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'Damn the overzealous idiots who called for war' had been one of Xaris ti'Qlihon's thoughts. He was an agent in charge of a few other agents working in Daagsgrad and for various reasons which he understood as perfectly sensible he was not privy to detailed information about what his leaders were doing. But suddenly finding out that that it was now out and out war with Infrastructure was not good news. Working in this place was difficult, the Committee had set into motion a wide variety of plans to snoot out enemy agents and their subjects were getting better at doing this. The number of wards of disruption had increased, making it difficult to maintain an invisibility or disguise spell. More often than he or his associates wanted to, they had to fall back on makeup, hoods, scarfs, hats and money. The attrition rate had gone up over the past three years, both among his people as well as those of other Drow states and human spies. Never the less, he did have several jobs to do and did them as well as he could. He had plans worked out to execute the goals that had been given to him.

On the whole, things were proceeding adequately. Out and Out War made his job all the more difficult. The Infrastructural would redouble their efforts, bring in more security and tighten things up. At the same time, his superiors would be asking him for more intelligence on everything. He understood why his fellow Drow attacked the convoy. He just hoped that things would have happened in a more. He learned of the failed attacks from the Infrastructurals a few weeks ago and in that time gotten some new order to accelerate one of those plans.

It involved some messages beings sent about the city covertly to a few groups that he had been keeping track of as useful. It was done cautiously and with some discretion. A few of them were in on the plan, others were just learning. They were brought together in a basement. In total about twenty five individuals were brought in. It was an odd little connection collection. There was a few gang leaders, some local tradesmen of various degrees of honesty, a ships' captain who might have engaged in some piracy on the side, a couple merchants, a priest, a peasant, a common mage in a tattered robe and some fishermen. A few others he hoped to bring in were no shows, but that was not too much of an issue. One thing which was clear was that their was some friction between these groups, even if some food and beer went a good way to negating this fact. What united them, besides their influence over others in various ways, was the fact that they were natives and they had a pronounced and distinct hatred for their new Infrastructural masters.

After half an hour of letting them mingle as best they could and making conversations with them individually, he felt it was time to get down to business. "Sons of Daagsgrad, it is wonderful that you could show up." Xaris said jovially. "Even with the risks these dark times hold. But remember, this night born of the soot spewed by your oppressor's forges and floating tin baths will soon come to an end. The Iron Handed Oppression of your steel hearted masters shall soon be cast off you and your city. You are not alone in your hatred for Infrastructure. I speak on behalf of the Drow that we will help you in your struggle for freedom. I know that you fine souls know enough to see through the lies of the Committee, their defeat is inevitable. Their worthless pet peasants shall be slain, forced to flee into freezing fields or put into shackles where they belong. But, with your assistance, that happy day shall come all the sooner and in the liberation of your homelands, you shall profit and prosper!"

There was from the gathered rebels to be a general chorus of approval. Not quite a cheer, but a few were willing to go that far and a couple more people probably would have tipped the scale. One of the things that held it back was a heavyset man. A butcher by trade named Janob Gornislab. He had managed to get enough attention by simply forming around himself a group of friends who shared his disdain for Infrastructure in areas of minor importance or with a surplus of gossipiness who had minor influence over others, while having enough sense to keep his head down when needed. It was not a Gang per-say, but he did have enough of raw and dirty charisma to nudge a substantial group of people along his way of thinking. He had also recently becoming the landlord of a couple of crude but serviceable house on the outskirts of town that he rented out to people he felt were worthy of living in the city. He had done some business with him before to sway his favor, but he was wary of him. His literary abilities were just able to let him sign his name and handle a note with an order for black sausages for Mr. Groshec, but he still had a certain level of cunning and caution. Enough of both to be both useful, but also potentially problematic.

"Might I make a point, noble Dark Elf?"

"Of course."

"Well," He said strolling forward, he spoke in a non confrontational tone "I would simply like to ask about something which I think on the minds of those gathered here." He walked forward with a chicken leg in hand. "While I don't doubt that you would like to have us rise up against the Infrastructurals, why did you take so long to help us? You sold our king guns, sure. But where were you when they came marching up from the south?" He began twirling the drumstick in his fingers. "Now from what I heard about you Dark Elves is that you fight like Demons and could have sent in some warriors to free your valued trading partners. But you did not do that. Instead, for twelve years we have been under their iron feet and in those years we lost loved ones and they twisted our lands to their madness. Why wait until now to free us?"

