New Frontiers #113

[GM Mad]

New Frontiers #113

What has come to pass:

After dealing with threats at Wrassledown and Ansimont, and repelling an attack from the demons along the way, Duke Relon and Duchess Lysandra have safely reached the City of Elcadan. Escorted by both the Guardians of Light and many of the followers of Helm and Heironeous, the Duke did make his way into Elcadan, while the Duchess remained behind at the Sallavarian Estate.

Once in Elcadan, new troubles did arise. The demoness Josetta Deville had impersonated the previous Duchess of Elcadan. Using her demonic powers she easily controlled Duke Maurice who slowly allowed his power over the city to be taken over by the City Council. Any who might have come close to discovering this deception were slain. Chief among these were Lady Jallarzi Sallavarians parents, Lord Jidaran and Lady Jenae Sallavarian.

The City Council was mostly made up by wealthy guild masters. Unknown to most everyone, many of these greedy and powerful men were followers of Mammon, the foul devil who stood for greed and avarice. His followers amassed fortunes during life that they used to buy their way into the afterlife. With the Duke no longer overseeing them, many of the Guild Masters were free to set prices and tax rates for every product passing through Elcadan. They each amassed fortunes while the regular citizen went broke.

And so Duke Relon Van Arkus did enter Elcadan with the intent of disbanding the City Council and removing their stifling rules and regulations. But upon reaching the City Council Hall in Old Town, it was discovered that only two of the seven councilmen were there to greet the new Duke; Lord Cramner and Councilman Adelard. The others were missing.

The Guardians and Seekers went forth to find the missing Councilmen while the new Duke held open court. Four of the men had fled the city completely. These were Lord Furnow, the former head of the City Council and the Master of the Metal Merchants. Lord Furnow was the most powerful man in Elcadan once the former Duke was out of the way. Furnow was 'rewarded' with a noble title and owned one of the four noble estates on the Nobles Island.

Lord Gotmun was the next powerful member of the council and he controlled the Moneychangers guilds. His noble title was also honorary and he repossessed an estate on the Nobles Island from a previous lord who had sunk money into unprofitable business dealings.

The next two missing councilmen were Pander and Bulema. Pander's wealth had come from owning much of the land in the waterfront district in New Town while Bulema was a hides and leather merchant. Both of these men had left behind traps for searchers to find in the form of abishai, a type of lesser devil.

The fate of last councilman, a man named Mortimer, was quickly revealed when his house was searched. He had been poisoned while dinning several days earlier. Ivy used Speak with Dead and Mortimer's spirit claimed that he had been poisoned by Ulana, Furnow's sister who had the reputation of being a 'black widow'.

Late in the afternoon, the Duke retired from Open Court and returned the Sallavarian Estate. Free from their duties of guarding Duke Relon, the Guardians and their Seeker allies turned their attention to Castle Elcadan and the City Guard. Using the Blackhawk, the flying slaver ship that the Deville's attempted capture the Duke and Duchess, the Guardians docked the ship at an upper tower of Castle Elcadan under cover of darkness.

Moving downward through the castle, the heroes found not only drow but a swarm of wraiths hovering over the grand ballroom! Ivy attempted to destroy the undead, but in the process released a far greater power that seemed possible. It was if a miniature sun appeared in the grand ballroom and it annihilated the undead. Ivy passed out from the strain, but once she recovered she explained what had transpired.

Upon arriving in Elcadan, Ivy was summoned to her temple by Mother Boelle. The elder priestess was on her death bed and hugged Ivy for one last time. During that hug, a transference took place, for Mother Boelle had been in possession of the Shield of Life, one of the four Guardian Shields. Sir Acerion had acquired the Shield of Justice weeks earlier at Fort Fletcher. Ivy hasn't been her normal self since Mother Boelle's death, as the priestess was the closest thing she ever had to a mother and is taking the death hard.

Ivy was informed that the Guardian Shields didn't need to be set up right next to each other. They had originally been designed to be placed on statues off the four gods they represented in a square in Ardelphia. Once the shields were brought together and activated, they could each be moved to a different location. A forty mile area of protection would emanate from each shield that would hold out orcs and other evil creatures, along with undead, devils and demons. Completing the Guardian Shield would go along way to protecting the Outer Kingdom of Cynalon.

With the wraiths destroyed, the drow were easily captured. The dark elves were sensitive to light and were temporarily blinded by Ivy destroying the wraith. It was discovered that the drow had entered Castle Elcadan from its lowest level, the sub-basement. The group passed the guards area and entered into the castle crypt.

The trail lead into one of the crypts where the back wall had been broken open. Beyond it was a large cave full of drow! Even worse, there was a dragon among them disguised as a drow who called herself Triel. Triel was an previously unknown type of dragon, a Deep Dragon who was quickly slain in combat and the remainder of the drow captured. Another Ember egg was found in the chamber and it was destroyed. The shaft leading down into the Underdark was covered by a Wall of Iron.

While searching and clearing out the rest of the sub-basement, another secret door was found. Beyond it is what appears to be the castle treasury. In this chamber is another door covered in magical symbols. It is believed that this door leads to where Alexander Deville had been imprisoned by his own family.

The drow were taken out into the courtyard for the City Guard to see. Since the reveal that the former Duchess of Elcadan had been a demoness in disguise, they had been hold up in their guard house in the courtyard of Castle Elcadan. There Crysania used her priestly ability of Eminence to wrap herself up in an aura of holy power. With this and her words, the City Guards learned the truth of things. Only the Captain of the Guards resisted and it was discovered that he had been geased, like the Captain of the Blackhawk had been. Charmed to obey the demoness' instructions on pain of death.

Their mission completed, the Guardians and Seekers retired for the evening and Sir Acerion and Sir Corley reported what had transpired to Duke Relon.

[GM Mad]

Of Kings and Would Be Kings:

Shortly after breakfast at the Sallavarian Estate, the high priests of Heironeous, Helm and Mystra visited the Duke and Duchess. The Great Hall/Ballroom had been set up for the nobles to use as their audience chamber at the estate. They had used divinations to further find out what lie beyond the strange door in the basement of Castle Elcadan.

The priests confirmed that Alexander Deville has been imprisoned behind that door. Alexander was a tiefling, much like Yusef and Jacob. Mirroring the chaos of the demonic abyss, each tiefling had different powers. Alexanders power was to steal abilities of other demons and teiflings. It was said that he stole his mother's ability to feel emotions upon his birth. Since that time Thelma Deville has become as cold and uncaring as the undead she creates and consorts with.

Right after the priests reported their information, there was a commotion outside the Great Hall. There Lady Teris Penhaligon had just arrived having ridden for over a week. She reports that Duke Kelvin has usurped the throne and claims that he was chosen by the old king to rule Cynalon instead of his son. Even now, armies from the Inner Kingdom are being formed to march forth and restore 'order' in the Outer Kingdom. He is presenting it as a repeat of the Kingdom Wars where the Outer Kingdom, then called Darokin, was brought under Cynalonian control. Everyone associated real king, Victor Vaughn the 7th, has been branded outlaws.

Lady Penhaligon also bears a note from Lady Gwendolyn Van Arkus for Baron Validar Van Arkus. It covers that a representative from Corunglain arrived and appears to have spirited away Lady Vera Ardel, the woman that Sir Corley Rowen had become romantically attached too. Sir Corley's first impulse is to ride off to Corunglain to rescue his love, but is talked out of it by Baron Validar. It is suspected that the youngest of Duke Corun's son is behind this and that he was responsible for allowing Ember and his orc army into Corunglain in the first place.

After delivering her message and seeing her weakened state, Lady Penhaligon is provided with food and drink and a place to rest.

In light of this dramatic change of events, it is wondered where the rest of the Council of Lords are now. Several are here, namely Baron Validar, Sir Acerion, Lady Sallavarian, Lady Allonica, and Lady Penhaligon. Lord Sharadin has been away working with the silver dragon Silvarn in hunting down the Ember eggs in hopes that they can be destroyed before the foul dragon hatches. Lord Sherwood is also away, assisting the elves on their 'elf quest'. You have very little details on what this elf quest involves.

Sir Alon Teramar returned to Alexandria to deal with business at the Order of the Griffons Hall. The other members, Lord Tameron Antonic, Lord Ustev Vandevic, Lord Mikel Vorloi, and Lord Lander Torenscu are all believed to have returned to their homes after departing Karn's Keep.

At the same time, Sir Acerion revealed that he had received a message from his father. When he meditated and prayed for new spells, he was able to speak to his father, Hasverion, who had informed him that Sir Alon and other members of the Order of the Griffon had been captured and imprisoned in their order hall in Alexandria.

Baron Validar instructed the Seekers to go back to Castle Elcadan and make a complete search of it in daylight. He wants the castle safe before even considering moving his parents moving in.

The subject of the King comes up as it seems no one has seen him since he left Karn's Keep on his mission to Athenos to inform Duke Linton in person about the changes to the kingdom. Lady Sallavarian scries for the king is eventually able to discover that guards are carrying a chest large enough to hold the Stone House, the magical, portable house that the King has been using since taking the throne to transport large groups around the kingdom. The guards are seen tossing it into the water!

Jallarzi uses spells to change herself into a sea elf and then teleports to Athenos. There she recovers the chest after a short search and teleports back. The sorceress discovers that the Stone House had been placed inside a Bag of Holding, negating the ability of those inside to leave. The King and his lady, Dame Sharl Harlena come forth along with the royal guards. They report that the visit had been pleasant enough, but then one morning that were unable to leave the Stone House.

It's now clear that both Athenos and Corunglain are alligned against you and that you might be facing approaching armies on multiple fronts. Jallarzi wonders if the army coming from the Inner Kingdom, couldn't be diverted north, assuming that more orcs will be coming from Corunglain.

A war council is held and several decisions are made. Since the Sallavarian estate was not built to withstand an army, it is decided to clear out Castle Elcadan since it can. If an army is to attack Elcadan, then safe place for the citizens will be needed. To that end the Duke decides to open up the Noble Estates to use as safe havens for the citizens. Three of the four Noble Estates are currently vacant and will be needed to be searched for any dangers. One is the infamous Deville estate which is believed to have been deserted 150 years ago. Two of the other estates were controlled by the Lord Furnow and Lord Gotmun who fled the city rather than face Duke Relon's justice. The last estate is owned by Lord Cramner.

