event: a gentle caravan

[thestewards]

So one by one, we lay our bricks down
To pave a road on the shoulders of somebody else
A sturdy back but brittle bones

► The OOC plotting post for this event can be found here along with OOC information that can be learned in each location.

► Direct all questions to the mods at this link.

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE
Early one morning in mid-May, a column of smoke appears on the horizon south east of the city. It’s tall enough and dark enough to be seen over the tops of the city’s relatively low-standing buildings. Within minutes, panic grips the people of Draega.

Whispers spread through the city, and Strangers hear such things as…

A landen woman, hands covered in flour: That’s the caravan. It has to be the caravan.
Her sister: You’re overreacting. It’s probably just mercenaries squabbling over land.

A young Warlord: My sister… She’s coming from Dhemlan with the caravan. Mother Night, I’ve been reaching out to her, but she won’t respond to me!

Before the hour is up, Allairavar’s shadow passes over the city. He flies, speeding quickly in the direction of the smoke. Not long after, a young witch covered in blood and dirt appears quite suddenly in the middle of the Bazaar. Her Opal Jewel is drained to the point of breaking, and she is on the verge of tears. “They’ve attacked the caravan! Please, please, we need help!” Her distress is a physical thing, permeating the air with the psychic scent of anguish and terror.

The Transport Guild reacts first in part because Master Transporter Sorrel is present at the Bazaar to see the witch arrive, but also because the Transport Guild is simply that quick to respond. Shortly after he instructs his Guild to prepare aide, Sorrel broadcasts a Farcaster message to the entire city:

The caravan from Dhemlan has been attacked. Anyone willing and able to provide technical or medical assistance is welcome on the railcar platform north of the city in thirty minutes. Those of you capable of defending the injured should join us as well.

Lady Fayura issues a mental call to the Strangers mere moments after Sorrel’s broadcast:

Prince Loren will be assisting the Master Transporter in organizing help for the caravan. I will not be joining you, but rather will remain in the city to protect it with Prince Verim should the need arise.

Slowly but surely, the landen Guilds are attempting to revitalize travel, transport, and trade between Territories by way of railcars. Their goal is a massive, interconnected system of railways. As of yet, there is only one railway: the one that connects Draega to Allowary, the capital of Dhemlan. This single railway is well-protected by Hunters armed with Muters and Breakers. Railcars don’t leave the station poorly staffed.

By the time the Strangers and other volunteers arrive, the usual count of railcars in Draega’s station have been disconnected. Only one car, a large cargo car, remains connected to the engine. Master Transporter Sorrel and Prince Loren coordinate efforts together: they load volunteers and supplies into the large cargo car while doing their best to maintain the peace between the Strangers, a few Blood volunteers, and the Hunters who aren’t pleased by the presence of either party at all. A handful of Medicos are also on the platform, ready and eager to go.


THE CARAVAN
An hour’s railcar ride outside of the city, the twisted remains of the stranded caravan blocks the railway. An explosion ripped up the rails, splitting them them and causing the first four railcars in the caravan to derail and pile up off the tracks. At the back of the caravan, the massive railcar engine smokes and groans as desperate Transporters and Tinkers do their best to keep it from exploding violently.

The first two cars, the passenger cars, are a mess of twisted and wrecked metal. Many of the passengers are dead, their bodies still and unmoving. Some severed limbs are scattered in the wreckage. In spite of the violent destruction, there are survivors inside the cars. A child’s cries echo within a snarl of metal and wires while two Tinkers work as quickly as they can to free him. They certainly wouldn’t mind more help.

In the third and fourth car, the livestock didn’t fare well. Slammed between the passenger cars and two following cars carrying goods, they have largely been reduced to smears of blood and tiny shards of bone. Much more can be salvaged from the cars carrying canned goods, grains, and other foods. Dhemlan is known for its orchards, and the cars are filled with the remains of peaches, apples, and grapes. The smell of pulverized fruits mixes with that of death, covering the area in a sickly sweet scent.

