Twilit Tears

((Wofe would be deeply interested in that information, seeing as all he has is the patrol routes of the perimeter guards(gained from watching the walls and outside) and whatever information his Midnight harassers pick up as they move through the city. also , he could probably keep the source of his information under wraps for a while, seeing as his current strategy involves cutting Dunbarton off from most of what it needs. At current, his army is still only slightly bigger, and as Silver said earlier, odds like that in an attack against a dug in defender are a recipe for disaster.))


((and if I'm railroading/dragging the plot somewhere it shouldn't go, please tell me.))

((Wolfe, I'm not sure a player CAN railroad a plot.
If you want the information ask Jakevalin
This morning I realized, taking Dunbarton would have annoyed my yet-to-be introduced characters. I need to consider what they will do))

A note drops nearby TWWolfe as J.A. Rouge made her escape after gathering details about TWWolfe's army for Gatemo. ((TWWolfe, look into the PM inbox to see what the note said.))

The Kerrins wrote:((Wolfe, I'm not sure a player CAN railroad a plot.
If you want the information ask Jakevalin
This morning I realized, taking Dunbarton would have annoyed my yet-to-be introduced characters. I need to consider what they will do))

[[They can if they run ahead without knowing what the plot IS. In any case, it was just a little note to slow down a bit. And apologies about not being around this weekend and holding things up myself, been busy trying to keep my butt in school and with a job.]]

The undead that appeared in Bangor - and revealed itself to be merely a puppet for another "messenger" - was no more than a withered husk sitting under a tree now. While animated, it had disabled several soldiers but killed none; and when finally communicated with instead of being attacked by a Society member, sat down to give news about who Fenrir was, and how to gain a nice edge on him.

The soldiers still conscious managed to eavesdrop on what seemed to be a private conversation. From what they gathered, Fenrir's strength was connected to a set of artifacts that he was using to destroy the land and corrupt the living; and mention of them being connected to the twilight shards that had fallen somewhere in Iria. The problem with the story though was that the undead spoke of three, and only two were discovered.

Sometime after the meeting and when the creature had destroyed itself, a small white fox had been noticed leaving town at the south exit. People just thought it to be another wild animal that had come to raid stores; but the odd thing about it was this one had been seen sniffing about the dungeon some time during the undead's attack. Animals usually stayed away from most dungeons, didn't they?

In Dunbarton, an odd order to remove Fenrir's things from the library and transfer them to the church came in. Then again, with all the problems from the seals they army had attempted to destroy and replace, maybe it wasn't so odd. What was transported through town was the odd stone slab brought in a few days ago and a few books from the library that had struck somebody's fancy. The barriers that had been set by Kurohi there were also placed over the church and with guards watching the doors and every window. With rumors of attack in the near future having spread, the security had increased once defense along the walls and within the town had finally been completed. It was only a matter of time now before something gave and all the soldiers were waiting for it...

[[Seems I can't get on when those involved with this are too due to academic scheduling. Forum events aside, this'll continue when Christmas break starts up. XD]]

((thank you. was afraid something would happen while i was studying for finals. Curse you, life!))

((and down here in Australia, where I finally have time to truly enjoy roleplaying, boredom seeps in))

Further Activity
============
Jinnhin: MIA
Jakelvin: MIA
Uknirvin: MIA
Associate: MIA
J.A. Rouge: Roaming Iria, last sighted entering Karu from Muyu Desert.
Goren: MIA
Joric: Still Under Treatment For Paralysis at Gatemicia's Infirmary (Manus's House)
Zeea: Escaped from Prison by Jakelvin and MIA, last seen at Karu with Acan and Kishya.

Jakelvin wrote:Further Activity
============
Jinnhin: MIA
Jakelvin: MIA
Uknirvin: MIA
Associate: MIA
J.A. Rouge: Roaming Iria, last sighted entering Karu from Muyu Desert.
Goren: MIA
Joric: Still Under Treatment For Paralysis at Gatemicia's Infirmary (Manus's House)
Zeea: Escaped from Prison by Jakelvin and MIA, last seen at Karu with Acan and Kishya.

