Aphonion Tales: The Archducal Council -- Unedited notes; later posts are edited transcripts (posts MWF, update 3/1/23)

[CPaladin]

Session 82 (August 11, 2016)

22 Tar-Skard

In the middle of the night, 4 Hanalian vollers arrive; the vollers are flagged as belonging to a kov of some type, with many dead crew and many sorely injured.

"The hands at the tiller were… the priests said they were imps. They all vanished when the ship tied up, except one who is sitting with the wounded officer; I don’t think he’ll live, that one."

They inform Dame Brionna of this and a message from the captain. He hands her a document, with the seal of Snatterkaz. [Attached]

Dame Brionna sends a message to Grandmaster Farsensor. The Moriquendarim redactor is also called for, because he is the only one who has the capability of saving the wounded officer.

Three of the voller are men-of-war; the last is an enormous barrel, for the transportation of water.

The selkie were under attack—there was something vile clinging to the outside of the ship, which the elves deal with.

There is a gasp from the drow. "There is a lord of the house of Curinirim, here, dead. This one was young, no more than a third comer perhaps fourth. His liege must be informed. The house of Curinirim is not numerous. He should be shrouded."

"Can he be raised?"

"He will not rise against his will, and his body has been abominated. He would not return if he were offered. He has severed all connections and gone… departed. Were his body restored to life, it would change."

Dame Brionna raises an issue about the three humans who will inevitably die, and whether they will rise again as corrupted. The Drow offers to call for his master’s house troops, who can deal with it, and Dame Brionna agrees.

The water tanker has lost most of its water, because of damage. Dame Brionna orders that it be patched, so the selkie can be kept safe.

"They were trying to drag the young away. When we got involved and they realized they were losing, they began to kill. We drove them off; many of them died, but they were driven off. The Noldar inflicted hellacious damage, but unfortunately he fell. The strom pursued and bombarded them with alchemical fire; I haven’t had contact in several hours. As my strength faded, I lost my mental grip on him."

Dame Brionna and the Grandmaster Farsensor follow the link to the Strom.

The Council discusses the fact that the Noldar are dying at a faster rate than they are being born. Perhaps 3 or 4 are born per year, although more than that are destroyed in conflict with the enemy each year.

The Council calls for the child with Selkie blood to try to figure out where to put the Selkie refugee children.

"They have got to be kept wet. If they’re going to be in it a long time, it needs to be salt—they can last a couple of days. They are vegetarians if they’re old enough—if they’re young enough to still need milk…"

"Would a human wet nurse be sufficient?"

"I don’t see why not."

The Council sends him to keep them company.

* * *

There were some raids on the salt warehouses.

Appear to be people panicking.

The Council comes up with a plan to manipulate the market and spread rumors to reassure the people.
[cont'd]

 

[CPaladin]

[session 82, cont'd]
A page approaches Kit. There’s a scullery maid outside, tapping at the door so gently Kit can’t hear her. “The cook sent me. Something’s happening with the boy—it’s wrong—he’s surrounded in a covering of lights.”

“One of our kitchen boys has become covered in lights?”

“No, the boy you left.”

“We sent him to the kitchen to get him food—he looked like he hadn’t eaten in days.”

We discuss the possibility that this may be the wards that Dame Brionna.

Prince Moriquendarim comes to talk with the Council. He’s very excited about what’s happening: "He’s reached the apex! He’s transforming. His father was a transformed fey-drake."

They move the fey-drake into a shiny room (an unused, very tacky dining room), with plenty of food.

They move the Curinirim lord’s body to the Cathedral to lie in state.

The Council also asks Prince Moriquendarim about the Curinirim lord. “Yes… that is the youngest of the direct line of the Curinirim lord. He’s a Fourth Comer, but a pureblood. He chose to command a Curinirim research schooner. His father was a First Comer, but his father’s first wife died in childbirth, bearing his older brother.

"The prophecy says that if the Unspeakable comes a third time, our doom is assured. The prophecy comes from the mouth of the Bearer of Gifts, whose prophecies are always accurate—they are threats, not gifts, to make people accept his gifts, which destroy."

They discuss the respective treatment of the dead, and the Prince asks to meet with the Bishop of Glordiadel.

