Immortality's End - IC

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Not necessarily in succession, or simultaneously for that matter, doors began to open. Heavy metal entrances slowly lurched aside where the groups had begun to gather, revealing even deeper recesses of the Blackhall. Arcane beams of energy coursed along the interior of the newly revealed halls, pulsing like periodic streams of water. At the ends of each was a twisting machination housing a series of steps leading into what could only be described as reality turned mad. The space in the center of the turning cogs and rings cracked and rippled, occasionally displaying a brief, distorted image of another land.

Eventually the machines picked up in speed, turning and spinning dangerously fast; one would be careful to avoid making a wrong step ascending the stairs. The warped space began to calm itself, turning into an oval, animated photograph. Their destination, just on the other side of the spacial link.

For the 14th team, the link granted a glimpse into green pastures caressed by gentle winds. Sparse, small pockets of forestry stood out before the scene at the base and height of rolling hills.

For the 27th team, the land beyond was arid, covered in a yellow glow. Dead brush surrounded the other side, and clear signs of a sheer, massive cliff side drop lingered mere feet away.

Glinda turned over her shoulder as the doors opened, pushing off of the wall with her back. She turned back and gave one last look throughout the crowd, before frowning. "It's time, it seems." The other groups in the Blackhall began to disappear into their respective halls, off to their own missions. Glinda turned and walked partially into the hall, eyeing the contraption beyond.

The blood witch's heels clicked on the stone floor as she strode down, approaching the spacial link. Pausing just before the warped region of reality, she seemed hesitant. Glinda extended a hand first, reaching into the merged space. Then a step forward. She felt the heat of the other side immediately on her fingers. Confident, she stepped fully through, arriving instantly in 'Mastema'. The air was dead and the sun oppressive. She shaded her eyes and looked about. Nothing but canyons.

As Team 14 stepped through their own portal, they found themselves in the hills of Yiwanul. Peaceful. Comfortable. The wind was constant but weak, strong only enough to bring motion to the grass.
 
Necromancer? The term that Aesil was more familiar with was 'Shaman', but nevertheless, Amulak's abilities reassured her further. The final member of their team had yet to arrive, but if it came down to it, the white-haired girl would have no concerns if it was just the four of them. After all, a Blood-Blessed, a Soul-Blessed, and a Shaman working together? The young huntress knew that pride came before the fall, but it was hard not to feel confident with such a lineup, despite the red-haired woman's apparent dislike of Amulak.

Oh, and there was also the blood-bow guy, for some extra reassurance.

Before Aesil could delve into the fascinating concept of pack tactics, however, the doors to the portals opened up, the magitech teleportation devices whirring into action. Space bent, reality twisting into a wormhole that brought up the image of another land, a wasteland of sand and stone. Even from the entrance of the door, she could smell the arid wind, an unsavoury aftertaste on the roof of her mouth. She disliked dry weather and open terrain. Neither made for a particularly enjoyable hunt, after all, and while the huntress had taken down beasts of the desert before, she rarely came out of it with any emotion other than relief. It was simply too hot and stagnant for someone of the mountains to enjoy.

Well, at least her feathered cloak would act as a barrier against the burn of the sun.

As the Blood-Blessed dove into the contraption, appearing on the other side as if she had merely walked through a door, instead of stepped past countless kilometers in an instant, Aesil nodded in affirmation. Her belt was still tight around her hips, and the talon of the Storm-Singer still laid in its scabbard. She had eaten a few hours ago, so her energy reserves should be sufficient, and there were no noteworthy injuries on her person.

The Devourer of a Hundred Hearts was in top condition, and with that in mind, Aesil marched confidently through the portal. For a moment, her sense of direction faltered, and she shook her head, disorientated. The change in temperature drew a hiss out of her, and the sun's glare was all too strong on her eye. Squinting down on the landscape below, the huntress crouched down on one knee, making herself at home with this new environment.

Mastema, as far as first impressions went, was definitely not a place she'd like to call home. No wonder this Integra person was sent here. A warlord shouldn't be expected to be able to make any use out of fertile soil, after all.
 
