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I lost all of my notes, so I'm not entirely sure what my plan was for that fight. It seems to be something to do with harassing you until you run out of mana, though. Rest assured that I'll not be fighting until I get more information, however, unless someone presses me.
So, um...I'm back now. Hi.
I'm trying to find time to get stats put together for the mercenaries so that I can make those rolls. Unfortunately, finals are making that slightly difficult at the moment.
11:01:00 <Etrius has spent 500 mana preparing thus far> "Ah, there's the interruption." Etrius leaves off the preparations for the ritual, and begins making preparations. "Spread what information you have to all units, then maintain your distance. Do not engage. "Lieutenant Ordion, does your team have line of fire to the target? "Caster, please do not engage them yet." As Etrius began to expand his will in preparation for events, the flight patterns of the ravens circling the city changed subtly. Soon, more than a thousand eyes were scanning the area, seeking out signs of the enemy. "All active units are on standby for combat deployment." Tatsuya, 11:02:15 Battle Commander Rosara was having a bad day. First poison in the water, then an emergency meeting to completely re-arrange the overall strategy, and now an enemy contact. Even rarer is that the CEO seems to be participating directly. Then there's that "ally", Caster...it's obvious that he doesn't hold much loyalty to anyone, and you suspect that he could do some real damage were he to turn. Still, if the CEO says to get ready to fight, it's the responsibility of the battle commander to get everyone ready to fight. "First platoon, split to squads and get in the humvees. Move to ring position at 500m and split to fireteams. Don't make yourself known if you can help it."
I've declared my action for most of day 1, now. I'm just waiting for the inevitable interruption to it.
Etrius smiles briefly, then carefully restores his neutral expression as the five commanders of Tatsuya enter the room. "Welcome. As my message to you indicated, there have been a few changes to our strategy. The major change is that all patrols are to be covert. They are not to engage Servants save from within the Oni's Spine. "To take over the roll of active scouting, I will be creating a bounded field of detection which is to be spread over the city. It probably won't be strong enough to actually detect anyone, but I'm hoping that some fool will try to remove it. "Caster is to be the main force of engagement in regards to Servants. Tatsuya will engage any vulnerable Masters. I will engage either as the opportunity presents itself. "Until an opportunity presents itself, we will simply seek to strengthen our position. Are there any questions?" Mortimer decides to ask the obvious question. "What happened at the docks last night?" "Caster engaged an enemy Servant, known as Berserker. Their battle was, apparently, cut short. Are there any other questions?" No-one seems to have any questions, though it is obvious that they are thinking over the implications of the damage dealt to the docks. "Very well, then. The next subject of concern is the poison within the city water supply. The various bounded fields on this building should protect us from it, but an attack of this nature should not be ignored, and indeed it will not be suffered. "Dr. Langley, I'd like you to begin seeking to identify symptoms and countermeasures. I suspect that the poison is magical in nature, so do not hesitate to pursue that avenue. "Caster, you have indicated that you can easily find information. I would ask you to turn that ability towards locating the source of this poison. "If there are no further questions, then this company is dismissed." With the meeting concluded, Etrius moves to the chamber of seals on the 35th floor, to begin the work of adding yet another bounded field. Weak, but wide ranging. Its power can be escalated later.
"Noted, in regards to the second. "As for the first, I shall be explicit. Do you have an attack which is both repeatable and capable of causing significant damage to Berserker assuming an S+ rank of magic resistance? If so, and if said attack requires Berserker to actively respond to avoid damage, then it should be possible to draw Berserker into a battle of attrition. "Put another way, if you were to employ [Censorship; it's the attack that destroyed the docks] against Berserker, would Berserker take significant damage were he to not actively defend himself? Could you then repeat that attack multiple times to deplete Berserker's mana reserve?"
The rather carefree attitude that Etrius was effecting vanished, as he turned to the subject of the war. "If Berserker's magic resistance is of A+ rank or greater, I will be unable to effect him. Therefore, I have created an alternate strategy. It relies upon two conditions being true. "Firstly, do you have a repeatable attack which will force Berserker to respond with an attack of his own to avoid damage, or otherwise force Berserker to expend mana? "Secondly, I need to know how efficiently we can link our mana reserves, and at what range this can be effected." Etrius pauses, seeming to consider something. Evidently, he's come to a decision, for he relaxes and simply waits for Caster's response.
