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

[Cerebral Paladin]

Thanks for the encouragement, Quartz! And it's nifty to hear from another player. One of the neat things about his world is that the consequences of other players' actions (past and current) affect the ongoing world. And now, a brief update (I'll try to do two posts tomorrow to make up for the short, or maybe a post and starting the rogues gallery Quartz requested.

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As the group headed back, an agitated man hurried passed them. As he saw Mother Honore's vestments, he stopped and made the sign of the sun towards her. As she returned the blessing, he asked, "Have you heard the news, Mother? It's such a terrible thing..."

"The news? What news?"

"Oh, about Glor'diadel of the Fields. It was dreadful, as I hear it. The priest and several nuns were murdered. And that's not the worst of it. They were tortured like, and their blood was thrown about the sanctuary and over the altar in some foul ritual-- like it was done by demons or such."

Mother Honore grimaced. "I hadn't heard. That's awful."

"Will you give me a blessing, Mother? I'm headed to bring my family to the Cathedral-- I think that's where all of us'll go, Glor'diadel will look after his own there. But if I could have your blessing to keep us safe until then..."

"Of course," said Mother Honore, as she gave the man a perfunctory blessing, to his extreme gratitude.

"How terrible... they must have been murdered by that skaven priest," said Kit as the man hurried off.

"There was nothing you could do," Alistair said to Honore and Kit. "The real priest and the nuns were already dead when you were there, unless I miss my guess. I think we now know what Clarence's 'bloody room' was. Still, we need to respond quickly to this before the City panicks completely. I think it's time we went to the Cathedral as well."

The group quickly commandeered horses from a local stable. The stable boy was amazed by the urgency with which they demanded the best horses, but a few gold coins and the assurance that they were on the Archduchess's business convinced him that details like ownership weren't so important. And with a clatter of hooves on cobble stones, they galloped towards the cathedral.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

A huge mob of people had assembled in the great square between the palace and the Cathedral of the Sun. The fear and worry was almost palpable in the air, as the Dean of the Cathedral attempted to calm and reassure the crowd. Alistair quietly slipped past the crowd and into the Cathedral. He grabbed the first acolyte he could find and flashed his signet ring. "Take me to the robing rooms. I need to address the people, and it would be best if I did it in the robes of the Protector of the Light."

"Of course, your highness. Follow me."

Alistair quickly donned the robes symbolizing the religious title that the Archdukes and Archduchesses of Canberry have traditionally had. After a quick consultation with Mother Honore on protocal, they added a rather silly floppy hat with a long gold braid, similar to the differentiation of a coadjutor bishop from a monarchical bishop and symbolizing Alistair's status as heir-apparent to the Protector of the Light. Alistair then slipped quietly through the sanctuary to where the Dean, taking a break from his orations, discussed matters with the capital of the cathedral guards and several other senior priests.

"Reverend Dean. I think it would be best if I addressed the people to reassure them that the Archduchy will protect them."

"Yes, your highness. If you could convince them to disperse, it would be greatly appreciated. We can do little to protect a crowd of that size, and their presence raises the danger that someone will be hurt."

"I'll do my best."

Alistair made his way up to the great steps of the cathedral overlooking the huge crowd. Several acolytes struggled to hold back the press of scared people desperately trying to force their way into the Cathedral. Alistair held up his hands for silence, and the crowd, perhaps surprised by this new figure in most unusual vestments, subsided for a moment.

"People of Canberry, my fellow faithful of Glor'diadel," began Alistair, relying on his bardic training and the magics of the Cathedral to project his voice throughout the great square. "As you know, a dreadful crime and act of blasphemy has taken place today. We all mourn for the good priest and nuns who died at Glor'diadel of the Fields. But we must take heart.

"In their role as Protector of the Light, my ancestors have ever guarded the people of Glor'diadel from the forces of darkness and shadow. And even today, we strike against the foe. This was not a crime committed by an unknown foe. Foul ratmen, not content with the ravages they have wrought in the south, now seek to strike at Canberry herself. But they will not succeed. My Grandmother, the Grand Duchess, works through me and the forces of the Archduchy to smite the foe that has dared to rise against us. With the backing of Glor'diadel, our triumph is sure.

"You may have heard of our efforts to kill the rats of the Archduchy. We acted on the first reports and already we are weakening the enemy's forces, putting out its eyes and cutting off its claws. As I speak to you, the Archduchy's forces are preparing to launch even heavier blows at the heart of the ratmen threat. The danger is real, and the enemy vicious, but we will prevail. Glor'diadel, Lord of Light, shows the path we must walk and guides our hands in this battle, and with his Light we will not-- we cannot-- be defeated.

