leicesters: (112)
Claude von Riegan ([personal profile] leicesters) wrote in [community profile] kenoscomm2024-03-08 01:40 pm

LOCKED TO MERIDIAN

[Claude's communion prescence has always been like a summer breeze; warm, easygoing, albeit difficult to read before it moves on. Now it has more of a brittle, bitter quality, like a looming dust-cloud he has to hold at a distance. There's no going back from this point when he knows things will only escalate from here, and so now seems like an important time to address his fellow Meri.]

The fight for the next Oracle will be on us soon. The Tribune may have been slain, but he entrusted the future of the worlds to us. Though he won't be able to help us see this through, we can still fight for him, and all the others we've lost along the way. We can fight for Springstar... and we can fight for Quetzalcoatl.

[There's a brief pause on this point. Her death deserves respect and acknowledgement, and she may not be the last to meet such a fate before the fighting is over.]

...We'll fight for your homes, too. After all, our worlds aren't that different, right? They might be flawed in their own ways, and there might even be some of you who would rather stay here when this is done. But every world and the life on it is precious, and it beats whatever phony world Yima and her followers come up with.

Speaking of Yima: I've discussed this with a few people already, but I suspect she's still alive. When the Blight almost destroyed Kenos, somehow she was still around. When I asked her about it, she said she wasn't bound by time like a normal person is. She can exist in different times and different places simultaneously; I don't know how it works, but maybe she even foresaw this attempt on her life before it even happened.

That said, it's just speculation, so we might as well play dumb and behave towards Zenith as if we're convinced she's dead for now. It'll be easier for us that way.

[Others have probably arrived at a similar conclusion, perhaps people among Zenith's ranks too, but it bears saying, particularly for those newly arrived to the conflict.]

Anyway, enough about her -- how about we use this opportunity for a little strategy get-together? We have a few new faces around, so feel free to introduce yourself and your capabilities.

For those of us who have been around longer, feel free to toss in an introduction too. More importantly, share what you know about Zenith and its current capabilities, in combat or otherwise. Any insight into their current thinking would be useful right now, too. What's their morale like? We know by now that some of them really hate our guts, and I wonder how much their desire for revenge is going to play into the next battle...

[He sounds casual, almost flippant, but there's a serious point in there he's sure he doesn't need to overstate: the more loyal Zenites are going to have some serious motivation in the next battle to get back at them, whether they believe Yima is gone or not.]

Let's not let our own judgement be clouded by revenge, even if we've sustained losses. We need to go into this with a clear head, looking toward the future.

Oh-- on that note, Hayame wants to speak with some of you about some further strategising either before or after the Oracle. Sorry that's a little vague, but I'm sure she'll talk to you about it properly when the time comes. For now, let's just focus on one thing at a time.
warmare: (暇乞い)

AMOS BURTON

[personal profile] warmare 2024-03-08 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
It has been said a hundred times, but- Amos Burton cannot be reasoned with, he will not leave Zenith, and he will never not follow the orders of that sacred bitch on high, Yima. Even if she is actually dead, he will continue to hold her tenants. I have no doubt she was behind the order to assassinate the Tribune.

And you saw what resulted from that. What resulted from allowing Zenites free reign of Springstar to let them map our our streets and vulnerabilities.

Amos is a human man, but he has embraced the powers of this world quite smoothly. I have heard tale of his strength when he rampages, and that is cause enough to be cautious with him in battle, but my personal experience is more with his ability to manipulate "gravity".

[... She says that word like it's made-up. Just medieval Japanese things.]

He can make rob you of the ability to stay upon the ground, and just as quickly make the air around you so heavy that you can barely lift a leg to stand, let alone fight. Beyond countering his spells as he casts them, I do not know how they can be fought. Mages, what say you?

And those who know more of his abilities... I would ask you share them here. It is likely Amos will charge at the forefront of Zenith's offensive in this next Oracle, as long as the trial's nature permits.
clockpunk: (039)

[personal profile] clockpunk 2024-03-08 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Charisma, right.

[ a long sigh. ]

Also, even though my opinion's kinda meaningless, I won't agree with any shattering. It's backward, to do it. Claimin' to want to restore things, n'then being so ready to break others just because they're in the way.
a_noble_flame: (038)

[personal profile] a_noble_flame 2024-03-08 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
... Do you believe you are bothering me with your suspicions?

