Aphonion Tales (New posts 6/13, 6/15, 6/19)
- Thread starter Cerebral Paladin
- Start date
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
Thanks, Fulcan! Glad you're enjoying it.
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“Will the wards stop it? Or would moving her to one of the lead-lined rooms?”
“No, simple barriers would not suffice. There are specific protections that can be raised, and I have put them in place. But this is a powerful link for the child’s father.” He concentrated further. “She is completely unaware of the pregnancy, or the power it gives him over her. All that she knows is that she was raped by her ‘cousin,’ although it was clearly a demonic power, not a human, that sired the child.”
“That fits the Brightspans,” Kit muttered darkly. “What does she know about her cousin?”
“She believes that he has some hold over his father, the Duke of Brightspan. She also knows that he has gathered a large force to the west, heading south… And the image she has of her cousin… most unusual. I have almost never seen an overlay like that before…”
“Could you show me?”
“Yes, I’ll project it into your mind. Be ready. There are many memories and emotions tied up in it.” The Farsensor and Kit locked eyes for a moment.
Kit shuddered. Seeing Alistair and Brionna’s worried looks, she stammered, “I’ll be alright. Don’t touch me! I just need some time…”
The Farsensor continued, apparently unperturbed. “Notice that when she pictures him, an image is overlaid on the image. A human image, and an almost human image underlying it that seems almost feline. But not a hell feline, or a normal feline…”
“Rakshasa?”
“Perhaps…”
“Master Farsensor, what can you glean from her mind about the trip to Tarsh?” asked Kit. “We think that her attacker wished to cover up some matters about that trip.”
“Interesting… A bishop of Paranswarm had a great gift from the Noldar stolen from his holy symbol while they were in Tarsh. The thieves murdered the Bishop during the theft. It was something of a scandal.”
“At the same time as they replaced the Eldar amulet the Archduchess carried with a fake,” said Dame Brionna.
One of the Farsensor’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Ah. So that was why Amelia faded so fast in the last days. Without its sustaining power, there could be nothing to hold back the effects of age. I had wondered…”
Alistair grimaced. “Master Farsensor, we would appreciate it if you kept that information to yourself. We value that gift from your people highly and are doing everything we can to recover it. We would not wish the Forest to think that we did not show proper respect for its generosity.”
“I can hardly see how it would be treated as an insult. You have done nothing wrong and are seeking to recover the amulet. It is the thieves who have insulted us. Nonetheless, I can see how some would disagree. I will inform the ambassador and my queen; you need have no fear of their responses. Beyond that, it will remain a secret.”
“Thank you for your discretion.”
“But it is a great loss. The jewel in question was created by energizing psionic crystals by a firstcomer for the purpose of sustaining life and preventing decay. And with a Noldar crystal stolen at the same time… If it were the exact opposite of Amelia’s crystal-- that’s extraordinarily unlikely, of course…”
“And yet we have reason to believe that they are precise opposites,” said Alistair.
“Indeed? If they are and were fused together in the appropriate ritual, nearly anything would be possible. I do not wish to seem disrespectful, but there are those who say that only the two first gods truly live for all time. Among my people, extending life and achieving divine status does not have the allure that it does among yours and others. But with a pair of precisely opposite artifacts of the firstcomers, even a minor demon could be raised to a level of power comparable to a god. Not as powerful as your god, quite, but on the level of a demon lord or archdevil.”
“That matches the goals of the creature that we believe is responsible. Thank you for your aid, and we assure you that we will recover the crystals before they can be misused.”
“It would be well if you did.”
Seeing that he had answered their questions, the Farsensor began turning to leave. Alistair held up a hand. “One moment, Farsensor. Would you mind if I asked you a question about some of your fallen kin?”
“I would not, and if the question does not pry too deeply, I will answer if I can.”
“We have reasons to believe that one of Quinliart Mordiquendarim’s closest kinswomen has been involved in the kidnapping of children. Some of these kidnappings have been in the City of Enclaves, within Region 9. Do you have any sense of how Setilina might respond if she were informed of it?”
The Farsensor nodded. “She would be most unhappy. Setilina has always been cleaner than most of her brethren. Unauthorized slaving within her niece’s region would anger both her and her niece greatly.”
The Lieutenant of the guard poked his head inside. “Captain? Lady Constance insists that she be allowed in.”
Alistair replied, “Excellent, she’s here. Send her in.” Turning to the Farsensor, he continued, “Thank you for all your help.”
----
“Will the wards stop it? Or would moving her to one of the lead-lined rooms?”
“No, simple barriers would not suffice. There are specific protections that can be raised, and I have put them in place. But this is a powerful link for the child’s father.” He concentrated further. “She is completely unaware of the pregnancy, or the power it gives him over her. All that she knows is that she was raped by her ‘cousin,’ although it was clearly a demonic power, not a human, that sired the child.”
“That fits the Brightspans,” Kit muttered darkly. “What does she know about her cousin?”
“She believes that he has some hold over his father, the Duke of Brightspan. She also knows that he has gathered a large force to the west, heading south… And the image she has of her cousin… most unusual. I have almost never seen an overlay like that before…”
“Could you show me?”
“Yes, I’ll project it into your mind. Be ready. There are many memories and emotions tied up in it.” The Farsensor and Kit locked eyes for a moment.
Kit shuddered. Seeing Alistair and Brionna’s worried looks, she stammered, “I’ll be alright. Don’t touch me! I just need some time…”
The Farsensor continued, apparently unperturbed. “Notice that when she pictures him, an image is overlaid on the image. A human image, and an almost human image underlying it that seems almost feline. But not a hell feline, or a normal feline…”
“Rakshasa?”
“Perhaps…”
“Master Farsensor, what can you glean from her mind about the trip to Tarsh?” asked Kit. “We think that her attacker wished to cover up some matters about that trip.”
“Interesting… A bishop of Paranswarm had a great gift from the Noldar stolen from his holy symbol while they were in Tarsh. The thieves murdered the Bishop during the theft. It was something of a scandal.”
“At the same time as they replaced the Eldar amulet the Archduchess carried with a fake,” said Dame Brionna.