A mission to rescue those held captive at the Order of the Griffon Hall. Dame Sharl will go along as she is familiar with the Order Hall. Others selected for this mission are Argent, Chareos, Lyonessa, Regnak, Serena, Sherra, and Validar. They'll depart in the Blackhawk after night fall.

[GM Mad]

Sherra About Town:

The next morning, Sherra was out early. Before the priests showed up bearing their news and well before Lady Teris Penhaligon arrived. She ran a few errands in Elcadan making items out of the dragon they had slain the night before. In the process of this she learned that the merchants thought that the Priests of Heironeous had slain the dragon and many of the shop keepers recalled a similar situation where they dealt with a barbarian named Thorvid and his mage lover, Argent who had the hide of a black dragon. It seems that there was someone else in Elcadan calling herself Argent!

Making her way to Castle Elcadan, Sherra encountered the Seekers en route to the same place. Cereld of Heironeous filled Sherra in on the latest news. Once at the Castle, Warton of Heironeous explains that the priesthood had put in the orders for the dragon carcass to be removed as it would be unseemly for the new Duke have it smelling up his home. Sherra agrees, as it was her own plan as well. That business concluded, Sherra rides back to the Sallavarian Estate.


New Business:

Wrapping up the War Council:

At the end of the War Council, Duke Relon makes another announcement. “After lunch, I shall be riding into Elcadan to see how the clearing of Castle Elcadan fares. I have made a decision in regards to this 'Alexander Deville'. He needs to be removed from my castle before I will feel safe enough to allow my family to move in. As per King Victor's earlier decree, he shall be slain. Even if he is a danger to his own family, he must not be allowed to be a danger to us.”

“It is the only way to secure the castle,” King Victor agrees. “To ignore such a potential threat is only inviting trouble.”

“Secondly, we will need to see what sort of army Elcadan can field in whatever short time we have before the enemy arrives. Since we will most likely be short of men to field a regular strength army, I have decided to put out the word to recruit adventurers to fill in the ranks. Have them assemble at Castle Elcadan tomorrow morning.”

“Much like how our forefathers founded a kingdom,” the King states with a grin. “Given what a haven for adventurers Elcadan is, we should be able to assemble a powerful force. I shall accompany you, Duke Relon. The citizens of Elcadan need to see their new King.”

The King and Duke will ride into Elcadan after lunch. Their entourage of guards and retainers will accompany them, along with any of the Guardians who wish to ride along. Given their tasks of guarding Duke Relon Van Arkus, Sir Acerion Kalindor and Kell of Helm will be riding along. Sir Acerion has been serving as Duke Relon's bodyguard since leaving Pyris, while Kell has be helping out since the Duke arrived in Elcadan.

[GM Mad]

An Invitation:

Before lunch, Hanna, the woman who serves as Lady Jallarzi Sallavarians personal assistant, delivers an invitation to each of the women present. That includes Argent, Ivy, Sherra, Lyonessa and her sister Myveria, Serena, Crysania, Dame Sharl, and Lady Gabriella Allonica. It is an invitation to attend a gathering being held by Her Grace, Duchess Lysandra Van Arkus right after lunch in the sitting room of the Master Suite here at the Sallavarian Estate.


Coat of Arms:

During the time between the ending of the War Council and lunch, Duke Relon will seek out Baron Validar for his opinion. “You're much more knowledgeable when it comes to heraldry than I am and my own herald is back in Pyris. I have been considering what the new coat of arms for the Duchy of Streel shall be. My initial thought was to combine our coat of arms with elements from the Streel lands. Such as a rushing river or a field. What do you think?


Lunch is Served:

The main dining hall is packed this afternoon. The main dining table is huge, but even it is not large enough to handle this many guests. An extra table has been added to accommodate the crowd. The serving girls do their best to keep pace with such a large gathering. Hanna directs her charges as necessary. Regular visitors will notice that several extra girls have been added to accommodate the extra guests. Normally, the severing girls are just Hanna, Victoria, Samantha, and Kathleen. But today there are three more whom most of you are unfamiliar with. Jeffries, Jallarzi's butler who oversees the running of the house is also present helping out. Edwina, Jallarzi's familiar is present, but is rather subdued and not her usual pest of a self.

After a filling and delicious lunch, the Duke and King prepare to begin their ride into Elcadan along with their entourage. Those riding along will be departing now. Goodbyes are said as the groups separate for the afternoon. Mounting up, the departing group rides off towards distant Elcadan.

Those attending the meeting being held by Duchess Lysandra make their way to the third floor of the estate. Argent is the most familiar with the estate, as she spent a year and half here learning magic from Jallarzi and can lead the way if necessary.

[GM Mad]

The Ladies Gather:

The Master Suite is the chambers that used to belong to Jallarzi's parents. After their untimely death, Jallarzi had those rooms sealed off. They were only opened up a few days ago when the new Duke and Duchess had arrived. Duchess Lysandra was particularly touched by the gesture, as she and Jallarzi's mother, Jenae, were sisters. Standing guard outside the entry doors is Sir Belfor, a Pyrisian knight who had been charged with the Duchess' safety.

The sitting area is the first chamber you see when you enter the Master Suite. Two doors in the far wall lead deeper into the multi-chamber suite. Numerous soft chairs and sofas are present and they ring the center of the chamber while others hug the outer walls. When you arrive, you can see that several others are already present. The Duchess is here, looking resplendent in a light blue gown. She is seated in a single chair with her bodyguard, a young paladin by the name of Virian of Heironeous standing a few steps behind the Duchess. Virian is decked out in her armor, ready for battle.

Seated to one side of Duchess Lysandra is her niece Lady Jallarzi Sallavarian who is dressed in a dark green gown with gold embroidery. Hanna is currently whispering something to Jallarzi. A few of the serving girls are present, delivering wine or water as needed to those gathered. Edwina is not present. Nearby Lady Gabriella Allonica is dressed in a red and gold gown of Zakaharian design with lots golden embroidery and a gold sash about her waist.

Close to Lady Gabriella are her two loyal retainers that you've come to know these last few months. They are seated on a small couch several feet behind Lady Allonica's chair. The first is Breeanna, an attractive blonde haired, blue eyed girl wearing a black gown with silver trim. That other is Jamid, whom is a native of the Land of Fate to the far west. Jamid and Gabriella are cousins. Jamid is a warrior and it is clear to you that she is uncomfortable in a dress and would rather be wearing her armor. Jamid's skin is darker due to exposure to the sun and her hair is dark brown. She is wearing a dress that matches Breeanna's.

Matching Jamid's discomfort is Lady Rachel Van Arkus, the Duchess' daughter. Much like Jamid she'd rather be riding into Elcadan with her father wearing her armor. But instead she is here with her mother playing "dress up". Dame Sharl Harlena also feels out of place. She removed her armor and is wearing her priest robes, but has her Holy Axe placed beneath her chair for easy retrieval.

Once everyone is here and seated, Duchess Lysandra will begin to speak with her usual grace and style.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I realize that you are all wondering why I asked you to come here today. I thought it was high time that we ladies had a nice, private chat. As you all know we are facing dark times in our kingdom. I've lived through dark times before and trust me when i say: things will get better. We shall be victorious in the challenges we face and when we are through the complexion of the entire kingdom shall be changed.”

“I realize that some of you here have been nobles all your lives.” Duchess Lysandra indicates Jallarzi, Rachel and Gabriella. “While others were just given titles recently for their service to the Crown.” Her Grace indicates Sherra, Ivy, Dame Sharl, Lyonessa, and Argent. “And still others who are not nobles, or even citizens of Cynalon.” Myveria, Crysania, and Serena are indicated this time, completing the sweep of the room.

“When we are done, the political landscape shall be changed forever. Some of you might be chosen to rule. Some of you might be marrying someone who will be a ruler. In short, you will need to know what it means to be a Lady of Cynalon. What I am offering each of you is my knowledge from a lifetime of practice in what being a noblewoman entails. Everything I know about being a noblewoman I learned from a very good teacher.” Glancing at Jallarzi, Duchess Lysandra says, “My older sister Jenae, Jallarzi's mother. I have lived my life trying to live up to her standards. I am offering to help each of you manage and succeed with what lies ahead.” Jallarzi can't help but smile at that.

After a short pause, Dame Sharl speaks. “I have to admit that my close relationship with the King and our desire to marry someday means that I would be Queen of Cynalon. I find that notion to be both intriguing and terrifying at the same time. As you noted, I am not of noble birth and yet it seems that I am likely destined to be royalty. I think I would rather be fighting the forces of the Herald of Hell than face the royal court.”

“It is a most daunting prospect,” Duchess Lysandra states. “But not without precedence,” Lady Sallavarian adds. “Many of the Kings of Cynalon have chose wives who were not of noble birth and most of those were adventurers like yourself.”

“We can show you what you need to know”, the Duchess continues. “Yes, it can be a scary prospect, but none of you are the first to be in this position. I would be happy to help you find your way.”


Elcadan:

Elsewhere, the procession holding King Victor and Duke Relon reaches the outskirts of Elcadan. The sight brings a smile to the Duke's face. Both the Duke and Duchess have been very upbeat when it comes to the notion of ruling Elcadan.

“My friends, tell me what you see when you look upon Elcadan,” the Duke inquires. “Please speak your mind freely.”

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

And so it begins... again. Welcome back everyone!

I didn't want to get too heavy and involved in this opening post since we're all out of practice. But there is more than enough to get conversations going. At the very least you should check out the previous post for all the others things going on right now.

During the years we were on hiatus, I've been adding more and more things in the background. At this point I have re-read everything game related at least twice. That includes all the posts here, all the Q-link stuff and some peripheral things that were done by email. With the passing of time and not being in game mode, I could see all the things that I missed the first time around.

Message based games are notorious for inaccuracies and contradictions creeping in. And my games have been full of them. So I decided to fix this problem. Instead of just going back and editing all the old posts, I decided to retell those tales in the form of memoirs. Stephanie was the logical choice to tell what happened back in the original Frontier game as she was the only character to last from start to where it ended up at. It also gave me the opportunity to work in some the the new game history and locations. There is a greater discussion about the Kingdom Wars in those first few chapters of her story as well. Plus since this is what she remembers about what happened, it doesn't have to match the posts exactly. Memory is funny that way!

