To say that Vortigern had been caught off guard by the latter statement would be an understatement. He had been organizing the resources they had before them—limited as his knowledge of that may be—into the skeleton of a workable plan. That said, the words rung with truth. He himself did not presently harbor such intentions, but such conflict was bound to fester amongst this group. And yet...
"While we can be certain that those in this room will be at odds with each other at some point, we would do well to remember that our... Father is unlikely to take well to us causing too great an upset to his desires. It would be wise to refrain from doing such things until Kil'threx's wishes can be more accurately understood." Vortigern himself had no desire to stab anyone in the back, [reoccupied with loyalty as he was, but he could not deny the likelihood of others engaging in such activity. "I hope that, at the very least, we can accomplish our appointed task before we start at each others' throats."
That speech complete, he turned to the map that Aborath had made. "Kil'threx was light on details, but there is one chief dungeon in Melaron." He waved a hand, and a translucent pillar of blue light rose from what was clearly the King's Palace was on the map—technically an illusion, being a manipulation of light, but not truly masking anything. "Otherwise, there is a decreasing possibility that the statue is held by the Order of the Sun," a paler pillar over said Order's headquarters, "and of it being held by the Order of the Stars." An even paler pillar rose over said Order's complex. "Those agents I possess which have infiltrated the Order of the Moon have not identified any facility that would fit the description of a dungeon, save the King's own. That does not, however, mean one does not exist. In any case, it is imperative that our adversaries do not suspect our primary strategic objective."
Vortigern looked up from the map at Aesir. "Your army could, thus, serve a double purpose: distracting their own forces from imminent internal attacks, and keeping them penned inside the city walls. Triple, if accounting for the standard benefits brought by a besieging army."
He looked back to the map. "Even then, should someone guess our purpose, they might seek escape with the statue by means of magic. Even lacking such a realization, the sheer utility and power provided by their magic could cause problems for us. As such," the palest blue pillar was intertwined with streaks of bright, burning red, "one of our foremost tactical objectives should be the destruction of the Order of the Stars." There was some small part of Vortigern, shriveled and dry, that cringed at this. Even being what he was now, he remembered his time in the Order fondly.
I shall have those memories forevermore. Now I must work towards the future.
"I have personally infiltrated the Order of the Stars in the past, and shall be able to do so again." Any defenses they might put up around themselves, Vortigern's flesh was of their Order, as was the cloth that flesh bore. More like as not, they would recognize him as one of their own. "While I and my spirits could hold them in place, and ultimately destroy them, it would tie me up for a considerable length of time—even after the more competent of the Order is dealt with, the entire complex would need to be searched. Some form of backup may be desirable. Or at least something to corral them inside." He glanced over at Khata Nyarlith. "Some sport of barrier over their own defenses, erected once I was inside." He did not address the other former-mage by name, but the implicated request of her—or perhaps her servants—was definitely there.
Looking back to the map, he continued. "The mages receiving some form of aid would be... inconvenient, if not detrimental to that particular attack. As much of Melaron's ordinary forces would be tied down with the siege, and with keeping the peace, it would likely fall to the Order of the Sun." Bright red light, identical to that marking the Order of the Stars, wound its way into the pillar marking the Order of the Sun. "As such, a simultaneous assault on their facilities to tie them down might also be in order. Yes, there interference in any of our operations could prove most vexing." He leaned back in his chair. "Any one of us—or probably two, as Aboreth suggested—could likely handle them. Those whom their powers affect the least could be the most effective." He looked to the roof, reaching one hand to his chin. "Iona's presence alone could seriously demoralize them, if she isn't otherwise occupied." At this point, he had near enough forgotten that he was not alone in the room. It was a wonder that he hadn't just moved his tactical analysis into his thoughts.
"It would likely also be effective if we attacked the Palace at the same time as well, to add to the confusion. In fact, capturing it, or else turning that which is above ground to rubble, would be quite useful in demoralizing the enemy, making battle even easier. Yes, three simultaneous attacks could be the way to go."
He leaned forward again, placing both hands on the map. "Even still, once we find the statue, it is unlikely that it will be unguarded. Whoever stowed it underground is likely to have left some form of arcane defense behind. And enchanted it such that destroying it will be more difficult than smacking it about with a mace. And they may well have left some unknown contingency behind that will trigger in the case of Kil'threx's release." Vortigern let out a sound resembled a cross between a hum and a growl as he stared at the map, discontented with the presence of uncertain variables.
Leaning back again, he caught sight of his compatriots, and realized that he had been the only one talking for some time. "Ah, yes, I'm sure that some of you have thoughts on our mission."
