MISSION #01: SAND AND IRON - EXECUTION LOG

[vivalamods]

MISSION#01: SAND AND IRON EXECUTION LOG

With carefully laid plans firmly in place, the Crimson Corsairs mobilize to carry out the operation. While those skilled in diplomacy and entertainment gather in Elysium to put on a show to remember, a small fleet breaks off from Flotsam, setting course for the fallen continent of Hesaeth.

In Elysium, the night begins early, with a lavish dinner at sunset followed by entertainments that will not end until the sun once again rises in the sky. For the battle-hardened Corsairs, their night starts far later. The ships approach the shore quietly and landing boats are deployed to bring the strikeforce to the beach. It is nearly 2 AM when the order to attack is made.

Be it in the chaos of revelry or the chaos of battle, all Corsairs have a part to play. After tonight, old gods willing, this mine and all the treasures that lay within it shall be ours.

The following missions have been registered for completion. For a character to count as having participated, they must have a minimum of 3 comments in the mission thread. Characters may participate in a single mission in a single region.

NEGOTIATORS

Entertainment: While the attack is taking place, Negotiators must keep the officers occupied. This can be done any number of ways, from strong drink to performance to conversation. Above all else, the officers must be kept happy and unaware at all cost.
Conflicts: The officers of the Empire are difficult customers. They are demanding, they don’t like to be told no, and they expect their every whim, no matter how outlandish, to be catered to with absolute perfection. When mixed with strong drink, many will forget they never demanded something and still expect it to be done.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read ENTERTAINMENT. At least 4 characters will need to participate in this mission among all mission threads to make this a success.
Region: Elysium

Service: While not as prominent, servers in Elysium are also necessary to keep things running smoothly. Service staff will be the ones serving the food and drink, waiting on the visiting officers, and cleaning up any messes, spills or suspicious fluids that may be found during the party.
Conflicts: While Entertainers can occasionally command some modicum of respect due to their talents, Service workers are seen as truly the lowest of the low by the Imperial officers. Servers must be talented and hearty, as they will often suffer great abuse at the hands of the officers, possibly even escalating to physical violence.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read SERVICE. At least 2 characters will need to participate in this mission among all mission threads to make this a success.
Region: Elysium

COMBATANTS

Prisoner Liberation: Combatants will need to reach and free the prisoners. This includes subduing any guards in the area and ensuring their protection.
Conflict: Even with the officers out, patrols are generally still occurring and the prisoners remain under heavy guard. Not only that, the guards will not hesitate to slaughter the prisoners if they feel they are in danger of being liberated. Guards are individually weak but carry rifles and sabers.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read PRISONER LIBERATION. At least 2 characters will need to participate in either of these missions to make this a success.
Region: Hesaeth

Subdue Guards: The core combat team will need to sweep the camp and clear out as many soldiers as possible. This will be where a majority of the fighting will take place.
Conflict: Even with the officers gone, the camp is still heavily guarded. Most notably, there are 2 active Armors, one Schwertz and one Lanze in addition to their standard soldiers, who all carry rifles and sabers.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read either SUBDUE GUARDS. At least 4 characters will need to participate in either of these missions to make this a success.
Region: Hesaeth

Escape Route: Some combatants will need to guard the fleet and keep the route open so the prisoners can be evacuated.
Conflict: Guards will attempt to rush the ships and scuttle them with their remaining Schwert armor, as well as a number of standard guards wielding rifles and sabers.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read ESCAPE ROUTE. At least 2 characters will need to participate in either of these missions to make this a success.
Region: Hesaeth

Players will generally have free reign to narrate the event’s occurrences as they wish. For the Execution phase, please refer to the Conflict descriptor to get an idea of the kind of narrative difficulties you will encounter and feel free to make use of them as much or as little as you like to make the thread interesting.

Characters are free to use single large threads or multiple smaller threads to meet the character threshold at the player’s discretion.

If you wish to deploy a Gambit during your mission, in the subject line of the reply you’re using the Gambit in type GAMBIT: [NAME OF GAMBIT]. Using Gambits isn’t required for the success of a thread, but doing so will be taken into account when we factor out the successes and failures of the mission.

