M15 p2 - Warrior Path

Mission 15 - Warrior Path
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M15 - Part 2	
 Meanwhile... His Future, Her Past
Warrior Path Epilogue	
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Nighttime had once again fallen over the desert sands and the heat that had beaten at their backs while the sun was out had been replaced by an uncanny chill that seeped into their bones. Even Gawain was affected by the cold, flaring up his tail flame on occasion to keep his blood flowing, begrudgingly allowing those who needed it to crowd around his rear end for warmth.
Only Hager seemed unaffected by the change, moving ahead of the crowd as silent as a specter. Osmund kept a wary eye on the scarecrow, not wanting to trust him and yet being forced to do so out of loyalty to his king’s command. Some would perhaps warn him against such folly - and truthfully, he had mused as much over the past several days- ... but old habits die hard, after all and, frankly, if he could prove that scruffy guildmaster wrong, it would be worth all the headaches he’d had so far.''
: Any idea when we’ll be arrivin’?
: Our guide has been characteristically silent on the matter. But seeing as we are still heading east, when we’ll reach the river Ib we’ll be halfway there, that is, distance wise.
: Can’t say I appreciate bein’ left in th’ dark… 
The Chesnaught offered a grunt in response and his companion sighed heavily before grumbling low under his breath, rubbing the back of his head in thought. Osmund’s eye twitched as Gawain’s murmurings turned into random throat clearing and snorting until finally the knights glared at one another and spoke in unison.
 & : This is a mistake.
: Huh, funny that- us, agreeing on something. Miracles do happen.
: I highly doubt tha’.
: Then go on, speak plainly.
: (sighing) I just don’t see why ya couldn’t have gone on this expedition yerself an’ let me stay wit’ th’ king…
: They were your king’s own orders. 
: He’s my king so I havta’ listen t’ his command… but he is also my friend. It’s more than mere obligation t’ keep ‘im safe.
: Listen, as much as I dislike Bál’s consorts, the reason I insisted Cecil head with them is that he should be able to sense an ambush before it befalls them. We are no doubt walking into one ourselves, but knowing about it in advance won’t change our course of action. If there is any truth to his words, then the pharaoh’s life is in danger and if her reign is ended… that won’t be good for us.
: Let’s just say I don’t think these rebels will have as much patience with Alaric as the Pharaoh has shown so far, especially now that we’ve made a personal enemy of them. 
: Fair ‘nuff. But tha’s even more reason t’ not be leavin’ Alaric alone, especially not now.
: Because of his “ailment”?
: Yes, but then there’s also something else, I made a promise to th’ queen.
: What, to keep him from making a fool of himself?
: Enough! I get tha’ wha’ he’s doin’ makes no sense to any o’ us, but th’re’s no need to keep beatin’ a dead ponyta!
: Alright, calm down. All I mean to say is, are you sure you aren’t overreacting a bit? Nobody is THAT lucky to survive so far with just brazen foolishness, or am I wrong and is he truly so incapable of protecting himself?
: On th’ contrary. He used t’ give me a run for my money when we were younger.
: But right now, I jus’ don’t know if he’s got it in ‘im. An’ I’d never forgive myself if anythin’ were t’ happen to ‘im.
: I can understand your worry. After all, I’ve heard that you’ve learned quite a bit about the bottom of a bottle, thanks to that heavily-developed sense of guilt of yours.
: … Careful there, ‘munk, lest ya wanna get burn’d.
: Well, you'd best stop blowing air and worrying about your king for a minute, or we’ll all get burned soon enough.
: He’s not here, we are. And I, as well as your own warriors, need you to focus on the situation at hand. Sooner we solve this, sooner you can return to your king. Fact is: a rebel claiming to be a spy is leading us to more of the rebels he’s allegedly a traitor to; I need you to focus on that. 
Gawain took a deep breath then, swallowing his anger, nodded.
: So wha’ is our plan o’ action?
: You said you’ve been to this place before?
: We’ve been t’ th’ Wahdj Oasis before when we travel’d to th’ Trial of Emotion. The town was crawlin’ wit’ guards because of its proximity t’ th’ holy site… Could it really be overtaken by rebels? Would Sa’Perah not want to reclaim this area as soon as possible?
: It shouldn't be hard for her guard, especially if their forces are currently ‘spread thin’ as he claims.
: She isn’t aware this village is under rebel control yet. 
Gawain and Osmund both jumped, startled at the ‘mon’s silent approach. They could feel rather than see the rebel’s eyebrow raise from underneath his mask as he stared at them.
: I truly don’t blend in that much sirs; most cacti are not wearing clothing.
: Spare me yer’ humor. Wha’ have we stopped for-?
: We’re at the crossing. You can smell the air or climb the rest of this dune if you think I am lying about this also.
: Why could we not just send a message to alert her of the situation then?
: Sa’Perah’s forces are pretty spread thin as well- those that are actually hers, that is. She's aware of the infiltration, just not of the scope or who is on her side still, but she can hardly ditch her whole army. She can't do much of anything else either…
The Cacturne rolled his shoulders; his voice’s tone, albeit muffled slightly by the mask, shifted into something dark and contemplative.
: So, it's up to us. We should hurry.
: What ‘bout transport over th’ river? It’s night, are we gonna go knockin’ on doors?
: No, the boats are not exactly locked- 
: So you are plannin’ t’ steal them?
: Seeing the purpose of our mission, I hardly think we want to ask some random citizens for transportation and have them alert the guard, either because they don’t believe us or because of you lot of random strangers. 
: I guess we have little choice…
: None. I suggest you all quiet down too, if you insist on talking; best wait ‘till we reach the Ḥꜣtj Ḥ'pī eastern bank. We can enter the bush and set up a temporary rest if your warriors need it.
They started to climb the allegedly last sandbank, but Hager took off his mask and suddenly turned around, nearly causing Gawain to tip over backwards and tumble down the dune. Anger emanated from the Cacturne and, despite his own advice, had trouble lowering his voice as it came out in a harsh whisper.
