Scene #5763: Meeting with the Basileus-1

Owner	Pose
Dapper Avenger	The warpgate leads out to a grassy hill, wet underfoot from the morning rain. The hill itself is actually the pillar of what appears to have been a freeway, long collapsed and overgrown. It's late afternoon turning evening, and as the group arrives from the warpgate, a retinue of soldiers in armor and spear stand waiting, including a man who introduces himself to anyone new (and can be recognized as their guide last time) as Aetius, who tells the group he'll lead them there. The walk towards the fortress is a long one, and allows some time to take in the sights. The dead have been moved from the field and their weapons taken, allowing a view of the grassy battlefield unbroken besides for the military tents, and a single tent out of place not far from the fortress, being watched warily by a group of soldiers. A large beast stands outside it, made of stone and steel, the steed of the knight who had joined at the tail-end of the battle chasing a monster. The fortress itself could only have been once a skyscraper, split in half and turned on its side. It's surrounded by various destroyed buildings, turned into an encampment, with barred windows and sharp fences. Some of the fortress seems to have been replaced with wood, but old rusted steel is still spotted in rare places. Soldiers wait outside with their spears, and the doors - clearly rustic compared to the rest, wood and steel - are opened for the group. The interior is a vast difference. Concrete floors have been hastily laid out with fantastic carpeting, and the smell of food is clear - a dining room nearby seems to be preparing a large meal. Soldiers patrol the halls, and others train or prepare their weapons in the various rooms. At the very end of this hallway, though, is a grand room that seems to be a meeting room of sorts. It's torchlit, and there's ample standing room. A retainer is talking to a person sitting in a grand throne much larger than could fit almost anyone here, and the person sitting in it is absolutely tiny. The boy would be recognized by those who met him as Alexander, wearing his ancient vest. He's small, but after some examination, it's because of age, not height - he clearly can't be older than 15. His long red hair has been put into a ponytail, and he's ushering his adviser away as the Elites arrive, another bringing in a coffer full of jewels and crystals radiating magical energy. "Ah, the heroes! I'm pleased that you made it safely. You may call me Alexander, Alexander the Third, Alexander the Great, Basileus, or any other title you wish. You have earned as much for your aid." He smiles brightly, a hand waving towards the coffer. "Your payment lies here. I will answer any questions you may seek to the best of my ability, and also have a matter I'd like to discuss with you. Afterwards, there will be a fine feast prepared, fit for kings! You are my honored guests, and I would like you to feel welcome in my fortress, which would have been difficult to take if not for your aid." Alexander waits expectantly for introductions and questions, lounging back in his massive throne.
Hector	"Alexander. I'm back, I'm back... I hope you didn't miss us too much." Hector's not one to judge those that would fight solely for payment, especially considering that he had gotten into this fight only for the promise of being able to secure a mana source (however temporary). The mention of their payment has him perking up slightly, raising an eyebrow to look towards the coffer of magical items. Jackpot. "Where'd you get all these? This amount of items must've taken a while to gather up." He pauses while picking up a crystal, inspecting it for a moment and resisting the urge to just use it right away before turning back to the redheaded strategist. "Are these spoils from the battle? I've heard good things about the cuisine here, so it'd be interesting to know." He gathers up the crystals into a small pile, then pauses again before turning back to the rest of the group. "... Is anyone else taking some of these?"
Lin	Lin doesn't seem to mind the soggy grasslands one bit. The redhead in eastern attire strolls across them and through the fortress. The dilapidated, re-purposed nature of the ruins into this fortress isn't lost on her now that she has a chance to get a better look at it though. That in itself isn't worth much comment from her though. It wouldn't be the first time that a lesser civilization has settled in the hollowed out bones of a great one. What makes it worth briging up is... "... Some of these materials, don't recognize them..." Especially the concrete. She's encountered it before, but never when she had time to study it! But today is feast day it seems! "OooOOOOOAH! Something smells delicious---" Upon catching whiff of it she hurries through the halls towards the meeting room, only remembering her manners at the absolute last moment of barreling through the door to see what awaits-- "Aha! The young conquerer!" She's quite impressed with the youth, if the massive grin she sprouts upon spotting him is any indication. AFter all, he's gutsy enough to go up against the opponents of last time and not quiver in fear. The grin's subdued into a more business-like smile as her gaze follows his gesture towards the coffer. She simply nods to that. Money doesn't interest her terribly, but it has its uses! "Th-thank you, Alexander. Can't remember how long it's been since I've been involved in straightforward mercenary work! Always some kind of freaky crisis attached to things..." Not quite a complaint, but simple is good, right?! "They put up quite a fight, but I'm surprised they retreated from such a defensible position without an even greater one. They could've fought tooth and nail... or at least just the nails. It was over so fast, something about the conflict feels off." She peers straight at Alexander, right in the eyes, as if hoping the young warlord has his own analysis of the military situation.
