Scene #5853: War in the West-Silver

Owner	Pose
Bloody Revelations	The current state of affairs is a nice change from the past few outings all involving Shadowlands. Though ostensibly part of the Skullstone Archipelago, and thus inside of the shifting 'Web of Shadows', the rendezvous for today is not the capital Darkmist Isle, but a different island in the archipelago chain to the south, called Cormorant. It seems to be only just inside of the Shadowland proper, where half of the island exists in the darkened realm of the dead, and the other half exists in the bright sun and invigorating sea breeze of Creation. The place is full of trading hubs, port towns, and little villages with seemingly no important commercial purpose. Just like Darkmist, the towns here are orderly, luxurious, and clean, without any real sign of poverty, and just as full of distractions and civil indolences, though unlike Darkmist, most of them are made of normal materials, and not populated by ghosts, given the light of day. It certainly solidifies the idea that Darkmist Isle isn't just a one-off crown project, if other places in the Archipelago are like this, and certainly that the whole philosophy of the dead coexisting with the living might be legitimate if the living are literally living in the daylight next door to the ghosts of the Web of Shadows. The choice of place this time is less intimidating that a giant skull fortress carved into a mountain, but rather a pretty little statehouse in the city of Equinox, so named for the dividing line of the Shadowland going straight through it in the middle. It looks to be some sort of weekend, as few officials are actually around, and most people are out and about the streets to enjoy the pleasant spring weather on the island. The place set aside for the Elites is something like a conference slash banquet hall, pleasantly lit, spruced up with vases and roses and portraits, and settled with a couple of rigidly still civil servants in the local equivalent to tuxedos. The main table however doesn't appear to be for eating, because it is a single slab of onyx that has been polished to a glittering, mirror shine, until it looks like it's been layered with mercury. It's big enough to seat a dozen people around it easily, and a number of letters, mapping tools, and small props have been set on it, alongside several bottles of vintage wine and an appropriate platter of glasses. The person they're meeting here is someone with a bit of an ominous name, going by 'Moray Darktide', but they arrive to find a man who certainly doesn't feel like a Deathknight, despite the skull epaulettes on his naval greatcoat. He's clearly not a ghost either. That'd be odd. He has a square jaw, strong body, long windblown hair, and the archetypical pirate eyepatch, along with a very large, sheathed cutlass with a glittering gold hilt. He spreads his arms wide and sweeps them towards the tall-backed chairs arranged around, saying "Welcome, welcome! Friends of the New Order are always welcome here!" He goes as far as to pull out chairs for the female members of the conference, in rather chivalric style.
Ryu	Ryu has chosen to show up in his draconic shape in a show of not giving a damn about the ruckus this might cause in a world where dragons or beasts are scarier than usual. He walks into the statehouse and to the designated meeting room, and stops to stand next to the table. Being as he's not very tall, it isn't very imposing for him to just stand there, but it's clear he isn't inclined to relax with everyone else. His strange banded gold eyes survey the table in front of him, sliding over the details one after the other. And then he fixes his gaze later on Moray Darktide. He's deathly silent today. He made his feelings very clear on the whole Deathlord/Deathknight mess, bearing very little in the way of good will toward those who swear fealty to beings he'd much rather find different approaches for. He hardly even blinks, his gaze like an animal waiting for their prey to turn their back on him.
Gawain	Meeting somewhere that isn't a Shadowland is quite pleasing for Gawain, who dislikes them quite a bit. The knight is dressed in his furred suit mixed with his armor, his sword at his side not as a weapon but clearly as a part of the ensemble, sheathed solidly and not to be a problem. The knight tips his head to anyone who is guarding the statehouse, stating his business clearly and politely. When he reaches the table, there's a tip of a head to Moray, moving to take his own seat. There's a smile at the chivalry, and that helps with immediate impressions. "It's a pleasure, Sir Darktide. Sir Gawain, Warden of the Paladins, Knight of the Sun. I must say, this little island is quite lovely. The archipelago is really quite a nice place!" If wine is served at all, Gawain will kindly accept, but otherwise not pay the bottle any mind. They have business to focus on, after all.