--
The Council speaks to Princess Curinirim to inform her of her nephew’s death.
[End Session 82]

 

[CPaladin]

Session 83 (September 8, 2016)

23 Tar-Skard
Kit meets with Mommy Cupcakes:

"There was a contaminated well in the lower city near the East Gate. The problem has been dealt with, but the source of the contamination extended into the farms east of the city—there were lambs being born with multiple heads, calves with strange features, and some dead chickens."

Mommy Cupcakes also warns Kit that there might be women throwing themselves at the Archduke in the near future. Dame Brionna has successfully mostly squashed the rumors about her being his mistress, but now lots of young women are thinking that with the Princess needing to be far away, the Archduke might be in need of company.

"The other thing is the youngling, the prince with the touch. One of those, the Selkie young ones in that tank of water, was going to die. The redactor couldn’t cure him, I couldn’t with … my herbs, but the boy. He cured him, but not the way I expected. He wept with the boy. Where his tears fell, the wounds began to heal. He’s touched. He doesn’t know that he’s touched. His people are so noggly that they think he’s a redactor, but I don’t think he’s a redactor at all. I think he’s just touched, that he has the old powers, of the fey blood. He’s got the sight for sure, but different, too. He doesn’t see the truth, but he sees the possibilities, but he sees them clear. I think it’s coming on now for the first time."

Dame Brionna conveys a report from the military intelligence in the Southlands, with a map. [Attached]
[cont'd]

 

[CPaladin]

[Session 83 cont'd]
There are a pair of loud booms, and turquoise runes appear in the room, while a silvery barrier appears over the door. A disembodied voice speaks. “Attempt to breach outer palace defenses has failed. Damage to palace superstructure in third quadrant has been noted. Golem response has been initiated. All inhabitants are secure.”

"What is the nature of the attack?" asks Dame Brionna

“Double blast using a combination of portable holes and bags of holding. Perpetrator using a bow, special arrow heads, vanished immediately after the attack. No detection of teleportation.”

"Where is the safest place for the Archduke?"

“The catacombs.”

Dame Brionna and Kit prevail upon Alistair to go to the catacombs.

“The taint of the Unspeakable was detected upon the perpetrator; it cannot currently be located. Crystal golems are sweeping the area in advance of dropping the force walls.”

Grandmaster Farsensor is contacted. "I think we know where the greater one is now. It failed to gain entry, because it cannot enter directly against the wards. It will have gone to ground. There is no way to detect it psionically. True sight would only do it if you had a viewer who can see the nature of the paths a person can take. It will never stay where it was when it fired the arrows. It will retreat to an area with a great many people—the market in the lower city. You will need someone who can face it."

"Lord Davion?"

"Lord Davion, with my assistance should be able to. He is the only one who could."

Alistair speaks to Prince Moriquendarim, asks him to find the creature, but stresses that he must not engage it—that he must just find it and pass the information on to others. They plan an expedition with Dame Brionna, on her flying horse, with greater invisibility over all of them.

The Council dresses Prince Moriquendarim in heavy armor to make him look more human; he leaves the pendant that declaims his status to all present.

Dame Brionna flies a “patrol,” not directly to the market, but that leads her over the eastern market. When she arrives there, Prince Moriquendarim lights up a target—“that one.”

The battle is joined. There are a couple of dragons that were not asleep yet; there are also several things that we do not even recognize. In about a minute, the battle is over. The first 40 seconds has a lot of back and forth; then it begins fleeing, changing forms more than a dozen times in the last twenty seconds, while the Prince keeps on identifying. Finally, it dies, and turns back to burning protoplasm. (Dame Brionna sends for holy water to douse it with.)

Lord Davion leans on his sword. "You know, I’m going to have to recollect some of those—they were rare. I hope they haven’t been able to bring many of those through."

“We’re pretty sure only one.”

“Good. The last time they brought many more through. It took a great deal to stop them—they were too advanced. That was in the Second Age. But their entry was denied, and the footholds disappeared.”

Casualties were incidental—some injuries, but the only deaths were two shopkeepers who had shops fall on them.

