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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3783730" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>The conversation continued for some time, and eventually a fire was built to keep away much of the evening chill. Brandt and Master Searthu showed considerable patience as the evening passed on. They were waiting for a proper time to address the party regarding the news of the Yrraxeans. A few hours after the meal, many of the servants excused themselves and headed to their quarters to rest. They were grateful for the relaxing day and evening, but they also knew that their day of rest would need to be made up for the next day. Many offered words of appreciation to Iasho before leaving the festivities and turning in for the night.</p><p></p><p>When most of the people had departed, Brandt leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. <span style="color: Lime">“Now, I believe that there was the question of the Yrraxeans?”</span> He smiled, knowing that he was finally giving the party what they wanted.</p><p></p><p>Each of the party members smiled and leaned forward, showing obvious interest in the change of direction for the conversation. Brandt continued explaining the situation. <span style="color: Lime">“We were able to find several of the Yrraxean ships out on the open water. By the time we were able to locate them through a magical means, however, they had already sailed beyond the coastal waters of Tongra.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus frowned. <span style="color: LightBlue">“South, no doubt?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded. <span style="color: Lime">“Of course. Even sailing to Fenneress they would choose to head south first.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis turned to Semeion and whispered to him. She didn’t want to interrupt the flow of the conversation. <span style="color: Orange">“Why is south the obvious direction of sailing? Aren’t the winds predominantly from the west?”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded, but it was Master Searthu who answered the question with a smile. <span style="color: Lime">“Heading west would give them the fastest escape from Tongra, of course. The winds would carry them away quite fast. However, sailing west from Tongra leads them directly into the coastal waters of Barghost. If they thought Tongra gave them a poor welcome then they’d be surely disappointed by the official reaction in Barghost. The worship of Yrraxea would bring a fierce and swift reaction. They wouldn’t want to risk being caught in the territory of Barghost. And they would know that Barghost would willingly respond to a summons for help by King Rupert.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis nodded. <span style="color: Orange">“And, heading south takes them around Quehalost. There aren’t any ports along the mountainous shoreline, but there won’t likely be pursuit coming ahead of them, either.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded. <span style="color: Lime">“Well, not unless we can work something out with the nation of Fenneress, anyway. But they’ll be safe for a while and they’ll know that.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned back to Brandt. <span style="color: LightBlue">“The king’s ships cannot catch them?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt shook his head. <span style="color: Lime">“It is unlikely. If we would have been able to locate them quickly they might have had a chance. But it took too long. Once we were able to find them we noticed that they had paid well for their passage. The ships that they bought passage upon were fast. The only hope we would have is if a storm would come and force them to anchor. And any storm coming along would hamper our efforts as well.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema agreed with Brandt’s sentiment. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Yeah. The only other thing that we could hope for is a dead calm. But again, that would be just as bad for the pursuit as for the Yrraxeans.”</span></p><p></p><p>Master Searthu nodded and continued the discussion. <span style="color: Lime">“Exactly. There was no simple way to catch them. Plus, when you consider that a few of them on board must wield some pretty strong magic it might not even be safe to send the king’s men after them. Who knows what power Yrraxea may give to them to enable them to escape?”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion question the logic regarding magical offense. <span style="color: Plum">“You’re not trying to tell me that the king doesn’t have the kind of resources to counter any magic that could come out of Quehalost, surely? I mean, we’ve been able to best the Yrraxeans, even Ankh Bahl.