One of the Farsensor’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Ah. So that was why Amelia faded so fast in the last days. Without its sustaining power, there could be nothing to hold back the effects of age. I had wondered…”
Alistair grimaced. “Master Farsensor, we would appreciate it if you kept that information to yourself. We value that gift from your people highly and are doing everything we can to recover it. We would not wish the Forest to think that we did not show proper respect for its generosity.”
“I can hardly see how it would be treated as an insult. You have done nothing wrong and are seeking to recover the amulet. It is the thieves who have insulted us. Nonetheless, I can see how some would disagree. I will inform the ambassador and my queen; you need have no fear of their responses. Beyond that, it will remain a secret.”
“Thank you for your discretion.”
“But it is a great loss. The jewel in question was created by energizing psionic crystals by a firstcomer for the purpose of sustaining life and preventing decay. And with a Noldar crystal stolen at the same time… If it were the exact opposite of Amelia’s crystal-- that’s extraordinarily unlikely, of course…”
“And yet we have reason to believe that they are precise opposites,” said Alistair.
“Indeed? If they are and were fused together in the appropriate ritual, nearly anything would be possible. I do not wish to seem disrespectful, but there are those who say that only the two first gods truly live for all time. Among my people, extending life and achieving divine status does not have the allure that it does among yours and others. But with a pair of precisely opposite artifacts of the firstcomers, even a minor demon could be raised to a level of power comparable to a god. Not as powerful as your god, quite, but on the level of a demon lord or archdevil.”
“That matches the goals of the creature that we believe is responsible. Thank you for your aid, and we assure you that we will recover the crystals before they can be misused.”
“It would be well if you did.”
Seeing that he had answered their questions, the Farsensor began turning to leave. Alistair held up a hand. “One moment, Farsensor. Would you mind if I asked you a question about some of your fallen kin?”
“I would not, and if the question does not pry too deeply, I will answer if I can.”
“We have reasons to believe that one of Quinliart Mordiquendarim’s closest kinswomen has been involved in the kidnapping of children. Some of these kidnappings have been in the City of Enclaves, within Region 9. Do you have any sense of how Setilina might respond if she were informed of it?”
The Farsensor nodded. “She would be most unhappy. Setilina has always been cleaner than most of her brethren. Unauthorized slaving within her niece’s region would anger both her and her niece greatly.”
The Lieutenant of the guard poked his head inside. “Captain? Lady Constance insists that she be allowed in.”
Alistair replied, “Excellent, she’s here. Send her in.” Turning to the Farsensor, he continued, “Thank you for all your help.”
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
Lady Constance entered, “You sent for me, your grace?” She stared at the strange corpse on the ground. “Yes, I can see why you would have…”
“Do you know what it is?” asked Dame Brionna.
“It’s a rat-lord. It must be a creature of Clan Muldar and connected to the Horned Rat. This creature was bound by magics-- I can still see the residue.” She knelt for a moment, looking first at its claws and then lifting its head with her staff before letting it fall back to the ground with a dull thud. “But not a pure blood. It is a mix of rat-lord and vrock.”
“Vrock?” asked Kit.
“Vulture demon,” replied Alistair. “Very nasty.”
As they all examined the body, Kit nodded at the claws. “Eight or nine inches long; this could easily have been the creature that killed Bishop Williams.”
Lady Constance looked up sharply. “Bishop Williams is dead?”
“Assassinated. Probably killed before he could react.”
Lady Constance shook her head slightly. The bishop wasn’t a friend, exactly, but they had had a cordial relationship. And too many of her colleagues in Amelia’s inner circle were dead or would be within a few weeks. “Yes, this could easily have done that.” She slipped a heavy gold ring off its finger. “This should go to the Treasury, for use when it’s needed. A Ring of the Assassin.”
Kit looked up in intense interest. “A Ring of the Assassin? What does that do?”
“It allows one who is not trained as an assassin to learn how to kill instantly and reliably from stealth, as they do.”
Kit nodded. That could be a useful thing to have available to her or her people. She then asked, “Lady Constance? Can you receive mental images?”
“Of course. Why?”
“I wonder if you can tell us anything about the strange effect on this mental image.” Kit concentrated and sent the image of Lady Zenia’s cousin, with its cat-like underlay, across to the archmaga.
“How unusual… If it were not impossible, I would almost think that it was the Abomination of Shur. But the Abomination’s apotheosis failed, and it was destroyed in the aftermath.”
“We have reasons to believe, Lady Constance, that its destruction was not as complete as we would have hoped,” replied Alistair. “Other intelligence suggests that it still plots to complete its elevation.”
“Foul news, indeed. But even if some remnant of it survived, it should have been dispersed and crippled. It should have been more than a century before it could act again.”
“Could it have moved into a different form? Possessed the Brightspan son, for example?”
“Not against his will. If a ritual had been prepared, however, and he willingly allowed it to come in through a summoning at the moment of its discorporation… perhaps. It would have required great skill and preparation. But I could have accomplished something similar if it were a devil that had been discorporated.”
Dame Brionna’s distaste towards Lady Constance’s diabolism hardened. Out of all of the Archduchess’s close associates, why had she been the one to choose not to suicide? “Lady Zenia has been impregnated with its spawn. That’s how this demon was able to penetrate the wards.”
“Yes, I see… Very cleverly done. They have also magically slowed the pregnancy’s progression, allowing them to use the fetus’s magical effects for as long as possible.”
“Can you help her through this? Perhaps allow the child to escape the evil influence of its father?”
“I’ll do what I can,” replied Lady Constance. “I should be able to at least protect her from it. Whether the child can be saved… less clear.”
Alistair stroked his chin thoughtfully. “If there is a magical connection between the child and its father… would you be able to use that to launch an attack on its father?”
Lady Constance nodded. “I could. It would discomfit the father’s host… if the host were particularly weak, or had been weakened, the attack might kill. But under ordinary circumstances it would probably just incapacitate it briefly and sicken the host.”
“Good. We’ll save that as a possible attack if the Abomination attempts another ritual.”
“If I may take her to my lab? The sooner I have access to my full capabilities the better Lady Zenia’s chances will be.”
“Of course,” replied Alistair. “Take care of her. She has suffered greatly through no fault of her own and simply because she was a loyal servant of the Archduchy. I would not wish to see her harmed further for that.”
