Aphonion Tales (New posts 6/13, 6/15, 6/19)

[Cerebral Paladin]

While Dame Brionna made arrangements with the Archbishop, Kit ordered her people to investigate the sales of krif. She knew the basics: taking krif produces hallucinations, delusions, and a sense of hyper-activity. It is also extraordinarily addictive, with regular users becoming increasingly emaciated as their metabolism accelerates. Kit’s secretary quickly agreed to pull together the relevant reports. She then informed him that she wanted to see her lower city people in person.

At that, her secretary produced a magical silver mask. “You will find that this will change your form to any you may desire, to keep your true identity secure. Most Mouths select a small number of preferred forms, so that the form they use can serve as a recognition signal. Dame Esmerelda favored a husky middle aged man with one leg or a small pig. I really can’t imagine why, but there you have it.”

Kit thought about it for a while and then chose to be a hawk. She wanted to take on a bird form, both for aesthetics and because the ability to fly might be useful, but at the same time, she wanted a bird that gets taken seriously.

Kit quickly located her head agent in the lower city and sent a message requesting his appearance at a safe house. He was a man of middle-age, totally beaten down by a hard life. At least that’s what he looked like at first, but his eyes were sharp, alert, and probing, giving lie to the despair that covered the rest of his face. The hawk flew into the room where he slumped and landed on a rafter. He bowed deeply to the hawk, without asking questions. “I have come as you asked.”

Kit replied, “Thank you. I am trying to find out if anyone in the City is on krif.”

“Krif? Let me think. I know the symptoms, but there are not many people with them. I’ll have to do some active investigation, then. Should I use the standard contact protocols when I learn more?”

“Yes,” answered Kit, without a clue as to what the standard contact protocols were. “We know that enemies of the realm smuggled a sizeable amount into the City. We are most worried that it might be the beginning of a group spreading it here directly.”

“I understand. It would be essential to cut it off quickly. I can’t say that it seems likely, but I won’t discount the possibility.”

“We don’t think they would dare do that here, either, but we need to keep an eye on it. If Canberry is just being used as a waystation, we want to know that as well.”

He nodded. “Either way, we’ll find out and let you know. If that is all?”

The hawk nodded, and he slipped out, staggering as he went. Kit returned to the palace and met with her secretary again, back in her natural form. “What are the ‘standard contact protocols’?”

“Ah. No use of force, information gathering only, with a reporting chain back to you. They would not contact you directly, of course, for security reasons. I am glad that you are not escalating the instructions-- there was concern in some quarters that you were too inexperienced, or that you would be overzealous and pursue bloodier tactics.”

“No! I want the least bloody tactics possible.” Kit paused and then amended that a little. “Or the least bloody tactics that will accomplish our goals--I know that we can’t always avoid bloodshed altogether.”

Her secretary smiled. “Good, good. It can be a delicate balance, but too many people have a first instinct to err too far in one direction or the other. I knew from your earlier efforts that you could act firmly when necessary, but it’s good to see that you have a sense of that as well.”

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

“I have another matter I want to discuss with you. Do you know anything about this fan? It’s linked to a group of agents-- are they the main part of our network?”

“Ah. I had not realized you had taken that directly. The fan belonged to one of the people who ran a subpart of your predecessor’s operation. It has been generations since the Mouth used it directly. Dame Esmerelda put it in the hands of one of her most trusted agents, who was also something of a friend to the Archduchess. So she is the one who built the network of agents on the fan. Have any of the other prime agents checked in?”

“No, I don’t think so. Who are they?”

“There were four all told; we know what happened to this one, so three remain unaccounted for and presumably still active. They’re all somewhat independent, of course. One was sent to Khamista to infiltrate the temple of Paranswarm. Dame Esmerelda was most worried when the Inquisition swept the continent. He reported about once every sixth months, so it is unsurprising that you have not yet heard from him. When last I heard, he remained embedded in the hierarchy of the Inquisition and the Inquisitor General. Second: a close friend traveled north in the guise of a merchant, who set up a network in Hanal. Over time, she was able to set up as both a merchant and a strommess.” Kit raised an eyebrow at that. “She married into the title, and her husband was suddenly and fatally ill shortly after the marriage. The third remaining prime agent is in Brightspan, but she has been singularly unsuccessful in creating a network thus far, making the reports of minimal worth.”