Argent was the logical choice to cover the other Q link game, the Sword of Doom as she was there the whole time. Since I had been posting her in New Frontiers for years, more and more of her personal back story had come out. Much of what happens in her story mirrors things she refers back to in the posts. Some history is covered in her story, but not as much as in Stephanie's. Steph's was written first and those two pretty much have a completely opposite world view. Small town girl versus big city girl. It was interesting to cover the same ground but from a different perspective.

It was when I was writing the Argent chapters and as I was getting closer to her arriving that the Sallavarian Estate that I realized that I really didn't know much about the place! I just referred to things in vague terms and only called her staff, well her staff.

And so I ended up finding a floor plan that I like for the main house, tweaked it a bit and I had my manor. The grounds themselves was just a quick sketch. Then I started to add the people who lived and worked here. I covered much of the estate in the Argent story. She arrives there around chapter 11, but is given the grand tour in chapters 15 and 16.

To summarize, the main house is a three story building. The ground floor is mostly for entertaining. There is a combination grand hall and ballroom area. Off of this is an atrium, which just makes the chamber all that much bigger. This area is two stories high. There is the main dining hall, two sitting rooms, a conservatory, the family museum, a music room, the library and a small shrine to Mystra.

The second floor is separated into east and west wings. The east wing has a common sitting area. Off it are six guest rooms. These rooms vary in size with the smaller ones holding one or two guests, and the larger ones as many as four or five.

The west wing was originally servant quarters, but as the years passed more and more houses were built elsewhere on the estate, none of the staff now lives in the manor itself. There are six more guest rooms over in this wing along with another sitting area. The remainder of the rooms have dedicated purposes, like the sewing areas Argent encounters.

The top floor was reserved for the Sallavarian Family. There are two grand suites of rooms. The East Suite is the Master Suite and it was used by Jallarzi's parents. When they were killed, she sealed the rooms off. The suite has a large sitting room, an office, and a large master bedroom. The Duke and Duchess are using it now.

In the hallway leading to the Master Suite are two rooms originally designed for children and/or other family members. The room on the east was used by Kharyna, the room on the west was used by Argent. Argent continues to use this room during her stays that the estate.

The smaller suite of rooms, the west suite, is used by Jallarzi herself. The rooms in the hallway leading to her suite have been used by Kylie and Sherwood during their stays here. The main feature of the third floor is a huge open balcony. It lies above the grand hall/atrium on the first floor.

You can pretty much decide which quarters you are going to be using while at the estate. Argent is using her old rooms has many of her things are still there.

And it now seems that I've run out of things to talk about, so here is the eternal:

Now what?

[Validar]

And so it begins....re-begins.... begins yet again... hmmmm...

Onward!

The Seekers were off to clear Castle Elcadan. Likely a long process, Baron Validar did not expect to see them again before the assault on the Order of the Griffons headquarters in Alexandria.

There was much to do and Validar had been pouring over the maps of the Kingdom, looking at possible avenues for impending assaults and attacks, as well as their own best methods for counter-attacking and stifling the enemy. Unfortunately, it was likely that the enemy arrayed against them would be coming from not only two directions, but three and quite possibly even more. Between the Inner Kingdoms led by the usurper Duke Kelvin, his apparent allies in Corunglain and Athenos, the potential Alphatian influence and the great Humanoid horde, the Outer Kingdoms were not even whole and clearly set upon by all sides. However, the beginning of a defense and potential counter attack was already forming in the young Baron's mind.

Coat of Arms:
During the time between the ending of the War Council and lunch, Duke Relon will seek out Baron Validar for his opinion. “You're much more knowledgeable when it comes to heraldry than I am and my own herald is back in Pyris. I have been considering what the new coat of arms for the Duchy of Streel shall be. My initial thought was to combine our coat of arms with elements from the Streel lands. Such as a rushing river or a field. What do you think?

Validar thinks for a moment regarding his father's request. "Normally a Duchy grows larger and baronies sprout from it. Taking the coat of arms of Pyris would not do, but I think they should be alluded to most certainly. Perhaps a quartering? Two quarters could be marshaled from Pyris with similar colors and use our honored griffon: a silver griffon rampant on a field of blue. That would use Pyris' two field colors. The other quarters could then use the colors of the griffon itself, black and red. Perhaps a field of red with a river passing before a large stone wall. This could signify the strength of the new duchy and incorporate the importance of the Streel itself."

(On a heraldic note, the background of a shield or part thereof, is called the field. Anything on it is the charge or ordinary. In Pyris' case the field is two colors of interlocking triangles colored blue and silver. The term is known as pily-bendy of all things (and in this case pily-bendy sinister because the bend-wise piles go from right to left). The charge is the griffon and he is armed, the term used when another color is used for claws and or fangs. Validar once had a black crenelation at the top of his coat of arms which is now noticeably gone. This was an item known as cadency and indicates other family members who have the claim to the same coat of arms and are therefore differenced. In this case the crenelation (technically called simply a label) indicates the first son. Now that Relon is Duke of another Duchy and has decided to take a new coat of arms (he could have insisted on keeping the old one), Validar now uses the "undifferenced" one without the cadence. Therefore, the heraldic description or blazon for the Pyris coat of arms would be a field pily-bendy sinister of six azure and argent , a griffon rampant sable, armed gules.

The new marshalled blazon for the Duchy of Streel would be: a field party per cross, first and fourth azure, a griffon rampant argent, second and third gules, a river embattled sable. (Heraldry lesson for the day)

[Validar]

Validar thinks more on the subject of Teris and her message. From her starting point in the Inner Kingdom to ride all the way to Elcadan would take at a minimum nine days, pushing herself to the brink the entire trip. Nine days of preparation and organization. It will take them quite some time to move troops this far, but this could start out as an unconventional war. Validar decides that they have to let every one of their potential allies know what is happening and soon.

Some of them can be reached by magickal means and some by the Blackhawk. Once the assault on the Order hall in Alexandria is complete, they will need to make some stops elsewhere.

Before the group breaks up Validar will speak to everyone. "We need to make an assessment of who are our enemies and who are our allies. and also to let our allies know what is happening as some of them may yet be unaware and that is dangerous for us as well as them. I know we have the possibility of scrying individuals to check on their immediate situation, but does anyone have any direct means of quick communications. If not then we must make several stops with the Blackhawk after the Order Hall in Alexandria is freed."

Later Validar will stop by to see how Lady Teris is doing, but she is still resting. Validar will ask the attendants to contact him, should she rise before the group leaves on its mission.

[Chareos]

Chareos

OOC -Welcome back all.

From Serena-

“I will need Sherra to plot the course to Alexandria so that we reach or destination and not get lost. Has anyone seen her?”

“I have not, Perhaps she went into town for provisions?” he guesses.

Walking into the Dining Hall Chareos, looks about him seeing the sheer amount of people and takes a deep breath before entering, Finding his place to eat he partakes in the food though the serving girls come with drinks he covers his cup and merely asks. “Can I have water please?” As she walks away, “Thank you.”as he picks up a chicken leg and tears into it.

During lunch he will ask Argent, “Did you receive your training here? I would be curious to see the Library here, that is if Lady Jallarzi has one.” he says absently as he takes a bit of his chicken.

Validar Said:

Before the group breaks up Validar will speak to everyone. "We need to make an assessment of who are our enemies and who are our allies. and also to let our allies know what is happening as some of them may yet be unaware and that is dangerous for us as well as them. I know we have the possibility of scrying individuals to check on their immediate situation, but does anyone have any direct means of quick communications. If not then we must make several stops with the Blackhawk after the Order Hall in Alexandria is freed."

“I would have to agree with you, Your Lordship.” The words rolling awkwardly off his tongue. “Sadly, I do not have any means of contacting our friends. Given our situation would it not be advantageous to speak to the Elves for their assistance in the coming war?” He asks wondering how Laucian, Valerie and the others are doing on their quest “Are there any alliances that we may have overlooked?” he asks the others. Recalling that the King said he wished to fill the ranks of the army with adventurers he can help but speak up. “Will I do not doubt our King’s leadership I cannot but help but feel hesitant of filling the ranks of unknown adventurers. We do not know of their past transgressions or dealings. For all we know we could be welcoming spies into our midst.”

Later on he will study his spells and be sure to have a Stone skin and Dispel shield in Place( I think he still has one in place but its been so long)

[Argent]

Argent:

Backtracking a bit...

On the evening when the Guardians first returned to the Sallavarian Estate on board the Blackhawk and Argent meets up with Chareos again, she'll give him the grand tour that evening. (Back in New Frontiers #105. Pity that someone didn't design the estate until years later!)

“Let me give you a quick tour and I'll show you where you can store your gear.”

Entering the front foyer, Argent leads Chareos by the hand. They first go through the left-hand doors from the foyer and then taking the opening from the sitting room beyond to the first doors on the left from the hall. Behind those doors is the Sallavarian Family library.

“The library holds many, many books,” Argent explains as she gestures at the huge library. “A lot of them are in Alphatian, still more in elvish, dwarvish and so on. You can read what ever you wish, but you cannot take any books out of the library. There are defensive wards in place to prevent such a thing.”

Argent leads the way among the books towards the far end of the library. The area is shaped like an L. At the corner there is a set of double doors and there is another pair at the far back of the library.

“Behind these doors is the Sallavarian shrine to Mystra. The doors at the far end lead to a reading room. Use that room to read books here.”

Leaving the library, Argent makes her way up to the third floor of the main house. The invoker pauses before the doors to the back balcony. The huge balcony has many pieces of outdoor furniture on it. It's not being used right now as it's winter time.

“The view here in the daytime can be spectacular,” Argent notes. “It's also a very pleasant place to read and study in warmer times. I spent many an hour here and in the library.”

Pointing off into the distance behind the house, Argent notes two buildings of interest. “The tall tower on the left is the teleportation arrival point. The tower was built to take into account any possible errors that can happen when you teleport. The smaller tower on the left is where Jallarzi teaches her apprentices. Spent a lot of time there too.”