Lady Constance nodded gravely and summoned an invisible form that carried Lady Zenia off to the chambers of the coven.
“Do you know what it is?” asked Dame Brionna.
“It’s a rat-lord. It must be a creature of Clan Muldar and connected to the Horned Rat. This creature was bound by magics-- I can still see the residue.” She knelt for a moment, looking first at its claws and then lifting its head with her staff before letting it fall back to the ground with a dull thud. “But not a pure blood. It is a mix of rat-lord and vrock.”
“Vrock?” asked Kit.
“Vulture demon,” replied Alistair. “Very nasty.”
As they all examined the body, Kit nodded at the claws. “Eight or nine inches long; this could easily have been the creature that killed Bishop Williams.”
Lady Constance looked up sharply. “Bishop Williams is dead?”
“Assassinated. Probably killed before he could react.”
Lady Constance shook her head slightly. The bishop wasn’t a friend, exactly, but they had had a cordial relationship. And too many of her colleagues in Amelia’s inner circle were dead or would be within a few weeks. “Yes, this could easily have done that.” She slipped a heavy gold ring off its finger. “This should go to the Treasury, for use when it’s needed. A Ring of the Assassin.”
Kit looked up in intense interest. “A Ring of the Assassin? What does that do?”
“It allows one who is not trained as an assassin to learn how to kill instantly and reliably from stealth, as they do.”
Kit nodded. That could be a useful thing to have available to her or her people. She then asked, “Lady Constance? Can you receive mental images?”
“Of course. Why?”
“I wonder if you can tell us anything about the strange effect on this mental image.” Kit concentrated and sent the image of Lady Zenia’s cousin, with its cat-like underlay, across to the archmaga.
“How unusual… If it were not impossible, I would almost think that it was the Abomination of Shur. But the Abomination’s apotheosis failed, and it was destroyed in the aftermath.”
“We have reasons to believe, Lady Constance, that its destruction was not as complete as we would have hoped,” replied Alistair. “Other intelligence suggests that it still plots to complete its elevation.”
“Foul news, indeed. But even if some remnant of it survived, it should have been dispersed and crippled. It should have been more than a century before it could act again.”
“Could it have moved into a different form? Possessed the Brightspan son, for example?”
“Not against his will. If a ritual had been prepared, however, and he willingly allowed it to come in through a summoning at the moment of its discorporation… perhaps. It would have required great skill and preparation. But I could have accomplished something similar if it were a devil that had been discorporated.”
Dame Brionna’s distaste towards Lady Constance’s diabolism hardened. Out of all of the Archduchess’s close associates, why had she been the one to choose not to suicide? “Lady Zenia has been impregnated with its spawn. That’s how this demon was able to penetrate the wards.”
“Yes, I see… Very cleverly done. They have also magically slowed the pregnancy’s progression, allowing them to use the fetus’s magical effects for as long as possible.”
“Can you help her through this? Perhaps allow the child to escape the evil influence of its father?”
“I’ll do what I can,” replied Lady Constance. “I should be able to at least protect her from it. Whether the child can be saved… less clear.”
Alistair stroked his chin thoughtfully. “If there is a magical connection between the child and its father… would you be able to use that to launch an attack on its father?”
Lady Constance nodded. “I could. It would discomfit the father’s host… if the host were particularly weak, or had been weakened, the attack might kill. But under ordinary circumstances it would probably just incapacitate it briefly and sicken the host.”
“Good. We’ll save that as a possible attack if the Abomination attempts another ritual.”
“If I may take her to my lab? The sooner I have access to my full capabilities the better Lady Zenia’s chances will be.”
“Of course,” replied Alistair. “Take care of her. She has suffered greatly through no fault of her own and simply because she was a loyal servant of the Archduchy. I would not wish to see her harmed further for that.”
Lady Constance nodded gravely and summoned an invisible form that carried Lady Zenia off to the chambers of the coven.
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
“With that dealt with, perhaps we should turn back to the murder, your grace.”
“And the kidnapping…” added Kit. “I still want to see if we can rescue Sparkle.”
“Let’s bring in Father Brockenhausen Drumm, then. As the parish priest, he’ll likely know if Virginia Sutter had any non-human blood.”
The lieutenant led in a parish priest, clearly dazzled by his surroundings and baffled by the guards. After a moment, Father Brockenhausen Drumm realized who he had been brought to see and dropped into a bow so deep that it was almost a genuflection. “Your grace…”
“Rise, Father. We want to ask you a few questions about the attack at the tavern in your parish.”
The priest shuddered. “Massacre, more like, your grace. But I should have known you would be seeking to punish those who did it.”
“Indeed. We wanted to know… did Virginia Sutter have any elven or fey blood?”
Father Brockenhausen Drumm looked up in surprise. “Why, yes, your grace. She was half-sidhe.”
“So Master Potter’s children had strong fey blood.”
“Begging your pardon, Dame Knight, but only his daughter. Virginia was his second wife-- his first died shortly after the birth of his son. Virginia was a good stepmother for the son, mind you, but Sparkle was her blood-daughter. I did wonder a bit about her… does a part fey child have a proper soul? But I’m just a parish priest, not a bishop or theologian, so I baptized her all the same. I’m sure Glor’diadel still watches over her, regardless… I never really felt the need to make an issue of it.”
“I’m sure that Glor’diadel does watch over her,” Alistair replied. He then leaned over towards Dame Brionna. “Make a note to have the Archbishop of the Sun send a theologian to discuss this with the priest afterwards. Can’t have possible heresy within the capital.”
“Of course, your grace.” Dame Brionna smiled, pleased at what she took to be concern for orthodoxy, but was actually a simple sense of mischief on Alistair’s part. He was pretty sure that Father Brockenhausen Drumm would have a lively time of it but then be vindicated ultimately.
“Thank you, Father,” said Kit. “Please return to the room where you were waiting in case we have further questions.”
“Of course, your… uh… your ladyship.”
“Lieutenant Sister Constance next?” suggested Alistair.
“I think so, your grace,” said Dame Brionna. “Now that we know why the wife and daughter were taken, I want to confirm the other details of the slaughter and find out if there were any other survivors.”
