Lewascan2

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Location: Basement entrance, Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

Veronica waited for the rest of the infiltration team to gather... well, those she could see anyway. The bear sisters offered her a beaded bracelet, their wording implying it to be some sort of sight enchantment, but the vampire shook her head and handed it back. "There's no time for me to figure out how to use this properly. It's better off in your hands; I'll stick to what I'm familiar with." Besides, unknown magic could be finicky, and she had no idea if it might interact poorly with her darkvision.

The metal compass coming alive prompted her to pull it out again, nodding quietly at Jazdia's message. "Understood." She closed the compass and put it back in a hip pouch.

She took a quick headcount, nodding in acknowledgement of Varya and Solomon's presence, as one of the sister bears (she had trouble telling which until the other mentioned her name - Lily) warned her about the redheaded woman, now confirmed to likely be the same mage that captured Cedar. "I'll keep that in mind then," the vampire replied, her mind whirling. While she didn't carry any poisons on her unfortunately -something she'd perhaps be well served rectifying later, there were several less kind ways to disable a mage. Depending on the skill of the caster, of course. Her instinct would be to quite literally disarm the woman if given a chance, as she wasn't entire certain there was another way to safely restrain her. Though, that would probably kill her from blood loss regardless, so maybe she was best served going for a killshot instead. It's not like they couldn't take other prisoners, and sometimes, you just had to weigh risk against reward.

Veronica's gaze flicked to Solomon, who had finished reemerging from the shadows, nodding at his report. "So, quite possibly thralls, as I had distantly theorized. Or perhaps something else, though no other possibilities leap to mind... That sort of working doesn't seem like Delving's magic, however..." Her brow furrowing, the vampire's thoughts went down darker paths. "Perhaps it is the redheaded mage's doing?" Grimacing, Veronica let out a quiet sigh. "I hope some can be taken as prisoners. If they are merely victims in all this, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth to kill them unless absolutely necessary." She shook her head. "I suppose our backs are clear for the moment, so we'll leave it to the rest to handle themselves."

Glancing down at the basement below and hearing the echoing -and admittedly mildly humorous- conversion ringing out from somewhere within, she nodded. "On which note, I'd like us to take as many live prisoners as possible." It wasn't her usual modus operandi, but the presence of potential mind manipulation making unwilling participants of some of the guards cast things in a new light. Oh, she was sure it wasn't all -or even most- of them, but it never hurt to be sure. "As for the mage and the bear? We try not to fight the bear, but don't hesitate to put him down if he tries to fight us. The mage... As much as I'm sure picking her brains would be valuable to the King, we have a mission to prioritize."

"Alright..." If she was still alive, Veronica was certain her blood would be pumping with anticipation, as she reached back and unstrapped a blood-red scythe the size of a sickle, which was already starting to grow in her grasp. "Two guards at a door, directly ahead and to the left -the north. The basement is otherwise empty. Let's make this quick and quiet." Her gaze flicked over the group, whose capabilities she still didn't know too well aside from Solomon, as the scythe finished growing to its full massive size, the familiar weight of the head now swung up to rest on her shoulder. "I'll take point," she gestured, "and run across the room to draw both their eyes and fire -if they have any ranged weaponry. I'm going to circle around them, come at them from the east. With any luck, they will both be so occupied by me that they won't see any of you coming until it's too late to react."

Pausing, Veronica let them digest that for a moment, before adding, "This should take them down as swiftly and safely as possible, and it should be broadly applicable enough to work, no matter your skillsets." She nodded, smiling confidently in her ever-presently close-mouthed way. "I'm confident in my evasive abilities, so make the most of my distraction and don't worry about me."

Stepping down the basement steps, she paused at the corner, right before she would pass into sight of the guards and the doorway they were posted at. Crouching down, she adjusted her hold on her scythe, letting it trail behind her, placing one foot on the stairs as a brace, much like a track runner would a footstop at the start of a race. She shot a brief glance behind her at the rest of the team, giving them time to prepare, before launching herself forward explosively, sprinting low to the ground. With the proper leverage to hit nearly her top speed -without overworking her muscles- right out the gate, Veronica was a brown-cloaked flicker of brown, red and black, as she cleared 13 meters in a second, 26 in two and edging towards 40 in three, straight down the center of the storage room (or as near to it as she could manage). Her run was already beginning to turn ever so slightly northward in a circuitous movement, but her roundabout pace meant it would still be critical moments before she could fully close the distance. And for that time...

