3478/God Will Rise - Part Two

God Will Rise - Part Two
Date of Scene:	03 December 2015
Location:	The Tundra
Synopsis:	Those who saved Lucrelia are invited to return for a new mission.
Cast of Characters:	Deelel, Riva Banari, 757, 821, 908, 916

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Lyner Barsett (916) has posed:
     It's been about a week since that large scale battle miles out from the city-state of Lucrelia. The entity known as an 'Incarnation' was at first seemingly impervious, but was made vulnerable once again due to Misha's song, Purger. After felling the creature and keeping the local army's casualties lower than they would have been otherwise, the captain of the company, simply known as Laurence, gave those who assisted a broad invite into the city.

     Though Lyner technically didn't help...well, he was here anyway! There were a bunch of things he wasn't clear on. And this was a problem that still wasn't actually solved. That being the case, with a white cloak wrapped around himself, hood down, he trudged along the snowy road towards the western gates to the city. "Man, it's just cold all year round here, huh...?" He mumbled out loud, shuddering quickly before steeling himself and pressing on towards the fast approaching gates.

     Soldiers were posted on each side of the gate below, armed with standard spears and donning basic armor. And way up top, there were more guards patrolling the walls, as well as looking out into the distance from various strategic points. At the approach of unfamiliar travelers, the soldiers at the gate stood at attention, their expressions steeling as they spoke firmly.

     "Halt. What business do you have here in this city?"

     Sheesh, previous talk of this city was correct. The way they looked at everyone as if they were already guilty criminals certainly wasn't welcoming in the least.

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    Gudako is alone today! Alone is kind of a misnomer, because there's ever the presence of her two Servants around her-- incorporeal, but pretty much impossible to hide from prying eyes or senses. There's just too much magic in the air, so the fact she's accompanied by two super ghosts isn't something she can brush under a rug.

    But to the average Joe she certainly is alone! And wearing a big poofy scarf, probably three times the length it needs to be. Idle enchantments rest upon it, explaining why the magus, in her usual outfit, doesn't seem to be shivering or minding the cold at all.

    She walks in from behind Lyner (likely arriving with him), her usual 8D expression as imperishable as ever. "Hey mister city guard person! We saved your city last week, we want to sample your local cuisine! If you want to shower us in adoration that's totally cool too. Chop chop, let us through! Or go ask Laurence about us, but don't take too long."

    "Time is your HP." 8D

Deelel has posed:
Deelel had wond3er just what was going on with the strange 'god' that hat attacked the city and here she was once more. She was also happy to take the Captain up on the invite, new worlds new culturea and best of all art in all it's forms. She doesn't seem botehred by the cold as she arrives and he pauses for a moment. The guards made her think og the System Monitors back home.

"IDs is Deelel Captain Laurence invitted us to the city afer aiding in it's defence last week. I do hope the situation hasn't changed since then?"

Misha (757) has posed:
    Misha had not expected to come back, truth be told. But here she is, dressed in a heavier set of fine purple robes to repel the cold, she keeps her hands hidden in the heavy folds of the long sleeves to keep them warm, while following up behind Lyner on the way. "Sooo why are we back, exactly? These people weren't exactly that happy the first time we showed up." Hell, the last time she was here before that incident she had gotten one heck of a cold shoulder.
    Still, the looks the guards are giving? Holy cow that is just insulting and annoying. "Wow, you know. You could at least be a little more grateful to the people who showed up to help you a week ago, and let us in."

Riva Banari has posed:
It's been a little bit since Riva's been here.The gruff response, however, doesn't even seem to slow the chipper Templaress down as she grins, swaying forward as if she didn't have a big-ass maul on her back. "Hey guuuuuuys! Nice to see you! We're here to help you out with your problems! And maybe give you guys some money for food and drinks." She shudders, maybe a little more than she really is, as she claps her sides. "Maybe some nice warm drinks would be /awesome/, You want some? I can bring you guys back some!" She says brightly.

Lyner Barsett (916) has posed:
     Lyner chuckled and glanced back at Misha, slowing down a bit so that she caught up to him. "Well...I know these people haven't been, well, pleasant. But...Well, you saw what happened last time." An arm left the confines of his cloak and he scratched his cheek with a finger lightly. "They'd get wiped out again if another one of those big guys decided to take a leisurely stroll down this way again." Sobering up as they approached, he slowed down to a stop with the others, allowing them to speak first.

     "Plus, something seems off. Aren't you curious?"