Elias shrugged. Ren seemed to have few misgivings about pulling the trigger, and that was all that mattered. Besides, providing all went to plan, she probably wouldn't even be needed to pull the trigger anyway. Elias decided to leave the conversation there, for now. Listening to Alice talk, it seemed she wouldn't be doing much in the way of killing. Still, those powers could come in handy depending on what they were facing. It was rare for governors to be heavily guarded, but lords would probably be a different level of challenge. They were, after all, distantly related to the chickenshit nobles hiding in the Royal City. One day, he would bring the mist and fear to that City. One day, he would be the demon that held the mighty under his power.

Elias was interrupted from his reverie by the mechanical clunking and whirring of the doors. The metal doors ground open, revealing a passageway that seethed with magical energies as the gate slowly focused. Enraptured, Elias stepped into the hallway, tracing the flow of power with his eyes as it was diverted and harnessed to bend the fabric of reality itself. His mouth hung open as he stared at the intricate mechanisms whirring at high speed. The expertise! The craftsmanship! Nothing he had found in the keep could possibly compare to the complexity and mastery of what he could see before him. His hair stood on end at the sheer saturation of magical energy in the air. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to rip you apart and find out how you work." Elias muttered, fixated on the gateway which was just starting to stabilise. He had to admit it. He was impressed.

The image of the gateway shimmered and focused, revealing an image of a grassy plain. Reaching into his pockets, Elias pulled out a coin, flicking it through the portal. Despite the quality of the mechanism, he had no intention of finding himself torn apart by the energy involved. The coin pinged through the portal, ripples spreading across the surface. Elias watched keenly as the coin appeared on the other side, unscathed. Another pause, to see if anyone would come running to collect a coin that just appeared from thin air. When it seemed all was well, Elias strode through the portal.

A faint sensation on his skin was the only indication that he hadn't just stepped through space normally. The wind licked at his robes as he bent over to retrieve his coin. Pleasant. Not unlike back home. Shoving the coin back in his pouch, Elias scanned the area for anything that stood out.

Perception: 3+4=7
 
As his colleagues started a debate on reasons for killing, Jagred merely hung back and listened. Both had their own opinions, and to be honest, he found their take on the subject quite interesting. Elias Hawken seemed to think of his profession as something dark and nefarious and backed his opinion up with quite a speech. He had the tone of a learned man, and Jagred was tempted to call him 'preacher'. Then again, it was rude to assume one's profession. He was not in Klonia anymore. On the other hand, Ren took a more logical approach explaining her reason to get involve with this kind of work. Jagred found himself listening intently to them, fingers idly fiddled with the leather straps at his wrist. However, he chose not to voice his opinion. He just didn't see a reason for that. It suited him better to find out more about his colleagues first. After all, they worked for the same organization; this might not be the only time they would have to work as a team.

When Alicia decided to introduce her abilities, Jagred gave her the same mildly interested gaze he gave everyone else. The young woman had claimed an affinity for magic, but with her skills, Jagred wouldn't group her with Elias. She wasn't quite combat-oriented, so he imagined she would take a supportive role on this mission. Should it come to close-quarter combat, it would only be prudent to prioritize this one's survival.

The magictech machines around him came to life with the sounds of grinding cogs and creaking metal. Predictably, the air around him began to hum with magic. He clenched his jaws slightly; the presence of magic made his teeth ache and his skin prickle. They didn't have to wait too long though, soon enough, a portal was formed, opening a passage into their destination. Jagred adjusted his belt slightly, glancing up only to watch Elias tossed a coin through the portal. The man had his doubts then. Nothing of note happened afterward though, so Jagred deemed it was time to depart.

His boots found soft grass. A soft breeze greeted him, bringing in the earthy scent of the meadows. He gave into the urge to take a deep breath; in his mountainous hometown, grass was a novelty. He would at least indulge himself for a few moments.-"Ah, quite a sight, don't you agree?"-He commented, sweeping his gaze across the green pasture, not quite scrutinizing the details, but simply taking in the scenic beauty. Their current position bothered him though, his trainings finally kicked in full force and demanded that he seek cover. It wouldn't be good to get caught on enemy territory like this; they would be sitting ducks out here.-"But I suppose we should get out of the open."-He spoke up again, his gaze began to focus on the patches of trees that dotted the landscape.
 
