NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 4079349" data-attributes="member: 3448">Most of the way through the night-- four in the morning or so, by my estimation-- we woke to the thunder of wings as a huge form flew to the North.  We quickly recovered the stones to be ready if Lord Varlin came to us.  Shortly later, a figure, trying to be stealthy but failing, approached.  Spring and Twang greeted him, while Sideh and I lurked farther back.He had donned beautiful armor that allows his wings to be free.  “Ah, Dack and Twang.  My father has departed, going after some bounty of cows.”“Cows?  Them’s good eating,” replied Spring.“Normally, he raids the line, and then spends days near the line.  That was how he captured my mother.”  Lord Varlin paused as if in thought.  “I don’t remember her much.  After I finished nursing, my father consumed her.”Sideh and I stepped forward and introduced ourselves, although of course we did not reveal our true allegiance.Lord Varlin responded, “I do not recognize your subgrouping, but it is an honor to meet you.  If you are companions of these men, then you are welcome.  But we should leave the camp while it is still dark.”I bowed and said, “With your permission, Lord Varlin, there is another that should join us.”  With that, I summoned Alveera back to my side.Lord Varlin discussed his father’s fondness for succubi, which is what he incorrectly assumed Alveera to be.  From his tone and his uneasy manner, it was clear that he distrusted succubi and would carefully avoid proximity to Alveera-- an unfortunate pattern that would make my efforts more difficult.Several of us noted that the armor he wore was the best quality we had seen in Shadow.  I compliment him on it.He seemed pleased by the praise and stated that he had wrought it himself and had an odd knack for crafting things.That raised several interesting possibilities-- perhaps he was not of Glor’diadelian descent after all.  At least three of the celestial pantheons have orders that create things.  The celestials of Dain the Forger are the most obvious possibility, but the celestials of Eru include a subgroup that work in precious metals and high glass; those celestials are among the greatest crafters anywhere.  And it did not rule out Glor’diadelian descent, as there is also an order of his celestials who are dedicated crafters.  Descent from a celestial of Eru seemed most likely, as he had some elven features-- thin, pointed ears, no beard, and fine skin-- but then, that could all be dragon influence.Before we departed, Alveera also silently reported the results of her scouting.  The roster consisted of six regiments of black eums commanded by a number of more powerful eums.  Each regiment contained one hundred eums.  There were also 400 skeletal undead and 50 incorporeal undead in the general garrison.  The garrison numbers did not count the immediate court -- Lord Ripgut, the black dragon wyrm; Lord Drakhl, his dracolich seneschal; and their personal households.  In addition to the military forces, the Dragonhold held about 500 slaves-- mostly goblyns and eums of other colors.As we traveled, Sideh began his efforts on behalf of Glor’diadel.  He approached Lord Varlin and said, “I hear that you speak a foreign language of the Light?”“It has always been with me,” replied the half-celestial.“I have writings that I took from the land of Tarkenia.  Perhaps you could read them?”Lord Varlin read through the writings, which were psalms, prayers, and other Glor’diadelian scriptures.  “It glorifies their god,” he said.  Then, after a pause, he continued somewhat disingenuously, “I will study it at more length when I can.  Perhaps there is something of value.”I also spoke with Lord Varlin.  He warned me against associating with a succubus, believing that she would arrange my ruin and carry me off to the Abyss.  If she were a succubus, he would likely be right, but as she is an erinyes I knew that I could rely on my control over her.  Still, I could not admit that to him, so I simply stressed my control over her.  He was incredulous, but then, he does not understand the power Lord Paranswarm gives over his fiendish servants, or the discipline and order that prevails among devils.  [Interestingly, Alveera went from being amused by the conversation to being worried over the course of it.  She believed that Konrad did not control her and that Lord Varlin’s predictions were true, but the longer and more confidently Konrad asserted his dominion, the more she worried that perhaps he was right because of her oath to serve Paranswarm.  Konrad, of course was oblivious to all of this.]</blockquote>

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