briefing ♔ better off without you tearing my will down

[wynn]

♬ A Stranger - A Perfect Circle

WHO || Wynn, Alanna, Jaime, Faith, Fiona, Jordan, Adi [Closed]
WHAT || Australia Mission Briefing
WHERE || Knights HQ, the briefing room
WHEN || July 20th, shortly before 5pm [forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

Just as before, accessing the secret room where the Round Table is housed requires using the Knight's keycard to open the glass case beside the mural of the War in Heaven, located across from the ballroom entrance. Using the fire extinguisher as a lever to activate the "door" mechanism reveals the long torch-lit hall plastered in artwork depicting the Knight's history. The tenants of the Knighthood hang large and foreboding over the doors at the end of the hall, which stand open to reveal the brightly lit Round Table, and the majestic crystalline dragon statue presiding over it.

Come in, find a seat, meet your teammates if you haven't already. Wynn is already here when you arrive.

Comments

[trebond]

[ Alanna's the first in because she is super eager about missions okay. What's more, Australia? Is gOING TO BE AWESOME. They're going on adventures. Adventures far, far away from the castle. Hell yes being knights saving people hunting things family business—

... wait.

Anyway. She enters the round table room, greeting Wynn with a broad grin and a nod. ]

You're timely today. [ She checks her phone as she sets it on the table, confirming that it's not 5 quite yet. She pulls up a chair just a few down from where he stands, to his right. ]

[wynn]

With all that's been happening, I find it best to stay one step ahead where I can. Sir Solace asked me to assign you to this mission.

[trebond]

[ wait what. the happiness drains out of her like a sieve and all that's left is cautious apprehension. ]

... Out of the goodness of his heart, I'm sure. [ she's 90% sure this is now an effort to get her killed. ]

[missindependent]

[ i'm gonna assume faith is dragging fiona into the round table room at this point, because there's no way she'd remember (or be on time) without a little help.

as the two bound into the room, they're talking to each other with little regard for keeping their conversation private... or quiet. ] We really get to go to Australia? [ that is damn exciting, faith ] I can't even remember the last time I was there!

[moonheart]

Well, I mean, to be fair, you can't remember a lot of things. [ it's said teasingly, something they can joke about. probably because fiona... won't remember it anyway. shh. faith grabs a seat on the side of the table closest to the door. ] Do you think we'll see kangaroos? Oo! Maybe I can get a koala!

[wishuponadjinn]

[Jordan trails behind the two girls like a puppy, blue eyes round with wonder upon entering the round table room for a real mission, taking in all there is to see. He sits on Fiona's open side, a small frown coming to his lips at her words, but he answers faith.]

Koala's carry STD's.

[trebond]

[ yeah alanna's got nothing. she looks confused. ]

What's an STD?

[moonheart]

Uhh [ and she laughs at jordan, with a smirk ] ... who exactly is gonna be having sex with a koala, cuz I can't see that being our biggest worry.

[wishuponadjinn]

[but they are so so gross and nasty ew ew ew. a light blush dusts his cheeks at faith's words as he answers alanna.]

An STD is a Sexually Transmitted Disease, and koala's are carriers of the nastiest of the nasty STD's.

[missindependent]

[ oh god, fiona can barely contain her laughter at that, but when she finally does, she gives jordan an incredulous look ] That is not only a really weird thing to say, but also totally false.

[twinfucker]

[Here comes Jaime clanking in with his full plate armor and greatsword cause he is prepared all right. He catches the last bit of the conversation and just... looks horrified. He makes his way over to Alanna's side. She isn't talking about having sex with koalas so. Preferable.

Enjoy it, Alanna, it is the one and only time he will be glad to see you.]

What, precisely, do illnesses and sex with animals have to do with this mission?

[wishuponadjinn]

[His mouth flaps a moment, affronted at having his random knowledge challenged. once he recovers he raises a finger towards the ceiling, eyebrows climbing nearly to his hairline.]

Point in fact; "In people, chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease. A different strain infects koalas, but it too can be spread sexually, and it's causing a devastating epidemic. In some parts of Australia, koala infection rates are as high as 90%."

[and it sounds as though he is quoting perfectly, word for word, from some scientific journal or other, and he looks ready to go on in case more concrete evidence is needed.

...and only then does he notice Jaime's entrance.

...and wynn's face.]