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Pulling the cleaning rod out of the barrel of the Apis and strapping the rifle to its usual spot around her shoulder, Renchu grinned when the metal gates finally opened.

"Welp. Guess it's showtime, huh?"

It was extremely difficult for Renchu not to get overly excited when she saw the magitech devices that'd teleport her and her team to Yiwanul. So many cogs; so many intricate mechanical techniques to form every spring, rune... each screw tightened and placed to perfection... and the cost of the materials used to make these things could probably buy you a mansion or two. Familiar techniques and methods were in some parts of the mechanism - though some parts of it were too complex for even a Magitech expert like her to understand. Renchu's eyes lit up like a child in a candy store; she was trying her best not to drool a little. It'd be great to ogle them a little longer... but... a better idea was to ignore them, and move on.

The others seemed to do just fine with the portal - it was just a matter of running through by the looks of things - hopefully she wouldn't get telefragged somehow! Closing her eyes, Renchu couldn't help but grin a little as she ran through, feeling the thick heat of magic embrace her - and then boom. She was there. From the claustrophobic, sweaty, noisy air of the Bloodpeace Guild, straight to the fresh hills of Yiawnul. Renchu didn't seem to be the only one enjoying the view, as Jagred commented on how nice the place looked.

"You betcha!" Renchu replied cheerily to Jagred. "The air here feels so fresh... perfect for a picnic and a game of chess, hehe. Now then... I agree; let's get out of the open. I doubt they'd teleport us where prying eyes could see us, but still." Renchu mumbled, getting low as she equipped her sniper rifle.

"Lemme scope the place out real quick... then we'll see if we can't plan a decent route. Owaine's meant to have set up shop in a small Hamlet - so there shouldn't be any walls - meaning I might be able to snipe from the forests pretty easily if things get pear-shaped. All you guys should be worrying about are guards; let's hope the village isn't swarming with em'." Renchu mumbled, looking around the still tides of green grass through the high-optic scope of her rifle, keeping an eye out for anything that could make their route to the target a little easier, any good sniping positions, or points of interest in general. No doubt, the others would be doing this too.

"Oh, one more thing before I shut up for good. Remember that we might be doing civilians of the hamlet a favour if we kill Owaine, too. He sounds like a real piece of shit; super high taxes, brute force, and all that, so they won't miss him. Hell, maybe even the guards of the place suffer because of him. Keep that in mind, yah?"
 
Rue continued to have misgivings about the younger noble girl. Her feelings of apprehension were heightened by the girl's description of her magical abilities. The very fact that her abilities were focused on penetrating mental defenses were a bit perturbing, especially when Rue had a defense against everything except direct attacks on the mind. Of course, Alicia was apparently an ally at this time, so the more concerning thing to her was the fact that that very type of magic was something that she was not aware of up until now, let alone a specialty of a noble house. Something didn't add up right, but she didn't have the pieces to solve it yet; save getting up into her face and physically or otherwise probing her, she didn't sense anything physically out of the ordinary.

She had largely dismissed the conversation between Renchu and Elias. As long as it was agreed upon that civilians and innocents were not targets, she had no cause for concern to enter their small exchange. With everybody having divulged their skillset, it was now up to see their own ability and worth on the field. If all went well, there wouldn't even be any cause to break a sweat. Quickly enough, the machinations that allowed them to travel where they were needed began to open up, displaying an elaborate interior of cogs and magitek. It was a quite impressive piece of machinery, but there was little worth in admiring at the moment, so she made her way without further pause.

The landscape that she appeared in was a land familiar to her. While she'd never been to this area, vistas of rolling fields, grass, and forests at the fringes of their vision were scenes common to her in her childhood, and Rue felt a bit at ease in this environment. She took caution to not become too relaxed lest she'd be taken off guard, but she sincerely welcomed the pleasant land and atmosphere they were momentarily immersed in.
A couple members of the party had beaten her in making observations, but Rue agreed with most of what they said; it was imperative that they get out of the open and into a more tenable or hidden area. She, however, disagreed with Renchu assessment of the locals.

