A Call for Order

After eating breakfast, there was much to be done. A rather swift end had been brought to my lord's personal quest and with that came the need of a new mission. I am still rather hazy on what exactly that mission will be but I know it involves a return to our original plan of starting up a village for Battousai to call home and serve as a base of operations. The Latito region is strategically position between the desert lands which are home to the bandit clans and the Coastal Regions ruled by the Queen of Mare Maris, my former employer. Latito is not a militaristic city-state and thus would pose no threat or problem for us to establish a presence near them. That is exactly what I planned to do. Having left from the coastal region village, I would make my way south near the border with the desert lands to a land east of Theden, the home base of Yuki. All of these locations had been carefully selected to serve a very specific purpose. Latito was useful in that they were self-sufficient, so they would serve to be a model of sorts for understanding what I needed to teach my lord about running a village.

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They would also be where some of our more skilled labor would come form. The beauty of moving in near an established, yet non-militaristic people is that they tend to have people who are not quite satisfied with how things are currently operating at home.

Arriving in the village, some of my operatives who had moved into this village to begin making preparations for my arrival and serving as the architects of this plan were quickly alerted to my presence and found ways to get messages and update reports to me. A secret meeting had been prepared between myself and some of the leadership who was tired of being bullied and such by the bandits and brigands who roamed around these parts. The meeting is set for that evening, so once I make my way to the inn and close myself off in my room, I start teleporting my operatives to my room, which is placed off by itself so that I could have the privacy that I required. With most of my operatives gathered they tell me that the primary concern that might interfere with my plan is a group of "nobles" who are believed to be in bed with the main brigand that has been plaguing the village.

EXP: 229

Nodding to the operatives, I tell them that they already know what is to be done in that case. "Bring me the information that proves this, so that I can silence them and remove them from the scenario." I tell them that I also require a report on the status of the primary obstacles. I tell them that I will spend some time visiting these obstacles and getting them to see the more beneficial side of all of this. I do not see the point in always killing one's adversaries. It was often so much easier to simply show them another path that would allow them to become useful to you. Between the three operatives who were assigned to monitoring and gathering intel on the threats, each believes that a different threat is the primary threat. I look to simplify the debate by asking, "Which of these groups is the least likely to cooperate even if one of the other primary obstacles finds themselves neutralized?" Each of them tells me that the brigands have a solid enough foothold here that they would continue operations. I smile and tell my more aggressive operatives to clean house of rogue elements attached to the brigands. Credible interrogation tactics were authorized. I take all of their intel on the brigands and assign my roving operatives to gather intel on the brigands immediately. They already knew why as well. If they were the primary problem, then I would solve it, so that when Battousai arrives in a few days, things would already be in place for his arrival. He would be welcomed to assume his role as village leader and set them on a path to prosperity.

EXP: 318

A day would pass by with me studying maps and setting up a mock model of the village here as well as the proximity to the brigands' main camp and other outposts that they are known to utilize. This needed to be very thorough. I am in no mood to deal with a drawn out campaign. The outposts would be purged from this region in a swift procession as is the main camp. That would ultimately be my primary focus, but given my ability to teleport freely, I see no reason in not participating in the primary activities. Out of all of the locations, I had very clear objectives. The first target would be the primary arms storage. The second would be the location that is believed to be their main treasury for lack of a better term outside of their main camp. The third location is their main slave camp. This would provide reinforcements and a distraction to their forces. The fourth target is an outpost that is closest to their nearest ally. My plans for that one is to send a very clear message to their allies and to any who would dare think about helping them in this. The fifth objective is a trap within the village to out their agents here and to remove the nobles from the equation. My operatives were finishing up on putting the last coat of polish on that whole rouse. Once those are finished, all that would be left is for the main camp to fall. I had quite the surprise to see that happen.

