[ SOL INVICTUS INFORMATION THREAD ]

[whistleconcert]

[As per Zabala's request, Blues has prepared a post on SI and posted up here on the BBS. Though his ID is attached to it, he's fiddled some to make it obvious that it's important and open to everyone to see.]

Sol Invictus is a group made up of off-worlders who were either found by the group before they discovered Balamb Garden or who, on having information about Balamb Garden, decided they didn't want to be a part of it. The organization is entirely off-worlders; they don't accept natives in any way, shape, or form.

Sol Invictus lacks the group structure that we at Garden here have. There are no ranks except for the ones who lead the organization, and every member of it tends to be given their orders and otherwise left to their own devices. While there are squads and partners, these are entirely set up by the individuals themselves, with no interaction from the organization as a whole. The groups that stay together tend to be formidable while together, but because of the lack of interaction between a lot of them, they don't work as well outside of that group. Some even choose to do things entirely on their own. "Every man for themselves," so to speak, especially as individuals of the group aren't restricted beyond following their orders.

As we know, Sol Invictus is after off-world technology. They are willing to use any means that they have to do this, even by abuse of their power or injury and death to those in their way. Furthermore, they are somehow able to find and recover off-world technology without anyone, even those here at Garden, ever knowing the technology was there at all. The amount of technology they've managed to amass would be enough to fill up cities and they aren't going to slow down in getting what they want anytime soon.

Sol Invictus's goals are to capture and hold any point they consider as "magically significant." What that means or what is considered to be that is unknown; places where off-worlders or Sorceresses left some sort of impact is currently the most logical guess, but there's no way of telling what it could be as of yet. They are more than willing to outright conquer whatever places they feel are significant, and many of its members outright speak of and plan for world domination once those points are secured -- or sooner.

Sol Invictus is our enemy. Whatever their reasons, they pursue a goal that will end in the suffering and death of many innocent people, both natives and off-worlders. As members of Garden -- as protectors -- this is not something we can allow to happen.

Comments

[Blues has locked this specific comment so it can't be replied to.]

[whistleconcert]

Instructor Blues [#47137]

As I've been deemed the expert of Sol Invictus, I'll be fielding anything having to do with them. As I was told by someone here, if you muddy up the water, people will only wonder more what's under the surface. Therefore, I will do everything I can to keep things clear. If you have questions, concerns, or anything you wish to ask me about Sol Invictus, let me know in some way. A private message, a reply here or elsewhere on the BBS, or even in person if you prefer.

[espio]

[Outright declaring Sol Invictus as an enemy seems a bit... um. Espio's always sort of defended them, really. This post definitely has him thinking.]

Well, let's lay this out there: I've always tried to defend them from swift judgement and assumptions. After all, it's those swift judgements and assumptions that have off-worlders as a whole ostracised by much of the world.

This seems like more of a decisive statement, though. I'm gonna assume Garden finally put more research into it.

[whistleconcert]

Do you know my full title, Instructor Espio?

[espio]

Not without looking it up, but I'm gonna guess you'll tell me "Covert Operations" is in there.

[whistleconcert]

[Blues decides to be thorough here; this is a public BBS post, after all, and one dealing with Sol Invictus as a whole as well as his "expertise" in them. Even if Espio doesn't need the information, someone else might... and at this point, if he wants Garden to trust him with something so vital, there can't be secrets.

...heh. What a strange position.]

Instructor #47137, Covert Operations and Magic Operative, Indirect Platoon, Level 3.

My disappearance from Garden until now was because I had infiltrated Sol Invictus to get as much information on them as possible. I was there to be one of them. I heard what they wanted, saw what they did, and received the same orders as the rest of them.

Sol Invictus are what they are. For those of us who want to protect others, even if they hate us, what they are is our enemy.

[espio]

I see.

[...yes, that's all he has to say on that.]

[thatched]

Sounds like a lot of propaganda there, mate.

[whistleconcert]

Call it that if you want. But I saw it first-hand.

[thatched]

And what brought you back to these hallowed halls? Not into the whole World Domination cliche?

[whistleconcert]

I know someone who tried to take over the world no less than ten times. The blood and bodies left behind made a picture I don't intend to forget any time soon.

