username: deimar | video

[jatharin]

( The first transmissions is recorded footage, clearly captured by a pendant held by a shaking hand. Before it, legions of heterogenous, misshaped demons part for the gilded palanquin of Duke Rathakku, his long tendril legs seeping off his cushions.

Beneath his litter, death hounds feast on the fresh remains of a man carrying a peace stindard.

Rathakku appears untroubled, unhurried, indifferent: )

Tell your new king... he will have the peace of the old. And we, we will give it to him. If you can reach him.

( Only more seconds capturing footage of fumbling feet and gracel, the pendant carrier stumbles back, starting to run —

Before the transmission switches to the lightly amused face of Alem's king Deimar, whistling: )

...friendly sort, isn't he? That was four months ago. He's softened since. I'd say the colder weather agrees with him. It's good for you new recruits to see that. To see him. It builds character. ( A pause, then helpfully: ) ...spoils appetites, too! Means less dinner for you, more supplies for the morning. We've all won here.

( But the joy seeps from him. ) I know what you have come for. The beacon. I accept you. It's honest trade, we need the hands. Hells, fond welcome. And to those of you serving as envoys, we'll raise a cup to you first. I should hope there's meat on your bones!

Now, a few... guidelines! As it were. What are you? Madmen, criminals, thieves, mercenaries? I don't care to know. Under my roof, I'll have none of that quarrel. ( Steely: ) No squabble, no torture, no rape. We're in tight quarters, blood runs hot. But you'll somehow prevail over any instincts. No... innocent stabbing. There's enough of that in the Wards of late.

I understand some of you are joining the watch towers. I'll come see you. It's ugly work, and you won't thank me. But I thank you. If that bitch Irenia flies by, remember: she's an ugly, slow whore, and you can take a sharp stick's end to her throat. ( Silence, then breezily: ) I don't mind if you do that our merchant friends, either. Just make sure you've learned where they've stored their grains first. ( Light coughing. ) Don't let Haiva hear that. We're to be friends with one and all! Even when they skin us for gold.

As it stands, the day's news: we prepare to evacuate new convoys of our weakest civilians every five days. Unfortunately, Rathakku is... either remarkably intuitive or well informed. He seems to find our escape corridors in the mountain and blockade them. So! We start anew, with fresh escape routes. Do help. And if you can keep our vulnerable on their feet and not trip up the paladins who are working in the Gut's Bind, even better.

By the way, we cut any hands laid unkindly on healers. We can likely spare you more than them.

And the punishment for snitching to uncle Thyvault where the last of the good wine sits is worse than that. I'll deliver that one personally.

Now, good to have you! Die well.

( ooc: welcome to Alem & threadjack liberally c: )

Comments

video | un: wooden sword

[vdovy]

Best to assume you've been compromised and act accordingly. What does your counterintelligence operation look like?

[ As part of his guard, chances are that Yelena is in Deimar's physical vicinity; if he happens to look her way, she waves hello with the pendant in her palm, causing the video footage to shake wildly. ]

[jatharin]

( Well, would you look at that! He's waving. But still speaking both publicly and in the pendant, to share the information freely. )

You're asking if we've infiltrated Rathakku's forces, like scoundrels?

[vdovy]

More like any army worth its salt.

[ She runs a hand down her face while shaking her head. ]

You can win or lose an entire war in the shadows. Information is priceless. By now the enemy knows more about you than you know about him. That's a problem.

[jatharin]

The trouble is... they're not people. And there is a natural limitation to how long even the most resourceful sorcerer can keep up the appearance of demonic skins. You can't infiltrate what you can't resemble.

( But he's staying agreeable, still consuming his wine. ) That's not to say we don't have what information could be gleaned in the space of a day.

[vdovy]

I will grant you that it's tricky, but infiltrating as one of them is just one option. Stealth is another. And there's the matter of counterintelligence: someone needs to plug whatever leak is exposing the escape routes.

[jatharin]

Unless that someone is already carefully curating what information they receive and transmit back.

[vdovy]

We know one thing they're definitely passing along is escape routes. Give everyone a unique variation on the plan and narrow down the spy based on which details get back to Rathakku.

[jatharin]

Yes. But so far, they only capture escape routes that have been used. If we start... not giving them that satisfaction, won't they be more aggressive in their pursuit?

[vdovy]

Only if they know their spy has been caught. If you were to identify the mole but leave them in place, you could feed Rathakku's forces any information you want.

[jatharin]

We are doing some of that already. I worry... taking too much control of our hunt will startle him into paying attention.

Of course, if we... knew what the state of morale is in his camp...

[vdovy]

So we're back to stealth. The right combination of magic and training could have someone in and out without ever being spotted.

[jatharin]

Or, we could send couriers with a throwaway note, who are in truth tasked to sense the morale of Rathakku's troops. A delightful idea, Yelena. I am thrilled it occurred to you.

( Steely: ) Find two men,in case he has an appetite to kill one again.

[vdovy]

I would sooner go myself than sacrifice a life for a vibe check.

[jatharin]

And deprive me of your protection?

[vdovy]

There are others who could cover my duties here. The list of people who could get in and out of that camp unnoticed is much shorter.

[jatharin]

I suppose my only option, then, is to wither and die, abandoned.

[vdovy]

Aw. You already have separation anxiety.

[jatharin]

I have an understanding that some want my crown.

All the same! You go on, then. Off to Rathakku. Find at least one other to go with you. He's temperamental.

un: bee

[allforthecause]

[ Speaking of counter intelligence— ]

Do we know how secure these communication lines are?

[vdovy]

[ Yelena makes a face like it hurts to admit. ]

Not really. It seems like only our circle can post messages but we wouldn't know if someone outside the circle was reading them.

[allforthecause]

What about tracking?

I wouldn’t trust any planning to devices we don’t control.

[ He learned that the hard way. ]

[vdovy]

Another unknown.

You have a point. We'll need somewhere secure to do the real planning.

[allforthecause]

Before we are all spread out and can’t reach each other.

[vdovy]

But once we're spread out, we'll be back to relying on this network. Maybe we only communicate in code about sensitive plans.