Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:02 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

Trafalgor gave a half-amused scoff at Shiloh's explanation of the disorienting effect the insect's buzzing was causing in himself and the rest of his party. "I know of selective filtering from my time with the hunters, but this is the first time it's ever effected my cognitive functions to this extent." He rolled one shoulder slightly. "It makes sense, though. The more noise, the more the brain tries to filter. I'll have to document it when we get back." 

After checking in with Kuro and coming upon the tracks on the trail, he and Tei gave their reports to the group, allowing Shiloh to utilize the information to make the best decision. Her thoughts matched up with his own on the matter of the golem, making him feel somewhat vindicated about his gut feeling, and he gave a soft chuckle at the goddess' attempt to lighten the mood a bit. He focused galvanic magic through his staff, causing it to arc electricity up and down it's length and reaching out to kill a few more insects that had gotten too close. "I have both. An Iron Wood staff and powerful, long-range electric spells." He nodded at her instructions, whistled and relayed orders with his hand signals once his party had turned their attention to him. Once he had given his orders, the group collapsed behind him and fanned out with Trafalgor and Tor at the center.

"My hunters will secure an escape route back into the treeline in case we need to retreat while Tor and I provide long-range support from the edge of visual range. We'll follow up with more lightning if you attack, but hold position otherwise. Give a low sign," he demonstrated a hand signal with his free hand with his middle three fingers pointed straight towards the ground, giving it a single, sharp back-and-forth movement, "if you want us to fall back because it's too dangerous."

As soon as Shiloh, her clones (which surprised the entire Gulu contingent momentarily), and finally her trio of sentient automatons took off, Trafalgor dashed forward as quickly as was safe for the footing and surroundings. Tor struggled a bit to maintain his pace, but his hunters kept up with ease. As they came upon the edge of the trees came into, Mikala and Haati halted and prepared to cover the group still moving forward while Kala and Tei took a low crouch at the very edge, bows pointed outward to cover Trafalgor and Tor as they continued out beyond any sort of protective cover or concealment. As soon as the hulking mass of the automaton came into view, Trafalgor froze in his tracks and backpedaled a few feet, pulling Tor with him and receiving a small shock for his trouble. Still, it didn't seem like it had noticed them, so he counted that as a plus as he crouched low and kept the tip of his staff aimed in the direction of the golem.

He could hear that Shiloh and the automaton were communicating, but only a few words could be understood by him from the distance they were at. He couldn't tell if things were going well or not at all… So he just trusted in Shiloh and paid very close attention to Shiloh's hands for the signal to retreat or an attack. If a fight broke out, he intended to send his strongest attack into the metallic giant with as little notice as possible. He'd much prefer any threats to their mission were neutralized rather than at their back as they continued further inward. By the same token, if it could be helpful to their cause, he would rather have it as an ally than an enemy.

He noticed the stances of Diomedes and Galatea shift from the edge of his vision, but it wasn't until he saw Shiloh's posture relax slightly that he released a breathe he didn't realize he had been holding. He stood from his crouch, Tor mirroring him still, and made his way towards Diomedes, who happened to be the closest of Shiloh's team to them. "I'm going to assume that we've made a tentative ally?" He glanced over at Medea, who seemed to not be quiet as relaxed about said turn of events as the other two were and gave a quiet 'hmmm' as his eyes narrowed. When the myrmidon informed him that Shiloh would explain more once she returned, he gave a firm nod and let out a three-tone whistle over his shoulder to call his hunters forward. "Understood, Diomedes. I think…" he trailed off as he glanced towards where the golem stood, "that I shall have my group limit their interactions with it. I'm getting mixed feelings towards that thing from you three and my gut is telling me to remain on-guard." 

He turned his attention back to Diomedes with a serious expression. "I learned long ago to ignore my gut feelings at my own peril." As the rest of the group finally formed up behind him, Trafalgor waited patiently for Shiloh to finish interacting with the golem as he watched from a distance.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 5:03 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

The countdown stopped, but when it went silent for an uncomfortably long time, Shiloh was afraid she had 'broken' it. She was wondering if she should clear out of the way in case it had a major malfunction, but to her relief it then resumed working. The Dreadnought's response broken down stated it appreciated the offer but due to its very rigid programming, would not allow beings not considered a threat to itself to do its job. However it provided an alternative, saying that due to the current situation its internal workings allowed for it to mobilize an unofficial, temporary force acting under its orders to achieve its goals. It would also choose an individual to take charge of said temporary force, labeled 'Militia Leader'. When it asked if she wanted to be granted the title, Shiloh had her answer ready. "Yes. This Citizen wishes to be appointed as a Militia Leader by this Unit for the 'Vada Policing Campaign'." As long as this ensured it would become an ally instead of an enemy, she had no issue with 'taking orders' from a golem. They could use the extra firepower and shift the burden of defense onto this machine. 

