The War of Fallen Skies - A RWBY Quest

[Hyperax]

[X] Appeal to the Silver Order Initiate

If we can get through this non-violently, the less suspicion is gonna be on us in the actual event. And I think the Silver is the best option for that.

 

[Riddle78]

Whelp,looks like the vote's pretty unanimous. Silver Order Initiate it is. Also,might as well let the cat out of the bag; Big Heart and I collaborated heavily in the creation of the War of Fallen Skies concept when we tried to run it as an RP. There are significant changes from that version,so he isn't completely in the know,but yeah. Per exemplar; He knows exactly who the Atlesian Knight-Initiate is at this checkpoint,but he's as in the dark as the rest of you about Leonidas and Perri.

Just something to bear in mind. When I come up with something truly original,Big Heart'll be as blind as the rest of you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Butter up the local​

Castle of Pharos - Uptown; Inner Wall Gate
Kingdom of Mantle
Continent of Mantle
​

You act quickly; Hesitation meant suspicion,and with the STG,Silver Order,and the Atlesian Knights in the same place,that was suicide. You direct your attention to the Silver Order Initiate,the young woman with the whip. Idly,you note that the coiled length of leather and cord must be about twenty feet long; Easily long enough to snare a fleeing target. And a good whip,in trained hands,can lash out faster than sound itself.

"Could you help me,milady? The Corporal is mistaken; My wife bought this ticket earlier this week."

The young woman nodded to the Knight-Initiate,who simply nodded in return,and began to take comers from both his line,and the woman's,as the Silver Order Initiate made her way over to you. You hold out your ticket,and the woman takes it from you. She scrutinized the slip of paper,and threw you an eyebrow.

"It's damaged. The corner's missing,and it looks like it's been crumpled."

Is that all?

"I was keeping it in my pocket; I guess I was rougher with it than I thought. It's still valid,though? Right?"

The Silver Order Initiate scrutinized the ticket more thoroughly,reading the serial number.

"I was selling tickets this week. Describe your wife to me? I'm sure the ticket's legitimate,but with His Lordship coming into town..."

She left the explanation hanging. She didn't need to complete it.

"Of course,this is perfectly reasonable. She's about my height,pure black eyes,with pale blue skin around her eyes?"

The woman looked surprised,but returned the ticket to you.

"I thought that was makeup. You can go through. Hey,Sterling,next time,actually do your damn job."

The soldier threw the both of you a scathing look.

"I think it's best to keep the animals away from the keep,Bach. They can't be trusted."

This time,the Knight-Initiate spoke up.

"Everyone is honourable until proven otherwise,Sterling. You'd do well to remember that."

The soldier scoffed.

"Of course you'd think that,Reznik. I bet you'll be singing a different tune when that rhino puts a lance through your chest from across the bridge."

"Mind your tongue,Corporal. This is your only warning."

The Knight-Initiate,Reznik,turned to face you.

"Please,proceed. Pay no mind to my cohort."

You nod,and begin your hike up the path separating Uptown from the Keep. The path was quite long,actually; At least two kilometres,folded over upon itself on a series of switchbacks going up the mountain. All along this route were towers and other solitary fortifications,each and every one of them brimming with personnel. You shake your head to yourself; Perri actually bought the ticket? That must've been quite the sum of Crowns. Still... This event lasted the entire week. Did she buy seven tickets? Or did this ticket entitle you to a weeklong pass? You smirk to yourself. Even after ten years,your wonderful Perri is still surprising you.

It took you a while to make it to the Keep's gate,and when you arrived,you were greeted by another Silver Order Initiate,who simply asked you for your ticket. You handed him your ticket,and he examined it. He raised an eyebrow,and looked between the slip and you,as if he were trying to make sense of the scenario.

"Is there a problem,milord?"

The man shook his head,and replied to you,reaching into a nearby box,

"No,sir. I'm just surprised."

He handed you a medallion on a silken cord. It looked like it was made of pewter.

"These week passes are expensive. Must've been saving since last year to get this,eh?"

You chuckled. Perri is just wonderful.

"That would've been my better half. I guess she really wanted to surprise me. Thank you,milord."