"Good idea. Let's find some cover as soon as possible. I wouldn't trust the people too far, though; you never know their sentiments just by looking at them. This is likely a trick that I shouldn't repeat too often, but I don't think even the guards will see me as a threat while alone. Not until we start making a big scene, at least." Glancing at the rifle-wielding girl, she continued. "Renchu, see if you can't find a good vantage point when we get near the hamlet. We're going to need to have a good feel of the layout of the village if we want to do this smoothly and quietly. Then we can plan from there."
 
Now this was just a mixed bag. On one hand, Amulak welcomed the oppressive, heavy feel of the air around him. The feeling of desolation was quite pleasant to him. On the other hand, there was just too much bloody sun. Sighing to himself, he raised a hand, channeling his energy around him to sense for any presence of the dead. And quite a lot of them there were.

Why, this canyon was simply filled with lost souls! Truly, this "Integra" warlord and his knights must have been quite the prolific murderers. He could feel the presence of corpses beneath the dirt, ready for him to use to his heart's desire.

"My, my." Amulak mused aloud, for the benefit of those present. "Our target has been quite the busy bee. I can feel the presence of the dead all over the canyon floor." He knelt down, lowering his palm to the ground. "So many buried beneath the earth. So many resources for me to use." Amulak's skeletal visage grinned beneath its mask. "If only I could find a few dragon corpses..." He mused wistfully as he stood back up. "No matter. Rest assured, with this, I am prepared for anything that comes our way. Shall we begin our search?"
 
Mechanics hidden within walls came to life as entrances opened to reveal how they would arrive at their destinations. His eyes followed the flow of magic within these deeper parts of the Blackhall and lingered on the twisted distortion that was the result of everything. As the image solidified into something more stable he grimaced at the scenery that laid beyond. Hardly the most pleasant of sights, but he approached the machine nonetheless. He gave the empty hall another glance, the other three having gone ahead already, before he followed after them.

No, he did not like this place in the slightest. The heat beat down on him the instant he had stepped through and it took more than a few moments for his eyes to adjust. The air wasn't still thanks to the many canyons that drew in winds, but even the dry gusts did little for the sensation of death that lingered. It did however give Sahms reason to step away from the cliff edge mere meters from him though, hoping to avoid plummeting to his death. Pulling the cowl overhead to help against the sun, he also unclipped the canteen from his belt and took a swig. At the same time his eyes shifted towards the lich as it raised its hand and lets its magic flow, though for what purpose he couldn't tell. Burying his distaste, he reclipped the canteen to his belt and shaded his eyes as he scanned the surroundings for anything.
 
Before any more words could be said or any doubts could be spoken, things finally got into motion: The human-made machinery was completely getting into swing. Sounds could be heard, magic could be felt. It was an odd experience, and in all honesty it actually amazed Gestalt to what such frail beings were capable of. Maybe a few more centuries, or millenia, and a single human would be capable of taking on one of the scarier Old Ones? No way. Without much doubts, Gestalt was following the others through the portal.

It was a nice scenery, nothing Gestalt hasn't seen before, but more welcome than anything human-made. Regardless, Gestalt had now a more defined purpose, and very well intended on doing so, giving the Gun-wielder a puzzled look about her moral speech for a second, she concentrated more on her surroundings again. Maybe...it would be for the best to leave this body behind?
 
Team 14 - Yiwanul Fields
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For Gestalt and Renchu, it was already clear within a moment that civilization lay just beyond the hills around them. A small column of smoke rose from behind a tall hill in the distance, barely visible in front of the blue-sky backdrop. As Renchu took up a higher position, it was confirmed. Over the hills rested a small hamlet, home to a few hundred people at most, if Renchu could guess. The far more worrying presence, however, was the small but formidable magitech airship that sat just outside the hamlet. Though it was 'small', it was far bigger than any of the homes that rested under its shadow. Colored a metallic silver and decorated in ornate metallurgical patterns, it stuck out like a sore thumb among the mundane wooden buildings and cobblestone paths.

