Mega-Adventure Prologue--The Council and the Fellowship

[Velmont]

Rinaldo stands up and clear his throat.

"The revelation the Headmistress Liore have told us are troublesome. If I hadn't seen some proof myself before coming here, I would have hard time to believe them. But Sage Thiliaerin have raised two points that concern me. The first is the only hard proof we have actually has been gathered by one person. If the council have to accept a motion to prepare for a war such as one you announced, it will required more serious proof. The second point is that once we will have the seven shard, what will happen? Is it wise to gathered them in one place. The cult must be ready to go far to release the Lichwyrm.

But to my concerns, I'll bring two suggestions. Orussus is ready to take the task to verify the tomb and see if it has been violated. I would suggest that other nations to lend us an ambassador ready to do such travel to witness by themselves and also to keep the neutrality of this expedition.

The second thing is we are seven parties around that table. The Chromatic Order, Monemvassia, Rivenbligth, Orussus, Fallon, Hendrallia and Medibaria. Seven part of the phylactery, seven parties. I suggest if we decide to gather the seven parts, each party will have the responsability to keep safe one part. Once we will decide what to do with them, we will be able to gather together the seven parts under the eyes of this assembly. That way, we are not putting all our eggs in the same absket and see the risk to see them falling into a wrong hand all at once.

For now, I can tell I even if I need to submit this to the Council, I have many men ready to offer there help."

Rinaldo sits down and take a quick glance at Frump and Sage Thiliaerin to see there reaction toward his suggetsions.

 

[Amaury]

Jallembo, L3 human rogue

Jallembo stops running as he reaches the building. Damn it! I'm bloodly late! They said it was in here. Big council, big stuff, big.. money!.. Hum, but SHE was soooo sweet..
So how do I get to that meeeting? he thinks recovering his breath in front of the Academy Council building.

He is directed to the meeting room which he enters very quietly afraid to disturb the meeting. However everyone seems to chat to each other unformally, so Jallembo relaxes a bit. He quickly spots some of his companions: Dorrin, the priest, the dwarf Krindrof and Saithnar the elan.

For those who pay any attention to his entrance, Jallembo is a human in his mid-twenties. His green eyes contrast sharply with his hazel hair. He wears a dark blue vest with dark red collar and cuffs, and black loose trousers held by a pair of black leather mid-height boots. A dark grey cape made of a heavy fabric covers his shoulders.
A fine rapier can be seen hanging on his side accompanied by a dagger on the other hip. A dark brown leather belt carries this weaponry.
On his back rests a rather full backpack and a shortbow and quiver.

He goes to sit behind his companions, salutes them and starts observing the scene. His eyes can't help staring at the rich dresses of the main characters.

He listens to Rayne and the reactions without saying a word, but a small smile lifted his lips. dragon?.. mages?.. As I thought: big stuff! big rewards!.. Play wisely boy and you may be part of it!... he thinks for himself.

 

[Knight Otu]

(To echo an earlier post from Rystil in a similar situation - Please do not have your character arrive late to the council. Have him present from the start. While it hasn't been stated directly, the council halls have apparently been sealed magically to disallow entering and leaving. Besides, since we've all travelled in groups (with a few exceptions who would arrive early), it would only make sense that we take care that no one is late.)

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Thiliaerin clearly is not impressed with Rinaldo's rhetoric. He would probably point out that there's no proof that Rayne will even send you to a place that ever held the shard, but he's not allowed to speak, since it is Fallon's turn--*

"Fallon."

"On behalf of my brethren in Fallon, we have seen dark tidings recently within our lands and the lands of those we have sworn to protect. We believe that there may indeed be a threat such as the Housemistress has spoken. It also saddens me to see so many people here who are blinded to the message simply by the messenger and her race. I may not live in Medibaria, I'm not even a Wizard, just a simple priest hoping to find some way to do what is right for my flock, but even I have heard of the Magus Rayne Liore, of her diligence and of her good deeds. Surely we can refrain from making attacks upon her person and character?...I guess that's it for now."

