Grand Game 592: A Change of Strategy

My pronouncement elicited only a single terse word in response from the huntmistress. 

“Explain,” she ordered.

“Gladly,” I said. Sitting back, I took the time to gather my thoughts. “From everything you’ve told me, and from everything I’ve learned of the void from… other sources, I think it’s fair to say that the initiative is squarely with the enemy at the moment. The void fathers are the ones making all the moves. They are the ones determining which sectors to attack and which new fronts to open. They are the ones choosing the battlefields. You and the brotherhood are in reactive mode, only attacking the positions the stygians expect you to.”

Kartara nodded, her expression shuttered. “A fair assessment. We are the Kingdom’s protectors. We defend what the void attacks. But what other alternatives do we have?”

Spreading my arms, I took in the surroundings. “This sector, for one.”

The huntmistress raised one eyebrow. “You’re suggesting we try to reclaim sector 30,199?”

“I am,” I said, ignoring her disbelieving tone. “This sector is as good a place as any to begin a counter-offensive. By all indications, it is deep within the void’s territory and important to the nether. There is a mature tree here, three other rifts, and what, by all appearance, is a harbinger creche. Why not start here?”

Senzo scratched his head in bemusement. “For all the reasons you just laid out. If we did as you suggested and established a base here, how long do you think it would last against a concerted attack?”

Duskar scanned the barren desert dunes. “The terrain is indefensible,” he agreed. “Even if the mature tree leaves us with enough time to fortify a camp, the ground underfoot will not support proper earthworks. Any walls we erect will not be worthy of the name.”

I shook my head. “I’m not suggesting you establish your base in this exact spot. There is a mountain range to the north. The terrain there is more conducive to building a fort, and additionally, if you delve underground, the stone itself will help keep the nether mists out.”

“But your netherstone is tied to this location,” Cait pointed out. “Our people will require constant and ready access to a portal if they are to remain in the sector. For obvious reasons, they can’t be miles away from one.”

I shrugged. “True. But you’ll have a new netherstone soon,” I said, gesturing at the dead harbinger.

“It’s an interesting suggestion, Havick,” Kartara said, “but not workable, I think. Or have you forgotten the three other harbingers under the mature tree’s control? Marching the army across miles of barren sand while under constant assault by the mist will be difficult enough, but to do it while under threat of no less than three stygian Powers? That would be foolhardy.”

I smiled. “Oh, did I forget to mention? Those three are dead.”

Senzo, Duskar, and Cait stilled, their eyes widening in shock. Kartara’s expression was more controlled as she exhaled carefully in a bid to hide her reaction. 

She was only partially successful. 

“You did forget,” the huntmistress said. “When—and how—did this happen?”

 “The three harbingers died on the other side of the rift,” I replied. “They attacked the cloaking shield my people erected around the sector. Their assault was not wholly unexpected though, and in response, we lowered the shield, lured them in, and dispatched them.” I paused. “Their deaths were what prompted the void tree to flee to this side.”

Senzo eyed me askance, but he didn’t question the veracity of my words. The Pact I’d made earlier still compelled me to speak only truth, after all.

“You make it sound so easy,” the spymaster muttered.

“I don’t mean to,” I replied. “And I assure you, we didn’t take the threat lightly. In the end, though, slaying the three harbinger was easier than we anticipated, but that was largely the result of a mix of bad judgement on the young tree’s part and careful planning on our own.”

“So…. your faction now has four netherstones?” Cait asked, sounding both impressed and a little jealous by that fact.

My smile widened. “I expect so.”

“That does frame things differently,” the huntmistress murmured. She’d barely paid my exchange with Cait any heed, and her thoughts had clearly been elsewhere since I’d reported the deaths of the three harbingers.

I glanced at her. “It does, doesn’t it?”

She nodded. “The loss of all four harbingers explains the mature tree’s inaction. No wonder he hasn’t sent any reinforcements. He likely doesn’t have any powerful minions left to call on.”

“The mature tree could come himself,” Duskar pointed out.

“That would mean uprooting himself,” Cait objected, “and he won’t risk doing that.”

I nodded, agreeing with her assessment.

“But he could bring up reinforcements from elsewhere in the void,” Senzo warned.

“He can, and surely will,” the huntmistress agreed, “but it will take time for the nether to gather and dispatch aid—and it is not just any aid the mature tree requires. It’s Powers he needs. After his losses to date, nothing less will suffice.” Her gaze found mine. “That gives us time to safely reach the mountains.”

