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Aphonion Tales (New posts 6/13, 6/15, 6/19)
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<blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 2056883" data-attributes="member: 3448"><p>Mahler, Stithis, Delbon, and "Jer Pardon" walked to the Cathedral of Glordiadel. An acolyte looked them over suspiciously but quickly hurried them to the chancery when informed that the Bishop wished to see them. After a short wait in a well-appointed foyer, one of the Bishop's attendants entered the room and gestured towards the door he had entered from. "His Eminence, Bishop Humboldt the Holy, will see you now."</p><p></p><p>Bishop Humboldt turned out to be a middle-aged man, with a round body and a kindly smile. "The blessings of Glordiadel be upon you." Alistair kissed the bishop's ring, but none of the others approached.</p><p></p><p>"Thank you, Your Eminence," Mahler said, as the group took the seats by the fire that the Bishop indicated.</p><p></p><p>The Bishop gestured to another person in the room, a fit and well-dressed man of middle age. "I asked Earl Richard Sheffield, the Ambassador from Canberry, to join me when I first received the report that Lord Alistair was nearby. He is most eager to see him returned safely home." </p><p></p><p>Alistair quickly scooped up a wine glass and brought it in front of his face. He had never met Bishop Humboldt before, but Earl Sheffield was an old friend of his father's. Mahler's disguise skills would have to be good indeed to fool "Uncle Richard."</p><p></p><p>The Earl nodded to the motley group before him. "I am so glad to have made contact with companions of Lord Alistair. It is vital that he return to Canberry as quickly as possible. With his father dead, the situation is rather delicate."</p><p></p><p>Mahler nodded. "We understand. Unfortunately, Lord Alistair is several days ride out of the City. Pursuing a possible diplomatic marriage with an exotic country."</p><p></p><p>The Earl thought for a moment. "Couldn't be Ecsilias, or the dwarves... He must be searching for a bride among the elves then. That certainly would be interesting..."</p><p></p><p>"I'm sure we could get a message to him," Mahler continued.</p><p></p><p>Alistair couldn't stand to wait any longer. "How did his father die? I'm sure he'll want to be informed."</p><p></p><p>Despite his best efforts to keep a hand concealing part of his face, speaking drew the Earl's attention. The Earl's brow furrowed in thought, as if he almost recognized Alistair. Stithis averted the looming embarassment by allowing the wine glass in his hand to pass through his mostly air body. The resulting commotion and apologies thoroughly occupied the Earl's attention until Mahler prodded further. "Lord Alistair's father's death?"</p><p></p><p>"Ah, yes," the Earl's eyes grew sad. "He was on one of his adventures. Always trying to save the world, never minding the dangers. A Zorplona-Argoni valar sought to enslave many of the refugees from the fallen cities to the south of Canberry. The Marquis Belconnen and his entourage were crazy enough to fight the valar. It's not thought possible to defeat the fallen elves on one of their flying ships, but they managed to drive them off and save the refugees. Their victory came at great cost, however, leaving Lord Alistair's father among the slain."</p><p></p><p>"I assume that they attempted to raise him?" Mahler inquired.</p><p></p><p>The Bishop nodded. "Yes, but the efforts failed. Resurrection magic has its limits. Certain parts of the body must be largely intact-- destruction of the head and heart will prevent resurrection. And of course the subject must be willing to return. I do not know why the Marquis's resurrection was unsuccessful. I was not called on to assist."</p><p></p><p>"But his soul is safely with Glordiadel?" Alistair asked, worrying about the least pleasant reason that resurrection could be impossible.</p><p></p><p>"Indeed. I was assured that the divinations performed after his death proved that the Marquis's soul is safely in its eternal reward."</p><p></p><p>The Earl spoke up. "While I appreciate that Lord Alistair will want to know these details, I'm afraid that we must concentrate on the situation now. For all his virtues, Lord Alistair's father was somewhat .... inappropriate in his personal life. Why he couldn't have simply had a nice family with his perfectly nice wife and stopped his roaming is beyond me. But he did not, and we now need to deal with the consequences."