Asterios	Perhaps it's the city planner in him (quite literally, another identity which until recently was living independently in a place called Emblem City), but there's something about the grassy ruins that are just... unnverving. The minotaur is no stranger to natural landscapes, and in fact in many ways prefers them to the artificial facades of concrete, glass and steel which comprise most metropolitan regions. But to see a city waylayed, its infrastructure and mighty towers shattered and toppled like dominos, reclaimed by nature in a manner suggesting the utter disappearance and abandonment of man is... disturbing in a way Asterios did not realize he could be disturbed. And yet it is here that the so-called Basileus makes his current home. The minotaur arrives not in the spike-studded iron plate and crimson cloth that he wore previously, but in... A military uniform. Crisp, well pressed, and meticulously cared for in a way that this part of the world has probably not seen in a very, very long time. The air is filled with the scent of a promised feast. Asterios takes it in for a moment before turning his face to the young man in the throne. "Spoils of war...?" Asterios frowns, shaking his head. "Mmn. Maybe for later. The Concord is more interested in diplomatic contact. But. Aa, I am... curious." The minotaur briefly taps the carpeted, concrete floor with his boot. "...Do you know... what happened to this place to make it... like this? Not the fortress, but... everything. The ruins."
Batou	Batou heard about the fortress with a great warrior, and payment, plus a JOB on his own, so he doesn't mind crashing in for a bit. The soldiers wanting his weaponry puts him in a bit of a sour mood, but he gives his sidearm anyway. Considering that Tachikoma, his spider-tank "assistant" is technically a weapon, he decided to have it stay behind, not deeming it necessary. He was a match by himself anyway. Arriving with the rest of the group into the camp, Batou begins to idly scan around, his thermal vision seeing clearly the heat sources for the great feast being prepared. He enters the tent with the young Alexander the Great, and greets the boy. "Hey, the name's Batou. Thanks for the invite to your fortress." He nods to the rest that are here, and answers Hectors question. "I'll take a couple, I might need to purchase some more weight equipment." He comes over and true to his word only takes two of the gems, before stepping back. It's obvious that Hector might find them more useful than Batou. "Alexander, what kind of assistance do you require of us? My tachikoma and I can help with certain situations that could be deemed important for the paladins."
Dapper Avenger	"Ah, I'll admit I wanted to meet you all again, as well as anyone new here." There's a gesture in Batou's direction, as Alexander relaxes back in his throne. He seems completely at ease, though it helps that he has a shortsword at his side, and by how nobody seems to be guarding him directly, just the rest of the fortress, is probably quite capable. The crystals, at examination, seem to have enough energy that all together, they'd last Hector a few months easily if he was conservative with his magical energy. Alexander nods, leaning over towards them. "They came from my treasury, besides some of the mundane treasures, which we looted from here. I've built up a decent stock over the last few centuries, but they're not the easiest to make, requiring dedicated willworkers with enough time and energy to make that level of mana storage. However, I have a Master, so they were mostly for in case of an emergency, or assisting someone like yourself if it came to be." Alexander hmms briefly at that. "You're not from this world, are you? So are there Servants on other worlds, then?" Lin's analysis brings Alexander to thought. He taps the throne briefly, staring her back in the eyes. "I believe there was a mixture to the situation. This fortress was important, but could be reclaimed with an assault from Darius's full forces if he was smart about it, and he likely believes himself so. His forces were outnumbered by you, an unknown force. And finally, I didn't bring my full retinue of troops. We fought once before in a grand clash of forces, and I believe that's what he seeks again, so anything less than that isn't worth losing his men to. Therefore, it was less costly to retreat and allow us to take the fortress." Batou is glanced at, being watched. As he moves to take a couple jewels, the aide seems like he's about to object, when Alexander just laughs heartily. "Ah, you sure are spirited to just treat yourself like that! Please, go ahead. We can consider it advance payment. But I must ask...what is a tachikoma? I've never heard of such a thing. As Asterios arrives, Alexander is still barely smaller tham him from atop the massive throne. It seems to be for someone Asterios' height, or more accurately, the height of the giant, Darius III. "Of course! Diplomatic ties are certainly up for offer, and I could use allies. I have heard about this Concord, and I must say, they sound quite impressive." At the question of the land around them, Alexander looks thoughtful, tapping his chin. "Ah, that's right, you all wouldn't know. This was a city centuries ago, from before the disaster we call the Great Upheaval. Much of the world's population was wiped out in a series of storms, diseases, and conflicts with monsters. At the same time, Heroic Spirits such as myself were summoned into the world. According to my teacher, the sheer amount of 'magic and mystery' in the world caused the barrier between ours and that of the gods to collapse, and magic and monsters returned fully to a world that had little of either. The population is much, much smaller than it was then, so this city has been left to rot, used for military reasons. Others have been rebuilt over the years."