All-Seeing Eye	All-Seeing Eye is here, dressed both for the spring and for a meeting--a pastel pink blazer with a lilac paisley-print dress shirt beneath it, with slim-cut baby blue canvas pants and matching pink shoes. Completing the ensemble is a pristine white newsboy cap perched with exacting precision atop his head, contrasting with his dark hair. To complement these warm tones, he's chosen his more human appearance, hiding his sleek augmentations and porcelain-hued clay skin behind a healthy taupe brown. As he arrives at the meeting, he's all smiles, pleasantries and handshakes, and when he's led into the charming estate, he pauses at the conference room to check his reflection in the polished surface of the onyx table. A certain pleased confidence creeps its way into his smile as he brushes his long raven hair over his shoulder. "Mr. Darktide, hell-o!" He extends a handshake to the navally attired host, who will find it to be deceptively firm for the Alchemical's svelte physique. "All-Seeing Eye, Warden of the Paladins, Chosen of Autochthon. Yes, you heard that right! But let's not worry about that, hm? It's /so/ good to meet someone else who dresses for the occasion. Sometimes I feel as though Gawain and I are the only ones who bother! Listen... I. /Love./ the sword." He gestures to the sheathed weapon with a light sweep of his hand, wrinkling his nose playfully. "Perhaps after our business is concluded today, you might... show us a little demonstration?" He chuckles, batting a hand at the empty air dismissively. "Ah, listen to me, I'm gushing. I'll have a seat now!" With that, he turns, looking over his shoulder and smiling at their host before taking a seat beside Gawain. As it's only polite to do so, his hat is removed and placed in his lap. Looking towards Darktide, he poses a question, eager to begin the proceedings. "If I'm not mistaken, the purpose of this meeting is to make us aware of the... political landscape of the West? I don't mean any offense, but how can we put that information to use when it comes to the... issue of Bloody Revelations?"
Empty Tidings	Empty Tidings shows up as 'concerned local,' insofar as she's globally 'local,' and insofar as her 'concern' involves the world continuing on as something other than a place full of ghosts. To no one's surprise, the very alive woman has no desire to be some kind of ghostly offshoot of herself for reasons that have only a little to do with the metaphysical implications. She's seated, having accepted the chivalric treatment with a warm smile. She's dressed in something silk and floral, rich but dark reds and purples on a black backdrop. The style speaks of the Southwest. She's accompanied by a pair of guards hovering in her vicinity: tall, burly men dressed in buff coats and armed with curved swords, standing at attention and watching the room. Peaked helmets include a cloth that covers their mouths. They haven't spoken a word. "Understanding the political landscape is just as important as understanding the currents you would be sailing into," Tidings tells Eye. "Knowing potential routes to what it wants. Targets of opportunity. Allies, sometimes. Enemies, certainly. This sort of disruption in the status quo will inevitably be taken advantage of by... unsavory elements."
Tomoe	Tomoe is not happy, is starting to reget ever getting involved he knows Miari as far as she can tell ahs checked out of this and she's starting to wonder if that might not be the best line of action. She's taken to using her somewhat less known skin of Eisen Blumen and is wearing a cloak over all of that. She's got a cloak ona s the high tech body suit might get some notice but it's not as well known to the multiverse as say her normal form. She dared not use her actual form here that would leave her utterly unprotected if caught flat footed. So she's there to meet in this trange place. It doesn't take long to move in to sit down. "Thank you for the welcome."
Carna	Carna appears in the same get-up Enark had her wear last time. Big hat, ragged cloak, face mask, combat leathers, etc. No point in a disguise you abandon after its first use, when 'not having a recognizable face' might be useful in the future. Enark is likewise wearing his old ragged robes. They both look and feel quite out of place amidst the finery, but so be it. Their host seems accepting enough of the oddities of Multiversal Elites. That their host isn't a ghost makes perfect sense. It would be odd if he was one. But it's not odd that he has a ghost and some kind of zombie ghost or revenant or something in attendance as guests because, uhh... Look a distraction! "You may call me Carna. I like your coat." Carna says inflectionlessly, following up the appearance part of her disguise with the behavioral. It's actually distressing to her how easily she falls into the role of her old self, given she still has zero recollection of what that woman was like. Enark introduces himself as usual, "Enark, of the Blue Scholars. A pleasure to be here." Carna is looking around to evaluate the defenses and any sniper positions, while Enark is examining the table with curiosity about all that's upon it like a good little scholar. Just like one would expect them to, based on what's publicly known about them.
