Final Fantasy: The Transcendent Throne [IC]

[Hazuki]

The sun sets on Ordur, calling for an end to the toil of its townsfolk. Where once they would have returned to their homes expecting the comforts of Coroheim and a full meal, they now trudge in the hopes that the foragers have returned with something good, or else that their Garlandyne occupiers will have new supplies delivered.

Relkana & Jack

It's been a long few weeks of keeping Ordur in control, what with the locals having been displeased by the last Captain to take charge of the town, and the mild friction between them and the cordial Markos. The soldiers have had a relatively easy time of seeing off those who would scavenge in the fields of Materia, but with only twenty of them, it's become something of a hassle to make sure enough are patrolling enough space to keep their borders clear.

The best spot to make sure of that is where The Giving Hand once stood, on a hill overlooking the Materia fields themselves. It also happens to be perhaps the most depressing spot in Ordut, with an excellent view of the blood-soaked fields, shattered remains of what was once an idol of hope, and the remains of bodies hidden among the crystals that shimmer in the amber sunlight.

The Captain has found that it's rather impossible to keep Jack doing anything without constant supervision, and given his ability to fool the other soldiers, she's had to keep close to him at all times just to make sure he does his job properly. The occasional awkwardness of long stretches of silence is punctuated, this evening, by the sound of two pairs of boots coming up behind them.

As they turn, they see two Garlandyne soldiers leading a large, hunched figure between the pair of them. It's difficult to make out the woman's figure (Although she's obviously half a foot taller than the soldiers), as she's clad in a heavy set of Coroheim robes that are covered in blood and dirt (Despite obvious attempts at cleaning them), but her face is clear enough. The familiar slightly tanned skin of Coroheim's natives, shortly-cut stark red hair on her head, and a slightly scarred face that seems set staring against the ground.

"Captain Vanstar. We discovered this woman during one of our patrols."

This is noteworthy because the garb of the Coroheim military have been forbidden since Garlandyne's occupancy, and that's what the woman is wearing.

~

Renne

Renne has spent a few days looking for food, and been unsuccessful at best - if it hadn't been for the plentiful roads of Coroheim, she would have almost certainly been lost. And the roads themselves haven't been as helpful as she might have hoped, what with most of their traffic being soldiers who weren't entirely willing to entertain the needs of a strange Tarutaru, but her charms did manage to score her a few rations and directions.

Now she stands in the relatively barren domain of Ordur, which is desolate in attitude if not in terrain, as its people drag themselves towards metallic buildings streaked with rain and dim glows lining the unpaved streets. It doesn't seem like anybody has any kind of food stall set up, but she finds herself in luck as she spots a group of Hum and Elvaan marching towards the chakram-like windmill that stands as the tallest building in town, with sacks of what seems to be fruit over their shoulders. At their head is a tall, wiry Hume with a small beard and arms like boughs of sturdy Saethyr oak.

~

Hiiro

After the Gold Chocobo incident, the disgruntled Garlandyne cavalryman who it belonged to pointed her (A more accurate term may be "chased her off") to Ordur, a town that promised plenty of wealth for an enterprising individual. Provided they had few qualms about stealing from the dead and/or the most powerful military force on Domum.

When she reaches the town's borders, she notices two things: One, the vast fields of budding Materia, and the remarkably grumpy folk that fill the town itself. None of whom seem like they'd be able to give her work worth the time. Until, she spots somebody standing on a hill near the fields of Materia - quite clearly a woman, clad in a flowing green cloak that covers her head and seems to have something of a vine pattern.

If her time as a Riskbreaker (And a Princess, really) has taught her, it's that there are two kinds of rich people: Those who know enough to stay rich, and everything going on in their domain, and those who happen to be rich, and are stupid enough to throw money at pretty much anything. And if anything's certain, it's that this woman has money - no miner has clothes that nice.

[Merilan]

Aegyl were not a particularly common sight out here in Coroheim, something that Hiiro'd felt a little self-conscious about... but there really wasn't much of a choice that she had. She tugged the leather jacket around herself tighter, and stared towards her wingspan and tried to tuck it in somewhat tightly.

. o O ( You're gonna stick out like a sore thumb anyway... )

When she stepped around and started inquiring about work, Ordur didn't feel like a particularly fruitful destination. In fact, she got into some arguments with the grumpy folk and stomped off with a roll of her eyes.

. o O ( That guy better not have been lying to me. Geez, the nerve! )

Deciding the townsfolk were pointless, the winged girl had to stop and admire the Materia fields for a moment -- she'd heard vague stories about the war and how they came to be, but nothing terribly concrete. Then the woman in the vine-patterned cloak caught her eye, at that time.

Shifting her attache-case by its strap, the Aegyl headed towards the woman at the cliff to peer at her for a moment.

"... Are you offering work?" Hiiro just rather abruptly raised the question.

[aturtledoesbite]

*gwoooooooooooorl*

It was difficult for the little Tarutaru to hear her own thoughts over the sound of her stomach. This was probably the hungriest she'd ever been in her life, not that she'd ever really kept track of that before now. None of the bards and troubadours ever mentioned this when reciting their poems of adventurers!...though she supposed that it likely wouldn't make for a good tale.

The town itself, though, was pretty dull; the city back home always seemed to be lively...for the scant few chances she got to see it. This town was far more visually interesting, though: the grass that didn't need an oasis to grow, the luminescent glow of the fields...was that materia? Natural deposits were pretty rare. She fingered her own piece of materia, a softly-glowing pale-green orb dangling off of an otherwise-unadorned amulet (in other words, a looped string).

...but materia didn't make for good food (well, she supposed, anyway). She looked around and saw the procession of villagers with sacks of food, immediately stopping her search. She hoped that they would be generous... Before she ran up to them, though, she should probably take a moment to straighten out her story.

Let's see...her name was Renne. She was a wandering adventurer, and most definitely not a princess. She was passing through, looking for work and food. ...That seemed to be enough, she thought. She hopped toward the front of the line on her stubby Tarutaru legs, trying to get the attention of the man in front.

"Excuse me, sir! My name is Renne. Is there any chance you could offer an adventurer such as myself some work or som--"

*gwoooooooooooorl*

"...o-or something to eat?"

[Skald]

Jack begins to entertain himself by throwing his dart into the ground, waiting for it to return, and repeating the process.
*Thk... thk... thk... thk... *
When the other soldiers bring the woman to Relkana, he's looks at at Relkana, *...thk* then at the robed woman, *...thk* and back to Relkana. *...thk*

What did she do? He asks curiously.
*...thk*

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
She looks over the detainee, as she stands resolute.
"...Private Travolta asks a good question for once. As for what she is wearing, that is old Coroheim military wear, from the war. Even donning this is illegal nowadays. This tells me that she is not worried about wearing it, along with her scars, Coroheim heritage, the fact that she was brought in, makes me deduce that she was intending to cause trouble, out of say leftover feelings from the war, people brave enough to wear that are probably brave enough to rebel outright, in for a copper in for a gil after all. Are my deductions incorrect? Please either you or her speak, I'd like to know the reason why she was brought to me."
This wouldn't be first brave or foolish soul brought to her to judge. She just hoped that she could find a way to let her off easy in some manner.
"Please. Be honest, and this will go smoothly."

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

The woman turns to glance at Hiiro, her eyes not betraying the kind of indignant response most non-Riskbreakers get when she speaks to them, and then back to the fields.

"Perhaps. Do you have any talents in the fields technological?"

~

Renne

The man in front stared at Renne outright, as she bounded up towards him and the townsfolk in his wake. "That's the question everyone's asking, Renne." He says, waving his followers through to the windmill proper, as its slowly-turning blade casts shadows over the group. "If you can bring food to Ordur, and you're willing to share, we'll share with you. That's the long and short of it." He pauses to put down his bag, then holds a hand out to the diminutive woman. "I'm Markos, by the way."

~

Relkana & Jack

"You try finding clothes for somebody my size." The held woman replies weakly, pulling her eyes up to meet Relkana's.

"The detainee was found near the battlefield." The soldier on the right answers. "She did not seem able to run away."

~

Zupon

Despite the inherent difficulties in securing an agreement with Garlandyne, considering the country's trio of parties with very different opinions, Zupon's compatriots in The Pringoal Company have at least managed to get him permission to observe the Materia fields. It's far from the most glamorous position, considering the current state of Ordur, and he's been provided with nothing more than a Garlandyne tent to keep him sheltered in the warm nights. Which is quite unusual, considering the comparatively chilling nights of The Kos Magisterium.

Despite the lean resources available, and his relative lack of expertise in matters magical, he's managed decently so far. The biggest obstacle to the Materia's growth is what caused it in the first place - the toppling of The Giving Hand could have disturbed the underground cave system, which would make any kind of widespread mining difficult through sheer weight alone. But, he'd need to go underground to make sure.

His current note-taking, at the end of a day of study, takes place on the hill where his tent resides, along with a Company-owned telescope for him to observe the fields (Because he's not allowed to visit them personally). On what would otherwise be a peaceful day (Aside from nearby Garlandyne boots, which are often marching by), he hears a rustling behind him and spots a young Hume girl - clad in slightly tattered clothes - trying to creep up behind him.

[Zwordsman]

Why me Kupo?Zupon pondered, while overlooking the hill and cleaning the telescope.

He wasn’t exactly a materia expert. Maybe the permissions came in last minute so they wanted to send whoever was available right then to do basics until a specialty group could be formed?
But still the nights were uncomfortable. They were too warm, Zupon wasn’t a particularly thick haired Moogle, but it was easier for him to deal with cold than warm. At least the tent kept most of the bugs out. He wasn’t looking forward to finding the Garlandyne leader and requesting permission to map out the tunnels and assess the damage. Yet, it would have to be done eventually-and he at least had enough skill for that. The more he learned the better his rating will be in the company.
“ku…po?” noting a rustling behind him. Zupon turned while dropping his clockworks, the gears and cogs aligning and forming a small miniature moogle which began waving at the tattered girl. “ ‘Ello Kupo. Are you alright?”
It was getting hard to tell if anyone was alright in this area, the lack of food, living places, work, clothing apparently. Zupon wasn’t sure if she was a theif, or a kid enamored over seeing her first moogle. Company training dictated the prepared route, Zupon deployed the small clockwork moogle, but did not take an offensive stance.

[Merilan]

Ughh, enough with the stares already, geez... Hiiro started to chew on her lip and put her hands tighter in her pocket, but then rather plainly said in turn, "I can passably fix machina and make simple ones. What do you need done?"

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana & Jack

"You try finding clothes for somebody my size." The held woman replies weakly, pulling her eyes up to meet Relkana's.

"The detainee was found near the battlefield." The soldier on the right answers. "She did not seem able to run away."


Relkana
She raises her eyebrow behind her helmeted visor at that response.
"Right. And I'm wearing this armor because it makes me feel like a pretty princess. Come on, is that honestly your story? You couldn't find anything at all to wear, so you just...grabbed something illegal? How did you end up nude in the first place if you were so desperate that you had to wear this? Sounds like an interesting story, want to tell it?

Though, if I may deduce some more things, found near the battlefield? Where the new, strange materia that nobody has any clue what it does or why its there? In old Coroheim military garb? Hm. I don't know. This is starting to sound like a Coroheim rebellion attempt to get some materia, perhaps figure out its use, maybe use it as a weapon against Garlandyne, endanger lives? Perhaps, put innocents in danger? Especially when you evaded the question with your little joke.

So. If this is how its going to be, well, there are two decisions you can make: you can either tell me honestly what you were doing there so I have a good idea of the situation so I know how to best protect the citizens of this town and the citizens of Garlandyne and I might be able to find some way of giving you a light sentence for your assistance. Or you can be silent and not tell me anything and I have to assume that you have a secret that is worth dying to protect. Which means I have to assume the worst and put this on high alert, and since you won't talk I'll have to figure out some other way of finding out what happened, and how I could prevent this potential threat, and since I'm working in the dark to protect the citizens, your allies if you have any might die in the process for the lack of any better options. I'd prefer it if that didn't happen.

If you talk, I don't have to make these assumptions and deductions which might mislead me. Which might hurt my ability to protect innocents, or allow me to make a mountain that might just be a molehill, you might just be some disgruntled citizen that isn't in any resistance groups and thought to do something foolish to get attention or something and I can just give you a months labor as punishment or something, but I can't assume that when you don't talk and the evidence is painting me a very dangerous picture that I can't ignore for the sake of everyone's safety. Are we clear? I want to be merciful here, but I can't unless you work with me."

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne reached up to shake Markos's hand, attempting to gracefully hide the fact that she had to stand on her tippy-toes to reach it. Still, what he said gave her some idea of why there weren't many people around. If the town was having a food problem, then her stomach was saying to find another settlement. And while she really wanted to do just that...she couldn't just leave things as they were. What kind of noble would she be if she ignored the plight of her people?...never mind that she was incognito at the moment and that these weren't even her people anyway. It was the thought that counted! She will admit she hadn't the first clue of how to do that, though. Markos might have an idea or two, though.

"Well, Markos, just tell me where I need to go!"

[Hazuki]

Zupon

The girl spares only a brief look at the clockwork Moogle before looking at the man himself, her brow furrowing. "I'm Mizy." She stands up properly, and runs her hands down what seems to be a well-switched jacket that's either been passed down, or she's grown into. "Um, why can you talk?"

~

Hiiro

The woman reaches into her cloak and retrieves a fist-sized box with a silvery sheen, and an almost turtleshell pattern across its surface. "This." She demonstratively places her fingers on particular segments of the box, then twists, which makes the box unhinge and reveal a collection of tiny parts within. Then she closes it. "You will need to take your hands out of your pockets to get a closer look."

~

Relkana & Jack

The woman listens to Relkana's words with a steadily less-pleased look, until she reaches the end, then licks her lips. "Sorry, I dozed off somewhere after 'princess'. But no...you're wrong. For one, if I were trying to sabotage anything, I would be wearing one of the sacks Garlandyne has been handing out as clothes. And, uh, technically, you weren't making deductions - that was abductive reasoning." She adds, helpfully.

~

Renne

Markos makes sure to lean over slightly and shake Renne's hand with his calloused one. "I take a group of us out foraging every day, once at sunrise until noon, then at noon until sunset. Make sure everyone learns how to do it, so some can go out by themselves. But if you've got anything else you can do - well, mention it. Foraging's just best for the people who know when a crop's ripe."

[Zwordsman]

Cocking his head to the left, little pompom shaking from the movement, "Have you never heard of a Moogle before Kupo?" Putting on a smile, Zupon bows, but is sure to keep his pompom out of her reach, and his eyes aware. "I'm Zupon, Nice to meet you Mizy."

[Merilan]

Hiiro tried to keep a straight face, and took her gloved hands out and leaned in, trying her best to ignore that just about everyone she's met today had been treating her like a child. "Is it a..." she tilted her head further. "Storage box...? No..."

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne considered the question a moment. She didn't actually have any worthwhile skills in finding food. She'd never needed to before. Her proficiencies tended to lie more in the fields of politics and magic. Actually...that might work.

"I've got some skill with magic; would that help?"

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana & Jack

The woman listens to Relkana's words with a steadily less-pleased look, until she reaches the end, then licks her lips. "Sorry, I dozed off somewhere after 'princess'. But no...you're wrong. For one, if I were trying to sabotage anything, I would be wearing one of the sacks Garlandyne has been handing out as clothes. And, uh, technically, you weren't making deductions - that was abductive reasoning." She adds, helpfully.


Educated enough to know better than herself about the difference "abductive" and "deductive" reasoning. Noted.
"So your educated enough to know the difference between the two, but can't pay attention enough when I talk about something far more important? and yes we're getting somewhere with at least that point, but your not giving me any straight answers or helpful information. I'm not here to joke around. I find that a little dishonest and it feels like your evading the point, if I have to simplify for you:

1. What were you doing there?

2. why were you doing it?

3. why are you wearing this uniform?

4. your name would be good to know while we're at it.

Any further refusal or smart aleck answers, and your going to be taken and confined until you feel like answering."

Which means take to the cells, or at least whatever passes for cells around here. (I'll edit this depending on whats available)

[Hazuki]

Zupon

Mizy shakes her head and watches, enraptured, as Zupon's bobble bobs in the air. "People don't come here a lot. Only stupid ones." She points at the tent that Zupon has been lent. "Can I look at your telescope?"

~

Hiiro

"The parts are in the storage box." The woman answers. "I'm not certain what they'll make when finished, but I'm sure a talented individual will be able to work it out." She places the slightly heavy box in Hiiro's gloved hands, her own similarly covered up.

~

Renne

Markos puts a finger to his lips in thought, then nods. "It could, depending on what form your magic takes. Most trained in magic are, or...were specialized in various fields of engineering. Getting some of the old tech running again would be helpful, but the mill only produces so much, and our 'hosts' don't think much of it."

~

Relkana & Jack

The woman takes in a slow breath before starting to talk. "My name is Masenko. I'm wearing this uniform because it's good quality, and it fits me better than any clothing I've been able to find that isn't your people's. I was looking for power gems, because the ones in my conch have run out."

There is a small barracks that used to serve the local guard that has a single cell.

Also, power gems are the magitek word for "batteries".

[Merilan]

Hiiro nodded slowly and said, "I cannot really leave town until I get more funds, so I'll work on your box." She was slightly conscious to not let the accent she'd built up in childhood slip; Aegyl had a particular manner of speech, and especially in the innermost cloister where she grew up, where dignified speech was a must. She'd tried to imitate the Riskbreakers' more rough and tumble style of speech, but it always sounded... forced.

"My name is Hiiro," she introduced herself. "What is yours?"

[aturtledoesbite]

Magitek. Of course it was magitek. Sure, Renne knew how the magic of it worked, but the actual mechanics were lost on her. Still, if it was just a case of it running out of power, or maybe a misplaced rune or two, she could fix it.

"I can't guarantee anything, but I'd be willing to try."

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana & Jack

The woman takes in a slow breath before starting to talk. "My name is Masenko. I'm wearing this uniform because it's good quality, and it fits me better than any clothing I've been able to find that isn't your people's. I was looking for power gems, because the ones in my conch have run out."

There is a small barracks that used to serve the local guard that has a single cell.

Also, power gems are the magitek word for "batteries".

So wait, the textile industry was so bad since the war that people in Coroheim are struggling to find the right clothing? Relkana didn't know that it was THAT bad in the rest of Coroheim. Who thought it was a good idea to start killing tailors? She needed to write a letter to the Garlandyne Council to somehow start getting this nation back on its feet, start getting more experts in to teach people the skills they need.
"So, you really only wore this because it fits you and isn't Garlandyne hand-out, your educated enough to know what power gems are and to correct people on the usage of deduction/abduction, yet you somehow don't care if anyone sees you like this in a nation where its illegal, and you were looking for them in that field of Materia by yourself, and you have a smart-aleck mouth. So, your an engineer?"
She said wryly.
"Because thats the picture I'm drawing. Ok. Regardless however, wearing that is still forbidden, and my job is to still keep people from going into that field of Materia regardless of their reason, for your own safety. So. Even if you weren't intending any harm Masenko, I'm afraid I'm going to have to punish you anyways for this, mostly by confiscating the uniform and finding some light sentence to make sure you remember not to trespass on that field of Materia in the future. Though I guess technically, if we could somehow remove all traces of it recognizably being a Coroheim uniform, it wouldn't technically be forbidden anymore, and you might be able to wear it and go about your business without causing a repeat incident like this after? But you still wouldn't be allowed to near the Materia sorry, no one is. Its simply too dangerous since we don't know what it does yet."
Hopefully the getting rid of the uniform's recognizability would be reasonable enough offer to Masenko.