You quickly don the medallion,and wave to the man as you penetrate into the Keep. First phase,complete. The second phase was to watch the Tourney,keeping watchful for many things; Potential threats,possible materiel to liberate,and,of course,the moment to strike. You crane your neck to look at the great clock in the Keep's central tower. You have about an hour,before the opening ceremony begins,which is immediately followed by the first round of the Singles Tourney. After the Singles Tourney,the Squads Tourney commences,and as squads are eliminated,they open their stalls in the fairgrounds. From what you've been able to gather,it's to prove that members of the Silver Order can do more than just fight and kill Grimm. Besides the fairgrounds,there were less... Public places,for you to examine. Of course,those sectors would require quite a bit more effort to peruse,and you doubt your pewter medallion would save you,should you be caught trespassing.

Decisions,decisions...

Select a Plan

[] Case the Arenas.
[] Case the Fairgrounds.
[] Infiltrate the Keep;
-[] Graduate's Quarters.
-[] Atlesian Knight's Quarters.
-[] VIP's Quarters.
-[] The Armoury.
-[] The Garrison.
-[] The Stockpile.
-[] Arena Ready Rooms.
[] Socialize;
-[] Arenas.
-[] Fairgrounds.

 

[veekie]

[X] Case the Fairgrounds.

 

[Riddle78]

I should clarify; The arenas themselves,and the stands,are open to the public,even before the opening ceremony.

 

[TheOneEyedBandit]

[X] Infiltrate the Keep;
-[X] Atlesian Knight's Quarters.
I say hey, might as well knock one of the big targets off the block first. Who knows what you'll be able to find in there?

 

[veekie]

I should clarify; The arenas themselves,and the stands,are open to the public,even before the opening ceremony.

Click to shrink...

Well, I figure we should do the ones open the to the public first before hitting the restricted areas, because once we do an emergency pullout, we can't do the public areas anymore, whereas the reverse works fine.

 

[Random Member]

[X] Case the Fairgrounds.

 

[Hyperax]

[x] Infiltrate the Keep;
-[x] VIP's Quarters.
Might find some information.

 

[CicadaOD]

[x] Case the Arenas.

 

[Big Heart]

[X] Case the fairgrounds. Whether they're proving themselves there or not, the Silver Order initiates will be more at home in the arena, and question someone's presence more than at the stands, where business is raking in the money for everyone, Pharos included.

 

[Nightfallen]

[X] Case the Fairgrounds.

 

[ChaosTheVoid]

What is this guy's goal again? I know he's a faunus revolutionary, all i got is that he's planning has some sort napalm and maybe an assassination?

 

[Riddle78]

The objective is the assassination of His Lordship,the King of Mantle,as a declaration of the power and worth of the Faunus people.

 

[Riddle78]

Fairground Foray
​

Castle Pharos - Keep; Ward
Kingdom of Mantle
Continent of Mantle
​

You gave a slight nod to yourself as you settle upon your first move. The fairgrounds,you reasoned,would be something of an artery of movement during the entire tourney. Everyone in attendance would drop by at least once. As such,it behoved you to familiarize yourself with the place,not only to learn the routes of pursuit,but also to discover which attractions were being established,as to minimize suspicion while you were present. You begin a brisk walk to the fairgrounds,and note that many of the teams were setting up their stalls; Graduates wouldn't be manning their stalls until their team is knocked out of the tourney,but the Silver Order's younger initiates were contributing,as well; The money made here constituted a large sum of what the Silver Order made each year.

The ward's sole gate was on the south side of the wall,with the keep itself looming overhead to the north. The fairgrounds dominated the entire southern half of the ward,filled with stalls of students and trusted outside parties,seating areas,and poles,affixed with speakers; The tourney,as always,was getting live commentary,and it would be broadcast live over the radio across the entire continent. Every year,the Silver Order hosted this event,and every year,it was greeted with the same level of aplomb and excitement. It was practically a holiday,where even the Faunus farmers of the lowlands would abandon their work,to listen to the great event.

It was a spectacle. Nothing more.