“The Brightspan prime agent is also a woman?” asked Kit. When her secretary nodded, a little hesitantly, Kit asked, “What was her cover?”

“Ah… you see… well, m’lady, it was hoped she could get close to the Duke… She… umm… She was a very beautiful woman!”

Kit did her best to cover a smile at her secretary’s prudishness. “I take it she might be a good leader for the Naughty Bits, then?” She also reflected that the psionic effect on the Duke of Brightspan would have made the plan of infiltrating a mistress all but impossible--his paranoia would cause him to suspect the truth even without any evidence.

“Yes, m’lady. I suppose we will need someone coordinating that effort,” he said with distaste. “But in any event, those are the prime agents.”

“Did the fan-bearer put the other prime agents on the crystals?”

“Perhaps. The uses of the fan’s crystals was left to her discretion-- you will have to check the crystals directly to be sure.”

Kit nodded. “I’ll make that a priority. With the Brightspan agent-- what was her supposed reason for being there?”

“Ah. She was ostensibly in flight from her family, the Overfifers. The story was that she was ‘dishonoring the family name.’ There was nothing to it, of course; her branch of the family has been merchants for year, solid grain merchants. Lady Mayor Overfifer probably doesn’t even know they exist, and there is no actual rift within the family even if she does. But it provided a convenient excuse for her to be traveling lightly and quietly, while still letting her use her rank to gain entrée.”

Kit drummed her fingers. She would have to consider whether to recall the agent. She could serve as a very useful leader for the Naughty Bits. At the same time, once the psionic effect on the Duke of Brightspan dissolved, she might be able to accomplish her original mission. Kit didn’t trust the Duke enough to want to reduce the Archduchy’s surveillance of him.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Once Kit returned to the Council, Alistair brought up a longer term concern.

“We keep getting caught unaware by developments in foreign countries. We really need to start getting regular briefings by a foreign policy advisor.”

“Indeed, Your Grace,” responded Dame Brionna, perhaps with a bit of surprise at Alistair actually showing an interest.

“Who’s our current Foreign Minister?”

“I’m afraid that’s another vacancy, Your Grace. The last one was among the many ministers who killed themselves by the funeral.”

Alistair grimaced. “For protocol reasons, we should probably appoint a noble to the post. As a practical matter, most of the work will be done by an aide, but a foreign minister who is not a noble won’t have enough clout with foreign powers.”

“Makes sense,” said Kit. “Besides, then we’ll have another way to encourage the loyalty of our nobles by having their relatives serve in high positions. Who are the reasonable choices?”

“The clearest pick would be Dame Olga Bigglesberg, I think. She’s the younger sister of the ruler of the City of Bigglesberg in Tusslefields. She’s experienced, well-regarded, and was formerly captain of the house guard. If we wanted a more daring pick, I suppose we could go with the cousin of the Count of Gateways. He has dealt with combinations of uruks, dwarves, orcs, and gnomes at the same time.”

“Wow. That is impressive. Is he a high enough noble for purposes of appearances?”

Dame Brionna thought for a moment. “I think it would be accepted if the Archduke appointed him, and viewed as an appropriate award for service. Still, I’m not sure that’s the best use for him. He won’t fit in as well with human realms, and he might be better used as an ambassador to Underdark powers when we need one.”

“Are there any other possibilities you can think of?”

“What about the older children, or nieces or nephews, of Lord Kelven and Lady Bibi, the Duke and Duchess of Westmarch, Your Grace?”

“They certainly have the rank. Even one of the bastards would do. That might be best-- high enough rank to be taken seriously, and a reward to Westmarch for their loyalty.”

“Who are the possibilities?” asked Kit.

“The Duke and Duchess have eleven children, as well as fourteen nieces and nephews they’ve adopted, all from Lady Bibi’s deceased sister. There are also four recognized bastards, along with other children who are presumed but not acknowledged.”

“Eleven children? And fourteen nieces and nephews from one sister?” asked Alistair incredulously. “Are they Gunnoran or something?”

“Yes, Your Grace. The only nobles of any meaningful status who are Gunnoran. All accounts are that they are remarkably happy family, but looking for marriages. They are also known for keeping hunting dogs in the manor, along with trained lions.”

“Hmm. I think about the five oldest children would be old enough to serve-- the other six are all sixteen or younger. I think the second oldest child has a reputation for being intelligent?”

