Morning Woods

My return had been delayed by... illness for the last couple weeks and would be expected to be delayed a bit longer, while I continue to undergo a transformation for lack of a better term while recovering in Sunnveil. Mirage had remained in the secret village to oversee the Network while I was gone with Battousai and Jay'de in Mare Maris and also during my departure following those events and while she might find cause for concern that I had not contacted her or returned, she knew what her duties were until my appearance. While she personally enjoyed the secret HQ village of the Network, referred to as the Nest, she had relocated to Jun'Jo for the time being. She would be residing in the domicile that is meant for me and Jay'de. It would be more of a primary hub for me to operate out of when not at the Nest.

Mirage had awoken shortly after dawn and prepared her report for the samurai lord of Jun'Jo. Being an operative was rather easy for Mirage, but my role as Strategist and Advisor to Battousai is something she definitely struggles at. Still, we had a role to fulfill and so it would be done. Once her report is prepared, she leaves the house and makes her way over towards Battousai's normal morning location in order to report in and receive orders for the Network.

EXP: 258
TEXP: 2 (250 & NPC)

The lord's domicile would actually be the first place that she would look since it is early in the day. Upon reaching the lord's residence, she would knock on the door or partition and wait to be acknowledged. She would inform him that it was her in the event that he asked. Once permission to enter is granted, she would enter. Kneeling across from him at about 8-10 paces, she would bow respectfully. Mirage knew full well that she was a reflection of her leader while he was still missing, so she knew that she needed to act with the utmost respect towards Battousai. As she watches him prepare his plate, her first instinct is to request that he allow her to do that for him, but she restrained. He seemed to be in good health, so there seemed to be no reason to treat him as if he is incapable of looking after himself. Instead, she would remain silent for a moment. Once the rice is prepared, she would speak, "Good morning, my lord. Construction is progressing on schedule. The Network has cultivated contacts in three of the nearest border villages in the Desert Lands in order to begin trade of resources, goods, and information. The same efforts are being put forth in Latito and the nearest southern Coastal Region villages. Latito is providing minor resistance to outside influence, but I plan to send a token of goodwill in order to show them that we intend only to aid them in both economic prosperity and their own security. Those are the priority points of the report, Lord Battousai. What are the lord's orders for today?" She falls silent as she awaits the commands of the day and the question that frequently comes and provides no solace for either her worries about her leader nor towards her wonderings of his approval or disapproval of her aptitude as his stand-in advisor.

EXP: 362
TEXP: #3 (2 threads)

Mirage reaches into the pouch behind her and retrieves a "traveling map", one that is small enough to be easily transported with her, but large enough to easily read. She tells Battousai that her leader had started scouting the sector directly to the south or to the southwest. She would set the map between them with the north facing view provided for Battousai. She had studied the region more than enough times to be able to easily read the map upside down. She points out both areas and gives the rundown of the pros and cons. Thankfully neither of them had actual villages in them and while there were a few settlements, well really they were more resource gathering camps, neither posed a potential threat or reason for alarm. No martial force would be required to bring those sectors under the samurai's influence. More importantly in Mirage's mind tho is the fact that both sectors would fulfill the parameters that were set.

While wood wasn't overly abundant since it was not a heavily forested area, it would provide an ample supply while trade routes are being established between Jun'Jo and more forested regions. The closest hubs would be the ports near the Eastern Cove and the mountain merchant villages that bring in goods from Medius and the forest lands north of the Coastal Regions. She inquires, "My lord, is wood to be our primary import? I can get word to our merchants and operatives that are assigned to mercantile village posts in order for them to inform merchants that we require specific amounts of wood or other resources. All it requires is your command and I will see it done."

