called on to teach, but will do her small bit to help out.

In the Oathlands, Princess Katarina Valardin has been working tirelessly to establish a series of schools and learning centers dedicated to teaching an extensive cirriculum for those who eschew military service and knighthood in pursuit of more scholarly and political pursuits. With respectable members of the Peerage who have demonstrated notable diplomatic and leadership achievements stepping into roles of mentorship and teaching such as Princess Alis Valardin, Marquis Rymarr Deepwood, Marquis Marius and Marquessa Simone Greenmarch, and Lady Lisebet Farshaw, the schools are of immediate interest for many wishing to learn new diplomatic and non-combative vocations from some of the most honorable in Arvum. ((Vox updated))

Iron Guard, Faith and Kings Own got you covered, baby. Plans in case a fleet feints and heads for Arx, possible attempts at a hostage situation:

Have plans in place to evacuate the Boroughs, but only if absolutely necessary, and more geared towards getting the city's most vulnerable to safety (we will NOT be moving people OUT of the city, only to more defensible areas!). Shelters will be prepared to accommodate the masses who seek refuge, and we may require the other wards to accept commoners seeking shelters should the Boroughs no longer be safe to occupy. We will begin to plant the suggestion that we may need to evacuate the Boroughs in the forseeable future as an attempt to alleviate panic.

* The Iron Guard and the Faith factions will be coordinating their efforts under the direction of Lord Commander Silas and Dame Thena, much like they did in the last siege. The former will be more focused on maintaining the peace, whereas the latter will likely be fighting with both sword and soup ladle. This should put the populace at greater ease in the following weeks.

* Checkpoints will be placed at the gates from the plains into the city, the harbor into the Lowers, and the Compact Ward into the Crown Ward to better acquire and organize information. These checkpoints will be overseen by Lieutenant Michael and Faith appointees, and some of the Iron Guard's newer recruits who come from the isles will be placed at these points to better vet the people providing their documents. They will be taking take names, affiliations, destinations, etc.

* Dame Thena and Princess Marian will be reaching out the the Commoners Council to rope them into more specific plans for the defense of the Boroughs. May include traps and/or harbor fortification.

* The King's Own will be protecting the royal family.

Calaudrin will be doing his job, training and leading groups of Iron Guard. This will including scouting with small groups beyond the walls to check for potential threats and keeping an eye on the walls.

Rymarr will be focusing much of his attentions within the greater Iron Guard effort on his assigned area: the Seawatch Gate and Seawatch South. Increased patrols, heightened readiness, and group training regimens are called for. Rymarr intends to lead by example and thus perform his own duties with a touch more gusto. On top of that the hope is that those fellow Iron Guard that he has sway over may join him in setting that example of a more proactive defensive force in the face of potential invasion. Along with following the orders dispensed from above, Rymarr intends to begin preparing the Seawatch Gate and Seawatch South for more potential pitched battles. In answer to those same orders from above, Rymarr hopes to orchestrate a streamlined system of patrols around the area and heightened inspections of those entering or departing the city, while attempting to not make it so inconvenient that traffic in and out of Arx is disrupted. To accomplish some of this, Rymarr fully intends to invest some of his own funds and contacts into the endeavor to hopefully ensure that the Iron Guard is prepared to face a threat.

Estaban will be helping the long ships get ready and make sure they are set up for their patrolls on the water, he will also be doing Dock patrols and making sure everything is set before he himself has to ship out with the fleet.

Kenna will be putting her organizational and logistical mind to making sure that all the little details of the guard get settled. Schedules, organizing reports, and making sure everything goes where it needs to go will be her part in this. Where others look at the Macro she'll keep her eyes on the micro and hopefully put together any pieces that might otherwise not get connected without a dedicated set of eyes. She also puts her time into making sure that the individuals in the guard have someone looking out for them on a personal level. She'll be looking for signs of stress and individuals taking too much on at one time. (Especially Silas.)

Princess Marian Redrain, military liason to the Ministry of Defense, has reached out to the Commoners Council to arrange for a town hall for all commoners to hear what the Iron Guard, King's Own, the Faith and Ministry of Defense are doing to keep Arx safe. This town hall will occur once military plans have been finalized by these organizations. She will also assist Iron Guard in coming up with an evacuation plan for non-combatants in the Upper and Lower Boroughs to ensure no lives are lost from panic if the enemy comes at our doorstep.

Sparte has fallen into the role of organizer between the Iron Guard and the other guards and troops in Arx that may be called to the defense of the city if it is under siege. He has received approval from each of the great houses to organize cross-training between their men and Iron Guard forces, so that if a crisis does come to Arx again they will be ready to work together to protect the city.

Derovai has been approached to keep an eye on the Lowers. He'll do so and check back with Calaudrin, whom he knows, to see if there's any other potential usefulness he might have.

Even as the diplomats focus on esprit du corps, the Iron Guard, some of the Knights of the Faith, and the King's Own are settling in to protect Arx.

Under Lord Commander Silas Whitehawk and Calaudrin Estes, the Iron Guard are instituting checkpoints at all the major gates. Marquis Rymarr and his people secure the Seawatch Gate, setting the example for a proactive defensive force in case of potential invasion. 'Constant Vigilance' is his watchword, and his influence spreads. The guards at the South Gate are looking particularly sharp these days.

Baron Estaban Saik mans the docks and leads the Iron Guard to make sure that all ships are properly inspected, and all cargo correct and complete. It's a difficult job, what with the propensity of ship captains to smuggle the odd thing here and there (as is their inalienable right as captain, most will argue) but he does a commendable job. The docks are quiet and safe, for now.

Derovai Voss heads to the Lowers, keeping an ear to the ground on behalf of the Iron Guard - he's casual enough to make it seem like happenstance, but he's clearly probing to try to keep ahead of any rumors of malcontent or, worse yet, cultists. So far so good, and Arx is as secure as the Iron Guard can make it.

