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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: 8831806" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>Session 138 (January 27, 2022)</p><p></p><p>28 Tar</p><p>Kit’s mother has been with her the full time since she went into labor. Jamie is now mostly in the care of a wet nurse—carefully selected for the combination of appropriate very petty noble rank, fanatical loyalty, and high intelligence, to eventually become a core part of the “Jeweled Necklace,” the new Body part devoted to palace intelligence and counter-intelligence. Kit is slowly getting to fully understand the way in which she can use her wet nurse and the rest of the staff to only do the fun parts of parenting a young child, while foisting off the annoying parts to other people.</p><p></p><p>Bishop Waters plans a formal albeit private Enlightening ceremony for Jamie in seven days. Dame Brionna and Lord Silverleaves are the godparents—well, the non-fairy godparents, because the Tor already assigned a fairy godmother.</p><p></p><p>They arrange to send a letter announcing the birth to Lyneham and announcing a feast day in celebration of the heir-apparent’s birth. Alistair also asks to endow a second day of feasting from “Jamie’s father, Alistair,” in Lyneham.</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna reports a military intelligence report that a force from Alberyth, between two to three months ago, intercepted and defeated a force of the enemy—20 human cultists, six ram demons, some drow followers of Quinliart, and the sister of Alvinus, who was captured and delivered to Zorplona-Moriquendarim for interrogation. The human cultists were led by a powerful corrupted cleric of Glordiadel.</p><p></p><p>"For Your information</p><p></p><p>I have just obtained information from an asset we possess in the near Underdark that between two and three months ago, the forces of the City of Abburth (a mixed city of cadet and renegade drow) together with a top unit from the Enclave of Zaploni-Moriquendi’rim ambushed and destroyed a unit containing 6 Ram Demons, over 20 human cultists, over 20 drowan guard, the Lady Sister of Alvinus, the former seneschal to Lord Quinliart of the Aragoni - prior Proconsul of the Enclave and servant of the Eldritch.</p><p></p><p>It is suggested that the lady has been captured and is being returned to Enclaves for interrogation (by now is there).</p><p></p><p>It is also suggested that the drow with her were part of Quinliart’s personal guard and surrendered after her capture.</p><p></p><p>Lastly, it is suggested that the human contingent was commanded by a former priest of Glor’diadel, fallen into service to the abominable - and that he is of considerable power.</p><p></p><p>I wished to let you know directly."</p><p></p><p>Kit receives a report, also from about two months ago. The court of Dame Brenda the Dispossessed had a purge of people who were found out to be traitors, followers of the Abominations. Two grey elves fled and escaped. They speculate that Zorplona-Moriquendarim may have passed on actionable intelligence to Dame Brenda from interrogating the sister of Alvinus.</p><p></p><p>They call for Lord Silverleaves, who is very disturbed. He says that Dame Brenda could provide more information.</p><p></p><p>“She has been in a tizzy since we learned that three of our people were fallen to the enemy, and two escaped.”</p><p></p><p>Dame Brenda is in laen battlearmor, tinted in the color of Redaction. She tells them that they received a report from an unexpected source, and that she trusted it enough to perform the test. One of them was revealed by the test—the traitor from her cousins had somehow managed to create a secret way into Tidbiddle and tempted some gray elves into collusion and then corruption. The other two then fled, taking a war schooner with them. They had already stolen another schooner, that of the Crown Prince of the House of Glyr. He came in a small war schooner, with only his seneschal and a body guard. They entrapped and killed him, and then moved his schooner away. Both she and the House of Glyr assumed he was attacked on the way back to his home, and they searched the land in between, but found nothing. In fact, he was slain and his body hidden in a secret chamber. She explains, "We only found out because our cousins overlooked the bloodfeud and informed us. It was tempting to blame them, as Quinliart came from their stock, but that would be playing into the hands of the Eldritch, who have after all sought to corrupt all, and from our cousins' perspective, he is a renegade beyond all renegades."</p><p></p><p>She is considering turning her prisoner over to Zorplona-Moriquendarim, though she is hesitant. Alistair also suggests that she might consider hiring a unit of Kathroven illithid, who have Coercers stronger than most others besides the Noldar.