video, backdated to the 2nd; locked from Name (metaplot-related joint post)

[lemontree]

[Jon, a member of the Guard often seen in an armored leather tunic with a full, fur-collared cloak over it, appears today in a loose-necked linen shirt and a pair of plain modern cotton twill trousers.]

The Null are coming. We don't know when, or how. We might have the turn of a moon, or we might have a year.

We ought to assume that we have less time than more of it. [ Also present is Dany, dressed similarly: simply, and for the jungle’s heat rather than the recent tundra’s chill. ] Better to prepare now than to wait any longer and regret the time lost.

[Jon turns his head to watch Daenerys as she speaks, then turns his head back to the camera.]

Back where I come from, I spent many years as a sworn brother, defending my people's lands from a foe at least as terrible as your Null, maybe greater. Now, at home, our home, [(his gaze slides sidelong to Daenerys, as he chooses which word to use)] we prepare for a greater attack. If we fail, it's the end of every living person. We think of what to shore up, what to protect, and where -- what will give all our people the greatest chance of survival.

We have to think about the same things here.

[ Dany listens patiently, but there is a hardness in her face: there is great danger at their door, and she knows better than most that not all are meant for the vanguard. ]

For those who cannot or will not fight, we will prepare the empty units within Delight’s housing to act as shelter. They seem defensible enough for our purposes and should provide a suitable refuge.

[ For everyone else, though? For the citizens of Hadriel who plan to fight the Null? Well: ]

Those aren't the only shelters around the city, but it seems fitting to have more of them. But they can't be the only defensible positions. Anything we can do to make the city more defensible, any way we can make our buildings stronger, we should be working on it. The gods have helped greatly, but we must help ourselves. We must fortify what we can and think of where and how we'll make our stand when the time comes.

What will you do? What can you do? Join us, or work to the same purpose -- the most important thing is that we all have a plan.

What's your plan?

Comments

audio;

[restinglichface]

[Normally, the elf uses any excuse possible to post her face all across the network, any chance to grin and flirt and toss her hair.

But today's a day for hiding, for Lup's tone to be a little more hard, the woman distant in her own worry.]

I'll be there to fight. Gone against the Null before, I know how to handle 'em.

[audio forever]

[northerndragon]

Good. Before then, though?

[That's one day. What about the days between this day and that one?]

I know you've been teaching people. It's a great help.

[ooc: I think we're just going to reply to these as we think our characters would, so Dany might also have her own reply to Lup!]

[restinglichface]

[She snorts, like it's a joke instead of a legitimate question.]

Where's the need, thug? I can keep up teachin', natch, but it eats up my spell slots if you want some magical help on the fortifying side.

audio;

[lemontree]

[ Dany doesn't know Lup enough to know when she's hurting, but she can recognize at least a trace of difference in her tutor's voice. ]

Your abilities will be invaluable. As will be your inspirational speeches.

[ Lup is a motivator, after all. A woman after Dany's own heart. ]

I would have died without what you taught me. I imagine you will save more lives than mine in this war to come.

[restinglichface]

You flatterer.

[At least her tease comes out more normal, all warmth and good-natured amusement dripping from her tone. Even if she's lost one, there are still so many people in Hadriel worth fighting for.]

Don't even worry about it, sis. We're prepared this time, have the home court advantage too. With all the work folks have been puttin' into preparations so far, I'd say we have this win in a bag. It may not be easy, but we aren't losing any other people. We won't.

[originallutece]

Defensive is good. But offensive is better, I believe, especially if we're to be under siege. And there I can help you a great deal, depending on what supplies we have. At the very least, I can make something so simple as, say, gunpowder.

[lemontree]

Gunpowder? [ Sorry, Rosalind: it hasn't been invented yet. ] ...I don't disagree with you, but we need to think about the population realistically. Not everyone can go on the offensive, and not everyone should.

[ There are some children here, after all, and some older who are inexperience. Who would be at risk. ]

As I said, those who want to fight will not lack for the opportunity.

[originallutece]

Ah. Gunpowder is a substance consisting of charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter. Igniting it creates a controlled explosion, which can be used to fire a metal pellet at a target. Very dangerous, but very good at getting the job done.

[soldier_blade]

[Sonya's actually on her way to HQ when she gets the feed, the duel feelings of excitement and dread building in her. This is more her territory, what she's at home with-and it never fails to have her wonder.]

The shelters should have escape routes planned if those inside need to make an escape. A shelter will be useless if the Null breach the defenses and trap those inside.

[Of course, it's a risk either way, but better a chance at freedom than the risk of ending up inside a death trap.]

I'll join the rest of the guard in planting an attack, of course. Till then, we should also reinforce various defenses and escape routes in the city. The Null are machines, even if they can't be brought down like flesh and blood creatures, we can set up traps to slow down or even damage them.

[lemontree]

I'm not sure that we can provide much of an escape. The houses have no tunnels or other exits.

[ Not that they know of, but she doesn't expect Delight's housing to come with secret passageways, either. ]

We plan to reinforce our defenses, but someone with greater knowledge of the streets should map our escape. As you say: we can leave traps along those routes to ensnare the Null while our people flee. There are...many moving parts within this machine.