[Zwordsman]

"Kupoo naa. I like to think I'm not stupid, but let me know otherwise Kupo" Zupon returned with a wink. Leaving the moogle to appear as a psedu guard behind them, floats over to the telescope. "Oh? Do you have an interest in the stars? They're very amazing." swinging the telescope up from the fields to the sky. "As long as you're careful with it."
Zupon couldn't deny a lover of the stars, not without denying where he's from.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"You may call me Mylin." The woman looks at Hiiro as she introduces herself. "A pleasure, I'm sure. You're one of the Aegyl, are you not? One wonders how you managed to get an affinity for machina, considering Saethyr's relative lack of it." She states, her head slightly tilting to the side, as though examining the winged girl.

~

Renne

"That's great." Markos smiles at Renne. "I think fixing up some of the street lights would do the people a world of good. Without the generators, they need local power - and there's not enough of that to go round, with all the cooling we need for food and purifying the water..."

~

Relkana

"You keep calling me a smart aleck. I prefer 'puckish rogue'." Masenko replies, blinking some dust out of her eyes as she listens to Relkana's description of her impending punishment, then shrugs. "I don't think much of being 'punished', but if you want me out of my clothes that badly..."

Nobody's killing tailors. :smalltongue: But since Coroheim had switched over to machine-made clothes, and those would need power generators that Garlandyne also disapproves of, they can't make clothes en masse. There are likely a few seamstresses, but with their supply lines shattered and general quality of life down, they're not going to be taking commissions from all over the land.

~

Zupon

Mizy nods as she shuffles over to the telescope and leans down a little to look through, gently adjusting the sights. "Mum used to study the stars and the Angels, and we'd look at them when bad news about other places came in." She explains, as she tilts the camera towards one of the Angels that floats in the far-off distance of the sky, almost in the stars. "She said that the bad stuff didn't matter, because the Angels would always be up there to make sure our souls were safe."

She tilts the telescope down a little, away from the sky, and tilts her head. "That's a lot of water."

Dubbed "Angels" by most of Domum, these are giant crystalline entities that exist in the far-off stratosphere with no obvious intelligence or patterns. Most of them resemble elegant wire statues, and thy have a slight glow that makes them visible even on cloudy nights. Each one has a name, often relating to an emotion that their visage inspires in the user - The Southern Hope, Saethyr's Wrath and, one of the most famous, The Sorrow of Xin, which was the first documented time that an Angel has fallen.

[aturtledoesbite]

The lights? Renne hadn't really thought about it much, but the place was kinda dark and depressing. Fortunately, she was pretty sure she could fix those...for a little while, anyway. It sounded like the problem ultimately came from a lack of a source of magic to power them. She couldn't personally power them forever. But no point in jumping to conclusions just yet; first she should actually take a look at one to see if that was indeed the issue.

"Don't worry, just leave it to me! If you could just point out where they all are, I should be able to handle it from there."

[Merilan]

Hiiro stared at the box and inspected it for a further while yet. Sure, she wasn't ever the top mechanic or repair specialist in Bawdrig, or even amongst the Riskbreakers, but it was impossible to really live amongst the Al Bhed and not roped into a patch job here or there. Her eyes flit back again to Mylin's, when she noticed that she was appraising her. Somewhat self-consciously, her wings tightened around herself a little further.

"I was picked up by the Al Bhed when I was little," Hiiro answered in truth, placing her hand near to her neck where her silvered pendant was. An unconscious nervous tic? "That's where I learnt to repair machina and such."

[Skald]

Jack, who had been doing all he could to hide his amusement with this woman, let out a chuckle at the idea of her stripping down do bare.
He immediately attempted to regain his composure(in doing so, put away the dart had had previously been playing with), disguising his laugh behind a cough.
He had believed her excuse about the clothing from the moment she said it; before he said it, in fact- it was the first thought that had gone through his mind when Relkana brought it up.

As Relkana handled the situation, he could help but appreciate her decisions. This entire war had been stupid and pointless, and needles bloodshed would be such a waste- yet, any of the others he had served under would have dealt with this kind of situation much more quickly- and with much more cruelty.

Still, he wished she'd relax a bit.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
She turns her head at Jack for a moment then looks back at Masenko. It was a little funny but, unfortunately she was a captain in a military. It was kind of her job to be humorless.
"Hilarious."
She takes out a couple pieces of handout clothing from a drawer.
"I'm sure that'll be just as funny the thousandth time some two-bit comedian cracks that joke when I have to enforce that law then to."
her voice cracks with dry sarcasm.
"That and I prefer Gria. Anyways, Miss Puckish Rogue, First Name Masenko, if you really are that concerned for your dignity, you can change in the luxurious privacy of your cell while you wait out your three day sentence of confinement for trespassing upon the Materia Fields, keep in mind any repeat attempts at that and I will be forced to assume you have ulterior motives and punish you much more harshly. Private Travolta, since you seem so amused by our new guest here at Garlandyne Occupiers Resort, you can help find a way to alter that uniform so that its not longer forbidden once she hands it over."
She hands one of the guards the handouts to give to her when Masenko is in the cell
"And while you take her to the cell, remember men: your boss is a woman. Any funny ideas and you will see just how harshly I punish that sort of behavior."
She says this all with a straight ace and dry wit. Then again, who said Captains can't have their own exclusive sense of humor that the troopers weren't privy to?

[Skald]

"I'm glad that didn't end with an execution." Jack says. "Far to much effort for something so insignificant as fashion."

Jack gazes towards the ground for a moment, then looks back to Relkana. "So... What now?"

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
"Private, be thankful for every day that doesn't have a death in it. Be thankful for every boring day we get, for boredom is the god's message and gift to soldiers that all is right with the world."
Boring days are good days. Boring means she didn't have to kill anyone.
"As for what we do now, we take the uniform, we go into town to find someone who might be able to alter it so that she won't be arrested, while questioning if any of them know her. I may be merciful, but I'm no fool. I want to hear about Masenko from different sources than her own mouth. Then maybe after that...probably see to getting around to actually investigating the Materia around here. See what it does, its properties, its effects, so we know what we're guarding, and what we can do about it.

This incident reminds me the longer this goes on, the longer somebody will try take the materia whether out of selfish interest, ignorance or rebellion. Which will be dangerous any way you slice it. I'd rather know what it does and if anything can be done about it than not."

[Hazuki]

Renne

"You can find the lights under the fifth slab of every street. Just need to put pressure on each corner, and it'll open up for you." Markos explains. "Do that for as many as you can, and I'll make sure you have something to eat and a place to sleep for the night."

~

Hiiro

"I see." Mylin nods. "I can't say I have much experience with the Al Bhed, personally. But, from what I've heard, their methods of learning seem particularly...inefficient. Making do with the remnants of the past, rather than having a vision for the future." She pauses. "I'm being rude, aren't I?"

[Merilan]

Hiiro tilted her head and shifted uncomfortably again. "Can't you have both? Forgetting the past means... possibly making the mistakes you've made. The vision of the future must be founded on recollection of the past... shouldn't it?" She glances aside to say, "And, that's fine. I am rather... used to it."

She glanced down towards the box again and said, "I don't suppose you've got a workshop around here? I've got some tools on hand, but..."

[aturtledoesbite]

Oh man, food and a bed? After the last couple of days where having either of those was a dicey proposition, Renne had picked up rather quickly to not take them for granted. "Alright, thank you!" She starts walking away to find those slabs, but then turns back around after a few steps. "Oh, where will I be able to find you afterward?"

[Zwordsman]

Zupon ***** his head thinking to himself, sounds like a kind mother. Past tense made him wonder if she passed away. Before Zupon could think of a polite way of confirming such, the mention of water seemed out of place.
“How do you mean?” turning to look at Mizy, and gesturing to take a look at this water.


EDIT: I guess that isn't a valid word for these forums. Subsitute "shifted his head at a 45 degree angle like a confused puppy"

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"I suppose." Mylin nods. "It's a matter of balancing them that matters." She lets Hiiro's comment about being used to rudeness hang in the air until she speaks again, then shakes her head. "I'm afraid I'm not from around these parts any more; just a visitor looking for curios that might be useful someday."

~

Renne

"I'll be at the windmill for the next hour or so, organizing the food. If you're not back by then, you'll catch me patrolling the borders." Markos explains. "But you might not need to. I'll tell the folk in the mill to keep an eye out, how about that?"

~

Kupon

"There's a lot of water coming down the mountain. Like a rockslide?" Mizy explains, stepping back from the telescope to look through the lens. As he does, he sees that the telescope has been pointed at one of the nearby hills leading up to the mountains that border Saethyr. And, indeed, there seems to be a great wave of water coming down the trees in the direction of Ordur. Despite all logic, it seems to be moving faster the further it goes.

~

Relkana & Jack

The soldier takes Relkana's handout and the pair of them turn to take Masenko with them, but, as they do, she digs her heel into the ground and makes them stumble a little. "Sorry, but...I'm not going to get thrown into the prisons of my own land." She says, not wryly, but like she's doing something she regrets. "Especially not by Garlandynes. So...let me go."

[aturtledoesbite]

"Got it!" With that, Renne heads off to find these lights Markos mentioned.

She turns onto one of the streets, looking down at the ground. "Let's see...here's a slab! One, two, three, four...and that makes five! He said to just apply pressure...?" Renne does such, trying to pop the slab open.

[Merilan]

"Oh... all right," Hiiro sounded a little surprised, perhaps expecting Mylin to be a native of the town -- well, she wasn't wrong, just that she'd been travelling. "I'm sure I can find a place to work." Well... maybe not at that crusty old fart's place. Hopefully there's another blacksmith or someone in town...

She started to hover into the air, a beat of black-feathered wings taking her up gently into the air as she cupped the box next to her. "Is there someplace like the inn you're staying at? I'll come by at the end of the day to report on this."

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana & Jack

The soldier takes Relkana's handout and the pair of them turn to take Masenko with them, but, as they do, she digs her heel into the ground and makes them stumble a little. "Sorry, but...I'm not going to get thrown into the prisons of my own land." She says, not wryly, but like she's doing something she regrets. "Especially not by Garlandynes. So...let me go."

Relkana narrows her eyes.
"I'm afraid your asking too much of me. You have broken two laws, and it is my duty to uphold them as an officer of Garlandyne. Your not in any position to command anyone of anything. I don't like the occupation of this land either, I'd much rather be back home, defending my people rather than occupying yours. But that is not something I can change. Others would've simply taken your life on the paranoid suspicion that you might be a rebel, but even if you add resisting arrest to your crimes like I suspect you might start now, I order you all to only use nonlethal force and to deposit her in the cell, alive if that comes to pass. I have shed enough Coroheim blood in my lifetime, and I'm not going to add to unless I have no other option. There is currently little evidence for you actually being a threat to anyone, and no reason for you to resist arrest, national pride aside."
She takes few, foreboding steps forward, towering over her in her imposing armor.
"Unless you'd like to share with me why you would say such a thing, and thus make me suspect otherwise?"

[Skald]

Jack approaches Masenko, gently putting a hand on her arm.
"Come on, don't make this harder on yourself. We want to be as lenient as possible here, and we'll make sure your cell is as accommodating as possible."
Jack looks at her with pleading eyes.
"Please. Don't do anything you'll regret, and don't make us resort to means we'd rather not have to."

[Zwordsman]

"Kupo!" Zupon exclaims as he sees it "Mizy, do you have important people here? It may be dangerous to stay. I should tell the guards, do you want to come with me?"


Leaving his camp behind, Zupon takes Mizy and starts heading towards the windmil, keeping an eye out for officials/guards/anyone to warn of the wave, and keeping an eye out for Mizy's important people if any.
((Puppet set to defend Mizy now))




EDIT: Zupon won't let Mizy not come with him to the windmill. Ignore this

"It may be dangerous Mizy, you can stay in my camp but it might be better to find higher ground. Go to the Windmill Mizy, Please. I"ll come back after I get the word out. I'll leave my little friend with you ok? I'll be able to find you easier." Following this zupon will find someone to warn, and try to return to Mizy.
((puppet set to defend Mizy--shame it won't be sentient but Alpha doesn't exist until lv 4))

[Hazuki]

Renne

The slab retracts once the corners are pushed and Renne is greeted by the sight of a crystalline orb that sits in a small metal cradle, the latter of which is marked with runes that have sat dormant for a few years. It seems like channeling magic into the runes would provide the lights with enough energy for a few days, depending on just how much she pours.

Renne got a 21.

A cantrip will power the light for a day. A 1st level spell slot for three days. A 2nd level spell for a week.

~

Hiiro

Mylin watches Hiiro hover in the air before her, then shakes her head. "I'm not staying at the inn. You should be able to find me around town, barring unforeseen circumstances."

~

Relkana & Jack

When Jack places his hand on Masenko's arm, he notices that it feels particularly un-fleshy and much more metal. "Accepting your judgment would be like accepting Coroheim's death. I'm not ready to do that."

~

Zupon

Mizy stares at the Moogle, the nods. "Okay. My mum is at the library." She informs Kupon, following closely beside him as he leads her towards Ordur proper. He spots a group of four Garlandyne soldiers, including Captain Relkana, on a nearby hill - apparently dealing with a woman clad in heavy robes.

[Merilan]

Not at the inn? I wonder where... maybe she still has a home...?

Regardless, Hiiro nodded and waved, before heading towards a clearing of her own. She didn't particularly fancy trying to get into another argument with the innskeeper, and decided that she probably needed to blow off some steam still, so she sat down on a nearby bench and began to inspect the box in earnest.

Let's see what we have here...

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne thought about it a second; she'd be staying here overnight anyway. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd be here after that, but for now, there was no reason not to just put in enough energy to turn them on. After doing so, making sure the light turned on, and putting the slab back on, she went to the next street, repeating the process, and so on.

Only doing cantrip-level channeling (aka, no MP cost).

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana & Jack

When Jack places his hand on Masenko's arm, he notices that it feels particularly un-fleshy and much more metal. "Accepting your judgment would be like accepting Coroheim's death. I'm not ready to do that."



Relkana sighs. She hates it when they get stubborn like this. It usually meant she had to get violent again.
"Oddly patriotic sentiment for someone who claims to be only wearing that uniform because it fits. But, oh well. A lenient sentence is one thing, but letting you go is entirely another, one is doable, the other is just not doing my job. That and what business could possibly be waiting for you that it can't wait three days? I can always let them know your status personally to reschedule at their earliest convenience."
Her right hand begins to grip her club on her belt.
"If you resist I'm sorry but regardless of your personal feelings that is going probably going to mean extending the days in jail to five for resisting arrest. The law is something be enforced, not bargained with, at least not with its enforcers anyways. Especially when its martial law. I don't like or want this anymore than you do but...its still my job, and this is still society. So what will it be?"

((OOC: ready draw action for my club in case this gets ugly and I need to stat dealing nonlethal damage))

[Skald]

Jack's grip stiffens slightly and he prepares to cast shocking grasp should she become hostile.
"Don't make this more complicated than it needs to be."

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Examining the box, and the components inside more closely reveals that the device seems to be a kind of automaton in the Coroheim magitek form. Although she can't make sense of all the parts right now, she could probably put together the base structure within an hour, and then she'd have a better idea of what to do with the remaining parts. As long as she can get some heat to solder parts together, at least.

In the distance, she hears a sudden bang and a clatter.

Got a 16.

~

Renne

Soon enough, Renne has lit up the whole street with light. Once she slots the slabs back in place, they briefly open and the orbs within float just above the average head height to illuminate the streets in a soft fire-like glow. More than a few people peer out of their windows to appreciate the light, and it casts this part of town in a much more pleasant atmosphere.

In the distance, she hears a sudden bang and a clatter.

~

Relkana & Jack

"Your right to choose what happens only comes from bloodshed." Masenko grits her teeth and seems to lift her right arm as though to inflict violence - and then bolts of energy from Jack's spell suddenly dart across the large woman, singing the edges of her robes and dancing off of her with a crack before dissipating. Before the guards at either side of her can act, she's reached up and grabbed their helmets with rune-covered hands, then slams their heads together with enough force to send them both crumpling to the ground. Then she swings her elbow backwards, slamming it into Jack's temple hard enough to make his ears ring, and settles into a stance with fury-filled eyes settling on Relkana.

"Lightning your idea of minimal force?" She growls, clearly preparing to strike again.

Take 14 nonlethal damage.

Having been on the battlefield with Coroheim's military for many years, Relkana recognizes something familiar in Masenko's style, and the brief flash of the flesh under her robes. Coroheim had Knights that were as good at their jobs as Garlandyne's cavalry are at theirs, and Garlandyne never quite managed to suss out what made them tick. Standing orders, when encountering a group, were to retreat and bring in overwhelming numbers. One thing they did manage to find out is that they were implanted with the most advanced magitek Coroheim had.

[Zwordsman]

Nodding to Mizy, "Ok, I need to warn them then lets find your mom. Kupo" Pulling on Mizy's had Zupon kicks up a scream as soon as he is close enough for his voice to travel. Not really understanding the situation over there."OI KUPO! Trouble" waving his free hand frantically towards where he saw the rushing water. "Massive water wave incoming, scramble to higher ground or something! It's True kuppoo!" Zupon frantically exclaims before turning his direction towards finding Mizy's mother and higher ground.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
As she draws her club and drops into a fighting stance with her shield held ready, Relkana growls
"Don't look at me, unlike the Private I know the proper nonlethal spell techniques."
She was going to have Words with him after this. Stupid rookie mistake. And stupid of her not to teach him the techniques before this. Ugh. She surges forward and tries to whack her with the club, aiming for knocking Masenko out.


Attack Roll:[roll0]+5
Nonlethal Damage Roll: [roll1]+3

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne takes a moment to admire the lights; they were a little different than the ones they had back in Kos. The moment is short-lived, though, when she hears the disturbance. She runs toward it to see what the ruckus is, her staff in hand just in case.

[Skald]

Jack takes a five-foot step back and draws his weapon. "No, It's my idea of minimal effort." He answers. "We already gave you a chance for leniency- and now you want us to go easy on you?"
~She acting pretty weird what's her deal?~ He ponders.

[roll0]
If roll fails, use a point from his arcane pool for 'multitalented' to reroll and add his charisma modifier to the total: [roll1]

[Merilan]

Hiiro made a face as she continued on her work; the multi-tool she borrowed from Ellen turned out to be really useful, though she cursed herself for not really bringing more than the bare minimums. A soldering tool would have been nice... maybe someone with magic could be of help?

Before she could do anything else, though, she heard the loud bang and the clatter. Eh...?

Packing the box away, she quickly flew towards what she thought was the source of the commotion -- a hand ready to her attache case if necessary, to draw the gunblade.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro & Renne

It doesn't take long for Hiiro to arrive at the scene of the apparent noise, where they spot a particularly large woman clad in a somewhat military-styled robe, obviously of Coroheim descent, fighting with a Garlandyne Captain and a soldier, with two soldiers knocked out at her feet. They also spot a Moogle running past, with a little girl in tow, yelling something about a massive incoming wave.

Relkana & Jack

Relkana mistimes her step and Masenko is easily able to avoid the club's arc, countering by swinging her metallic fist upwards and catching the Captain square on the jaw. She seems prepared to throw another punch when Jack's words reach her, and she spins on her heel to shoot daggers through his face. She dashes forward and catches him in the throat with a swing of her arm, which sends the young man sprawling to the ground just in time for her to slam a hide boot on his face. There's a distinct crack as his nose is broken, and he falls into unconsciousness.

Take 12 nonlethal damage.

As far as Jack can tell, Masenko was attempting to conceal her anger for most of the confrontation, and Relkana's last few words pushed her over the edge. His following words really, really annoyed her.

