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

[Cerebral Paladin]

Sorry about the delays. I'll try to stay on top of getting daily updates posted, but we'll have to see how it goes.

[Session 28]

Dame Brionna entered the council chamber the following morning with a crisp scroll. “Good news, m’lord.”

“That’s something we don’t hear very often,” replied Kit.

“Yes, some good news would be welcome. What is the report?”

“We have both solved the problem of the Earl of Caligshire and at least delayed the problems of the other orcish hordes.”

“That is good news indeed!”

“Two hordes were approaching the village of Bountiful in the Barony of Bountiful in Caligshire-- the larger was the horde of the Lidless Eye, the smaller was the Gut Rippers. The village seemed doomed. The hordes are not huge, but that was some 3000 orcs. However, a small group of adventurers saved the village. Devin Rollingheath, an acknowledged bastard of the late lord of Caligshire, had returned recently from Enclaves, where he was adventuring, along with a group of companions, including Bernardo Fitrecelli, the apprentice of a prominent mage from Glittertowers; 50 mercenary warriors; and a company of minotaurs of the Bright Hoof Clan.
He and his 90 troops, plus the 100 irregulars of the Baron, ambushed and routed the smaller horde, and then intimidated into retreat, harried, and drove the Lidless Eye off. We will need to follow up on the victory against the Lidless Eye-- our estimates suggest they are unlikely to retreat for more than a week or two, unless the defeat is repeated.”

Alistair and Kit both excitedly chattered about the victory. The orcish situation had been so troubling, and without any good options. The possibility that a free agent would deal with the situation for them was truly welcome.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

“Bright Hoof Clan minotaurs, you said?” asked Alistair. “He must be an ally of Lady Meredith the Dazzling, then.”

“Yes, Your Grace. I thought that perhaps he could fill his father’s position.”

“A good possibility. Technically, of course, the Earldom escheated to the Duke of Furrows, and it is his title to confer, not ours, but I think the Duke would be amenable to a suggestion. We should contact Lady Meredith to get her opinion of him first. I suppose the chamberlain will have means of contacting her that are acceptably fast?”

“We could just have Father Waters use a sending, Your Grace.”

“I know that, but I would rather not interrupt an archmage for a conversation that is not urgent. I would much rather have one of our people contact one of her people so that we can arrange to talk at a time that is convenient to both.”

“Ah. I will speak with the chamberlain about the matter.”

“And if Lord Devin is suitable for the position of Earl, we will need to make it clear that it is a new creation, in recognition of his lineage but not simply an inheritance. We don’t want to be setting any precedents here.”

Dame Brionna looked at Alistair in surprise. “Really? I had thought that we could rely on Your Grace as the precedent. He is an acknowledged son, even though he is natural-born.”

“That’s precisely what I don’t want. We want stable inheritances. Anything else risks war. If you start telling every bastard that if they arrange for enough accidents among the legitimate children they can inherit, we create no end of trouble. Much better to confer the title based on his heroism and accomplishment, making it clear that there is no claim of right.”

 

[Quartz]

Withdrawal symptoms are setting in. I need my fix.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

My apologies about the delays. I've been busy with some other things recently and haven't gotten a new routine writing time going since I eliminated my commute. (I used to write on the train, which got me nearly an hour each day of writing. Now I walk to work, which is much nicer for me, but not so good for the storyhour.) I hope to get back on track soon, but we'll have to see how it goes.

 

[Quartz]

Seriously, don't worry about it. I enjoy the Story Hour, but I realise it's entirely from your benificence.

 

[Quartz]

Le bump!

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

A quick status update: I've been busy lately with work and with writing adventures for AnonyCon (if you're anywhere near CT on the weekend of Dec. 14-16, I encourage you to join us-- more details at www.anonycon.com). I'm unlikely to be able to do any storyhour writing until after AnonyCon (although I might on the plane flights to and fro.) Shortly after AnonyCon, I expect to be able to start getting meaningful writing again, at which point I will resume posting on a daily basis. Sorry about the delay, but I'll see you soon. (Journal of a Licensed Diabolist is still posting on a weekly basis if you want an Aphonion fix.)

 

[Quartz]

Allow me to wield the bumphammer!

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Partly in response to Quartz's bumphammer, I return with <gasp> an actual storyhour post! Just when you thought it was safe to return to the Storyhour forum or something.