Dame Brionna checked some of the files that the Archduchess maintained on the nobility of Canberry and nodded. “That’s right, your grace. Based on what we know, their second child and eldest daughter is quite smart, perceptive, and level-headed. She should do admirably.”

“Does she have current responsibilities?” asked Kit.

“Not substantial ones. She is in her early to mid-twenties, married, but with no children. She doesn’t have any substantial land of her own to administer.” Dame Brionna looked up from the file with a smile. “And she’s Glor’diadelian, rather than following her parents’ faith.”

“Fine. We’ll make her foreign minister. Does she have a title of her own?”

“No-- only her older brother inherited a title, and her husband is the younger child of an earl without any title of his own.”

“We’ll make her Countess Westreach, then, to give her more rank. A comital title for the child of one of our direct vassals shouldn’t offend any of the existing nobles. If anything, it will motivate them to serve better in the hopes that their children will be similarly preferred.”

Dame Brionna nodded. “Should we look for lands to grant her as well, Your Grace?”

“Not at this point. We can make her a carpet noble for the time being. If she serves well, and if we expand as we expect, we can then land her later.”

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

When the Council informed Countess Westreach of her appointment, it triggered rejoicing throughout the Westmarch family. Her parents were ecstatic, and her husband was floored by the shock-- he had expected that they would never hold titles loftier than “lord” and “lady.” In addition to the appointment, the Council informed her that she would be expected to provide a briefing promptly. Her predecessor had been less thoughtful than some of the royal officers about giving a significant time before suicide, and thus the files and records were in a certain amount of disarray. The Countess spent a day or two studying before coming to the Council with her predecessor’s privy secretary.

“Your Grace, honored counselors. May I ask what sort of information you will be wanting from my office?”

“On an ongoing basis, we’ll need regular updates and assessments,” replied Alistair. “Regular briefings, perhaps once a fortnight, should do for most of it, along with additional meetings when something urgent arises. For now, we simply need an overview of the current situation.”

“Of course, Your Grace. Starting with our immediate region: nothing is stable south of the Barrier Mountains, except for us, Singing Leaves, and the Silent Wood. None of the other realms are large enough to be able to weather serious problems. The most serious threats of disruptions to Canberry are in the South: the refugee crisis, the appearance of war in the southwest, and the fact that the economics of the kingdoms that previously bordered Confederacy have been severely disrupted. My assessment of the gathering conflicts around the refugees and the Spice Lands are bleak: there will be war, regardless of what anyone does. Nonetheless, the long term seems bright for us. Twenty years from now, we will likely rule an Archduchy twice this size.”

“Did your predecessor consider the possibility of using our resources to stabilize the economies of some of the neighboring realms?”

“Yes, Your Grace. He did not believe that the amount of money we have in the treasury is enough to reverse the financial damage.”

Alistair whistled softly while Kit boggled. Dame Brionna alone remained impassive. Canberry had an enormous amount of treasure in the royal accounts--the problems in neighboring realms had to be deep indeed for Canberry to be unable to help.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

“Let me ask another question. We are considering two possible courses of action with regard to the refugees. One would be to seek to annex them, probably with a dynastic marriage to support the claim. That would almost certainly pull us into the midst of war. The other would be to provide some support, but avoid any close ties. We would presumably be able to avoid fighting the war ourselves, even if we could not prevent it. Would our involvement make the war worse? Or would it simply mean that we would bear some of the costs?”

“Overall, Your Grace, our involvement would probably reduce the casualties and prevent the skaven from taking more land. They raid, and they attack in hordes, but those sorts of threats could be easily dealt with by our armies. The great clans are more organized but have their own agendas and conflicts. I believe this report was prepared for Her Grace the Late Archduchess on the matter but not delivered due to her decline.” Countess Westreach handed across a carefully drafted document. “If we do not intervene, it is difficult to say what will happen. If the neighboring lands bankrupt themselves of treasure and troops, they would gain additional lands. But the costs would be high. Alone among the skaven great clans, the Skree appear to be uninterested in more lands. Furthermore, they appear to be the most powerful of the great clans. If we have to deal with any of them, they seem the best, but our prior embassy never returned.”

“We have made direct contact with the Skree. We have reached a certain détente and have a line of communication if we need further contact.”

Countess Westreach arched an eyebrow. “Indeed, Your Grace? That is useful to know. It also greatly increases the likelihood that we could win a decisive war in the South and then create a true peace.

