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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: 8890684" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>[Session 144, cont'd]</p><p></p><p>7 O-Tar</p><p>The next morning, they all gather, perhaps somewhat later than usual, in the council chambers. They each have missives with them.</p><p></p><p>"Who would like to go first?" asks Alistair.</p><p></p><p>"Mine is probably pretty low priority," replies Dame Brionna.</p><p></p><p>"Oh, I was about to say, mine is not terribly urgent," replies Kit.</p><p></p><p>"So now we're arguing over whose message is the least not urgent?" asks Alistair, to chuckles from the rest of the Council. "Well, we have all gotten a message from the Southlands, so that might be a worthwhile place to start. It's a message from the unified mission of the Sisters of the Silvery Veil and the Temple of Gunnora in the Southlands. [Attached]</p><p></p><p>"They continue seeing no signs of the Cult of the Ram. They have also laid out suggested borders for 5 to 7 great holdings, with 5 to 10 lesser holdings within each one, which would mean something like 5 to 7 dukes, or similar ranked nobles, of which there are 2 possible ones from the older regime, and a minimum of 25 lesser nobles with comital, baronial, and maybe sheriff titles, of which there are about 5 survivors plus some knights that can be elevated. So that could be as few as 5 to 7 high nobles and 25 lesser nobles, or as many as about 70 lesser nobles.</p><p></p><p>"New seed stock is needed for the following year. Food is holding out, and the Seachen delivered significant numbers of cattle and grain yet took no payment. The Seachen said that children should not be malnourished even if they were male. The cattle were probably intended for butchering, but there's so little livestock that they're really just desperately continuing to raise them to try to rebuild herds.</p><p></p><p>"Their position nearest the Skaven lands continues to see traffic of injured and even dying Skaven, showing up in small numbers, requesting healing. And of course they ministered to them, and spoken to them of deities other than theirs, and many of them seem receptive. What's more concerning is that young child ratlings have shown up in not a stream exactly, but a robust trickle, injured, malnourished, and alone, in twos or threes, or in a few cases small ones carrying even smaller ones. Thus far they've taken them in, established bedding space for them, delousing them, feeding them, teaching the Scriptures, and how to clean themselves. They are wondering if it's different with Skaven--whether they should be putting them down, because that's what their own people would do.</p><p></p><p>"So it's very obvious, I think, that we should endorse what they are doing and encourage them further," sums up Alistair, to uniform agreement.</p><p></p><p>Kit adds, "We should reach out to the Skaven scribe-turned-minor-vassal."</p><p></p><p>"Yes, because both we need to make sure that they're not turning out weak children, and also they may be suitable to help with this process and with keeping all this going smoothly. Let's have a human Farsensor set up a link with that Skaven wizard-lord."</p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p><<Your Majesty, I see you before me as if you were here indeed!>></p><p></p><p><<We have people amongst us who have skills with the arts of the mind that can allow them to do that. Do your people have such things?>></p><p></p><p><<There are spells that are used by some of the greatest of the Scree. But no, nothing of the mind.>></p><p></p><p><<We wish to speak with you about some matters that were being reported to us by the Order of the Silvery Veil and the midwives of Gunnora. They report that there are a meaningful number, not a huge number, but a meaningful number, of young Skaven children coming to them, begging for support and succor, frequently badly malnourished and sometimes injured and in danger of death. We wanted to speak with you both to make clear our attitude about such things, and to investigate what you can tell us about how these things are faring, and what we should be aware of, and whether we would risk conflict with the Great Clans. As I'm sure you understand, we do not believe that it is acceptable to abandon children, or to leave them unfed, or to put them to death; and we know that that is contrary to the traditions of other clans. But we expect that any Skaven that are among our people will abide by the strictures of the Church and the Light and the teachings of the midwives of Gunnora.>></p><p></p><p><<We do not put down the weak, nor do the Scree put down the weak-- they find use for them. Some become mighty sorcerors, others become alchemists, some become experimenters. There are skills that do not require strong muscles or great teeth or sharp claws. Among Clan Moldur, Clan Esshen, many are born still-- many, many, many. They kill none that are born because so few are.>></p><p></p><p><<Do you know why they have such problems?