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt agreed with the premise, but had problems with the implication of Semeion’s conclusion. <span style="color: Lime">“Well, I think it would have been a different story had the Yrraxeans tried to flee by way of the land. But magic over the water becomes completely more unreliable. The boat is capable of being attacked and horrible creatures can be summoned from the depths of the sea. But what is truly worse is that is that the defense of the boat would have to be the primary focus of the king’s magicians. For if in the midst of an offensive flurry they let go of their defense, then they are suddenly sunk without the hope of friendly land to which they can try and make it. Sure, the magicians could save themselves, but in a battle over water they have to be concerned with the crew as well. Magical battles over the water are quite deadly. On land, the removal of the possibility of sinking really does simplify things quite a bit.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded, accepting the answer. He didn’t really agree with it, but he also had very little experience on the water. <span style="color: Plum">“So, at this point we are just handing things over to the government of Fenneress?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt shrugged and nodded. <span style="color: Lime">“What else can we do? We can’t catch them, and when they do make land they’ll be in a different country. The people of Fenneress are like the people of Tongra. There’ll not be many there that give them quarter. But, they must have some means arranged because they left here with intent to make it to Fenneress and go into Quehalost from there.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema looked puzzled. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“The one thing about all of this that I don’t quite get is why they simply didn’t teleport to Quehalost directly. I mean, if many of the powerful agents of Yrraxea were from Quehalost to begin with, they shouldn’t have too much difficulty returning, right?”</span></p><p></p><p>Master Searthu responded. <span style="color: Lime">“Certainly. The magic should have been reliable. The only real question is whether or not the leaders would be powerful enough to move all of the people that needed to be moved. This plan has been in the works for a long time, apparently. They may have made a number of converts. If this is true, the leaders might have teleported and the followers may be on the boats.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion returned to the question of magic. <span style="color: Plum">“If that’s the case, then the ships might not be hard to capture with magical means.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt replied to Semeion’s assertion. <span style="color: Lime">“True. But we don’t know that is the case. If they have access to teleportation the leaders might not be on the boats. But for all we know Pahk and the wizard in Eberdeen may have been their only access to teleportation magic. With them removed, their ability to teleport might have been crippled. After all, you did have to board the ship that the Yrraxeans sent to influence Fingerdale had used. They didn’t use teleportation magic to get here, apparently. We just don’t know.”</span></p><p></p><p>Master Searthu continued Brandt’s point for him. <span style="color: Lime">“In either case, the simple solution is to just be patient and hand the matter over to the authorities of Fenneress. They can bring the ships into custody as they approach the land. It is the solution that puts the fewest people at risk and has the highest chance of success. That is why the king opted to allow the problem to transfer under the authority of the Alliance of Fenneress. We’ll offer to assist, of course.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis looked into the fire. <span style="color: Orange">“So that’s it, then? We just sit back and watch evil sail into the sunset? We have to be pleased with what we’ve accomplished but forced to accept that they got away?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded. <span style="color: Lime">“Not quite. Even if we’d have managed to catch them off guard and trap them here in Tongra, the evil of Yrraxea would still exist in Quehalost. Ankh Bahl would still be looking for a way to return and avenge her banishment. The only real and true victory is to eradicate Yrraxea’s influence on the world.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus and Brandt shared a hearty laugh. Ischarus drew Brandt’s assertion to the illogical conclusion that Brandt’s words led them to understand. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Yeah. Eradicate the influence of avarice on the world? There is nothing like trying to separate the people in this land from their greed and desire for personal gain.”</span></p><p></p><p>Master Searthu shrugged and joined the answer in his own words. <span style="color: Lime">“That’s pretty much it. So long as avarice is a goal of some, Yrraxea will always have a foothold in the land – even the civilized lands of Tongra and Fenneress. Granted, her foothold will always be strongest in Quehalost where there are no laws or ethical standards which govern her influence.