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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 898430" data-attributes="member: 8530">Game #16 - 5/18/03The game begins with the DM’s wife taking a half gallon of ‘Forbidden Chocolate Explosion’ ice cream out of the freezer, to get herself a bowl of it.   She discovers the box is almost empty and begins to berate her husband for having gotten into it.   The other players conclude that this particular flavor of ice cream gets its name because “He is forbidden to have it, and she explodes when she catches him.”Chapter 49, “The Royal Meeting,” July 11th, 1019, 12:00 A.M. A midnight meeting is held at the Ancient Keep.   At the conference table is Queen Jennifer.  Seated on one side of the table are her five military advisors: Generals Aaron, Mojo, and Teakas, plus Admirals Kindor and Matthan.   On the opposite side of the table Jawlt Council Members Ki-Geloryn, Lannon, Narg and Serita, plus the priest Timothy.   The Queen is wearing her Assassin Detection sword, and she then has Timothy check the alignment auras of everyone present, to confirm their identities.  Matthan is glaring at the Silver Moon Adventurers present, to which Narg replies “What are you looking at?”   Matthan points to the Jawlt Council Members and states “They are not the Queen’s military leaders, they shouldn’t be here.”   Kindor interjects “Matthan, Show them some respect.  For the second night in a row they’ve kept your miserable little hide from being assassinated.”  Serita says “Let’s stop doing that.”   Mojo begins to say something, but is silenced by a stony stare from the Queen who mouths the words “Shut Up” at him. Jennifer restores the meeting to order, telling everyone to calm down.   She then turns the floor over to Kindor, who informs everyone assembled about the ILA convention, that Hiroshi and Melito are designated targets, and that Tenbar and the guest Grediwal Llyr are possible targets.   He then announces “We have also uncovered others are in the city planning assassinations of their own, hoping to have the ILA get blamed.   One of these plots is against the Queen, the other against the King.”   The Queen states “Yes, and Matthan, both of these other plots have been initiated by the people who you appointed as the Regents of your Lordholdings, namely my two rivals for your hand.   Lady Darlene is involved in the plot to kill you, while Lady Annette is trying to kill me.   “Gee Matthan, you sure can pick’em,” Serita comments.    Narg asks the King “Is there any kind of dog you won’t lie down with?”  As an afterthought he turns to Jennifer and adds “No offense Queenie.”   Kindor continues, stating “We have caught and questioned two of their co-conspirators.   Apparently Lady Annette, for some reason I can’t fathom, is in love with you Matthan and wishes the Queen to be out of the way.   Her boss Pamela disagrees, and sent the others to stop her.  Pamela also instructed them to assassinate you.”  He then slides a metal vial across the table to the King, instructing him to open it very carefully.   The King does so, seeing that it is filled with a clear granule substance. Kindor continues “The vial contains a lethal poison known as Zedradine.   A day ago we arrested your friend Lady Antoinette Khorram.   While you and her husband were at the dinner I had their lodgings searched, which is where we found that along with a variety of other things.   We’ve now questioned her again, and it turns out that she is a Priestess of Loviatar.  That big gaudy gold ring of hers is hollow, and she was planning to use it to add the poison to your beverage during the meal tonight, per the instruction of your former top advisor, the High Priestess Pamela.”   Serita shakes her head, and says “Matthan, you are an absolute schmuck!”  Narg then tells him “You continue to surround yourself with the scum of the earth.  How can you be the King if you are as dumb as a stump?”“Enough!” the Queen states.  She then turns to her husband and asks “How did you get involved with the Khorrams?”  Matthan meekly replies “I was in desperate need of Lord Khorram’s assistance.   At the coronation it was announced that a counterfeiting ring existed on the continent.   I discovered that Pamela was the one responsible, using her role as my advisor and treasurer to issue the false currency.   That is why I dismissed her and her friends.”  “You just let them go?” Aaron questions.    Matthan replies “Yes, it was the only way to keep things quiet.  If it became known that my lands were insolvent it would have been the ruin of the royal family.   I needed a quick influx of real currency to stabilize things, and Lord Khorram had the necessary funding and willingness to help.”   “Ah, so he’s your loan shark,” Serita states.  Matthan reluctantly answers “Yes.”   After a long pause Serita then says to Matthan “Please tell me that your son didn’t get your brains.”  Narg tells the King “You should have listened to me four years ago when I warned you about associating with them.”  Kindor interjects “Narg, that was seven years ago.”   Narg answers “Really?  Seven years ago?  Are you sure?”   Matthan still has a dumb look on his face, still processing what Serita had just said and mutters in a panicked voice “My son..”    Jennifer tells him “Relax, he’s not where you think he is.   I didn’t send him to that boarding school of Pamela’s, the Prince there is one of my guards polymorphed to look like Matthew.   Don’t you ever tell this to anybody, but he is attending the school on Silver Moon Island.”   “Yeah, he’s safe with his Godmother” Serita exclaims while pointing to herself.   Narg adds “And let me tell you right now, he throws one heck of a curve ball.   I helped teach him that.”   While Matthan is still reeling from all of these revelations, the Queen gives Mojo another “Keep your trap shut” look, and then tells Matthan “And that ship you are staying on is no longer safe for you.   Those military officers worked for Pamela, and maybe still do.   The same is true with all of the guards and servants back at your castle.   I would suggest that you remain here, this inn has some extra rooms.   We should also sit together at the auction, to give the appearance that we have reconciled.   When I leave Jawltorn you can return with me to the city of Karjjil Valley, and I will do my best to keep Pamela from killing you.  I do not want my son to be without a father.”   Narg adds “Yeah, it’s only because of that kid that we haven’t dealt with you long ago.”  Matthan looks towards Jennifer and nods his head in agreement to what she has suggested. Kindor announces “That being said, the Silver Moon Adventurers and I really need to get going.  We have to increase security due to this ILA threat.”   Mojo is clearly upset at being forced to leave while Matthan gets to stay.    Kindor ushers the five adventurers back to the carriage and  they head back to the auction house.  “Why’d she have to do that” Mojo mutters.  “Oh don’t pout,” Serita tells him.    Kindor states “She was just fixing a problem we helped create in the first place.  Twice now we have changed the puppeteer pulling his strings, and both times someone just as bad moved in to fill the vacuum.   Jennifer will know what to do with him, and this means that she now has complete control over three Lordholdings rather than one.”  Kindor then says “There is, however, one piece of information from Lady Khorram that I neglected to mention in the meeting.    Pamela sent her to assassinate Matthan, but also sent her with a “Raise Dead” scroll.   Lady Khorram was to then bring him back, to further gain his trust and solidify her hold on him.   Plus, being poisoned at a dinner that I hosted and which you guys catered, he would have blamed us, which also would have played into Pamela’s hands.”   Narg interjects “Hey, this means that we can now shut down Pamela’s church once and for all.  Matthan’s army was the only thing stopping us.”   Serita adds “Yes, but I am a druid, and we need to maintain a balance.   If we take out her church we should counter it by also eliminating  the church of Ukko.”  “She’s got a point,” Mojo states.  “Sounds good to me,” Narg adds.   “HEY!” Timothy yells.</blockquote>

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