Scene #7559: The White March-1

Owner	Pose
Captain Flint	You set sail, or gate to, or otherwise set out for the snowy town of Stalwart, on the world of Eora. The White March, a frozen expanse of mountainous tundra, stretches north and south for as far as the eye can see. Flint believes that the old stronghold of Durgan's Battery, closed for decades, might once more ignite its forges, if only someone could breach its gates. Perhaps this is what Hafmacg believes Ondra once buried. This place is a far cry from the Dyrwood's temperate forests, and its peaks beckon to you like hoary old fingers. The road, for those who must take it, or choose to take it, is thin like a threadbare ribbon, and the darknening sky pummels travelers often with hailstones, turning the ground to ice. The seas, for those who traveled with Abbot Hafmacg and Captain Vane, are no less welcoming, the trip here having been tumultuous, as if the waters themselves sought to keep you from reaching this sad little port, a shadow of its former self. Hail is even worse, aboard a ship, and it was only Vane's experience at sea, and Hafmacg's miracles, that kept the Ranger's mast and sails intact. Blizzards and treacherous mountain passes funnel screeching winds into the faces of those who travel on foot--but there is a warpgate. The warpgate must be one of the least-used ever--it's as if the forces which dictate such things placed one here as an afterthought. Stalwart's port, Hafmacg explains, once saw ships from across Eora, even from across the Multiverse. The sky above Stalwart, when you arrive, is crisp and blue, but streaked through with smoke. The large, wooden palisade walls encircling the town have been knoocked down in places, as if by a tremendous blunt force. Drifting into the air like sickly spirits are smoke plumes from numerous smoldering buildings, the stench of burnt wood mingling unfavorably with that of the nearby fishery. A cry rises above the din of the town. An overworked bucket chain tends to the last of the buildings, still ablaze and hopelessly beyond their capability to extinguish. The fire is absolutely manageable given who you have present--but the house is small enough that only one person can safely fit in. >CON: Send Charles Vane >Water Magic: Send Abbot Hafmacg >Send Someone Else
Guzma	>SEND SOMEONE ELSE "I've got this, guys." Guzma says, as he sends out his giant white-blue bug, Golisopod, and issues orders. "Alright, go put out that fire, help anyone inside get out, and be a star. Got it, big guy?" It makes a bug-like mix of a cry and a grunt, as he pats it on the back. Golisopod is fast. It dashes across the ground, and once it reaches the fire, it moves to get inside and find the source. It looks for survivors first, to throw them out, and then plants itself on the ground and starts spraying high-pressure water at the fire, in an attempt to just decimate the fire in no time. It's probably super effective!
Cantio	The colder weather is a welcome change for Cantio. She's looking absolutely comfy and toasty as she approaches Stalwart by sea, barely even bothered by the fact that it's Vane's first time at sea. If anything, it gives her something to look forward to just in case things go wrong beyond the rather awful weather. Her comfort probably has a lot to do with all those pockets she has on that thick, padded jacket she's wearing. She even looks relaxed heading into town with one hand wedged inside her pocket and the other wrapped around a briefcase, although she can't relax for much longer once she sees the rising smoke and the fallen sections of the walls. "A fire...? Ah! Good thinking, Guzma. I've got your back!" Following behind the Golisopod, she remains outside and pops open the briefcase. Creepy-looking drones with dead-eyed stares and vaguely looking like blocky versions of herself start emerging from the container, moving around the outside of the building. They move in formation, ready to catch those tossed out by the bug Pokemon and carry them to safety and healing as needed.