Dapper Avenger	Alexander straightens up in his throne. "I hope that suffices. Now, about your quest. I have told the knight outside about this as well, but there's plenty of it to go around. Besides further conflict with the Gilded Empire and Darius, the Greek Union is seeking great heroes. Our lands have been plagued with a sudden insurgence of monsters, and while we can handle them individually, they keep coming at numbers without any precedent. Our lands need to be maintained with the Gilded Empire conflic to the east and the Champions of Providence causing issues to the north. I can provide maps to advise. Additionally, exploration into a strange and mystical cave system we only recently discovered would be helpful. I can provide more details on either or both, if you'd like." Alexander plays briefly with his braided ponytail, as he looks among the group. "Now, if you have any further questions, please, just ask!"
Hector	There will be time for Hector to eat later. For now, he pockets the remaining gems after Batou's had his pick, then turns his attention back to the conversation at hand. He can always take some leftover money later. "Good quality, I can tell. So that's the level of work put into these... Ah. Make sure you keep an eye on yours, then. It's such a hassle not having one, you know." Hector chuckles lightly and nods towards Alexander, holding up two fingers. "Yes, and yes. Being on other worlds with Servants is a little... Surreal. Like I'm fighting in a war that's not even mine, but... Eh. A little nostalgic, even." Brushing his nose lightly, Hector turns his attention to the rest of the party as well. "You think he'll bring out his own group of Servants now that he knows we're all here?" He glances towards Lin, Asterios, and Batou while considering them idly. "I doubt his forces have seen anything like what we've brought to the table already, but if he's already got monsters, then... Who knows? Maybe he'll even start recruiting his own tachik... Whatever, too." Batou's tech is still going to take some getting used to. "These Champions... Self-titled, or did they earn it? They might be a decent fight if it's the latter."
Batou	At hearing Alexander laugh about the crystals, he realizes that the crystals actually are more important for the people here, much like the previous run-in with Dapper Avenger. This magic is still very new to him, and so he's glad he didn't appear too greedy. Batou sends images of the gems to tachikoma, before pocketing them. "To answer your question, Alexander, tachikoma are a type of mobile weapon from my world that are intelligent. I have doubts that they would join in with your enemies, considering that they work for my team back home. They can assist in almost anything. Tell more about this cave, though. That does sound interesting as well."
Asterios	A disaster which brought magic and monsters back into the world, as well as heroic spirits to do battle with them? Asterios makes a contemplative noise as Alexander finishes with his story. The minotaur nods, seeming to accept the answer as it stands. What reason would the young conqueror have to lie about something like that? "The Greek Union?" Asterios asked, then. "Gilded Empire? Champions of Providence? Who are these? Darius rules the first, but what about the second...? Mmn, I think the Concord... needs to know these things. The situation. But..." "Aa, you said you are looking for heroes? Darius... said something about that, too. Are there... any monsters nearby being a problem in particular...?"
Lin	"That's a lot of appealing investigation leads!" Lin's delighted at the idea of so many conflicts and strange things to go peeking around in, it would seem Paying almost no attention to the undertones implied by this tale of what happened before... a mass dying. An apocalypse. It's a factoid to file away from later and not think about when she's faced with alluring ideas! "Sounds like my kind of situation. Any of these monsters happen to be the sort with body parts that'd make good weapons? Bones, horns, claws..."