     Gudako's /charmingly/ weird opener earned her a pair of arched brows. Both guards paused, then looked at each other, then back to the Magus. "Er-- HP?" One of them uttered in confusion. The other shook his head and whisper to the other 'look at her eyes. She's a lunatic.'. The first sighed and whispered back. 'But she matches one of the descriptions of 'those people'. In fact, they all do.'

     Deelel's mention of Captain Laurence earns her...twin frowns. "Captain Laurence, you say?" There was a tension filled pause...and then Riva happened. So happy. So chipper. So upbeat. Who can keep a stone face at that?

     "I...Nevermind." The first guard stepped forward, then turned around and looked upwards at the wall. "Open the gates! These are Captain Laurence's guests!" While this happened, the second guard asided to Riva. "Make sure you actually do what you said. It's friggen cold out here!" A glare from the first straightened him up.

     No gallivanting with the weird outsiders!

     But well, they were free to go into the city. Passing the gates, they would find that it was a perpetually snow covered city like out of some sort of christmas tale. Wooden buildings as far as the eye could see. Smoke billowing from countless rooftops. And people bundled up for the weather and traversing the streets. However, from where the group entered on the western block, they would notice that they were being given a wide berth. People were very clearly avoiding them, standing off to the sides and whispering to each other.

     Uncomfortable as it was, the tension was eventually broken by a familiar voice. "Hello there! You made it at last!" An older man in light armor stepped forth, a hand raised in greeting. He looked to be mid to late thirties, brown hair neatly combed, a bit of a stocky build. Aha, it was that Laurence fellow.

     "I was surprised to hear they you'd all come back. But I'm glad." He stops to spare a sidelong look about. "...Sorry about this. Let's head somewhere quiet, why don't we? Fancy a drink?"

Deelel has posed:
Deelel sees th talking gets them past the guard and Riva's plan does sound like some fun.

"I'll help with that if you need it Riva, suonds like it might be fun later."

she'll strid eon in with the rest of everyone else. She can understand just how misrable the cold can be for many humans so there is a look of sympathy on her face as she moves past the gate. She looks over her shoulder to Misha, Riva and Guako.

"Come on let's not delay I doubt any of you want to remain out in the cold."

She now treck on checking out the ity itself it was curious she noticed people are avoiding them as they go.

"Thy don't seem to receptive to the people who kept their city from the sword...It almost reminds me of home and not in a good way."

Once they finally reach the Cptain she gives them a nod and a bit of a smile.

"A drink would be wonderful."

Riva Banari has posed:
The response from the guards causes Riva to clap her hands. "No problem! Thank you very much. Maybe we'll see you at the tavern later, hmm~?" She says, humming a little as she quickly bounces past, waving to the pair of guards.

Once in the town, Riva looks around, watching what's going down around them and considering what it means. She rubs her chin, and is about to say something when Captain Laurence shows up.

"Hey there, Captain!" Riva waves, immediately approaching the man and clapping him on the shoulder. "Great to see you again!" When he suggests a drink, Riva nods. "That's a great idea! Is this place always this cold? You guys must have it rough."

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    Gudako would explain that HP means health, and add that her not-so-oblique threat meant if the guards wasted her time she would kill them. But that would be a waste of time, now that they've gained entry! Pain as it was to sit through that very brief stalling.

    To Deelel, the magus does answer: "Stuck up guards gonna be stuck up guards. There's one of those cities in every story!" It adds punch. Either they meet their deserved end, or they're there to get redeemed and shown the right way, usually by the heroes' actions. Heh. 'Heroes'.

    "And food," Gudako adds to Laurence, after Riva suggests drinks. "But we came here for information too! There better be plenty of that, because boredom kills."

    That one is a bit more obvious.

Archer (821) has posed:
     Thankfully, the cold didn't affect Servants the way it did humans - namely because, while corporal, they were more solid prana-constructs in concept then real flesh-and-blood human beings.
    However, the paranoia of the guards seems to still be lingering in the wake of the battle, considering how on-edge they were. Unsurprising, though - they were just in a rather severe battle.

     His own arrival is likely to be rather low-key - he doesn't really give much of an introduction, nor makes much of an effort to stand out like Gudako and Riva seem to, his only response being a simple nod and a provision of a Union ID to signify his status.

     However, he does let out an exasperated-sounding sigh at Riva's actions. "I think we have more important things to worry about then drinks."

     ... they weren't going to get along, were they?

     As they approach the Tavern, Archer makes a point of keeping an eye on Gudako - the lone Confederate in their midsts - as they soon meet with their contact, for lack of a better word, the bowman silently nodding and following the man's instructions to head to a more quiet spot - though he doesn't respond to the offer for drinks. As a Servant, he couldn't get drunk anyway and he didn't /need/ sustenance, so there was no real point.