“There is one other thing we should discuss. There are several major powers that we have no ambassadors to at all. The Kingdom of Haunted Mountains, on Khamista, is one of the five great powers on the continent, mostly orcs and uruks, ruled over by the White Witch. We withdrew our ambassador in protest of the slave state, but they are Paranswarmian. There is also a question of whether there should be an ambassador to the capital of the ‘New Pardun.’ Likewise, we have no embassy to the Hastur-- the traditional assumption has been that the Temple of Light would represent our interests. Finally, we have no embassy to Lady Jane Peryton, whose forces withstood the attack of the great chaos dragon’s forces. We had considered Lady Jane’s demesne to be at best a minor power, but there recent success requires a re-evaluation.”

“I don’t like the idea of giving recognition to a slave state,” said Kit.

“Particularly not while we are pressuring other states, such as Korflok, to prohibit slavery,” added Alistair. “The White Witch may be powerful, but she’s also far away, so the slight should be just the right level. We can always communicate with her about any necessary diplomatic matters through the Temple of Paranswarm.”

“The other three all seem very sensible, Your Grace,” commented Dame Brionna. “I’m sure we could rely on the Temple for the Hastur, but even so…”

“Especially with the efforts of the Shadow on this continent and with our desire to develop more psionic resources, we should have a direct link.” Alistair turned back to Countess Westreach. “Please prepare a list of recommended ambassadors for New Pardun, the Hastur, and Lady Jane Peryton.”

“As you wish, Your Grace. Lady Jane will be the most difficult, since they hold courtesy in higher esteem there than anywhere else. We will need an ambassador who is unfailingly courteous without ever even needing to think about it. I am sure I will be able to find someone, however.”

“There is no particular hurry, so let’s make sure we do it right.”

“Will there be anything else, Your Grace?”

After a moment, Dame Brionna spoke up. “I would also like you to prepare a list of all the marriageable high and mid-level nobles on Drucien, and the high nobles on Khamista.”

“Is this specifically for His Grace, or should I include men as well?”

“Please do; His Grace has a half-sister and cousins who could still provide important relationships for us. I would also like an evaluation of current marriage and betrothal alliances among other powers.”

Countess Westreach nodded and her secretary wrote down a quick note. “Has Your Grace reached any conclusions about marriage? It would be useful for my office to be able to anticipate.”

“Nothing definite, although we have some thoughts both in general and specific,” said Alistair. Dame Brionna then filled Countess Westreach in on the details, including Rev. Canon Toddle’s prophecy.

Countess Westreach thought carefully. “I’ll see what we come up with as well.” She then curtsied and exited.

[End Session 23]

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

[Session 24]

A grim Dame Brionna met Alistair and Kit the following morning. “We’ve received a new report from Grokken, Your Grace.”

“And?”

“Grokken has likely fallen by now. Last night, drow of the House of Qu’ellar’veld’larn joined the fight on the side of the uruks. There were only about a dozen drow, but Dame Hilda reported that Grokken would be unable to stand against them. She sent the message by squire, believing they would not be able to stand another attack.”

“She probably sent her squire to get him out before it fell,” commented Kit.

“Likely,” said Alistair. “It sounds like the sort of thing Dame Hilda would do. We’ll find him a new appointment, of course. Do you know if Dame Hilda has any children or other survivors?”

Dame Brionna nodded. “She leaves behind a sister and several nieces and nephews who have no other means of support. Perhaps a pension, your grace?”

“Find an appropriate manor and make her sister the lady of it. That should take care of the family.”

“What about the drow, Your Grace? They are the first definitive proof that the uruks are not just random marauding; should we inform Region 9 about it?”

“We need to understand more first. We should talk to Lord Davion about this; he said at the end of the duel that this settled the dispute between Quinliart and Canberry, but Quinliart seems to disagree. But I want to know how the Noldar will react before we pass this information on to them.” They quickly dispatched a messenger to ask Lord Davion to come to the palace, with the additional instruction that if Lord Davion was not available, he should ask Lord Silverleaves for an audience instead.

“And the strategic issue, Your Grace? Furrows is largely unprotected.”

“We need to get a protective force to the capital of Furrows as quickly as we can, since we sent their troops to Caldra and Caligshire. I don’t see any alternative to instructing all of our vassals to mobilize their troops. I don’t like it, but I don’t see a choice.”