From her scope, she could see numerous people in the hamlet going about their business. All seemed normal. Just outside the hamlets amorphous 'border' was a much thicker patch of trees that extended out into the fields beyond. A forest, to be sure. Elsewhere to the west, a farmland covered the entirety of the expanse, home to two other homes, as it seemed.


Team 27 - Mastema
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Beyond the general death about the place, Amulak could feel a particular pocket of dead resting at the bottom of the canyon they stood before. It was far too concentrated to be natural, and as he continued to pry, it became clear what he was seeing. A graveyard. He was acquainted enough with such places to know one when he felt one. At the bottom of the canyon, hundreds of feet below, a graveyard sat. Above it, Aesil could smell the clear signs of civilization; and exotic food.

Peering over the edge surprises them all. Built into the side of the canyon wall is a sprawling city. The sandstone, orange buildings stick out in varying degrees of precariousness, but they all ultimately seem firm in their placement. Numerous paths course through the carved earth, widening the otherwise narrow room it had sitting on the sheer drop. One path in particular seemed to wind up the canyon walls, stretching into the distance, likely paved so as to avoid a tall, grueling climb.
 
As Aesil breathed in and out, absorbing the information that her five senses brought to her, her nose caught something in the wind. Fire-smoke and roasting meat, unknown spices bursting like flowers in her mind. Involuntarily, her stomach rumbled, and the huntress sighed. Guess it didn't matter to her stomach whether or not she had eaten a meal a couple hours prior to all this. Following the scent-trail, Aesil stood on the very edge, scanning first the empty horizon, and then, looking down below. The first thing that caught her eyes was the dry riverbed, spiderweb cracks over the parched earth that was so clear she could see it even from the very top of the canyon. That must have been why there was such an overpoweringly dry smell to the wind, but that also meant…

How exactly did this city sustain itself? The empty sky showed no mercy in the form of rain, and in such drought-like conditions, did their wells even yield water? It brought up the question once more of why anyone would build a city here, in such a precarious location, and the one-eyed girl sat down, legs crossed. For the time being, these revelations and hypothesises meant nothing. After all, how these poor civilized cattle lived while rooted to this waterless hole wasn't her concern. The target was still the warlord Ingrid, and they were still supposed to hunt down soldiers along the way, so ultimately…

"Well now," Aesil said, turning to the others, "Do we start today? Or tonight?"
 
It took a few moments, but eventually Sahms accepted that there was nothing but blasted sand until the horizon. Naturally he turned his attention to the canyon the Guild had saw fit to drop them in front of, approaching the edge cautiously with the wind at his back. "Huh…" It was quite the surprise to see a city carved from the cliffside, but no more than homes nested within the trunks of massive trees. For a few moments he admired the work that must have gone into its construction before he focused on the task at hand. A quick scan of the city's edge revealed a path that stretched out of sight. Following the wall up revealed a winding path that led all the way back to the top of the canyon and thus their route into the city.

Well if they wanted to deal with the checkpoints and guards that were likely present on such a path. Hardly ideal when their purpose here was to kill the warlord in charge, and unlikely to be pleasant if they had to deal with those under the employ of such an individual. With that in mind he continued to scan the city below them and its surroundings for any alternative routes. A few moments passed before he asked, "Don't suppose you could survive the fall Amulak?" After all he was little more than bones at this point, and couldn't weigh that much. With the robes he wore it might even be possible for them to catch enough wind for the lich to drift down… and possibly overshoot the city into the canyon instead. Amusing as the thought was he shooed it away and continued to study the location below.

Eventually he was forced to conclude that there weren't any guards or they were just rather adept at blending into their environment. Likely the latter. He also managed to notice a path that led from the bottom of the canyon back up into the city. Pointing it out to the other three, and noting it made Amulak hurling himself off even more viable since there was a path back up, he then took a seat and sighed as he closed his eyes to let them rest a bit. Another drink from his canteen to stay off thirst for that much longer before he shrugged. "First we need to even find out if the target's here because I'm seeing a distinct lack of any guards anywhere."
 
Taking another moment to look around herself while letting the Magitech girl do her thing, Alicia pointed towards the north. Gestalt could clearly see some signs of civilization, as those humans called it. A town, or mayhap just a village, maybe it was their intended destination. For a second Gestalt even considered to leave this body for a moment to get a better view but ultimately decided against it. Considering that they most likely wanted to move in there as a group it would soon find out what was up with it regardless. Even so, the smoke seemed distant enough that they probably weren't in any immediate danger.