     His most pressing concern was learning what happened last week... and what exactly the connection was between that and the long-absent Lyner Barsett.

Misha (757) has posed:
    "Duh, I saw what happened last time. I was there. I sang their problems away." The Reyvateil replies to her knight as she sets her hands on her hips. "Mmm. I guess." She finally relents, admitting to her own curiosity as the gates finally open.
    Of COURSE she doesn't want to stick out in the cold either, it's a nightmare, and she's already wandering in after everyone else. "Something to warm up." She asides to... Laurence was it? She's not as exhuberant as Riva though, Misha seems kind of cranky tonight.

Lyner Barsett (916) has posed:
     "Well, yeah, you did. But that was more a figure of speech, haha..." Of course, Lyner, of course. As they passed through the gates and walked down the cobblestone streets, Laurence's greeting was like a breath of fresh air before all of the...stares and mumblings. Was what they did last week really so suspicious? It was unsettling. But nonetheless, Lyner smiled and raised a hand in greeting. "Hey! That sounds good to me! Let's do it!"

     Laurence chuckled at all the greetings, nodding in kind. "Alright, follow me." He turned and began to walk off with the group in tow. Deelel was spared a look and a nod. "Yes. All year round. Snow just falls like rain. It's a local occupation to keep the streets clear of snow as much as possible actually." He looked off and shook his head. "Pays well too. Probably more than being a knight." He looked up at the sky, his tone taking on a joking tune. "Perhaps I should have taken up the shovel instead of the sword." Riva gets a smile. "Hello there...I...I don't think I actually got your names last time. Sorry miss." He apologized, slowing down as they stopped at what looked to be a tavern of some sort, if the sight out front didn't make it obvious enough.

     Gudako's less obvious threat just earns her a chuckle. "I'll do my best not to make it boring then. Won't I?" And then they were inside. First thing they would notice was that there were a lot of other off duty knights here. Must have been the army's regular dive. Several waitresses could be seen expertly navigating the tables, taking and delivering orders. The bar was filled with people sitting at stools as well.

     Laurence veered off to the side. "Busy as usual, I see." And with that said, he lead the way over to an empty corner table, plopping down and having a seat. The group might notice that the other occupants of the place were giving them sidelong looks, trying to be subtle. No one greeted them upon their arrival as well.

     Laurence was unaffected though and smiled. "Have a seat. Order whatever you'd like. This place has got good food and drinks. I can vouch for it." And then he waved over a waitress. "Get them whatever they ask for, it's on me."

     And with that out of the way, allowing them to order things at their leisure, he sighed and settled back in his seat. "So...I think I owe you all some answers. But before that--" Pause. "--Names. I can't keep saying 'you there!' now, can I?"

Deelel has posed:
Deelel seeme amused at Gudako's comment.

"Worse are the worlds where guard's like that."

Though the comment about this being just a story gets one eyebrow raised by her. She does make note of Archer's arrival. She also takes note of Misha for and wonder if it's just returning here was making Misha cranky or was it something else? Now certainly wasn't the time to ask that question to be sure she focus on Laurenc efor a moment and she listens.

"Sounds like jokes made about some human nations I know of come to life."

She moves to sit down and will place an order of something to eat and drink she could use a bit of a recharge.

"My name is Deelel."

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    With Archer keeping an eye on her, Gudako occasionally keeps an eye on him! This is less a careful eye, and more out-loud musing, as she makes no effort to conceal her thoughts.

    "You know, it's kinda weird an Archer is using swords! Those swords are really distinctive too. I wonder if it's a decoy? But your outfit is pretty unique, and not like anything I've seen! HMM." Hmm indeed. Gudako leans in closer to inspect the taller, more tanned man. "Three, four, five...? You look pretty cool... you've got an edgy moral code... an Archer who doesn't act like an Archer at all... I'd think four! Something's missing. I'm not sure what! Blonde hair, maybe...?"

    Nevermind the creepy lunatic magus.

    Laurence's assurance this won't be boring allows the magus to sit at the table with her usual smile, pondering the menu. She'll have some roasted meat, God knows what's local here.

    "I'm Gudako Ordria! The blue-robed lady with me was Caster, and there's a red-robed one named Berserker too. But you can't see them right now!" Not that it'd take significant effort to have them appear, but sometimes some quiet is nicer, and not having to deal with one Servant being jealous the other was allowed to pop up is even nicer.