"It seems negotiations are a success." Diomedes said, hearing Shiloh's words. "We should be able to move in to see the latest addition to our group." He then nodded to his fellow automatons and Trafalgor's people. Medea still wasn't completely sold on accepting this unknown machine so easily, but said nothing. Galatea was of the same mind, but this was no time to complain. She sheathed her weapon, and looked to see Shiloh's next move. Everyone was informed of what was going on at the moment, so they knew what to expect. Diomedes made sure to explain that the deity would give them a detailed description of the incoming golem once the title transfer of 'Militia Leader' was finalized. From the way Shiloh's automatons reacted, the organic members of the group could notice that they were treating the war golem differently from themselves. Once they saw the Dreadnought, they would soon understand why.

Author: coloneldegrant, Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:43 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

The Golem continued counting down but stopped when Shiloh asked her question. The Automaton then just stared at her, with it's glowing red eyes, for a somewhat long-ish amount of time during which it didn't utter or emmit a single sentence nor noise. It's just stood there motionless, as if godess' question threw a wrench into it's "thought" process, seemingly being stumped by it. Thankfuly the deity didn't have to wait too long for the machine to gather itself together and formulate a response.
- Answer. While the offer of assistance is appreciated by this Unit, Citizens are not allowed to take part combat/policing actions. However, as this Unit deems the current situation additionally Detrimental to peace, order and lawful behaviour, this Unit is allowed raise an Militia by appointing an Militia Leader who will then choose appropriate number of Citizens as Militia Members. Militia Leader will be bestowed with limited and temporary commision to an Commanding Officer of this Unit, which entails the ability to issue orders and commands that do not conflict with Unit's Prime Directive. Does the Citizen wish to be appointed as an Militia Leader by this Unit for the time of "Vada Policing Campaign". Yes or No.

Then the Automaton ceased almost all activity and resumed it previous stance of just staring at Shiloh untill the deity would answer it.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 4:57 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

The golem responded in turn with a string of jargon that anyone aside from a dabbler in lost technology wouldn't understand. The reply was highly formulaic, completely by the book without any deviation. The way it spoke would've appeared stilted and rigid if you didn't know what you were hearing. The creators of this particular machine made these en masse, the number so immense they had to resort to straight numerical identification. Like a machine it proceeded to state its creators' intended purpose for itself, where it was assembled, and its current course of action. It exhibited a rudimentary form of memory in defining its past history into archived 'events'. All very important answers, but not quite enough for Shiloh. But with its exhibited thought process, hypothetically she could ask it anything and it would give a straight answer. At the moment the golem did not show signs of self-thought outside of its given orders implanted upon creation. In the same syntax used by the Dreadnought, the deity replied: "This Citizen requests the assistance of this Unit. This Citizen shares the same objective as this Unit, and wishes to aid said Unit in performing its Duty. Does this Unit accept or decline?"

If it didn't consider her offer of temporary cooperation, she'd have to prepare to move very soon. Maybe expecting a war golem to be capable of negotiation was a bit much. Soldiers and weapons built for war weren't exactly designed with 'compromise' or 'diplomacy' in their vocabulary. They typically had a one-track mind, making them crudely effective at achieving their superiors' goals. Her other duplicates were observing the golem's next actions, listening for signs of whether it would accept or reject the proposition. From what they could hear from her mouth, Galatea and Medea were getting ready to move in and neutralize what they saw as a threat. Diomedes was at ease, choosing to wait for a clear sign of retaliation before acting, a far different mindset from the other two. Galatea was a no-nonsense type person; she preferred efficiency and accuracy more than anything else. She only had enough patience to wait for her captain's signal, whether it was to charge or fall back. Medea believed it would be better to remove any potential wild cards from the situation. If this entity wasn't willing to cooperate, they should ensure it wouldn't become a threat to the other people in the valley. Neither of them trusted this rogue golem, wandering in the jungle with no creator or supervisor in sight. And their concerns were not unreasonable, having seen the shambling remnants wandering Railoch outside the safety of Via Fulminis.

Author: coloneldegrant, Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 1:54 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

The Golem stoped it's march when Shiloh stood right in front of it. And when the question was asked of what it was and what it was doing here, it was all but natural for it to respond to this request as it is within Citizen's very nature to be curious, and it was within it's nature to answer.
- Answer. This Unit is this Unit. This Unit is designated War Golem serial number 1500.10.5000. This Unit represents a Dreadnought model, created for frontline duties, infantry support/assault and siege/urban warfare. This unit is an 1500th created in the 10th production run of 5000th Units produced in Ajakis Golem Manufactoring Workshop located in City of Ajakis. This Unit is currently performing it's enchanted duties of maintaining peace, order and lawful behaviour among the Citizens, by any and all means avilable and needed. This Unit is performing them by trying to locate the source of the Insect Outbreak, which was deemed a Detrimental Element to peace, order and lawful behaviour among the Citizens. Upon location of said source this Unit will then eradicate it, thusly eliminating the Outbreak as Detrimental Element in the Long Run. Then the Unit shall commence the eradication of all the remnent infestation points. After this the entire affair shall be filed under "Vada Policing Campaing" within the Unit's memory enchantments. After all documentation is finished the Unit will return to it's Duties - The Automaton spoke in an booming and thunderous artificial voice, which despite being extremely loud……was also completely devoid of any signs of emotions, which would probably be detrimental to it's design as a "War Golem".