As the volunteers disembark from their railcar, Allairavar warns them about the grisly scene. He leaves search and rescue to those best suited to it, instead calling for a group to help him spread out and investigate the surrounding area. While Master Transporter Sorrel calls on a few of his best people (and perhaps a Stranger or two) to assist him with the smoking engine, he asks the volunteers to keep a careful eye on the remains of the caravan.

“There will be clues about who did this,” he says. Behind him, with a grimace, Allairavar nods. “Bring anything you can find to us.”

It becomes immediately apparent that even though the caravan was transporting both Blood and landens, and livestock and food for everyone, no one wants to work together. Sorrel focuses exclusively on the damage to the Dhemlan railcar’s engine. The Hunters are more inclined to find their own among the dead and cause trouble with the Healers and Strangers who have come to help. The Transporters and Tinkers try to salvage what they can of the damaged railcars. Allairavar only wants to find the mercenary band he’s certain is behind this—and he fixates on this to the exclusion of all else. Only Loren makes an attempt to organize the volunteers to recover the injured survivors and the scattered supplies, but he seems shaken.


THE WASTELANDS
Outside of Draega, a blasted and barren world unfolds before the Strangers. Tactically minded individuals will quickly realize the caravan was attacked in this location because of the hilly surroundings. There are no trees or forests to vanish into, but the rolling hills go on for miles in every direction, providing cover for a raiding band. Small valleys between the hills contain numerous dangers: from boggy, swampy ground to ponds containing toxic water. The water here can’t be drunk, and anyone who tries to consume it will become violently ill within a handful of hours. Animals are scarce but fierce, willing to attack people for the chance at a meal.

Harsh sunlight beats down on the barren plains. The railcar from Draega arrived by at the scene of the attack around mid-morning. By noon, the relentless sun bakes the entire area. Steam rises from the few ponds, filling the air with noxious fumes and strange gasses. Everyone is quickly drenched in sweat.

Strangers helping Allairavar hunt for the mercenaries will be able to find and follow human tracks. There are fewer than one might expect for a raiding party, and many abruptly vanish, but some lead back to a small camp about half a mile away from the railcar tracks. No one is in the camp when it is discovered, but there’s plenty of information to be unearthed by the keen-eyed.

Allairavar assumes a post in the camp, there to explain the mercenary bands to those who ask. “There’s hundreds of them,” he tells the curious. “Some are made up of only five members. Some command the strength of hundreds. When they get too big, they splinter. Rivalries form between the groups. They have no issue slaughtering each other for food.” He grinds his teeth together. Allairavar hates the mercenary bands. If Strangers press him too hard about the mercenaries, he’ll snap at them abruptly: “If you want a damn history lesson, go to Loren.”


AIR TIME
Whether you catch the news on a Far-caster in the city or you’re spinning the dial on your own device, you’ll hear…

etiquette with evandra and aren
[As always, Evandra speaks with a rough, husky voice.] Today, it might be helpful for our Strangers to understand Territories. Lord Aren, how do the Blood usually divide up the rule of a Territory?

[Aren, cheerfully, in that boyish voice of his:] In days past, a Territory Queen used to oversee the entire Territory. She’d look after both the Blood and landens on her land.

[Evandra interjects:] But usually just the Blood. We were left to our own devices.

[A thin, nervous chuckle issues from Aren.] Quite so… Ah, reporting to the Territory Queens were myriad Province Queens. A Province Queen was responsible for larger regions within a Territory and overseeing local disputes. Beneath a Province Queen, a handful of District Queens might report to her if the Province was populated well enough. District Queens usually ruled over a few small villages, no more than two or three. Since people in Hayll live almost exclusively in Draega and there aren’t many Queens left, ruling everything falls on the Lady Fayura.

[With curiosity, Evandra asks:] And is a Territory Queens always darker Jeweled than the women—er, witches who report to her?