"Fear is a weapon of the ratmen as they try to overcome us. You must be brave. Return to your homes. If you see a rat, even the least of them, kill it. Every last rat serves the enemy. But if you see one of the ratmen themselves, remain safe. Report the foul beast to the nearest parish priest, and we will send soldiers to bring it down. But keep yourselves and your families safe within your homes while we deal with the threat.

"In some few days, we will announce to you our victory over the ratmen, and the peril will have passed completely. Until then, join me in asking Lord Glor'diadel for His blessings. And remember-- rats may be frightening in the dark of a cellar or the corner of a room, yet they cower from the sun, for they know that they are no match for the power of Light. So, too, will the ratmen cower from the Sun of Glor'diadel, against whom they have no power."

The crowd cheered at the end of Alistair's speech. Immediately upon his finish, all of the priests of the cathedral set out into the crowd, blessing the people and encouraging them to return to their homes. Finally, the sense of panic passed, and the crowd began to disperse.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Dame Brionna secured Dridall in an unused apartment in the palace, posting several guards with orders to neither allow Dridall to leave nor anyone else to come in. She then headed to the palace supply and gathered up all seven ounces of orichalcum that were present, hoping that Alistair had remembered correctly that the alchemical metal could neutralize warpstone's foul effects. She quickly dropped one ounce into a bottle of wine that had been delivered to Lord Alistair's chambers with the complements of the palace wine steward. Both the orichalcum and most of the wine disappeared in a flash of light, shattering the glass bottle in a fiery blast. Dame Brionna, lightly scorched, simply nodded with satisfaction.

Her efforts to protect Princess Cecilia, Alistair's aunt with the sight, went less well. The Princess was not in her chambers but had left a note behind. "The ratmen are in the sewers. I must go to find them to keep the city safe."

Dame Brionna mentioned this to the rest of the group on their return. Kit nodded. "I'll take care of this."

Kit quickly found her contact with the guild. "Princess Cecilia has gone into the sewers, looking for the ratmen. You must find her and bring her safely back to the palace. But be careful; the skaven are dangerous and they have agents throughout the sewers."

"She will be safe under our watch. And we know of the skaven; there have already been some clashes between our people and the ratmen in the sewers. You should know as well that something big has started moving through the sewers today, towards the main square of the city, I think towards the cathedral. We're not certain what it is; perhaps an ogre? But it moves fast."

"The rat-ogre. We'll organize warriors to fight it when it arrives."

"What should we do about other ratmen in the sewers?"

"If you can kill them, do. But be careful."

Kit's contact smiled. "People in our line are always careful, or we're flogged, hanged, or worse. You can rely on us."

"I know."

The group gathered and realized that Alistair had slipped off from the Cathedral. Dame Brionna was nearly apoplectic, but without any idea of where he had gone, there was little they could do to keep him safe. As best as they could figure, he had slipped off nearly a half-hour earlier, while the rest of the group had worked to secure Princess Cecilia, gather the orichalcum they needed to protect against warpstone, and organized the defense against skaven attacks. The best they could do was to prepare to meet the rat-ogre, so she resolutely gathered a group of Archducal Guards and led them out into the great square. While the crowd was greatly diminished, hundreds of people still thronged outside the cathedral. And all of them began screaming when an enormous creature, perhaps twenty feet tall, with the face and claws of a rat but the muscles of an ogre or a giant, smashed up through one of the sewer grates. The rat-ogre clawed its way through the crowd on the steps of the Cathedral and slammed through the great doors into the sanctuary.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Alistair rushed into the center of Sir Derrick Brightspan's headquarters and threw off the cloak of invisibility. "Marshal Brightspan! The City is under attack. A small skaven army, led by four great beasts, is in the center of the sewers. You must send a force to destroy it immediately. I came personally because there was no time for delay."

Almost before Alistair had finished speaking, Sir Derrick was yelling out commands. "Organize my personal guard! We ride to battle!"

Alistair held up a hand. "No, Marshal, not you personally this time. You are the target of one of their assassins. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to fight the skaven later, but for now we cannot expose any of the targets directly. I need you to come with me as we gather up some of the other targets. Call for your mage; we'll need to teleport to save time."

Sir Derrick frowned. Not rushing to the front chafed against his sense of duty. But with a great effort of will, he nodded and quickly gave a subordinate orders to plan the sewer attack and called for his mage.

"I'll also need you to send a detachment-- at least a company and better a regiment-- to defend Midwife Burry Hairytoes. She's the High Priestess of Gunnora and another one of the Skaven targets."

Sir Derrick passed on that command as well, as Throckmorton Daresworthy, his archmage, entered the command tent. The archmage's eyes lit up as he saw Lord Alistair-- one ray of force and the Duke of Brightspan's fondest wish would be granted. But as he began to raise his hands, Sir Derrick scowled. "No, not that. The Prince is organizing our battle against the skaven. We will obey his commands loyally."

"Very well, my lord," the archmage replied, desire warring in his eyes with duty.