[[Gatemecia....I can't believe you actually used that name. XDDDDD]]

As their messengers would've been most likely killed on sight should they come down the road, things had to be a little more dramatic in order to get the message across, which annoyed Fenrir somewhat. He didn't too much enjoy releasing all his ravens to drop the message across Uldah - too theatrical for his tastes even if it did do the job. The messages read as follows:

We, the people of Dunbarton and under the rule of King Fenrir Eir, hereby declare our freedom from the nation; and at the same time, officially declare war upon the nation. By order of His Majesty and consent of the people, Emain Macha and the towns under rule of its royal family shall be purged with the exception of those willing to swear loyalty to The Requiem.

Some say it was in response to the most recent events recalling how that's all his actions have been til now. Others say it was inevitable - after the fall of Dunbarton, it was bound to happen. It's difficult to say if the people even truly had a voice in the matter; but from the looks of activities in Dunbarton, the soldiers stationed there seem to be preparing to mobilize...

[Bleargh. I hate writing based on politics. And I still need a name for this new "nation" (No, we are not going with "Gatemecia", Jake. XD)]

((To give some thoughts, while taking Dunbarton could be considered a good move in striking the economy, from a military perspective it might have been a mistake.
To the north of you, there is Tir Chonal, which according to many NPCs I have talked to is famous for raising many great warriors. Furthermore it is the origon of many Soul streamers.
To the west is Emain Macha, home of the Paladins. While some might say they are not truly all that, the Paladins are definately a well trained military force. Plus, TWWolfe's been bunking up there.
South is Bangor, which would not have been much of a worry if dealt with quickly. However, it can now be considered an easily guarded natural fortress. Furthermore, any attack made FROM Bangor promises to be well armed.

To be blunt, Whilst Dunbarton is a comfy new home, it is surrounded by hostile forces. Striking any one will leave you open to the other two, and you can garuntee that Shade has thought of this already. Attempting to take all three just cannot be done, no matter what demons you may have by your side. Ignoring them all will just give them time to increase their own strength))

[Dunbarton is far from comfy. Aside from a bunch of manipulated and fanatical soldiers keeping it under control, the place is full of citizens who could care less for Fenrir's "rule" but only tolerate his actions because they don't want to harm the children with him. And I realize the risks of doing this; but in turn, don't forget about the other hints I've dropped around the Guild Bulletin that imply Fenrir didn't toss all his eggs into one basket. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't know what I was doing to some extent. ]

"People of Emain Macha, the time has come at last. no longer will we sit around and stare at the vile blot on the land that Fenrir has mad of Dunbarton. No longer will we stand aside and watch as people suferunder his rule. From today onward, it is WAR!!!!"

the citizens let out a cheer as Wolfe continued to harangue them from atop the balcony.

"some may say that our army is for thousand strong, too weak to last long. But that is a lie. our army is as numerous as the sands, because you" he swept his hands around the crowd "are all part of it. When you showed Nannao your support when she claimed the throne, you fought for us. When you supported me as regent when she vanished, you fought for us. When you refused to give your loyalty to that false claimant to the throne, and continued to support Me and Nannao, you fought for us! When you helped to build fortifications, raised money to hire soldiers, and helped to tend the sick among us, YOU FOUGHT FOR US! And now that fenrir comes to destroy us, i know you will do the same. and when his body lies broken on the ground, when his armies are scattered to the wind and rivers run red with thier blood, you will be the Saviors of Erin! The world will look at us, and they will wonder at our determination, at our will, our courage and valor! And if some of us do perish in this glorious fight, we will have lived on our feet instead of died on our knees. we will be held up by our descendants as demi-gods, and great legends and glorious songs will be written of us until the end of time. there is no room for hesitation, my people. no room for doubt or despair. now, let me hear you shout!"

"Macha!"

"let me hear it louder!"

"Ma-Cha!"

"Now shout it out as loud as you can, that fenrir might hear it in Dunbarton and tremble! Now shout it out, that those suffering under his rule may hear it, and rejoice! Now shout it out, that across the seas, the Irians will hear us, and wonder at our courage! Now shout!"

"MA-CHA! MA-CHA! MA-CHA! MA-CHA!"

[[ just a note about Tir. Besides being the source for great warriors and point of origin for a majority of soul streamers it is also distinct in that the local empire claims jurisdiction but doesn't actually impose it due to knowing whats good for them. ]]

Chuck: *tries to find a quiet corner* Ouch! *holds his throbbing head in his hands* Stupid rabble rouser making such a racket.