Meanwhile, the King's Own is keeping a close eye on the King, the Queen, and the babies, more diligent even than usual and certainly more formal about who is admitted into the presence, and who is allowed to keep anything sharper than a table knife when approaching.

Lady Kenna Whitehawk keeps an eye on everyone as they work, determined to make sure they are still taking care of themselves even as new trainees fresh from classes with Officer Sparte Fatchforth start their own patrols, following plans coordinated between Lord Commander Silas, Princess Marian Redrain, Dame Thena Grayhope, and Lord Commander Leona Thrax.

Monique knows that a certain individual has been spreading rumors about the Minx. She also knows that Corban has been tarnished by this feather. And she knows that Corban has many, many friends who will help to cheer the Telmar Lord on publicly and not let someone else bring him down! So she's speaking to friends and kin of Corban Telmar, in an effort to have the man's honor be recognized above those who would inadvertently tarnish it, especially since it's his birthday coming up!

Agnarr, knowing Corban is a good paying client, occasionally takes a few moments to extoll his virtues and whatever it is that Telmar sells. (He isn't really sure.) Or else...

Bianca is happy to express Corban's virtues. From his gracious donations to the Scholars to his undying dedication to the Compact, she is happy to sing the praises of the man in any casual conversation that the topic may organically arise.

Every occasion in which Samael has been given the opportunity to meet Lord Corban has been a good one. That coupled with the fact he has the heart of his good friend, leaves Lord Corban in Samael's high esteem. He'll be telling anyone who will listen.

Dame Esoka Greenblood has always found Lord Corban Telmar to be an honorable, upstanding man and a fine warrior. She's happy to speak up on his behalf and tell all she knows that she's never found his conduct to be anything but chivalrous.

Thesarin Riven doesn't speak often, but he'll speak in support of Corban Telmar. A strong arm, some good company, and a man who helped keep his wife safe during a dangerous journey.

Reese would like to help by using her influence to speak positively of Lord Corban. She speaks of his help on the missions, his skill in battle, his level-headedness under pressure, his command abilities and his willing to step up when needed.

Marquis Rymarr's certainly willing to speak of Lord Corban's virtues. The Telmar did very probably save his life once. So speaking well of him? Not difficult to do.

Always a fan of talking up people, the King of the Compact makes a point of it to mention how pleasant he's found his interactions with Lord Corban Telmar in a few well-placed ears.

Clover will be doing what she can to start a propaganda campaign; going over Corban's many virtues to those Sworn of Valardin and Crownsworn. Telling about how how he worked with her as a vassal of Telmar in his duties as Voice. She will tell stories of how honorable and kind he is. And in general try to sway people to seeing hima s a respectable, and honorable, Oathlands lord. Who works hard for his duchy, fealty, and the compact.

There's a roving bard singing a song these days extolling the virtues of Lord Corban Telmar and it's incredibly catchy. To the point that random people are humming it in the streets now. And by the time they get to the clever ending, everyone's singing along. "Say it again! Who's that man among men? And we'll say it once more! Who's that hero next store? Who's that super success, don't you know can't you guess? Ask his fans and his five hangers on.... There's just one guy in town who's got all of it DOWWWWWWWWWN. And his name's C-O-R... C-O-R-B... C-O-R-B-A.....CORBANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

Reese would like to go hunt (and try to destroy) the monster after the daughters of the slaver who was in vision from Gloria. The vision gave her some details of where the monster is and she has plans to go into the Gray forest and follow those landmarks to try and find the monster. She plans to take Luca, Esoka, Rymarr, Barric and Killian. These are the ones who have been praying with her about how to protect the daughters. I was told this is a scene that Puffin will run. Thanks, Reese.

Luca's helping Reese with hunting the monster to protect the daughters to do a big blow against the slaver. Not exactly clear on details, but he's always down to be called on for this sort of thing, especially in keeping Reese safe.

Rymarr will be suiting up with blade and armor, then joining the Fellowship of Extraordinary Monster Slayers as they venture into the Gray Forest. He'll bring plenty of jerky and suuuper watered down wine. Super, super watered down wine. It's just water.

Killian is going to tag along to try and help out. He'll spend the days before departing in prayer to Sentinel, Gild and Limerance at their shrines. When the group heads out, he'll be taking sword and armor, but leaving his animals and retainers behind.

Esoka will accompany Reese on her search for this monster, with the intent of helping her slay it. She'll be taking along her diamondplate blade, River's Heart, which she believes was blessed by Gloria, and praying to the goddess for courage and resolve in the face of this foe which threatens those she loves.

Reese led a group of people out to find the demon in her vision, and they definitely found it! What they found were minions of Legion, a trapped family, and slavering creatures that consumed what they could and made them part of Legion too, growing bigger each time. They also learned that the people were searching - for the daughters, and the thief who stole the names. A half-dead and very somber group returned to Arx. The mission was complete, but the struggle continues. (OOC - check the event log - To Catch A Predator)

Lord Commander Silas Whitehawk has donated 50k to Mae Culler's soup kitchen, and will be sending volunteers -- primarily Iron Guard trainees -- to help serve meals to the needy with the intention to help improve relations between the Iron Guard and the denizens of the Lowers. They're here to help! Veteran members of the Guard are also encouraged to join if their schedules permit (and they'll be attached to this request).

They have been ordered to leave their weapons at the Barracks and to wear only plain cotton clothes. Should there be a physical altercation of some sort, they are encouraged to use their fists if they must defend themselves, but are greatly encouraged to try de-escalation tactics first!

Additionally, Silas will allow Dash the Guard Corgi to visit to entertain the elderly and the children who drop by. Guests are encouraged -not- to give him their food...

(This is a Vox-related storyrequest if that isn't obvious!)