Her Sight bloomed, the near future spreading out before her, as she prepared to dodge or deflect anything that might come her way, her grip on her scythe shifting in her left hand to make sure it was both readily usable and -more importantly- intimidatingly visible, angling to catch the light of whatever torches might be present to really emphasize the presence of the glinting reaper's blade, doing her best to elicit as much attention and fearful focus from her targets as possible.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Location: Western inner wall --> outer mansion, Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

Veronica's eyes narrowed. In her line of work, one of the most dangerous things you could face was the unknown. For a shinobi thrived on preparation, on being able to scout out the terrain and opposition long before fully committing. To see something she had earlier pegged as an enemy x-factor now active and not as inconsequential as she'd hoped was concerning. The vampire had honestly expected that the five strange guards she had spotted before would either stay inside the mansion only or be sent to main battlefield to meet the assault team's charge.

Evidently, that was not the case.

"Doctor," Veronica spoke up in a whisper again, "it seems your expertise is required." Though she could not see him or even really hope to determine his presence at all (becoming one with the literal shadows didn't tend to leave much in the way of physical traces, even to darkvision), she was confident her fellow undead was nearby and similarly confident in his capabilities. "From my position, directly due south," Veronica described, "there is a single guard with potential line of sight to our target. He is exhibiting unusual behavior, almost looks sick and isn't responding to the other team's distraction. His presence is neither ideal nor expected, and worse, when I scried the estate earlier, there were four more equally strange guards."

Lowering herself back down from the wall, Veronica frowned. "Solomon, if I could trouble you, could you inspect that guard and bring back your professional opinion on what's going on with him?" Her brow pinched. "This may just be a gut instinct, but I actually suspect he isn't even alive, despite his... movement. There's something too unnatural about it." Her expression darkened. "Whether that means he is an undead or worse, I cannot say. In the worst moral case, he is a living victim of enchantment magic or other horrid procedures, a slave trapped in his own body." She shook her head, dispelling those thoughts. "But don't let my wild speculations bias your assessment." She cupped her chin. "If you could also use the opportunity to see if any more of those strange guards are nearby -particularly where they can see that first one, that would also be appreciated."

"In the meanwhile..." Shifting slightly eastward across the wall, Veronica clambered up again, eye-balling the guard's position and the tree he stood beside. "I think we can still sneak in without being detected." She dropped down again, turning to the twins and Varya and jerking her head towards the mansion. "So, let's do that. There's a small risk of being spotted, but something tells me if we lay low and quiet, that guard won't spot us. He doesn't seem the most... aware." She hoped anyway. "If any of you have any extrasensory magics or abilities that could tell us more about him, I'd love to hear more, but try and save chatter until we get inside the basement and well out of enemy sightlines."

With that said, Veronica moved eastward until the mansion fully obstructed her entrance point from the strange guard and then quickly clambered over the wall. Being much shorter, her task was hardly difficult, as she slunk across the yard of the inner wall, pressing herself against the northwest corner wall of the mansion proper.

A small inhale of remembrance has her swiftly rummaging into a hip pouch to pull out the metal compass Jazdia had handed her before. Flipping it open and activating the communication device, she waited for it to hopefully connect, before briefly saying, "No time to talk. Just a warning that the five strange guards have moved, at least one posted inside the inner wall facing the gate. Might not be human or even alive. Stay cautious. Going dark again."

And with that, she disconnected, stuffing the compass back into her pouch and peeking around the corner. Still the same guard, unmoving. Lips pursed tightly, Veronica dared to creep around the corner towards the basement door. With every fluidly tense step, her Sight flashed, her visions of the future fixated on the guard, as she tensely searched for even the slightest sign that she was about to alert him. She became moderately less tense, once she had the southern tree blocking the guard's line of sight to her, as she stepped up next to basement entrance and flashed her Sight again, pressing close to the wall of the staircase down. She took a few steps down, before pausing, waiting for the rest of her team to catch up and using her Sight to glimpse further down at the larger area below.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Location: Western outer wall --> inner wall, Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

Twirling the grappling hook in one hand, Veronica smiled, as she watched Lily and Rose scale the wall. Out of everyone she had with her, those two had been her greatest concerns at this juncture, but it seemed like she needn't have worried. She'd heard bears were fairly good climbers, surprisingly and often frighteningly so, and it seemed that was very much the case here.