</p><p></p><p>"Is it clear who is the heir-apparent now?"</p><p></p><p>"No, which is where the trouble lies. So far, Her Sovereign Grace the Grand Duchess has made no pronouncements on the subject. And there are several candidates with reasonable claims. The Marquis's next oldest brother, of course, is a strong candidate as the legitimate descendant of the Duchess with the highest claim. But so far, he has not indicated any interest in the office. The Marquis's children raise a particularly thorny problem. The older children are all by thoroughly inappropriate mothers and have little official standing, but some of them are well-known and have been successful as generals and the like. Lord Alistair, as the only openly acknowledged child and the only one of the Marquis's children with a vaguely suitable noblewoman, would also have a strong claim, but not while absent from the Archduchy."</p><p></p><p>"Have any of the Marquis's children taken steps to secure the inheritance?"</p><p></p><p>"So far, only Jerrabom, one of the Marquis's oldest children has declared his claim-- an act which probably offended Her Grace and eliminated him from true contention. Still, he has a strong military background, which could be particularly worrisome if anything happened to the Grand Duchess's health before the issue was resolved. None of the Marquis's other seven children are making public claims, although some of them may be advancing their cause privately, and all of them could make a plausible claim." The Earl paused. "I think that makes it clear why it is important for Lord Alistair to return home."</p><p></p><p>Alistair nodded slowly. "Especially if it was not just poor luck that his father's death was not reversible."</p><p></p><p>"Taking on a valar borders on the crazy... perhaps he knew the likely result and chose not to come back, although I would have thought that he would have talked to me before that. Or he may have merely been brave and unlucky. Heaven knows he was brave and lucky enough times in the past. But there may have been something more sinister at work in preventing his return, in which case the Archduchy may be gravely threatened."</p><p></p><p>Alistair spoke clearly and firmly, despite the hand that he insisted on holding in front of his face. "I'm sure that Lord Alistair will return promptly to Canberry when he understands the full situation."</p><p></p><p>Mahler looked sharply at Alistair and paused for a moment. "Yes, I'm sure he will. We will be happy to deliver the message to him."</p><p></p><p>Both Earl Sheffield and the Bishop looked relieved.</p><p></p><p>One of the Bishop's aides slipped into the chamber and whispered quietly into the Bishop's ear.</p><p></p><p>"You are certain that it was not merely misplaced?" the Bishop asked. The aide nodded and whispered a little more. The Bishop looked at the group with concern. "I fear you had best contact Lord Alistair quickly. The message with his seal requesting aid has been stolen. I fear that some enemy intends to use his seal to scry on him."</p><p></p><p>Mahler thought for a second. "Has anyone been making inquiries after Lord Alistair? It might give us some information about who these enemies are."</p><p></p><p>"A good question. Devon, please make some discreet inquiries about any unusual questions or strangers at either the cathedral or the church in Plurg." The aide immediately departed.</p><p></p><p>Alistair added, "We may need to travel incognito. If people are searching for Lord Alistair, using his name openly could be dangerous."</p><p></p><p>"A wise precaution," Earl Sheffield responded. "Here, take these. They state that the bearers have the favor of the Earl Richard of Sheffield, Ambassador from the Court of Canberry to the City of Enclaves, and are worthy of assistance. It should smooth your path, at least in some parts, without Lord Alistair needing to reveal himself. Still, I would use them sparingly and with caution-- while you are hardly the only people who bear messages like these, Lord Alistair's enemies might figure out why you have them." As Alistair reached forward to take his, the Earl stared at him. "You look familiar... did you accompany Lord Alistair from Canberry?"</p><p></p><p>All four startled in dismay, and Stithis decided on desperate measures. He flung the ornate silver carafe to the ground, soaking the Earl's fine garments. As the Earl patted at his clothes with a handkerchief, the Bishop stared more carefully at Stithis. "I say... are you an air elemental?"