WAR!

[*Zahir]

With the prolonged spying operations having been conducted and the information is sent to Harmonium HQ it doesn't take much longer for new strategies being conducted. The towns where the warehouses lie are informed of all the court records from Sigil and request for operational aid to arrest the members of Cartel in those warehouses.

Those that approve then put in order and co-operated with their city guard to then put the warehouses out of order and all of the substances within confiscated for the towns purposes, though under Harmonium supervision to ensure there's no attempts of double crossing.

Those that do not approve instead causes Harmonium to create road blocks. Using their prolonged spying of the caravans leaving the warehouses causes them to block all that are suspected. All of the supplies that are confiscated are destroyed.

The spies of the cartel changes tactics fast as answer. They makes thousands and hundreds of false requests for aid throughout the planes, about false warehouses.
Preparing very well forged and based dummies, without dispatching there force or agent, it's almost impossible say the real nature of announcements.

Literaly they make a forest to hide the trees. Every little town and city requests aid on warehouses. Avoiding the trouble for the cities, after the arrival of the forces the spies let clear sign of their workings to clear the town's honor. This will render very hard dispatch the forces of the Harmonium, and letting them disperse their force.
IF they do so, the small forces, agents becomes target of ambushes after a short and fast investigation avoiding dummies and trap forces.

Meanwhile the strategic points becomes guarded by a simple tactic. If a city makes steps to clear a real cartel warehouse, hard punishment arrives in form of disappearences and unfortunate deaths in the families of city representatives, making very clear the situation. It comes only after a real warehouse was compromised.

Other hand, representatives whoes makes the right decision and co-operates hiding and masking cartel operations with will or by fear, can count on nice bribes, which cames from unknown sources.

After many places became investigated, sometimes even three or more times in row, they can be target for real operations, or an other dummy...who knows?.
The spy network helps Cartel merchants to change location of operation fast and smooth.

[*Mr_Otyugh]

With the quantity of requests, Harmonium simply ceases listening anonymous sources and instead targets the ones they've spied themselves and know to exist as well as follow documentation. Cartel/residents is demanded to come out and surrender, if they don't, if no reply comes they just set the warehouses on fire as long as they first verify from town documentation of the activity... after all, Cartel only recently started working under cover, most towns know fully well they've existed there.

For Cartel taking such obvious actions even against some of their own guards, a far larger number of people starts to shun their operations, people starting to disappear causes enrage and in-fact a lot less investigation and simply burning of warehouses of Cartel. Whether or not Harmonium is responsible of instilling the crowds is unknown but they adamantly persist that they're involving as little outsiders as they can. Due to this far less disappearing Cartel members is taken prisoners and many of the towns publicly execute their members and leave them in public hanged as an example for others. Rather than calling Harmonium, most of them call on their local guard forces to deal with the matter.

Their brutal tactics simply seem to backfire miserably as any previous support Cartel may have had is now dwindling, some Cartel members may even not quite feel up to the task of attacking civilians or continuing this kind of fight. Meanwhile Harmonium continues their methodical approach.

[*Reptiller]

((Yeah, been a while since I replied. Anyway, a summary of recent events.))

The war certaily does not bode well for the Cartel as an organization. Certain leaders and members took their banners down and declared themselves independent. Most of said spinter groups do not cooperate with the Harmonium but neither they help out the Cartel as a whole.

After this long, the Harmonium might get the impression that there was no real plan for the war on Cartel's side. The Cartel does not seem to operate as a whole but rather each cell for itself. It would even seem Hildmor and other central figures either do not care any longer or don't know what to do...There was no attempt to exchange prisoners, Hildmor never made an attempt to find Kreeyzia or punish any separatist group as of yet.

As for the Gatetown of Tradegate, the Parliament refused to strip Hildmor d'Kridis of his membership or remove his businesses from the Town. They however state they'll do so if his guilt for deaths of Cadaveus, Owen and Mabel is proven beyond reasonable doubt, since Hildmor or his associates don't have any crime record and were never key suspects for a crime in Tradegate. Whether this is because of Hildmor's influence or Parliament simply refusing to seem weak is unknown.

((edit by Mr_Otyugh; gonna discuss with DM team about the actual decision of the parliament and post it then))

[*Reptiller]

Under a dozen, pretty much all Harmonium soldiers captured during the war have returned to the barracks. Half of them lack their weapons but all of them have the rest of their gear.

They bear a message as well as shards of a crystal used for a Trap The Soul spell.

((PM sent.))

[*Mr_Otyugh]

Mover Four Jhaenus Korreth after proper security checks of the letter for any magical attributes before it is read, it is only read if it contains none and the prisoners akin are checked for hidden identities, memory alterations and mind-control before they are let to return to their post, and each of them are given backtracking salary, commendations as well as week off duty if they so desire, however each of them are questioned for details.

Under assumption the letter contains no magical attributes of any sort, Jhaenus Korreth would read it through and consider the options. "They claim they were betrayed from the inside, yet they have the nerves to still try to blackmail us to peace with the trapped souls? Let me make this adamantly clear. Harmonium will not negotiate. Persist the war efforts, and make a new Under Sigil undercover branch... we have not received results from the Revolutionary League for some time and must work under assumption that they are not living up to their bargain any longer as is to be expected, with same presumption neither are we required to.