[missindependent]

[ yeah, fiona just laughs again, and isn't going to argue with him because she's fairly confident no one will be having sex with koalas on this mission. oh wait, that's right, she just says what she thinks before she realizes not to. ] I'm not going to argue with you, ya dork, because I'm 90% sure no one is going to be having sex with a koala on this mission.

[wynn]

... Nor can I. [ hi. guys. remember him. ]

[trebond]

I do worry that you're only 90% certain.

[ what. the. fuck. she turns to make a mean girls like #thesebitches face at jaime like w h a t. ]

[missindependent]

Well, Jordan is the one that brought it up. [ luv u brother ]

[wishuponadjinn]

[yeah, jordan is just going to shrink down in his chair as far as possible, face beet red.

w e l p this is a great first impression for his teammates.]

Sorry, sir.

[mining]

Brought up what?

[ Stepping in just in time to catch the shaming and the apology, so naturally he has to ask. ]

[moonheart]

Koala AIDS.

[trebond]

I believe he called it "chlamydia."

[mining]

[ So many words that make so little sense. He goes to take a seat next to Alanna somewhat hesitantly, glancing back to Faith. ]

... and what does it aid, exactly?

[twinfucker]

Really, best not to ask. I was so hoping we'd be done with the entire affair.

[trebond]

It's an illness, transmitted through — well. [ she flusters a bit on the explanation. ] Sir Lannister, and I wish it weren't so, is right. We've all arrived, we should focus on what the mission requires of us.

[wynn]

A good suggestion, Sir Alanna. Appropriate, perhaps, given you'll be acting as team leader on this particular mission.

You'll be traveling to Australia, investigating a strange story brought to the attention of our Australian branch, about a temple of Mystra that was recently built there. Are any of you familiar with the goddess? [ you can toss your knowledge (religion) checks in the briefing plurk ]

[twinfucker]

[HOLD

THE FUCK

ON.]

She's team leader?

[He would rather go back to talking about koala stds than have Alanna be team leader ok.]

[trebond]

Shut your gob, or you'll be riding with the baggage under the plane.

[ Seriously get bent ok!!! She reaffixes Wynn with her full attention, dismissing Jaime. ]

Thank you, Sir. Mystra's the human goddess of magic.

[wynn]

That is correct. A very powerful one, at that.

A traveling cleric of Mystra was the one who contacted us. I've his testimony on record for you to review. [ he opens a laptop sitting on the table and turns it around. a white-bearded man wearing a simple blue robe trimmed with white, accented by a cloak of deep blue and blue skullcap looks out nervously on the screen. his outfit is very shadow-worldy, to say the least.

"Er, yes. I am Tunaster Dranik. I wander, as many Mystran clergy do, seeking sources of old magic. I've been in tombs, dangerous ruins - I've even skirted the lair of a foul lich. But none of these holds a candle to the sight I saw a tenday past - a newly built temple of Mystra, in Katoomba.

"Seems normal enough, eh? But there are no other temples of Mystra in Australia. This is big news! I'm a long time cleric of the church who has lived in this world for decades. I'm in yearly contact with the organization as it stands in this realm. How is it that I don't know I'd find a temple of Mystra here? Why don't I, a cleric in good standing, know more of this 'Lady Arthas' who supposedly ordered the temple's construction, and sited it on the ruins of an old citadel?

"Astonished, I entered the temple immediately, looking for answers. I made it to the outer courtyard, but was rebuffed from entering the inner areas. I was told to wait for Lady Arthas. After an hour's wait, a man appeared, someone named Faron, and asked me to accompany him back to the middle courtyard. He wore the garb of a Mystran cleric, as I do, but something about him wasn't right. I can't explain it to you, but something made me... run.

"And they chased me! Why would they do that? Someone on the temple wall fired shots at me! But I escaped. What in the Nine Hells is going on in there? I need to find out, or failing that, go to the nearest legitimate temple of Mystra and ask for aid. This is why I came to you. Can you help me?

"I've already spoken to the authorities about the subject. The police assure me they have investigated the temple and found nothing amiss. I asked what they had discovered, and it seemed they'd only made a cursory check of the place after hearing about strange lights and noises. I sense his reluctance to look into the matter further has more to do with the City Council's pleasure at the business and taxes the temple brings in than with a firm understanding of what's happening.

