[Open] Quite Possibly Chaos and Panic in Daltina

[Aesha]

Timestamp: Afternoon, 29th Brightening of Cryxatum, Summer in Era II of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIV Post Fractum.

It had not taken long for rumor to spread throughout the city as soon as the Thane had ordered the closure of the gates. People had wondered why the big, solid thing had been closed after so long, and the guards, against their better judgement, had told them, instead of making up something like being closed for inspection into repairs.

Instead they had told everyone who asked that the city was under seige by the legions of the empire, and, understandably so, everyone had gone into panic. The panic of course, depended on what area of the city you were in.

In the grand district, the nobles merely stuck to their houses and commented on how, in the days of the kingdom, such a thing would have never happened, and on the pros and cons of being part of the empire, and they mulled over what was going on at the capital these days.

In Dargistown, the dwarves merely shrugged and ignored it. Dwarves were generally not made for panic and in any case, the longer lived race had seen its share of seiges and cities that came and went. Instead, they went about their daily business, went back to work, or in extreme circumstances, went town the pub to talk about it over a pint of ale.

In Cheapside, however, they did love a good drama. It was what made the day entertaining. So, the commoners of Daltina took to the streets, and told everyone, and panicked, and basically made the most of the situation. The city guard were dispatched in case things got out of hand, but worst case scenarios mainly consisted of people refusing to go back to work and groups of housewifes mulling around in the street in hysterics, wondering why the invading legions were not thinking about the poor children and what the seige would do to them. The children, meanwhile, were gleefully running around Cheapside safe in the knowledge that no one would make them go back to school.

So currently, the streets were full of people who weren't so much panicking, but basking in the momentary excitement of the developments.

The real panic would only set in once someone considered what the city would do for food and other essential supplies should the 'seige' last more than a few days.

[Alexis Sapientia]

Ducor Navarch Isoroku Yamagata was not a very happy man.

Normally content to be clad in the loose-fitting robes that befitted a former resident of Zinn'Sunn, here he was now, bearing the immaculate uniform of his office, his cutlass sharp and his symbols of rank, prominent.

Ever since he'd taken charge of his command - ten frigates, just anchored offshore, thank you very much - he'd cast a very wary eye eastward, lest the Rampaging Horde see fit to lay waste to the Maevewood, and partake of tasty noble flesh.

Oh yes, he'd heard the rumors, and confirmed the same. Lots of wounded from the first Narim campaign had passed through his ships, and Kemites could be very good observers.

Beside him, the commander of the Third Classis, Feliks, looked just as irritated. Originally a resident of Arium, he perenially had with him the dour countenance expected of those from that area, even when drunk.

Now that the panic had taken hold, it was sufficient to say that this was not what they had expected. It was only in Cheapside, after all. Those in the Grand were aloof, as always. As for the dwarves...

...well, the dwarves were resilient. No doubt they'd just go underground yet again, mayhaps dig their way to Primus Gaudeo. Good engineers, they were, after all.

As he stood on the quarterdeck of his frigate, the Allerian Fighting Ship Black Tide, so did he regard the city. He had ordered his crews to beat to quarters, and they were all mustered and ready. Marines were ashore and afloat, with officers ready to arrest any troublemakers.

For the meantime, all they could do...all they would do, was watch, wait, and listen. Perhaps good would come out of this.

Perhaps.

[Tarot]

A few candlemarks later, shortly before mid-darkening, the guards were issued orders to reopen the gates of Daltina. Word on the street was that the Regent himself had authorized a large-scale Imperial exercise around Daltina, for reasons unknown. Some particularly wild versions of the story held that the city was going to be attacked just like Paxia before it, and the Legions were there to provide an immediate counter-attack when that happened. Others spoke of 'final' weapons to be used against the Orcs that would obliterate the world as people knew it. And of course, there were some who saw the opportunity in the crisis. With so many Legionnaires around, the local brothels soon entered a heated campaign to enlist new rank-and-file personnel.

Thus ended what would be consigned to Daltinan history as the Siege of Pracenda.