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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3003413" data-attributes="member: 3448">The group returned to Alistair's private chambers.  As they entered, one of the Archducal Guard snapped to attention.  "Your grace!  I have a message for the Captain-presumptive." Alistair gestured for him to speak and he proceeded.  "Dame Brionna, we have received reports of a delicate situation in the south of the Duchy of Canberry.  A large party of drow have been travelling to the capital from the City of Gateways.  They appear to be some sort of diplomatic party; they have been offering praises to his grace all along the road."Alistair turned and glared at Mahler.  "This is all your fault.  You had to tell that drow that an embassy would be welcome at my coronation.""What?  Oh, that's what this is all about?""I can't imagine any other reason for a drow embassy to be en route, can you?"The guard cleared his throat and continued to address Dame Brionna .  "The drow aren't the whole problem, though, ma'am.  They were travelling peacefully enough, until a retired paladin rallied the people of his village to attack the drow.  Said the forces of darkness were walking the land, and they had to be stopped.""Oh, no," said Kit.  "Did the drow destroy the village?""No, Dame Katherine.  They showed unusual restraint.  A few villagers were badly hurt, but the drow quickly withdrew and established a defensive position.  I believe they occupied an abandoned church building.""That has to just thrill the paladin.""No, Dame Katherine.  I believe he's preparing to lead the village in an assault.""I think I'd best go handle this personally, your grace," said Dame Brionna."I agree.  I think you're easily the best suited among us for it.""Do we know who the paladin is?""Yes, Dame Brionna.  A Sir Roland, of the Order of the Knights of Valor."Dame Brionna first stopped in at the archducal coven and asked to speak with one of the more junior mages.  She preferred to avoid any unnecessary encounters with Lady Constance.  After explaining the problem, she quickly persuaded the mage to provide any necessary teleportation.  She next gathered up the Grand Master of the Knights of Valor, a still-vigorous woman of about fifty, who was in the capital to attend the coronation."Ah, Dame Brionna.  You must know that the entire Order is proud of your accomplishments.  When you succeeded in bringing back the prince, and then your elevation to Captain-presumptive of his Guard...  worthy accomplishments for any knight, and all the more so given your years.""Thank you, Grand Master. But I regret that we do not have more time to talk.  A serious matter has arisen, and the Archduke has asked me to seek your help with it."The Grand Master stiffened and turned serious immediately.  "We stand ready to serve the Archduchy in any way.""One of our brother knights, a Sir Roland, has created a serious problem.  He has attacked a drowan embassy on its approach to the capital city."The Grand Master sighed.  "Sir Roland is a good man.  But even in his youth, he was less notable for his insight than for his courage.  And now... he grows easily confused, but still yearns to serve the Light on the battlefield.""Indeed.  I hoped that you would accompany me to speak with him.""As you wish."Minutes later, Dame Brionna, the Grand Master of the Knights of Valor, and a mage appeared in a grassy meadow.  Some two hundred feet away, the meadow rose up into a hillside, with a large church at the top of it.  The church had fallen into disrepair-- even from here, they could see the spire of the church located in the actual village that had displaced this one.  But the much greater problem was the mob of peasants, shabbily armed with pitchforks, torches, and the occasional shortsword, that surrounded the building.  As they approached, they could hear voices calling out from within, in accented but clear Common, "Please!  We are here to honor Lord Alistair at his coronation.  We do not wish to harm his subjects, but if you force your way through the door, we will defend ourselves."A much rougher voice, from the only man among the villagers with proper weapons and armor, shouted it down.  "Do not listen to their lies!  They are evil incarnate, and Glor'diadel commands their destruction!  Bring forth the axes!  Once we have weakened the door with them, we'll be able to batter it in and bring the Light back into that once holy place!""Hold, Sir Roland," cried out Dame Brionna.He turned to face her.  The beard that projected from his mail cowl had long since gone white with age, and she saw an old man, weaker in arm than he once was, but determined to do his duty one last time.  "Well met, Dame Knight.  I fear that I do not know your heraldry, but it is well that you would join us for our crusade...  Grand Master!" He dropped to his knee as his eyes swept past Dame Brionna to the head of his Order.  "I am honored indeed that you have come to personally aid us in destroying these evil doers.  From the combined force of our arms, there will be no escape.""Sir Roland..." The Grand Master began.  "Dame Brionna, the Captain-presumptive of the Archducal Guard, and I have not come to aid your battle.  These drow are not our enemy.""Not our enemy?  But they are evil.  The very nature of the drow is evil, and I have confirmed through the blessings of our Lord Glor'diadel that they have evil among them.""And yet they are not our enemy, Sir Roland," Dame Brionna.  "It pains me, as well, to tolerate evil within our land, but they are an embassy, and one that Lord Alistair himself invited to his coronation.  His Grace would be most displeased if you provoked a war with these drow-- there are many more pressing enemies, and the Archduchy's armies must be kept ready to fight the threats that actually menace us.""And can Lord Alistair's judgment be trusted?  They say he is a wastrel more occupied with chasing women than serving Glor'diadel.  Perhaps his invitation to the drow was part of some villainy.""You forget yourself, Sir Roland.  Dame Brionna travelled for many months with Lord Alistair on his return to Canberry.  And she is a sister knight in our Order.""These drow are here because of their prior dealings with Lord Alistair.  They wished to come out of respect for Lord Alistair, who had previously risked his life to save an innocent woman and her children." If Dame Brionna failed to mention that the literal object of the drow's respect was Mahler, and that they had all risked their lives to save the family from other drow of this House, surely Glor'diadel would forgive her.  "These were not subjects of his, but strangers, simple farmfolk in the lands to the south.  The Archduke is a good man.  He is not perfect and is fallible, but so are we all.  And if you get these good people killed trying to harm a peaceful expedition, your failing will be far greater than any of his.""Even with our aid," the Grand Master continued, "you could not hope to defeat all of them.  And while a glorious death on the battlefield would not be such a tragedy for us, think about the young people of the village that you have led here.  There will be other opportunities to fight for the Light.  For now, obey your Archduke, your Church, and your Order, and let them pass."Sir Roland stared away.  "I should not have allowed them to leave, had you not been willing to vouch for the Archduke.  If he can be trusted, and he wishes them to pass, then what choice do I have?" With an expression that left no doubt as to how hard he found the task, the elderly knight turned to the villagers that he had led, and calmly and earnestly explained that he was wrong and that the people should return to their homes.</blockquote>

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