>></p><p></p><p><<Too much warpstone too near the shes. Warpstone gives them great power, great power indeed, but also dangerous. No gift that comes from the Horned Rat is not with two edges, as opposed to the gifts from Glordiadel, which shine and provide a bright future for all. We see this. Among the plague monks, the weak die. They die, but not because they are put to death. But the warlord, the warlord clans, common, common common, any that are not strong, any that cannot do work, or become gutterrunners, or add to clan, broken, broken. Watch for the warlord clans. Less warpstone. Great Clans have much more warpstone. Scree, handle well. Moldor, Esshen poorly. Warlord, take warpstone when they can, Great Clans kill if can. If warlord clan gets warpstone, harms babies before they're born. Sometimes seed inside, careful, careful, careful, careful, not their doing, but inside.>></p><p></p><p><<We are familiar with taint, and we can sometimes remove it without harming its bearers.>></p><p></p><p><<These children, these little will not know the teachings at all of the Horned Rat. Not know warfare, not know pain, fleeing, will be loyal to you.>></p><p></p><p><<Would you wish them to become part of your clan? Or would it make more sense for them to stay with the other orphans in the Silvery Veil's care.>></p><p></p><p><<If you send them to clan, clan is stronger. Clan gains more members. Call on clan, more strength. Keep them with orphans, and they will just know themselves as people following Glordiadel-- no memories over here of what came before. Memories here, no matter what I do. Which you want up to you.>></p><p></p><p><<It sounds like it probably makes sense to send some in each direction, depending on the circumstances and their desires and propensities.>></p><p></p><p><<Older ones... Perhaps they keep young ones, they remember nothing. But older ones, come to clan. What think, Great One?>></p><p></p><p><<I think that makes sense, while trying to also respect their relations among themselves. If there are younger siblings or the like, I would not want to split them up.>></p><p></p><p><<Depends on batch. Birthing batch? Do not know right term.>></p><p></p><p><<Birthing group is probably a good term for that. There are other terms but they're mostly used for animals, and of course you're people.>></p><p></p><p><<Birthing group. Yes, they will learn well.>></p><p></p><p>Kit interrupts. "You need to cut it off soon--the Farsensor can't take much more."</p><p></p><p><<We thank you for your useful perspective, and, as I said, some of them will likely come to your clan, and in the days to come, I hope that you and your own family prosper."</p><p></p><p><<In spring, we seed. We grow food.>></p><p></p><p><<Excellent. With that, we must leave you.>></p><p></p><p>Kit has called for tea and blankets and all of the usual doing-Farsensing-too-long things.</p><p></p><p>"My apologies about that Farsensor, and thank you, Kit, for handling that."</p><p></p><p>"Thank you, my lady. Thank you, Your Majesty. Think nothing of it, Your Majesty."</p><p></p><p>"We have experience dealing with that and we're sorry we let it go that long. Thank you for your duty."</p><p></p><p>They also send a message back to the abbess, and the "very useful midwife" and give them instructions consistent with that conversation including making sure that they screen them for taint and that if they find ones with taint, that they then need to ideally have them sent to a place where there's redaction available to try to handle it. But if it's too far in progress that there's nothing else they can do, then they should seek out one of the militant orders, and have them gently take care of it.</p><p></p><p>"I'm not saying that's what we want--there are children involved-- but if a redactor of sufficient skill is not available, the best that we can do is to attend to their soul and then protect those around them."</p><p></p><p>They also work on finding nobles to fill those various positions, and on sending some of the younger adepts from the Ministry of the Mind to develop some experience handling the matters. They don't have many redactors, but they have some.</p><p></p><p>"The other thing I wanted to mention amongst ourselves is that I suspect that we want to at least among the nobles who have not previously had such titles in the South Kingdoms, that for the high nobles that we probably want to start them off as marquesses or the like, so that it doesn't create awkwardness with the ducal families that already exist and have for many years."</p><p></p><p>"Yes," responds Dame Brionna, "and of course, that leaves open the possibility of progressing them as they establish themselves, and prove their loyalty, and so forth."</p><p></p><p>"I think that will avoid, for example, offending the Duke of Brightspan."</p><p></p><p>"The flipside is that since his second son is likely to be one of those marquesses that cuts a little both ways."