A light whistle of air was followed by a quiet, sharp clink of metal, as her grapple hook was sent soaring in a practiced throw, the metal catching securely in the nook of the wall's parapet. She shot Varya a commiserate smirk of approval at his answer, beginning her own swift ascent. The distant sound of explosions and a ringing battle cry briefly brought her ascent to a stop halfway up the wall, before she shook her head and finished pulling herself up, winding up her rope and tucking it and the grapple hook in her pack.

Her eyes narrowed at the distant fight breaking out in the dark. From this angle, atop the wall, she could barely see it without the manor's bulk obstructing it. A Varya's hushed, concerned question, she chuckled. "Sounds like Yvonne's getting her appetite up." Shaking her head, Veronica moved to the side of the wall facing the manor. "I know they said they'd be making a ruckus, but I wonder if they aren't enjoying themselves a little too much." A chuff of amusement escaped her.

Glancing back the way they came and then forward and seeing no sign of her fellow undead, Veronica restrained a grin. "It seems Solomon is doing his thing." Gesturing towards the mansion with a jerk of her head, Veronica smirked. "Alright ladies and gents, let's move. Don't worry about Solomon losing us, even if you can't find him." A sly, knowing smile spread across her lips. "He'll be around when he needs to be. Just do your best to keep up; we've got a bear to save."

With little else to be said, the pale girl leaped right off the side of the wall, her Sight blooming out into action on reflex, visions of the next few seconds flying through her gaze, before she tucked into a roll, bleeding momentum from her leap harmlessly. The rest of her forward pace was conserved, as the vampire sprinted across the open field like a flickering shadow in the night, her footsteps nearly light as feathers under the influence of a kunoichi's practiced footwork.

She only stopped moving once she was pressed up against the northwestern corner of the outer side of the inner wall, ears perked and attention focused on the other side, listening for any form of movement. She waited there, still as a statue, debatably even breathing in her silence, until the rest of the infiltration team had caught up. Once they had, she made sure to reiterate in a whisper what they could expect once they reached their target. After all, past this point, there was the chance she might not have the opportunity to ensure everyone was on the same page again.

"Once we get into the basement complex, we -in theory- face limited opposition. There are five guards down there, individual capabilities unknown, but they probably aren't a huge threat as long as we don't get careless. The real problems are a woman with red hair, who gives off the impression of being some kind of mage, and a second bear, not Cedar. The other guy is huge, bigger than your brother." She glanced at the twins. "A real hulk, and it's unclear if he's also a prisoner or not. We should be prepared to fight him, but if at all possible, don't antagonize him first. All I'm saying is: don't throw the first blow, but remain cautious and don't hesitate to defend yourselves. There's too many unknowns, so we'll focus on what we do know. We target the five guards and the redhead woman first. If the mystery bear sees fit to not intervene, we leave him be, maybe rescue him too, but it may not be that simple."

Keeping an ear out for their replies, Veronica turned towards the inner wall and elected to begin scaling it as well. Slowly, she hauled herself up, until her eyes could peak over the top, checking to see that the way was clear.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Location: Western outer wall, Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

The corner of her lips quirking upward, Veronica restrained a fond(?) sigh, as she returned to the rest of the group.

There goes Jazdia again, taking charge.

Veronica listened, as Jazdia swiftly "voluntold" a few people onto the infiltration team... several of whom had already voiced their intent to join it if she didn't misremember. Well, whatever. Veronica wouldn't have changed a thing as far as choices. She'd made a similar assessment prior of who to bring, but without knowing more about the group personally, she couldn't discern the nuances of the abilities enough to say any of the others would be better options. Given that Jazdia had probably "insisted" on reading the group's dossiers again, she was likely the most well-informed on what they were probably capable of.

Veronica received the metal compass from Jazdia with a nod, flipping it open and chuckling at the words of warning. "My thanks. I shall."

Turning to Yvonne, the vampire received the potions with surprise and gratitude. "These will make things much easier in the worst case. Thank you. Hopefully, we won't need them, and I'll be able to bring them back untouched." So saying, Veronica committed the concoctions' functions to memory and tucked the potion flasks into her backpack, letting out a chuckle of her own at Solomon's teasing commentary. "Not to worry, Doctor Sparrow, I'd prefer to default to your expertise before using up such valuable commodities as these."

