Scene Listing || Scene Schedule || Scene Schedule RSS
Owner Pose
Guest Madeline     As Madeline promised to those who were interested, she provided transportation. In fact, several ships were available, though none appear to be anything fancy. As usual, she's hiding the full extent of her fleet's power, so her ships are neither fully kitted out for battle, nor are they First Age technology like the pride of her fleet. They are, in fact, wooden sailing vessels with merely a backup engine, relatively low tech for the world she resides in.

    The trip allows her to provide a rough map of the island that the ship is headed toward, for others to study. It also allows her time for a quick briefing of what she wants. "This island is strategically important, but we aren't here to cause a great battle. That's why I'm not sending warships. We are coming in as merchants, and will secure this island and its fortress through a quick, decisive action. The governor of this land, one Phillip Danson, is a Terrestrial Exalt who controls the immediate area and reports to a Shogun on the mainland."

    She gestures to the fortress. "He is normally not there, but regularly returns to this place, to keep the manse tuned and running. We have several tasks here. One: capture Danson, alive, and bring him to me for negotiations. Failing that, should his death be required or accidentally occur, the manse itself needs captured. Two: these three emplacements around the fortress need to be captured and controlled by us. These are anti-air emplacements, and should a response from the Shogun arrive faster than expected, these will give us the time to either finish our task or to provide cover for our retreat. The troops I have on board can operate them, but I believe it best to have them brought in after Elites capture the emplacements. Third, the garrison needs to be neutralized somehow. I don't care how you do this, provided you follow the general rule of this mission. Casualties should be kept to a minimum. This is going to be my land, and its people mine, and I intend to treat them well. Starting off with a slaughter will help no one. Use lethal force if necessary, but only if necessary."
Yari Takane There's a ninja here! And for once, her attire isn't out of place. She's donned a midnight blue kimono, with a few local stylings to help blend in. Maybe her horns might let her blend in as some kind of dragon-blooded. She gives a salute to the Captain.

"I'll assist with Danson, then. I have a few things that might put him out. Do these 'Terrestrial Exalted' have any known resistances? What about the skill and number of his guards? Is our target an accomplished combatant?" Yup, the ninja is all for captue. She's already picking out a few needles and kunai from her sleeves to rearrange.

Then, she peers over the map of the fortress to give it a good memorization. Mostly looking for points of entrance and exits.

"One more thing. How do you disable a manse, if it comes to that?" She looks to the others. Seems it's Yari's first time in Creation.
Anne Blakely     The Confederates here know what is in the large crate that Anne Blakely is leaning against. They would have seen the large contraption of brass and iron lowered into it for storage. It's now boxed up though, and Anne is just watching with arms crossed. She'll keep out of the way of anyone nervous about her (Karal) unless pressed, at least.

    Listening to the options, she looks up and adjusts the wide, floppy-brimmed witch hat she's wearing against the sun. "I suppose I'll go on to the garrison team though. I will support the efforts of anyone who wants to do that, and provide heavier firepower should they need it, either for intimidation or... backing up the threat of intimidation."
Shin Tokuyama     Shin's here. He had to get his shift at the part-time place covered so he could show up for Madeline's invasion and mission, but he showed up for her. He's got a brown paper back in his hands that he holds out for her, "Here. I brought you a king cheese and some black pepper fries." He offers the Solar Exalt her bag of junk food.

    "Hoo boy, though," He continues a moment later, rubbing the back of his head as he adjusts his tie, "I'm not really sure you got the right guy if you're going to be taking over a Kingdom. I mean, I'm all down for building up my Anti-Hero Experience and all, but I don't think I could actually fight a whole army of actual dudes on my own. Maybe a bunch of jobber mooks."

    He stares at the Solar and blinks a few times, "So like. What do you want me to be doing?"
Guest Madeline     Madeline points out, "You don't have to fight an army, you simply have to convince them that it isn't worth trying to fight." That's to Shin. "I could see you in any of the three positions, but capturing Danson or dealing with the garrison are the most likely ones to be good for your skill set."
Starless Night     Starless Night is here, under the alias of 'Janine' and looking more occidental than normal. She has her sword wrapped up, and otherwise looks like a mercenary for hire, her appearance weathered and with simple armor... but light. Maybe that's why she makes the offer she does.

    "I can handle the anti-air guns," says the woman. "I'd prefer if someone else were with me, because one person alone to take three locations is... a little difficult." But not impossible.
Raine Arland      Raine is here. As is Fragarach. The two are mostly quiet during the briefing, taking in the details as described. It's actually rather simple for him. He's already a deliveryman and a merchant on the side as his main gig. Acting like one was going to be easy. Heh. He smirked at that and nodded along, taking in the lay of the land and the objectives.

     "Quick and decisive. Grab the guy, or the mansion. Try not to kill him. But if it comes to that, then so be it. Got it." Not that he was terribly focused on killing a guy as his first choice, so capture it was. The enplacements are observed next, Raine crossing his arms. "Right, okay...capture the garrison, and neutralize the emplacements...Hmm..."

     The black clad youth rubbed his chin as Fragarach leaned over his shoulder, peering at the map. "...I guess I'll go for one of those emplacements with you." He spoke over to Janine. "We don't need five hundred people to kidnap a guy, or to subdue a garrison subtly. It'll be fun. Just like old times, eh, Fragarach?" The ghostly girl in the dress narrowed her eyes. "We'll see about that." Was her murmured reply.
Guest Madeline     Madeline answers Yari, "We don't want to disable it. We want to capture it, if we can't capture him. Like any fortress, this involves controlling the gates and eliminating major points of resistance."

    As for forces... "You can expect several troops, some with firearms and many with spears or bows. Maybe a Warstrider or two, but a mundane Warstrider should be no threat to any of you here. Danson has a Terrestrial Warstrider of course, being an Exalt. He is a Water Aspect, and if you can keep him from reaching his Warstrider his abilities will be limited. He's not old enough to be much of a threat outside, but be wary of social manipulation."
Sanary Rondel Sanary's there in her more... Well, what she thinks is her more imposing garb: A gray military jacket with shades to hide her eye and eyepatch, along with a pair of shields (one in hand, one on her back). She listens to Madeline carefully as she explains their objectives, nodding every now and then while checking her gear to make sure she's got everything in place.