[Whether Hayame cares if she is isn't the question.]
fishfearme: (look down)

[personal profile] fishfearme 2024-03-08 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[YOU GET IT!!!! His mental presence is just pure "byleth 🤝 flat" for a hot second.]

Ah, yes, I assume so. It's possible that I'm simply not... built... to harness that amount of energy in such a unique way. It's different to casting a spell, and I'm mostly self-taught...

[There's no Nabatean here to teach him how to properly shoot a dragon laser out of his mouth :\ he has to figure it out all himself and almost give himself throat burns when he made the mistake of inhaling mid-beam (the less said about that the better)]
escardos: (six.)

[personal profile] escardos 2024-03-08 06:38 pm (UTC)(link)
2009! What’s the world of video games like in the future? Is there a new Playstation?

[ please spoil him about the future, chronos. ]

Oh, and that’s most likely what’s going on! Most of us are likely from adjacent Earths that have a couple things that are different.

But tell me more about your cards! How do you summon them without magical energy?
wolfish: (distant)

[personal profile] wolfish 2024-03-08 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He wants to say he thinks there's some good in Gen, feeling he's seen it himself. It's been a while, but they'd spoken about their reasons for choosing their sides. And Yuri may not get it, the need to see one's world destroyed, finding it irredeemable, but there was surely something behind it.

Even so, Dimitri isn't wrong that this is a war. If someone has taken in too much of Yima's influence, it may be the only mercy they can afford them. ]


Best save the honors for Hayame, if Sebastian's dissipated.

[ He begins with that, because it's simplest and easiest. Much less complicated and messy than the rest. But Dimitri knows him, and for that reason, it may be apparent there's much more thought than there are words. ]

...You know I have experience in this department. [ He says it more for others' benefit than Dimitri's, though it's those from home who best know what he really means. ] If stealth can't be employed, it'd be unwise to engage solo.
fishfearme: (gentle neutral)

[personal profile] fishfearme 2024-03-08 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
If we want to take the more ruthless route.

[And, of course, Byleth's pragmatism was partial towards sniping the more dangerous elements of Zenith. He was reluctant to escalate, but since Zenith threw the first stone, as it were, he also understood that sometimes you just had to do distaseful things when your opponent decided to go for the kidneys.]

But we're not sure what the next Oracle will entail. It's difficult to plan a hunt with so many unknowns.
wolfish: (mull)

[personal profile] wolfish 2024-03-08 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
...I'd rather that, myself. Ryouma's not wrong about how little we understand of all this.

[ Taking pieces off the board would be ideal.

He'd still endorse Hayame getting her revenge but look he's not perfect. ]
sterngaze: (neutral: tousled)

+ Sebastian info

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-03-08 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
To be sure, Sebastian is a dangerous foe to contend with in combat, but he is resourceful in other areas as well. The form he wears is not his own; he can become shadow itself, and I have reason to believe he can take the forms of beasts as well.

Be wary around unfamiliar animals, especially if they bear red eyes. He has admitted to that preference.
a_noble_flame: (078)

[personal profile] a_noble_flame 2024-03-08 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Agreed. I speak from only my own experiences at home but to go against those on the opposing side it helps to know why they are there. I wish to understand why Zenith and Yima are as they are and what began all of this if I can.

... I do admit I would prefer working in cooperation to figure out what these shadows are and the things Matt spoke of as ready to devour us. However cooperation must be on both sides -- I won't sacrifice others for that sort of goal.

[None of this will stop her from offering her hand to a Zenite who might wish to change sides or need help. She won't hesitate to do what she must though.]
kaientai: (081)

[personal profile] kaientai 2024-03-08 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Ryouma can't help the relief he feels when he hears Dimitri say that. He'd clearly been prepared to keep at it. ]

Oh, good. I thought that would be harder, to be honest.

[ He laughs a little. ]

Anyway, I agree we should take a firmer stance. Assuming the rules of the Oracle trials allow us to kill each other without a penalty, we probably should — sometimes, the only way to survive is to club your enemies over the head before they can do it to you.

[ Accepting reality as it is means acknowledging that sometimes things can't be reasoned with, and diplomacy and kindness ain't gonna cut it. There is a secondary presence in Communion, something large that evokes the image of scales coiled all around him. It gives off a sense of approval at his willingness to act so decisively about this for once. ]

Otherwise, it's probably best not to completely drive a wedge between us and the Zenites. Like the shadows in Springstar, dangerous light plagues Highstorm. We may need each other to keep this world intact long enough to finish the ritual.
a_noble_flame: (086)

[personal profile] a_noble_flame 2024-03-08 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[... Oh gosh, Ann. The moment her communion wavers is when Alice's warmth strengthens.]