Mae is always on hand, and this will be no exception. While present, she's going out of her way to encourage her people to talk to the guard, to get to know them, to build a bit of rapport. She'll likely be policing the guards, should any of them get particularly bristly or forget they're here to help. And if they do? Oh, Mae will come down on them like a-... No, she'll tattle to Silas.

Rymarr is prepared to go full Hell's Kitchen on this. Gordon Ramsey it up a bit. Okay, not really to that extreme. But he will dutifully follow orders, rock his little comfortable crimson-and-gray striped apron, hair net it up, and go unarmed to serve food to some commoners of the Lower Boroughs. Unarmed may be a misnomer. He'll have a frying pan close at hand, no doubt.

Calaudrin isn't thrilled work in a kitchen, but he'll it's for a good cause so he's down with helping. That and he can't exactly shake his finger at the new recruits for not doing enough community service if he isn't.

The Iron Guard mobilizes to the Lower Boroughs, and this time it's not to perform any ill-advised nosings about. Though initially they are greeted with downright suspicion, it turns out that Lord Commander Silas, Marquis Rymarr, and Calaudrin Estardes are headed to Mae's Soup Kitchen to help serve food to the lowers. It takes a bit to calm suspicions, especially with Marquis Rymarr Deepwood wielding that frying pan - but under the watchful eyes of Mae Grayhope, no violence breaks out. She's everywhere all at once, here calming a scrappy kid named Vitus as he thinks about setting his ratters on the guard, there making friends with a newer Iron Guard named Vasily who just doesn't understand why things are so tense. In the end, people were fed and the Iron Guard didn't start a fight - and didn't look for one either. It's not all joined hands singing around a collective campfire, but it's a start.

Reese would like to organize scouting parties to hopefully subtly track the actions of the slaver and/or his minions in the Gray Forest. Her intention is not to be noticed by the slaver (although she is not sure if such is possible). She would like to look for the following. 1. The location of any hostile Shav forces, including how close they are to Compact or Grayson lands. 2. Into any stories, reports or evidence of attacks by the slaver or his minions against those living in the forest and/or on the outlaying Graysin lands. 3. The presence of any abyss tainted animals or plants. She is especially interested in looking into the presence of wasps, wolf packs, tainted bears and etc. 4. The state and condition of the land. 5. Any signs of the slaver.

She would like to encourage the parties she sends out to remain as subtle and discrete as possible. They will have orders to retreat from any overwhelming odds and to quietly clean up threats only if they think can win. This is primarily and info gathering venture. Reese is overseeing the missions, taking reports from scouts, but not heading out herself. She feels that sometimes a good leader doesn't do all the things herself. Sh also feels like she is not stealthy and subtle enough for this. She will include pcs who seem suited to the task and some Grayson npc tasks. I hope to run prps for those joining the scouting missions.

Aiden would help with the scouting and the archers

Samael has offered up the Bisland army on a volunteer basis as per General Reese's insistence on this mission being strictly volunteer only. The Bisland army will support the Grayson army and/or act as reserve units. Samael makes a passionate speech to the army attempting to encourage volunteers without coercion.

Approved to run - sent @mail to Reese with some additional suggestions.

Reese is concerned that she hasn't been able to acquire a weapon against the Slaver. She has a strong desire to be one of those who get to fight against him, not only for herself, but for some of those who follow her often into battle and been attending her missions such as possibly (Killian, Barric, Luca, Esoka and Rymarr). She feels driven to protect Compact in general and many of those around her, including those who might be of interest to the Horned God and have joined her in battles. She has pondered and pondered how she might find some weapons for her group and herself and hasn't come up with any brilliant ideas. So she decides to turn to the faith. Reese is far from an expert investigator and isn't even very clever about the politics of being allowed a weapon or getting some for her crew.

She would really like this chance for them all as she feels that fighting the abyss and being able to join in against the Horned God will be important to this group. They also have a vested interest and much to protect.

Reese feels (although) she could be wrong that she has a special connection with Gloria. She would like to invite this group of warriors and do vigils at the shrine of Gloria, praying for insight on where they might be able to find some weapons (preferably in Grayson lands). She wants to implore to Gloria, asking for her help in empowering them to battle against the slaver in the defense of compact and in defense the loved one's around them. She wants to ask for her aid in fight and defending against the slaver and in finding a way to locate a cache of weapons that her group could go search for. She plans to be devoted, passionate and humble in prayers, asking rather than making any demands. She does plan to express confidence in herself though and to express her intention to use the weapons only honorably and only in battle against the slaver, if they are found. She seeks any insight into this that might help them. She will explore any leads she can get and look for advise about how they can join the future battle against the Hornded God in General.

Thanks for Reading, Reese's Player

Reese prays. And she prays, and prays, and prays some more, until it seems like she's going to go unanswered. And still she comes to the shrines and prays, and makes her way through her devotions to each of the gods in turn. And as she does, her prayers change. No longer is it about her - it slowly changes into protecting people. Standing for the innocent. Stepping between an evil she cannot fight directly, and the death of good women and true.

And in that moment, in the Shrine of Gloria, with Dame Esoka praying next to her, Reese sees - herself, and a small group. They are fighting something with teeth and fangs and far too many eyes to be entirely normal. Something awful that creeps in the night and that she knows - she knows deep in her bones is hungry, and hunting for one of the daughters. It hunts, and she must stand in its way, she and those with her. "RUN," she screams to the others, prepared to fight it alone to defend her friends.

The vision is over as abruptly as it comes, but she knows where they are. She knows that patch of forest, those stones, that rock formation nearby. She knows, and she feels that tug on her heart to go, to stand in the way of evil. To stop it if she can. What she doesn't know, is if there is still time to get there before whatever that thing was comes to Arx looking for blood.