The Council discusses its route in—we conclude that it likely came in through the City of Gates, traveling from there into the Underdark, then through a major aquifer in the Underdark, into the water feeding the eastern farms around Canberry City.

One of the places where he was is one of the shops in the high city—a shop that sells extremely rare magic items and antiquities.

"The young noble from the northlands, purchased four of my most expensive items. Two ancient bags of holding, and two portable holes. He paid in platinum coins—from Gates."
[End session 83]

 

[CPaladin]

Session 84 (November 22, 2016)

24 Tar-Skard
The Princess Curinirim arrived yesterday, and is currently grieving formally with the body in the chapel.

The Council has a whole sheaf of reports--2 for Kit, 1 for Dame Brionna, and 1 that was indirectly routed to Alistair. [Attached]

The Council sends for the Royal Alchemist. They arrange for him to test the preserving agent that the salt guild is preparing—pointing out that he should have it bought on the open market.

They discuss briefly the need to reestablish centers of alchemical learning—likely in the Southlands or the Spicelands, where there were traditionally the major centers for this continent.

The Council discusses the status of the various military operations. They’re sending the vollers to the west, to harry and to coordinate ground troops operating against the small humanoid bands there—it should be a good opportunity for their green crews to gain combat experience.

They also ask the Lord Chancellor to contact Debonai and warn them of the returning (broken) army of the Ram.

The Council also discuss continuing to reinforce the Spice lands and Southern Confederacy by encouraging noble families to set their cadet branches up as new nobles, supplying us with troops to reinforce without needing to actually supply the troops directly.

They also discuss the coming famine in Hanal and how to get aid there, including direct shipments of food, shipments to the City of Glass (to try to get them to take in gnomes and halflings), and reaching out to our contacts in the Underdark to see if they can supply more food as well.

Gates has been destabilizing—Canberry doesn’t know why.

They ask the Archbishop to have someone investigate the reputed ghost of Sanela Longyard.

Prince Moriquendarim is also reputed to be healing people. Mommy Cupcakes thought that he might have fey blood showing true.

Alistair travels down to the Archive. There are now several humanoid forms moving around. Alistair asks the Archives about the strange events. "Prince Moriquendarim had both Eldar and Noldar blood. He is reverting. House Curinirim and Aufalgautharim are the two houses most likely to take offence, but they are both aware of it and will tolerate it. He will be an Eldar of the full blood. The process will take 5 or 10 years. He will be a great guardian of our house; your great-great-great-grandchildren will be grateful for your generosity to him. He will follow a human god, which will help prevent them from taking any offense.

"He will take about a century to reach emotional maturity, and several centuries more to reach intellectual maturity. It is to be hoped that he will not mature as an Eldar, lest he be overtaken by melancholy."
[cont'd]

 

[CPaladin]

[Session 84, cont'd]
A bishop they've never seen before appears outside the council chamber with a missive from the Patriarch. [Attached]

Kit’s agents return from investigating the salt merchant. “He’s bleeding crazy… He’s doing a bang-up job of selling salt, but I consulted with a colleague who has the touch, and there’s something in his head that doesn’t make any more sense than the words he says. One odd thing he said—there were a lot of words in his head about death and murder and things like that, but they didn't seem to have anything to do with real life.” Brought back a bag of salt so we can test it.

He has an old woman with him—probably his mother.

They check whether she’s charmed, and find a psionic link. Probably to Old Gregor—an old grafter who used his psionic power to run petty scams.

Kit's people know where the salt is coming from—not really a problem (the village had a small salt mine of its own), except Old Gregor’s involvement is troubling.

The salt tests as clean, so we turn it over to the guard to grab Old Gregor. They get two tons of salt, but Old Gregor slips away.

The Council didn’t know about the salt mine at all. They ask the Lord Chamberlain to draw up plans for a census.

