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

[Cerebral Paladin]

Lord Silverleaves simply walked into the Council chamber without pausing to wait for an appointment. A quick signal from Dame Brionna reassured the startled guards who followed him in, and they resumed their regular posts.

“I have completed my efforts to sense the artifacts that were stolen in Debonai.”

“We are glad to hear that, your lordship,” answered Alistair. “Were you able to locate them?”

“I can confirm that the Chalice is in the South. I thought I would be able to sense two of the artifacts, but I can only sense the Chalice.” Annoyance covered the Eldar’s face, as if any task at which he could not succeed was a personal affront. “The others are hidden.”

“How would you hide something like that?” asked Kit.

“There must be a sufficiently strong aura near it, created by a powerful entity-- I can rule out a Noldar, I would have recognized their stench immediately, but I cannott rule out a major unseelie, or the avatar of a powerful extraplanar being.”

“Could the Abomination of Shur conceal the artifacts?” asked Alistair.

“No, not the Abomination of Shur-- it is too weak a power. It could be a cthon or a daemon lord. In any event, the Chalice of Simonea is much further south than the army of Debonai. There are many muted minds about it-- likely about all of the artifacts, though as I said I could not be sure.”

“Muted minds?” asked Kit. “What does that mean?”

“There is some sort of revolving shield over the minds-- it must take a lot of power, or someone very expert. Whatever it is, it is near Shur. Any of those artifacts can be teleported or apported, so I suspect that after the thief struck, they were transported via magic or psionics.”

“Thank you for this information. It will greatly aid our efforts to understand our enemies and also to recover the lost artifacts.”

Lord Silverleaves nodded gravely to Alistair and departed as suddenly as he had arrived.

 

[HalfOrc HalfBiscuit]

Good to see this story back!

 

[Artoomis]

Bump: To encourage an update!

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Shortly after Lord Silverleaves’s departure, the page of the day announced that a scholar-priest from the Archdiocese was waiting in an antechamber. The Council had him shown in immediately, eager to gather some more information about the Order of the Ram before choosing whether to use precious commune questions on it.

As the priest genuflected formally, Alistair cut to the heart of the matter. “What can you tell us about the Order of the Ram, and the extraplanar being which the Order serves?”

“Ah, that heresy. The Order of the Ram has a deal with a cthon, Azazael the Hairy Beast. Azazael is the abyssal cthon of rams and lord of the 433rd layer of the Abyss. Let me see… he has some allies-- some connections with Krezel, demon of laziness and impurity; with Malphus, who commands 40 legions; and with Meripheme, prince of pestilence. There are also connections to the other cthons, of course.”

“Is there a cthon of cats?” asked Kit, looking for a connection to Shur.

“No, there is no cthon of cats. The Catlord is the closest being to such a role, but he is not a cthon. You must be the lord either of a type of vermin or of the verminous members of the species in order to be a cthon. As is revealed in the Book of the Six Dooms, Azazael is connected to the worst aspects of rams, but he also has virility, fecundity, and strength in his portfolio. As abyssal lords go, he is not of great political power-- he has no legions, and his plane is mostly filled with dumb beasts.”

“What is the nature of the Order’s bargain with him?” asked Dame Brionna.

“It is a very straightforward bargain-- the members of the Order are promised twenty years of great fecundity, virility, and strength, after which they die and he consumes their life force-- that is how he remains on this plane. He has maintained almost unbroken residence here for millennia, despite the great cost in energy.”

“When you say their life force, do you include their souls?” asked Alistair.

“No, the soul is a quite distinct metaphysical entity from the lifeforce. Azazael does not traffic in souls at all. That probably makes his deals all the more attractive. Of course, even without trading in their souls, his pact leads many members of the Order into damnation.”

“Where does he live?” asked Dame Brionna.

“I cannot be certain at present. He has made bargains and agreements with many places. He appears much as a particularly stinky satyr might; at one point, he dealt with the pirates of the Kingdom of the Inner Isles, but his bargains have also been struck in Tarsh, in Debonai, and the Utolian City States. Those are just the traditional areas of his influence that we know of-- he may have other, and of late his conduct has been unusual. We believe that he has recently entered an agreement with the Forbidden Priesthood, along with a failing creature in the Southlands, the Abomination of Shur.”

“The Forbidden Priesthood?” asked Kit. “Are they connected to the Old Ones?”

“Indeed. The Forbidden are the followers of the Old Ones. That alliance is more interesting-- after all, he is largely concerned with the material plane, even though he has a plane in the Abyss. The Old Ones seek only destruction, which would not seem to serve his interests. As I said, he has no interest in souls, but he enjoys the excesses of the flesh. He has been known to engage in enormous orgies, drinking vast amounts of alcohol, and consuming many women.”

