The Twin Cages - Defense of the Outlands

[Tkags]

While scouts are invaluable, too many just make them easier to be found out, with this in mind Adorabella decides to sign up to join the war effort and support the frontlines. Of all the places in dire need of numbers it's where Sigil will be facing the imposters head on!

[Red the Rogue]

It took a while before the chant concerning Glorium reached the ears of Rebecca Arisdottir. The Ysgardian warrior furrowed her brow, taking a moment to puff from her tobacco pipe, then lifted her voice. "They won't keep it, not if I have anything to say about it."

The woman turned and left the tavern. She made her way back to the City of Doors, to the Barracks. Rebecca slapped her hand on top of the front desk. "I'll be joining everyone. Just point me the way and I'll be there."

[mimifearthegn]

On the 1st Hive of Savorus, the main Harmonium Force, led by Factol Sarin, left the Cage for the Outlands. A forward position had been secured and fortified - the old ruined castle of Ogen's Watch.

Planeswalkers who volunteered for the defense of the Outlands are encouraged to camp at the Castle, and patrol the surrounding environs.

Current intelligence suggests that the people of Faunel are still holding out, though their city is being destroyed building-by-building by the enemy bombardment. Sarin plans to march against the enemy, and trap them between the Sigilian forces and Faunel.

To proceed, however, Sigil's forces need to secure a landmark known as Giphon's Crossing. The Crossing is a bridge constructed hundreds of years ago by a Signer, and is said to speed up travel to every point in the Outlands. Previously the bridge was held by the Fraternity, who were researching its powers. Now it is held by the enemy.

In addition to the bridge's clear strategic value, it stands between Ogen's Watch and Faunel, and so must be secured for Sigil's army to advance.

OOC note: we will post a time to run the liberation of Giphon's Crossing in the next day or two.

[Viann]

Measure One, Nica looked in distaste at the ragtag group of planewalkers. Only few knew about discipline, no uniform training, no desire to organize. But she hadn't expected much else in her times within the Sigil. Then again she often looked down on the Sigil branch of Harmonium as well, deemed it blacksheep among the Harmonium Empire, those who constantly compromised from quality and discipline. And now she heard and saw what perhaps could've been. An uncompromising empire fully organized under one cause, to spread Harmony around the planes. Conflicting views running through her mind as she observed her allies that shared little to no value with each other, to fight against an enemy that appeared to manifest a purer form of those the values she held dear.

However in the end, only one thing mattered. She swore loyalty Harmonium. This Harmonium. She swore loyalty to Factol, Factol Sarin. When Factol Sarin demands, she will oblige. Where this Harmonium needs, she will be. Where her orders take, she will go. And this in her mind set the Harmonium apart from Planewalkers. Ability to set their own needs away for the only cause that mattered. The grand strategy, not merely small skirmish tactics with minor gains. The war was young. And Nica knew, hundreds, likely thousands, maybe even tens of thousands more would have to die. They'd understand sooner or later, maybe they triumph in their individual fights, but will there be a home to return to? This is what she considered that strategy means.

Military leadership is a journey, not a destination. It is continually challenged. And must continually prove itself anew against fresh obstacles. There is satisfaction in defeating an enemy, but one must never allow herself to become complacent. There are always more enemies to be identified, faced and vanguished. And in this war, dozens defeated will mean little in the overall scopes of the war. But she knew, there are ways to defeat armies, by defeating only small groups of enemies. And to that end, she deviced the plan and sent new orders to the unaligned planewalker camp. Of course, she was used to orders, and never understood those who did not, would the Planewalkers agree to those?

"New Task for Those Hoping to Win This War,

To win this siege, and war, we must do our best to delay the hostile movements with the best means available to us. Those of you who are confident in your fighting talents, focus into their supply lines. Stop the first, and last wagon, and you've successfully stopped an entire convoy bringing supplies to an army. If you can steal the supplies for our forces, do so, if you cannot. Burn them and cause road blocks to further prevent supplies from reaching their main forces. No army can march fast or efficiently without regular supplies. And if enough many roads, and supply convoys have been disrupted, the less they can march.

This will buy time for those of you who are able to move behind enemy lines. Those of you who can do this, contact Administrator Crake to collaborate in one of these four options:
1) Find an alternative high value target, besides the Giphon's Crossing. Administrator Crake will be briefed for the purpose of this.
2) Find out where the supply convoys come from. Whether this is their forward base, or portals.
3) Study their troop movements, particularly where their forces are attempting to amass in.
4) Discreet path to Giphon's Crossing.

For those of you who do not find themselves fitting to either category. Do what you find best to disrupt the enemy information flow. Particularly if you can find fast moving messengers, intercepting and bringing those in is high value to the allied Faction cause. Whether these are horse back riders, or pidgeon based, is as of yet uncertain.

Report findings, success and anomalies to the Ogen's Watch.

Nica Brianna Kelter
- Measure One of the Harmonium"

After this she reported her, notary Ephimera & Kregothoraxus (sp?) and one Rebeccas success at supply raid. Echoing the unit compositions of the Mirror-Harmonium forces that were spoken in the briefings. Some of the supplies that could be easily carried were confiscated, rest of the wagons were set on fire after the horses were cut free. Scene was left before reinforcements could arrive.

[silinrul357]

The same day that everyone had gone into the outlands camp, Minasien found herself taking part in several raids of the supply chains and scout camps. She even ended up helping a couple of dragons whom she swore she saw a harmonium badge on, but didn't quite get a good look. Reina, Klo, Karn, that was just naming a few of the capable fighters that took part in several raids, she couldn't name or remember the rest. For such a disorganized group, they sure were efficient. She helped a decent bit with her wardings, but ultimately it proved unnecessary for the more capable fighters.

