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Aphonion Tales: The Archducal Council -- Unedited notes; later posts are edited transcripts (posts MWF, update 3/1/23)
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<blockquote data-quote="CPaladin" data-source="post: 8473233" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>Session 77 (February 25, 2016)</p><p></p><p>Tar-Skard 18 (during the night before dawn on the 18th)</p><p>Dame Brionna is awoken in the night by a gray elf messenger, who asks her to accompany him to observe a battle near the City of Chimes. The Council agrees of course, and she takes a standard investigatory team, her unipeg, and young Lord Brightspan. They aport to a crystal platform, the deck of a very large flying ship.</p><p></p><p>There is an Eldar standing at the edge of the ship, shielded by a guard with a large crystal shield. She is the only Eldar on the ship, clearly the Queen of Singing Leaves.</p><p></p><p>“Dame Brionna, this is a very prompt response, I thank you.”</p><p></p><p>“My lord Alistair wanted to honor both the terms of the treaty and our friendship.”</p><p></p><p>“I do not understand this battle, and I wanted your expertise. Not because this was once an elven city—they could hardly damage the high glass after all this time. But because of the nature of the army.”</p><p></p><p>Elven dreadnought, two men-of-war, and two elven schooners—probably her entire sky navy.</p><p></p><p>"There are humans and hundreds of elves defending it, but they are surrounded by tens of thousands of attackers. Goblinoids, Hanalian regulars, people in animal masks (presumably from Masque), and those—are those not paladins? It is a group of Knights of Truth, wearing the full silver plate regalia they always use and flying the white banner they fly in battle." Knights of Truth are Sytryan paladins. (The Masque force is wearing Ram heads.)</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna asks Lord Brightspan to look through the telescope and see what he can perceive—he sees an indistinct large figure, out of phase, just out of ability to be seen fully. It’s almost like a huge starfish.</p><p></p><p>"Is there any devil or demon like that?" Dame Brionna asks.</p><p></p><p>One of the elves says no.</p><p></p><p>"What about… of the Unspeakable?"</p><p></p><p>A different elf says yes.</p><p></p><p>"Is there a way to drive it out or destroy it? The paladins may not be acting voluntarily."</p><p></p><p>"I could descend on my battle platform. They are fools! You cannot bind the Unspeakable. They are concentrated at the North and West gates. They are not closed—the humans have forgotten how to close them, or never knew."</p><p></p><p>"By the East gate, are there any ancient towers or structures?"</p><p></p><p>"There is an ancient structure—the repository where the essence of the old Eldron were imprinted."</p><p></p><p>"That’s where the real attack is."</p><p></p><p>Lord Brightspan looks through the spyglass and reports that there is a hidden army there, creeping forward. The elves begin to focus there, and that’s when vollers drop out of the sky above them.</p><p></p><p>The Queen orders them destroyed; the Hanalians begin trying to board. Each blast of the energy projectors destroys a Hanalian ship, but there are 60 Hanalian ships. The bulk of the elves on the ground sprint towards the east gate, but there are only about 2000 human defenders.</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna starts incinerating would-be boarders on kites. A few minutes later, Lord Brightspan starts saying, “Uh-oh. That thing is coming.”</p><p></p><p>At Alistair’s suggestion, Dame Brionna asks the Queen to protect Lord Brightspan. She sends him below decks, to “protect” the noncombatants there.</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna detects an enormous evil presence coming—radiating more evil than any of the demons she has met or fought, at an almost visceral level. Dame Brionna mounts up and prepares to charge it. Words form around her mind. “Interfering bitches, we will not tolerate this any longer. A thousand years in the making, and you and your friends disturb it.”</p><p></p><p>“I think it’s angry, Dame.”</p><p></p><p>“It will have to get used to disappointment—especially for its lack of courtesy to one of your rank.”</p><p></p><p>“I see why Alistair likes you—you are a boon companion. I will accompany you.”</p><p></p><p>She reveals herself fully (“continue to face towards the battle”), and Dame Brionna becomes bolstered, while it is revealed fully.