</p><p></p><p>"Two more schooners together with their man of war is a formidable force facing anyone but the elves. I'm certain that Alvinus can use them effectively. I have indirectly warned trade partners that they should take extreme care with their flying assets, and let me do the same to you."</p><p></p><p>"Indeed. We wanted to make sure that you know that we fear that Alvinus may be boosted by either necromancy or demonic power. We also have speculated-- although it is pure speculation-- that Quinliart may be using redaction to transform him towards being a Noldor."</p><p></p><p>"That would strengthen their hand. The Noldor generally don't permit that because of their beliefs about hierarchy and status, but Quinliart has likely left those behind. He seems to have left every reasonable emotion behind."</p><p></p><p>"Would you be willing to send us impressions of the traitors?"</p><p></p><p>"Oh, by all means."</p><p></p><p>"We worry that they may seek to infiltrate other elven groups."</p><p></p><p>"You are more experienced in the world as young as you are. I assumed automatically that they would flee to their principal."</p><p></p><p>"They might. That would be a bad thing in that it strengthens their capabilities but less bad than them, for example, finding themselves in the Court of Singing Leaves."</p><p></p><p>"It is possible that they may make other attempts. Gray elves are well regarded and well received by nearly all the human kingdoms on the rare occasions that they appear."</p><p></p><p>"It's true. To be perfectly honest we would welcome a gray who had some reason to take up residence here in Canberry City. And that is despite the fact that we have much more power than many human kingdoms."</p><p></p><p>She sends them images of their lives in her court for the past 2000 years. There are plenty of them to send, and they see a cascade of images of the course of their lives. One is female, the other male. The male appears to be a military officer. When the cascade finishes, they're quite sure you would know them instantly even in any disguise.</p><p></p><p>"I will speak to my cousin the Queen of Singing Leaves, and see if I can break the news to her gently."</p><p></p><p>"Might they try to corrupt members of her court as well?"</p><p></p><p>"It is probable that they were able to entice three of mine because my court is larger than theirs. They had secret access, and the abominable offer great rewards. Even so, elves falling to them escapes me. I understand the humans."</p><p></p><p>"We've been told that the last time, essentially no elves did."</p><p></p><p>"I know of one that did." She tells them that one of the Noldor did fall to corruption in the First Age, and almost undid the alliance against the Eldritch. An Aufaulgautharim general realized, and then struck the traitor down with a wrath terrible to behold. The Noldor have either forgotten this or, more likely, refuse to tell this under any circumstances due to the shame.</p><p></p><p>"We greatly appreciate this, and we will do our best to locate and capture the remainder of your traitors." After some mental prodding by Kit, Alistair asks, "I wonder if you could be more specific about how you found out there were traitors."</p><p></p><p>"Lord Moriquendarim sent the Prince of Gwyr back to us after they uncovered a hidden stepping pad in the sub-basement of the Palace of Gargoyles. Once we knew that there had been a way for them to enter the Palace of Flowers here, I began to suspect. I accepted the Mother of Death's suggestion that we perform a test--you may not know that she has developed a spell that can uncover Eldritch taint."</p><p></p><p>"Yes, we've received copies of it."</p><p></p><p>"Fortunately, almost immediately we uncovered one of the traitors. I cannot speak their name to you now. But then we noted that two others had fled the court. At first, I did not realize they fled the court. I thought for a moment that they were so disgusted by the fact that a member of our race fell to this that they had left to be sick in private. But when they did not return within a few minutes, I reached out to one of my guard, and they had already departed in the war schooner. We pursued, and then were temporarily forced to stop and do battle with a great flying cloud of bones and skulls that attacked the vessel, and by the time that we had eradicated it, they had disappeared. We initiated a search pattern with our man-of-war, but we were unable to locate them."</p><p></p><p>"We will see what we can can do in that regard."</p><p></p><p>"I could not bring myself to ask Lord Moriquendarim to commit his man of war as well. I simply could not. I fear the crews would have killed each other anyway. He appears strangely immune to the blood fury. I knew that the great elves could control it, but he appears truly immune. He is effective, but he's very young, very young. I can't imagine putting a mere 157 year old in charge of a major enterprise for an empire for even a moment, but it is what it is."</p><p></p><p>The humans all try to keep their faces steady at this statement.