EXP: 283

The moment that I was waiting on was upon us. Mirage, a female human operative that I had gained the allegiance of during my time as an operative for Mare Maris, arrives at the pleasure house that I had turned into my makeshift base of operations. There were many distractions here that would keep me unnoticed which is a primary matter of import and dare I say a necessity for me. She was more familiar with the workings of such a facility than I was. I knew of their value in terms of gathering information. Men say far more than they should when in the thralls of passion and pleasure, whether in the midst of the activity or shortly after its conclusion during the "pillow talk" time frame. My models are set up based upon the most recent intel that I had been given earlier this morning. This would have to suffice for when Mirage enters my room, her face says it all. I walk over to the window and there is commotion in the streets as the civilians are up in arms against the nobility that had betrayed them. I look away from the window at the female operative. "Good work. Now smoke out their agents. Interrogate them however you wish, but no one is to be executed without a direct order from me to you. Is that understood, Mirage?" She nods and leaves to begin. I would leave her and the operatives to get started on that. It was time, I paid a visit to my future allies or obstacles, whichever they were about to identify themselves as.

EXP: 292

My plan within the village was going fully according to plan. Chaos had been unleashed within the village after beheading the corrupt power structure here. Now, I would begin on the next phase. Leaving from the room, I arrive in the midst of the civil commotion and see some of my operatives trying to calm the villagers while others keep them riled up. What most rulers do not understand is that the citizens must feel the need for change in order for it to go smoothly. In this case, I am setting up those who have benefited from the current situation to enjoy an easier time as the voice that is currently guiding them and giving them hope is a voice that speaks as I command. I walk towards the southern exit to the village watching what was going on. There is currently no legitimate militia in this village, so I have organized a "secret police" if you will consisting of my operatives and allies that they have made within the village who have shown martial aptitude. I chose to walk in order to observe how they are keeping them civil and preventing rioting. Once outside of the village, I teleport away moving for my first destination thru the Void. Exiting the void in the middle of the bandit camp, I watch as they turn to look at me. The energy to escape had already been channeled. "Tell your leader that the one known as Hunter is here to speak with him. I need to discuss business and the future with him." Spatial energy wraps around me in a protective force field that would merely appear like a distortion of my image, which tends to add to the intimidation factor that is required with such introductions. Fear is a valuable asset when establishing position between yourself and another faction that you plan to assimilate into the fold.

Instead of just doing as I asked, one of them decides to step forward and challenge me. Not the smartest course of action...

EXP: 380

"Who do you think you are ordering us around like..."

I have no intentions of letting him finish. Spatial energy releases from me and travels over to the bandit while he is talking. When his words stop, his comrades would notice that he was "swallowed up into nothingness" and no one saw or even felt him anymore. I of course knew exactly where he was, but the coldness in my eyes prompts compliance. There are gasps and whispers as one of the bandits stumbles back and rushes to retrieve their leader. While I wait, several of them look at me. The bandit leader seems to think that I have all day to sit around and wait for him to arrive so using my tracking abilities, I follow the scent and feel of the bandit who went to retrieve him to get their location. I take a few steps in that direction before vanishing from sight with a single word, "Shimmer." Appearing next to them on a balcony looking down to the courtyard, I address him, "I do not like to be kept waiting, bandit." They both jump at the sound of my voice so close to them.

EXP: 210

The bandit looks at me and he asks what I want. "The answer to that is simple. There is a village not far from here. You know it well. You will no longer antagonize said village as it is now under my lord's protection as it is to become his home. Furthermore, you will aid me and my operatives by sharing intel. I may also call upon you and your gang here to carry out certain missions for me. You will be well compensated for their successful completion." The bandit leader looks at me with a smirk before inquiring, "And if we refuse?" I take a breath and exhale slowly. After drawing my next breath, I reply, "If you refuse to work for me, yet leave the villagers alone, I will not bother you. However, if you choose not to heed my warning, I will remove your head from your body and leave it for all of your men to see. Then I will make my offer to your second in command and advise him to either join or obey. I have the patience to continue that process until there is compliance or I decide to completely wipe you out."

