Rhiannon PNP Supplement

[Tilmamir]

Eluvuwien:
"Eluvuwien, I can not fail our people. I shall remain and help as I can. I have traveled through time and have seen what will happen if I do not interveen. The traditions will die, and the sundered lure of power will win. we will become an evil race. I cannot allow that.

I am afraid that I have been away too long and the poeple will not accept me. If that is the case, we are lost.

I shall return with you to our home in exile tonight. Now I need to prepare for the future of these negotiations."



Queen Elyspir T'mamir
"Your highness. I shall remain with my family in an effort to advise and guide us. My sister has told me of a little of the problem you face, and perhaps I can be of better use here.

It is bold of me to ask, but I must. I ask that I perhaps be allowed official status as an advisor as well. There would be several benefits for our people:
- it would allow me to advise you of matters outside the elven lands,
- it would allow me to be emmisary to those who may be able to help us,
- it would allow me to help with the expiditions to the north homelands, as well as
- it would give me credibility with the other families. Especially the ones looking into other ancient lore that will cause the destruction of our people.

Think on this - I will not be offended if you refuse this request.
Come with me as I give my farewell, but please do not speak.
Perhaps open some new options to give you hope."

Randall and the queen walk over to the delegation, where they are awaiting him...

Epaphros and Elmer - somewhat privately:
"Friends, I am not sure what has happened to my people, but something is amiss. Epaphros, you were correct there. I have been offered several possibilities among my people, and I believe I would serve all Rhiannon better if I stayed.

I realize that the patriarch can not offer the first hand to the elves, especially when we can not bend to any of your requests. But perhaps, in my opening Alderweg as a stepping stone to the north, the church can help one of its own.

There might be a large problem - quite soon - in the town of Alderweg. A large group of people might land on our doorstep. As a Master of Alderweg, and perhaps an Earl of the kingdom, I need to ask for some help. Especially because we shall never be unkind to any people needing our help and we need to be prepared for such an event.

We will not be able to feed all those people. The church loving people there might starve, in fact, if the church does not help with food. We will need seed grain to plant in our fields, to have enough to share. I shall pay for this, if the church can offset some of the cost.

But those people needing food do not want to stay there. In fact Alderweg may need some muscle to help carry the burdens of that large group of people over the mountains. They might be necessary to help keep peace as well. Perhaps the church would be amiable to setting up a small barracks of able-bodied men for year near Alderweg, and another on the slopes just north of the Holy Tree of Bastion Pass. In fact, to begin, the path through the pass should be cleared, and a road to Alderweg established.

And, when these people have moved through, Alderweg would have many fields planted and ample food. We might be able to supply grain and food to the barracks the future. Thus the church ends up with a sustainable post of men at the pass.

If, as you may fear that these people might be dangerous in the future, it would be better for the church to have these people north of the mountains. And helping them get what they want might just open talks for future negotiations. My people have long memories - we do not think in years, but decades. Have patience.

So, go back and give your report, but also ask this the Patriarch...
Can you help Alderweg feed a large group of transient people as they move through? And,
Can you help Alderweg by offering some labor for a year to help with a massive moving of personal goods through our neighborhood and through the mountain pass?"
[talk]

"Your highness, these men are afraid for their safety. Can you assure them of safe passage?"
[talk]

"Farewell and blessings on your journey."

 

[Gwaihir]

Elmer-

"I will carry these messages to the Patriarch. He has a soft heart, though it is steeled by a determination to end this war. If your proposals can hasten the end of the war, they will be enthusiastically accepted. He bears the elves no ill will. I will send you message with his response. I am not so charitable - Elis wrath on these elves, they know more than they are telling. I am sure, or I am no diplomat. Now we will need to visit other avenues to seek the accursed lost tribe. Godspeed Randall, do not let your heart become corrupted."

Delianir-

"Oh Randall, I had thought that you were to return with us to Antioch. I am sad that it is not to be.

Do not trust easily here. There are vipers present. Overtures have been made to the Sundered tribe, and should they answer amicably, many here will follow. Our people have become bitter and lost. Should you discover, in your time here, the location of the Sundered send me a message at Antioch. I will see to it that they are hounded without mercy and driven before ten thousand holy swords.