Casting her gaze across those that had either elected or been directed to join the infiltration team, Veronica smiled and sent them a nod. "If we're all ready? I'd like to go ahead and get a head-start before the other half of us start knocking on the doors." Turning on her heel, she jerked her head towards slightly more distant forestry. "Let's move."

---

The route Veronica traced was wide and circuitous initially, arcing firstly away from the estate's walls, before passing through the western forests for the majority of the following arc. In the dark, accompanied by those that might not be treated kindly by a breakneck pace, Veronica restrained herself to human levels, leading at something closer to a brisk jog than an all-out sprint.

Despite knowing that there should be nothing and no-one out there to see them, Veronica couldn't help but remain tensed and expectant of trouble, her senses straining with every step to intake every scrap of information about her surroundings they could gather. Even with so many factors in her apparent favor, she couldn't help but be doubly and triply sure, going to all her usual lengths just on principle.

Eventually, the group broke from the tree line, and Veronica led them directly towards the outer wall, before turning and making a straight run northwards to the northwest corner tower, keeping herself close to the wall and well out of easy sightlines in the infinitesimal chance someone happened to be above them.

Upon reaching the northwest corner of the wall, Veronica finally came to a halt, reaching into her pack to retrieve a grapple hook attached to a length of sturdy rope. Glancing at the rest of the infiltration team, she asked quietly, "How are you all with scaling walls?"

Saying that, she glanced up the weathered stone structure, all 5 meters of its height, keen slitted eyes picking out little blemishes and indentations that she could have used to scale the structure barehanded if need be. In the interests of speed, however, the grapple hook would be her best option right now, especially since she didn't have to worry about the light clank of it catching hold of the parapet edge potentially being heard by a guard atop it.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Location: Outside Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

The night watch was thankfully uneventful. If asked, Veronica did not have much to say about it, and that suited her perfectly fine. "Nothing" was, after all, what any night guard ideally would rather have to report. Jazdia was amongst the first of the early risers, not that Veronica had expected any less, and one chorus of howls from a recruited Evan's warg pack later, the rest of the group was roused if that hadn't already.

Similarly uneventfully, the journey to Stritzel's manor passed without incident, much to her relief. Veronica kept watch as best she could in transit, her darkvision sufficient to scan the early morning murk, the sun's light still hours distant, but her concern seemed largely for nought, which was for the best really.

---

Upon arrival, Veronica followed Jazdia a small way ahead of the group to test the elf's theory, and to the pale woman's pleasant surprise... it was exactly as she said. Stepping through the veil's boundaries, Veronica allowed her protective magic to fall away, as her Sight bloomed back into full functionality. She briefly cast her Sight towards the outer wall, nodding at the far too close loom she got at the old stonework, before letting it fade away.

She considered Jazdia's words carefully and nodded. "There's still the risk Jonas has the expertise to detect me, yes, but now that we have our full strength prepared, he will have little time to react even if he does." A small chuckled escaped her lips. "The time for stealth is largely past us, it seems. Now is the time for shock and awe, speed and brutality. I suppose I'm just putting off the inevitable, but I've always been a bit of a perfectionist at heart."

Veronica closed her eyes, and her Sight came alive.

In moments, her perspective had soared high above, a bird's eye view that was still within the scrying veil's boundaries. She idly noted the same guard positions Jazdia had, her mind whirling with considerations of her own approach.

The western tree line would suffice for her purposes. It wasn't as close as she'd have liked, but it was as good as she was going to get. Tracing the path to her goal swiftly, she noted that the outer walls had no guards patrolling atop them. It was something she'd seen in her first, physical pass through, but double-checking never hurt, not if there was the slightest possibility they'd mixed things up. Regardless, Jazdia's intuition was on point; the defender's numbers were thin, too thin to properly man their most effective barrier. Instead, they had four patrols moving about behind the wooden palisade that comprised the inner wall.