“Not literally, I hope?” asked Kit.

“No, thank the Lord of Light but, ahem, it is easier for me to say that than to be more direct about such things, especially with ladies present,” responded the priest. “As I was saying, he must think he has some way to fool the Old Ones. Otherwise, he is becoming nihilistic, which we had not previously observed in him.”

“How does he convince people to deal with him? Do they know that they deal with a cthon and a power of the Abyss?”

“Some may, your grace, but in all likelihood, most do not. Azazael is the only abyssal cthon. So he tells them that he is just a cthon, not an abyssal figure. Dealing with a cthon is certainly contrary to the teachings of the Church, but it does not have the clear depravity that a deal with the Abyss would.”

“Most cthons are not abyssal?” asked Alistair in surprise. “I had assumed they all were, as the Abomination of Shur is abyssal and could have become a cthon.”

“That would have been only the second abyssal cthon, a master of mangy and verminous cats. But it chose not to assume that role, for its own deranged reasons, and thus Azazael remains the only abyssal cthon. All cthons are somewhat unsavory, but he is the only one that is also an abyssal lord.”

The Council thanked and dismissed the priest.

 

[Artoomis]

Bump - just hoping for an update soon.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

In preparation for the Archbishop’s commune, the Council asked the Sixth Daughter to examine the private chapel thoroughly for listening devices. It wouldn’t do to tip Canberry’s hand right as it gained new information about its strategic situation. After a half-hour of searching, the Sixth Daughter returned to the Council, bowed, and reported that there were no listening devices, but that she had discovered a hidden chamber directly below the high altar. With Kit watching, she carefully opened it, revealing a small alcove containing a heavy book. Kit puzzled through the words on the first page and brought it back to the rest of the Council. The tome was the private log of Bishop Williams, recording his tenure as royal chaplain. After a short discussion in which Dame Brionna stressed the importance of preserving confessional confidences while Alistair and Kit focused on the need to recover any strategically useful information yet preserve the Archduchy’s secrets, they settled on a plan. They passed the book on to Father Waters, with instructions to prepare a confidential report of the most important information. They all agreed that they could rely on his discretion.

After the formalities of greeting the Archbishop, the Council accompanied him into the private chapel. He prayed long over the altar, chanted an elaborate invocation, and then nodded to the Council. Alistair began asking the questions that they had carefully drafted in advance.

“Will the army from Debonai attack Canberry?”

“No,” said the Archbishop, his normally carefully modulated voice replaced with a monotone trance as Glor’diadel spoke through him.

“Is the army from Debonai planning on establishing a new kingdom?”

“Yes.”

“Is Cano Flavore a loyal servant of Glor’diadel?”

“Yes.”

“Is Ulrich Garand a loyal servant of Glor’diadel?”

“Yes.”

“Is the bishop without portfolio traveling with the army of Debonai a loyal servant of Glor’diadel?”

“Stupid but loyal.”

The Council chuckled at that response. Apparently Glor’diadel had a sense of humor. Alistair continued, “Will the orcish hordes attack the army of Debonai?”

“No.”

“Is the woman the Duke of Snatterkaz has rescued Princess Anastasia?”

“No, only her body.”

“Can her mind be recovered?”

“Yes.”

“Does Duke Edelford know that he has made a deal with an abyssal creature?”

“No.”

“Could he be persuaded to attack Azazael by informing him of what Azazael is?”

“Briefly.”

“If Duke Edelford and the other members of the Order of the Ram were eliminated, could Canberry take control of that army?”

“Unclear.”

“Is the Seachen army in league with the Abomination of Shur?”

“No.”

“Would Alistair marrying Kaitlyn be a good thing?”

“Yes; quick heirs.”

“Are any of Kaitlyn’s close advisors or associates a significant threat to Canberry?”

“No.”

“Are there multiple active Alistair imposters?”

“Two.”

“Are either of them a here’ku?”

“One.”

“Is the Abomination of Shur connected to the recent rise of the Old Ones?”

“Yes.”

“Were the Unseelie behind the theft of the relics of Debonai?”

“Yes.”

“In order to restore Anastasia’s mind, should Duke Snatterkaz remain in the South?”

“No; extraction requires stealth.” The Archbishop blinked rapidly. “That concludes the commune. Blessed be Glor’diadel, whose Light guides us on our way.”

Alistair and Dame Brionna automatically responded to the formula, answering “Blessed be Glor’diadel,” while Kit joined in a half beat after the others.

 

[Quartz]

Joy!

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Another short update:

----

“I hope that those answers will aid the Archduchy.”

“Indeed. There is much for us to discuss in what Glor’diadel has revealed.”

