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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: 8474650" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>[Session 77, cont'd]</p><p>"We should check the repository. We never gave it much mind. We must mourn our dead—we lost dozens. And with roughly 15,000 Hanalians leaving the field…"</p><p></p><p>"Your majesty, is there a way to warn the Ecumenical Council of this?"</p><p></p><p>"The Overqueen maintains a Star Priestess of the full blood at the Ecumenical Council’s meeting hall. She could inform them of this plan—the fact that it has moved so efficiently over the last millennium is worrisome."</p><p></p><p>The Captain of the Queen’s Guard accompanies Dame Brionna to the repository.</p><p></p><p>"Have you been in a repository before? Fascinating places. The Eldron would leave parts of their essence lying about, in laen repositories. Those hold some of their personality as well. I think you may be the first human ever welcomed into an Eldron repository."</p><p></p><p>(This isn’t the only one; there’s one in the Steading of Elven Lords as well. (They send a warning.))</p><p></p><p>The Captain and Dame Brionna put their hands on a panel for a few seconds, and then enter. The guardian, which looks like a wraith of light, approaches. “Hail, and welcome to the Master’s repository. What wisdom do you seek from the Eldron?”</p><p></p><p>“I represent Archduke Alistair of Canberry, but I also represent the Light. We sought to defend this place from the Unspeakable.”</p><p></p><p>“I sensed their coming. The blood of the First Comers has always been used for summoning purposes. But there is no blood here; only thoughts and memories and wisdom. Would you meet some of the personality fragments that remain?” Among those the guardian mentions, is an expert in eldritch lore. He “touches” a small crystal plaque on the front of this pillar. “Great thinker, there are those who of come, both of the blood and not of the blood, to speak with you.”</p><p></p><p>“Oh? I sense their presence. Ah! Humans! In… mostly… armor. And one of the young ones. What do you want to speak of? What wisdom can this shard impart?”</p><p></p><p>“We think that servants of the Unspeakable are in search of three artifacts of the Eldron, or perhaps Eldron themselves, that could be used to prevent them from coming into this world or allow them in. What do you know of these?”</p><p></p><p>“The Unspeakable have always sought to devour this world. Three devices were raised, one against the most foul, She Who Must Not Be Named; one against her bed companion, and one against the pale companion who was always the weakest of her. The one to bind She Who Must Not Be Named is the most important. It is a great man.”</p><p></p><p>“There are seven remaining Eldron total in the world. Four in the Larmena Hills. One no longer moves. One deep beneath the seas, south of Khamista—he has come to love the fish and the sea elves more than the land. The last was long-ago taken captive by the Gift-giver, the one who split the race. He refused to choose. Most of us passed rather than choose; some were slain rather than choose. He was the one here. He was taken prisoner by traitors, and taken through the Gates beneath the spider. He is not dead—I would know—nor has he committed himself still. We are a stubborn folk.”</p><p></p><p>“What of this man? Where is it?”</p><p></p><p>“It is a great statue of a man. It would require three Eldron. We always worked in threes, or sixes. On occasion nines—more than that was too much. Even this room seems crowded, does it not?”</p><p></p><p>"What of the other two?"</p><p></p><p>"One was a crystal ball; it still lies with the Overqueen. It would bind the bed companion. The last was never completed, but lies in the labyrinth beneath here."</p><p></p><p>"What of the box?"</p><p></p><p>"That would be a product of the Larmena Hills. It is likely aimed against Her. It was after my time."</p><p></p><p>(The Larmenon Hills were invaded by Sytryites recently, and then dispersed rapidly by an unknown force. We presume that was the Eldron.)</p><p></p><p>"What of the item in the labyrinth beneath us?"</p><p></p><p>"At the time it was being worked on, there were a handful of our younger cousins who assisted us, and it was safe. There might have been beasts—some of my brethren liked to experiment with life energy, to create new beasts that have never been before. It is quite exhilarating—you should try it some time."</p><p></p><p>"Could the bones of the Eldron be used in foul rituals?"</p><p></p><p>"Not to bring Her through, but for other foul rituals."</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna asks about whether we should go into the labyrinth—Alistair thinks not right now.</p><p></p><p>The Council discusses relocating the bodies.</p><p></p><p>The Larmena hills are just east of the kingdom of the Black Isles in Khamista—almost shore, but not quite. Considerable gnomish communities—skilled crafters, some gearworkers, some clockwork mages.</p><p></p><p>"Is there any connection between gnomes and the Eldron?"</p><p></p><p>"Gnomes and the Four, indeed. They love them. They nurtured them from their earliest days, nurtured them at their bosoms. The Four in Larmena think about them a great deal. They always have. From when there were gnomes… and a little before."</p><p></p><p>The Council discusses the fact that the Hanalians were persecuting the gnomes—that might be a lever to persuade the Four.</p><p></p><p>"Only Eldron could finish the device in the labyrinth. The younger elven races," by which he means the Eldar and Noldar, "have lost some of their energy. They could not finish it."</p><p></p><p>He suggests that they seal the repository—only the one who sealed it (or their line) could unseal it. A sufficiently powerful assault could break psionically reinforced laen-beamed high glass, but by the time that assault could be mounted, the war would already be lost.