You slowly made your way through the fairgrounds,playing the part of the awed tourist. You examined the displays,and meekly questioned the Silver Order initiates about their stalls and services. Oh,how you hated this act,to be meek. But,the plan demanded it. To their benefit,the Silver Order initiates were nothing but respectful and cordial,though you could tell that many of them were forcing it; With His Lordship coming to town,they had to do their best to represent their order. It was sickening. Regardless,you left the fairgrounds nearly an hour later,having gleaned an incredible amount of intelligence from your patrol. The fairgrounds were like a dense jungle,and it would only get worse when it was thronged with fairgoers. You allowed yourself a brief smirk as you made your way to the arenas on the north end of the ward; If you had to flee,the fairgrounds would be ideal.

You replace your devious smirk with that rehearsed expression of wonder and awe as you filter into the crowd making its way into the arenas. As you approached,you saw no less than a dozen spaces,clearly marked out as arenas. However,the stands were arranged around them as if it was one single arena. There was also a cordon in the middle of the space,as well,leading you to believe that the bouts will happen one at a time,and the arena's full size will be used for the Squads Tourney. After all,why give two combatants so much space? Regardless,you find yourself in the stands,and await Hilmarsson's opening statement. You didn't have to wait long.

The short,stout man approached the railing of the elevated VIP box seat. The man looked positively ancient,with a great mane of steel grey hair,and matching beard,both kept neatly combed. He wore a gleaming silver breastplate under his deep green greatcoat,though the hem hung heavily; Your best guess was that the coat contained mail.

I guess there's a reason he's still Grandmaster.

The old Grandmaster spread his arms wide,and he addressed his castle,and his Lord Liege's kingdom.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the glorious Kingdom of Mantle! I am Aren Hilmarsson,Grandmaster of the Silver Order!"

The man's voice was deep and strong; Despite his advanced age,he was the picture of good health.

"And I welcome you all to the annual Silver Order Tourney! To those who have journeyed near and far to be in attendance today..."

As if on cue,the assembled crowd erupted into cheers. You joined in,but your heart wasn't in it; You kept your eyes roving the area,and constantly bringing your gaze back to Aren,and the VIP box.

He's not alone.

"...And to those who couldn't make it to Pharos,I am pleased to present to you this year's best and brightest from our Order,who will be tested today in skills both martial and social! For the next seven days,our hopeful graduates will fight eachother in single duels,and great skirmishes! Our entire order will offer you their services in the fairgrounds,replete with food,drink,and merriment!"

The crowd's frenzied excitement was slowly winding down; Aren seemed to be an adept orator. You catch the flash of a sly grin on the Grandmaster's face,and smirk in return; The man was playing the crowd like a violin. He was about to blow their minds.

"But! That is not all! For the finest among us may yet see a brighter,more noble future! The Atlesian Knights are in attendance,accompanied by none other than His Lordship,our great and noble king! And if they so will it,our finest graduates will be selected to join their illustrious ranks!"

You could just imagine a great explosion as the crowd's excitement spiked once more. You saw Grandmaster Hilmarsson turn,and step back,as another figure approached the edge of the box. This was a man draped in fine white silks,with a breastplate shining beneath. On his left hip was an achingly beautiful side sword,the hilt a wondrous helix of silver and gold,wrapped in the finest of local leathers. While you couldn't see the blade,the scabbard was a bottomless black,with a gleaming silver mouth and point. And,resting upon this man's head was the ultimate symbol of his office,a crown; It was carved of the finest ivory,and fashioned into an ornate helm. The peaked,triangular crest perched upon his brow,with a brilliant sapphire set in its centre,surrounded by a breathtaking filigree of gold and platinum. The ivory encased the top,sides,and rear of His Lordship's head,leaving his face framed in small,ornate wings.

His Lordship rested his left hand upon his sword's pommel,and gestured to the stands with his right,and spoke.

"My subjects! Bear witness to your noblest of defenders! Those who have forsook personal safety,and even honourable foes,for the sake of your well being! Bear witness to these hopefuls,as they put to practice all they have learned over the past four years!"

As he spoke,a line of warriors marched into the space between the stands,beneath the VIP box. They were as varied as could be; Some armoured,others not,some wielding weapons several times their size,some seemingly unarmed,and everything in between. And there were dozens of them.

