Agents of the Gods

[BSF]

A featureless plane devoid of air, light, sound, life or substance. It existed in pure form. Nothing more than potential. Raw, unformed energy. Thus it was as The Builder found it.

But now, The Builder worked his trade. Mountains, nice and orderly came to be at his behest, framing the plane's border. A trickle of water among the high places, traipsing ever downwards. Merging, from time to time, with another. A trickel becomes a brook, then a perfect waterfall into a perfectly round pool which then forms into a river that rushes toward the crisp edge of the sea. A wind blows and ruffles the Builder's hair. He laughs with joy at the land before him. Shaped from potential, it is now on the path toward fulfillment.

It is time to tell the others. Tholnar fades through a portal overlooking the perfect sea.

Sometime later, eons perhaps, a blinding light penetrates this adumbrate realm. Warmth floods across the plane and light, for the first time, is brought to it. Tholnar and Belmay both watch the first steam rise from the water. They both feel the first chill breeze. With a gesture, the Lady of Light calls forth a golden orb. She wreathes it in flame then sets it free to wander the heavens. She briefly considers calling forth one of her servants to steer the orb, but she decides against it. She Knows, as does Tholnar, that this realm is unfinished. With sure Knowledge, these two beings confer. Yes, this realm will be used for a special purpose. Even if they do not yet understand that purpose, they recognize that this realm will one day be important. For the time being, they refrain from adding additional touches. They refrain from drawing any more attention to this place than they must. The orb floats free and shadows pass the mountains for the first time. Tholanr and Belmay leave through the portal once again. The Elder shall arrive next, but he requires no greeting.

Shadows pass; clouds form; rain falls. With a burst of laughter, a presence makes itself know. The second laughter this realm has heard. The Elder has arrived and grass moves outward like a wave. Lune looks about the land. He can sense the possibility of life here and it pleases him. Tholnar and Belmay are both correct in what this place might become. But it needs some change first. The mountains are too perfect, as are the pools, streams and sea. He could shape the necessary changes himself, but even then it would be too precisely planned. No, he knows a better option. He merely needs to choose which to invite. Wit a sweep of his arm, a new portal is opened and a woman steps forth. She looks with distaste at the neat, orderly realm before her. Lune explains why it must be changed. With a grin, Evelyn sets to work. There is no plan or pattern. The edge of the sea is broken. Gone is the crips shoreline. Hundreds of variations are formed. Sand bars shift beneath the water, mountain peaks are crumbled, streams meander and Evelyn shouts with joy at the individuality of each creation. Tholnar would feel some consternation, but Evelyn didn't care and Lune would point out the reasons why this must happen.

As Evelyn finished her work, Lune began his in earnest. A variety of grasses spread out from the coast. Fens grew up around the estuary of the river. A forest at the base of the mountains, climbing upwards with different trees. The seeds of life sprout forth. The breath of life is carried on the wind, over the grasses and through the trees. But Lune stops short of forcing creatures to exist here. He leaves the potential for such creatures unguided. They will come to be, or not, driven by the realm itself. Evelyn and Lune dance beneath the clouds, appreciating the singular beauty of that moment. Then they depart.

Time marches onward. In other places. a great war develops. Pter, in all his glory and fury chases foul beasts across the multiverse. The gods take a respite in this realm. Their similarities hold them together as Tholnar glowers at Evelyn and Lune privately laughs at his little jokes. Pter stands, his wrothful gaze penetrating the shadows of the mountains. Evil cowers there. With a command, Pter's servants burst forth, closely followed by Evelyn's. The chase is brutal, Evil finds no sanctuary here and the gods finally come together to do what they must. The realm is ensorcelled with Goodness. Protective barriers are formed that drive off those with ill will. Pter endeavors to guard this realm from the encroachment of evil. But the rest dissuade him.

This place must be forgotten, for a time. Tholnar and Belmay prophecy that one day it will be remembered, when the time is right. Pter likes this little, but in the end he agrees that the blessings of the gods will suffice. Until this realm is needed again.

 

[BSF]

Ages pass. The fabric of the planes is stretched, twisted and nearly torn. But a peace is set in place, for a time. Planes are claimed and retailored to fit their new masters. There are purges and adjustments. Conflict still exists, but no longer is the core fabric threatened. Tension slowly builds, stretching reality. Then, with a slight mortal nudge, the tension is moved and released.