</p><p></p><p>"A djinni, sir."</p><p></p><p>"Ah, I see. And an unbound one at that. Most unusual... we rarely see your kind on this plane without being bound to the will of some mage."</p><p></p><p>"I travelled here on my own. I was curious."</p><p></p><p>The Bishop nodded. "I hope you are enjoying your time here." He paused in thought. "If you have a human friend who you can trust... you may wish to go through a binding ritual. As long as you are unbound, you could be bound by some evil wizard against your will. And if you were slain, it would be permanent. If you were to allow yourself to be bound by a trusted ally, you would then be immune to further attempts to bind you, and if you were defeated in battle, you would simply be returned to your own plane."</p><p></p><p>"Who could bind me? Would it have to be a wizard? And would I need to stay near them?"</p><p></p><p>"The person to bind you would need to have sufficient skill with magic to be able to perform the ritual but need not be an actual wizard. A mage, a bard, some priests with the right specializations, would all be capable. You could travel freely, as long as they did not exert their will against you, of course, and as long as you did not try to leave the plane without their permission."</p><p></p><p>"Thank you for telling me this. I know someone who may do well."</p><p></p><p>Devon returned to the Bishop's sitting room. "Your Eminence, I have the answer about suspicious questions." The Bishop waved for him to continue. "One of the acolytes on duty at the Cathedral reported a beggar asking after the high nobility of Canberry, ostensibly seeking to throw himself upon their mercy. He was told that the honorable Earl is the only member of the Court of Canberry anywhere near the City of Enclaves. </p><p>Upon hearing that, he departed."</p><p></p><p>"Does this beggar have a description?" asked Mahler.</p><p></p><p>"Yes, sir. He stood about five foot eight, with short cropped hair. The acolyte said that what he noticed most was the beggar's piercing steel-gray eyes."</p><p></p><p>"Sounds like someone from the Hidden Guild," said Alistair.</p><p></p><p>Mahler nodded. "In which case, we'd best be on our way. The sooner Lord Alistair is informed of the details and begins his trip home, the safer we'll all be."</p><p></p><p>The Earl nodded. "I will be certain to inform Her Sovereign Grace that her grandson will be returning. I know she will be grateful for the news."</p><p></p><p>The Bishop rose. "The blessing of Glordiadel be upon you-- may His Light guide your way safely back to Canberry."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cerebral Paladin, post: 2056883, member: 3448"] Mahler, Stithis, Delbon, and "Jer Pardon" walked to the Cathedral of Glordiadel. An acolyte looked them over suspiciously but quickly hurried them to the chancery when informed that the Bishop wished to see them. After a short wait in a well-appointed foyer, one of the Bishop's attendants entered the room and gestured towards the door he had entered from. "His Eminence, Bishop Humboldt the Holy, will see you now." Bishop Humboldt turned out to be a middle-aged man, with a round body and a kindly smile. "The blessings of Glordiadel be upon you." Alistair kissed the bishop's ring, but none of the others approached. "Thank you, Your Eminence," Mahler said, as the group took the seats by the fire that the Bishop indicated. The Bishop gestured to another person in the room, a fit and well-dressed man of middle age. "I asked Earl Richard Sheffield, the Ambassador from Canberry, to join me when I first received the report that Lord Alistair was nearby. He is most eager to see him returned safely home." Alistair quickly scooped up a wine glass and brought it in front of his face. He had never met Bishop Humboldt before, but Earl Sheffield was an old friend of his father's. Mahler's disguise skills would have to be good indeed to fool "Uncle Richard." The Earl nodded to the motley group before him. "I am so glad to have made contact with companions of Lord Alistair. It is vital that he return to Canberry as quickly as possible. With his father dead, the situation is rather delicate." Mahler nodded. "We understand. Unfortunately, Lord Alistair is several days ride out of the City. Pursuing a possible diplomatic marriage with an exotic country." The Earl thought for a moment. "Couldn't be Ecsilias, or the dwarves... He must be searching for a bride among the elves then. That certainly would be