Lieutenant Sister Constance of the Order of the Silvery Veil entered. She was a tall, sturdily built woman, wearing the severe habit of her order, including a silver veil that completely concealed her face. She also wore the badge of her rank in the Metropolitan Constabulary.
After the preliminaries, Dame Brionna focused on the key issues. “Sister Constance, did you see any signs that were survivors or people who escaped the massacre?”
“No, Dame Brionna. Based on the way the bodies were found, I consider it unlikely. I believe the attacker or attackers made deliberate efforts to cut off escape.”
“What of signs of kidnapping, that people had been taken out alive?” asked Kit.
“None except for the two missing persons. If we did not know that the mother and sister had been there, I would not have seen any signs of kidnapping at all.”
“Did the attacker kill the rest of the women that were present?” asked Alistair. “Were there women among the dead?”
“No, your grace, but it was a coming-of-age celebration. They follow the old ways; all men except for the immediate family. Very traditional, and the ratio I would have expected. If it had been the daughter’s celebration, her brother and father would have been the only men present.”
Alistair muttered, “If you ask me, a boy can’t really come of age without women present…”
Dame Brionna surprised everyone by chuckling a little. “Surely you only need one woman for that sort of coming of age, your grace.”
“No.”
Dame Brionna blushed and cleared her throat. “Getting back to the murder… Please examine this body. Would you say that its claws are consistent with the wounds you saw?”
Sister Constance examined the rat-lord vrock carefully. “It looks perfectly consistent with the killings. The right height and general musculature, consistent claws. It could easily have done the killings.”
“Were there any distinctive patterns to how the bodies fell?”
“Yes, Dame Brionna. The Bishop was probably killed first, although we did not immediately identify his body. A small cluster of people died right around him, probably trying to defend or avenge him. There was then a cluster of people by the door. Finally, there was a group of bodies in the family’s living quarters.”
“So… the creature assassinated the Bishop, killed anyone who got in its way, then rushed to the door to cut off escape and kill the witnesses, before doubling back to get the survivors who had fled into the living quarters?” hypothesized Kit.
“My analysis precisely. The group in the living quarters may have been defending Mistress Sutter and her daughter, but there was no unambiguous evidence of that..”
“And the kidnapping…” added Kit. “I still want to see if we can rescue Sparkle.”
“Let’s bring in Father Brockenhausen Drumm, then. As the parish priest, he’ll likely know if Virginia Sutter had any non-human blood.”
The lieutenant led in a parish priest, clearly dazzled by his surroundings and baffled by the guards. After a moment, Father Brockenhausen Drumm realized who he had been brought to see and dropped into a bow so deep that it was almost a genuflection. “Your grace…”
“Rise, Father. We want to ask you a few questions about the attack at the tavern in your parish.”
The priest shuddered. “Massacre, more like, your grace. But I should have known you would be seeking to punish those who did it.”
“Indeed. We wanted to know… did Virginia Sutter have any elven or fey blood?”
Father Brockenhausen Drumm looked up in surprise. “Why, yes, your grace. She was half-sidhe.”
“So Master Potter’s children had strong fey blood.”
“Begging your pardon, Dame Knight, but only his daughter. Virginia was his second wife-- his first died shortly after the birth of his son. Virginia was a good stepmother for the son, mind you, but Sparkle was her blood-daughter. I did wonder a bit about her… does a part fey child have a proper soul? But I’m just a parish priest, not a bishop or theologian, so I baptized her all the same. I’m sure Glor’diadel still watches over her, regardless… I never really felt the need to make an issue of it.”
“I’m sure that Glor’diadel does watch over her,” Alistair replied. He then leaned over towards Dame Brionna. “Make a note to have the Archbishop of the Sun send a theologian to discuss this with the priest afterwards. Can’t have possible heresy within the capital.”
“Of course, your grace.” Dame Brionna smiled, pleased at what she took to be concern for orthodoxy, but was actually a simple sense of mischief on Alistair’s part. He was pretty sure that Father Brockenhausen Drumm would have a lively time of it but then be vindicated ultimately.
“Thank you, Father,” said Kit. “Please return to the room where you were waiting in case we have further questions.”
“Of course, your… uh… your ladyship.”
“Lieutenant Sister Constance next?” suggested Alistair.
“I think so, your grace,” said Dame Brionna. “Now that we know why the wife and daughter were taken, I want to confirm the other details of the slaughter and find out if there were any other survivors.”
Lieutenant Sister Constance of the Order of the Silvery Veil entered. She was a tall, sturdily built woman, wearing the severe habit of her order, including a silver veil that completely concealed her face. She also wore the badge of her rank in the Metropolitan Constabulary.
After the preliminaries, Dame Brionna focused on the key issues. “Sister Constance, did you see any signs that were survivors or people who escaped the massacre?”
“No, Dame Brionna. Based on the way the bodies were found, I consider it unlikely. I believe the attacker or attackers made deliberate efforts to cut off escape.”
“What of signs of kidnapping, that people had been taken out alive?” asked Kit.
“None except for the two missing persons. If we did not know that the mother and sister had been there, I would not have seen any signs of kidnapping at all.”
“Did the attacker kill the rest of the women that were present?” asked Alistair. “Were there women among the dead?”
“No, your grace, but it was a coming-of-age celebration. They follow the old ways; all men except for the immediate family. Very traditional, and the ratio I would have expected. If it had been the daughter’s celebration, her brother and father would have been the only men present.”
Alistair muttered, “If you ask me, a boy can’t really come of age without women present…”
Dame Brionna surprised everyone by chuckling a little. “Surely you only need one woman for that sort of coming of age, your grace.”
“No.”
Dame Brionna blushed and cleared her throat. “Getting back to the murder… Please examine this body. Would you say that its claws are consistent with the wounds you saw?”
Sister Constance examined the rat-lord vrock carefully. “It looks perfectly consistent with the killings. The right height and general musculature, consistent claws. It could easily have done the killings.”
“Were there any distinctive patterns to how the bodies fell?”
“Yes, Dame Brionna. The Bishop was probably killed first, although we did not immediately identify his body. A small cluster of people died right around him, probably trying to defend or avenge him. There was then a cluster of people by the door. Finally, there was a group of bodies in the family’s living quarters.”