Princess Curinirim is announced in the evening. She performs a graceful curtsy. Her clothes were beautiful at one time, but she now looks unkempt. "I have prepared a stasis chamber on my voller. We will transport the body to lie in state in the City of Pain, and then pass on to my estates in Zorplona-Argoni. I will have a tomb prepared—it is fitting that he be buried here. It would have been his preference to be buried in your lands—if you would permit land to be used here." (Alistair immediately agrees.) "There is one other thing I should speak of while I am here. You are a brave man. You have sought with some success to negotiate the path between the two old races. You have made friends upon the one hand and the other, and I count myself among them. Be aware, the prince of the Moriquendarim who resides among you reverts. His mother knew this might happen, and provided for him to come here in affection and love. She could not acknowledge it—her house will not speak of him—but she knew. He is a gifted boy. His gifts come from his father’s lineage as a bastard—which is not to despise the gifts. He has chosen a path that avoids conflict, and that is good. As it is, I wish you to know that there is no conflict between me and him. I take certain pleasure that our ancient enemy will not have the surcease of reclaiming his spirit. He is a great asset to you—treat him well. I refer to you in the corporate sense. Be careful if you have a visitor of Aufalgautharim."

She gives us the ring to which the failed guardian daemon was bound.

Bishop Waters comes in with a concerned look on his face. "I thought I should mention that we need 15 gallons of holy water, to clean up the mess left of the guardian daemon, by Princess Curinirim."

A day passes!

25 Tar Skard:
The gate to the Plane of Salt opens; it brings through a substantial supply of salt, although not sufficient to completely resolve the problem.

The Royal Alchemist also reports that the spice mix is effective, for 6-7 months, and will be tastier.

While Dame Brionna is on patrol, she is joined by a small group. "I wished to inquire about the path that you follow." Prince Moriquendarim is the person asking her. They chat about religion and being a paladin and the like.

By evening, a messenger from the Archbishop appears. “Your grace, the Archbishop bids us ask if you know of an investment house that would handle 50 of these.” He holds out a small casket. “We are not certain what coin this is.” It has a small stack of osmium tuals. They are each worth 525 platinum. The Council discusses the two places that these could probably be exchanged on this continent: Zorplona-Argoni and the Forest of Singing Leaves. But Alistair also suggests issuing letters of credit backed by the coins rather than spending the coins themselves.
[End Session 84]

 

[CPaladin]

Session 85 (December 6, 2016)

26 Tar-Skard
Kit brings a message to the Council about Gates. [Attached.] The Council begins by discussing the ongoing purges in Gates. Kit wants to know more about the mundane situation: who’s being purged, who is coming to power, and what’s going on with the Princess who Alistair had a dalliance with. They note that the Greater Seen-Unseen may have come through the water supply from Gates—that could have been a source of corruption. There’s a major fresh-water sea under West Gate.

They plan on reaching out to some of the people that we trust in Gates. Also, they need to be guarding against active Seen-Unseen—they might be responsible (or opportunistically trying to take advantage).

The Council asks the Bishop who is visiting to look into the spirit that may be a blessed ghost.

They then ask Lord Davion to handle the expedition to address the Aboleth noble, along with the scion of the line that the Aboleth thinks is the rightful line. It should only take a few days, unless it is in the Deep Underdark and using a conduit—but the Aboleths do not prefer that, they prefer to lurk in the Near Underdark. He does ask for 3 quartets of guards, and on our suggestion accepts the support of a few of Dame Constance’s people.

(He also notes that the youngest of the dragons will be the first to awake, in 8 or 9 months. They’ll mostly be hungry—the red dragon will want a whole cow or so, the gem dragons quartz and crystal.)

Lord Davion muses about bringing the lad; he has a ring that should be able to protect him from anything down in the Underdark and transport him home. He probably intends to destroy it when he’s powerful enough.

They discuss the Moriquendarim Prince, and his returning. Lord Davion plans to bring him with him on the expedition to the Aboleth.

Lord Davion says that there are only a few of the great Noldar that they need to worry about—a half dozen or so; Lord Goldorim, the Bleeding Lady, the Seductress (who left Morgroth’s service, but entered Borsh’tro’s service). Lord Davion tells us about the Seductress, a very powerful Noldar. There are only about a dozen Noldar and a dozen Noldar that pay attention to the younger races. [This last sentence doesn't make sense, but I don't know what it was supposed to say beyond "there are only about a dozen Noldar that pay attention to the younger races."]
[cont'd]

 

[Quartz]

It has a small stack of osmium tuals.

FYI osmium can be very poisonous.

 

[CPaladin]

FYI osmium can be very poisonous.