Despite rather exhaustive description of it's purpose and what it is, the Golem didn't remain silent too long as it fully turned it's gaze towards Goddess of Thunder.
Request/Order. Citizen please remove yourself from the way of this Unit. Your positioning is detrimental to this Unit's attempts at performing it's Duty. If you do not remove yourself then the Unit will have to remove you Citizen by force. This however is an first Warning which will last 40 seconds. If Citizen will not remove hersself/himself/itself until 40 second period has passed, then the second and last warning shall be issued, to which Citizen will have only 30 seconds to comply before Unit will be forced to remove Citizen by force. Countdown untill next warning begins now. 40. 39. 38. 37……….

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 11:55 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

Medea's slap had broken what seemed like a spell, in a figurative sense. Trafalgor's shock at her unmasked disgust for the pests garnered a low chuckle from Diomedes, who received a glare from the female automaton. The man then chided himself for not being sharp, to which Shiloh could hardly blame him. "I figured the density of the swarms would increase the deeper we went. And for the buzzing, it's nothing special. When a constant noise is present the body tends to place it into the background to focus more on other things. Selective filtering, that's what it's called." While he checked on his familiars, Shiloh noted that she didn't see any of her drones. And no wonder–with the insect count so high they likely turned back with full canisters. Not having all her senses active forced her to rely on her crew, and she definitely wasn't going to use aura sight now. The sheer number of life signatures of the insects would be overwhelming. Trafalgor's apprentice Tei relayed what he learned, confirming Shiloh's suspicions. Everyone's eyes were on her as she was supposedly the de facto expert on self-moving machinery.

"Whatever it is, it's likely heavily armored. Unless it's a crude earth golem I can't think of any other explanation for the immense weight. Strong electric discharge at range would be the most suitable form of attack, otherwise I hope you have a very big hammer." There was a brief pause as if a supposed joke had fallen flat, to which she added: "I'll move in first. The rest of you keep close to the trees. If it the golem's a metal one, it'll have a hard time maneuvering in tight spaces. It's range of melee attack will be limited at least." She gave a mental message to the three automatons to standby as she advanced, lowering her body close to the ground to almost a crawl. On all fours she was quick, following the stomping and grinding of metal components to the source. Then her form seemed to split into duplicates–each moving independently towards the metal juggernaut soldiering on. One reached the golem first, emerging in plain sight in its field of vision. Normally Shiloh would never pull such a bold maneuver, but this wasn't her real body; she could afford to take the risk. She let out a whistle, signaling to get its attention. The next move it made would determine if it was hostile or worth negotiating with. The other duplicates were in the surrounding trees, watching from above. "Target sighted." The true Shiloh said to the group in a hushed whisper. "Initiating first contact." 

It was a hulking monstrosity of steel and machinery. Heavy plating, bulky construction, and a militaristic aesthetic that was hard to overlook. Someone clearly wanted this thing to stand in for a soldier, and it likely did twice the work. Unlike her aim for sleek and silent design, this was pure functionality and raw power. But the most important question was… "Who are you, and why are you here?" Shiloh and her duplicate spoke in unison, allowing Trafalgor and her crew to hear what was going on her end. 

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 12:31 AM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

As the two automatons, Diomedes and Galatea, moved to the front of the formation, Tei turned and silently quirked an eyebrow at Trafalgor. The guardian simply gave an affirmative hand signal, deciding that it would be more prudent to allow the mechanical pair to take the lead. Part of that decision was that Shiloh likely had many years of experience beyond Trafalgor and he decided to place his trust in her decision. Another part, the one based in cold logic that was forged from the fire of battle, noted that if anyone were to be lost, better that it would be a non-sentient being than a living sentient. That being said, he was extremely curious about whatever it was that Medea was holding, but forced himself into his combat mindset to focus on the matter at hand.

Tei gave a nod and signaled Kala to fall in with him behind the combat automatons as the rest fell into their places behind them. Almost as soon as they began making their way deeper into the scar, measures were taken by Shiloh to light the way. Trafalgor had intended to light their way with a bright orb of light, but noted that the lantern Shiloh was using was somehow being used to guide them and changed his mind so that he wouldn't interfere. They steadily made their way deeper… and as they continued on, Trafalgor's nerves were being set further and further on edge.

Not only was the darkness and ambiance eerie, but the lack of the normal sounds of nature were really irking him. A quick glance around to check his group told Trafalgor that he wasn't the only one. And while he was unable to read Shiloh's facial features, he could see clearly that she seemed to be just as on-edge as the rest of them from the tension in her body language. 

'Something isn't right here,' is what his gut was telling him right then… and Trafalgor had learned long ago to never ignore his gut. The insects were still regularly attempting to land on them all and the 'snaps' and 'pops' of them exploding against the Gulu contingent's defenses had become mere background noise by this point… along with the incessant buzzing and humming from the jungle around them.