</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna smites it, doing 44 points of damage and literally driving it back with the force of her charge towards the ground. The Queen is flying with her on a crystal disk, slashing at it with her laen longsword.</p><p></p><p>(The elven ships are concentrating on the other flying ships; the battle has been joined at the east gate and is fierce; demons are fighting there, but the elves are preventing them from breaking through.)</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna keeps pushing the creature to the ground, praying to Glordiadel.</p><p></p><p>Finally, it crashes into the ground, howling in pain because of the power of the elven Queen’s aura, which is particularly inimical to it.</p><p></p><p>It dissolves most of Dame Brionna’s armor with its spit.</p><p></p><p>It unleashes a wave of taint, which turns the grass into snapping horrible things, and mutates insects, but it cannot affect either Dame Brionna or the Queen.</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna misses her next attack.</p><p></p><p>Six elves from the ground join the attack. One is dissolved by the wave of taint, but the others hack at it. Dame Brionna strikes again, and it is destroyed.</p><p></p><p>The Knights of Truth are in chaos, with some fighting each other.</p><p></p><p>At Dame Brionna’s suggestion, the Queen fences off the area with a dome of ectoplasm. “That was one of the Unspeakable’s servants. They seem to be breaking—was it compelling them forward, do you think? I fear we have lost a schooner. Well, let us return to the ship.”</p><p></p><p>At the East gate, the elves are forcing them back—most of the lesser demons are dead, and some of the attackers broke when the creature died.</p><p></p><p>Battle trumpets sound, and the Hanalian legions start falling away in orderly fashion, at which point the Masque group goes absolutely berserk. The Skald plays soothing music, and some of the battle is calmed. The army at the East gate breaks, and the elves cut them down.</p><p></p><p>Some of the vollers start fleeing, while others hoist white flags. The Strom of Thornbear offers himself as hostage for the safety of his men. The Strom apologizes for this unseemly event, "and would also like to enquire where we are."</p><p></p><p>“Who do I have the honor of surrendering to? And why are we in this battle?”</p><p></p><p>“I am Dame Brionna, the captain of the Archducal Guard of Canberry.”</p><p></p><p>“Good god, did we attack Canberry?”</p><p></p><p>“Perhaps worse. That is the ship of the Queen of Singing Leaves—you may have heard of her.”</p><p></p><p>They send the very confused young Strom below to be assisted by redactors, so that he can eventually be told what the deal is with the Queen of Hanal without causing his mind to collapse.</p><p>[cont'd]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8473233, member: 7030144"] Session 77 (February 25, 2016) Tar-Skard 18 (during the night before dawn on the 18th) Dame Brionna is awoken in the night by a gray elf messenger, who asks her to accompany him to observe a battle near the City of Chimes. The Council agrees of course, and she takes a standard investigatory team, her unipeg, and young Lord Brightspan. They aport to a crystal platform, the deck of a very large flying ship. There is an Eldar standing at the edge of the ship, shielded by a guard with a large crystal shield. She is the only Eldar on the ship, clearly the Queen of Singing Leaves. “Dame Brionna, this is a very prompt response, I thank you.” “My lord Alistair wanted to honor both the terms of the treaty and our friendship.” “I do not understand this battle, and I wanted your expertise. Not because this was once an elven city—they could hardly damage the high glass after all this time. But because of the nature of the army.” Elven dreadnought, two men-of-war, and two elven schooners—probably her entire sky navy. "There are humans and hundreds of elves defending it, but they are surrounded by tens of thousands of attackers. Goblinoids, Hanalian regulars, people in animal masks (presumably from Masque), and those—are those not paladins? It is a group of Knights of Truth, wearing the full silver plate regalia they always use and flying the white banner they fly in battle." Knights of Truth are Sytryan paladins. (The Masque force is wearing Ram heads.) Dame Brionna asks Lord Brightspan to look through the telescope and see what he can perceive—he sees an indistinct large figure, out of phase, just out of ability to be seen fully. It’s almost like a huge starfish. "Is there any devil or demon like that?" Dame Brionna asks. One of the elves says no. "What about… of the Unspeakable?" A different elf says yes. "Is there a way to drive it out or