Bloody Revelations	Moray Darktide remains in good humour throughout the whole thing, making sure everyone is seated, asking their preference between red and white, and then various blends from there, and making sure wine is served to anyone who will take it. Not enough to get tipsy off of, but it's surprisingly robust, genuinely well-aged stuff, and clearly what nobility would crack out of the cellar for esteemed guests. The glass seems a little silly for Ryu, but he nobly makes the effort anyways. "Haha, thank you!" he says to All-Seeing Eye, bowing slightly as he takes a seat. "I must say in return, it's a pleasant change to have well-dressed guests from outside of the archipelago. Those with a sense of style are rare in the West." He does look a little pointedly at the random dragon though. "Isn't it?" he then says to Gawain, his one remaining eye visibly lighting up. "I'm glad you think so! I was born here, and lived most of my life on the seas in service to Skullstone! I wouldn't have it any other way! It has its ups and downs, and a rocky history, but it's a place worth defending in this insane world!" He puts his hand to his chest and then to his lips, before leaning down on the edge of the glassy table. The 'political climate' is the fancy way of putting it. You'll have to forgive our prince. He's eloquent to a fault. That's why he decided to put you all in my capable hands! He's told me that you have something of a bad history with Deathknights, and I suppose I don't blame you, so you're stuck with a famous captain! Could have gone worse, eh? "I'll put it to you in straighter terms: This far into the west, the Realm doesn't have much reach. Their territory is all along the coasts, which means that every island out here is like a city state unto itself. There are a lot of different factions of people, not many agree with each other, and of course like on any good set of seas, piracy and warfare are a fact of life. No nation out here doesn't know how to sail and to fight, and few never harbour freebooting and unscrupulous trade. Politics is the diplomatic way of describing a thick web of feuds, grudges, and rivalries, and how to look strong in the face of so many people that want to plunder your shores for your land, your gold, and your women." "You also already know that Deathknights can't act against the real lords of the dead, which is good, because as far as I know, most of them that work for other ghosts are bad people. That means the one you're after can't attack the shores of Skullstone directly, and so she needs someone else to do it for her. The sensible thing to start with is to assess what our best options are for cutting that off at the pass. Campaigns away from Skullstone are what the Silver Prince has men like me for, but it's always an undermanned job! With your help, I bet we could make some real headway in pacifying, maybe even recruiting, the erstwhile enemies of Skullstone, and close the noose around our enemy of the people when she has nobody left to turn to! All war starts with intelligence, and is decided by logistics!" With a broad 'wipe' of his hands over the mirror-shined surface, the onyx shimmers and ripples with smoky shapes, and then gradually resolves into a surprisingly vivid, high-resolution image of the Archipelago and huge tracts of the ocean surrounding it, going as far as the mainland coast to the east, and neighbouring islands all up and down the coast. It could hardly be called a map, for its vivid colour, incredible detail, and at least the pretense of motion. It's like looking through a window from a plane, almost. "So, what kind of experience do you folk have with the sea? Or war. Any talents? Any special insight you have on our enemy?"
Carna	Carna says, "I prefer stealth, ranged combat, and assassination. I can disguise myself in a way that most would not be able to identify me, if plausible deniability is at all necessary." Enark says, "Wards, healing, curatives, and poisons. I have magic that can command water. Aside from what I've read in books, knowledge of tactics and strategy is outside my bailiwick."