: Since we are all complaining, remember that it’s only thanks to yourselves that we are stuck in this situation. I never meant to ask for your help, or for you to believe or not believe me, but you left me with very little option too. The others might have been able to arrange vessels in more savory ways, but no, I am stuck with you.
: You have a lot of gal, being outsiders, coming here before and again now, making judgements and picking sides like you know when you understand nothing of our plight. You hear of rebels and immediately assume we all must be evil, that we have no just cause to fight for, to die for, years on end? If you knew even a little of our history, maybe you’d see the people of Khetmaat have the right to stand up for themselves and certainly don’t need you to do it for us. 
With that, the scarecrow replaced his mask and skulked off, leaving the rest of the party to follow quietly.
: I did not expect him to be capable of speaking that much.
: … Come on, let’s just get t’ th’ boats.
The crossing went relatively smoothly, all things considered. Gawain and those others capable of providing light or seeing in the dark guided the vessels slowly and as silently as possible across the river, tying them down as best as possible once they reached the other side. The bush wasn’t far off and soon their desert journey turned a lot more lush and green… yet their guide seemed to blend in far less well surrounded by it. The Grass and Dark type had not said another word since his outburst; neither have their two warrior leaders. After a short rest, they continued their journey and the silence continued to reign for a while until Gawain could no longer stomach it.
: Hager-
: We are not there yet, not for at least another hour, maybe two.
: It’s not about tha’. I think we want t’ apologize-
: In the scenario that you are not leading us to an ambush-
: Aye, in th’ scenario we misjudged you an’ you were truthful.
: Great apology.
: I concede for myself tha’ I’m indeed not t’ well versed on th’ history of th’ other nations. While in my youth th’ king an’ I traveled our own lands an’ understandin’ th’ culture to some degree was beneficial, ever since our arrival in Aether, I have not… “invested” much time in much ‘bout anythin’ that didn’t directly relate to th’ king. I realize, in such ways, I have neglected my duty to protect ‘im.
: Okay? 
: What I’m tryin’ t’ say is that learnin’ ‘bout others or listenin’ t’ th’ reports of those who make tha’ their job could have been far more important in doin’ my duty to protect th’ king. I could have likely avoided this current situation where I am unable to perform this duty as I am separated from ‘im had I known more ‘bout Khetmaat’s conflict. 
: This again. I doubt you could have stopped him from doing whatever he wants-
: No, but perhaps I coulda’ handled th’ situation differently. I've made a terrible mistake, an’ ever since then, I rely far too much on anger t’ solve any problem I encounter an’ treat everyone as a threat or problem - perhaps, t’ quickly than they deserved. If I have made this mistake wit’ ya’, Hager, I do truly apologize. 
Hager and Gawain both remained silent, an uneasy truce seemingly budding between them. Osmund let the quiet thrive for a moment before giving a big sigh.
: Fine. But, ‘if’ we are wrong, it would help a lot to see and admit that if people were a bit more forthcoming with information. Even if I listened to that mouse, I doubt I would have learned about the “rebels” being two different groups. Sa’Perah certainly doesn’t seem to be aware of that either.
: Our leader thinks she isn’t. Says “she isn’t aware of a lot of things that go on in her own kingdom” and that excuses her actions… Like I said, he expects us to believe that.
: Ya’ said tha’ before, when Husani cut in… so you don’t believe tha’?
: I don’t know what I believe.
: What I don’t understand is, why is your leader so adamant about that?
: So what, you want a history lesson now of all times?
: Well we are ‘bout t’ risk our lives for Khetmaat’s people, are we not?
: Though, keep it brief. We probably want to talk strategy before long if we want to keep the night to make our advance on those occupying the settlement.
Hager remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating whether to tell them the story or not. Gawain, however, interjected before he could decide the latter. 
: Looks like we’ll at least have some time while we travel. Maybe it’ll make it easier t’ work together wit’ ya’ an’ yer’ leader, perhaps even help us get your group heard by the pharaoh. She’ll owe both you an’ us for her life, right?
: Hmm, I doubt she’ll give us the chance if it’s our leader…
: And why is that?
: Truth is, my leader and Sa’Perah have, uh… history together. Pretty sure that makes him anything but impartial.
: Is that why people split off from his group?
: I don’t know. For some, sure that might be part of it, but it’s not just about that. I guess the Claws of Ammut just offers better opportunities. After all, that one will create some job openings at the very top…
: But if I understand correctly, tha’ branch o’ th’ rebel group is “new” - yers’ was the original. How did tha’ start?
: I guess you could say it started a little more than 30 years ago now. There was a war-
: Wait, are you talking about the War of Will and Fire?
: Yes…
: When we were in Voluntas, Nicholas, our prince, an’ myself were forced t’ fight in th’ colosseum. Some o’ th’ other fighters said they were enslaved or forced t’ participate in these games because they were from Gailamir; some said they "had not even fought in THAT war," though obedience was better than riskin’ being send to th’ prison-
: Yes, the war was mainly between Voluntas and Gailamir, but other countries got involved on either side.
: Sa’Perah’s father, a Kommo-o named Akhen-Aton, decided he had to assist Artiphron and intervene when the war turned grim for Voluntas as Gailamiran forces began their march to the capital. While the Pharaoh’s main forces led the front to defend the capital, there was another battalion led by a Yanmega strategist called Nakht-pa-Aten; many believe it was his effort that ended the war so quickly and prevented what would have been many casualties on our side. 
: How could one battalion have made such a difference in a large-scale war?
: Nakht-pa-Aten managed to lead his force to the Vermillion Grasp, an area far to the north of here, between the two mountain ranges that border Voluntas. This was a highly dangerous maneuver as the sands can shift and drag you beneath the surface with just one wrong step and very few know how to navigate the area. Nobody knows how Nakht-pa-Aten did it- ... not once, but twice even- the second time corralling the many Gailamiran soldiers he had outflanked into the area where they all perished. How he tricked the much larger army to enter the desert is also something I couldn’t tell you; there are many stories about it of course, he’s a "real legend.”
