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Aphonion Tales: The Archducal Council -- Unedited notes; later posts are edited transcripts (posts MWF, update 3/1/23)
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<blockquote data-quote="CPaladin" data-source="post: 8853687" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>Session 141 (March 23, 2022)</p><p></p><p>30 Tar</p><p>(They ask Many Hands and his contingent to look for the powerful prophetic device on the Isle when they are down there--they learned about it some time ago, but never had a good opportunity to seek it. Of course, the Empress's nibling is much more important.)</p><p></p><p>The top priority in Canberry is figuring out (a) who sent an assassin from Enclaves and (b) who the Unseelie sidhe who was watching the situation was sent by. Kit takes point on both investigations.</p><p></p><p>Kit sends a message to her counterpart in the Archbaroness of Mandrath’s service via the magic box. Three hours later, they are able to speak directly.</p><p></p><p>“We have had an incident that we think you know something of, involving a common enemy.”</p><p></p><p>“The Forbidden.”</p><p></p><p>“Yes. Two children who have close ties to someone under our protection were kidnapped by the enemy. They were going to be sacrificed, but they were rescued. One of them saw a figure—an Unseelie sidhe.”</p><p></p><p>“Ah. They’re gifted.”</p><p></p><p>“Yes, we’re having that handled as well. Who would have sent that?”</p><p></p><p>“The Council. The First Mouth is very concerned about the Forbidden, and believes that Drucien is the apex of their incursion. The First Mouth has been sending various agents out, and so the Council hired the Unseelie sidhe lord you saw. His price is high, but the Council can afford it. He was awaiting instructions. We are aware of your intervention, and thankful for it. We could not get forces there to aid the sidhe that quickly, and as you may know, they're a little more brittle than the highborn elves, but we were going to ask him to try something."</p><p></p><p>"I'm glad he didn't have to, and it sounds like you directed him well to get the information and get away."</p><p></p><p>"On a related matter: a number of human vollers have been detached from the Navy of Hanal. We can't keep track of all of them all at the same time, but we have been following 3 of them. One of them is presently heading back to Hanal from the cursed isle that has arisen south of the continent. One heads to Zest’qua, for reasons that we do not know—we have informed the Hastur. And one hovers in the air, southeast of Enclaves in the Wastes.” The Wastes were destroyed by dragons, and are now largely abandoned land. “We have not engaged the ship headed back to Hanal. We have it under observation by our fae allies—they are expensive, but worth every penny. That one has a Concentrator aboard it—it’s designed to pull every scrap of energy from a soul and concentrate it, so it can be sent on for whatever purpose it is then used for.”</p><p></p><p>“That’s horrible.”</p><p></p><p>“We agree. Are you aware that Zorplona-Moriquendarim has now lost control over the City of the Dead on Enclaves? They only hold the top level, and this is being kept very secret. Nearly all of the dead of the City of Enclaves for a thousand years have been interred there.”</p><p></p><p>“What could do this and how can it be stopped?”</p><p></p><p>“They still hold the top level, and the Priests of Death are trying to hold it and have been recalled from throughout Drucien because they cannot call on their home for additional aid. They have also appealed to the Inquisition for alliance, though it almost broke the Mother of Death to do so, and 1000 Inquisition troops, 20 lyans of Paranswarm, and a handful of paladins of the Weeping Woman have been supplied. Many of the dead have been raised as undead, and we think it is likely that there is one of the moderately powerful servants of the Ruinous Lords there. They plan to clear them room by room. We expect them to be successful, but it will take some months, and it will take all of the resources of the Priests of Death. We are also attempting to convince them that they should invite the servants of Glordiadel to send paladins, but we are reluctant to reach out to the Glordiadelians directly without the Mother of Death's approval. We're all loyal to the Ecumenical Council, and yet...”</p><p></p><p>“If you need someone to pass that along to the Glordiadelians without you doing it directly…”</p><p></p><p>“I think that would be lovely, don't you?”</p><p></p><p>“We’ll take care of it.”</p><p></p><p>“The First Mouth believes that the battle will be accomplished on your continent.”</p><p></p><p>“It will. In about 20 years time. With a young paladin,” Kit says, slightly brittlely.