I do admit the thought of it being entirely gone is a troubling one. However I take heart in knowing if it is truly gone then I have yourself and everyone else here to build a new world with. As long as we all have our wills and fighting spirits then we will find a way to make this work.

[Does that sound stupidly optimistic? Perhaps. Does she waver? No.]
escardos: (pic#13478938)

[personal profile] escardos 2024-03-08 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Gravity is the force that keeps our feet in the world.

[ just putting that out there.

between that and flat speaking up again, there is a long pause as he processes what she’s saying. when he talks, there’s no emotion behind it other than an overwhelming curiosity. ]


Gravitational manipulation is a pretty neat trick! I’d have to watch him do it, but the way I’d do it is by cancelling his abilities entirely… or by trying to reverse what he’s doing in real time.

[ which is not easy, no matter how simple flat makes it sound… ]

Other than that, you’d probably have to sneak up on him or send something with enough force that it breaks through his gravitational field without losing force!

[ so, a rocket? ]
clockpunk: (035)

[personal profile] clockpunk 2024-03-08 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah, PS4's been out a while. I haven't played much recently since I've been busy, though.

[ happily will spoil anything if asked. ]

There is an energy, called Stride Force, an' it's created based on how strong people's mental image is. Mine's like, pretty damn good, an' I had some stuff happen that gave me a connection to the planet these guys [ the time beasts ] are from. So I can, uh, manifest? Some things. I don't get it entirely, and it's really tiring to do it. It's not like a public knowledge thing, either.
sheezit: (s24)

[personal profile] sheezit 2024-03-08 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Right, right. [ Here's the sense of his arms folded as he nods along, very sagely, very serious, until: ]

Oh, and this is Claude, Hayame's number one fan! Best to not get in his way, if you know what I mean!

[ IS HE WINKING OR IS HE BLINKING, you'll never know...... ]
wolfish: (mull)

[personal profile] wolfish 2024-03-08 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's a bit of quiet gratitude over Communion, yet no words to accompany. Even so, since they're both Harbingers, Ryouma might know who it is just the same.

This isn't an argument he felt equipped to make, so he appreciates that Ryouma did. ]
damnpire: (pic#12040373)

[personal profile] damnpire 2024-03-08 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Amos is a man with a background in taking orders. He does not really question them.

He values personal freedom, and he isn't unkind, but he flourishes with leadership. It's easy for Yima to use someone like him.
wolfish: (regard)

[personal profile] wolfish 2024-03-08 07:10 pm (UTC)(link)
We started seeing something like that during the last Oracle's challenge. Byleth and I had success burning them away when we tested it, but that poses a challenge in an urban area.

Not to mention, they went from stationary to actively hunting people in that short period... They may have grown more resilient since.
escardos: (pic#13478938)

[personal profile] escardos 2024-03-08 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Yima is important to him.

[ therefore, ]

It’ll be impossible to convince him otherwise.

[ and that’s just how things are. there’s no reason to waste time and energy on that, flat thinks. ]
clockpunk: (036)

[personal profile] clockpunk 2024-03-08 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh.

[ the intonation of something clicking into place. he knows the type well enough, just hadn't connected the dots since he didn't quite know enough about amos or yima yet. ]

That makes a lot of sense, okay. Thanks for explaining it. She was... there was somethin' off with her, huh?
hauntedking: (08)

[personal profile] hauntedking 2024-03-08 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
That's certainly fair enough. I don't like the idea of it myself - if I had my way we wouldn't be fighting this war at all.

[ He sighs. ]

But they continue to tell us that our end goals are incompatible. And... I don't know if I can take the risk.
escardos: (pic#16854342)

[personal profile] escardos 2024-03-08 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh—!

[ flat was totally going to… ]

I’ll do my best not to! But most of my friends would say that I’m like a cockroach, so I’m sure it’ll be okay.

[ hE SOUNDS SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS. ]
hauntedking: (17)

[personal profile] hauntedking 2024-03-08 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Going "solo" would not benefit any of us, it's true. Teamwork, working alongside one another, becoming a unified force - that will bring us victory. I trust your talents and your perspective Yuri - and I welcome them.
hauntedking: (Default)

[personal profile] hauntedking 2024-03-08 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
True. We may have to wait and see and plan on the fly.

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