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Post by Ancelas on Jul 3, 2023 10:14:32 GMT -5
Cayne grunted. "Coward," he muttered, more to himself than Sae. "If they wish to hide, then we must flush them out. If they wish to avoid conflict, we will bring them war. If they wish for war, we will meet them on our terms.
"The scale of this conflict is too much for us to face alone, however," he admitted. "The mountain dwarves are formidable allies... securing their aid would give us a presence across all of Samara. If the Astorean king can be freed, then we would control the seas to the east and west, as well as providing a foundation for an incursion into Liore, if necessary. If we were to enlist the Marini as well, it would expand our naval presence, and give us access to information from eastern Chun-nan and Mazuri."
The firelight reflected in his eyes as he considered the future. It was difficult to tell where his mind went, although it sounded as though he had grasped the true scope of the war and was already building out plans on how to fight it.
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Post by redcoat on Jul 4, 2023 16:18:08 GMT -5
"Hence the Lord's Alliance." She agreed. "It isn't robust- yet- but it's a start. Princess Janica is a close ally, and will be sending someone to represent her. More tribal representation would be good as well- if we have a way of reaching out to them quickly?"
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Post by Ancelas on Jul 5, 2023 19:23:33 GMT -5
Cayne shook his head slightly. "No method that would not require several days of travel. I doubt anyone would listen to a Mareki summons at this point in time anyway, despite the danger. For now, it will just be us."
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Post by redcoat on Jul 5, 2023 19:33:49 GMT -5
"That's all we can do. What was that speech they made us memorize in Conscription? 'The fewer the men, the greater the share of honour'?" She shook her head.
"Not exactly my method, but I suppose I can appreciate the sentiment sometimes."
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Post by Ancelas on Jul 5, 2023 20:03:17 GMT -5
"'If we are marked to die, we are to do our country great loss," Cayne mused, "but if to live, then the fewer men, the greater share of honour.'"
He let that sit for a moment before reciting another part of the speech. "'But if it be a sin to covet honour, then I am the most offending soul alive.' Hm. I haven't thought about that speech in a very long time. You have a good memory."
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Post by redcoat on Jul 5, 2023 20:36:11 GMT -5
"When I was in Conscription, I didn't read or write very well. Taliesin and Arren helped me memorize a good deal of my course work to help me pass." She smiled a bit. "And bits and pieces jump out at me when they feel screechingly relevant."
"That particular piece comes up a lot."
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Post by Ancelas on Jul 6, 2023 9:50:40 GMT -5
The mention of Taliesin's name drew Cayne's attention. "That Alurani you travel with... how did he infiltrate our tribe? What was his ultimate purpose?"
The maeth'ir was not someone who really 'warmed up' to anyone, but in the course of their conversation, the taciturn Mareki general seemed to be growing more willing to have a civil discussion with Sae. It seemed as though his anger at her was simmering down to smoldering coals, as opposed to the carefully contained bonfire it had been.
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Post by redcoat on Jul 6, 2023 10:47:09 GMT -5
"Infiltrate feels like a strong word for a lost puppy following you home. He was a child- and not even a Mareki child who would have some basic training in warfare." She shook her head, looking at the fire.
"His goal? To survive. Until recently, he didn't even know he had family still alive."
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Post by Ancelas on Jul 6, 2023 17:56:45 GMT -5
"Whom did he follow home?" Cayne asked evenly.
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Post by redcoat on Jul 6, 2023 18:08:28 GMT -5
"You and your warhost." She answered, hedging and watching him, her blue eyes looking him over before she arched an eyebrow.
"I trust you, Maeth'ir, to do what is right in this war. But I'm not sure I trust you to not punish a soldier for taking pity on a lost child. I also know that you know that I know. So I'm going to do you the courtesy of not lying about it. I know who it was, and if harm comes to them by your hand, well. You said yourself that the Mareki are a hot blooded people. My loyalty might belong to the Black Tower, but I bleed Mareki."
Her tone was even- careful, but honest.
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Post by Ancelas on Jul 6, 2023 18:17:25 GMT -5
Cayne met Sae's eyes, and for a moment, his anger flared behind his flat gaze. But then the fires were banked once more, and his calm resumed.
"...What's done is done," he said at length. "The thought that an outsider could be placed within the heart of our tribe is... upsetting. But at this point, punishment for a deed performed so long ago is the least of my concerns."
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Post by redcoat on Jul 6, 2023 18:47:26 GMT -5
"Do you have any recommendations about Astor? It will be... difficult, I think, to free the King of Skyhammer without causing an international incident."
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Post by Ancelas on Jul 6, 2023 19:06:15 GMT -5
Cayne leaned back in his chair, giving Sae a look that indicated he knew exactly what she was doing, but let the matter drop.
"I do not know how your situation stands with the Astorean King, or how close you can get without rousing attention. You are a resourceful band, though. You had little trouble breaking into my castle - I would assume breaking into a human castle would be considerably easier."
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Post by redcoat on Jul 7, 2023 6:17:50 GMT -5
"I suppose you're right. Your castle wasn't a cake walk, but I suppose the same skills would work in Astorea, should the need arise."
Honestly, breaking in and finding evidence of that Albion prick's nature felt like a good change of pace, if she was being honest with herself.
"How would you approach Kyr, in my shoes?"
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Post by Ancelas on Jul 9, 2023 17:43:38 GMT -5
Cayne turned his gaze back to the fireplace. "Kyr is a hostage city. It is under occupation. You lack an army with which to siege it - my navy could blockade the bay, but the moment the god that squats upon the castle roof turns its attention toward us, my fleet will not last long. This is, of course, not taking into account any mortal defenses they may have.
"A small band such as yours could infiltrate the city with great ease, I think. Even if you were discovered, you have the means to hide yourselves while your enemies search for you. This could make an assassination attempt easier to accomplish - were your target a mortal, with mortal restrictions.
"As it is, I would prefer to have an army to serve as both a distraction and a direct threat. If the city were to be attacked from both land and sea, then the enemy would be forced to act, and forced to split their attention. The Forsaken is still an quantifiable threat... but one way or another, you will need to deal with both it and its minions."
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