ALL KNIGHTS ♔ AUDIO

[sirsolace]

[ it's in the small hours of the morning the day after LA that solace broadcasts the following message: ]

Your section heads have met with the Knights who returned alive from Los Angeles, as well as debriefing Jack Chessing on what occurred.  We can at this time confirm that Keijen Blade found a way to kill his own father, the drow god Malaak'a, after breaking the seal on his divine prison and unleashing him in this world.  Blade has, somehow, absorbed at least some of the powers of his father's previous domain. 

Wynn himself remained behind, engaging in singular combat with Blade, while Sir Chessing gave an order for the rest to retreat.

We have no way of knowing whether Wynn is still alive, and therefore must carry on as though he were not, to face this threat.  All communications have been cut off with the LA area, and so we will be assembling a team to attempt to go in on foot for reconnaissance, before deciding how best to next proceed.  It is essential that all Knights recognize that this is now our driving mission.  All other matters must be put aside for the time being.  We will not force anyone to go into the field, given the deadly nature of what we are no likely up against, but we will insist upon support from all Knights, adherence to orders, and extensive training from even those stationed here at the castle, in case this evil spreads and becomes something that none of us can avoid.  Those who are not willing to do this will not be offered the protections of this castle - we have dealt with the sudden revelation of traitors within our own walls, agents of the Nine Hells themselves, and those who will not take action to work with us, even in a support capacity, cannot be trusted with access to our resources and intelligence on this matter.  

This situation is, quite simply, all hands on deck.  If you will not stand with us, you are choosing to actively forsake your place in this Knighthood.  We understand that some will make this choice willingly, to go be with family or loved ones outside these walls.  If this is the case, we will not begrudge your choice, but must take the necessary precautions to protect our members and our mission.  

On the note of these traitors in our midst, it is also forbidden to have private contact with Elena Gilbert, or Desmond Descant, the identified agents of Hell. 

We have reason to believe, as well, that the villain known as the Mind Master, an associate of Keijen Blade's and a powerful psionic demon, may have extended a level of mental influence over some of the agents who have been deeply involved in the mission to halt this from occurring over the last five years.  Because of the possibility of this, those Knights will be removed from action for the time being, until Blade is stopped and she destroyed.  We cannot risk the damage they may otherwise do, against their own wills, and would spare them that psychological damage as well.

Unfortunately, this includes our own Sir Chessing.  The Section Heads have voted myself and Sir Hasmed into the position of acting Dragon's Claws.  Should we discover in our intelligence gathering that Wynn is still alive, we will hold those positions until such time as Blade and the Mind Master are defeated, their influence broken, and restore leadership of this Knighthood to Wynnefalshond and Sir Chessing.  For the time being, however, there is evidence that either of them may have been swayed in some way, and thus we must act in the best interests of completing this mission.  

Training will begin in the next few days, overseen by both Sir Ironsides and Sir Wellington, as well as the Hellsing militia, who will be granting us the benefit of their military experience.  You are expected to report daily for combat training beginning at 0600, training location assignments to be announced before then.  You are to treat the orders of Hellsing commander Peter Ferguson with due respect and dignity.  The Hellsing forces have extensive experience in fighting evil monsters, and we have partnered with Sir Integra Hellsing in this endeavor.  They will be arriving in the next twenty-four hours.

These are dark times, indeed.  But now, more than ever, it is important that we stand together, put aside all grudges, and rise to the occasion for which each of us has sworn a life-binding oath.

You have sworn to defend this Knighthood, and for that, you must be willing to train to stand in defense of it.  

You have sworn to protect the weak, and as such, must become strong enough to stand between them and evil.  

You have sworn not to recoil before our enemies, and as such, you must not let fear overcome you and tempt you to run from this burden.  

You have sworn to make war against injustice, and for that, you must prepare yourself for the very real war that we must now wage.  

You have sworn to never lie, and for this, must be honest and straightforward in your dealings with us and remain true to the oath you have made.  

You have sworn to be generous, and never will more be asked of you than to lend every part of yourself to this mission.

And you have sworn to be everywhere - and always - the champion of the right and the good, against injustice and evil.  We face now great injustice, and greater evil.  Without you, without our champions, we will not triumph.  But standing together, we will make this right.

May the gods stand with us as well.

[ with a 44 diplomacy check, it is almost impossible to deny the swelling power of his words, the surprising conviction and quiet passion that lies beneath them.  sir solace is often the silent presence behind the knighthood's healers, but now it is suddenly apparent to many why he is one of the leaders hand-selected by wynn as well. ]

[ Private to Failboat ]

We regret that these are the measures that we must take, but expect that you, who have seen the evil that this woman can enact, will understand better than any why we must take no risks in this.  What you have sacrificed, and given, for this mission will not be dismissed.  We honor the work that you have done thus far.  But for now, we ask that you stand aside.  We will not require you to leave the castle, but will ask that you continue to participate in routine training, should the castle be besieged, or things become so dire that we require you to join us in action, despite the risks.  But you will be excluded from all intelligence regarding our movements, and not allowed in the field.  

We hope, as you do, that these measures will be short-lived.