Misha (757) has posed:
    What the locals lack in welcoming jovial attitude, this one man makes up for all of it completely. How can one man be so chipper when surrounded by a city full of suspicious xenophobes? It's mind blowing. "So whyyy isn't everyone as welcoming as you, exactly?" A little blunt perhaps, but it is a valid question to ask as she settles in. For the record, a warm spiced wine will do her well, so she seems to go for that, to warm up. "I'm Misha, by the way." That's her introduction. Warming up- coupled with Laurence actually being nice is doing wonders for her mood already. "Soooo... What exactly was that thing that was stomping around last time?"

Riva Banari has posed:
Archer's snark causes Riva to look up in surprise for a moment, the cheery disposition threatening to crumble a bit under the onslaught of grumpiness. However, The Captain saves the day along with the rest of the group, deciding to head out for refreshments! "Woohoo!" Riva declares as they all decide to get to a place with hot food and drinks. "Oh, my name? Riva! Riva Banari, nice to meet you, Captain!" She beams.

Once they get inside the tavern, Riva wastes no time in ordering some mulled wine and some stew. "This seems like a nice place, but the people seem pretty glum. I guess the Incarnations are a thing, but is that the only reason why people are having trouble?"

Archer (821) has posed:
     Archer gives something of a sarcastic smile when hearing Laurence's quip; there were more then enough times he envied the blissful ignorance of a life without knowing the rigors that the ideals of 'heroism' imposed on a person's will... even as he silently would chastise them for it as well at times, when their fragile peace was disturbed. Such was the curse of introspection - neither side truly held ground he could firmly stand upon.

     Archer silently takes note of the many eyes trying to discreetly observe them, though outwardly he gave no hint to this aside from slow glances here and there.

     However, Gudako's 'observations' are a bit harder to deal with - he outwardly keeps himself impassive, wondering if her counting upwards was her way of rating a Servant's value... and flattering as it might be considered to be ranked 'four', Archer wasn't sure if he really appreciated that kind of attention.

     The girl seemed to be a Servant collector, if her words to Assassin of Steel during their last meeting were any indication, and he wasn't keen on letting himself be added to the tally - he may have felt sympathy for the Caster she had, but that wasn't the same as wanting to share the burden.

     As they sit at the bar, Archer takes his seat silently, though he politely declines the offer for a drink - though if others insist on him having one, he will let out a sigh and reply "Tea then, if they have it."

     The question of an introduction is answered promptly by the bowman regarding his identity; "You may call me Archer." Nothing else is said - nothing needs to be said, really. As a Servant, his class is effectively his identity.

     Something Archer didn't complain about in the slightest.

     Upon Riva's observation, Archer crosses his arms and closes his eyes contemplatively. "They tended to be an isolated community from the rest of the Multiverse... so logically, I suppose the presence of Elites from either faction in their formally-insular community is likely causing some distress" he states dispassionately. "It doesn't matter if we saved them or not - we are an unknown to them... and they won't accept our foreign presence easily. Especially if conflicts between the Union and Confederacy branch out here because of our presence."

     He keeps his voice low enough to try and not have bystanders hear his rather blunt commentary, though. Better not to stir the hornet's nest when you don't know how bad the reaction will be... though his prodding of Riva with his beliefs is likely a contrast to that, truthfully.

     But then again, because of her similarities to Emiya Shioru's code of beliefs - or close enough in his mind - he was confident he could handle that at least. And if nothing else, it served as a starter to the topic and cut to the serious questions - the best route to take in his mind, when dealing with situations like this.

Lyner Barsett (916) has posed:
     Lyner has a seat with the others, already pondering the events of last time. "Oh- My name! Right! Lyner Barsett. Pleasure to meet you, Captain Laurence!" The blonde knight introduces himself before nodding along with Misha. "Right. That's what I was going to ask." They knew it's name at the very least, but...why was it there? It came from the mountains and just started stomping towards the city. That's not normal.

     Laurence takes in everyone's names with a smile and a nod. "Deelel, Riva, Gudako..." A pause was had at the Servant names. "Caster? Berserker, Archer...? Strange names. But I shouldn't be surprised. People that come from beyond are different from us." That may have answered Misha's question. This man just had a brighter personal outlook than other people. But surely it went deeper.

     Introductions out of the way and orders placed, the waitress scurried off to go handle this rather large order. Laurence took a deep breath and then looked towards Misha. "You asked why everyone in this city isn't as welcoming as me?" He fell silent for a few seconds. "Well. I wouldn't say everyone, but...well, before we wound up unified into this strange cluster of worlds, our own world was one one war and strife. But not the typical kind of war. It was a war against God."

