I'm a bit on the fence.  As I said, Alexis is still just a mercenary, better suited to winning straight-up fights on the battlefield rather than backroom politicking (for now).  A part of me wants the opportunity to demonstrate my regiment's effectiveness in combat, but such plots seem to be hard to pull off in interesting ways.

I have a pair of mercenaries operating relatively close to that area.  Alexis Mandel and Michael Wolfram are a bit of a packaged deal since they are respective CO and XO of a heavy infantry regiment.  They could be persuaded to join Blaith's campaign and would be especially useful as a counter to the region's cavalry.  I have also dabbled with the idea of Alexis taking control of a Duchy.

A few other hooks worth considering:
*Alexis is a veteran of some massacre; this could easily be Havanlaar as a way to establish some connection to the region
*Havanlaar likely hasn't done much to instill loyalty to the Grand Duke within the region, especially in regard to the commoners
*She is a White Lily deserter rising up to a position of unusual visibility; this could be a powerful propaganda tool if played right

The mostly jaded band of mercenaries were caught off guard by the shimmer of magic.  They were awestruck, and occasionally horrified in the case of one of the mages' guards who tightened his grip on his sword as he passed a nervous glance toward the pair.  Luckily, Wolfram would keep his men under control.

Joshua, for his part, had always been rather subtle with his magic.  Seeing his fire turned toward such a spectacular display brought him a rather peculiar sense of wonder and for a moment, he had no words.  Still, he quickly noticed how shaky Tara had become and helped to support her as she stood.  "I'm...good?" he offered, unsure of how best to gauge his own condition.  He, at least, felt no different to how he did before.  Perhaps for the first time, the blacksmith wondered how his magic compared to other mages...

Clearing his throat, Joshua added, "We should head back so you can rest...right?"  He passed the mercenaries a probing glance, receiving a nod from the less terrified guard.

"I've got no problem with it.  We just happen to be going the same way," Wolfram reminded.  None of the soldiers seemed to take issue with the suggestion, either.  He took another spoonful of porridge, tasting the nutty hint of almond milk.  He favored the guest with a brief glance, marking that she bore no luggage.  "Besides, you seem to be traveling light and we have plenty of food to spare on the way."

Truthfully, they didn't but most of their subsistence would come from foraging anyway so one extra mouth was not all that much extra demand.  Finishing his breakfast, the mercenary rose.  "Eat up," he advised his guest.  "We'll be ready to head out in 15 minutes."

He still had one more thing to get ready: grabbing a set of saddle bags, Michael pulled off a few cotton-wrapped bundles before tucking them into the wagon.  He would need his helm and breastplate - a light harness for traveling - in case of emergencies and one of the other men helped fit the in place.  The last wrapped package was long, slipped into the wagon over the seat, where it might be easily reached...

Welcome back.  I think we only had a couple topics running, though one is less viable due to shifts in my character canon...

The other, Cut and run! could easily pick up where we left off if you were interested in continuing Rook's story.

((@DragonSong Sorry for the delay))

Tara was not wrong to assume as she did.  Though a natural with heat and fire, Joshua had no familiarity with magic beyond his own niche; cut off from any magical study.

"Alright," replied, taking her hand.  Since he could only contribute power to the ward, the smith closed his eyes, channeling heat through their connection.  He'd always been good at that at least...

The two guards that had accompanied the pair took positions a bit away from the work, both to avoid the magic which they still found somewhat unnerving as well as to keep ready in case of an ambush.  One man even readied his carbine, charging the weapon as his partner scanned the woods...

The trouble with magic is that it offered so many safe and lucrative ways to make a living, it made little sense for them to resort to banditry.  Those who might work with Karrian would struggle to match the firepower of his troop.  But Tara was nervous and she had the right to be.  So, slinging the axe over his shoulder the warrior shrugged.  "If you must," he dismissed.  "Just take two of my men with you."

Michael moved away from the bard, calling for a pair of swordsmen to stop their work.  Joshua had recovered by now and, gripping a spare entrenching tool, found his attention drawn to the conversation.  He was mostly ignorant of the full nature of magic and the idea of magical wards intriguing.

"Mind if I go with?" he asked.  Even a hint of new knowledge seemed a valuable opportunity...

Rulastinia

---

Nomura Kanesuke, Hunter: A man who hunts because his vermillion hair makes him a target for the beasts of the mist.

