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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: 8651044" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>[Session 114, cont'd]</p><p>Several hours later, the people from the Ministry of the Mind report that they did find a cold forge, way back behind the nethermost wine and root cellars. We ask that they search the whole palace, with wizards and clerics. There is also a matrix screen, with a full array, clearly of ancient elven make and complete. It was a communication array, but is currently completely unpowered. The runes on it are Eldron runes.</p><p></p><p>They travel down to look at it. There are doors even beyond it, but pretty far in the back, there’s a room with stuff that we assume is the cold forge, and off to one side a screen made out of sandstone with crystals in it.</p><p></p><p>“That we never be severed from the lords of crystal.”</p><p></p><p>They speculate that this may be an actual Eldron matrix, possibly linked to the Crystal City Eldron.</p><p></p><p>It’s distinctly connected to west and north, and asleep.</p><p></p><p>Lord Davion and Grandmaster Farsensor both confirm it as an Eldron communication matrix.</p><p></p><p>They shouldn’t be able to manifest here, because “this is the most heavily warded place I’ve seen outside Krashmere.”</p><p></p><p>Kit salutes the matrix, and a very severely dressed elf in robes woven entirely of psionic crystal appears in a three-dimensional image. “I greet you in the name of the Royal House of Canberry.”</p><p></p><p>“Canberry? I don’t think I recall a Canberry, but … ah you are from the old communication chamber. I heard that she passed to the North.”</p><p></p><p>“Can you tell us about her?”</p><p></p><p>“Her commitment was to the elements of the water and of the air. She built a simple dwelling, near the mountains but to the south. A few dozen rooms, and a small keep above, that was her only building, but she warded them well. She never departed her Eldron capacity in any way. We are saddened that she has departed. She was called Windwhisper. She was well allied with the fey, but she would not commit in the war. It was not for her and not for us, the kinslaying. She put wards of every sort. There was one who would have disturbed her work, who sought her attention in every way. She warded against him, psionically, magically, binding herself to the land through the fey alliance. And are the gifts still there?”</p><p></p><p>“What gifts?”</p><p></p><p>“There are crystal golems set to protect her. We are pleased. Her gifts to us still stand as well.</p><p></p><p>“We are the lords of Crystal. We would not divide ourselves in the great war, but we would also not follow our fathers in the path of our projects. We still tend to our people, and we can when we choose still leave our cities. Our cities still stand proud and beautiful and complete. The Eldron could not complete their projects, but we have completed our cities. With time, most of us grew tired of this realm and passed to the West. Those of us who remain attempt to protect our people from the evil to the North; many of our people are among the small folk.”</p><p></p><p>They talk about what’s going on in Hanal.</p><p></p><p>“You may stage any troops you need through our cities. We also have large food supplies that could help. Our reserves are enormous. Also, we must unlimber the vollers. They have not flown since the Second Age.”</p><p></p><p>They explain the situation with the alliance with Paranswarm. They agree that “the Ruby City will be opened to them and to you, and we will prepare our voller loads. Our vollers are well armed and we do not fear humans.”</p><p></p><p>He imparts the knowledge of how to activate the matrix and awaken it.</p><p></p><p>(She also had a defensive matrix; we resolve to find it.)</p><p></p><p>They ask after the one who was pursuing her. </p><p></p><p>"He was a primal incubus, connected to some demon lord."</p><p></p><p>"The Ram, perhaps?"</p><p></p><p>"The Ram was the incubus. He sought her, he pursued her, he found some fool to instantiate himself on this realm, but he could not have her."</p><p></p><p>They ask if he would be willing to provide a blessing for them. He agrees, but says his wife should do this.</p><p></p><p>A few hours later, a voller arrives at the fastest speed we have ever seen. It’s made of crystal, but ridiculously baroquely ornate. She is attended mostly by halflings, but a few gnomes. She is dressed entirely in woven crystal that glitters like rubies.</p><p></p><p>They discuss the shrinking population of the Crystal Cities. "I have argued that the crystals themselves are not conducive to fertility."</p><p></p><p>They discuss the idea of bringing priests of Gunnora.</p><p></p><p>Alistair also discusses bringing them in when the Eldron finish their project, and they agree.</p><p></p><p>She assumes that Caitlyn will not survive because of the twins, but we assure her that she will. She approaches the Empress Caitlyn, and lays hands on her belly, and the air crackles with energy. “I have endowed them as best as I can.” She also blesses Kit’s child, and senses that it is aware, and then opens additional psionic paths.