Immediately the influence is felt everywhere. Ripples pass through all of existence. An Elder Titan awakes from his slumber to find his bed has been ripped out from underneath him. He is cold, angry and insane. He turns to seek a place of his own. The upper realms of Light are hateful to him. He would happily destroy them if he could. But the Lords of Light are powerful indeed. And one of them is attuned to his essence. The lower realms of Dark will be easier to conquer. Mhata Nahal, floating free in the Ethereal, gestures and wraps the entire plane about himself. A mantle to drive away the cold. Better still, it rips connecting threads away throughout the multiverse. His enemies, Good or Evil, will be hindered in their passing as he sets his gaze upon a home of his own.

Entire demiplanes are cut free. They float through nothingness, many to vanish. Others, through the will of their owners eventually manage to latch onto something. The plane of Faerie feels the rip, but is anchored to the Material through countless doorways and mergings. Shadow, the planes of dark possibility, is disrupted for a time. But such changes do little to stop the everchanging landscape of shadow. Spirit is, perhaps, affected the most. Ethereal is no longer a buffer so Spirit settles into the void left behind. The land of walking souls touches all places where beings exist. But it is difficult to pass through Spirit. It is easier to enter and leave through your native portal, but much more difficult to leave by another portal. So Spirit exists as neutral ground of sorts.

Other minor transitive planes become the bridgeheads in which Good and Evil fight. Sometimes these bridgeheads become war torn battlefields. Other times they are living embodiments of their strongest patrons. In any event, they are closely guarded against the next offensive from either side.

Mhata Nahal claims his home and immediately twists it to his liking. Lesser beings blanche at the power this formerly slumbering god wields. Others grimly accept him as a peer. A small few rejoice in his departure from the strange half-existence he once held in both the Material and the Ethereal. Though Mhata Nahal is now fully awake, he is also distanced from the mortals. Equal footing is what they call it. And so they are right.

Wars rage across the planes, but rarely do they intrude on the Material. There is too much risk involved with bringing full scale war there. Not until victory is assured. If the Material is unraveled, the fabric holding it all together will be lost. Such cannot be allowed to happen. To be sure there are battles fought on the Material. Beings of awesome power sometimes clash there. But Divinity cannot personally join that fight. Divinity must watch and direct from afar. Some manage to slide through loopholes in the Pacts. They can walk the land, but they cannot fight for it. Not without risking all out war that may destroy the very thing they fight over. No, the majority of battles are fought on other planes. Solar clashes with Balor, Angel against Demon, Celestial against Fiend. Sometimes defeat is permanent, other times it is merely temporary. Much depends on the battlefield and the composition of the combatants.

It is soon after one of these battles that a meeting is arranged by the Lords of Light.

 

[BSF]

Trumpets blaring, a mighty host poured onto the beach. So great and so pure was this music that on the battlefield sometime earlier, lesser beings of evil had simply ceased to exist. The power of Good, channeled through these Heralds had destroyed the small spirits of evil. Others had been so repulsed that they had been forced from the field to their home dominion. Beings of Celestial might stepped upon this small plane and swept the area for any trace of evil. Their job was clear, be sure the ensorcelments have held through the ages. All is in motion before Pter sets foot though the gate.

In the mountains, Tholnar's Host marches forth. Perfect formations stream downwards. From afar, they greet Pter's minions. Then they begin to build the first fortifications in this land.

The sky above doubles in brightness as Belmay's forces enter the realm. Then the sky doubles in Brightness again as Belmay herself begins to descend.

A ragtag skirmish line advances from the hills. They have checked the shadows in the hopes of catching evil as it runs from the others. With a brief look of disdain at the rigid formations of Tholnar, Evelyn's Host settles into small groups and encampments wherever they may.

Finally Lune's host strides forth from the forest. Some see a giant tree striding forth, others see a wizened old man, yet others perceive a stern faced warrior. Indeed, it seems that Lune wears many faces and none can truly say which is his true visage.

For all the searching and scouring of the land, there is no evil to be found. The wards have held through all this time. This is truly one of the few unclaimed safe places for the forces of Light. Messengers are dispatched. The lesser gods of Light are welcome to join the council if they can afford to, and wish to.

Soon, the plane is covered with armies of various gods. Tholnar's people are steadily erecting a large stone structure. What was envisioned as an immense fortress has been refactored to something smaller after Tholnar confered with the architects. It is hoped that this plane will nto be a permanent stronghold.