Take 15 nonlethal damage, you're Prone, and Unconscious.

~

Zupon

Unfortunately for the Moogle, it seems like finding higher ground outside of the windmill is going to prove particularly difficult unless somebody can find a way to catapult themselves to higher hills. Mizy is managing to keep pace with him, and they spot the library coming up on the corner.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
She reels from the blow to her jaw, stumbling about. By the gods that hurt! And Private Travolta was already down. This Masenko was stronger than she expected. Combine with a moogle running around talking about a flood, and her mind switched gears. She puts away her club.
"....If your that strong and a flood really is coming, I don't have time to fight you, Masenko. So I'm not going to, and urge you to seek higher ground as well. You two!"
She said pointing at the newcomers, Hiiro and Renne
"There are three soldiers unconscious! I order you as a Captain of Garlandyne to help me carry them to safety in the wake of the flood! I will take Private Travolta! You get the others!"
She didn't have time to see if they obeyed. She hurries over to Travolta, ignoring Masenko and trying to pick him up and start carrying him to higher ground.

[Merilan]

Hiiro made a face as she swept in a little closer -- it really wasn't her place to break a fight up, and given her uniforms, it rather looked like this was a scuffle between Garlandyne and Coroheim... complicated business to get into. Still, she couldn't just -- abide by that, but her attention was further drawn to the Moogle and the little girl yelling about the wave. Which the Captain also heard, apparently, and started yelling at her to get into gear. Ughh-- enough of getting yelled at already--

She shook her head and looked at the unconscious private. This guy looked really heavy... she wasn't really that strong at all... but she tried her best, grabbing onto his collar and then pushing up as hard as she can with her wings. This is going to be a bit of a dismal effort.

[Zwordsman]

Zupon will crack open the doors and yell, "Incoming flood find high ground. Miss Mizy Mother come to the front Kupo! " Gesturing to Mizy to call for her mother as well. He eyes towards the direction he last saw the water and hoping the word would get out in time for at least some of the folks, while thinking of possible backup plans.

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne was having trouble following everything that was happening. There was a fight -- and it looked to be political in nature; she prooooooobably shouldn't get involved -- and there was a flood coming? Things were escalating in a hurry...and she was still hungry.

Then the...Garlandyne captain, as she called herself, suddenly pointed at her to carry one of the unconscious soldiers? That definitely wasn't happening. But if they were just unconscious... "Wait! Don't leave just yet!"

Regardless of if anyone heeded her command, Renne ran up toward the unconscious men. She began to chant a spell, calling forth a phantom of a moogle to heal them and anyone else who stuck around, hopefully getting them back on their feet.

Moving closer to the soldiers, then casting Moogle Charm for 1 MP. Everyone within 15 feet of Renne recovers [roll0] HP.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana stops at Renne's yell and blinks, and sets Jack down as he wakes up
"Oh....right....I should've done that, thanks. Now lets get going, everyone, to the windmill!"

[Merilan]

Hiiro stopped and let go of the soldier she was probably not going to move very far and-- then the phantom Moogle appeared to heal him. Was that a summon...? Wow...

There wasn't much time, however, and she nodded as she just rose to the air to fly up to the windmill.

[Skald]

"W-What?" Jack rubs the bridge of his nose. Regaining his bearings, he picks up his weapon and moves to defend himself, hesitating when he notices the apparent change in the situation.
"What's going on?" He asks, glaring at Mesenko.

[Hazuki]

Renne, Hiiro, Relkana & Jack

Masenko stands clenching her fist as people rush to the scene and the people who'd been knocked out are healed by the Tarutaru, the two soldiers groggily pulling themselves to their feet but doing their best to stand with proper posture. When Jack speaks, she spits on the ground.

"Watch your eyes, murderer. If I were as sloppy as you, you'd have been dead." Masenko growls at the boy, then turns around and sprints towards the nearby town, where the Moogle and the little girl had gone. She leaps at the nearest building and clambers on top of it, slamming her boot loudly on the rooftops and warning of the incoming flood. Being high enough to spot Hiiro, she yells to her. "Aegyl! If you help find stragglers and take them to the mill, I'll, uh, owe you one!" The large woman informs her, then disappears in a flash of red magic, and appears on another building on the opposite side of the street, where she continues running to warn the townsfolk.

~

Zupon

The water seems to be getting to a point where one can spot it coming, if one is looking for it. When he busts open the library door, he's greeted with the sight of a tech-filled building that sits mostly dormant and with only a small collection of written works. One woman is inside, looking up shocked when he bursts in.

"Mum! Flood!" Mizy yells to her, and the woman rises to her feet. Outside, Zupon starts to hear some footfalls and somebody else warning about the flood.

The woman gets to her feet and starts to walk towards the little girl, concern clear on her face. "Mizy, Ordur doesn't floo-"

"FLOOD." Mizy yells louder, and the woman purses her lips, then nods. It seems like she'll go along with it.

[Merilan]

Hiiro flinched just a little bit as the large woman addressed her, perhaps not expecting anyone else to get up to the top as quickly as her -- and then she was equally startled as she teleported to the other side of town. "U-ugh, it isn't like I'm just leaving people to--" but her complaint was left on empty air, as she swept her eyes around to scan for anyone who might be struggling with her newfound vantage point.

[roll0] Scanning for any stragglers.

[aturtledoesbite]

Everyone seemed to wake up from that, so Renne started running behind the captain toward the windmill. Curse her short legs for not being able to move very fast! She also didn't have the best stamina, so it wasn't long before she was breathing heavily from the exertion.

"Does anyone know," she said between breaths, "where the flood's coming from?!"

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Hiiro's keen eyes scan Ordur, and she spots a few groups of stragglers that might not hear the two folk yelling in town. One is a group of children near the incoming road, although they are one of a group of Garlandyne soldiers (Aside from the three with the Captain, they all seem utterly unaware of the impending flood). She also spots the great wall of water that is rapidly coming down from the nearby mountains that border Saethyr. Nearer some of the farmland is an older gentleman who's carrying a basket of fruit back to town. And, finally, she spots Mylin glancing around the area she stood, then hopping into the fields of Materia.

~

Relkana, Jack, & Renne

One of the two recently-revived Garlandyne soldiers, who has slung his helmet on his belt for the moment, looks at Renne trailing slightly behind and slows down to jog along with her.. "I do not. Are you comfortable running?"

They arrive at the doors of the windmill, which are already open, and it seems that Markos is still inside with a group of foragers and barrels now filled with fruit. He turns on his heel and notices Relkana, along with the troupe of people he's brought with him, and frowns.

"What is the meaning of this?" The tall man asks, as he folds his arms over his chest.

[Zwordsman]

Zupon nods to the mother and Mizy. "Get going Kupo, I'm going to take to the skies and get attention. Mizy my puppet'll follow you and try to protect you, scream if something happens ok?"

After waiting for their confirmation, Zupon starts floating, flying higher while calling out warnings as loud as he can, and takes a moment to guage the water levels. He wants to return to Mizy and the Mother a bit before before the water hits-in case their are issues; but also wants to be sure he warns those he can.

Zupon has a flight speed 15, poor. Taking to the skies to gain more vocal range. The Puppet is set to defend Mizy.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana, Jack, & Renne

One of the two recently-revived Garlandyne soldiers, who has slung his helmet on his belt for the moment, looks at Renne trailing slightly behind and slows down to jog along with her.. "I do not. Are you comfortable running?"

They arrive at the doors of the windmill, which are already open, and it seems that Markos is still inside with a group of foragers and barrels now filled with fruit. He turns on his heel and notices Relkana, along with the troupe of people he's brought with him, and frowns.

"What is the meaning of this?" The tall man asks, as he folds his arms over his chest.

"According to a Moogle, a flood is coming, and this is the only available high ground for our safety. I take any and all warnings about an impending disaster seriously, and if this turns out to be a false alarm, rest assured I will punish the moogle personally for lying and disturbing the peace. But for now, since this group has safely gotten to the windmill, I must go and warn anyone else."
She throws off her cloak onto the floor and spreads her Gria wings, flying upwards towards the moogle and Hiiro to look at it from the same vantage point, while calling out similar warnings in a commanding tone
"Everyone! this Captain Vanstar speaking! A flood is coming own from the nearby mountains! Seek higher ground or the windmill immediately for your own safety!"

[Merilan]

Is that Mylin? W-what is she doing-- ugh! Hiiro shook her head and decided to sweep down as fast as her wings would allow them. She first flew by the children to shout and warn, "Hurry! Get to high ground! A flood is on the way!" Given that they were tended to by soldiers, she had to assume they would take responsibility for them; the Aegyl pushed herself harder to head out towards the older gentleman carrying fruit towards town.

"Mister! There's a flood coming behind you! There's no time, hurry!" She-- offered her back, but was a little uncertain whether or not she could support his weight. Ugh, being born tiny and more than a little sickly in childhood was really rearing back at her now...

[Hazuki]

Zupon

Mizy and her mother nod, then start running towards the windmill with the Moogle's puppet in tow. Quite a few of the townsfolk seem to be leaving the newly-lit buildings and heading towards the windmill, under the instruction of the numerous people yelling warnings. With careful flying, he gets an excellent vantage point of all of Ordur. He can spot a small group of soldiers leading children towards the windmill, a large woman in dirty robes teleporting around to warn folk, an Aegyl dealing with an old man, and a woman clad in an ornate green robe who has dropped into the Materia fields.

The impending wave seems like it'll arrive in roughly a minute, which should be enough for everyone he can see, if they run. But the buildings may not do so well.

~

Relkana

With her head still reeling from Masenko's blow, and the rush to take to the skies, Relkana finds it difficult to take in everything going on around her. But, at least her yelling in particular seems to have gotten the Garlandyne soldiers moving, as they move in from around the fields of Materia and their patrols to gather people up.

~

Hiiro

The older gentleman glances at Hiiro, then at the mountains where the flood is coming from, then nods and pushes the fruit basket into her hands. "Make sure they get the food." His wheezing voice instructs her, as he starts hustling as best his tired legs can.

[aturtledoesbite]

While panting, Renne replies to the soldier, "I'm not, used to it, no..." If she had a minute, she could summon Phoenix and fly up, but she didn't know if she'd have the time to do the ritual. For now, though, the windmill wasn't far off, anyway. She could make it that far.

[Merilan]

"H-hey, wait, who's 'they'?" Hiiro called after the old man as he ran off, but shook her head. I hope he'll be fine... geez, he can hustle for an old guy.

The Aegyl swept back up to the skies and back towards the town, looking towards the Materia fields if she could find where Mylin had gone off to while she flew out...

[Hazuki]

Renne

The Garlandyne man nods and contniues to run with Renne to the windmill, where she finds Markos and a number of foragers, along with other folk from the village who are starting to fill it up. The large man is already starting to organize the people of Ordur, as he sends the youngest higher up the windmill (Along with a parent), while making space for the older folk in the corners of the room. The faint hum of machinery can be heard beneath the stone floor, presumably reached by the trapdoor that sits beside a large, spiral-shaped crystal at the center of the room.

Hiiro

Darting over Ordur and towards the fields, Hiiro initially finds it difficult to make out shapes between the wreckage and unusually shapes of the Materia itself. With some quick focusing, she's able to find Mylin among the crystals - the woman seems to be crouching down beside a cluster of the fungal Materia, just beside the bottom of the sheer cliff that leads down to it. Her face is set in concentration, as she runs her green-glowing fingers in circles around the cluster, while her other hand seems poised to grab the crysal-like substance.

[Merilan]

Hiiro's eyes widened as she swept down beside Mylin, her feathers bristling as her wings lifted up and down with telltale agitation. "Mylin! Come on, didn't you hear? There's a flood coming, we have to get up to higher ground!" she blurted out, sounding a bit more anxious than she did when she first met the vine-caped woman. She... never really saw any Materia of that shape before, nor did she know what her goal was -- she knew enough that it was forbidden to enter the Materia fields, so she really hoped she wasn't in trouble for this...

[aturtledoesbite]

That crystal was drawing Renne's attention; was it linked to the windmill somehow? She wanted to examine it to see exactly what the crystal was doing, but of course, now wasn't really the best time, what with the flood coming.

...except, there wasn't much she could help with now. Maybe heal anyone who's hurt? She scans the crowd to see if anyone fits that qualifier. If not...then she supposed that now was indeed the best time to check out that crystal.

If there's anyone hurt, Renne will gather them together and use Moogle Charm to heal them. Otherwise...I dunno, some sort of roll to discern the purpose of the crystal? I could see Arcana, Spellcraft, or possibly even UMD applying to this, so I'm just gonna cast Guidance and roll the d20+1, letting you figure out the most appropriate skill and add its modifier (10 for spellcraft, 8 for the others): [roll0]

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
She dives down straight to the Materia fields, following Hiiro and tries to grab Mylin.
"Curiosity later. Safety now. Flood coming."
She had no time to reprimand either of them for entering this. Survival was more important than their punishment.

[Zwordsman]

Assuming Mizy and her other are safe now, and noting the Green Robed fellow going to the fields, either unaware of the flood or wanting to use it to loot-either way likely to meet unpleasant wall of water. Zupon heads towards that direction, while trying to stay above the estimated water amount as to avoid it. Calling warnings on the way.

[Hazuki]

Renne

Fortunately for the Tarutaru, it seems like the Moogle's warnings means that most of the people in the windmill are uninjured...so far. This gives her some time to examine the crystal spiral at the center of the room, and she's quite quickly able to discern its true nature. Namely, that it's for channeling the power it gains from the windmill's blades. This particular crystal seems to have been treated so that it also absorbs the energy of the cosmos, as well as serving as a lightning rod. It's a particular magitek advancement that's incredibly efficient at gathering even the tiniest specks of residual magic.

~

Relkana & Hiiro & Zupon

Mylin seems ready to reply to Hiiro when Relkana swoops down and grabs her arm, pulling it away from its deliberate motions and filling the air with the stench of failed magic. She takes in a deep breath, not taking her eyes off of the Materia, before addressing them calmly.

"You do not know how destructive this flood may be. It is in the best interests of everyone that a sample of this Materia is saved."

[Merilan]

Hiiro made a face and backed away gently, waving her hand. "What're you trying to do?" Given her intricate gestures, it seemed best if she just got to the bottom of her intent straight away rather than argue.

[Hazuki]

"I am attempting to take a sample of this Materia." Mylin answers.

[Merilan]

Hiiro paused, and then huffily folded her arms to say, "I know, you said that already! But why? What's so special about this particular lot? I mean, Materia's expensive, okay, but we really have to get out now!"

[Hazuki]

"We don't know yet. Hence, taking a sample." Mylin replies, still looking at the Materia.

[aturtledoesbite]

This must be one of the generators Markos mentioned. That's good to know...but it doesn't really do Renne any good right now. If only she had some sort of spell for this...! For now, though, she set it aside. Instead, she went around to the villagers, trying to allay the fears of the most panicked ones.

[Skald]

You now I can't fly right?- Aaand she's gone. Well, at least I can finally have a moment of peace without her on my back. Jack grins to himself, aware of the irony of thoughts of peace in this kind of situation.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
She narrows her eyes and sets Mylin back down.
"Fine. Take a sample, I'm actually curious myself about what I've been guarding, and would like to know if its dangerous or beneficial- as well as if it can happen again somewhere else. But be quick, I'll be taking you to the windmill as soon as your successful."
If it was possible for materia like this to repeat, people to know needed to know if it was a danger. If it had some beneficial property, people needed to know that it could be used for such. There was every reason to let her take the sample.

[Merilan]

Hiiro stepped back and-- stared in a little disbelief between Relkana and Mylin, sighing with a patented huff. "Geez, you two..." But it isn't like she had a stake in keeping the Materia pristine, and it was likely that Mylin would go much faster if she was allowed to do what she wanted.

[Hazuki]

Renne & Jack

Aside from being instructed to step aside a few times, the windmill doesn't prove too harsh. The most curious thing they see is a young Ordur girl wandering in with her mother and an automaton in the shape of a Moogle guarding them as they head upstairs.

~

Relkana, Hiiro & Zupon

Mylin nods at Relkana's words at repeats the process from before. With one hand glowing green, she circles a pattern around the cluster of speckled materia, while the other waits poised above the too-large crystals. After a few moments of doing this, the materia shimmers for a moment before turning into an amorphous green glow that forms a ball in her hand, which she then tucks into a pouch on her belt.

"If I am to be carried, please be gentle." She requests, standing up properly.

[Merilan]

Hiiro continued to watch with a level of awe, having never quite seen anyone refine and sculpt Materia in this way before her. The only instance of it she's ever run across is, well, attached to her gunblade and that's a much more mundane and embarrassing story involving an ice box and a whole lot of perishables.

"E-er, it isn't like I'm--" she huffed aloud, then flanked her left side to put her shoulder under her arm. She looked to Relkana. "It'll be easier if we both support her. Let's go."

[Zwordsman]

Floating relatively high Zupon was a bit dumbfounded after watching the events play out. But since Relkana was there, likely the situation was being handled. Considering the speed at which that lot flew, compared to his own float-flying, there wasn't much he could do to help instead electing to float-fly back to the safe zone.

[Lord Raziere]

Hiiro continued to watch with a level of awe, having never quite seen anyone refine and sculpt Materia in this way before her. The only instance of it she's ever run across is, well, attached to her gunblade and that's a much more mundane and embarrassing story involving an ice box and a whole lot of perishables.

"E-er, it isn't like I'm--" she huffed aloud, then flanked her left side to put her shoulder under her arm. She looked to Relkana. "It'll be easier if we both support her. Let's go."

She picks up other arm and begins flying.
"Very well. You seem awfully nervous and stuttering, for someone who can fly. Are you worried that the flood will be that high?"
Relkana said, misinterpreting Hiiro's huffy attitude.
"I don't think it will be, so you don't have to worry. Even floodwaters aren't limitless."

[Merilan]

Hiiro made a little face as she exerted power, boosting herself off the ground in time with Relkana. The fruits basket was tucked under her other arm, which made for a somewhat awkward trip up back to the windmill. "Even if it doesn't touch the windmill... I mean, a lot of people are going to get their goods and belongings ruined by this. That still..." A pause. "W-well, it still sucks, is what!"

[Hazuki]

Soon enough, Relkana and Hiiro arrive in the base of the windmill with Zupon flying in just before them. The fairly-average weight woman slips onto the floor without much fuss, as Markos peers out of the door with his eyes set firmly on the incoming flood - and Masenko, who seems to be on her way back to the windmill. Most of the building is stuffed with people, many of them above, while the elderly and otherwise infirm (Of which there are a fair few) stay at the base.

"I'm certain they'll recover." Mylin comments, as she plucks a mango from the fruit basket Hiiro's holding and takes a bite, which she swallows before finishing her thought. "As long as one has companionship, one is never lost."

[Merilan]

"Companionship, huh..." Hiiro mumbled, tilting her head with a bit of a forlorn pout. Before blinking to go, "H-hey, that's not yours! At least peel it first before you eat it, the skin's pretty tough..." and rummaging around her pockets for one of the Riskbreaker's multi-tools, taking a paring knife out of it to hand to the caped woman.

She looked around the gathered people around and below them, and then lifted on down to look around and hold the basket up. "Excuse me, who's this fruit basket belong to? The gramps from the road out of town was carrying this!" She also tried keeping an eye out for him, all too obviously concerned he might have not made it.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
"..."
Relkana does not bother seeing if the old man made it. She only silently mourns his potential loss. Lots of people didn't make it wars and disasters, no matter how much she saved them. She would have to focus on the situation at hand and assess how to make the best of it. She goes around and talks to the soldiers and people, trying to get an assessment for how they are feeling. A bunch of people in a crowded, cramped space during a stressful event like a flood was a dangerous thing if not handled well. In particular she asks Jack.
"Private Travolta, what is your assessment of the situation? Your the one who ha to stay behind and see the citizens come in, how are they doing?"

