barriers and raids and evil mermaids, oh my

[rebells]

Who: Dirk and Jay and you!
Where: In front of the coven's current abode.
When: Day 28 (8/4), around mid-day
Open/Closed: ota!

[It starts with a telepathic message over video, Jay using the mirror shard gifted by Genette to broadcast this message to the rest of the coven:]

It's come to our attention that some of you are going to want to help the Palai with their raid problem, so we thought--if we're going to be involved in this anyway, we might as well do it right. How about a meeting in front of our temporary home at noon? We'll discuss our strategy and assign roles. I'll broadcast it via this link, as well, for anyone who can't make it back in time. We welcome input from anyone who has a brain in their heads.

[If you come to the front of the house at the appointed time, you will indeed find Jay and Dirk standing together discussing--something, and perhaps a small crowd beginning to gather. This meeting will also be broadcast over the signets for anyone who wants to listen in there.]


((Comment away! Feel free to threadhop and such, as this is supposed to be an open meeting. OOC plotting post will go up soon.))

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INTRODUCTIONS/MINGLE

[rebells]

[Jay is by the front of the house the coven is staying in, pacing back and forth. He looks focused and serious, not at all smiley, which may or may not be a surprise to some of you. There's also a small-but-growing crowd of coven members, and maybe one or two Palai, too.]

Thank you for coming. You may have heard from the Palai about the raids that are conducted on the city by a warring species, the Uvi. I believe some of our number will be acting on this threat no matter what, so we thought it would be best to meet as a group and form a plan. In short, our goals are to first prevent the Uvi from doing any damage in the coming raid, and then work with the Palai to find a more permanent solution to the problem, if that's possible. We'll outline what we think is the ideal plan of action, but we welcome input from anyone with experience in the relevant areas.

[cadventuretime]

[A SINGLE HAND RAISES FROM THE CROWD.]

Excuse me! I'm here for the brains. When do we get one? I'm famished!

[YES SHE CAME ALL THE WAY HERE JUST TO SAY THAT.]

[rebells]

[ . . .

. . .

. . .

No, give him a minute to switch modes.]

Ah, an idiot.

GROUND TEAM/DEFENSE PLAN AND IC SIGNUPS

[splinten]

[Dirk doesn’t pace. He stays still while he waits, his expression impassive. When he talks, his voice is level and calm.]

According to the Palai, the Uvi are expected to attack in four days. We’re planning out a basic strategy for defending Aimintas. We’re actually working with the Palai on the best ideas for protecting their actual home on the grounds that we aren’t Kevin Costner in Dances With Wolves. They understand how the Uvi attack and can offer key intel, and ultimately, it’s their decision if and how they want us to be involved in this.

We’re still in the planning stages, so if you have strategic know-how, speak up. At this point we’re looking to locate highly mobile lookouts throughout the city ahead of the attack and station ground combatants throughout. We'll also need healing stations and a way to get our healers to the injured or the injured to our healers fast.

[soulcomet]

[almost immediately after he's done speaking, her hand shoots up. whatever misgivings she may have about her own magic aren't going to stop her from helping, wherever that may be.]

Um ... I can heal, but it's not really all that reliable — I'd probably be more useful if I was out front scouting, or fighting. [she's more agile than she looks.]

I'd be fine with wherever you wind up assigning me, though.

[splinten]

[Madoka... With his shades hiding his eyes, Madoka can't see the flicker of sadness through them. Dirk keeps his voice calm, knowing that Madoka will make this choice no matter what.]

You'll have a powerful emergency healing for the most seriously wounded. That's worth keeping track of.

The scouts will probably need to do skirmish fighting, and maybe get into the thick of it once things get started. Is that your choice?

[needmetoo]

Um...I can do all those things too. Fighting and healing and running around. I can also control water a bit. So um, wherever you need me to be.

[She's still not 100% sure where she'll fit best, so she'll defer to their judgement here.]

[splinten]

[This is interesting, actually.]

The Uvi are reported to control water through magic for their descent. Do you think your magic might be able to shove them back into the ocean?

[teratias]

[In truth, Waver was only attending to hear the group out and learn what was going on. He knows his weaknesses, and combat? Oh boy, has he learned from the Grail War that he is no help to anyone in combat. The most he can do is stand around and maybe tell someone that something's happening.

Which, okay, is some part of what they're asking for, but no one here is Rider. He hasn't figured out who he can work with in a way that's give and take. Hell, he just got to that point with Rider only to be whisked away into this coven.

Waver is quiet for a very long time. Rider would want him to do something, probably. He'd make some kind of remark about being in a new place and new powers, and using everything to one's advantage. Waver hates that, and he hates that he can only get the gist of what Rider might say rather than hear the man's voice in his head.

Damnit.]

...When you say lookouts, what do you expect them to do, exactly?

[splinten]

Smoke signals would definitely help.

[He's glad to see Waver there. The truth is that Waver may have powers ideally suited to the job, and if he's willing to go for it, then they could be in a good position.]