Persephone Kore	Persephone didn't come down through the mountain pass, but given how she dresses, you could be forgiven for assuming so. Her clothes are appropriate for frigid weather; she's all bundled up in a comfy sweater, chunky arm-warmers, and a thick knitted scarf. She didn't even ask about the weather before stepping through the Warpgate- that just seems, improbably, to be her all-purpose apparel. As she walks through the town's outskirts, her gaze drifts up towards the smoke-streaked sky, and then back down towards the fire-flickering buildings. That's two disaster zones in a row. I don't know how to feel about that! It's a great chance to get in people's good graces, isn't it? But I'd like it if I could see the Multiverse in something other than ashes and ruins... She bends down to press her hand to one of the shattered fragments of the palisade walls, her eyes drifting shut in serene concentration. People and objects carry psychic residue of past events; little bits and pieces of the narratives that shaped them. Persephone is asking this little bit of wood its story: "Why are you the way that you are?" What was it built against; why is it ruined? As she nears the one remaining building, with more eyes naturally about to be trained on her, her face settles into its traditional easy smile- but not too easy, or they might think she's making light of their tragedy. Instead it's serene, beatific; the expression of a saint in religious iconography. She radiates a kind of infectious, warm calm; it can't completely snuff out the villagers' understandable panic, but it can at least dull the edge. Her hand pats the Golisopod's "shoulder" as it hoses down the building. "Good boy! Thank you for helping. We'll see what we can do here, okay?" The words are meant for the villagers to hear just as much as the monster.
Captain Flint	Guzma: [Ranger] Send Golisopod. Being inside of the house is like being in a furnace--the flames rise so high, encompass so much, blind with their smoke and sting with their heat to such an extent, that it is nigh impossible to find where the fire started, and may remain such until they are put out. There are two people. The problem is that they are on opposite sides of the house. One is a woman, motionless, in what might have been a kitchen. The other is a man, pinned beneath a fallen support beam. He's still awake, and crying out weakly for help. Getting them both clear means subjecting itself to more choking smoke, more sweltering heat. But Guzma made the right call--both people can be saved, if Golisopod is quick. The house is already making threatening creaks and groans, as flames eat away at its skeleton. Cantio's drones carry them both towards healing-- "I've got them," drawls Hafmacg as Vane steps back to allow them room to breath. "O Ondra, Lady of Lament, your humble servant begs your generosity." The air arround him suddenly smells of salt--even more so than is implied by Stalwart's sea-town air. He lifts his gnarled staff high, and the sunlight catches the rich green gem at its tip. There is a shifting of space around him, like being aboard a boat at sea--and burn wounds begin to heal. Why is the wood the way that it is? It stood for years, never burning. But then came the ogres, with their torches, their clubs and their stolen cannons, smashing and burning and blasting. It was built against these very ogres, and stood for a time against them--but the attacks grew more vicious and frequent, of late. Charles Vane lights a hand-rolled cigar on the smoldering ruin, once Golisopod extinguishes it. He exhales a cloud of blue-grey smoke, looking Persephone up and down. "Is that you?" He waves a finger around in the air. He means the calm. "Or him?" A thumb is jerked towards Hafmacg. The priest shrugs.
Cantio	With the immediate danger to the rescuees of the burning building mostly subdued by means of getting them out of the burning building, Cantio can actually breathe a sigh of relief and and check on the injured while Vane handles their wounds. "Are you alright? Do you.. Oh. Um. We should probably give them some room to breathe." Heeding her own advice, she backs up a good ten feet so as to not frighten them too much with her super anime hair. "It looks like Guzma's got the fires under control now, so you should be safe now. Um... So!" She claps her hands together lightly, glancing back at Persephone for a moment to give her a quick thumbs-up before turning right back to the couple. "Do you know where the culprits went? Or if they're still around?" She doesn't wait for an answer before directing a pair of her drones to go skywards, looking through their eyes via a tablet in her hand. The resolution's not great, but it'll have to do as she tries eyeballing the borders of this town and watching them for suspiciously fleeing people. Or ogres, in this case.
Guzma	Golisopod IS quick. And it is strong. It lifts the woman up over a shoulder, and then pushes aside the support beam, using pure strength to pull the man aside and out the house. Guzma's there once they're safe and the fire is put out. He throws some sort of treat up to Golisopod, who munches it. "Good boy." And then, Persephone's looking, so Guzma turns to her...and then the crowd. "Fire's put out! Concord's going to find the perpetrators and beat'em into the ground! We're here for you, yo!" A thump of an arm to his chest. He's Entirely Genuine, but it's got bravado to it, too. Guzma's putting on a show.
