[Post here first!] The Coastline

An Isran fleet currently loitered a few miles off of the Goraian coast; the majority of that fleet was at sea anchor, floating slowly with the currents, though each morning they would pack on just enough sail to move back to near their predetermined point and resuming that slow drift. Sea anchor was more of a slowing than a stopping and thus clearly not ideal (at least based on their resuming position), but was more flexible in placement and faster to pull in if the fleet were engaged.

The anchored vessels were primarily, judging by the loads of soldiers onboard, transport ships; they seemed fairly crowded, though there were only around fifteen of them. The other four anchored ships were more unusual; they had the hull of a fighting ship, but with no weapon mounts and open sides without railings.

The six vessels sailing around, in two groups of three, patrolling the area around those transports... well, they were clearly something else entirely. Each ship was massive, a hundred or more crewmen easily visible at a time, with their siege weaponry taking up two decks below the weatherdeck. While each obviously flew the Isran ensign from their stern, one of those ships also carried, just below the national ensign, the personal banner of Valerian Kastimeer . If the standards were to be believed, the Lord Admiral himself was aboard INS Nemesis and commanding this fleet.

Patrolling farther out, just in clear sight for their lookouts of the fleet itself, were four nimble little schooners. Their fore-and-aft rigging allowed them to almost ignore the direction of the wind, making scouting both easier and safer -- anything that could outfight them couldn't catch them, essentially.

Further out to sea, who knew what one might find? Merchantmen certainly weren't returning from the area to report.

On the deck of The Depravity, just behind the figurehead depicting her, Lady Naoki stands. On this most somber morning, she wears the buunvar hide given to her by Aia Heijra , in the form of a large cloak that obscures her in her entirety from the neck down. Though there wasn’t much to be done about the prickly texture of it, Naoki’s tailor was able to line the garment with a soft, crimson patterned fabric, and added golden trim to make the hide into a garment at least somewhat worthy of its wearer.

As she stands there, gazing impassively toward the coastline as the wind whips around her, Naoki's earring glimmers and shines furiously. Those familiar with its behavior would know that this behavior is indicative of large amounts of telepathic communication on Naoki’s part, as she communicates personally with each cog in the great Isran war machine.

For her part, Centurion Analiese Hael spent her time belowdecks of the lead transport for the first cohort. A veteran of numerous wars, she knew this was likely to be the hardest one he would ever fight. Something about Goraia had always seemed sinister to the Israns, and she had quelled many a superstition about the supernatural abilities purported of the Goraian high leadership and their soldiers. She kept on the move, casually chatting with the soldiers in her command to keep them at ease. The orders would come soon, and there was no point in worrying until that moment.

“I didn’t think it would be this cold,” Naoki murmurs. And, to be fair, the majority of the chilliness can be attributed to cold winds blowing across the water, which are only really making themselves a problem for those standing exposed on the weather decks of the ships.

In any case, it is quite cold, and as such, Naoki’s ears flatten themselves against the top of her head as she moves to adjust her cloak, and close the gap through which Forni’s tentacle was able to protrude. Silently, she reflects that having Forni in there as he is, is actually quite nice. His body temperature seems to be somewhat high- probably on account of being a demon, so the warming effect is substantial. Useful little guy, he is. As a gesture of appreciation and affection, Naoki brings one hand up beneath her cloak to pet his head. Though to those unaware, it may simply seem as if she’s fondling herself.

Simultaneously- having successfully ascertained that everyone is about as prepared as they’re going to be, Naoki begins to issue orders. Firstly, the majority of The Depravity’s battlemages, archers, and mounted weapons crews (including Eloria Tyrins ) are ordered to the starboard side of the ship, and are told to prepare themselves for potential combat.

The Centurions of the First Legion are instructed to organize their cohorts within their respective transport ships in such a way to prepare for landing, and to allow their archers a clear shot on any airborne targets that may try to stop them.

Valerian and the majority of the fleet are given the vague instruction to stand by, and protect the transport ships once they begin to move.

Marshal Lamina Manira is asked to come up to the weatherdeck, to the bow- to Naoki’s position, for further instructions.

Knight-Captain Calgary is ordered to prepare his riders to take flight at a moment's notice, but not to leave the carriers just yet. 

And lastly, Commodore Gothmog Bloodsail is instructed to bring The Depravity as close to the coastline as he is able to safely, orienting the bow northward, and the starboard side of the ship to the shore.

Already standing on the starboard side was Jun. Fully decked out in her dragon armor, enchanted helm, buckler, rig, and Resonance, she certainly looked the part of a killer. There was a menacing aura about her, both metaphorically and literally through the mana being exuded by her body. She was staring at the coastline as it rapidly approached, appearing pensive.

Little Blackbean was sitting on her shoulder, in his little suit of armor.

There were several different thought processes going through her mind: what spells to use in case of what, reassuring herself that this was the right thing to do, and that Camilla's family would soon have its justice, how many former friends and neighbors she was going to kill today.

The cool breeze felt nice.

Gothmog bristles a bit at Naoki ordering his crew around. Her order for him to bring the ship about so that the starboard side faced the Goraian coast would have resulted in him giving the order for everyone to man the ballista on the starboard side. He keeps quiet about it though, as Naoki was evidently not familiar with how naval command worked, and it actually took him giving the order a second time to get the crew to follow the instructions. The ship maneuvered in the manner specified to point its starboard weaponry at the Goraian coast.

Arya would get ready for land-fall along with all the other soldiers on the transports. She wore her black and white armor and carried her golden sword which radiated holy energy. Her whole form radiated holy energy in fact as she got ready for a battle that could very well be happening soon. She wore a green armband as well which indicated she was a healer. Arya was capabable of much more than healing though, and she dreaded bringing to bear any of her power to hurt others. However, she would do it if it was necessary to save her own comrades which stood around her.

The knife whispers to her. Eye sneaking glances over the side of the ship.

"Where are we headed, milady? It has been long since I was awake, and I know little of the world as it now stands."

"I hope there will be battle. It has been too long since I last felt swords break upon my back. Too long since I have bled, and made the enemies of my master bleed in kind."