[Skald]

Jack had been playing with his dart again, but when he saw Relkana he quickly put it away and moved to the nearest person to help them in an attempt to make it seem like he had been lending aid the whole time.

When she addresses him, he turns to answer her. "It's been a little hectic, but nothing that couldn't be handled." He says. "They're doing as well as they could be, all things considered."

[Hazuki]

Mylin takes the knife from Hiiro and nods, although she doesn't seem to have trouble chewing through the existing skin. The old man from before appears from behind the slowly-turning crystal spiral at the center of the room and smiles as he takes the fruit basket from the Aegyl. "Thank you. Mango?" He asks, pushing aside some of the fruit before pulling one out to offer her.

[Zwordsman]

Zupon will hunt for little Mizy and her mom. Might as well be near someone he knows during this. He'll find them and just sit on his puppet, as its nicely sized for a chair for a moogle.

[Merilan]

Hiiro looked intensely relieved when the old man turned up -- the worst had passed in her mind, and it'd be horrible to realise that she did absolutely the wrong thing. She puffed out a breath, suddenly feeling a lot more tired as the anxiety passed over her. "Oh, thank you..." She nodded her head and took the fruit in hand. "I'm really glad to see you're safe! You started running off so quickly I couldn't even say another thing..."

She wrinkled her nose and looked up to the mountain. "Seriously, why did it start flooding all of a sudden anyway? Is there anything up there, like a dam or something?"

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"Ordur doesn't get floods." Markos comments from his position near the door. "No reason for it to - and there aren't any dams that I know about."

Zupon

Zupon finds himself on the top floor of the windmill, in the room with a wide chamber at the center that leads up to the gears that help keep the windmill going. There are many children in this room, most with adults accompanying them, and he spots Mizzy sitting against the far wall with her mother. They seem to be counting things on their fingers and repeating them.

[Merilan]

Hiiro looked to where Markos stood, and looked in his direction. "I guess someone could go take a look up at the mountains to see what happened. If it isn't normal, I'd hate to imagine what else could happen."

[Lord Raziere]

Jack had been playing with his dart again, but when he saw Relkana he quickly put it away and moved to the nearest person to help them in an attempt to make it seem like he had been lending aid the whole time.

When she addresses him, he turns to answer her. "It's been a little hectic, but nothing that couldn't be handled." He says. "They're doing as well as they could be, all things considered."

"Very well. I trust your assessment."
She said. The best way to instill responsibility was to let them know that you trusted them to carry it out regardless of their own opinion of themselves otherwise. That way they will be either encouraged or guilt-tripped into becoming so. She turned to Hiiro and Markos.
"An assessment I agree with, young Aegyl. Once this is over, it would be best to know what went wrong as well as how we can prevent it from happening again. Pardon me, but I don't think in all the commotion that we had any time to introduce ourselves. I am Relkana Vanstar, Captain of the local Garlandyne forces. I don't know who you are, but I must say that you did quite well in helping the evacuation. You kept your head on straight in a crisis, an admirable trait for the circumstances."
She holds out her hand to shake Hiiro's. Which reminded her, she needed to find the Moogle that sounded the alarm and congratulate him for his initiative. If not for him, a lot more people would be dead by now.

[Merilan]

Hiiro blinked and-- her cheeks warmed up a little, picking at her hair... then she scampered to get her hand out and shake Relkana's. "No, just-- what kind of idiot would just leave people to die, anyway? I'm just doing what's right, that's all!"

It felt good to get complimented for what felt like the first time today.

"My name's Hiiro, a Riskbreaker. I'm from... well, Saethar, but I've been doing odd jobs here and there."

[Skald]

"How are things out there?" Jack asks with genuine curiosity.

[Hazuki]

Renne

While checking over the townsfolk, Renne hears some kind of commotion near the front door - it seems like the Aegyl she saw before is dealing with the Captain from before, as well as Markos standing at the door. Just beside them is a Coroheim-looking woman wearing an ornate, vine-patterned green cloak that she remembers from some of her studies. Focusing on the cloak, she remembers that design being featured in many tomes about Coroheim's advances in magitek. The aptly-named Divine Sages rose from the ranks of Coroheim's nobility, to learn from vast knowledge of the church, and become some of the most skilled scholars in Coroheim. Although she's seen some published works, they very rarely announced their works to the public.

An especially notable fact is that they formally split off from Coroheim in the middle of the recent war, and she hasn't heard of any activity from them since.

She got a 27.

The rest of the room

Markos seems just about prepared to close the door when Masenko bamfs inside, then he slams it shut, The large woman rubs the sleeve of her robes against her forehead, then leans against the wall beside the door while Markos grabs a few nearby sacks and lays them in a wall-like formation around the door itself. From outside, the sound of crashing water and be heard, along with its slow roar in the direction of the windmill.

[Merilan]

Hiiro flinched and hurried to the door, dragging what sacks of grain she could to help bar the door the moment Markos slammed the door shut. She was particularly worried the door wouldn't hold, but... it looked like it did, and the worst was over. "That wound up coming up closer than I would've thought..." she observed.

She looked back at Mylin and walked closer to her. "How're you doing? Did you find anything out about the... Materia?"

[aturtledoesbite]

A cloak of the Divine Sages? What's that person doing with that? Could she be one of them, or maybe she just found it? If she's actually one of the sages, the knowledge she holds on magitek would be invaluable for her house and would go a long way toward making it up to Mother for this whole thing...but it's not like Renne could just go up and ask. They no doubt didn't just disappear from the public eye for nothing.

For now, Renne headed for the door and watched it for leaks. She may not be able to fortify the walls, but she could mend any cracks that were there, and hopefully that'd be enough.

Using Mending as appropriate to fix leaks and whatnot.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Mylin blinks, as she finishes up the last of the mango, and turns to face Hiiro. "I've not made any breakthroughs in the minutes since collecting it, no. I've not examined it at all yet."

Renne

There don't seem to be any leaks at the door yet, the reason for which becomes apparent when there's another crash just outside the door, then the sound of something colliding with the windmill, followed by the gentle rush of it moving away. A few spurts of water seem to slip through the gaps in the door, but they don't reach the sack barrier that Markos and Hiiro erected.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
Oh right, she forgot that wall part. Well they were still alive, so...best keep morale up.
"Well that was fortunate! But good thinking with the barrier anyways. Who knows how much worse that could've been? Things are going really well."
Especially for a town that apparently never had a flood before.
"Anyways since the initial rush just passed, I'm thinking all that we have to do now is wait for the waters to recede. Good work Masenko, Markos, and who are you...?"
She turns to Renne, questioningly. What? Of course she would give Masenko credit, she is the one that closed the door.

[Merilan]

Hiiro fidgeted again and sagged, pocketing her hands. "You're so blunt, huff..." she replied, a little dejected. She shook her head to say, "But if it caught your attention, it's probably pretty important, isn't it? I don't know the first thing about Materia, but how do you learn more about it? Do you just... use it?"

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne was fidgeting some in the windmill. There wasn't much for her to do, and aside from all the other people, it felt just as restrictive as when she was back home. Everything seemed to be taken care of, so sitting around and waiting out the flood was all she could do.

...at least, until that person from before hailed her, shaking her out of her thoughts. "Oh, uh, I'm Renne. I guess I came into town at the wrong time, huh...?"

Entering town right before a flood hits can't be good luck. And to top everything off...

*gwooooooooooooorl*

...she still hadn't eaten anything yet.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"Hrm, sorry." Mylin reaches into her cloak and retrieves a handkerchief to wipe her fingers on. "One studies Materia the same way one studies anything else, with patience and a series of tests. My current plan is to take it to a facility suitable for testing, where I'll examine what form of Materia it is, how it has been affected by its unusual origin (By comparing it to previous records and similar cases), and whether it's safe for practical testing."

Renne

Markos, on his way back to the main door of the windmill, places a particularly large mango in Renne's hands and continues on to the door. He puts his ear to it and listens for a few moments, then starts to move the sacks out of the way.

[Merilan]

"That makes sense, I guess..." Hiiro leaned on the wall next to Mylin, taking the box she gave her to inspect once more now that things had somewhat died down. She still wanted to go out and see what was the cause behind the flood, but that could wait until some of these other people were ready too. "It seems strange to me that those soldiers were telling everyone to stay away from the fields without even figuring out if anything in it was -- you know, explosive or poisonous or worse. I mean, what if the villagers'd been living next to something harmful this entire time?"

[Hazuki]

"I'd imagine that it's an issue with organization and prioritizing." Mylin offers, choosing to stand properly rather than lean with Hiiro. "There are any number of reasons to not move the townsfolk - inciting rebels, finding land, soldiers to enforce the movement - and Garlandyne's attention is required all over Coroheim. As long as the Materia is not blatantly volatile, it's easy for whoever's in charge to decide they'll handle it later."

[aturtledoesbite]

Wooooooow, that was a big mango. For a person of her...stature, this was a full meal. "Oh! Thank you!" Renne didn't have anything sharp with which to cut it open, so as undignified as it was, she would have to rely on her teeth. She couldn't very well afford to simply wait for someone to bring her a knife, as she did back home.

[Merilan]

Hiiro let out a little put-upon sigh, glancing back towards the soldiers. "I'd say... I don't want to get involved with the war on either side..." She folded her arms as she glanced to Masenko for a moment as well, from afar. She sat down, after a moment, to focus more on the box now that she had some time. "Now, let's get this box of yours sorted..."

She took a closer look at the contraption to start to act upon it. She laid down a number of rudimentary tools from her travelling toolkit, and started to get to work.

I'll take 10 if that's possible, since she has some time it seems. [roll0] otherwise.

[Lord Raziere]

"I'd imagine that it's an issue with organization and prioritizing." Mylin offers, choosing to stand properly rather than lean with Hiiro. "There are any number of reasons to not move the townsfolk - inciting rebels, finding land, soldiers to enforce the movement - and Garlandyne's attention is required all over Coroheim. As long as the Materia is not blatantly volatile, it's easy for whoever's in charge to decide they'll handle it later."

"Pretty much. I was planning on organizing an investigation into it though. As a Red Mage, I can't let such knowledge remain unknown. Though now, all we have is a sample. I just hope that we can figure out what it does. If the Materia breaks because of the flood, and gets washed downstream, its not just going to disappear. Its going to be scattered to wherever the flood waters go and get deposited wherever it starts dying down, and then who knows how many people will be exposed to it and whatever effects it has? My mission technically hasn't changed, it just got vastly more complicated."
Gods knows the higher ups would probably want her to go after the Materia anyways by her reckoning.

[Hazuki]

Within a few minutes, Markos has the door open again and steps outside, only to run a hand down his face. Those who follow him to take a look are greeted with the site of Ordur half-crushed, with buildings being compacted against the ground, toppled into one another, or else soaked so completely that it wouldn't take much force to tip them over. The ones that still stand do so far away from the field of Materia that...is no longer there. Decaying bodies, weapons, and various pieces of equipment remain in the well-soaked ground, but not a single inch of the crystalline plant remains. If anything, it resembles a field that has been thoroughly harvested.

The only points of light in the devastation that the flood has caused are a street near the center of Ordur, where five lamps hover above the ground and illuminate the area around them. In the distance, the sun sets, leaving the rest of the town illuminated only by starlight.

Hiiro

Hiiro manages to make some decent progress on the automaton while people are preparing to head outside. She just about manages to get the torso set up, as well as the initial joints for what seem to be arms and legs. There's also a set of four joints on the back that she hasn't figured out yet.

Relkana

"An interesting theory." Mylin nods. "Let's hope it doesn't end up in the hands of an unsavory sort."

[Merilan]

Hiiro worked with effort as she started assembling the torso, looking down towards the arms and legs to start to piece out how things fit together and where. When she stared at the back, though, she couldn't help but make her mind wander...

I hope it's wings. A super robot flies through the skies! It's the invincible black fortress... Al-Bhedo Z! Hiiro paused, and shook her head. What're you thinking about, you idiot?!

She packed the craft up again and followed everyone outside, delayed, and... her eyes widened. She cupped her mouth and looked away for a moment, wincing. She hadn't really seen anything like this before... and it didn't feel good at all. "This is horrible... and-- and what happened to the Materia?" her eyes widened. "Did it all wash away...?"

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne had never seen destruction on such a scale. And to think, mere minutes ago, this town was perfectly fine.

The lamp she had lit earlier was the only thing left that wasn't completely destroyed...which meant that now more than ever, she'd have to get all the other lamps lit; she could only hope that they would serve as a symbol of hope for the villagers as they rebuilt the town.

But she couldn't power them all herself, not for any reasonable length of time. The windmill's generator could power them, but she'd need power cells for the generator to charge.

And that still left the questions of where this flood came from and where all the materia went. As much as she wanted to do something, she was just a wandering adventurer here. The captain would probably be heading reconstruction, so Renne stayed back to see what her orders were.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
"..."
She was right. The crystals were all washed away. They had the sample though, so at least they hopefully know what that will do soon. But now...now to try and get a plan going. She turns to the village people
"Ok everyone. Its getting late. So. I doubt its the time to go digging through the ruins to see what salvageable or not. Its dark out, we just had a long and very very painful day, I think its best that we start finding good places to rest, and we will start reconstruction tomorrow when its light out and we can actually see what we're doing better and we're all well-rested for what we have to do tomorrow. Y'know, take this with a fresh mind in the morning. Garlandyne Soldiers! Form a perimeter for their protection and take shifts, I'll also take any able-bodied volunteers willing to fight and shore up the defenses, in the wake of this disaster. Thats all."

[Zwordsman]

Kupo.. How problematic. The town is gone and my mission is bust via nature or magical shenanagans. I'd like to help, I wonder if I can convience the company to take part in the repairs at a subsidized rate. They might if I give them the excuse of keeping track of the area and keeping an eye out for errant materia. Boss could probably work a deal to help rebuild in exchange for a small station for us...Plus I owe Mizy. Zupon ponders to himself.
"Kupo, I don't mind volunteering. Extra eyes can help . It fits in our company agreement with you Kupo."

[Merilan]

Hiiro heaved herself up tiredly and looked to Relkana, before glancing back at the town. She had her plan in mind. "I'm going to help pitch tents up for the displaced, make sure they have a place to sleep for the night." With that, she's flown off to see if there are even any resources to do so, scavenging for sturdy enough branches and planks from demolished houses and finding tarp where they're available. And also keeping an eye for people -- especially children -- who look like they're lost or trying to find someone.

[Skald]

Jack looks out into the devastation, knowing all to well that he could have been out there. He approaches Relkana with eyes staring at the floor.
"Hey, uh, what should I do... to help?"

[Hazuki]

Relkana

Despite her efforts to take command of the townsfolk in the immediate wake of the flood, none of them really seem to be listening to her as they slowly funnel out of the windmill. Many of them just find a spot to sit down in the mud, or stand with their closest relatives, looking over the town in grim despair. At the very least, nobody's panicking, and those few who at first seem alone are brought into other gathered groups.

As Relkana's attention is currently being taken up by Zupon, the representative of a Kos-based company hired to study the Materia, as well as Jack, Markos gives her a significant look that says "We should talk", before retrieving one of the sacks and starting to distribute the fruits among the people.

Hiiro

Hiiro's determination pays off, as she sweeps low over the now-ruins of Ordur and manages to collect sturdy bunches of wood that aren't too heavy, as well as a few old blankets and coats that should be able to provide enough shelter for the warm nights. At least, enough to keep any insects at bay. Now she just needs to find somebody to help set it all up!

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
She considers Zupon and Jack.
"Your a soldier of Garlandyne, are you not, Private? You can join me on first watch for the night. Unless you mean help with setting up places to rest and whatnot or keeping people from wandering off into the night. Which you can do as well. Whatever helps out, keeps things orderly and on track.

And you, what is your name, Moogle? I think I recognize your voice- are you the one who shouted the warning? If so, I commend you for taking the initiative to save the lives of everyone here. Every second counts after all, and I'm glad your volunteering to help once again.

Anyways the reason I want us watching the perimeter is half because I want to discourage people thinking about wandering off into the night with collapsable ruins and stuff that they could trip on scattered everywhere for one reason or another, thing like that, we can't actually stop them but just gently remind them that its dangerous out there and that they could get hurt if they are not careful. The other half is that I'm worried about monsters and bandits. Sure, the flood will have scared them away for now, but the towns still vulnerable, they might come later and attack. The desperate and the lowly will take anything, even the basics as valuables for their own desires, while monsters will just see prey to eat."

[Merilan]

Hiiro's stomach churned a little at the sight, and as much as she wanted to look away, she couldn't. That would be what little Hata would do, looking away down from the rest of Saethyr to pretend that life was just a comfortable kotatsu and opulent bedchamber, with five-course dinners and entertainment all year round, with courtiers and attendants to tend to her every need.

The Aegyl's flight was beleaguered by the time she came back wobblingly, dropping the pieces of wood and the blankets she found that weren't soaked to the bone -- harder than it sounded, to be certain. "Hey, whoever's able, help me set up some shelter for the needy! I've got wood and tarp for tents, able hands over here!" she called out. She also looked around for that tarutaru spellcaster from before, Renne. She could really use her help with mending some of these boards.

[aturtledoesbite]

Watching the people just sit around in despair made Renne feel terrible in the pit of her stomach. For the Angels' sake, she was a princess, darn it! Surely she could do something for these people...!

That captain seemed to be dealing with other matters at the moment, she thought about what the people needed right now. Food was being handled by Markos, it looked like. Water...well, there was more than enough water. Shelter looked to be under the purview of that aegyl Renne had seen helping out earlier. Warmth...that's something she could help with!

The tarutaru began piling up anything that looked flammable and otherwise unusable. It didn't matter if it was dripping wet right now, that would be fixed. Pieces of wood, clumps of straw from the roofs of broken houses, and whatever else she could find. Once it was all together, she took out her staff, pointing it at the pile of refuse. She recalled Phoenix's first tenet, "through fire, bring life"; this was a little bit more literal than usual, but it still applied. With that in mind, Renne channeled magic through the staff, conjuring a stream of flame to light up the night.

I dunno if you want Survival/Perception when I'm not really being picky about what I find, but in case you do, both have the same plus: [roll0]

And I would assume that there's no check for lighting the stuff on fire, but if there is, let me know.

[Hazuki]

Relkana

The Garlandyne soldiers gather around to listen to the Captain's instructions, some of them scattering to secure a perimeter for Ordur, while the others stick close to the civilians to ensure their safety should they attempt to go near the ruins. They do so without complaint.

~

Hiiro

The first person to respond to Hiiro's call is the robe-wearing woman who'd been fighting the Garlandyne soldiers from before, and in her wake come some of the fitter people of Ordur. The night does seem to make it more difficult for them to co-ordinate, but a searing flame soon rises a little down the hill, and, despite heavy clouds of smoke, she spots the tarutaru caster who's lighting it up.

~

Renne

Renne finds it quite difficult to find enough tinder to start the fire at first, considering her small size and a soldier or two warning her about getting too close to the unstable ruins. But, once she gets a fire going, wetter wood starts to burn (Albeit with smoke), and she's able to illuminate the area near the windmill with an amber glow.

[Merilan]

Hiiro remembered the woman from when she just hopped up to the windmill and addressed her; she watched their fight, and she really wouldn't want her fist going into her face... but there was no reason for them to fight. "Okay, let's set them up on this clearing here..." With effort, and recalling what she'd done when going out on outings with the Riskbreakers, she helped set up some shelter for the people of Ordur.