“So… the creature assassinated the Bishop, killed anyone who got in its way, then rushed to the door to cut off escape and kill the witnesses, before doubling back to get the survivors who had fled into the living quarters?” hypothesized Kit.
“My analysis precisely. The group in the living quarters may have been defending Mistress Sutter and her daughter, but there was no unambiguous evidence of that..”
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
Alistair thanked Sister Constance, and the coroner, the Reverend Canon Devon Hastinghunter, was sent in. His account matched Sister Constance’s, but with one addition. When he examined the claws, he went into his bag and withdrew some careful sketches on parchment. After a few moments, he looked up. “This was the murderer. I’m sure of it… the claws are a perfect match for the claw marks at the scene.”
“You measured them?”
“Absolutely, Dame Brionna. You have to be sure when dealing with monsters. Least, that’s what the church’s training says… I can’t say I’ve investigated any demon killings before.” He paused in thought. “Hmm. I suppose the killer could be a demon that has the precise same size and shape as this one. You can’t be as sure that wouldn’t happen with magical beings, although I would have thought that more likely among devils than demons. But look at the claw on the smallest finger… I had wondered how that was done.”
“How what was done, Reverend Canon?”
“The victims, or at least some of them, had their brains stirred. Something sharp and curved was inserted through their ear canals, and then moved about to stir the brain. Quite lethal, and it would be very subtle without the disembowelment. The long, narrow, and curved claw on the fifth digit of each of the demon’s hands was probably the murder implement.”
“Was there an obvious entry wound at the ear? What would it have looked like if only the brains were stirred?”
“No, the entry wound was quite small, your grace. If it had only made that attack… I should think it would have looked like a massive stroke.”
“But still sufficient to kill and prevent resurrection?”
“Oh, definitely. I hadn’t thought about the resurrection point, but with the brain destroyed it would be quite impossible.”
Dame Brionna nodded. All the pieces in the murder of Lady Brenda were falling into place. They thanked the coroner and sent him off. “Your grace… I’d like to bring in Lieutenant Zachary. We’re running out of leads with the Pottersflat murder, and we need to know whether he was just incompetent or actively compromised.”
“I agree. That means we need Aunt Cecilia to look him over.”
After Aunt Cecilia entered the room and the situation was explained, they sent for Lieutenant Zachary. Kit attuned her senses to detect thoughts just before he entered.
Lieutenant Zachary entered and saluted smartly, his uniform perfectly arrayed with every button and decoration gleaming. “Lieutenant Zachary, reporting as ordered, your grace.”
“Oh, he isn’t corrupt at all,” Princess Cecilia said nonchalantly. “He hasn’t more than six brain cells to rub together, but he’s as loyal as he can figure out how to be.”
“You measured them?”
“Absolutely, Dame Brionna. You have to be sure when dealing with monsters. Least, that’s what the church’s training says… I can’t say I’ve investigated any demon killings before.” He paused in thought. “Hmm. I suppose the killer could be a demon that has the precise same size and shape as this one. You can’t be as sure that wouldn’t happen with magical beings, although I would have thought that more likely among devils than demons. But look at the claw on the smallest finger… I had wondered how that was done.”
“How what was done, Reverend Canon?”
“The victims, or at least some of them, had their brains stirred. Something sharp and curved was inserted through their ear canals, and then moved about to stir the brain. Quite lethal, and it would be very subtle without the disembowelment. The long, narrow, and curved claw on the fifth digit of each of the demon’s hands was probably the murder implement.”
“Was there an obvious entry wound at the ear? What would it have looked like if only the brains were stirred?”
“No, the entry wound was quite small, your grace. If it had only made that attack… I should think it would have looked like a massive stroke.”
“But still sufficient to kill and prevent resurrection?”
“Oh, definitely. I hadn’t thought about the resurrection point, but with the brain destroyed it would be quite impossible.”
Dame Brionna nodded. All the pieces in the murder of Lady Brenda were falling into place. They thanked the coroner and sent him off. “Your grace… I’d like to bring in Lieutenant Zachary. We’re running out of leads with the Pottersflat murder, and we need to know whether he was just incompetent or actively compromised.”
“I agree. That means we need Aunt Cecilia to look him over.”
After Aunt Cecilia entered the room and the situation was explained, they sent for Lieutenant Zachary. Kit attuned her senses to detect thoughts just before he entered.
Lieutenant Zachary entered and saluted smartly, his uniform perfectly arrayed with every button and decoration gleaming. “Lieutenant Zachary, reporting as ordered, your grace.”
“Oh, he isn’t corrupt at all,” Princess Cecilia said nonchalantly. “He hasn’t more than six brain cells to rub together, but he’s as loyal as he can figure out how to be.”
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
Lieutenant Zachary did a remarkable job of maintaining his composure in the face of those statements. He didn’t entirely succeed, but came much closer than Alistair thought he could have managed under similar circumstances.
“Lieutenant Zachary,” began Dame Brionna, “we’d like to discuss the matter of the trip to Tarsh. I understand you picked the guards who accompanied her grace?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“What criteria did you use to pick them?”
“The most presentable ones, Captain. We were representing the Archduchy on a state visit; the Archduchess’s guards had to have impeccable grooming and bearing.”
Alistair winced at the not unexpected reply. “Where did you post your guards on the night Lady Brenda died?”
“I had two guards with Amelia, the Archduchess Amelia, one outside the door to our suite, and one patrolling the large ceremonial garden. I was one of the guards with the Archduchess, of course.” Kit was struck that his thoughts perfectly matched his statements. Often, that would be a sign of a well-trained mind, trying to avoid giving anything away. In his case, she thought it more likely that he simply was incapable of maintaining two separate thoughts at once.
“And did the guards notice anything unusual?”
“I can’t say truthfully that they noticed anything, your grace. One of the guards, the one in the ornamental garden, had some sort of night terror. He claimed to have seen a gorilla thing going into the apartment. But we searched the apartment and found no sign of a gorilla monster. So it must have simply been his weak nerves, in a country without the Light of Glor’diadel.”
With a withering tone of voice, Alistair continued, “Look at the demon corpse there. Do you think that might have been described as a gorilla like monster?”
“I suppose so, your grace…”
Dame Brionna frowned. “I’m sure you have noble blood… which family are you related to?”