     "Also, uh... What's a manse?" Sanary chimes in finally, adjusting her shades and rummaging around inside a sack she's brought along for the occasion. "I can work on the anti-air defenses or the garrison. Make some noise, wreck their shit without killing anyone, draw their attention away from the capture team."

     THe healer gives Yari a brief smirk at that last bit, then turns to Starless Night and Raine. "Well, if you two can each hit one, I can hit the third. Get 'em all... Disabled or captured or whatever we need at once."
Lin Though hardly Lin's first time in CREATION, this Creation's... rather different in some ways.

    Different enough that she's not sure how exactly she ended up on the same boat as a person who was trying to KILL her a few days ago. Lin's given Yari quite a LOOK or two during the trip, but remained largely quiet the whole trip.

    Because this is one hell of an invitation to one hell of an operation. And if it pays well, then fair enough. Minimum casualties are terms Lin can very much work with.

    "Then I will keep the garrison busy. Seems the other bases are covered. Don't worry, one on many's one of my specialties." Lin exclaims confidently, though not enough so to mask her faint anxiety.

    This is the first occasion she's going into land occupied by Exalted, whether or not they use Warstriders here.
Yari Takane Yari returns that smile. "...What's that human phrase? 'Give them Hell?'" She offers to Sanary and the anti-air team.

Turning back to Madeline, she gives a swift nod. "Understood, Ma'am. If it comes down to it, we'll simply make sure he can't talk for an hour or so." The ninja also slips some ear-plugs into a sleeve. Just in case.

Ninja eyes back to the map. After looking over the rest of those gathered.

Of course, Karal's gaze has gotten Yari's attention. Each time? Polite bows, and just a stubborn refusal to give in. It's not like she's not used to this kind of thing by now.

"...Good luck. A shame I can't see that power of yours again tonight. It almost remind me of...ah, well, later. Come back alive, Miss." This, coming from a woman who tried to kill her a few days ago.
Anne Blakely     Anne sidles up toward Karal for a moment, "My offer is still open, if you get horribly crippled beyond the ability of the healers to save you. Keep it in mind." She smiles sweetly, then gives Shin a funny look. A very /considering/ look.
Lezard Valeth Lezard promised to assist Madeline with any of her operations. And he is a man of his word, being present on the ship with the others. He looks over the information presented with an arched eyebrow, and nods. "For a matter of this much delicacy, I believe the current distrbution of forces will be sufficient. I will assist with taking the anti-air defenses, and will move to support others as needed. My normal skillset is not usually... non-lethal, but I should be able help project forces and transport as needed." He looks to Starless Night, and nods. "You will have your support. Between us, we should be able to swiftly neutralize the opposition."
Guest Madeline     Madeline seems satisfied thus far with the division. "That leaves... Shin, you can either be with me and Yari taking down Danson, or join the garrison force. I'm sure Miss Blakely and Rei Lin would enjoy the help."

    Sanary is answered, "A manse is a focal point of geomantic magic. Not important right now. The important part is that it is effectively a fortress. Lezard and I will worry about any sorcerous powers they bring to bear, you just handle the emplacements."

    Speaking of Lezard, Madeline smiles. "I know, but having that power in case something goes wrong is useful. Even taking it easy on them, this should be simple. A single young Terrestrial Exalt is not that difficult. This island is in an excellent location for me, but it's a poor location for others to attempt capturing it... so it's not likely to be heavily defended."
Shin Tokuyama     Shin is still holding out the bag of food to Madeline, "Well, I wanna learn more of your Dark Messiah style, and that lady gives me a serious case of the heebie-jeebies, and that OTHER lady yelled at me the other day. So the answer's pretty obvious. I'll stick with you for now."

    In true protagonist fashion, Shin is narrating his motivations out loud because that's just how it works in his mind. He shuffles along to stand next to Madeline and look around a bit. He... spots Lezard and goes, "Oh hey man! Long time no see! You doing alright?" Despite the repeated attempts of Lezard to kill him, Shin seems mostly cordial to him.

    "I'm good to go." He adds to Madeline calmly.
Sanary Rondel Karal and Yari both get curious looks sent their way by Sanary from the... Not entirely hidden looks they're giving each other. She seems more amused by it than anything else, although the former does get some cautious looks as well. She recognizes her from not too long ago, but... Well, if she's here to help, then Sanary's not going to drag any of that up unnecessarily.

     "Sounds like we've got the plan, then... Ah. Hey, Shin. What's that you got there, anyway? Smells good..." She shuffles over just a bit, totally not an indication that she'd want any of that food or anything. She's just... Trying to get better footing!

     And also a better look at what's in that bag. Speaking of bags, she takes out a small hat and cape out of her sack, then dons them both before looking towards the rest of the group. "How's this? Intimidating or... Too much?"
Lin This has got to be the strangest get together of forces ever.

    With Anne sidling up, Lin finds herself leeeaaaaaning away on reflex and sprouting this sweet, sweet... SUPER AWKWARD smile. One that's supposed to make her friendly (if strained) answer come out polite. Because she says, "No thank you, and they won't get that far!"

    ... Well... the way it comes out, with her starting to sweat bullets and the smile turning into this horribly jumpy grin, the actual message from pure body language's something more like 'try anything funny and it's off with your arms.'

    Yari gets another quizzical look and again Lin finds herself questioning why she's here, but she does a final weapons check. For today she's carrying two different swords, both sheathed on the left side of her body. One, as she draws it, clearly has a razor sharp edge. The other... although otherwise identical, does NOT have an edge. It's completely blunt.

    Which just leaves her casting more grumpy looks at Shin.

    "Do you take ANYTHING seriously...?"
Guest Madeline     The burger is pulled out and a bite taken out of it, without much worry. The fact that several people in this group tried to kill one another before just... slips past Madeline. Or maybe she considers it unimportant. The ships are docking, giving the various groups a chance to disembark and handle their tasks. The city is fortified, but true to her word, they look pretty lax. This place is far from the war front between the various Terrestrial families!

