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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: 8822311" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>[Session 136, cont'd]</p><p>Kit then loops back to her agent, and suggests that she throw a tantrum about the fact that the merchant was sent abroad instead of turned over to her for her investigation.</p><p></p><p>The prisoner is teleported in, and Dame Brionna assigns him a cell and begins an “investigation.” The investigation team quickly concludes that he’s terrified but harmless. He keeps on saying that “he wouldn’t try to kill the King.”</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna then visits him and asks him about the process of the accusation.</p><p></p><p>“Were you planning any contact with the King?”</p><p></p><p>“No, I’m a wheat merchant. They came to my counting room and arrested me, and they had papers, and they wanted me to sign a confession saying I was going to kill the King. I kept saying that I had no plans to harm the King. The only one who would listen was the captain of the guard, but the King’s brother overruled him, and I was to be executed. Then suddenly a noble lady I barely know accused me of theft, and I was to be turned over to her, and then I was told that I was conspiring with demons and to be sent to the Emperor of the South!”</p><p></p><p>“Do you know why the King’s brother overruled the captain of the guard?”</p><p></p><p>“I’ve never seen the documents accusing me! It’s not required by law when you’re accused of regicide.”</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna reports back to the Council, and then opens the packet of documents. There is a note atop them:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: right">I don’t know why, but thank you. I set up the first two attacks to fail. I used criminals, who were already going to die for other reasons, to convince everyone that security had to be tightened. The third attack, however, was from a different source. But these have to be falsified—I know where the first two attacks were coming from!</p> <p style="text-align: right"></p> <p style="text-align: right">[sealed with a signet ring with many quarterings]</p><p></p><p>The documents are clear testimony from various soldiers within the Third Foot—none of them signed by Tewk Bembick directly, but all from officers within his unit. They claim to have seen and heard the assassins speaking directly with the arrested merchant.</p><p></p><p>There’s also an attestation from a priest that he cast zone of truth on the officers who signed the affidavits—that’s troubling, because they either believed it or it suggests the priest is corrupt as well.</p><p></p><p>They send for the Archbishop.</p><p></p><p>“What can you tell us about the new archbishop in Debonai?”</p><p></p><p>“He is a brilliant healer, and a brilliant scholar, and, much like myself, there are things he would rather be doing. He will do his duties absolutely, but I guarantee that he will focus on his own studies, and he will rely on his administrators and aides for a great deal of the business of the archdiocese. I’ve learned better, now, but I don’t think he has yet. Very good man, though.”</p><p></p><p>“That means that his chancery will need to be vetted most carefully.”</p><p></p><p>“Indeed, as I wish I had done earlier with mine. I don’t know for certain why the patriarch chose him—I suspect that he thought Debonai needed healing, so he appointed a healer.”</p><p></p><p>“The Patriarch has a pastoral approach.”</p><p></p><p>“Indeed.”</p><p></p><p>“I cannot criticize that, and yet it also means that for all his personal virtue, the Church also needs to be well served by those who can carry out his will through the politics of the Church.”</p><p></p><p>“Yes, but again, he chooses more for spiritual features than for political capabilities, myself included.”</p><p></p><p>“Does the Order of Zadkiel have any who, while still devoted to its principles, might be more able at administration? They might be able to assist him.”</p><p></p><p>“There are various militant orders associated with it that could handle some administrative tasks. But for the most part… it runs several seminaries, most of the major hospitals, often in conjunction with hospitalers, but its members are not called for their devotion to administration. If you want orderly priests, as opposed to diocesan, who are skilled at administration, you might want the Order of Saint Gavorial or possibly the Society of the Most Precious Light of Life.”</p><p></p><p>“Do you have any, say, capable and ambitious young archdeacon who might be well suited to assist him?”</p><p></p><p>“I can manage a few who I think would be helpful, your majesty.”</p><p></p><p>“We wondered whether you might know anything about the priest who verified these affidavits.”