</p><p></p><p>“Ah! You have heard prophecies as well. There are many prophecies about this, so we merely need to hold on against the Ruinous Powers for the next generation. And we are preparing here for the grand celebration of the advancement of the na-Duke of Ergmoth, when the Archbaroness will become regent as he becomes formally Grand Duke. …”</p><p></p><p>After this is reported, Alistair sends a message to the Archbishop of Canberry, informing him that among the documents they captured on the voller were notes indicating that the Forbidden have engineered an uprising of undead in the City of the Dead in Enclaves, and suggesting that Archbishop Humboldt offer the support of Glor’diadelian paladins and priests to the Priests of Dead, in the interest of Ecumenical Council solidarity. They hope that the misdirection will allow the Mother of Death to accept the offer of assistance—especially because paladins and priests of Glordiadel are, along with the Priests of Death themselves, the most capable force against the undead.</p><p></p><p>Kit reaches out to the assassins’ guild in Enclaves, using multiple levels of magical indirection to keep her identity obscured. (She also sends her squire, Abigail, to distract Dame Brionna (Abigail’s aunt), to make sure that Dame Brionna doesn’t have any awareness of this conversation.)</p><p></p><p>“Walker in Shadow, my friend, how may we help you?”</p><p></p><p>“Thank you for coming,” replies Kit. “I have a question about a recent commission that you took, I believe.” She gives the location. “The commission was not carried out, and it was for the best that it wasn’t. I know you don’t give out information on who hired you, but you understand this was an extraordinary circumstance.”</p><p></p><p>“Yes… It was felt that it was better to let the boy be dead than to leave him as he was. The one who hired us did not have the resources to effect a rescue themselves, but was able to hire an assassin to make sure he would not remain bound. The assassin accepted that he would not survive the operation, but viewed it as acceptable under the circumstances.”</p><p></p><p>“That was about how we assessed the situation. It is better that the boy lived.”</p><p></p><p>“No fault accrues to the agent we sent. His failure is a time for joy for us all.” There is not a scrap of joy in the voice of the speaker. Kit believes that he doesn’t really do joy. “As I said, it's much better for everyone that he did not have to actually perform the task that he was hired to do.”</p><p></p><p>“And, as I said, I understand your professional discretion, that you don't give away wholesale gives you your commissions. But this is higher than that.”</p><p></p><p>“I will say this much. I was hired by the spy mistress of one of your allies. She saw no method to rescue the boy, but was aware of his kidnapping. Well. Her agent, I think, was aware of his kidnapping. She came to us and said that he could not be permitted to be used. She felt that the fall of Lordship Davion’s nephew was not acceptable. They felt you will need Lord Davion in time.”</p><p></p><p>“Oh, we are all in agreement there.”</p><p></p><p>“Had the boy remained, we foresaw that the young Noldar would have gone for revenge, no matter what was done to contain him. If Lord Davion had been defeated, you would have lost a great ally, and the young one would have found a way to escape your protections. He's already growing in his power, and he would have sought vengeance and all that you have accomplished with him would have been undone. I do not know why what you've accomplished with him is considered essential, but I do not get to ask those questions when a commission is given. Unfortunately, our person was late. It was difficult to obtain entry to that ship.”</p><p></p><p>“Fortunately in this case, since we were coming."</p><p></p><p>“You and I are not the only ones who understood the importance of what happened in that place. Your allies have a clear understanding, but I cannot say which one. You can probably guess.”</p><p></p><p>They work through their allies, trying to figure out who the “ally’s spymistress” could be. Their working theory is Ecsilias. Queen-Empress Anastasia has a male head of intelligence. The Empire of the North would be unlikely to act in this way and would be more likely to contact the Imperial Council directly. It surely can’t be Singing Leaves, and while Princess Curinirim is vaguely plausible, she would be highly unlikely to have sent a non-elven assassin (and would have been more likely to try to rescue the child rather than to kill the child). Ecsilias, though, has a female spymistress, a minimal assassins’ guild of their own (so would be likely to hire from Enclaves), and is precisely the sort of mid-major power that could want to take actions because of pride while having limited capabilities.</p><p></p><p>Alistair is tempted to chew out their ambassador without explaining what he’s angry about, but they decide that would be too disruptive—especially if they’re wrong. Instead, they plan on contacting the Archbaron of Ecsilias directly, ostensibly to discuss the matters of the City of the Dead in Enclaves, and to give them the opportunity to volunteer their involvement and to discuss the principles of respecting Canberry’s primacy within its area.