</p><p></p><p>The team goes down into the labyrinth to try to recover the artifact. There are various ornately carved walls, with runnels filled with mithril in elaborate runes. Various pillars hold skulls, or bones—one bone per pillar. In workshops, there is a harp, the most marvelous harp ever, along with a library of books made of metal, then rooms that look lived in. A small figure, like a cross between a bird and a small dog, begins following. Dame Brionna offers it food—it slowly and carefully eats the food. It then stares at them, with its very wide eyes. It thinks a question at them. They think back the device. It thinks of warmth, then of cold, and then of apprehension. It leads them for a while, before stopping at a wall. It then projects an image of them staring at the wall, with hands on their heads.</p><p></p><p>The psion wills energy into the wall—an image of an angelic servitor of Eiru appears, speaks in Elder Elven, and then the door opens. Dozens upon dozens of tools surround the described item.</p><p></p><p>Mechanical figures block the way out, saying a single word over and over again. “Declare!” they say in Eldron. “Friends” the expedition says in Eldar. The mechanical figures let him pass.</p><p></p><p>"Ah, I see you found Fidget. He was made as a companion. He is smart, for a dog. No real magic, but he can change shapes—a common thing, that."</p><p></p><p>"Are there any special things about the harp?"</p><p> </p><p>"It was a work of love for the harpist. It took him a thousand years to make it. It is psionically active. It would argue with him if it didn’t want to play a song. The library—that was mine. I don’t want to be separated from them. But they aren’t doing any good down there. Do you have any scholars?"</p><p></p><p>"We have some students. And we are establishing a school."</p><p></p><p>"Then it is simple. I must go with them.</p><p></p><p>"The books are all on either mithril or adamantium. Some of them bite. The non-mobile ones, you simply take. The 50 or so that are mobile—you chain first, otherwise they might leave. And the ones that bite? There is a mithril and laen handle in my pedestal."</p><p></p><p>Kit comes to the city; and helps gather up the books, plus the researcher, and seals up the repository.</p><p></p><p>The mayor, David Cobbler, surrenders to Kit. (He had previously tried to surrender to the Queen, but she said that he had to surrender to the people of the new Emperor.) Kit asks whether they are all human, but there are some who have fey blood. "There was a small Tor north of here, we thought they would come to our aid, but they didn’t. We last heard of them a week ago."</p><p></p><p>(The Council make arrangements to have the Glordiadelian temple properly consecrated.)</p><p></p><p>Kit sends some people to investigate the tor; it was besieged by Hanalian troops, probably another field army. They would have taken the worst casualties, except that the Masque troops were killed almost to a man. The goblins broke so early that most survived to run away. The fey are shaken—they’re not usually even discovered. But they’re not badly hurt, because their magic was powerful. They survived pretty much intact, because they could hide the hidden doors into the hills, but they’re very thankful that the enemy retreated.</p><p>[End Session 77]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8474650, member: 7030144"] [Session 77, cont'd] "We should check the repository. We never gave it much mind. We must mourn our dead—we lost dozens. And with roughly 15,000 Hanalians leaving the field…" "Your majesty, is there a way to warn the Ecumenical Council of this?" "The Overqueen maintains a Star Priestess of the full blood at the Ecumenical Council’s meeting hall. She could inform them of this plan—the fact that it has moved so efficiently over the last millennium is worrisome." The Captain of the Queen’s Guard accompanies Dame Brionna to the repository. "Have you been in a repository before? Fascinating places. The Eldron would leave parts of their essence lying about, in laen repositories. Those hold some of their personality as well. I think you may be the first human ever welcomed into an Eldron repository." (This isn’t the only one; there’s one in the Steading of Elven Lords as well. (They send a warning.)) The Captain and Dame Brionna put their hands on a panel for a few seconds, and then enter. The guardian, which looks like a wraith of light, approaches. “Hail, and welcome to the Master’s repository. What wisdom do you seek from the Eldron?” “I represent Archduke Alistair of Canberry, but I also represent the Light. We sought to defend this place from the Unspeakable.” “I sensed their coming. The blood of the First Comers has always been used for summoning purposes. But there is no blood here; only thoughts and memories and wisdom. Would you meet some of the personality fragments that remain?” Among those the guardian mentions, is an expert in eldritch lore. He “touches” a small crystal plaque on the front of this pillar. “Great thinker, there are those who of come, both of the blood and not of the blood, to speak with you.” “Oh? I sense their presence. Ah! Humans! In… mostly… armor. And one of the young ones. What do you want to speak of? What wisdom can this shard impart?” “We think that servants of the Unspeakable are in search of three artifacts of the Eldron, or perhaps Eldron themselves, that could be used to prevent them from coming into this world or allow them in. What do you know of these?” “The Unspeakable have always sought to devour this world. Three devices were raised, one against the most foul, She Who Must Not Be Named; one against her bed companion, and one against the pale companion who was always the weakest of her. The one to bind She Who Must Not Be Named is the most important. It is a great man.” “There are seven remaining Eldron total in the world. Four in the Larmena Hills. One no longer moves. One deep beneath the seas, south of Khamista—he has come to love the fish and