I clasped my hands together in suppressed excitement. “Then you agree to my proposition?”

Kartara pursed her lips. “Not so fast. I agree establishing a base in the sector appears feasible, but that is still a long way from expelling the void from it.”

“But it’s the first step to doing so,” I argued. “Like I said earlier, while rift diving may work against a stygian seed or even a sapling, your own experiences have already shown they are not nearly as effective against a full-grown tree. Take the young void tree we just killed for instance. It took a whole series of battles for my faction to dislodge the thing. Over the course of a few days, we steadily weakened its defenses, killing two overlords, dozens of nagas, and thousands of lesser stygians—and yet he was still no push over during the final confrontation.” I shook my head. “I’m convinced it’s going to take more than a single battle to defeat the mature tree.”

Kartara frowned. “It’s a campaign you have in mind, then?”

“That’s exactly right,” I replied. “We, or rather you and the brotherhood, have to stay entrenched in this sector, and bit by bit, weaken the mature tree’s defenses, until we are ready to strike the final blow.”

“A mature tree is not a young tree,” Duskar objected. “What you are asking could take months or even years.” 

“It could,” I said bluntly, “which is why establishing an impregnable base is an important first step.”

“But aren’t you forgetting something?” Senzo asked. “Your faction fought the young tree in a sector that was still nominally part of the Kingdom. The void was constrained in what reinforcements it could send. Not so here. What’s stopping the void from sending ten harbingers against us—or twenty?”

“The same thing that stops any expanding empire from concentrating its forces too much—the need to defend the territory it already holds,” I retorted. “Any reinforcements the void brings to bear in this sector will have to be taken from elsewhere, weakening that sector’s defenses. Now, granted the void can still choose to do that, but will it do so recklessly? Will it expose other void trees in order to protect this one? I am not so certain it will. The mature tree already made that mistake and look where it is now.”

Senzo frowned. “And if you are wrong?”

I shrugged. “Then we abandon the sector, retreat—and try elsewhere.” 

The spymaster still didn’t look convinced.

“Also, think of the benefits,” I encouraged.

“What benefits?” he asked.

Instead of answering the question directly, I replied with one of my own. “Who landed the final blow against the harbinger your people killed?”

“I did,” Kartara replied.

I suspected that might have been the case. “And I’m guessing you did so because you don’t possess an evolved Class and thus cannot acquire the Powerful Initiate Mark?”

The huntmistress’ lips tightened fractionally, but she replied evenly enough. “Correct.”

I nodded. “You did it to protect the rest of your people, of course—because anyone in the Kingdom sporting a Powerful Initiate Mark will become fair game for the Powers there.” I ran my gaze slowly across the four. “But all of you have grown so used to the status quo, you’ve not realized a core truth: the Game’s factions and your fear of them have tied your hands.” 

The brotherhood players stiffened, feeling the sting of my criticism, but none of them interrupted.

 “Imagine, the brotherhood didn’t have to fear letting its people become Powers,” I went on. “Imagine that for every stygian Power your people slew, you gained a new Powerful Initiate. Imagine that you had a stronghold in sector 30,199—a sector so isolated that nearly no one could get to it. Imagine you could nurture your newly-made Powers there, safe from the machinations of the Game. Now, tell me, what would the brotherhood be able to achieve then?”

Awed silence.

“That’s…” Duskar sputtered. “That’s…”

“Ambitious,” Kartara finished for him, her gaze resting on me.

I didn’t look away. I knew she understood the implications of what I was asking. If the picture I painted came to fruition, then many of her subordinates would surpass her in level and power—because she, of course, could not become a Power herself. 

Asking anyone to permit such would be a bitter pill to swallow. How much harder would it be for Kartara who had likely been in command of the brotherhood for years?

If she wanted to, there were a dozen different excuses the huntmistress could use to dismiss my suggestion, and as loyal as her people were to her, they would undoubtedly go along with whatever she decided. 

“Ambitious and intriguing,” Kartara continued, her face still inscrutable. “And a notion worth exploring further. I agree to your proposal.”

My shoulders sagged in relief, even as my respect for the huntmistress grew.

“However, there is still the matter of provisions to consider,” she went on as if there was nothing momentous about her decision. “If the goal is to keep the brotherhood stronghold in sector 30,199 isolated, I cannot supply them directly from our stores.”