[Aren is quick to respond.] Not at all! A Territory Queen becomes a Territory Queen as much because of the Blood males who serve her and her social power as her Jewels. Why, there are stories about…

the weather
[A soft-spoken man’s voice rumbles out of the Far-caster. He’s pleasant to listen to, with a soothing cadence to his voice.] …days of intense heat and little cloud cover. With the spring harvest coming in soon, farmers should be conscious of the heat and the possibility of crops burning in the sun. As a reminder, the Medico Guild…

the news
[Garret hastily threw together an interview with Grand Master Niall shortly after the plume of smoke appeared on the horizon. Several hours later, it plays over the Farcaster network.

Garret leads with a question:] …describe the relationship between Hayll’s Guilds and Dhemlan’s?

[Niall makes a thoughtful noise. Somehow, even without seeing him, his energy and charisma comes through quite clearly.] Very good. I have nothing but respect for Grand Master Kern. [He chuckles.] Even if he is a Transporter.

[Garret:] Is there a rivalry between your original Guild and the Transport Guild?

[Niall:] Not at all. A rivalry implies a level playing field to begin with, and while the Transport Guild innovates with marvelous inventions, they simply don’t provide the same value as other Guilds, like the Hunters.

Comments

[sunborne]

i;; the not so little daylight that could. ( the caravans. )

[ though daylight doesn't plan to stick around the caravan for long, more anxious/eager to head out and track down the missing passengers, he does do what he can to help out before heading out with allairavar’s group. (plus - sticking around at first allows him to get a puppy...! one he's proud to show off to other strangers if they see him and his new friend trot together in his helping at the site.)

right. helping ing. he does it mainly in using his strength and size to get obstacles out of the way or in using his connection with the factions to speak with them - especially the hunters, the tinkers, and the transporters. his relatively strongish ties with the group allows him to glean information they normally wouldn't give. he's quick to tell any companions he's with. heck- there's a strong chance of him just. randomly waving down the nearest stranger after he's spoken with a guild member, with him breathlessly saying, you've got to hear this...! in hopes of sharing the information before they can brush him off.

he also tries his best to comfort a young boy who is in tears. he's in his avaform right now, appearing human in order to keep the survivors from the caravan in spooked further if they already have. he's... he's almost making progress, since the boy's sobbing is bubbling down, but if anyone wants to give him a hand in this, that'll be great.

especially you, random person who he's making desperate puppy eyes at over the head of the boy he's trying to comfort. help. ]

ii;; out in the wilds. ( the wastelands.)

[ when he arrives at the camp, daylight can't hide his disappointment at the fact there's no one there. well. no one alive, when the others later find the dead woman. the second he tries to pick up the psychic residue left behind, the fear and shock and resignation he feels is enough for him to break up the connection. unless someone talks him in into doing that, he doesn't want to delve into that memory and let someone else handle it.

though that means he can't do a lot. not compared to the others at least. he finds the tracks and counts the rolls and even looks up in the sky, like that'll give him a clue, but nothing really substantial comes up the first time around.

... not that it stops him from finding angles to look at and poke at, vigorously. ]

-That's an engine. [ he frowns at the drawing on the ground, recognising the shape thanks to his world and its era. ] Do you think we can, um, copy that figure down somehow? Show it to Tinkers to see if they can match its lines or whatever with the works of the missing, um, Master Tinker...?

[ he looks to the person he's paired up/glued himself to. ] You heard of her, right? Back at the caravan?

iii;; between you and me. ( for fayura. )

[ after what he's seen in the wastelands and the camp, combined with conclusion of the black widows only a few months back, daylight has an uneasy idea of what could have possibly motivated these turn of events. as a result, he tries to reach out to the queen in hopes of speaking with her about the concerns.

yet given current events and all, he'll need to wait like everyone else. which is fair! which is true! day knows he's got to wait and he's trying to be patient. trying, being the operative word here.

so he's nervously waiting in the corridors of the queen's residence, trying to be patient for his chance to speak with the queen. day sticks out like a sore thumb there; not only in his his appearance drawing looks and mutters but also for the nervous energy he exudes as he paces back and forth.

until he gets his chance to have an audience with her, daylight and his fluttering winglets are going to be an utter menace and a half. ]

iv;;; wildcard!!