    "All right. Good luck everyone. This should be easy, but don't take that to mean you can let down your guard," she states. Madeline herself is unarmed, but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows her. "Miss Blakely, keep an eye on Rei Lin. I'd like her intact, so no replacing random limbs with clockwork equivalents unless you're certain it's needed."
Lezard Valeth Lezard chuckles as Madeline makes her assessment. "They are not expecting the action, and so have become lazy. We're simply taking advantage of that fact, are we?" No wonder why Lezard doesn't use... /humans/ to guard his home.

"It will be a good position for us to use as a point of access to other strategic locations." He turns, looking over to Shin as the kung-fu artist greets him. "Well well... The Hero of Fists makes his appearance. And with us, not against us? Will wonders never cease..." He smiles. "I am doing well. Thank you for asking. I trust you are well also?" He arches his brow at the fast food, but says nothing.

The ship docks, and Lezard turns to join Starless in Team Anti-Air.
Guest Madeline     The anti-air emplacements are, as stated, in three different locations. One is a large tower, fortified with a small garrison, along the coast near some local farmland. This is probably the most fortified of the towers, with sheer walls and tiny arrow slits on the windows. It may not be the best defended, however.

    The second is not so well-fortified, but is atop the mountain that makes up the southeastern side of the island. This makes it a difficult to reach place... for those travelling on foot. They likely rely on the fact that it's an anti-air emplacement to make it difficult to reach, along with the narrow footpath to the entrance.

    The final tower is at the edge of the city itself, built into the fortified wall. This means that if the garrison team isn't doing their job, it has easy access to reinforcements.
Guest Madeline     The main garrison is set up near the fortress, of course. Presumably the fortress has an internal garrison as well, but the bulk of the troops are in the walled city, living in homes as militia, or in the barracks as professional soldiers. The garrison area requires a brisk walk through the city, which is more modern than most Creations... vehicles in various states of repair are uncommon but not exotic, and bits of technology like telephones seem commonplace.

    What Lezard said is true: they're kind of lazy. But the guards actually /at/ the garrison at least seem to have their shit together, currently training under a one-eyed officer who definitely looks competent.
Shin Tokuyama     "I took your MOM seriously, last night," Shin retorts back to Karal almost out of pure reflex as he looks over at the girl. It wasn't even so much as an intentional comeback as it was him just being used to people throwing barbs at him and a natural defense mechanism.

    "I take stuff seriously. I came in Fourth at the Multiversal World Martial Arts Tournament last year. I can handle myself just fine, thanks." He adds in a more flat tone, looking back towards Madeline and moving to follow her.
Shin Tokuyama     "Oh hey, Sanary. Yeah, I've got some bugers from the place I part-time at," He notes to the eye-patch girl much more chipperly. He gives her a wide smile and offers her some of the salt-and-black-pepper fries.

    "You hungry? I just picked up some food after my shift got out before I came here. All yours, yo. Can't do a mission on an empty stomach," He holds the remainder of the bag that Madeline hasn't claimed out to Sanary.
Guest Madeline     Approaching the fortress requires a trip through the city as well! It's up against the mountain, with a waterfall pouring from the side and down toward the ocean. Plenty of fresh water for a siege. Along with this, the whole matter of the place being set up for war means the gate is actually very sturdy, obviously meant to hold against Warstriders and the like. While it is currently open partway to allow traffic inside, it DOES have guards keeping the riffraff out. Madeline slows when approaching, and glances to Shin and Yari. "How would you like to approach this? I could try just walking in, but if that fails it will put them on alert."
Lin "What." Completely unfamiliar with YOUR MOM jokes, Lin's temper FLARES HORRIDLY right there. Shin may well FEEL that baleful glare, like he's invited DOOM upon his soul, such is the insulted FURY such a comment inspires in her.

    She shivers where she stands, clamping down on the urge to EXPLODE on him.

    The ONLY thing that keeps her from doing so is the knowledge that she's on a mission and under employment, so she vents the fury with... a snorted exhale through her nostrils.

    The Limit this might accrue...

    "Fine then! But you better be able to match up to that claim TODAY. Too bad we're on different teams. Haven't gotten a chance to see this skill of yours!" And she sure wants to.
Sanary Rondel Sanary doesn't need to be told twice. "Heh... Thanks, Shin. Had some pork chops earlier, but I've been trying this new weird diet and... Uh." She shivers a bit just thinking about it, looking mildly nauseated about something or another. Thankfully, Shin's fries hit the spot, and she's... Really going at them.

     Fad diets are awful. "Remind me to get you some pig meat next time... Cooked, even." Looking significantly more rejuvenated, the healer checks her swishy test cape and straightens her hat out before backing away slowly from where Shin and Karal are standing. She does give the former an 'oh shit' smirk, but refrains from actually commenting.

     She still has a job to do, after all. Adjusting the hat once more for dramatic effect, Sanary disembarks the ship, and she's headed towards the garrison! She's not going to make too much noise just yet, instead just trying to see how close she can get to (or even inside) the garrison just by walking straight at it in her too-dark gear, a riot shield in one hand, and a large oval shield on her back.
Starless Night     Hmm. There are many options, but 'Janine' offers, "I'll go toward the tower in the city. I operate best around other people, even if this nonlethal thing is going to make things more difficult." The 'mercenary' gathers up her sword and heads for the fortified tower... but doesn't quite go in there. She's going to, instead, look for any barracks that might be in there, and observe the troop movement.

    She's basically doing her typical thing. If she can spy someone leaving or who is alone, she's just going to sneak up on them and fire a quick spray of webbing to neutralize them somewhere out of the way. Then she's going to take their identity, preferably after knocking them out and having a 'chat' in the Butterfly Dream to get an idea of their personality.
Anne Blakely     Anne adjusts her hat as she teams up with Sanary and Karal Rei Lin. Tapping on the crate, she murmurs, "I'll leave our support here, then. If you need it, just ask." With these two, she doesn't expect to need it though. The witch will just follow along with Rei Lin and the healer, casually strolling behind them.