((So.... can someone tell me the story thus far? I want to be able to join in sometime, but it would be pointless if I didn't understand the plot, which I don't.))

((what can easily be learnt:

Some time back, a threatening message was spread across Erinn. On the day of the promised threat, an odd light phenomenon was seen over a few dungeons. Some time after, the children of Dunbarton started disappearing. This was followed by a horde of fomor, and the missing children, marching on Dunbarton.

Dunbarton has been conquered, but remained silent for a long while. In this time, Bangor has been fortified to enhance its natural defenses, whilst TWWolfe has worked on raising a trained army to add to the paladins of Emain Macha. Tir has not done much, but Tir far from takable already.

Recently, a formal declaration of war was sent to Emain macha.

In all this time, Iria has not been touched, threatened or fortified in any manner, and could easily be oblivious to the whole saga.
To join the plot, you should probably just decide where you have been all this time, and determine your reactions based on that

((iria was touched on lightly, but as of now its just a market for Emain and Bangors goods, and a hiring/recruiting ground for troops.))

[[Iria's been touched by the antagonist as well if you'd read back to the first posts made on this thread. Only J seems to be paying attention to that. Pity because it's deeply connected to this whole ordeal.

That said, if you haven't already it'd be a good idea to read everything here to get the basic story to what's going on. I'll be making an overall update later tonight. For now though, I'm trying to meet an extended deadline for a contest, which is tonight. That's what happens when you procrastinate... x3;;;]]

((Ah thank you for the info. Hopefully I can join in soon... just gotta figure out how..))

[[ Deer in the headlights or chicken in the middle of the road works for me ]]

Captincrunch wrote:[[ Deer in the headlights or chicken in the middle of the road works for me ]]

(( Always works for me, too. ))

News about responses to the declaration traveled back to Dunbarton quickly from scouts; and Fenrir couldn't help but grin as he returned from delivering it to his soldiers. Fierce warcries filled the town while he retreated into the church to prepare, where an armor bearer was waiting along with Kurohi to give him a final rundown of preparations.

"We're ready to move anytime here." he said while being suited up. "How are our soldiers doing in other areas?"

"Scrys are in place." Kurohi said while going through notes her scouts had recently dropped off. "The ambush parties haven't been discovered yet, even those that had to relocate from Coill to hide out in Sen Mag. Everyone is waiting near mirrors for the appropriate time and I'll be waiting for the signal from you, of course.

"As far as those creatures similar to the assassin sent for you, there are still boats coming in from the harbor near Bangor; but they don't seem fully prepared yet. It's still uncertain if they're allies with Emain; but then again I doubt that matters in the long run for you." Kurohi paused to check Fenrir's reaction which was only a dark, unnerving smirk. Sighing, she went on. "There hasn't been any luck in replicating the weapon you recovered with what materials we have on hand; but if we can take Bangor in the future, we might be able to have a little chat with the one we think may have made them. I doubt he'll be as willing to cooperate as the people in Dunbarton were though."

The succubus flipped through a few other reports - enemy numbers, armaments, future potential threats and allies, things Fenrir already knew about. "On the surface, they have us outnumbered three-to-one; but if everything goes as planned, we shouldn't have any trouble with overwhelming them, or at least keeping them disorganized enough to reach the next objective. By the time reinforcements from Iria arrive in force, we'll be able to hold them off, not to mention if your assailants are their enemies too, they'd have to deal with two separate factions rather than one.

"As for Iria," Kurohi flipped through the last of her notes. "The bulletins about locating the twilight shards seemed to have gone unnoticed. Everybody's more focused on 'destroying Uldah's the evil tyrant', so things are going very well there. Wildlife in Zardine's been more affected, specifically the wyverns. They're becoming more aggressive and territorial even with each other. The hobgoblins in Courcle have been getting bloodthirsty as well; but our general there has been keeping them in line. Cor's still holding together; but they've lost a lot of warriors."

Kurohi grimaced a little before going on. "Emain Macha has been hiring more mercenaries to help with the situation there. Since his work keeps him there to begin with, Silvreno was among them."