OOC Note - If/when you want to pursue this, feel free to gather a team of a few people and storyrequest for it and one of us will GM it.

%It was brought to Reese's attention that any Shavs in the Gray forest who have not bent the knee are likely to be recruited to the Horned God's army and to serve as his slaves while fighting against the people of Compact. Reese would like help prevent the Shavs from becoming enslaved as she highly values freedom, but she would also like to help prevent increasing the size and power of the Horned God's army. She also wants to secure the Gray forest as much as she can to make the it more difficult for the Horned God to take action there.

With this in mind she went to her cousin Calarian for help. Calarian and Reese decided to embark upon a mission to help secure he forest and encourage the Shavs to bend the knee. Calarian would be focusing on the diplomatic side of this mission and Reese on the military side (providing the diplomats with protection from any possible threats). Reese fears that treats might come in the form of Shavs who don't like this missions, abyss tainted animals and etc. The goal of the mission is to use words and charm rather than violence as much as possible.

Reese and Calarian would like to bring others with them, especially of the Grayson faction, including vassals and commoners who are interested in such an effort. They would like to bring scouts (who know the forest), social characters (who can help charm the Shavs over) and warriors (who can help defend the party). While on this mission they will be trying to stay alert for anything amiss including, but not to limited to (signs of the Horned God, cultists, blight, abyss tainted animals, any unexpected animals and any signs of monsters).

Reese will not hesitate to kill in defense of their party or herself, however she will offer any mortal and non abyss tainted combatants a chance to surrender. She also has moral problems with killing when not in defense. Which means she probably not kill Shavs who will not bend the knee if they are not attacking the party, not behaving as a threat or not engaging in acts she would consider evil. Reese will most likely follow the commands of Calarian who is voice and above her in rank. She wishes to be inclusive as possible and to invite the Grayson faction to aid in this effort.

Thanks, Reese's player

Since this is getting a little long and unwieldy, I'm going to save this one for reference as we go over the PRPs and applicable crises. Since it's getting hard to track what's resolved in PRPs and what's not, let's break it up into separate ones to make sure things aren't missed and go ahead and throw up a prprequest to make sure staff responses to anything outstanding aren't missed.

Sir Rymarr Lyonesse, First Captain of the Sovereign's Own Royal Guard, has sent messengers to any King's Own not housed within Crownguard Tower or conducting their duties within the palace itself.

"Knights of the King's Own,

By order of Lord Commander Leona Thrax, all knights are to return to Crownguard Tower for new orders.

In Service,
Sir Rymarr Lyonesse
First Captain of the Sovereign's Own Royal Guard"

Once those orders are followed and the King's Own assemble, new orders will see the entirety of the King's Own available to serve at the palace itself. The guard over His Majesty is to be indefinitely doubled until such an order is rescinded by appropriate command figures, patrols within the palace increased, and the general presence of the King's Own amplified. The intention being that if a threat is posed to His Majesty that the King's Own will prepare to defend the palace, and him, to the last.

Noted and acted upon. If you could, could you also put this under the crisisaction for the King's Rest, so we have standing orders of the king's own, along with any addition preparations that might be taken that should be noted for the future in case anyone tries to act against his majesty

Presenting Lord Commander Silas's plan to try to keep the city from destroying itself:

    - He will be assigning more personnel to high-crime areas by removing personnnel from low-risk areas, and he will be assigning commoner guardsmen to the commoner districts and noble guardsmen to the plagued merchant/courtier districts to ease tension while simultaneously preventing more crime.

    - Additionally, he will be asking guardsmen to look for anything out of place, particularly if it may be linked to Duchess Esera's disappearance (this is probably convered in Valk's crisis action but ya' know)

    - The guardsmen who were involved in the scuffle between the Iron Guard and the Knights of Solace will be interrogated. Their pay will be docked for two weeks for not keeping their tempers in check; if other damning evidence is revealed in the interrogation, the punishment will be adjusted to something much more harsh (dependent on what it is!).

    - The recruitment will be put into overdrive in an attempt to recover their numbers. Leaflets will be distributed, town criers paid, fliers will posted on walls, and bards will be hired to mingle entertainment with propaganda. Particular emphasis will be put on the merchant/courtier districts, appealing to commoners who may be more sympathetic to the plight of the Iron Guard and may wish to see it change for the better. Silas's appeals will be directed to protecting the entirety of the Compact from the Bringers as well as those who seek to prey on the vulnerable city, as well as reforming the Iron Guard to be something that represents and looks out for the needs of -every- citizen, high or lowborn. (He's essentially trying to adopt the Arxian version of Obama's HOPE posters).

    Other things are in the works, too, but those are likely covered in other crisis actions!
Presenting Lord Commander Silas's plan to try to keep the city from destroying itself:

    - He will be assigning more personnel to high-crime areas by removing personnnel from low-risk areas, and he will be assigning commoner guardsmen to the commoner districts and noble guardsmen to the plagued merchant/courtier districts to ease tension while simultaneously preventing more crime.

    - Additionally, he will be asking guardsmen to look for anything out of place, particularly if it may be linked to Duchess Esera's disappearance (this is probably convered in Valk's crisis action but ya' know)

    - The guardsmen who were involved in the scuffle between the Iron Guard and the Knights of Solace will be interrogated. Their pay will be docked for two weeks for not keeping their tempers in check; if other damning evidence is revealed in the interrogation, the punishment will be adjusted to something much more harsh (dependent on what it is!).

    - The recruitment will be put into overdrive in an attempt to recover their numbers. Leaflets will be distributed, town criers paid, fliers will posted on walls, and bards will be hired to mingle entertainment with propaganda. Particular emphasis will be put on the merchant/courtier districts, appealing to commoners who may be more sympathetic to the plight of the Iron Guard and may wish to see it change for the better. Silas's appeals will be directed to protecting the entirety of the Compact from the Bringers as well as those who seek to prey on the vulnerable city, as well as reforming the Iron Guard to be something that represents and looks out for the needs of -every- citizen, high or lowborn. He's essentially trying to adopt the Arxian version of Obama's HOPE posters. He has +donated 20000 silver to this effort (Iron Guard Recruitment Drive).