the sea elves more than the land. The last was long-ago taken captive by the Gift-giver, the one who split the race. He refused to choose. Most of us passed rather than choose; some were slain rather than choose. He was the one here. He was taken prisoner by traitors, and taken through the Gates beneath the spider. He is not dead—I would know—nor has he committed himself still. We are a stubborn folk.” “What of this man? Where is it?” “It is a great statue of a man. It would require three Eldron. We always worked in threes, or sixes. On occasion nines—more than that was too much. Even this room seems crowded, does it not?” "What of the other two?" "One was a crystal ball; it still lies with the Overqueen. It would bind the bed companion. The last was never completed, but lies in the labyrinth beneath here." "What of the box?" "That would be a product of the Larmena Hills. It is likely aimed against Her. It was after my time." (The Larmenon Hills were invaded by Sytryites recently, and then dispersed rapidly by an unknown force. We presume that was the Eldron.) "What of the item in the labyrinth beneath us?" "At the time it was being worked on, there were a handful of our younger cousins who assisted us, and it was safe. There might have been beasts—some of my brethren liked to experiment with life energy, to create new beasts that have never been before. It is quite exhilarating—you should try it some time." "Could the bones of the Eldron be used in foul rituals?" "Not to bring Her through, but for other foul rituals." Dame Brionna asks about whether we should go into the labyrinth—Alistair thinks not right now. The Council discusses relocating the bodies. The Larmena hills are just east of the kingdom of the Black Isles in Khamista—almost shore, but not quite. Considerable gnomish communities—skilled crafters, some gearworkers, some clockwork mages. "Is there any connection between gnomes and the Eldron?" "Gnomes and the Four, indeed. They love them. They nurtured them from their earliest days, nurtured them at their bosoms. The Four in Larmena think about them a great deal. They always have. From when there were gnomes… and a little before." The Council discusses the fact that the Hanalians were persecuting the gnomes—that might be a lever to persuade the Four. "Only Eldron could finish the device in the labyrinth. The younger elven races," by which he means the Eldar and Noldar, "have lost some of their energy. They could not finish it." He suggests that they seal the repository—only the one who sealed it (or their line) could unseal it. A sufficiently powerful assault could break psionically reinforced laen-beamed high glass, but by the time that assault could be mounted, the war would already be lost. The team goes down into the labyrinth to try to recover the artifact. There are various ornately carved walls, with runnels filled with mithril in elaborate runes. Various pillars hold skulls, or bones—one bone per pillar. In workshops, there is a harp, the most marvelous harp ever, along with a library of books made of metal, then rooms that look lived in. A small figure, like a cross between a bird and a small dog, begins following. Dame Brionna offers it food—it slowly and carefully eats the food. It then stares at them, with its very wide eyes. It thinks a question at them. They think back the device. It thinks of warmth, then of cold, and then of apprehension. It leads them for a while, before stopping at a wall. It then projects an image of them staring at the wall, with hands on their heads. The psion wills energy into the wall—an image of an angelic servitor of Eiru appears, speaks in Elder Elven, and then the door opens. Dozens upon dozens of tools surround the described item. Mechanical figures block the way out, saying a single word over and over again. “Declare!” they say in Eldron. “Friends” the expedition says in Eldar. The mechanical figures let him pass. "Ah, I see you found Fidget. He was made as a companion. He is smart, for a dog. No real magic, but he can change shapes—a common thing, that." "Are there any special things about the harp?" "It was a work of love for the harpist. It took him a thousand years to make it. It is psionically active. It would argue with him if it didn’t want to play a song. The library—that was mine. I don’t want to be separated from them. But they aren’t doing any good down there. Do you have any scholars?" "We have some students. And we are establishing a school." "Then it is simple. I must go with them. "The books are all on either mithril or adamantium. Some of them bite. The non-mobile ones, you simply take. The 50 or so that are mobile—you chain first, otherwise they might leave. And the ones that bite? There is a mithril and laen handle in my pedestal." Kit comes to the city; and helps gather up the books, plus the researcher, and seals up the repository. The mayor, David Cobbler, surrenders to Kit. (He had previously tried to surrender to the Queen, but she said that he had to surrender to the people of the new Emperor.) Kit asks whether they are all human, but there are some who have fey blood. "There was a small Tor north of here, we thought they would come to our aid, but they didn’t. We last heard of them a week ago." (The Council make arrangements to have the Glordiadelian temple properly consecrated.) Kit sends some people to investigate the tor; it was besieged by Hanalian troops, probably another field army. They would have taken the worst casualties, except that the Masque troops were killed almost to a man. The goblins broke so early that most survived to run away. The fey are shaken—they’re not usually even discovered. But they’re not badly hurt, because their magic was powerful. They survived pretty much intact, because they could hide the hidden doors into the hills, but they’re very thankful that the enemy retreated. [End Session 77] [/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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