the stewards (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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agentlelog2019-05-14 07:09 pm
thestewards) wrote in agentlelog2019-05-14 07:09 pm
event: a gentle caravan
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.
► 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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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?
no subject
(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? ]
no subject
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?
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
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?
no subject
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...
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
... 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?