[ want to do something else? feel free to do it here! also, you’re welcome to hit me up/plot with me via my plurk prognostic if there’s something specific you want. ]

[agentlenpc]

[He has to wait a day, which isn't all that bad in the grand scheme of things. Fayura holds informal court the day after the caravan attack. Unlike when the Black Widows came, no one comes into the grand hall of the residence, and she isn't dressed in a black spidersilk gown that speaks to the depths of her power. Instead, she greets Daylight in a formal drawing room. Two of her First Circle flank the door, but that's a nod to formality more than anything else. Fayura has strength enough to protect herself.

Seated on a couch with coffee and finger sandwiches on a tray before she, she's dressed in a dress that, while it passes her knees, is by no means formal. The wide neck reveals she's not wearing her Jewel on her necklace, and there are no rings on her finger. She avoids wearing her Jewels for formal gatherings unless she's making a point, so this is noteworthy as a deviation from Blood behavior but not odd for her.

Verim sits opposite her in an arm chair, bonelessly graceful. He holds a book in one hand that he vanishes as Daylight enters, but he doesn't shit to attention. Only a fool would think that makes him less dangerous. This, too, is normal; there is no meeting with Fayura that doesn't have her Consort, Master of the Guard, or Steward in attendance.

Fay rises as Daylight enters, gesturing to the chair beside Verim.]

Please, sit. Would you like a cup of coffee? [A touch of Craft lifts the carafe and tops off her and Verim's cup. Instead of floating the mug over to him, she offers it in her hands. Their fingers linger, and the heat that flashes in Verim's eye is unmistakable.

She smiles, then scowls, and then rolls her eyes at him—some psychic something has passes between them. Settling back, she looks to Daylight, ready to pour him a cup should he ask.] What brings you here, Daylight?

[sunborne]

[ more than ever he wishes dialup is with him. heck- he would take emergency aid. just someone, anyone, who knows their ways around words and etiquette. the moment he enters the drawing room, he feels ridiculously clumsy and, like, he'll bump into something super old and precious.

his mom may have been grand with words and charm but daylight did not inherit any of that in his opinion.

still- he tries for the sake of the topics he wants to bring up today. daylight (thinks he) politely turns down the offer of coffee, explaining it as ‘health reasons’, while he takes a very careful sit in the seat. the last thing he wants to do is break something very obviously expensive and start this meeting/appointment/thing(?) on the wrong foot.

… not that this stops him from feeling awkward. very awkward when he notices the interaction between fayura and her, um, prince...?? one day, he'll learn the politics and stuff of this world proper; that way he has a better grasp of what's around him. for now- ]

I have, um, concerns I wanted to bring to your notice. [ he stops here when he feels his vocoder catch on his words. daylight quickly resets his vocoder to chase away the nervous buildup of static and white noise before he tries again. ] It’s about the caravan.

[ ... ] You’ve been informed about the missing persons from the caravan, right? [ here goes: ] All the women missing?

[agentlenpc]

[Neither Fay nor Verim take the decline poorly; they accept Daylight's "no" without another word. Verim returns to his book, though he's still very much aware of what's going on around him, while Fayura refocuses her attention on Daylight.

Her expression falters at the mention of the caravan, though not because she's upset at Daylight. The expression isn't easy to read, but something about the attack makes her very uncomfortable.]

Yes. I'm aware. [Tension fills her voice and a strange fragility flavors the air.

Around Verim, the temperature in the room chills ever so slightly.] Why do you ask?

[sunborne]

[ daylight's immediate reaction is to throw his servos up, looking apologetic as possible. it's clear that he doesn't like this sort of stuff and he isn't, ah, equipped for it. it's why he wants dialup or emergency aid or nightbreak with him more than ever. (well. not nightbreak. she might make the situation here worse somehow.)

but someone's got to bring this up and he might as well get to the point. something something rip off the staticmesh soon as possible- ]

I think this attack is a retaliation. For the Black Widows. Amanita, Harrin, and Little Blue.

