Rhiannon PNP Supplement

[Tilmamir]

At the Elven Court

Randall takes the time to clean himself and prepare for the time tonight. He pulls out his formal clothes he had brought along, and attaches the dragon scale as a breastplate on the vest. He presses the wrinkles out as he can, in the steam, and dons the clothes.

He puts the bulk of his valuables (coin, star sapphires (3), gems, potion pouch, spell pouch, and supplies) into the bag of holding.
Weapons, save for his staff, are put away in the room provided for him. Randall hopes to be allowed to sleep the night in some other, more elven, abode - should he be invited.

Wearing:
Ring of Featherfall
Wooden Amulet of Protection
Iun Stone (Strength) whizzing around his head. It looks cool with his clothes...
Dress clothes
Bag of holding tucked into his belt, like a money pouch.

Clean (but having scented oils and perfumes left on the tiles), Randall feels prepared for the evening. He steps out of the house and leans against the door jamb to watch the activity in the court fields and trees.

Internal thoughts:
When I return to my ancestorial home, I shall teach what I know of the arts to make a truly magnificent home for the queen. And, all of the elven lands shall be beautiful again. This home in exile shall be forgotten in the new splendor of the elves. I see these, my kin, as poor in wealth but great in potential - and as such, we are still beautiful.

[eyes and ears alert for all activity, especially 'unusual' things. too many guards? any normal business occurring? preparring for a party? familiar faces from my past?]

 

[Gwaihir]

The banquet that night takes place on the huge brownwood deck outside of the Royal Residence. The residence and official state house of the queen apparently lies behind large Red oak double doors, carven with runes and sigils, are built into the trunk of the large Maywood tree that also holds up this deck. The deck is softly illuminated by dozens of magical globes of light that hang from the boughs above.

The dinner consists of several courses, opening with a traditional teba root bisque, that Randall finds disapointing. However the following courses - green salad, a light course of thinly cut and heavily seasoned boar steak, with baked apples and a desert of an also elven traditional golden cheese puff are nicely done. Drinks are a cool minty brown tea and also an icy lime water with desert - both elven feast traditions.

Each person has an assigned seat, and Randall's companions have been scattered across the eight tables that sit here. Intermingled with them are elves from the woods. Gaithys sits next to the queen, at the head table--closest to the doors on a slightl raised platform--who is very young and undeniably stunning. (Randall estimates that she is about 200 years old. She must have had considerable political clout to have been named queen so young--or someone close to her did.) Queen Elyspir of the house T'mamir was selcted at a choosing ceremony three summers ago. Her predesessor, Finwir of the House Mirakur, retired to seclusion, as is the tradition, for those queens who are not head of their houses. There has been much speculation as to what Elyspir will choose to do when her term is up in 46 years.

Randall is seated between a young male elf, Miawen of the House Melikjur. Randall assumes that this is not a coincidence. On Randalls left is a very young female elf (estimate around 100)- Delianir of the house T'mamir, who if dressed in the state jewels would be every bit as stunning as her queen. Of the 10 people at this table, Salisha is known to Randall. She sits on the far side of the circular table, and spends the entire long dinner in conversation with a old male elf, who introduces himself as Enofe house Milidon. Introductions are made and sitting at this table are (in order) to Randalls left:

1 Randall house Melikijur
2 Delianir house T'mamir (female)
3 Argen house Amalo
4 Tebir house Melmion
5 Salisha (female)
6 Enofe house Milidon
7 Sarenia house Milidon (female)
8 Hierden house Galalo
9 Miste house Galalo (female)
10 Miawen house Melikijur

 

[Tilmamir]

Randall makes 'pleasantries' as each person is introduced:

Delianir house T'mamir: "Ah, Lady Delianir, such a pleasure to meet you."
Argen house Amalo.....: "Argen, an honor."
Tebir house Melmion...: "Tebir, an honor. You must let me see that broach this evening. Wonderful craftsmanship."
Salisha ..............: a smile and a nod "my lady."
Enofe house Milidon...: "Enofe, an honor to meet to."
Sarenia house Milidon : "Sarenia, a lovely name. Pleasure to meet you."
Hierden house Galalo..: "Hierden, an honor."
Miste house Galalo....: "Miste, with eyes to match her names beauty. A pleasure"
Miawen house Melikijur: "Brother Miawen, truly an honor. We must talk tonight."