A boy approached His Lordship and Hilmarsson,bearing a large bowl,and halted between the two most powerful men in the kingdom. He bowed his head low,and knelt,raising the bowl in offering. Grandmaster Hilmarsson addressed the kingdom,

"His Lordship and myself will draw one name each from this bowl. The two so named will immediately enter the arena,and prepare to duel. For all bouts in this tourney,no contestant is permitted to kill or cripple their opponent,nor are they to damage their opponent's equipment as to render it unusable for the foreseeable future."

And with that,His Lordship and Hilmarsson plunged their hands into the bowl. They rummaged for a brief second,before withdrawing their hands,each clutching a single piece of vellum. His Lordship recited the name he drew,first,

"Eddhur Schnee!"

"And Nadia Reznik!"

The two individuals stepped forth from the assembled line of warriors,one from the far end,and the other from the middle. The man wore the regalia of a nobleman. Hanging from his left hip was a rapier,with a particularly long blade,though the guard was a simple crossguard. From his right hip hung a dagger with a significantly more complex guard. His chiselled face bore a look of cold determination,his snow white hair combed to the left side.

His opponent,in stark contrast,wore full plate armour,polished ivory and maroon trim. Her hand came up to her visor,and deftly removed the visor,revealing a round face,brown eyes,all framed in black hair. She handed it to her retainer,and approached the enclosure. An undulating bastard hung from her left hip,and a broad dagger hung from her right hip.

The combatants stepped into the arena,and drew their weapons; Eddhur drew both his tuck and his blade breaker simply and professionally,resting with the tuck leading,while Nadia drew her flamberge with a deft flourish,before assuming a high two-handed guard,with the blade pointed forward,pommel resting by her ear.

His Lordship drew his sword,revealing the slender blade to be of polished steel laminate,and pointed it skyward. He brought his arm down,cutting the air beside him,and called out,

"BEGIN!"

As the combatants made their opening moves,you can't help but wonder; Would these two be a threat to the plan? If so,it would be wise to observe this bout. However,they are still just two people,amongst thousands. Perhaps your time would be better spent investigating the surroundings,maybe up close? Vantage points,infiltration vectors... Assassinations are not simple affairs.

Select your plan.

[] Watch the bout.
[] Slip away.
-[] Investigate the surrounding stands,which can seat at least four thousand people.
-[] Investigate the VIP box.
-[] Investigate the clock tower,with dominating lines of sight for the entire keep district.
-[] Investigate the keep itself.
-[] Write-in alternative.

 

[veekie]

[X] Slip away.
-[X] Investigate the clock tower,with dominating lines of sight for the entire keep district.

Good for identifying areas, then we move to the keep next.

 

[Random Member]

[X] Slip away.
-[X] Investigate the clock tower,with dominating lines of sight for the entire keep district.

 

[Big Heart]

As much as I'd love to jump on watching this match... Given who's in it,
I think it's probably a better idea to take a look around. The competitors aren't likely to impose a significant threat to our plans on an individual level, so as much fun as watching could be, it would be best to take a look around, particularly at the keep. With most of the students out on the grounds, the keep will be at its most vulnerable right now, though that's not exactly perfect either.

I know it's pretty tough to do, but there'll be few better opportunities than a fight between the oldbloods like this.

[X] Slip away.
-[X] Inspect the keep itself.

 

[Riddle78]

Looks like votes are falling where I expected them to. Remember; Active discussion makes the QM happy~! I wanna see where you all think things'll go! Because,trust me,the plot,by mandate,is heading towards a clusterfuck from the deepest,most chaotic depths of Hell.

 

[TheOneEyedBandit]

[X] Watch the bout.
Because the least trodden path is often the most interesting one.

...Or something along those lines

 

[wingstrike96]

[X] Slip away.
-[X] Investigate the clock tower,with dominating lines of sight for the entire keep district.

 

[Riddle78]

Tick-Tock Clock
​

Castle Pharos - Keep; Ward
Kingdom of Mantle
Continent of Mantle
​

You quickly identify your target; The clock tower. While Schnee and Reznik are indeed formidable fighters,they're still just two amongst thousands. The odds of either one of them halting the plan were infinitesimal. You rise from your seat,and slip from the stands,asking someone where the restrooms were as you went; The mentioned a thunderbox near the keep,away from the arena. You thank them,and leave,as Nadia began her advance against Eddhur's onslaught of Dust projectiles.

"And the fighters begin the bout explosively! Eddhur halts Nadia's charge with deft glyph placement!"