[ again, he raises his servos. again, he looks apologetic. please hear him out on this until the end...? ]

When I went to you to ask for the basics on Black Widows- You told me that there's a thing where mercenaries 'recruited' them for their own purposes. We know the three had ties with a band of them outside the city. Not related to what happened with the girl at the time but...

I bet losing three Black Widows would have been a big blow to the group. And I bet they would been really angry at the turn of events. Or desperate.

[ maybe both, given the scale of the attack and sheer number of women grabbed from the caravan during the chaos. ]

[agentlenpc]

[Fayura listens closely, taking a sip from her coffee as Daylight speaks. Her Jewel is dark enough that her metabolism is too fast for the caffeine to really effect her, so as soon as the cup is empty, she pours another.]

It's possible. Were any of the witches on the manifest Black Widows?

[Her speaking voice is suddenly fragile. Brittle. She holds herself carefully as she speaks.]

We would need to know which group specifically attacked the caravan, and it's true that a mercenary lord hungry for access to a Black Widow would have the most luck attacking one of the caravans. They're easier targets than a city. But consider that witches—that women weren't the only ones missing.

[Her eyes harden, her expression chilling.]

Consider that a broken witch can have only one child after she's been broken. Consider that it takes generations to breed the ability to wear a Jewel into a landen Blood line. [She drinks her coffee now so she has a moment to collect herself as pain and fury well within her.] Consider what that means for people who live hard and lean and desperate, who use their fists to control instead of the rule of law.

[sunborne]

[ daylight does consider her words and it hits him hard. made obvious by the way his winglets hitch and quiver as if struck, as though the mere thought of what the women would be forced into is a physical blow and maybe it is for him.

it's- almost alien for day to think. with earth and other planets under the guard of both the galactic union and its allies, they've managed to stamp those sort of things out so this- this is a lot for him to take in and to know this is real, this is happening to someone right now.

that thought alone almost has him leap to his pedes. but as he leans forward, ready to hop off and run, the furniture's uneasy creaking keeps him in check.

the sound, loud and sharp, reminds him that a question was asked and he tries to answer it to the best of his abilities. his mind if a jumble of racing thoughts and questions and ideas, but he manages to pluck out the relevant stuff: ]

There were- There are Black Widows that's part of the group. Two of them. I'll need to review the manifest again and ask around to get more info on the two but- Yes. They were part of the caravan. [ and they'll be rescued. like everyone else who got captured and are still unaccounted for. he almost wants to get up and hurry out to tackle this head on but no.

daylight knows the others would stay here longer to figure out more, to go rush blindly into a situation to ensure the best outcome. and since they're not here with him, he needs to think like them. ] So... Right now, I guess we need to narrow down the list of suspects then.

Were we able to get anymore information out of the others before the sentence was passed? Figure out their ties with others?

[ he wondered if any of them would have spoken before their deaths. would they have taken their secrets to their graves as a final act of rebellion? said something in an attempt to get mercy? daylight isn't sure, having pulled away when it was clear what their fates were, and he feels bad for choosing that now. ]

ii

[breadmuffs]

[Caleb is poking around the camp, sweeping his eyes over the scene with intense focus. He isn't sure what details might be relevant here, but he is trying to remember...everything he can.

He'd left his coat behind him at the cargo car, which means that his...unique sartorial choices are in full view. That is to say, the fact that he has two books holstered by his sides. (The leather harness likely isn't particularly comfortable in this heat but Caleb doesn't seem inclined to part with it, or the books.)

When Daylight speaks up, he comes over to look at the shape on the ground. It hadn't made much sense to him, but...]

I...left the caravan to more capable hands.

[Which is to say that he spent exactly no time at the caravan. The sight of charred bodies particularly had not sat with him very well and he'd set off almost immediately.]

As for copying it down... [Along with the books at his sides, he has a satchel strapped to his leg. It's...a lot of leather. Caleb reaches into it.] I have some paper and ink....