Persephone Kore	Persephone beams at Charles Vane- it's a smile that's almost, but not quite, a good-natured laugh. Even her eyes shut in exactly the way someone's eyes do when they're sincerely happy. "You're really smart, aren't you, Charles? These people deserve to feel a little happier. I hope you don't mind." She gestures out at the burned town, speaking, again, partly for the villagers' benefit even though she's addressing Cantio. "The town was attacked by ogres. Not for the first time, but this time they broke through. They had clubs, torches... cannons? From the Battery, maybe. It was awful. If we're going to build anything here, we have to make sure they don't just destroy it, too." She follows that up by reciprocating Cantio's little thumbs-up. I believe in you! You're doing great! Even as she talks, though, she's attuning herself to the frequency of the villagers' thoughts and feelings. What did they have here before? Where did each family live? What did they treasure about the town, and what needs to be fixed? That's going to come in handy in a moment: she focuses her attention on a distant, familiar mind. Hey Dylan! Waauuuuugh don't DO that to me Phony!! Ahaha. But you make such cute noises. That's no excuse for getting in my head like this! Haha. Forgive me this time! It's important. Oh really?? Is it REALLY- Yes! Now take notes. I need a Concord construction crew at these coordinates with shelter prefabs by tonight. Don't worry about the expense. Here's the town layout... While that conversation is going on, she just stands silently next to Guzma, wearing that perfectly reassuring expression. Hopefully her quiet confidence can underscore his bravado!
Captain Flint	Cantio's drones uncover a sight that is picturesque in its harsh, freezing majesty. To the west, ice floes bump against the shore, which empties out into the vast blue expanse of the ocean. The harbor is here, and sadly empty for its size. Only the Ranger, Captain Vane's ship, is docked here, bearing the gentle kiss of the sea in solitude. Some of his men are wandering around town, presumably looking for the same thing she is--a culprit. East leads into the mountains, and to Durgan's Battery. The road there is well worn, hinting that the Concord likely aren't the first to come seeking its riches. To the north there is an alpine forest, a silent army of snow-dusted trees keeping watch over a frozen lake. Even though the resolution isn't the best, Cantio can see large footprints--easily larger than a human head--leading out of town and to the north. Whoever they were, the attackers were neither subtle nor stealthy. From what she can see closer to the town, the attack seems to have been primarily to instill fear--there was no clear target, and houses were attacked as much as what scarce business exists here, decades past the town's prime. Wood fragments litter the snowy earth, as do occasional lifeless forms of those unable to get away. Cannonballs, too. The fishery, the tavern, and the temple (one apparently dedicated to Abyddon, god of the forge, community and craftsmen) appear intact, but the entrance to the mine on the north side of town has been collapsed, and a merchant who'd set up shop outside is currently lamenting the destruction of her cart. "I'm glad we've an accord," growls Vane to Guzma. He doesn't always mean to be menacing. He kind of just is. "Can't say I do mind," the musclebound captain admits to Persephone with a shrug. "It's helpful." Persephone finds that sadly, there isn't much to treasure in Stalwart but one's friends and family. Business here dried up when the Battery closed its doors. The mine and the fishery could keep things afloat, but the latter does the heavy lifting. It's so far from anything else in Eora that people use carved fish bones for money--and even the Warpgate doesn't see much use. No one cares to come up here, and the people who are here feel stuck--like they can't just pull up roots and go somewhere else. Be that as it may, Persephone's assistance will still do a lot--because without it, the town might finally have died. Being stuck is one thing, but being attacked on the regular is enough to make people risk that uncertainty. More than anything what people need now is the certainty that this place will be here tomorrow. That wasn't a certainty even before the attacks. There's skepticism, but the people who watched the rescue are at least willing to believe this might not be the end. Always, there is the dream that one day Stalwart might Be Something again, and that they might be part of it. "They'll be in their den now," says the man you rescued. "But if you're going to go fight them... you'd better be sure you get them all. We can't survive another like that." He doesn't just mean structurally.