All-Seeing Eye	"I specialize in pacifying persons of interest," says Eye with a slight nod of his head and a proud smile. "I prefer nonviolent methods, though I never miss twice, and as my name might imply, nothing escapes my notice. For example, your sword is made primarily of orichalcum, and my associate's guards here," he says, motioning to Empty Tidings' wordless, masked goons, "Appear to have augmented vision of some sort. Their eyes aren't reflecting light despite the time of day." The Exalt nonchalantly pores over the papers, maps and effects which have been prepared for the meeting, his eyes momentarily focused on a map. Gingerly tracing a finger across it, he continues. "From here, I can see every expression or change in posture made by every member of this conference, and I would be able to track their movements simultaneously even in pitch darkness. If you're looking to win hearts and minds, I'm the right man for the job!~"
Gawain	Gawain sips at his red wine, nodding to Moray as he talks about his island. "That's what a noble man always says about his home nation. I'm glad to hear such pride in it!" As the situation is explained, Gawain listens broadly to the situation, before moving to say what he does and knows. "I have no real experience at sea, having fought my battles on land...however, I am skilled in swordsmanship and wield one of the legendary blades blessed by the Lady of the Lake, Excalibur Galatine. I work best during the daytime in combat situations, outside of Shadowlands, which hamper my defensive abilities." Gawain says, considering what else would be useful to the group. "Additionally, I am capable of making healing poultices if needed! Though overall, I'm best in direct man-on-man combat, though I have skill in mass combat as well." On Bloody Revelations, Gawain frowns, and steeples his fingers together. "Bloody Revelations is a monster of the highest caliber, one who cares little about the people of this world, willing to sacrifice the living for her plans. However, I can say she is honest, as I have never heard her lie, only conceal information. Additionally, from reports I've been told, she seems to be curing ghosts of their injuries, which I assume you know, but is valuable information on her potential insight, anyways. From ways she's talked in the past, I believe she thinks of herself as a just crusader fixing a greater problem in the world, with her dreadful solution being entirely acceptable!" Gawain realizes he's talking in a Deathlord's land, but still, he's not going to hold his tongue on this.
Ryu	Ryu is still deathly silent, and doesn't even look down at the glass he is offered when it is put down in front of him. His air of impending violence continues even through the whole of the captain's explanations, his only movements to watch the captain as he moves around the room here and there, and whatever hand movements he happens to give. His expression is static. This finally breaks when the table shifts. His head swivels smoothly to look down to the surface. His eyes trace along the various islands, slowly flicking from point to point as he takes stock of the geography of the Archipelago. One of his ears twitch, and he answers the questions posed to the group as courteously as his bad mood will allow, lifting his head to speak to Moray, his reptilian mouth moving in perfect articulation of his words, showing off the teeth and the flick of his inhuman tongue. "I am a healer, I concern myself with injuries first and foremost. Disease is also another matter I can provide some help with. Provided the body is still intact, I can also resurrect the dead." He shifts his posture. "I know how to fight, besides, and will not be needing your seabound vessels to travel." He looks down at the map. "In my eyes, the Silver Prince is one of the enemy. Deathknights, Deathlords, whatever. They are all trying to take the different paths to the same goal." Because of his discontent, he rumbles that part out, largely because he needs to hammer his displeasure home as hard as possible so people are clear on how he'll react in the endgame. It won't be a surprise when he rips a ghost in half if he needs to. "Bloody Revelations is concerned with making her masters happy and doing so in such a way that it eliminates her competition. She does this under the pretense of knowing better about the world. And she does. She will abuse whatever advantage she has. I think she may have poached another Creation's fonts of knowledge, if not one found on this Creation." He lifts his head and looks at Moray in a serious way. "Most predators only attack during an ideal moment. When their prey is weak, when they know the effort will not be wasted. She only appeared when we had cornered her prey to strike the final blow, to gloat her victory in front of everyone. What you do is you find what she wants, and you take it before she can, and strike when she inevitably retaliates." And then he looks back down to the map. "I'm sure you have other ideas, though."
Empty Tidings	Empty Tidings shoots Eye a sharp glance at his estimation of her guards. She frowns slightly, reluctantly remarking, "To better see in the dark. Guards are pointless if they're foiled by sneak-thieves and assassins in the night." She examines the map with clear interest. "This is quite the bit of artifice." Tidings runs a finger over the surface, clearly interested in the construct. She looks up again, taking a moment to scan the room with a thoughtful look. Everyone is laying their cards on the table, and it's a refreshing sight to see such cooperation in action. She smiles, faintly. "I am enlightened in the ways of sorcery and certain thaumaturgical arts," Tidings tells their host. "My teacher studied at the Heptagram, though you'll forgive me if I do not divulge their identity out of respect for their privacy. I am comfortable aboard a ship and a strong swimmer, and am regarded highly by the Tengese for my ability to broker favorable commercial contracts and deals." There's a moment's pause. "I am also extremely familiar with the Lintha," she says. There's a flash of barely-concealed disgust that flits across her eyes. "I understand they are a factor throughout the West, rather than in just one small corner of it."