Continuing onward, Argent walks down a nearby hallway toward another pair of double doors. She opens the door and gestures for Chareos to follow her. The room beyond is large, fifteen feet deep and twenty feet wide. The area to the right is the sleeping area, a large privacy screen blocks most of a large poster bed. To the left was a work and study area with a desk and several bookcases. The middle of the room was dominated by a circular table. The entire chamber was rather luxurious.

“This was my quarters when I was an apprentice and I still use it when I visit,” Argent announces. “You are welcome to stay here with me. My spell books are here, so you can study here as well. There is certainly enough room for two!”

(The end of Book 1, Chapter Twelve of Argent's Adventures gives a more in depth description of Argent's quarters.)

[Argent]

Back to the Present..

One of the pleasures of returning to the Sallavarian Estate was catching up with old friends, such as the serving girls whom she saw and talked with every day. Argent and Sam became good friends in those days.

At the end of the War Council, Duke Relon decides to ride into town after lunch. Baron Validar wonders if there are any means to contact allies. Chareos states he does not have any such means.

“I have access to a Dream spell, but I have yet to cast it yet,” Argent states. “It would allow me to send a message to another, regardless of distance, but it has to be someone that I know to some degree. Apart from that, and scrying or actually teleporting, there isn't much else I can do.”

Chareos then mentions his concern over using adventurers to supplement the army.

“I don't see that as a huge problem,” Argent disagrees. “After all, Sherwood, Jallarzi and Sharadin all keep track of adventurers and those that they trust. I would assume that they also know those who would be untrustworthy. Plus, Sir Acerion could check them for any evil intent if need be.”


Later in the morning, Argent is surprised to have Hanna deliver a note to her. Argent knows Hanna very well by now and is at ease around her. Hanna and Jallarzi are around the same age and both grew up here at the estate. They've been friends since childhood and now Hanna is essentially Jallarzi's right hand in official matters.

“Thank you, Hanna,” Argent says.

Much to the invoker's surprise it is an invitation to a gathering to be held by Duchess Lysandra. Argent's mind is a whirl trying to figure out what this is all about. In the end, she decides that if the Duchess asks you to show up for something, you better show up! And so the Invoker returns to her room to freshen up for the lunch and the meeting with the Duchess afterwards.

At the dining hall, Argent takes her usual seat and waits for Chareos to arrive. Upon seeing him, she waves for him to join her.

“In all the time I've been here, I cannot recall there being this many people here,” Argent notes.

During lunch he will ask Argent, “Did you receive your training here?”

“Well, not right here,” Argent teases between sips of her wine. “Jallarzi has a mage training tower out in the back. But yes, this was my home during my training. It's nothing like Sharadin's place in Gateway.” The information about the library was covered up above.

After a nice lunch, Argent will say goodbye to Chareos with a hug and a kiss. “I'm off to the Duchess' gathering. I'll catch up to you later on.”

Retracing her steps back to her room, Argent has just a short walk to reach the Master Suite. It turns out that it's at the end of the hallway where her room is! Back when Argent was an apprentice the room had been locked and she had never seen inside it before. This was going to be a new experience.

Standing before the entry door was the Pyrisian Knight, Sir Belfor. It was his task to guard the Duchess, but apparently he was not invited to whatever was going on inside. As Argent moved closer, Sir Belfor stands aside and opens the door.

“Thank you, Sir Belfor,” Argent says with a smile. The Knight just nods in return.

Behind the mystery doors is a large sitting area. In the end, its not a huge surprise. Jallarzi lives in the other suite and Argent had been there before. Its first room was much like this.

Duchess Lysandra is already here, along with Jallarzi. Hanna is here whispering something to Jallarzi, a scene that Argent has seen many times before. Baron Validar's fiancee is present as well, along with her loyal retainers. Lady Gabriella is looking particularly stunning today in a red and gold dress in a design that is not common to Cynalon. Must be from Zakhara, the invoker muses, since Lady Allonica is of mixed heritage.

Lady Rachel Van Arkus is also present and in a dress instead of armor. Validar's younger sister does not look very happy. Dame Sharl is present as well and wears her priest robes.

After exchanging greetings, Argent takes the open seat next to Jallarzi. Sam is here as well, serving wine and water. Argent accepts a glass of wine and waits for the rest to arrive.

Duchess Lysandra begins to speak, saying that she thought it was high time we girls had a chat. Argent guesses that is true, she really hasn't spoken much to Her Grace other than short social conversations. She mentions that better things will come from this dark times and that the entire kingdom could be different once this Civil War is over with. That some of us could become rulers or possibly the wives of rulers.

That is a prospect that Argent had not considered before. The Invoker does not consider herself to be ruler material, but what of Chareos? Could that be a challenge that he would be interested in?

Duchess Lysandra is offering to us her knowledge and insights on what it takes to rule and be a noblewoman here in Cynalon. It is the knowledge that she learned from her older sister, who was Jallarzi's mother. Argent doesn't know much about Jallarzi's mother, as her mentor tended not to speak of such things.

It is surprising to Argent at first, but then again, having lived here at the Sallavarian Estate for nearly a year and a half, Agent already has a good idea on how nobility works from her time with Jallarzi. Duchess Lysandra is gathering allies from those of us who might become far more important down the line. It is a shrewd, long term strategy.

Dame Sharl notes that it is most likely that she will be Queen of Cynalon one day, but is not of noble birth. If ruling in any capacity give me pause, I can't imagine what it would be like to rule over an entire kingdom!

Argent will speak next having put her own thoughts in order.

“While I have no personal desire to rule over lands,” Argent will state, “that does not mean that I, or my eventual husband, won't be awarded them. I have learned much about the nobility during my time here with Jallarzi. But there is much more that I could learn and to learn from someone as skilled as Her Grace can only be a boon to me.”

“Forgive me for being so bold, Your Grace, but you mentioned living through dark times before. Of which dark times do you speak?”

Taking another sip of wine, Argent wonders where this conversation is going to go from here.

Will update spell list shortly.

[GM Mad]

Later on he will study his spells and be sure to have a Stone skin and Dispel shield in Place( I think he still has one in place but its been so long)

Any spell notes that I had are long gone by now. Let's just start fresh and assume no one has any Stone Skins in place.

[Ivy]

Ivy

Ivy mostly wanders the large manor house that Jallarzi lives in after speaking with Baron Validar. The death of Mother Boelle has hit her hard and Ivy just wants to be far away from people. Sure, Ivy has seen death before, but this one was so unexpected, so... personal. Her heart feels as if it is broken and she wishes that Acerion could be with her, but his duty is to ensure the safety of the Duke and that is more important.

She is totally surprised when Hanna shows up bearing the invitation. Once Hanna is far enough away, Ivy will look at the invitation and sigh heavily. “Now what do they want?”, she moans. “Why can't they just leave me alone?”

Although she doesn't want to be there, Ivy will show up as it would be rude to do otherwise. She's dressed in her priestess' robes and has her mace tucked in her belt. The armored man lets her into the chamber where the Duchess is holding this gathering. Ivy simply takes the first seat that she comes to. Many others are present and upon seeing Dame Sharl have her Holy Weapon under her chair, Ivy does the same with her own.

The Duchess starts to speak and Ivy really doesn't hear much of what she says. She more focused on trying to keep her composure and not break down sobbing. When Ivy does finally speak, she'll just say, “Thank you for the offer, Your Grace.”

[Corley]

Sir Corley

Sir Corley is has nothing constructive to add to the War Council. His thoughts stray more and more to the fair Lady Ardel, held captive by that foul rodent of a boy. He has the urge to break something, but does refrain from damaging Lady Sallavarians fine home.

When the Duke mentions riding into town after Lunch, Sir Corley will volunteer to go along.

“I shall accompany you, Your Grace and Your Majesty. A good sword arm might be needed and I stand ready for battle!”

Sir Corley doesn't speak up when Duke Vanarkus poses his question about Elcadan. He has no satisfactory answer to give.

[Serena]

Serena

“I have not, Perhaps she went into town for provisions?” he guesses.

“Perhaps,” Serena easily agrees.


The Inquisitor is more content to observe the goings on at the Sallavarian Estate. Much to her surprise, Serena is finding Cynalon to be a more and more charming place than she first imagined in spite of all the troubles it seems to be facing.

After the meeting, Serena makes her way to where the Black Hawk is docked thinking that Sherra might be there. The dark-haired woman is not present. Wasting time, Serena looks around a bit and comes across the maps in the Captain's cabin. She notes the word Oos on one of the maps and her blood runs cold. Stunned, she grabs the map and makes a beeline back to the main house.

The royal court is mostly vacant by the time she makes her way back. Baron Validar is there looking at numerous maps.

“Pardon me, Baron Vanarkus,” Serena speaks up in her unmistakable Alphatian accent, “but I bear grim tidings. I found this map among other maps in the captain's cabin.”

Serena opens up the map and indicates where it says 'Oos' on the map.

“Do you understand what this means?” Serena asks gravely.

While speaking with Baron Vanarkus, one of Jallarzi's staff approaches bearing a note. Puzzled, Serena reads the note and finds that she has been invited to a gathering by Validar's mother, the Duchess Lysandra. Serena shrugs to herself, having no clue what this is all about.

At the appointed time, Serena will make her way to the place of the gathering. She gets lost a few times, but manages to reach her destination all the same. Serena is simply dressed in her priestess' robes, but has left her Staff of Flame in her quarters. The seating arrangements makes little difference to her, so Serena takes a seat next to Lady Allonica.

The Inquisitor notes her unusual style of dress. It's not like anything Serena had seen in Alphatia, nor here in Cynalon.

“Forgive my curiosity, Lady Allonica,” Serena whispers leaning closer. “But I cannot recall ever seeing a dress in that style before. Where does it come from?”

As per her nature, Serena is content to just watch and listen. The course of the conversation doesn't seem to apply to her. She's not even a citizen of Cynalon, let alone someone who will rule or even marry someone who will be a ruler. Perhaps Her Grace was just being polite to include her. Truth be told, the intrigues of court holds no interest to Serena. Serving Mystra is her first and only interest.