    Other things are in the works, too, but those are likely covered in other crisis actions!


    A patrol is assigned to the Dockyard and River Mouth with instructions to be on the look out for any bodies which may wash ashore.
Silas has constructed the Commons Medical Clinic in the Lower Boroughs. He has left it in the care of Benjamin Carver and the Physician's Guild, and Khloe Ulbran now operates there.

Halsim is very interested in finding the root causes of the crime wave. Ianthes people he's been told may be involved, but Halsim goes where the evidence leads, not the other way around. If he can find instigators, or high risk trouble spots, he either brings down Inquisition or Iron Guard attention on confirmed sources of trouble as appropriate. He works with Alarie on these matters, and if they get into trouble, Halsim uses his alchemical concoctions to get them out (he likes using fire and smoke vials for this) so the Iron Guard can deal with it.

Rymarr's assistance to Silas in this matter will be entirely within the realm of the King's Own, acting as their Lord Commander. Dispensing orders to His Majesty's knights as well as following those orders himself, to casually speak of the Iron Guard's need for willing individuals to lend themselves to the Iron Guard, for the betterment of the Compact. Furthermore, Rymarr will take the opportunity to aid in the form of training. Dispatching a handful of knights including Knight-Lieutenant Rainier Ashford at a time to the Iron Guard barracks, making quite the show of offering group training and assistance to the Iron Guard in order to show cohesion among the Compact's warriors, and likewise show those who may be on the fence of recruitment into the Iron Guard the benefits of having the opportunity to train and work alongside as noble and decorated fighting unit as the King's Own.

Furthermore, Rymarr will attempt to make an appearance at the Iron Guard barracks itself in order to meet some of those who have already volunteered their time and bodies to the Iron Guard's cause, personally thank them, and publically reinforce the need for cohesion and unity among the Compact during these trying times. Now is not the time for division or attempting to replace a system(the Iron Guard) that only needs adjustments. Essentially attempting to display his leadership qualities, he's hoping to appease those who aren't onboard with the unity and general agenda of working together before all else.

Overall the goal is less about truly training the Iron Guard and more about giving the impression that the Iron Guard and King's Own are working closely together, in a bid to assist the Iron Guard with their own recruitment. Though such a matter of frequent inter-organizational training could become such a thing in the very near future in order to solidfy the ability of the King's Own and Iron Guard working more closely together when necessary.

Alarie is assisting Halsim in his actions. Though, she will be using her influence in the lower criminal circles to encourage them to lay low for a while.

The Lower Boroughs are seemingly pacified by the steps, though the Upper boroughs and even the Ward of the Compact saw a steady uptick in crime taking advantage of the Lower Iron Guard numbers at first. This is eventually suppressed, and seems to go hand in hand with both Rymarr's training of Iron Guard by the King's Own, and most importantly the recruitment drive. Many are interested, and quite a few will serve in short stints, the money put forward by Silas doing a great deal in getting a few hundred guardsmen on the streets. Of course the Iron Guard numbers are substantially depleted, but there's vastly more willing recruits, if the iron Guard (or crown) are willing to support the recruitment drive- they could easily hire, train, equip and pay an iron guardsman for a hundred silver per guardsman to the end of the siege at least, which could go a very long way to balancing out the numbers that the Bringers of Silence are bringing to bear against the city. If they are willing to pay for it, at least.

The medical center and the different tension-defusing tactics are large hits, and see a sharp downtick in violence, at least in so much that the danger of riots and the city destroying itself are being diverted.

As for Halsim's investigation helped out by Alarie, it becomes increasingly clear there's nothing supernatural about this, it almost certainly is the crime families in the Lower Boroughs, though which one?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reese is commanding Grayson forces who are going into the Gray Forest. They are traveling to the border between the Grayson and Redrain part of the gray forest. The Redrains are aware of such and Princess Freja asked her do this. She intends to keep her people as much as possible on the Grayson side, but if there an urgent need to defend against the abyss she won't be too shy about crossing over (but won't linger and will let the Redrains know promptly that she went over the border and why). Her intention is to create a barrier, making it hard for the horned god or his minions to travel into the Grayson part of the forest. She believes (having heard a vision) that the horned god plans to march through the redrain forest to the grayson forest and to compact from there. There are few things that Reese is attempting with this. 1. The protective barrier explained above. 2. To try and recruit any Shavs she finds to compact's side and keep them away from the horned god's side. 3. To be a loud distraction, keeping the horned god and his minions (hopefully) focused on her instead of those looking for the weapons. 4. To take down anything abysmal in the area and thereby reduce the power of the abyss. 5. To take down any agents of the horned god in that area and to thereby reduce his power. 6. to Search for clues of where the weapons are, primarily by asking and investigating amount the Shavs in the area. If clues are found for the location on Redrain lands she will give these clues to them and let them decide how to act. If clues are found or weapons on Grayson lands, she will dispatch out a team to look for them.

Reese is taking 200 archers, 200 infantry men and 200 pikemen. The men are primarily under her command, but she is open to people such as Rymarr, Silas and Killian helping her command they are around. She plans to be loud over the top and recruit as much as she can. She hopes to bring diplomats, warriors, healers, scholars and so forth. Reese intends to protect those who come with her as much as possible, especially healers, scholars and diplomates She will not kills Shavs who are not hostile to them or working with the abyss, but will go out of her way to be human, protective and to follow the laws of Gloria and honorable combat.
A few more points. 1. If the Horned God himself shows, Reese will order a tactical retreat, saving as many as she can, rather than engagement.