Guzma	Guzma nods to the others, and then moves to mosey on out. He goes to check for others with wounds to call out to Cantio to help speed up healing, since he assumes they'll have a slowdown due to the time period. He then notices the collapsed mine entrance as he explores, and returns to the others, flashing his Dorado Black Card. "I can pay for some repair equipment, like a forklift or something, if we can get some people to drive it. We'll be able to repair the mine that way, right?" Guzma turns to Hafmacg. "What would they mine here, anyways?"
Cantio	<<"Contact! Wait. No. Not contact. Um.... Visual! For tracks, anyway.">> Cantio flubs her callouts a few times before finally getting something right, raising a hand to the drone acting as her eyes. It points northwards dramatically, angled downwards in the direction of the forest and those giant footprints out of town. <<"I think I know where the... Er. Ogres went.">> She's second guessing herself, lowering her voice considerably before speaking again. <<"Is that racist? I mean, if that's their... What they actually are, not because they're large or anything.">> Truly, she's focusing on the important details here. Turning to the rescued man, Cantio nods solemnly as she reaches into that briefcase to fish out an oversized sword that's more like a claymore in size, yet somehow shouldered with one hand and looks more like a modern child's toy than a dangerous weapon. "We'll be ready." There's a grim expression on her face as she says that, already trying to psyche herself up. "Before we do, though... Has it always been like this? Between the people here and them."
Persephone Kore	Persephone steps away from the gathered townsfolk, trudging northward maybe fifty feet. The reason for her departure becomes obvious in a moment: she floats up into the air about fifteen feet, her hair and clothes fluttering sedately as if in zero-G. An outsized humanoid figure, slender and elegant and pseudo-divine, materializes around her with a blurring and twisting of space. The Psi-Responsive Alter-Ego "Queen in Veils" is more like a doll made in the image of an angel than it is a giant robot. Its limbs are ball-jointed, its face indistinct; hair like wispy black smoke flows down its back, and its pearl-white chassis is sculpted in imitation of a flowing dress. A crown-halo above its head radiates a curtain of slats downward, obscuring its body in strips to give it a kind of half-glimpsed mystique: it's impossible to see all of its body at once. Within a huge, circular radius of the Queen in Veils, the landscape shifts and brightens: grasses, wildflowers, and mosses spring up in vibrant life. The air becomes a little sweeter, and it's warmed to a temperate tone. She can't rebuild their homes- the Concord construction workers will have to do that!- but she can make this place a little nicer while the townsfolk mourn. It's a simple affirmation: yes, things can change for the better. And the Concord has every intention of doing so.
Captain Flint	"No," says Calisca, the woman you rescued. "They used to leave us alone. Then, when Renengild--the mayor--when she sent that expedition to the Battery, it was like we'd kicked a hornest's nest. Almost once a month--and each time, meaner." "Look at the walls," says Vane, puffing on his cigar. "And the way they smash your houses. They don't want you dead." "Really?" asks Gjerly, Calisca's husband. "Because it sure seems like they do," he bitterly muses with a finger pointed towards one of the bodies. "They want you gone," Vane finishes, unmoved. "Why, I can't say. But I guess you and the abbot will all find that out tonight." He glances between everyone, shading his eyes with his palm to watch Persephone's ascent. Vane ashes the cigar and ponders silently for a moment. Hafmacg helps Calisca up after a moment. "Here?" he asks Guzma. "Iron and sulfur. Right now, it's probably bringing in a pittance--not many people would wanna pay to have that stuff shipped all the way from here. I imagine the warpgate's the only thing keeping it profitable at all." "Yeah," says Gjerly, with a tinge of hope, at the sight of Persephone's greenery, taking a deep breath of the now-temperate air. "But... if the Battery was up and running again, then we'd have a good chunk of raw materials to keep the forges goin' without havin' to ship loads of stuff in from elsewhere." Vane nods. "Then my men and I will help Guzma get it back open. One way or another, the Battery's coming back." "That's what the last expedition said," Caliscia notes. "And the one before them... and before them..."