</p><p></p><p>They then call for Lord Silverleaves, who comes promptly. They first tell him of the enemy voller heading northwards, and ask him if he can gather intelligence on it, before they send vollers to capture (or failing that destroy) it. He brings up an image, apparently through the eyes of a bird. As it approaches, there is a flash of color, and the vision drops. “Automated defense. I should have anticipated that. Let’s see if we can just observe it directly and magnify it.” He brings up an image. “Clearly human, though gussied up a bit. It has runes carved into the gunwales.” Kit examines the runes through her lens, and sees that they are crude versions of Noldar or Eldar runes to deflect attacks from the ship and to prevent teleportation—indicative of someone with great skill, but not adequate time to make fully effective versions.</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna identifies its weaponry as Masquen flame projectors—much more capable than ordinary ballistae. The crew is mostly human, though there is one illithid-like creature at the stern, though much paler and with longer tentacles. There are also turtle like creatures walking around the deck.</p><p></p><p>They also see the psionic concentrator—it’s like a large open metal circle, with a sacrificial altar (clearly used) in the middle of it. The concentrator appears to be damaged. Lord Silverleaves also senses a darkness from beneath the deck, and asks if he should observe it as well. They ask if he is concerned about his safety doing so, and the Eldar denies that, but in a way that fails to reassure them. They call for Lord Davion (“to observe in case there is anything of tactical information he might see,” but actually of course if psionic defense is necessary), and the Minister of the Mind (“in case there’s a minor need for redaction afterwards”), neither of which Lord Silverleaves objects to. Below deck, the ship has been modified from what it once was. He mutters, “they converted a merchantman.” There are two chambers, a larger chamber in the back, packed cheek to jowl with creatures. Some of the translucent ones, but mostly humanoid but not human creatures, none with weapons but some with bizarre claws and things.</p><p></p><p>The front chamber has two things—something that looks a little like a gibbering mouther, eyes and mouths, on tentacles, and a shadow elf, who looks directly at Lord Silverleaves. He pauses for a moment, then says “my lord, we are spied upon! Support me!” The creature reaches out a pseudopod and touches him, and eldritch energy of corruption pours through him, and he lashes out at Lord Silverleaves with impossible power for a shadow elf. Lord Davion immediately raises a mental defense and deflects the psionic attack entirely, but does not deflect the corruption damage. Lord Silverleaves takes 35 points of damage, and oozing sores appear all over his body.</p><p></p><p>Lord Davion explains, “That was Voragab. A minor prince, nowhere near the top of their powers, but he is the Lord of Consumption in their pantheon. It is only an avatar—he came fully through last time. If he were fully here this time, we might not have survived. I must apologize. I could deflect the psionic attack—that was meant to hold him there—but I had no ability to deal with the Eldritch corruption.” He turns to the Minister of the Mind. “Lord Silverleaves should be put in skin immediately—do you have the cask of skin with you?--otherwise he will continue to be harmed by the sores.” Lord Davion then glances at Alistair. “I apologize, your majesty—I’m used to giving commands in a battle situation, but I should have deferred to you.”</p><p></p><p>“No, by all means, get him in the skin as quickly as you can.”</p><p></p><p>“He should not move himself while he’s in the skin. He can be carried in a palanquin or the like.”</p><p></p><p>“I suppose that prince of theirs means our vollers cannot possibly engage that ship.”</p><p></p><p>“No, human vollers would be no match at all. You can warn your allies at the destination, but it would take a voller of my kinfolk to address the enemy.”</p><p></p><p>“Do your kinfolk have a voller that might be able to intercept this?”</p><p></p><p>“They are too far away, I think. Although… there is the Aufaulgautharim man-of-war patrolling in Hanal. We could draw him down. I could address him, because of my bloodline, and he is eager to do more than blast heretical altars from the air. I suppose you could ask our cousins to take over the patrol duties in Hanal while he attends to this?”</p><p></p><p>“Indeed. I can ask them to do so in my capacity as arbiter of the patrols over Hanal. I will also warn them that the Aufaulgautharim have diverted to engage a high priority target, but that if the target makes it past the Aufaulgautharim, they should prioritize attacking it, but only in massive force. I suppose that since there are no prisoners on board, simply destroying the voller altogether would be acceptable.”