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis frowned. <span style="color: Orange">“Well, if that isn’t enough to deflate the celebratory end of a hard struggle, then I don’t know what is. We’ve won, but only temporarily. The land is safe, for now.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema leaned over and put her hand on the back of Charis’ hand. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“That’s all it ever is, isn’t it? We do what we can, but we’re only mortal. We can’t change the fundamental shape of the world and the powers at work in it. We can only choose which side with which we want to fight and how hard we want to fight with that particular side. We can affect the here and now. If we’re lucky, we can make an impression that lasts into the future. But the likelihood of causing Yrraxea to lose complete influence over the land is unlikely. People will continue to seek after their own personal gain – many of them at the expense of others. For now, we work with what we can and do what we can. We influence what we can, and be thankful for the changes and safety that we can provide.”</span></p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>The conversation continued for some time, and eventually a fire was built to keep away much of the evening chill. Brandt and Master Searthu showed considerable patience as the evening passed on. They were waiting for a proper time to address the party regarding the news of the Yrraxeans. A few hours after the meal, many of the servants excused themselves and headed to their quarters to rest. They were grateful for the relaxing day and evening, but they also knew that their day of rest would need to be made up for the next day. Many offered words of appreciation to Iasho before leaving the festivities and turning in for the night.</p><p></p><p>When most of the people had departed, Brandt leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. “Now, I believe that there was the question of the Yrraxeans?” He smiled, knowing that he was finally giving the party what they wanted.</p><p></p><p>Each of the party members smiled and leaned forward, showing obvious interest in the change of direction for the conversation. Brandt continued explaining the situation. “We were able to find several of the Yrraxean ships out on the open water. By the time we were able to locate them through a magical means, however, they had already sailed beyond the coastal waters of Tongra.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus frowned. “South, no doubt?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded. “Of course. Even sailing to Fenneress they would choose to head south first.”</p><p></p><p>Charis turned to Semeion and whispered to him. She didn’t want to interrupt the flow of the conversation. “Why is south the obvious direction of sailing? Aren’t the winds predominantly from the west?”</p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded, but it was Master Searthu who answered the question with a smile. “Heading west would give them the fastest escape from Tongra, of course. The winds would carry them away quite fast. However, sailing west from Tongra leads them directly into the coastal waters of Barghost. If they thought Tongra gave them a poor welcome then they’d be surely disappointed by the official reaction in Barghost. The worship of Yrraxea would bring a fierce and swift reaction. They wouldn’t want to risk being caught in the territory of Barghost. And they would know that Barghost would willingly respond to a summons for help by King Rupert.”</p><p></p><p>Charis nodded. “And, heading south takes them around Quehalost. There aren’t any ports along the mountainous shoreline, but there won’t likely be pursuit coming ahead of them, either.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded. “Well, not unless we can work something out with the nation of Fenneress, anyway. But they’ll be safe for a while and they’ll know that.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned back to Brandt. “The king’s ships cannot catch them?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt shook his head. “It is unlikely. If we would have been able to locate them quickly they might have had a chance. But it took too long. Once we were able to find them we noticed that they had paid well for their passage. The ships that they bought passage upon were fast. The only hope we would have is if a storm would come and force them to anchor. And any storm coming along would hamper our efforts as well.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema agreed with Brandt’s sentiment. “Yeah. The only other thing that we could hope for is a dead calm. But again, that would be just as bad for the pursuit as for the Yrraxeans.”</p><p></p><p>Master Searthu nodded and continued the discussion. “Exactly. There was no simple way to catch them. Plus, when you consider that a few of them on board must wield some pretty strong magic it might not even be safe to send the king’s men after them. Who knows what power Yrraxea may give to them to enable them to escape?”