The Forest Village

[digisolutions]

[ Now that the group is free, they can explore the forest village to gather info and supplies before heading out. Eric is going to be training in smithing with some local digimon.

The entire village is nestled beneath the trees, hidden in its boughs. A giant tree-turned-castle is in the center, with the smithing near the eastern river. An open-air market exists beneath the tree, around its base, where things both familiar and foreign are sold and traded. Clothes are scarce, although there's an Archnemon who works as a seamstress if they can find her.

Most shops are in the literal tree houses, though, especially the more specialized ones. There's cafes and an inn and the library that NeoDevimon works at. If it exists in a town, it's here somewhere, you just have to find it. Everyone largely seems to be chill, but there's definitely the sense that things are tense beneath the surface. ]

Comments

[lost_child_of_oriande]

[Yep, it's a mess. He's rubbing the bridge of his nose and then resting his hands on the table the map is on.]

The fear won't be solved until there is some kind of visible progress against the problem. Were the Lavafields the first territory it appeared in? Has there been a pattern to its corruption? Has anyone been able to study the conversion?

[resolved]

[ War will find these children, no matter how you try to shield them.

This statement, makes Lelouch, who has been trying to study whatever he can get his hands on in this place, tense somewhat. He's been getting Lucemon's help to reach the higher shelves (wings, after all) and currently he's been working with her to try to learn as much as he can, but...

It seems even in a weird fantastical setting, he can't escape this bitter truth. When he speaks, the amount of tired but resolute focus in his voice is palpable. This is a teen who has seen much bloodshed and expects to see more. ]

... Adding to that, your battle strategies seem lacking, from where I'm standing. You had enough power and intelligence to bring in outside help in your desperation, but why wait so long to do it in the first place?

[digisolutions]

We didn't want to put human children, who are not born for battle like we are, to fight our war. But no matter what we seem to throw at this threat, well... Many of our soldiers sent to aid other Areas simply haven't come back.

[ ...They've been fighting, but it just. Hasn't been successful, in other words. ]

We don't know where this virus came from, or why it's turning the world to glass. Simply that it is, and that it infects things similar to what you call cordyceps. No one who's lived to tell about it has seen the source of the infection. You're our last ditch effort, as it were.

[lost_child_of_oriande]

[Lotor raises an eyebrow at Lelouch but is keeping his mouth shut for the moment.] So essentially, it's converting your own people against you? [He's taking a moment, hand half over his mouth thinking.] How susceptible will our partners be, and is there a region that would have some kind of facility that could study it if we were able to safely contain a piece to research a countermeasure?

[resolved]

... If we're going to fight this, we need to use strategy. I agree.

[ He shakes his head, sighing. ]

But we may not have the time needed to study it. And if they have this level of knowledge about basic subjects, I can assume some among them may have already tried.

You mentioned no one returned. I assume all attempts to study the situation have failed because of that? Are there any among you who might be counted as weapons experts, or scientists?

[digisolutions]

Not in the Forest. While we have guards, we're mostly peaceful folks. Farmers.

[ He'll change the map over to the Cityscape. ]

Many scientists would be here.

[ And then he'll bring up their Lord, BanchoLeomon. ]

...BanchoLeomon is a good man. I'm sure he'd help you, if you need it. Weapons are primarily from the Mountains and Desert, where they can mine precious metals.

[lost_child_of_oriande]

I'm sure they've tried, but we may be able to assist and find an angle they may not have - and anything anyone may have already deciphered about it might aid us in finding a way to fight it directly.

Also if there is a risk our partners may be susceptible, we need to make sure to cover them, as well.

[resolved]

If it's anything like a computer virus, the possibility of it spreading and mutating more quickly than we can do anything about it needs to be considered. ... Unfortunately, I cannot say that's really my area of expertise.

You seem knowledgeable on the subject.

[ He looks at Lotor. ]

If we split up into two groups it might perhaps be faster. The concern now is time. Without that on our side...

[ A glance to the librarian-- ]

How long do you think we have left before this region succumbs?

[digisolutions]

I'm unsure. Lady Mastemon tries to hide how bad things are, but we all know she's growing tired.

[ He looks very sad. ]

...Anyway. I heard one of you was asking about firearms, right? Those are made in the Desert, under one of Mastemon's siblings, BelleStarmon.