Wait a…

A loud slap from beside him startled Trafalgor out of his thoughts, causing him to spin to see what had happened.

The clear disgust in Medea's tone had him mentally reeling. "You're sentient?" he asked, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Had he not been as disciplined as he was, he surely would have dropped his defensive technique, so surprised was he. A quick shake of his head cleared both his expression and mind from their surprise. "Never mind. Remind me later to apologize, but for now…" The surprise from his newest revelation had actually managed to clear away the fugue that had been distracting him before. He raised his staff above his head and focused on forming a marble-sized orb of light at its head. The light was bright enough to light up a thirty-foot radius clearly and he looked around him, taking note of the insects' numbers. "Is it just me or are there more insects the closer we're getting to the center? Also, I'm not sure if it is some sort of lesser effect, but the sound of the buzzing may be dulling our senses." He narrowed his eyes and gave a mild scowl. "I'm making sloppy mistakes and missing obvious jumps in logic… and I don't like it one bit."

*Kuro, can you make out any signs of the local wildlife from up there?* he sent to his raven, exasperated with himself for not thinking of it sooner.

*No, Kohai. I'm the only thing around aside from these blasted bugs… I can't even see your group and I'm… wary of flying below the treeline,* was the quick response.

This caused Trafalgor to pause, but he decided to let things stand for now. *Okay, keep up the good work.*

After a few more moments, he allowed the light to fade away and they continued along the path. It wasn't until the group in front stumbled upon the deep tracks that Trafalgor even thought to try to sense around the group with his magick.

"Kuso…" he cursed to himself at the same time Diomedes moved into a defensive posture and called out the sound that he had tuned out for some unknown reason. As Galatea prepared her blade, Trafalgor called out, "Tei!" As one, Mikala and Haati spun to the rear, bows drawn, Kala did the same towards where the sound of fire was coming from, and Tor charged galvanic magick through her staff, causing it to crackle and spark as she turned to the side she had been assigned to cover. Meanwhile, Tei dropped and put his ear to the ground and Trafalgor dropped to one knee, placed one hand on the ground and closed his eyes, activating his Aura Sight to feel their surroundings out with his magic. 

It was heavily masked, probably from the sheer number of insects around them, but he could just make out fire magick being used in the direction the sounds were coming from. Suddenly the sound and feel of fire disappeared… and after a few moments the repetitive thumping of something heavy hitting the ground could be heard in the distance.

Tei suddenly spoke up, pointing into the distance ahead, his ear still to the ground. "Something large and heavy is moving away from us…sixty yards… seventy… still moving towards the center. Probably the same thing that made these tracks from the sound of it." He raised his head and quickly regained his feet, drawing his bow to cover his sector without looking back towards the group leaders. "Orders?"

Trafalgor opened his eyes and stood, turning his head to look at Shiloh. "The impacts are extremely regular; almost like a metronome. Whatever is ahead of us is likely mechanical in nature and definitely capable of using magick. Frankly, you are infinitely more experienced in those fields than we are. We shall follow your lead and lend our support with whatever is to come."

Author: coloneldegrant, Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 8:46 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

When Shiroh's team came upon the trail of the Golem designated Dreadnought 1500.10.5000, it was in the middle of something and to be precise said something was an swarm of madness bugs. Metalic giant, when it came upon the insects, decided to try to dispose of them in a way it did with other swarms it encountered, through the use of fire spells fired from wands attached to it's forearm. It estimated that it shouldn't take it too long to either eliminate the entirety of the swarm in a short pieriod of time or to cull it's numbers to such a degree that it will just disperse.

Problem was that it wasn't doing that, for whatever reason swarm seemed to be getting larger and larger and more viscious in it's rather futile pursuit of trying to spread it's madness to the Automaton. While the construct itself decided to respond in kind by increasing the intesity and range of it's fire spells by funneling more mana from it's Mana Reserve Core and non-stop casting it in every direcation where swarm was, which happened to be everywhere around the Golem as it wandered straight into it's heart. And although fight was long and insects numbers, seemingly  endless, the Construct begun to win out in this engagment. Despite this Swarm was still around and this Unit couldn't simply let that go so it continued setting fire to it all untill it's general area was covered in naught but ash and smoke from the inordinate ammount of burning bugs it just killed.

Smoke was so thick in fact that it started to interfere with it's ability to find the rest of swarm and for that matter the road leading towards it's intended target, the local settlement in heart of the valley. This situation gave the construct a brief stop, when it started to calculate the best possible course of action at this very momment. This lead to two conclusions to either wait for smoke to dissipate or try to forge onwards despite the interference. It decided to take the second option as time was of the essence, it couldn't be wasted. So it went ahead and with it's heavy and thundering steps it begun to beat out an rhythm not too different from that of marching.

1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2-3,1-2-3……..