</p><p></p><p>Semeion question the logic regarding magical offense. “You’re not trying to tell me that the king doesn’t have the kind of resources to counter any magic that could come out of Quehalost, surely? I mean, we’ve been able to best the Yrraxeans, even Ankh Bahl.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt agreed with the premise, but had problems with the implication of Semeion’s conclusion. “Well, I think it would have been a different story had the Yrraxeans tried to flee by way of the land. But magic over the water becomes completely more unreliable. The boat is capable of being attacked and horrible creatures can be summoned from the depths of the sea. But what is truly worse is that is that the defense of the boat would have to be the primary focus of the king’s magicians. For if in the midst of an offensive flurry they let go of their defense, then they are suddenly sunk without the hope of friendly land to which they can try and make it. Sure, the magicians could save themselves, but in a battle over water they have to be concerned with the crew as well. Magical battles over the water are quite deadly. On land, the removal of the possibility of sinking really does simplify things quite a bit.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded, accepting the answer. He didn’t really agree with it, but he also had very little experience on the water. “So, at this point we are just handing things over to the government of Fenneress?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt shrugged and nodded. “What else can we do? We can’t catch them, and when they do make land they’ll be in a different country. The people of Fenneress are like the people of Tongra. There’ll not be many there that give them quarter. But, they must have some means arranged because they left here with intent to make it to Fenneress and go into Quehalost from there.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema looked puzzled. “The one thing about all of this that I don’t quite get is why they simply didn’t teleport to Quehalost directly. I mean, if many of the powerful agents of Yrraxea were from Quehalost to begin with, they shouldn’t have too much difficulty returning, right?”</p><p></p><p>Master Searthu responded. “Certainly. The magic should have been reliable. The only real question is whether or not the leaders would be powerful enough to move all of the people that needed to be moved. This plan has been in the works for a long time, apparently. They may have made a number of converts. If this is true, the leaders might have teleported and the followers may be on the boats.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion returned to the question of magic. “If that’s the case, then the ships might not be hard to capture with magical means.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt replied to Semeion’s assertion. “True. But we don’t know that is the case. If they have access to teleportation the leaders might not be on the boats. But for all we know Pahk and the wizard in Eberdeen may have been their only access to teleportation magic. With them removed, their ability to teleport might have been crippled. After all, you did have to board the ship that the Yrraxeans sent to influence Fingerdale had used. They didn’t use teleportation magic to get here, apparently. We just don’t know.”</p><p></p><p>Master Searthu continued Brandt’s point for him. “In either case, the simple solution is to just be patient and hand the matter over to the authorities of Fenneress. They can bring the ships into custody as they approach the land. It is the solution that puts the fewest people at risk and has the highest chance of success. That is why the king opted to allow the problem to transfer under the authority of the Alliance of Fenneress. We’ll offer to assist, of course.”</p><p></p><p>Charis looked into the fire. “So that’s it, then? We just sit back and watch evil sail into the sunset? We have to be pleased with what we’ve accomplished but forced to accept that they got away?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded. “Not quite. Even if we’d have managed to catch them off guard and trap them here in Tongra, the evil of Yrraxea would still exist in Quehalost. Ankh Bahl would still be looking for a way to return and avenge her banishment. The only real and true victory is to eradicate Yrraxea’s influence on the world.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus and Brandt shared a hearty laugh. Ischarus drew Brandt’s assertion to the illogical conclusion that Brandt’s words led them to understand. “Yeah. Eradicate the influence of avarice on the world? There is nothing like trying to separate the people in this land from their greed and desire for personal gain.”</p><p></p><p>Master Searthu shrugged and joined the answer in his own words. “That’s pretty much it. So long as avarice is a goal of some, Yrraxea will always have a foothold in the land – even the civilized lands of Tongra and Fenneress. Granted, her foothold will always be strongest in Quehalost where there are no laws or ethical standards which govern her influence.”