    "Just let me know if you need anything in particular. I expect this will just be a lot of fun."
Yari Takane Yari looks to Madeline, then over to Shin, and finally over to the massive gates. Nnn. Karal's outburst has one scaled brow scrunching. She relaxes.

"I'd say we play the part we came in with. Walk in, act like the head of a merchant house..." A tail-point to Madeline. Then to Shin.

"Her loyal body guard."

Then to herself.

"And her personal attendant. If we can manage an audience with our target, we can get in close, we won't have to hunt for him, and when the others create enough chaos to draw his attention? We use the distraction to kidnap him. Even if we're discovered, at least we'll be inside with a minimum of casualties to your new holding." She offers to the group.

"Though I'm largely unfamiliar with local customs. I'll keep quiet. Say that I'm mute, if anyone asks." A tap on her ear.

"I'll use the radio to communicate." Then she looks quizzically at the other two.
Shin Tokuyama     [Achievement Unlocked: Solar Burn]
    -Deliver a burn so sick it scorches the sun.

    If Shin knew he had unlocked this, he'd probably be somewhat worried. Instead, he grins at Karal and says, "Hey, come on. Calm down, it's all in good fun! Joking, joking!"

    He nods to Yari, content to go along with her plan as he accompanies the two of them. He was already basically hired to be Madeline's escort and body guard so it fits in. The suit he perpetually wears probably adds a more believable motif to it.

    He adjusts his sunglasses and falls to walk slightly behind Madeline, like a bodyguard would if anticipating an ambush.
Raine Arland      Once they come in to dock, Raine waves a hand to Fragarach, indicating that it's time to stop being visible. She does so without any real argument, and vanishes into a shimmer of white particles. Stepping off the ship, the currently unarmed swordsman peered about, before his eyes locked onto the tower by the coast.

     "...I'll take that tower down by the farms then." He smirked, one arm slipping into his pants pocket, the other slinging a dummy pack of goods over his shoulder. A glance is spared towards Lezard and 'Janine'. "Try not to screw up too hard, yeah?" An invisible BONK knocks him upside the head right about then however. "Ow!"

     And Fragarach's voice echoes out. "The only one who needs to worry about screwing up is you. Now move." A sigh escaped the black clad youth, and he rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah. I'm goin' I'm goin'." And with a casual saunter, Raine put on a professional smile and mae his way down in the direction of the first emplacement."

     This would go well, of course.
Guest Madeline     Approaching the garrison isn't hard. Getting into it is. The group that is nearing looks... pretty weird, especially with Anne's hat! Said hat is a pretty conspicuous one! They don't look hostile, though.

    "Excuse me," one of the younger officers says, stepping forward. "Can we help you? If you're lost, you can pick up a guide over at the inn." He helpfully points out the nearest inn.
Guest Madeline     Madeline considers Yari's idea, while at the same time commenting, "She's still new, Shin. I think she isn't used to teasing like that. Hm. All right, I think we can do that. It's a little more obvious than I'd like, but not too difficult."

    As she's dressed like the locals, Madeline just adjusts her dress - wasn't she wearing something more complicated before? - and walks right up to the gate. "Ah, sorry we're late! As requested by Danson I've only brought my aide and one bodyguard. We're very grateful for this, by the way. The opportunities that the Multiverse presents are almost overwhelming! I can't believe I've had such luck." She smiles. "But then, a family such as mine would. Could you step aside? I don't recall your name... I'm very sorry. You'd think after being here for so long I'd know it."

    There is, of course, Essence behind it. Which is why the befuddled guard says, "Uh... certainly, miss. It's good to see you again." The trio can walk right in... but Madeline narrows her eyes when another guard, on their approach, calls out, "Ah, Lord Danson is awaiting you inside!" Hm.
Guest Madeline     Raine's approach to the fortified tower is uh... well it's a fortified tower. There are soldiers on duty to guard it, though they don't look particularly alert. Neither do they look particularly careless either, though! They're competent just... not really expecting anything to happen. Two are outside the main door, but there are doubtless many others inside.
Lezard Valeth Lezard breaks from Raine and 'Janine'. "I believe I will be fine." He says pleasantly to Raine, adjusting his glasses. He needs do nothing else, considering the way an invisible hand does the disciplining before he even says anything.

With a turn, he simply takes a few paces away, a magical circle manifesting below him as he channels his teleportation magic...

And if anyone is atop the mountain emplacement, they may find a surprise when that circle appears there, and Lezard fades into existence, neatly bypassing the chokepoint. "Hmm." He says, looking around to take stock of the local situation before determining the best move.
Guest Madeline     Starless will have to wait a few minutes to find anyone alone, and once she does it takes a few more minutes to engage the Butterfly Dream. A quick chat inside the head of the confused soldier reveals that they're chronically late anyway, so this should be easy. They also seem pretty frantic in general, but are a junior guard. More competent soldiers will be inside, and armed with guns.
Guest Madeline     Lezard appears in a flash! Unfortunately he's put in the worst situation from the get go, because there are FIVE guards fairly spread out, and all are armed! On the upside, they're pretty startled to see someone teleport in, and three of them are stumbling around and swallowing their dinner. "Buh, what?" "Who?" "INTRUDER!"

    Two are actually alert! One of them draws their blade and stumbles to his feet, though is wary enough to not immediately charge. The other, a woman, whips up a rifle into position and fires a shot without thinking.

    Fortunately, this place is so isolated that it's not like there's much to alert.
Yari Takane The ninja gives a quick 'nnn' and a flick of her tail as Madeline agrees, falling to her other side from Shin. She's a step behind like a proper servant, a fan flicked out and gently covering her mouth. Yari walks in a slow, demure fashion, making sure to look every bit an eastern lady.

She keeps her eyes open, though, and manages to hide her expression with said fan when they're being waited for. That doesn't bode well. She pipes up over the radio. Her eyes keep on that guard. She peers about for any more guards. Or more importantly, anyone looking like they're going to detain the group.
Shin Tokuyama     Shin's mostly relaxed. Enough so that he's got the time to take his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and play some games on it. Specifically Neko Atsume, but that's neither here nor there. It makes him look official and busy, since the sound is off, so he's just looking at the screen in deep concentration like a bodyguard that's coordinating with other people.