“Agreed,” I said. “My faction will keep your people fed.” 

Duskar shot Kartara a look. “We are really doing this?”

She nodded. “We are. If the outcome of today’s battle has shown anything, it’s what can be achieved with Powers fighting by our side. This is not an opportunity we can afford to ignore.” She paused. “Besides which, Havick is right, the brotherhood has been on the defensive for too long. It’s time we took the fight to the void.”

She inhaled, then issued a series of pronouncements in rapid succession. “The army we leave behind in sector 30,199 will be the genesis of something new: the brotherhood’s first Nethersphere chapter. It will function autonomously and will be charged with making inroads into the territory held by the void. 

“The chapter will operate under a veil of secrecy, and its members will make a Pact sworn oath never to return to the Kingdom until the void has been fully defeated. I’ll remain in charge of the public-facing part of the organization—the Kingdom chapter—and will use it to funnel suitable candidates to the Nethersphere group. 

“Unfortunately, necessity and circumstances dictate that the entire army be conscripted into the new chapter. None of the players we brought here today will be afforded an opportunity to return to the Kingdom. But I want to be clear, all future enrollment in the Nethersphere chapter will be voluntary.” She exhaled. “Now, are there any questions?”

Silence fell again as Kartara’s subordinates digested her words, but if the others were perturbed by Kartara’s emphatic adoption of my suggestion, they did not show it.

I, too, ruminated over the huntmistress’ words. Once again, Kartara had surprised me. She had not only heard and understood what I had said, she had wholeheartedly grabbed hold of the notion and developed it into something that, in the long run, had every chance of success.

Assuming of course, we managed to establish and maintain a foothold in sector 30,199 in the first place.

“Who are you putting in charge of the new chapter?” Duskar asked finally.

“You,” Kartara replied.

The orc straightened. “Me?”

“Yes, you.” She smiled. “I have no doubt you are up to the task.”

“But...” The orc licked his lips as, almost involuntarily, his gaze slid sideways to me. “You want me to work with him?”

Kartara laughed. “No doubt you will give Havick no end of trouble, but you are our best war leader, Dusk. Heglin and Cait will also stay with you and serve as your seconds.”

The nether witch straightened. “I will?”

Kartara’s lips turned upward again. It was as if her decision had buoyed her and much of the tension she’d been carrying had vanished in its wake. “Of course,” she said lightly. “You are one of our foremost nether experts. Who better to study the creche here?”

Cait’s eyes brightened and she nodded decisively. “I will not let you down.”

“I know you won’t,” Kartara replied. “Now, are there any other questions?” Although she fielded the question to the group at large, it was to me she looked.

I said nothing for a moment, still meditating over her choice of commander. It was fair to say Duskar didn’t like me—nor me him, for that matter—and I couldn’t help but feel that had factored in the huntmistress’ decision.

Did Kartara fear for the new chapter’s continued loyalty?

I thought so. 

The Nethersphere chapter would be operating independently from the Kingdom one, and like it or not, would be heavily dependent on my faction for its survival, at least initially. Which, of course, was problematic from the huntmistress’ perspective. Such dependence might sway their loyalties, leading them to trade their allegiance to the brotherhood for me. But by appointing Duskar their commander significantly, she’d significantly reduced the chances of that happening.

A calculated decision, then, I mused.

Still, I could not fault it. And for all my dislike of the orc, I did not doubt his competence.

Turning my focus outward again, I found Kartara and the others watching me intently. “I have just one question,” I said, ignoring their stares. “Two actually.”

“Go on,” the huntmistress. 

“Who will be returning to the Kingdom with you?”

“Just Senzo,” Kartara replied. She threw the spymaster an apologetic look. “His expertise I cannot spare, and truthfully he will be more useful in the Game than here in the nether.”

I nodded. “Makes sense.”

“And your other question?” Kartara asked.

“What’s Duskar’s new title?” I paused. “And please don’t tell me I have to call him huntmaster!”

Just as I hoped, my question set the others chuckling.

Kartara smiled at me knowingly. My intention had been to set the others at ease—and it had worked—but not without the huntmistress realizing what I was about. Not that she seemed to mind.

“Alright, now that we have all settled—” Kartara glanced at Duskar—“tell me how do you want to do this?”

The orc leaned forward. “Well first, we need to…”