Available Gambits:
Hamper Reinforcements: The Crimson Corsairs recovered communications from the prison camp, and can use the knowledge to cut the flow of reinforcements.

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Comments

Melee Ahoy!

[relentless_sentinel]

Thankfully for everyone involved, when she get to the meeting point, Nephenee has gotten out of that abomination of an outfit, and is in a somewhat baggy, casual blue shirt, hiking boots, and cargo shorts, her ever-present (and she will fight tooth-and-nail for it to be ever-present after that debacle) hat keeping her face somewhat shadowed. The only hint at anything odd is her hair being a bit wavy, even if it's just falling down her back.

Thankfully, Donnie's got her halberd and shield, and while she doesn't have her proper armour, the second she straps the shield on and takes the lance up in her left hand, her stance and mien is every bit one of a veteran soldier. It's rather like a switch being flipped - one second she's more scattered and anxious, and in the next breath she's calm and collected. So when the prisoners start flooding towards them and he yells that, she goes to cover the side he's not on. "Got it! Hey, all y'all!"

She gestures quickly from the prisoners to the ships behind, "Head thataway, onto the ships! We'll keep 'em away from ya!" She's done this enough times to know even firm and simple instructions can help people by giving them something to focus on. Now, how far are those pursuers...

[purplexing]

Her casual attire is still a bit strange for a battle-expectant mission but Donnie's hardly one to judge when he's not wearing not much better. He's been studying Nephenee's choice gear- namely the halberd and the shield, all sorts of ideas turning in his head. The shield itself is too weighty for him to want to really make use of, not that his choice of weapon really allows him the option.

It's kind of fascinating how Nephenee shifts into fighter mode with just those two additions. His dad had told him that it was that way sometimes in the coliseum, how a fighter would psyche themselves up for their match and become a completely different person.

The guards aren't too far behind, some starting to catch up with anyone lagging behind. "Over there!" Donnie shouts, not waiting to rush off as he sees one of the prisoners trip as a saber-armed guard bears down upon them.

[relentless_sentinel]

If she had her armour right now, she'd wear it. But this dumb world didn't give it to her, so she's stuck makin' do with stuff that at least holds up. And while the weapons aren't needed for her to get into that mindset, they sure don't hurt. There's a job that needs doin', and she's gonna do it, come hell or high water.

Or, in this case, dastard imperial soldiers threatening innocents! "Right!" And while she's fast with her armour, not having its (comforting) weight does have the benefit of making her quicker. So she leaps in, blocking the saber with her shield, and, shoving the soldier off-balance, quickly slashes at him thrice, before he goes down.

"More comin', Sir Donnie!" She hollers over to her comrade, helping the prisoner up. "Off ya go! Looks likea buncha sword-users!"

[purplexing]

It's pretty impressive how fast the woman covers ground. Donnie comes alongside her, making sure the way to the ship's still clear once Nephanee's got the prisoner back on their feet and directed towards the looming forms.

"Got it," he says, turning to look. It's kind of weird being called sir, probably the first time someone's ever done so. He'd be more tickled about it if they weren't busy at the moment.

Not wearing any armor himself, the turtlekin moves quick and quiet, his staff a blur as he spins it around before bringing it forcefully at the first saber that's swung in his direction. It's a sloppy strike that he easily disables, quickly moving to knock its wielder to the ground while the others are still registering their attacker.

[relentless_sentinel]

Huh, she thought turtles were supposed to be slower...but he's a turtleman, so all bets are off the table!

Not one to just leave a comrade to fight by himself, after making sure no prisoners are in immediate danger, she helps keep some of the enemy off him. With a wordless yell, she lunges forward once, twice, hitting each time. Another one down, whoever knows how many to go. And just for good measure, she slams her shield hard into a few of the attackers that are still trying to get their act together, sending them into a sprawl, or at least a few feet back for the one that managed to stay up.

She's really going to have to ask Donnie how he does that staff thing after all this, though!