You shrug internally. What does it matter,who wins and who loses? You make your way to the thunderbox in question,which was placed inside a temporary shed,affording the occupant privacy. You also note that it's within thirty metres of a door. However,this particular stretch of wall was completely devoid of windows,and it wasn't an inconsiderable stretch,either. It was either one large secure room,or a collection of secure rooms. Either way,you couldn't enter through here.

The clock tower was attached to the keep itself,with no external entrances. From what you could gather,it used to be the castle's beacon,until the advent of radio. After that,the round tower had a clock simply added to the top,giving the ancient fortification an interesting look,as round transitioned to square.

You begin to make your way around the keep as the fight raged on in the arena,the casters providing a running commentary.

"Eddhur is untouchable! It seems the very forces of gravity and time are his to command! Nadia,for all her skill and armour,is unable to close the gap!"

Amateur. I would have shot him in the knee as my first move. Of course,Reznik doesn't have a gun... Idiot.

You find yourself near the fairgrounds when you finally find your entrance; The number of windows in proximity to the door revealed that the surrounding rooms aren't security priorities. And that's all you need. You approach the door,and try the handle. It wasn't locked; Your guess is to ensure that defenders can flow freely,should they need to. Intruders,too. Then again,it could also be a mistake,due to the festivities. Either way,you were in. You quickly slip into the keep,and take stock.

Castle Pharos - Keep; Inside
​

The hall you've stepped into is truly ancient,though well-kept. The vaulted ceiling reached for at least fifteen feet,and was wide enough to march a pike formation through. The stonework depicted knights and Grimm,often intertwined in violence,albeit tastefully. The flanking doors were all closed,and a PA system was present,as you could clearly hear the fight commentary perfectly.

"Is Nadia even Human!? A blow like that would've crippled a man! It's almost as if she didn't even notice! Truly,the Reznik blood is mighty! And there's her Steel Flame,lashing out at Eddhur! That seemed to have put him on the defensive!"

Lashing out? Isn't her weapon a sword? Swords don't lash...

You move swiftly down the hall,stalking along on the edges of your feet; While the fight commentary will mask your footfalls,you were still in the headquarters of one of the most renowned orders of fighters on the continent,maybe even the whole planet. And being caught would be disaster; They likely have orders to detain anyone they find. You were certain that some would "accidentally" maim,or even kill you. Third year adepts patrolled the halls,with static posts set up at major thoroughfares,making your progress difficult. However,the interconnected nature of the building enabled you to bypass their patrols.

"Eddhur's in trouble now! Nadia's almost on top of him! Oooh! And he takes a direct blow to the chest,and he's clearly suffering for it; He's stumbling about like a sot!"

From one blow? Pathetic. And these people hunt Grimm? They're hardly worthy to fight us.

Eventually,you get to the foot of the clock tower's stairs,and began your long assent. As you climb,you can't help but think. The Special Tasks Group,Atlesian Knights,and Silver Order are all present,and actively defending the castle,and His Lordship. Killing a king is never easy,but this particular assassination is a nightmare even among the rest. Three separate groups of warriors,all considered the best of the best,and all of them have identical objectives,and are working closely in unison. And,even if you succeed...

You might not live to see another day.

You banish that train of thought. You know the risks. And you accept them.

"What's this? Eddhur's tapping into the other half of his Semblance! What is he summoning? OH,SWEET DUST! IT'S IRONFANG!"

The crowd went ballistic. It was an unprecedented move. Certainly,Schnees summon often in bouts,but a Grenn!? Those things were house-sized,and just as durable! And Ironfang was a particularly infamous one that was able to kill numerous Silver Order initiates... Once even completely wiping out an entire fresh batch during their initiation. And Eddhur put it down.

And now,he called it back up. Part of you regretted not staying to watch the bout,but you have more important things to do.

You reach the top of the stairs,and are greeted with a front row seat to the inner-workings of a clock tower; Pendulums swung in perfect synchronisation. Gears and cogs spun. It was a cacophony of groaning metal,clicking clockwork,and the howl of the mountain wind at this altitude. You step out of the enclosed region of the clock tower,and out onto the balcony. The view was breathtaking; To the North,the icy mountains and plateaus reigned supreme beneath the slate-grey sky. To the South,the city stretched,and beyond,the wooded and marshy lowlands,the fertile breadbasket of the kingdom.