Randall spends time talking to those directly around him throughout dinner about the state of affairs with the queendom. He asks about the arts - music and poetry. Why the austerity?

As time allows, he also wishes to talk about the Elves view of the other races. Why the isolation?

As desert winds to an end, Randall asks some specific questions to Miawen.
"Kinsman, tell me the truth. How are our poeple, our clan? How many are we?...
Can you tell me of my grandmother Uradien Melikijur or grandfather Glélas Galanodel? or of
my mother Unelindë Melikijur or father Nadrielith Mermion?
Is there any news of my sister Eluvuwien Melikijur?"

...

 

[Gwaihir]

Randall gathers through the conversation that the austerity is due to the loss of many elves in the retreat from the north. Coupled with the lesser available resources in this wood, there is also a general malaise that has affected the elven people. Perhaps this is caused by the austerity, perhaps it causes it.

Even in Randalls original timeframe, the elves have always been somewhat suspicious of non elves. Randall has been largely immune from this because of his close ties to members of some of the other races. However, the elves have chosen isolation, largely because they blame other races -especially humans--for the war that drove them from thier homeland. By Isolating themselves in this foreign land, they seek to preserve their culture.

As Randall reflects on this, he realizes that in current day, he has met relatively few elves in the world outside this wood. Few serve in the church, government or even in more common jobs in the outside world.

 

[Tilmamir]

Hmmm, I guess I have noticed that...

 

[Gwaihir]

Miawen responds:

"Oh cousin, it is wonderful to at last meet you. We have heard rumors that you had resurfaced. My mother attempted to send you a message at Antioch, but the messenger returned, unable to find you.

As for the names you mention only Eluvuwien Melikijur lives still. She is a revered elder in our tribe, and close advisor to my mother Uradoriel who is the tribal head. She and my mother were childhood friends. Neither are well, there may be a succession sooner rather than later. I would be blessed to take you to see her when the Queen gives you leave. It is not a long journey only 30 miles or so.

The others have had their names inscribed upon the family totem. Unelindë survived the long retreat, but the others you mentioned did not. Many you mention were aged before the war and it was a bitter time on even the hardiest. We lost many during the retreat and the lean years that followed.

I, my mothers youngest son, am here representing the Melikijur house to the queen. (this strikes Randall as odd) Our house is much diminished from the power it wielded in our homeland. It is all so very sad, our glories are much diminished."

 

[Gwaihir]

throughout the dinner, Delianir makes it clear that she is very much interested in what you've been up to, who you've met, what you've accomplished and who your companions are.

She is effervesent and charismatic - and did I mention looks stunning?

 

[Tilmamir]

Miawen:
"Sadness and sorrow mix with joy - my mother and grandmother were a blessing and joy to me for many decades, and they endured the painfull destruction of our homelands. But, now they live in the bliss of the higher planes. I am glad they are honored among our people.

My sister, Eluvuwien, and I were not close, but not at odds either. The timeless passage of 400 years makes me young whele she is older. I would like to see her again, and hear of her life. Perhaps after the time here, the queen will allow me to visit her.

I notice that many young people serve in honored roles. Yourself included. Forgive if I unintentionally insult our people. I have indeed been away too long.
When I was growing up, it was the elders - long in experience and years - that held these positions. Even the Queen, as regal as she looks, could scarcely be a few decades older than myself. What, since the exile, has caused this change? Have so many of the elders died early? Has our life span been so shortened? Or, worse, has our culture changed to honor youth and change, rather than the time honored traditions of revering the elders?
...
Also, any message to me would better be sent to Alderweg. Are you familiar with it? It is the keep, and village, on the northwest edge of this village where the river leaves the mountains. That, if anywhere, is where I call home for now."

 

[Tilmamir]

throughout the dinner, Delianir makes it clear that she is very much interested in what you've been up to, who you've met, what you've accomplished and who your companions are.

She is effervesent and charismatic - and did I mention looks stunning?

Randall tells stories of his adventures of late.
The "Battle of Bastion" seemed to be of interest to the party, so he started there:

"I had been with the Human troops for four years. There were four of us in my tent: two men - Callithian and Rogan, a dwarf - Trailan, and myself. We had been guiding the last of the people who wanted to move through the pass through the fortress, but there had been no one left for almost a year. We had been scouting the northern lands for signs of the enemy.

A month before the battle, a large number of human troops made organized attacks on the lizard men. It was intended to provoke them to all attack at once. It worked. We saw them massing on the plain. Their attack was emminant.