I can't promise daily updates, but there should be fairly frequent updates for the foreseeable future. I'll do my best to keep them daily, but life has an annoying habit of intervening. And now, less schedule discussion, more storyhour!

-----

Once Dame Brionna finished up her report, the Council moved on to Kit’s briefing. Her people had continued watching Debonai, and their assessment is that its army was headed directly through the refugee lands. That path would not take it, as the Council had expected, to the Spice Lands, but rather to the region northeast of the Spice Lands.

Kit followed up on her reports with another mindlink to Lady Breena in Debonai itself to find out more details about the army.

<<Ah, yes. I have been able to determine a fair amount, your ladyship. Out of the 20,000 soldiers, especially among the chivalry and officers, there are very many younger siblings and, ahem, superfluous children. I should say that the women I spoke to were very reluctant to give up that information. The more I learn, the more it looks like a land grab. The Duke and other high-up nobles in the army have talked about having a destiny, being meant for something greater.>>

<<Being meant for something greater?>> asked Kit incredulously. <<Isn’t being a duke great enough?>>

<<He thinks he is meant to be a king, your ladyship.>>

<<How significant is the Duke? Does he have lands for his younger children? Our dukes are among the most powerful nobles on the continent, and frequently grant fiefs to at least the most promising of their younger children.>>

<<Yes, of course, but things are not quite the same here. All the ducal houses are landed in Debonai-- some of the lower nobility have titles but no land to go with it, but none of the dukes. Traditionally, younger siblings who are not put in the church or otherwise placed become retainers in their older siblings’ courts. Except for the royal house, there is rarely enough land for a house to divide its territory, even if the younger children were to remain vassals of the older. You should also remember that for its population, the land of Debonai is not as rich as in many other countries. So while a duke is a great lord, he is closer in power to the earls, counts, or other second-tier nobles in Canberry than to the lords of your duchies.>>

<<That would explain why he would view the difference between a king and a duke as huge.>>

<<Yes, your ladyship. The other big thing you should know about is the Bishop. Along with the giant army, there is a bishop without portfolio. He was sent directly from the Temple of Light on Khamista, and then left immediately with the army after arriving from the Patriarch.>>

<<Oh, really?>> thought Kit. <<That is very interesting. Do you have any information on why the Patriarch sent him?>>

<<I believe that he was requested to come by Bishop Cano Flavore, one of the diocesan bishops in Debonai. And the Holy Church is in transition here-- the Archbishop, Ulrich Garand, has only been here for a couple of months. He was reassigned when the prior archbishop was required to retire. None too soon, if you ask me-- the old Archbishop had been senile for years, but you know how the Church can be about such things.>>

<<Of course,>> replied Kit. Lady Breena did not need to know about her limited knowledge of high church politics. <<We’ll look into the church angle from our side. Any success on getting more information about the rioters?>>

<<Not yet.>> The frustration in Lady Breena’s mind buzzed against Kit’s. <<I am still trying to get a psionic friend in to see the rebels being questioned, your ladyship.>>

<<Keep working at it. One more question about the army. If this is meant as a land grab, would you anticipate them attacking an existing realm or simply carving out a new kingdom from the wilderness?>>

<<I do not assume that they seek a war of conquest, but it is likely that their arrival will cause a war. They have insufficient women with them, so they would need to take women from elsewhere.>>

<<Take? As in just carrying off?>>

<<Well, not necessarily by force, but… If they are seeking to establish a new kingdom with mostly an army of men, they will need to get women from their neighbors somehow. If that does not involve them attacking, it may well still provoke their neighbors into battle.>>

<<Right. Thanks for the report. We will continue monitoring the army. Keep me posted if you learn anything new.>> Kit broke the mindlink and reported the conversation to the Council.

With the Archbishop scheduled to come to the palace for a commune that afternoon, the Council spent some time developing a long list of questions, including some follow-up questions depending on the initial answers. Even with the large number of questions the Archbishop could ask of Glor’diadel, the Council had many more questions left to ask, especially with the new information about the Debonai army. In particular, Alistair focused on the risk that this might turn into yet another invading army to threaten Canberry. Still, developing the list of questions also led them to identify other lines of inquiry that were worth pursuing before the commune.

 

[Quartz]

Cue the Happy Dance!