“Yes, Captain. The Baron of Mossbark, Captain. I’m his cousin. I don’t know that he would remember me, Captain, but I am his cousin.”
“I think we could afford any ill-feelings from the Baron of Mossbark, your grace, and he can’t stay in the palace guard.”
“If there even were any. It sounds like his cousin will hardly notice.”
Dame Brionna nodded and focused her attention on Lieutenant Zachary. “You should begin packing your bags. Your reassignment orders will be ready shortly. I think we’ll station you in one of the mountain postings. The giants are always a threat, and we need brave soldiers to force them back.”
“Yes, Captain.” Lieutenant Zachary couldn’t quite keep the hurt and confusion from his face. He knew that he was being dismissed, and because of something in Tarsh, but he still didn’t really understand what.
“Dismissed.” After Lieutenant Zachary left, Dame Brionna blanched. “Wait… he called Her Grace the Archduchess ‘Amelia.’ Kit, were you able to read his thoughts?”
“What little there were.”
“When he thought of the Archduchess… there wasn’t anything unusual there? He is a handsome man, and I just thought…”
“No. Admiration, and the high degree of personal loyalty and familiarity that most of the Archduchess’s circle have. But nothing like that.” Kit glanced, almost involuntarily, at Alistair. “Trust me, I’d know.”
“Good. I suddenly had the fear that he had been a special friend of the Archduchess, and I would have felt terrible about sending him to likely get killed if he were.”
“Indeed. We would have had to have found him a safe posting outside the palace if he were,” said Alistair. “By the way, Dame Brionna, we need to weed out any other officers like that from the Archducal Guard. Times are too dangerous for guards who think their duties are ceremonial.”
“Yes, your grace. I was planning to handle that. But things have been so busy…”
“It wasn’t criticism. You’re doing a fine job. But it’s something to deal with for the future.” He paused. “But now we need to figure out how to trace the demon back to its allies. They must be near the capital still…”
“Lieutenant Zachary,” began Dame Brionna, “we’d like to discuss the matter of the trip to Tarsh. I understand you picked the guards who accompanied her grace?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“What criteria did you use to pick them?”
“The most presentable ones, Captain. We were representing the Archduchy on a state visit; the Archduchess’s guards had to have impeccable grooming and bearing.”
Alistair winced at the not unexpected reply. “Where did you post your guards on the night Lady Brenda died?”
“I had two guards with Amelia, the Archduchess Amelia, one outside the door to our suite, and one patrolling the large ceremonial garden. I was one of the guards with the Archduchess, of course.” Kit was struck that his thoughts perfectly matched his statements. Often, that would be a sign of a well-trained mind, trying to avoid giving anything away. In his case, she thought it more likely that he simply was incapable of maintaining two separate thoughts at once.
“And did the guards notice anything unusual?”
“I can’t say truthfully that they noticed anything, your grace. One of the guards, the one in the ornamental garden, had some sort of night terror. He claimed to have seen a gorilla thing going into the apartment. But we searched the apartment and found no sign of a gorilla monster. So it must have simply been his weak nerves, in a country without the Light of Glor’diadel.”
With a withering tone of voice, Alistair continued, “Look at the demon corpse there. Do you think that might have been described as a gorilla like monster?”
“I suppose so, your grace…”
Dame Brionna frowned. “I’m sure you have noble blood… which family are you related to?”
“Yes, Captain. The Baron of Mossbark, Captain. I’m his cousin. I don’t know that he would remember me, Captain, but I am his cousin.”
“I think we could afford any ill-feelings from the Baron of Mossbark, your grace, and he can’t stay in the palace guard.”
“If there even were any. It sounds like his cousin will hardly notice.”
Dame Brionna nodded and focused her attention on Lieutenant Zachary. “You should begin packing your bags. Your reassignment orders will be ready shortly. I think we’ll station you in one of the mountain postings. The giants are always a threat, and we need brave soldiers to force them back.”
“Yes, Captain.” Lieutenant Zachary couldn’t quite keep the hurt and confusion from his face. He knew that he was being dismissed, and because of something in Tarsh, but he still didn’t really understand what.
“Dismissed.” After Lieutenant Zachary left, Dame Brionna blanched. “Wait… he called Her Grace the Archduchess ‘Amelia.’ Kit, were you able to read his thoughts?”
“What little there were.”
“When he thought of the Archduchess… there wasn’t anything unusual there? He is a handsome man, and I just thought…”
“No. Admiration, and the high degree of personal loyalty and familiarity that most of the Archduchess’s circle have. But nothing like that.” Kit glanced, almost involuntarily, at Alistair. “Trust me, I’d know.”
“Good. I suddenly had the fear that he had been a special friend of the Archduchess, and I would have felt terrible about sending him to likely get killed if he were.”
“Indeed. We would have had to have found him a safe posting outside the palace if he were,” said Alistair. “By the way, Dame Brionna, we need to weed out any other officers like that from the Archducal Guard. Times are too dangerous for guards who think their duties are ceremonial.”
“Yes, your grace. I was planning to handle that. But things have been so busy…”
“It wasn’t criticism. You’re doing a fine job. But it’s something to deal with for the future.” He paused. “But now we need to figure out how to trace the demon back to its allies. They must be near the capital still…”
Orichalcum
First Post
It's worth noting that we later learned that Lt. Zachary is the highest ranking officer in the Guard who won't be commiting suicide in Amelia's honor shortly. In other words, without Brionna, he'd be the new Captain of the Guard. The mind boggles.
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
Dame Brionna turned to Kit. “Does the rat-lord look like the one who took Princess Anastasia?”
“It looks somewhat similar, but some of the features were different. I’m not sure that wasn’t just a rat-lord, without the demon part.”
Alistair blinked. “You don’t suppose that Anastasia was taken because of elven blood?”
Dame Brionna shrugged. “We need to consider the possibility. Do we know if the Hanalian royal family has any non-human ancestors?”
“I doubt it… Queen Thyastis’s emphasis on a human empire doesn’t make it likely. And if she did have any non-human ancestors, elves wouldn’t be my first guess. But there is the question of who her children’s father is. My understanding is that most people agree that it’s not the Prince-Consort, but no one knows who their father is.”