</p><p></p><p>“Yes, total destruction would be best, I think. I would not want any of our people to face Voragab’s avatar directly.”</p><p></p><p>Lord Silverleaves is put in skin, and will need 7 days to heal from his injuries.</p><p>[cont'd]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8853687, member: 7030144"] Session 141 (March 23, 2022) 30 Tar (They ask Many Hands and his contingent to look for the powerful prophetic device on the Isle when they are down there--they learned about it some time ago, but never had a good opportunity to seek it. Of course, the Empress's nibling is much more important.) The top priority in Canberry is figuring out (a) who sent an assassin from Enclaves and (b) who the Unseelie sidhe who was watching the situation was sent by. Kit takes point on both investigations. Kit sends a message to her counterpart in the Archbaroness of Mandrath’s service via the magic box. Three hours later, they are able to speak directly. “We have had an incident that we think you know something of, involving a common enemy.” “The Forbidden.” “Yes. Two children who have close ties to someone under our protection were kidnapped by the enemy. They were going to be sacrificed, but they were rescued. One of them saw a figure—an Unseelie sidhe.” “Ah. They’re gifted.” “Yes, we’re having that handled as well. Who would have sent that?” “The Council. The First Mouth is very concerned about the Forbidden, and believes that Drucien is the apex of their incursion. The First Mouth has been sending various agents out, and so the Council hired the Unseelie sidhe lord you saw. His price is high, but the Council can afford it. He was awaiting instructions. We are aware of your intervention, and thankful for it. We could not get forces there to aid the sidhe that quickly, and as you may know, they're a little more brittle than the highborn elves, but we were going to ask him to try something." "I'm glad he didn't have to, and it sounds like you directed him well to get the information and get away." "On a related matter: a number of human vollers have been detached from the Navy of Hanal. We can't keep track of all of them all at the same time, but we have been following 3 of them. One of them is presently heading back to Hanal from the cursed isle that has arisen south of the continent. One heads to Zest’qua, for reasons that we do not know—we have informed the Hastur. And one hovers in the air, southeast of Enclaves in the Wastes.” The Wastes were destroyed by dragons, and are now largely abandoned land. “We have not engaged the ship headed back to Hanal. We have it under observation by our fae allies—they are expensive, but worth every penny. That one has a Concentrator aboard it—it’s designed to pull every scrap of energy from a soul and concentrate it, so it can be sent on for whatever purpose it is then used for.” “That’s horrible.” “We agree. Are you aware that Zorplona-Moriquendarim has now lost control over the City of the Dead on Enclaves? They only hold the top level, and this is being kept very secret. Nearly all of the dead of the City of Enclaves for a thousand years have been interred there.” “What could do this and how can it be stopped?” “They still hold the top level, and the Priests of Death are trying to hold it and have been recalled from throughout Drucien because they cannot call on their home for additional aid. They have also appealed to the Inquisition for alliance, though it almost broke the Mother of Death to do so, and 1000 Inquisition troops, 20 lyans of Paranswarm, and a handful of paladins of the Weeping Woman have been supplied. Many of the dead have been raised as undead, and we think it is likely that there is one of the moderately powerful servants of the Ruinous Lords there. They plan to clear them room by room. We expect them to be successful, but it will take some months, and it will take all of the resources of the Priests of Death. We are also attempting to convince them that they should invite the servants of Glordiadel to send paladins, but we are reluctant to reach out to the Glordiadelians directly without the Mother of Death's approval. We're all loyal to the Ecumenical Council, and yet...” “If you need someone to pass that along to the Glordiadelians without you doing it directly…” “I think that would be lovely, don't you?” “We’ll take care of it.” “The First Mouth believes that the battle will be accomplished on your continent.” “It will. In about 20 years time. With a young paladin,” Kit says, slightly brittlely. “Ah! You have heard prophecies as well. There are many prophecies about this, so we merely need to hold on against the Ruinous Powers for the next generation. And we are preparing here for the grand celebration of the advancement of the na-Duke of Ergmoth, when the Archbaroness will become regent as he becomes formally Grand Duke. …” After this is