With a flash, Belmay summons the gods to council.

 

[BSF]

A massive stone table stands near the river. Upon it are heaped a wide variety of food and drink. The gods exchange pleasantries and sit down to eat. Soon the discussions turn to more serious matters; the wars with the Hells.

Many fiends have fallen in the battles, but the battles take their toll on celestial as well. A toast is risen in honor of those that have been destroyed. Successes, and failures, are reported. Lune listens to all the discourse, cataloging the trends he detects. Tholnar offers advice on fortifications. Belmay offers assistance for many opcoming offensives, but she too listens. Evelyn haphazardly commits forces to a hundred different plans. Pter expresses his frustration that the Gods of Evil refuse to directly confront him in battle. Lesser gods banter back and forth.

Pter is once again bellowing about an assault on a fortress that was rumored to be used by the Lord of Deception. The sheer number of goblins among the defenders seemed to support this. Yet, when the fortress was taken, it was found to be an outpost of Vashtuk. Lune raises a hand and loudly interrupts Pter.

"Pter, my friend, I would suggest to you that your victory also served to further the plans of the Lord of Deception." Lune waves aside Pter's protests. The Crusader has often been chastised by the Elder and he likes it little. "I do not imply that you wished to help the Lord of Deception. Rather I suggest that you were outmaneuvered by him. Indeed, we all have been." Silence hangs above the table as Lune gazes at the gods.

"I have sat here and listened to many tales that mirror yours Pter. Each of us has assaulted a bastion of evil, thinking it served our nemesis, the Lord of Deception. In few cases have we been correct. I submit that the Lord of Deception is working diligently to mislead us. We are being directed toward the enemies within the Hells that oppose the Lord of Deception." Lune takes a deep drink from his mug. "In our exuberance, we are unlikely to call off an assault simply because the wrong fiends are involved. I know I wouldn't."

Pter smiles as he stands up, his voice holds an undertone of excitement. "Are you suggesting we focus our efforts solely on the Lord of Deception? I would enjoy a direct assault straight into the bowels of Hell and with all of us working together, we can be victorious!"

Lune shakes his head slightly. "No my friend, we should not directly assault the Lord of Deception."

Pter's jaw clenches in anger, then disappointment sweeps his face. "I should have known that you would advocate coddling the fiend." Lune looks as if he is about to say something when Evelyn's fair laugh rings above the discussion. "No Pter, notice our old friend said we should not directly assault the putresence in the pits of Hell. I wager he has a more subtle plan." Evelyn grins at Lune. "Tell us old man, what is it that you are thinking?"

Lune laughs at Evelyn, but he leans back in his chair. "Indeed our thoroughly independent warrioress has the right of it. I do not propose a frontal assault. For one thing, the Lord of Deception surely expects us to figure out the purpose of these ruses. But I don't think we should tip our hand yet. Let us play along. We will continue to assault the Hells where we can. We might not be able to ever stamp Evil out, but we can weaken it's influence for a time. Right now the Lord of Deception is drawing strength from the Material Realm. It is disheartening given the efforts of our Mortal Agents so recently. Do they languish?"

Belmay leans forward, her countenance bright. Even the lesser gods cannot look directly at her, such is her brilliance. But the greater gods look beyond her aura to see a face that Mortal eyes have never perceived. "Elder, it has been nearly three centuries since we drove Mhata Nahal from his slumber. In that time, the most driven of my agents have departed that realm, and passed through the Spirit Realm to my own home."

Tholnar's deep bass voice booms across the table. "Tiberus Greerson fell in the battle immediately after, as did my Hero. The Thurgon labor to regain strength and to rebuild. I have no Mortal servants driven to seek out Evil and oppose it right now."

Lune closes his eyes as if remembering. "Indeed, I had lost track of time. It seems that most of the heroes of that time worked at rebuilding lives. Especially with the gift of Lady Belmay gracing the heavens. The second moon helped hold Darkness at bay. It has given the Mortals time and I think they use it well. Certainly Crill focused her efforts to providing a safe place for the mortals. But it is a shame. I perceive that the Hammer of Dol Mannul is being used once again. It would have been preferrable if somebody had tried to destroy it." Lune pauses in silence for a few moments before looking up at Pter. "Surely your servants in the Mortal realm directly oppose Evil. Why didn't one of them pursue the Hammer? Why not now?"

