[Mini Event] Always another storm

Though he was not normally a quiet man, or one giving to lurking, Jigano had not been planning on attending the meeting. He had been dropping off freshly-gathered medicinal plants in the Infirmary before the start of the gathering, and found himself caught between walking out through the meeting in progress, or waiting for it to end. Of course he had listened in, though he hadn't planned to speak up, but neither Amalia nor Rory were there... and neither, of course, was Edrei.

Wessex had the most useful breakdown of information, but it was lacking in one key area. Loren's offer of calling a mythical creature might be able to overcome the lack, but how far? As loathe as he was to draw attention to himself, Jigano finally sighed and stepped into the Temple proper, clearing his throat self-consciously.

"There are no monsters outside the barrier boundary," he said, though for once his voice might not have been loud enough to carry throughout the entire Temple. "Or at least, there haven't been in the past. I spoke to one of the Fae about it some time ago, and passed on a warning of what was coming, though as Deepfrost approaches they could use more of the specific rituals of what the Naturals have learned to be effective protections." He nodded grudging respect towards Wessex as the primary representative of their hosts, and the one with the most experience preparing for Long Nights.

"As for teams, and those going out in the dark..." he hesitated briefly, tilting his head in acknowledgment of Remi and Ashetta . "The monsters can do more than pretend to be people you know. Those who went to repair the perch found our minds... warped, for lack of a better word. They were able to slither into our thoughts and twist our emotions, tricking us into attacking each other. On their own they did little but throw debris at us to stop us, but what they were able to make us do to each other was far worse. The only protection that seemed to keep them out for any length of time were Amalia's red antlers. So long as we held one of those, we were safe from the manipulations, but simply being in their light was insufficient. Whether the antlers of a regular luxere would have the same effect, I can't say, but Edrei's magical fire wasn't enough to even slow them."

Blue eyes found Loren , chill and distant at the stranger who spoke so confidently of the Tyrant's Manor. It wasn't much of a jump to assume that he was linked to the Launceleyns, not with his tantrums and insults, but during Long Night it wasn't a matter of liking or disliking someone. They were all in it together, and personal grievances were set aside. "If you could summon a Spark Bird, that would be the most efficient protection," he said, forcing his volatile temper back and keeping his tone neutral with an act of will. "The one that came last year was able to protect the entire area of the Sanctuary with her light. How long will your summoning last, whether bird or beast? Is there a limit to how long a summoned creature will remain, or a limit to the distance you can get from it? Although we cannot guarantee the same Spark Bird will return to us this year, I would hesitate to do anything that might keep her away, if your summoning will not last the entire week. If it will disappear when you sleep, for instance, we would need to plan for that, and for the monsters retaliating with renewed rage during those times." Rory needed to remain fairly close to his summoned animals, and to concentrate on them to keep them existing, but he couldn't summon mythical creatures. Maybe that meant that the stranger's ability was strong enough to overcome those limitations.

The problem was that they wouldn't be able to test any of their plans and ideas until they were already under fire.