</p><p></p><p>Charis frowned. “Well, if that isn’t enough to deflate the celebratory end of a hard struggle, then I don’t know what is. We’ve won, but only temporarily. The land is safe, for now.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema leaned over and put her hand on the back of Charis’ hand. “That’s all it ever is, isn’t it? We do what we can, but we’re only mortal. We can’t change the fundamental shape of the world and the powers at work in it. We can only choose which side with which we want to fight and how hard we want to fight with that particular side. We can affect the here and now. If we’re lucky, we can make an impression that lasts into the future. But the likelihood of causing Yrraxea to lose complete influence over the land is unlikely. People will continue to seek after their own personal gain – many of them at the expense of others. For now, we work with what we can and do what we can. We influence what we can, and be thankful for the changes and safety that we can provide.”</p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3783730, member: 35788"] The conversation continued for some time, and eventually a fire was built to keep away much of the evening chill. Brandt and Master Searthu showed considerable patience as the evening passed on. They were waiting for a proper time to address the party regarding the news of the Yrraxeans. A few hours after the meal, many of the servants excused themselves and headed to their quarters to rest. They were grateful for the relaxing day and evening, but they also knew that their day of rest would need to be made up for the next day. Many offered words of appreciation to Iasho before leaving the festivities and turning in for the night. When most of the people had departed, Brandt leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. [Color=Lime]“Now, I believe that there was the question of the Yrraxeans?”[/Color] He smiled, knowing that he was finally giving the party what they wanted. Each of the party members smiled and leaned forward, showing obvious interest in the change of direction for the conversation. Brandt continued explaining the situation. [Color=Lime]“We were able to find several of the Yrraxean ships out on the open water. By the time we were able to locate them through a magical means, however, they had already sailed beyond the coastal waters of Tongra.”[/Color] Ischarus frowned. [Color=LightBlue]“South, no doubt?”[/Color] Brandt nodded. [Color=Lime]“Of course. Even sailing to Fenneress they would choose to head south first.”[/Color] Charis turned to Semeion and whispered to him. She didn’t want to interrupt the flow of the conversation. [Color=Orange]“Why is south the obvious direction of sailing? Aren’t the winds predominantly from the west?”[/Color] Semeion nodded, but it was Master Searthu who answered the question with a smile. [Color=Lime]“Heading west would give them the fastest escape from Tongra, of course. The winds would carry them away quite fast. However, sailing west from Tongra leads them directly into the coastal waters of Barghost. If they thought Tongra gave them a poor welcome then they’d be surely disappointed by the official reaction in Barghost. The worship of Yrraxea would bring a fierce and swift reaction. They wouldn’t want to risk being caught in the territory of Barghost. And they would know that Barghost would willingly respond to a summons for help by King Rupert.”[/Color] Charis nodded. [Color=Orange]“And, heading south takes them around Quehalost. There aren’t any ports along the mountainous shoreline, but there won’t likely be pursuit coming ahead of them, either.”[/Color] Brandt nodded. [Color=Lime]“Well, not unless we can work something out with the nation of Fenneress, anyway. But they’ll be safe for a while and they’ll know that.”[/Color] Ischarus turned back to Brandt. [Color=LightBlue]“The king’s ships cannot catch them?”[/Color] Brandt shook his head. [Color=Lime]“It is unlikely. If we would have been able to locate them quickly they might have had a chance. But it took too long. Once we were able to find them we noticed that they had paid well for their passage. The ships that they bought passage upon were fast. The only hope we would have is if a storm would come and force them to anchor. And any storm coming along would hamper our efforts as well.”[/Color] Rhema agreed with Brandt’s sentiment. [Color=PaleGreen]“Yeah. The only other thing that we could hope for is a dead calm. But again, that would be just as bad for the pursuit as for the Yrraxeans.”[/Color] Master Searthu nodded and continued the discussion. [Color=Lime]“Exactly. There was no simple way to catch them. Plus, when you consider that a few of them on board must wield some pretty strong magic it might not even be safe to send the king’s men after them. Who knows what power Yrraxea may give to them to enable them to escape?”[/Color] Semeion question the logic regarding magical offense. [Color=Plum]“You’re not trying to tell me that the king doesn’t have the kind of resources to counter any magic that could come out of Quehalost, surely? I mean, we’ve been able to best the Yrraxeans, even Ankh Bahl.”