</p><p></p><p>"Yes, but the Duke of Brightspan will also recognize why we're doing it the way we're doing it. He may be unhappy, but he'll understand, and that will already be advancing his son from I believe we created him an earl previously. And let's face it, if there's anyone who will understand the idea of 'Hmm. We're accumulating more power, and that's good for the family in the long run, I should accept this with grace,' it's him."</p><p></p><p>[cont'd]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8890684, member: 7030144"] [Session 144, cont'd] 7 O-Tar The next morning, they all gather, perhaps somewhat later than usual, in the council chambers. They each have missives with them. "Who would like to go first?" asks Alistair. "Mine is probably pretty low priority," replies Dame Brionna. "Oh, I was about to say, mine is not terribly urgent," replies Kit. "So now we're arguing over whose message is the least not urgent?" asks Alistair, to chuckles from the rest of the Council. "Well, we have all gotten a message from the Southlands, so that might be a worthwhile place to start. It's a message from the unified mission of the Sisters of the Silvery Veil and the Temple of Gunnora in the Southlands. [Attached] "They continue seeing no signs of the Cult of the Ram. They have also laid out suggested borders for 5 to 7 great holdings, with 5 to 10 lesser holdings within each one, which would mean something like 5 to 7 dukes, or similar ranked nobles, of which there are 2 possible ones from the older regime, and a minimum of 25 lesser nobles with comital, baronial, and maybe sheriff titles, of which there are about 5 survivors plus some knights that can be elevated. So that could be as few as 5 to 7 high nobles and 25 lesser nobles, or as many as about 70 lesser nobles. "New seed stock is needed for the following year. Food is holding out, and the Seachen delivered significant numbers of cattle and grain yet took no payment. The Seachen said that children should not be malnourished even if they were male. The cattle were probably intended for butchering, but there's so little livestock that they're really just desperately continuing to raise them to try to rebuild herds. "Their position nearest the Skaven lands continues to see traffic of injured and even dying Skaven, showing up in small numbers, requesting healing. And of course they ministered to them, and spoken to them of deities other than theirs, and many of them seem receptive. What's more concerning is that young child ratlings have shown up in not a stream exactly, but a robust trickle, injured, malnourished, and alone, in twos or threes, or in a few cases small ones carrying even smaller ones. Thus far they've taken them in, established bedding space for them, delousing them, feeding them, teaching the Scriptures, and how to clean themselves. They are wondering if it's different with Skaven--whether they should be putting them down, because that's what their own people would do. "So it's very obvious, I think, that we should endorse what they are doing and encourage them further," sums up Alistair, to uniform agreement. Kit adds, "We should reach out to the Skaven scribe-turned-minor-vassal." "Yes, because both we need to make sure that they're not turning out weak children, and also they may be suitable to help with this process and with keeping all this going smoothly. Let's have a human Farsensor set up a link with that Skaven wizard-lord." * * * <<Your Majesty, I see you before me as if you were here indeed!>> <<We have people amongst us who have skills with the arts of the mind that can allow them to do that. Do your people have such things?>> <<There are spells that are used by some of the greatest of the Scree. But no, nothing of the mind.>> <<We wish to speak with you about some matters that were being reported to us by the Order of the Silvery Veil and the midwives of Gunnora. They report that there are a meaningful number, not a huge number, but a meaningful number, of young Skaven children coming to them, begging for support and succor, frequently badly malnourished and sometimes injured and in danger of death. We wanted to speak with you both to make clear our attitude about such things, and to investigate what you can tell us about how these things are faring, and what we should be aware of, and whether we would risk conflict with the Great Clans. As I'm sure you understand, we do not believe that it is acceptable to abandon children, or to leave them unfed, or to put them to death; and we know that that is contrary to the traditions of other clans. But we expect that any Skaven that are among our people will abide by the strictures of the Church and the Light and the teachings of the midwives of Gunnora.>> <<We do not put down the weak, nor do the Scree put down the weak-- they find use for them. Some become mighty sorcerors, others become alchemists, some become experimenters. There are skills that do not require strong muscles or great teeth or sharp claws. Among Clan Moldur, Clan Esshen, many are born still-- many, many, many. They kill none that are born because so few are.>> <<Do you know why they have such problems?