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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3606116" data-attributes="member: 3448">“And now I guess we need to set up an audience with the Archbaroness of Mandrath.  She may be Paranswarmian, but at least we won’t have to be deliberately rude to avoid seeming weak.  It will be something of a relief to be able to be ordinarily polite to someone.”“Your grace, before we do that, I would like to check all of the items for evil and to have them examined for curses or the like.”  Dame Brionna held out her sun disk.  “Huh.  None of the gifts are evil.”  A more thorough examination confirmed that they were also free of curses.  The shield had a lingering psionic effect, but that was probably just a result of the forging process.  Besides that, the only magic or psionic effects were the ones that the matriarch had described.Before the meeting with the Archbaroness, the Council conferred briefly with the chamberlain.  In response to the Council’s questioning, the chamberlain explained that the Archbaroness was not a member of the Order of the Pure Azure Flame and could not be a member of any of the other orders.  Each order is dedicated to a specific religion and there is only one order per religion.  The only exception to that rule is the Order of the Pure Ebon Flame, which is not devoted to any god, but even that order is connected to a religion of sorts--its members are associated with the worship of the archdevils.The Archbaroness entered in a formal gown.  She wore a thin adamantine chain with silver through her hair and dropping to her belt, with a pin in her colors but not her arms.  Alistair recognized the chain as a symbol of service to the Protector and Defender of the Faith of Paranswarm.  The Archbaroness bowed respectfully, as one sovereign to another, and Alistair returned the bow.“Your eminent grace, I bear greetings from the Grand Duchess of Ergmoth and from the Council of Paranswarm.”“We welcome their emissary to our court.”“There are several things I wish to discuss.  First, there is the matter of a gift that I purchased on my way here.  I was fortunately able to come directly east to here and was thus able to stop in the realm of Hanal.  On behalf of the Council, this certificate represents the purchase and payment in full of twenty men-of-war from the voller yards of Hanal.  These should arrive within a year’s time and with the promise that they will be of the same box as the voller for the navy of Hanal.  Also, in my own name and out of my own funds, I present certificates of purchase and manumission of 1000 halflings from the slave farms of Hanal.  We have transported them to just north of the border.”Even Dame Brionna’s suspicion of the Paranswarmian thawed some in response to that gift.  It was perfectly designed to appeal to the Council.  The vollers would represent an enormous increase in the Archduchy’s air power, with serious strategic consequences, and the manumission of slaves supported one of the Council’s clearest policies.  The Council thanked the Archbaroness heartily.</blockquote>

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