“I just wish we knew more about how to restore Princess Anastasia’s mind,” added Kit. “We know it takes stealth, but that still leaves a lot for us to figure out.”

“Perhaps we could ask Glor’diadel for a little more guidance?” suggested Dame Brionna. “Now that we have something more of a focus, a divination might work.”

“If the Archbishop thinks it is wise,” responded Alistair. “We would not wish to anger Lord Glor’diadel by relying too much on his counsel.”

“The gods can be frustrated by too frequent inquiries, your grace, but I do not think the Lord of Light would begrudge a single additional question. What would you have me ask?”

After some more discussion of the precise formulation, Alistair said, “What should we do to recover Anastasia’s mind?”

The Archbishop swung the incense censor again, and cast another spell as the cloud of scented smoke engulfed him. He repeated the question and then his voice changed again. “Send those well versed in stealth and action to the Black Isle,” he intoned. As the incense dissipated, he bowed. “With that, your grace, I believe I should depart.”

The Council thanked him profusely and discussed what they had learned, and what they needed to do about it.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

One of their conclusions was that they needed to inform the ambassador from the Seelie Fey of the involvement of the Unseelie with their enemies. They found him in the garden, continuing to speak with and encourage the growth of the plants.

The ambassador looked up with a smile. “Greetings, the beauty of the day is brightened by your presence.”

“Greetings to you as well, Flower Lord. We regret that we have grave matters to discuss.”

“Is this more news of the orcish hordes? We have been harrying your enemies, but they are more difficult to intimidate than their kind usually are.”

“We thank you for your assistance in that matter. We would appreciate any further aid you can give greatly. Our allies have broken the morale of one of the hordes-- the Lidless Eye-- but further efforts by your troops may have great effect in preventing them from rallying.”

“If they are broken, the knights of the local Tor may make short work of them. They are a vile clan-- we have long known of their depredations. You may rely on us.”

“For that, you have our thanks. But the matter that brings us here is rather more troubling: Unseelie Fey have formed an alliance with a creature known as the Abomination of Shur and various demon lords. We do not know the full extent of their plans, but they have stolen mighty relics of Glor’diadel and provided much support to the Abomination.”

“We knew of the plots of the Abomination-- a foul creature, although not worthy of great concern to us. But the Court of Winter aids it? Word will go out to all the fey of the South. This is an alliance that must attract our attention and our actions.” The Ambassador’s placid demeanor gave way to boldness and anger. “It could strengthen the Unseelie greatly; this cannot be allowed. We are pleased that you have told us of this. The Council of the Great Court will be particularly pleased to have been told of this, as will the Queen.”

“We are honored to have been of service.”

“I assure you, we will not soon forget this service. If I may, I must contact the Council.”

The Council left the Sidhe lord to his psionic efforts. The ambassador seemed utterly oblivious to the fact that Canberry might have had its own goals in informing the Seelie of the enemy alliance, and the Council felt no need to enlighten him.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

Later that afternoon, a minor chamberlain informed the Council that Lady Meredith the Dazzling wished to speak with them via a projection at a specified time. They duly cleared their schedule, and she appeared in an illusion that could not be distinguished from actual presence except that it did not trip their wards.

“You wished to speak with me, your grace?”

“Indeed. I wondered of your opinion of young lord Devin Rollingheath. He has done some great services for us in the Duchy of Furrows, and by his minotaur companions we could infer that he had some connection to you.”

“He handled some sensitive issues for me in the far north, near the holdings of Lady Jane Peryton. She did not lose her lands in the recent invasion, and he both provided support to her and dealt with some other matters. That situation has now stabilized to some extent, whereas some matters in your region have not, so I provided him some additional support while suggesting that he might turn his eyes back to the South.”

“We are considering putting him forward as a possibility to fill a vacancy in our vassal’s vassals, particularly if he continues to score victories against the orcs. Would you consider him a worthy choice?”

“He is loyal and bright. If he survives the next couple of years, he will do well.” Lady Meredith paused for a moment as she thought of her own concerns. “I do hope the mage with him survives-- his master is a member of the Council. But yes, I should say he would be a reasonable choice for such a position.”

“We thank you for your counsel, wise as always. We will encourage them further and provide such support as we can. Glor’diadel willing, none of the principal members of his group will perish, but it is a hazardous situation. Beyond that, I can but assure you that we would seek to recover and raise any bodies if they do not survive and are not mutilated beyond resurrection.”

“I understand. We did not encourage them to address the situation without an awareness of the dangers they would face. I simply shared the additional reason I have for some concerns. If I have addressed your questions?” When Alistair nodded, Lady Meredith made the smallest gesture and disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.