interesting..." "I'm sure we could get a message to him," Mahler continued. Alistair couldn't stand to wait any longer. "How did his father die? I'm sure he'll want to be informed." Despite his best efforts to keep a hand concealing part of his face, speaking drew the Earl's attention. The Earl's brow furrowed in thought, as if he almost recognized Alistair. Stithis averted the looming embarassment by allowing the wine glass in his hand to pass through his mostly air body. The resulting commotion and apologies thoroughly occupied the Earl's attention until Mahler prodded further. "Lord Alistair's father's death?" "Ah, yes," the Earl's eyes grew sad. "He was on one of his adventures. Always trying to save the world, never minding the dangers. A Zorplona-Argoni valar sought to enslave many of the refugees from the fallen cities to the south of Canberry. The Marquis Belconnen and his entourage were crazy enough to fight the valar. It's not thought possible to defeat the fallen elves on one of their flying ships, but they managed to drive them off and save the refugees. Their victory came at great cost, however, leaving Lord Alistair's father among the slain." "I assume that they attempted to raise him?" Mahler inquired. The Bishop nodded. "Yes, but the efforts failed. Resurrection magic has its limits. Certain parts of the body must be largely intact-- destruction of the head and heart will prevent resurrection. And of course the subject must be willing to return. I do not know why the Marquis's resurrection was unsuccessful. I was not called on to assist." "But his soul is safely with Glordiadel?" Alistair asked, worrying about the least pleasant reason that resurrection could be impossible. "Indeed. I was assured that the divinations performed after his death proved that the Marquis's soul is safely in its eternal reward." The Earl spoke up. "While I appreciate that Lord Alistair will want to know these details, I'm afraid that we must concentrate on the situation now. For all his virtues, Lord Alistair's father was somewhat .... inappropriate in his personal life. Why he couldn't have simply had a nice family with his perfectly nice wife and stopped his roaming is beyond me. But he did not, and we now need to deal with the consequences." "Is it clear who is the heir-apparent now?" "No, which is where the trouble lies. So far, Her Sovereign Grace the Grand Duchess has made no pronouncements on the subject. And there are several candidates with reasonable claims. The Marquis's next oldest brother, of course, is a strong candidate as the legitimate descendant of the Duchess with the highest claim. But so far, he has not indicated any interest in the office. The Marquis's children raise a particularly thorny problem. The older children are all by thoroughly inappropriate mothers and have little official standing, but some of them are well-known and have been successful as generals and the like. Lord Alistair, as the only openly acknowledged child and the only one of the Marquis's children with a vaguely suitable noblewoman, would also have a strong claim, but not while absent from the Archduchy." "Have any of the Marquis's children taken steps to secure the inheritance?" "So far, only Jerrabom, one of the Marquis's oldest children has declared his claim-- an act which probably offended Her Grace and eliminated him from true contention. Still, he has a strong military background, which could be particularly worrisome if anything happened to the Grand Duchess's health before the issue was resolved. None of the Marquis's other seven children are making public claims, although some of them may be advancing their cause privately, and all of them could make a plausible claim." The Earl paused. "I think that makes it clear why it is important for Lord Alistair to return home." Alistair nodded slowly. "Especially if it was not just poor luck that his father's death was not reversible." "Taking on a valar borders on the crazy... perhaps he knew the likely result and chose not to come back, although I would have thought that he would have talked to me before that. Or he may have merely been brave and unlucky. Heaven knows he was brave and lucky enough times in the past. But there may have been something more sinister at work in preventing his return, in which case the Archduchy may be gravely threatened." Alistair spoke clearly and firmly, despite the hand that he insisted on holding in front of his face. "I'm sure that Lord Alistair will return promptly to Canberry