Alistair smiled with both relief that he had not walked into his death and awareness that he had won Sir Derrick's loyalty. "We must teleport to the Seneschal. He is one of the other targets."

"Step close, my lord, your highness," said Throckmorton. Moments later, they reappeared in the Seneschal's chambers. Mere seconds after Alistair ordered the Seneschal to move to a safer position within the palace, the sounds of the rat-ogre erupted from the square below.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Alistair, Sir Derrick, and Throckmorton charged across the square directly into the battle already raging within the cathedral's sanctuary. Several church guards fought desperately to prevent the rat-ogre from reaching and defiling the high altar, while Marcus summoned celestial bison that charged, nostrils flairing, into the rat-ogre. Meanwhile, virtually every swing by the rat-ogre crushed one of the cathedral guards or one of the Archducal Guards that Dame Brionna had led into the battle.

Alistair and Sir Derrick charged into battle. Although Alistair hung back a little, swinging his spiked chain, the rat-ogre sniffed at them and then focused its attacks on him, smashing him brutally. Alistair barely withstood the first assault, knowing that if it attacked him again he would surely die and that it was single-mindedly focused on him, ignoring the much more effective attacks of Sir Derrick.

Throckmorton unleashed his most potent attack spell, and a prismatic spray arched above his allies and bathed the rat-ogre in indigo light. The other combattants continued to stab at the rat-ogre, but its huge form seemed almost impervious to harm. Kit tumbled around behind the rat-ogre, nicely flanking it with Sir Derrick.

As the rat-ogre attacked again, the insanity brought on by the prismatic spray served its purpose. Rather than surely killing Alistair, it first destroyed the terrestrial form of one of the celestial bison, and then landed a brutal blow on Sir Derrick's head, shattering his jaw but almost miraculously not killing him. Sir Derrick staggered as if punch-drunk, and then perhaps forgetting that he was not surrounded by his own soldiers called out, "I'm still fighting, it hasn't gotten me yet. Fight on, fight on!" Seconds later, the field marshall matched words with action.

Kit tried to stab at the rat-ogre, but everything went wrong. She slipped on a patch of blood and stabbed her rapier into her own foot, discharging a spray of poison in the process. But that paled in comparison to where her momentum carried her, directly into the backswing of the rat-ogre's dreadful axe. The axe smashed into her torso and sank deeply, scattering blood and viscera around the cathedral. Dame Katherine slumped to the ground, dead before she landed.

 

[Quartz]

Ooh! Good thing she's in a temple, hopefully with a high priest or two around.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Dame Brionna watched Kit's death, but maintained her focus on the battle. In order for Lord Alistair to be safe, not to mention the cathedral and the many devout warriors who defended it, the rat-ogre had to die. Dame Brionna charged the length of the nave on her warhorse, smiting the rat-ogre with a mighty blow of her lance as she rode past. She wheeled her horse around the high altar, couched her lance, and charged again. On each pass, the mounted guards with her charged as well, although with substantially less effect.

The group continued pounding on the rat-ogre, and between its confusion from the prismatic spray, the devastating spells of the archmage, Sir Derrick's devastating blows, the celestial bison, and the attacks of many weaker warriors, including both our heroes and the guards they brought, the rat-ogre finally collapsed.

Alistair rushed over to Kit's body, but she was completely dead. He turned to the Dean, tears in his eyes. "Can you bring her back? I never meant to bring my friends into danger..."

The Dean nodded. "Of course, your highness. Bring her over to the high altar. I'll raise her there."

Leaving Kit in the hands of those who could still help her, Alistair threw an arm around the shoulders of Marshal Brightspan and walked with him to the doors of the cathedral. They held aloft their weapons in triumph, and the crowd roared. Their faces were bloody, they bore many wounds-- but the forces of Canberry and Glor'diadel stood victorious.

 

[Ladybird]

Ooh! Good thing she's in a temple, hopefully with a high priest or two around.

Now that Kit's fate has been resolved in the Story Hour, I can say that yeah, that was the first thing that went through my mind when she died, too.

Actually, no, it was the third. The first was "Argh! I hate my dice!" The second was, "Alas for those old-school critical failure tables..." And the third was, "Whew. Well, at least she's in a place where she can get raised."

 

[Orichalcum]

The group continued pounding on the rat-ogre,

Just for the record, said pounding included a number of glorious charges by Dame Brionna on a warhorse down the nave of the cathedral, each time dealing grievous harm and smiting evil to the ogre with her lance before wheeling at the altar, turning, and repeating ad mortem. ad mortem ogrensis, that is, not Brionnae.

Not that Alistair noticed.

 

[Ladybird]

ad mortem ogrensis, that is, not Brionnae.

I think 'Ad Mortem Ogrensis' should totally be the motto on Brionna's coat of arms