[ The Desert Region's Lord is brought up. ...She looks like some teenager's edgy OC, I'm so sorry. ]

[lost_child_of_oriande]

We'll need to touch bases with the others - coordinate so that we have everyone where they'd be best suited. Also, with that in mind... [He looks back to NeoDevimon.]

Is there anywhere that would need to be shored up now, before any ideas of organizing weapons or working on a countermeasure could be started?

[resolved]

...

[ He's quiet a moment. ]

I have questions for your leader.

[ ... Many, if he's honest. Of course he went looking for info on Lucemon first. And he did also ask her, but...

Well. He always assumes people will forget, lie, or lie and forget, or some combination thereof, so like. He wants to know. ]

[digisolutions]

You can go speak to her. I'm sure she's tired, but she really didn't want to have to rely on you. She felt it was cruel to involve humans in our problems unless we had to. As for help... If you could find some way of reversing this, we could free the Lavaplains and get a lot of help from that.

[lost_child_of_oriande]

[Lotor gives a grim nod.] Then I'll head to the city to touch bases with BanchoLeomon and the researchers to see what might already be known and what I can do to expand that; you can help organize weapons and resources, and we can see about the other two seeking out trouble spots to damage control until we have a way to push it back.

[Lotor is very confident in being able to get a way to reverse it.]

[resolved]

Firearms would be ideal for those of us without physical combat capability.

[ ... He's not a soldier. He's no Suzaku. God he wishes that idiot was here. ]

Small reconnaissance teams would work more safely, and faster, but there's risk involved in that, which is why I believe we should focus on information only and try not to engage as much as possible.

[ He hefts the books he has. ]

... I have some things to do. I'll be leaving.

[ Have fun, Lotor! ]

[digisolutions]

Um... If there's anything else you need to know...?

[ He's just a librarian he's not a good fighter. ]

[lost_child_of_oriande]

[Lotor is getting this sinking suspicion he's going to be the diplomat of the group.]

Well... I know little of your customs and laws, or if those would be different in the city, so I was going to ask about - any basics I might need to know to avoid accidentally angering someone or starting unnecessary conflict.

[digisolutions]

Largely, so long as you don't cause harm on purpose, you'll be fine. The Nine Lords are protectors of those weaker first and foremost. The most dangerous might be those in the Marsh. Many there are outcasts. You'll find many who resemble poisonous plants or the dead, for example, and they'll be just wanting to live in peace. Rafflesimon is very protective of those under her wing to the point of being distrustful of outsiders.

[lost_child_of_oriande]

That's... not an unfamiliar concept. [Lotor hasn't exactly gotten to go around a lot of the outcast types just yet, but he knows they exist...and have probably MORE reason to be distrustful than the Marsh digimon do.] If we need to go there, I'll be careful - and we likely will need to, at least to make sure any countermeasures reach everyone who will need them.

What should we be expecting outside of this town, and between here and the city?

[digisolutions]

...Not everything will be kind to you. Some have sought to turn to our enemy's side to save their lives, I'm sure. They will try to stop you. So be prepared for fights. Others still might not want you to interfere in our war. The Forest goes on for awhile, and then to either side is the Desert and Mountains. The Cityscape makes up the central area.

[lost_child_of_oriande]

Then those of us who're splitting off on errands alone should move light and fast, and mind to not be surrounded or hemmed in. [He's confident in his abilities, but he's not stupid, especially not with an enemy he knows little about.]

As dire as things have gotten, we should touch bases with the others and prepare - I hope we can buy enough breathing room for a less severe conversation soon.

[digisolutions]

We'll manage. I'm sure you children can do much. ...At least, I believe in you.

[lost_child_of_oriande]

Before I go... it was mentioned that there was power in working with someone from outside your world. Are there any records of how that works or what I should be looking for? Will it give them any protection against what we're fighting?

[digisolutions]

I... Don't know. I'm sorry. Largely, we know of it allowing Digimon to achieve higher forms before they're of age, at least temporarily. Otherwise, it seems to vary what Digivices can do.

[lost_child_of_oriande]

[Lotor nods quietly, but he's already giving the Digivice a speculative look...he's got PLANS.] Well, won't be the first time I've had to make sense of something from very little.

Also - when you said your people were possible 'as old as data', what did you mean by that? How far does that extend through the structure of this world?

[digisolutions]

Everything here is data. It is, after all, the Digital World. But what data is can be debated, can't it? Maybe we weren't digital, really, and simply other worlds view us as digital because that's how we parse to them.