     So he said. "Though, as far as we know, only this fortified city-state, and that dreadeful mountain in the distance seem to have made it, the conflict was still inherited." Talk about bad luck. "As for what that 'thing' was...They are called 'Incarnations'. They are fragments of 'God', as we know." The knight captain paused there, letting it settle in. "They come in many different shapes and sizes, but what they all have in common is their will to destroy us."

     Riva is looked at next and he smiles wryly. "The people have a right to be scared and suspicious. 'Incarnations' are not the only problems we have. There are people who side with 'God'. We call them 'Einherjar'. They are imbued with a fragment of God's power, and are capable of feats much like you all did last week. Us normal people can't do anything like that, so everyone is on edge." He sighed. "We have no way of knowing who could be an Einherjar until they actually strike. So the people of this city have chosen to condemn all outsiders rather than take the risk." A shrug followed. "I don't agree with that notion. Which is why you all are sitting with me right now." And he smiled.

     Laurence looked towards Archer next. "...And this is somewhat true as well. I won't defend our city and claim it to be otherwise. You people from beyond, with the powers of Einherjar. Even if you defeated an 'Incarnation' before our eyes, suspicion still runs deep. It's a shame."

     Right at about this moment, the waitress returned with various orders, managing not to spill or drop anything as they placed dishes, mugs, and glasses on the table.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva listens attentively to the explanations from the Captain, but the arrival of the stew and the wine causes her to immediately shift focus. With the noise of speedy consumption, Riva devours the hot stew in only a couple minutes, and then drains the cup of mulled wine. Leaning back, she pasts her stomach and sighs. "Wow, that was gooooooooo-Urp!" She suddenly emits a small belch, and she covers her mouth, looking a little surprised. "Um, sorry! Hahahaha." she laughs it off, a little embarassed.

After that, however, it's down to business. "So you're a town under siege. But what do they want? Surely it's not to just wipe you guys out, right? And have you managed to capture any of those Einherjiar alive? What do they want? Surely they can talk."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel has chosen to stay and while and listen and so she does as everyone gets to introducing eachother.

She frowns for a moment htough as they tyalk about this deity and the war against htem. There's shades of things that trouble here deepoly there.

"May I ask what started this war, Captain? If you have any more idea about it that is."

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    Gudako might have appreciated Archer being visibly uncomfortable by her probing. Or maybe she'd just have appreciated a reply! Oh, this man was cold as ice. No wonder he thanked Caster for that Bounded Field. He must be the calculating, efficient, cool type. A match for his appearance! Hm, yes, certainly at least a four.

    An arbitrary value based on nothing, though.

    To Laurence, she at least explains: "They're not names! They're classes. Titles! We're from worlds where keeping your identity a secret is super important, so Servants name themselves after their archetype! It adds a layer of ~mystery~ to the magical highlander wargames! That sensation when you piece together an opponent's identity~" Ah, what a rush. Especially once you're also done digging up their flaws and weaknesses based on that.

    Right, but that's totally off-topic.

    "So... Einherjar use the power of God to fight Incarnations, which are chunks of God that are angry! That's kind of odd, don't you think? Why would God empower some people while also sending some of his pieces to kill people? Oh, maybe he just wants to tell a good story, hmm, hmm! So you guys have never dug up anything that explains this? No ancient ruins or texts on walls? Prophecies?"

    She muses, out loud: "Ooh, now I want a chunk of Einherjar to go with my chunk of Incarnation. I bet having them side to side would be super insightful." Murders to plan: at least 1.

Archer (821) has posed:
     Archer gives something of a neutral regarding to Laurence's response on the Servant titles... and as he listened, he felt that some things were starting to clear up.

     These people had bad encounters with people who possessed supernatural abilities apparently imbued by the 'God' - people called 'Einherjar', it seemed. And being isolated with that threat had naturally made them as weary of outsiders with similar powers... such as the vast majority of Elites.

     However, he privately criticized whether or not they were facing a 'God' here, though perhaps it was such as relevant to this realm. Overall though... it seemed these people were fighting for their right to exist. Even if it meant killing what they considered to be Gods.

     One of the more admirable, yet destructive, traits of humans; they never gave up on their inborn desire to surpass and survive the odds, no matter what was thrown against them.

     ...

     And just like in the prior mission and prior world, it seemed that this conflict humans were part of was one of inherent genocide between entities and beings.

     Glancing at Riva - and somewhat bemusedly noting the speed she ate at rivaled the Saber he had long-ago known - Archer signs and shakes his head lightly. "It is likely a matter of them having nothing they wish to say to us. At this point, if it is an inherited war... obliterating their enemies seems the obvious, and most likely correct assumption to make regarding their motivations. Why they would want this though, I couldn't say off-hand... though I can theorize."