Pter shakes his head sadly. "Indeed I have servants that oppose Evil. But none have the experience required to undretake such a task. The wars in the Mortal realm took quite a toll on my most experienced servants. At the end, Aaron was one of the most powerful remaining servants. He then undertook to fulfill his sworn oaths. My Hero, Ternell, personally faced Mhata Nahal and received his just reward for his bravery. Both of them made me proud in their determination to oppose Evil, but neither of them survived long enough to undertake a quest to destroy that vile artifact."

Lune looks around the table at the lesser gods and goddesses. But the wars across all planar realms have taken their toll on the servants of Light. Things are not bad on the Material plane, but there are precious few heroes to act as a buffer against the incursion of evil.

 

[Eeralai]

This is great writing! I love it when the gods gather. Is there more? When do we play?!

 

[BSF]

Silence settles over the feast for a time before Belmay speaks once again. "I do believe you were about to propose an option rather than direct combat with the Lord of Deception. Would you care to continue Elder?"

Lune looks up and smiles sadly. "My pardon friends. You are correct Lady Belmay, I was about to propose an option. It seems now that I should adjust it due to the lack of Mortal servants at our disposal." Lune sighs, then stands. "I believe we should play along and pretend that we have not yet discerned the ruse the Lord of Deception is enacting. This is not to say we won't act, we just won't do it in an overt manner." Lune pauses and grins at the rest of the gods. Most are politely interested, but they all wait for Lune to reach his point. Looking somewhat exasperated, he continues. "We will put together a team of agents that will actively work to disrupt the Lord of Deception's plans on the Mortal Realm. Whatever the fiend is up to, it is hoping we don't perceive where the real threat is coming from."

Tholnar leans forward. "What makes you think that is the real threat? We have not seen any preparations for an invasion on the Material realm. Indeed, the forces of the Lord of Deception hardly hold any significant bridgeheads that would allow access to the Material."

Lune nods at Tholnar. "A few points old friend. First of all, the Hammer of Dol Mannul has been sent back to the Material realm. It is a corrupt artifact with considerable power. That power is most effective against Celestial servants. That would seem to indicate that the Lord of Deception is preparing a servant to be effective against Angels. Second of all, we know that all fiends desire greatly to claim the Material as their own. This is something inherent in their composition as they desire the Power that could be siphoned off that way. Thirdly, we know the Lord of Deception is among the most powerful Devils. Indeed, it may even be the most powerful. Where are the forces of the Lord of Deception? We hear rumors often, but we have difficulty locating them. Do you really think a Devil of such power is lacking in military might? Fourthly, we are dealing with a being that is as involved with trickery, misdirection and deception as I am. If I were the Lord of Deception, I would be consolidating my forces and guiding all of my enemies into making themselves weaker. It is likely that the Lord of Deception has an unknown bridgehead, or has forces positioned in a place that can easily overwhelm an existing bridgehead. When the fiend launches an invasion, those forces will move quickly."

Pter looks at Lune for a moment. "So why will a team of agents be any more effective than an outright assault? If we hit the Lord of Deception hard, these theoretical forces will need to respond."

Tholnar's voice echoes Pter. "Indeed Elder, why wouldn't an assault serve our needs better? You know I little like the complicated subterfuges you arrange."

Lune nods at both gods. "I know well that you prefer a direct, honest approach Tholnar. But you concede that such courses have been useful in the past?" Tholnar pauses, then nods slightly, a slight grimace on his face, before Lune continues. "If we threaten the Lord of Deception too directly, the fiend will simply recall the Hammer of Dol Mannul, go into a defensive posture, and resume it's plans at a later time. We will become mired in a prolonged battle in Hell. Even if we succeed against the Lord of Deception, we will be vulnerable to an attack by Mhata Nahal."

The gods look thoughtful, but unconvinced. Evelyn breaks the silence. "The old man might be right, but I little like it. I don't see where the benefit it for us. You implied we would be acting to thwart the feculent tyrant!"

"And so we shall be Evelyn." Lune waves aside her tirade, "We will send agents to the Material to determine the fiend's plans and to try to ensnare it's most important tools. While that is happening, we will also continue assaulting the Hells wherever we may. We will however, try to let the Lord of Deception become reliant on our apparent inability to discern's it's machinations. We will be prudent in our choice of battles and we will slowly sequester some of our forces away. We will build hidden armies while appearing to lose our will to fight. We will slowly prod the Lord of Deception into striking prematurely and we will then crush it and destroy it."