Tomoe	Tomoe listens to Moray Darktide and she seems plesant enough about this. "I'll take that as a compliment." Comes the currently tiny little redheaded woman, it's Tomoe's voice though so anyone who knows her in passing would be able to guess whom it is. She's glad to have Ryu along, she really is very glad to have him there and she shoots him a smile while she looks to her host for a moment afterwards. "Affairs of state are always messy in th end I have found. Better to play diplomacy where possible both from an ethical and a material standpoint." "I'm a fighter, myself I an flay thoug and have some minor magic. I also have experiance with off of creation technology like computer systems. Should we run into anything like that."
Bloody Revelations	Moray Darktide whistles appreciatively at All-Seeing Eye, drawing his sword as if to confirm that it hasn't somehow changed into something else. Indeed, the blade is clearly gleaming orichalcum, and like a boarding cutlass equivalent to a daiklave. Though it is etched in skull and wave symbology rather than that of the sun, the material is unmistakable. "Indeed! I'm suitably impressed!" He looks to Gawain. "Ah, I've heard of you! No further explanation needed, friend! I'm glad to have another ally of the sun on board, and I've heard plenty of your prowess!" He looks extremely dubiously to Ryu on the subject of resurrecting the dead, but keeps any commentary to himself. He nods understandingly to Empty Tidings, unphased by the news regarding her bodyguards. "Sorceror, and a local one too. Excellent, excellent. I'd been hoping for something like this. Commanding water, familiarity with demons, people skilled in espionage and interrogation, as well as personal combat and management. Good, good, I can see why the Prince has high hopes for you!" He shoots a finger gesture back to Empty Tidings. "The Lintha. That's what I'm thinking. You see why, right?" Seemingly pretty proud of the onyx table, he uses it . . . well pretty much like a tablet screen, pinching and zooming to a further north stretch of sea, and dragging still images into the frame of ships and battles. "A lot of you aren't from around here, so I'll try to explain. The Lintha are an entirely seafaring people supposedly descended from Demons. They clearly have some old blood of that kind running through their veins, and so they views humans as lesser creatures, often cattle at best, and are obsessed with eugenics, referring to themselves as 'The Family'. They're universally vicious, cruel, and avaricious. Their entire culture promotes profit over everything, and proposes that they are superior beings who will one day inherit all of Creation, and that everyone else is a subservient and lower form of life." He calls up an image of a woman in a privateer's outfit, seven foot tall with greened skin and white hair, prominently featuring ritual tattoos and strange piercings, and probably chosen for being magically recorded in the act of throwing a young swabbie of a boarded ship, probably thirteen at most, into a circle of waiting sharks with the certain impression she enjoys it. "Whatever you believe about stereotyping or racism, forget about it. The Lintha are one big organization, and nobody leaves the Family. They're pirates, slavers, marauders, and murderers, and they pride themselves on making nothing of their own and taking all that they own from other people." "They're also rich. Really rich. Exceedingly powerful and influential in the west. They have a massive fleet that we estimate to be nearly a thousand ships, at least half of which are built for war. They're bloodthirsty, well-trained, and they have a huge advantage at sea, because they pull their ships against the wind and tide with trained Demons. Big, nasty ones." He manages to find another image of a sleek, low, oddly blueish ship, carved with abstract and bizarrely provocative imagery, harnessed to some massive shape under the water as large as the ship itself, breaching only a single, fanged tentacle above the water. "Only the Realm's Western Fleet is really enough to hold them off, and it's being increasingly recalled to sit on standby for an impending civil war in years recent. Our own fleet is a match for theirs individually, but the Black Fleet has only seventy ships. Furthermore, the Lintha have a strong culture of ancestor worship. There are just as many dead Lintha in the Underworld as live ones in Creation, if not more, and many are very old and powerful ghosts. They harass and plunder civilization in the land of the dead as well, so even the /ghosts/ of Skullstone, and the Dual Monarchy of the Underworld, hate them, but nobody has been able to really take them on so far."