EXP: 324
TEXP: +2 (NPC & 250)

Mirage nods respectfully and confirms, "Your Will be done, my lord. I will dispatch a scouting party to prepare for your arrival and I will have your horse prepared." She pauses and makes a marking on the map within the selected sector directly south of Jun'Jo. She looks over the map and remarks, "If you were to build an outpost, my lord, the primary purpose of it should... I mean could be used as a resource hub until it can be formed into an adequate resource camp. My master had planned to establish something like this in order to start paving roads in order to make travel easier and faster for your resource gathering teams. It will also serve as a beacon for the lesser resource camps in the area. When they realize that they can get stable work, they could possibly draw them to Jun'Jo (future promotional tour) and it will serve to increase the lord's influence and work force." With the matter of the sector scouting well handled, Mirage would turn her focus inward now. She pauses for a bit longer before she convinces her to simply present the idea that she had been told to flesh out by her leader before his disappearance. "Lord Battousai... before my master's disappearance, he was working on the idea of building an academy of sorts. It would essentially be a way to provide structured training for your non-military personnel. They would be taught how to better perform their duties and it will serve as a way for your populace to be more useful to Jun'Jo. With such an academy, my master believed that you would also be able to increase your work force at a faster rate. If I might advise in his stead, there is a plot of land in the western area of the village near the lake that would be ideal for this academy (Trade School)." Again, she would fall silent and wait. In truth, it was her idea, but her master held clout with Battousai, so presenting it as his idea would be smarter in her opinion. After all, she did not desire credit for such things. Her place was out in the field and while she was accepting this role as a way to aid Jun'Jo, she longed to return to missions.

EXP: 424

Mirage would find a sense of relief and a boost to her confidence when he approves of her idea. With that settled, she bows deeply and answers, "At once, my lord." She rises to her feet and fades out of view (Role: Stealth) as she exits the room. Heading outside, it doesn't take long at all to get a scout in front of her. Her order is quite concise, "Resource Hub South is approved. Make sure the path to Location Dō is clear as well as the surrounding area. The lord wishes to survey that location." The scout tells her that everything was checked yesterday and she looks at him. He falls silent in intimidation before he responds, "My team will depart at once." She nods and he dashes off towards the southern gate. In the distance, one could see him joined by three other scouts. While Mirage may not possess the full array of power that the Leader does (did), her abilities are still well respected and feared within the Network. With the scout sent ahead, she would remain outside just looking at the villagers carrying on with the affairs. She thinks back to when her master first arrived to negotiate and the resulting return and the bloody "campaign" that followed that meeting. The purge of noble and the brigands was swift and sent a very clear message. Disturbances would not be tolerated... AT ALL. The people have since seen development begin and with the coming advancements, the populace are enjoying growing prosperity under Battousai's rule. It is now that she truly begins to understand the vision of her leader and their lord. Order provides stability and that is the most secure path to prosperity. Nodding to her, but coincidentally also a passing villager who greets her, she smiles.

EXP: 345

Since the scouts only had one task and purpose, they tended to be faster than normal militia, which would give them a sufficient head start. Thankfully for them, they didn't have to scout the entire sector again, just the path that Mirage would leading Battousai on. She had no desire for the samurai to be surprised on her watch. As he approaches Mirage, she would be checking over her weapons. There would be two daggers sheathed behind her back as well as a 3rd sheathed on her right thigh and a 4th on her lower left leg near her ankle. While the daggers tend to be her primary weapons, her favored weapon is coiled around her armored right arm. It is a daggertail (Bladed Chains) that she was given when she was named as the Hunter's Second. She stands calmly in observance of her surroundings, he seemed pleased with the idea of establishing an outpost and then expanding it into a resource camp for operations there. When her master returns, they would undoubtedly proceed to claiming the southern sector, so she is fully aware of the fact that that area would need to have a solid foothold from which they could exert true influence over it.

Also while the samurai is approaching, a young man would walk forward with two horses. Mirage wasn't the biggest fan of horses, but she did not have the necessary skill with spatial manipulations to teleport long distances, so she had no alternative other than horseback.

EXP: 287
TEXP: +2 (250 & NPC)

If only her master could see this. The operative formerly known as Dravec and Hunter knows full well that Battousai doesn't care for mounts. He learned this when they set out from the mansion in Medius in order to head east in order to find a location suitable for the construction of Jun'Jo. When they arrived in the general vicinity of the the land that would become known as Theden. The funny thing about all of this is that Mirage actually doesn't like mounts either, so it would increase the amusement if her master were present.