2. Rymarr is her second in command, he is fully in command if something happens to render her unable to lead.

3. Command assignments go like this: Rymmarr: Second in Command of the mission, command of Deepwood Troops. Command of Any Kings Own Troops (that may or may not come). Killian: Command of any Ashwood troops that come. Second Command for the Grayson Army. Arianna: Stonedeep Troops Commander. Reese: Mission overall Command. Grayson Army Command. Co-command of the Knights of the Solace. Thena: Commander of the Knights of the Solace. Tobias: Commander of the Crimson Blades. Preston (if he comes and he might not): Command of the Templars. Corban: Back up commander if another commander falls or is not present.

3. Fergus asked if some wanted to do missions in the north. Reese will let her people do that or possibly send out on missions on the Grayson side if a need arrises. She will let pretty much any pc who wants go, but she is specially interested in sending some of the more champion like fighters without armies to command on these such as: Vesper, Dameon, Alexis, Kaldur, Graham, Faelan, Luca and Barric.

4. Noncombant attendees or possible attendees include Mia (diplomat), Margot (Diplomat), Rey (Healer) and Aurelian (Investigator). Reese will try to protect them. Esoka is also assigned to protecting the diplomats. Monique and Esoka, despite being fighters are assigned with the diplomats due to the backgrounds and langs.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UggXLCYVY99-ongS-yHsqxxBY20V3PyscroyyjqDMmw/edit

Above is the goggle doc. Thanks Staff!

Reese has a few secret actions to take here.

1. The first one is protecting Thena. Reese believes that Thena is important to the Horned God and that if she dies to his agents his power might be increased. She realizes that Thena is a great warrior, but she still feels it is her responsibility to make sure she is safe. Thena is partly coming as a lure to keep the Horned God's attention away from those seeking the weapons. Reese is concerned about such, but Thena really wanted to do this and she respects that. She just intends to bring her out of this alive, even if it means taking blows for her or doing down herself in battle.

2. If the Horned God makes a personal appearance, she plans to retreat. She is open about this plan. What she is less open about is that she will try to save as many lives as possible among those who attended this mission and will try to guard their retreat even if that means she doesn't make it out herself.

3. The third one is that Reese believes that Thena is a new commander without the leadership skills at this time to be sure the Knights of the Solace will be succesfully commanded. She believes she will develop such in time. She believes this because Thena asked her to command the Knights. Reese intends to help command the knights, to watch out for them and at the same time to try and not upstage Thena with them. She wants to step in as needed without taking the spotlight, if she can manage that.

Barric, armed with Elvesbane and a backup sword just in case honor demands he not use the heirloom in a given situation, will be primarily serving as bodyguard to Reese and any other Grayson of rank that shows up for this affair, up until the point where he sees anything abyssal, at which point he will endeavor to stab evil in the face. Repeatedly.
If Reese needs him to go on a mission (a la 3), he will gladly go.

Margot attends with Reese to work predominently on #2 to try ad recruit and shavs she finds on the compact side and keep them from joining the Horned god, which is something she's getting rather practiced at at this point. She ensures her own escorts (the peace keepers), come with food and supplies to give out to Shavs who have come through the winter but it hasn't warmed enough to replenish their stocks yet.

Lord Corban has pledged his sword and skills to Princess Reese's mission. He will guard what needs guarding, slash what needs slashing, and otherwise do his usual job of Guy with a Sword in these missions.

Tobias and the Crimson Blades have been hired via Reese Grayson to join up with the Princess' wall in the forest. Iron Company (100 heavy infantry) have been contracted, and Tobias himself will be commanding the mission on the Blades' behalf. If this becomes obvious that holding the line is suicide, Tobias will work with other military commanders for an orderly retreat. Otherwise, the elite of mercenaries will hold the line, just like the Night Grove, if need be.
Tobias will be primarily wielding Requiem for this... but if the army comes up against undead, he'll switch to his rubicund blade to see if that helps to cut them down quicker.

Killian will be joining the armies of Grayson as one of Reese's lieutenants, and taking command of whatever troops she designates him to command on the expedition. Of course, he'll also be personally entering whatever battles are joined. He'll bring along whatever troops Ashford sends (new Harlan, so not sure of what this will be) as well.

Kaldur will be going on the mission, as a mounted knight if needed, or on foot as the case may be.

Monique is fighting as needed, but mostly helping to recruit the Abandoned with her extensive Abandoned background and languages.

Thena will personally lead a contingent of Knights of Solace out with Reese's forces, to help the Princess accomplish her listed goals.
As Thena is not particularly experienced in leading troops, the Solace divison will be co-commanded by Thena and Reese, with the help of a trusted (NPC) Solace marshal.
Solace unit consists of 30 knights, 70 footsoldiers, 1 marshal.
As a Godsworn priest of the Pantheon, Thena will offer any religious support as needed such as prayers, blessings and holy water. A few, though not all, of the Solace Knights are Godsworn as well. She will also offer aid as a battlefield medic and herbalist.
Thena will be bringing with her Dame Vesper, newly Godsworn Knight of Solace.

Aurelian signs on to assist in investigating the weapons as best he can, and hesitantly to act as an additional diplomat if needed.

Daemon rides alongside Thena and Princess Reese as a brother in arms to the Knights of Solace bands. He will assist in combat and wherever he will be needed otherwise.

Silas will be lending his sword and the armies of Whitehawk to the cause, bringing with him his archers/rangers while leaving his infantry behind in Hawkhold to defend it in case of a surprise attack (unlikely but who knows). He will command his rangers to scout the area they decide to camp at, in hope of countering any surprise ambushes or enemy movements and to see if they come across anything... strange.