Bloody Revelations	"Needless to say, the Prince has wanted to see an end to them for a long time. I've spent most of my career battling their kind! The problem is, besides all that, they're a highly decentralized organization. They don't dock on any known island, and all reports claim that their only central infrastructure is some kind of secret hideout called 'Bluehaven'. They operate hidden cells on the mainland, buying up slaves, laundering money -that kind of thing- but hitting those doesn't make a difference." "Why am I bringing them up, you might ask? I ask you only a simple question: don't these sound exactly like the kind of people our enemy might go to? Even if they don't agree to ally with her directly, they're exactly the sort to wait in the wings until some other assault weakens Skullstone, and they'll swarm in to kill and steal as much as they can the moment they smell blood in the water. What do you think? It sounds like we have a perfect team to try taking on this menace once and for all, especially if we can track down Bluehaven. They're by far the strongest allies that would be depraved enough to work with that Deathknight in my estimation."
Ryu	Ryu frowns at the dubious look. He was completely serious and yet again people look at him as if he's sprouted a second head. He does keep his mouth shut, though. He listens in and leans on the table with both of his hands, his gold eyes flicking between each of those present. "Maybe it's underwater," he suggests, "There's a lot of space down there that we can't see from the air. And they have water-borne Demons..."
Carna	Enark offers, "One of my skills permits me to remotely view a location as long as it is near water. With the information you have provided, I can begin a grid-based search for relevant targets. I might take quite awhile to search all of the ocean for a single base of operations, but if I can pre-emptively locate these pirates, it may be possible to launch a surprise attack. Then we would have prisoners to interrogate about Bluehaven." He gestures around. "I am certain we can be... Convincing to those reluctant to talk."
All-Seeing Eye	Eye's wine remains untouched, save a very chaste sip to frighten off any idea he's refusing the charity of his host--and then, only after no one's fallen over dead. He watches the recording displayed upon the table with a displeased frown, crossing his legs and reclining in his seat. Giving Empty Tidings a side-eye, his frown lessens someone, turning up slightly at the corners of his mouth. Enark's offer of aid sees him lean forward, resting his elbows upon the table and steepling his fingers. "Oh, I don't doubt it would take you a while on your own, but you have /my/ help. Find me just one of these problem children, ghostly or otherwise, and twenty-five hours. Not only will I have the location of Bluehaven, but the Silver Prince will have a new, compliant, and most importantly, productive member of society.~" Turning his head to fix his golden eyes upon Darktide, Eye poses a question to the host. "Are your law enforcement personnel currently aware of any such decentralized cells? Failing that, are there any leads we might pursue first?" Anything they can do to tighten the dragnet, to help refine Enark's search more than just 'hot demon pirates near me.'
Gawain	Gawain brightly smiles both as he's recognized and as Moray says he's an ally of the sun. There's a consideration of why that is, but it's still good to hear. As he listens, he frowns at the description of the Lintha, and nods as Moray says they're probably the closest ally. "At the very least, if they have so much hate for the Silver Prince, they're a threat if any war breaks out. Dealing with them sooner rather than later sounds to be for the best. Do they have any honor at all? Anything to be appealed to even slightly, such as challenging one of them to a duel?" It's worth a shot to ask. Though, Eye gets a look of Displeasure from Gawain after he talks about pretty much mind-controlling people. Where before Gawain wouldn't have realized that's what Eye meant, Gawain now knows that's exactly the sort of stuff Eye does, and definitely doesn't like it. It's why he seems keen on finding some way to appeal to them. "Do you have intel on any of these hidden cells? That may be a good place to start!"
Empty Tidings	Tidings is happy to indulge in good wine. She's also happy to indulge in her favorite pastime: plotting the deaths of the Lintha. Eye gets a quick glance and a subtle smile. She doesn't say anything about their prior entanglements, though. Instead, Tidings offers a nugget of her own: "The Lintha keep their recruits from outside the family shrubbery on a tight leash by way of familial hostages, people related to their rank-and-file. They're taken to remote places, where, if the would-be recruits misbehave, they are tortured in their stead. I can point out a few that I'm already aware of. Removing their leverage could begin causing dissension in the ranks."