“I thank you for the invitation and the conversation, Your Grace,” Serena will say easily. “It was most illuminating.”

[Crysania]

Crysania:

After the breaking of the deadlock with the Duke's Guard at Elcadan Castle, Crysania does not go back to the Sallavarian Estate. Instead she makes the rounds to the local temples of Helm and Mystra to explain the situation about Alexander Deville to Galfrey of Mystra and Strum of Helm, suggesting that they do divinations about him to learn more information. After that Crysania returns to the Temple of Heironeous and her small, but private chamber there for sleep.

She's awake early the next morning for her devotions and prayers for new spells. Joining up with her fellow priests, she rides out to the Sallavarian Estate to report their findings concerning Alexander Deville to the Duke. Near the end of the report, Lady Penhaligon arrives with information concerning the Inner Kingdom. It seems that Duke Kelvin has named himself King and he and his army is coming forth to restore order to the Outer Kingdom.

“The arrogant fool...” Crysania mutters under her breath.

Duke Relon sets in motion plans to gather up those who can fight in order to field an army and recruit adventurers to help fill in the holes. It seems like a satisfactory solution.

“We'll return to Elcadan and set your plans into motion, Your Grace,” Crysania pledges. With that, Crysania rides back to town with her fellow priests. She's not at the estate to receive the invitation, and thus is not present for the gathering.

[Jallarzi Sallavarian]

Jallarzi:

Before the group breaks up Validar will speak to everyone. "We need to make an assessment of who are our enemies and who are our allies. and also to let our allies know what is happening as some of them may yet be unaware and that is dangerous for us as well as them. I know we have the possibility of scrying individuals to check on their immediate situation, but does anyone have any direct means of quick communications. If not then we must make several stops with the Blackhawk after the Order Hall in Alexandria is freed."

“I have access to a Dream spell, but I have yet to cast it yet,” Argent states. “It would allow me to send a message to another, regardless of distance, but it has to be someone that I know to some degree. Apart from that, and scrying or actually teleporting, there isn't much else I can do.”

“I make frequent use of the Dream spell,” Jallarzi states. “I'll use one to alert Sharadin of the situation.”

Chareos then mentions his concern over using adventurers to supplement the army.

“I don't see that as a huge problem,” Argent disagrees. “After all, Sherwood, Jallarzi and Sharadin all keep track of adventurers and those that they trust. I would assume that they also know those who would be untrustworthy. Plus, Sir Acerion could check them for any evil intent if need be.”

“Argent has the truth of the matter, Chareos,” Jallarzi adds. “I already know most of those adventurers who call Elcadan home. There are many good people among them, despite a few there are those I have little faith in. I'll accompany the Duke to assist him in this matter.”


Jallarzi is busy playing hostess to get too involved in many of the goings on. There is simply too much to do! Jeffries and Hanna do their usual fine jobs and lunch runs smoothly in spite of all the chaos.

After lunch, Jallarzi joins her aunt in the Master Suite for the gathering she wishes to hold. Jallarzi already knows what this meeting is about and spends most of her time getting the details set up. Sam is here to serve beverages. Hanna arrives and whispers that she couldn't find Crysania.

“Crysania returned to Elcadan earlier,” Jallarzi whispers to Hanna. “I should have told you.”

The guests start to appear. Dame Sharl arrives, bearing her Holy Axe. Thankfully, she places it underneath her seat; warriors and their weapons.

Argent takes a seat on my left. Ivy arrives and has a look of sadness to her. It's clear that she's not well emotionally. She is also carrying her holy mace, but like Sharl, places it underneath her seat.

Leaning over, Jallarzi whispers to Aunt Lysandra, “Ivy is in mourning. Mother Boelle passed away yesterday. The priestess was the closest thing she had to a mother.”

Duchess Lysandra begins to speak, explaining the purpose of this gathering. Sharl seems to be interested, while Jallarzi has to wonder if Ivy even heard a single word. Argent is the first to speak.

“While I have no personal desire to rule over lands,” Argent will state, “that does not mean that I, or my eventual husband, won't be awarded them. I have learned much about the nobility during my time here with Jallarzi. But there is much more that I could learn and to learn from some one as skilled as Her Grace can only be a boon to me.”

None of that comes as a surprise to Jallarzi. She knows her apprentice well. While she might enjoy the attention one gets by holding a position of power, Argent would despise all the work that goes with it.

“Forgive me for being so bold, Your Grace, but you mentioned living through dark times before. Of which dark times do you speak?”

Jallarzi shoots Argent an annoyed glance at the rude question.

“Forgive my former apprentice, Your Grace,” Jallarzi states. “I fear she's had too much wine today.”

Ivy and Serena give non-committal answers, but they do not come as a surprise.

[Chareos]

Chareos-

“Let me give you a quick tour and I'll show you where you can store your gear.”

“Certainly, I feel as though I may get lost in all this grandeur,” he says evenly as he gathers up his gear and places it over his shoulders.

Entering the front foyer, Argent leads Chareos by the hand. They first go through the left-hand doors from the foyer and then taking the opening from the sitting room beyond to the first doors on the left from the hall. Behind those doors is the Sallavarian Family library.

“The library holds many, many books,” Argent explains as she gestures at the huge library. “A lot of them are in Alphatian, still more in elvish, dwarvish and so on. You can read what ever you wish, but you cannot take any books out of the library. There are defensive wards in place to prevent such a thing.”

Taking Argent’s hand he allows himself to be led through the estate. As they stop near the library Chareos lets out a low whistle. Before him lies many books on varying subjects. “I must admit I have not seen this many books since my time with Lord Sharadin.”Taking a mental note of the defensive spells in place he says with a smile, “I will remember that,” as the thought of hitting an invisible wall comes to mind.

Argent leads the way among the books towards the far end of the library. The area is shaped like an L. At the corner there is a set of double doors and there is another pair at the far back of the library.

“Behind these doors is the Sallavarian shrine to Mystra. The doors at the far end lead to a reading room. Use that room to read books here.”

“I will be sure to pay my respects, once settled. “ he says evenly making a mental note as to where the shrine is.

Upon Seeing the Argent’s Room:
It was about fifteen feet deep and twenty feet wide. In the far right hand corner was a large privacy screen. Behind it was an elegant canopied bed. In the closer right hand corner were several dressers and wardrobes to store clothes.

There was a dressing table with a mirror beside the privacy stand. Against the left hand wall was a large desk with bookcases on either side of it. A pair of windows looked out into the front of the estate around the top of the ground floor foyer. Each wall had those special continual lights scones in them. You could control the amount of light the magic filled the room with, or close them completely for darkness.

Several tapestries covered the wood paneled walls. The floor was polished wood as well, with several carpets and throw rugs on it. There was a small table in the middle of the room with a single chair on each side. A fancy tablecloth covered the table. The whole thing was extremely luxurious.

“This was my quarters when I was an apprentice and I still use it when I visit,” Argent announces. “You are welcome to stay here with me. My spell books are here, so you can study here as well. There is certainly enough room for two!”

Chareos looks to the room and slowly looks about the room his mouth slowly opening as he took in the décor before him. “It is absolutely beautiful.” he says, “I don’t know if I could ever get used to this.” he says with a sheepish smile. Chareos is slightly taken aback when Argent asks if he would like to stay with her, the shock showing on his face as he looks at her. “Truth be told, I would nervous to do so. I never have been in this position before.” He says nervously not knowing how she would take it. After a few moments a silence from him, “I would like that.”

“Argent has the truth of the matter, Chareos,” Jallarzi adds. “I already know most of those adventurers who call Elcadan home. There are many good people among them, and there are those I have little faith in. I'll accompany the Duke to assist him in this matter.”

“Then I shall not worry any longer about the subject. I know we are in fine hands then.” He says evenly knowing the Duke has the best assistance possible.

The King and Duke will ride into Elcadan after lunch. Their entourage of guards and retainers will accompany them, along with any of the Guardians who wish to ride along. Given their tasks of guarding Duke Relon Van Arkus, Sir Acerion Kalindor and Kell of Helm will be riding along. Sir Acerion has been serving as Duke Relon's bodyguard since leaving Pyris, while Kell has be helping out since the Duke arrived in Elcadan.

Chareos will accompany the King and Duke into Elcadan, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the mission he volunteered for.

[Validar]

Chareos will accompany the King and Duke into Elcadan, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the mission he volunteered for.

If Chareos is going on the rescue mission to the Order Hall in Alexandria, then there is no time to ride into Elcadan. The rescue mission is happening this early evening.
----------------------------------------

“Pardon me, Baron Vanarkus,” Serena speaks up in her unmistakable Alphatian accent, “but I bear grim tidings. I found this map among other maps in the captain's cabin.”

Serena opens up the map and indicates where it says 'Oos' on the map.

“Do you understand what this means?” Serena asks gravely.

Validar thinks about the ominous sounding name, but cannot seem to place it. "Perhaps you'd care to enlighten me a bit more, Serena?"

[Gabriella]

Lady Gabriella Allonica:

The morning started out pleasant enough. Gabriella is up early in the guest room she shares with her companions: Breeanna and her cousin Jamid. The guest room is one of the larger ones and it has a bed for each of us. The task of dressing is next. Breeanna sorts through the collection of dresses while I decide on which one to pick.

“I feel liking indulging my mother's heritage a little more than normal today,” I tell Breeanna. “It doesn’t hurt to stand out from the crowd at times.” While Breeanna goes through the options, Gabriella does her own makeup in the exotic Zakharan style.

I pick a red and gold silk kaftan that was a gift from my Uncle Kerim Al-Azrad, Jamid's father, and accenting jewelry. The dress was crafted at Uncle's home in Dihliz, the Gateway City in the Land of Fate. Once dressed, she sends her companions off on several errands in Elcadan.

Soon after, my Baron Van Arkus arrives and we depart for a quick breakfast together. Afterwards, the Duke and Duchess have guests arriving from Elcadan. The high priests of the city come forth to reveal their findings concerning Alexander Deville. Gabriella remains quiet, as this circumstance is beyond her area of expertise.

Lady Teris Penhaligon suddenly arrives bearing even more ill tidings. Duke Kelvin has seized the crown and named himself King. Of all the incredible insane notions! It makes Gabby wonder if this Duke Kelvin has had a certain demoness whispering things into his ear.