[purplexing]

His strikes are precise, each action connecting to another, and even an aborted strike becomes a defensive maneuver with a calculated adjustment of angles. There's no doubt that Donnie is right at home with a staff in his hand, practically an extension of his own body for how much control he seems to have with it.

Between the two of them the soldiers don't really stand much of a chance, staff and halberd allowing for more reach while keeping the shorter blades well out of dangerous range until the unfortunate wielder ends up being a direct target. Nephanee's shield makes sure they stay down, and as another is sent flying back, Donnie can't help but stare a moment.

"-!"

He's still a kid, still highly susceptible to distraction, and that momentary lapse in attention nearly costs him as he catches movement from another soldier, swinging down with all his might. Donnie barely manages to catch the blade, sparks scraping along the length of titanium. It's a bad position and the guard's pretty strong, not allowing him to redirect the weapon or do much more than try and brace against it.

Impale activated!

[relentless_sentinel]

Oh, that soldier just messed up. No one messes with her friends! Especially if they're younger than her!

"GET! BACK!" The Sentinel's halberd swings around from the one she's just knocked out, jabs rapidly multiple times into the enemy bearing down on the younger fighter, before she delivers a upward slash with all of her leg muscles powering the leap behind it, throwing the opponent well clear of Donnie and into a bloody pile away from them both. Which buys them both some time, as that apparently spooks the soldiers on the ground and keeps them from trying to get up. She uses that moment to step forward, the better to let Donnie recover with her halberd between him and their attackers, the steel a bloody warning to the latter.

"Ya alright?!"

[purplexing]

Nephanee's intervention is a timely one as Donnie's arms begin to quiver under the pressure, and he does not like the sneer that pulls across the soldier's face. Both of them look up at the shout, and then suddenly the pressure's gone and Donnie's stumbling forward for the lack of opposition. He sees Nephanee's powerful strikes and it's probably a good thing he can't clearly see what's become of her target. The bloodied halberd is awfully telling though...

"Y-yeah," he stammers, shaking out one hand, then the other before he readjusts his grip on his own weapon, looking around at any remaining threats while pointedly trying not to look wherever that bloody trail ended up. Don't think about it don't think about it don't think about it

[relentless_sentinel]

He may not be saying anything, but Nephenee doesn't need to be a mind reader to see he's having a moment. Looking to him out of the corner of her vision, her eyes are a bit softer, as is her voice. "It's 'salright, Sir Donnie..."

One of the guards decide that this is a fine time to try to make a move. He gets quickly stabbed with the spike on the halberd before it returns to its former position, the blood flying in an arc with the motion. It's only then she turns her gaze back to their opponents. "Can ya make it to talkin' after? Ah can keep 'em away for a bit if ya need."

It's partially out of concern for him, and also practical. He's going to have a bad time if he can't handle things for longer than that, and she doesn't know him well enough to tell how bad he's taking this. (Frankly, he's handling it better than most...)

[purplexing]

Watching another guard get impaled (little 'i', not capital) isn't really helping his fraying nerves. Donnie clutches his staff tighter as though that'd help ground him but it isn't keeping his stomach from turning or the bile from threatening to rise at the back of his throat.

People die all the time. This is hardly the first time he's seen a fight and it's not like he's unaware of the outcome. But this is the first time he's been directly in the middle of it, and fighting people who apparently have no qualms about trying to kill you is fine until you have a close-call.

People are dead because of him. But if they weren't killed, he'd be dead, or someone else, another Corsair or a prisoner... This is hardly the time to fall into a spiral of thoughts but he can't put a stopper on it. Nephenee's right there but he almost doesn't hear her, so lost in his own head as he starts to get. He startles a bit, the sounds of the fights going on around them coming back in full to the accompaniment of his thudding heartbeat in his ears, and he shakes his head. Get it together!

"Sorry I- I can do this, I-I can," he says, sounding like he's trying to convince himself. He swallows as his eyes stray towards the freshly bloodied body on the ground, instantly regretting it.

[relentless_sentinel]

She looks back to him for a moment, and the shaking and the haunted look says enough.

As much as she doesn't want to tell the kid this... "If ya need to retreat, no shame in doin' so. No use dyin', after all."