EXP: 208

He seems to take offense to that statement. He moves his hand towards his weapon and a void orb appears in my right hand. "Reach for it and you die. Hunting bandits and brigands is something that I am very skilled at. Primarily because I am skilled at utilizing them against enemy groups. You know of a group of brigands are rumored to be in league with the nobles of said village, yes?" He rescinds his hand's motions and leans against the ledge of the balcony. Nodding to me, he tells me that he knows of them and can't stand them. I nod back and tell that I already knew this. "That is why I chose to talk and not attack. You are an obstacle to the order my lord desires in the village. I see no need in destroying you simply because of that fact. You want the brigands and so do I. So, if you work with me, we both get what we want. Also, I care not for the majority of their spoils. Those will be left to you and your men. I will simply show you how to eliminate your enemy. The choice is yours. Riches are gained by those willing and able to claim them." With one of his bandits present, he was backed into a tight spot. If he refused and I was successful in taking down the brigands then his leadership would be questioned as they would have missed out on the spoils that I had offered almost exclusively to them. Still, bandits typically enjoyed their freedom and they would have to be at my beckon call.

EXP: 287

I give him a moment to think over my proposal. Their leader was proud and while he was not the top dog out of the bandits in the area, he was top dog in his gang. Much to the other bandit's displeasure, he rejects my offer and reaches for his dagger. I allow him to throw it before I speak, "Wrong choice." The dagger bounces off of my shield as the orb collides into the bandit at full power and knocks him backwards over the ledge of the balcony. As he falls to the ground, the others look up. My spatial energy reaches out to the bandit on the balcony with me as we teleport down to the ground. I stand next to the body. Speaking out loud, I address them. "I gave your leader a choice that would have made all of you quite rich or at least kept all of you alive. He chose the wrong option. The village north of here that you all have been raiding is now under the protection of my lord, Battousai. As such, they are off limits. All of you have an individual choice to make. The brigands who allied themselves with the nobles of that village are going to be eliminated soon. If you join with me, you will obtain goods that will provide a comfortable life with plenty of enjoyment and pleasure. I have no intention of domesticating you, but if you join me, you will obey my orders and carry out missions that I assign you to. I will not waste your lives or your talents. Prove yourself worthy and you will rise within my network. Prove yourself weak and without use and you will fall. Seniority means nothing to me. Loyalty and merit mean everything. The choice is yours. Should you choose not to join, leave in peace and find another gang to join with. Join with the brigands and you will die. Attempt to betray me and you will die. Disobey me and you will die. I will return this evening for your answer. If you are still here then you are with me. Do not make the same mistake that he made."

EXP: 385

My hand raises towards the direction of where the first bandit annoyed me and I speak, "Release." Their comrade is dropped out of nowhere and when they look back for me, I am already gone. The bandits would be clamoring between those in favor of the offer and those who want revenge or don't wish to serve an outsider. The bandit who witnessed everything would tell them that I am not normal and am able to attack with dark powers and to appear and disappear without warning. The bandit that I had imprisoned within a pocket realm in the void was definitely confused as I assume he thought he was dead for a while there while he was trapped. Now that he was free and saw that the leader had been killed, he was all for the "why don't we choose the not pissing him off option" group. As that group began to grow in number, some of the influential bandits decided that they would just leave without getting into the mess of arguing. That drew several bandits away from the joining side. There were other influential members that spoke up for the side of wanting to follow someone who was powerful and able to really provide and give the bandits a fair chance. They noted that a leader who was willing to give them a chance based solely on their abilities and their deeds was worth following in their eyes. There would be flipflopping for a while longer before the sides were firmly set. There are some difficult partings, but each side knew why they were making their choice. They would miss their brethren but it would seem that their paths were leading in two very different directions.