Name: Nomura Kanesuke (埜村 謙介)
Age: 29 Years
Sex: Male
Species: Anathanati Hybrid
Ethnicity: Anathanati
Height: 5'6"
Occupation: Monster Hunter
Residence: Rulastinia, near Oshiren

Physical Description
Though not particularly imposing by his people's standards, Nomura is lean and well-muscled by years of physical conditioning. He bears the scars that would confirm his profession for those few with any doubts; however, these are clearly old, from his more reckless early days and mostly concealed under his clothes.  His long, red-streaked hair is similarly concealed, styled up into a close topknot and wrapped in a dark bandana.  His eyes are a dark, mossy green making it somewhat hard for him to stand out.

To offset his otherwise drab appearance, Nomura favors prominent eyeliner and brightly colored robes, tucked into loose fitting trousers which are bound close to the calf with thick linen gaiters.  His leather, split-toe socks are often left bare aside from a pair of wooden sandals.  He will occasionally switch to a pair of raised wooden clogs when moving through deep mire.  As part of his common wear, he has a short, two-handed sword thrust into his sash, edge up and tied in place with a silk cord.  He also conceals a silver-lined knife on his person...

On the hunt or in battle, Kanesuke is protected by a suit of laminar armor with knee length tassets, lacquered golden-yellow and fastened with red lacing, a design replicated behind his helm and over his throat.  He conceals his face behind a steel mask depicting a sharp nose and snarling fangs.  Sleeves of chain are reinforced by checkered red and yellow scales and splints and tuck up into his armpits.  He wears a set of plate-and-chain thigh-guards under his tassets and a pair of solid greaves over his thick gaiters to cover his legs and feet.  While he retains his silver-plated sword tucked at his waist, he favors an 8-foot glaive for its long reach.

Personality
Kanesuke often comes off as cocky, his love of the color red often on full display as part of his hunting kit.  The reality is simpler; he devotes himself to hunting with a near single minded fervor, often to the exclusion of all else.  He wears red to draw his prey away from his comrades, as much to earn himself the kill as to protect them.

This has brought him into some conflict with some of his fellow Hunters as well as his superiors within the Order.  Few can refute his skill, given he continues to survive despite his clear handicap; still, his often-abrasive demeanor can make potential allies hard to come by.

He will bow to direct pressure from his superiors but will often insist on remaining active until his access to training weapons is revoked and he is forced to delve into other hobbies.

Magic / Abilities

• Naginatajutsu - "Reaping-Blade Technique" - Nomura favors a large polearm in combat, favoring its large sweeping cuts.
• Kenjutsu - "Sword Technique" - Like most hunters, he wears a short, thick Uchigatana for personal defense.  Such a weapon is easy to draw and can be used one-handed alongside his Tanto ("Short Sword") if needed.
• Jujutsu - "Gentle Technique" - If he doesn't have time to draw his sword, he can resort to debilitating strikes, grapples and take-downs paired with a short, concealed Tanto, even against the horrors of his homeland.
• Kyu-jutsu - "Bow Technique" - He is an accomplished archer and enjoys practicing the craft in his spare time.
• Shogi - He is also decently skilled at board games, especially Shogi, a game similar to (and likely derived from) Thanati chess, played with wooden tiles.

Relationships

• Parents - Estranged; he has seen little of them since giving himself to the hunters.
• Siblings - Almost wholly unknown

History
Kanesuke was born to farmers in a remote village south of Chime, and for most in this fate, life would have been simple and peaceful.  However, he was not like most; he was among the unlucky few to be cursed with red hair.  Even from an early age, he was bullied and ridiculed by the other children in his community, tormented by the collective certainty that he would be taken away by some bat-winged horror.

Still, he managed to survive, hiding his hair from the various beasts of the wilds until he resolved to face the nightmares head on.  He swore he would become a Hunter at the age of twelve, running away to join the nearest monastery.  Despite his handicap, the young aspirant was well motivated and found his way into the order.

---

Current Threads

Complete Threads

"Then it's a good think we're not hunting him at night," the mercenary rebuttled, slinging his black-stained helm over his shoulder by the chin-strap.  "If Karrian knows we're coming, sending out a handful of my men will either do nothing or get them killed.  If not, they'll do nothing more than reveal our presence and strip us of the element of surprise."

"Still," Michael continued, pulling a mattock from his saddlebags.  "If you're that worried, you can help dig trenches."  Gesturing at the work already being done, he admitted, "I know his games as well as he does; this way, if he wants to come after us, it will be on our terms."

His aim was to dig out two rings and fill them with wooden stakes.  Any attack on their camp would prove risky for their prey.

The great beast had been surprisingly quick to get to shore; he had seen the state of a number of the crew; one, the pink haired woman for one, had a bruise along her temple and was bleeding from one ear; her leg likewise was misshapen, crushed beneath heavy timbers; a small mercy she stayed unconscious.  So the serpent had plowed forward, picking up some of the debris and lifeboats in its bow wave...