[sunborne]

[ perfect! daylight is relieved and pleased to hear that this investigation buddy happens to have what he needs to get this copied down. ]

Can you pass me some along then? Please? I can note down the stuff. [ daylight has his winglets flick up in an endearing manner, hoping he could at least get a sheet and piece large enough for him to work with. it's important to get this doodled down soon as possible, in case the wind or something happen.

and remembering what the guy said earlier, about leaving the caravan to capable hands, daylight thinks it wouldn't hurt to continue sharing info: ]

One of the missing people is a Master Tinker. Her name is- [ daylight pauses for a second, not wanting to mess the pronounciation up. ] Her name is Devyra Blik. She and her son were visiting the city when...

[ he falls quiet now, not wanting to go into details of the caravan's attack since, well, they both saw what had happened. ]

[breadmuffs]

[Caleb nods, finishing fishing out a sheet of paper and then a...pot of ink and a dip-pen. He is, unfortunately, somewhat old-school.

(Technically, the ink is specially formulated for him to be able to transcribe his spells and is therefore imbued with arcane energy. And normally he would not want to waste that on mundane purposes. But it's useless to him here.)

He hands all of those things to Daylight. Who is...a sight, certainly. Caleb has never met or seen a golem - which is what he assumes Daylight...is... or a warforged construct, perhaps, given what appears to be his intelligence - but he knows of their existence.]

I also have an eidetic memory, if that ends up being necessary...

[His eyes rove over the diagram on the ground, taking it in as much as possible. Just in case.

But then, after that, he looks back up at Daylight, considering what he's said. Yes. He knows what happened.]

I...heard that they...took women. From the caravan. You think that this...drawing might have something to do with her? Perhaps why she may have been taken...?

[What is an engine?

[sunborne]

[ daylight makes sure to flick his winglets in what he thinks is an endearing motion, his way of quickly and quietly saying, 'thanks!' for the supplies. he's thankful, caleb! he really is! he just happens to be super distracted (and a little excited) that he's getting to do this sort of stuff now.

and while sketching out the lines to the best of his abilities, daylight speaks to caleb and tries to divide his attention equally to both tasks at hand. ] Just women, yeah.

I've been checking with the others and the ones missing and known to still be alive, so far, are all women. Even two of the Hunters that were escorting the caravan got snatched. Which is a really risky thing to do, since Hunters, from my experience and what others have said, do not mess around.

[ and to the actual question, he's a bit more distracted in his attempts to get the shapes just right but daylight tries: ]

I think there's a connection between her getting grabbed and this, I really do. This stuff? [ at this point, he points with the (comically tiny to him) dip pen towards the diagram. ] Only Guilds focus on this with how much effort and time and materials is poured into making this sort of stuff here.

Either they grabbed her and forced her to draw this out to... [ to... to... huh. wait a second.

something's not right.

daylight looks up (er, down) at caleb and the troubled frown on his face is is undeniable. ]

What do you think makes more sense with what we know? That they made her draw this out after attacking the caravan or that they knew this stuff before attacking the caravan?

[breadmuffs]

[Caleb isn't absolutely familiar with the gesture that Daylight makes, but it hardly matters to him, really, for Daylight to be thankful. They're doing what needs to be done and he is helping to make that happen. That's all.

Caleb listens and nods along. He still does not understand what "this stuff" is, but the clarification that it's expensive and time consuming makes some sort of sense.

Then Daylight trails off, asks a question. Which Caleb certainly thinks he has an answer for, even without understanding everything.]

I don't think it likely that they would have needed her to scratch this into the dirt after they had her. Assuming time was not of the essence for some reason, it seems much more likely that they'd have her draw...this...with more precise tools. On something that they could reference again.

[Okay, perhaps it is time for a little more clarification.]

I admit, I don't know what this [Gesturing to the diagram of the engine in the dirt] is...

i.

[kesi]

[Daylight didn't need to wave Takame over, he was already approaching him as soon as he was spotted near the caravans. The Au Ra wasn't the best one to get information out of the Hunters, he was more than willing to make encounters with one of them violent, but the fact that Daylight was so eager to share what he'd heard made Takame assume that it was important.