: You sound like you admire the man quite a lot.
: Of course. I did at the time, at the very least.
: But not any more?
: He’s dead and that’s a good thing. But, during the war, especially to those who had family on the front line, he was a hero. My dad was just a farmer, I doubt he would have made it back alive otherwise. Many people did not agree with the decision of the pharaoh to risk our people’s lives for Voluntas when they themselves had started the war. 
: I always assumed that’s a factor why Nakht-pa-Aten ended up as pharaoh after everything that happened afterwards. 
: Wait, pharaoh? Was Sa’Perah’s father so hated for th’ decision tha’ he lost his title? But then, wha’ ‘bout Sa’Perah?
: Nakht-pa-Aten married her? You really know that little?
: Oh- right, tha’ would work.
: While many disagreed with Akhen-Aton, thanks to Nakht-pa-Aten’s actions, I wouldn’t say he was hated by our people, not right after anyway. He was smart enough to give the new war hero a new rank on his council as one of his top generals and advisors; besides most were too rejoiced at not having to bury any family. As for those of Gailamir, the desert took care of burying them; might be a better fate than those captured by Voluntas, at least it was over quick.
: I thought ya’ said this was th’ start of th’ rebellion though?
: Well, not exactly, but it’s needed to understand. I’m getting there now.
: Well, we don't exactly have all night.
: There was a group of people that hated Akhen-Aton with all their heart: the Gailamiran. Nakht-pa-Aten advised the pharaoh to post more patrols at the border and investigate and arrest any Gailamiran within our borders in case there were those sympathetic to their cause, but the pharaoh refused to prosecute them. 
: So th’ original rebels were Gailamir-
: No! We don’t associate with those murderers. 
: But so far th’ casualties are more on their side…
: Soldiers in a war, yes, but to take revenge on the pharaoh, they killed his wife Kiya and his two sons, Smen-kh-Kare and Wahkare, on their pilgrimage to the very place we are headed for right now. The pharaoh seemed to have lost his mind after and while he previously had been a kind ‘mon, this changed. He turned Wahdj Oasis into a military base and started cutting down provisions from the nearby towns, suspecting they had hidden the culprits; and so started the prosecution and punishment of many innocent people, those within his own rank and… my father too.
: Was this when…?
: Yes, this is when the initial rebellion was formed, by the soldiers of the pharaoh who did not agree in his treatment of the people. They started sneaking them water, medicine, and the like. The pharaoh was furious when he found out, a far cry from who he had once been. But many escaped harsh punishment, as at the same time Nakht-pa-Aten who was put in charge of finding the culprits claimed he had learned from interrogating Gailamiran spies that the information that allowed the hit had come from within the palace and the traitor had been a general after the throne. Turned out, he had also been at the head of the rebellion, even going as far as using his influence to free people from imprisonment or hide them from arrest.
: I assume they were executed?
: The pharaoh seemed to struggle in accepting the betrayal, so he had him confined for the time being; however, he was later shot dead trying to escape and the pharaoh ended up dead the same day.
: So he managed t’ escape an’ kill th’ pharaoh?
: That’s what the council stated. However, the rebels believed him to be innocent; unable to prove it and without their leader, they fell apart, forced into hiding. 
: So then wha’, Sa’Perah became pharaoh? How many years ago are we now, how old was she at this point?
: Twenty-seven years ago; she’s two years my senior, so she would have been sixteen, I believe. The council feared that, due to the unpopularity of the pharaoh with many of the people and unrest, there’d be an outrage, especially as Sa’Perah was unable to complete the Trial of Emotions. So they pushed for marriage with someone favorable.
: And that was this Yanmega general, uh... wha’ did you say he was called?
: Nakht-pa-Aten. The council decided he had the experience for it and his status among the people would hopefully help in stabilizing the country.
: And did it? 
: It did, for a time. Nakht-pa-Aten stopped the cut off of the various villages and released many of the people who were wrongfully charged. The next couple of years seemed plenty peaceful. Though Sa’Perah didn’t have much to do with actually ruling, over time her popularity did increase as she was in charge of many initiatives to improve the living conditions of the people of Khetmaat and sending whatever was left of her father’s own guard to help where needed. 
: Whatever was left?
: Nakht-pa-Aten had not waited long since he became pharaoh to replace the old warriors with his own; where he got all of them, who knew. He also improved relations with many of the neighboring countries; though distancing himself from Artiphron, he strengthened bonds with Voluntas and others. Trade flourished, all was well for a time.
: I sense a ‘but’-
: Certain people took notice: people would disappear, small villages would end up deserted without any explanation. This is around the time I found out there were still traces of the rebels left and they had been aware of this a lot longer. Seems that the reason why failed harvest never led to famine is that the pharaoh would, like his predecessor, cut off villages, instead of using the gold and treasure that piled from his chambers. Our leader suspected Nakht-pa-Aten gained an ever greater greed for wealth and power which wasn’t satisfied with all he already possessed. And that he had resorted to nefarious ways to increase it even more. 
: Nefarious ways?
: Slavers and other smugglers ran their trade through Khetmaat. The rebels believed the pharaoh to have a hand in this, tracing it back to even before the death of Akhen-Aton. But, where it had been the Gailamir that were a target of his exploits before, it seemed that Nakht-pa-Aten’s want for wealth far outlasted their numbers.
: So th’ rebels’ goal was t’ bring this t’ light? 
: To whom, captain? If they believed the pharaoh to be the one responsible-
: Well, their leader thought Sa’Perah was not involved, right?
: No, he did think she was involved at first, so he tried to learn more directly from her. Safe to say he changed his mind when he saved her life from an assassin when she traveled to try to take the trial again, about fifteen years ago. 
: Had she still not completed th’ trial by then?
: Her husband and council seemed to be against it, fearing it would take away from their control perhaps. Without it, it was easy to still declare her unfit for the position.
: If it’s needed t’ rule, had her husband completed the trial?