     The bowman gives a simple nod of affirmation when Deelel speaks, silently agreeing that this is the key topic to start explaining... if he knows anything about it.

     At the same time though, Archer gives something of a surprised glance to Gudako as, typical of her character so far, she speaks faster then she likely thinks, though it's outwardly suppressed to the point that his brows rising up is the only outward indicator. The girl - a Confederate - had a fragment of the Incarnation?

     ...

     And she was just going to causally blurt that out in a public tavern filled with people who were already beyond paranoid at their very presence?

     ...

     If he didn't think it would draw more - possibly fatal - attention onto them, Archer would have pinched the bridge of his nose to try and ward off the headache he was feeling from this. As it was though, he outwardly remained impassive, listening to the conversation even as he opted to discretely observe his surroundings with periodic glances to see if anyone heard the girl's comment... and be ready in case something unfortunate came of it.

     The only upside would be that it was useful information to know about the enemy for future reference, if nothing else.

Lyner Barsett (916) has posed:
     Lyner crosses his arms, listening to everything. And then when Gudako makes the comment about Einherjar, he chimes in. "I think what he meant is that Einherjar are people given power by God to fight their /fellow humans/." Which is a thought that earns a mild frown from him. "But yeah, why are Incarnations attacking people? You said God made them, but...what's with that mountain in the distance there?" The Knight of Elemia spoke, asking his own questions to support the others. In between sips of a warm drink that is.

     Gudako's casual mention of an Incarnation fragment causes Lyner to pause. "...Eh?" And much like Archer, he took a moment to casually scope out the surroundings with a sidelong glance. Nothing too obvious. But why would she just say that!?

     Laurence nodded to the Magus, not totally understanding her explanation of class names, but getting the gist of it. They were titles given to conceal actual names. Okay. Moving back on topic, the man looked to Riva. "What they want...I have no idea." He shrugged. "That's the biggest mystery. We don't know why we're being attacked. It's just been this way for as long as I've known." He looked to Deelel next. "We've tried many ways to 'contact' God, and figure out why this is happening, and what we should do to come to some kind of agreement, but...well, Incarnations don't talk. What Einherjar we've run into won't listen to us. So we're backed into a corner."

     There was a pause, and then he brought a hand to his chin. "...But there is something." Glancing out the window, he looked towards the mountain in the distance, as if on cue from Lyner. "That place where the last Incarnation came from. We're reasonably sure that God may reside there. The place is crawling with Incarnations big and small. None of our expedition attempts made it very far because of that."

     And then he looked back to everyone. "Which brings me to the reason I invited you all here in the first place. I have an idea. And with your abilit-Huh?" Right at about that moment, Gudako mentioned having an Incarnation fragment. "...Excuse me?" Did she really just say that out loud? Laurence didn't look offended, but he did suddenly look very aware of his surroundings. And for good reason.

     If the group stopped talking, they would notice that the tavern had grown stark silent. The only noise to be heard was the occasional shift of metal, signifying a repositioning of a weapon here and there.

     And all the eyes in the establishment were on them.

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    "Huh what?" Gudako blinks, still smiling, sizing Laurence up from head to toe. Did she confuse this man? Oh! Maybe she just needs to explain better. "Yeah! I had Caster--"

    There is a sudden gathering of bright blue wisps of mana, as the pink-haired, fox-eared-and-tailed Servant of the magus materializes out of countless little specks of azure light gathering together. The foxgirl puts a hand over Gudako's mouth, laughing very, very awkwardly.

    "Destroy it! She had me destroy it," Caster says, not exactly a good liar but definitely trying to move the conversation back on track. "It wasn't a safe thing to keep around! Silly master, leaving crucial details out. SO, MISTER LAURENCE, SIR, you were about to tell us about your idea~. An expedition? Caster likes expeditions!"

Riva Banari has posed:
"Well!" Riva replies brightly."That makes things really simple! All we have to do is go to the mountain and bo beat..." She pauses, suddenly feeling the tension. "Things..." Awkwardly, she finishes the sentence. "Up?"

She scratches the back of her head and smiles, emitting a low chuckle. "So, guys, um... Who's up for a rousing tavern song?" She asks. "Things are getting really gloomy in here all of a sudden and seriously, this isn't the time or place to be gloomy!"

Oh god keep their attention off gudako, distraction time!

Archer (821) has posed:
     Much as Archer figured, this 'God' had in no interest in negotiation - only destruction. And nobody was even sure what the reason was.

     Not exactly the best starting place.

     Moreover, he takes note of Laurence's statement that the 'God' behind all this resides in the mountain. How terribly convenient that it had a homestead so close to this city.