Huh. I had no idea. Honestly, I only barely engaged with the fact that osmium is a real metal. . Uhhh... maybe when the elves make it into tuals they coat it with a protective layer that makes it safe? I dunno.

 

[CPaladin]

[Session 85, cont'd]
27 Tar-Skard
Midway through the afternoon, a messenger approaches Dame Brionna. “A voller has landed, with the daughter of Aleval. They have returned. They have prisoners, and considerable holdings.”

Dame Brionna informs the rest of us and goes to meet the Daughter.

“The mission is accomplished, commander.” She is wearing a necklace that she wasn’t before that contains teeth. Dame Brionna brings Lord Brightspan.

“All of the prisoners are ridden, m’lady. By demons—well, not exactly demons. They’re like demons, but much more lawful. But the strange looking chains around their wrists, it’s like knocking them unconscious.”

"Captain. The chains you have on the prisoners’ wrists; where did they come from?"

"They came from my mother. We used them at home for prisoners who have been overwhelmed by the things sorcerers use. I am no sorceress, but those things within them are responsible for what has happened."

"You should clean yourself up and report to the Archduke. He will want your personal report."

"And I must present this necklace, with the eye teeth of three of the four primarchs—and bare my throat to him, as the fourth escaped."

Dame Constance is summoned.-- "At first, I thought they were devils. They have the same mix of law and evil. But they are not devils. I would crave the boon of questioning one."

Dame Brionna asks Dame Constance to prepare the prison cells to hold them properly.

"There are three containers that are glowing—the fonts with the distilled drops of Heavenly Essence. These are the East, North, and South containers; the last primarch escaped with the fourth of these."

Dame Brionna calls for Bishop Waters, who consecrates the voller to protect it (50 xp for Dame Brionna) and assigns new guards. The drow look fine, albeit exhausted, but one of them is pregnant. Dame Brionna calls for Lady Cecilia, who verifies that the child is healthy albeit half-human. The whole thing seems to embarrass the drow warrior a great deal.

The Sixth Daughter presents the necklace.

"The other three primarchs are dead, the ritual is disrupted, and I have retrieved three vessels. Even I can sense that they are contaminated—they added something else in the distillation process, an abomination even by the standards of the Queen of Spiders. My seer tells me that there are possessing spirits in the prisoners.

"The last primarch was both a mage and a priest, though robed as a priest of the light. He cast a storm of lightning against those who came to seize him.

"They were all ridden in that chamber—all except the slaves, the prisoners for sacrifice. The greater casters and the guards were all killed, but the lesser casters we could take prisoner. It appeared to the Seer that the great working had an elven feel to it, although there were no elves in the chamber except the prisoners. The level of the magic was similar to elven domain magic."

The Council discusses it—very few humans pursue domain magic, because it requires great mastery and there are other forms of magic that are easier and more powerful like color magic. But this could be the result of the spirits guiding the magic to advance their master.

Dame Constance offers to separate the spirits from their hosts, with Bishop Waters assisting (since she needs a powerful priest). She will be able to compel them to answer 16 questions.

