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[ZEITGEIST] The Continuing Adventures of Korrigan & Co.
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<blockquote data-quote="gideonpepys" data-source="post: 7268216" data-attributes="member: 79141"><p><strong>Session 29, Part Two - The Handmaiden</strong></p><p></p><p>They set up camp and immediately began to consider their options. To begin with, Talios stuck around, and when she overheard them talking about how to dissuade Betronga from attacking Vigil Longis, she blurted out that such a course of action was hopeless – Betronga was determined to win the favour of Jakumar’s wife and marry her himself. An outsider, she had come to Ingatan’s Refuge two years ago and become Jakumar’s spouse. She wanted the blood of the clergy godhand who had slain Jakumar. They thanked her for the information, but continued their discussions in private:</p><p></p><p>Many ideas were bandied around, including trying to set up a straight fight between Aulus Atticus and Betronga. They thought they might teleport back to Vigil Longis, stuff Atticus in the absurdist web and pretend they had killed him. Rumdoom suggested they try to persuade Aulus Atticus to simply “leave for a bit, and then come back”. Meanwhile, Uru seemed to have wholly embraced his godhand persona (which he had long since dropped) and advocated a return to Vigil Longis to join with the clergy in wiping out the weretigers. (He wanted to add to their roster of genocides, which included – in his strange fey mind, at least – the lizardmen of the Sool Marshes; their suahagin adversaries; the gnolls of the Cult of the Steel Lord; and his own people!) Fortunately, more level heads prevailed and they petitioned Morgan Cippiano once again: could he arrange for the detachment at Vigil Longis to be withdrawn? They were at pains to stress the limiting time factor and Cippiano could only say that he would do his best.</p><p></p><p>While they waited, Uru was sent to find out more about this ‘outsider’ who had bewitched both Jakumar and Betronga. Talios had said she did not live in the huts among the brambles any more, but had withdrawn to the cave at the rear of the refuge with the elderly, the sick and the children. This was no easy matter as the dire tigers were alert for intrusion and possessed of preternatural senses. But Uru was a master of stealth and managed to slip by. </p><p></p><p>In the huge cave, moving among the non-combatants, he spotted a woman who clearly did not belong to the tribe. Uru recognised her as none other than Sokana Rel, the ‘handmaiden’ who had helped Duchess Ethelyn of Shale in her assassination attempt on her brother, King Aodhan. Just a few months ago, at the Duchess’ request, Korrigan had tried to find out what had happened to Sokana, only to learn that she had disappeared from custody. Vekeshi influence was suspected. And so Leon sent to the Old Stag to ask him if he had any sway over Sokana. The Old Stag said that he might – it just depended on how grateful she felt for her release! He promised to try, and Leon wrote a letter requesting an audience and handed it to a weretiger guard.</p><p></p><p>Some time later Leon, and Leon alone, was admitted up the switchback trail. At the top he was met by Betronga who, flanked by his tigers, circled Leon demonstratively and then withdrew – letting him know that this request had been granted only by his say-so.</p><p></p><p>Sokana Rel came out to meet Leon. She did so not only because of her debt to the Old Stag, she said very quietly, but because of a strange dream she had had the night before in which Duchess Ethelyn spoke to her aboard the Coaltongue and asked her to think kindly of her captors and to help them if she could. “’Do not think of them as mere servants of the Crown,’ she said. ‘They may be our best hope of avoiding the prophecy.’” Sokana then said that none of this would be necessary if they had not interfered. Whatever had happened in Flint since then had happened as a consequence of their intrusion.</p><p></p><p>Leon explained that there was a direct link between those consequences and their mission to retrieve the Lost Arc. The clergy were strong opponents, he said, and went on to try to convince her to encourage Betronga to back down. “You speak as if I can control Betronga’s mind. I have no more power to do so than you have. His desire to kill the godhand is his own, though he declares it is the means by which he seeks to win me.” Leon asked what she thought would happen if they de-escalated the situation. “Betronga would consider you to have stolen his revenge away. But if you can make it happen without his knowledge, I might be able to persuade him to grant you access to the Refuge as a favour, and to view the clergy’s withdrawal as a sign of his strength. I will do so for Ethelyn and the Vekeshi.” Leon then asked if she wanted to be here. Sokana said she had travelled throughout Elfaivar and stopped here because it was the only place they had continued to fight back against the clergy. “I am as steeped in revenge as Betronga, but I do not allow it to blind me.”