There also may or may not be a small puppy chasing his tail around. No, not hers, but his. But he approaches Daylight all the same as if he isn't letting the pup take a swing at it while he was covered in dirt from earlier investigations.]

What have you learned?

[sunborne]

[ daylight perks up a bit when he sees a puppy because he recognises them from the batch of pups from the collie that had survived the livestock cart's crash. good to see one of them is safe after the others had run off.

but- no- focus, day. cooing over puppies later (though he has one of his own, the little one poking from behind his feet and happily barking at the sight of their sibling). ]

A lot of stuff. It was like prying teeth out from an alligator's mouth but the Hunters with told me something worrying.

[ he looks around, making sure that none of the survivors are around to hear it. he doesn't want to upset any of them with the information he has because. um. the information is kind of awful- ]

None of the gear of the dead or missing Hunters can be found. The Hunters who are with us are going through the crash really well to find any of it, considering their equipment, and... [ daylight gives a helpless shrug at this point, signifying that nothing has been located yet. ]

I think their stuff was swiped during the chaos. [ looted. stolen. whatever. ] In order to keep the ones with Jewels subdued and stuff.

[kesi]

None? [More than he learned by slamming one against the nearest flat surface, but that is worrying indeed. Looting is to be expected after disasters, but something told him that this wasn't just disorganized chaos.]

If a darker Jeweled Blood was with them... they would have required such supplies. [He mumbled, half to himself while he fiddled with something in his pocket. A finding he will share with Daylight, but he must confirm something else first.]

Do you have information on the Hunters that are missing?

[sunborne]

[ it's helps that daylight has made it a point to work well with the guilds. while he does make sure to not work directly with the hunters, it seems working with the guilds, period, has improved his standing with all of them as a result. yay for cooperation.

(but to get back on track:) it's how he gets information like this: ] They were all equipped with a breaker, a muter, and a cier.

[ he winces when he lists down the items, knowing what they're all meant to do when interacting with the jewels. ] Losing one pack's worth of that great is bad enough...

[ but to lose twenty packs' worth? ]

[kesi]

[Takame was many things, but a diplomat was not one of them. He was thankful that Daylight had made more of an effort than him to be cordial. At the information shared he did nothing but cross his arms.]

This was no accident. [An obvious statement again said half to himself while he pulled the small object from his pocket, but held it in a closed fist instead opting for a last confirmation.]

... What of the Hunters unaccounted for?

[sunborne]

[ unaccounted for...?

oh- he met the ones not found yet- ]

People are still going through the bodies to try and identify them. [ daylight gestures behind him to where others are taking bodies to be laid out, using whatever they can to cover their features and wounds until later need for identification. ] So far, we found a few missing Hunters who died during the attack, be it the initial jump or the caravan crashing.

[ there's always a 'but' in this. ] But two of the missing Hunters caught my attention.

They're both women. And, from what I can tell from what I heard, they were last seen alive so there's, um, a chance they got snatched too.

[kesi]

[There it is. The part he was expecting to hear, "They're both women". This was absolutely no coincidence. He already knew this, and yet to hear a confirmation was its own kind of catharsis.

Even if they didn't know who, the why, or the where. And it bothered him.]

There's little doubt. [Said with an air of certainty despite his frustration. It was at this point that he opened his hand, holding out the coin he'd found in his own investigations for Daylight to see.]

I discovered this in my investigation. 'Twould seem coins are worn by some mercenaries for good luck. [A short pause.] By Blood mercenaries.

[sunborne]

[ daylight leans way, way down to get a better look at the coin while he listens to takame speak.

it looks... old. very old, he notes, to the point that he can't see the details that were once etched on its surface. which is a shame, because daylight had hoped they could use that to track down the owner.

but the information that takame does get - from previous knowledge? from others? - is fascinating, if worrying. ]

So... the caravan was targeted specifically because there were women in it? [ daylight couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the thought, a worrying idea coming to his processors. ] Do you think this is related to the Black Widows...?