</p><p></p><p>“I can tell you that he is nobly born, and a hospitaler—from a regional order, the Order of Archangel Paithothiel the Healer, also a healing order. It’s a small regional order, from Khamista, but he was assigned here. The crest does not indicate that he’s high nobility, but he is far from home. It looks to me like he was assigned as a regimental chaplain. He would report directly to the Archbishop, because he has no orderly supervisor here.”</p><p></p><p>They tell him about the concerns they have—that the zone of truth might have been false.</p><p></p><p>The Archbishop says that the spell was almost certainly cast from a scroll—a hospitaler assigned as a regimental chaplain would almost surely not be able to cast it natively. If the scroll were deliberately imperfect, a typical priest—especially a hospitaler—would likely not be able to tell the difference, but would trust that the spell had worked properly.</p><p></p><p>Scrolls are typically drafted in scriptoria-- Canberry gets mainly from Debonai and Cese Mai. They arrange to send people who can investigate this, with a young and upstanding Archdeacon (The Reverend Canon Raphael Samal Coppack) to assist the Archbishop of Debonai, an expert divine caster to learn about running a scriptorium (and to then check out the scriptorium of Debonai), and various new members of the “Halo”--the part of the Body devoted to intelligence about the Church.</p><p></p><p>The two orders with large order houses in Debonai are the Order of the Archangel Zadkiel the Merciful and the Order of the Hope of Noon. The reliquary of the basilica is maintained by the Order of the Hope of Noon. And the phial that was wielded by St. Thornwald the Incorruptible to strike down a host of undead, though their human commander, a necromancer, captured him, tortured him, and killed him. The phial was a gift from his elven companion, who was, the Archbishop adds, “certainly not his lover as some people heretically claim!” The name of the elf is lost to time.</p><p></p><p>The Council follows up with Lord Silverleaves, who tells them that Ailwi Tinu`galad and St. Thornwald’s son has chosen a path of elfdom and resides in the glades of the Steading. She has never forgiven herself. She could not reach him, and the necromancers should be glad that the knights reached them first. She was on a voller attempting to reach the necromancers, but the knights beat her by hours. Once she raised their son, she passed to the West.</p><p></p><p>The phial contained their shared and mixed essences as a couple. It can draw down the power of the sun, and it could call to their son.</p><p></p><p>“What could happen if it were sacrificed to the Eldritch?”</p><p></p><p>“I have no idea. I’ll consult the Master Scholar and the Chief Star Priestess in the Steading. And, you know of course, that the House of Tinu’galad is the royal house of the Overqueen. The young elf is her grandson, and Ailwi was her daughter, born in her youth in the First Age.”</p><p>[End Session 136]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8822311, member: 7030144"] [Session 136, cont'd] Kit then loops back to her agent, and suggests that she throw a tantrum about the fact that the merchant was sent abroad instead of turned over to her for her investigation. The prisoner is teleported in, and Dame Brionna assigns him a cell and begins an “investigation.” The investigation team quickly concludes that he’s terrified but harmless. He keeps on saying that “he wouldn’t try to kill the King.” Dame Brionna then visits him and asks him about the process of the accusation. “Were you planning any contact with the King?” “No, I’m a wheat merchant. They came to my counting room and arrested me, and they had papers, and they wanted me to sign a confession saying I was going to kill the King. I kept saying that I had no plans to harm the King. The only one who would listen was the captain of the guard, but the King’s brother overruled him, and I was to be executed. Then suddenly a noble lady I barely know accused me of theft, and I was to be turned over to her, and then I was told that I was conspiring with demons and to be sent to the Emperor of the South!” “Do you know why the King’s brother overruled the captain of the guard?” “I’ve never seen the documents accusing me! It’s not required by law when you’re accused of regicide.” Dame Brionna reports back to the Council, and then opens the packet of documents. There is a note atop them: [RIGHT]I don’t know why, but thank you. I set up the first two attacks to fail. I used criminals, who were already going to die for other reasons, to convince everyone that security had to be tightened. The third attack, however, was from a different source. But these have to be falsified—I know where the first two attacks were coming from! [sealed with a signet ring with many quarterings][/RIGHT] The documents are clear testimony from various soldiers within the Third Foot—none of them signed by Tewk Bembick directly, but all from officers within his unit. They claim to have seen and heard the assassins speaking directly with the arrested merchant. There’s also an attestation from a priest that he cast zone of truth on the officers who signed the affidavits—that’s