When the beast is held in front of her, she leaps onto its back situating herself in the saddle before grabbing the reins and leaning down to whisper into the horse's right ear telling him that if he throws her off or does anything wild and crazy that the villagers would be dining on horse meat tonight. She pats him on the head and lifts up to see if Battousai was ready.

The stable boy would look at Battousai and sense/notice the hesitation. Since Mirage is preoccupied with mounting her own horse, the boy looks at Battousai and speaks softly so that only Battousai could hear him. "My lord, place your right into that loop while holding onto the reins primarily in your right hand. Use your left hand to grab the top of the saddle and once you have a stable footing in the loop, lift your body into the air and swing your left leg over the back of the horse. Be sure not to kick the horse in the rear tho because it will take off running. These horse are rather intelligent, so you don't have to hit the horse to get him to obey you. Simply talk to him and he will understand your basic commands like Go, Stop, Slow Down, and Faster. Use the reins to tilt his head in the direction you wish to go if you need to turn left or right. Try to avoid making loud noises in its ear. Good luck."

Around the time of the well wishes from the servant, Mirage would be looking up at Battousai. His question would follow soon after. She responds, "By horseback is much faster and you do not expend your own energy. I am ready to go when you are."

EXP: 419
TEXP: 2 (250 + NPC)

The scouts arrived at the intended location called Dō. They fan out and encircle the area. Checking using their own methods of observation before meeting around the checkpoint marker and waiting.

Mirage and Battousai's ride would be both expedient yet relaxed. His question could have prompted a detailed story that is to be told later, but she would summarize with, "It was years ago shortly before he turned 16. He was training to become an operative like his master. He had just lost some close to him so he was far more vicious than you may know him to be. They were tracking a bandit that betrayed some warlord. A group of us had just been taken as spoils of a raid from the "courtesan school" that I was sold to. Hunter and his master chased their target into the village. Things got very bloody and even in his rage and covered in blood, he just looked at us. Blood almost got into his eyes, so I offered him my scarf to clean his face. After the things I had seen, I wasn't afraid of him like the other girls were. He snuck us out of the village before returning to his master. Most of the girls scattered and a few stayed with me. We followed them around the desert lands for a while until the Master opened a portal within the Void. Normally it is instantaneous, but the portal lingered for a while and we ran into it. We ended up in the Great Forest to the west. We found a village to stay in and did what we had to do to survive. We learned survival skills and when he came to the Village of the Moon on a mission, I found him and I have followed him ever since." She looks forward once more thinking about her master. She legitimately missed him, more than just as a leader, as with everything they had been thru over the years, they were in fact each other's closest & most trusted companions.

EXP: 366
TEXP: +2 (250 & NPC)

The silence is welcomed as a means of reflection and inward thought. The visit to the location is kept rather brief. There was not much to see at the moment but the samurai seemed to see the potential that it held. With his approval given, Mirage would nod and releases a distinct whistle, which is answered from four different locations around Battousai and Mirage's positions. Silence returns to the area and Mirage looks at Battousai and speaks, "The worker will begin on the Outpost and Resource Camp immediately, my lord. Shall we return to the village or is there more that you wish to survey?" The manner in which he made his declaration sounded like they were done here. Looking around after posing the question, Mirage began to see what was yet to be built. The builders would probably arrive first along with a contingent of militia fighters to serve guard duty while they work. Since this project had been planned for a bit, the schematics should already be prepared. They will simply need to show up, work out any last minute kinks that the terrain might present to their original plans and once the supplies arrive, get to work on building.

When the samurai and the operative returned to Jun'Jo, if he doesn't give her any further instructions, she would be returning to the Network Hub in Jun'Jo to start overseeing the daily operations of The Network.

EXP: 275

Exit RP
Sent to UYB

RP COMPLETE
Path: Leader (Operative network)

Updated Kaz