"You refer, I suppose, to the time which between my contacting you and the present? I did not feel that it would be polite to rush you. "I have a few questions for you, but first, would you like some tea?" Intuition
Etrius digested the information silently as he drifted off to sleep. After a little deliberation, he entered a lucid dream. Sure, it was lest restful, and it was harder to wake up from it, but he needed the time to think. Within his mind, Etrius began the process of analyzing the information he had on the Servants, and how they might be countered. Berserker:
Magic resistance was probably the greatest threat that Etrius could face in the war. He had a counter, but it called for absurd amounts of mana and was unlikely to work. The other counter would likely be lost were it used against a Servant. Slowly, a strategy came together to deal with Berserker. It would take a lot of mana, and it would leave Etrius vulnerable afterwards, but it should work. Only two conditions needed to be cleared. Caster:
Caster was another problem. Certainly, he was powerful, but he was a rather loose cannon. Using the Command Seals would probably see him becoming less agreeable. Caster outclassed Etrius in the realm of magic, and the rest was unknown. The seal would have to do for a counter. The other Servants were complete unknowns, so Etrius turned to preparing for the revised attack plan. The tome containing the relevant information flew from it's shelf into Etrius's hand, and he began to read. Day Two The alarm went off at 0700. Etrius was awake by 0702. After awakening, Etrius sent a message to the force commanders, informing them of the strategy meeting at 0800. A similar message was sent to Caster, though with the time changed to 0745, so that the strategy against Berserker could be discussed. Having arranged the meetings, Etrius sat down with his breakfast, checked the news, and waited.
"Personal, then? Very well, I can respect that. Would you care to specify the degree of magic resistance which Berserker possesses?" Etrius briefly considers using a seal to gain the information, but decides that it would likely push Caster a bit closer to being an enemy, leaving him at a deficit in regards to two resources. "At any rate, I need a bit of sleep. Your engagement at the docks has forced me to re-evaluate the usefulness of the forces presently available, so we'll be altering our strategy a bit."
Etrius moves back upstairs, and sits down to type out a message, to inform the company of the poison. "Excellent. Three points, then. "Firstly, I believe that you didn't state your opponents name. That information will likely be useful soon, so I would like to know it. "Secondly, do you know your opponent's status and location? "Finally, did your opponent possess any significant magic resistance? "If it's a yes to the second, and a no to the third, I believe that we could probably eliminate your opponent in a joint attack tomorrow night."
Etrius begins to sip at his tea, then stops. A smile spreads, as he looks a tad more closely at the beverage. "It would seem that someone has seen fit to launch an attack. More fun for us, I suppose. That will come later, however. Three things before I return to sleep. Firstly, I'd like to know what you know thus far regarding the war. Secondly, something that I forgot to tell you earlier. You are free to act as you please, so long as you remain capable of fulfilling your role within the present engagement plan. Finally, I'd like to know your present status." Etrius goes downstairs after making his requests, entering his alchemy lab. The tea is poured out into a flask, which is sealed, and quickly labeled. A small message is then sent over the PA system, reading: "A potential contaminant with unknown properties has been detected in the water supply. All personnel are to use sealed beverages until more information becomes available." OOC: In short, how much damage did Caster take, and how much mana did he use in the battle against the soon to be known Servant?
"Perhaps. You description doesn't lead me to believe that your opponent was responsible for the storm. Unless..." Etrius smiles, a thought having occurred to him. "I suppose that it would make a lot of sense were that the case. Were you, by chance, facing [censorship!]?" Perception:
Spoiler:
Turning to see Caster already inside, Etrius shelves his annoyance in favor of getting information. "I see that you're not too worn out from that display. I'm afraid that the storm you created prevented me from seeing too much, so I'll ask. What happened?"
It would seem so. Perhaps an update in the IC thread would spur things along? Edit: It might also help were the IC tab to display that new posts had been made.
Considering my present state, I feel that an engagement is likely to occur at some point. Therefore, I'll go ahead and set my priority command. Statistics
Spoiler: I'm guessing that the commands refer to the Servant's strategy, in the following manner: Strike: General offensive
Assuming that the above are even vaguely correct, I will set my command as follows: Priority: Zoning
I fear that if the present hiatus extends for too much longer, I will lose my vision of who Etrius is. Therefore, I'd like to vote for Servant Watcher to DM, if this is indeed a vote among the players.
...Servant Watcher, I'd like to declare a command seal usage. Command: Give an honest status update regarding the present state of this game.
Waiting patiently, here.
Go ahead. I have no objections.
Just waiting on Caster to walk inside so that I can advance a little, here.
I'm at around 1:15 AM of day 1, getting ready to speak firmly with Caster about engaging so early...