Veronica narrated her own observations aloud as she went, ensuring Jazdia was on the same page. "The basement entrance leads to a large, standard basement area. This area contains a corridor leading to an underground facility. Following through these corridors..." Her brow pinched, a frown spreading across her lips. "I've found Cedar. He's in a cell, cuffed, unconscious. He looks... thin. This can't have been good for his health; I doubt they've been feeding him well enough or even keeping him lucid enough to feed himself. The basement level's defenses are minimal, only five guards... and a redheaded woman in another cell. There's..." Veronica's brows rose high towards her hairline. "-another bear here. He's huge, bigger than Cedar. He's sitting on a bunk, and the redhaired woman is administering something on one of his arms. Might be an ally; could be a fellow prisoner."

She waited for a while longer, watching, but there didn't seem to be much else she could glean right now, not while time was of the essence. She turned her sight back from the basement, heading for the upper levels.

"The manor's population seems to be about the same as when I last saw it, largely abandoned. However, Stritzel is sleeping in a room on the second floor, and there are five thugs standing motionless in another." Odd, but moving on. "A large room on the first floor appears to have been fashioned as a barracks for Delving's Usuals. Although..." She cast her Sight around swiftly, yet... "Jonas Delving is nowhere to be seen." Troublesome, but it didn't take Veronica long to consider the reason. "I'll bet he has an extra, personal layer of scrying protection on himself, which means he might as well be invisible to our magic; yet, if intelligence is to be believed, he must still be here somewhere."

Veronica opened her eyes, her Sight fading away, as she glanced at Jazdia. "Keep an eye out. The preexisting plan should still work... hopefully. I could go as far as to inspect the other people here until I find someone talking to something only they can see, but if we haven't already alerted Delving to our presence, I'd rather not push our luck."

Cracking her knuckles, Veronica grinned, crimson eyes glinting under the pale moonlight. "Lets finalize the teams and get this party started."

An Isekai Upon This Land of Accursed Tropes - a Naruto Mass-Isekai RP

The Elemental Nations: 0 aNb - 1st Year After Rebirth

---

It started with pain. For some, it was short. For others, it was agonizingly slow. Across the world, for many places and reasons, they perished, and in an incomprehensible space beyond the mortal domain, the Wheel of Reincarnation spread its arms to welcome them into the Cycle. Taken before their times, they were all entitled to a reimbursement of karma, adjustments and recalculations made, souls weighed without pity or particular concern. For each was slated to be wiped clean regardless and distributed to a new life worthy of their karma. They would recieve a new life, unburdened by the old and thus -in a sense- at peace with their new circumstances until the time came to be judged again. It was a peace of ignorance, of obliviousness and oblivion of the self; for in truth, nothing would remain of the old life to make way for the new. This was the cold, clinical recycling system of the universe, impartial and inevitable.

"Hmmm, but perhaps that doesn't appeal to you?"

The Voice came from what almost felt like all directions at once, as disembodied souls found themselves plucked from the Wheel's clinical grasp by a warmth not akin to a cozy household fire on a winter day. Or, at the least, there were few better comparisons to make. The voice was young and old, matronly and girlish, imperious and kind. In truth, what each soul "heard" differed according to personal perception and the being's whims.

"As you are certainly aware, you are dead."

The words were said with neither sympathy nor derision. The reactions to this were myriad, souls crying out involuntarily. Questions were lodged, and answers were received almost as quickly as the thoughts could form. Though the souls could not speak, the being heard them nonetheless and answered telepathically.

"I am the one they call Kami, a god, one of many. My domain is Life and the Wheel of Reincarnation, on my world, across many worlds, yours included. I realize there are many concerns about what comes after death in your world, a world of 'mundanity', and this is the truth. There is no afterlife, only the next life. This is how it has always been, and it is how it shall always be."

Some might recieve this with apathy, others with despair. Some with anger and others with acceptance. Yet, Kami bore every reaction impassively, her tone of clinical neutrality unwavering.

"Yet, for you, this need not necessarily be the case. Though I am a god, there are things that remain beyond my remit, if not for a lack of ability than the restrictions of a most ancient divine pact. Amongst many things, this pact primarily restricts the direct interference into the mortal realms. However, the world I most primarily govern is presently imperiled, and I require a way to act upon it... indirectly."

A looming sense of anticipation pressed down upon the souls before her, and they could all tell the being was smiling.

"Poor unfortunate souls, taken before your time... I have an offer for you."

And for one reason or another, after asking their questions and receiving all the answers their patron was willing or able to give...

They accepted, of course. Every last one of them.