: No, it seemed the council was perfectly fine with things as they were. Our leader expected every last one of them to be in on it.
: That would not surprise me, it seems impossible to run such a scheme alone.
: The short of it is, thanks to our leader’s protection, she eventually managed to make it to the trial to complete it. On her return, she went to find her husband and discovered him with a knife in his throat.
: Your leader’s handiwork, I assume.
: … It had been his plan and would be his pleasure to do so, but someone beat him to it. Naturally he was blamed for it, however, and she ordered his execution.
: Naturally.
: Who did it?
: We don’t know.
: You don’t know?
: No. Our leader managed to escape and we hoped that would be the end of it. Not all of us were happy Sa’Perah stayed in power, many of us doubted she was innocent in all this and I guess many of us wondered how she managed that. There were many stories about how she could be involved in her husband’s death, after everyone seemed to die around her… 
: I suspect the crest of Mesprit might have had some sway and your leader by this time held no ill contempt for escaping execution by her order?
: He told our forces to accept her rule… This is where the rift within our group started. For our leader to return to us after his mission with such a different directive. Some believed he was bought by her, but that didn’t make sense, as a warrant was still out for his head.
: So this is where th’ other group formed?
: Not immediately, at least not that we were aware of it. Initially it seemed though she struggled, Sa’Perah tried to put a stop to the practices of her husband, though I have no idea if she was aware it was even her husband who had been behind it. Some of us left to return to more normal jobs, others waited to see how it would go; our leader was still a wanted man, bad things still happened rampantly.
He paused to take a breath, momentarily removing his mask to look at Gawain and Osmund over his shoulder as they walked.
: With just how corrupt everything around her was, she didn’t seem to make a lot of progress… that is until she got rid of everyone. Her whole council disappeared, one by one. Decided she’d just run everything by herself, I imagine. At this point, we definitely became aware of the Claws of Ammut, we just didn’t know our own rank would soon be among them. At first it seemed to be made up of those Sa’Perah removed from their positions; it seemed just personal grudges. We made the mistake in thinking that.
Something glinted in his eyes - a memory, perhaps, one best left forgotten - and he hurriedly replaced his mask before continuing.
: By the time we realized it was a far larger organization then we could have imagined, most of our people had walked over to it. It wasn’t just warriors either, they started using the smugglers and slave traders we were supposed to be fighting; we are even aware of certain servants within the palace giving them information. We knew there had to be someone in charge, but we couldn’t find any trace of it. 
: So you were sent to infiltrate?
: Yes. Which is how I learned about this assassination attempt.
: But no sight on this “leader.”
: No, just the “messenger” who claims she is going to rule in the Pharaoh’s stead…
: How do you know she isn’t th’ leader then?
Hagar shot Gawain a look, clearly visible even behind the mask.
: Everybody knows and, let’s just say, various factions have formed within the group that plan to snap her neck like a stick as soon as Sa’Perah is dead and try to make a grab for power themselves.
: What I still don’t understand, from how you speak of Sa’Perah, is why you didn’t join them?
: I’m loyal to my leader. He’ll just have to believe in her for the both of us.
: Even if he won’t tell you his reasons, nor agree with ‘em?
: He’s earned my loyalty, captain. Despite what you might think of me, I know my values.
: I suppose you should understand that, Gawain- sounds like you and a certain king I know.
: Yeh, whatever. 
: Satisfied with that? Because we will be arriving soon and it will be good for me to know who I can count on to have my back.
: Don’t worry, I’ll be keeping my eyes on it.
: Reassuring.
The rest of the way was quiet. They took a short break before leaving the canopy of green and heading back into the desert for the last leg of the journey. Darkness still clung to the sky, but it wouldn't be that long before the sun rose again. Gawain and Osmund turned towards Hager who dropped into a crouch as he headed up a small rocky incline. Mimicking the Cacturne’s movements, the entire group made their way up to the crest of the hill, Gawain taking extra precautions to stifle the glow of his tail. Though the town before them lay muddled by the veil of night, a look of cognizance spread across the faces of some Aetherians. Having once provided them a safe haven while awaiting their turn within the Trial of Emotion, a sense of unease now hung over the captive oasis.
Down below, a number of structures lay nestled in the shadowy valley, encompassed by a fortified sandstone wall and teeming with guards that patrolled behind a low parapet. A monumental archway framed the town’s entrance with a heavy wooden gate barring the path between them, the mechanism needed for its opening sitting atop the structure. The form of the wall was broken up by watch towers that sprang up intermittently along the battlement and staircases that sloped down into the protected land. Crude wooden siege ladders rested against the tower backs, repurposed to allow quick access to the lookout posts. Oil lamps and torches dotted the sides of the various structures within, burning low against a persistent wind and illuminating the earth beneath them, but only just barely. The modest sized mudbrick buildings stood identical to the homes and shops that they’d left behind in Herep-inet, with one far larger than the rest lying at the far end of the town. Columns lined the parade grounds that stretched out from the mouth of the largest building, branching into several paths that lead towards smaller nearby structures.
The oasis glimmered faintly with torch light, its banks of thick vegetation setting it like an enormous jewel in the town’s center. At the opposite end of the town stood another grand gate, locked down with an enormous wooden bar, obstructing the path out towards distant, yet familiar structures. Those structures being the very set of pyramids that once forced intense visions of temptation, recollection, regret, sorrow, and longings for things that could have been, buried deep within the Aetherian’s hearts.''
: What’s this?
: Even after Sa’Perah returned the oasis town to the villagers, instead of keeping it a military complex, there’s still enough evidence of it; it was easily repurposed by the Claws of Ammut to be their new stronghold, despite the peoples' wishes.
: Loads o’ guards, at least a dozen.
: That we can see. Who knows how many are in the fort itself? Spread thin indeed.
: This IS spread thin, obviously they’d have to have enough members in place to keep control of this town; it’s an oasis, of course it will be larger than what you just came from. But Merneith and the largest portion of the Claws of Ammut are in the Hed-byah Oasis.