Tomoe	Tomoe says "Sounds like these are bad news." She does not relsih having to deal with the Lintha for a moment but know they very well will ahve to at some point or another. "Master race bullshit as well? I don't think I'm going to feel bad about kicking these people's teeth in if we have to. I also see why you need help they are not light waights at alll from the sounds of it. Creation never does anything small does it?" She thinks about it and has a good ideas. "It does sound like a group Bloody Might attempt to hook up with I have to admit I'm not so well with manouvering on the water though, above it sure under it not so much. So we need to sabotage them or take them down to the point they are not worth her time?"
Bloody Revelations	Moray looks to Ryu for the first time with something other than polite suspicion or the implication that a big ornery-looking lizard is kind of a rude guest. "That may certainly be. Most of the purer blooded Lintha have the ability to breathe underwater, which they use as part of their raids. At the same time, they would have to berth their ships /somewhere/. I've no reason to believe their boats can dive to the ocean floor." Darktide reaches for a particular stack of papers when All-Seeing Eye and Gawain call for the subject of Lintha cells, sliding them across the polished crystal. They contain somewhat shallow, but otherwise surprisingly exhaustive documentation on known Lintha activity along the southwest coast, in a number of major cities especially, including the one Empty Tidings has already mentioned. They aren't quite as detailed as one might like, but they have an outstanding volume of names, transactions, movements, and sums on record, which indicates at least thorough spying, though no inside men of high station. "Indeed we do! The Prince's intelligence networks are genuinely applaudable. That kind of thing has never been my strong suit. Their cells are usually run by 'Cousins' of the family: half-bloods, demoted or infirm members, and human lackeys, who make a tidy profit for their home Sept on the side, usually doing business with the Guild. If you think you can track one down without sending it scattering, and grill the schedule of a ship out of them, then it'd be exponentially easy to track it with Sir Enark's sorcery over here. The western ocean is exceedingly vast, but shipping lanes are not! Still, I'm not sure how you would go about it. We've tried before on many occasions, and even the Cousins seem to fear the Family enough to be reluctant to . . . well." Moray makes a face when Empty Tidings shares her knowledge. It is a hard, stern, no-nonsense face; that of an infamous pirate captain who detects the hints of mutinous talk from his second mate, and has already made up his mind. "That would go to great lengths to explain things. We'd need to be prepared to capitalize on whoever goes free, and be in position to get to them before the Family does, but I'll bet that'd do it. If you know where to sail to, I can swear my personal aid. Captain Moray Darktide of Skullstone does not abide villainy such as this." Finally, he leans up from the table, only circling a couple of towns on the coast and drawing some projected lanes. "So it looks like the plan so far is releasing some of these hostages, then grabbing a defector and taking down a mainland cell. We grill them for information, then we use magic to locate one or more of their ships on the water. We intercept it, board it, slay or wrest control of the demon and defeat the crew, then thoroughly interrogate the captain. We might have to work our way up the chain, but sooner or later, we'll locate Bluehaven, and when we do, we can crush the entire Lintha nation in one blow. If we're quick, we can do it before the enemy has any chance to make use of them. If we're lucky, it'll also shatter their following in the Underworld. Without the living providing prayers and sacrifices to the dead, and without the tethers of their bloodline, the ghost Lintha should weaken considerably. I like it. It's got guts." He looks, finally, to Gawain again. "Honour of a sort. Within the Family. They seem to have a culture of status, honour, merit, and bloodline, but don't extend the same to any non-Lintha. What they have is pride, and that pride as a superior being is what you'll have to challenge if you seek to prove anything to them. It might win you a duel, but not necessarily a /fair/ duel, you catch my drift? I have ships, able men, and my own powers to support you, but be careful, alright? There have to be sorcerers among their number to have demons, and that means Yozi worship. It might even mean some greater demon is their ally."
Ryu	"I've seen 'em fight before," Ryu admits, "I'll be willing to work with this kind of plan." He's eased up on his undercurrent of unhappiness because of the route this is taking. "I can be on the team to rescue those hostages. They won't be much use for breaking the ranks if they're dead because the Lintha knew they were being targeted for rescue, and I can make it exceedingly difficult to make that a permanent solution for them." He is very confident about his powers. He just wished news of what he can do had reached this area of Creation by now.