"Hendrallia."

"Huh? Oh. Well...I kent trust a half-elf, but even more, I kent trust a pointy-ear. Now sometimes in war, you hefta see thet your enemies might try to trick you into thinking there's only two ways to go when there's really three. Sometimes they pretend to be aginst each other when they're really in collusion to crush you when you pick either of the ways they show you...Yes, that's right. Maybe thet's what's going on here. Let's keep our people safe and find the third way!" the Baron speaks...somewhat more lucidly than usual, perhaps, but still a bit out there as he goes off on his rant.

"And Medibaria."

"I have heard the voices of each and every one of you. It is certain that all here seek to protect their people and their people's best interests. And I must say the following with respect to Liore, in all honesty so you can understand the context of what I'm about to say. Liore and I were at the Academy together, and while we were there, I never really liked her for a variety of reasons, including her intellectual arrogance--if not personal, as she's humble about her own accomplishments. But be that as it may, I can tell you this--when the old Housemistress chose Liore as her successor, half-breed or no, she made the right choice. Rayne Liore is a dedicated Magus with a pure, if somewhat misguided, heart. Even I can grudgingly admit this, and any who know my policies know that I am not a fan of human/elf crossbreeding. So it seems that only with the deepest bitterness could someone blind himself to this truth. Some people have secrets they don't want unearthed. For instance, one man in this room knows a bit more about the Alain Kendrick case than an ordinary bystander and knew that Kendrick's daughter would not speak up on the matter, but I bet he didn't know who else knows his secret. Could something like this, a personal matter, be motivating any of the other delegates in this room? Surely not, I would hope. It is a petty man who puts a personal grudge above his own people's well-being."

"As far as the suggestions of the Orussian delegate, well I guess he didn't know that you're not supposed to make logistical proposals in this opening statement, but I'd like to make a quick response nonetheless. I think that the idea about holding onto the shards separately to show trust is a good idea. Since the enemy clearly already has the Phoenix Shard, that only leaves six to recover, so as a show of good faith from Medibaria, we are willing to share one shard with the Academy lest it seem that Medibaria would be receiving two for one. As for the proposed expedition to this place in the Lands of Fire, it seems a waste of resources no matter what. If it's real and the shard is gone, the naysayers will still claim it is a hoax or is not the actual place where the shard is held. Without a shard in front of them, there really is no proof. Unfortunately, the absense of evidence is not always the evidence of absense. However, I would say that if Liore's sources on where to find the other shards prove to be accurate, the shards we hold in our hands will be pretty good proof that she knew what she was talking about in the first place."

"And I say this as well--to battle the Lichwyrm and keep our people safe, we will need the help of all that are willing and able. If you would rather cower in fear and watch your loved ones die and become slaves to his dark armies, then so be it. I doubt there is anything we can say or do to dissuade you. But those who make a brave stand here today, those are the names that will be numbered among the heroes, and live on in legend and song forever."

"Hrrrm...hmmm...all very interesting statements, yes all..."

*There is a brief pause, as people whisper amongst themselves (OOC: And you can feel free to whisper amongst yourselves too--there's not a recess though. Next post will be proposals in the reverse order. These are long!)

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Hmmm....yes, we will now open the floor to proposals, remembering that we already have a proposal from Orussus. We shall proceed in reverse order this time, so Medibaria will start, yes?"

