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Post by Devixer on Jan 5, 2020 12:56:22 GMT -4
On the western bank of the Hylia River lies a lonely hill. It isn't particularly high-set or intimidating, but it does provide a good view of the surrounding land, and the nearby Hylia Village. For this exact reason, there is also a small outpost of the Hylian Guard atop the hill, a humble but well-guarded fort. The regiment attached to the outpost is small, but they play a vital role in keeping Hylia Village in the fold with the rest of the Kingdom.
The hardest part of the Liberation’s advance on the outpost was crossing the Hylia River. The Paxim Bridge had been their only realistic option. Wading through the waters was simply impossible - being so close to Lake Hylia, the waters ran deep and they ran fast. Going around to find another way wasn’t viable either - they were deep enough in enemy territory already. But two factors played in their favor. The first was the natural cover of darkness; Karina and her team made their advance in the darkest hours of the night, and managed to slip through the lightened guard. But the second was the size of her forces. Only three people traveled with her, a small enough number to pass off as adventurers. Most passing guards hadn’t given them more than a glance.
The three who were joining Karina in her attack had all volunteered for the difficult task - though in the case of one, their assistance had never been in question. A young woman walked at Karina’s left, carrying an arquebus beside her. At her right, an older man with a sword at his hip, and a sword with its paint stripped off at his back. And staying behind her, as always, was her “bodyguard,” Wrecker. She wished she had another way to refer to them, but there was little she could do about that, without knowing anything about their past. The group made their way to a vantage point near the bottom of the hill, and Karina called for them to halt, crouching low to the ground. ”It’s going to be a tough one, even this late at night,” she said. ”We can’t risk a retreat this far in Hylian lands. We need to take this outpost now, and we can call for reinforcements after.”
"Qadir." The young woman nodded, holding her arquebus close. "You're on cover fire. Keep your distance while the rest of us are on the attack, and keep people hiding behind cover. You're not shooting to kill, you're shooting to scare." Qadir took a deep breath, then flashed a thumbs-up Karina’s way.
”Stanislav, you’re on flanking duty. While we’ve got most of their attention, you’re going to find another way in. Scale the wall if you have to, just keep quiet until you have a good position on them.” While the man said nothing, Karina knew her orders went through.
Finally, while Stanislav readied his shield, and Qadir began to take aim, Karina looked at her “bodyguard” and let herself smile for once. “As for you and me, Wrecker… what do you say we go knock down a gate?” She opened her coat, revealing several small bombs, ready to be set and lit.
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Post by Meta on Jan 6, 2020 17:33:32 GMT -4
Wrecker was having an...unusual day so far. On the way from Loshlo to Scout's Hill, there were moments when there was a strange clarity. Words came to mind, complex ones even. Ones certainly not picked up from listening to the rebels or Karina. It was as though what fogged Wrecker's mind was beginning to disperse, and the trip was an out of body experience, just observing from afar. To the others it was likely just Wrecker being nonchalant as usual.
When Karina began to lay out the plans to approach the enemy outpost, Wrecker snapped back to reality, taking notice of the surroundings and listening intently. The eyes shifted from their leader to the hill, and the river. Thoughts began to flow once more, rudimentary calculations, even. Before, all that Wrecker had done was on instinct, but now...there was the beginning of an intent and it was a bit strange for the bodyguard.
"Yes...no problem, Karina." Wrecker paused, eyes widening under the mask. It just came out. How unusual. Perhaps, after so long, things were beginning to come back. But now was not the time to let those thoughts linger, it could very well compromise their operation here. Ready to follow Karina's lead, Wrecker took position, veiling the mechanical arm under the cloak to blend better into the night.
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Given the time, the guard had recently traded shifts and the soldiers on watch were preparing for a long night of what was hopefully nothing. Despite being a small fort, or perhaps thanks to it, it took fewer military to get a good view of the surrounding area and to secure it, especially due to its uphill location.
Most of the guards up on the walls were trained bowmen, but none close to the standards of the royal guard. Most experience they had was with hunting game and sometimes catching a stray bokoblin or two. The greatest strategical concerns were not in the particular martial skill of the guards, however.
First, there was a slightly higher tower within the fort which housed a brazier with a very specific purpose: it was a signal fire. Should that be lit, one could expect reinforcements, likely cavalry, to come to the aid of this small fort.
