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<blockquote data-quote="Lylandra" data-source="post: 9139673" data-attributes="member: 6816692"><p><strong>Session 58</strong></p><p><em><strong>A prelude to the Crown</strong></em></p><p></p><p>In Sawyer, we pick up the Crown of Reida from a woman named Rion, who had received it from Kasvarina.</p><p></p><p>„Seems like you got your crown before the actual coronation“, Auryn jokes. After sharing a quick laugh, Gabriel stores the Crown away safely though and makes sure that it doesn't come near his head. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)">(He really didn't wish to induce any kind of memory, even tough it would be unlikely to happen in this part of Elfaivar. Also, he is pretty strict regarding putting his private investigation aside when there's any sort of mission that needs handling first)</span></p><p></p><p>Afterwards, we take the ship back to Seobriga and find that some news seems to be highly speculative and some magazines seem to have taken the Obs position.</p><p></p><p>In order to prevent a possible public change of mood against Risur, we first talk to the local Dockers, who obviously think very little of the Danorans or war. We learn that there are tensions on the border, and that troops from the Beran side have been drawn to the border, as the Berans fear Risur's rearmament due to their ongoing conflict with Danor. Auryn sings a duet with one of the Dockers and then explains to him and the others that it is not the Risuri who are responsible for the current situation, but rather a worldwide conspiracy. And that Risur is quite busy with the situation with Danor, so it would be ludicrous to even think about opening up a second front.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)">(we saw no reason to keep the Obs story a secret any more)</span></p><p></p><p>We decide to strengthen our local position and look for Melissa Amarie, who now works for a medium-sized newspaper. We talk to her about the fact that the group that originally sponsored Tinker Oddcog, the Obscurati, are responsible for the changes in the world and that they are probably also spreading some kind of subtle mind influence in Ber to make the inhabitants more receptive to the arguments of the conspiracy. We explain to Melissa that she can try the effect with "logical arguments" on a truly stubborn person, and invite her to look at the evidence we have compiled in Slate (and Flint, if necessary). We also point out that the Bruse was at least aware of the history of the Colossus and the broad outlines of the conspiracy.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)">(Yeah, that whole „Ber influenced by the Obs“ is something that has bothered both of us players, especially given their stance on mental influence and charm spells. But more on that later)</span></p><p></p><p>When Carlyle issues Melissa Amarie a visa signed by the "Prince of Slate" (his intermediary title), she gets suspicious for a moment as she has never even heard of someone with that title, lest an agent or Risur. So we take the time and tell her about the planned succession and the attempted assassination of the King during the Danoran invasion. She appears to be properly impressed and congratulates the King-in-waiting before asking Carlyle for an official interview should she arrive in Slate in time. As Carlyle is keen on keeping good ties to Ber, he promises to answer all of her questions on top of giving her access to our evidence.</p><p></p><p>Since we also pass Bole on the way back, we stop at Auryn's new barony (she was named Baroness of Bole by Aodhan once the dust had settled) so that she can officially introduce herself. She meets up with the mayor of Bole and explains that she will personally take care of the town's needs. She adds that she knows this means defending Bole first and foremost, as the mayor appears to have all the usual processes in check. A task she will take on personally. And since Auryn has noticed some mysterious earthquakes as well as heard rumors about problems regarding the mines, she asks the mayor about her honest assessment of the situation. At first, the mayor is evasive, as she seems to be in over her head with the problems and doesn't wish to make a bad first impression on the new Baroness. However, Carlyle reminds her that it is not wise to deceive both her and the future king, and so the mayor explains that she already sent a message to Slate some time ago.</p><p></p><p>All in all, she summarizes that Bole is currently under pressure from all sides: Workers are fleeing the mines because of the earthquakes, while some of the refugees are staying in Bole, which is why supplies are running low. At the same time, there is hardly any meat coming in from the pastures in the west because the herds have disappeared, leaving only chicken as food. And she doesn't even like chicken. On top of that, the region can not meet the demand for wood from Shale because the loggers are busy fighting devastating forest fires. We put one and one together and get a hunch that this all could point to several wake Titans roaming the area. Which is why we tell the mayor that we'd want to get to Slate as soon as possible as we need to talk to some expert on Titans. And to possibly check up on more Titan lore in the Book of Kelland. But we promise to return as soon as we know more. </p><p></p><p>So we teleport to Slate and deliver the news from Bole directly and unfiltered. We also suggest that, while communication magic is not really available yet, they'd expand the old carrier pigeon network and set up Semaphors along the most important links. We also report on Nicodemus's invitation to King Vardanis, sarcastically noting that he might get rather bogged down with this conference, as the Clergy will probably not prefer going to war with Risur over fighting with those dealing with literal devils and demons right next to them. Ultimately, however, a (hoped-for) failure of the conference could also be dangerous, as this would only in turn drive Nicodemus to even more extreme means.