Fear the name of Melekevar, dear Randall, for it hides in the shadows and corrupts the soul of our people."

The Queen-

"Are you then rejecting the offer to lead the northbound expedition? A pity, your talents were so well suited to the task."

"No harm will come to the churchmen. It would be foolish to harm those here under the diplomatic banner."

 

[Tilmamir]

Delainir-
"Delainir, our parting is almost unbearable. If our people are bitter and lost, you are the honey that sweetens the bread. I had hoped we could spend some time tgether, that these discussions would have been fruitful. Alas they were not. But, I will not be kept here - I will travel. And, I will visit you as often as I can, if you would permit me to."

Elmer-
"Fear not and fare well"


[Randall lets the party go off. As they go, he thinks to himself:
It is with a troubled heart that I stay. There is much danger here, I can trust no one. Perhaps I was safer with Delsarrian, because here I wishes to trust my people.

Gaithys Galanodel and the Queen, can I trust them?
With the dark elves working in Antioch, it would be in Gaithys' power to make their entrance and exit possible. And in these discussions: the Queen and Gaithys would not hear of any outside influence, except grain and money. The church was not asking for much in return. Less, in fact than they offered for the past hundred years. Perhaps she and Gaithys set this up to close the door of friendly neighbors with her lost people.

Accepting the queen's offer would get me out of the way, and perhaps alone with assassins - bad idea. ]



"Your highness, how can I lead our people north, when I am unsure if our people are deserving to go to the place I called home. I intend to restore our homeland - the yearning in me is powerful. But the restoration of the homeland can only be done by restored elves.

If our people are still good, and can be restored to wholeness and goodness like we once were, I will gladly lead our family northward home. I will, if I can, even provide the funds and grain myself.

Meaning no disrespect, but our people are lost and broken. In a week, I have come to feel that not only have we lost the old traditions, but we are also heading toward what we reviled most.

We have been peaceful - fierce, but peaceful - for four thousand years. We were a proud people of art, mystery, music, and life. Oh how we lived, with joy. So how, in four hundred years, have we grown weak, impotent, sad, and downcast.

You, as queen, should be leading the restration of our people to life! Where is your heart? Where are you taking our people? I believe you are courting disaster in allowing, even promoting, the dark and fearsome ways of the lost tribe. In not giving the church their location, you have chosen the way of the sundered. Is that what you intended?

How can I but wonder, are you one of those communicating with the Melekevar?
Again I mean no disrespect. But if you are, I must leave now.

 

[Gwaihir]

"Randall of House Melikijur. Hear your Queen." She is clearly angry.

"Do not doubt me. Am I not chosen from among all the fair elven women to lead my people. Everything I do, I do to return the Elven nation to their rightful place of dominance among the races. I will not sit idle while short-lived humans force us into servitude and shame. I have concluded that if I can act, I must. I will do whatever it takes to restore this people to their birthright.

The church of Eli is not only feeble and weak, but they have set thier faces against us from the outset. I will not be party to thier schemes. I called them here to judge them, perhaps hoping that they have softened. But they have not changed. They still hope to hold us in bondage.

Deep Breath.

Now Randall," She calms a bit, "Will you lead the elven expedition northward. Or will you oppose me as well."

[Sense Motive Check] All is not on the up and up with the Queen.

 

[Tilmamir]

"Randall of House Melikijur. Hear your Queen." She is clearly angry.
...
Now Randall," She calms a bit, "Will you lead the elven expedition northward. Or will you oppose me as well."
[Sense Motive Check] All is not on the up and up with the Queen.

"Your highness, I fear I can not lead the party northward. I am not opposed to you. It is doomed to failure unless proper care and tact is used, and you seem to wish to move too quickly.

As I assume you would oppose me working with the house of Melikijur in the slow and peaceful return to the north, I see I can not accept their request as well. I go and wish you Eli's blessings."


Randall goes back to his sister, Eluvuwien.
"Sister, return home. I fear I can not follow, and I fear for my well-being if I remain. In fact, the queen is quite angry at me, and may see me as a threat because I reject the hasty and untraditional ways of the current monarchy.

I fear for you as well. You and your daughter will always be welcome in Alderweg. Blessings and long life."
Randall hugs his frail sister and helps her to the door, where her aids were waiting.