reported, Alistair sends a message to the Archbishop of Canberry, informing him that among the documents they captured on the voller were notes indicating that the Forbidden have engineered an uprising of undead in the City of the Dead in Enclaves, and suggesting that Archbishop Humboldt offer the support of Glor’diadelian paladins and priests to the Priests of Dead, in the interest of Ecumenical Council solidarity. They hope that the misdirection will allow the Mother of Death to accept the offer of assistance—especially because paladins and priests of Glordiadel are, along with the Priests of Death themselves, the most capable force against the undead. Kit reaches out to the assassins’ guild in Enclaves, using multiple levels of magical indirection to keep her identity obscured. (She also sends her squire, Abigail, to distract Dame Brionna (Abigail’s aunt), to make sure that Dame Brionna doesn’t have any awareness of this conversation.) “Walker in Shadow, my friend, how may we help you?” “Thank you for coming,” replies Kit. “I have a question about a recent commission that you took, I believe.” She gives the location. “The commission was not carried out, and it was for the best that it wasn’t. I know you don’t give out information on who hired you, but you understand this was an extraordinary circumstance.” “Yes… It was felt that it was better to let the boy be dead than to leave him as he was. The one who hired us did not have the resources to effect a rescue themselves, but was able to hire an assassin to make sure he would not remain bound. The assassin accepted that he would not survive the operation, but viewed it as acceptable under the circumstances.” “That was about how we assessed the situation. It is better that the boy lived.” “No fault accrues to the agent we sent. His failure is a time for joy for us all.” There is not a scrap of joy in the voice of the speaker. Kit believes that he doesn’t really do joy. “As I said, it's much better for everyone that he did not have to actually perform the task that he was hired to do.” “And, as I said, I understand your professional discretion, that you don't give away wholesale gives you your commissions. But this is higher than that.” “I will say this much. I was hired by the spy mistress of one of your allies. She saw no method to rescue the boy, but was aware of his kidnapping. Well. Her agent, I think, was aware of his kidnapping. She came to us and said that he could not be permitted to be used. She felt that the fall of Lordship Davion’s nephew was not acceptable. They felt you will need Lord Davion in time.” “Oh, we are all in agreement there.” “Had the boy remained, we foresaw that the young Noldar would have gone for revenge, no matter what was done to contain him. If Lord Davion had been defeated, you would have lost a great ally, and the young one would have found a way to escape your protections. He's already growing in his power, and he would have sought vengeance and all that you have accomplished with him would have been undone. I do not know why what you've accomplished with him is considered essential, but I do not get to ask those questions when a commission is given. Unfortunately, our person was late. It was difficult to obtain entry to that ship.” “Fortunately in this case, since we were coming." “You and I are not the only ones who understood the importance of what happened in that place. Your allies have a clear understanding, but I cannot say which one. You can probably guess.” They work through their allies, trying to figure out who the “ally’s spymistress” could be. Their working theory is Ecsilias. Queen-Empress Anastasia has a male head of intelligence. The Empire of the North would be unlikely to act in this way and would be more likely to contact the Imperial Council directly. It surely can’t be Singing Leaves, and while Princess Curinirim is vaguely plausible, she would be highly unlikely to have sent a non-elven assassin (and would have been more likely to try to rescue the child rather than to kill the child). Ecsilias, though, has a female spymistress, a minimal assassins’ guild of their own (so would be likely to hire from Enclaves), and is precisely the sort of mid-major power that could want to take actions because of pride while having limited capabilities. Alistair is tempted to chew out their ambassador without explaining what he’s angry about, but they decide that would be too disruptive—especially if they’re wrong. Instead, they plan on contacting the Archbaron of Ecsilias directly, ostensibly to discuss the matters of the City of the Dead in Enclaves, and to give them the opportunity to volunteer their involvement and to discuss the principles of respecting Canberry’s primacy within its area. They then call for Lord Silverleaves, who comes promptly. They first tell him of the enemy voller heading northwards, and ask him if he can gather intelligence on it, before they send vollers to capture (or failing that destroy) it. He brings up