[center][h1][color=crimson][i][b]Sophia von Einzbern[/b][/i][/color][/h1][/center] [center][i]Einzbern Compound, Einzbern Forest, Miyama Southwest Night 1[/i][/center] [hr] She had noted her servant' seeming melancholy about not being able to use his lovely castle as a base of operations. A sad thing too, it was a nice place that could've been adorned to her liking and still provided more cover and defensive territory than her current compound. Though this compound, and its bounded field, would very much make do. She had gone over the information on the Matous and Tohsakas and such that could be gathered for the conflict, including a note or two about potential alliances. It had been amusing to ponder over a hot and piping up of Earl Grey tea that she had been brought as she had sat and mulled over the papers in her comfortable chair in the compound's lounge, a goose-feather pillow tucked behind her head for an ease of comfort and tea cakes and cookies on the side table between her and her servant's chairs as she sat. Ah, she could've gone to sleep afterwards if it wasn't for the occasion itself, the darkening sky, and indeed she had a mission to complete. Telling the maids to ensure the bounded field was strengthened as she had said before, and had sent all but one of her familiars out far before it turned dark to scout the woods and maintain a patrol as she sat in luxury. Even Rider had been requested to maintain a partol of the forest and alert her to the slightest instance of intrusions and such, and indeed beyond his power he seemed like the sort of servant she enjoyed having around as well. Though as paranoid as she maybe seemed in a sense with these defensive measures, she took her primary goal as seriously as she did her hedonistic tendencies and ensuring her favorite tea cakes were able to be produced at a whim by the kitchen maids. Which is to say, very seriously indeed, and she desired victory for this conflict as securely as possible. Though that word came up again in her mind. Alliances. She had no doubt that, being one of the three founders of this ritual, she would be major target of enemies and anyone who was out to forge alliances with the others. To her it would be natural of the Matou's or Tohsaka's tried to gang up against her somehow, though it made her somewhat lower in mood to think of obliterating Zouken's own flesh and blood to fulfill the Einzbern's most fervent wish. But tis' the life of a mage to deal with such things as they came. However, she needed to make some contact for the sake of making her own connections in this, or at least scouting out things. To this end, she wrote a couple of letters, handing them to one of her personal familiars, before sending it out with the aim of delivering said letters to a couple of the other familiars she had prowling about already in town, for delivery of course, and then coming back to her. The letters would read something along the lines of "[i]Should you find yourself in need of allies in the face of the Matous and their schemes, i hereby offer alliance with you should you find the need for an ally in this war. Send word to me if you wish to ally"[/i]. If they they were desperate enough then they could give her an ally, and vice versa in order to further their own goals in the war, different as they might be in the very end. Though a finale amongst the three families was preferable to useless rabble, though the latter could provide better fodder and an easier time later on. It was a small conundrum of sorts. Simultaneously, she took the time to focus on three other familiars that were outside of the forest to go scout about the [b]Docks/Harbor[/b], [b]Matou Residence[/b] [u][i](this familiar itself ALSO was carrying the other letter)[/i][/u], and the last going to the [b]Fuyuki Outskirts[/b] to see what might be around there. And of course one familiar would be headed to the Tohsaka's once it got its letter. Though as a great crash of impact in the woods shook even the compound floor a good ways away, Sophia sat up abruptly in her chair. Something had impacted her woods, but from the feel of it was far from the compound. Suspicious, and utilizing her magecraft to see through the eyes of her closest in-forest familiar she had deployed she began to move it towards the impact site. At the same time she sent a missive to her servant. [color=crimson]"Something had impacted the woods greatly, likely the work of another servant. Head to the impact site and see what has happened, or if there are any signs of what sort of servant deployed what caused that. I would assume an Archer, but we must be sure,"[/color] the homunculus said, being to the point and precise in her orders before switching gears slightly, [color=crimson]"...ah, and if you so desire dinner is about ready. Servants i do not think need to eat or rest or such, but to deny such a pleasure is beyond me."[/color] That, and keeping that servant of hers closer for the night might bode well in case Assassins or their ilk attempted to strike. Or anyone in general for that matter. The bounded field being in place, and three of her familiars going about, would detect and be able to find any familiars that entered the area. Or any other individuals for that matter. And her servant would be able to handle any servants that could potentially get past things as well, perhaps detect them or such things. However it best woekd out. Now was the time to switch between familiars over the next while to see what would go on, what she could learn, what she could observe. TGo this end she also called in a maid with a stack of papers and ink and quill. She would need all of this to be jotted down, and writing it down herself would be a bit of a stretch for multi-tasking, unlike any of those Atlas freaks if they were around Fuyuki for this war. Blech. Speaking of which, its wouldn't be unfeasible for Atlas to fund a master all the way over here. A somewhat scary thought, though she herself also had funds. Albeit she didn't have any funds being kept in the local banks, at least, having moved them to the compound alone prior to the war's start. Hah. She wanted to make sure she had her thing close by, just in case other magi got ideas or she needed to purchase things with limited public involvement. [@Cu