There was some murmurs of approval. Xaris knew that this would come up eventually. "On behalf of my Lords I must inform you that we were engaged with other more pressing matters. The debased forces of the False King" He spat the words "had engaged us at the time. If you have not heard, they are powerful, brutal in battle and seek nothing less than our extermination. We had our hands full dealing with them and that was just the start of it. We regret that there have been delays outside our control. However, those are in the past, now we are fully able to help you shake off the bonds of Infrastructural Oppression. If you still desire it?"

That got more or less the reaction he wanted and the butcher found himself the subject of a few unpleasant gazes. "Simply making a point worth making." Janob commented.

"Indeed. We have seen how effective simple mobs have been against this occupation. If you want to regain your independence, you will need more than bravery and anger. First of all, you will need weapons. That we can provide you with, you have a place to hide them until the time is right."

A merchant in a hat raised his hand "I can shift some inventory about and make room"

"There's plenty o' nooks 'ere my lads can stash yer shooting irons n' fire dirt." A smuggler volunteered,

"That's good. If you can get some men out in the forests, my associates can even show you how to make the most of them. But even more important than having the guns is when to use them. If you are serious about getting rid of the Committee's Lapdogs, you will hit them all at once when they are at their weakest."

"Wait a minute!" A gang leader cried out "Who's leading this whole thing? Why should we be taking orders from you!"

"Orders? Perish the thought!" Xaris responded in a hurt tone of voice. "My job is simply to help you achieve your goals, which can only help the goals of my masters. As for leadership of this resistance movement, that I will leave that in your hands. That said, if one of your groups desires to act alone against the committee, it will not only fail, but will most likely end getting the rest of you captured in a crackdown. It would be worse than simply doing nothing to act foolishly or alone. But, if you work together and strike when our fleet approaches the harbors, then victory will be yours. Daagsgrad will be free and you will be it's lauded and rewarded heroes."

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Description
'Damn the overzealous idiots who called for war' had been one of Xaris ti'Qlihon's thoughts. He was an agent in charge of a few other agents working in Daagsgrad and for various reasons which he understood as perfectly sensible he was not privy to detailed information about what his leaders were doing. But suddenly finding out that that it was now out and out war with Infrastructure was not good news. Working in this place was difficult, the Committee had set into motion a wide variety of plans to snoot out enemy agents and their subjects were getting better at doing this. The number of wards of disruption had increased, making it difficult to maintain an invisibility or disguise spell. More often than he or his associates wanted to, they had to fall back on makeup, hoods, scarfs, hats and money. The attrition rate had gone up over the past three years, both among his people as well as those of other Drow states and human spies. Never the less, he did have several jobs to do and did them as well as he could. He had plans worked out to execute the goals that had been given to him.

On the whole, things were proceeding adequately. Out and Out War made his job all the more difficult. The Infrastructural would redouble their efforts, bring in more security and tighten things up. At the same time, his superiors would be asking him for more intelligence on everything. He understood why his fellow Drow attacked the convoy. He just hoped that things would have happened in a more. He learned of the failed attacks from the Infrastructurals a few weeks ago and in that time gotten some new order to accelerate one of those plans.

It involved some messages beings sent about the city covertly to a few groups that he had been keeping track of as useful. It was done cautiously and with some discretion. A few of them were in on the plan, others were just learning. They were brought together in a basement. In total about twenty five individuals were brought in. It was an odd little connection collection. There was a few gang leaders, some local tradesmen of various degrees of honesty, a ships' captain who might have engaged in some piracy on the side, a couple merchants, a priest, a peasant, a common mage in a tattered robe and some fishermen. A few others he hoped to bring in were no shows, but that was not too much of an issue. One thing which was clear was that their was some friction between these groups, even if some food and beer went a good way to negating this fact. What united them, besides their influence over others in various ways, was the fact that they were natives and they had a pronounced and distinct hatred for their new Infrastructural masters.