Second, the fort was mostly a ruin from older times that was rebuilt for occupation, so wooden walls with sturdy logs filled out the missing sections, and a new gate had been built to replace the original one, which had been rusted beyond any utility.
Third, but no less important, the vegetation around the fort was low, as the nearby trees had been cut down to help rebuild the fort.
Thus, while it did not pose the most threat nor even hold a candle to more imposing fortifications such as Hyrule Castle or the Akkala Citadel, this little hill fort still had a few advantages to boast.
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Post by Devixer on Jan 7, 2020 18:34:07 GMT -4
Karina looked back at Wrecker, her eyes just slightly widened. "I've never heard you talk that much before, Wrecker." Though her moment of surprise quickly faded, and she grinned. "I like it. Let's work on that after we win here, yeah?" She looked to Qadir next, pointing towards the tower. "Watch that, Qadir. Once we strike, it won't be long before they try and call for reinforcements. Until we get there, make sure they don't. We want every advantage against the army until our own forces arrive."Qadir set up the rest for her arquebus, well beyond the range of an archer's vision in the dark, and kneeled to place two small cases on the ground - extra gunpowder and ammunition - hopefully, enough to both keep archers away from them, and to stop the signal fires. Stanislav, meanwhile, remained in a ready position - cover was scarce, and he needed the distraction from Karina and Wrecker in order to scale the wooden parts of the walls more easily. Karina stepped forward, and briefly looked at the gate. Sneaking up wasn't an option, nor was finding an easier way to open it. No, stealth would be for the others. She and Wrecker needed to make a lot of noise, and they needed to make it fast. She nodded to the others, then back at Wrecker. Slowly, she opened up her coat once more, striking a light on one of the small bombs. "When I throw these, you run to the gate. if they don't do the job, you know what to do. I'll be right behind you."Finally, she looked to the gate, and smiled. "Let's show them what Liberation is!" The moment the words were out of Karina's mouth, she lit three bombs. She took several steps forward, and heaved them to the gate. If that didn't take the guard's attention, she didn't know what would. As they landed, Karina's axe was in one of her hands, and she began to march towards the gate, waiting for Wrecker to make their move before she followed. |
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Post by Meta on Jan 8, 2020 11:47:38 GMT -4
Karina's battle cry, followed by the detonation of the bombs drew the attention of every guard stationed on the walls, as some left their posts to move to the front gate's walls. A guard already stationed there, though startled by the blast, was quick to nock an arrow and fire it off into the night aiming at the rebel leader.
The gate warped and bent forward, being held together only by the sturdy wooden bar behind it. Now what it needed was just a little push. Dashing through the smoke after the detonation, Wrecker hurled a punch at the gate with the metallic claw, and with a final snap the bar splintered and the way into the fort was opened.
"The gate's been breached!", cried out one of the soldiers on watch.
Within the walls the fort had a simple set up. To either sides there were pathways leading up to the walls, and straight ahead there was a small barracks protected by its surroundings. The building was sealed off and dark, but with the commotion, one could see the flickering of a torch light up near one of its windows.
Soldiers on duty split their forces between the archers who would remain perched on the walls and those who drew their swords from their hilts and charged down to stop the invaders at the gate.
Wrecker was quick to swing the claw once again, this time stretching like a serpent, lunging it at the first guard charging towards them. The attack hit the center of their armor and failed to breach, being deflected, but that was not the intent in the first place. The mere fact Wrecker could do that startled the guards, and was more likely to draw their attention than Karina.
Strategy...it was unusual. To fight on a psychological level against the enemy. But the strangest thing was that Wrecker could feel a strange certainty that they were never a soldier, nor a general. No...for some reason, Wrecker just knew how to get to people, what made them tick. This was, bewildering to the bodyguard to say the least, much like recalling the meaning of those very words.