Comments

private ♔ to failboat

[dragonsclaw]

[ a message is left beneath the doors of each of the knights of failboat that night as well - rather than a drakenet communication, this is written on paper and sealed ]

Meet in Thomas' room, at eight o'clock AM. -JC

& dovan | closed

[impetere]

[A lot of this makes sense, for better or worse, but there's one thing that stands out to Cora that makes her deeply uncomfortable: Hellsing. No matter how many reassuring words they give her, she won't forget the fact that they tried to kill her, which means she does not trust them.

She does not trust them with her safety, she does not trust them with her pack's safety, and she does not trust them with Lan's safety.

So she reaches out to her section head, who she knows has had a long night, but she wants to figure this out before Hellsing gets here, not after. So ring ring ring Dovan phone.]

[ironsides]

[ oh he's awake alright, at least ] Hello?

[impetere]

It's Sir Hale. I'm sorry to bother you this late.

[There's a beat as she tries to put this into words as respectfully as possible, because this has been a long day but every part of her wants to just scream GET THEM AWAY FROM ME.]

I'd like to respectfully request that none of the werewolves get put on missions with Hellsing operatives. I understand why we need them, and I get how bad this is. I do. But they've also already tried to kill me once, and I don't want to give them a second shot.

[It's one thing to train in the castle, but it's another thing entirely to be out in the field. She knows that much already. In her mind, it's the simplest solution she can see moving forward.]

[ironsides]

Sir Hale!

[ he sighs a bit ] I'm sorry if this news has been alarming for you, lass. You have to believe me that we made sure Lan was in talks for all of this. We never would have done it had he not agreed to it.

[impetere]

[Part of her wants to protest that Lan doesn't know what it's like to be hunted. He knows the struggle of being a wolf but she still remembers her family burning to death around her. But she tries not to make it personal, or even to make it seem like she doubts Lan. She may be a werewolf but he has more experience in fighting this kind of war.]

I understand that. I even understand why. But I don't trust them or the members of the pack to be safe with them.

audio.

[trigeminalheadache]

Sir Solace, exactly who or what is Hellsing?

[ Someone got a 6 on her Knowledge (local) check. ]

[sirsolace]

They are a paramilitary organization, a branch of the Queen's arm. They operate at her command to keep England safe from paranormal and supernatural threats, and other monsters.

[trigeminalheadache]

Oh. That’s... good. [ Nailed it. ]. I know you said we’re all to report for combat training, but what about those of us whose talents may lie elsewhere?

[sirsolace]

You'll still be expected to train, for a worst case scenario where the castle once again becomes a battleground, or for anything that we cannot at this time predict.

But you won't be assigned to the front lines in the field. There's plenty to be done here at home.

[trigeminalheadache]

[ Guess who got a 25 on her will save to avoid freaking out over the castle becoming a battleground the first time, let alone again? This girl. ]

That’s good to know. Not that I’m trying to shirk my duty in training or anything. I just... the only blemish on my academic record is gym class, so I’m probably not the person you want on the front lines in any fighting capacity.

audio

[nojedi]

[No. No. It can't, it...

She swallows, and breathes. Allows herself to meditate long enough to stop panicking. Then she picks up her phone.]

I have been there before when a peaceful organization chose to go to war. I joined the Knights because Wynn said they were different. This is a mistake.

[sirsolace]

This isn't a war that we are waging, Sir Ahsoka. It is one in which innocents will already be dying.

Our organization has been here before as well. We fought in the second World War, against great evil. I think you'll find few who regret our part in that.

[nojedi]

You misunderstand me. It's not the fighting I have a problem with. It's allying yourself with this Hellsing organization and taking away freedoms. It's turning us into an army.

My war spanned the whole galaxy. And of course, we fought for the right reasons. To protect people. To keep the Republic together. To defeat the evil separatists.

I truly hope yours ends better than ours did, but I can't sit back and watch as you make the same mistakes that destroyed the Jedi.

[sirsolace]

Hellsing and ourselves may disagree on some matters, but we are both interested in the same ends - ridding this world of evil that does not belong in it.

[nojedi]

[He still doesn't get it.]

The Jedi were destroyed and the galaxy enslaved. And everyone went into it with the same good intentions. You can tell me it's different all you want, but I've seen a whole lot more similarities than differences so far. This will not end well.

closed ☁ to elena

[highlyemotional]

[ it's a very simple text ]

UM?

[doubletake]

I see the news is spreading.

[highlyemotional]

What is an agent of hell?

[doubletake]

There's a very extensive library you might be able to look it up in underneath your very roof, but the description you have already is rather accurate on its own.

I imagine you're angry and confused.

[highlyemotional]

I'm confused.

[ she is currently sans any other emotions, she refuses to have any other emotion right now, forcing them down until she has an explanation. she has come to terms that elena isn't her best friend, but she's still elena and caroline still can't erase eighteen years of habit. ]

[generaldavideus]

In addition to Hellsing, should we also be reaching out to other allies?

[It seems like the right thing to do if they're preparing for war.]

[sirsolace]

We're already in the process of speaking to the United States military.

[generaldavideus]

What about some of the people we've helped?

[He may be thinking the Homo Magi. He would need to perform some amazing diplomacy probably but end of the world. Every little bit helps, right?

Besides, this is how they did it in Everworld. Collect the favors until it came time to call them in.]

[sirsolace]

The more parties we bring in, the more difficult this will remain to coordinate - not to mention that many of those we help are ill-equipped to face the threats we'll be fighting, which is why they needed our help in the first place.

We're trying to keep this down to the best few choices.