If Gestalt's gesture wasn't enough, it added now. "There seems to be something behind those hills."
 
At Aesil's question, Amulak simply shrugged nonchalantly. They may be a guild of assassins, but the mission they were on clearly called for outright slaughter, considering the bonus objective of slaying as many soldiers as possible.

"I would be fine with either. The night would be preferable, in order to hide our approach, but sunlight does not bother me as it does weaker undead."

Extending his senses once more, Amulak found himself pleasantly surprised at the presence of so many of the dead at the bottom of the canyon. Perfect. He would have plenty of fodder to throw at this so-called warlord.

Shrugging at Sahms' question, he simply decided not to respond. "There is a graveyard at the canyon's bottom. If none of the rest of you mind, I would like to head down there myself and begin raising the dead. We will require every resource at our disposal in order to take our target's head, since I doubt any of us are skilled enough in stealth to not be detected."
 
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The newly formed group didn't make much ground before they all stopped at the summit of a small grassy knoll. The creepy magic girl pointed outwards, making note of something over yonder. Perhaps a bit disoriented from the instantaneous teleport from the magitek clockwork instrument, Rue missed making the observation of a small town ahead of her. Regardless, the former-knight had an idea of what the noble girl saw when she stopped; there wouldn't be many other things to bring pause in this current mission other than their target destination of the small hamlet.

Acting on this, she spoke up. "Do we have our town, then? Renchu, what do you see through your scope?"

If they were lucky and all the conditions for a good hit were in place, they might be done with the entire task by nightfall. But Rue knew enough that if they didn't want to be detected, they needed to bunker down for at least a day to observe the movement of the guard and even the civilian population for trends, lest they be caught with their pants down and failed the mission.

"Anything notable to point out?"
 
Jagred scanned the unfamiliar terrain as silence felt on their whole group. He couldn't really see much, just grass, botches of trees now and then and the occational bushes sticking out. There was no stone keeps, no watch towers with searchlight glaring menacingly into the distance. Then again, they still had hours of daylight left and the guild wouldn't be so incompetent to drop entire teams of operatives right into a warzone. This approach, however, yielded some troubles. They were given little information to go on, and from the looks of his teammates, none appeared familiar with this particular region. It seemed the first order of bussiness would be gaining a solid foothold first.

His head perked up when the noble lady lifted her hand and pointed into the distance. He followed her direction, only to notice what seemed like a village and its nearby forest. He blinked, silently berating himself for missing that detail in the first place. Granted, his skills were more suitable for up close situations. They did say to keep your enemies close, afterall. Somewhere to his left, Ren the sniper was looking through her scope. He was going to ask, but before the words left his mouth, Rue had already done that for him.

Listening intendly for the sniper's description of what ahead of them, Jagred squinted his eyes slightly, trying to take a better look. It was true; there was an airship anchoring in the vincinity of the hamlet. Chances were, it belonged to their target. However, he wouldn't act on so little information. They needed to scout this place first.

"Excellent find, Lady Ren."- He commented, a faint smile graced his lips as he gazed thoughtfully toward the expanse of trees.-"Though I believe we should wait till nightfall for any major movement. Meanwhile, why don't we greet the locals first? The farmland to the west seemed like a good location for a private chat. I could scout the area first, if you'd like." -Once he was done, Jagred simply held his teammates' gaze for a brief second, before turning back ahead. It sounded almost like he was asking for permission, even though he was not. Habits died hard.
 
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Elias struggled to identify anything major as he looked around. His eyes seemed a little...fuzzier than they used to be. The strain of living by torchlight, and later magelight, while poring over old tomes in a gloomy ruin appeared to be having some effect on him. A wave of irritation washed over him. He'd already sacrificed so much to obtain what he had. Why, then, was he still losing more?! Taking a deep breath, Elias fought for calm. It wouldn't do to let himself get distracted. Especially not with - as Ren was pointing out - that airship. Just typical - petty nobles who relied on the hard work of others to provide their strength whilst they were free to wallow in their inability with no ill consequences. It was incredibly inconsiderate of this particular noble to bring along this large magitech contraption at the very time they intended to murder him. He would need to keep his mind on the task at hand, whatever the eventual plan turned out to be.