"Oh, me again," Xanthar laughs, "Well certainly. I already have a few ideas. Let's see what people think. First of all, there are obviously several areas we have to decide about here. Let's talk about some of the large-scale logistics first. With the possibility of an attack by the Lichwyrm or at the very least the resurgence of his cultists, we need to train a defense force that can protect our lands and our peoples from this great threat. In ancient times, this would have been the task of the Medibarian Elite Guard, but the Empire has, sadly, shattered. As such, I propose the formation of the Medibarian League, a league of all those who will join us in protecting our children, our wives, our land, and all our loved ones from the grave threat of these dark forces. Each nation in the league would contribute their choice of forces or funds, whichever was most convenient for that nation, as we each have our specialties and areas of strength, and we would train these forces to fight dragons and undead in particular and set them on patrol throughout our lands. Any nation could choice not to participate, but then you will not have League forces protecting you. You can protect your people yourself if you wish, but your forces will be smaller. If we remain divided, surely we will fall, but united, we may stand and face the heat of the dragon's breath together! And on the more pragmatic note, you should at least be increasing your own home guard if you won't be joining us, just because if you are so unable to believe the goodwill of the men and women in this chamber, then you are a bitter cynical person who also will not believe the goodwill of our guard force, so I'm sure you won't be doing nothing about the fact that the rest of us are training new forces. And since that means your people will be at least somewhat more safe, at least, even if you do it for the wrong reasons, it makes me happy."

"But that, of course, is but one issue. The key here, both proof and salvation at the same time, will be recovering the remaining six shards of the phylactery before the Lichwyrm's cultists can do so. I may be presuming too much when I surmise that Liore knows at least some of the remaining six locations, if we are lucky, perhaps all six. Let us assume that we have the locations and that they are in equally remote locations--what then?"

"Well, a few options immediately come to mind and must also be immediately eliminated. We can't send a large force after any of the shards or the cult, no doubt monitoring large scale troop movements, will be able to slip in a faster-moving group to grab the shard from right under our fingers. No, we need to send a group small and stealthy enough to slip under their radar. But that, of course, presents a more difficult problem--how can such a small group hope to survive the travails of the journey and any traps and guardians, and, in the worst-case-scenario, fight the cultists for the shard and win? Then it must not be ordinary men and women we send, for none such could hope to succeed at such a quest. It must be our greatest heroes, our strongest blades, our stealthiest scouts, our mightiest mages, and those who have the strength, stamina, and willpower to go on such an expedition. Or at least, the best that we can afford to send on such a mission while still keeping those who are important to running day-to-day activities and defending our homeland. I would suggest that we find six teams of adventurers to find the six shards--it would be wonderful if each nation could provide a team, or at least sponsor one. If we have even more volunteers than that, I am sure that there are many other tasks of importance that they can pursue."

"We shall first hear any counter-proposals, then discussion on the current proposals can begin. Does anyone have a counter-proposal."

*He looks to the Hendrallian delegate, then the Fallonian, both of whom seem to be thinking. Rinaldo, of course, has already made his proposal. When it gets to Rivenblight though--*

"My proposal will be as brief as the last one was long-winded. I propose that we neither waste our effort and funds on a wild goose chase or build up some mega-army destined to lead to abuse and bad things to come. Come on people, use your common sense. That's it."

"Hrrmmm....If that's all, we can open the floor to debate. This includes not only delegates but all representatives. Hmmmm, oh, and please wait to be recognised, then stand and speak, yes?"

 

[Velmont]

Rinaldo makes a sign to Headmaster Albion that he want to speak again.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Albion recognises him.*

(OOC: In general, you can assume you're recognised)

 

[Velmont]

OOC: I wasn't sure.

Rinaldo stands. "Thanks you. This time, I will speak for myself only. My name is Rinaldo di Senzio and I have open a magical shop in Orussus and Monemvassia. I've been in business for over a year now. I am also a knight of Monemvassia. For many years now, I have been helping kings and commoner of any nation. I will be willing to gives my help into this business, and even invest in it if necessery. And I think many of the good people who has been travelling from Orussus will do teh same, but I'll let them speak for themselves."

Rinaldo sits down. Just at that moment, an elven woman wearing a decorated plate with the symbold of Gundar stands up. As she speaks, she seems to hesitate on some words, not so familiar with the Common language. "My name is Hogarth Vradlik. I will help too into... protecting the... Creation of Gundar from such... serious... threat." She sits down. Rinaldo smiles and nods at Hogath.