>> <<Too much warpstone too near the shes. Warpstone gives them great power, great power indeed, but also dangerous. No gift that comes from the Horned Rat is not with two edges, as opposed to the gifts from Glordiadel, which shine and provide a bright future for all. We see this. Among the plague monks, the weak die. They die, but not because they are put to death. But the warlord, the warlord clans, common, common common, any that are not strong, any that cannot do work, or become gutterrunners, or add to clan, broken, broken. Watch for the warlord clans. Less warpstone. Great Clans have much more warpstone. Scree, handle well. Moldor, Esshen poorly. Warlord, take warpstone when they can, Great Clans kill if can. If warlord clan gets warpstone, harms babies before they're born. Sometimes seed inside, careful, careful, careful, careful, not their doing, but inside.>> <<We are familiar with taint, and we can sometimes remove it without harming its bearers.>> <<These children, these little will not know the teachings at all of the Horned Rat. Not know warfare, not know pain, fleeing, will be loyal to you.>> <<Would you wish them to become part of your clan? Or would it make more sense for them to stay with the other orphans in the Silvery Veil's care.>> <<If you send them to clan, clan is stronger. Clan gains more members. Call on clan, more strength. Keep them with orphans, and they will just know themselves as people following Glordiadel-- no memories over here of what came before. Memories here, no matter what I do. Which you want up to you.>> <<It sounds like it probably makes sense to send some in each direction, depending on the circumstances and their desires and propensities.>> <<Older ones... Perhaps they keep young ones, they remember nothing. But older ones, come to clan. What think, Great One?>> <<I think that makes sense, while trying to also respect their relations among themselves. If there are younger siblings or the like, I would not want to split them up.>> <<Depends on batch. Birthing batch? Do not know right term.>> <<Birthing group is probably a good term for that. There are other terms but they're mostly used for animals, and of course you're people.>> <<Birthing group. Yes, they will learn well.>> Kit interrupts. "You need to cut it off soon--the Farsensor can't take much more." <<We thank you for your useful perspective, and, as I said, some of them will likely come to your clan, and in the days to come, I hope that you and your own family prosper." <<In spring, we seed. We grow food.>> <<Excellent. With that, we must leave you.>> Kit has called for tea and blankets and all of the usual doing-Farsensing-too-long things. "My apologies about that Farsensor, and thank you, Kit, for handling that." "Thank you, my lady. Thank you, Your Majesty. Think nothing of it, Your Majesty." "We have experience dealing with that and we're sorry we let it go that long. Thank you for your duty." They also send a message back to the abbess, and the "very useful midwife" and give them instructions consistent with that conversation including making sure that they screen them for taint and that if they find ones with taint, that they then need to ideally have them sent to a place where there's redaction available to try to handle it. But if it's too far in progress that there's nothing else they can do, then they should seek out one of the militant orders, and have them gently take care of it. "I'm not saying that's what we want--there are children involved-- but if a redactor of sufficient skill is not available, the best that we can do is to attend to their soul and then protect those around them." They also work on finding nobles to fill those various positions, and on sending some of the younger adepts from the Ministry of the Mind to develop some experience handling the matters. They don't have many redactors, but they have some. "The other thing I wanted to mention amongst ourselves is that I suspect that we want to at least among the nobles who have not previously had such titles in the South Kingdoms, that for the high nobles that we probably want to start them off as marquesses or the like, so that it doesn't create awkwardness with the ducal families that already exist and have for many years." "Yes," responds Dame Brionna, "and of course, that leaves open the possibility of progressing them as they establish themselves, and prove their loyalty, and so forth." "I think that will avoid, for example, offending the Duke of Brightspan." "The flipside is that since his second son is likely to be one of those marquesses that cuts a little both ways." "Yes, but the Duke of Brightspan will also recognize why we're doing it the way we're doing it. He may be unhappy, but he'll understand, and that will already be advancing his son from I believe we created him an earl previously. And let's face it, if there's anyone who will understand the idea of 'Hmm. We're accumulating more power, and that's good for the family in the long run, I should accept this with grace,' it's him." [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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