Editing Battle of Breaking Iron (section)

==Intelligence Directorate Briefing #16952, Page 4==

The ghostly image of vast plain unfolded over the table, and in miniature a disorganized rabble moved through the grass.  Karal Linwei held the Recorder of Everlasting Glories before her, dangling from chain on her wrist.  "As you can see, nearly six thousand troops began the trek with the thunderbird.  This image was captured by one of our skyships three hundred miles from the Marukan border.  Superimposed over this, lets take a look at the same force four weeks after they had crossed the border..."

A second image hovered over the first, this time moving through rolling hills.  Amilar Vondy murmured with surprise.  "Halfthe troops are gone and they've lost what little coherence they once had.  Our spies report that this is largely due to the work of one of the anathema leading the cult, a wretched by the name of [[Leaf Shakes the Wind]].  Fortunately, though they are very careful about dematerialized spies, they have no protections against sorcery or charms listening in on their councils.  Otherwise we never would have known that Leaf was even an anathema.  To date we still haven't been able to get an accurate description of his appearance, unfortunately."

Amilar jumped in, "And he wasn't the only one busy before the battle.  A delegation of the anathema cult leaders travelled to [[Celeren]] and managed to convince the Mahekos clan to loan them almost eight dragons of militia, practically a full legion.  Some of them seem to have quite a way with words.  They blew through the assembly, from what I heard.  They're not just warlords, that's for certain."

Yushoto Tarkem added, "What's more, they're sorcerer appears to be quite the artificer as well.  He recruited one of our technicians, [[Berren]], a youngster working on the third triumph class warstrider assembly line.  Apparently he was after the mold for one of the Godfangs, mothballed along with certain other anathema instruments and practically forgotten by the Stores Directorate.  Naturally we recruited [[Berren]] ourselves to feed us information on their activities."

With a nod, Yushoto Albia stated flatly, "Please inform them of how successful that was."

"Yes... Berren contacted us through the Marukan Redoubt and informed us that their sorcerer technician, [[Rivers Between Us]], was using the mold as a decoration in a sort of museum at his manse.  However, Taimyo..."

Karal unrolled a diagram and spread it on the table, "...this is the sword wielded by [[Nameless Ravine]] at the skirmish.  He most certainly did not possess it two weeks prior.  It's like nothing we've seen, and according to our archivist it is not a first or second age pattern.  However if you look at the weight, the dimensions, certain aspects of the crossguards..."

Yushoto Tarkem continued, "...it has the same soul, you might say, as Appointed Blasphemy."

Amilar Vondy rubbed his wispy beard between his thumb and fingers.  "Hmm... so the little spy lied.  Will he be assassinated, or retrieved for public execution?"

Yushoto Albia shook her head with a twitch.  "Not yet.  Disinformation can flow both ways."

"Ah... excellent use of limited resources."

"Indeed."