After that surprising revelation, Baron Van Arkus reads a note sent along with Lady Penhaligon from his grandmother. It reveals that Lady Vera Ardel is missing and it is believed that she was spirited away to Corunglain. “Such horrible news!” Gabriella exclaims, shaking her head. “And the day started with such promise.”

Lady Sallavarian quickly retrieves the missing king and his consort. Gabby mostly listens to the discussions after that; mainly to keep abreast of what is going on. As the talks finally wind down, Gabby notices Her Grace, the Duchess, trying to get her attention.

“Excuse me, my dear Baron,” Gabby tells Validar. “It appears that your mother wishes to have a word with me.” Crossing the room, Gabby walks up to the Duchess and Lady Sallavarian. Lysandra reveals her plans to have a chat with the ladies present here, while the men make their plans for battle. It is to be held after lunch.

“I would be delighted to attend, Your Grace. It should prove to be most interesting.”

After lunch, Gabby makes her way to the Master Suite where the Duke and Duchess have been staying here at the Sallavarian Estate. By now Breeanna and Jamid have returned from their errands in town. Knowing this to be an important meeting, they are instructed to dress up for the occasion.

We arrive at the meeting place before most of the others. Her Grace is already here and has taken her place in a chair across from the door. The lady paladin serving as her personal guard in these troubled times stands several paces behind the Duchess in her battle armor. Lady Sallavarian is seated to the right of the Duchess.

The seating arrangements in gatherings such as this can be most revealing. They can divulge alliances and those who share strong bonds and even those looking to forge them. Lysandra and Jallarzi sitting next to each other is not a surprise since they are related.

As we exchange greetings, Gabriella casually walks across the room and selects the seat on the other side of Her Grace. Gabby is interested in seeing the Duchess’ style in holding court. Given her experience, and that she will be my Mother-in-Law before too long, Gabby wants to learn as much as she can.

Gabriella's choice of seat is also calculated. By taking the seat on the other side of the Duchess, it’s showing that she is confident in her place in this gathering. Jamid and Breeanna take a seat further behind Gabby's. While they are guests here, they are not part of the group involved in the main conversation.

Since this is the Duchess’ gathering, Gabriella mainly intends to observe what is going on; read the reactions from the others in this little gathering. Validar's younger sister, Lady Rachel Van Arkus arrives next. It’s clear from her body language that she'd rather not be here. Her reaction is not a surprise, as Lady Rachel seems more interested in action like her older brother, than these sorts of court formalities.

Dame Sharl is the next to arrive dressed in her priestess robes. Much to Gabriella's surprise she carries a battle axe with her! Supposedly it is a holy weapon, but still not something one should carry to a private gathering such as this. Dame Sharl takes one of the chairs in the semi-circle seemingly at random. It seems clear she has no alliances here nor is she attempting to incur favor. At least she places her weapon underneath her chair.

Lady Argent arrives next dressed in a nice gown. She and Gabby haven't spoken that much, so the mage is a bit of a mystery. However she does seem confident enough and doesn't appear out of place in this gathering. Argent is friendly and takes the open seat next to Jallarzi. Not a surprise since they were student and teacher before.

Lady Ivy enters the room next, almost unnoticed. She doesn't say a word and takes the seat closest to the door, on the opposite side of the Duchess. Gabby would guess that the priestess does not want to be here at all. Ivy also carries her weapon, but follows Sharl's example and puts her mace under her chair.

Serena the Inquisitor arrives next and like all the other priestesses is dressed in the robes of her faith. Fortunately, she does not have a weapon with her. Much to my surprise, Serena takes a seat next to mine. Is she trying gain favor from me? Or is she just being friendly?

“Forgive my curiosity, Lady Allonica,” Serena whispers, leaning closer. “But I cannot recall ever seeing a dress in that style before. Where does it come from?”

“Thank you for asking,” Gabriella says with a smile. “This is a traditional Zakharan style. It was a gift from my uncle in the Land of Fate.”

The gathering finally starts and the Duchess states the purpose of their gathering. Dame Sharl speaks first and does seem interested in what Duchess has to offer. Argent also seems interested, but not as strongly. Ivy seems lost in her own little world and not really even paying attention. At least she thanks the Duchess for her offer, but neither accepts it or refuses it. Serena's response is similar.

Lady Argent than asks a question that surprises Lady Sallavarian. The Duchess did speak of dark times and that she had lived through them before. While the question is a logical one, the politeness does come into question. Gabriella is very interested in what the Duchess’ answer will be.

[Serena]

Serena:

Validar thinks about the ominous sounding name, but cannot seem to place it. "Perhaps you'd care to enlighten me a bit more, Serena?"

“Modern historians believe that the City of Oos, along the southern edge of Vassa, was the base of operations for the Lich Lords. A group of five Alphatian mages who were swayed by Zengyi, the infamous Witch King of Vassa. Each mage was given a near magical artifact called the Crowns of Eternal Night.”

“Legend has it that the Fellowship of Mages countered and defeated the Lich Lords in Oos. The took the Crowns from them and buried the liches within their city, seemingly wiping Oos from the face of the earth. If these slavers have a map to where Oos is now, one can only conclude that the demoness know this as well. Maybe they are working to dig up these ancient enemies. Or perhaps are already in league with them. Regardless of what the truth of the mater may be, this is a dire situation.”

“Thank you for asking,” Gabriella says with a smile. “This is a traditional Zakharan style. It was a gift from my uncle in the Land of Fate.”

“Ah, I see,” Serena answers easily. The priestess didn't realize that Lady Allonica was of mixed heritage. “I've only heard bits and pieces of the lands farther to the west. It was not something I studied before my arriving in Cynalon.”

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Heraldry:

Late in the morning, Duke Relon consults his son in regards to a new coat of arms for the Duchy of Streel.

Validar thinks for a moment regarding his father's request. "Normally a Duchy grows larger and baronies sprout from it. Taking the coat of arms of Pyris would not do, but I think they should be alluded to most certainly. Perhaps a quartering? Two quarters could be marshaled from Pyris with similar colors and use our honored griffon: a silver griffon rampant on a field of blue. That would use Pyris' two field colors. The other quarters could then use the colors of the griffon itself, black and red. Perhaps a field of red with a river passing before a large stone wall. This could signify the strength of the new duchy and incorporate the importance of the Streel itself."

“I see,” the Duke answers deep in thought. “While I like the concept, I am wondering if perhaps instead of incorporating elements of the Pyrisian coat of arms, that we should go back even further to the Vanarkus coat of arms. Focus on the new ruling family, instead of the domain they came from.”


The Ladies Gather:

After lunch, Duchess Lysandra Vanarkus holds court in the sitting room of the Master Suite of the Sallavarian Estate. Light conversation is held while the guests arrive. Ivy's quiet arrival is noted by many.

Leaning over, Jallarzi whispers to Aunt Lysandra, “Ivy is in mourning. Mother Boelle passed away yesterday. The priestess was the closest thing she had to a mother.”

“I had heard of Mother Boelle's passing,” Her Grace whispers back. “It is a tragic loss. She was a fine woman.”

The Duchess states her purpose for the gathering and most present respond with their thoughts. Some seem interested, others not so much.

“Forgive me for being so bold, Your Grace, but you mentioned living through dark times before. Of which dark times do you speak?”

“Forgive my former apprentice, Your Grace,” Jallarzi states. “I fear she's had too much wine today.”

“It's quite alright, Jallarzi,” the Duchess says as she rises to her feet. “I left the opening and your former apprentice was brave enough to ask that question. Never be afraid to respectfully speak your mind in my presence.”

The Duchess crosses the sitting area and much to everyone's surprise takes a seat beside Ivy. The priestess is just as surprised and manages to say, “Your Grace?”

Duchess Lysandra reaches out and takes Ivy's hand. “My condolences on your loss, Lady Ivy,” the Duchess says in a soft and compassionate voice. “Mother Boelle was a remarkable woman. The likes of her do not come around often.”

“Thank you,” Ivy manages to say, still greatly surprised by this personal contact. “You knew Mother Boelle?”

“Yes,” Her Grace answers easily. “The dark times I spoke off happened when I was just a teenager. In the aftermath of that dark day, I was emotionally devastated. I as angry. I lashed out at all those around me. Boelle, long before she was a Mother of Azrella helped me over come all of that. She made me realize that it was alright to grieve, that it as alright to be angry. But that I should not be consumed by such dark thoughts. I owe her a great debt, one that I doubt I can ever repay.”

The Duchess thinks for a moment and then says to Ivy, “I think I should pay my respect to Mother Boelle after we finish up here. I had planned to go into town anyway, so we can do this task to honor her. Would you like that, Lady Ivy?”

“Very much so,” Ivy answers tearfully.

“But for now I have a tale to tell. The story of how I came to need Mother Boelle's help and how even with the dark times I lived through my life was better for it.”

[GM Mad]

Elcadan:

Elsewhere, the King and the Duke of Streel are riding towards Elcadan flanked by their guards and their entourage. Sir Corley and Sir Acerion ride with them. As the riders get closer, the Duke asks, “My friends, tell me what you see when you look upon Elcadan. Please speak your mind freely.”

“I imagine that most see this city as a den of corruption, a nest of demons and a place of evil,” King Victor the 7th states. “But I take it that is not what you see?”

“Not at all, Your Majesty,” the Duke answers. “You and your generation see Elcadan as it is. I see Elcadan was. Things were much, much different when I was your age. Back then Elcadan was the Jewel of the West. It was a place of happiness and excitement. It was here as a young nobleman that I did court and eventually win the hand of my wife. Elcadan is special to me and I will make it special to everyone else once more.”

“Than I choose wisely in awarding you these lands,” the King says with a smile and laugh. “I think I prefer your vision of Elcadan to the reality we approach.”

Spurring their horses on, the King and the Duke ride into Elcadan.

[GM Mad]

Lysandra's Time of Darkness:

Back at the gathering of ladies, Duchess Lysandra, now seated beside Ivy and still holding the startled priestess' hand, begins to tell her tale of sadness.