She walked towards the campfire afterwards, wiping her hands off the little splinters with a sigh. "Hey..." she approached the tarutaru summoner. "Thanks for setting the fire up. I'm thinking of finding some barrels to mend so I can put clean water in them. My name's Hiiro, what's yours?"

[aturtledoesbite]

Once the fire's going, Renne finds a decently-sized nearby rock or something to sit on to rest and think. She never was very big on fate, but she wondered if maybe she was meant to be here, in the wake of the flood, to help the village. Maybe this was some sort of "test" or something to see if she even had what it takes to succeed her mother's title.

...Nah, that's stupid. As her little bout of introspection comes to an end, the aegyl from before walks up to her and introduces herself. "Oh, hello, Hiiro. My name is Renne. If you do find any broken barrels or any other small objects, I can try to fix them." If only she could use magic to restore entire buildings...

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana

Despite her efforts to take command of the townsfolk in the immediate wake of the flood, none of them really seem to be listening to her as they slowly funnel out of the windmill. Many of them just find a spot to sit down in the mud, or stand with their closest relatives, looking over the town in grim despair. At the very least, nobody's panicking, and those few who at first seem alone are brought into other gathered groups.

As Relkana's attention is currently being taken up by Zupon, the representative of a Kos-based company hired to study the Materia, as well as Jack, Markos gives her a significant look that says "We should talk", before retrieving one of the sacks and starting to distribute the fruits among the people.


Seeing as Zupon and Jack have their answer and the soldiers are doing their job she goes over to Markos and asks
"You wanted to see me? How can I help, Markos?"
She tries to remember: was Markos the town leader or something? For small villages like this such things were relatively informal so she hoped she remembered it correctly.

[Hazuki]

Markos is finishing up with handing out the last of a sack of freshly-foraged food when Relkana approaches him, and nods in greeting. "I'll be level with you, Relkana, because there's not much choice after this." He nods at what remains of Ordur. "If you want to keep these people believing it's worth going on, you have to be seen helping out with your own two hands. You're not nobility, and that means you're only as good as what you do. Ordering your faceless soldiers around won't count; just another reminder that, even if they survive, they're stuck under the boot of a traitor's army." He folds his sturdy arms over his chest.

[Merilan]

"Yeah... I'll see what we can find," Hiiro nodded, fidgeting. She looked nervous for a bit, before blurting out, "Your-- your magic was... cool." She paused for a moment longer, folding her arms. "Is that like a natural bond you have, with the Moogle, or...?"

She's also scanning around the windmill area for some empty containers that she could create water into. Sure, there was a lot of floodwater around, but having clean, drinkable water was just as necessary.

[aturtledoesbite]

"A-ah, well, uh..."

No one had ever really described Renne's magic as 'cool' before; everyone back at home was familiar with summoning, so it was simply 'passable', at best. Being complimented like this was new. Was the reddish tint on her skin just the flame's glow, or embarrassment?

"The, uh, moogle was just basic summon magic, really; it's like...I'm asking to use a bit of its power for a moment when I cast the spell. There's no special bond there, or anything like that."

Having to be the one to explain this instead of having it explained to her was...different, to be sure.

[Lord Raziere]

Markos is finishing up with handing out the last of a sack of freshly-foraged food when Relkana approaches him, and nods in greeting. "I'll be level with you, Relkana, because there's not much choice after this." He nods at what remains of Ordur. "If you want to keep these people believing it's worth going on, you have to be seen helping out with your own two hands. You're not nobility, and that means you're only as good as what you do. Ordering your faceless soldiers around won't count; just another reminder that, even if they survive, they're stuck under the boot of a traitor's army." He folds his sturdy arms over his chest.

"..."
She just gets helping with the food and setting up the tents without responding. She only feels sorrow as she remembers her days during the war, wordlessly doing all she can, her eyes distant behind the visor, seeing only the blood spilled on both sides in memories, the pain of what she has done, and Markos words hurting her like thorns being dragged through her body.

[Zwordsman]

Running off from the group at large to find a spot in the permiter, Zupon also considers the content of the letter he'll need to write to The Company to explain the situatoin and to try and push for the company to help rebuild. He'll have to phrase it in a way that posits the profits and less the fact that Zupon feels sorry for the people in front of him. Feelings are well and good but they dont' run business. He'll also have to apologise for losing the equipment. Its rather doubtful that his gear survived the wave.

[Hazuki]

Dusk turns into night, and the people of Ordur have been provided with something approaching reasonable for impromptu camp-raising. Many tent-like structures have been raised around the windmill, which, while still bearing wet soil, is the only structure that can still said to be standing. The Garlandyne soldiers re-organize their shift system to account for the sudden change of circumstances, and seem to be handling it well despite any private concerns. The availability of casks of water, as well as food, solve the most immediate concerns.

The children are given priority first, then the elderly, while the fittest of the remaining residents remain awake to fill the tents later, and spend their time setting up more. Zupon finds nothing left of his campsite, making it an almost certainty that he'll have to write a letter of apology to his company, through the lackluster courier system of Garlandyne-occupied Coroheim, no less. Still, by the time those who helped Ordur find themselves worn down by fatigue, there are spaces for them to rest.

~

Hiiro

Hiiro finds herself waking up to a hot breeze (Made only more humid by the lingering floodwaters), morning sun shining through the thin tarp that surrounds her, and the sound of somebody clearing their throat. When she sees fit to open her eyes, she sees Mylin crouched at the entrance to her makeshift tent, seeming fully awake already. Especially noteworthy, considering she didn't spot the woman for most of the night after the flood hit.

"Good morning. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

~

Relkana

When Relkana awakes, it's not due to any sudden disturbance, but the rigorous discipline of her body informing her that now is the time to wake up, the same as any other day. She's allowed to go through her morning rituals and observe the early morning of a new day; it seems as though the children have woken up along with the sunrise, with a few of their parents, and Markos preparing food with them. Although nobody seems happy, the distraction of a semi-normality appears welcome. The adult that are awake also don't seem to be glaring at her, so at least she's not being blamed for the disaster that struck the former farming town.

It would seem that, for the moment, her morning is free to do as she wishes with. It's likely that her soldiers have collected a report of the night's events, as they have every night before, but it dawns on her that the vellum records they've been keeping may have been spoiled by the flood. Just another set of headaches for the day ahead.

One thing she might note is that Masenko has shed her robe, a large tunic for a tall woman, and it's now being used as some shelter for the people of Ordur. With her robes removed, it's much easier to see the inorganic components of the woman's body, thanks to the cloth wraps that serve only her modesty. Both of her arms and shoulders have been replaced with sleek metal, laced with runs at her moving joints, along with some plates that stretch to cover her heart. Her spine seems to have similar armoring, going all the way up until it disappears into her pixie-cut of vibrant red hair.

~

Zupon

Zupon earns himself a good night of sleep while pondering what to do about Ordur's issues, and the townsfolk of Ordur seem perfectly content to let him be. Even the children. Although, once he decides to leave his tent and face the day ahead, he finds himself confronted by the familiar form of Mizy. She's wearing the same clothes as last night, still a little ragged, but she doesn't seem worse for wear.

"Hi." The girl says, then holds out half of a peeled mango, the pit removed and replaced with a few mashed berries, as well as shreds of some kind of herb. "Here's breakfast."

~

Renne

Renne manages to find sleep soon enough, although the heat of Coroheim's night does nothing to put her at ease, compared to the perfectly-moderated temperature of her home and the cold of nights in its countryside. When she wakes, it's to the scent of food being prepared not far away - some of the smells she recognizes from imported goods to the Kos Magiesterium, although she can't quite place them all.

There's a light knocking just outside her tent, as though somebody's knocking on their own torso, and one of the Garlandyne soldiers is waiting outside. "Greetings. The other children a-" The soldier pauses, looking her up and down for a moment. "Apologies for my mistake." She recognizes the voice from the soldier who asked after her health on the way to the windmill the night before. "Enjoy your morning." He says, as he departs on what can only be assumed as his patrol route.

~

Jack

When Jack wakes up, it's to the feeling of aching bones and feeling more tired than he's been throughout most of his life. Having to do actual work really takes its toll on a slacker, especially when his fellow soldiers and Captain are watching him like a hawk to make sure he's doing his job. But at least he's woken up some time before his shift, unless Captain Relkana has a special duty for him.

[Merilan]

Hiiro wound up curled up on the side of one of the tents, her wings furled to her sides. She was... giggling a little at some points, and closer to the morning when Mylin found her, she could be heard sleeptalking a little: "... and then, and then... we'll go on... cool adventures together... and have ice cream..."

She blinked a few times when she heard the throat-clearing, though, and groggily stirred and looked up. "E-eh? Eh?!" Embarrassment scored her cheeks together as she blurt out, "W-what's the big idea, just walking into here like this, geez?!" She pulled her jacket -- which had been tossed ontop of her -- closer to herself out of some... measure of self-awareness, and pouted heavily as she slipped it on, huff. Then her voice lost its edge as she admitted: "I didn't see you last night, I'm glad you're still around..."

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Mylin blinks at Hiiro's initial outburst of indignant sputtering, though a smile does tease the corner of her lips at the Aegyl's last sentence. "That's pleasant to hear. I secluded myself in the windmill, so that I would have time to prepare for my journey." She shifts her weight and adjusts her cloak from her crouching position. "I...don't believe there's much reason for me to remain in Ordur, but you're something of a promising prospect."

[Merilan]

Hiiro sagged just a little... and tilted her head. "A--a promising prospect?" She couldn't keep the flush out of her cheeks as she glanced aside, scratching it for a moment. "Well, I'm also glad you think so, but... ah, do you want your construct back, then? I didn't have enough time to finish it with everything else going on, after all..."

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne sighed a bit as the soldier walked off. All of the taller races tended to treat tarutaru like children. She was as much an adult as anyone else here!...well, barely. Technically. The details aren't important anyway.

What was important was that she smelled food. She wasn't as hungry as yesterday, after the mango Markos gave her, but she wasn't going to turn down something cooked if they were offering. Renne went out to check where the smell was coming from.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"Not at all. I'd like you to keep working on it, and contact me when it's finished." Mylin replies, as she watches Hiiro like a hawk. "I don't expect you to work on it all day, but perhaps in those shards of time between work and sleep..."

~

Renne

It's not difficult for Renne to find where the smells are coming from, as she spots a scattered group of children surrounding Markos and a few other adults. He seems to have gathered a few sacks of fruit, some wooden bowls, and a large cloth to work on, along with a fire drawn from the one she created last night. Many of the children have already received their breakfasts, along with re-using a bowl set by the water caskets to drink. The scents seem even more enticing, despite the fact that being fed with them might reinforce the ignorance of some townsfolk.

[Merilan]

Hiiro dithered a little, shoulders lifting at the way Mylin was staring at her. What? What? Was there something on her cheek? She glanced aside. "O-of course I'd do it. But, where should I meet you to hand it in if you're leaving?"

[aturtledoesbite]

Did they keep the fire burning all night? Renne hoped they at least had someone watch over it; then again, everything was probably too damp to let the fire spread on accident.

As for the food, it did smell good...no! She had to keep at least some dignity! She went over there regardless...because maybe Markos had an idea of what she could do to help out. That's it. Yes.

"Good morning. How is everything holding up?"

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
She gets up, spends time to put on her armor and cloak properly then clanks out of her resting spot. She avoids breakfast for now. While she was refreshed, there was also the specter of that reminder last night still hiding in some small place in her heart, and she would need to hear reports before anything else. She was a soldier first and foremost, if that meant getting up and hearing reports before breakfast, so be it, her stomach could deal with it. She walks to them and asks
"Privates, your reports of last night?"
She notes Masenko's extensive modifications and knows that some people back in Garlandyne would've been looking at Masenko in horror. She could hear the imaginary magic purists saying "how could she replace so much of herself? why defile the divine natural bodies the gods gave us?" or "is she even truly herself anymore?" things like that even now. She decides not to voice or dwell on them though, even if she herself could not imagine herself replacing any part of her with unfeeling metal. She still had a life to live, and metal belonged on armor not in her bones. Maybe even find that special Gria someday, metal limbs would mess with her looks, that is a story for another day.

[Zwordsman]

Smiling at her, the little plum bobbing a bit. "Hiya Kupo. Thank you. You and your mother ate right?" Zupon asks nibbling a little. "How did you two sleep?"

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Mylin reaches into her hand and retrieves a small white ring, smooth and perfectly circular. A series of runes seem to run along the inside of the ring, cast in pale green as the light reflects off of them. "This is a ring that," She pauses. "This is a ring of camaraderie. As long as you wear it, I will be able to find you. Spend a moment to focus on the ring, and mine will summon me."

~

Renne

Markos offers a brief smile to Renne as she wanders over to him and the other adults cooking for Ordur's children. "Good morning. Everything is good, for the moment - I'm sharing my recipes with Lang and Tiri." He places a hand on the arm of the shorter, older man sitting beside him, who's currently cutting through some ripe dragonfeuit. "If all goes well, they'll teach some of the others while I lead a foraging team."

~

Relkana

The soldier reporting to Relkana is Private Igrid, an Elvaan woman with closely-cropped blue hair. "Captain. There is nothing significant to report. A small group of hungry reptiles disturbed one patrol, but they were swiftly dispatched. Privates Rolt and Milban discouraged one Monra Wolts and her young associates from attempting to recover personal belongings from the town. And Private Olra raised the concern of the corpses that are now visible in the former fields of Materia." From her past experience with Private Igrid, Relkana knows that she has a good memory and solid problem-solving capabilities, and has been a loyal citizen of Garlandyne from birth.

~

Zupon

"Yes." Mizy confirms without nodding. "The floor was wet, but there weren't any bugs, so it was fine." She takes a few moments to watch the Moogle nibble on the fruit before speaking again. "Mum wants to recover things from the library, but the idiots won't let people in." She pointedly points at one of the Garlandyne patrols (Of two soldiers) in the distance.

[Merilan]

Hiiro looked more than a little taken aback, both at being given such a fancy-looking ring, and what it meant-- "W--wait, wait, you're going really fast here, aren't you?! I mean, it's just been a day--" Her eyes spun for a moment, before she paused and cleared her head and her throat at about the same time. "I--I mean, of course I'll take this ring of... of... camaraderie."

You could just hear the phrase 'I made a friend!! Friend... friend... friend...~' echo through her head as she lapsed back into that semi-dreamy state.

[Zwordsman]

"Hmm? That's odd. I wonder if the construction is dangerous." Finishing nibbling a bit, and plopping the rest of the berries in Mizy's hands for her to eat, "I'll go ask, maybe I can help. Knowledge is useful after all; oft forgotten as well."

Following that Zupon packs up his items, and walks over towards the patrols; upon getting closer he motions for Mizy to direct upon him which of the two disallowed it. "Excuse me, I'd like to ask about the library situation, "

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana

The soldier reporting to Relkana is Private Igrid, an Elvaan woman with closely-cropped blue hair. "Captain. There is nothing significant to report. A small group of hungry reptiles disturbed one patrol, but they were swiftly dispatched. Privates Rolt and Milban discouraged one Monra Wolts and her young associates from attempting to recover personal belongings from the town. And Private Olra raised the concern of the corpses that are now visible in the former fields of Materia." From her past experience with Private Igrid, Relkana knows that she has a good memory and solid problem-solving capabilities, and has been a loyal citizen of Garlandyne from birth.


Relkana
"Well its morning now. Its light out, so they can go and do what they wish, just remind them that while they can go and pick through the ruins, that they have to be careful, the structures probably aren't stable. I don't care how unnecessary anyone thinks such warnings are, I want everyone to be cautious about this.

As for the corpses, what is Olra's concern exactly? If it is about burial rites, I will discuss the matter with Arkos personally."

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne watched the 'chefs' as they worked, most definitely not because the food smelled good. Hmm...maybe she could turn this into an opportunity.

"Could I help with the cooking, then?"

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Mylin watches the Aegyl's gradual descent into normalcy, then nods her head and holds the ring out to her. "Please treat it with care. and be wary of thieves." She instructs the young woman. "Have you any questions, before I depart?"

~

Zupon

Mizy looks at the berries that have been passed to her and, as she walks with Zupon, places them near a small group of birds that have perched nearby. She points him towards two of the soldier although it's quite difficult to distinguish the helmeted private.

"Greetings." The tall private greets the Moogle calmly. "The buildings are potentially unstable, and none may enter the ruins for their own safety. This is standard procedure, and may only be overruled by Captain Vanstar."

~

Relkana

Private Igrid nods her head at Relkana's order. "Private Olra is concerned that the sight may disturb any townsfolk that near the hills."

~

Renne

"The more the merrier." Markos nods, and Tiri pats the spot beside her with a calloused hand. "We'll be making breakfast for the rest of the town soon. Same meal as the children, just more for bigger bellies. Tiri, can you show Renne how we do it?"

Tiri nods and pulls a bowl over to Renne. "Ah, the morning got spent washing the fruit, so you needn't worry..." The woman informs her, as she starts to show Renne how to prepare the meals. Twenty minutes later, she knows how to prepare some basic fruit-based meals, and has been allowed to treat herself with one of the delicious treats.

[Merilan]

Hiiro's cheeks were still red as she gazed over the ring, before nodding and pulling her glove off to put it on her ring finger, before lapping it with the leatherwear once more. "There, now it's secure. And-- uh, where are you headed now, then...?"

[Skald]

When Jack wakes up he finds something to eat, then looks for Masenko; something she said had been bothering him and he wanted to get it off his chest.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"I will be headed to my private sanctum, where I'll be able to study the Materia in peace." Mylin answers, shifting her position in a way that says "I'm going to be standing up soon". "I realize that's not a particularly satisfying answer."

~

Jack

It's relatively easy to find Masenko, considering her height and the significant amount of metal covering her body. He spots her peering over the Materia fields, eyes searching for something in the now-barren area.

[Zwordsman]

"I see. Thank you. I shall go put a request in with the Captain." Zupon expresses thanks for the concise explaination, then elects to go find the Captain to put in a request. Upon finding Captain Vanstar, he waits off to the side until it appears he has time to talk to Zupon.


Zupon's Request
"Excuse me Captain Vanstar. I would like permission to access the library in order to assess the structural damage, and if possible to either repair or perserve some of the more important works to the city. THey survived the war, it would be a shame for it to be loss now. Additionally, for a portion of the city it may provide for a moral boost; at worst if the building is reliable it would provide some shelter. It wasn't very far from the windmill, with any luck the damage is within my means to repair."

[Merilan]

Hiiro couldn't help but giggle a little, perhaps her usual complaint of 'that doesn't explain anything!' pre-empted for once. "Um, no, that's fine. You're totally a my-own-pace kind of lady, like someone else I know. I hope you find out something neat about that Materia."

She pulled her boots up and laced them up, before hopping to her feet. "I'm going to go see if anyone needs help. I'll..." She paused, and then picked at her hair embarrassedly. "I'll see you later?"

[Lord Raziere]

Zupon's Request
"Excuse me Captain Vanstar. I would like permission to access the library in order to assess the structural damage, and if possible to either repair or perserve some of the more important works to the city. THey survived the war, it would be a shame for it to be loss now. Additionally, for a portion of the city it may provide for a moral boost; at worst if the building is reliable it would provide some shelter. It wasn't very far from the windmill, with any luck the damage is within my means to repair."