</p><p></p><p>Later they met with Betronga who wanted their answer. They agreed to help, but said they needed time to rest. They also tried to buy more time by suggesting he allow them to scout out the stockade. Betronga said there was no need, they had seen it already. Matunaaga said, “But we haven’t.” Betronga was unmoved – he would countenance no departure and planned to strike in the morning, when the clergy would least expect it. (Jakumar’s attacks had always been at night.) When he went, Korrigan jokingly asked Uru if he would pretend to be Aulus and let Betronga kill him. Then he became very serious once again and brooded: a message had already come from Moergan Cippiano – there would be no order to withdraw. But Korrigan was determined to follow the urgings of the Humble Hook, so closely did they chime with his own principles. </p><p></p><p>They set up a tent for the night. Leaving Rumdoom, Uriel, Matunaaga and Uriel to keep up appearances, Korrigan, Leon and Gupta teleported back to Vigil Longis where they sought an audience with Aulus Atticus. </p><p></p><p>Aulus met them in the chapel in full armour, flanked by his chaplains and with four guards on hand. His initial distrust was evident. Korrigan set about trying to persuade Aulus to withdraw from Vigil Longis, using all the means at his disposal. Aulus countered every reason and refused to budge: the very depredations his men had suffered thus far made it all the more important they should not negate their own sacrifice. </p><p></p><p>In the end, Korrigan heaved a sigh of reluctance and reminded Aulus Atticus that he bore the Humble Hook. His arrival here at this time was a divine message. The Hook wanted Atticus to leave.</p><p></p><p>Aulus bowed his head for a time, then looked back up with moisture evident in his piercing blue eyes. “Thank you,” he said, to Korrigan’s surprise. Then he issued an order for immediate withdrawal.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="gideonpepys, post: 7268216, member: 79141"] [b]Session 29, Part Two - The Handmaiden[/b] They set up camp and immediately began to consider their options. To begin with, Talios stuck around, and when she overheard them talking about how to dissuade Betronga from attacking Vigil Longis, she blurted out that such a course of action was hopeless – Betronga was determined to win the favour of Jakumar’s wife and marry her himself. An outsider, she had come to Ingatan’s Refuge two years ago and become Jakumar’s spouse. She wanted the blood of the clergy godhand who had slain Jakumar. They thanked her for the information, but continued their discussions in private: Many ideas were bandied around, including trying to set up a straight fight between Aulus Atticus and Betronga. They thought they might teleport back to Vigil Longis, stuff Atticus in the absurdist web and pretend they had killed him. Rumdoom suggested they try to persuade Aulus Atticus to simply “leave for a bit, and then come back”. Meanwhile, Uru seemed to have wholly embraced his godhand persona (which he had long since dropped) and advocated a return to Vigil Longis to join with the clergy in wiping out the weretigers. (He wanted to add to their roster of genocides, which included – in his strange fey mind, at least – the lizardmen of the Sool Marshes; their suahagin adversaries; the gnolls of the Cult of the Steel Lord; and his own people!) Fortunately, more level heads prevailed and they petitioned Morgan Cippiano once again: could he arrange for the detachment at Vigil Longis to be withdrawn? They were at pains to stress the limiting time factor and Cippiano could only say that he would do his best. While they waited, Uru was sent to find out more about this ‘outsider’ who had bewitched both Jakumar and Betronga. Talios had said she did not live in the huts among the brambles any more, but had withdrawn to the cave at the rear of the refuge with the elderly, the sick and the children. This was no easy matter as the dire tigers were alert for intrusion and possessed of preternatural senses. But Uru was a master of stealth