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)">(Well, we know the man quite well at this point...)</span></p><p></p><p>Both Aodhan and Harkover Lee agree with our assessment that roaming Titans might be responsible for the troubles of Bole. So Carlyle promises to make dealing with the Titans his first task as King of Risur. He then asks Aodhan and Harkover Lee to help him plan the coronation ceremony as he wishes to follow the traditions closely to give the people of Risur a sign of stability and continuity while also adding in symbolism for the challenges that lie ahead. </p><p></p><p>We also ask for access to the royal archives, as we need all the information we can find about the Titans. This way, we learn that the Ashen Wolf is usually a peaceful fellow who only becomes enraged when his offspring are in danger. The Father of Thunder, on the other hand, is always ready to riot, drink, and party, which is why we can't help but compare him to Rock Rackus.</p><p></p><p>“Speaking of that one time where having Rock around could come in handy and then he's stranded in the Dreaming...”, Auryn jokes while Carlyle is quite glad that he doesn't have to endure that double-trouble. </p><p></p><p>Granny Allswell, on the other hand, is quite the witch, with an interest in mines and children, and we learn that she was usually just locked away in an abandoned mine shaft whenever she woke up. This was done most recently by the halfling Queen Ziri, who had summoned three earth elementals to help her on this task. But, as we also learn, never since the time of Kelland has a King or Queen of Risur ever had to deal with more than one Titan during their reign. Carlyle doesn't seem to be bothered too much however, as he accepts this first task of his upcoming Kingship. </p><p></p><p>When the two have one quiet moment together, Auryn takes a moment to thank Gabriel for his support and perseverance in rescuing her from the morass of grief. Even though some of it felt like the sting of several tiny needles.</p><p></p><p>“Though it still hurts whenever my thoughts wander off to those who perished”, she adds, her voice filled with sorrow. </p><p></p><p>“But I know that none of them, neither Morris, nor Kalaren, nor any other Eladrin would want me to shatter on my grief.”, she adds and Gabriel seems to be very relieved hearing that. </p><p></p><p>Auryn eventually explains that she also wants to finish fighting their "battles" as well, as they were so suddenly torn from the lives they had. </p><p></p><p>But Gabriel takes her hands and shakes his head slowly. </p><p>“Don't do that. You are your own person. And as such, you owe no one anything. If you choose to fight a battle, let it be yours first and foremost, even if I am sure that your ideals will overlap with those of others”</p><p></p><p>Auryn is touched by this effort to relieve her of the weight she so often places on her shoulders, but is unsure whether she can so easily shake off those thoughts that helped her keep on going for quite a while.</p><p><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)">(She sees the current situation as part of her own fault, first kind of inciting Nicodemus and then failing to stop the ritual)</span></p><p></p><p>Afterwards, they two of them talk a bit about their future. Auryn explains that, with Gabriel being a crowned Monarch very soon, there is no job for her left to return to. Gabriel isn't really sure he'd understand what she'd mean with that statement, so he inquires further.</p><p></p><p>“Honestly, I don't know where to go and what to do. All I know is that I definitely won't return to the RHC in Flint to lead Team 3 and continue to work for Chief Delft. Not while you are busy defending the interests and safety of all of Risur under wholly different circumstances.”, she declares quite boldly, with a tiny hint of anger joining her voice.</p><p></p><p>“I see. What do you suggest instead?”, he replies, being both curious and surprised that Auryn had come onto this very specific track of thoughts.</p><p></p><p>“Make me your agent. I want to save both Risur and the world, and for this I need freedom, not the restrictions of a regular office. I do not wish to follow anyone but the orders of the King, as Risur and my Matriarch, the King, are where my loyalties lie” </p><p></p><p>Gabriel takes a deep breath before he claims that he understands where she's coming from. He notes that they will probably be each other's advisors from now on. Auryn is relieved to hear that, even though she initially finds it strange to be advised by a king. </p><p></p><p>“Don't put too much thought in that. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am now. In the end, I was made successor due to both our merits, and Aodhan could have easily chosen you instead. But alas, there is only one Monarch of Risur. And as you might know, I have no interest in a forming hierarchy between you and me, and I definitely don't want our relationship to change or be damaged.”</p><p></p><p>Auryn smiles faintly, being honestly grateful for Gabriel's stance. She appears to not be so sure on whether Aodhan wold have chosen her as well as she is basically still a foreigner and deeply involved with Elfaivar. </p><p></p><p>“What we need to do, however, is to play both our appropriate roles to the outside world. But putting on a performance it nothing I worry about when it comes to you.”, he adds. Gabriel then falls silent for a moment, as he's going through several thoughts, unsure about the right answer for now.</p><p></p><p>“Regarding your request, I am sure to find a solution in time.”