Mia will be assisting with this as well, once I can see the full action and know what to add!
Mia will be bringing 50 of her archers and 100 of her infantrymen on this mission, with them under command of the following PCs in this particular order: Thesarin -> Esoka -> Rymarr -> Silas. Additionally, she will be acting as one of the diplomats attempt to convert as many shav'arvani as possible, making use of both her familiarity with the language, their customs, and her own reputation as the head of a House composed of a significant number of prodigals. Being as Esoka may be called to another mission concurrent with this one, she will be in need of some type of bodyguard, as she's not particularly combat ready.
Added in 30 AP.

The Grayson Princess General has asked Lady Arianna, and by extension, House Stonewood for aid in fighting Legion. Never one to deny her duty to Grayson, Ari has graciously agreed to lend her blade, expertise and knowledge of the dark forces that Legion will no doubt be utilizing. While that might be enough, Arianna has gone above and beyond by bringing along a detachment of Wardens with her to help support any military action that may occur. The men and women under her leadership have excellent Commanders drawn from the recent population of Prodigals and other Abandoned tribes which have filtered into Stonehearth. Above all, Arianna makes sure that she stays close by Reese with ten of her best men willing to die for their charge. This Royal Guard falls under the direct command of Princess Ribbons and is sure to follow her word even when their Liege, Lady Stonewood, is dispatched on any secondary or tertiary assignments such as recon or elimination of enemy commanders.
Arianna is a talented Investigator and has the ability to find leads and hunt them down with a relentlessness that borders obsession. When she is not commanding the Wardens (of which she brings five hundred), she is at work speaking with the local Shav populace and gathering information that might lead to a breakthrough in the hunt for the weapons they seek.


Lady Lailah of House Bisland has sent along 750 infantry and 250 archers under the command of Lady Arianna to help supplement the Gray Wardens. The additional men will be organized into units along with the Wardens, creating a combined fighting force to operate under the direction of Princess Reese. Lady Arianna leads these men by example, and follows Princess Ribbons military directive as she is the more experienced General.

Saedrus will be assisting Reese through diplomatic measures in trying to secure Shav'arvani are loyal to the Compact rather than the Horned God. As a Whisper brings with him his effortless charm, his carefully honed diplomacy and, beyond all else, the kind of empathy that cannot be taught or learnt to get through to the Abandoned tribes. He'll also keep himself well out of the way of all the martial types and generally keep himself away from frays, or anything other than being charming.

Halsim will be providing scouting services for the army (wearing his black robe and mask to keep his identity hidden to the Abandoned), and when necessary, provide his expertise on occult and investigative matters for the weapons search. When not doing any of this, he will provide his alchemical expertise towards equipping the army with medicines, poisons, and useful alchemical cocktails.

Alexis will do what she can, which is primarily serve as a meatshield to stand between enemies and more important targets. She brings her weapon and her armour, and will escort and patrol, and fight, as needed.

100 Infantry, 50 Pike, 25 Cavalry, and 50 Deepwood Rangers. Marquis Rymarr Deepwood's contingent to travel northward into the Gray Forest in preparation to play distraction. Those remaining in Deepwood are given explicit orders from the commander of Old Oak's military leader to be vigilant. A heightened state of security ordered, increased patrol regularity, reserves called into service for the duration, etc. Before setting off, Rymarr will gather his troops; first to speak with them and explain to the whole their objective, their purpose, and hopefully inspire them to fight hard and return home safely. Watch over those in front of and beside themselves, and trust those behind them to watch over them. He will also join his men and women in prayer to the Pantheon's deities. In regard to more Shamanistic means of religious observation, Rymarr will make himself present in support of those under his command, though he will not take direct part in their activities.

The Deepwood forces, under Rymarr's command, will be working in conjunction with a number of military pieces into one overall unit. Acting as Princess Reese Grayson's second-in-command, he's prepared to follow orders or lead, as is necessary dependent on the situation. Additionally, Rymarr is an experienced (and learned) battlefield commander - the first order of business will be locating important terrain features and choosing a strategically strong defensive point to make their presence known and draw attention. Ideally this position will benefit Deepwood's forces, while still permitting them ease of withdrawal, resupply, and all the rest - while preferably robbing any potential aggressors of those same traits and altogether impeding their ability to fight effectively. The former Lord Commander of the King's Own is prepared to play advisor - admittedly quietly to the overall commander of the mission, Reese. He's not afraid to speak up and offer an alternative plan, if he deems it strategically wiser.

Resources which Rymarr will be making use of(13 Economic, 27 Social, and 27 Military) are used to represent the fact that Rymarr will be hiring mercenaries to assist in bolstering both numbers and presence. Their orders are to... follow orders, but when a retreat is called, to retreat.

Having suggested a strategic withdrawal to Princess Reese should the 'Metallic Traitor', 'Horned God', or whatever name will be used for the day, makes an appearance on the battlefield? Should that time come and the Horned God makes his presence known on the battlefield, then Rymarr will work with the other commanders to promote an expeditious but strategically sound withdrawal. A fighting retreat, if necessary.

An additional 100 Deepwood Infantry, 50 Pikes, and 50 Deepwood Rangers will be on hand in the event such a fighting retreat is necessary, in which they will cover those withdrawing and begin a systematic retreat using the two separate forces to withdraw under the cover of arrows and fresh troops to cover the retreating force.
Additionally the King's Own will be there in the form of Dame Felicia and Dame Paloma, each with four Silver Swords/King's Own under their command. So they'll be doing their thing under Rymarr's guidance and ever watchful eye. They're amongst the greatest knights in Arvum, so there's not much that he'll need to command them on. But, he'll keep an eye out to ensure that the don't get in too deep over their heads and to correct any strategic matters he may notice. Despite being their very own past Lord Commander, he'll lead those few knights as though they were any other troops under his command. Given the history, no doubt they could work together to great effect. Their overall command will fall to Dame Felicia and Dame Paloma, per Lord Commander Leona Thrax, but Rymarr will be present to offer any strategic and leadership course correction as necessary.

