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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 4042238" data-attributes="member: 3448">For the dialogue that follows, I have transcribed it as if the report from Twang and Spring was verbatim.  I rather doubt that it was, but I do not see any better way to record all of the information they provided me as accurately as possible.Twang approached the seneschal and saluted.  “Big news!  Food!”“Cows!” interjected Spring.“Large cows.  Cows.  Many cows.  North.  At Shadowline.”  At that point, Twang lapsed into the kobold language.  Spring translated and explained that there were many beautiful cows just north of the Shadowline.  They bought two from not particularly discriminating merchants and brought them back, intending them as a gift for Ripgut, but they were eaten by the Marchioness when she met them on the way back to the Dragonhold.The undead nodded thoughtfully.  He was skeletal, but dressed in a robe and clearly intelligent. “You were lucky to escape with your lives, loyal servants.  The Marchioness marches to her own drum and that of the Count of Caldefor.  Anything is possible with the Marchioness.  She is an angry and powerful woman.  You have done well.  What are your names?”Twang gave his actual name, while Spring identified himself as “Dack.”“I shall mention the word to my master, Lord Dracol.  How many did you lose raiding?”“Ten,” said Twang.“We were the lucky ones.”Twang pointed at Spring and muttered, “Coward.”The seneschal’s skull looked back and forth between them-- without any skin on the skull, they could not read its expression.  “You will be rewarded.  The next captives that are brought back, you may choose one.”  It passed its hand over a sheet of copper.  Two words appeared on it; they were clearly in Shadow, and neither Spring nor Twang recognized them.  They each tried to memorize the strange characters-- Spring failed at both, but Twang was able to memorize his own name.“What should we do about the unruly forces of the Marchioness?” asked Spring.“The forces of the Marchioness will not respond to us.  If my lord chooses to do something about it, it will have to be something involving force.  However, word has reached us that our cousin in Dragonhold Blackgleam has been eradicated by an ancient and dying wyrm.  It will be months before another of the horde of the blessed Gnnnst can move forward to reestablish the hold, and the methods are such that it will be two or three years before the hold is fully reestablished.  And so our great lord has ordered us to maintain our forces and resist using force as is natural to bolster support.”  The undead paused.  “Your lord and master prefers to keep a certain involvement in the procurement of food.  He may wish to visit this market himself.”Spring tried another tack.  “Should his greatness be concerned about the Champion’s sparring?  I don’t know if you should call it sparring-- it was a one-sided fight.  Outside with some of the guard.”“One of the Marchioness’s people sparred with a guard?”“The Chaos Champion, with the lion things.”“Ah, you speak of the Chaos Champion Liliana, accompanied with her lamia.  She is our own, and within the Master’s favor.  She takes liberties, but she has received many blessings from the Council.  Best to avoid her when she is in a playful mood.  She has left for some days.  She was sent on a mission.“She is going to reconnoiter.  There are rumors that a large quantity of clingfire was used on Blackgleam.  That may imply that the Light is moving.  Liliana was once of the light, and when she turned to the Shadow, the Council blessed her greatly.  The lamias will be sent in as decoys, and then she will pass the Shadowline and blend in.  We will know if an army is being massed for an attack.  Liliana and one or two of her chosen will conceal themselves in the countryside and begin to investigate.”Spring smiled eagerly.  “I hope they do attack.  Our master will be ready.”“I like the way you think.  It is unfortunate that you are stuck in such a lowly form.  If you continue to do such wonderful work, perhaps Lord Drakhl will summon one of his allies from the Abyss and elevate you to a higher state.”  With that, the skeletal undead turned and headed off to report.  It approached a wall at the back of the table.  The wall shimmered-- almost a grayish white-- and then it passed through.</blockquote>

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