</p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)">(Basically, Auryn feared a growing distance between them, both in rank – Delft being in an intermediary position between them was a truly off-putting thought – and location as Gabriel would most likely spend a lot of time in Slate. As for the solution... we will see what the future brings)</span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lylandra, post: 9139673, member: 6816692"] [B]Session 58[/B] [I][B]A prelude to the Crown[/B][/I] In Sawyer, we pick up the Crown of Reida from a woman named Rion, who had received it from Kasvarina. „Seems like you got your crown before the actual coronation“, Auryn jokes. After sharing a quick laugh, Gabriel stores the Crown away safely though and makes sure that it doesn't come near his head. [COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)](He really didn't wish to induce any kind of memory, even tough it would be unlikely to happen in this part of Elfaivar. Also, he is pretty strict regarding putting his private investigation aside when there's any sort of mission that needs handling first)[/COLOR] Afterwards, we take the ship back to Seobriga and find that some news seems to be highly speculative and some magazines seem to have taken the Obs position. In order to prevent a possible public change of mood against Risur, we first talk to the local Dockers, who obviously think very little of the Danorans or war. We learn that there are tensions on the border, and that troops from the Beran side have been drawn to the border, as the Berans fear Risur's rearmament due to their ongoing conflict with Danor. Auryn sings a duet with one of the Dockers and then explains to him and the others that it is not the Risuri who are responsible for the current situation, but rather a worldwide conspiracy. And that Risur is quite busy with the situation with Danor, so it would be ludicrous to even think about opening up a second front. [COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)](we saw no reason to keep the Obs story a secret any more)[/COLOR] We decide to strengthen our local position and look for Melissa Amarie, who now works for a medium-sized newspaper. We talk to her about the fact that the group that originally sponsored Tinker Oddcog, the Obscurati, are responsible for the changes in the world and that they are probably also spreading some kind of subtle mind influence in Ber to make the inhabitants more receptive to the arguments of the conspiracy. We explain to Melissa that she can try the effect with "logical arguments" on a truly stubborn person, and invite her to look at the evidence we have compiled in Slate (and Flint, if necessary). We also point out that the Bruse was at least aware of the history of the Colossus and the broad outlines of the conspiracy. [COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)](Yeah, that whole „Ber influenced by the Obs“ is something that has bothered both of us players, especially given their stance on mental influence and charm spells. But more on that later)[/COLOR] When Carlyle issues Melissa Amarie a visa signed by the "Prince of Slate" (his intermediary title), she gets suspicious for a moment as she has never even heard of someone with that title, lest an agent or Risur. So we take the time and tell her about the planned succession and the attempted assassination of the King during the Danoran invasion. She appears to be properly impressed and congratulates the King-in-waiting before asking Carlyle for an official interview should she arrive in Slate in time. As Carlyle is keen on keeping good ties to Ber, he promises to answer all of her questions on top of giving her access to our evidence. Since we also pass Bole on the way back, we stop at Auryn's new barony (she was named Baroness of Bole by Aodhan once the dust had settled) so that she can officially introduce herself. She meets up with the mayor of Bole and explains that she will personally take care of the town's needs. She adds that she knows this means defending Bole first and foremost, as the mayor appears to have all the usual processes in check. A task she will take on personally. And since Auryn has noticed some mysterious earthquakes as well as heard rumors about problems regarding the mines, she asks the mayor about her honest assessment of the situation. At first, the mayor is evasive, as she seems to be in over her head with the problems and doesn't wish to make a bad first impression on the new Baroness. However, Carlyle reminds her that it is not wise to deceive both her and the future king, and so the mayor explains that she already sent a message to Slate some time ago. All in all, she summarizes that Bole is currently under pressure from all sides: Workers are fleeing the mines because of the earthquakes, while some of the refugees are staying in Bole, which is why supplies are running low. At the same time, there is hardly any meat coming in from the pastures in the west because the herds have disappeared, leaving only chicken as food. And she doesn't even like chicken. On top of that, the region can not meet the demand for wood from Shale because the loggers are busy fighting devastating forest fires. We put one and one together and get a hunch that this all could point to several wake Titans roaming the area. Which is why we tell the mayor that we'd want to get to Slate as soon as possible as we need to talk to some expert on Titans. And to possibly check up on more Titan lore in the Book of Kelland. But we promise to return as soon as we know more. So we teleport to Slate and deliver the news from Bole directly and unfiltered. We also suggest that, while communication magic is not really available yet, they'd expand the old carrier pigeon network and set up Semaphors along the most important links. We also report on Nicodemus's invitation to King Vardanis, sarcastically noting that he might get rather bogged down with this conference, as the Clergy will probably not prefer going to war with Risur over fighting with those dealing with literal devils and demons right next to them. Ultimately, however, a (hoped-for) failure of the conference could also be dangerous, as this would only in turn drive Nicodemus to even more extreme means. [COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)](Well, we know the man quite well at this point...)