She nods at Private Olra's concern.
"Good work Private Igrid, your dismissed."
She then turn to Zupon.
"Hm. Very well. I grant you my permission. See what you can do about it."
Relkana then walks over to get some breakfast then takes a seat with Arkos.
"Arkos. One of my solders raised a concern about the corpses in the wake of the flood. I think it would be best if we start planning out funeral rites. Best we honor and mourn the dead as soon as possible. I'll help out personally of course. Though for some reason he specifically said something about corpses in the former materia fields. Don't see why. Though if I recall correctly there was a battle at this town right? During the war? Did anyone from then get buried at the time?"

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"As do I." Mylin steps back to allow Hiiro to pull her boots on, and gives a brief nod at her farewell. "I'm certain you will. Good luck with...whatever it is you decide to do. Farewell." She inclines her head to the Aegyl, then turns on her heel and pulls the hood of her cloak over her head.

With Mylin subtly striding away from the tents, Hiiro is left with a decent view of the area. Renne, the fire-making magician from the night before, is helping Markos and a few villagers make breakfast - although they've been approached by Captain Vanstar. The private who got his nose broken by Masenko, the woman who now owes her a favor, is approaching said woman - whose robe has been shed and whose cybernetic arms and spine are now bared to the warm morning wind.

~

Relkana & Renne

The townsfolk sitting beside Markos moves out of the way to let Relkana sit beside him, and the bearded man turns his attention to her. "Relkana. There was a battle, although I don't think many of the good folk here would call it that. I wasn't here at the time, either. But from what I know...your people toppled The Giving Hand and slaughtered the soldiers below the hills. By the time Garlandyne got around to cleaning up the mess, that...Materia started to grow, and that took precedence." He keeps working with his hands, preparing another hollowed-out dragonfruit that he hands over to one of the waiting folk of Ordur. "Now that the Materia's gone, we can see the corpses."

[Merilan]

Hiiro peeled out of her tent and waved at Mylin as she headed off, and then sighed and smacked herself on the cheeks hard, twice. "Okay, let's do this, no time to huff or anything!"

She paced along to where everyone else is and waved, perhaps unusually a little more chipper than she was yesterday. Did something good happen? "Good morning!" she sat down by the fire near Renne and said, "Do you guys still need help with breakfast? I could help take things down to some of the shelters if you needed..."

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana
"So.....nobody got buried. And the weird materia....did it grow anywhere else aside from around the corpses?"
She was starting to form a hunch about this materia. And she didn't like where it lead. Nevertheless, she had to confirm the suspicions forming in her mind. She took a few more bites of her breakfast.

[Hazuki]

"No." Markos answers plainly, as he takes some peeled fruit from a woman beside him. "Simmy mentioned it had something to do with magic in the blood," He places that fruit, and a few others, in a warm pan before him. "But I doubt that it matters now."

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana quickly finishes up her breakfast.
"Doesn't matter anymore my left foot! If this Simmy is right, then people could start growing crystals from senseless slaughter of people using magic! And that is wrong, no matter what benefits this materia brings. Though I doubt its effects are positive. Anything that comes from slaughter and blood spilt like that, is dark magic. And now its washed away, to who knows where."
This just became more than just the problems of one village. She got up.
"I will be investigating the corpses of the materia fields myself. I need to confirm this."
She starts marching off to the former materia fields. Unlike him, she had more than the concerns of one village to worry about.

[Merilan]

Hiiro couldn't help but overhear the conversation just on the other side of the flame, frowning quietly. "U-ugh... I wonder if that was why Mylin--" A pause, as she just realised, looking to Relkana. "Oh, by the way, she's off just now to go study it. That's fine, right? Even if we ask her to wait she'll just bluntly tell us she doesn't know anything about it anyway. I've got a way to call her when needed."

She picked up and put her hands to her pocket. "Also, I'll come with you, if you don't mind. You could use a hand, right?"

[Lord Raziere]

"Yes, thanks I could use a hand. As for Mylin- she is doing as expected of her, so. Yes. That is fine. Help is always welcome, Hiiro 'Huff' Hatsuzuki."
She said with a small smile. She heard Hiiro huff enough times during the night to tell that it was a tic with her.

[Merilan]

Hiiro blinked, and-- and then stammered out of her good mood already, "I-- hey, don't come up with weird nicknames for people you just met! H-huff!" Before pausing and realising she's just validated Relkana. She sulked and folded her arms.

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne watches Tiri cook, slowly getting the hang of the recipe. She'd never really put any serious effort into cooking before (why would she need to?), but it was actually a little fun once she got into it.

Then the aegyl, Hiiro, came by. "Oh, good morning, Hiiro." Renne was about to continue, but it seemed the other conversation grabbed the winged girl's attention. Renne didn't say anything to add to it, but she had to admit, the whole issue with the materia intrigued her. She thought back to see if she had learned about anything that might explain things.

Knowledge: Arcana to see if Renne knows anything about 'magic in the blood' or said blood causing materia to grow or anything like that: [roll0]

[Hazuki]

Renne

Renne definitely knows about magical ability running in bloodlines, and through creatures - the Tarutaru themselves have natural resistance to magic, and even the dullest of their numbers can feel other magic in the air. She's read a few papers on affinities for particular types of magic running through families, and one pointing out that Viera would have severe back problems from their fondness for high heels were it not for a curious blessing among their kind.

As for Materia growth, the current widespread theory on Materia is that it's a fungus-like mineral that grows when exposed to magic for extend periods of time. It reproduces through absorbing enough magic that it grows and creates another, lesser form of itself, but Materia "spores" are sometimes found and, with enough magic, start to form proper Materia.

[aturtledoesbite]

Recalling the spore theory, Renne felt the need to correct the captain. She spoke up from where she was, replying, "Excuse me, ma'am! I don't think that it's 'dark magic' or anything sinister like that." She considered making the argument that there was no such thing, that magic was just magic and it was the application of it that caused positive or negative effects, but Renne didn't really want to go into that discussion right now. "It's possible that the magically-infused blood -- which could have resulted from any number of methods -- just provided the proper conditions for the materia to grow, and the flood washed away all the blood, and with it, the materia."

As she said it, Renne noticed Masenko's magitek grafts. If augmented soldiers like her were involved in the battle that took place, that'd definitely explain where the magical blood came from.

[Zwordsman]

With permission granted. Zupon returns to the library "Ok Mizy. You stay outside in case alright Kupo?"

Zupon will spend the next while to access the structure and conditions of the building.

[Lord Raziere]

Recalling the spore theory, Renne felt the need to correct the captain. She spoke up from where she was, replying, "Excuse me, ma'am! I don't think that it's 'dark magic' or anything sinister like that." She considered making the argument that there was no such thing, that magic was just magic and it was the application of it that caused positive or negative effects, but Renne didn't really want to go into that discussion right now. "It's possible that the magically-infused blood -- which could have resulted from any number of methods -- just provided the proper conditions for the materia to grow, and the flood washed away all the blood, and with it, the materia."


"Your right, but there are still such things as demons, necromancy, dark knights, rituals where the acts to make the magic happen are inherently wrong. A bunch of people being senselessly slaughtered is not an act that influences magic in a positive direction. It corrupts. Materia and their abilities do not form at random. My armor has Cure materia. My sword has Darkness materia. They are apart of my equipment of the army, and they were made with certain methods replicable. The conditions of how the materia made determine what their abilities are. I shudder to think what materia forms from the slaughter of so many people, infused with their blood, their dying moments of fear, anger, confusion, grief.

And even if the effects are "positive", Renne, the fact of the matter is that its still made from the slaughtered blood of people dying in droves, and no positive benefit of such Materia is worth killing so many if its the only way this materia and its effect can be made. Yet people being people, might try to make some by such methods anyways. I can't let that happen, and so I cannot leave whether your right or not to chance."
The existence of war itself was proof enough that people were willing to kill thousands just to get more resources and land. She didn't stop marching towards the field, or even turn to look at Renne. She had to confirm it for herself, well-known academic knowledge or not, science was done when you tested an actually went and found proof with your own eyes, not just accepted the experts knowledge blindly. Her own guilt wouldn't let her stop anyways.

[Hazuki]

Relkana, Renne, & Hiiro

Their view of the fields is dominated by the familiar toppled statue of Barbaricia, covered in cracks from toppling into the fields, and with gaping holes on various parts, from which some of Garlandyne's forces had emerged. Now that the Materia is gone, they're treated to the sight of a vast swathe of Coroheim corpses, clad for battle, and many of them decomposed in the humid air. All of them are still clad in armor and wielding their weapons, which have lasted much like the statue itself, where their bodies had not. Yet not a single shard of Materia remains.

~

Zupon

The library doesn't seem to have survived very well - while the construction was sturdy, the crushing waters of the flood caused the roof to collapse, and with them a corner, then two walls. The entrance seems relatively intact, but slightly warped by the destabilization of the rest of the building. The stone base seems to be about the only thing that's almost intact.

"Why do you keep saying Kupo?" Mizy asks, pointedly.

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne gave a forlorn sigh. Every now and then, the House had to deal with people like this who decried certain kinds of magic (or all magic, if they were particularly bold) as being 'dark' or 'evil' or any number of unkind descriptors. Almost as bad were the people who espoused certain magic as 'good', though at least they tended to not form mobs. Neither of them actually tended to listen when people tried to explain to them otherwise.

As the captain walks away, Renne turned to Markos, quietly saying, "If you'll excuse me..." Renne follows, mainly out of an interest of not letting the captain act on her prejudices vis a vis magic.

When they reach the battlefield, Renne has to turn away. The years had certainly not been kind to the bodies. Still, it wasn't nearly as grotesque as her brother's 'projects' had been. She scanned over the field, looking for any trace of magic that might remain.

Using Detect Magic.

[Hazuki]

Renne detects numerous magical blips spread across the battlefield, although none of them are particularly potent - it's quite likely that they're the objects soldiers were carrying with them, whether weapons or otherwise.

[Skald]

Jack carefully approaches Masenko.
"Uh... hey." He begins. "Yesterday- when you called me a murderer... I- That's not who I am. Ending your life was never my intent... but- I was wrong. I underestimated you, and had you been as careless as I, I'd probably be dead right now- and I could have just as easily overestimated you, which would have led to the same fate for yourself. There was more than enough bloodshed during the war, no need to add more."
Jack lets out a slight chuckle. "I guess Relkana's starting to rub off on me."

[Hazuki]

Masenko first turns to face Jack with nothing less than a glare, her remaining muscles tightening. By the end of it, her eyes haven't quite relaxed - but they do seem to avoid looking at him. "Yes, well...don't do it again." She tells him, then runs a hand through her short-cut hair. "Is that, uh, all or can I get back to..." She glances at a large piece of wooden debris in her left hand. "Stuff?"

[Merilan]

Hiiro swept down along with Renne, not feeling like she could really inch to Relkana's speech about dark magic. She... really didn't feel like she understood enough of the situation here to really know whether the Materia borne from the bloodshed was intentional or not. Maybe Mylin's research could shed a clue on what really happened.

"I'm headed down too," Hiiro declared, and decided to just keep her eyes peeled out while Renne investigated in a more magical manner.

[roll0]

[Skald]

Jack gives Masenko a curious look. "Yeah, I'll leave you to... what ever it is you're doing out here. I should report to Relkana anyway."
Jack proceeds to find Relkana.

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Hiiro's search leads her to discover a great many things. One is that most of the corpses haven't been stripped of any of their equipment, and while most of them are equipped with valuable weaponry (Gunblades among them), as well as advanced Coroheim armor, some have accessories. Pouches with a capsule or two, fresh despite their conditions. Curious conch-shaped devices that poke out of their packs. Boots with half-retracted weaponry. While some of these items are broken beyond apparent repair, most are simply scattered - yet she still can't spot a single scrap of Materia. Another discovery is that decomposing bodies are incredibly pungent, and best avoided at all costs.

Now that she can see it in the clear daylight, she also notices that the soil is very slightly tinted red. Probably best not to think of why.

~

Jack

Jack finds it relatively easy to spot Relkana, considering her wings, horns, and Officer's outfit. She's standing at the edge of the Materia fields, looking at them alongside a child and an Aegyl taking flight.

[Merilan]

Hiiro made a little face as she considered the facts; she didn't have any filtration at her nose for the awful smell or anything, but she couldn't just let up. It was also not really her place to, um, loot the bodies... it'd be terribly disrespectful. But she couldn't help but note the presence of gunblades amidst the mix. It made her feel a bit foolish to be so stubborn about an old, junky model Katarina discovered in a ruin years ago when... well, modern ones are in use. But she'd kind of gotten really attached to the junker, however clumsy it is.

"I can't find any Materia at all," Hiiro announced, loud enough for both Relkana and Renne to hear once she swept back from her reconnaissance. "It's kind of odd. I'd expect -- well, some of them to get stuck, or not roll about as much... given that everything else seems to still be here. Is that particularly odd to you, Renne? Like, I'm sure they don't... dissolve in water..."

She kind of sounded like she was drawing to a kind of realisation, then blurted out, "How-- how clingy to magic is Materia? Like -- like if the flood was a magical flood, would the Materia just stick to it? Markos said as much this wasn't any natural disaster."

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne shakes her head. "It wouldn't stick to magic or anything like that. But...I don't think they really stick to what they're growing off of, either, so they might have just been loose enough to be carried out by the force of the water? I'm not really sure about that, though..."

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana kneels own and tries to check in depth as she looks into the magic in the area. Maybe Renne was right. But there was a school of thought that one should be careful and responsible with magical power. White magic and Black Magic were not the same, and being a Red Mage, she knew that more than anyone. They had different feelings and uses, and had to be wielded with responsibility but in different ways. It was not as simple as all magic being the same and free to use as one wished. Black Mages had the responsibility to not use fire magic to burn down villages. Similarly any magic user had the responsibility to not sacrifice innocent lives to power their magic. Garlandyne's academies taught her that much, if not the war.


Use Detect Magic and roll:
Knowledge Arcana: [roll0]+6

[Hazuki]

Relkana detects numerous magical blips spread across the battlefield, although none of them are particularly potent - it's quite likely that they're the objects soldiers were carrying with them, whether weapons or otherwise.

[Merilan]

Hiiro patted her head for a moment in thought. "I guess... it seems-- it just seems so convenient that this flood managed to wipe away every single last bit of Materia away. I guess the only way we'll know is to follow the flood down, though."

[Zwordsman]

"mm?" Refraining from saying Kupo now that it has been pointed out, Zupon responds, "Well.. I suppose its a natural habit? I grew up hearing it, and everyone I know was the same. Plus it is kind of fun to say."
Writing some notes down about the library's structure damage and pinning it to the outside. "Sadly the library will take some work, Mitzy don't let your mother in side until its fixed ok? Don't go inside either of course."

Scanning the town a bit, "I wonder if there is anything else I can help with.. For now I should write a letter to my bosses and have someone going for supplies drop it off in the next town. Someone ought to be making that trip fairly often soon. I'll ask the Captain later. Kupoo" Thinking so, he finds a nice spot and beginnins to write a letter.

[Skald]

Jack 'reports' to Relkana.
"Alright, I'm here. What's going on? What needs to be done and all?"

[Hazuki]

Zupon

Mizy looks between Zupon and the library a few times before slumping a little. "Uh huh." She then leaves the Moogle to write his letter, meandering back to the main encampment that's housing Ordur's former inhabitants.

[Lord Raziere]

Jack 'reports' to Relkana.
"Alright, I'm here. What's going on? What needs to be done and all?"

Relkana is silent for a moment. If all evidence was truly washed away, then this was a dead end and pointless. She hates it when that happens. She stands back up.
"We begin funeral rites. There is nothing here that could help us with the Materia's nature. Once that is done, we build sufficient shelter to get the town back to some semblance of functionality which probably take some time, but after that I'm thinking of starting a search team to go forth and find the Materia. Our mission is to guard it, and we cannot stay here forever on the excuse that its no longer here to guard, or say that its not our problem just because a flood washed it away. Once the town is on its way to recovery we have to go look for it."
She turns and starts walking back to Markos. When she gets to him she asks.
"There was nothing there that could tell me anything. How should we carry out the funeral rites? I assume that any Coroheim corpses found, you want handed over to you to do the rites in the Coroheim fashion?"

[Merilan]

Hiiro kept close to the others, though her thoughts were a little occupied again. "I'm a bit worried there's a time component here... if the flood really was premeditated, then I'd expect whoever caused it to be ready to receive the Materia wherever they washed up. If we wait too long, our trail could go cold..."

She made a face. "But that's not really an excuse to leave the town alone. I'm--" She glanced aside. "Trained to do rites like funerals, but I doubt you'd want your dead to be carried out under Saethyr's rites... it's up to you."

[Hazuki]

Relkana

Markos, away from the breakfast-making group when Relkana returns to him, turns to face her slowly. "Traditionally, the bodies are wrapped in cloth, then taken and tied in a tomb to the North. I won't be able to handle hundreds of corpses, no matter how much they deserve the respect." He says.

[Lord Raziere]

"......Are you literal minded or something? Because there is a community who probably wants to help with the rites, and thats who I meant, and you seem to be the one who most consistently seems to be the one from here who talks to me and speaks for them so...."

[Hazuki]

Markos stares at Relkana for a few moments, then shakes his head. "These people just dealt with their homes being destroyed. They lived through the battle that stained their fields, stole their livelihood, and helped decapitate the country they believed in. Now you're asking them to carry and prepare the rotting corpses of hundreds their countrymen through unguarded roads with only the clothes on their backs. If you're heartless enough to ask that of them, try it - but I'm not going to do your dirty work."

[Lord Raziere]

Markos stares at Relkana for a few moments, then shakes his head. "These people just dealt with their homes being destroyed. They lived through the battle that stained their fields, stole their livelihood, and helped decapitate the country they believed in. Now you're asking them to carry and prepare the rotting corpses of hundreds their countrymen through unguarded roads with only the clothes on their backs. If you're heartless enough to ask that of them, try it - but I'm not going to do your dirty work."

"Oh sorry, I would've thought that you'd want to get rid the corpses around you before rebuilding your village as well as pay your respects to the people who died in your defense, as well as do such funeral rites properly in the way you and your fellow countrymen would've liked rather than letting Garlandyne soldiers do whatever they want with them, or do you not care about them now that they're gone? Your going to have to get rid of the corpses eventually if you want your village back up and running again, and doing something to improve your situation is better than doing nothing, and its not as the Garlandyne soldiers I command are near the total numbers of the people here. If you want to get things done, you need everyone working, compassion is good up until the point that its an excuse to not do anything."
She is really starting to get tired of Markos's attitude.
"We need to cooperate, and I've only been doing all I can to offer anything I can do to help, and all you've said in return is criticize every suggestion I make as if its hopeless, as if I'm some sort of demon when I'm just trying to help. What is the problem?"

[Merilan]

You could kind of see Hiiro inching away in that kind of careful strafe left when someone detected an awkward conversation they didn't want to be part of, and she's rather glad neither of them paid attention to her. While Relkana had a point, it wasn't like the piles of bodies hadn't been around Ordur for an extended period of time anyway; the only difference was that the Materia field helped to mask it. There's got to be something I can do to guide their focus right now... hmm...

She took a breath, and then decided.

"I'm gonna go after the Materia," she declared, turning around to face Renne and hoping that the tarutaru girl had similar ideas. "The Materia's really critical to Ordur's sustainability, right? And sooner or later, we'd need to talk to the neighbouring villages and towns and see if they can come to Ordur's aid anyway, I'll spread the word along the way. I'm not a Garlandyne soldier, I'm not beholden to a post, and I can fight monsters outside, I might as well be the one to do that."

It felt uncomfortable to be in this position, given she felt like she was acting impulsive again... but at the same time, Hiiro felt it was the right thing to do. "You wanna come with me, Renne? I could really use your magic and knowledge."