[/Color] Brandt agreed with the premise, but had problems with the implication of Semeion’s conclusion. [Color=Lime]“Well, I think it would have been a different story had the Yrraxeans tried to flee by way of the land. But magic over the water becomes completely more unreliable. The boat is capable of being attacked and horrible creatures can be summoned from the depths of the sea. But what is truly worse is that is that the defense of the boat would have to be the primary focus of the king’s magicians. For if in the midst of an offensive flurry they let go of their defense, then they are suddenly sunk without the hope of friendly land to which they can try and make it. Sure, the magicians could save themselves, but in a battle over water they have to be concerned with the crew as well. Magical battles over the water are quite deadly. On land, the removal of the possibility of sinking really does simplify things quite a bit.”[/Color] Semeion nodded, accepting the answer. He didn’t really agree with it, but he also had very little experience on the water. [Color=Plum]“So, at this point we are just handing things over to the government of Fenneress?”[/Color] Brandt shrugged and nodded. [Color=Lime]“What else can we do? We can’t catch them, and when they do make land they’ll be in a different country. The people of Fenneress are like the people of Tongra. There’ll not be many there that give them quarter. But, they must have some means arranged because they left here with intent to make it to Fenneress and go into Quehalost from there.”[/Color] Rhema looked puzzled. [Color=PaleGreen]“The one thing about all of this that I don’t quite get is why they simply didn’t teleport to Quehalost directly. I mean, if many of the powerful agents of Yrraxea were from Quehalost to begin with, they shouldn’t have too much difficulty returning, right?”[/Color] Master Searthu responded. [Color=Lime]“Certainly. The magic should have been reliable. The only real question is whether or not the leaders would be powerful enough to move all of the people that needed to be moved. This plan has been in the works for a long time, apparently. They may have made a number of converts. If this is true, the leaders might have teleported and the followers may be on the boats.”[/Color] Semeion returned to the question of magic. [Color=Plum]“If that’s the case, then the ships might not be hard to capture with magical means.”[/Color] Brandt replied to Semeion’s assertion. [Color=Lime]“True. But we don’t know that is the case. If they have access to teleportation the leaders might not be on the boats. But for all we know Pahk and the wizard in Eberdeen may have been their only access to teleportation magic. With them removed, their ability to teleport might have been crippled. After all, you did have to board the ship that the Yrraxeans sent to influence Fingerdale had used. They didn’t use teleportation magic to get here, apparently. We just don’t know.”[/Color] Master Searthu continued Brandt’s point for him. [Color=Lime]“In either case, the simple solution is to just be patient and hand the matter over to the authorities of Fenneress. They can bring the ships into custody as they approach the land. It is the solution that puts the fewest people at risk and has the highest chance of success. That is why the king opted to allow the problem to transfer under the authority of the Alliance of Fenneress. We’ll offer to assist, of course.”[/Color] Charis looked into the fire. [Color=Orange]“So that’s it, then? We just sit back and watch evil sail into the sunset? We have to be pleased with what we’ve accomplished but forced to accept that they got away?”[/Color] Brandt nodded. [Color=Lime]“Not quite. Even if we’d have managed to catch them off guard and trap them here in Tongra, the evil of Yrraxea would still exist in Quehalost. Ankh Bahl would still be looking for a way to return and avenge her banishment. The only real and true victory is to eradicate Yrraxea’s influence on the world.”[/Color] Ischarus and Brandt shared a hearty laugh. Ischarus drew Brandt’s assertion to the illogical conclusion that Brandt’s words led them to understand. [Color=LightBlue]“Yeah. Eradicate the influence of avarice on the world? There is nothing like trying to separate the people in this land from their greed and desire for personal gain.”[/Color] Master Searthu shrugged and joined the answer in his own words. [Color=Lime]“That’s pretty much it. So long as avarice is a goal of some, Yrraxea will always have a foothold in the land – even the civilized lands of Tongra and Fenneress. Granted, her foothold will always be strongest in Quehalost where there are no laws or ethical standards which govern her influence.”[/Color] Charis frowned. [Color=Orange]“Well, if that isn’t enough to deflate the celebratory end of a hard struggle, then I don’t know what is. We’ve won, but only temporarily. The land is safe, for now.”