One of the numberless familiars speaks as Caster appears, arresting the action of the soldiers on the roof. A good thing, too, since their weapons were already trained on Caster. "I'm glad to see that you have returned. Please do come inside." Since the familiar had recognized Caster as an ally, five of the team members went back to watching the city for targets of opportunity. The last kept his weapon readied in case of an attack. "Lieutenant Ordion, please return to your post. If Caster were a threat, he could only be defeated through ambush." A tad reluctantly, the Lieutenant returns to his spotters scope, to resume his search for potential Masters.
The familiars close in as the storm dissipates, seeking out Caster. Once he is located, one dives down while the others watch the situation. In the distance, within the Oni's Spine, Etrius prepares himself for combat, forming the mental construct which, when mana is applied, would result in the strongest bolt of lightning he could muster. The familiar lands beside Caster, and opens its beak. From it, Etrius's voice issues. "You'll get your chance to finish this battle later. For now, it would appear that the best course of action would be to retreat and regenerate. If you are presently capable to doing so, then please enact this course of action. If you are not, I will provide transport."
Sorry for my recent lack of posts...just no time available. That should be finished shortly.
OOC: Turns out that the information was incorrect, invalidating the above post. Unfortunately, the edit button appears to be missing... "Thank you. Carry on." Etrius taps the earpiece again, closing the connection. "My familiars can't get close enough to engage with any accuracy, and the snipers are unable to engage. A squad could probably make it there using a vehicle, but with so little information... I suppose that I'll just have to trust Caster for now. I wonder if I can make use of the mana feed from here, or if he needs to be in my presence for it to work...eh, worth a try." Etrius addresses the bond between himself and Caster, and tentatively presses mana into it. <50 mana transferred to test the connection>
OOC: Loud explosions and a typhoon at this distance? So much for stealth... "Retreat within the building for now, then. Thank you." Etrius frowns at the report that weather is disrupting the operation, then remembers that the bounded field against weather had been omitted for being too conspicuous. That would change when he had a few spare hours. A quick tap on the ear-piece closes the connection, allowing Etrius to think aloud in peace. "My familiars can't get close enough to engage with any accuracy, and the snipers are unable to engage. A squad could probably make it there using a vehicle, but with so little information... I suppose that I'll just have to trust Caster for now. I wonder if I can make use of the mana feed from here, or if he needs to be in my presence for it to work...eh, worth a try." Etrius addresses the bond between himself and Caster, and tentatively presses mana into it. <50 mana transferred to test the connection>
Etrius sips the tea, now heated to just under the boiling point. "Of course. Familiars are good at force projection, but vulnerable." The familiars fan out, and begin circling the area warded by the gale. Etrius taps his earpiece twice. As he speaks the name, software routes the message to its proper recipient. "Lieutenant Ordion, there is an event at the docks. What can you see?"
Five minutes after resuming his attempts to sleep, Etrius sits bolt upright. Were there any lights on, and were anyone present, Etrius's "vivid" expression would be sufficient to paralyze. "What is he thinking! Composure...I am Etrius, born to [Censorship!]. Though I have abandoned their edicts, I will at least maintain my composure; my dignity." Fifty of the familiars flying over the city veer off towards the location of the incident which had awoken Etrius. Meanwhile, Etrius is heating up some tea.
To bed at ten, up at 12:50 due to restlessness, just falling back asleep now. I suspect that I have 4-5 posts to go before I get to the daytime...
"And here I was going to tell him that he was free to act as he pleased...eh, he'll be fine. He probably went to find a relative, in which case..." The familiars circling over the countryside change course and return to the city, watching over the area for any sign of anomalous activity. Etrius writes under Caster's note. "That's fine. Just don't die taking care of it." Having taken care of the things bothering him, Etrius returns to sleep, though with the expectation that it will be a short night. Any of the familiars seeing anything would be enough to wake him, as could any of a few bounded fields. Furthermore, any of the mercenaries could call his earpiece directly.
"Bah, I can't sleep...ah, that's it. I forgot." Pulling out a computer, Etrius shoots off two messages. "Field Manager Mortimer, You are being assigned Lieutenant Pibald's (OOC: Son of Lieutenant Commander Pibald) mortar team. Set them up on a shift schedule with Lieutenant Ordion's sniper team so that someone will be able to lay fire upon any opponents that appear. Have them take range finding when they come on shift; they'll be firing on man-sized targets. Sincerely,
"Battle Commander Rosara, I've been thinking on it, and based on the information that I have thus far I feel that it might not be to our advantage to use visible patrols at first. Though it would help to maintain order, it would also show our hand. Keep squads in heavy armor here, ready to deploy with the APCs as fast attack units. Keep the covert patrols in half-squads to minimize detection. Sincerely,
"Hmmm...one last thing. Caster, are you here?