"Nadia has her work cut out for her! Even she wasn't able to kill a Grenn!"

You ignore the fight raging below,and direct your attention to the surrounding stands. From here,a sniper had a perfect perch to strike into the VIP box,as it faced the clock tower. Furthermore,due to the extreme elevation,the stands offered no cover from a sniper. If the king were to be killed during a bout,this would be the ideal place to assault from. However,it was difficult enough to get here to begin with,and he's unarmed. An assassin with a powerful rifle would have greater difficulty.

Then there was the wall. It surrounded the keep and the surrounding ward. It was tall enough to discourage climbing attempts,and festooned with murder holes. The wall alone covered countless kilometres,meaning patrols will have holes in them,and from the walls,an assassin could strike anywhere within the ward. However,if the target were inside,they were safe,from both the clock tower,and the walls.

"What's this? Nadia isn't even fighting Ironfang! She's like living quicksilver! It's obvious that her armour is no hindrance to her movement; The Grenn can't seem to touch her!"

You consider the route you used to get here. You entered from the Southeastern wing,which seemed to have been dominated by classrooms and offices,plus at least one library,obviously dedicated to teaching members of the Order more scholarly things than the slaughter of monsters. And,if that section of the keep was any indication,then the entire keep was an interconnected web of rooms,halls,and doors; Precious few rooms had only one or two entrances,and often connected to more than one hall. This made flanking easy... But by the same token,rendered it almost impossible to trap someone.

If His Lordship is to die here,then it he musn't have the chance to flee. His death must be the only notice the defenders get to your plot. However,your thoughts are interrupted by a voice to your left,

"Uum,excuse me?"

You wheel around to face the source,and see a twelve foot tall mass of armour,dragging a pod of some sort behind it from the belt,and holding the largest bow you've ever seen. However,protruding from the forehead,two feet in length,was a horn,thick and slightly curved,coming to a vicious point. A rhino's horn. And instantly,you knew exactly who this was.

Tio Didem Bither. A rhino Faunus,who was born on the Bither Farmstead in the lowlands. A Grimm attack resulted in much of her family dead,and she found a way to join the Silver Order as a result. Her time at Pharos was also subject of several news stories; Her squad was systematically decimated over the years. One member of their team was dragged back home by her parents,kicking and screaming,while their leader was crippled for life in a massive Dust explosion,and given a clerical job at the keep. The only other member of her squad was the current captain of the Silver Order's domestic guard,Jarvia DeVreis,and the two are inseparable,despite being polar opposites in nearly every way.

And this traitor bitch was defending the very king that marginalized her and her people.

Your blood boiled. For that instant,all you knew was cold,murderous hate. You wanted nothing more than to throw this domesticated mongrel from the tower,and watch as she struck the frozen stone beneath in a broken heap.

But,the moment passed. However,your mind raced. She was a guard,the captain's deputy,at that,and you're in a restricted area.

How do you respond?

[] Kill the traitor.
[] Jump.
[] Flee.
[] Make up an excuse.

 

[OfSpaceandTime]

Hm. Now ain't this a conundrum. Simply killing them would leave you one -non-target killed, if you succeed that is.

Saying as this is RWBY, you're probably going to survive jumping.

Fleeing is a poor thing to do, as you're going to be pursued, and you're probably going to wind up shot dead by that bow.

Making up an excuse may be the best bet here, but would they buy it?

Decisions, decisions.

[X] Kill the traitor.

Let our anger get the best of us, if we are to walk down this path.

 

[veekie]

[X] Make up an excuse.
-[X] Compliment the excellent view here.

Mode: Tourist, we're unarmed, and at a place with a great view AND facing someone who is armed. Fighting now means we blow the rest of the mission.

 

[Riddle78]

By the by; I'm seeking feedback on my overall style,so long as the commas aren't brought up; I'm rather new to Questing. Furthermore,active discussion,pontification,speculation,and the like is encouraged; I'm currently contemplating implementing a Skinner Box to reward such behaviour.

 

[Night_stalker]

[X] Make up an excuse.
-[X] Compliment the excellent view here.