Randall sprints to the house where he has been sleeping and gathers the rest of his possessions. (His bag of holding has been with him this whole time, but his dress clothes an traveling garb was set on the bed.) He looks out the windows and doors using the goggles of true seeing to see if there will be any opposition to his leaving.

If there may be a problem, he hauls out the summoning gen and prepares to summon the hound archon to his aid, if needed.

 

[Gwaihir]

There appear to be no gaurds here. Nor is their any action outside the house.

 

[Tilmamir]

Randall walks out of the house and down into the forest on a direction where there is no path, and where it would be hard to follow silently. As soon as he is sure he is not followed (move silently, trackless step) and out of sight perhaps half a mile into the forest, he stops.

He scans all around him again, then shifts into a falcon form. He quickly climbs above the trees and heads out over the trail that the church party took. Making sure he is not observed, he stays low to the treetops, stops occasionally to look for other flying birds, and then continues.

Once he feels sure again that he is not followed, he flies to overtake the Church party. En Route, he scans the woods and trail for possible ambushes by the elves. He contiues to make overflights beyond the party about a mile, and around the other sides about half a mile.

Randall can maintain this scouting for most of a day (4 shape-changes a day, 6 hours each) and will do so until the party is into the plains on the way back to Antioch.

 

[Gwaihir]

Randall sees several elves tracking and shadowing the Church party, but they make no move to attack or intervene.

In any case, the church party moves extremely rapidly through the woods, much more quickly than you would have thought possible. This seems to be through the might of St Xantas, wielded by Mielerian. The Church party, including all who entered the wood, plus Delianir, leaves the wood and begins to travel over the plains.

 

[Tilmamir]

once on the plains, Randall flies down about a half mile before the party's path and returns to elf form. He stands, awaiting their approach.

"Hail. It appears that my offer of help among my people was refused. May I rejoin and return to Antioch with you?"

 

[Gwaihir]

"Greetings to you, Randall. You are welcome here."

Several days pass as the party returns to Antioch. On the third day out from the Dimwood, Randall notices that Gaithys seems to be falling ill. He brushes off any concern.

However, an hour or so later, Galinden calls for a halt.

When the party halts Delianir and Galinden instead of going to aid him, turn their mounts to face Gaithys.

Galinden speaks in a firm, grim voice.

"Gaithys Galanodel. You have been tried by a jury of your peers and found guilty of treason against your homeland. You have been sentenced to die by poison. May Eli have mercy upon your soul."

Elmer moves to intervene, but is restrained by Salisha.

Gaithys slumps in his saddle. He croaks, "We sought to preserve our birthright."

"Malignant fool, " Spits Delianir, "Our birthright is about more than land, its about a way of life, a means rather than an end. You have sold us all out."

Gaithys drops to the ground, dead. Galinden dismounts and removes his pouches and his jewelry. "Make sure you get his signet ring." Says Delianir.

Randall sees tears streaming down Delianir's face. Galinden hugs her, and kisses her forehead.
"it is done, beloved."

"No, it is just beginning." She responds, wiping more tears from her face.
Galinden ties Gaithys' horse to his own, then helps Delianir mount before he mounts himself.

"Emissaries of the Church," says Galinden, "I am truly sorry for what you have witnessed. Several leaders of our society have associated with our ancient brothers whom we sundered from our lives so long ago. The event you witnessed is being repeated many times over in the lands you have just left. The conference was the last straw. We had hoped the guilty would renounce their course and tell you what you needed to know. But they chose the dark way. We could not allow it to continue any longer. I am sorry."

"Let us depart. I bear a letter to the elven embassy instructing them to accept me as the new ambassador until the new queen appoints one of her own. We do not know exactly where the Sundered dwell, but we know who does. Emissaries of our nation met with both dark elves and bugbears in a ruin of a chapel of St Cuthbert in the Cleydon Woods, near the village of Greenheight. The bugears that dwell there will know how to find the sundered. Let us depart."

The group reluctantly, somberly turns toward Antioch.

Several hours later, Delianir rides up next to Randall. "I'm sorry I led you on Randall, I was trying to decide if I should trust you." She smiles regretfully.