when he understands the full situation." Mahler looked sharply at Alistair and paused for a moment. "Yes, I'm sure he will. We will be happy to deliver the message to him." Both Earl Sheffield and the Bishop looked relieved. One of the Bishop's aides slipped into the chamber and whispered quietly into the Bishop's ear. "You are certain that it was not merely misplaced?" the Bishop asked. The aide nodded and whispered a little more. The Bishop looked at the group with concern. "I fear you had best contact Lord Alistair quickly. The message with his seal requesting aid has been stolen. I fear that some enemy intends to use his seal to scry on him." Mahler thought for a second. "Has anyone been making inquiries after Lord Alistair? It might give us some information about who these enemies are." "A good question. Devon, please make some discreet inquiries about any unusual questions or strangers at either the cathedral or the church in Plurg." The aide immediately departed. Alistair added, "We may need to travel incognito. If people are searching for Lord Alistair, using his name openly could be dangerous." "A wise precaution," Earl Sheffield responded. "Here, take these. They state that the bearers have the favor of the Earl Richard of Sheffield, Ambassador from the Court of Canberry to the City of Enclaves, and are worthy of assistance. It should smooth your path, at least in some parts, without Lord Alistair needing to reveal himself. Still, I would use them sparingly and with caution-- while you are hardly the only people who bear messages like these, Lord Alistair's enemies might figure out why you have them." As Alistair reached forward to take his, the Earl stared at him. "You look familiar... did you accompany Lord Alistair from Canberry?" All four startled in dismay, and Stithis decided on desperate measures. He flung the ornate silver carafe to the ground, soaking the Earl's fine garments. As the Earl patted at his clothes with a handkerchief, the Bishop stared more carefully at Stithis. "I say... are you an air elemental?" "A djinni, sir." "Ah, I see. And an unbound one at that. Most unusual... we rarely see your kind on this plane without being bound to the will of some mage." "I travelled here on my own. I was curious." The Bishop nodded. "I hope you are enjoying your time here." He paused in thought. "If you have a human friend who you can trust... you may wish to go through a binding ritual. As long as you are unbound, you could be bound by some evil wizard against your will. And if you were slain, it would be permanent. If you were to allow yourself to be bound by a trusted ally, you would then be immune to further attempts to bind you, and if you were defeated in battle, you would simply be returned to your own plane." "Who could bind me? Would it have to be a wizard? And would I need to stay near them?" "The person to bind you would need to have sufficient skill with magic to be able to perform the ritual but need not be an actual wizard. A mage, a bard, some priests with the right specializations, would all be capable. You could travel freely, as long as they did not exert their will against you, of course, and as long as you did not try to leave the plane without their permission." "Thank you for telling me this. I know someone who may do well." Devon returned to the Bishop's sitting room. "Your Eminence, I have the answer about suspicious questions." The Bishop waved for him to continue. "One of the acolytes on duty at the Cathedral reported a beggar asking after the high nobility of Canberry, ostensibly seeking to throw himself upon their mercy. He was told that the honorable Earl is the only member of the Court of Canberry anywhere near the City of Enclaves. Upon hearing that, he departed." "Does this beggar have a description?" asked Mahler. "Yes, sir. He stood about five foot eight, with short cropped hair. The acolyte said that what he noticed most was the beggar's piercing steel-gray eyes." "Sounds like someone from the Hidden Guild," said Alistair. Mahler nodded. "In which case, we'd best be on our way. The sooner Lord Alistair is informed of the details and begins his trip home, the safer we'll all be." The Earl nodded. "I will be certain to inform Her Sovereign Grace that her grandson will be returning. I know she will be grateful for the news." The Bishop rose. "The blessing of Glordiadel be upon you-- may His Light guide your way safely back to Canberry." [/QUOTE]
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