: Merneith? I’ve been hearing a lot o’ names thrown around these past few days, but I don’t think I’ve heard tha’ one ‘fore?
: Right, she’s a Feraligatr; definitely one of those ‘mons I mentioned who plan to just ditch the messenger and her master and assume control themselves once it’s all done and over with. She’s certainly the biggest contender out of any of them though; a lot of these rebels already admire her - I admit I do to some degree as well. Some say she was already part of this whole movement before the messenger and her “master” got involved, whoever it is - maybe one of the former council members, they’d certainly have some means at their disposal. 
: And this Merneith is at th’ other oasis. Should we be worried about tha’, or are we in th’ right place here?
: We’ll have to be, because with the size of this group, you wouldn’t stand a chance against her forces.
: Why, I get the feeling we’ll yet get the ‘pleasure’ of meeting her with our luck, but right now I need to know what you can tell me about those stationed here.
: At this time of night, most of the troops should be resting inside the barracks. There should only be a handful of stragglers wandering the town, mission jitters and all that. 
: Any civilians? 
: The civilians should be hiding within their homes; if we do our jobs efficiently we shouldn’t see much of them. Their leaders, however, the ones that the messenger relayed the “new orders” to? They should be awake and about, waiting for her to arrive with the go ahead. Look for ‘mons with a red tassel on their masks. See, there’s one at the pylon.
Gawain followed Hager’s point towards the archway; sure enough, he could barely make out the red tassel hanging off one side of the rim of a Lokix’s mask as they stood sentry at the open gate, clearly waiting for something or someone to appear.
: So, what’s th’ plan here? Chargin’ in doesn’t seem like th’ best idea.
: Agreed. Hager, you know more about the attack than we do. What would be the best way to prevent it?
: Since the messenger is yet to arrive, I say we cause chaos. The attack is designed for a specific time in mind and if they lose that window tonight, there will not be another opportunity to strike for months.
GAWIN Determined.png|baseline|150px]]: So we give ‘em reason t’ not go t’night. Seems easy ‘nuff.
: I say we split up, make as much noise as we can across the entire town. Gawain, you can take a group to focus on the village itself while I take the gateway and exterior. Can you tell us more about the structure, Hager?
Hager nodded then started sketching a rough outline of the town’s oblong shape in the sand.
: These gateways into town are called pylons. These watchtowers? Each will have guards posted in and around them and they will not hesitate to raise the alarm should you be spotted. Shouldn’t need to point out the giant puddle in the center of the town, but– y’know… a veritable feast of knowledge for the dense. Around the outer rim of the town are the various dwellings and shops of the inhabitants here. A field and some animal pens down here… And the “headquarters”, if you will, is the largest building towards the rear of the area, close to the second gate. What was once the sanctuary and primary staging point for preparing for the Trial of Emotion, is now being used as a barracks– perhaps a few of you recognize it, even in this state.
: As I said before, the villagers should be hiding in their homes, but the rebels can and will enter any building that they choose, to escape, set an ambush, take hostages, whatever–... The Claws of Ammut have full control over this oasis and they will not have it wrested from them until they are entirely dispatched– which is not our priority here. Right now, we just have to stop them from leaving and the Pharaoh can ultimately decide their fates. While there is a great deal of space to move around in the village itself, the pylons and the rebel barracks are much tighter quarters and you’re more likely to be caught or overwhelmed in there.
: Not if we’re quick ‘bout it. Let’s grab our squads and-
: Wait- someone approaches.
They grew quiet and watched as a caravan rolled into view on the other side of the incline, opposite from where they’d approached. It stops inches from the gateway, a pair of rebel guards approaching the vehicle cautiously, only to be shoved away by the driver of the caravan who hopped out with a twirl of her skirt.
: Honestly, would it kill you to recognize me just once, I only make this trip a million times! What’s the hold-up, anyway?? The boss isn’t going to like it if you screw this up- again!
: Yubel? What's she doin’ here?
: And who does she mean by ‘the boss’? Is the pharaoh in on the rebels’ activity?
: …That’s the “messenger” and I assure you, she does not work for Sa’Perah Ah.
: What, Yubel is? Seriously, her?
: Any lasting guilt for the way I handled her is certainly gone now.
The guards backed away and Yubel jumped back in the caravan as it rolled through the gateway and disappeared within the courtyard; the Lokix could be seen following her just before the gate closed and obscured the view. Ghostly wails rose in the wind at its entrance and an involuntary shiver ran down Gawain’s spine.
: What’s going on here? Is this all a trick?
: We aren’t goin’ t’ figure it out by sittin’ up here. Let’s get down th’re an’ raise some hell.
: Don’t be seen by the Kirlia, if possible. If she flees we could follow her to her boss, finally find out who’s behind this…
: Who knows, it might just be someone we met too.
: It's unfortunate that we didn’t arrive sooner to prevent her from putting the plan in motion so we could just focus on following her, but either way we can’t leave before taking back the fort so we should go ahead with doing just that. If we are lucky, we can still get to the leaders before they inform their troops.
: Thanks fer statin’ th’ obvious… So where would th’ assassins be - we should take them out first?
: The Lokix from before, and I don’t doubt the other two are nearby, a Poliwrath and a Ninjask. They are the main “assassins” in charge of this attack, their squads are merely back-up. I’m not quite sure of the numbers, but last I saw they didn’t really compare in skill, power, or speed to them and are probably just meant to buy those three time by attacking the capital while their leaders sneak into the palace with their insider’s aid. 
: Hardly expect them to walk if they succeed in taking out Sa’Perah Ah then, I assume she has some competent guards.
: I think despite the circumstances, the probability of them succeeding is very high. These three are extremely proficient and the Kirlia has no doubt informed the Claws of Ammut spies in the palace to expect them. You are right, they probably would end up caught, since the forces from only this oasis can only provide them with much less time.
: As opposed to?