A small woman stands up. "My name is Opale di Senzio. I'm a wizard who has learn her skill by herselves. As my cousin Rinaldo has told, as many other here, I am willing to lend my skill to such enterprise, wathever the cost. I've heard enough from people I trust to start to prepare for the worst, even if teh worst seems out of common senses."

 

[thegreyman]

Dorrin, Cleric of Grendath 2

Dorrin stands to his feet after being recongnized. ”My name is Dorrin, a cleric of Grendath. I believe that it’s time for compromise or at least an attempt at it.

I understand the reluctance of many who say that the threat is imaginary; I find it hard to believe it as well, lacking hard evidence. However, every delegate believes the Lichwyrm is real, and that it would be disastrous if the creature awoke. On the slightest chance that the creature would awaken, shouldn’t something be done, either to reinforce protections against it, or to prevent it’s rise? I’m a gambler; I think that the long odds are the ones people try for, since they get the greatest reward. If there is only a one percent chance that this is right, we need to do something about it. Otherwise, when the Lichwyrm does arise after those long odds, we will be totally unprepared.”

Dorrin takes a breath and turns to Rivenblight delegate, “I understand what you mean, when you say that we are worried about things that we do not know. In that case, tell us. You do not need to inform us of all that you have done to prevent the Lichwyrm from rising, but confidence in the wards would rise if the people were reassured. Telling them to stop fretting will only cause them to worry more, as a cancer grows on itself.

If you are so sure of the outcome of searching for these shards; that we will find them safe in elven hands; then let them search. What harm is there in assuring ourselves that we are protected from this evil? You claim to be older and wiser than us. Aid the younger races for a short while, and if they fall on their faces, you can clearly tell them that you told them they would. Prove us wrong, instead of just saying we are.”

Lastly, Dorrin turns to the Baron, “You want to keep your people safe by staying in your lands. Why do you not instead build up your defenses? To truly keep your people safe, you need to increase your armed forces, increase their readiness for a war. If you really believe that this meeting is used to trick you into fighting an imaginary foe while your real enemies destroy your home, build up your home so that it cannot happen. Ensure that Hendrallia is prepared to fight for it’s defense and it’s people.

After all, if this is really a threat, you would be the person that saved Hendrallia. Your ideas would have helped shape the policy that kept all of your people safe. In that case, I’m sure that you would go down in Hendrallia’s history as a hero.”

Dorrin closes his eyes for a second while getting his breath. When he does, he turns to the assembly. ”If you still doubt the words spoken here, I’m sure an agreement can still be reached. Every country should still raise their armies, but if this turns out to be a hoax, then the countries that proposed this should have to pay for the mobilization that the other countries consented to. This way, those who believe in the Lichwyrn’s return can wager the cost of the mobilization against the return of having all protections raised. Those who do not believe are in a no loss situation. They either have the mobilization paid for by others in the best case, or at worst, they are prepared against the threat.

It’s time to toss the dice.”

Dorrin sits down, surprise at speaking for so long etched on his face.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Quozen raises a hand. When recognized, he stands and bows quickly and deeply, causing the brass tip of his ponytail to strike the floor with a tak.

"I am Quozen Ilphukiir, of the Monastic Order of the Nightingale, hailing from the Basalt Citadel of the Desert of Fire. Sage Thiliaerin has been extremely gracious to speak with me, an elf of no station or consequence, privately on the issue. And, with that graciousness and patience, he has shown me great wisdom. I am reminded that one must not grow idle. I am reminded not to find false threats to protect myself from. So, I will not worry about the Lichwyrm. Without evidence of its stirring, there is no call for mobilization. I hereby throw my support to Thiliaerin.

Given that I should not be idle, then I should like to quest for a shard. They seem fascinating, and even if they do not exist, I am guaranteed to learn much from the journey. I do not do this out of fear, nor out of a need for belligerence. I do this simply out of curiosity, and because, honestly, it gives me something to do. If they are well protected, then their wards shall keep the shard safe from the lowly likes of me. By questing, I do nothing. I suggest we all follow Sage Thiliaerin's advice, and do nothing."