A beat, as she waves on a few prisoners.

"But...if you're serious, take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, an' let it out slow. Swallow. An' if ya can, shove the feelin's in a corner for a bit to deal with later. A'ight? Also, look away." That's all the warning she can really give him before she guts another. War sucks like that.

[purplexing]

Breathing in general is good advice. Donnie's still deliberating over the suggestion to retreat as he tries to remember how to breathe. One would have thought it impossible for him to look any greener, or maybe he just looks a touch pale as yet another guard falls at Nephenee's hands.

Normally, normally? He's pretty good at shoving feelings in a corner, into a box, under a rug. But there's a lot here to deal with, more than he knows what to do with. He wishes he could be like Nephenee, just do the job and don't think about it- she's clearly seen her share of battles and doesn't bat an eye at a bit of gore.

His fingers hurt from grasping his staff so tightly as he pries one hand away to press a near white knuckle to his mouth. He can't be here. He can't run away but he can't...not this.

He still feels terrible about it and he's not even sure how to sort out any of what he's feeling right now. But ignoring it isn't going to happen if he keeps seeing so much blood. The breath he sucks in is a ragged one, his nod too stiff and he's not even sure as to what that he's acknowledging- all of the above, maybe? Apologizing? Probably that too.

And then he's turning to shadow some of the prisoners. He can keep other guards off their backs at least.

[relentless_sentinel]

Oh, Donnie. She didn't deal with her first time well, either, and it took her a long and rough few years to get to this point.

She hates seeing someone going through this. She really does. Nephenee understands it all too well. But she can only give suggestions and help him as she can when there's fighting around them. She nods when he makes his decision.

"Keepin' the prisoners an' our backs safe's a good idea. If ya need to, jus' knock 'em out." Don't mind the sounds of metal ripping into flesh or bodies falling, Donnie. "We got other Corsairs up ahead, looks like." She doesn't recognize them, at least by name, but she sees Imperials falling to their hands, so that's as good a bet as any she'd make. "More prisoners incomin'."

[purplexing]

"I know, I know!" The turtlekin doesn't mean to respond so sharply. Being angry's a much easier emotion to deal with than others, however. He manages not to look back, not with those sorts of sounds happening behind him.

"-I'll back them up." He hesitates, because he still feels bad about leaving Nephenee to it. "What about you? You going to join the others up there?" At least if she does that, she won't be caught alone, not that she hasn't been doing an admirable job at handling herself.

[relentless_sentinel]

If she's affected by the anger in his voice, it doesn't show in her own.

"Heck naw. Not leavin' ya alone. Better to fight with more than one person, an' we can watch each other's backs." And besides, she'd rather not leave him alone right now, either because of the fighting or because of the inner turmoil there. Better to keep him and the others safe.

"They look like they're thinnin' the ranks for us." Which is just as well...she can handle more than a few of these layabouts, easy, but with Donnie like this, the less dead around, the better.

[purplexing]

It's a complicated knot of some sort of feeling that settles in his stomach at her assurance. It reminds him of something his oldest brother would say. He hates feeling like a burden and isn't that what he is right now? It's a mission after all, these are all occurrences within expected parameters, like running diagnostics on armor or other machinery. Those didn't bleed all over the place when they broke though, they weren't alive...

Retreating into terms of clean logic isn't helping. Nephenee is trying to help but she's also been part of the problem.

Breathe.

Just focus on the fight, on keeping the prisoners safe enough to get to the ships. Don't look at the blood, don't look at what she's doing- but how else would he watch her back in turn? The sounds do seem to be lessening, signs that the main force has been doing their job.

"Yeah..." he agrees halfheartedly, His initial adrenaline rush is petering out, but at least he doesn't feel like throwing up at the moment.

[relentless_sentinel]

Sorry, Don; that was the opposite of how she was wanting you to feel with that. She's trying to help, she really is! But it's a little hard when there's a battle around...

Yeah, this is going to be a rough talk later.