: The original plan was to launch a three-way attack on Aw Ibek, particularly the pharaoh's palace. From Herep-inet, here, and the Hed-byah Oasis, then have infiltrators within her palace work with those three to take her out while her focus was on those three points and her loyal guards at those fronts.
: What, so even if we stop it here, another attack could still launch from Hed-byah t’ trigger this?
: No, what I'm saying is that this direct approach attempt to launch just this attack wasn't planned, I think this came from that Kirlia - I don’t think they've had time to speak to their master - you might have done something at the palace to make her do this… If we take the whole base, we can prevent word from reaching the others, then coordinate with our own. 
: So if we stop this here, this Merneith will not attack?
: There is no way this Kirlia informed her about her plan. Merneith wouldn’t have gone along with rushing into a change of plan like this after months of working on the initial plan, she wouldn’t want to risk our- I mean the Claws of Ammut’s lives like that, especially if word reaches her about Herep-inet and the thus decreased attack force. However, if Sa’Perah Ah would be taken out, the risk of losing the quickly closing window of opportunity from the chaos and destabilization that would cause would outweigh the risk that comes with not following the plan.
: At this point, we just have t’ hope yer right, we cannot waste more time discussin’ it.
: Indeed. See what you can do to distract the guards while we get in, Hager; once we are in I need you to keep an eye on Yubel, shadow her, only expose yourself by using force if it is to prevent her from leaving the town if she catches wind of what is happening.
: I can do that.
: See that you do- ... oh, and Hager? We’ll meet up afterward to have a lovely chat about that brat. So see to it.
The Cacturne offered a stern nod before slipping away. Gawain cracked his knuckles, one at a time, as he surveyed the fortress.
: I take th’ interior, you get th’ exterior, right?
: Indeed. Let’s gather everyone up and stop this assassination attempt in its tracks.
Slipping back behind the cover of their rocky embankment, Osmund and Gawain motioned for the warriors to come close. While some eagerly awaited their official orders, others fidgeted with idle hands and impatient foot-tapping, attempting to do something with the building adrenaline. Still others' nerves left them distracted, peering out from behind their cover to watch Hager’s movements; stifled snickers escaping them as one of the guards visibly jumped, seeming to not have expected the local cacti to move, let alone be suddenly speaking next to them. Several rapid clicks break their gaze, all eyes flicking back to focus on Osmund, whose ashen fingers snap lightly for their attention.
: Well, there’s not much privacy when you travel like a compact unit, but I’m not going to assume everyone is up to speed only for someone to wander off and throw off the whole operation. 
: So, here’s the rundown. This place, the Wahdj Oasis, has been taken over by rebels currently preparing an assassination attempt on Sa’Perah Ah. The best way to prevent this from happening is by stopping any of them from leaving this place to get to their target in the first place. Which is what my party will be focusing on: securing the perimeter so nobody escapes. 
: While he does tha’, I’ll lead a party into th’ town itself to take out th’ three leaders in charge of th’ attack. Their troops as well, should we fail to take out th’ leaders before they can call for this back-up, or if these troops refuse to surrender upon their leader’s defeat. 
: There are also some stragglers meandering around the town, so it might become necessary for either or both parties to take those out so they don’t raise the alarm. We want to maintain the element of surprise as long as we can, to keep injuries on our side to a minimum, and it’s very likely that after our success here, we must immediately leave for our other ventures. 
: We also don’t want ‘em to take any of th’ civilians hostage. It probably is best if we don’t involve them either, though if you do find someone willing to fight to reclaim their town…
: If you want to cause a rally within the populus, people could get hurt. Having them help take care of any of the stragglers is fine, but I prefer to not run the risk of them getting in the way when you deal with the actual leaders, Gawain.
: We can hardly deny it if they wish to help in th’ efforts to drive out these invaders-
: “Drive out” - just remember, our current goal is the exact opposite. We don’t want them getting word to their allies; the point is to keep them all inside this town and be contained in the cells inside the same complex that houses the guard’s barracks. That way the civilians can keep them under lock and key until Sa’Perah Ah’s soldiers arrive to take them away to be punished for their crimes. Then we don’t have to deal with more problems and can just leave.
: I know tha’. It was just a manner of speakin’. 
: Before we can get this done, we must get inside the complex. Hager is currently giving us a distraction; he might even get them to open the gate if we want to risk waiting for that. If we don’t, we need to take out the sentries directly in charge of guarding the gate then open the doors ourselves. As an example, some among us can easily scale or fly over the wall.
: And then once inside, we split up into the two parties: Osmund’s, who will spread out on an’ ‘round th’ wall to take out th’ rest of th’ guards, then deal wit’ anyone tryin’ to escape or stragglers below who could spot wha’ you are tryin’ to do.
: And the rest who don’t join me go with Gawain. To take care of the leaders.
: A Lokix, a Ninjask, and a Poliwrath. Judging by their species, we will have to worry ‘bout th’ speed of th’ Ninjask and th’ strength of th’ Poliwrath. I’m not sure ‘bout th’ Lokix, but Hager has told us all three are very apt, an’ you can assume tha’ th’ three of ‘em together are even more of a threat. 
: Might be best to separate them then. Lead them to remote areas and deploy stealth; either way, you don’t want them to raise alarms in order to call in their troops for reinforcements or cause a lot of ruckus leading to the same consequences. There is something to be said for taking care of the reinforcements first, but then you run the same risk of them calling for their leaders, so I wouldn’t advise that unless you’ve got a good plan.
: Whatever we end up doin’, we need to deal wit’ ‘em swiftly. I'm hopin’ tha’ takin’ care of th’ leaders will demoralize th’ troops, givin’ us a much easier time to deal wit’ ‘em, or at least cause ‘em to be disorganized if they do retaliate.
: If you see any stragglers in the town while you are sneaking your way to the leaders, you can try to coordinate with my party on the walls. In the same vein, I will send people down to come help Gawain’s party once we have gained control of the wall and town. 
: … Then there is one more thing we have to mention: Yubel. Hager told us she’s a messenger for th’ leader of these rebels. After we enter the town, Hager will be tasked with shadowin’ her and makin’ sure she doesn’t escape.