[ he doesn't say their names aloud but he didn't need to. their executions are still fresh in his processors and he hopes are fresh in the others' mind:

amanita nissa, harrin, and little blue. ]

[kesi]

[Takame lifted the coin high for Daylight to get a better view of it and its worn details. What was etched into it did not matter to him, all that did was who wore it and what they were.

It was uncomfortable, this information. Disconcerting and yet not unheard of. Women are all too often trafficked for unspeakable means in Eorzea. Kugane had an entire underbelly where women were forced by circumstance to take up sex work. He's seen it all before, but this was not Eorzea or Kugane.] 'Tis likely. But other must caravans carry women as well. Why attack this one?

[The idea of a connection to the recently executed Black Widows made him visibly frown.]

I've not considered that. [He did not bother to think about the dead in general, let alone those three.] It is a possibility we cannot rule out.

[sunborne]

I spoke with the Queen during the investigation. Apparently- [ he takes a deep vent, the distaste he feels for the approaching words made evident with his twisting mouth. ] Apparently, it's a 'thing' for mercenary groups to for Black Widows into working with them.

Since I got some really good info last time, I was thinking of trying to speak with the Queen about this situation. See if she has any thoughts or insights. [ hopefully soon as possible, but he knows better than to stall his vents for too long.

daylight has no doubt that she'll be busy with this mess and the ramifications of it from all sides. he might need to do some light pushing and poking to get his way through the others who'll want to speak with her, but it'll be worth it. he hopes he'll be worth it since this feels a lot like when they were tracking down the black widows: urgent and pressing, with a sense of danger in the air since there are missing people involved now.

before he can lose himself to these worried thoughts, a little bark! coming from takame gets his attention. thank goodness too- the sight he sees before him is adorable. ]

Awww...! Look at them go! [ he can't help but smile at the way the puppy is chasing after takame's tail, going after it with with a sense of dogged(!) determination only puppies at their age can show. ] Are they yours?

[kesi]

I see. [The frown didn't fade. Every realm, in dire straits or not, fell to the same insidious acts didn't they? It made the Au Ra wonder if anything else could be done. But they apprehended the Widows before. That changed attitudes.

He could never tell what the future would bring.] Lady Fayura would be more knowledgeable on their reasoning. Mayhap I should... ["make a few inquiries myself" was the rest of the mumbled sentence. He trailed off, frustrated at his lack of knowledge. Wishing to fix it once their investigations concluded. Maybe he would consult Loren after all.

The tiny bark broke his train of thought, however, and he looked behind him to the small puppy now jumping high to get his hand rather than his tail. He kneeled down next to her.] Ah, the little one followed me after I'd investigated the livestock cars and would not leave...

[sunborne]

So they are my puppy's siblings! Hey there, buddy...!

[ daylight sounds elated (and relieved) to have that thought of his properly confirmed.

he had managed to kissy sound his way into this one's heart, hence them resting in his arms, but the others? they didn't seem to like him as much and had run off into the unknown before he can look after them proper. he's glad to see one of them is safe and is, currently, in good hands.

giving his own puppy a scratch on the head to ease their whining, daylight smiles at takame's new furry\ friend and gives a wiggle of his winglets as a greeting to them. ]

Have you named yours yet? I'm planning to name mine Demolisher or, um, Demo for short and-

[ daylight freezes up all of the sudden, jerking still as if he had gotten smacked across the face. ]

Um.... [ daylight looks down to stare at the puppy he's carefully holding in his arms. said puppy looking back at him, tail wagging. ] Takame- Did you hear that jus now?

[kesi]

Named? Er... [That was telling. He didn't think to name the little puppy because he assumed they would belong to someone else.

... Provided the owner was still alive at any rate. There were more important things to do than name a puppy, he could figure that out later. Quite the name Daylight has picked, though.

When Daylight mentioned hearing something, he moved his hand from petting his pup to hover over his sword and take a defensive stance. Habit, really. He was still on edge and standing notably close to his new fluffy friend.] Is something there?