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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3083214" data-attributes="member: 3448">They finished their search, but without any additional discoveries.  As they were about to leave the room, a nun entered, looking quite miserable.  “Prioress, we have a new arrival.  She says that she needs to speak to the Knight Captain.”Without waiting for permission, a woman of about thirty entered.  She had a manner of command about her and held out an ornate scroll with the Archducal seal at the bottom as she entered.  “I am Dame Agatha.  My mistress, Lady Constance Deepingwell, sent me to assist the detachment of guards you requested.”Dame Brionna carefully studied the scroll; as soon as she knew that Dame Agatha was one of Lady Constance’s apprentices, she knew what it was:  a license granting Dame Agatha permission to practice diabolism within the bounds of the Archduchy in service of the Archduke, with a set of explicit prohibitions against unauthorized animal sacrifices, any human sacrifices whatsoever, training unlicensed diabolists, and so forth.  After she satisfied herself that it was in order, Dame Brionna nodded curtly.  “Very well.  We believe there is a ratlord in the basement.  We will need your assistance, along with the guards, to destroy it.  If we could take it prisoner, that would be desirable, but it is likely too dangerous.”They organized the guards in the chapel, and then charged down the stairs.  As they expected, an eight-foot tall rat-lord lurked below, still gnawing on some viscera torn from the Abbess.  The battle was short and intense.  Dame Agatha summoned several devils and then supported them with direct spells; her magics almost dealt with the battle single-handedly, while the guards served mostly to prevent the rat-lord from charging Dame Agatha, while Dame Brionna and Jacques added a few extra blows to the monster and Ilsbet struck in with magical rays.  When the rat-lord fell, they had not even lost any of the guards, although several had grievous wounds that would require treatment by the nuns above.As Dame Agatha dismissed her devils, Ilsbet looked at the diabolist with respect.  “Your spells and summonings are most powerful.”“Yes.”“Can you teach others how to wield as much power as you do?”Dame Brionna practically spluttered in response.  “You can’t want to become a diabolist, Ilsbet…”“But she is a very powerful mage...”“You must understand,” replied Dame Agatha, “becoming a diabolist is not the same as simply studying other forms of magic.  It involves reaching a deal with a powerful devil.  Becoming a diabolist is not a decision to enter into lightly.”Ilsbet looked unimpressed by this admonition.  Dame Brionna urged the diabolist, “Tell her what your deal is,” confident that Dame Agatha’s deal would not seem very desirable.“In exchange for granting me power during my lifetime and allowing me to summon her minions, I have promised Lilith ten thousand years of servitude in Hell after I die.”Jacques looked at her in horror.  “That doesn’t seem like a very good deal…”  The diabolist looked back at him impassively; if she regretted her decision, she would not say so.“So, you see, being a diabolist is agreeing to become a slave,” said Dame Brionna.Ilsbet made a face.  “I will not become anyone’s slave, no matter what they may offer.”  She turned away from the diabolist, admiration having quickly turned into something akin to contempt.  Dame Agatha smiled.  Recruiting a protégé of a Knight of Valor as her apprentice would have created far more trouble than it could possibly have been worth.Dame Brionna thanked Dame Agatha and the Archducal Guards and sent them back to the palace, with instructions to coordinate with the Archbishop and send new detachments of troops to arrest all of the corrupted priests and nuns.  The Prioress and the other nuns of the Order of the Silvery Veil went back to their daily tasks, while Dame Brionna, Jacques, and Ilsbet conferred as to what to do next.</blockquote>

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