: (cracking his knuckles) I plan to make her talk after we are finished-
: Or we set her free and follow her to her master. Despite the fact the lass has quite a mouth on her, I don’t think you could manage to intimidate her, if that’s your plan, Gawain. She seems to not recognize danger or her own foolishness, or she wouldn’t be in this position.
: We’ll have to see. For now, you lot need to quickly decide amongst yourselves who goes wit’ who, an’ if you have any plans or skills tha’ could come in useful for th’ particular tasks ahead. Be it enterin’ th’ town or what comes after; now is th’ time to speak up.
: Let’s take care of this problem so we can tackle the next. Somehow I have a feeling Alaric has already provided us with more to deal with once we catch up with them.
: …
Been a bit, hasn’t it? (We’re doing our best to stop dying, promise.) Well, time to get back into the action for our valiant neighborhood stabby folks. As stated before: Only Warrior and Warrior support job characters can do this part of the mission. Everyone else should head on back to the main path.
This is pretty similar to the previous mission where you all uh, liberated Herep-inet, with a few more baddies, but a lot less of your fellow Aetherians. Unlike the previous mission though, you have the cover of night on your side. You may do as many or as few of the objectives as you want, as long as your character accomplishes at least one successfully. Wanna just help Gawain? Your character will wait till Osmund and his crew secure the walls, before heading in. Just Osmund? Stealth some dudes and then hold down the fort, nab anyone who thinks they can get away (because none of them are allowed to). Or you can assist Osmund and then head on in to back up Gawain, do all the things you vicious overachiever, you’re doing fantastic, sweetie! Either way you roll, just get the job you pick done and done well.
If you have NPCs, warriors or not, you can bring them along to assist you or have them go help out Alaric’s party. Won’t be earning you any extra rewards for doing both parts, but hey, some folks like to show both sides of things. The rebels you fight, aside from the ones specified, can be any species you want besides the obvious restricted ones. (Wanna fight a Baxcalibur in the middle of the desert? Okay, you do you, my dude.)
The goal here is to subdue all the rebels and keep them from taking off, so do your best to keep your inner murder hobo at bay. You personally do not have to capture every single one of them since there’s others there, but you know, help out as much as you can. Where’s Yubel? I dunno, Hager’s dealing with her. Neither of them should show up in your stories (except maybe seeing Hager slip off somewhere after he is done helping at the gate). If your character took part in Mission 6, they probably still remember this area, (maybe, barring head trauma…) and they might even have some connections still here.
Should be about it. Alright, get in there and stop this assassination!
Stop the assassination attempt and make sure none of the rebels escape.
Your objective here is to take down and prevent the escape of the Claws of Ammut.
There are two different paths in this objective that you can either complete one, or both of. While this one is very similar to the last mission, this is a "don't mess this up" kind of senario, so consider part 1 the warm-up. Teamwork and decisive action is imparrative to the success of this mission, as you want to shed as little blood as possible and still have the energy to travle immedately after this is over.
The Town
Key:
1) The main pylon gate
2) Homes
3) Businesses
4) A crop field and several animal pens
5) The oasis (if that isn’t obvious) and its fairly lush banks
6) The staging grounds (rebel barracks) and its decorated, verdant pillars
7) Barricaded southern pylon gate
8) Trial of Emotion (it’s pretty far in the distance)
* Stairs are indicated by the staircase symbol, they are a dual-sided arches and on the inside of the wall.
* Watchtowers are indicated by the eye symbol, they are on and protruding out of the wall.
==
Wahdj Oasis is similar to Herep-inet, the previous Khetmaatian town we “liberated,” but more oblong and spread out, with a large oasis replacing the well at its center. The entire town is surrounded by a nearly 6 meter high wall with gates at either end, one facing the gathered warriors and the other facing back towards the valley where the pyramids of the trial are. In front of and around the oasis are the residential and market areas, where the populace would have gathered or lived, but now spend most of their time hiding from the Claws of Ammut. At the other end of the oasis are more homes and one very large building that is currently being used as a barracks for the Claws of Ammut, along with some columns that might provide some decent cover (if you’re quick).
This entire area might seem familiar to any characters that took part in the Trial of Emotion (Mission 6), as this would have been the town they stayed in while waiting for their turn. In fact, characters that took part in that mission can use this to their advantage in knowing the layout of the area and maybe even some residents. While you shouldn’t involve the town’s residents in this conflict, if push comes to shove, having a connection could help you out of a tight spot, or hinder you, but that’s all up to you. Knowing the area also helps in your own planning, whether knowing some potential hiding places, or something like remembering how the building (currently the barracks) you stayed in for Mission 6 looked on the inside. Either way, if your character remembers the area, it can be advantageous.
The Plan
Hager is currently distracting the two gate guards in the most well-lit part of the walled town and allowing your characters the time needed to work things out. No matter what you decide on doing, there is an order to all of this upcoming chaos. First thing is getting into the town. While you can wait for Hager to eventually knock the guards and the winch operator at the gate out, you are more than welcome to have your character use the distraction to their advantage and help this cactus-man sap these bozos. Once the guards are out of the way, you can use the space inside the pylon gate to ready yourselves for the next part. Or, if you’re feeling more spicy, you can use this time to find a way over the wall. Either way, once your character is inside, this is the order of things:
Osmund’s Take Down
First up is Osmund. He will take the lead and have his group take over the wall, knocking out or otherwise defeating the guards on the wall, watchtowers, and those on the ground near the wall. You want to try to do this without raising any alarm for as long as you can, taking care to not be spotted as you make your way around the wall. Once all the guards have been dealt with, your character needs to help Osmund and his group guard the perimeter so nobody escapes; this is crucial, as we can’t have anyone leaving the oasis to warn the rest of the Claws of Ammut in other locations. Once the wall is under control, or if something goes awry and an alarm is raised, the next step of this mission starts.
