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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3043287" data-attributes="member: 3448">“Thank you.”Alistair embarked on another extended round of small talk, but after only a half-hour or so, Setilina took pity on him and said, “Perhaps it is time to move on to the matter that we brought my niece here to attend.”The Controller of Region 9 looked at Alistair curiously.  “You are remarkably direct, mentally, even when observing polite forms.”“It isn’t very polite to read them, my dear,” observed her aunt, although perhaps with more amusement than criticism.“If I am focused, it is because we have important matters to discuss, your ladyship.  My understanding was that Region 9 has forsworn slaving.  We applaud this decision, and it opens up the possibility of trade with Canberry.  But we cannot trade with those who claim that they have banned slave-taking and yet tolerate the operations of other Zorplona-Aragoni within their region.”The Controller glared.  “I have always believed that slavery is a waste of life.  I do not permit any slave-taking operations within my Region.”“That was as we hoped, your ladyship.  But we have personal knowledge of a slaving operation under the auspices of a Noldar known to us as Drucilla, a close kinswoman of Quinliart.  We dismantled part of her operation, and found that the hag that had been running the operation was her personal minion.  Your aunt identified as Quinliart’s kinswoman the image we drew from the scrying mark the hag placed upon a djinni bound to my service.”Not even Kit could tell if Setilina confirmed this mentally, but the Controller seemed to have no doubt about its truth.  “How dare they?” she raged.  “Region 9 is mine to order as I see fit, and I have forbidden it.  For them to both intrude and violate my express command…  It will mean a war of assassins.”“We have reasons to believe that it is worse than merely slavery, as well.  She has aligned herself with the forces of Borsh’tro.  Our intelligence shows that she works with the Skaven and the remnants of the Abomination of Shur.  We believe that she specifically sought to enslave children with elven blood, to use in a ritual to elevate the Abomination to demon lord status.”“Heresy!” cried the Controller.  She twisted on one of her rings, and a hound-headed, heavily muscled bipedal being appeared almost instantly.  “Commandant, you will prepare twenty battle-barges for an assault on Quinliart’s facility in the mountains.  Equip each battlebarge with a full unit of elite drow troops, and stiffen them with a force of daemons.”The creature, presumably a powerful daemon itself, nodded, growling assent in some unearthly language.  Its lips pulled back, baring a fierce set of teeth as it anticipated the battles to come.  The Controller twisted her ring again, and the Commandant disappeared.She faced Alistair.  “They will be punished for their insubordination.  You have my personal word that no slaving will take place in Region 9 as long as I live.”Alistair nodded respectfully.  “We thank you for that commitment, confident that you will carry it out.”“If I may, I should return to Enclaves.  I have preparations to make for the prosecution of the rest of this war.”“Of course, and we thank you for meeting with us.”The Controller disappeared in a clap of air.  Alistair’s eyes lingered on where her beautiful form had been.  Dame Brionna had noticed the clear effect the Controller had on Alistair with growing horror.  Keeping an eye on the Archduke’s wenching was one thing, and not too difficult as long as she could screen the women that might catch his eye.  But if the Noldar pursued him, what could she do?  Kit, on the other hand, continued to demonstrate the blindspot she sometimes had towards Alistair’s behavior.  She certainly knew that his eye wandered, but she rarely noticed just how often he followed his eye.“You have done us a great service,” said the Princess of the Cuniri’rim. “Neither I nor my niece will forget that you shared this information with us.”  She then stopped talking, but her voice continued in Alistair’s mind alone for another second.  <>  Whether she knew that statement would only increase Alistair’s fascination was the furthest thing from his mind.* * *The following day a flotilla of flying boats descended upon the Noldar mountain fortification near Furrows.  The boats attacked with a great deployment of weapons far beyond human understanding, and then a small army of drow and daemons descended to war upon the survivors.End of Session 7</blockquote>

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