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Brings-the-Pack arrives promptly at the appointed meeting time, the cougar appearing silently and suddenly at the treeline. "So. You wish to know how best to kill this warper," he states as he resumes his path into the caern.
Dakota is seated by the fire and feeding some wood in to keep it fresh burning. She looks up to the arrival of the cougar and dips her head. "Ah, hello, yes. Thanks for coming. I'm sorry if the whole topic is.. awkward. I'd like to think it's not much different than us discussing battling Spirals but cultural differences and all."
"Normally it would be relatively similar, but I do not believe in killing," the cat-mage replies and, after a momentary pause, adds, "Intentionally." A beat. "When at all possible." So much for absolutism. "I believe it is a slippery slope, and not something I wish to test myself upon. But the garou have far fewer qualms than I, and I hold no aversion to defending allies." He acknowledges, "And this is indeed somewhat awkward. Like a garou telling a mage about how silver is dangerous to them."
"Yeah I suppose it is." Dakota says with a faint grimace. "But that little snippet was assuredly our ancestors' fault when they went rampaging across the Dark Ages like they owned the time period. I know where you're coming from. I only wish there was more opportunities and time to spare on redemption. Sadly the ones willing to try are few and far between. An enemy who's not a friend is a lot better than a dead enemy."
"Life rarely works well with idealism. It is messy." The cougar-mage settles down opposite you at the firepit, eyes reflecting flames. "I have established a shielded ritual location from which I can watch the area and attempt to unwork any hostile magick the other warper might try to inflict upon the garou. I would advise you against using any gifts or rituals directed at him. He will likely sense such things and thus expect an attack prior to the attack ever happening." Unpleasant. "I may not be able to stop him completely, but I should be able to lessen blows. Insofar as what he may be capable of?" He pauses. "Anything." That's not reassuring. "But, based upon what I have gathered from the defenses the Queen's Tower possesses, my suspicion is that this mage is extremely knowledgeable about at least two of the nine spheres of magick: Spirits and spacial relationships. Based upon the spiritual shielding the Queen's Tower possesses, I suspect he is likely capable of attacking things across the gauntlet. He is likely able to cross between worlds, just as the garou do. He may be able to control or reshape both spirits and the spiritual landscape. He might even be capable of creating new spirits or ripping holes between differing spiritual realms. I would be cautious, if I were you, before attempting to use something spiritual against him. It might backfire on you."
It looks like at least a chunk of that explanation begins to go over Dakota's head, though given her expressions are more furrowed considering versus staring she seems to catch at least some of the gist. "By the sounds of it then, simpler is better. The mundane isn't going to stick out like a neon sign. I shouldn't be surprised given the sorts of things he's working with and or for. Any risks he'd sense us coming, being we're partly spirit ourselves?"
"If stealth is your game plan, the more mundane the better--at least in the initial strike. He might sense you coming. He might not. I can sense your kind easily, but only if I am actively looking. I would not be surprised if he were to be actively looking when he initially came out of the building. Afterwards? After he has poked his head out of the safety of the Tower and seen there was no attack coming? He might let his guard down then."
Dakota nods her head slowly as she chews her bottom lip. "Right right... makes sense. So by and large, it sounds like I more need to just make sure they have some defensive things on hand such as healing talens in case, but otherwise wait until he's clear and follow through with a mundane strike. If things get out of hand hopefully they'll be on the other side. Still a high risk regardless but we have to take the chance if we hope to chip away at the Tower."
You say "That might be your best bet for getting in an attack without him realizing there's a threat to begin with. Although it might be good to have a backup alternative on hand in the event the mundane means of attack fails to work. Which brings us off of the spiritual side of things and into the spatial relationship side of things: his other area of obvious magickal knowledge. The ability to ban spirits and Val from entering the top few floors of the Tower indicates he is strong enough that he might be able to ban spirits--or spiritual things--from touching him. But it also indicates he might be capable of teleporting. If that is the case, I will do what I can to prevent him from doing so. If he does, I might be able to track where he went; although I suspect he will simply teleport back into the Queen's Tower. If he gets away in this manner?" Here the cougar-mage pauses, indicating what he's about to say next is significant. "He may very well be able to track you wherever you go next. Do not return to your families or homes or loved ones. You will be endangering them." A beat. "He may also be able to strike out at you from afar. Miles away? Inside a building? Deep in the wilderness? At the caern? Hidden in a cave beneath the earth? It will not matter. So recognize the severity of the task you are undertaking here. And the consequences of failure."
Dakota frowns deep at what the mage says and her chest rises and falls in a heavy breath. "Then if we miss him, those involved can't come to the caern. While it's all likely possible those at the Tower know where it is, on the off chance they don't we can't take that risk of being followed back. Resisting being tracked though is something I can work on but we'll need a rendezvous point if things go south. Somewhere far, like Lake Arthur, to help keep him far from anywhere critical and at least somewhere where the Veil is less endangered. It's risky no matter what path we choose but if we do nothing then the chances of us ever making a decent strike on the Tower is practically none. Not without an even bigger loss of life than we're facing."
"If the group sticks together, I can help to obscure them from tracking, sending out a false signal that may throw the warper off course. I've taken the precaution of shielding my ritual area, but if he is more talented than I--or luckier--then I will eventually be exposed. But hopefully that will buy enough time for everyone to get away." The cougar then adds, "When I come to the caern, one of the things I look for is if there are others scrying upon it from afar. To date, I have seen no evidence of this activity. But it is not a difficult thing for some warpers to do. But... now the sept has means of thwarting such attempts in the present and the future." He then adds, "This also might be an easy thing, for the sept to kill this warper. And you might look back upon it and marvel at how easily the task was done and how needlessly worried you were. That, I hope, is what happens."
"I'm in the process of perfecting a rite which could help in the future." Dakota says to Brings-the-Pack. "I don't know I'll be prepared in time for this, it's a delicate process and demanding, but if successful it can hide the caern and Harbor Park from eyes in the Umbra. With luck, permanently. It's not foolproof by any means but to those who don't know what's there it can help shield these places from prying eyes. Or anywhere else we'd chose. Unfortunately, like I said, I doubt it'll be ready in time. I do hope we're just over worrying but better to have as many variables planned as you can and not need them."
Brings-the-Pack listens, nods his feline head once, and then offers, "Should we survive this encounter with this warper, I might be able to assist with protecting the park--to some extent--similar in means to how the Queen's Warper shields the Wyrm's minions at the top of the tower. But much more subtle. I would offer the same of the caern, but I am hesitant to do so, for fear of upsetting its balance." A beat. "And, if I may, I would like to offer my apologies. Earlier, when Val offered to show you a hologram showing the glyphs that the Queen's minions had placed about the city? I heard it inadvertently affected you. I was worried it might, and I cautioned Val of that, but it was information the garou needed to have as directly as possible."
"Oh, that." Dakota says with a hike of her shoulders. "She let me know. I'd be a poor Garou if I wasn't willing to take risks for the good of the sept. Some nightmares were worth it. The warning helped me make sure my ass was protected. If I'd gone in blind then I may have very well been corrupted but as it was I managed to whip up some soul alarms. I don't know what reasons you have to help us considering our kind isn't exactly the friendliest out there but I appreciate it. I better let the others know so we can assemble plans accordingly. Thanks for meeting with me."