“So we have to keep worrying about the possibility, even though it was probably just politics,” Kit said. “But we still need to figure out where they took Sparkle.”
“What about the ring?” asked Dame Brionna. “I think some psions can trace the people who’ve had an item. It could give us a target to scry.”
They asked the elven Farsensor if he would be willing to help. The fact that the targets were elven children only made him more willing to assist. The heavy gold ring rested on his outstretched palm. “Yes… the rat-lord got the ring from a strong man, a warrior, a half-orc… the half-orc took the ring from a wizard, who made it. The wizard died at the half-orc’s hand.” He paused. “There is no more I can read from this ring.”
“Maybe we’re not being direct enough,” said Kit. “Could you scry on a quarter-fae child named Sparkle Sutter?”
“Where is she? And do you have a mental image of her?”
“Probably within the city. Definitely not more than a few days travel out. We have never met her, but her parish priest is here and knew her well.”
“That should be within my power, then. It is difficult to scry on one with only indirect information, but the fae blood should help. With the close range, I should be able to find her as long as the priest can picture her clearly.”
A few minutes later, the Farsensor nodded. “I have her. They are in … I do not know what it is. Below ground, with a great deal of natural waste around, and moving water. Below Pottersflat.”
“In the sewers,” Kit said. Seeing the Farsensor’s confused look, she explained what sewers were, leaving him quite horrified.
“She is in this sewer. The area is warded, both magically and psionically, although not sufficient to prevent me from reading it lightly. Their psion is no more than master level, perhaps less.”
“Are there other children there?”
“Three others, all with strong elven blood.”
“If it’s in the sewers, my people will have the most information,” said Kit. She slipped out, returning a few minutes later with a man who looked extraordinarily uncomfortable. He made a vague gesture of respect towards Alistair, ignored Dame Brionna completely, and waited for Kit’s question.
“It looks somewhat similar, but some of the features were different. I’m not sure that wasn’t just a rat-lord, without the demon part.”
Alistair blinked. “You don’t suppose that Anastasia was taken because of elven blood?”
Dame Brionna shrugged. “We need to consider the possibility. Do we know if the Hanalian royal family has any non-human ancestors?”
“I doubt it… Queen Thyastis’s emphasis on a human empire doesn’t make it likely. And if she did have any non-human ancestors, elves wouldn’t be my first guess. But there is the question of who her children’s father is. My understanding is that most people agree that it’s not the Prince-Consort, but no one knows who their father is.”
“So we have to keep worrying about the possibility, even though it was probably just politics,” Kit said. “But we still need to figure out where they took Sparkle.”
“What about the ring?” asked Dame Brionna. “I think some psions can trace the people who’ve had an item. It could give us a target to scry.”
They asked the elven Farsensor if he would be willing to help. The fact that the targets were elven children only made him more willing to assist. The heavy gold ring rested on his outstretched palm. “Yes… the rat-lord got the ring from a strong man, a warrior, a half-orc… the half-orc took the ring from a wizard, who made it. The wizard died at the half-orc’s hand.” He paused. “There is no more I can read from this ring.”
“Maybe we’re not being direct enough,” said Kit. “Could you scry on a quarter-fae child named Sparkle Sutter?”
“Where is she? And do you have a mental image of her?”
“Probably within the city. Definitely not more than a few days travel out. We have never met her, but her parish priest is here and knew her well.”
“That should be within my power, then. It is difficult to scry on one with only indirect information, but the fae blood should help. With the close range, I should be able to find her as long as the priest can picture her clearly.”
A few minutes later, the Farsensor nodded. “I have her. They are in … I do not know what it is. Below ground, with a great deal of natural waste around, and moving water. Below Pottersflat.”
“In the sewers,” Kit said. Seeing the Farsensor’s confused look, she explained what sewers were, leaving him quite horrified.
“She is in this sewer. The area is warded, both magically and psionically, although not sufficient to prevent me from reading it lightly. Their psion is no more than master level, perhaps less.”
“Are there other children there?”
“Three others, all with strong elven blood.”
“If it’s in the sewers, my people will have the most information,” said Kit. She slipped out, returning a few minutes later with a man who looked extraordinarily uncomfortable. He made a vague gesture of respect towards Alistair, ignored Dame Brionna completely, and waited for Kit’s question.
HalfOrc HalfBiscuit
Adventurer
Cerebral Paladin said:
So should we enquire about Elven sanitation?
Still loving this storyhour. Keep up the good work.
Cerebral Paladin
First Post
I figure the elves just don't need sewers because of the lack of significant urban populations. I'm glad you're enjoying the sh.
----
“Do you know of anything strange in the sewers beneath Pottersflat?”
“Yes’m. That’s where one of those three places are. The ones I mentioned before. That’s the worst one.”
“Right. Do you know anything about what’s there?”
“Not much. There are some moving statues that guard it, and there’s a demon, but nobody’s seen it and lived to tell. If you try to go in to the center of the area, you die.”
“If nobody who’s seen it has lived, how do you know there’s a demon?” asked Dame Brionna sensibly. The rogue seemed relieved that he had already decided to ignore Dame Brionna completely.
“Have you seen anyone around there? Any traffic?” asked Alistair.
The rogue kept talking to Kit. “About a dozen people, I’d say. Hard to be sure, because we have to just count them as they’re coming and going.”
“Humans?” asked Kit. “Anything distinctive about them?”
“They look like normal humans,” he said. “Like common folk. One of ‘em is terrible ugly, though. Practically green skinned, and all those warts…”
“Probably a hag,” said Alistair.
“Oh, she’s definitely a hag.”
“His grace meant that technically,” said Dame Brionna.
“There are technical hags? Well, I guess she’s a technical hag, then, she’s so ugly.”
“We need to send strike teams,” said Alistair. “Hit all three spots at once, so we don’t give them any warning.”
“If they’ll be fighting demons, the Knights of Valor and other church knights should lead the attack,” commented Dame Brionna. “And we should ask some of Her Grace’s Companions if they wish to go-- if they plan on suicide, they may as well take the danger of one last fight with the blessing of Glor’diadel instead of heresy in darkened chambers.”