     Perhaps too convenient.

     However, those thoughts go out the window for the moment when the room goes silent and the tension rises, Archer cursing to himself - but reserving the more virulent ones for Gakudo. Why on earth did the girl have no filter on her mouth - normally he would consider that a weakness he could play up on in battle, but here it was the worst possible time for it!

     And he's not even sure if Caster's help makes the situation better or worse... considering she just materialized out of thin air in a public tavern in front of a group of people who already had probably been looking for an excuse to run them through - were he not on high-alert now, he would have buried his face in both palms at the scene, morbidly wondering how he ended up in what seemed to be shaping up into a black comedy skit, and he can no longer avoid from letting out an exasperated sigh as he regards Caster. "... I think they have something more pressing to worry about, now, Caster. Such as the woman with vulpine features who just materialized out of thin air in front of them."

     Riva's asking for a tavern song will probably just draw /more/ attention on them at this rate, the situation likely to snowball even further. Something that results in him shooting an exasperated glance at Riva in response.

     ... well, if worse came to worse, he could get out by entering spirit form. The others though... likely wouldn't be so fortunate. And come to think of it, he couldn't really leave the abandoned, so he'd at least have to stay long enough to keep an eye on them all and make sure none of them were severely injured.

     It wouldn't do to have Rin on his case about allies getting injured on his watch, after all.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "I think I see where this is going your going to need people who can get in there and find out what's really going on with this war? We would hae a better chanc eof suriving I get it. Oe this madness will keep going I take it."

She looks to Gudako with a look on her face that seems quite shocked.

"Wait you did what?"

Deelel already has already pulled the disc off her back and it's almost ready to light up armed but she's nto quite gone that far yet. She stares at the fox girl whose just ported in.

"Somehow I find that hard to swallow."

She does put he disc away however she seems to be stnading down but she looks to Riva.

"Why not, you lead on it."

She's still keeping an eye on the fox but it looks like things are a big difussed now at least on Deelel's end.

Lyner Barsett (916) has posed:
     Unlike Archer, Lyner /did/ take the time to facepalm. "Oh man..." He mumbled to himself quietly. He could almost feel the change in atmosphere. Not that it was pleasant before, but people were minding their own business. Now everyone was staring at them. Off duty knights, waitresses, and the bartender. And the former group wore withering looks upon their faces, looking ready to strike at a moment's notice.

     Caster materializing out of thin air and assuring everyone that the fragment was /of course/ destroyed was met with a sea of unconvinced looks. "....." Some hushed muttering occurred throughout the premesis, and the general consensus seemed to be...NOPE, not believing that! Several knights stood, hands grasping the handles of their sheathed swords. Some others already drewn their blades, holding them at the ready. "We have heard more than enough, you foul Einherjar! Return to your wretched god!"

     "Yeah! We don't need your kind here!"

     "You see, Laurence! This is what trusting outsiders gets you! They're consorting with God!"

     "They even have monsters with them! That animal just appeared out of nothing!"

     The fervor was fast rising. But Laurence just took a deep breath and stood. "Silence! Yes, these people have abilities that may rival Einherjar, but I can confirm that they are not! They are our best chance to find out what is going on! Why we fight these meaningless battles!"

     There was a pause given, and more hushed muttering occurred. "Can we really trust them?"

     "There is no way! Powers like that have never been on our side!"

     "It is a curse rendered upon man by God!"

     "...But what if we can find out what's going on? Why we must fight these beings constantly?"

     "Is it really possible?"

     Looks like even their own ranks weren't sure about what stance to take. This might be a good chance to say something not incriminating.

Riva Banari has posed:
Okay, so they don't want to sing. Fine, so be it. Riva sighs and leans back in her chair, threading her fingers behind her head. "You know, you guys...." Riva drawls. "You know... The fact that half of you are even alive to sit here and yell at us is because we showed up to help stop that Incarnation. We didn't even ask for a reward. We did it because it was the right thing to do."

She then puts her hands on the table and leans forward, smiling. "So the least you guys can do is try to trust us a little bit, okay? I have absolutely no interest in hurting you people. I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Says the woman with a maul.

"So I'm going to lay it out and tell you guys what we're going to do. We're going to go to that mountain, and we're going to find some answers and punch whatever we need to punch in order to stop it."

She pauses. "If any of you guys know why all this is happening, it would be /really awesome/ if you could tell us now. It could save us a lot of time, and you guys a lot of trouble. I don't like trouble. It's a lot less fun than partying."