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Post by Nintendo Mastah on Aug 23, 2020 19:49:56 GMT -4
*Much later, in the aftermath of the attack* Eleanora had set up shop in one of the houses following the takeover by the Liberation. She wasn't too keen on the lives lost, but such was the rules of war. Her cauldron was already bubbling, a thick, greenish-blue mixture bubbling away in it. Her cat Grimalkin had placed himself comfortably on a nearby shelf, lazily watching Eleanora as she stirred the cauldron slowly. She was currently brewing up a batch of potion that allowed the imbiber to heal their injuries, that would be given to survivors on both sides. The Liberation troops and the eventual prisoners taken. Eleanora's demands for helping the liberation was that the prisoners would still have their wounds treated and be allowed medicine, or she would refuse to make any more. That being said she didn't demand they would walk around free or anything, she still understood how war worked and as long as the prisoners were treated relatively humane she was fine with it. The room was pitch black save for the fire under her cauldron and the soft glow emitting from the mixture itself in her cauldron, illuminating her face. Grimalkin stretched his legs a little and spoke softly. 'What are we cooking this time?'. Eleanora, who up until this point had stared almost transfixed on the bubbling cauldron slowly turned her head, but only enough that the cauldron was within eyesight still as she responded to her cat. "Another batch of medicine, what else? A battle has just taken place, and the wounded need help". Grimalkin nodded softly. He was at this moment staring out a nearby window, his eyes resting on a mouse he spotted running across the ground, but he had plenty of food in here as his mistress was almost spoiling him a little, not that he minded in the slighest. Eleanora adjusted her rather large hat so it was resting properly on her head, as she lifted the ladle out of the stew, lowering her scarf and let out a breath of air on the warm, bubbly brew, cooling it down before tasting it. "Hmm.. Not bad, but perhaps a little more potency will do the trick.." she muttered to herself as she reached towards a little box on the shelf where Grimalkin was resting. He lazily puffed the box she was grabbing, playfully going for her hand as well. As she took the box and opened it. "A pinch of fairy dust", she mumbled to herself, sprinkling it over the mixture, that after a few stirs now turned a dark purple. Another taste, and a light, purple sheen coated her eyes, as well as purple sparks erupting from her mouth, almost like a crackle of energy emitting from the very potion itself. Her lips curved into an ever so slight smile as she went to get a bunch of bottles which she would then start to fill with the potion. The brew itself didn't look very pleasant but Eleanora's teacher Erin had told her that medicine often looked and tasted awful, but did wonders. Eleanora had considered making the medicine a little sweeter but remembered her mentors old teachings that shortcuts could just make things worse, and it was better to be patient and thorough, even if it meant a little extra work or that the potion wasn't too pleasant. |
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Post by Meta on Sept 15, 2020 2:19:08 GMT -4
Nozomi was having a complex time adapting to all of this. This attack had changed much, for both the liberation front and herself. No longer burdened by the memory loss, no longer just the shadow behind Karina. Her past had returned, and with it many considerations to be had.
But she didn't have time to think too deep on it. No, soon after the takeover they had to earn the trust of the locals. Bribe the populace into liking them with some niceties. Sure, that wasn't quite the way Karina had put it, but it was the way Nozomi understood it. The net result would be the same anyway, far as her new leader would know.
Solid as the theory was, however, practice was far more...trying for Nozomi. Her biology had changed, and not in a way the common folk would appreciate. She had to dedicate some focus to hiding these changes under the facade of the common sheikah. And so, while distracted and left with little time to process all that had happened, she found herself in one of the fronts of this operation to help the villagers.
It took some awkward conversations, little test runs, for her to find some footing. Apparently, suggesting better methods of flensing cattle and reusing most of the carcass wasn't exactly 'helping farmers'. She combed through encyclopedic knowledge of her field in search of a topic that could be applied to mundane errands. Health. That was something people are often concerned about, universally.
She walked about the settlement, eyes wandering about while she remained deep in thought. She certainly couldn't heal people herself, but there ought to be someone more knowledge on the subject, and that someone would hopefully be able to speak the same language as her, and if nothing else, let her show...'helpfulness', as Karina desired.
Nozomi was able to learn that fortunately for her, one such individual had appeared, and made her terms known and offered aid to the liberation. A potion maker of sorts. Yes, that would do. It was a start at the very least. And so the sheikah followed the trail to the house where Eleanora had set herself up. Knocking on the door, Nozomi awaited for a response.
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Post by sesh on Sept 15, 2020 5:05:31 GMT -4
"I said, ya can't come in!"
The merchant shuffled nervously, confused about the change in personnel at the gate. "B-but, like I've said, I've got cured meats meant for the soldiers. Straight from the capital! And if you'd just look at this invoice, you'd clearly see-"
"Ya see any of the capital's soldiers 'round here?" The gatekeeper was quickly growing agitated. His temper was shorter than his already below average height. "This place don't belong to the King's men anymore, old man. So scram!" He pointed his spear towards the oblivious tradesmen, causing the latter to jump in fright. This in turn startled the oxen leading the wagon; she was the merchant's only companion.