Cantio	"So it didn't start until after... I guess the initial contact?" Cantio tries to logic it out in her head, shaking her head slowly after Calisca's explanation. "No, they must have known you were here before. Maybe... When they realized they could use you? But if they're ogres..." She pauses, then shakes her head. "... No, no, that's definitely racist. Yeah, if they realized that, then it would explain why they're more focused on scaring you than killing you. But if you just leave, would they still be able to use what's left? I mean..." She gestures around at roughly head height. "The size difference alone would make your equipment impractical for them to use." As the conversation continues, Cantio rubs her forehead slowly. "Ah, maybe the most straightforward solution really is the best one here... But it's worth trying to reason with them rather than jumping straight to..." She looks over at Guzma, recalling his earlier discomfort on the radio. "... Other methods." And then Persephone brings down the Queen in Veils. Even though she's seen it once before, Cantio is already going wide-eyed and visibly trying to restrain herself from getting too excited over it. When Persephone gives her the go ahead to approach, though, it barely takes more than a second for her to hurry over. It's pretty easy to tell that giant robots are kind of a thing for her. She's even bringing a drone over to take pictures!
Persephone Kore	<Tac-Concord> [4] Persephone Kore says, "Now that I think about it..." <Tac-Concord> [4] Persephone Kore says, "Cantio." <Tac-Concord> [4] Cantio says, "Eh? Yes?" <Tac-Concord> [4] Persephone Kore says, "Would you like the strength to re-open the mine? I can show you how." <Tac-Concord> [4] Cantio says, "Um... I'm afraid I don't really follow, but sure!" The Queen in Veils walks northward, leaving a hundred-foot-wide trail of grass and flowers in its wake. There's something about the way it moves- it perfectly imitates Persephone's graceful body language, but its chassis slightly bends with each motion, as if something were straining on it from outside. It kneels down at the mine's collapsed entrance, waiting for Cantio to catch up. When she does, it holds out its open hand for her to hop into, and lifts her up to eye level. "I'm so glad to get to show you this," Persephone says, her voice only slightly distorted by the machine. "Everyone deserves what I have! And I'm so eager to see what you do with it." "All you have to do is open yourself up to me, okay?"
Cantio	It takes Cantio a bit to realize she's already reached the mine in her haste to ogle the Queen in Veils. She can't make heads or tails of how it works at all, but it's certainly relaxing to have such an advanced (if incomprehensible) piece of tech that isn't her own so close by. It takes her a bit longer than that to realize that the hand is there for her to get on, but she does so once her brain catches up with her eyes. Cantio lets out a mildly confused noise as Persephone makes that offer for some kind of strength in exchange for something, but... "Uh. Okay, sure!" What's the worst that could happen? It's not like other people haven't already probed around in her head before, albeit in the context of trying to mess with her instead of giving her something and actually asking first.