Gudako Ordria (908) has posed:
    "We're-- we're not Einherjar!" Caster objects, glancing left, right, left, right, keeping an eye on all the tavern patrons. She's already considering-- how many talismans she'll need, the area of effect of her curses, or maybe she could just resort to charm and seduction. She's never been proud to use those spells, though... certainly it would be a coin toss whether she'd agree to it or not.

    Fortunately things are defused, as Laurence and Riva handle the populace. Pitchforks and torches go down, or at least halfway down, that's good enough.

    With a sigh and a frown, Caster lowers her head, calming down. She is still, however, keeping Gudako's mouth shut. The magus seems to have taken her cellphone out and occupied herself in the meantime, completely disconnecting herself from the ongoing situation. Someone will, surely, shake her if her input is needed.

    "Confronting your God is one solution," Caster says. "But I think it's also important to figure out what the link between Incarnations and Einherjar are. This situation might have more to it than just 'monsters bad, rawr, kill'. Fragments of God are attacking and killing you, while others utilize powers from God to fight. It might be wise to understand more before going to confront God."

    Well... she is a Caster. A part of her wants to figure magical stuff out. The other is pretty in-tune with just rushing ahead and smacking God upside the head, though!

Archer (821) has posed:
     Archer sighed irritably as the chaos - the fear and paranoia bred by those who are, by their very nature, inhuman, regardless of their alignment - rose up across the tavern. Once again, it was human nature to reject what was not human... and it meant that paranoia and distrust was going to be their enemy from here on out when it came to trying to help people here.

     He gives a skeptical look at Riva, once again sighing as he speaks to her - softly enough so that only she hears his admonishment - "Do you honestly think the fact you saved them a single time is going to convince them to trust you on word of mouth? Not even the soldiers who watched you help in the fight afford you that level of courtesy - why would these people do so, let alone confide sensitive information?"

     Even now he's ever the cynic, though at least he keeps it to the group - unlike a certain red-haired mage it seemed. However, he isn't really telling Riva to shut up so much as consider the fact that these people have zero inclination to really trust them with their lives.

     As the crowd's rage dies down, Archer takes the time to give a very short statement - "Whether or not you trust us is your own choice. The fact of the matter, however, is that we are willing to risk our lives to end the threat against you. The only ones at risk will be ourselves for going out after the entity... so in helping us go there, your problems are already solved. Either we die there and nothing will change, or we succeed and help end an issue that has plagued you for generations. Either way, you either gain something or the status que remains intact, but none of you lose anything."

     It's as disarming a statement as someone like Archer can make, given the circumstances. He doesn't try to arbitrarily say they /need/ to have faith in them, instead appealing to logic by arguing they won't lose anything regardless.

     Hopefully, it has some form of positive effect.

Lyner Barsett (916) has posed:
     Riva continues to be reasonable, and between her and Laurence, in addition to Caster's own input, things settle down a bit. Archer's words are cynical, but they provide a much needed reality to the the situation as it is. After some time, Swords are lowered...a bit. And people talk amongst themselves again. It is true that despite having those odd powers, they did fight the Incarnation for them last week... And really, if they did want to bring this city to ruin, they could have easily fanned out and burned the place down collectively...

     Lyner chimes in at this point. "I agree with Caster. Something about this doesn't strike me as being as easy as just waltzing through a crowd of Incarnations, and fighting 'God'. Whoever this might be." He turned his chair a around a bit to face the rest of the tavern at large. "But...I do think that the best we can do for now is head over to that mountain, and see if there's anything we can discover." But he raised a hand to signify he had more to say. "Not with the intent to fight everything in sight. But rather...to see if there's anything at all we can figure out from this."

     And then he smiled. "Can we at least do that? You don't have to trust us, or support us, but just know that this is what we intend to do."

     All of this said, Laurence breathed a sigh of relief and sat himself back down. "Yes. That's good. I'm sorry to thrust such a heavy burden upon your shoulders, but after what I saw last week. After what we all saw, I think that this is the best course of action that I, as captain, can take." He took a long chug from his pitcher of beer, pausing in his statement to do so. And then once done, he spoke further. "So this is what I ask of you all. Please go there and see if you can find any answers. I don't expect you to kill God, if he, she, they, it can even be killed, but...Whatever you can unearth would be helpful. I'll assemble a defensive line for the city and await your results."

     Another, shorter sip. "...Can I ask this if you all?"

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "I have to agree I doubnt this will be easy but we need to look into this and see just what is going on here. Maybe we can bring an end to it and for those with more material interests. Find something to keep you happy as well."

She's being poltie here but she's also being honest about it. She looks to Laurence and smirks a little bit.

"You can, I'm game to see where this leads."