[/Color] Rhema leaned over and put her hand on the back of Charis’ hand. [Color=PaleGreen]“That’s all it ever is, isn’t it? We do what we can, but we’re only mortal. We can’t change the fundamental shape of the world and the powers at work in it. We can only choose which side with which we want to fight and how hard we want to fight with that particular side. We can affect the here and now. If we’re lucky, we can make an impression that lasts into the future. But the likelihood of causing Yrraxea to lose complete influence over the land is unlikely. People will continue to seek after their own personal gain – many of them at the expense of others. For now, we work with what we can and do what we can. We influence what we can, and be thankful for the changes and safety that we can provide.”[/Color] [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] The conversation continued for some time, and eventually a fire was built to keep away much of the evening chill. Brandt and Master Searthu showed considerable patience as the evening passed on. They were waiting for a proper time to address the party regarding the news of the Yrraxeans. A few hours after the meal, many of the servants excused themselves and headed to their quarters to rest. They were grateful for the relaxing day and evening, but they also knew that their day of rest would need to be made up for the next day. Many offered words of appreciation to Iasho before leaving the festivities and turning in for the night. When most of the people had departed, Brandt leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. “Now, I believe that there was the question of the Yrraxeans?” He smiled, knowing that he was finally giving the party what they wanted. Each of the party members smiled and leaned forward, showing obvious interest in the change of direction for the conversation. Brandt continued explaining the situation. “We were able to find several of the Yrraxean ships out on the open water. By the time we were able to locate them through a magical means, however, they had already sailed beyond the coastal waters of Tongra.” Ischarus frowned. “South, no doubt?” Brandt nodded. “Of course. Even sailing to Fenneress they would choose to head south first.” Charis turned to Semeion and whispered to him. She didn’t want to interrupt the flow of the conversation. “Why is south the obvious direction of sailing? Aren’t the winds predominantly from the west?” Semeion nodded, but it was Master Searthu who answered the question with a smile. “Heading west would give them the fastest escape from Tongra, of course. The winds would carry them away quite fast. However, sailing west from Tongra leads them directly into the coastal waters of Barghost. If they thought Tongra gave them a poor welcome then they’d be surely disappointed by the official reaction in Barghost. The worship of Yrraxea would bring a fierce and swift reaction. They wouldn’t want to risk being caught in the territory of Barghost. And they would know that Barghost would willingly respond to a summons for help by King Rupert.” Charis nodded. “And, heading south takes them around Quehalost. There aren’t any ports along the mountainous shoreline, but there won’t likely be pursuit coming ahead of them, either.” Brandt nodded. “Well, not unless we can work something out with the nation of Fenneress, anyway. But they’ll be safe for a while and they’ll know that.” Ischarus turned back to Brandt. “The king’s ships cannot catch them?” Brandt shook his head. “It is unlikely. If we would have been able to locate them quickly they might have had a chance. But it took too long. Once we were able to find them we noticed that they had paid well for their passage. The ships that they bought passage upon were fast. The only hope we would have is if a storm would come and force them to anchor. And any storm coming along would hamper our efforts as well.” Rhema agreed with Brandt’s sentiment. “Yeah. The only other thing that we could hope for is a dead calm. But again, that would be just as bad for the pursuit as for the Yrraxeans.” Master Searthu nodded and continued the discussion. “Exactly. There was no simple way to catch them. Plus, when you consider that a few of them on board must wield some pretty strong magic it might not even be safe to send the king’s men after them. Who knows what power Yrraxea may give to them to enable them to escape?” Semeion question the logic regarding magical offense. “You’re not trying to tell me that the king doesn’t have the kind of resources to counter any magic that could come out of Quehalost, surely? I mean, we’ve been able to best the Yrraxeans, even Ankh Bahl.” Brandt agreed with the premise, but had problems with the implication of Semeion’s conclusion. “Well, I think it would have been a different story had the Yrraxeans tried to flee by way of the land. But magic over the water becomes completely more unreliable. The boat is capable of being attacked and horrible creatures can be summoned from the depths of the sea. But what is truly worse is that is that the defense of the boat would have to be