</p><p></p><p>"In any event, he does not need to control himself. He does not need his ambassadors to take an incredibly expensive potion to be able to exist in our presence for a few minutes without deciding to kill us. He simply acts like we were anyone else."</p><p></p><p>[cont'd]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8831806, member: 7030144"] Session 138 (January 27, 2022) 28 Tar Kit’s mother has been with her the full time since she went into labor. Jamie is now mostly in the care of a wet nurse—carefully selected for the combination of appropriate very petty noble rank, fanatical loyalty, and high intelligence, to eventually become a core part of the “Jeweled Necklace,” the new Body part devoted to palace intelligence and counter-intelligence. Kit is slowly getting to fully understand the way in which she can use her wet nurse and the rest of the staff to only do the fun parts of parenting a young child, while foisting off the annoying parts to other people. Bishop Waters plans a formal albeit private Enlightening ceremony for Jamie in seven days. Dame Brionna and Lord Silverleaves are the godparents—well, the non-fairy godparents, because the Tor already assigned a fairy godmother. They arrange to send a letter announcing the birth to Lyneham and announcing a feast day in celebration of the heir-apparent’s birth. Alistair also asks to endow a second day of feasting from “Jamie’s father, Alistair,” in Lyneham. Dame Brionna reports a military intelligence report that a force from Alberyth, between two to three months ago, intercepted and defeated a force of the enemy—20 human cultists, six ram demons, some drow followers of Quinliart, and the sister of Alvinus, who was captured and delivered to Zorplona-Moriquendarim for interrogation. The human cultists were led by a powerful corrupted cleric of Glordiadel. "For Your information I have just obtained information from an asset we possess in the near Underdark that between two and three months ago, the forces of the City of Abburth (a mixed city of cadet and renegade drow) together with a top unit from the Enclave of Zaploni-Moriquendi’rim ambushed and destroyed a unit containing 6 Ram Demons, over 20 human cultists, over 20 drowan guard, the Lady Sister of Alvinus, the former seneschal to Lord Quinliart of the Aragoni - prior Proconsul of the Enclave and servant of the Eldritch. It is suggested that the lady has been captured and is being returned to Enclaves for interrogation (by now is there). It is also suggested that the drow with her were part of Quinliart’s personal guard and surrendered after her capture. Lastly, it is suggested that the human contingent was commanded by a former priest of Glor’diadel, fallen into service to the abominable - and that he is of considerable power. I wished to let you know directly." Kit receives a report, also from about two months ago. The court of Dame Brenda the Dispossessed had a purge of people who were found out to be traitors, followers of the Abominations. Two grey elves fled and escaped. They speculate that Zorplona-Moriquendarim may have passed on actionable intelligence to Dame Brenda from interrogating the sister of Alvinus. They call for Lord Silverleaves, who is very disturbed. He says that Dame Brenda could provide more information. “She has been in a tizzy since we learned that three of our people were fallen to the enemy, and two escaped.” Dame Brenda is in laen battlearmor, tinted in the color of Redaction. She tells them that they received a report from an unexpected source, and that she trusted it enough to perform the test. One of them was revealed by the test—the traitor from her cousins had somehow managed to create a secret way into Tidbiddle and tempted some gray elves into collusion and then corruption. The other two then fled, taking a war schooner with them. They had already stolen another schooner, that of the Crown Prince of the House of Glyr. He came in a small war schooner, with only his seneschal and a body guard. They entrapped and killed him, and then moved his schooner away. Both she and the House of Glyr assumed he was attacked on the way back to his home, and they searched the land in between, but found nothing. In fact, he was slain and his body hidden in a secret chamber. She explains, "We only found out because our cousins overlooked the bloodfeud and informed us. It was tempting to blame them, as Quinliart came from their stock, but that would be playing into the hands of the Eldritch, who have after all sought to corrupt all, and from our cousins' perspective, he is a renegade beyond all renegades." She is considering turning her prisoner over to Zorplona-Moriquendarim, though she is hesitant. Alistair also suggests that she might consider hiring a unit of Kathroven illithid, who have Coercers stronger than most others besides the Noldar. "Two more schooners together with their man of war is a formidable force facing anyone but the elves. I'm certain that Alvinus can use them effectively. I