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 8:44 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

She gave an understanding nod when Trafalgor explained his katerba's dislike of the spiders, something everyone could understand. But when the man was utterly amazed at her crew, she was beaming with pride. Pity that no one would be able to see it, as her face was covered, but it was clear she held great satisfaction for the quality and workmanship of her automatons. They weren't just machines, they could think, learn, and act on their own. Shiloh then did her best to memorize the fine details of each and every one of Trafalgor's group along with their talents. He had covered the basics, very impressive. The tall man reminded his team members on safety measures as they traveled through the area, to which she added for emphasis: "Yes, and never step off solid ground. The entire area around the Scar is quicksand and it'll suck you in faster than an ocean whirlpool. The only reason why we're not drowning in sand is thanks to the crystal plants and trees making the place walkable." And with that they began their trek to the center. Diomedes and Galatea moved to the front of the line, eyes alert and weapons ready. Medea had a wayfinder's widget to record the surrounding terrain for future reference, keeping close to Shiloh and Trafalgor. 

Right away Shiloh was forced to take out a lamp as the petrified canopy made the light level drop. This lantern was special, and the flames began to flicker towards one side telling which way they should go. She took a moment to wrap a wisp shawl around herself to passively increase the amount of light in their immediate area. The jungle was hot, humid, and dark–but also eerily quiet. There were few sounds of life contrary to the descriptions from scholars who ventured into the heart of the Scar. There were no signs of the rainbow phoenixes, no flitting pixies, or other magical creatures listed. A low perpetual murmur resonated through the crystalline trees that set her teeth on edge. It was the sound of buzzing, the buzzing of hundreds, thousands of insects from everywhere. The silence was broken by a loud slap, and Medea's face twisting into a scowl of disdain at the smeared purple mess of a bug on her forearm. The almost ethereal beetle was smashed into a crumbly paste from her retaliation, and the shell was contorted to where the gossamer-thin wings stuck out. With a wipe, Medea flicked the offending remains off her in disgust. "…Filthy vermin." She muttered, and the other two automatons swatted at bugs flying around them. 

Naturally she was unharmed, but it seemed the insects had a limited amount of intelligence. They still went for the automatons even if their bodies were cold, meaning they were  targeting things that resembled humans. A confirmation of one of their theories, which made Shiloh wonder if they had some sort of 'internal programming' that compelled them to act this way. Taking the form of a myrmidon meant a sacrifice of some of her senses in exchange for bite immunity, so she didn't notice that their group might not be alone in the undergrowth until the tracks showed up. They were heavy tracks, deep and solid. Smaller plants had been broken underfoot and the ground was packed hard where they had been trampled. Something big had come through this way, but what? Then Diomedes' posture moved into defense. "There is something ahead, do you hear it? It sounds like a blazing fire." Galatea heard it too, and her blade was prepared. The swelling roar and hiss of flames catching something alight in large quantities displaced the sustained hum in the air. The smoke was hard to see with the canopy restricting light the deeper they went, coming more like an ash-smelling fog drifting with the air currents.

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 11:47 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

Trafalgor waited until the goddess had finished her initial monologue before responding, making sure to check off things on his mental list as she continued.

"Understood. One moment, please," he replied before turning towards his team projecting his voice firmly. "Protections back up and form up on me!" He made out the group's forms shuffle about for a moment before turning back. "All members of my group, my familiars included, are adept at a defensive galvanic magick of my own creation that discharges a shock to anything attempting to touch the user. The shock has proven to be strong enough to kill termites from Mamlak's plains and has easily handled whatever these things are thus far," he explained, waving a hand towards the edge of the electric barrier to indicate the mostly continuous swarm. "I figured that my katerba, Midori, had thick enough hide to ignore any stings or bites from these insects, but did not wish to test my assumptions in such a dangerous situation. As such, he, as well as my raven, Kuro, are under explicit instructions to keep the technique active at all times." He turned his eyes skyward to where he felt Kuro circling and allowed a thoughtful expression to cross his features. "That being said, the insects seem to be actively avoiding Kuro, even as they regularly attempt to land on Midori." He once again turned his attention back to Shiloh.

"I will also have to direct Midori to not attack the drones you spoke of. He has… issues with Bakulaw flying spiders," he continued with a slight grimace before continuing. "Be that as it may, you may rest assured that we are prepared to weather this trial without fear of being stung or bitten." Trafalgor felt more than heard his group come up behind him and noticed three other people approaching out of the corner of his eye whom he assumed were the goddess' subordinates.

*Midori, if you see any flying eight-legs, you are not allowed to attack them. They are machines here to help,* he quickly sent to his katerba companion.

