Operation Northern Sword

Operation Northern Sword was a RANGECOM mission to support Reiko Eleythos and other FedState staff in convincing the perennially-neutral Kingdom Anthegalia to join the war as an ally of the ARC. If a full alliance could not be obtained then any martial support possible would be gathered.

After a war council reviewing the current state of USC MARCS-ship positions and the political difficulties of the Senate's call for a white coalition for an Artheniapolis Defense Force, Secretary Reiko Eleythos gathered the following units for inclusion in Operation Northern Sword:

• RANGECOM Actual (Conell John "C.J." "Paladin" Bishop)
• Eagle Squad
• Klayr "Nocturne" Kyris
• Kraken Squad
• Lynnis "Lion" Utherson
• Seraph Squad

At the insistence of Tyr Eleythos, Reiko would also be bringing her newborn son Uthyr so that she could seek asylum if the ARC were to fall before her return.

The ranger Serenity was initially scheduled to stay behind to help with MARCS-ship intel analysis, but was contacted by Lucius Titus of the USC. The communication was purely personal in nature but the contact led to suspicion around Serenity to the point that she felt time away from RANGECOM warranted. She would journey as a field member of Seraph Squad instead of her usual combat controller role.

Since the onset of the civil war, Anthegalia has closed all lines of communication with the outside world, including the usual networks used for diplomatic communication. After the formation of the UFPF, Reiko started sending regular messages explaining the federation's position and asking for a re-establishment of diplomatic ties. During Lucius Titus's MARCS-ship speech she finally got a reply - a simple binary message that indicated Lat/Long coordinates to Adavel. Adavel is a small island south east of the main island of Anthia, and by most sea routes the nearest island to Agathos. For centuries it was home to the only port of entry for foreign ships, and also allowed small Umerick and Agathonian colonies throughout the years. It's home to around 15 thousand people and acted as a customs port before full isolation policies went into effect.

The goal of the operation was to invoke Article 2 of the Free Peoples Alliance charter that Anthegalia signed in AE 214. This is the unified defense article that should bring Anthegalia into war against the USC. While the treaty was signed with the old, defunct, Republic of Agathos, Reiko planned to argue that the spirit of the treaty should be kept, as various defense treaties between the Angthegals and Arthenians go back centuries. There were also unsolved mysteries surrounding references to an Anthegalian secret project “Kalasfird” in old republic documents, but the main objective was to achieve martial support not technological.

Ostensibly bringing along the rangers along for security, they were in reality to limit the risk of Reiko failing. They were to beg, borrow, or otherwise obtain anything of value from the Anthegals, even it was just securing an expeditionary force from an EB'G marquis, or a vital piece of intelligence.

Launching from the middle of a freezing rainstorm with a tilt-thrust aircraft with cloak paneling, mission forces reached the island of Adavel without setback. Upon arriving, however, they found no tower signals to use for communication, or any other network signals at that. A heavy mist surrounded the main island of Anthia which would usually be in sight from Adavel. The pilot recommended a ranger scouting party to the island while the rest of the team waited for an all-clear signal.

Seraph squad volunteered to act as scouts, and after a combat touch-and-go-landing secured the runway to find it intentionally damaged, but otherwise abandoned. All non-public areas were locked and power was out across the island. Signs indicated it had been several months or years since the island was abandoned, and in the fields outside of the main town there were ruined farmsteads indicating this was not the first time abandonment had occurred.

After giving the all clear the rest of the expedition disembarked, and they set off for the coordinates. At the appointed spot they found themselves on one side of the town plaza, at the foot of a large monorail station that had a line running into the mist toward Anthia. The group found the station was the only building with working power, and that an unmanned monorail car was waiting to receive them. After boarding the monorail it departed automatically. After some time the car cleared the mists and rolled into the station in Anglestad, the City of Angels.