"Jus' hang in there. Let's make sure these folks ain't stumblin' more, see if any o'em are injured, all that." Deep in the recesses of her mind, there's a part of Nephenee that itches to get back into the main fray, to use the adrenaline still coursing through her and help the others out, to be what she's been trained to be - an elite lancer.

That quiet part gets quickly and ruthlessly bashed over the head, shoved into a hole, and covered up. She doesn't acknowledge that part; it's not how a proper soldier of Crimea should be. Never mind that she enjoys sparring a little too much...

There's a grunt from the Sentinel, the sound of something being thrown, a yell close in the distance. "Ya got bandages, jus' in case?" Horsefeathers, she's too used to the Wishblade...normal halberds are not balanced for throwing, but at least she didn't miss. She's going to need to buy some chain to attach to this thing. "If not, there's some in my waistpack ya can have."

[purplexing]

It's not that Donnie blames Nephenee. He isn't even mad at her, really. Clearly it's him that's the real problem here. Everyone's doing their job so why can't he just do his? Maybe...maybe he's better off sticking to support after all. Now doesn't seem like time to be reconsidering his decisions and he's well aware of that much, so he does his best to shove those thoughts into another box.

"I have some," he confirms, at least sounding a little less timid. He doesn't immediately see anyone who might need the assistance, but it does give him something else to keep an eye out for.

[relentless_sentinel]

Sometimes, the box of emotions has to be put in another box, which is put inside another box, taped shut, chained, and stuck in a dark corner over that covered hole from earlier to ignore for awhile. Never mind that there's gibbering sounds coming from it and that it wiggles and jumps around. We don't talk about that box.

It's a completely healthy coping mechanism, clearly.

"A'ight. Ya gonna be good if we push forward a lil'? Ah gotta get my lance." At least the shield is good for more than blocking...

[purplexing]

I can do this I can do this I can do this I can do this

It's become a running mantra in his head. He shoves that box in a closet and nails it shut, he'll fix it later. If he can.

Donnie nods, a little too forcefully. "Ready to move," he says, faking confidence that he hopes proves more real once they start moving again.

[relentless_sentinel]

Fake it 'til you make it, Donnie! You can do it!

"Right, let's get." The longer they take, the more potential for things to go sour. So, making sure he's following, and keeping an eye and ear for enemies and allies alike, she goes forward, quick enough to eat some distance, but not so fast to leave the turtlekin behind. The halberd's buried in some poor sod who really should've stayed home tonight, and she tugs it out with ease. It may not be the Wishblade, but it's been a good weapon thus far...she'll just have to start her polearm collection over.

"...That was real neat, what ya were doin' with your staff. Ain't seen someone fight like that 'fore now."

[purplexing]

Ohhhh that's where it was, oh that's so much worse... Donnie quickly averts his eyes before Nephenee retrieves her weapon, moving ahead just a bit, until they've put some distance between themselves and the body.

"The...what? O-oh. My father taught me. It just felt right." Over using blades or the yo-yo-like implement that Mikey had taken to.

[relentless_sentinel]

Sorry, Don. She's done the fighting without a proper weapon thing once, she'd strongly prefer not doing it again.

In any other circumstance, that would give her pause, possibly literally. That's not an option right now. Even ahead of and not looking towards him as they move, the slight wistful, melancholic notes in her voice are still audible. "Your Pa, huh? Mine taught me how to use one, too, but...he wasn't like yours, Ah reckon. Your Pa must be a heckuva fighter himself if you're this good."

Donnie may be new to this sort of battlefield, and she may be unfamiliar with that particular style, but she knows talent when she sees it.

[purplexing]

Thinking of his dad warms him. He wonders if he'd be proud of him, at least before he froze up as soon as blood started exploding everywhere.

"Oh, he is. He used to be a coliseum fighter," Donnie says, pride coloring his tone. He might not exactly know what that really entailed, but what he does know was that his dad is amazing.

...and he wishes he were here right now.

[relentless_sentinel]

Nephenee's smile grows at the tone. She can hear that pride, and she's glad for it. Hold onto that, Donnie, it'll help.

"What's he do now?" She's still looking around, making sure people are safe, but for the moment, if she can get him more steady...