    When Madeline gets them past the guards, Shin just remarks with, "Impressive. Don't ever use that on me or I'll pop you in the eye," Quietly, teasing her a bit about her powers.
Lin "The joke's in poor taste." Lin grinds her teeth at Shin, patience pushed to the limit. Why does every interaction with him end up with her infuriated and interested at the same time?!

    Oh well.

    Sanary, Lin briefly glances over. No recognition. Anne, well, the sour look Anne gets is clear enough. Oooooh is Lin wary of her.

    "I'll warn you from the start I don't do subtle very well..."

    But she's still mostly smiling when she walks up towards the garrison and is faced with an officer... roughly her age? Hmmm.

    "Oh, no, not lost! Exactly where I want to be. Just came here to see the results of everyone's training. It's a surprise drilling day!"

    Well, there's nothing hostile about her declaration, just plenty of enthusiasm.

    All she has to do is keep these people BUSY, theoretically speaking.

    ... So she isn't exactly LYING about being here to test their skills...
Raine Arland Raine smiles a merchant's smile. One pleasant and welcoming as he approaches. "Good day, sirs!" He greets, a hand raised as he steps up. "Excuse my intrusion, but I happen to be passing by this way and thought that maybe some of the soldiers of this tower would be interested purchasing some of my wares?"

     He indicated the stuffed sack on his shoulders. "I'm got pastries from other countries, just waiting to be eaten." While Raine jovially spoke to the guards at the front, trying to keep their attention. Fragarach meanwhile goes corporeal attempting to float around their field of vision before taking a stab at simply...

     ...ghosting right through the tower wall. Not whole at first. Just a poking in of the head to see what's actually inside. Gotta look before you leap, after all.
Sanary Rondel The first obstacle: A young officer! One that actually sounds rather helpful, even. Sanary glances at Anne and Karal once before adjusting her shades, then steps right up to the officer with the brightest smile she can manage on her face.

     Never mind the shades or the hat or the cape that's billowing a little too much compared to the actual wind in the area. (She may be cheating a little). "Hi! We're actually here to watch the... Training, yep! So..."

     Sanary's not quite sure where to go from there. She glances over at Karal and Anne again before sighing once, then leaning in closer. Possibly even a little too close and, if the officer lets her, even putting her free arm around his shoulder.

     "Look. She's been really excited about this trip for a while, and..." She lowers her voice, giving Karal a thumbs up before going back to the officer. "I mean, I think it's be a waste of time, but she's not gonna pipe down until we get it over with. So... Do us a favor, hmm?"
Lezard Valeth The swordsman isn't much of a problem, by Lezard's estimation. If they were skilled, perhaps...

The gun is a bit more inconvenient. The bullet cracks into a thin barrier a short distance from him, skidding across it with some sparks as his protective shielding becomes visible for several seconds. "Well then. If that is how you wish to greet a guest..." Lezard states... And then with a haze of blackness, he pulls the Manus Catalyst from its resting place, stretching it forwards. "You won't be needing those, will you?" He asks...

And then moments later, abyssal black holes stretch open, yawning into an impossible depth as skeletal hands reach up, clutching for legs and pulling soldiers down to the ground in an attempt to trip them... Where more hands will emerge to hold them there.

He sighs. "This is so /clumsy/. I should just kill the lot of you. Be thankful your new Mistress prefers you remain happy and healthy. I would have replaced you with more /dependable/ workers."
Anne Blakely     Anne tips her hat to the officer, putting on a beaming smile as if she weren't just taunting Karal. "I have a thought! Why don't you have a little spar? Our little friend here is pretty excited to encounter new people, isn't she? Your best versus our friend here. Wouldn't you like that, Rei Lin?"

    She might be genuinely thinking Rei Lin would be interested in that.
Guest Madeline     Raine's approach is met with mild suspicion... but only mild. "I'm sorry," says one finally. "We aren't allowed to eat on duty, or shop like that. If you want to sell us something you'll have to go through the quartermaster, and he won't be back for-"

    "Hey," the other soldier interrupts. "It couldn't hurt to take a look, right?"

    Meanwhile, ghosting through the wall is... surprisingly difficult, though still possible. Looks like there are trace elements of magic in these stones. It's been rebuilt many times, though... the First Age construction might have been proof against this, but the modern construction doesn't really worry about intangible foes so much. Fragarach can peer in, and will see six more soldiers inside. Two guarding, two resting, and two playing cards.
Guest Madeline     The officer rubs his head. "I can't just have people randomly challenging us. Someone could get hurt." At least he's actually... dutiful! This is doing the job of distracting him, though. That's something the older officer is taking note about. He's wandering over, looking the group up and down.

    "What's this, then? This isn't a tourist spot. Get moving."
Guest Madeline     The barrier makes the woman balk, and that's enough of a delay for the suddenly reaching skeletal hands to grasp at all of them, bearing them down with yells and gasps of shock! Most look terrified, but one actually has a clue. "NECROMANCY!"

    Fortunately necromancy isn't inherently seen as evil, but people are pretty terrified of it anyway. So the one who called that out actually pays more attention. "Who are you? Mistress? We serve Lord Danson!"
Guest Madeline     Madeline glances at Shin. "It's not so effective against some people. While useful when it works, if I failed on you it would just piss you off. Besides, it's not something to rely upon all the time. I prefer more natural loyalty than that which is compelled. If people cannot recognize me naturally, then I am not doing my job properly, am I?"

    But now there is that concern. "Yes... this is a little suspicious. I suppose we have no real choice but to meet with him though." Madeline sighs, glancing at Yari. "If you have any tricks up your sleeve, use them now, before we go in." She then pushes open the door and steps inside, into the grand hall of the manse.

    The booming voice calls out, "Welcome, interlopers! I had wondered if the Radiant Empire would pay us a visit. You can tell the Empress we want nothing to do with them!" Unfortunately, the voice appears to come from a very large, ornate Warstrider kneeling in the Grand Hall.