[soldier_blade]

I can make some smaller maps of the more concentrated areas, and HQ will have maps of the wider areas. [They were more used for planning patrols, but it'd serve this purpose just as much.]

Some of the more limber trees could be manipulated to damage their joints, the ground could be made more uneven so they couldn't move as fast, and vines and other plants could be moved in such a way that even if they were to cut free, they'd have a hell of a time getting through.

[There's something of the ghost of a grin on her face.] I had an uncle who served in a tropical environment like this decades ago, and I did survival training in such jungles. The more gear and 'parts' you have, the trickier it is to navigate, to say nothing of vines, wood and even muddied paths set to slow them down.

[She knew this all too well from her own experience-both good and..well, it was all bad.] As for the escape routes, we'll have to find a way to make them ourselves. The Null might try and trap those inside if they can't find a way to get to us.

(Video)

[stonebird]

Your Grace, I am ready to help protect Delight's Housing. Furthermore, I suggest that any barriers or walls that are fragile be reinforced with either wood or stone. We are blessed to have our choice of both if we so choose.

(Of course gathering enough will be a chore.)

I suggest we approach Lord Hope if we need assistance.

(Video)

[lemontree]

More than that, I know of some who can creates barriers of their own with magic. We can use their skills to our advantage.

[ She smiles with gratitude at Sansa, but there's more to it, of course: what is to come won't be good, and it's difficult to remain hopeful that they'll all make it out alive. ]

Are you on good terms with him? If that's the case, then it would be to our benefit for you to ask him for whatever he can provide.

(Video)

[stonebird]

If something should happen to them, we can build physical barriers to fall back on.

(If you want to consider the worst case scenario, Sansa is your girl!)

Relatively. He is very kind. (And handsome, but she won't get into that.) I shall do my best.

video;

[redwinekindofgirl]

I plan to not fucking die. How's that for a plan.

[Okay, not a great plan, but Julie's never really been one for complex strategy. She tucks a lock of her short hair behind her ear, and shakes her head.]

But no, seriously. What about the coliseum. Can we use that?

video;

[lemontree]

It is an intention, but not a plan. If you want to live, and to help others to do the same, then you should think beyond simple resolution, however strong.

[ The response made her chuckle, though, so there's that. ]

I would worry that it has too many paths leading in and out. ...Everything is worth considering, though. Do you know how many tunnels lead in to the coliseum? If we could collapse all but one, then it could be viable.

[Video]

[prophesiedone]

I'm a Force user and a powerful one at that. That means I can push, pull, throw and...choke...others...enemies...without touching them.

[It's so much more than that, but that is the part that is the most useful in battle.]

I also have a lightsaber. It's a sword that can cut through just about everything.

[Video]

[lemontree]

You can fight your enemies without laying a hand on them? [ Impressive. A little terrifying. ] I imagine that's been useful against the Null.

[ As is the...sword he mentions. This man is clearly very powerful. ]

Will you join on the front lines, then?

[video]

[hot_mes]

The temples.

[he's got his own shit going on but here's some advice anyway]

They'll be after the gods, not us. Protect the temples. Hope, Fear, and Sorrow primarily, I don't think they'll give as much attention to Confusion or Love at first. They need to stop us from resurrecting and from escaping, so that's where they'll focus their attack.

[video]

[lemontree]

It's something to consider. I worry, though, about splitting our forces and weakening our number.

[ If the Null are intelligent, they'll attack the defenseless and try to lure Hadriel's defenders away from the temples. What then? ]

At the very least, I think that you're right about their intended targets. Without the ability to return to life or to flee...well.

[ Whoever remained after the initial attack would be...in trouble, to say the least. ]

Voice

[utulien_aure]

We'll need more supply caches. Arrows, bullets, medical supplies- anything which may need to be accessed in a hurry.

As for what else to protect- Law is right about the Temples, and anything else connected to the gods will be under attack. The clinic and the Guardhouse as well, if last time is any indication.

Voice

[lemontree]

That, we should begin work on now. Preparation will be key during this war.

[ And it is a war, unfortunate though that is for the citizens - the captives - caught between the gods and their enemy. ]

With all the temple to consider as well as those two locations, we will be spread thin across the city. How can we hope to defend them all with our limited forces?

video

[pocketspa]

[His sister is here, and he has no interest in dying in this experience, so here he is too with a very similar voice coming over the screen.]

My plan is not to be super dead. But also uh, nobody should be running around alone. Take it from me, they are not a solo kill, no matter how small or stupid they look.

[audio]

[circumitus]

Have fought things like the Null back home. Am familiar with their strengths and weaknesses as well. Best defense is a good offense, as they say -- knowing where to hit them where it hurts is important.

[As for her plan...] Been thinking about going and scouting other places, though. Null planet could have something useful, and we found a communications hub back at the last planet, if we wanted to try our luck drawing their attention that way.

Video

[ragnarsson]

We should focus a force on attacking them ahead of time. Preemptive strikes can sometimes be enough to weaken enemy forces or disorient them long enough to build those stationed in the main base so that they're strong enough for a direct attack.

[Someone sounds like he knows his battle strategies and indeed that is the case. Ivar's always been good at figuring how to get the outcomes he wants during wars. He's only ever lost two battles.]