The following report was left for Gogonji at his safehouse.
Master Gogonji:
I am pleased to report success in our endeavor to infiltrate a source into the Embers of Rhalgr cell. Agent K has successfully arrived and contacted me twice clandestinely to report on the camp, the cell, and its organizational makeup.
K estimates the Embers have grown to nearly one hundred armed fighters. All are Highlander Hyurs of predominantly Ala Mhigan descent, as to be expected, and he estimates 80-90% are males between the ages of 15-35. While many do not come from a martial or military background, new arrivals are quickly assimilated into the organization and provided extensive combat and religious instruction.
As may be expected in an organization led by a priest, religious devotions and teachings comprise a large portion of the Embers' day-to-day. These devotions are exclusively to the patron deity of Ala Mhigo, Rhalgr, and mention of any others among the Twelve is highly and actively discouraged. Those foolish enough to indicate they revere another one of the gods, or who refuse to participate in religious activities, have faced stiff consequences. K recounted a tale of a young man who mentioned Althyk in a prayer being run out of the camp into the desert with no clothes or water; there was also a forcible conversion in a separate incident. Those not devoted to Rhalgr, or not sufficiently so by the Sandfox's estimation, are termed "deniers" and are preached against with as much fervor as the "atheist" Garleans. While these speeches have not yet had overtly racial bents, they have had nationalistic and ethnocentrist overtones.
New arrivals are stripped of weapons, money, and clothes should they not be wearing Ala Mhigan style dress, and weapons are not returned until a measure of trust has been earned. K reports much tension and suspicion within the ranks, paranoia of outside spies, especially Garlean penetrations, so intense scrutiny is applied to all newcomers to ensure each recruit becomes sufficiently devout, loyal, and personally loyal to the Sandfox. Naturally, this fosters an atmosphere of suspicion and informants, with every man willing to report his neighbor for the slightest hint of ideological of religious non-conformity. Drinking alcohol and smoking fogweed, for instance, are highly punishable offenses. This culture is reinforced by leadership handpicking those seen as most loyal for better assignments and higher pay.
The Embers compensate their fighters in three ways: monetarily, carnally/sexually, and spiritually/emotionally. They fund themselves by periodically raiding Amal'jaa enclaves in the area, which they consider good training for combat with the Garleans, despite the obvious technological disparities between the two groups. To be killed or even severely wounded in such raids is viewed as unacceptably weak, and likewise no effort is made to retrieve captives or wounded left behind. The raid objectives are the retrieval of treasure, especially caches of crystals or weapons, and Miqo'te prisoners. The Embers then ransom these liberated prisoners back to their tribes for gil, food, weapons, mounts, or movement rights in the area. Should the tribe refuse to pay, the Miqo'te prisoner is gifted to a chosen fighter as a slave. This comprises the sexual compensation. The camp also has a lax attitude toward predation on the Embers' small female population, which no doubt contributes toward the low number of female fighters.
The final reward is the "higher name". You are aware of the Highlander custom of earned surnames; the Sandfox bestows such upon "heroes", often those killed in battle, by giving them and their families the new surname of the operation title in which they participated. For example, Bron Thunderstrike is a young man whose father was killed in Operation Thunderstrike some weeks ago, a previous successful strike against a Garlean supply convoy. The heroes' names are highly revered and culturally significant, and as many of these young men have not "earned" such names for themselves, they yearn powerfully after the honor and prestige. Upcoming operations include Nettlesting and Goldhoof, both of which seem to be support actions for the larger Heavensfury, a strike into Ala Mhigo itself.
While the details of Heavensfury have been closely held, K reports the effort will be spearheaded by a small team of five who will utilize explosives to breach an entryway into the city, then disable the main Garlean garrison while the bulk of the Embers infiltrate the city. Membership in the five-man team is greatly coveted among the Embers' fighters, as these will likely be the "heroes" that earn the Heavensfury name.
As a final note, Mamluk and Wolfheart returned recently with one Hannah Blackroad in tow, I assume the mark they were targeting. She seems to have been somewhat coerced into recruitment, which bodes ill for her in this kind of environment. I've tasked K to find more details on the operations and on the cell's leadership, as well as a timeline for Operation Heavensfury if possible.
Yours faithfully,
An
* * *
It was late enough that Y'asah could reasonably expect the Holy One to have fallen asleep entwined in her arms, but his breathing was still alert and a bit irregular, and his body had yet to fully relax into sleep. She studied his face in the near-dark of the tent, weathered and worn like a cliff in the shifting desert sands, those blazing eyes closed in repose.