---

Arc 1 - Rebirth: Start.

GM Notes: Our first "arc" will roughly cover the first years of the PCs' lives, with each round of posts potentially covering a whole single year each until PCs are more independent. You therefore have the freedom to write out the entire first year of your PC's life in about as little or as much detail as you like. We'll be trying to move through these relatively quickly in order to get to the "good stuff", but more detail does potentially mean a better paying investment. Be aware, as babies, your options are limited, but that doesn't mean you have nothing to do.

If you have any questions or need a few lines from an important named NPC, hash it out with me; for expediency's sake, I will definitely be considering granting control of certain important NPCs to players. 100% accurate characterization is not a total requirement, as this is a world inherently infected with fanon and fanfic tropes, but depending on the character, I may have a particular portrayal in mind that will need to the be kept to, depending on if and to what degree tropes have warped them. Beyond that? Go hog wild (within reason, lol). This Naruto mass-isekai sandbox has officially begun.

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Location: North of the crossroads, 6 km from Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

Veronica could admit to genuine surprise at the question Evan abruptly proposed to the group while performing his nightly rituals; there was a certain dissonace with how casually it was asked despite the content of it. Brows rising, Veronica eyed the group in turn, as several answered the strange question. Their opinions seemed to run the majority of stances, as much indifference present as disgust with even a bit of enjoyment in the mix.

Considering her own stance on that matter, something she had thought about at length in the past, Veronica's lips pursed tightly, but she slipped on a casual smile a moment later. "A strangely heavy question, but as you can see, the answer is quite subjective. Every person assigns their own meaning to the taking of life; it's nearly impossible to understand what it will be like until you do." Tilting her head, the pale woman crossed her arms. She considered holding back her own stance but finally shrugged her shoulders. "These days, I can't say killing bothers me. I could concoct situations in which I consider it distasteful, of course, but as a fundamental concept, you could say I see no difference between killing a human and killing a rat. If they are an obstacle or a target, that's just how it is. I'd be a poor assassin to allow myself to be burdened by guilt for doing my job."

Of course, she was aware this was far from a "normal" perspective on death, and she'd even tried to change her stance in the past. But it was futile. This was part of the curse of being a vampire; anyone that wasn't a vampire was, at best... a pet. That was the kind of emotional attachment she was limited to. A vampire instinctively considered anyone else prey and lesser, no matter how much they might be ignorant of the fact or try to lie to themselves otherwise. Of course, she could grow attached to people, care about them, love them... but that only went so far. For a human, a beloved pet was something you could cherish, that you would cry over, but rare is the pet you might truly equate equal value to as another human. You do not expect your pets to outlive you, and so your love is limited further, if only to lighten the burden you must carry once they are gone. You love and spoil them while they remain, but you cannot help but always remember somewhere that your time together is limited. The only way to go further... was to find someone to turn, to make one of your own, another vampire... and true family.

Veronica did not say any of that, however. It was enough to justify her callousness as that of extensive assassin training; that was something explainable, distasteful yet understandable. She doubted anyone would be enthused to realize the only one here she equated more emotional connection to than a beloved pet was Solomon, and only because his lack of blood meant her bloodthirst wasn't even subconsciously attracted to him. If anyone was aware of the reasoning behind her answer, regardless, she'd expect it to be Solomon, but she doubted it concerned him.

Shaking her mind from that track of thought, Veronica nodded at Yvonne's words. "Yes, in light of the unnerving similarities in the barrier over the complex, I am expecting at least one mage of significant skill to be present. If not Jonas Delving, then whoever was responsible for capturing Cedar in the first place."

Listening to Jadia's proposed adjustments, she did her best to simulate the proposed series of events in her mind, before slowly nodding. "So, what you're saying is for the the outside team to attack first instead, draw out Jonas and Stritzel into open combat and then have the seconf team infiltrate and close ranks behind them after they are already drawn out and there's no risk of them counter-flanking us?"

Glancing at the map as well, Veronica frowned. "Normally, I would advise against making a plan that counts on the enemy's emotions to succeed, but Jonas and Stritzel's reputations are such that they make an exception." She nodded again. "I wouldn't have suggested such a strategy myself, but I don't disagree with your assessment." She inclined her chin in acknowledgement of Jazdia nominating herself for the initiator assault team. "I have no particular objections; this plan will suffice. for my part, I shall naturally go with the infiltration team. I've done so before, and I can lead them directly to the basement entrance."