As the survivors piled off onto the beach, the demonlord took note of those who were already there.  The first concern was the tedious curiosity of the blue haired mage.  Before he could notice, Samuel dismissed the creature, which purred contentedly before coiling away and dissolving into a deep black mist.  The assassin's demonic arm began to calm down at the release of it's master's magic, hiding its nature once more.

The Captain was in no mood to take command but the unfortunate band was in a sorry state.  Taking note of the Barkers, and their pilfered provisions, the demonlord glanced around.  Finding none he knew well enough to trust at his back, Samuel quickly darted after them.  "Hey!" he shouted at their backs.  "That's not just yours; you would do well for yourselves if you handed those sacks over."  It was neither a request nor a question...

---

Leenane, despite her rescuers' attempts at gentleness, was eventually jostled fully awake and instinctively reached for the man with his hands under her armpits.  She was not especially strong to begin with but she gripped him so tight, she might have apologized to him had she not been so distracted.

"My leg," she hissed, stuggling to make sense of all she was experiencing aside from that.  "Something's wrong with my leg!"  It was as though some sadist was in the process of driving white hot needles into every square inch of flesh below her knee.

(( @DragonSong - Sorry for the delay ))

The summoner seemed to focus on his own bowl of food as the girl pondered aloud.  As she made her vague offer, Samuel was dipping his bread to scrape of a mound of porridge.  "Well," he began through a full mouth, though he quickly thought better of it and quicky swallowed.

"If you don't think you have any use for that book, I'd like a chance to make a copy.  Even a chance to give it a look over might reveal a few potions of interest to me."  He'd already looked through the book, so even if she called him out, he could alway write down what he remembered and test things to make sure they worked...

Joshua gave the bard a sheepish smile before she moved on to find the small band's commander, weaving around the men as they erected a barrier with the excess wood and piled earth, heaped up from a shallow trench.

The blond man had not had a chance to groom himself reliably since entering the woods and he had grown a full beard over the last leg of their journey.  It was a concern for another time as the mercenary got some help unhooking his cuirass, lifting it over his head in anticipation for the night and refastened his sword-belt.

He caught sight of Tara, who seemed concerned as she wandered toward him.  "You seem worried," he remarked.

As the revenant's mask came away, the mercenaries who saw him visibly balked.  On man even went for his sword.  Alexis reigned them in with a shrill whistle that drew the fighters to attention.  They needed no further chastising and once she was sure of that, the Colonel returned her gaze to the stranger.

Picking her words carefully, the woman spoke; "You are not the only blasphemy to wander through Connlaoth."  After all, she was a former White Lily; she was as much an enemy of Ansgar as this revenant.  "I have no interesting in killing you; especially in the name of a god I don't worship.  Does that put you at ease?"

"Still," Alexis mused, almost inwardly.  "What brings a walking corpse into a land that could so willingly destroy him?  Seems rather dangerous for a mere treasure hunter..."

((OoC: Sorry for the delay; meant to post earlier but got sidetracked))

@DragonSong - Cont. from "Back to Dangerous Land"

The troop of riders had made good time through the Highlands, easily reaching the great forest in a few weeks.  Still, given their Connlaothian heritages, it was no surprise as many of the number grew tense; a forest that seemed to grow in the shadow of the surrounding mountains was truly unnatural - magic made manifest...or so they had been told.  After a few days, the novelty wore off and the soldiers' tention quickly melted away.  After all, what point was there in ogling the exotic when it all just seemed so...pedestrian.  One man even took up a flute and began blowing a marching hymn, his comrades becoming a bit of a chorus.

For much of their journey, Michael had remained at the formation's head, easily navigating the underbrush from atop his warhorse.  Between hunters and slavers, few settlements were designed to last, able to pack up and relocate at a moment's notice.  Still, the soldier seemed to be following a blazed trail toward...somewhere.

The pace could not keep up forever, though and eventually, Wolfram called his men to a halt, setting up a camp for the night.  He knew Tara would likely be impatient for them to reach their prey, her own vandetta far outweighing his interest in their hunt.  But, there was nothing more they could do for the day, so it would simply have to wait for morning.

The men took the horses and set them in picket line between two trees, tieing them up so they could not bolt, but also stripping them of their saddles to give the beasts a rest.  Then they set to work clearing ruffage with swords and axes.

---

Joshua was far less accustomed to riding a horse than his companions and he was visibly bowlegged when he slid from the back of the borrowed horse.  Those who noticed could not help but to chuckle at the smith's misfortune.  He ignored them, easing himself down as gently as he might to avoid further abusing his pelvis.