Jagred's voice interrupted his musings. The man wanted to ask around the farmlands, see if he couldn't ferret some information out. The idea had its merits, provided they didn't get too suspicious or weren't too distrustful. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That doesn't seem like too bad of an idea actually. I don't think we should all go, though. If a couple of people hide their weapons and pose as travelling merchants, we may be able to find out something useful. No matter what we do, we probably shouldn't stay out in the open like this, in case that airship is there for more than decoration. We should try and work our way towards that nearby forest. We can set up camp there and start seeing what we can find out."
 
Once Renchu was finished providing her simple reconnaissance of the area, she lowered her rifle, carrying it in a more casual manner as she got back to her feet. The place seemed pretty cute and cosy, though life was probably shit for the majority inside. The airship certainly didn't belong, but Renchu had a few guesses about why such a delicious piece of Magitech craftsmanship was doing in the city.

Heh... the airship looked like something daddy would've helped to make, if he hadn't...

"Huh. About that airship... think that's Owaine's personal vehicle or something? He sure seems like the type to splash his cash on something like that, probably just for his ego. Could be some fancy merchant or guard thingy, too. Either way, it's probably going to make things a liiiil' more complicated until we know what it's about." Renchu mumbled, mostly to herself as she tapped a finger on her chin. She could try and disable the machinery inside, but they didn't even know what the bloody thing was for yet, so there wasn't any point planning around it until they got some info. Besides, there was probably some fatty with a giant flaming sword ready to pounce if someone went near it; best to leave the thing alone and out of the equation for now.

Renchu couldn't help but snort with laughter a little when Jagred called her 'Lady Ren'.
"Did you just?" Renchu asked with an amused smile, before softly shaking her head and looking at the floor. "You could stick a tutu on a pig and it'd be more of a 'lady' than me. Jus' call me Renchu, pal."

Jagred then moved on to try and sneak to the farm - which didn't seem like a bad idea, apart from the fact that if he was seen, everything could be instantaneously shitfucked.
"Hey, Jagred - if you need me to shoot someone, just signal me by pointing at them with two fingers. That's as a last resort, though, obviously. That goes for all of you guys, too, when we get started." Renchu said. Hopefully no guards hung around the farmyard area, and none of the owners of the farm would report Jagred's presence if he was spotted by them. Thankfully, though, he seemed to know what he was doing with the whole sneaking business.

Elias mentioned something about posing as a 'travelling merchant' or something. Which was... uh... maybe a good idea, apart from the fact that they didn't have any wares they could sell, and they didn't have any gear that would indicate they're a travelling merchant. But she could see where he was coming from, sorta.

"Y'know, I could pretend I'm some sort of magitech mechanic for that airship, and see if I can get any info out of the locals for it. Airships aren't my forte, but I could still convince them, maybe." Renchu paused, before shrugging. "Probably a bad idea, actually. Let's wait until we have some more info; how you guys wanna do this is up to you - seeing as you'll be the ones getting in there."

Renchu paused for a moment, before looking back to the farmyard.
"Welp. I'll keep eyes on masky. Let's hope any locals here are... cooperative."

As Jagred pressed on, Renchu raised her rifle, looking through the scope of it around the area. She was keeping an eye out for anyone that spotted him without him noticing, or some sort of ambush that was ready to pile on him, if some guards had known he was there from the beginning. She doubted any of that would happen, but it was best to keep eyes on her new comrades, and make precautions.
 
Team 27 - Mastema
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Glinda snorted at Sahms suggestion. The image of Amulak's heavily-dressed and grim body plummeting to the bottom, only to get up and raise more dead was amusing. For a split second, she didn't even doubt its efficacy. Crossing her arms, she nodded to the lich. A lich without servants was, of course, not much at all. "You should find a way down to the canyon bed. We'll see if we can't scope out our opponent's further. We should start at night, considering we have a lich on our side. Scaring the populace with rampaging undead in broad daylight likely wouldn't bode well. Plus, the place is labyrinthine," Glinda said, gesturing over the cliff, "With additional darkness it'd be even better. If anything the guards are on lunch break," she grinned. The witch beckoned for Sahms and Aesil to follow as she set off to the left of the cliffside, where the town's upper path undoubtedly ran to.