</p><p></p><p>"Upon the rising of the Silver Moon, join us at the City of Ruby to meet with the Council. You will be safe there. All twelve of us will be there. We were over 200 at the time of the Kinslaying, but now we are twelve. We shall have special lembas prepared and the finest of dishes."</p><p></p><p>She offers us the blessing of the brothers, that the one who Creates grants long lives and the one who Destroys offers a quick passage through death into the next cycle beyond.</p><p></p><p>The voller departs with a great deal of light and color and showers of candies, and then when it’s over the walls, it flies away at flank speed. Each of the 200 candies grants a +1 Intelligence modifier to any child who eats it.</p><p></p><p>Kit executes the pattern to wake up the matrix. </p><p></p><p>An enormously cheery voice cries out, “It’s good to be alive! Oh, look at this, it’s a human."</p><p></p><p>They ask the matrix whether it knows where the defense matrix is.</p><p></p><p>“The defense matrix is in the defense chamber of course. You don’t know where that is? Oh… but the traps. It has many defenses. First I’m going to show you where it is, but we won’t open the door until the traps have been dealt with. It shows a map, with a secret corridor on it. You must go through the secret corridor, but don’t open the door. If you open the door, it incinerates everything in 120 feet. There also is or was a great energy gout inside the room that you must disarm, or it will irradiate everything in the room every 22 seconds. Once you have those disarmed, you can activate the defense matrix… maybe.</p><p></p><p>"It will reenergize all the runes in the palace, as well as setting up a defensive screen. It will take more energy to recharge, though. It will take a shielded grandmaster—should be a human. Once they survive the backlash, you’ll be able to talk to it. Farsensing would be best, they have the best chance of surviving."</p><p></p><p>They ask the matrix to scan Southern Drucien for things that it knows that are important that have been abandoned or forgotten.</p><p></p><p>They also ask it to contact the Hastur. It does so, just to open communication and let them know that Canberry has a communications matrix.</p><p></p><p>It explains that we’ll need a Keeper for the defense matrix. A Keeper needs to be very carefully trained and psionically active, but not necessarily strong.</p><p></p><p>There are war matrices in the Crystal Cities; one in the Lands of Lady Jane Peryton; several in the defensive line of the Hastur; a handful in the Noldar necropolises; and at least two among the Eldar, though none in their areas nearby. None of the ones on Drucien are currently operated. Each would need a full Circle to operate.</p><p>[End session 114]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8651044, member: 7030144"] [Session 114, cont'd] Several hours later, the people from the Ministry of the Mind report that they did find a cold forge, way back behind the nethermost wine and root cellars. We ask that they search the whole palace, with wizards and clerics. There is also a matrix screen, with a full array, clearly of ancient elven make and complete. It was a communication array, but is currently completely unpowered. The runes on it are Eldron runes. They travel down to look at it. There are doors even beyond it, but pretty far in the back, there’s a room with stuff that we assume is the cold forge, and off to one side a screen made out of sandstone with crystals in it. “That we never be severed from the lords of crystal.” They speculate that this may be an actual Eldron matrix, possibly linked to the Crystal City Eldron. It’s distinctly connected to west and north, and asleep. Lord Davion and Grandmaster Farsensor both confirm it as an Eldron communication matrix. They shouldn’t be able to manifest here, because “this is the most heavily warded place I’ve seen outside Krashmere.” Kit salutes the matrix, and a very severely dressed elf in robes woven entirely of psionic crystal appears in a three-dimensional image. “I greet you in the name of the Royal House of Canberry.” “Canberry? I don’t think I recall a Canberry, but … ah you are from the old communication chamber. I heard that she passed to the North.” “Can you tell us about her?” “Her commitment was to the elements of the water and of the air. She built a simple dwelling, near the mountains but to the south. A few dozen rooms, and a small keep above, that was her only building, but she warded them well. She never departed her Eldron capacity in any way. We are saddened that she has departed. She was called Windwhisper. She was well allied with the fey, but she would not commit in the war. It was not for her and not for us, the kinslaying. She put wards of every sort. There was one who would have disturbed her work, who sought her attention in every way. She warded against him, psionically, magically, binding herself to the land through the fey alliance. And are the gifts still there?” “What gifts?” “There are crystal golems set to protect her. We are pleased. Her