All-Seeing Eye	Eye peruses the files he's given, flipping through the papers as if he's reading them, even as his head is turned towards Darktide. It could be inferred from this that he can also see Gawain's look of disapproval, but if this look bothers him, he certainly doesn't let it crack his chipper exterior. His attention's not entirely focused upon Darktide, until he hears a certain word. That word draws a smile. "Your... powers, Captain?" Eye's gaze is fixed entirely upon Darktide for a moment, searching him... scrutinizing him, as one might search the face of a witness for untruths. A single, petite laugh escapes his lips, and the weight of his gaze simply melts away, as if it were never there. "I thought as much. I hope I get to see them in action!" Setting the files on the Lintha back down, he slides them forward to signify he's finished perusing them. He nods in agreement with Ryu. "As can I! If we're fine with a little... advance reconnaissance, I'd be glad to pick one of the locations our dear friend Empty Tidings knows of, and..." He giggles idly, as if daydreaming. "See what I can see." Things seem to be wrapping up, and the Exalt seems a mite less interested in chatting now that the plan's been hammered out. He leans back once more, crossing his legs again and folding his hands in his lap. With a casual shrug, he adds, "It should make a clean extraction that much easier!"
Empty Tidings	Empty Tidings looks down at the map as the Lintha activity dossiers get passed over and Moray marks the lanes and towns. She reaches across the table and taps one in particular. "I know this place. It would be difficult to catch them unawares, but they come and go from a port at the mouth of the river with some regularity. I'm sure that I could arrange for a group of us to be there when they're loading supplies and offloading their cargo." She nods towards Eye. "We'll have to take one or two alive for you to interrogate. I doubt it will be easy, but I also don't doubt," she looks around the room, smiling warmly, "we as a whole are incapable of it. It's a plan that calls for some subterfuge though. This..." Tidings looks to Gawain. "...isn't a problem, is it, Sir Knight?"
Gawain	Gawain listens carefully, still sipping at his wine. He nods at the plan. "It's quite a fine plan. I'm all for rescuing the hostages, and would like to part of that. However..." Empty Tidings says it before he can speak, and Gawain glances at her. "I am not the type to use stealth. I disavow personal usage of it. Therefore, the best I could serve as is a distraction, or part of a secondary assault squad while the others secure stealthily. If that's unacceptable, I understand." There is a sigh when Moray mentions their honor. "A duel that is not fair is not a duel, but a battle. Regardless, the fact that they have honor at all is a little refreshing." It means they can possibly be redeemed, Gawain thinks. "Simply tell me how I can aid in these missions and I will do so to the best of my capability."
Tomoe	Tomoe eyes the intel. "Good, we have something to start with then, good." She thinks for a moment. "Most words need some mechanical support like on mine or magic to be able to pull that off. So we need to watch our own ships. I wonder how they'd take to sea mines of some sort." She pauses at the mention of the guild, she recalls what Miari has said about them. "In many ways, the Guild is more nightmare fuel than the demon pirates we're going to be dealing with. "We'll want to leave the questioning up to Eye." She notes in a neutral tone she does not like it but well he's the most likely one to get it. "So what we need to do is taunt them and playoff that pride? Now that is something I can do." "You would be pretty good to make a diversion Sir Gawain."
Bloody Revelations	Moray looks very serious, but also very eager, in the way that someone can only look when they've come across an overwhelming advantage against their hated enemy. It's something the captain hasn't been able to work with in a long time, and he seems motivated more than ever; that his personal crusade can be won. "Perfect! I'll take your counsel, but ask that you write down all the information you can. I have some ability to handle this matter independently, so given some time, I'll be able to requisition the necessary resources and contact the right people, and we can begin as soon as everything is ready! No sense wasting time. Not with hostages on the line, the very fate of Skullstone at stake, if not Creation itself!" He goes as far as to respectfully bow towards the congregation of Elites, gathering up his maps and papers, and offering those who will take it the credit to go for a night on the town to enjoy themselves for their efforts. It's actually legitimate too. His tab seems to be as good as gold around here.