[/COLOR] Both Aodhan and Harkover Lee agree with our assessment that roaming Titans might be responsible for the troubles of Bole. So Carlyle promises to make dealing with the Titans his first task as King of Risur. He then asks Aodhan and Harkover Lee to help him plan the coronation ceremony as he wishes to follow the traditions closely to give the people of Risur a sign of stability and continuity while also adding in symbolism for the challenges that lie ahead. We also ask for access to the royal archives, as we need all the information we can find about the Titans. This way, we learn that the Ashen Wolf is usually a peaceful fellow who only becomes enraged when his offspring are in danger. The Father of Thunder, on the other hand, is always ready to riot, drink, and party, which is why we can't help but compare him to Rock Rackus. “Speaking of that one time where having Rock around could come in handy and then he's stranded in the Dreaming...”, Auryn jokes while Carlyle is quite glad that he doesn't have to endure that double-trouble. Granny Allswell, on the other hand, is quite the witch, with an interest in mines and children, and we learn that she was usually just locked away in an abandoned mine shaft whenever she woke up. This was done most recently by the halfling Queen Ziri, who had summoned three earth elementals to help her on this task. But, as we also learn, never since the time of Kelland has a King or Queen of Risur ever had to deal with more than one Titan during their reign. Carlyle doesn't seem to be bothered too much however, as he accepts this first task of his upcoming Kingship. When the two have one quiet moment together, Auryn takes a moment to thank Gabriel for his support and perseverance in rescuing her from the morass of grief. Even though some of it felt like the sting of several tiny needles. “Though it still hurts whenever my thoughts wander off to those who perished”, she adds, her voice filled with sorrow. “But I know that none of them, neither Morris, nor Kalaren, nor any other Eladrin would want me to shatter on my grief.”, she adds and Gabriel seems to be very relieved hearing that. Auryn eventually explains that she also wants to finish fighting their "battles" as well, as they were so suddenly torn from the lives they had. But Gabriel takes her hands and shakes his head slowly. “Don't do that. You are your own person. And as such, you owe no one anything. If you choose to fight a battle, let it be yours first and foremost, even if I am sure that your ideals will overlap with those of others” Auryn is touched by this effort to relieve her of the weight she so often places on her shoulders, but is unsure whether she can so easily shake off those thoughts that helped her keep on going for quite a while. [COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)] (She sees the current situation as part of her own fault, first kind of inciting Nicodemus and then failing to stop the ritual)[/COLOR] Afterwards, they two of them talk a bit about their future. Auryn explains that, with Gabriel being a crowned Monarch very soon, there is no job for her left to return to. Gabriel isn't really sure he'd understand what she'd mean with that statement, so he inquires further. “Honestly, I don't know where to go and what to do. All I know is that I definitely won't return to the RHC in Flint to lead Team 3 and continue to work for Chief Delft. Not while you are busy defending the interests and safety of all of Risur under wholly different circumstances.”, she declares quite boldly, with a tiny hint of anger joining her voice. “I see. What do you suggest instead?”, he replies, being both curious and surprised that Auryn had come onto this very specific track of thoughts. “Make me your agent. I want to save both Risur and the world, and for this I need freedom, not the restrictions of a regular office. I do not wish to follow anyone but the orders of the King, as Risur and my Matriarch, the King, are where my loyalties lie” Gabriel takes a deep breath before he claims that he understands where she's coming from. He notes that they will probably be each other's advisors from now on. Auryn is relieved to hear that, even though she initially finds it strange to be advised by a king. “Don't put too much thought in that. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am now. In the end, I was made successor due to both our merits, and Aodhan could have easily chosen you instead. But alas, there is only one Monarch of Risur. And as you might know, I have no interest in a forming hierarchy between you and me, and I definitely don't want our relationship to change or be damaged.” Auryn smiles faintly, being honestly grateful for Gabriel's stance. She appears to not be so sure on whether Aodhan wold have chosen her as well as she is basically still a foreigner and deeply involved with Elfaivar. “What we need to do, however, is to play both our appropriate roles to the outside world. But putting on a performance it nothing I worry about when it comes to you.”, he adds. Gabriel then falls silent for a moment, as he's going through several thoughts, unsure about the right answer for now. “Regarding your request, I am sure to find a solution in time.” [COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)](Basically, Auryn feared a growing distance between them, both in rank – Delft being in an intermediary position between them was a truly off-putting thought – and location as Gabriel would most likely spend a lot of time in Slate. As for the solution... we will see what the future brings)[/COLOR] [/QUOTE]
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