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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3754448" data-attributes="member: 3448">“What can the Church tell us about the recent activities of the Old Ones, your excellence?” asked Alistair.“Several of their old bases of power are active again.  There has been a recent rising of a mountain and an island that were centers of their power in ancient times.  We also know that those that are seen but not seen are abroad again, but we have not captured any.”“Based on what we have learned, we expect an attack on His Grace from one,” said Dame Brionna.  “We were hoping your excellence could give us more information on their capabilities.”“An attack on the Archduke is a dangerous prospect.  By the information in the sealed files, if one of them of any strength in this plane manages to touch a person, it can draw out a copy of that person’s knowledge.  They can transform freely, but are limited to appearing as a humanoid between roughly four and seven feet.  While they use the knowledge they draw out to deceive, they need to update regularly to prevent stale knowledge.  Their most common method of reaching a target is to use sexual congress, if possible.”  The Archbishop either did not notice or tactfully ignored the concerned looks that Dame Brionna and Kit exchanged.  “One of our advantages is that there are usually not great numbers of them.  They position themselves well, but never well enough.”“What sorts of roles have they assumed?” asked Kit.“In the past, they have taken positions as:  the mistress of midlevel general;  a body servant to powerful merchant who directed large amounts of grain;  the assistant to a warehouse manager who could taint a supply of wine; a caravan master; and an artillery commander.”“Do they have weaknesses, Your Excellence?”“In the second outbreak, we determined that they were abroad.  Our clergy obtained a method of shunting them from this Plane.  Unlike any of us, their spirits are still bound to the plane where the goddess of the pale bone is imprisoned.  The people they had replaced instantly became heaps of rotting organs when we performed the ritual.  We have written record under oath that in every case the person’s mimicry was perfect.  None had been suspected.”“Is there any way to reveal them, then?” asked Alistair.“The only known means to identify them is by checking their blood, or rather, as they do not truly have blood, drawing a sample to ascertain whether it is blood or ichor.”“We will need an excuse to check blood samples without revealing what we know.”“Perhaps certain parasites can be detected through analysis of the blood, Your Grace?”“Certainly true,” said the Archbishop.  “Blood examination is an important tool to deal with efforts by the aboleth to infiltrate their agents.”“Perfect.  Our public explanation will be that we have received a report that Quinliart may have recruited aboleth allies.”  Alistair drew his dagger and pricked his thumb, showing the clear line of red blood before wiping it away.  He then proffered the dagger, hilt-first, to the Archbishop.  “I’m sorry, Your Excellence, but we must guard against infiltration within the Church as well.”The Archbishop breathed in heavily, clearly taken aback by the directness of the Archduke, but he took the dagger, drew blood on his arm, and passed it on to Kit and Dame Brionna.  “I will send over four priests with special knowledge to advise you on this matter.”</blockquote>

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