Dapper Avenger	"My Master is quite capable! He's a skilled warrior all his own." Hector's mention of a war brings Alexander to tilt his head slightly, as he tries to consider what he means. "Isn't that just mercenary work? After all, this was a war that wasn't yours, and you fought in it." A small chuckle from the boy-king. "He likely will request reinforcements. The Gilded Empire has some fearsome Servants, and he'll be sure to pledge them against us." The mention of the monsters in tie to Darius causes Alexander to shrug. "While I won't brush away the possibility, I don't believe they're his doing. He hasn't declared a war against us and is likely more distracted by the Champions pressing in on the empire, and that sort of distractionary tactic doesn't seem like the type of thing he'd do." Speaking of the Champions, Alexander nods. "They've conquered much, so I would say them capable. They are the warriors of Christendom, led by a Servant known as Ruler. I have heard that he is capable of commanding Servants like a Master can, and his alliances with various heroes, such as Lancer of Romania or the Paladins of France, has given him and his forces quite the push they need." When asked about the other factions, Alexander raps his knuckles together. "The Greek Union is the union of the various Greek states, governed by the vote of the various leaders, each of whom rule a province. My teacher and I rule the province of Macedonia, and that leaves five other provinces, with Attica possessing two set of governors, Saber and the Council of Casters, due to being the most populous region." A pause to consider. "You should come by at some point. It's quite a lovely place, even with the monster problem." "The Gilded Empire, meanwhile, is not actually led by Darius. He's one of the governing lords underneath the Gilded Emperor, and governs this region. The Gilded Empire is massive and spreads quite far east. Their tactics are very skilled, and their magic is some of the greatest in all of the world. Their capital, for example, is a floating city high above the earth." "I see. So the tachikoma are familiars." Alexander replies to Batou, not realizing that he's talking about robots. About the goals, he considers. "The monsters are quite suitable for weapons and armor. The appendages of a chimera, the wings of a harpy, the fangs of a hydra if you were to dare fight one! They're all quite worthy." Alexander slouches back in the throne after a bit of sitting up. "The caverns were recently discovered, and we sent in an expeditionary team after discovering great magic. They never returned, and neither did the second we sent, with better arms. It's not far from a village, which we believe is losing people as well. Discovering what is happening to these people and what is inside the cave is most important!" "Overall, though, many monsters of all sorts are flocking towards the area. We haven't yet figured out why...except that they're trying to go underground. We've considered the connection to this cave, but they're traversing the entire region, so my teacher doesn't believe that's the entire situation." Alexander finishes. "Not to mention that we're sighting creatures such as dragons, though luckily, the one we have avoided any civilized areas." "Have I missed anything?" Alexander is trying to see if he's answered everyone's questions correctly. Repeated glances from him towards the kitchens show that he's probably pretty hungry.
Hector	"More or less. Nothing wrong with mercenary work, though. Just a minor curiousity." Hector chuckles lightly while listening to Alexander speak of the Gilded Empire further, looking a fair amount more interested when he brings up the likelihood of fighting other Servants. Monsters aren't bad, either, especially if they're causing trouble on the side. "So the monsters and the Champions are... Other threats to work again. Looks like you've got your hands pretty full, then. I guess it wouldn't hurt to stick around, take care of those things when I've got the time." He strokes his chin lightly, then glances over towards the kitchens to follow Alexander's glances. "... But whatever's in those caves can wait. Fighting on an empty stomach is just asking for disaster to strike."
Asterios	...Dragons? Asterios seems... Uncertain about something. Perhaps a memory was stirred up by that off-hand comment. Or maybe it's nothing at all...? "Hm, maybe you can tell us... Where that cave is. Over dinner." The minotaur shrugs, the young king does seem pretty hungry, and it wouldn't do to keep a host waiting, after all.
Batou	Batou listens, and chuckles to himself as he hears Alexander use the term "familiars". "You're close enough, I'd say." Seeing Alexander looking ready to leave, he laughs. "I remember hunger. I don't really feel that anymore, not after my cyberization, but I get ghost pains. I think I know which of these two problems I think I'd be best suited to help with. I'd like to assist the villagers and yourself with the cave. Tachikoma and I are well prepared for something like that."
Dapper Avenger	"Cyberization? I've never heard of that term. You'll have to explain it to me over dinner. I hope this tachikoma is as great as you suggest it is!" At this time, someone finally comes out to lead the group to the feast. Fish, pork, cheeses and breads and wines, it's quite the meal. There, Alexander will provide maps of the Greek region (showing that the borders are a mess and some places, if compared to a modern map, are actually either missing or /added/). Afterwards, he'll thank everyone for showing up and offer an address for future communications.