The Uvi come from above through manipulation of water magic. It'd be ideal if we could see them coming, identify where we're going to land, and signal to the nearest ground troops the location.

[p_mortem]

[ Who is Kevin Costner... Minato keeps this question to himself, because he'd already disappointed Dave with his lack of actor knowledge, and steps forward when there's a lull in the discussion. ]

I can fight. Electricity might be effective, if it's not too close to the ocean. [ So he doesn't fry everybody in it, both allies and enemies. ] And I can heal too. But none of it for very long.

[splinten]

[dirk will Forgive you, Minato, don't worry]

What are your limitations?

[Both of those sound very useful]

[windeity]

Four days doesn't give us a whole lot of time. [He's been listening for the most part, but it all makes sense to him.] Anyway...I think you know how much training I have and what I can do. I'm not great with healing but I am pretty sure I have enough hitting power for ground combat.

NEGOTIATION TEAM TENTATIVE PLAN AND IC SIGNUPS

[rebells]

To avoid confusion, it would be best if a small number of us, perhaps three or four at most, handled bringing our ideas to the Palai and, if they decide to go in that direction, helping them negotiate with the Uvi. I can handle high-stakes negotiation, but I'm not a charmer. Someone personable, reassuring, and articulate would be best for this, or someone with diplomatic experience. Ideally both.

[He shrugs, and for the first time looks dryly amused.]

You'll also be representing those of us gathered here, so I'll take your recommendations of other people more seriously than your recommending yourself, mind you.

[pussywhips]

[ Ann perks up a little when he uses the word charmer, though the expression on her face turns begrudging at best. It seems that she's reluctant to speak up, but... ]

If you're looking for someone to charm them, then I can definitely do that. It's my power.

[mapsio]

If you need someone to go along with this kind of thing, then I will be happy to offer my assistance here as well.

[Especially since her help with the barrier may be very dicey.]

MOBILE TEAM TENTATIVE PLAN AND IC SIGNUPS

[rebells]

While we get input from the Palai, we should also be preparing for a potential information-gathering operation. The Uvi appear to live in the water above the city, so we'll need people who can fly and move well through water. If you can't fly, but are willing to be carried by those who can, this team will also have a need for people who are skilled in reconnaissance and at least one or two negotiators.

The nature of this operation and our limited capacity for flight mean this team will be fairly small, so it would be ideal if you could also defend yourselves in case the worst happens. Our goal, if this team proves necessary, will be to track the Uvi back to their base of operations and carry out the strategy the Palai have decided on--whether that's negotiation or disabling their mechanism of attack.

[oneandmikleonly]

[Mikleo can't be seen by everyone in the coven, but he's present and still able to broadcast publicly and telepathically]

I'd like to be part of this if it goes through. I could get one or two other people up in the sky and through the ocean as well, if they're willing to put up with a bumpy ride.

[parodeity]

[ at this point, dave raises his hand. ]

I can fly and move pretty fast. And do weird time shit. So probably I'd be useful here, or in the ground team, but yeah.

[lunala]

I could get through the water. I have water magic, and Ariri--one of my Pokemon--is a water-type. I've got a Pokemon who can fly, too, but it's kind of big... [This may not mean anything to you, sorry.]

[drunkle]

Well, I'm not much of a negotiator.

[ Discreet it is! ]

Of course, I'm hoping for a peaceful resolution, so I'll keep the rest of our band of wild cats in line until it's time to make a move.

BARRIER REMOVAL: AN ONGOING PROBLEM

[splinten]

[Oh no, it’s his turn again. But why. The monotone is less urgent this time; this is probably going to be an issue, but they still haven't found evidence that it is tied to the Uvi. The opposite would seem to eb true.]

Finally, we have the barrier to consider. For those who haven’t seen it, it’s bright white, and surrounds the entire island about a quarter of a mile inward. It’s essentially a giant bug zapper. If you touch it, you get the joy of being zapped, dazed, and incapacitated like a moth with zero discretionary capacity. Our estimate is that it runs on electricity-based magic.

At this point, we don’t think the barrier is related to the Uvi. It’s still something we want to investigate, so we’re taking ideas on how to get in. So far, our best ideas were barrier or electricity manipulation powers. Digging under might be an option for the optimistically inclined.

[lunala]

If it's electricity-based, could you ground it out? I don't know if anyone has ground magic... [Listen, it works in the Pokemon world.]

[p_mortem]

Are you sure it's electricity? I can absorb electricity, and can probably get through if there's nothing else blocking the way.

[ But that's it. He can't turn it off or disable it completely, but maybe he could pass through the barrier? It's kind of useless if he can't bring anyone or anything else with him, but it's a start. ]

[mapsio]

I have magic that allows me to create barriers, but I haven't considered trying to lower a barrier that isn't my own.

[But can she even try it...? Would it be safe?] Maybe If we determine that it isn't electricity I could give it a shot?