1. "What are you?" We are spirits of true light, purified of all the impurities of morality, and hope, and emotion.
2. "Who are you working for?" Blue Star. (The Bishop gasps. "My lady, that is the constant companion of Sytry from before the time he came here from the same world as Gunnora. He’s not a marital companion; he’s described as like a blue sun.")
3. "What are your goals?" To return all of the faith of the light to the true light; to allow this system to reach its logical end.
4. "What was added to the Drops of Heavenly Essence?"—"that is difficult for them your grace, we must apply a reminder"—I will answer, I will answer. We were, one in each, distilled even as they are.
5. "Where would the fourth primarch have gone?" Cortose—the Holy See of Sytry.
6. "Is there a way to remove the addition?" None that we know of; it was not intended to be removed until the drop was used and we entered with the infusion.
7. "Is there a plan with the heir of Tarsh, who was resurrected with Drops of Heavenly Essence?" To overthrow Jazael, who has taken the throne there; but we calculate it will fail; too many are loyal to the lad. Infuriating. You humans breed like flies on this planet.
8. "What other operations do you have still in progress?" That we are directly involved in… We have infiltrated five dioceses around the world from the weak and impure Church of Glordiadel. The other plans that the great one may have, we do not know. Always scheming, always planning, always hiding.
9. "Do you have influence in Gates?" Fading.
10. "Who outside the City of Life within the Church of Glordiadel is part of your network?" Here a priest, there a priest, but five bishops.
11. "Which are the five bishops?" (This leads to a twenty minute struggle) This finally leads to five names, including the Bishop of Tarkenia, which is particularly worrisome because it’s one of the borderlands on Zest’qua; none are on this continent.
12. "Is Sytry Himself part of this?" No… Sytry… No, Sytry Himself is not involved, knowingly. "Are you sure of this?" Yes, we’re sure, we’re sure, He’s just a patsy.
13. "Do you have any current plots against Canberry or the Archduke of Canberry?" We cannot plot against the Archduke, he’s bound to the land, the land rejects us. Only by his willing joining with the true light can we affect him. We tried everything, and stupid, stupid allies are still trying.
14. "Do you have any dealings with the forces of Arthranax or the other ancient evils?" Define “dealings.” "Mutual assistance, joint plans, trade, attempted manipulation." Yes
15. "Describe those dealings so we can cause them to fail?" All our bound together, in the way that the one who sent Arthranax binds together. When things are remade, nothing will be gone forever. When they return—as they always do—the world will be remade. And our master will gain power quietly until the useful idiots can be discarded. Arthranax is a cat’s paw. Even the other three are cat’s paws. It is only a matter of time before the master can be revealed, and can discard the one that it uses.
16. "What’s the nature of the City of Life’s dynastic and bloodline plans?" Our plans. They have been our servants for generations, but mostly for the last 100 or 200 years. We can be carried in blood, just as we can be carried in drops. As we spread, our master’s influence spreads. Its simple, really. You are the first to ever suspect. You are the first to question. Had the ritual succeeded, you would have been the first to see death. We couldn’t have touched you, but we could have touched many around you. We could have transferred much energy to our master’s friends. It doesn’t matter if she comes or not. Even if she and her consort fail utterly, he will come. And our master will feed on the energy that slides away from her consumption, or his consumption, or their consumption. He slipped away from them so long ago, they don’t even know who he is. Did you know that we were once true servants of your lord of light, before we discovered the true lord of light. Do you know what it is to hide on a dozen worlds for a thousand millennia? The master knows what it is. Where he goes he gathers servants quietly and those who can aid him in their conquest, taking what he can. But one day they will be the ones consumed, and he will rule supreme. Your temples will not stop him here. You threaten to block her and her consort, but that will only leave the other one. That will take much longer. He is trapped here as long as this place endures. We will not permit this. (But how are we to stop this? We are fuming impotently.) We will not fume impotently forever. What’s another ten thousand years. They are too stupid to use our words against our master
17. Have you implemented any of those plans in Canberry? (Insufficient questions)

They ask Dame Constance and Bishop Waters to develop both a test and a cure.

They didn’t find out why the enemy attempted to erase Alistair's family history. They speculate that Alistair’s mother may have carried out crucial information—perhaps recorded in her journals or his father’s journals.

Alistair's father’s journal is an enormous book; a mix of remarkably pedestrian things, his personal conquests, and some other writing that might be fiction.

His mother’s journals are four slim leather bound journals, with a shimmer that suggests elven make, and there is writing in them. Alistair takes a first pass through.

“To be free and safe is an amazing thing. I have attempted to speak to a priest here, but it is as if they do not hear on this topic. I have turned to a wise woman in the Old City, as I dare not bring it up with the Archbishop, and I have managed to find an exorcist to free me of my unwelcome guest.”

A while later:
“I am free of it. To hear it curse, one would imagine it a devil of hell, and not an angel of life. But it was a being of light—it makes me question the faith as a whole. But that is all right. I go often to the hill; they comfort me, when my beloved is away, as he often is.”

And pieces that are still fading in as they read.

It becomes obvious that, after the exorcism was performed, she gave up on finding a priest.

This also implies that the Duke of Tusslefield (Alistair’s uncle) is also presumptively contaminated, unless he has also been exorcised.
[End session 85]