The monorail stopped at station in Vaanshtapschluss, the deep water harbor that served as the only entry point into Anthegalia for foreigners. The expedition was prevented from disembarking by a large force of heavily armed EB'G agents, led by Margrave Elena von Rut Lucrenia. Upon identifying themselves Elena allowed them into the country, and informed them she would act as Mela, or guide. She informed them they were to have an audience with the Mulkeser (ally to man, a title of the king) the next day, but they could spend the night as guests in the Abhimelstot - the castle in the sky.

Seraphim Squad spent the rest of the day exploring the local culture and acclimating to the Drot'hul - nano-machines that were dispersed by the government through a network of towers that healed most afflictions and improved mental and physical endurance.

The next day Reiko Eleythos met the King of Anthegalia, along with Seraphim Squad. Before Reiko could make her request, however, the King suddenly placed her under arrest. She was charged with demon worship for her part in the Agalos Miracle. Orthodoxy teaches the need for miracles had ended with the cessation at the start of the 8th Age, thus her supernatural power must have come from an unholy source as a trick. After being bound and dragged away the King ended the public audience, through Seraphim Squad was covertly invited to a private audience.

Meeting on the balcony outside the throne room, Seraphim Squad protested the arrest of Reiko and demanded she be given a fair trial. The King assured them that justice would prevail, but that even though he could see the “Mark of Tzadkiel” on them, he could not simply let them vouch for her innocence.

The King stated Reiko could be found innocent of the charges by performing an ancient Trial by Ordeal. The trial would determine if the accused was lying about their innocence by placing them in a deadly situation to prove that God was on their side. Given their divine contact the King would allow Seraphim Squad to act as champions for this trial, taking Reiko's place in the trial.

The King then gave them their trial - to slay a “spawn of demons.” He explained that the divine machines were not actually machines, but were containers for Daemonas to feed on the domination of a human soul for longer than a lifetime while remaining hidden. This has, in a hidden way, led to the current war and other suffering. But these dark forces, knowing that Anthegals can often see through these hidden threats, are attacked in more overt ways away from the prying eyes of man. Thus dark creatures have become a plague on the land. While the EB'G has been recalled and contained many of the larger threats, Reiko's ordeal would be to find one such evil monster and kill it. Seraphim squad would have their choice of target, but could not rely on EB'G intelligence and would need to bide their time for “a truly worthy foe.”

Seraphim squad was provided with Kampfkrost (anthegalian war horses) from the royal stable and a couple weeks of provisions. They left Anglestad through a mountain pass into central Anthia.

During the week-long journey to Gotstad, the first large city on their route, Seraphim Squad met a trucker who had a disturbing rumor about the town. He said the countess, one Valeri von Gotlund Erisa, had suffered an accident while riding in the snow and broken several ribs. Before she could fully recover she was attacked by a fired town guard. While she was only wounded, an EB'G Judge who was accompanying her was slain. The Judge, Marquis Fredrick von Tavaria Heralsburg, had been investigating corruption in the court of the countess. While the corruption charges were minor and quite possibly politically motivated, the death of the judge has given the investigation more merit.

Worse still, the Judge's body disappeared from the morgue before an autopsy was finished. Since then several townspeople have been found murdered, usually disemboweled with bite marks on flesh and bone. The city constabulary has had no luck tracking the murderer. The frustrated countess has even promised her hand in marriage to whomever can return order to her city.

After hearing the rumors Seraphim Squad decided to investigate further. Arriving in the city they made their presence known to the Countess and were given boardings in the servant quarters outside the castle. They reviewed the facts with local law enforcement.

That night Seraphim Squad patrolled the city streets. Late into the night they interrupted a figure feeding on a fresh victim. Though they had not heard the murder happen they surrounded the attacker. Before they could confront him, however, they were set upon by a second figure. Both attackers appeared to have once been anthegalian males but had decayed flesh and had grown sharp claws and teeth. Faces contorted in rage they fought with bestial single-mindedness, and appeared unfazed when shot in the head and other normally vital areas. With the help of some unknown weapon wielded by Elena and the light from the Lamp of Creation, the creatures were finally slain.