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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: 8266142" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>[Session 42 cont'd]</p><p>We move on to discussing the two armies in the south.</p><p></p><p>Brionna: Mindless humans aren’t subject to morale, or hopeless situations. Is it a magical effect, or some drug being added to the food?</p><p></p><p>Kit agrees to look into it.</p><p></p><p>We have several Rakshasa allies in that area.</p><p></p><p>We call for the Minister of War, the Minister of the Mind, and (just to make him feel included) the Minister of Magic. Varance Tuttle, Grandmaster Petrov, and Dame Viola Tusslefield meet us in the Map Room.</p><p></p><p>Dame Brionna asks about the source of the effect on the humans.</p><p></p><p>Grandmaster Petrov—though it has the sound of coercion, a sufficient body of coercion would require a psionic center that we could detect from here, and certainly the Eldar would have noticed it.</p><p></p><p>K--What about affecting the officers and spreading out?</p><p></p><p>Petrov—would be easier, but still likely to be affected.</p><p></p><p>Tuttle—I suggest we call for Dame Constance, your grace—it sounds demonic to me.</p><p></p><p>We send for her.</p><p></p><p>Tusslefield—do we know the total number of troops in these armies?</p><p></p><p>Yes. We tell her.</p><p></p><p>Tusslefield—even discounting the trolls, it is a force of about 4 field armies. They may have speeded up because the Order of the Falcon is en route.</p><p></p><p>Do the minor castles—the rakshasas and the grey elves—slow them significantly? Or should they fall back to join our marshals and armies?</p><p></p><p>Tusslefield—in my opinion, they should fall back. They might slow them by an hour. But together, they add a legion and a half of men, plus very powerful officers. The Rakshasa may feel that honor requires them to fight. They will certainly send their children to safety.</p><p></p><p>We talk about this. Then Lady Constance and her apprentice (half drowan) arrive.</p><p></p><p>We fill her in.</p><p></p><p>“Yes. That fits with what I’ve uncovered. This alliance we are facing may be playing a very, very deep game. It seems that a very long time ago, there was a different type of demons in the abyss than those we are used to know. They were connected, indirectly, to the forbidden gods, the old, dead gods. As those gods’ hold on this reality was lost, they were weakened. Their most powerful were cast down, and in some cases destroyed. But the wisest of them, including their queen, appeared to accept their new places gracefully. Over centuries, the new hierarchy accepted their groveling servitude, and stopped watching their actions. I believe that they are behind this, for their desires do not match either the rest of the demonic hierarchy’s goals or Borsh’tro’s, although in a sense they match Borsh’tro—destroy the world, gaining power in the process. We think they may actually not wish to let the Old Ones all the way back in, but just enough to restore the power of the firstcomer demons. So there are schemes within schemes. But the one behind this effort to elevate the Abomination—an ossyrith queen whose name, or at least use name, I hope to have tomorrow—includes the power of somnambulance. Those around her servant will have their will sapped, as her demonic attributes enter them, and they are bound to her will. The easiest way to stop it is to kill her servant. But they gain power from her demonic attributes—toughness, resistance to fire, etc. There would be at least 3 dozen in a group this side. They have no great power or defenses with regard to the mind.</p><p></p><p>Could we detect their location from the malign aura?</p><p></p><p>I think I could, with the help of a Farsensor.</p><p></p><p>That would be highly useful.</p><p></p><p>Good. This same being is greatly strengthened by the sacrifice of sentient beings. It is possible that the Abomination is of her making and shares her hatreds, for it is said that she truly hates elvenkind in all of its forms. Should I keep looking for her use name?</p><p></p><p>Is that useful?</p><p></p><p>Only if I can find her true name.</p><p></p><p>Then finding her servants is the priority.</p><p></p><p>Would there be particular value to Rakshasa sacrifices?</p><p></p><p>Rakshasa are spiritually powerful, have much magic, and many have powerful psionic abilities. Plus, many abandoned her puppet and turned to serving the Lord of Light.</p><p></p><p>Lady Constance leaves.</p><p></p><p>Alistair: How would we attack the three dozen if we find them?</p><p></p><p>Kit: some long-range psionic attack?</p><p></p><p>Brionna: We could teleport people in.</p><p></p><p>Kit: but if they are distributed throughout the army, and if they are in the middle of the army…</p><p></p><p>Alistair: so Grandmaster Petrov, what sorts of offensive psionic resources do we have?</p><p></p><p>Very few near my power.</p><p></p><p>What would we need for an attack?</p><p></p><p>Most likely, someone with a psionic focusing device within range.</p><p></p><p>Alistair: How close is that?</p><p></p><p>Petrov: Arrowshot? Perhaps an Eldar or Noldar Paragon level coercer, but I do not think we have any.</p><p></p><p>What about in Forest of Singing Leaves?</p><p></p><p>Very few Eldar, but circles of grey elves might work. But someone would need to bring a psionic focusing device in.</p><p></p><p>(We plan to recruit the Rakshasa for that.)</p><p></p><p>Tuttle: We should be prepared for blowback. The demons are well aware of their weaknesses—it has often led to defeats for them in the past. The elder demons appear to have less of this weakness. If we do this, we should be prepared for blowback. They may manifest, or send other monsters, or something, there, here, wherever the circles are?</p><p></p><p>Are demons permitted to manifest on the Prime without being summoned? Aren’t there agreements among the gods?</p><p></p><p>Demons are not permitted. But those other things are not demons, exactly, are they? If they precede the Compact, and are not signatories, they are not bound by it.</p><p></p><p>We send messages to the Rakshasa and gray elves, asking them to fall back to where our armies are; telling them that the army is coming, that people like them are particular targets for sacrifices, and that it would be a very bad thing for the enemy to be strengthened by killing them; that (for the Rakshasa) we have a special, very dangerous, crucial to defeating the enemy task that we want them to take on, but that we can’t describe until they are with our army; and that Canberry will guarantee their lands to them or their heirs after the war if they fall back now, so they will not be giving up their territory. DM asks for 7 d20 rolls in response. 