“I agree, Your Grace. I’ll draw up appropriate orders.”

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

The discussion was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the projected image of an officer in the Sky Guard. “Your Grace, the Tether Towers report a voler in distress. The voler is Hanalian, coming from the west, and not going to make it to the tower. Clearing a street offers the best possibility for a landing.”

Dame Brionna dashed away barely without waiting for the officer to finish a report. Along with several other mounted guards, she quickly cleared a street, taking full advantage of the power horses have for clearing pedestrians. She quickly spotted the voler, covered with people and signaling distress as it came in fast and low.

Moments after the street had been mostly cleared, the voler hit. The voler’s captain tried to get it to land on its keel, traveling straight down the street, but its landing was not quite even, and in any event, full-sized volers are never meant to land. It did not ram any buildings, but ultimately rolled onto its side. As it rolled, many civilians in local garb spilled out, along with Hanalian knights in uniforms. Canberran healers rushed in before the voler had even stopped rocking.

Dame Brionna spotted two Hanalian knights assisting an older, rather frail looking man who was bleeding profusely. She hurried over as he finally got to his feet-- based on his insignia, he was a Hanalian strom. She quickly healed him, closing the most grievous wounds at least.

“Thank you, Dame Knight,” he gasped as she assisted him.

“I am Dame Brionna, Knight Captain of the Archducal Guard. What happened?”

“Ah! I can be candid then. We were en route to assist my liege, the Duke of Snatterkaz, when we saw a walled town to the west of here under heavy orkish assault.”

“Grokken.”

“Yes, I think that’s what the captain said its name was, from the maps. Some of the people had already escaped, and we evacuated many of the rest of the people, leaving behind some volunteers from my forces to augment the defenses and to free up additional room in the voler for the refugees. We then made for the City with as best speed as we could manage, but between the damage we sustained at Grokken and the added weight, we were not able to make it.” He surveyed the wreckage as the full scope of the damage sunk in.

“We thank you. Your bravery and that of your knights have saved many lives today. If we may assist you in any way, please let us know. I’m sure the Archduke will also want to meet with you.”

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

The strom nodded absently. “We must continue on to Snatterkaz as soon as we can. But… the voler is not reparable, after a landing such as that, and I believe the pilot is dead; he would have been in that chamber there, which was crushed entirely by the landing.”

“Perhaps we can assist. I’ll see what we can do about arranging for transportation. If you will excuse me, Your Excellence, I should report to the Archduke.”

As Dame Brionna turned to head back to the palace, the strom’s knight commander reached out a hand to pull her aside. “A word, Dame Brionna, if I may. We counted 16,000 orcish warriors; at least forty trolls, with what we think is a hill troll; and ten drow from a cadet house, one of whom we think is an archmage. As we departed, Grokken was being overwhelmed, and the outskirts of the army were already beginning to move on. We saw the direction they traveled: southeast. I believe that they were targeting another city.”

Dame Brionna quickly returned to the Council chamber and reported the new information.
“Immediately southeast of Grokken is Storr. In fairly short order beyond that, Cinderhaven.”

“Do either of them have a chance of withstanding the attack?” asked Kit.

“Cinderhaven has a substantial militia and is fairly defensible, but Storr has a one regiment garrison and only a fortified manor and wooden walls.”

“So they could basically destroy Storr without even stopping.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Cinderhaven is walled in stone; most of the buildings are also made from stone walls, and it has an actual castle. The garrison is 800 militia and 400 regular troops. They won’t be able to withstand a sustained siege or a determined assault, but it will still take the orcs time. The other matter you should consider is the implications of the size of that horde. Historically, the orc hordes didn’t cooperate like this. Based on the reports I’m receiving, one large horde and two small hordes are all working together.”

“Wait a moment. Before we deal with that, there are some immediate problems. We need to recall Furrows’s army. It’s only about 800 total.”

“They’d just get slaughtered,” said Kit.

“Although… most of Furrows’s army is cavalry. If the orcs are not mounted, they might be able to harry the horde effectively.”
The strom nodded absently. “We must continue on to Snatterkaz as soon as we can. But… the voler is not reparable, after a landing such as that, and I believe the pilot is dead; he would have been in that chamber there, which was crushed entirely by the landing.”

“Perhaps we can assist. I’ll see what we can do about arranging for transportation. If you will excuse me, Your Excellence, I should report to the Archduke.”