an image, apparently through the eyes of a bird. As it approaches, there is a flash of color, and the vision drops. “Automated defense. I should have anticipated that. Let’s see if we can just observe it directly and magnify it.” He brings up an image. “Clearly human, though gussied up a bit. It has runes carved into the gunwales.” Kit examines the runes through her lens, and sees that they are crude versions of Noldar or Eldar runes to deflect attacks from the ship and to prevent teleportation—indicative of someone with great skill, but not adequate time to make fully effective versions. Dame Brionna identifies its weaponry as Masquen flame projectors—much more capable than ordinary ballistae. The crew is mostly human, though there is one illithid-like creature at the stern, though much paler and with longer tentacles. There are also turtle like creatures walking around the deck. They also see the psionic concentrator—it’s like a large open metal circle, with a sacrificial altar (clearly used) in the middle of it. The concentrator appears to be damaged. Lord Silverleaves also senses a darkness from beneath the deck, and asks if he should observe it as well. They ask if he is concerned about his safety doing so, and the Eldar denies that, but in a way that fails to reassure them. They call for Lord Davion (“to observe in case there is anything of tactical information he might see,” but actually of course if psionic defense is necessary), and the Minister of the Mind (“in case there’s a minor need for redaction afterwards”), neither of which Lord Silverleaves objects to. Below deck, the ship has been modified from what it once was. He mutters, “they converted a merchantman.” There are two chambers, a larger chamber in the back, packed cheek to jowl with creatures. Some of the translucent ones, but mostly humanoid but not human creatures, none with weapons but some with bizarre claws and things. The front chamber has two things—something that looks a little like a gibbering mouther, eyes and mouths, on tentacles, and a shadow elf, who looks directly at Lord Silverleaves. He pauses for a moment, then says “my lord, we are spied upon! Support me!” The creature reaches out a pseudopod and touches him, and eldritch energy of corruption pours through him, and he lashes out at Lord Silverleaves with impossible power for a shadow elf. Lord Davion immediately raises a mental defense and deflects the psionic attack entirely, but does not deflect the corruption damage. Lord Silverleaves takes 35 points of damage, and oozing sores appear all over his body. Lord Davion explains, “That was Voragab. A minor prince, nowhere near the top of their powers, but he is the Lord of Consumption in their pantheon. It is only an avatar—he came fully through last time. If he were fully here this time, we might not have survived. I must apologize. I could deflect the psionic attack—that was meant to hold him there—but I had no ability to deal with the Eldritch corruption.” He turns to the Minister of the Mind. “Lord Silverleaves should be put in skin immediately—do you have the cask of skin with you?--otherwise he will continue to be harmed by the sores.” Lord Davion then glances at Alistair. “I apologize, your majesty—I’m used to giving commands in a battle situation, but I should have deferred to you.” “No, by all means, get him in the skin as quickly as you can.” “He should not move himself while he’s in the skin. He can be carried in a palanquin or the like.” “I suppose that prince of theirs means our vollers cannot possibly engage that ship.” “No, human vollers would be no match at all. You can warn your allies at the destination, but it would take a voller of my kinfolk to address the enemy.” “Do your kinfolk have a voller that might be able to intercept this?” “They are too far away, I think. Although… there is the Aufaulgautharim man-of-war patrolling in Hanal. We could draw him down. I could address him, because of my bloodline, and he is eager to do more than blast heretical altars from the air. I suppose you could ask our cousins to take over the patrol duties in Hanal while he attends to this?” “Indeed. I can ask them to do so in my capacity as arbiter of the patrols over Hanal. I will also warn them that the Aufaulgautharim have diverted to engage a high priority target, but that if the target makes it past the Aufaulgautharim, they should prioritize attacking it, but only in massive force. I suppose that since there are no prisoners on board, simply destroying the voller altogether would be acceptable.” “Yes, total destruction would be best, I think. I would not want any of our people to face Voragab’s avatar directly.” Lord Silverleaves is put in skin, and will need 7 days to heal from his injuries. [cont'd] [/QUOTE]
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Aphonion Tales: The Archducal Council -- Unedited notes; later posts are edited transcripts (posts MWF, update 3/1/23)
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