Bastion was a fortified pass. Large granite stones made a gated barrier wall to the north and south in the pass. In the middle, a terraced mount, with a ramp to each next level up. On the top, a great tree - ageless and pure. The fortress was massive, and large enough between the great walls to hold thousands of people... or lizard men.

For that was the idea. The fortress was empty of men. Only a few of us held the gates and offered resistance at the gates up the mound. The fortress walls had been packed with alchemists fire. One could smell the sulphur reeking out of every room and hole in the wall.

Three nights before the lizard men attacked, Rogan sprained his knee, and left the fortress. The next day, another elven guide - Deter, and a fighter named Fenix joined Trailan, Cal and I in attacking the enemy's great battering ram. We burned it with enough alchemists fire to make it unextinguishable, and made it back to the fortress safely.

When night was falling on the great day, we heard the lizard men give a great hiss and begin moving southward toward us. The next morning, they were at the gates, pounding and battering with trees and axes. The humans gave a great pretense of a large force raining arrows on them (quite uneffectively I might add) and dumping boiling oil down the gate ramp.

As the gates were breaking, the remaining forces left the keep and barred the souther Gates from the outside. Bastion was a large cage, set to burn. A mage at the top of the mound, protected by my partners and I, waited until the Fortress was full of lizard-men. The sound was deafening, the smell coming from their pine torches and their lizard bodies was rank, and the ground and lower terraces crawled with their scaly bodies.

Finally, the last gate at the top of the mound broke. The mage set up a barrier around himself, and began chanting some spell. The air itself became hot. He yelled for us to leave NOW, so we headded for our escape tunnel. We made it, our retreat covered with a magical mist, but not unharmed. Fenix was wounded. We carried her as far as we could, when the Fortress exploded. That was the last time, in four hundred years, that I saw sunlight. From what I hear, that was the blow to the lizard-men that turned the tide of battle, and how Lord Bastion came to be the first king of the Human lands.

As for us, we were not out of the tunnels, as we were supposed to be. In fact, the tunnels themselves collapsed. Blessed Eli, we were perhaps a hundred feet lower than before, in a passage no one knew existed, but alive. In the process of searching for a way back to the surface, we came across one of the beasts from the depths of the world. I saw two companions turn to stone before I saw those large red eyes and turned to stone myself."

Randall continues the story of how he came for be restored in the goblin stronghold, made it out to the human lands, and eventually through Antioch, Malta, Tarsus, The Island, and Alderweg. He is careful to make the stories flow from one to the other, glossing over the times spent in Alderweg as landlord - and using his landlord 'duties' as cover for some of the times he does not want to cover in public.

[OOC Missing are any reference to his time travels. Keth Anar and the High Temple episodes are likewise missing from his stories. ]

Randall is, however hard he tries not to be, distracted by Delianir. Aware that she is probably there to extract these stories and get a feel for his character, he is open and honest about his exploits that he shares. If he feels she is actually interested in him, not just a probe to get the queen's answers, he gets a little bit toung-tied when he looks in her direction. [It has been fifty of his years since he been 'at home' with elves, and not busy with 'war']

He makes a point of showing respect for all peoples, save the lizard men. But even with them, though, his story about their valley is sympathetic to their having probably been misled into war. Causing the blight is some other evil force - perhaps from Eire itself if 'Randall's hunch is correct'.

"D-Delianir, ummm, may I presume that you have some influence with the queen? Could you tell me what we should expect tomorrow at our state visit? Uuuhh, actually, perhaps we could take a walk tonight, while my fellow delegation members sleep, and discuss ... well anything? I have been away soo long."

[did Randall detect a snikker from the other elves at the table at this poor attempt of getting a date?]

 

[Gwaihir]

"D-Delianir, ummm, may I presume that you have some influence with the queen? Could you tell me what we should expect tomorrow at our state visit? Uuuhh, actually, perhaps we could take a walk tonight, while my fellow delegation members sleep, and discuss ... well anything? I have been away soo long."

She replies warmly, "I'd love to." I'll meet you at the house an hour after dinner. Though you may be detained by the queen. Better make it two."

A few minutes later a page arrives to let Randall know that the Queen desires to speak with him.

As he walks behind the page the short distance to the Queens table, he notices that all eyes are on him. He tries desparately to remember the correct etiquette for a first meeting with an elven queen.