Though Amulak could not immediately see a straight way down to the canyon bed, he doubted that the canyon itself was endless. In the distance to the right, the plateau curved downwards from what he could tell; at the very least, it would make him that much closer to the bottom. As he followed the only lead, it became apparent he was, indeed, slowly getting lower and lower until he could see a small patch of savanna before him. Tangled brush allowed footholds even lower into the rift that split the biome, which he was able to precariously make his way down from.

All that was left, then, was to double back through the canyon and to the graveyard below the city. Were it not for the sudden arrow that lodged itself in the dense dirt in front of him, he might have gotten there unperturbed. Down the canyon, Amulak could see three individuals, one bearing a bow, standing cautiously away with a mixture of fear and bravery on their faces. They were young, Amulak could tell.

Meanwhile, Glinda, Sahms, and Aesil eventually found what they were "looking for". That is, guards. As they continued along west, Aesil spotted a peculiar structure further into the plateau not unlike a stone shack. A carved pathway stretched out from its singular door, and Glinda proposed that this small entrance was, in fact, the entrance to their path; looking over the cliffside once again, the path did seem to suddenly turn into the canyon's wall.

Two guards were posted at the entrance, seemingly unaware of their presence at their current distance. Then again, only Aesil could truly make out their tiny shapes, so it was unlikely they saw the Bloodpeace members as anything but tumbleweeds.


Team 14 - Yiwanul Fields
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As the group proceeded west towards the farmland, it seems relatively safe, with the only apparent danger stemming from the fears they already had. There weren't any guards, or angry individuals for that matter. Still, their approach was less than stealthy. With such sparse foliage and primarily flat land made up of ankle-high grass, there wasn't much in the way of cover to hide behind as they made their way towards the farmland.

Eventually they were spotted, though in a seemingly harmless manner. A pair of townsfolk skirted around the outer buildings and noticed Jagred, Elias, Rue, and Alicia's presence. For a moment they made nothing of them, but continued to stare, eventually turning back and disappearing behind the buildings, out of sight. Either they were going about their business as usual, or were unnerved by the stranger's presence.

The closest farm was situated just beside its own red barn, linked by a broken path towards the main road that coursed into town. The location was quiet, save for the occasional, distant mooing of a cow or nearby clucking chicken.
 
"The lack of pack mates does not belie the lack of the alpha," Aesil replied to Sahms. The archer had a point, that an important human being would entrust his safety to others, but surely a warlord would be able to hold their own ground in a fight? Or at least, have protective measures independent of the presence of other human bodies? Regardless, Sahms didn't actually have an opinion on whether they struck at day or night, while Amulak, understandably, preferred a nighttime operation. Aesil, herself, was already leaning towards striking at night, and Glinda acted as the ballot-counter, settling the whole issue tidily.

Following alongside the Blood-Blessed, Aesil kept her eyes sharp and her mind active as they travelled west. Though she had no map, nor any cartographical skills, the huntress could at least pick out landmarks in the distance, using them to form a general idea of how the canyon was laid out. Unfamiliar terrain irked her, and she began remedying that deficiency immediately. The roof of her mouth felt dry, and the sunshine, while deflected by her white clothes, still burnt at her skin uncomfortably, dusty air creating a gritty aftertaste. After all that trekking, she was relieved to find what the Blood-Blessed thought to be the entrance to a path down to Mastema, and, close by, her eye caught the presence of two guards as well.

Though too far to really make out any details outside of them not being tumbleweeds, Aesil nevertheless stopped the other two. Casting another look in their directions, just to make sure that the guards hadn't made any movements, the huntress asked, "Doesn't look like the shack was meant for permanent residence. More like a guardhouse than anything. How shall we proceed as then? If we're not going to kill the warlord til nightfall, it's best not to start hunting at noon."
 
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