Fenrir froze for a brief moment, then chuckled. "Typical. Boy doesn't know how to stay out of trouble." he mumbled. "Well, he had his chance to stay out of it. Continue."

A sigh. "The shard in Zardine is accounted for, but difficult to reach due to the wyverns. Our general there has been guarding it zealously though. Courcle's shard is secure as well and both are still draining the land without trouble. The third shard is still unaccounted for, though we've narrowed down locations to somewhere between Muyu and Longa Desert. Most likely hard to track since the deserts are practically wastelands to begin with."

"So we just need to keep attention here until they're filled." Fenrir concluded. "After this battle, that won't be much trouble at all. Lastly, what about the 'eavesdroppers'?"

Kurohi shugged. "We still haven't found who's been leaking intel." she replied. "They're probably listening in on use right now."

Both of them glared at the armor bearer. The poor, speechless goblin frantically shook his head and made various hand gestures that were pleading and protests of one form or another. Both knew that wasn't too logical though. A majority of the fomors under Fenrir's command were loyal zealots who'd even report those swaying the least bit under the temptation of bribes and blackmail; and even then, important business was hardly spoken in front of them.

"Needless to say, a lot of what's being spoken about now would help too much even if it was leaked." Kurohi said. "All in all, positions are secure, enemies can be routed a number of ways, everything's going according to plan with several alternatives waiting to be used."

"Til you receive the signal then." Fenrir said. After the trembling goblin had finally helped him suit up entirely, he shoved the fomor ahead of him and gathered his weapons. "And you know what to do in case of a counterattack while I'm gone?"

A silent nod came from Kurohi as she stepped by him to exit herself. "Pity. I'd tell you to turn back again; but there's nothing short of an execution waiting for you now."

"Not like it matters at this point either. One way or another, I'll be giving everybody what they want."

The succubus left with a chill running down her spine from Fenrir's words.

The message that arrived from Shade that night read as follows:
"Fenrir has set scouts and ambush parties in place.
Interested in taking Bangor for the purposes of 'replicating a weapon.'
Be prepared to evacuate Elan and Edern.

Aware of our numbers, but unconcerned by the differance in force size.
Interested in the bulletins messages of unidentified objects in Iria, potentially using attacks on Uladh as a distraction for plans set there.
Planning for another battle soon.

Fenrir is aware of my presense, though not my location.
Some or all of this information might have been falsified in order to fool me."

After sending this message off, Shade broke open one of the prepared rations in the room and resumed his watching, knowing that if caught he could escape within seconds

Wolfe looked up from the latest intel to see his latest visitor. "ah, Black, just the giant i was looking for."

Black grinned "of course i am, you just sent for me!" he put his hands on the desk and leaned over. "has the peace finally ended? are we to go on the offensive at last" he spoke with the tone and eagerness the had Made him the Wolves "Hammer wolf" the all-out offensive mastermind. sadly, this had left him pretty much out of the loop recently, as his plans were of little use in a defensive war. that had changed recently, with the enemy landings at port Ceann.

"yes to both, and we have need of your particular talents. an opposing force has landed at Ceann, and cut us off from the uladh continent. we could ignore it and ferry troops in to Tir, but that presents a logistical and tactical nightmare. so, the port must be retaken. the report stated they are growing at 32 per ferry, with only one boat in their possession. by the time your force gets there, there should be no more than 300-400 of them."

"And how big will my force be?"

"one thousand strong. 400 infantry, 400 archers and 200 heavy horse. you'll also have the 200 infantry stationed in Bangor. that should be plenty enough to smash what they have. report in when your forces reach Bangor, and keep me updated. Dismissed"

[[Alrighty, I tried doing this at random times when people are available n' ready, and I know I said I wanted to make things lenient so everybody could get involved, but this is going from a crawl to slower than a snail, fast, while everything else speeds by. XD So from here on out, in events regarding the Twilit Tears arc that I specifically am in charge of pushing along (i.e. twilight shard quests, Fenrir's army movements, etc., I'll be setting times for a day in advance, so keep an eye on the thread at least if I don't see you in Mabinogi.

In regards to the upcoming attack, it'll be tomorrow. Wednesday, December 23, @ 6:00 PM EST til whenever. :3]]