Softly, Belmay's voice carries across the table. "It is a plan that may work. I perceive there is some risk involved. But Lune is correct that the Lord of Deception is deeply involved with the Mortals. Perhaps I too have become complacent, trusting that my gift of a new moon would protect the Mortals. None of us have any truly powerful servants at work on the Material and we are restricted from directly interfering. So I am curious what Lune's plan is regarding the Mortal lands. Can it hurt for us to hear them? I think not."

Lune laughs loudly. "You are correct Lady Belmay! I do have a plan, but I have neglected to share it. So caught up I have become in trying to win you all over to my view, I have forgotten to tell you what my view is." Lune raises a goblet of wine to Belmay, then he downs the contents and sits back. "It is simple really, we will send angels to act on our behalf. We cannot directly intervene, but our non-mortal servants can. Certainly there are already fiends interfering with the lives of Mortals."

Pter looks shocked. "What of Free Will? Surely you would not have us violate Free Will?"

Before Lune can reply, Evelyn stands up. "Absolutely not! Thus lies the course of tyranny! We have no right to impose our will upon Mortals!"

 

[BSF]

It takes a few minutes for Evelyn to end her tirade and she almost leaves the council. But guiding woprds from Belmay soothe her enough to give Lune the opportunity to better explain himself.

"Certainly I do not intend to interfere with Free Will. By and large, we will allow the Mortals to act as they desire. I am simply suggesting that we assign a small group to seek out the plans of the Lord of Deception and disrupt them whenever possible. As well, we will task them with trying to find a way to destroy that damned Hammer. It won't hurt if Mortals learn of their existance and find it comforting, but providing Hope is a secondary benefit."

Lune sighs before continuing. "Look, if it helps you feel any better, we will keep them mostly seperate from Mortals. As it is, it serves our interests if others have difficulty tracking these agents directly to any of us. It would be best if they appear to be renegades. That further underscores our apparent inability to fight effectively and it will make it more difficult to for the Lord of Deception to discern our intent."

The conversation carries on for hours with various ideas being discussed, but the basic plan holds. The gods will enact a ruse of their own while they try to unravel the plans of the Lord of Deception. A small group of agents will be gathered to act on the Prime Material plane. These agents will try to discover and disrupt the plans of the Lord of Deception in regards to the Mortals. Above all, these agents must not interfere with Free Will, they can interact with mortals, but they are not to rule mortals. As a concession to Evelyn's concerns, the agents will not live on the Material plane. To address Lune's concerns, they will not be housed on their native planes. The transitive planes are fraught with battle and seem like a poor choice. Eventually it is suggested that this long forgotten plane might be an ideal abode. Tholnar offers the small fortress his people are making as a home; Lune grants a small measure of his power to bridge this realm to the Material; Pter sends word to Ternell, the military steward of his Fortress, that he needs a small defensive for a lengthy assignment; Belmay sends for Sages and Researchers to begin populating a library that the Agents will have access to; Other gods offer contributions as well. For each it is a small offering, but combined they make for extensive preparations. Finally, the composition of the agents is discussed. Belmay summarizes.

"These agents should be volunteers so they do not resent their task. Each should be reasonably self-sufficient, but not overly powerful. If any of our more powerful servants suddenly disappears, the forces of Hell will want to know why. These agents shall be cleaved from us and given a great deal of autonomy. Please make your choices carefully."

Before the gods return to their hosts to seek volunteers, Lune has one more thing to say. "Remember my friends, these agents will be put in a position much closer to Mortals. They will be endangered, not only by the Hammer, but by all the temptations and pitfalls that exist. It is not unknown for even the best trusted Angels to fall. We are giving them a heavy burden and they too may ultimately fall. If we all choose well, we may not have to suffer such a loss."

 

[BSF]

Campaign Mechanics

The Agents of the Gods​

Here is the plan. Each of you that wishes to play, must design a suitable PC. These need not strictly be angels, but each PC must be a non-native good-aligned outsider that is serving a good god. You are familiar with the major campaign gods, but if you wish to serve a lesser god, feel free to pitch me the idea for a deity of your choice. Each PC must also have LA 4+. This can come from a direct template, a template class, or creature abilities. Keep in mind that some creatures have HD as well as LA. If you choose one of these creatures, you must take the HD as well as the LA. The total ECL after LA, creature HD and class levels are tabulated should be 13th level.