A grumbling mental response was quick to return. **Grah! Alpha, that is not fair! Flying eight-legs are never good!**

A mental eyeroll was sent back. *Even so, do not attack them. The goddess who made them will be angry with you… as will I. Understood?*

**Grr… yes, Alpha.**

He paused from both conversations and allowed Shiloh to clarify their mission goals and introduce the three automatons, which caught him so unawares that he couldn't help but speak up with amazement clear as day on his face. He fully turned his attention to the trio and allowed his eyes to freely roam their figures. "Truly? They move so smoothly and silently, even with the metallic features, I would never have pegged them for automatons! The bulkiest one, Diomedes… seems like a straightforward combat type, designed to face threats head-on. And this one, Medea I think you said," he turned his focus to Medea, "I would guess is the opposite? A magick-using automaton perhaps? Fascinating…" He stroked his beard and quickly turned his attention to the final figure. "And this one! Even looking closely, I would never be able to tell Galatea is anything other than human! Extraordinary! All three are beyond anything I've seen before…"

He subconsciously reached into his robes and pulled out a small book, allowing his staff to rest against his chest, opened the book to a fresh page without looking at it and pulled a charcoal stick from the spine. Within seconds, he had sketched the rough outlines of all three.

"Mtetezi, you're doing it again," came the chagrined chastisement from Tor, his apprentice in the healing arts, causing the hunters to chuckle.

Trafalgor cleared his throat in embarrassment, cheeks colored slightly, and quickly replaced the book within his robes, taking his staff back in-hand. "Apologies. As Tor has made apparent, I have a habit of going off on a tangent whenever I come across an unknown magick. Please, be known to the volunteers from Gulu. Tor is my apprentice in healing," he said, indicating the sole female of the group, who wore full robes like his own and had her hair in seven tight braids that were pulled into a bun at the back of her head, "and will be the primary healer during this expedition." He turned slightly to his other side and indicated the four male hunters, who's only distinguishing features were their faces and the small single braid at their neck with differing numbers and colors of beads on them indicating their years of service as hunters or guards to the village. Other than that, they all had bald heads, wore the same over-one-shoulder tunic and pants that stopped just below the knee, and were equipped with spear, bow and quivers. All five also wore rucksacks full of relief supplies. "From left to right is Tei, scout and tracker, Kala, trapper, Mikala, sniper, and Haati, messenger and fire mage."

Shiloh recommended that they move out before they lost what remained of the day's light and Trafalgor nodded in agreement. "Very well," he said, turning to his group. "Tei, Kala, you're on trailblazing duty again. If memory serves, there should be a marked trail about half a mile east of here that leads inwards towards the center of the Scar. Tor, you're stuck to me like glue until I say otherwise. Mikala, Haati, you're our rear guard. Protections stay up at all times outside of these shelters. If you start to tire, you will speak up and I will open a Gate back to just outside of the shelters so that you can recover your stamina." His gaze hardened and he took a moment to stare at each of them. "We're here to help, not add to the list of casualties. Whatever happens, do not step off of the marked trail. If something happens that requires we do so, leave the situation to one of the two leaders," he paused to indicate himself and Shiloh, "or Diomedes, Galatea, or Medea, as their leader directs. Understood?"

He received a chorus of "Yes, Mtetezi!" from his group, causing him to turn and point east with his staff. "Very well. Scouts out!" As Tei and Kala quickly made their way forward, Trafalgor turned to Shiloh with a nod. "Shall we?" he asked as he fell into his place for the march.

Author: coloneldegrant, Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 6:11 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

As all the people started trickling in, setting up shelters and orginising into teams, a singular entity went on towards the heart of the Valley. A massive Golem in shape of an set of plate armor, armed with many a dangerous weapons. It's goal the same as most of the other parties in the area, the local settlement located at the very center of Veda. Reasons: Gather information about the source of the outbreak of the bugs and then proceed towards measures that will eradicate this plague. Main motivating factors, or rather factor in this automaton's quest is it's enchanting dicating that it must maintain peace and order through any means necessary and of course an infestation of madness spreading swarms has been deemed to be very detrimental to said peace and order. The only appropriate solution according to it is liberal application of ignating agents at the source, but in order to get to the source the golem requires further information, information that according to other sources could be found with the locals.

So with a single-minded determination,dedication and zeal found only within fools, fearless reckless and machines, automaton marches onwards through the jungle not minding anyone or anything, except the buzzing the buzzing swarms that fly close enough to it, which it then promptly  torches with it's dual wands attached to it's right forearm. It doesn't need to do it due to it being just an Golem, thusly being immune to the effects of the insects' bites but well…….it does it anyway because culling the little buggers is never a bad thing….at least according to it's enchacntments.

Either way the Automaton goes forth leaving behind a smoking trail of ashses and burning bugs, wherever it goes.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 1:40 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

Being recognized was inevitable. Despite her attempts to stay a faceless phantom, people started to remember the metallic visage she always had on in public. She had done her work to make those who had seen her in Apoy conveniently 'forget' certain details about her appearance, however as long as they didn't know her true face she would relent. A much as godhood tried to suck her in, she stubbornly tried to live a normal life. Turning her helmed head to the man, she was pleased that she didn't need to give an explanation on the towers after all. "Have you taken the necessary precautions? I would hope your familiars are protected as well. We can't be sure if the insects will only target humanoid beings and not animals. There's practically nothing in data about the moon insects' life cycle, physical properties, and nesting habits. The best we have are whatever Nemesis dug up, but that was centuries ago. Detailed records don't last that long. Right now I'm focusing my efforts on collecting as much information as possible about what makes these bugs tick. If you see something that looks like a Bakulaw flying spider, don't shoot it down. Those are drones taking live samples for study. There isn't a known antidote for being moonstruck so make sure you never get bit at all costs."

