Hostile Reacquisitions (Delphina VS Crafting Delights)

[Bologna Prime]

An unyielding glimmer cast in the countless colors the seasons paint upon the world. It draws you into its dance, the spirit swirling round a breadth of emotion becoming of those seasons. Life flourishes in the bask of its energies, as the distinction between the material world and what lie beyond seems so beautifully seamless. An artful manifestation of many Nemean ideals given crystal form.

---

Patience ever dwindles like the sands of an hourglass, but there is always a shortcut to depleting it if one is truly inclined: Breaking the glass. A short exchange of letters between one of the Crafting Delight Company's management and a number of Delphinan authorities succeeds in performing that figurative act. Leafblades once posted simply to monitor a certain store in the near reaches of the Silent Expanse are reigned by the arrival of a select few higher officers: A small-scale operation would be imminent.

Asked for comment on the ongoing situation, the Lumin King states thusly:

"The one called Umbra has a talent, though I question it is one well-suited for business. The written and spoken word can accomplish many things - open paths unseen, lift hearts to great deeds, and even subvert one's foes on any scope of board. His own usage accomplishes none of these, though without fail he does ever manage to make worse any sense of case or merit for himself and those he represents.

A proverb: What price of coin can one place upon grace? One to lay upon each eye for he who should ask for such a thing.

When something priceless as these relics are wrongfully taken, the first thought is not simply to pay any price for them. Rather, it is those lives which should extort any price from their theft that are deemed worthless. No right to profit will be granted, and it is their right to live they should more concern themselves over if they wish to resist this reclamation."

Objective: Seize the store owned by Oroka Sumoe, reclaim any pilfered Nemean relics housed within.

[GSM]

A network of intelligence served to pinpoint the whereabouts of Umbra himself, locating him multiple times over.
Divorced of the squabble of the shop's make and dealings, it seemed, a figure had come to enact a toll of its own.
Whether it would be by group or all alone, another slurry of accusations spew forth.
Not by a war band, not by any one nation— but by a single woman's voice.

Standing free, she speaks:

"Inexcusable.
Fel collaborator. One of the self-professed smartest people in Meranthe.
Umbra.

I was raised in with the wrong crowd. I was attacked when I barely knew how to use my circuits, and was permanently wounded because of it.
Do you want to know who treated me?
Benjamin.
Again and again, I was attacked— but when I struck first, I was nearly beaten to a dead, bloody pulp.
That Princess of theirs let me go, and I fled.
Do you want to know who found me, broken and worthless?
Acero.
His wife is gone, and so is he.
My husband's best friend was captured in the war you all started, and it nearly drove him to his breaking point, to go to a suicidal blitz.
That was Mero.
I don't need to mention the destruction of Audhild, the death of most of the Silvanas clan, or any of the other heinous things you've done.

They were all caused by you.
Your cowardice brought out this never-ending tragedy.
All you had to do was take her deal, sacrifice yourself for the lives of so many more.
But you didn't, did you?

And now, look at you.
The most hated man in Meranthe, and it is all. Your. Fault.

I hate you.
You're just as synonymous with the word 'fel' as a witch, and so is your entire group of capitalist betrayers.
I tried to see the logic and reasoning in every thing you did.
You are a coward, a liar, and a cheat.
… yet I can't be the one to judge you.

I will give you two options.

Come in peacefully for a trial, and face your crimes against humanity;
or I will force you.

Last chance."

Objective: Apprehend Umbra for the sake of Justice.

[Raffile]

The company sent their troops to defend the desert store front from the people of Dal'thala attempting to keep the crystal that was rightfully theirs in the stall. Once there, the Voice of the company once again calls a Press Conference to speak in the companies interests.

"Dal'thala, while your order to return the crystal may have made many groups afraid we are not one of them. The Proprietor has been attacked by several of your royalty through his life, and though I had not been able to speak with him yet and you refused to wait for him or the Co-Proprietor this doesn't change the fact that you are attempting to force jurisdiction in a location that you have none in. This item was on sale, as it was bought with coin, forgiveness of individuals that did not stand with us with the destruction of Audhild was not a good offer."

Was all the Voice had to say towards the Kingdom that was marching directly. He signaled that the next statements were a more personal one, directed directly towards the woman that spoke against him.

"To the misguided soul that believes that not only I could force all of these people to march with me, as if I lead the company or Audhild itself I want to make a few things clear.

Firstly, the company votes. I know this sounds like a foreign concept to most of Meranthe but that means that the decisions made by the company unless made with haste like this one are the will of the collective that's involved.

Benjamin, my dear friend that I spent many long hours in the forge with as well as the leader of Audhild at the time that accepted the Company with open arms wasn't even apart of the company. No instead he watched the vote of the company deciding it would go to war in the center of Audhild and stated he would march with.

Acero, my protégé and friend was someone I helped through his entire life. He and his wife came to the company a long time ago to be trained in the way of Artificing and I taught them with diligence and pride. His death has struck a cord with not only me, but the rest of the company as well and we will be seeking revenge for him.

Mero, though not as evil as most fel was a known warlock in Meranthe. His death should of been done swift on the battlefield as he deserved a warriors death even though he sold his soul a long time ago.

Galland Silvanas was like a grandfather to me. His death stung not only me but my brother Miland. I have known this man since I was a young child and he was quick to come to the companies aid.

Secondly, I am The Voice not the Proprietor or even the Co-Proprietor. This means that I speak the companies interest like a mouth piece. I do not lead and make the tough decisions. These are voted on and those that do not want to continue after the vote are not forced to.

Thirdly, I was raised by the Proprietor who was a Vdalion man. When I was but a child I walked up to the Khan of the Golden Horde and declared them an enemy right in front of their troops. A coward is not something I am at all, this concept that I am is a fabrication to push your idea against me.

I did not start that war with Sheol, they took Miko. A young child that is a kid of Aiyuki someone I worked with for many years. The fact that this happened made it more then just my problem, which many agreed with, we will protect our people always even if all of Meranthe is against us.

With all that said, I do not know you. However due to my Vdalion roots I will invoke the right of an honor duel against you."

Objective: Defend the stores location from the common bandits of Dalthala
Personal Objective: Honor duel the misguided soul