have indirectly warned trade partners that they should take extreme care with their flying assets, and let me do the same to you." "Indeed. We wanted to make sure that you know that we fear that Alvinus may be boosted by either necromancy or demonic power. We also have speculated-- although it is pure speculation-- that Quinliart may be using redaction to transform him towards being a Noldor." "That would strengthen their hand. The Noldor generally don't permit that because of their beliefs about hierarchy and status, but Quinliart has likely left those behind. He seems to have left every reasonable emotion behind." "Would you be willing to send us impressions of the traitors?" "Oh, by all means." "We worry that they may seek to infiltrate other elven groups." "You are more experienced in the world as young as you are. I assumed automatically that they would flee to their principal." "They might. That would be a bad thing in that it strengthens their capabilities but less bad than them, for example, finding themselves in the Court of Singing Leaves." "It is possible that they may make other attempts. Gray elves are well regarded and well received by nearly all the human kingdoms on the rare occasions that they appear." "It's true. To be perfectly honest we would welcome a gray who had some reason to take up residence here in Canberry City. And that is despite the fact that we have much more power than many human kingdoms." She sends them images of their lives in her court for the past 2000 years. There are plenty of them to send, and they see a cascade of images of the course of their lives. One is female, the other male. The male appears to be a military officer. When the cascade finishes, they're quite sure you would know them instantly even in any disguise. "I will speak to my cousin the Queen of Singing Leaves, and see if I can break the news to her gently." "Might they try to corrupt members of her court as well?" "It is probable that they were able to entice three of mine because my court is larger than theirs. They had secret access, and the abominable offer great rewards. Even so, elves falling to them escapes me. I understand the humans." "We've been told that the last time, essentially no elves did." "I know of one that did." She tells them that one of the Noldor did fall to corruption in the First Age, and almost undid the alliance against the Eldritch. An Aufaulgautharim general realized, and then struck the traitor down with a wrath terrible to behold. The Noldor have either forgotten this or, more likely, refuse to tell this under any circumstances due to the shame. "We greatly appreciate this, and we will do our best to locate and capture the remainder of your traitors." After some mental prodding by Kit, Alistair asks, "I wonder if you could be more specific about how you found out there were traitors." "Lord Moriquendarim sent the Prince of Gwyr back to us after they uncovered a hidden stepping pad in the sub-basement of the Palace of Gargoyles. Once we knew that there had been a way for them to enter the Palace of Flowers here, I began to suspect. I accepted the Mother of Death's suggestion that we perform a test--you may not know that she has developed a spell that can uncover Eldritch taint." "Yes, we've received copies of it." "Fortunately, almost immediately we uncovered one of the traitors. I cannot speak their name to you now. But then we noted that two others had fled the court. At first, I did not realize they fled the court. I thought for a moment that they were so disgusted by the fact that a member of our race fell to this that they had left to be sick in private. But when they did not return within a few minutes, I reached out to one of my guard, and they had already departed in the war schooner. We pursued, and then were temporarily forced to stop and do battle with a great flying cloud of bones and skulls that attacked the vessel, and by the time that we had eradicated it, they had disappeared. We initiated a search pattern with our man-of-war, but we were unable to locate them." "We will see what we can can do in that regard." "I could not bring myself to ask Lord Moriquendarim to commit his man of war as well. I simply could not. I fear the crews would have killed each other anyway. He appears strangely immune to the blood fury. I knew that the great elves could control it, but he appears truly immune. He is effective, but he's very young, very young. I can't imagine putting a mere 157 year old in charge of a major enterprise for an empire for even a moment, but it is what it is." The humans all try to keep their faces steady at this statement. "In any event, he does not need to control himself. He does not need his ambassadors to take an incredibly expensive potion to be able to exist in our presence for a few minutes without deciding to kill us. He simply acts like we were anyone else." [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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