“Indeed. We’ll also ask Lady Constance if the royal coven can provide magical support. Master Farsensor, would your people be willing to provide some psionic support?”
“We would be most happy to, for such a cause. I will send my captain to the location where we know there is a psion-- he is a gray elf, not one of the Eldar, but he should be more than a match for any human psion-- and a high elf psion to each of the other two.”
“You should be careful, Master Farsensor. We believe that this may be a plot under the aegis of Drucilla, a Noldar of the Moriquendarim. I would not expect her to be present, but if she is, her powers might be too much for your psions to handle.”
“I find it hard to believe that there is Noldar involvement, at least directly. I assensed the psion’s power, although imperfectly, and he was not strong enough. But if the person we believe to be a human psionicist is actually a Noldar-- and should he actually be a Noldar, and not merely a Mordhel-- I will go to my captain’s aid. He would be unlikely to be able to stand against a Noldar.”
Kit arranged to have her people lead the strike teams into position. They were not thrilled to be guiding Knights of Valor and militant priests, but they obeyed her command, and she assured them that she would not permit them to be seized or harmed. The elves placed a glamour upon the Knights of Valor and the church troops to prevent them from giving away the attack too soon-- the Knights of Valor have many virtues, but subtlety and an ability to blend in with people who might enter the sewers of Canberry are not among them.
All told, better than a hundred troops participated in the attacks. With such a weight of numbers, and a carefully balanced force with no holes in its preparation, the outcome was preordained. Nonetheless, the battles were bloody. Not even the Knights of Valor could arrange proper cavalry charges in the sewers, and so the battle was fought at arms reach with swords, knives, and spells. The demon-worshippers attempted to kill their prisoners when their defeat was clear. One of the Knights of Valor struck a dagger from the hand of one of the demonists moments before he would have killed Sparkle, and one little boy tripped the thug trying to kill him, buying time for the Knights to rescue him. But the other three children were dead by the time the battle was won. Dame Brionna insisted that they be raised.
The attack destroyed the physical forms of all three of the demons, although the arcana made the Knights of Valor pay a high price in blood first. The hag managed to escape by diving into the water and swimming away. Against the humans, the attack had better luck: not one of the demonists escaped, and the gray elf captain took the psionicist alive for questioning. The Knights of Valor also brought back three prisoners from the rank-and-file that they had battered unconscious once the enemy’s resistance had broken.
----
“Do you know of anything strange in the sewers beneath Pottersflat?”
“Yes’m. That’s where one of those three places are. The ones I mentioned before. That’s the worst one.”
“Right. Do you know anything about what’s there?”
“Not much. There are some moving statues that guard it, and there’s a demon, but nobody’s seen it and lived to tell. If you try to go in to the center of the area, you die.”
“If nobody who’s seen it has lived, how do you know there’s a demon?” asked Dame Brionna sensibly. The rogue seemed relieved that he had already decided to ignore Dame Brionna completely.
“Have you seen anyone around there? Any traffic?” asked Alistair.
The rogue kept talking to Kit. “About a dozen people, I’d say. Hard to be sure, because we have to just count them as they’re coming and going.”
“Humans?” asked Kit. “Anything distinctive about them?”
“They look like normal humans,” he said. “Like common folk. One of ‘em is terrible ugly, though. Practically green skinned, and all those warts…”
“Probably a hag,” said Alistair.
“Oh, she’s definitely a hag.”
“His grace meant that technically,” said Dame Brionna.
“There are technical hags? Well, I guess she’s a technical hag, then, she’s so ugly.”
“We need to send strike teams,” said Alistair. “Hit all three spots at once, so we don’t give them any warning.”
“If they’ll be fighting demons, the Knights of Valor and other church knights should lead the attack,” commented Dame Brionna. “And we should ask some of Her Grace’s Companions if they wish to go-- if they plan on suicide, they may as well take the danger of one last fight with the blessing of Glor’diadel instead of heresy in darkened chambers.”
“Indeed. We’ll also ask Lady Constance if the royal coven can provide magical support. Master Farsensor, would your people be willing to provide some psionic support?”
“We would be most happy to, for such a cause. I will send my captain to the location where we know there is a psion-- he is a gray elf, not one of the Eldar, but he should be more than a match for any human psion-- and a high elf psion to each of the other two.”
“You should be careful, Master Farsensor. We believe that this may be a plot under the aegis of Drucilla, a Noldar of the Moriquendarim. I would not expect her to be present, but if she is, her powers might be too much for your psions to handle.”
“I find it hard to believe that there is Noldar involvement, at least directly. I assensed the psion’s power, although imperfectly, and he was not strong enough. But if the person we believe to be a human psionicist is actually a Noldar-- and should he actually be a Noldar, and not merely a Mordhel-- I will go to my captain’s aid. He would be unlikely to be able to stand against a Noldar.”
Kit arranged to have her people lead the strike teams into position. They were not thrilled to be guiding Knights of Valor and militant priests, but they obeyed her command, and she assured them that she would not permit them to be seized or harmed. The elves placed a glamour upon the Knights of Valor and the church troops to prevent them from giving away the attack too soon-- the Knights of Valor have many virtues, but subtlety and an ability to blend in with people who might enter the sewers of Canberry are not among them.
All told, better than a hundred troops participated in the attacks. With such a weight of numbers, and a carefully balanced force with no holes in its preparation, the outcome was preordained. Nonetheless, the battles were bloody. Not even the Knights of Valor could arrange proper cavalry charges in the sewers, and so the battle was fought at arms reach with swords, knives, and spells. The demon-worshippers attempted to kill their prisoners when their defeat was clear. One of the Knights of Valor struck a dagger from the hand of one of the demonists moments before he would have killed Sparkle, and one little boy tripped the thug trying to kill him, buying time for the Knights to rescue him. But the other three children were dead by the time the battle was won. Dame Brionna insisted that they be raised.
The attack destroyed the physical forms of all three of the demons, although the arcana made the Knights of Valor pay a high price in blood first. The hag managed to escape by diving into the water and swimming away. Against the humans, the attack had better luck: not one of the demonists escaped, and the gray elf captain took the psionicist alive for questioning. The Knights of Valor also brought back three prisoners from the rank-and-file that they had battered unconscious once the enemy’s resistance had broken.