    Madeline sighs.
Raine Arland      Raine's smile endures as he nods. Thank god for guards who bend the rules, huh? "Alright, just a moment then!" He set his pack down, kneeling as he opened up the flap to reveal the contents. ...There were a lot of individually wrapped goods. In plastic and in small boxes. They didn't look like they came from a convenience store though. Small pies, cookies, cakes, jame and cream filled breads. Raine waved his arm. "Come on, have a look! It's all very cheap too, I promise you that!"

     Fragarach meanwhile frowned as the tower walls actually resisted her. It wasn't impossible, but it would take more effort than initially planned. Ah, she hated it when people planned for this. Oh well nothing to do but go all in. "Hmmmmg...." With a grunt of effort, the floating girl pushed through, straining with effort, until with one final slip, she spun through the air, slowly coming to a float smack dab in the center of the room.

     Whoops.
Yari Takane Welp, there goes subtlety. The ninja draws in her magic, and then makes an absurdly long series of handseals. For a second, there's a flash of what might be moonlight around her, and then it all fades away. To those magically sensitive, she suddenly seems a lot stronger.

In three spots, hidden behind the columns and clinging to the ceiling high above the warstrider, Yari's body doubles appear. A synchronized set of handseals, even as the ninja beside Shin and Madeline follows them in. No actions from Yari #1 yet.

The three ninja above, though? They attempt to lay an illusion on the man currently booming through the the Warstrider. If it works, he'll suddenly see an indication that the Warstrider's weapons have suffered a massive failure. Utterly untrue, but the ninja needs a distraction. The illusion is a powerful one, with three of her selves working together.
Starless Night     Hmm. How to do this? Starless dusts herself off, takes a breath, and then dashes around the corner. Huffing loudly, she - or he? - sputters lightly, "Sorry, sorry I'm late again sir! I'll get right to my station!"

    With any luck, Starless will be able to just rush in and... toss down a smokebomb. Webbing will spray out from her wrists, trying to immobilize anyone with weapons first, and silence them after.
Shin Tokuyama     "Oh, hold on. I know how to handle this!" Shin says to Madeline, clapping her on the back cheerily and stepping forward. While Yari sets up her illusions and spells, Shin's going to opt to try a different strategy. It's less ninja-y.

    "What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little bitch? Ill have you know I graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals, and Ive been involved in numerous secret raids on Al-Quaeda, and I have over 300 confirmed kills. I am trained in gorilla warfare and Im the top sniper in the entire US armed forces. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will wipe you the fuck out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this Earth, mark my fucking words. You think you can get away with saying that shit to me over the Internet? Think again, fucker. As we speak I am contacting my secret network of spies across the USA and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm, maggot. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your life. Youre fucking dead, kid. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill you in over seven hundred ways, and thats just with my bare hands. Not only am I extensively trained in unarmed combat, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the United States Marine Corps and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ass off the face of the continent, you little shit. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little clever comment was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldnt, you didnt, and now youre paying the price, you goddamn idiot. I will shit fury all over you and you will drown in it. Youre fucking dead, kiddo."

    Shin holds his arms out to the side, "GET OUT OF THE MECH AND FIGHT ME IRL, PUSSY!"
Lezard Valeth "There's going to be a change in ownership shortly." Lezard says simply, sitting down on a chair and relaxing idly. Being terrified of Necromancy is simply good sense, actually. Most people with common sense want nothing to do with death. It takes a certain kind of person to want to personally engage in the powers of the Dead. Or a madman. You can guess which one Lezard is. "I am Lezard Valeth, the Necromancer of Midgard." he says simply. "As to your new Mistress, I am sure she will introduce herself once she has rendered this location under her full control. She is most generous and gracious, compared to myself. Today, you are quite fortunate." He sighs, relaxing as several skeletons pull themselves out of the abyssal holes, clad in rotting and moldering nordic-style armor, clutching rusty axes. Without a word, he sends them to patrol the area to make sure no one's been missed in the commotion.
Anne Blakely     Anne's annoyance shows clearly as she watches the older officer interfere. Rather than just ignore him, though, she decides to try something else. The various younger soldiers training on the training dummies will find that the next time they strike... the dummies strike back. It's not brutal or harsh, just a quick 'thwak' back at them, then going still... but it happens every time they're attacked.

    Anne tips her hat at the officer, "Very sorry, but she's too enthusiastic. You know how some girls are. Are you sure you won't think again? Everyone might learn something."
Sanary Rondel Sanary lets out another sigh as she watches the senior officer coming by, lifting her free hand in a lazy salute. "Hey. Uh. Maybe you can help us out." She looks over at the younger officer and Karal for a moment, then lets out a more exaggerated sigh before approaching the newer officer next.

     And going to reach her arm around his shoulders this time. "You seem like a reasonable person, so..." More meaningful glances at Anne and Karal, and the she lowers her voice. "See that one over there? Er." She gestures at Karal, also conveniently trying to get him to not face the training dummies! "Her. She's a little excitable. Won't take no for an answer, and... Well. You look strong enough to get her to settle down some. Do this for us, and we'll get outta your hair, huh?"

     And then she flashes him that... Not necessarily disarming smile, but it's certainly a broad one. "Because nobody wants to see her when she's pissed. It's... Messy." It's not a lie, technically!
Lin Karal Rei Lin's got her own ideas of things to say, but... Anne and Sanary take to the task with far more flare than she would've been able to muster up. Well.... ELOQUENCE, yes. Flair....

    That remains to be seen.

    Which is why she does her absolute best to give the older officer the BIGGEST, WIDEST, MOST EAGER and.... y'know, that grin's so darned enthusiastic as to maybe come off as a little bit UNHINGED.

    Just enough to lend credence to the two's story.
Guest Madeline     Fragarach is... spotted! At first, the two playing cards just stare... then they dive for their weapons, chairs tumbling over. The two guards on duty make the standard cry of "INTRUDER!" and draw their weapons... or rather ready them, since they're spears. Lowering them toward Fragarach, they at least have the sense to not attack instantly. "Who are you and what do you want?"