Crossing her arms she was fuming underneath her metal mask as she thought about Walter up in her airship, his body still in stasis until they had a cure. "Our primary objective is to sweep the jungle. There is a known settlement in the very heart of it, however the locals keep to themselves and don't venture out. Finding them and checking on their status is our current priority. If the things I've heard about Vada are true, they would be the ones to know about this place's ecological and historical past."

The other reason why she was so intent on finding the village was much more sensitive. The crystal spire that marked the largest clearing in the jungle from the sky and the rumored circles of protection that warded off 'evil' using moonlight might have been impacted. Then there was that theory about the Himiria Scar itself… In Revaliir there were only a few places where one could access the Void and Vada was one of them. Unlike the rifts that had suddenly appeared without warning, this area was a stable opening. If something from another plane of existence could breach Inferos and the divine realms with ease, then why not use the door that was already there? Who could say that these bugs were any different from what happened to Dalanesca–possessed and warped to another eldritch being's ends? How convenient for one of the world's greatest catastrophes to repeat itself with a swarm whose species had not been seen or documented for millennia. No wonder the victims had no immunity to the toxins that the insects poisoned them with.

Trying to avoid getting ahead of herself, she was quick to add: "I'm sure there are other parties in Vada who have the same goal in mind, so there's no need to cover a lot of ground. Instead, we should gradually increase the area of the safe zones to make infiltration easier. Vada's wildlife is mostly unknown so we can't be too careful. And before we begin, allow me to introduce my associates: Diomedes, Galatea, and Medea. They have complete protection against the insects, as their bodies are entirely inorganic. For some of them it might not be as noticeable at a passing glance." She said with a hint of pride, looking in Galatea's direction. Diomedes was a pure combat unit, a standard myrmidon automaton. A humanoid body of armored machinery with a head resembling a helm with a visor. There was no face beneath that 'helmet', and he was fully equipped with speech modulation. And even if he lost his 'head', he could still keep fighting. Medea was a casting unit, feminine in appearance and capable of magic like any other organic being. However she was here as a scribe and observer, freeing up Galatea to focus entirely on combat. Galatea was the most human looking of the three, a hybrid unit combining combat and clerical utility. She had the appearance of a young armored woman with fair skin and long dark hair. Now that introductions were over, the deity and her automatons exchanged glances before she said to the newcomers: "Let's get moving before daylight ends." 

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 11:04 AM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

On the banks of a rainbow-colored river, a swirling black-red gate appeared from nothingness. Seconds later a tall, bald man with a long beard, wearing green robes and carrying a tall wooden staff stepped through, followed shortly by a large black raven and green and orange katerba.

*Kuro, I need eyes on the area. Midori, scout ahead into the jungle. Head east,* he sent to his two familiars. A quick response in the affirmative from each of them saw the pair disappearing above the canopy and into the jungle respectively.

From out of the still-open gate came five more figures, all dressed in the garb of their professions. After the call from Nemesis came down in Mamlak, Trafalgor had quickly organized relief supplies and asked for volunteers. Of the twenty people that had offered to come, only these five - four hunters and a healer's apprentice - had been adept in the galvanic repellent technique he had taught freely to any who asked after his return to Gulu. It was a technique he had developed during his coming-of-age journey that charged his body with a negative electrical charge. The end result was one that caused anything that touched the user to receive a shock. For bugs as large as insects, it was a strong enough shock to kill them outright - the perfect protection for anyone intentionally going into an area infested with bugs that were intent on taking a bite out of you.

He turned to the group, made sure all five were there, and allowed the gate to close. "Protections up, now," he barked authoritatively. Of the five, only three had already applied the technique to themselves. One of those that had was the apprentice, which caused Trafalgor to nod with pride. A healer that was sick or infected was of no use to anyone else. Once the entire party was ready, he gave his next instructions.

"Tei, take point. Head due east. Then Kala, myself, Tor, Mikala, and Haati. Keep the pace quick, but beware of your footing. This entire jungle is petrified." He quickly received confused looks. With a sigh, he explained. "That means the wood is as hard as stone and its edges are as sharp as obsidian. It would not do to be injured through carelessness, so take care while blazing the trail. Midori is already scouting ahead, so just worry about finding a clear path for us. Midori will take care of any threats. I intend to take us towards the Himiria Scar. Depending on the situation there, we will either continue to the south to check on villages or stay and help at the Scar." 

With that, the group gave understanding nods and Tei began to make his way into the jungle, being sure to take appropriate care around the trees. The rest of the group quickly fell into their assigned place and followed along.

When trying to decide where to go, Trafalgor had come to the conclusion that there where only two places that any large-scale relief effort would be based out of. Either to the north near the Mimiria Scar or the far south, near Laeto where the two rainbow-colored rivers met up. Of the two, Trafalgor was placing his bet on the Scar simply because of all the clear land to set up supplies and shelters around the edges of the Scar. An hour's travel proved his hunch correct as Kuro called the report down to him.