Reaching down, she scooped up her backpack and slid one strap over her left shoulder. Glancing to Solomon, she nodded. "Unless you have any objections, I'll be posting myself atop the hill over there," she said, pointing at the spot Jazdia had parked herself prior to wait for the recon team's arrival. "I'll periodically change positions throughout the night, I think, but I'll be sure to stay near enough to reach the campsite in moments if something untoward occurs."

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Location: North of the crossroads, 6 km from Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

As disappointed as she was to lose any amount of manpower right now, Veronica nodded in understanding with the Antigone members' concerns. She had honestly predicted something like this would be the case. The two had always felt almost like... a "loan" in a sense, even from the start. They were there to plant the geolocator, and since that failed -or rather, regardless that it had, their job was over. That they were willing to stick around to even guard the cart in the absence of the majority of the team was also perhaps them going above and beyond, and she would take what she could get. "I've no objections," she smiled without judgement.

At Solomon's support for the timing of their attack and offer to aid in the night watch, Veronica nodded gratefully.

At Lord Thernous's questions, Veronica paused, giving the matter some thought, her brow pinching lightly in consideration. "Getting close to the outer wall isn't really the issue, Lord Thernous, especially not under the cover of night," she finally replied. "It's what comes beyond that point that is concerning." She smiled. "You bring up an interesting proposition regardless. I had my own thoughts on how we should approach, and a two-pronged pincer attack seems ideal. If we could get a portion of our forces into the manor proper unseen, then we could attack from behind, as the second half of the team collapses upon them from outside simultaneously at a predetermined signal. Ideally, we should control the manor first, before the enemy has any chance to retreat into and use it as a last line of defense."

At the latter question, Veronica slowly shook her head with a frown. "Not to my knowledge, no. I scaled the wall entirely in my past infiltration. Not to mention, servant entrances are only useful if there's somewhere for them to reasonably be coming and going. Stritzel, however, has set up in nearabout the 'middle of nowhere', as they say. There would be no purpose to such amenities except to be security threats."

---

Perking up at Jazdia's question, her gaze turned to bore into the elf's still turned back. "When my team approached the compound, I chose to play it safe. Evan, though his firepower is laudable, conveyed that his experience in subterfuge is nonexistent. I elected to never bring him closer than the forested areas outside the outer wall. Similarly with the members of Antigone, so that they could set up the geolocator undisturbed." Rubbing her chin, she added, "For my own part, I infiltrated the manor personally. That's how I managed to confirm it was empty as well as identify the existence and location of a subterranean layer."

"I see." Jazdia finally turned and lowered the lantern. "If you say the anti-scrying barrier was similar to what Asevor employed in Fanghorn, then my theory says our power can work just fine inside the barrier itself. It's a curtain, a veil-type magic jammer. Have you determined how wide the area it covered?"

Veronica grimaced. It was an expression of familiar annoyance at facing an at least half-competent foe. "It stretches far, very far, all the way to the outer wall. If it's as easily dealt with as getting inside it... that would be incredibly fortunate. I hope your assessment is correct. Penetrating the outer walls is honestly the easiest part of this mission. If we can get that far and be unhindered past that point? This is sounding a lot less dicey than I was concerned it'd be." Not that she'd allow herself to feel relieved for even a moment until the job was done, of course. This was just the best-case scenario, mere wishful thinking until proven otherwise. Shinobi instincts screamed incessantly that it sounded too good to be true, habitual paranoia rattling in the back of her skull.

"If you say it's easy, then the security has to be very minimal there if not nonexistent. Why would they concentrate their security in the inner wall? Lack of manpower? I believe that's the only sensible explanation."

Veronica slowly nodded at that, resisting the impulse to worry at her lower lip with her fangs. "That does sound sensible... Though, I cannot confidently give exact numbers, as there was no reasonable opportunity to check the basement level for reserves."

It was the moment Jazdia finally showed an expression that indicated weariness. "I will withhold my input about how we infiltrate the compound until we get there. But here is my take on the timing. I agree that resting is important."