The Holy One, the Mouthpiece of Rhalgr, the Sandfox of the Sagolii - Davram Sandfox, a Highlander male old enough to be her grandfather, and Y'asah's owner. She had been given to him as a tribute from her tribe's nunh nearly half a year ago now. That act truly reflected internal tribe politics more than the Sandfox's own rising power in the desert, but Y'asah had worked tirelessly on his behalf since taking her place in the Embers of Rhalgr camp. She had proven her loyalty, claimed his bed and his side as her exclusive place, and guided the Embers against local Amal'jaa warlords to win the respect and fear of Miqo'te tribes, as well as riches and slaves for their men.
She was aware but for her skills she could very easily be one of those slaves kept chained in the camp proper, used by the men for physical relief much as prized chocobo studs were offered humping posts. To get and keep her status required working harder than everyone else, anticipating changes, exploiting divisions as well as creating them if need be, and reacting smoothly to circumstances as they arose unexpectedly. The depths of nights were the perfect time for these efforts, especially since the Sandfox as an older man was rarely awake late. And yet tonight, he was awake still; he likely had something on his mind. She waited.
At last, he rolled over, his eyes opening. "Still awake, my sweet?" she crooned to him responsively.
"Yes, dearest. Today was quite the day, wasn't it?" He smiled, dimly visible in the dark. "Mamluk and the Wolfheart came through after all, and my daughter was returned to me."
"You said Hannah Blackroad was married to your son...?"Â Y'asah was still absorbing that surprising revelation.
"She is his widow. My wife gave me two sons, both of whom reside with her in Rhalgr's embrace. My elder son was just becoming a man during the invasion by the atheists, and was martyred at their hands." He pauused, his voice thick with old grief and pride comingled, then continued. "My younger son, Finnegar, and my wife joined a traveling caravan after they fled the city, largely composed of those whose families were exiled under the King. Finn died well, felled protecting the caravan last year as it was attacked by Amal'jaa raiders. The last time I saw him was at his wedding, and I promised him that his wife would be as my beloved daughter from that day forward. They were both so happy that day."
Y'asah listened, absently stroking his white braided hair. "So now she is to join us... it makes sense now why you went to such lengths to recruit her and Heidrek Warsong."
"She will have an honored place among us, as befits a hero of her stature and lineage."
"But you're sure you want her to participate in Operation Heavensfury...?"
"More than sure, my dearest. I intend for her to walk the path of Rhalgr."
Y'asah's eyes widened in shock before she could control the reaction. "I - I see."
"And I think your proposal to have Mamluk take the place that would have been Warsong's is sound, even if the Wolfheart has been reluctant to assume a leadership role in the operation."
"Mamluk's heart is ready, I think, Holy One."
"I agree. He has been a lost soul since the day we first met some moons ago. I swore to him then that should he serve the Embers faithfully, one day he would walk the path of Rhalgr and shed his slave name for one higher. The bell is almost at hand for his salvation."
Y'asah carefully kept her expression mild. But inwardly, she was smiling broadly. She had never cared for Mamluk and his dead eyes; he had too much of the Sandfox's ear. "And Hannah Blackroad?"
"Much the same, my sweet. She has long wandered in winter, lost since the death of her husband and caretaker. Her very name - Blackroad - tells you of the stain on her family's honor from its exile, a stain only deepened by the sin of apostasy. They are deniers, my dearest, turned from Rhalgr's divine face to the worship of a heathen god in their exile. Now, Rhalgr returns her to me, yearning in her heart for a father's guidance, for the love and care only family can provide. And it is my duty and blessing as her father, as a priest of the Inexorable One, and as the leader of the Embers to save my daughter's soul and bring unto her and her entire family a new, blessed name."
Even speaking quietly in the tent, his voice seemed to ring with the surety of true conviction, and his eyes were aglow with fervor before they slowly closed. His breathing deepened, slowing, and his voice thickened with weariness. "Surely you understand... you always understood these things, Freida..." He was at last slipping into sleep.
Y'asah looked away. Whenever he called her by his late wife's name, she felt a twinge in her chest she could never quite explain. She gently detangled herself from him and dressed, moving silently from the tent into the night.
In the light of this news, it was now more imperative than ever to win Ornh Wolfheart to her side, and separate him from Mamluk. She already had trusted men "guarding" Hannah Blackroad at all hours of the day and night. If the Sandfox wanted her in Operation Heavensfury, Y'asah would keep Hannah hale and healthy until it was time to deliver her to him. Then it was in Rhalgr's hands, she supposed - Y'asah didn't really believe in the Twelve.
And of course, in the meantime, she had her own work to do. No matter how Heavensfury wound up unfolding, there would be a way for her to take advantage of it.