"Put that away, Clive," calmly said the other guard manning the gate. He looked at the merchant with a welcoming smile. "I'm sorry to say this outpost is no longer under command of the Royal Hyrule Army. The Liberation has claimed it for the people. If you'd be willing to sell your food to us for a fair price, then I'd be glad to let you through."
The merchant felt a wave of relief come over him, though anxiety began to return as he eyed the first guard silently fuming. "Thank you, kind sir," he said to the friendly gatekeeper. "I've nowhere else to take my wagon and I'm desperate for the coin. Besides, I've heard good things about your Liberation. The nobility's beaten me down with ridiculous tariffs lately and I'm at my wit's end. I'd be happy to trade."
The wagon passed into the fort, one guard outraged and the other satisfied. "Yer too gullible, Greg. That fella could be a spy, ya know. And ya know I'll be pointin' my finger in yer direction if they come askin' bout him. Won't catch me lettin' strangers in all willy nilly."
A sudden darkness overcame Clive as he ranted at his comrade, dulling the heat of the shining sun. He turned to confront the shadow's source and suddenly froze with fear. A towering reptilian warrior looked down upon the gate guard with a singular, predatory eye. Gruesome horns jutted from his head, gnarly fangs shone beneath scaly lips, and a heavily-used blade found its hilt in the creature's hand.
"Well then, this one's yours," Greg said, finding a great deal of delight in his mate's despair.
Sobek found himself inside fort without resistance. The place hadn't been too difficult to find with Maewin's directions. Bandits had taken advantage of the decreased patrols of Hyrule's guard, however, and Sobek had been forced to put several of them down. Being deceptive by nature, it was only natural one of the bandits would get a solid sneak attack on the bounty hunter. Finding a spot in the shade away from any Liberation troops, the cursed warrior lifted a section of his right pauldron to reveal a bloody, bandaged shoulder. It wouldn't heal naturally, at least not quickly, and Sobek wasn't eager to meet with his new employer wounded. Covering his shoulder again, the Gator found a soldier to point him towards a healer. After a swift interrogation, he was directed towards a witch taking up shop nearby.
As he approached the witch's house, the hunter spotted another waiting by the door. A Sheikah woman, by the look of things. But something about this woman's appearance left Sobek unsettled. It was rare for him to find unease in the company of others as it was typically onlookers who felt as such. "Locked?" Sobek said coarsely, his monstrous voice hard to hide. He stepped forward and banged loudly on the door. "Open up!" An incredibly unpleasant odor wafted from beneath the door, offending Sobek's heightened sense of smell.
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Post by Nintendo Mastah on Sept 16, 2020 19:05:33 GMT -4
Eleanora took the last ladle of potion out of the cauldron just as there was a knock on the door. Before she even had the time to open her mouth and respond, there was another, louder knock on the door and someone demanding she opened the door. 'How rude people can be these days', she thought as she with her free hand picked some powder out of one of her pouches and tossed it in the fire under her cauldron, and with a crackle, the flames sprung to life, heating the cauldron a little and lighting up the room ever so slightly.
She put her ladle back in the cauldron and stirred the remains of it as she looked at the door and said: "Open up, would you?", and the door unlocked with a click and creaked open. Instead of locking and closing the door with a key it was easier to simply animate the door and have it open, close and lock on command, and as such the door had opened on its own without anyone touching it, and Eleanora examined the people that were so eager to come inside that it seemed they would break down the door if she denied them.
A sheikah woman and a... what was he? He was a curious one for certain but Eleanora was not one to judge. She was considered ugly herself by some people and could understand how others certainly could think the same of him. She waited for the two guests to step inside, a warm, cozy fire crackling under her cauldron and a purple glow still emitting from it as she examined the visitors. "Yes?", was all she said, more formality was not needed, not because she deemed the two unworthy of it but because such trivialities was a waste of time when she could get along just as well with one word.