gifts to us still stand as well. “We are the lords of Crystal. We would not divide ourselves in the great war, but we would also not follow our fathers in the path of our projects. We still tend to our people, and we can when we choose still leave our cities. Our cities still stand proud and beautiful and complete. The Eldron could not complete their projects, but we have completed our cities. With time, most of us grew tired of this realm and passed to the West. Those of us who remain attempt to protect our people from the evil to the North; many of our people are among the small folk.” They talk about what’s going on in Hanal. “You may stage any troops you need through our cities. We also have large food supplies that could help. Our reserves are enormous. Also, we must unlimber the vollers. They have not flown since the Second Age.” They explain the situation with the alliance with Paranswarm. They agree that “the Ruby City will be opened to them and to you, and we will prepare our voller loads. Our vollers are well armed and we do not fear humans.” He imparts the knowledge of how to activate the matrix and awaken it. (She also had a defensive matrix; we resolve to find it.) They ask after the one who was pursuing her. "He was a primal incubus, connected to some demon lord." "The Ram, perhaps?" "The Ram was the incubus. He sought her, he pursued her, he found some fool to instantiate himself on this realm, but he could not have her." They ask if he would be willing to provide a blessing for them. He agrees, but says his wife should do this. A few hours later, a voller arrives at the fastest speed we have ever seen. It’s made of crystal, but ridiculously baroquely ornate. She is attended mostly by halflings, but a few gnomes. She is dressed entirely in woven crystal that glitters like rubies. They discuss the shrinking population of the Crystal Cities. "I have argued that the crystals themselves are not conducive to fertility." They discuss the idea of bringing priests of Gunnora. Alistair also discusses bringing them in when the Eldron finish their project, and they agree. She assumes that Caitlyn will not survive because of the twins, but we assure her that she will. She approaches the Empress Caitlyn, and lays hands on her belly, and the air crackles with energy. “I have endowed them as best as I can.” She also blesses Kit’s child, and senses that it is aware, and then opens additional psionic paths. "Upon the rising of the Silver Moon, join us at the City of Ruby to meet with the Council. You will be safe there. All twelve of us will be there. We were over 200 at the time of the Kinslaying, but now we are twelve. We shall have special lembas prepared and the finest of dishes." She offers us the blessing of the brothers, that the one who Creates grants long lives and the one who Destroys offers a quick passage through death into the next cycle beyond. The voller departs with a great deal of light and color and showers of candies, and then when it’s over the walls, it flies away at flank speed. Each of the 200 candies grants a +1 Intelligence modifier to any child who eats it. Kit executes the pattern to wake up the matrix. An enormously cheery voice cries out, “It’s good to be alive! Oh, look at this, it’s a human." They ask the matrix whether it knows where the defense matrix is. “The defense matrix is in the defense chamber of course. You don’t know where that is? Oh… but the traps. It has many defenses. First I’m going to show you where it is, but we won’t open the door until the traps have been dealt with. It shows a map, with a secret corridor on it. You must go through the secret corridor, but don’t open the door. If you open the door, it incinerates everything in 120 feet. There also is or was a great energy gout inside the room that you must disarm, or it will irradiate everything in the room every 22 seconds. Once you have those disarmed, you can activate the defense matrix… maybe. "It will reenergize all the runes in the palace, as well as setting up a defensive screen. It will take more energy to recharge, though. It will take a shielded grandmaster—should be a human. Once they survive the backlash, you’ll be able to talk to it. Farsensing would be best, they have the best chance of surviving." They ask the matrix to scan Southern Drucien for things that it knows that are important that have been abandoned or forgotten. They also ask it to contact the Hastur. It does so, just to open communication and let them know that Canberry has a communications matrix. It explains that we’ll need a Keeper for the defense matrix. A Keeper needs to be very carefully trained and psionically active, but not necessarily strong. There are war matrices in the Crystal Cities; one in the Lands of Lady Jane Peryton; several in the defensive line of the Hastur; a handful in the Noldar necropolises; and at least two among the Eldar, though none in their areas nearby. None of the ones on Drucien are currently operated. Each would need a full Circle to operate. [End session 114] [/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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