EXP: 320

While all of that is going on, I make my way to the other bandit camp. It would seem that this one is actually waiting on me to arrive. Their leader is sitting down at a big lunch feast and there is a seat next to him. When I appear, he stands, "You must be the one called Hunter. You're the one pulling all the strings in the village west of here, yes?" I approach without answering. I appear next to him and he offers me a seat. I inspect the chair to ensure that there are no traps or magic wards that might bind me or prevent me from escaping. He smiles and nods, "Cautious. Good. That answers the question of who you are. So allow me to pose another one. What brings you here?" I tell him that I bring a proposal that would be beneficial to consider. One of their maids walks over and starts preparing a plate. She is wearing a very revealing top and full length dress. I look at her and turn my attention right back to him. She posed no threat to me, so I diverted my attention from her. He finds this odd. "You do not think her attractive?" I tell him that such things are distractions from completing one's mission. He chuckles and lifts his goblet of wine to take another sip. "You truly are a peculiar one, Hunter. So what is this proposal?" I give him the same options as the other bandits and await his answer. The maid pours me a drink and without hesitation, I take a sip. He pauses and says with a grin, "You drink wine from a bandit with no hesitation? What if it was poisoned?" I look at the wine then at him and speak with my usual coldness, "It would not work and I would kill you for wasting good wine."

EXP: 330

He chuckles again and says, "I like you, Hunter. So, if me and the gang here help you. We can operate freely on other villages so long as we agree to help you when you need and you still pay us for helping you?" I nod to him. "You will also want to avoid the village of Theden tho you shouldn't make it all the way over there anyway." The charismatic bandit leader nods to me and agrees, "Sure. You sound like a bunch of fun and besides, I hate the brigands and those pompous nobles. That and you seem the type to like a challenge so the sort of trouble you'd be getting into sounds like a whole lot of fun. What do you need us to do first?" I pull a small map out from my garbs and hand it to him. "Are you familiar with that location?" He nods and I tell him that the guards there will be very confused and muddled about an hour or so after dusk. At that point, he and his gang are to attack. Upon success, you are to sack it for everything of value... then I want you to destroy the outpost or burn it to the ground for all I care. Once you have all the goods collected, take them to the village where Mirage will be waiting for you. Drop off half of the loot for the village and the rest is yours. Then you and your gang will meet me here. You won't want to miss that. You will get to see first hand what I am truly capable of. Can you accomplish that?" He rises from his chair, chugs down his wine, and slams his goblet on the table. "Eat, drink, and bed the wenches while you can! Tonight, we've got work to do! Like I told you, the riches are about to come in!" I nod to him and take another sip of the wine before I vanish without a word.

EXP: 334

There are a couple more hours until everything moves according to plan and I needed to oversee one last element to make everything work. I return to the village to check in on Mirage and her efforts. I arrive to watch the interrogation of one of the nobles. He is crying and begging for mercy. I walk up to him and smile. He looks at me and my mind reaches into his. I was not being gentle at all. Several images pop into my head from his and I relay them with names to Mirage. We do this with several of the more influential and obstructive nobles. They had the most intel to be extracted. From them, we discovered agents who had been pretending to be against the nobles in order to spy on us. The order is given to collect them as well. I bring Mirage up to speed on my plans and she acknowledges her role in it all. She asks what I want done with the nobles and I tell her that they are of no further use to me, so that she can execute them whenever she likes. Since they are cowardly and do not wish to die, they would confess to more material things that would be used for the final fundraiser of this campaign and a source of income for the bandits who allied themselves with me. Either way, it would matter to me because the village now belonged to Battousai. He could arrive tomorrow and all would be well for tonight, I would cleanse this region of the undesirable elements to ensure that the village had nothing to worry about while the initial stages of the growth and building process began.

END RP

EXP: 304
Land/Village Claim Complete: ??? {Battousai's Village gained}
Promotional Tour Complete: +20% of Battousai's unused population to be gained
Path for Thread: Leader (Operative Network)