After half an hour of letting them mingle as best they could and making conversations with them individually, he felt it was time to get down to business. "Sons of Daagsgrad, it is wonderful that you could show up." Xaris said jovially. "Even with the risks these dark times hold. But remember, this night born of the soot spewed by your oppressor's forges and floating tin baths will soon come to an end. The Iron Handed Oppression of your steel hearted masters shall soon be cast off you and your city. You are not alone in your hatred for Infrastructure. I speak on behalf of the Drow that we will help you in your struggle for freedom. I know that you fine souls know enough to see through the lies of the Committee, their defeat is inevitable. Their worthless pet peasants shall be slain, forced to flee into freezing fields or put into shackles where they belong. But, with your assistance, that happy day shall come all the sooner and in the liberation of your homelands, you shall profit and prosper!"

There was from the gathered rebels to be a general chorus of approval. Not quite a cheer, but a few were willing to go that far and a couple more people probably would have tipped the scale. One of the things that held it back was a heavyset man. A butcher by trade named Janob Gornislab. He had managed to get enough attention by simply forming around himself a group of friends who shared his disdain for Infrastructure in areas of minor importance or with a surplus of gossipiness who had minor influence over others, while having enough sense to keep his head down when needed. It was not a Gang per-say, but he did have enough of raw and dirty charisma to nudge a substantial group of people along his way of thinking. He had also recently becoming the landlord of a couple of crude but serviceable house on the outskirts of town that he rented out to people he felt were worthy of living in the city. He had done some business with him before to sway his favor, but he was wary of him. His literary abilities were just able to let him sign his name and handle a note with an order for black sausages for Mr. Groshec, but he still had a certain level of cunning and caution. Enough of both to be both useful, but also potentially problematic.

"Might I make a point, noble Dark Elf?"

"Of course."

"Well," He said strolling forward, he spoke in a non confrontational tone "I would simply like to ask about something which I think on the minds of those gathered here." He walked forward with a chicken leg in hand. "While I don't doubt that you would like to have us rise up against the Infrastructurals, why did you take so long to help us? You sold our king guns, sure. But where were you when they came marching up from the south?" He began twirling the drumstick in his fingers. "Now from what I heard about you Dark Elves is that you fight like Demons and could have sent in some warriors to free your valued trading partners. But you did not do that. Instead, for twelve years we have been under their iron feet and in those years we lost loved ones and they twisted our lands to their madness. Why wait until now to free us?"

There was some murmurs of approval. Xaris knew that this would come up eventually. "On behalf of my Lords I must inform you that we were engaged with other more pressing matters. The debased forces of the False King" He spat the words "had engaged us at the time. If you have not heard, they are powerful, brutal in battle and seek nothing less than our extermination. We had our hands full dealing with them and that was just the start of it. We regret that there have been delays outside our control. However, those are in the past, now we are fully able to help you shake off the bonds of Infrastructural Oppression. If you still desire it?"

That got more or less the reaction he wanted and the butcher found himself the subject of a few unpleasant gazes. "Simply making a point worth making." Janob commented.

"Indeed. We have seen how effective simple mobs have been against this occupation. If you want to regain your independence, you will need more than bravery and anger. First of all, you will need weapons. That we can provide you with, you have a place to hide them until the time is right."

A merchant in a hat raised his hand "I can shift some inventory about and make room"

"There's plenty o' nooks 'ere my lads can stash yer shooting irons n' fire dirt." A smuggler volunteered,

"That's good. If you can get some men out in the forests, my associates can even show you how to make the most of them. But even more important than having the guns is when to use them. If you are serious about getting rid of the Committee's Lapdogs, you will hit them all at once when they are at their weakest."

"Wait a minute!" A gang leader cried out "Who's leading this whole thing? Why should we be taking orders from you!"

"Orders? Perish the thought!" Xaris responded in a hurt tone of voice. "My job is simply to help you achieve your goals, which can only help the goals of my masters. As for leadership of this resistance movement, that I will leave that in your hands. That said, if one of your groups desires to act alone against the committee, it will not only fail, but will most likely end getting the rest of you captured in a crackdown. It would be worse than simply doing nothing to act foolishly or alone. But, if you work together and strike when our fleet approaches the harbors, then victory will be yours. Daagsgrad will be free and you will be it's lauded and rewarded heroes."

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