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Post by NajaSide on Nov 3, 2020 19:25:51 GMT -4
He took a few moments to catch up, but arriving shortly after Sobek came a tired-looking youth, carrying only a small traveling pack and a short sword. Protection on the road. Not that it had seemed to help out much when those bandits caught the two of them on their unawares. That was embarrassing. Maybe it was his inexperience– or maybe just the other's indifference –that the fault was forgiven. If it had been.
The young man slipped into the fortress with the mercenary. That man back at the coliseum had told them to go to Hylia Village itself for whatever was happening, but once they actually neared the outpost, it seemed like perhaps it was better to stop there instead. Or at least, that's what he assumed, since Sobek was stopping there.
He followed the other into the fort, looking around warily at the changes that had overcome the place. Some Hyrulean banners had been painted over, with the winged crest of Hyrule replaced with the Liberation's own mark. So that other mercenary had been telling the truth after all, that they would be near here... Ah, he couldn't lose track of the mercenary! Quickly, he tracked Sobek down and caught up with him just in time to hear him shouting at the entrance to a hut. He furrowed a brow, but didn't say anything. Better not to stick out in this group, maybe.
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Post by Devixer on Nov 20, 2020 12:20:43 GMT -4
"Your payment in full, merchant." Karina hefted a large wallet, full to near bursting with Rupees. "And a little extra, in exchange for a favor.
"After paying me more than the capital and the nobility ever did? Please, name it!" The older merchant looked like he hadn't seen so much money for cured meats in his life.
"Tell your fellow merchants that Scout's Hill is under the Liberation's control now. If they bring their trade here, they shall be fairly compensated for their time - and my men shall protect as much of the routes as they can." Karina looked up, towards the flag emblazoned with a grey wolf's head - the symbol of the Liberation. They had a foothold now. They were more than just rebels, hiding in the shadows. Now, her army was growing. They could do their work in the open, with a slowly growing number of allies. Her dreams of a truly free Hyrule were coming to pass, one day at a time.
The sun beat down on her hat, casting her face in shade. "Tell them that a new day is coming to Hyrule. A better day, for all of us. And those who trade with the Liberation can become very wealthy indeed."
The merchant could only nod in response, taken aback by Karina's words. She had chosen them carefully, for two purposes: to get her message of freedom from the crown across, and to hook in the merchants, with higher profits than they had with more official trading routes.
"I will tell everyone I meet. The merchants of Hyrule will know that their best way to keep their profits is to trade with Karina, and the Liberation!"
Karina couldn't help but smile a little, sending the merchant on his way. This was a victory. A small victory, but that was often all it took. They had momentum on their side. The Hylian Army had grown complacent for too long, only fighting off bandits and the occasional monster. They weren't ready for Karina's trained, organized, and growing army.
That thought alone gave her strength as she moved through the small outpost, silently surveying each of the Liberation's efforts. Distributing supplies, food, tools, and the like to the people was important - just as important as repairing the damage to the outpost that they had inflicted. Establishing a foothold had two parts - preparing their defenses, and winning the local people's favor, so that they would be less inclined to aid the army's efforts.
The potion maker Eleanora was a more recent addition to her ranks, but a most welcome one. She had been hoping to find a way to distribute medicines to the common folk, to bring them to her side, and this was exactly that. She made her way to her workshop, spotting a few familiar and very new faces when she arrived.
The large reptilian warrior likely had intimidated more than a few of her men, but Karina was sterner than that. She looked up at him, then at the youth that followed him. "I haven't seen your faces before," she said simply. "Are you looking for work, or supplies? If it's the first, the Liberation always has payment for extra pairs of honest hands. If it's supplies or medicine..." She turned to the open door.
"Eleanora! How soon can we expect a new batch of potions? We still have sick and injured here, and I'm starting to hear from townsfolk about their own ailing as well." She went back to the pair. "We have food as well. Please, take what you need. We've come into plenty of supplies."
There was one more face, and it was one she had been looking for- that had changed a great deal. "Wr- Nozomi." Though she was still getting used to actually knowing her left hand's identity, truthfully, learning about her had been one of the few bright spots in a lot of work. She couldn't show it much, because of her position as the leader of the Liberation. But she was rather happy for the Shiekah, piecing together her identity through the battle. She would be even more valuable as an ally now, and perhaps even as a friend. "Will you join me on a scouting run, once our work for the day is done? Our enemies likely know by now that their outpost is no longer in their control. I want to find out the movements of the Hylian Army, and our next places to reinforce. You may bring support if you wish."
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