Persephone Kore	"Ahahaha. You're so trusting! It's really irresponsible. I like it a lot actually," Persephone (or the Queen in Veils?) says, cupping her cheek adoringly in her free hand. "But I promise you won't regret it. I'm nothing to be scared of, Cantio." In the seconds that follow, I become impossibly real. I'm as heavy as a spiral galaxy, and twice as bright. It's as if everything else in the world is just a cheap, hollow plastic toy by comparison- even you, Cantio! But don't worry. We can fix that together. It's a strange kind of promise. But I can make it come true. The world gently fades away- first the surroundings, then the other people, then the Queen in Veils itself, leaving only Cantio and Persephone behind. It feels like floating in the void of space together, an abstract kind of nothingness punctuated only by a deeply personal touch. You don't mind, do you, if we hold hands like this? Haha. It's okay if you haven't figured out how to answer yet. I know. It's dreamlike, hard to make out details, but somehow it's still easy to tell that Persephone is smiling at you. This is the truth I want to share, Cantio: every dream you've ever had, every feeling you've ever felt, the weight of your identity... it's all so much lighter than a little piece of metal going through your skull. That's the worst thing about real violence: it wins against feelings every time. Isn't that awful? Doesn't that make you really angry? There's a kind of ratcheting click in the back of your head. You feel a little less fake; a little less plastic. It doesn't have to be that way, you know. This is what I'm teaching you: that delicate things like feelings and identity don't have to be weaker than ugly things like rock and metal. That it's possible for you to be realer than the world. And that when you are- The fugue, or trance, or dream, or whatever-it-was ends abruptly. Cantio is still standing in the Queen in Veils' palm. Everything is back to normal. Hardly any time has passed. ... But somehow, the world- everything except Persephone- still feels just a tiny bit plasticky-fake. The Queen in Veils reaches out with its other hand towards one of the mine-clogging boulders, and casually utterly annihilates it. The boulder is shredded into rocks, into pebbles, into sand, into dust by the passive force of Persephone's overwhelming heart-gravity, and blows away in wisps on the breeze. Isn't it beautiful? Now you try!
Captain Flint	Cantio's arrangement with Persephone is fortuitous. When she tries, she will see how much trying is truly necessary. The ogres' indiscriminate destruction caved in the mine, far deeper than the entrance. But, what's a cave-in, with the strength to move mountains? With a friend who has the same? With other friends, who will follow after you, and build to ensure your work stays standing? It's mostly just tedious, at that point. Lots of disturbed earth has to be moved, and Guzma and Vane's men have to re-set braces, or fashion entirely new ones. Vane is ripped as fuck, however, with a full crew, and they rotate out in regular stints to keep pace with Cantio and Persephone. There is a profound sense of satisfaction which radiates from Vane, the quiet pride of working with one's hands. Guzma has his Pokemon--so between everyone, the work can be done by sundown. Hafmacg has benedictions ready to soothe aching muscles. and the tavern has offered a night of free drinks for all of you, to welcome you and celebrate your good deeds. Night time, here in but an hour or two, will be the perfect time to handle the ogres--whether you intend to use force or not. Hafmacg will accompany you, at that time. Vane, too--but alone, to reduce your chances of being spotted. For now, you've earned a break.
Cantio	Indeed, Cantio's ability to trust people goes too hard for her own good. In this case, though, it does seem like things might actually work out. There's a great deal of things she doesn't quite understand, but there's also other aspects of this that feel all too familiar. They're the same type of gut feelings she had when she was with BB. It truly doesn't take long for her to trust in that, letting Persephone into her head and place those dreams, those thoughts, rearranging and turning her attention this way and there as the injustices of the world continue to loom in the back of her mind. She's done wrong, but it's always been in service of her home. Of improving things for humanity. Of course it'd be right to be angry about that. Angry enough, even, that she quickly cozies up to the idea of her mind, her feelings, her vague and immeasurable things being stronger than physical, concrete things. That would make so many things easier if it was true, and it might as well be when that experience ends. She nearly tips over when she snaps out of it, holding herself up with a hand on the Queen in Veils' palm as she watches that boulder get absolutely destroyed by... Nothing? No, that's Persephone's power. "I can... Do that? Uh." What if she messes it up? What if she breaks something wrong? What if... Screw it. That type of thinking won't help here! All that's left is to just do it and see what happens. Cantio raises her hand, focuses in on one of the somewhat smaller rocks, and it just pops right out of where it was jammed up with several other rocks. "Did that just-whoa. Oh my goodness, that's... That's something!" Jumping a bit in surprise, Cantio pauses for a moment to glance over towards Queen in Veils' head, then back at the rock as she starts chipping away at it, cracking it apart, and just steadily pebble-ifying it without so much as laying a proper finger on it. "Huh." She sounds surprised, but pleased. Reinvigorated, even, as she starts using that newfound power to aid in getting that mine cleared. Carefully, of course, although this... It feels right.