As Dame Brionna turned to head back to the palace, the strom’s knight commander reached out a hand to pull her aside. “A word, Dame Brionna, if I may. We counted 16,000 orcish warriors; at least forty trolls, with what we think is a hill troll; and ten drow from a cadet house, one of whom we think is an archmage. As we departed, Grokken was being overwhelmed, and the outskirts of the army were already beginning to move on. We saw the direction they traveled: southeast. I believe that they were targeting another city.”

Dame Brionna quickly returned to the Council chamber and reported the new information.
“Immediately southeast of Grokken is Storr. In fairly short order beyond that, Cinderhaven.”

“Do either of them have a chance of withstanding the attack?” asked Kit.

“Cinderhaven has a substantial militia and is fairly defensible, but Storr has a one regiment garrison and only a fortified manor and wooden walls.”

“So they could basically destroy Storr without even stopping.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Cinderhaven is walled in stone; most of the buildings are also made from stone walls, and it has an actual castle. The garrison is 800 militia and 400 regular troops. They won’t be able to withstand a sustained siege or a determined assault, but it will still take the orcs time. The other matter you should consider is the implications of the size of that horde. Historically, the orc hordes didn’t cooperate like this. Based on the reports I’m receiving, one large horde and two small hordes are all working together.”

“Wait a moment. Before we deal with that, there are some immediate problems. We need to recall Furrows’s army. It’s only about 800 total.”

“They’d just get slaughtered,” said Kit.

“Although… most of Furrows’s army is cavalry. If the orcs are not mounted, they might be able to harry the horde effectively.”

“There are worg riders, Your Grace.”

“Then there’s nothing for it. We’ll need to pull them back.”

 

[Quartz]

Please keep this up! Though I must confess that I've lost track of who's who. I'm guessing that many of the people are named on the fly, both by the GM and the players.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Keeping track of names has been a chronic difficulty in this campaign. We often refer to people by their positions/roles rather than by their names (thus the references to "the Farsensor" and "the Eldar" instead of just calling him Lord Silverleaves). Also, the DM frequently introduces NPCs without giving them names-- "your sister" or the Minister of whatsit, which compounds the problem. Usually, if they appear often enough, we eventually attach a name to them.

Back to the Storyhour!

----

“Now, Your Grace, if I may turn to the details of the hordes? The Horde of Fury is the larger horde, consisting mostly of uruks. They are from the northwest, and we know where they left their dependants behind. The other two hordes are local. One has an uruk-hai bodyguard for its chief, but is otherwise all orcs. Dame Hilda also mentioned a band of stone giants with that horde, but the Strom’s knight commander did not. The third is the Horde of the Splintering Spine, about three thousand orogs with a few other creatures. The local hordes can usually be bought off or scared away, although that would probably be more difficult or impossible as long as the Horde of Fury is present.”

“You said that we have information about where the uruks’ dependants are? Perhaps we can use that to force a withdrawal. Capture them, hold them as hostages.”

“Ugh,” said Kit. “I really don’t like the idea of using children, even uruk children, as hostages to threaten their parents. There has to be a better way.”

“In principle, I agree,” replied Dame Brionna. “But we must find some way to stop that army and we don’t have the conventional military forces available to defeat it in the field. We would not be actually hurting the children, just taking them prisoner. In a way, it’s not so different from what we’re doing with young Lord Brightspan.”

“There’s a difference between giving a single child or two positions as pages, where we actually treat them well and are as concerned about making them allies as coercing their parents.”

“Still, it may offer us an opportunity we have to take,” maintained Dame Brionna. “However, I’m not certain that we will be able to convince the uruks to break, regardless of the reason, if we don’t deal with the drow first. The archmagus is likely the commander of the drow. We need to find some way to remove him.”

“So how do we take out a drow archmage?” asked Kit.

“I have no idea,” said Alistair. “We could try sending the Sixth Daughter, but her odds aren’t likely to be good against an archmage.”

Dame Brionna thought aloud. “We could hold a contest, where whoever kills him gets to be the head of the new magic academy we’re building. Somebody would succeed eventually.”

“And what about all of the people who would get killed trying?” asked Kit.

“Not to mention that it might saddle us with a completely unsuitable head for the academy. We’ll have to find a better way.” Alistair drummed his fingers as he tried to come up with a solution.