Jazdia flipped open her pocket watch and announced. "It's 8:45 now. If we sleep now, we will have enough rest to assault the compound at 4 in the morning. That will be my suggestion for this entire planning. Also, I want to make it clear that if the old intel about Stritzel provided supply assistance via underground tunnels is to be trusted, it means once we go loud, there is a chance that she might escape with Cedar through the tunnel. Or use the time between the first attack and our incursion to barricade herself with our poor bear. What's my plan to counter this will wait until I get a closer look at the facility."

Veronica nodded firmly, a grim but determined expression crossing her lips. "They won't escape, not with Cedar. My Sight will hunt them to the ends of the earth before they do." Her lip curled up into the beginnings of a repressed snarl, before smoothing out into placidity, one hand instead clenching. "As long as they leave the safety of their precious, warded lair, there's nowhere Stritzel can hide."

Sucking in a slow, quiet breath through her nose, she steadied and blew out the embers of her temper. Tilting her head, she recalled what Jazdia's wonderful eyes were capable of and chuckled mirthfully. "I suppose I'll leave handling the escape tunnels to your all-seeing gaze," she teased with a small grin, eyes crinkling. "And if you miss? I can always clean up after," she added cheekily, nodding to herself. "Hah... 4 in the morning then. Sounds good to me."

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Location: North of the crossroads, 6 km from Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

Veronica nodded Jazdia's way, addressing the larger group. "Whatever the case, we should decide a plan of action now." She glanced at Rose and Lily. "I'm sure we'd all agree -at least in principle, the longer we wait, the more chance there is that something goes awry. Either Cedar perishes under his captors' nonexistent tender 'mercies', or perhaps the enemy becomes alerted to our approach or receives additional reinforcements."

Looking up at the sky, she frowned at the moon. "That's why, no matter what we decide, I believe we should attack before sunlight arrives. Not just for expediency, but because it is specifically advantageous to at least myself and Evan as far as maximizing our combat potential. We will have the advantage of the cover of darkness, which will eliminate much of the difficulty of crossing the open fields of our future battlefield unseen, and we will be far more likely to gain the element of surprise upon an exhausted shift that are yet to switch out for day guards."

One gloved hand rising to pinch her chin in thought, Veronica nodded to herself. "At our potential travel speed, we could cross the distance in an hour or so. I say we awaken three hours before dawn." She raised her other hand, counting off on her fingers. "One hour for travel. One hour to scope out the premises on arrival and hammer out any fine details of our plan. And one hour to conduct our assault. Hopefully, we don't need anywhere close to that much time, but being prepared never hurts. We could always make it four hours, if we need extra time to pick up camp and attend to other potentially extended preparations."

"Whatever the grace period we allow ourselves, best to keep as many of us in top shape as possible. Anyone that needs sleep should get as much as possible, with as few of our slumbers being interrupted for watch shifts as viable. For my own part, I can take all the night watch shifts. I don't need sleep," At that, she finally paused. She had other ideas whirling through her mind, but getting the basics of a timetable out of the way first should do. One thing at a time. "Any objections? Suggestions?"

Sovereign's Will: The Edge of War [Looking for new players]

Location: North of the crossroads, 6 km from Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

"Jonas Delving? The patriarch himself?" Veronica's brows rose high towards her hairline at Jazdia's words. Crossing her arms, one foot began to tap out a slow idle rhythm. "That could be a particularly troublesome x-factor to deal with." That might have been somewhat understating it; for surely, the head of the Delving family would be an exceptional mage and a master of his family's signature craft. She raised a single brow further at the mention of an "informant" but didn't comment on it. She had some idea what Jazdia might mean.

The two female "bears" spoke up now, clearly distraught over what they'd heard about Cedar, who it turned out was their brother, it seems. Their concerned words were met in answer by Jazdia, and Veronica had to withhold a grimace at the mention of Stritzel's twisted tastes. Of sure, intellectually, she had some comprehension of how Cedar and his sisters came about, but that sort of pairing was... unnatural. She realized that was probably a little rich coming from her, but the idea of bedroom "activities" in general raised her hackles, never mind with a bear. She didn't hold Cedar and his sister's origins against them, but... Ugh.

"I'm not sure if the idea that this is ultimately some petty act of obsessive fetish indulgence makes this situation better or worse." One hand rose to briefly pinch the bridge of her nose. "That Jonas Delving is involved, however, assures us that this is surely nothing as... 'benign' as you girls are perhaps imagining. Your brother is in very real danger, not a romantic misadventure."