We will not forgive the brutalities committed by them just because they claim to have been betrayed and continue to desecrate victims of 'their' murders. This is a sign of them losing and attempting to bargain to save what they can, it is sign of closing victory, but do not get over confident, we have no rush. The strategy of letting them wear themselves out has worked quite well thus far, the longer we force them to hide, the more they will lose.

You all have heard it. The villagers whom didn't listen to what Cartel said getting murdered, I don't care who was in leadership, it wasn't the leader assassinating our members, it wasn't the leader murdering all those villagers. Cartel is responsible, and Hildmor... he won't be missed considering all his past crimes, some which no doubt are yet to be found out.

Continue taking out their caravans, if the city guards disallows, then do so outside the city. Their caravans and supplies are useless if they can't leave the cities. We have no reason to send them any message, our actions can show them the reality of situation. If they wish to blame this "Scourge" so be it, they can blame him, doesn't make them any less responsible of their actions, especially with the convenient timing.

Lastly, continue passing the word of their brutalities to any cities and establishment that are known to have Cartel presence."

[*Reptiller]

A huge, winged orc-kin brute stumbles into the barracks and puts a note on the front desk. He then tries to turn himself in for assisting the Scourge. After some inspection he appears to be under a mind control spell. The note has no magical properties and it reads as follows:

Factol Sarin, Factor Jhaenus Korreth,

No doubt you have been informed of the communication I sent earlier this week. It explained, in full, on how my group was overtaken by an imposter and driven into the war we currently wage between our two organizations. As explained in the letter, I had been imprisoned and my people were commanded to do as they were by the imposter.

Like the people of the Harmonium... my troops followed orders because it is their duty to obey. Such is the burden of Order is it not? Would you not expect your troops to march on an enemy, in the fashion you choose... without question... should you give the order? I expect no less of my people. They thought they were following my orders. They were decieved. They did what they did under threat of reprocussions from another.

We can negotiate terms of any sort, so long as they are reasonable and sensible, to bring us back to a permanent state of peace.

I ask you again, in the name of peace, halt the war, halt the bloodshed and meet at the table to talk. We have the imposter. You have the prison I was held in. We have the souls of those he killed. You now have the men they had captured. We simply want peace. The man who delivered the letter was one of Scourge's hired blades. He's now as well in your custody. Questiom him, he'll add to the existing evidence.

The Harmonium does itself no justice continually attacking a group who continually calls for peace. It serves no one...It leads to no justice or glory for the Harmonium. It is time for diplomacy. Lay down the blade, kennel the dogs of war, and negotiate peace.

Lady's Grace

Hildmor d'Kridis

[*Mr_Otyugh]

The orc is apprehended and detained, after finding out that it is under influence of mind-control it is removed for the questioning. If no evidences or proofs of his guilt or ties to Cartel are found, he's set loose. If there's proofs of his involvement he's kept in the cells. The note is directed at Jhaenus Korreth whom is in charge of the matter.

Once more there is no reply or seeming alteration to the war efforts.

[*Reptiller]

((Damn my carelessness, forgot to write a reply on the orc :( ))

If questioned under a Zone of Truth, he indeed reveals his involvement in the scheme the Cartel spoke of in their letters.

[*Captain Vanguard]

Amaku does infact seem too busily focused on restocking her office to truley pay attention to the situation with the Cartel. Evidently from the analysis of the Notaries, it was clear that Amaku was not infact tied to the Cartel in any way, so much as mearly voicing her opinion on the war itself.

Amaku didnt appear to keep any secrets or go any quiet spots, she didnt meet any shadowy figures or walk into dark alleys to commune with anyone.

She spent most of her days resuming her regular patrolls, with a look of acceptance and dissapointment in her one good eye. But, she had tried to calm down the fire, there was little else that could be done now.

[*Captain Vanguard]

Amaku decided to report to the Mover in charge of the War operation once again and offered a private meeting, to which she had this to say:

"I know I cant prevent this war going on but I can ask you to consider at least a possibility of a truce between the Cartel and our own men.

This war, is bad not for us but for our morale. The Bazaar area, while being a small area of sigil is heavily influenced by the situation and gossip travels fast.

I propose, we meet them at a middle ground, forget capturing Hildmor, thats unnecessary anymore. Instead, focus on making sure he cannot be a Matyr by taking that power from him.

Cast the first dove of peace and he "must" answer, the situation looks to be in your favour, your terms.

We can force him to concent to giving up what little hold he has, in return for a degree of cooperation from the Cartel and from Hildmor himself.

Hildmor gets off the hook, but in return he must agree to loyally aid the Harmonium from now on, and his Lawyer status and credentials would be revoked.

Its a fair trade, one I imagine he can easily afford to let go of, considering that the man already has enough contacts in low places he wont need his high and mighty title anymore.

If we kill the mans strength we kill him anyway sir, we dont need, to capture him."