*Kohai, there are strange machines flying around and towers set up that shoot lightning around themselves in the clear area around the Scar. It looks like they are protective… shelters? I do not know. I have never seen such contraptions. However, they are killing any insect that comes near them.*

*Are there any people?* he sent back even as he continued to walk.

*Yes, there are several. They seem to be setting up more towers and other supplies.*

*Alright, keep an eye on the situation and let me know if anything changes. We'll be there soon. Midori, I want you to head to the south and search for villages. Report their statuses to me, but don't be seen.*

**Understood, Alpha. They will never see me coming.**

A few minutes later, the group finally broke through the edge of the jungle and could see the scene Kuro had described to him. "It seems someone else beat us here. Tei, double-time towards the center tower. That's the most likely place for the person in charge to be at. I know you all have good magickal stamina, but be sure to keep your protections up until we get inside the range of those towers." As if to emphasize his point, more insects popped as they attempted to land on various members of the group and were killed for their trouble out of hand.

The group took off at a fast jog, being careful of their footing. At the pace they set, it took them only twenty minutes to reach the shelters. Trafalgor entered the sphere of lightning first, and once he was able to verify it wouldn't harm them, he waved the rest of his group in and told them to rest. He then began looking around for someone that might be in charge. There was no one near the tower his group was currently under the protection of, but one tower over, there was someone standing looking towards the jungle. He figured it wouldn't hurt to start his search there and quickly dashed from his tower's protection and into the one where the figure was at.

Without the blinding flashes from the lightning in the way, Trafalgor immediately recognized the figure from Father Sidney's sketches and paintings of the many deities he'd had the fortune to see or meet during his life. It seemed that deities aside from Nemesis were intent on stopping whatever was going on in Vada, as well. He approached the woman, stopped several paces away, and bowed deeply to the goddess.

"Lady Kyrie, I am Trafalgor of Gulu, here with a party of four hunters and one healer's apprentice to provide relief support. I also have one of my familiars scouting the jungle to the south to check on the villages there. Please feel free to use myself and my people however we are needed." With that greeting and report, Trafalgor raised his head from his bow and waited for the goddess' reply.

Author: Shiloh Kyrie, Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 6:01 PM, Post Subject: The Harvesting [O][Event]

"I'm sorry, Polecat…" Walter looked up at her with a pained attempt to smile. Nerine put a Harenian death mask over his face and his body fell into a stupor as he laid out on a table to rest. "You don't need to be sorry. Everything's going to be ok." Shiloh replied, her voice tone unnaturally calm. The Clepsydra was flying high above Vada, the rest of Antikythera on lockdown. The only ones allowed out where her automatons as they were immune to the effects of the bugs, making them ideal for what they were planning to do. Cases of individuals being 'moonstruck' were rising and slowly spiraling out of control. There just wasn't enough information known about these bugs and she wanted to rectify that. Aside from well-placed barriers they needed other ways to repel the insects and prevent them from spreading their poison to more people. Taking up a metallic folding helmet, she affixed it to her face as cold metal began to cover her entire body, melding together with the mask. The first step to reduce casualties was taking the appropriate protective measures.

Touching down on solid ground, she watched as her airship circled the Himiria Scar up above their squadron. Their objective was simple: kill and contain as many insects as possible while locating their point of spawn. Once their numbers were diminished the rescue teams would be able to move in and restrain the affected for study and treatment. With a hand signal, hordes of Bakulaw spider drones took flight into the valley's airspace. Instead of their original purpose of dispensing incendiary agents, these drones were retrofitted with empty alchemically-reinforced internal canisters designed to draw in as many insects as possible using powerful suction. Once the maximum capacity was reached, the drone would seal the container off and return to the Clepsydra to drop off its cargo. Shiloh, Diomedes, Medea, and Galatea were moving ahead to create a safe point for those arriving to assist with the effort and for those fleeing to escape from the swarms. Initially she had mulled over the idea of putting up a reward for those who captured or killed certain amounts of insects, though that was scrapped as it was deemed too high-risk. Having more people blunder their way towards death was the last thing they needed.

Raising smaller versions of her Railoch lightning towers, they created dome-shaped fields of protection that instantly electrocuted any infernal insect that came too close. The protective fields were highly selective–only destroying the lunacy-inducing insects while letting others pass through. The towers themselves were programmed to create a physical barrier that would shield off attacks giving the people within time to escape or prepare for a counterattack. This was all thanks to the boon all deities received when in Canelux. Attempting to do the same in Railoch would have put an enormous strain on Shiloh just to keep them functional. They had no time to stop and debrief the people just arriving in–with the temporary shelters up and running the deity turned her attention towards the jungle. Vada had its own host of dangers before the insects emerged and if the indigenous people were in trouble, they would lose the only group who had the most comprehensive body of knowledge on the Scar's secrets.