I encourage you to investigate a variety of sources, especially Anger of Angels. The Book of Hallowed Might and the Book of Exalted Deeds are very good sources for you to investigate as well. If you have another source you would like to use, please ask me if it is acceptable.

Stats will be handled with 32 point buy. Stats max out at 18 before racial and template bonuses are applied. PC equipment will be based on the wealth guidelines and will be refreshed at each level. Wealth is set at your ECL -3. So you will begin the campaign with equipment equivelant to a 10th level character. In this case, that is 49,000 gp. This represents part of the resources your patrons have donated for your use.

Remember that you are, essentially, playing an angel of a good god. Each PC must begin with a good alignment with a value of at least 4. Dropping below that value probably means you are sliding down the road to becoming a Fallen Angel. Just to refresh your memory on the alignment scale:
Good
1 Doesn’t like to see bad things happen to others
2 Helps others occasionally, particularly friends
3 Willing to help strangers on occasion
5 Gives of himself to help others, whether it be time, money, possessions, or something else
7 Takes concepts like purity, innocence, and other higher principles very seriously
8 Would sacrifice anything, even his life, for others in a heartbeat
9 Refuses to harm anything or anyone, even if it brings misfortune or death on himself


Remember that as an Outsider, Raise Dead and Resurrection do not work on you. Only True Resurrection will work. However, an angel with a True Vessel can be killed and then recovered. If you are worried about death, I suggest you consider taking the Extra True Vessel feat in Anger of Angels.

All PCs must be approved and finalized before you can begin play. Creating a higher level PC is complicated. Choosing non-standard races and using LA makes this process even more complicated. If you wish to speed up my approval process, I encourage you to break out your PC HD by HD to show exactly how you created the character. If you want help with the character, please email me and let me know. The process can be complicated. The PC creation process should begin with you emailing me your idea for a PC. Once your idea is approved, you will also need to write a narration on your volunteering and introduction so I can integrate it into the overall narration.

I expect that the group playing the Agents of the Gods will rotate logging duties. This mini-campaign begins roughly 300 years after the end of the previous campaign. It will span approximately 700 years of time. This is setting part of the history of the campaign world, as seen through angelic eyes. As such, I will require good logging of each session. No session log means no experience for the PCs.

I realize there are a lot of requirements for this mini-campaign. These are complex characters with stringent limitations and a bit of a commitment to play. If it doesn't match your play style, that's fine. Nobody is required to play. There will still be the main campaign and you are certainly welcome to play in one campaing, but not the other. So don't feel any pressure.

If you have any specific questions, email me. If you have general questions, post in the Agents of the Gods Q&A thread.

 

[BSF]

Tholnar nods at Lune. "I will ask for volunteers and make a choice. I am sure I have at least one servant that will be suitable." He then turns toward his camp. At his approach, a Trumpet Archon flies toward him. Moments later, the Archon rises into the air and calls forth a muster of Tholnar's forces. Almost immediately rigid formations fall into place. Tholnar surveys this small portion of his army with pride. At the far end, a huge Solar stands at attention. Berothaemial, one of Tholnar's generals.

"Friends," Tholnar's voice carries over the army, "I seek a volunteer," before he finishes speaking nearly the entire army steps forward in zeal. Tholnar stops, shakes his head slightly, and then continues. "Please, I must finish what I am to ask for. I need volunteers that will be taken away from the direct battles against evil. This is an important mission, but you will forgoe most of your comraderie, you will forgoe your right to fight at my side, you must act independantly, and you must act with some degree of stealth. There is no shame if you are not willing to undertake such a task. I gladly have any and all of you at my side to defend all that is good in the multiverse." Fewer step forward, but a great many are still eager to serve Tholnar, including Berothaemial. Tholnar motions for his general to join him at his side.

"Berothaemial, my good friend, I cannot offer you this task. Your countenance is far too well known and if you were to disappear, our enemies would seek to discover why. But I need your counsel. Help me choose which of these valiant warriors will best fill my needs." Berothaemial bows to Tholnar. "Of course my liege." His voice carries the strength of basalt found deep within the earth. "It would be easier if I understood your needs better."

Tholnar and Berothaemial begin to walk the ranks while Tholnar relates the mission to the Solar. Berothaemial periodically stops and offers commentary on different volunteers. Many are powerful captains or lieutenants that Tholnar passes on due to a well-earned reputation. Stopping before a troop of Hound Archons, Berothaemial presents yet another candidate. Tholnar smailes sadly. The Archons are valiant indeed, but I seek one who will be able to function without my constant love. There is much risk and if another of my warriors Falls as Bysumaen did, it will be a heavy burden to bear.