"I can give you a substantial reward for penetrating the temple, finding out if some profanity to Mystra has been committed, and eliminating any such blasphemy. I'm going to travel to meet with my superiors at the Tower of Mystery, in hopes that they have some awareness of what transpires there. Thank you. I can't explain what this means."

wynn turns off the screen and looks up at them, raising an eyebrow. ]

[trebond]

[ tbqh alanna doesn’t see the problem because that sounds exactly like the stories she’s heard about mithran priests that she doesn’t know came from her delinquent-ass twin brother. they would totally chase people out of the temple.

but she gathers from wynn’s expectant look that this is not standard behavior of mystran clerics, so she leans forward. ]

Do you believe this ruse to be purely for the economic gain of a false temple, or could they have something more to gain by pretending to be servants of Mystra?

[wynn]

My initial reaction was to suspect the former, however in investigating, the Knights there also heard of a local bookseller who had been reported missing by his wife. A search of his home yielded a brochure for this temple, and they believe that's where he may have vanished to.

[twinfucker]

[Jaime still looks disgruntled and is absolutely not shutting his gob. But... For the moment, he focuses on the mission. Since he happens to know a whole lot about Mystra. He frowns as the video plays.]

I must wonder if they chose Mystra for a reason. This very much goes against the spirit of the religion.

[trebond]

[ The look Alanna gives Jaime is very much wHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MYSTRA, PEASANT, but she's not ... bickering mid-briefing. ]

It could be as simple as knowing there were no other Mystran temples in the area. Perhaps they hoped it would mean little interference from those actually associated with the religious order. Or ... as complicated as some sort of grudge against the practitioners of the faith.

[ She looks to Wynn. ]

Are we meant to focus on recovering the bookseller, stop the so-called temple, or simply gather information?

[wynn]

Your first order of business will be to uncover whether there's anything to be stopped, or if this is merely a misunderstanding. From there, I will leave it to your discretion as to how to proceed.

[trebond]

[ She nods and settles back, thoroughly satisfied with the answer and taking to heart that he'd like a thorough investigation before radical action is taken. Understandable.

She still wants to just walk right in the front doors, but it's understandable.

She'll leave any further questions to the others. ]

[twinfucker]

I still believe you're making a mistake in putting Ser Alanna in charge. She's hot-headed. Lacks restraint. [Has a vagina.]

[trebond]

You must be joking.

[ So offended rn. ]

The sort of restraint that keeps someone from trying to cleave their ally's head off with a bloody practice sword? Is that the restraint you mean? Because I've a great deal more of it than you. [ Seriously considering strangling Jaime rn. ] You're undisciplined and lack judgment. If I'm truly so hot-headed, perhaps you might have the sense not to test me.

[twinfucker]

Oh, don't exaggerate. If I'd wanted to cleave your head off, you'd be dead now. [He sneers at her because wow she isn't exactly coming off better by bickering.] Should've known you'd complain about me marring your pretty face. [Women.] And at least I've never struck down an opponent that's ceded a match.

[Preview of the entire mission... everyone enjoy.]

[moonheart]

[ faith is literally chinhandsing over here. with a giggle, she whispers dramatically: ] Now kiss.

[trebond]

I think not.

[ GROSS. ]

If there's nothing else, Sir. [ let's get this meeting back on track because otherwise Alanna will actually commit murder. ] When are we meant to leave?

[wynn]

A few days should give you the time necessary to requisition any arms or equipment you desire.

[missindependent]

[ fiona's a lot less subtle with her laughter at their bickering over here, and she almost loses it with faith's comment. she knows much about mystra, and has magic flowing through her very veins over here, but she's not really worried about planning for the mission, or how it's going to turn out. things just have a way of falling into place when she's there, so it's all good, all the time.

she views wynn's last statement as good as a dismissal, and bounds up from her seat, reaching for faith's hand. ] Now you can show me where all this nifty equipment is kept!

[ whether faith has already shown her or not... doesn't really matter. ]

[moonheart]

James Bond gear, here we come! [ she takes fiona's hand and bounces off out of there, because clearly the meeting is over, right??? ]

[mining]

[ Adi refrains from actually laughing, leaning back in his chair and observing the exchange instead of bothering to interrupt. He doesn't refrain from smiling, though, and after the very enthusiastic exits: ] This should be very exciting.

[ He knows enough about Mystra to know this sounds suspect as hell, but he's mostly referring to the bickering. ]

[wynn]

Do the rest of you have any other questions?

[wishuponadjinn]

[jordan is staring off after fiona and faith, eyes darting back to wynn at his words, obviously torn between wanting to follow them and his duty to stay until the meeting truly is concluded.]

No Sir, not at the moment.

[wynn]

Then for now, you are dismissed.