If no-one has the sheet, then I suppose that I shall start building another one. Expect a PM in around an hour...
Could either you or acecipher please pm me what you have, if anything? Thank you.
I'll be having words with whomever is behind that one later...preferably words that are highly energizing, with many acute angles. Also, could you please respond to the last PM I sent you regarding said activities? I'd like to know if my second attempt at number six was incorrect or not... Thank you. Please have a nice daycycle.
No offenses that I can see. What's obvious out of character might not be so obvious to a character working from limited information, however. As for Ea...it is a nice weapon, which I'm hoping that no-one has. It would be hard to have another grail war without a planet, after all... Edit:
Spoilers for Fate/Stay night
Spoiler:
Due to her magic core (dragon heritage), Arturia was noted as having a far greater reserve of mana than normal. Medea, likewise, was noted as being able to survive for much longer due to her massive mana reserves. It was made reasonably clear, in Medea's case at least, that they were losing those reserves fairly quickly... While killing a Master might not kill the servant immediately, it will greatly weaken them after a while, and with continued observation a kill can be assured. As a side note, I expect that we'll all be re-loading if someone uses Ea at full power...
Alright, then. PM incoming with detailed deployment data. Thank you.
That was an impressive explanation. Thank you. Out of curiosity, may I request to receive reports as to what the familiars are able to see? It should help to make the line between IC knowledge and OOC knowledge a little more clear, and thus aid in avoiding meta-gaming. Thank you.
"Thank you, Caster. I do believe that you have missed two mechanics that will be of great interest to us, as well as a class. Though you did touch on the concept of the Master, I feel that one aspect should be laid out in more detail. Though some servants possess the independent action ability, allowing them to continue after their Master's death, most do not. As such, the death of a Master is likely to result in the death of the Servant shortly afterwards. As a Master's combat abilities will be far less than that of their Servant in most cases, it is advantageous to attempt to defeat the Masters first. Secondly, the Noble Phantasm. These are abilities for which the Heroic Spirit which is incarnated as a Servant are known, and tend to be extremely powerful. A familiar type Noble Phantasm of middling power, for example, would be on approximately the same level as one of my Great Eidolons. Finally, you seem to have missed the Bruiser class, the fourth of the chivalrous Knights. It is quite strong in physical combat, but if we're engaging a Servant in melee then we've probably done something wrong. These Servants are the primary forces in this war, and our greatest adversaries. Our strategy has been laid out, now, so what remains is to implement it. I will be personally commanding, so if any questions arise during the course of the conflict, I will respond to them. Now, unless there are further questions, you are dismissed." And so the strategy meeting ends, and the commanders begin to delegate so that everything gets done. Vehicles are fueled, armories are opened, and men are armed more heavily than is normal. Soon, the soldiers of Tatsuya PMC will begin to move through the streets, while above the ravens of their commander watch for signs of the conflict to come. "That vial helped, but I'm still rather low on mana from the ritual. If you don't mind, I'll be sleeping for a while to try and regenerate some of it." Etrius moves to the 34th floor, which contains the bedroom as well as the rather extensive alchemy lab, and attempts to sleep.
"No questions? Very well, then. The fourth stage of engagement will be Caster, the Servant on our side of this conflict. Each side of the war will have one Servant, incarnated in one of nineteen classes. Since you most likely have better information than I regarding these, could you please fill us in on the details here, Caster?"
I'll start doing that from now on, then.
Noted, sorry about that. I'll go ahead and send those answers by PM.
"Caster, have you any questions regarding this stage? If not, I'll move on to your stage of the operation."
"Yes, sir. I will honor that request, and refrain from the creation of High Eidolons and Great Eidolons within populated areas."
"They will be formed as the situation requires, on the scene. Your request?"
"Very well. The third layer of engagement will be my familiars, again. For this war, I will be using a form of combat familiar, known as an Eidolon, to carry out attacks on targets found by the first two layers. These will primarily be used to distract and pin down opponents, giving our forces an opportunity to make a lethal attack. Are there any questions regarding this stage?"
"I'll cover that in stage four. If all questions have been answered, I'll continue."
"Once our opponents figure out that the ravens are our eyes, they will seek to blind us. More mundane sensors are likely to be overlooks, in such a case. As for nests, the ideal would be to have every point in the city covered by three manned nests. That will likely be impractical, but do what you can. Pibald, do you have any questions?" |