And despite what people believe, I am loyal to those who've given me a reason to be.

[thatched]

[serious kind of guy isn't he? Was he with Sol Invictus when he found this out and scarpered? Or was he some kind of spy sent by the Garden? Either way it's a tenuous position he's in]

Aren't you at least concerned they'll be able to read this?

[whistleconcert]

With the people they had, I'd be honestly surprised if they hadn't figured out who I was shortly after I returned to Garden, much less this much later by what I'm saying.

Besides, if I expect anyone here to trust what I know, I have to explain why I know what I know.

[thatched]

[so he had been a spy then. It was possible he was a spy the other way, too. Who really knew about this guy other than what he said. Not that Thatch really cared since he cared no more for that group than he did this one, to be honest.]

If that's true, what makes you think all your information is accurate? If they know what you know, surely they must have changed tactics.

[Unless they were incredibly arrogant, or incredibly powerful, they wouldn't just go ahead... also, he had the feeling that this guy knew far more than he was letting on. Things kept confidential from the masses]

[whistleconcert]

That's certainly a possibility, but I doubt they'll change up what they do. The people in Sol Invictus were determined to see their goal through and very few of them would submit to organization and squads. If Sol Invictus gets its off-worlders leaving by the masses, then it will be worse off than if it just kept going.

And they certainly won't give up their obsession with off-world technology. If that was possible, I wouldn't have had to leave so soon.

[thatched]

Aye? And why is that? Have some superior technology, do you?

[whistleconcert]

In so much as I'm walking advanced technology. Gears, metal, wires, and systems.

[thatched]

Is that so? Were they making plans to dismantle you or did you scarper before they could?

[A kind of extreme cyborg then? Interesting.]

[whistleconcert]

I left before they knew what I was, but they certainly know it now. I didn't make a secret of it even well before they came around.

[thatched]

So they're liable to be coming after you again. And us by extension, I suppose.

[whistleconcert]

Possibly. It depends on how willing they are to go into open war with Garden.

[thatched]

And what do you suppose is the probability of that?

[whistleconcert]

Incredibly likely.

[thatched]

Then maybe we should hit them before they hit us.


[not that he was in charge of such things and he wasn't sure he'd even stand behind it. Not until he knew what they were really capable of and what their weaknesses were]

[whistleconcert]

If we did, we'd lose.

[thatched]

[which only meant that they had to get more intelligence on this group. Specifically their weaknesses. He wasn't really a shore up the defenses kind of guy. Though before he did anything, he'd have to ask Marco what their stance was in all of this.]

So if we can't strike first, and they're bound to strike us--what is it you suggest we do?

[tiamat_shot]

...Technology.

[It hadn't seemed relevant the first time he read the post, but after looking over it several times and remembering what Zabala had said... it seemed like his studies weren't a dead-end after all...]

[whistleconcert]

They have a lot more of it than anyone had guessed.

[tiamat_shot]

They're the missing link that kept the Mage's plan from working. If they'd teamed up with him, we would have gotten this whole Time Compression thing undone by now.

Naturally, that kind of works counter to the whole "world domination plans" thing so it's obvious why they refused him, but...

If we can find someone as well-versed in Time Magic as the Mage was, and can figure out a way to get our hands on Sol Invictus's tech, that could be the answer that just about everyone is looking for.

[whistleconcert]

It's certainly a possibility. The problem is, Sol Invictus isn't going to give up what they've managed to get and we have no way of beating them to most of it -- I'm not exactly built for scanning and recovery.

And that assumes we can find someone focused in Time Magic.

[tiamat_shot]

...Yeah. The last guy that was, we were kind of forced to put out of his misery.

Shit.

[whistleconcert]

Still, it's a goal to keep in mind. Humans are strange things; who knows who could be out there.

[marearcana]

As a non-specialist, at least from a magical standpoint, I'd probably be able to manage whatever spells would be necessary given enough time and effort. Of course, there's little to no material on the subject here, so it's far from an optimal solution.

[whistleconcert]

And without that knowledge, we're blundering around in the dark just hoping to hit the light switch.

[marearcana]

Well, that's a valid comparison, if a bit oversimplified. Still, I'll see what I can do - I have cast a time-"altering" spell before, if with extremely limited results.