troubling, because they either believed it or it suggests the priest is corrupt as well. They send for the Archbishop. “What can you tell us about the new archbishop in Debonai?” “He is a brilliant healer, and a brilliant scholar, and, much like myself, there are things he would rather be doing. He will do his duties absolutely, but I guarantee that he will focus on his own studies, and he will rely on his administrators and aides for a great deal of the business of the archdiocese. I’ve learned better, now, but I don’t think he has yet. Very good man, though.” “That means that his chancery will need to be vetted most carefully.” “Indeed, as I wish I had done earlier with mine. I don’t know for certain why the patriarch chose him—I suspect that he thought Debonai needed healing, so he appointed a healer.” “The Patriarch has a pastoral approach.” “Indeed.” “I cannot criticize that, and yet it also means that for all his personal virtue, the Church also needs to be well served by those who can carry out his will through the politics of the Church.” “Yes, but again, he chooses more for spiritual features than for political capabilities, myself included.” “Does the Order of Zadkiel have any who, while still devoted to its principles, might be more able at administration? They might be able to assist him.” “There are various militant orders associated with it that could handle some administrative tasks. But for the most part… it runs several seminaries, most of the major hospitals, often in conjunction with hospitalers, but its members are not called for their devotion to administration. If you want orderly priests, as opposed to diocesan, who are skilled at administration, you might want the Order of Saint Gavorial or possibly the Society of the Most Precious Light of Life.” “Do you have any, say, capable and ambitious young archdeacon who might be well suited to assist him?” “I can manage a few who I think would be helpful, your majesty.” “We wondered whether you might know anything about the priest who verified these affidavits.” “I can tell you that he is nobly born, and a hospitaler—from a regional order, the Order of Archangel Paithothiel the Healer, also a healing order. It’s a small regional order, from Khamista, but he was assigned here. The crest does not indicate that he’s high nobility, but he is far from home. It looks to me like he was assigned as a regimental chaplain. He would report directly to the Archbishop, because he has no orderly supervisor here.” They tell him about the concerns they have—that the zone of truth might have been false. The Archbishop says that the spell was almost certainly cast from a scroll—a hospitaler assigned as a regimental chaplain would almost surely not be able to cast it natively. If the scroll were deliberately imperfect, a typical priest—especially a hospitaler—would likely not be able to tell the difference, but would trust that the spell had worked properly. Scrolls are typically drafted in scriptoria-- Canberry gets mainly from Debonai and Cese Mai. They arrange to send people who can investigate this, with a young and upstanding Archdeacon (The Reverend Canon Raphael Samal Coppack) to assist the Archbishop of Debonai, an expert divine caster to learn about running a scriptorium (and to then check out the scriptorium of Debonai), and various new members of the “Halo”--the part of the Body devoted to intelligence about the Church. The two orders with large order houses in Debonai are the Order of the Archangel Zadkiel the Merciful and the Order of the Hope of Noon. The reliquary of the basilica is maintained by the Order of the Hope of Noon. And the phial that was wielded by St. Thornwald the Incorruptible to strike down a host of undead, though their human commander, a necromancer, captured him, tortured him, and killed him. The phial was a gift from his elven companion, who was, the Archbishop adds, “certainly not his lover as some people heretically claim!” The name of the elf is lost to time. The Council follows up with Lord Silverleaves, who tells them that Ailwi Tinu`galad and St. Thornwald’s son has chosen a path of elfdom and resides in the glades of the Steading. She has never forgiven herself. She could not reach him, and the necromancers should be glad that the knights reached them first. She was on a voller attempting to reach the necromancers, but the knights beat her by hours. Once she raised their son, she passed to the West. The phial contained their shared and mixed essences as a couple. It can draw down the power of the sun, and it could call to their son. “What could happen if it were sacrificed to the Eldritch?” “I have no idea. I’ll consult the Master Scholar and the Chief Star Priestess in the Steading. And, you know of course, that the House of Tinu’galad is the royal house of the Overqueen. The young elf is her grandson, and Ailwi was her daughter, born in her youth in the First Age.” [End Session 136] [/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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