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne's size played to her advantage as she stepped away from the bickering couple. She supposed she could make the offer to cremate the corpses with Phoenix's holy flames, but it didn't sound like that was a standard practice here...and it probably wouldn't help the villagers' morale right after their town got destroyed.

She was thinking about the situation when Hiiro voiced her plans and request. Requesting the aid of other villages...that would be wise. And it's something that Renne could help with; more so than being an amateur cook or a living flint-and-steel would, anyway. "Alright. When are you planning on leaving?"

[Hazuki]

Relkana

"The problem is that you're treating these people like they're from Garlandyne." Markos replies, completely satisfying Hiiro's thoughts that she's being ignored. "They can't lock away every emotion to march to the next order - they need hope, and that's in very short supply right now. I want to make sure they have shelter, enough food to last, and that none of them run off to join the rebels. That's a task that requires the whole town, and it isn't nothing just because you can't see why it matters."

"When all of that is assured? Then we'll see about seeing to the bodies. If you want it done sooner, then bring me food, shelter, wagons, enough cloth and rope for the bodies, and another platoon of soldiers to guard the group that's guiding the dead to their graves."

[Merilan]

"As soon as possible, I want to make use of all the daylight," Hiiro answered after giving it some thought. "We should get some provisions before we go, and a map, I can't really say I was really following one on the way here..."

[Zwordsman]

Upon finishing his letter; updating the Corp with what occured, the strangness of it, and taking care to emphesis that helping the folks would create a good chance to strengthen ties with clients in the future and with the kingdom--Hoping they will aid, Zupon heads off to find the Captain or some other soilder to see about having the next runner reporter take it when they send for supplies and the like.

Seeing the rather...intense... discussion he feels a bit awkward about intruding and making the request just yet. Hearing talk of the materia-something his company was interested in he thought he should perhaps get involved.

"Kupo, Excuse me young lady. The direction the flood went and the water disappearign rapidly, there is also the possibliity it seeped into the partially unexplored mines. After I put forth a request I would be happy to help look, it is one of the reasons for my assignment here. Depending on what is left at my encampment I may have my sketches.. Although it wasn't above the flood level."

[Merilan]

Hiiro looked a bit surprised and glanced head-level, before realising there was no one there; she glanced down and tried to not have the reaction she usually had when she saw Moogles.


"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE omigosh you're adorable let me just hug you some more!!!"

She paused... and cleared her throat, blinking a few times and glancing aside. "Um-- the water disappeared rapidly? I admit, I wasn't around to see where it went... you think it-- went into the nearby mines?" Her eyes widened a little, but that would follow suit with something fishy happening ever since the flood hit. "That does sound like it's worth investigating... oh-- I'm Hiiro, by the way."

She extended her hand with a quiet smile that soft belied the horrifying nature of a Moogle ultranerd within.

[Zwordsman]

Noting Hiiro's expression-one he has encountered occasionally in the past, inwardly sighing. It was usually quicker to get that out of the way and not allow it to be a distraction for work.
"The mines are just a possibility, the water has to go somewhere, assuming it was real water. THe mines are lower, gravity and all. Kupo. I'm Zupon. and yes you can feel my fur or wings, but don't touch my fuzpompom Kupo! "
Shuffling and pulling out his letter, "Before we depart, I need this couried out of town ultimately to my bosses. It is an update and a request. That appears to be a heated discussion; not one I'd like to interrupt."

[Hazuki]

Over by the windmill, Masenko can be seen being approached by a small group of teenagers. All of them are clad in the somewhat tattered clothes that most of Ordur wears - jackets, dresses, tops and caps, remnants of happier time sin Coroheim. Only a few seem to wear the basic tunics and leggings that Garlandyne has provided. They all wear smiles on their faces, as they look up to the woman (Although it seems like most people have to anyway), and seem to be asking her questions. The large woman shifts uneasily on her feet, answering their questions with frequent glances at the door.

[Merilan]

Hiiro looked incredibly contrite, right away, as she jerked back instinctively. Oh my god, I didn't come across like some sort of pervy stalker, didn't I? Aaaaaah!!

She cleared her throat embarrassedly, and said, "N--no, no! I mean-- that'd be rude, I have some sense of privacy, geez!" She picked at her hair again and glanced back at Relkana and Markos. "Yeah, I'm gonna steer clear of those two until they calm down a bit. But--um, actually..."

She thought for a moment about how Masenko said she'd owe her a favour, and gestured to Zupon if he wanted to follow her. She approached the cloaked woman to wave and go, "Hey, Masenko, wasn't it? I don't know if you heard, but I was gonna arrange a party to go out and find the Materia and call for help from nearby villages. I was wondering if you wanted to go with us...?"

[Hazuki]

Masenko is not currently wearing her robe.

She is a 6'+ Hume woman, with dark skin and vibrant red hair cut short. She has a muscular build, with two magitek arms (With shoulders), one of which extends over her heart, and a magitek spine. These are made visible by her current attire of a cloth wrapping around her breasts, with some leggings and a pair of boots.

The teenagers around Masenko glance at the sudden new arrival, but seem to recognize Hiiro from her efforts last night. "Let's leave them to it?" One teen, wearing a poofy cap recommends, and the others agree.

"Thank you for the tent!" A teen with a long jacket wrapped around her waist tells the Aegyl, walking backwards with the rest of the group. "Love oyu, Knight Masenko!"

"Oh, uh, farewell." Masenko gives a one-armed bow to the group, which they seem to appreciate, then turns to loom over Hiiro with a faint blush on her cheeks. In sharp contrast to the night before, there's no dirt on her face, and her hair's clean, too - it almost makes her seem youthful. "Get help?" She asks, as she rubs the back of her head with a rune-covered hand. "That sounds fine." And her answer hangs in the air, seeming like it might continue, but never actually doing so.

[Merilan]

Hiiro blushed as well to go, "Huh? Oh -- geez, I couldn't just leave you guys without a roof to sleep under!" as the teens run off, then she smiled and looked back to the bionic-armed woman, putting her hands on her waist. "They like you a lot, huh? You're like an idol to them, Knight Masenko," she said with a bit of a teasing grin to it. She, at the very least, has had... enough exposure to tech to not really feel the need to flinch, even if Masenko's cybernetic implements are far more extensive than anything she'd seen with the Riskbreakers and their time around.

[Hazuki]

"I-I," Masenko's eyes flick to the fading figures of the teens. "Yes, I mean, it's only...understandable, they don't really see(?) Knights, and not any more, because of, yes, the war and everything..." The large woman bites her bottom lip, and looks back at the Aegyl. "Because most of us are...the D...word. Dead." She inhales. "So that's why."

[Merilan]

Hiiro paused and looked more apologetic and contrite for a moment. "I'm sorry for dredging that up. But, it makes me happy to see those kids have someone to look up to still, you know? It's something."

She picked at her hair awkwardly for a moment, then smiled to push past the awkwardness. "Hope we'll work well together! We've got that tarutaru spellcaster and the moogle with the puppet with us, it looks like we'll have a lot of talent to protect each other with. I'm going to go fetch some more supplies, and I'll see you at the main gate."

With that said, Hiiro gave her a wave and set out to do what she said she would: gather some rations for the team, and find a map or two to aid them in their journey, at the very least.

[Skald]

Jack waits quietly for a decision to be made.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana

"The problem is that you're treating these people like they're from Garlandyne." Markos replies, completely satisfying Hiiro's thoughts that she's being ignored. "They can't lock away every emotion to march to the next order - they need hope, and that's in very short supply right now. I want to make sure they have shelter, enough food to last, and that none of them run off to join the rebels. That's a task that requires the whole town, and it isn't nothing just because you can't see why it matters."

"When all of that is assured? Then we'll see about seeing to the bodies. If you want it done sooner, then bring me food, shelter, wagons, enough cloth and rope for the bodies, and another platoon of soldiers to guard the group that's guiding the dead to their graves."

"...Fine."
She saw that her previous assumption was a little foolish, but she decided not to talk about it. She turns and considers it.
"We can't just get all that from nowhere however, Zupon, you said something about sending messages? How possible is it to send a message to the closest Garlandyne base to send reinforcements to help, as well as resupplying for our status? And if we can't do that, how far do you think it is to the next town over? Perhaps if some of us go and ask while the rest of the soldiers stay here to guard the villagers, we can find enough supplies to sustain them, and hopefully other people of Coroheim will be willing to help if Garlandyne won't."

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

Masenko gives a brief nod to Hiiro, and seems to relax visibly when the Aegyl moves away to gather rations. The difficult part will be finding food to go around - there's plenty of foraged food, she saw that in the windmill, but with the whole town depending on it more than ever, getting some could be difficult. There's also the food that Garlandyne was providing, and she spots that there is a single soldier guarding what seems to be the remnants of a wooden hut. He sits beside two large Garlandyne barrels, which are only partially waterlogged.

She knows that getting her hands on a map could be difficult, although the...mostly destroyed library is the most likely place to find one.

~

Relkana

"Nearest town is Lostun, two day's walk in clear weather to the Southeast." Markos' says, with significantly more calm than he had a moment ago. Relkana knows that the courier is due to come by in one day, and that the nearest outpost can be reached by courier in another. It would take longer than the time it takes to deliver the message to actually get boots in Ordur, but it would be a start.

[Skald]

Jack cringes at the phrase 'two day walk.'
"Do we have any methods of transportation at our disposal? A two day walk seems.. uh, inefficient."

[Merilan]

Hiiro furrowed her brow and didn't want to push against the town proper, but she knew they shouldn't just walk out there without the proper rations. She walked up to the hut to look at the soldier, then give a wave. "Hey there. We're going to head off and request help from the nearest town, do you think we'd be able to get some supplies for the road?"

She glanced around and said, "I'm pretty sure Captain Relkana'd be onboard this plan. She wants to help the town too, you know."

[roll0] Diplomacy!

[Lord Raziere]

"Two day walk? Bah this is why I have a Chocobo summoning spell. I can get a mount wherever I go. Its really practical, its only a 1st level spell, I'll never understand why it isn't a required spell for the Red Mage Corps."

[Zwordsman]

"I'll be updating and requesting aid from The Company as well Kupo. I imagine sending a courier who knows the spell may be prudent--Assuming we wish to research what happened and assess possible dangerous after effects. I'm concerned where the water went, if it was natural and it soaked into the ground the ground and mines could be saturated and unstable. Not a place we would want to stay enmass. Not to mention the possible disaster of freed materia, materia that may have strange properties now. I'd hate to run into an animal which swallowed a few. Kupo! The little red puff swaying and bobing with emphesis.
I'll defer to the commanding officer for the decision, I recommend a few fast couriers, followed by volunteers from the city and some guards, to send word and bring supplies and volunteers back, if not a guarded mass exodus to of the town proper. Although I do not know if the nearby town has the supplies to support refuges as such. Kupo. At the least setting up a safe camp would be easier.

Inwardly sighing and thinking to himself, "Kuppooo. This would be easier there we had messanger birds or something fast. I'm a little worried about how far the water came from and how far it kept going, it might not only be this area of the world that had a strange experience. Shame I don't have the instruments to test the left over water's properties."

wow.. I did not think about what would happen when I wrote a lot of speaking with this colour hah. oh my that is bright plum

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

The man guarding the barrels seems to look Hiiro up and down (Hard to tell with the helmets), then bobs his head. "I would be pleased to help, with Captain Relkana's permission." He answers, in a lilting voice.

~

Relkana & Zupon

"Without wanting to sound like a swindler's die," Markos says. "There were mounts and faster couriers before the war. But I know these forests, mostly, and I can give you a map to make your travels that much faster."

[Merilan]

Hiiro self-frowned to herself as she just felt heself getting appraised. Geez, what is it about me?! Too short? Too skinny? Too twiggy? Ughhh! I try to drink milk, you know...

She cleared her throat and nodded, briefly escaping he spiral of self-doubt. "Okay, I'll be back with the Captain, though I think she's in an argument right now. Can you get things ready for us?"

She's turned around to head back, wondering if the argument's settled down...

[Hazuki]

Hiiro

"Yes." The soldier replies, quickly rising to his feet and turning to one of the large barrels beside him. Fortunately for the Aegyl, it seems like the intense verbal exchange has quietened to something a little more civil. Zupon even seems to have joined in.

[Zwordsman]

"Kupo, Maps of the area, whether its to the next town or even just the local area with resources like water would be helpful. Captain, do we have a cartographer? I'm good with schematics.. but I don't think that translates well to map creation."

[Merilan]

Hiiro swept down next to Zupon, Relkana, Markos and hopefully Renne by the time she's back; she looked rather accomplished, of all things. "Okay, Zupon! I managed to ask a private guarding a food storehouse to pack some rations for us, assuming you're good with that, Captain. I also got Masenko to agree to come with us, so we'll have some extra power along the way. The only thing is a map, and we'll be good to go!"

She paused, and realised the two arguing might not have heard her the first time, and cleared her throat. "Sorry. While you two were at it, I took the liberty of arranging a group to head out and investigate the missing Materia and the flood, and also reach out to neighboring towns to help Ordur. I've got Renne and Zupon and Masenko onboard..."

[Hazuki]

Markos raises his right hand. "I can write a map for you. It won't have precise measurements and elegant strokes, but it'll be good enough for walking there and getting back."

[Lord Raziere]

"Hm. Seems like a plan is already coming together."
Good, she actually didn't have that much of an idea for one herself.
"Eh, good work Zupon, Hiiro, I'm ok with it. and I'll join this group, I must take responsibility myself for this, oh and Private Travolta will be coming as well, because he needs to learn more discipline and he keeps making the troops slack. The rest of the troops will be needed to stay here to keep people safe, and I think I can trust Private Igrid with command while I'm gone. Unless you have a problem with that decision as well, Markos?"

[Hazuki]

"No." Markos shrugs his sturdy shoulders. "I'll find some material and bring you a map of the area once you're set to leave." With that, the bearded man nods to the gathered group and strides towards the tents that now contain only those who were working through the night.

In the distance, Masenko can be seen approaching the main road out of Ordur (Although the roads are in relatively poor shape after the war, it's the closest thing to a meeting place Hiiro could choose), still sans her robes. The Private guarding food stocks seems to have wrapped up rations in a miltiary-issue backpack, still slightly soggy, and placed it before the barrels. And Markos returns in just a few minutes, with a length of cloth bearing a fairly well-detailed map written in ink.

[Merilan]

Hiiro blinked a few times, perhaps not expecting the Captain to offer to join or even be able to leave town. But that was all right! She shook her head for a moment and patted her cheeks, then said, "Okay then! But don't get into a fight with Masenko again, okay?"

The Aegyl went to go fetch the supplies, and by the time she was back, she looked down at the cloth map admiringly. "This is perfect, Mr. Markos! Thank you so much!"

[Hazuki]

"You're welcome." Markos nods. "Without meaning any disrespect, I should really get ready for the day ahead. Keep your eyes out, and your backs armored. None of us want to see you perish." He says, then leaves the gathered group to their plan.

[Hazuki]

Masenko greets the group at the gates of Ordur with a brief nod of her head, and then they're off through the forests of Coroheim. Markos' Map provides a few helpful hints on how best to traverse the wilds, as well as shortcuts that will help them reach their destination. Zupon, remaining quiet through the initial hours of their walk, figures out that the path they should take - the most likely to encounter Materia, if it's stopped, and where it will end up if mere wilerness hasn't stopped it. That destination is The Barrur Lake, upon the shores of which sits Lostun. With a destination in mind, they're able to plot out a slightly more efficient route.

Unfortunately, luck doesn't seem to be on the side of the travelers, as the air becomes heavy with moisture, and the ground beneath their feet becomes ever more untamed. Renne struggles to get over obstacles like fallen tries and thick foliage, while it's a struggle to keep an eye on Zupon, and Hiiro frequently finds herself without a place to spread her wings (And avoid any ground-based debris). More than once, they hear the cries of animals in the distance, and the sense that something might be stalking them through the ever-darkening forest. The dread doesn't dissipate, when they realize that none of them know how to make their way through the wilds - and without the map, they'd surely have been lost.

By the time the sun has set on Coroheim, the thickening clouds have turned to rainfall that seeps through the treetops like blood. Thick, warm, and unpleasantly splattering all over them. Masenko, who has remained quiet throughout most of the trip (Answering questions with brief answers and looks elsewhere), seems oddly undisturbed by the darkness, while the rest of the group need Zupon to retrieve his Flashlight to light their way, and lead them to a good camping space for the night.

Hope wells in their chests as they see a break in the trees up ahead, perhaps ready to provide them shelter from their own aching bones, but this hope dashed by what follows. A series of high-pitched squeaks, scrambling claws, and the very muffled sound of a humanoid screaming. They creep up to the edge of the forest and spot the scene.

An angular shape dominates their vision, cast against a cloudy night sky - about eighty feet wide, tapering into a sharp angular corner, while its roof curves upwards into a somewhat dome-like shape. The right-most corner of the dappled white building seems to have been crumpled in on itself, with some twisted lengths of metal twisting outwards, and helps them see the triangular base of the building. The front doors consist of a circular shape, with a long handle, which is illuminated by a clearly-disturbed campfire that is sure to go out soon. They can only catch a glimpse of a brief hallway through the door, in which a black shape scrambles.

The shape is about the size of a Tarutaru, altogether, with two fairly distinct wings that make up most of its size. The sound of clicking claws can be heard as it walks, along with it's screech-like squeaking. And as it cries out, so do three others, all of which are crawling and scratching at the exterior of the building. If one thing is certain, it's that keeping the flashlight on will alert the animals. The continued screaming from inside makes clear another consequence.

This is quite obviously a Coroheim outpost, where soldiers would spend the nights between patrols or, more recently, battles. They were equipped with some automatic defenses, but they were always disabled by the time Garlandyne was done with them - strip out the power cores, strip out the magitek, and move on so that it couldn't be useful to Coroheim again. She doesn't know how to explain the destroyed part of the outpost, but she does recognize the creatures as "Clawbats" (Garlandyne rarely messes around with its designations). They are the bane of soldiers all around, as they hunt down wounded creatures (People especially) and savage them while they're weak.

Although she doesn't know what those monsters are, or what the building is, Hiiro's keen eyes and hearing pick out a few details. One is that the campfire has definitely been started recently, and that the pulled-open door has only been pulled open enough for one person to just about slip through. There seem to be seven, creatures squeaking and clawing in total, with one especially loud cry among them. The humanoid screams sound like terror rather than pain, at least for the moment...

She can't make out much of the scene before her, but she does recognize two things - one is that those are Clawbats, a particularly vicious brand of monster that haunts Coroheim and any wounded creature who passes by them is likely to be infected by its constantly-flciking tongue. She is also able to identify what's caused the partial destruction of the building - that's a magical explosion, likely caused by an overload where magic had been compressed properly, then decompressed improperly. The metal has been warped, heated, and crumpled as a result.

Although Zupon finds that this building is an odd blank-space in his knowledge of buildings, only being able to identify that it is defintiely Coroheim in design, he does notice that, while there is very much a battle taking place, no blood has been spilled on the outside of the building.

(( Battle Map. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EK1sJ1OvQq7QuNz6_x6me3WMVMeVl3e7SRSCTSVXgcE/edit?usp=sharing) You're working in combat time, but can avoid fighting, if you so wish. No surprise rounds. Group initiative, no need to roll for it or worry about if it's your turn.))