"We'll be eating cold tonight," Wolfram informed the troop.  "Don't want a fire to warn anyone we're coming.  That means two man watches tonight; starting with Koch and Lauer."  The two men easily acknowledged the order as they all found a place for their bedding.  "And if anything happens, wake Fisher first.  He's rather handy..."  The men chuckled a little at that, though few could reasonably argue with the officer's assessment.

As best he could, Joshua hooked his foot into the stirup, letting Tara help him up as he took his place in the saddle behind her.  It was a tight squeeze and he was forced to grip the pommel around around the bard's waist; a position that elicitied a few suggestive glances between the mercenaries.

Wolfram had mounted his own horse in the meantime, and now gave a shrill whistle to bring his men to attention.  "You've got a job to do; no getting distracted by gutter fantasies."  Wheeling his horse alongside his Serenian client.  "I'm guessing we'll be heading south to look for our man?"  They could easily figure out where to go beyond that after they crossed the border...

(( @DragonSong - This or your next post might bring the topic to a close?  PM me to set up the next arc. ))

Leenane had seen the Barker, and had wordlessly cursed him just before the blow.  She remained totally unconcious even as she was pulled from beneath the wreckage.  Only once she had been brought to greater safety did she begin to stir, but even then, she was totally unaware of the world and the debt she owed to the two brutes.

It was a coin toss whether her first concern when she woke would be her injuries or revenge...

---

Samuel kept vigil from behind the head of the serpent.  He counted out and kept track of the men and women that made it to safety...though it proved increasingly dubious whether it was true "safety."  He stayed even with the ship easily enough as the deck thinned.  He could not see below deck but is was doubtful many were still alive as crumbling vessel consumed those who were to slow.

That left only the Captain, who stayed steadfast at the helm.  Trusting the beast's gentle feelers to hold their varius passangers, he released his hanful of tendrils and based toward the creatures tall.  Guided by an unspoken order, it arched its length so that the Master was level with the rear castle and the man stepped over the railing.

"Captain," he called in a clear voice so that she might hear him.  "The crew is accounted for.  It is time to abandon ship."  He hoped she would not be so stubborn as to go down with the ship; still, if she proved to stubborn, he would cut the tiller ropes from the ostentatious wheel's post.

Once the Colonel had moved on, the small group had deffered to the next highest authority of their number and the unit quickly mounted up and made for camp.  The men in the rear gave cautious glanced to the stranger, who had been sat in the back of the wagon for simplicity's sake.  They seemed almost preternaturally quiet as they rode toward the Guard's camp.

---

The camp was contained within a ring of reinforced wagons and the band rode through a guarded gap in that line.  The installation looked more like a city than a mercenary camp in some ways, with clearly defined districts to house particular professionals that suppoted the column.  This forced the group to split up and the captive taken by two men and escorted toward a large tent.  The tent was mostly unnoccupied, a low table lifted between two men and moved aside before placing a stool in the center of the room.

The odd guest was unbound, but only briefly.  He was urged to sit, with two men standing at his back.  The third who had accompanied them left to inform the Colonel...  It was hard to guage time under the dark canvas but eventual, the man returned, just behind the Commanding Officer.  The guard retrieved another stool, placing it down just outside of the Adhara's range and removed his hat in deference to the woman

Alexis acknowledged the salute before waving the man away.  Looking upon the masked man, she let the tension build before finally asking, "What are you?"

The host payed his guest little mind at first, focused on finishing morning meal.  Eventually, he reasured her without looking up: "It's fine.  There was no real harm."  Spooning a helping of the spiced mash into a bowl, alongside a piece of flat bread, he offered the portion to Ally before taking his own.

"I assume you are still looking for a way to cure yourself," he said.  "Do you know what you plan to try next?"

Seeing the creature go still, Alexis turned and marched toward her oncoming wagon.  "Cord," she demanded and one of her men clambered back to retrieve the length of jut.  She turned and gave a whistle, before tossing it to another of her fighters - the man who had been pinned by the creature - and gave the order to "Bind him!"

She had not heard the man's request but had already resolved to remove herself and the creature form the town, lest his magical nature put her at risk.  "I will go ahead to camp.  When you finish with this, bring him with the supplies."  At that, she turned away toward the stables to collect the couple of war horses.  It would be best that she stay away from the magiced man lest she trigger another episode.

The man who lay atop the former hostile was not quite sure what to do about the words offered to him.  The request did not directly interfere with his orders, since the rest had to go back for their draft animals, so as the masked man was tied and marched back to the wagon, the swordsman pulled aside the driver, whispering, "There should be another horse at the stable?  This one says it's his."  Whatever was going one could wait until they were away...