Master Gogonji:
I am pleased to report success in our endeavor to infiltrate a source into the Embers of Rhalgr cell. Agent K has successfully arrived and contacted me twice clandestinely to report on the camp, the cell, and its organizational makeup.
K estimates the Embers have grown to nearly one hundred armed fighters. All are Highlander Hyurs of predominantly Ala Mhigan descent, as to be expected, and he estimates 80-90% are males between the ages of 15-35. While many do not come from a martial or military background, new arrivals are quickly assimilated into the organization and provided extensive combat and religious instruction.
As may be expected in an organization led by a priest, religious devotions and teachings comprise a large portion of the Embers' day-to-day. These devotions are exclusively to the patron deity of Ala Mhigo, Rhalgr, and mention of any others among the Twelve is highly and actively discouraged. Those foolish enough to indicate they revere another one of the gods, or who refuse to participate in religious activities, have faced stiff consequences. K recounted a tale of a young man who mentioned Althyk in a prayer being run out of the camp into the desert with no clothes or water; there was also a forcible conversion in a separate incident. Those not devoted to Rhalgr, or not sufficiently so by the Sandfox's estimation, are termed "deniers" and are preached against with as much fervor as the "atheist" Garleans. While these speeches have not yet had overtly racial bents, they have had nationalistic and ethnocentrist overtones.
New arrivals are stripped of weapons, money, and clothes should they not be wearing Ala Mhigan style dress, and weapons are not returned until a measure of trust has been earned. K reports much tension and suspicion within the ranks, paranoia of outside spies, especially Garlean penetrations, so intense scrutiny is applied to all newcomers to ensure each recruit becomes sufficiently devout, loyal, and personally loyal to the Sandfox. Naturally, this fosters an atmosphere of suspicion and informants, with every man willing to report his neighbor for the slightest hint of ideological of religious non-conformity. Drinking alcohol and smoking fogweed, for instance, are highly punishable offenses. This culture is reinforced by leadership handpicking those seen as most loyal for better assignments and higher pay.
The Embers compensate their fighters in three ways: monetarily, carnally/sexually, and spiritually/emotionally. They fund themselves by periodically raiding Amal'jaa enclaves in the area, which they consider good training for combat with the Garleans, despite the obvious technological disparities between the two groups. To be killed or even severely wounded in such raids is viewed as unacceptably weak, and likewise no effort is made to retrieve captives or wounded left behind. The raid objectives are the retrieval of treasure, especially caches of crystals or weapons, and Miqo'te prisoners. The Embers then ransom these liberated prisoners back to their tribes for gil, food, weapons, mounts, or movement rights in the area. Should the tribe refuse to pay, the Miqo'te prisoner is gifted to a chosen fighter as a slave. This comprises the sexual compensation. The camp also has a lax attitude toward predation on the Embers' small female population, which no doubt contributes toward the low number of female fighters.
The final reward is the "higher name". You are aware of the Highlander custom of earned surnames; the Sandfox bestows such upon "heroes", often those killed in battle, by giving them and their families the new surname of the operation title in which they participated. For example, Bron Thunderstrike is a young man whose father was killed in Operation Thunderstrike some weeks ago, a previous successful strike against a Garlean supply convoy. The heroes' names are highly revered and culturally significant, and as many of these young men have not "earned" such names for themselves, they yearn powerfully after the honor and prestige. Upcoming operations include Nettlesting and Goldhoof, both of which seem to be support actions for the larger Heavensfury, a strike into Ala Mhigo itself.
While the details of Heavensfury have been closely held, K reports the effort will be spearheaded by a small team of five who will utilize explosives to breach an entryway into the city, then disable the main Garlean garrison while the bulk of the Embers infiltrate the city. Membership in the five-man team is greatly coveted among the Embers' fighters, as these will likely be the "heroes" that earn the Heavensfury name.
As a final note, Mamluk and Wolfheart returned recently with one Hannah Blackroad in tow, I assume the mark they were targeting. She seems to have been somewhat coerced into recruitment, which bodes ill for her in this kind of environment. I've tasked K to find more details on the operations and on the cell's leadership, as well as a timeline for Operation Heavensfury if possible.
Yours faithfully,
An
* * *
It was late enough that Y'asah could reasonably expect the Holy One to have fallen asleep entwined in her arms, but his breathing was still alert and a bit irregular, and his body had yet to fully relax into sleep. She studied his face in the near-dark of the tent, weathered and worn like a cliff in the shifting desert sands, those blazing eyes closed in repose.