destroy it? The paladins may not be acting voluntarily." "I could descend on my battle platform. They are fools! You cannot bind the Unspeakable. They are concentrated at the North and West gates. They are not closed—the humans have forgotten how to close them, or never knew." "By the East gate, are there any ancient towers or structures?" "There is an ancient structure—the repository where the essence of the old Eldron were imprinted." "That’s where the real attack is." Lord Brightspan looks through the spyglass and reports that there is a hidden army there, creeping forward. The elves begin to focus there, and that’s when vollers drop out of the sky above them. The Queen orders them destroyed; the Hanalians begin trying to board. Each blast of the energy projectors destroys a Hanalian ship, but there are 60 Hanalian ships. The bulk of the elves on the ground sprint towards the east gate, but there are only about 2000 human defenders. Dame Brionna starts incinerating would-be boarders on kites. A few minutes later, Lord Brightspan starts saying, “Uh-oh. That thing is coming.” At Alistair’s suggestion, Dame Brionna asks the Queen to protect Lord Brightspan. She sends him below decks, to “protect” the noncombatants there. Dame Brionna detects an enormous evil presence coming—radiating more evil than any of the demons she has met or fought, at an almost visceral level. Dame Brionna mounts up and prepares to charge it. Words form around her mind. “Interfering bitches, we will not tolerate this any longer. A thousand years in the making, and you and your friends disturb it.” “I think it’s angry, Dame.” “It will have to get used to disappointment—especially for its lack of courtesy to one of your rank.” “I see why Alistair likes you—you are a boon companion. I will accompany you.” She reveals herself fully (“continue to face towards the battle”), and Dame Brionna becomes bolstered, while it is revealed fully. Dame Brionna smites it, doing 44 points of damage and literally driving it back with the force of her charge towards the ground. The Queen is flying with her on a crystal disk, slashing at it with her laen longsword. (The elven ships are concentrating on the other flying ships; the battle has been joined at the east gate and is fierce; demons are fighting there, but the elves are preventing them from breaking through.) Dame Brionna keeps pushing the creature to the ground, praying to Glordiadel. Finally, it crashes into the ground, howling in pain because of the power of the elven Queen’s aura, which is particularly inimical to it. It dissolves most of Dame Brionna’s armor with its spit. It unleashes a wave of taint, which turns the grass into snapping horrible things, and mutates insects, but it cannot affect either Dame Brionna or the Queen. Dame Brionna misses her next attack. Six elves from the ground join the attack. One is dissolved by the wave of taint, but the others hack at it. Dame Brionna strikes again, and it is destroyed. The Knights of Truth are in chaos, with some fighting each other. At Dame Brionna’s suggestion, the Queen fences off the area with a dome of ectoplasm. “That was one of the Unspeakable’s servants. They seem to be breaking—was it compelling them forward, do you think? I fear we have lost a schooner. Well, let us return to the ship.” At the East gate, the elves are forcing them back—most of the lesser demons are dead, and some of the attackers broke when the creature died. Battle trumpets sound, and the Hanalian legions start falling away in orderly fashion, at which point the Masque group goes absolutely berserk. The Skald plays soothing music, and some of the battle is calmed. The army at the East gate breaks, and the elves cut them down. Some of the vollers start fleeing, while others hoist white flags. The Strom of Thornbear offers himself as hostage for the safety of his men. The Strom apologizes for this unseemly event, "and would also like to enquire where we are." “Who do I have the honor of surrendering to? And why are we in this battle?” “I am Dame Brionna, the captain of the Archducal Guard of Canberry.” “Good god, did we attack Canberry?” “Perhaps worse. That is the ship of the Queen of Singing Leaves—you may have heard of her.” They send the very confused young Strom below to be assisted by redactors, so that he can eventually be told what the deal is with the Queen of Hanal without causing his mind to collapse. [cont'd] [/QUOTE]
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Aphonion Tales: The Archducal Council -- Unedited notes; later posts are edited transcripts (posts MWF, update 3/1/23)
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