At the mention of their once proud leader's fall from grace, each Hound Archon bows his head in shame. Turning toward them, Tholnar says, "Nay my friends. Bysumaen's Fall is not your shame. I did not recognize the warning signs in time and was unable to show him a clear path to redemption. Raise your heads in pride for your deeds, not his misdeeds."

Berothaemial has been caught in thought, but he once again looks up. Scanning the forces arrayed before them, he finally seems to note what he is looking for. Silently he leads Tholnar across the ranks before he stops near the scouts. A proud Cherubim with a ruby mane stands at attention. He is the leader of the Scouts and he volunteered for this mission himself. He smiles slightly as he looks up at Berothaemil. "My Liege, General, how might I serve you?"

Before Tholnar can say anything, Berothaemial points down the line. "Er, Captain of the Scouts, accompany us and introduce our Liege to the one called Xileph." Er looks momentarily disappointed but that does not deter him from performing his duty. He steps out of rank and proceeds Tholnar and Berothaemial further down the line. Finally the three of them stop.

Before them stands a Ramadeen. His black wool is flecked with gold as are his dark eyes. His ram's head holds two golden, swept back horns. His attire is well worn, but very well cared for. Er stands at attention, his leonine eyes making sure that Xileph is presenting himself correctly. "My Liege, this is Xileph. He is a loyal Ramadeen in your service among the scouts."

Tholnar eyes Xileph carefully before Er continues. "He volunteered to be a scout before the assault on the Fortress of Balmaeth. Somehow his transfer orders did not come through after the battle and he was sent on to scout the heights of Zindirungue. His Coporal reported the error as soon as it was discovered and I offered my apologies to this brave warrior. But he wouldn't accept a transfer. Xileph feels his place is in the scouts, volunteering to undertake dangerous missions on his own whenever he is able. He is loyal and confident in his own abilities, as well he should be. After each mission, he tries to teach the new volunteers what he has learned. I readily confess that his efforts are responsible for improving the survivability of our scouting forces. As I said my Liege, he has accepted the role of scout as his. Until now it seems." Er smiles broadly at Xileph.

Tholnar listens to the tale before he nods to Berothaemial. He then looks at Xileph, "You have served well in a position that we are loathe to keep people within. I need somebody that serve my needs on the material plane. I know we do not fight there and your experience is limited if not non-existent. But I need your ability to operate with independance. Please, tell me of yourself and tell me whether you will accept this mission as yours."

 

[Meowzebub]

Keeping his back ramrod straight and his eyes straight ahead, Xileph responds with a voice resonating like crushing gravel from his barrel chest. “My Lord! It is my duty to serve. I do so with pleasure”.

Tholnar remained silently looking at Xileph a hint of a smile on his face. Berothaemial nodded to Er, who stepped forward. “At ease Scout. You are granted permission to speak candidly.”

Xileph shifted into a more comfortable stance, but his eyes remained forward. “My Lord, I always reveled in the clash of arms within your army. When my draw came up for Scout duty, I accepted willingly, but knew I was leaving something I loved. I knew the Scouts had a hard assignment, trying to guide our forces to best engage the enemy, but I wryly remembered too many ambushes and empty ranks after the fight. I knew also that no one stayed a Scout long and soon I would be back in the ranks. But my Lord, I found I was good at it.” His eyes momentarily flick toward his commanders then back straight. “The stalking, the infiltration, the silent struggle to eliminate sentries, I felt I was making a difference in a personal way.” His sly smile revealed a muzzle full of large square teeth. “When my second assignment came, I realized something was wrong as Scout assignments are temporary due to their lethality. But I learned so much during the fortress assault, there was still more to learn. And us grunts need to learn a lot about stealth. I shared what I could and led when allowed. The more scouts I keep alive, the more grunts will survive the ensuing battle. It is more than I could do with sword and shield on the battlefield.

Of the Material Plane, I only know from books. But I also knew little of certain Hellish Planes before I was sent in. If anything I learn quickly and read widely.”

He turns to face his Lord and commanders, bows his head and goes down on one knee. “If I am chosen, I will strive to bring your forces honor and bring a successful conclusion to the mission.”