It would've been a blow to her confidence and wondering why she was there, had she not struck out later that evening on her own. She was restless, and while everyone else was relaxing after their own raids, she found herself very much unable to do so, so she went back out. It ended up she found another scouting camp on her own, with someone whom almost got themselves killed. She managed to save that person. She also managed to keep herself alive, which was more than she was sure she could do at first.

Yet in the middle of it all, during the fighting, or even by her simple ability to get in and out quickly and undetected, she looked around while others were fighting (or not, in the case of sneaking alone). She was looking for information. Obviously, anything that might help their effort, even if it was just a little, but she was particularly curious about the leaders of the opposing armies. Especially if there really was an 'Aoskar' still alive in this other world. There was also mention of a seer. A proper 'seer' could prove dangerous, after all.

Any mention of such, or just information in general, was quickly pilfered and taken back to camp. And of course a few of the particularly shiny things in their supply wagons might've found their way into Minasien's pockets...

[Tangaroa]

Gleam, shy and uncertain of his newfound status as a Harmonium namer, arrives at the war camp, shifting his blade, pack and shield to rebalance the weight of the heavy load. He scratches his rocky chin and hums an off-key tune in the earthen-tongue.

Not much made sense these days, but he put his faith in the Harmonium, and if they said they had to fight, well, then he was willing to sell himself dearly to help their cause of Peace.

He takes a deep breath and looks about, seeking someone in authority to tell him what needs to be done...

[mimifearthegn]

//FYI, we are planning on running the Liberation of Giphon's Bridge event at 2pm US Central TIme this coming Saturday (May 30th).

[Saiceles]

Katherine, for all of her simplicity as a volunteer, tried to do her share of work. Even more at times. The woman had taken part in a number of the raids during the last days, helping bring back supplies, trying to find useful information, and reporting whatever little she could find along the way. Strangely, she also included in her reports that she had taken to freeing the horses from the attacked caravans, rather than simply leaving them behind with the wagons to be burned or retrieved by the enemy. At least from what she had been told, the local lands would be alright for those horses to find their way around, especially when they weren't together. Having been a farmer, she apparently understood enough of their intelligence to figure that they were better off finding their freedom in the wilderness than being dragged in a war where so many would be dying.

This whole war made her nervous. It was her first time fighting in something of that scale after all. And while she didn't fear that her abilities wouldn't be enough, she feared for the enemy. She knew they had ill intentions, that they might be bad people, but it was hard to act cold and pretend empathy isn't a thing. For every kill in the field, she made sure it was clean, quick, painless, and she took no particular joy in giving them. Odd that someone with that kind of sword skill was also so reserved in how to use it. Regardless, killing wasn't the only way she could help, and when not occupied in the field one could find Katherine wandering around the fort, offering help with small things. Carrying crates, helping repair the wooden structures, distributing supplies. She didn't particularly seem inclined to believe that menial work was beneath her. Occupying herself with work was always an effective way to keep her mind from overthinking things anyway.

Yet she still felt the battle ahead of them in Giphon's Bridge might be a true test of her fortitude, and some part of her wished that it happened sooner rather than later. The wait was the worst part of the process after all.

[Gadwin]

The first day, Reina, Karn, Abwan, Klo, Katherine, Minasien, Zogrukh, and a few others went out on several raids throughout the evening. Many a supply line was ransacked, and a few camps were even subjected to the full fury of a hellball in spectacular fashion. Upon receiving note of the unreputed harmonium measure once again issuing out orders they'd already been working on and generally lording her faction rank as if she were superior to the volunteers, the Erinyes' eyes rolled just as before. Maybe Harmonium as a whole weren't as awful as they were made out to be, but some among them were proving rather insufferable.

Reina's time, from then on, was spent wholly within the confines of the war camp and the lines of the enemy. Perceptive as she was, and aided by a birds eye view afforded to her via her winged nature, picking out enemy movement and fortification amidst the trees and mountains was notably easier. From the earlier forays, they had learned that the enemy were particularly untrained and underequipped (or at least their scouts were), so in the event that nobody was available to accompany her on expeditions, she would simply go alone. As stubborn as she was, to stand idly by would be physically intolerable; she had little to offer for her side apart from her martial prowess, so it would be put to rigorous use in efforts to scour every inch of the surrounding area so as to tirelessly eliminate every spying scout, patrol, or supply caravan that she could. In her eyes, these soldiers were no different than the fiends in the Abyss, and they would be slain with the same spiteful fervor until more meaningful action could be taken against more higher-priority objectives.

[Viann]

Measure Nica was seen marching about the Ogens Watch restlessly between nearby check points and guard posts gathering reports and making nitpicky notions to proper form, participating into daily Harmonium training sessions. And after the first of the wounded Harmonium members started to appear to the makeshift infirmaries in the keep, she started making daily visits for a couple of them as well. Of course not to be just all words, she did make raids into supply convoys, and forwarding reports to the Outlands Defense high command, if any were given to her. Expressing that such details are above her paygrade.

She however steered clear from the planewalker camp. Whatever the reasoning may have been is anyones guess. What little downtime she had from her seeming self-imposed activities wasn't spent on resting, infact you could be fairly sure she hasn't been resting since the entire meeting with the high command. When the Harmonium notaries partied during their downtime in the late hours of anti-peak. She was absent. In the early hours of the morning she was among first to make rounds around the Harmonium barrack-tents to made crude awakenings with military tradition of shouting them to rise and shine to begin morning routines and get back to duty. Of course for many who were career and longterm members of Harmonium this was a norm. For some it was a cause of understandable ire. If this bothered her, she did not display it. And it appeared as if she always had a metaphorical stick up her rear.