19, 12, 9, 3, 1, 9, 16</p><p>[End Session 42]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8266142, member: 7030144"] [Session 42 cont'd] We move on to discussing the two armies in the south. Brionna: Mindless humans aren’t subject to morale, or hopeless situations. Is it a magical effect, or some drug being added to the food? Kit agrees to look into it. We have several Rakshasa allies in that area. We call for the Minister of War, the Minister of the Mind, and (just to make him feel included) the Minister of Magic. Varance Tuttle, Grandmaster Petrov, and Dame Viola Tusslefield meet us in the Map Room. Dame Brionna asks about the source of the effect on the humans. Grandmaster Petrov—though it has the sound of coercion, a sufficient body of coercion would require a psionic center that we could detect from here, and certainly the Eldar would have noticed it. K--What about affecting the officers and spreading out? Petrov—would be easier, but still likely to be affected. Tuttle—I suggest we call for Dame Constance, your grace—it sounds demonic to me. We send for her. Tusslefield—do we know the total number of troops in these armies? Yes. We tell her. Tusslefield—even discounting the trolls, it is a force of about 4 field armies. They may have speeded up because the Order of the Falcon is en route. Do the minor castles—the rakshasas and the grey elves—slow them significantly? Or should they fall back to join our marshals and armies? Tusslefield—in my opinion, they should fall back. They might slow them by an hour. But together, they add a legion and a half of men, plus very powerful officers. The Rakshasa may feel that honor requires them to fight. They will certainly send their children to safety. We talk about this. Then Lady Constance and her apprentice (half drowan) arrive. We fill her in. “Yes. That fits with what I’ve uncovered. This alliance we are facing may be playing a very, very deep game. It seems that a very long time ago, there was a different type of demons in the abyss than those we are used to know. They were connected, indirectly, to the forbidden gods, the old, dead gods. As those gods’ hold on this reality was lost, they were weakened. Their most powerful were cast down, and in some cases destroyed. But the wisest of them, including their queen, appeared to accept their new places gracefully. Over centuries, the new hierarchy accepted their groveling servitude, and stopped watching their actions. I believe that they are behind this, for their desires do not match either the rest of the demonic hierarchy’s goals or Borsh’tro’s, although in a sense they match Borsh’tro—destroy the world, gaining power in the process. We think they may actually not wish to let the Old Ones all the way back in, but just enough to restore the power of the firstcomer demons. So there are schemes within schemes. But the one behind this effort to elevate the Abomination—an ossyrith queen whose name, or at least use name, I hope to have tomorrow—includes the power of somnambulance. Those around her servant will have their will sapped, as her demonic attributes enter them, and they are bound to her will. The easiest way to stop it is to kill her servant. But they gain power from her demonic attributes—toughness, resistance to fire, etc. There would be at least 3 dozen in a group this side. They have no great power or defenses with regard to the mind. Could we detect their location from the malign aura? I think I could, with the help of a Farsensor. That would be highly useful. Good. This same being is greatly strengthened by the sacrifice of sentient beings. It is possible that the Abomination is of her making and shares her hatreds, for it is said that she truly hates elvenkind in all of its forms. Should I keep looking for her use name? Is that useful? Only if I can find her true name. Then finding her servants is the priority. Would there be particular value to Rakshasa sacrifices? Rakshasa are spiritually powerful, have much magic, and many have powerful psionic abilities. Plus, many abandoned her puppet and turned to serving the Lord of Light. Lady Constance leaves. Alistair: How would we attack the three dozen if we find them? Kit: some long-range psionic attack? Brionna: We could teleport people in. Kit: but if they are distributed throughout the army, and if they are in the middle of the army… Alistair: so Grandmaster Petrov, what sorts of offensive psionic resources do we have? Very few near my power. What would we need for an attack? Most likely, someone with a psionic focusing device within range. Alistair: How close is that? Petrov: Arrowshot? Perhaps an Eldar or Noldar Paragon level coercer, but I do not think we have any. What about in Forest of Singing Leaves? Very few Eldar, but circles of grey elves might work. But someone would need to bring a psionic focusing device in. (We plan to recruit the Rakshasa for that.) Tuttle: We should be prepared for blowback. The demons are well aware of their weaknesses—it has often led to defeats for them in the past. The elder demons appear to have less of this weakness. If we do this, we should be prepared for blowback. They may manifest, or send other monsters, or something, there, here, wherever the circles are? Are demons permitted to manifest on the Prime without being summoned? Aren’t there agreements among the gods? Demons are not permitted. But those other things are not demons, exactly, are they? If they precede the Compact, and are not signatories, they are not bound by it. We send messages to the Rakshasa and gray elves, asking them to fall back to where our armies are; telling them that the army is coming, that people like them are particular targets for sacrifices, and that it would be a very bad thing for the enemy to be strengthened by killing them; that (for the Rakshasa) we have a special, very dangerous, crucial to defeating the enemy task that we want them to take on, but that we can’t describe until they are with our army; and that Canberry will guarantee their lands to them or their heirs after the war if they fall back now, so they will not be giving up their territory. DM asks for 7 d20 rolls in response. 19, 12, 9, 3, 1, 9, 16 [End Session 42] [/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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