the primary focus of the king’s magicians. For if in the midst of an offensive flurry they let go of their defense, then they are suddenly sunk without the hope of friendly land to which they can try and make it. Sure, the magicians could save themselves, but in a battle over water they have to be concerned with the crew as well. Magical battles over the water are quite deadly. On land, the removal of the possibility of sinking really does simplify things quite a bit.” Semeion nodded, accepting the answer. He didn’t really agree with it, but he also had very little experience on the water. “So, at this point we are just handing things over to the government of Fenneress?” Brandt shrugged and nodded. “What else can we do? We can’t catch them, and when they do make land they’ll be in a different country. The people of Fenneress are like the people of Tongra. There’ll not be many there that give them quarter. But, they must have some means arranged because they left here with intent to make it to Fenneress and go into Quehalost from there.” Rhema looked puzzled. “The one thing about all of this that I don’t quite get is why they simply didn’t teleport to Quehalost directly. I mean, if many of the powerful agents of Yrraxea were from Quehalost to begin with, they shouldn’t have too much difficulty returning, right?” Master Searthu responded. “Certainly. The magic should have been reliable. The only real question is whether or not the leaders would be powerful enough to move all of the people that needed to be moved. This plan has been in the works for a long time, apparently. They may have made a number of converts. If this is true, the leaders might have teleported and the followers may be on the boats.” Semeion returned to the question of magic. “If that’s the case, then the ships might not be hard to capture with magical means.” Brandt replied to Semeion’s assertion. “True. But we don’t know that is the case. If they have access to teleportation the leaders might not be on the boats. But for all we know Pahk and the wizard in Eberdeen may have been their only access to teleportation magic. With them removed, their ability to teleport might have been crippled. After all, you did have to board the ship that the Yrraxeans sent to influence Fingerdale had used. They didn’t use teleportation magic to get here, apparently. We just don’t know.” Master Searthu continued Brandt’s point for him. “In either case, the simple solution is to just be patient and hand the matter over to the authorities of Fenneress. They can bring the ships into custody as they approach the land. It is the solution that puts the fewest people at risk and has the highest chance of success. That is why the king opted to allow the problem to transfer under the authority of the Alliance of Fenneress. We’ll offer to assist, of course.” Charis looked into the fire. “So that’s it, then? We just sit back and watch evil sail into the sunset? We have to be pleased with what we’ve accomplished but forced to accept that they got away?” Brandt nodded. “Not quite. Even if we’d have managed to catch them off guard and trap them here in Tongra, the evil of Yrraxea would still exist in Quehalost. Ankh Bahl would still be looking for a way to return and avenge her banishment. The only real and true victory is to eradicate Yrraxea’s influence on the world.” Ischarus and Brandt shared a hearty laugh. Ischarus drew Brandt’s assertion to the illogical conclusion that Brandt’s words led them to understand. “Yeah. Eradicate the influence of avarice on the world? There is nothing like trying to separate the people in this land from their greed and desire for personal gain.” Master Searthu shrugged and joined the answer in his own words. “That’s pretty much it. So long as avarice is a goal of some, Yrraxea will always have a foothold in the land – even the civilized lands of Tongra and Fenneress. Granted, her foothold will always be strongest in Quehalost where there are no laws or ethical standards which govern her influence.” Charis frowned. “Well, if that isn’t enough to deflate the celebratory end of a hard struggle, then I don’t know what is. We’ve won, but only temporarily. The land is safe, for now.” Rhema leaned over and put her hand on the back of Charis’ hand. “That’s all it ever is, isn’t it? We do what we can, but we’re only mortal. We can’t change the fundamental shape of the world and the powers at work in it. We can only choose which side with which we want to fight and how hard we want to fight with that particular side. We can affect the here and now. If we’re lucky, we can make an impression that lasts into the future. But the likelihood of causing Yrraxea to lose complete influence over the land is unlikely. People will continue to seek after their own personal gain – many of them at the expense of others. For now, we work with what we can and do what we can. We influence what we can, and be thankful for the changes and safety that we can provide.” [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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