“It was early in the year of 541,” the Duchess begins. “I was just fifteen years old at the time and not yet a woman. I lived on my families estate in Tenobar. My family was minor nobility in that now fallen port city. But at that time we were having a joyous celebration. My older sister, Jenae, was being married to Jidaran Sallavarian.”

After letting that sink in, Her Grace nods towards Jallarzi. “Yes, this was the wedding day for Jallarzi's parents. The wedding took place at the Golovkin Estate in Tenobar.” (Golovkin in Lysandra's maiden name.)

“This was a big social event,” the Duchess continues. “Many important people were present. At my age, I wasn't all that interested in what was going on. My like the way my own daughter is displeased to be here instead of riding around with her father.”

The Duchess glances at her daughter, Rachel Vanarkus who understandable blushes from the unwanted attention and looks away.

“Don't get me wrong I was happy for my sister, but being part of a huge wedding party wasn't my fondest wish. I wasn't fond of all the pomp and circumstance that went with it. I barely knew Jidaran at that time and his best man was a complete stranger to me. It was all my mother could do to get me and my younger sister dressed for the occasion.”

“Finally everyone was in place and the wedding began. I don't remember much about the ceremony itself. What I do remember was that shortly after the ceremony had been completed a loud, whistling sound was heard. Everyone else heard it and all conversation ceased. I had no idea what that noise was.”

“Fortunately for me, the best man of the wedding did. He was close to me and my sister and pushed us into the next room from the wedding hall. The source of the noise became apparent as a gigantic stone, flung by a catapult crashed through the roof of the wedding hall. Portions of the roof fell in under the assault. The area I had been standing in was now buried in rubble. The door to the hall was blocked.”

“What none of use knew was that orcs were attacking the city. They somehow learned of the wedding and that many important people would be there. So they targeted the Golovkin Estate with their catapults. Huge rock after rock rained down on the estate.”

“I was in a panic, I yelled trying to find out if my family was okay on the other side of the debris. After a time, Jidaran called out that he and Jenae were safe, but my parents had been killed from the roof collapsing. Jidaran told the best man, the man who had saved my life, but he was going to teleport Jenae away and he would be back for us. The best man understood and tried to get me and my crying sister to safety.”

“Given what had just happened, my parents killed on the wedding day of my sister, I was devastated. I fought with the best man and no doubt made what was already a difficult circumstance even worse. “

“More catapult stones hit the estate and more collapses followed. The best man dragged me along while I tried to hold on to my little sister. We could hear fighting outside as the orcs were advancing on the city and on my family estate.”

“In a moment that haunts me to this day, I lost grip of my sister and she fell. I screamed at the best man to do something, but before he could the ceiling above my sister gave way, burying her before my eyes. I broke loose of the best man's grasp and rushed towards her. I found her hand in the rubble and held on to as she died.”

“I don't remember much what happened after that point. I was sobbing uncontrollably and the best man simply dragged me away from my sister and flung me over he shoulder. He ran us to safety, even fighting off a few orcs along the way. Sometime later, Jidaran found us and teleported us away.”

“In the span of one short afternoon, on what should have been the happiest day of my sister's life, we lost our parents, our sister, our ancestral home and virtually everyone we knew,” the Duchess concludes, emotion thick in her voice. “That is the dark time of which I speak.”

Pausing to regain her own composure, Duchess Lysandra continues to speak in a more hopeful tone. “But do you know what else came from that dark day? If those events had not happened, I would not be here speaking to you today. I lived here at the Sallavarian Estate for the next seven years with my sister and her new husband.”

Sparing a glance and a smile towards Jallarzi, Duchess Lysandra adds, “It was late that same year that Jallarzi was born and that brought some much needed joy into our lives. The following year Sherwood came to live with us. I continued to blame the best man for the death of my sister and he wisely avoided visiting here.”

“Mother Boelle counseled me through those dark times. Helped me overcome my grief and even helped me realized that my hatred of the best man was misplaced. He had saved my life and had done all he could to save my sister.”

“Less than two years later, I asked my brother-in-law to have his best man come to visit. He was surprised to see me as I wasn't the scrawny girl who made his life miserable on that dark day in Tenobar any more. We talked for a long time, dated for a few years and eventually that man who I had hated became my husband.”

“When I speak of good things coming from dark times, I speak from personal experience,” Duchess Lysandra concludes. “If that dark day had not happened, I would not have married Relon Vanarkus. I would not have had a wonderful son. I would not have a beautiful daughter who reminds me so much of her namesake, my late younger sister. I would not have been a baroness and now a duchess. I wouldn't be here and I probably would not have met any of you. Never forget that some good can come from even the worst of times. Never ever lose hope.”

[GM Mad]

Blackhawk Rising:


Just after nightfall, those going on the rescue mission to the Guild Hall of the Order of the Griffons gather at the Blackhawk. There is a noticeable chill in the air this evening. The sky is clear and the light of the near full moon illuminates all. Once on board the ship, the air is comfortable again thanks to the Spell Engine. Going on this mission are Argent, Chareos, Lyonessa, Serena, Sherra, Regnak, Validar and Dame Sharl.

The small ship awaits at the docks on the Streel River at the Sallavarian Estate. Once everyone is on board, the lines are cast off and Serena takes control. She causes the Blackhawk to rise up slowly from the water and move over land a short distance. In a clearing large enough for the ship to move in, the Blackhawk's position is adjusted, with Sherra's aid, so that it is pointing towards Alexandria. The idea is just fly straight in that general direction and then make adjustments once near your destination. Some of you climb down from the ship and just push it into the right direction.

Once the ship is facing properly and everyone is back on board, Serena causes the ship to rise straight up. In a few heartbeats you're above the trees and rising even higher. The Sallavarian Estate lies below you and off to your right you can see the lights of Elcadan.

And the Blackhawk rises higher and the higher it goes the faster it moves, but you don't seem to feel the movement on the ship. The land below grows more and more faint. The lights of distant cities can been soon and eventually the entire continent lies below you. The Blackhawk is now above the few clouds in the sky and the distant ocean can be vaguely seen in the moonlight.

And still the Blackhawk rises higher and faster. The land below grows smaller and smaller and you suddenly realize that your world, your home is spherical in shape. You can't help but stare in awe of the sight of your entire world below you.

“We have left the atmosphere,” Serena announces. The Blackhawk has ceased to rise, but at this point the world is so far below that you can't tell that you've come to a halt. The entire trip took about 45 minutes.

“Now we come to the really strange part of our voyage,” Serena continues, seemingly at ease in this very strange environment. “I will channel the Spell Engine to move the Blackhawk faster than the human eye can follow for a few seconds. Based on the maps and our calculations, this will move us over Alexandria. Then we simply lower ourselves back down.”

The Inquisitor directs the Spell Engine to a different task. The slaver ship suddenly accelerates at unimaginable velocities. The entire outside world suddenly turns gray and seems to lose all its color. The effect only lasts for a few heartbeats and then everything is normal again. However, you're in a different location over the globe. You're much farther to the south and east.

Sherra uses a sextant to determine the Blackhawk's position in relation to the world below. The dark haired rogue confirms that you should now be above Alexandria. With that confirmation, Serena has the ship start to lower down into the atmosphere. The process is much like when you rose, only in reverse. It starts fast and gets slower as you get closer to the ground.

Those watching below can see the City of Alexandria laying below you in the full moonlight. The Royal Palace can be seen in the hills on the outskirts of the Cynalonian Capitol. The Sculley Family estate can be seen as it is the largest estate here. Sherra keeps a watchful eye as you descend from the sky.

“Stop!” Sherra cries out in alarm. “There's something wrong here!”

While not understanding what is happening, Serena complies with Sherra's wishes and the Blackhawk slows and then stops.

“Look around,” Sherra says. “The sky is clear, other than ourselves. If the sky is clear then what is causing those shadows on the ground below?”

For those looking down, it takes a few moments to realize what Sherra is talking about. With the moon behind you, you can see the Blackhawk's shadow on the city below. Those on the ground wouldn't likely notice this shadow at all. But that is not the cause of Sherra's concern. For not counting the Blackhawk's shadow, you can see three other larger shadows covering the city below. And these shadows seem to be moving...

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Lysandra's story was to have been the next few chapters of the Life and Times of Relon Vanarkus. Naturally, that tale would have been from his point of view and would recall his first meeting with the woman who would one day become his wife. Yeah, they didn't have the best first meeting but managed to work things out.

While not coming right out and saying it, the implication is that there are three invisible ships flying over Alexandria. Chapter One of The Life and Times of Relon Vanarkus describes Alexandria a bit.

I added a Character Biography section to the forum. To open the area up I added the life story of Sherwood. It touches on a few of the things mentioned in this post among many other topics.

I also added a note in the Game Zone Message area about Hero Machine 3, a paper doll web based program that you can use to make your characters come to life.

And that brings us to the eternal...

Now what?

[Chareos]

Chareos

And the Blackhawk rises higher and the higher it goes the faster it moves, but you don't seem to feel the movement on the ship. The land below grows more and more faint. The lights of distant cities can been soon and eventually the entire continent lies below you. The Blackhawk is now above the few clouds in the sky and the distant ocean can be vaguely seen in the moonlight.

And still the Blackhawk rises higher and faster. The land below grows smaller and smaller and you suddenly realize that your world, your home is spherical in shape. You can't help but stare in awe of the sight of your entire world below you.

CHareos stands by the rail, looking out on the horizon as the Blackhawk raises higher and higher into the air. Taking a deep breath he can’t help but look at the far off ocean and say softly, “This is truly breath taking.” As they are spirited toward their destination.

“Look around,” Sherra says. “The sky is clear, other than ourselves. If the sky is clear then what is causing those shadows on the ground below?”

For those looking down, it takes a few moments to realize what Sherra is talking about. With the moon behind you, you can see the Blackhawk's shadow on the city below. Those on the ground wouldn't likely notice this shadow at all. But that is not the cause of Sherra's concern. For not counting the Blackhawk's shadow, you can see three other larger shadows covering the city below. And these shadows seem to be moving...