[Merilan]

If Hiiro had one saving grace to deal with the awfully humid, muggy jungle conditions, it was that she was lugging around Ice materia, and the Aegyl could be found sticking it to her face to cool down several times along the journey. She... admittedly hadn't quite expected the wilds to be this rough, and was really glad Markos was on the level with them. This would've turned out from bad to awful in a hurry. She was willing to keep pace as she mostly tried to chat with the others idly to keep the group morale up.

By the time night fell, the Aegyl looked a little beleaguered, but her eyes widened as she said, "There's someone in there -- we've got to save them."

She had to clear her mind, and focus. She drew a paper talisman from her pocket and whispered in Aegyl, gesturing with her two fingers in a small rite. The talisman's energy dissipated, and she was surrounded in a brief and ornate layer of barriers that subsided to nothing.

With that readied, she reached for her attache case and drew a small lever on the side, which caused the case to furl open on one side and reveal a handgun handle for her to draw out -- with a laborious set of clicks, she drew the handle out to reveal that a somewhat extensively weathered and taped-out blade emerged from the trigger mechanism. A Gunblade.

Drawing the Gunblade, and also casting Mage Armor on myself.

[Skald]

Jack, who had been spending most of the trip complaining about the heat and boredom goes silent when he hears the screams.
When Hiiro draws her weapon and starts talking about saving whoever it is in there, Jack looks at Relkana. Knowing what she'll say, he lets out a sigh and draws his ranseur.

[Zwordsman]

How exasperating.. He simply wasn’t made for this terrain. He flew when he could, mudded it when there was not space. The mud and humidity would stick to his fur. It would take forever to clean, but wasn’t something Zupon would enjoy leaving be for a long period of time. At least his pompom remained thankfully unmarred by the grim, if not feeling strange from the humidity and the amount of jungle around them.

Once the dark arrived, Zupon was glad he his master had beaten in the habit to always have his tools put back when not in use. This would have been much more bothersome had his flashlight and tools been washed away last night with his bedding.
When they reach the clearing he didn’t recognize the architecture’s idiosyncrasies, but could grasp that it was Coroheim. The screams brought him out of his Engineer’s mindset. Agreeing with Hiiro, “Yea Kupo, that looks like trouble. They might have information on the area as well.”

Looking at the militaryly minded associates, Zupon offers;
“It won’t last long, but I could send my pupppt scurrying off to the side, the noise may be able to lure some away. Or shall we hit them straight and hope for a pincer with the defenders? Commander Kupo?” Snapping, his right hand small bits and pieces of clockwork flowed out of his sleeves forming his puppet. Pulling his Repeating Needle out and checking the set up;awaiting the order.

Two options. Option 1 is if the others want me to send a puppet barreling from our position to the side in an effort to draw attention towards it. Option 2 is if we’re going to battle.
As for status of flashlight (on or off) asking a question in the OOC about the light level (since there was something of an encampment). Off hand thought was to click it off, and turn on when someone launches an attack (or we are attacked)
Standard action to summon tank puppet(Without attaching spare crossbow), Move action to draw Heavy Repeating crossbow.
Puppet Directive: Go; in the direction of J2 from here, speed is 50ft
Standard Action summon Clockwork minimoogle w/ spear. Move action to draw Heavy Repeating Crossbow
Puppet Directive: Defend me.

[aturtledoesbite]

By Domum, did people actually travel like this? Renne was barely able to keep up. There wasn't any room to summon anything to ride, either. By the time the sun was setting, Renne was nearly certain that her legs would not last to the morrow.

Once she heard the scream, though, she forgot about that. A flock of Clawbats...if she had the time to summon Phoenix, it would likely make short work of the beasts. But she didn't; fortunately, she wasn't alone. "Watch out for the beasts' tongues; there's no telling what sickness you might catch if they lick you." She took out her staff, waiting for one of the others to strike at the nearest Clawbat so she could help put down the wounded beast.

Renne: 17/17 HP, 7/7 MP

Move Action: Drawing weapon.
Standard Action: Readying an action

Ready Condition: Someone else strikes at the Clawbat marked 1 (I'm assuming the numbers mark the Clawbats; if not, lemme know because I've got to change everything)
Ready Action: Take a five-foot step to C10 and attack Clawbat 1 with the fire staff.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana draws her sword and shield.
"Clawbats...Better that we lure some away then pincer the rest. These things go after the wounded, so if there are people here, they will be back to attack anyways. Best we kill as much as we can. I will use a spell to draw one of them to me once Zupon sends his puppet to distract the others. Best to control the engagement as much as we can."
You don't want them lingering around, after all. She steps into the front to make sure she would be the one the Clawbat would attack first over others.


Relkana: 30/30
Move action: move in front
Standard action: draw weapon and shield

[Hazuki]

Zupon's puppet rattles off along the partially-destroyed road, causing some deal of noise at it rolls past the clawbats that scamper around and over the building. The nearest ones glance at the ambling android, but pay it no mind beyond that as they continue with their aggressive search. It's only when Relkana steps out into the road to draw their attention that they take notice.

The first clawbat spins on its haunches, then scrambles towards Relkana with its wings jerking behind it, tongue lolling out of its mouth. Its claws click-clack against stone, and then it leaps forward, lashing against her shield and sinking its fangs into her shoulder even as she shoves it away with her shield. The wound stings, partly from the blood that's seeping out, partly from the thick saliva that covers the wound in the wake of the creature's tongue.

With the scent of blood in the air, the monsters on the roof swoop off of their perches and towards the lone soldier. Their wings casting shadows against the fading fire, one attacks her from the front while the other takes her exposed back - leaving only her side facing the trees unsurrounded. One set of slathering tongues and teeth was bad enough, but now there's another two, and she can't keep her defenses against them all. Two more sets of fangs sink into her flesh - not the worst pain she's ever felt, but it burns.

Take 3 damage, and suffer 1 bleeding damage every round from now on, or until healed.

It's as Relkana is surrounded that Masenko disappears in a red flash, then re-appears between two of the clawbats - just above them, in fact, and she slams her elbow into the back of one's skull. The bat reels for a moment, just as Renne steps out of the forest and unleashes a swathe of flame that makes the creature howl in pain as it crumples to the ground.

[Merilan]

Hiiro grimaced and darted into action, her wings taking her clear out the forest and onto the road as she kept her eye on the clawbats. "Oh no you don't! Get off her!"

She raised the bladed weapon into the air, then hefted it clear in front of her; she drew back on the hammer, and jerked back the lever as she let the Ice materia within the chamber whirr up a little. "Target's locked, ready to snipe the enemy!" She squinted to one eye to take aim, and... bang! A thin beam cascaded through the otherwise muggy jungle landscape, thin flecks of ice following the bullet that hopefully found its way to the clawbat.


Move: Fly to H14.
Standard: Shoot at the 2nd Clawbat.
Attack: [roll0] vs AC
Damage: [roll1] damage, 1 frost.

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne didn't wait to see if the clawbat she fired at was hit or not; they were close enough that she could hit them with a spell. She stepped to the left a bit to get a clear shot, then invoked Valefor's aid to shoot a beam of energy right between Relkana and Masenko, aiming for the two clawbats there!1

Renne: 17/17 HP, 7/7 MP

Free Action: Five-foot step to C9
Full Round Action: Casting Energy Beam to hit Clawbats 1 and 2 for [roll0] damage, Reflex halves (I should be able to shoot a line between Relkana and Masenko, at least)

[Zwordsman]

Thinking to himself, "Tch. Ignoring my creations. Lets try that again." Move to angle himself for best deployment, Zupon creates another puppet, letting his last puppet deform in liu of his close combat model.


move to f20.
Standard to summon spear attack mini moogle.
Directive. Attack 3, from G10. Providing flank bonus.
AC if AOO while moving into space, AC13, HP 28.
[roll0] to Hit, Spear damage Piercing [roll1] crit 20/x3

[Skald]

Jack closes his eyes for a moment, clearing his mind and focusing on precision. Holding his weapon in one hand and channeling mana with the other, Jack sends a bolt of lightning streaking towards the clawbat to the right of Relkana and advances forward.
Jack uses power or speed calibrated to +2 attack/ -2 ac, then casts Thunder at clawbat 2.
Attack VS touch ac:[roll0]/ Deals [roll1] points of lightning damage if it hits..
(You direct a bolt of lightning at your opponent. Requires a ranged touch attack roll to hit that deals 1d6 points of lightning damage + your casting modifier (Intelligence or Charisma) [2]+ 1 point per caster level [3] (maximum +5) and inflicts the Static status effect for 1d4 rounds. A successful Reflex save prevents the status effect from taking effect.-> the additional 5 damage comes from Ruby Knowledge/ Ruby Knowledge Mastery and Elemental Pupil.) After casting the spell, Jack moves to f13
(If 2 is dead by the time Jack acts, he will target 3 instead.)

[Hazuki]

The second clawbat has barely a moment to continue harassing the bled Relkana before Hiiro's beam of cold strikes through its heart and sends it toppling to the ground. The third lurches to the side, just barely avoiding the beam of energy that emerges from Renne's position in time to get speared by Zupon's second puppet. As it fights against spear lodged inside it, Jack's bolt of lightning fries it where it stands.

All is quiet, save for the continued sounds of terror from within, and the sound of the campfire finally extinguishing.

((You can all act again.))

You get two sets of actions on this new round, because you didn't get a chance in the last.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana start to fight back full of adrenaline and passion coursing through her. She looks at the clawbats corpses. Already dead? No matter. There will still people in danger, judging from the sounds. She charges inside the fortress and takes a look around while healing herself with a Cure spell of the wounds the clawbats inflicted upon her, kicking in the door and shouting.
"Alright, clawbats! Three of you are dead, time for a fourth!"
If she sees any clawbats, she blast a Fire spell at them, fueled by her passion and fury.


HP: 27/30

First Set:
Move to I-12
Cast Cure on self: [roll0]
open door

Second Set: (If she sees a Clawbat)
Attack with a Fire Spell: [roll1]

MP: 4/6

[Merilan]

Hiiro turned and readied the Gunblade, with a quiet frown and a nod. She readied herself for where there may be more clawbats, raising the Gunblade up to aim.


Readying an action to shoot at a Clawbat if I can see one through the door.

[aturtledoesbite]

Renne begins heading toward the open corner of the building; that's likely how they got in, and how they'd come out if threatened.

Renne: 17/17 HP, 6/7 MP

Double-move to H17.

[Zwordsman]

Zupon from his station, calls his puppet back to his side and calls out,
"Any more of those things Kupo?"

Standard action to issue directive "defend me". Puppet would take a double move action to G18 to get as close as its 20 movement per round allows. This directive means anything attacking me, it will automatically attack without me having to order it to do so. If nothing attacks me I will have to order it to attack something

[Hazuki]

Relkana is treated to the sight of a Clawbat scampering down the hall towards her, screeching as it's covered in a burst of flames. Unfortunately, all that seems to do is make it charge more furiously towards her. Just as it's about to leap against her shield, a shot rings out from Hiiro's rifle, and sends it slumping to the ground. Masenko and Jack each move up to flank Relkana's side, as the corpse's flames already start to sputter out.

Unfortunately for Renne, trying to peer in through the warped wall of the building doesn't reveal much - the light is with Zupon, and the holes left by its twisting don't leave a great deal of room to peer inside.

Nothing else seems to scramble towards the source of their disturbance, but further squawks can be heard from inside, along with another particularly terrified scream. A faint outline of the inside of the building can be made out, the first room featuring little more than a few benches along the walls, with three paths out of it - one leading to a room straight ahead, the likely source of the noises, and two to each side.

[Zwordsman]

Realizing.. that he is the source of light, and noting Renne trying to peer through the crushed area, Zupon moves to support Renne. Turning the light onto the crushed area so they can get a better grasp of the situation.


Move action, next to Renne, so I can shine the light properly.
Standard action to ready a crossbow attack (at -4, due to holding the flashlight. Well unless I can just use the top of my wrist as a balance while holding the flashlight, Ala pistol and flashlight style.
[roll0] To hit (add 4 if I can cross brace to use two hands on crossbow)
[roll1] 19-20x2 crit.
Confirm/damage
[roll2] To hit (add 4 if I can cross brace to use two hands on crossbow)
[roll3] 19-20x2 crit.

[Skald]

Placing a hand on his chest, Jack vanishes from sight before advancing ahead toward the source of the screams.
[Jack casts Disappear, then moves to L-11]

[Merilan]

Hiiro looked to Relkana and sighed in relief as she helped shoot down the fourth Clawbat, before nodding. "Let's keep moving, I'll back you up and shoot whatever comes out."

Move to K-12, then ready another shot if we see more Clawbats.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana nods and moves forward into the castle towards the screaming in a hurry, keeping her sword ready in case any clawbat got close, so that she could stab it in the belly.


Move to M-12
Ready Action: Attack Incoming Clawbat with longsword.

[Hazuki]

Zupon shining his flashlight into the warped corner of the building unfortunately reveals very little through the pinpricks in the metal. He and Renne can make out a few solid shapes, like beds and shelves on the walls, but the ones that haven't been crumpled along with the wall seem empty. There doesn't seem to be any movement inside.

Now inside, with Masenko moving up behind them, the group would be able to see more of the interior, were it not for the fact that their only lightsource is inspecting the outside of the building. Their only light comes from far ahead, a faint golden glow that peeks out between disturbed crates in the room beyond the entrance. That's all they need to make out the figure of a Clawbat at least twice the size of the others, as well as a waifish figure whose arm seems strapped to some kind of table. That's all they have time to notice before the monster slashes across the whimpering figure's chest, spilling blood along with a squeal of pain.

Masenko growls from behind the group.

((Actions again, gogogo. Battlemap (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EK1sJ1OvQq7QuNz6_x6me3WMVMeVl3e7SRSCTSVXgcE/edit?usp=sharing), relinked for convenience.))

[aturtledoesbite]

With the light shining on the wall now, Renne could see there wasn't really a way to get in from here. She starts back toward the door the others went in through when she hears the yelp. Remembering her summoner training, she conjures an eagle to fly through and hamper what she assumed was another Clawbat.

Renne: 17/17 HP, 6/7 MP

Move: To H13.
Standard: Summon Monster SLA, summoning an eagle (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/animals/eagle/summoned-creature-eagle) in square I12.


Eagle: 5/5 HP, 30 rounds left

Move: To S12 (80 ft. flying speed should do it)
Standard: Bite at Clawbat. [roll0] vs. AC, [roll1] damage.

[Zwordsman]

Following Renne's movement, Zupon heads up, to try and shine the light down the hall way. Opting to not risk shooting an ally in the back.



I'm assuming that Renne doesn't block movement as they are an ally. So
Move action to H12 (30ft movement),
Standard action to Hover a bit as to not block any player going in or out, and to get the light above the PC's so their bodies don't block the light completely
As per its defend directive the puppet will double move action to G12.

[Merilan]

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size!" Hiiro blurted out without even thinking, trying to get the big Clawbat's attention; she hefted the Gunblade up and aimed, as she charged forward.


Moving up to Q-12.
Shooting!
[roll0] vs AC
[roll1] damage, 1 frost.

[Skald]

Jack rushes forward, channeling restorative magic in an attempt to save whoever it may be strapped to the table.
Re-calibrate power or speed to +2 ac/ -2 attack, move to p-12, cast cure: [roll0] (if the target is still alive)
Edit: That roll was supposed to only be +3, not + 4. Sorry, forgot Jack's wisdom is one point less than his intelligence. (So that would make a total of 8, not 9)
Edit#2: Okay, so I messed up again, I forgot the spell also adds the caster level, so that would make it +6 for a total of 11.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana rushed towards the enemy, however she couldn't get close enough so she stepped to the side to get a clearer shot and fired a Lightning from her hand, blue electricity arcing out from her palm to the monster.


Move to Q11

Attack with Lightning: [roll0]

MP: 3/6

[Hazuki]

Renne's summoned eagle swoops through the long, narrow corridors of the building's interior and manages to lash its claws into the bat's arms, causing a minor wound. Its flapping, and the bat's batting it away, make it that much more difficult for Hiiro to aim her shot - instead, it clips off of the side of the torn-through wall.

The Eagle is providing the bat with Soft Cover.

Jack's healing spell comes down just as Relkana's lightning bolt shoots through the air, scorching the creature's hide as the figure seems to stop dripping blood over the otherwise pristine floor. The bat finally tosses the Eagle off of its arm, its wings looming up behind it, when Masenko charges down the corridor and leaps into the air - disappearing in a flash of red, then appearing just beside the Eagle, where she braces herself against the wall with one hand and slams a hook around the corner, into the bat's snout.

It reels back from the blow, then rears forward and lets out a screech so piercing that even Zupon's puppet can feel its ears ache. Hiiro manages to withstand the deafening shriek, but notices that some of her companions seem much more affected than others.

Relkana and Jack. I'll let you know when it ends.

But there's even less time to focus on that, as two shapes suddenly swoop out of the darkness - one at Relkana, tearing into her side and re-opening the wounds left by the other clawbats.

2 damage, and 1 Bleeding at the start of the round.

The second has set its sights on Hiiro, and barrels into the unfocused gunner with teeth that tear into her neck and a tongue that makes the wound ache like her mother's absence.

2 damage, and 1 Bleeding at the start of the round.

[Merilan]

Hiiro let out a yelp as the clawbat drew blood, and whimpered, "H-hey, that hurt, you jerk!" in protest; she doubles back up and reared the gunblade back, with a hiss of, "But don't think this is just a mere rifle!"

She primed the chamber, and threw back the hammer as she dashed forward; her feet pivoted as she wrenched around and attempted to drive the blade into the clawbat as best she could, and then pulled the trigger at the same time -- all with the hope of firing a round straight into the clawbat at the same time she withdrew. "Trigger!!"


Using Gunblade Expertise as my attack action after moving to P-10.

[roll0] Melee attack vs AC
[roll1] Damage roll, 1 frost

If the melee attack hits:

[roll2] Ranged attack that doesn't trigger AoO, vs AC
[roll3] Damage roll, 1 frost

[Skald]

Seeing the additional clawbats appear, Jack starts to become frustrated the the amount of effort he's had to put into this fight. "Come on! More of you?!"
Taking a step into the room, he thrusts his ranseur at the claw bat in the corner, focusing on doing as much damage as possible in his aggravation. "I have had it with you- FREAKS!"
5 foot step to O-12, swift action to use arcane strike (+1 weapon damage for one round), speed or power adjusted to +2 damage/ -2 AC.
Attack clawbat 6:. Damage:[roll]2d4+5(One point is lightning damage.)

[Skald]

(messed up on the damage roll somehow so I'll redo it here.)
[roll0]
(Though I doubt a 12 will hit, so it probably won't matter)

[Zwordsman]

Chuckling to himself a bit over the excitment in the others voices of excitment, but not really sounding like they're in real danger just frustrated after a long day in this unpleasent flora and meeting unpleasent fauna. But not wanting to try shooting over their heads, Zupon hovers forward to provide light for the crew, while keeping an eye on their entry point for more creatures.

move to L 12 to provide more light, ready action to fire at a clawbat coming from the doorway behind us.
[roll0] To hit [roll1] 19-20x2 crit.
potential confirmings
[roll2] To hit [roll3] 19-20x2 crit.

[Lord Raziere]

Relkana turns to the clawbat right beside her. She knew she was deafened- the familiar clanging and thumps of battle were gone from her hearing- so this was bad. She wouldn't know what was happening to the others. Best to kill this one as best she can then move on to the next.

She starts swinging at the clawbat, once, twice, thrice trying to slice through its hide.
"I am The Merciful Shadow of Garlandyne- but you monster, deserve none!"
She cries as attacks with passion, dark trailing from her black blade as it swishes through the air.


Health: 26/30

Attack Roll: [roll0]+8
Damage:[roll1]+[roll2]+3