Felicia is going to gather up her squad and assign them to the direct protection of the various VIPs (Rymarr, Reese, etc.) within the main attackng force. This is ostensibly because the King's Own trains for the defenseo f the King and so is particularly suited for this role but also because the secondary role she intends to take on would be to accept 'special' missions. If specific targets need to be eliminated the King's Own can be tasked with these dangerous but vital missions, including eliminating enemy leadership, etc. She wants to make use of the King's Own high level of esprit de corps and training to make a single squad as valuable as possible without getting them killed unnecessarily.

Luca is doing as usual and joining the fight to add to his monster head collection and keep his beribboned badass of a wife safe. He's becoming a decent scout, but mostly he's just there for the stabbing of things.

Tikva will be posting herself amongst the archers and scouts serving beneath Reese's command. She is especially lending her services as wilderness survival expert and scout to the efforts to comb through the freezing north, hunting down the Abyssal and/or hunting down agents of the Enslaver /as one does/. She will also be along to provide plucky morale assist to those who care to listen to her, and in case Reese needs cousinly advice and/or a hug, because you never know.

High Inquisitor Alistair will be taking a cadre of Confessors and lower ranking Inquisitors into the Gray Forest alongside the Grayson expedition. The High Inquisitor has multiple reasons for joining the expedition and the war effort against the Horned God. 1. To capture living agents of the Horned God to obtain information on their master and other abyssal entities. 2. To better train the Inquisition to deal with abyssal forces, especially in martial conflicts. 3. Provide martial support to the Grayson effort.

With the support of the Faith, and the need to attract the attention of the enemy, Preston and the Templars are going to try and muster a sizable force of 400-600 Templars to march in support of Reese. If they can't manage that, they will at least try to send several lances of mounted knights. If they manage the full deployment, they will act as a second 'battle' of the column, alongside Grayson troops, allowing some mutual support and flexibility, including the ability to pin the enemy with one and smash. If they only manage the knights, they'll act as a mobile reserve and try to pin down any breaches of the shield line. But in all things they will act in support of Reese, a thanks for her and Grayson being a friend of the Faith.
There is a request associated laying out a bit more detail on our motivations - ticket 6028

Joslyn will be sticking close and directly taking and relaying orders given by Lady Arianna, all while armed with Alaricite hairpins and adorned in leather. While her skills are mostly in stabbing and making sure that things stay stabbed, she'll also ensure that all of Arianna's operation runs smoothly. She'll help Arianna with command if it ever comes down to it, but mostly she'll just be doing copious amounts of stabbing.

Paloma will be assisting Rymarr! And leading her four troops to glory and good tactical use.

Lethe is going along as a healer for the group.

Zenix, a native to the lands, will provide insider insights about the various Clans and Abandoned Tribes that occupy the area. Including their numbers, an estimate of how many warriors they have and what chances one might have at flagging them as friend or foe. Besides their guidance through the land, Zen will stay close to Lady Arianna's side protecting her with her entourage of Wardens and Mistress Joslyn.

Olivia is joining the group largely in a supportive role behind the lines, as a healer and apothecary. If it proves useful, she'll use her alchemical and herbal talents to help with treatments for anyone who needs it, and potentially, if any weird abyssal blight, corruption, sickness, or that kind of thing rears its head, to try and combat it via whatever potions or elixirs she might be able to come up with. Failing that, she's got decent medical training and can simply service as a medic, and will aid wounded soldiers.

A scouting force heads out from the Gray Forest base. There have been a lot of these of late - small groups, meant to find shav, to treat with them as possible, to stop any flocking to the Horned God's banner. Tonight, Arianna, Joslyn, Zenix, Olivia, Kaldur, Silas, and Faelan are headed into the Forest. When they return, it is with a single shav and tales of the hideous creatures that were going to eat the woman's dog (and possibly the scouting group too). They are bloody and battered but alive. And hopefully the very grateful woman who is now swearing dutifully to the Compact is willing to give them information on the movement of the Horned God's armies. And the dog? The dog lived.

Meanwhile in the Gray Forest, Marquis Rymarr Deepwood's army has been busy. Today as they returned to the base camp, they told a tale of cultists trying for a sacrifice to the Horned God, one of the First Children about to be sacrificed, and perhaps most importantly, a prisoner escorted back by Lord Killian Ashford and delivered into the hands of the Inquisition.

A party of diplomats and diplomat-likes, consisting of Margot, Alistair, Aurelian, Monique, Saedrus, and Tikva ride out into the deep woods, it'’s said, to speak with a nomadic group of shavs claiming to possess key strategic information. Whatever negotiations happen past the ragged flaps of ragged tents remain private, but the group emerges with a sheaf of parchment and none the worse for wear.

The stories coming out of the Gray Forest tell another tale as well, as a large group of refugees is escorted to Arx by contingents of the Grayson army. They spread word of the valiant heroes who lead their defense, protecting them against the horrors coming from the northlands. Princess Reese Grayson's army, along with the Iron Company lead by Lord Tobias Telmar, apparently encircled the refugees as they were soon to be overwhelmed by the enemies which had pursued them nearly to their destruction. They tell tale of Prince Luca Grayson's 'nearly insane bravery' in fighting three huge monsters at once, to draw their attention away from the injured Grayson troops. Of Prince Barric Grayson's prodigious strength and prowess, as he cut one of the monster's heads clean off. Of the efforts of Lady Lethe Tyde, who set up triage and sought to mend the injured in the thick of battle. They tell of the hundreds of enemy dead left upon the field, and of the heroic troops who fought such overwhelming odds, standing behind their leaders against the coming onslaught and turning it away with their might. Needless to say, the refugees are being redistributed to Grayson lands, having bent the knee to such heroic representatives of the house.