thebastion | Day 346- Day 352: OPEN

Entry tags:

!event

Day 346- Day 352: OPEN

Who: Everyone in the Bastion
Open: Open
When: 346-352
Where: The Bastion in general
What: This is the calm before the storm. Any last conversations with NPCs? Any last things to take care of? Do them here.
Format: action
Warnings: none so far

When you make a thread in this post, please put the names of the NPCs you want to respond in the header of the first comment.

As a note, this is also your last chance to make any changes that will affect how endgame begins. All things that help or hurt the Bastion residents will be tallied up on September 18th, and the final post will go up shortly after that. So if you want to catch the thief, form any alliances with other NPC groups, or anything else, now is the time to do it.

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[While he's been busy, he's also been thinking. There's been a lot of talk, a lot of strange happenings, and frankly, a lot of stuff they just didn't know. Zahi had left him with several unanswered questions. The talk with Anna had been innocent enough, but it also struck him as just a little too convenient. It was time to track him down for a little chat.]

[Still, he liked Zahi, and Zahi seemed to take his military concerns seriously. Even IF Zahi was working against them, and Colin didn't think he was, there would have to be a reason. Above all, Colin wanted to know more. For all that they'd uncovered before, they hadn't explored a lot of the past of this place... And history was bound to have some clues to their current situation.]

[Then there was the fact that Colin was still expecting an attack. No matter whose side Zahi was on, he suspected that Zahi would have some good input on the defenses...]

[He just had to find him...]

Hey Zahi, can I talk to you for a few minutes? I got some questions, I need a learned opinion on a few things...

[Zahi is at his home, cleaning the emblem of Pyth on his door when Colin comes looking for him. Gotta keep the tributes to the gods clean and all.]

Sure, what's on your mind?

Entirely too much. Questions, comments, idle musings...

Walk with me? I think your daughter is still nursing a healthy dislike for me.

[He gestures off in the distance in a non-committal direction]

First things first, I need a military mind. The attack on the Ura never came. I never even picked up a trace of the other group.

Zed said he thinks they haven't got the manpower. And the reports from the diplomacy team said that they lost a lot of people to attrition and to attack. Something doesn't sit right with that though... They've got way more capability than they should have for a small group.

I'm not good at military analysis, and I'm wondering if it's just paranoia. So... if you've got any thoughts on that, I'd be grateful to hear them.

[Hmm, that is troubling. Zahi ponders it for a moment.]

As I see it, there's two possibilities:

One, they've got men in reserve that we don't know about, and are trying to make it look like they're weak so we underestimate them. It's the smartest way to go about things here: divide up your forces, use a small group to lead your enemies into a trap, and then attack from all sides.

The other possibility is that they really do have small numbers, but have the intel or the technology to make up for what they lack in sheer manpower. Based on what happened before, I'd say that this is how they're working.

[Colin keeps right on walking with him, listening to his observations.]

Both are disturbing possibilities... But I'm inclined to think it's likely the second. Even if I don't WANT to believe it. We haven't seen everything they've got up their sleeves yet.

...

Fortunately, they haven't seen everything up my sleeve either. But that's neither here nor there. My next question was... What's your take on this "First Son" business? I heard that you and Nathan had a little dust-up over it, and it occurs to me that we're still nowhere near finding out what the heck it's all about. To say nothing of who or what it could be referring to.

[He rolls his eyes.]

For all I know, it could be a code-name or a popular myth, there's enough subterfuge going on around here...

[Zahi shrugs.]

Like I told Nate, I'm sure it's an actual name. I asked him if he could tune up the translators a bit, to maybe catch it and see if it's someone's name here, but there's been no luck yet. As near as I can tell, everyone is actually saying the words 'first son' now, instead of Pyth or whatever.

Any particular reason you're thinking that? Not that I'm doubting you, it's just an unusual observation....

[He gives Zahi a curious look.]

No reason, it's just the first name I thought of. There's bound to be other names out there that mean 'first son' too. Plus I would hope that Nate could make a translator that could accurately translate Ura.

So you think it means Pyth, huh? I wonder if it has anything to do with that mechanical bull the boys found... Anyway.

[Not nearly as much intrigue as he'd hoped...]

Next... Our defenses. I'm honestly expecting an attack. Our people are a motley group, but I'm more worried about how open to assault the Bastion is. I've got enough salvage to make a few more defensive installations of varying sorts, but... I haven't got the first idea what to make, other than reinforcing the skyway bridge.

I'm also a little concerned about them getting around the back, but if they'd had the means to fly, I'd have thought we'd see it by now....

The barges can fly, we've got one of those. Otherwise, it'd have to be something with wings attacking. So giant birds, mostly.

[The thought of more defenses is an interesting one, though.]

Extra defense might not be too bad, though. What didja have in mind?

At this point, it'd just be stuff being patched together. Reinforced gate at the bridge, more turrets, maybe a watchtower. I just haven't got the mind to know where to put all that stuff.

Other than the gate. That strikes me as pretty easy.

[He smirks at Zahi.]

While you ponder on that, though, mind if I ask you another question?

I've been wondering why you're hanging with us bums, rather than with the Ura. The monument is obviously a good advantage, but it strikes me that if it was just the monument, everyone would be doing it.

Ahh, but a gate might keep out the people we want to come in. That's the tricky part about them.

[To answer Colin's other question, he shrugs.]

To be honest, I thought they would be coming to live here. There was no point in moving out if they were just going to move in.

[Colin nods. It makes sense, it's certainly good logic. He doesn't necessarily buy it, but it's a good statement.]

They strike me as mistrustful, the camp out there I mean.

[A pause.]

Do you trust me?

About as well as I trust anyone here, I suppose.

Honestly, the only one here I completely, 100% trust is Zayna. The people here, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt, but it's hard to trust a group fully, you know?

Mmmm... A fair answer.

[He nods slightly.]

I don't trust anyone here. Not fully. I still solidly believe we've got a traitor here. Way too much stuff doesn't add up.

Someone here is lying to us very well.

I hear you. Too many unusual things have been happening, there's got to be a reason for it all. I'll be damned if I know what it is, though. If we could figure out what this guy wants in the first place, then we could probably find him.

My old teachers would kill me for it, but I solidly believe that our answer is with the other group.

Never, NEVER expect an answer without proof, that's what they keep trying to beat into my head... But it just seems too convenient that all of this has been happening the same way. That phone booth out there is a herald, I'm sure of it.

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Day 346- Day 352: OPEN

Zahi, day 349

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