Chulainn][@Reflection] [hr] [hr] [center][h1][color=crimson][i][b]Familiar 1[/b][/i][/color][/h1][/center] [center][i]Docks/Harbor[/i][/center] [hr] As the odd bird-like familiar flew over the Dock/Harbor area, it began to pick up some odd things as it observed the area below. Other than the usual view of rats and the usual things that stalked the now-quiet area it spied an odd thing. A badly dressed, young boy who was....what was in that bag? As the familiar perched out of reach and observed from a supposedly safe distance, it observed the behavior of the boy using cats as a means to start clearing rats from the docks. With his method, of course a familiar in the air would be drawn to observe the odd and somewhat abusive use of the cats in this manner. However, to Sophia on the other end, it was all an odd sight that wasn't quite normal, especially with the boy's more European appearance making it glaring that he was not from here at all. Potentially a servant or a master. Noted. Sophia noted this event and details of the observed character aloud to a maid, one standing near her who was jotting down Sophia's observations at a hectic speed. However, this same familiar would observe an odd thing as well. The concentration of rats was astonishing to say the least, abnormal on levels that could only suggest the potential presence of a magus or a Caster. This too would be noted. Potentially....was this poorly dressed thing combating another magus' attempts to use rats? Regardless, this place was now of note as a potential enemy location, a place a base could be or such, and where at least one potential servant seemed to be taking actions right now. [@Argonaut][@Seirei No Hai][@Sageage] [hr] [hr] [center][h1][color=crimson][i][b]Familiar 2[/b][/i][/color][/h1][/center] [center][i]Tohsaka Manor[/i][/center] [hr] The second familiar sat a small distance just outside of the bounded field of the Tohsaka estate, upon the lower rung of a tall post for telegraph lines. Sounds from inside could be heard, the clash of something or another at least. Curious, Sophia didn't have the bird enter the bounded field proper. She knew the Tohsaka master would be there, and had the bird wait on its perch. It would be very visible from its position from any window of the western-style estate, and so Sophia hoped the Tohsaka master would have the tact to look outside at some point tonight and see an obvious familiar with a letter visibly waiting. [@Kyoka][@Seirei No Hai][@Sageage][@Reflection] [hr] [hr] [center][h1][color=crimson][i][b]Familiar 3[/b][/i][/color][/h1][/center] [center][i]Fuyuki Outskirts[/i][/center] [hr] Ah. As this familiar continued on observing the activity on the outskirts, near the edge of a clearing seemed to be a line of trees cut down by some force, in a row as if something had been....thrown. The familiar perched a little ways away, using its vision at a distance to look at the scene, observing from the branches as Sophia had the information dictated down about the location. That path seemed to be aimed towards the town itself, and was perhaps not a coincidence of sorts. Regardless, this was the likely location of a workshop in her mind, since only a servant could perhaps cause that much destruction in that distinct of a path, and that would be valuable for later. [@Froppy][@Art of Fun] [hr] [hr] [center][h1][color=crimson][i][b]Familiar 4[/b][/i][/color][/h1][/center] [center][i]Front Yard, Matou Manor[/i][/center] [hr] The final familiar, carrying a letter similar to the one Sophia had dictated for the Matou's, flew into the open and just outside of the Matou bounded field. Observing the yard and house that lie before it, the EInzbern mistress knew this was the place. Question is, would the Matou look and see there was a familiar with a letter waiting for them just barely beyond their boundaries? Her information from before noted that this particular member of the Three Families had some potential alliances in the works. So hopefully the Matou's got the needed letter in good time if they were observant enough. [@ManyThings][@Breo][@Phonic] [hr] [hr] [center][h1][color=gold][i][b]Lesser Ruler: Saint Longinus[/b][/i][/color][/h1][/center] [center][i] Unknown, Unknown Night 1[/i][/center] [hr] Honestly, he wouldn't blame others if they were trying to keep eyes on him as well, though it was not like he wasn't an observant individual in his own right. Some might want to break rules, and getting tabs on him might facilitate that. Yet he also held what could be considered the "sword of Damocles" over the servants' heads in this conflict as was needed, if case masters and/or their servants were thinking of shattering the rules and fiddling with things not to be messed with. He was a judge and executioner, not something he enjoyed but a role he understood and took on with seriousness. And luckily it seemed things were going as planned for now....for the moment. Of course he had noted with a light grim-ness earlier when he noted the battle that happened briefly back at the temple as well. He had warned those two magi, and now hopefully they would be responsible. That incident, had it put the war in danger of exposure, might have had to force him to intervene. And what was going on in the Tohsaka Manor and in the yard of the Matou's were among the thing he had noted already into the night, though time was short and not long till the true war erupted on the streets, around the outskirts, and in other places. If he needed to act, he would do so without question. Yet overall in his duties he was not alone, but was one of two Rulers who would be moderating this conflict and its terrible potential consequences that could arise from it. He at least hoped Fuyuki itself wouldn't be annihilated, but if the push came to shove he would put forth the effort to do what was necessary. Ah. That was the signal he had been promised for kicking off the war, those colorful streaks in the sky almost like a rainbow. Though their location of impact was at least out of civilian territory, though a certain master would likely not be happy with the results. Magi and their territorial nature, no better than lions fighting over dominance in the savannah. It was time for the Grail War to commence, however, and he stood by, waiting. Observing the events that would unfold tonight.