Gawain’s Assault
Due to the nature of having a beacon connected to his butt, Gawain and his group are waiting for a signal from Osmund to begin their advance. Getting the go ahead, he will lead those who assist him in capturing the three squad leaders of the assassins as quickly as possible and their underlings if necessary. If you encounter any stray member of the Claws of Ammut on your way to the leaders, take them down as quietly as possible. If any alarms are raised (or were already raised beforehand), the squads inside the barracks will be alerted and be on the offensive; some may even try to escape or set up ambushes. Taking out the leaders should demoralize the rest of their troops, but taking too long or making too much noise can alert the rebels to come assist their leaders. It’s up to you if you want to go in guns blazing, or sneak around to split up the leaders to take them down in remote areas, or even a bit of both. The mission is considered a success once all the Claws of Ammut have been captured.
Opponents
These Claws of Ammut have the same outfits as the ones you encountered in Herep-inet, but that’s where the similarities stop. These guys have had much more specialized training and are in greater numbers; if any of them manage to call for reinforcements, you will likely be outnumbered very quickly. Their species are not set (with the exception of the squad leaders), so you’re allowed to choose your own to feature, but generally more agile and sandstorm-resistant species are best suited to this environment.
Fanatical and anger-prone, you will not be able to talk your way around fighting these rebels, as fight or flight is pretty much instant once you encounter them. Dividing their numbers can elicit a few different responses from the regular troops and guards. While most will lean heavily into fighting you head-on, some of the more craven among them will make a run for it, but not always to escape. Firstly, there are some that are not beneath taking hostages, they’re readily willing honestly; be careful if you happen to recruit someone in the town to assist with the mission and keep track of your companions, they will try to force you to let them go or drop your weapon. Secondly, some will try to stage a sneak attack if allowed to run off, either through traps or tactical repositioning with potential reinforcements.
All that being said, we are here to “capture and stall”, not “eliminate all”. While of course, some situations can’t have the best outcome, your character needs to try their best to not kill any of the rebels. Obviously you can’t let them escape either, but that’s why a perimeter is being set up. There’s a reason they wanted warriors and not just any arse with a weapon; you lot are able to stay your blades and take orders as a unit, so don’t sully that image. The mission is considered complete once you’ve assisted with at least one of the two main objectives above.
Wall Guards
The rebels on and along the perimeter act as guards for the Claws of Ammut stronghold here at the Wahdj Oasis. They are armed primarily with bows, polearms, and tall shields. They also have horns at their belts which they can and will use to call for reinforcements if allowed, this generally being their first reaction to spotting an enemy. (Hint: don’t let them do that.) If they do, everyone around and inside the town will be alerted, with some of the squads from barracks charging out to the gate, which could spell trouble for your group. But if you are able to deal with the guards without incident, Gawain’s group can take the inside rebels by surprise. There is enough space and darkness between the patrols that you should be able to take them out without too much issue.
Assassin Squads
The rebels within the town act as assassins for the Claws of Ammut stronghold at Wahdj Oasis. They are armed primarily with long daggers, khopesh, and small shields, but don’t mistake their lighter weapons for weakness; these blades are poisoned. They will often attack in groups or attempt to run so they can set up an ambush alongside their fellow assassins, or, more specifically, their squad leaders. The less you have to deal with them, the better, as they number at about thirty or so (10 for each leader’s squad). If you’re a foolhardy sonovabinch, you can leave dealing with the leaders to some other sods and instead sneak into the barracks to take out the resting and -currently- unprepared squads. 
Squad Leaders
The squad leaders are the most significant threat at the Wahdj Oasis, as well as being Gawain’s primary targets. Marked by a small red tassel dangling from the edge of one side of their masks, these three ‘mons work together to lead their platoons within the rebellion, each attuned to a particular strength:
 The Poliwrath is very strong and should be considered a powerhouse when it comes to physical prowess.
Moves:
Ice Punch, Belly Drum, Endure, Endeavor, Liquidation, and Circle Throw
==
 The Ninjask is very fast and should be dealt with as swiftly as possible.
Moves:
Flash, Screech, Air Slash, Acrobatics, Leech Life, and Double Team
==
 The Lokix is very crafty and should be handled with extreme caution due to their ingenuity.
Moves:
Throat Chop, Astonish, Sucker Punch, First Impression, U-turn, and Lunge
Alone, they are tough to take down; together, they are a well-oiled machine, capable of working off each other with their moves. Do what you can to keep them apart, as these are the kinds of opponents who will set up on you if given the chance. Unlike those that they lead, these guys refuse to do anything but fight till they can’t anymore, though that might not stop them from trying to call out for eachother or their troops. As stated above, defeating these guys will have a demoralizing effect on their squads, either rattling them severely and making them easy to deal with, or outright getting them to surrender on the spot. Even if the squads are already present in the area, upon noticing their leader’s defeat, they will be demoralized.
Extra
As mentioned in the journal dialogue, both captains are open for plans and strategies with your characters, so feel free to interact and plan with them as much as you want. Want to steal a guard’s horn and pull some shenanigans with an ambush? Make sure to run any crazy ideas you have by them first so you’re all on the same page. Remember, the mission is considered complete as long as you take part in at least one of two the plans the captains have. You are totally allowed to take part in both, but it is not required. Narratively speaking, whatever you don’t do just happens in the background.
Final Notes
That should be all you guys need to know for this mission. As usual, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send in a group note or poke us on Discord, we are always more than happy to help. There isn’t really a time limit for this, (we’re working on some rule changes) but we would recommend that you should have your part for this done(ish) by around September at least, as we will be posting the next part at about that time. Some meanwhiles will be springing up between now and then, but they will mostly just be context for things your character isn’t privy to, so it won’t affect what happens during this part of the mission.
We’re excited to be back and especially excited for the upcoming parts. (Yes, you should be worried.) Have fun trying to stop some rebels!
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M15 - Part 2	
 Meanwhile... His Future, Her Past
Warrior Path Epilogue	
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Category:Missions
Category:Arc 2
Category:Khetmaat
Category:Branching Objective