and managed to slip by. In the huge cave, moving among the non-combatants, he spotted a woman who clearly did not belong to the tribe. Uru recognised her as none other than Sokana Rel, the ‘handmaiden’ who had helped Duchess Ethelyn of Shale in her assassination attempt on her brother, King Aodhan. Just a few months ago, at the Duchess’ request, Korrigan had tried to find out what had happened to Sokana, only to learn that she had disappeared from custody. Vekeshi influence was suspected. And so Leon sent to the Old Stag to ask him if he had any sway over Sokana. The Old Stag said that he might – it just depended on how grateful she felt for her release! He promised to try, and Leon wrote a letter requesting an audience and handed it to a weretiger guard. Some time later Leon, and Leon alone, was admitted up the switchback trail. At the top he was met by Betronga who, flanked by his tigers, circled Leon demonstratively and then withdrew – letting him know that this request had been granted only by his say-so. Sokana Rel came out to meet Leon. She did so not only because of her debt to the Old Stag, she said very quietly, but because of a strange dream she had had the night before in which Duchess Ethelyn spoke to her aboard the Coaltongue and asked her to think kindly of her captors and to help them if she could. “’Do not think of them as mere servants of the Crown,’ she said. ‘They may be our best hope of avoiding the prophecy.’” Sokana then said that none of this would be necessary if they had not interfered. Whatever had happened in Flint since then had happened as a consequence of their intrusion. Leon explained that there was a direct link between those consequences and their mission to retrieve the Lost Arc. The clergy were strong opponents, he said, and went on to try to convince her to encourage Betronga to back down. “You speak as if I can control Betronga’s mind. I have no more power to do so than you have. His desire to kill the godhand is his own, though he declares it is the means by which he seeks to win me.” Leon asked what she thought would happen if they de-escalated the situation. “Betronga would consider you to have stolen his revenge away. But if you can make it happen without his knowledge, I might be able to persuade him to grant you access to the Refuge as a favour, and to view the clergy’s withdrawal as a sign of his strength. I will do so for Ethelyn and the Vekeshi.” Leon then asked if she wanted to be here. Sokana said she had travelled throughout Elfaivar and stopped here because it was the only place they had continued to fight back against the clergy. “I am as steeped in revenge as Betronga, but I do not allow it to blind me.” Later they met with Betronga who wanted their answer. They agreed to help, but said they needed time to rest. They also tried to buy more time by suggesting he allow them to scout out the stockade. Betronga said there was no need, they had seen it already. Matunaaga said, “But we haven’t.” Betronga was unmoved – he would countenance no departure and planned to strike in the morning, when the clergy would least expect it. (Jakumar’s attacks had always been at night.) When he went, Korrigan jokingly asked Uru if he would pretend to be Aulus and let Betronga kill him. Then he became very serious once again and brooded: a message had already come from Moergan Cippiano – there would be no order to withdraw. But Korrigan was determined to follow the urgings of the Humble Hook, so closely did they chime with his own principles. They set up a tent for the night. Leaving Rumdoom, Uriel, Matunaaga and Uriel to keep up appearances, Korrigan, Leon and Gupta teleported back to Vigil Longis where they sought an audience with Aulus Atticus. Aulus met them in the chapel in full armour, flanked by his chaplains and with four guards on hand. His initial distrust was evident. Korrigan set about trying to persuade Aulus to withdraw from Vigil Longis, using all the means at his disposal. Aulus countered every reason and refused to budge: the very depredations his men had suffered thus far made it all the more important they should not negate their own sacrifice. In the end, Korrigan heaved a sigh of reluctance and reminded Aulus Atticus that he bore the Humble Hook. His arrival here at this time was a divine message. The Hook wanted Atticus to leave. Aulus bowed his head for a time, then looked back up with moisture evident in his piercing blue eyes. “Thank you,” he said, to Korrigan’s surprise. Then he issued an order for immediate withdrawal. [/QUOTE]
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