    Unfortunately, one of the card-players is dashing toward the stairs upward, probably toward a signal of some kind.

    Outside, things are going a little better, as the two soldiers are wrapped up in eying Raine's wares. "Well it looks pretty good to me..." one admits, tempted now.
Guest Madeline     Restrained as they are, the guards look confused... all but one of them, the one who had called it Necromancy. "... it's the Empress, isn't it? There were rumors." Unfortunately, Madeline has perhaps been TOO patient with securing her lands, and she's started to get a reputation. This might not be the best thing for her, if it's warning others. Oops. One of them tenses up, "I heard she murders people to eat their ghosts."

    This is not true, but not everything said about Madeline is fair.

    Starless ends up in a room with four others, who are immediately coughing and choking, trying to sound the alarm. This is difficult when webbing shoots out at all of them, pinning them to walls and furniture. Only one has a chance to draw a blade, lunging at the last place Starless was. This is... probably not even going to come close to hitting, but it's a danger of triggering the alarm.
Guest Madeline     Madeline doesn't look worried. Truth be told, she... could probably take this Warstrider on foot, though it'd be a difficult battle. Much better with allies, or without the need to fight at all. She smirks lightly, but lets the others handle it. For now.

    The illusion does work, mostly because it's not something that Danson is expecting. Many Exalts are very resistant to such things, but it's not guaranteed. Thus Danson decides to save face and not admit the malfunction by opening the hatch and climbing out, the wavy-haired man sporting blue hair and eyes. He cracks his knuckles, falling into a stance then. "All right. Then I will take you by hand."

    This means he's pretty clearly outmatched, as fighting Shin IN the Warstrider would be a fair battle.
Raine Arland      Raine grins. "Doesn't it? Tell you what; for first timers, for every two that you buy, you get one free. That goes for the both of you! What do you say?" He looks up at both guards, gesturing vaguely with a hand. "It's a deal that can't be beat! And trust me, the apple pie is to die for." Pause. "...Not literally. That's bad."

     Fragarach meanwhile finds herself in hot water!

     But then, she doesn't seem to be particularly worried. She floats there in the air, fixing her dress with her arms and the tip of her tail, before finally regarding the scrambling guards. "Hmm...non-lethal..." That meant she couldn't send the whole tower going up in flames.

     "Very well." She smiles and regards the guard who spoke to her. "...I am no one important. However, this isand is coming under new management as of today." At that, a current of wind kicked up around her. It was slow and weak at first, but rapidly grew stronger and stronger each passing moment. "Now...I would have you all sleep for me."

     The tailed girl narrowed her eyes and spoke the spell's name.

     "Wind of Slumber."

     Immediately, a glimmering dust began to flow through the strong winds, permeating throughout the immediate area, as well as funneling up the stairs and attempting to catch anyone else that may have been above. Just breathing it in would induce sleep in mere moments.

     Hopefully no one thought to cover their mouths, hm?
Guest Madeline     The officer snorts, crossing his arms... but then the trainees start yelling out and grimacing in pain. The older officer glances that way, frowns, then looks at Karal's grin. "If you're that enthused, you might actuall know something."

    Maybe.

    He yells out to the trainee, "YOU! Get over here. Show me what you can do against a real opponent!" He gestures to Rei Lin, then steps back. "All right then, show us what you can do." The youth is paling, but the distraction is working. They're gathering around the small group to watch.
Yari Takane Yari #1 slooowly turns to Shin. There is a massive freaking mecha. But Shina has her utterly /confused/. Stare. Staaaare. Tilted head.

"...I hate to say this, Sir, but you may need to work on those anger issues, with all due respect." There's a note of absolute concern in her voice.

Still, with Danson crawling out? That means they're in luck. Once he's out of the thing, Yari lets up with the illusion. Instead, she walks to one side, oddly not seeming about to fight Danson.

"You're very honorable. I won't interfere then." Standing to the side and in between, Yari raises her hand. What is she doing!?

"Shin versus Danson! HAJIME!" Is Yari playing a referee!?

Ninjas, are in fact, /jerks/. One of the Yari's up above runs down a column silently, hidden from view, only to crouch down and shadow from one column to another. She'll let the 'duel between Shin and Danson go on for a few strikes! And then, (provided Shin doesn't instantly knock him out!) the hidden Yari will flick a pair of needles from the shadows of the column at Danson's neck. Poisoned, of course, with paralysis venoms to numb the arms and legs, as well as tighten the vocal chords. Just in case of that Exalt social skills.
Shin Tokuyama     "Perfect. I won't use any of my other styles, I'll fight you just using my core style today," Shin comments, unbuttoning his jacket and taking it off. he hands it to Madeline and then loosens his tie and hands her that too.

    "Just so you know, you face Shin Tokuyama. Only student and successor to the Geiha Genkou-Ryu school of martial arts," Shin begins rolling up his sleeves to the elbow and undoes a couple buttons on his dress shirt, "I trained on a goddamn mountain. You're pretty fucked, pal."

    He dashes in towards Danson and, in a rare glimpse of Shin fighting seriously, it's pretty impressive. His speed is above average and he has a lot of power behind his blows, each one swung with ki behind it and exploding with force. His is a style meant to crush defenses at its core tenants.

    While Shin normally hates fighting dirty, this is Madeline's gig and not his, so Shin'll let Yari throw her needles and he'll lose a somewhat entertaining fight for it, perhaps.

    Almost as soon as the first needles hit, he'll switch from the body-blows he was throwing to try to stagger his opponent and go for a powerful spinning backhand-fist to the man's jawline, trying to lay him out cleanly.
Guest Madeline     While the soldiers ponder Raine's offer seriously, looking at one another, there's more going on inside. Not attacking right away was a mistake, because the cloud that fills the room causes coughing and surprised gasps... which just inhale more of it.

    Six bodies hit the floor, snoring peacefully.

    "We still aren't allowed to buy anything right now," one soldier says. "But if you can wait about... thirty minutes, I'll take six."
Starless Night     The man lunges for Starless, and she reacts instantly. Twisting around, her blade comes up - sheathed - to do a quick strike at the side of the head. It might kill him. Will certainly rattle their head and give them a concussion, too. It's hard for her to NOT kill someone, and it irks her that she was given this order.