The Holy One, the Mouthpiece of Rhalgr, the Sandfox of the Sagolii - Davram Sandfox, a Highlander male old enough to be her grandfather, and Y'asah's owner. She had been given to him as a tribute from her tribe's nunh nearly half a year ago now. That act truly reflected internal tribe politics more than the Sandfox's own rising power in the desert, but Y'asah had worked tirelessly on his behalf since taking her place in the Embers of Rhalgr camp. She had proven her loyalty, claimed his bed and his side as her exclusive place, and guided the Embers against local Amal'jaa warlords to win the respect and fear of Miqo'te tribes, as well as riches and slaves for their men.
She was aware but for her skills she could very easily be one of those slaves kept chained in the camp proper, used by the men for physical relief much as prized chocobo studs were offered humping posts. To get and keep her status required working harder than everyone else, anticipating changes, exploiting divisions as well as creating them if need be, and reacting smoothly to circumstances as they arose unexpectedly. The depths of nights were the perfect time for these efforts, especially since the Sandfox as an older man was rarely awake late. And yet tonight, he was awake still; he likely had something on his mind. She waited.
At last, he rolled over, his eyes opening. "Still awake, my sweet?" she crooned to him responsively.
"Yes, dearest. Today was quite the day, wasn't it?" He smiled, dimly visible in the dark. "Mamluk and the Wolfheart came through after all, and my daughter was returned to me."
"You said Hannah Blackroad was married to your son...?"Â Y'asah was still absorbing that surprising revelation.
"She is his widow. My wife gave me two sons, both of whom reside with her in Rhalgr's embrace. My elder son was just becoming a man during the invasion by the atheists, and was martyred at their hands." He pauused, his voice thick with old grief and pride comingled, then continued. "My younger son, Finnegar, and my wife joined a traveling caravan after they fled the city, largely composed of those whose families were exiled under the King. Finn died well, felled protecting the caravan last year as it was attacked by Amal'jaa raiders. The last time I saw him was at his wedding, and I promised him that his wife would be as my beloved daughter from that day forward. They were both so happy that day."
Y'asah listened, absently stroking his white braided hair. "So now she is to join us... it makes sense now why you went to such lengths to recruit her and Heidrek Warsong."
"She will have an honored place among us, as befits a hero of her stature and lineage."
"But you're sure you want her to participate in Operation Heavensfury...?"
"More than sure, my dearest. I intend for her to walk the path of Rhalgr."
Y'asah's eyes widened in shock before she could control the reaction. "I - I see."
"And I think your proposal to have Mamluk take the place that would have been Warsong's is sound, even if the Wolfheart has been reluctant to assume a leadership role in the operation."
"Mamluk's heart is ready, I think, Holy One."
"I agree. He has been a lost soul since the day we first met some moons ago. I swore to him then that should he serve the Embers faithfully, one day he would walk the path of Rhalgr and shed his slave name for one higher. The bell is almost at hand for his salvation."
Y'asah carefully kept her expression mild. But inwardly, she was smiling broadly. She had never cared for Mamluk and his dead eyes; he had too much of the Sandfox's ear. "And Hannah Blackroad?"
"Much the same, my sweet. She has long wandered in winter, lost since the death of her husband and caretaker. Her very name - Blackroad - tells you of the stain on her family's honor from its exile, a stain only deepened by the sin of apostasy. They are deniers, my dearest, turned from Rhalgr's divine face to the worship of a heathen god in their exile. Now, Rhalgr returns her to me, yearning in her heart for a father's guidance, for the love and care only family can provide. And it is my duty and blessing as her father, as a priest of the Inexorable One, and as the leader of the Embers to save my daughter's soul and bring unto her and her entire family a new, blessed name."
Even speaking quietly in the tent, his voice seemed to ring with the surety of true conviction, and his eyes were aglow with fervor before they slowly closed. His breathing deepened, slowing, and his voice thickened with weariness. "Surely you understand... you always understood these things, Freida..." He was at last slipping into sleep.
Y'asah looked away. Whenever he called her by his late wife's name, she felt a twinge in her chest she could never quite explain. She gently detangled herself from him and dressed, moving silently from the tent into the night.
In the light of this news, it was now more imperative than ever to win Ornh Wolfheart to her side, and separate him from Mamluk. She already had trusted men "guarding" Hannah Blackroad at all hours of the day and night. If the Sandfox wanted her in Operation Heavensfury, Y'asah would keep Hannah hale and healthy until it was time to deliver her to him. Then it was in Rhalgr's hands, she supposed - Y'asah didn't really believe in the Twelve.
And of course, in the meantime, she had her own work to do. No matter how Heavensfury wound up unfolding, there would be a way for her to take advantage of it.
People have forgotten this truth. But you mustn't forget it. You become responsible forever for what you have tamed.
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