    Sigh. Well, she can bar the door now and settle in, at least.
Lezard Valeth "Nonsense." Lezard replies. "She doesn't eat ghosts." There's a pause. "Or rather, if she does, I haven't seen the signs of it. You see, the nature of consuming the soul of another being is a tricky affair and one that shouldn't be done casually." He chuckles. "After all... You are what you eat, as they say..." He practially ignores the others, focusing on the one who actually seems to know what they're doing. "You there. You actually seem to have some brains in your head. Congratulations, you have correctly guessed it. The Empress is in the process of annexing these lands as we speak. Don't worry... It will be a /mostly/ peaceful and pleasant turnover." A pause. "Except for the man in charge. I believe he's being a little too stubborn for the Empress' liking." He looks over and watches the guard carefully. "You wouldn't want to be... stubborn about this, would you?" He says, idly.
Guest Madeline     As expected, while amazing, the Dragonblooded is far too inexperienced with being outside of his Warstrider. He might be hot shit against normal on foot soldiers, but against Shin he's at a disadvantage. Immediately, Danson lets out a cry of pain, his defense getting bypassed and one strike in particular staggering him. He makes a good effort, and one swift kick even comes close to hitting, but-

    Madeline doesn't actually approve of the sabotage, but it isn't important enough for her to make a fuss about. As Danson staggers and then goes down, she sighs. "That wasn't necessary, but it is much more efficient this way." She grabs hold of him and starts hauling him toward the inner rooms of the manse. "I'm considering letting him keep his position, only under me instead of the previous boss. We'll see how willing and competent he is. Thank you for your assistance, you two... I'm glad we could do this bloodlessly. In a few weeks, you'll see why I'm doing this. I think you'll approve."
Raine Arland      Fragarach confirms the bodies sleeping state, and then casually floats on upwards, to check the upper floors. She conjured up smaller scale sleep clouds, prepared just in case...

     Raine meanwhile sighed dramatically. "Thirty minutes? You're killing me here!" He sighed and stood up. "But you know what? You guys have been good sports, so I'll give you these." He took out two small boxed pies, handing one to each guard. "It's on the house! Just remember to buy something next time, you hear?" Grinning jovially, he gave them a two fingered salute, and then closed up his pack and wandered off. "Another time!"

     Fragarach should be finished right about now. He'll just go back to the ship and wait on the others. Yep.
Yari Takane Yari offers the pair a bow. She looks almost half apologetic.

"Oh? I won't interfere next time then. Honestly, I was expecting more out of a Terrestrial." She motions to Danson.

Then she turns to Shin. "No insult intended, Mister Shin. Nnn. You're very skilled. I'd like to see more of your techniques some time, if you'd allow it, some time."

She perks up, however, amidst retrieving her needles from the man before letting him be dragged off.

"Admittedly, you have my interested. Mystery can be a good thing. If this is just the start, then I think we won't be bored. I want to see what this strange world has to offer."
Lin "Perfect!" Karal Rei Lin's not the most CUNNING of Exalted. Nor does she have a silver tongue. A great strategist she is not either, but... she knows an opportunity and a good setup when she can see one!

    The trainees and the officer are all laid out before her, with one man in the center. "Do I know a few things? You're about to see." The trainee's worried look's met with a fearless GRIN of hers, one hand dipping to her blade as she takes a stance. The sword-wielder's stance she takes may or may not be terribly familiar around these parts. Body bowed forward, one hand holding her weapon's scabbard and the other hovering near the grip, open palmed... and ready to grab at a moment's notice.

    This... this might be a worrying sign.

    "Let's start then... Single Point Shining Into the Void Style..."

    Oh dear.

    A terrible, ferocious WIND whips through the training grounds. the kind of winds that only form when something displaces air so fast as to leave a near-vacuum in its wake. The gale's loud but brief, accompanied by a nearly-instantaneous flash of steel through the air. Lin's GONE, flat-out GONE. People watching may have seen, at best, a blur - unless they were particularly keen-eyed.

    Because it turns out she's BEHIND the group of trainees and officers, who had conveniently all lined up in range of...

    "Countless Strikes Sheathed!" *CLICK* The technique's announcement's timed perfectly with her sliding the blunt blade back into its scabbard, her back turned to the whole group of soldiers.

    Cue lots, and lots of toppling over and groaning, where people haven't been just rendered plain UNCONSCIOUS.

    Although her blade is blunt, the sheer force is still enough to have cracked ribs and left horrible welts and even SOME bleeding gashes. Nothing fatal or that won't heal, maybe with minor treatment, but...

    Nobody's cut in half!
Guest Madeline     Well that's... quite a sight. Unfortunately, all the soldiers are simple mortals, and not exactly the elite squad either. In an instant, everyone is collapsing, and the few people near enough to witness it immediately start murmuring and pointing in shock.

    Fortunately, they're groaning and rolling over here and there, and without further aggression, people don't so much panic as wisely dash into the nearest buildings and clear the street. It looks like the garrison won't be coming to rescue the anti air emplacements. This gives the troops Madeline brought plenty of time to file in and secure positions against rebellion.
Sanary Rondel Sanary laughs broadly as the officer finally gives in, and she moves over to take a seat by... Somewhere. Well, it's more like she's leaning against a wall, but her cape is swishing dramatically and could be hiding a chair under there!

     That's an idea she'll have to revisit later. For now, however, she sticks to watching Karal get to work with the trainee. Or... Trainees, rather, as the Exalt takes out way more than she was even expecting with that wild gale of wind.

     It's a pretty good observation opportunity for the healer as well. "Not bad. Not bad at all~ Aah... That all of 'em?" She glances around to make sure there's no stragglers about, but she's looking rather pleased by the results.
Guest Madeline     The 'smart' one quiets for a bit to consider that, while his partner shakes head at the question. Smart enough to listen to the one who knows better, at least!

    "We've heard a lot, but it's hard to tell what's fiction and fact," he finally admits. "I suppose I don't have much choice but to hope you're right."