Sherra’s call to look about, causes Chareos to look over the rail to the ground, seeing 3 larger shadows moving about the sky along with their own.
“What are we dealing with?” He says to the others looking down at the shadows as they move somewhere below us. “Flying Defenses? Monsters? Whatever they are, it doesn’t appear that they have seen us yet.”
“Sherra, Can you direct Serena to control the Blackhawk to move with one of the shadows?””turning to Validar, “If they are invisible defensive ships perhaps we should over take one as quickly as possible and use it against the other two?” he surmises as he does not like the odds of three on 1. “I could try to dispel the magic on the ship but It may be beyond my skill to do so.”

[Corley]

Corley:

Sir Corley and his squires are riding towards Elcadan, accompanying the king and Duke Vanarkus. The two men engage in conversation as we approach the large city.

“I imagine that most see this city as a den of corruption, a nest of demons and a place of evil,” King Victor the 7th states. “But I take it that is not what you see?”

“Not at all, Your Majesty,” the Duke answers. “You and your generation see Elcadan as it is. I see Elcadan was. Things were much, much different when I was your age. Back then Elcadan was the Jewel of the West. It was a place of happiness and excitement. It was here as a young nobleman that I did court and eventually win the hand of my wife. Elcadan is special to me and I will make it special to everyone else once more.”

“Than I choose wisely in awarding you these lands,” the King says with a smile and laugh. “I think I prefer your vision of Elcadan to the reality we approach.”

Spurring their horses on, the King and the Duke ride into Elcadan.

“A little hope will go a long way these days,” Sir Corley notes, mostly for himself. Urging his warhorse on, Sir Corley aims to be near the front of the group as we reach the city. While not expecting any trouble, he will be on the look out for any that comes their way.

[Argent]

Argent:

“Certainly, I feel as though I may get lost in all this grandeur,” he says evenly as he gathers up his gear and places it over his shoulders.

“I know what you mean,” Argent agrees. “It was a shock to me after Lord Sharadin's place in Gateway.”

Taking Argent’s hand he allows himself to be led through the estate. As they stop near the library Chareos lets out a low whistle. Before him lies many books on varying subjects. “I must admit I have not seen this many books since my time with Lord Sharadin.”Taking a mental note of the defensive spells in place he says with a smile, “I will remember that,” as the thought of hitting an invisible wall comes to mind.

“I spent many an hour here reading and studying,” Argent notes. “And I barely scratched the surface of all the books here.”

Chareos looks to the room and slowly looks about the room his mouth slowly opening as he took in the decor before him. “It is absolutely beautiful.” he says, “I don’t know if I could ever get used to this.” he says with a sheepish smile.

“I thought that same way at first,” Argent agrees. “But as the days turned into weeks, it became common place to me. This became the closest place to home I've had since I left home. And yes, this has given me a taste for the finer things in life.”

Chareos is slightly taken aback when Argent asks if he would like to stay with her, the shock showing on his face as he looks at her. “Truth be told, I would nervous to do so. I never have been in this position before.” He says nervously not knowing how she would take it.

“Well, I wouldn't want to make you too nervous,” Argent teases back upon seeing his shock. “It just seemed like a logical choice to me. There's room to study in privacy and a place to sleep here. Otherwise you'd be sharing a guest room with someone else and probably coming up here to study anyway.”

Putting her hands around his neck and drawing herself closer, Argent adds, “I'm sorry if I made you nervous. Perhaps I am a little too forward for my own good. But after all, we have been taking about getting a place of our own to live in. So it just seems to me that if we are going to live together, we should, you know, live together.”

“If you would rather have your own room here at the Sallavarian Estate, then I would understand perfectly. After all, no reason to rush into anything.”

After a few moments a silence from him, “I would like that.”

“I like the way you think,” Argent says with a smile and a kiss.

Jallarzi shoots Argent an annoyed glance at the rude question.

“Forgive my former apprentice, Your Grace,” Jallarzi states. “I fear she's had too much wine today.”

“It's quite alright, Jallarzi,” the Duchess says as she rises to her feet. “I left the opening and your former apprentice was brave enough to ask that question. Never be afraid to respectfully speak your mind in my presence.”

Argent is surprised at Jallarzi's response and responds with a look of “what?”. The Duchess brushes off her nieces concerns.

“Yes, Your Grace,” Argent answers while flashing a smug smile to her mentor.

Much to Argent's surprise, the Duchess goes to consul the grieving Ivy. That all leads to a horrific tale of how she lost most of her family on day of her older sister's wedding. Argent's actually at a loss for words. She's never had to endure any hardships like that in her short life. The invoker is sobbing by the end of the tragic tale. Wiping away her tears, Argent whispers to Jallarzi, '”I haven't cried like that since you yelled at me-- at us-- at Karn's Keep. Such senseless tragedy.”

Late that afternoon, Argent joins the others at the Blackhawk. While she's rode on the ship before, that was just a short overland trip. This voyage promises to be much grander. After the ship is pointing in the right direction, Serena makes it rise straight up into the air going higher than the Invoker ever thought possible.

Chareos stands by the rail, looking out on the horizon as the Blackhawk raises higher and higher into the air. Taking a deep breath he can’t help but look at the far off ocean and say softly, “This is truly breath taking.” As they are spirited toward their destination.

“Yeah,” Argent mutters, having not the words to say to describe what she is seeing.

“We have left the atmosphere,” Serena announces. The Blackhawk has ceased to rise, but at this point the world is so far below that you can't tell that you've come to a halt. The entire trip took about 45 minutes.

“Now we come to the really strange part of our voyage,” Serena continues, seemingly at ease in this very strange environment. “I will channel the Spell Engine to move the Blackhawk faster than the human eye can follow for a few seconds. Based on the maps and our calculations, this will move us over Alexandria. Then we simply lower ourselves back down.”

“Now its going to get strange?” Argent wonders aloud. As if what they just did wasn't?

Serena moves the ship to a new location in a strange flash of gray. It somewhat reminds the Invoker of the dragonic magic Silvarn used to rapidly fly us to the Ice Palace. Once at the new location, the ship is lowered until the shadows of invisible ships are seen on the city below.

“What are we dealing with?” He says to the others looking down at the shadows as they move somewhere below us. “Flying Defenses? Monsters? Whatever they are, it doesn’t appear that they have seen us yet.”

“I have no idea whatsoever,” Argent mutters. “This is far beyond my field. I'm having trouble forming rational thoughts.”

[Ivy]

Ivy:

The Duchess crosses the sitting area and much to everyone's surprise takes a seat beside Ivy. The priestess is just as surprised and manages to say, “Your Grace?”

Duchess Lysandra reaches out and takes Ivy's hand. “My condolences on your loss, Lady Ivy,” the Duchess says in a soft and compassionate voice. “Mother Boelle was a remarkable woman. The likes of her do not come around often.”

“Thank you,” Ivy manages to say, still greatly surprised by this personal contact. “You knew Mother Boelle?”

“Yes,” Her Grace answers easily. “The dark times I spoke off happened when I was just a teenager. In the aftermath of that dark day, I was emotionally devastated. I as angry. I lashed out at all those around me. Boelle, long before she was a Mother of Azrella helped me over come all of that. She made me realize that it was alright to grieve, that it as alright to be angry. But that I should not be consumed by such dark thoughts. I owe her a great debt, one that I doubt I can ever repay.”

The Duchess thinks for a moment and then says to Ivy, “I think I should pay my respect to Mother Boelle after we finish up here. I had planned to go into town anyway, so we can do this task to honor her. Would you like that, Lady Ivy?”

“Very much so,” Ivy answers tearfully.

Ivy is genuinely shocked when the Duchess comes to sit beside her and holds her hand. Ivy never knew that the Duchess was not only familiar with Mother Boelle, but that she had lived here in Elcadan for many years as a teenager. Clearly there is much more to the new Duchess than Ivy ever imagined.

“But for now I have a tale to tell. The story of how I came to need Mother Boelle's help and how even with the dark times I lived through my life was better for it.”

And what a horrible tale it is. Ivy is sobbing harder by the time the story ends. At some point in the story, Ivy unconsciously took the Duchess hand trying in some small way to comfort the woman. Ivy''s own grief pales in comparison to what she had endured. It does remind the priestess of what Mother Boelle had said when she was younger. No matter how bad you think you've had things, someone has always had it worse.

“I cannot imagine having to live through such tragic events,” Ivy will finally say. “Most would have been crushed by them. It is a credit to your own inner strength that you not only survived them, but lived a full, rich life because of it.”

Ivy is beginning to realize that there is much to admire about the Duchess, that she a woman of great personal strength and compassion. Maybe being a noble isn't as bad as she imagined it would be.

[Validar]

Once the Blackhawk is airborne, Validar mentally goes over the plan in his mind. There are so many unknown variables that make this proposition extremely risky.

Validar watches the process that Serena does, so that he has some idea of the concepts at work at least. This sort of ship was opening up a new form of warfare and he was going to need to know how best to take advantage of it.

As they close in on Alexandria below, Sherra calls for Serena to stop their descent.

“Look around,” Sherra says. “The sky is clear, other than ourselves. If the sky is clear then what is causing those shadows on the ground below?”

Validar takes a look for himself as the others start to speculate on what may be looming about them mysteriously.

Time for questions:
How far are the shadows away?
What is their relative positions?
What sort of means do we have to circumvent invisibility (ask the mages) should they prove to be ships like ours and invisible?
How many people have flying abilities?
What weapons does the Blackhawk have, if any?

Whatever they are we are going to want to get below them so that we have a full 360 degree field of fire above us and if there are one or more other flying ships, we want to try to maneuver directly below them. They cannot hit us if their own hull is in the way and are sitting ducks for our attacks.

[Serena]

Serena:

Serena listens closely as the Duchess' gathering continues. Her Grace does what she can to comfort Ivy of Azrella. It seems that Ivy had a very close relationship with this Mother Boelle. While Serena doesn't know a lot about the workings of the Azrellian faith, she does know that they take in and care for orphans. It makes the Inquisitor wonder if that Ivy herself isn't an orphan and that Mother Boelle was the one who made the greatest impression on her as a child. It would explain much.

The Duchess then tells the tale of her time of darkness. It is an unexpected dark tale and one that will bring a tear or two to Serena's eyes. Such savagery to have to endure. Its a small wonder that many of her people think of this land as wild and untamed.


Later once we are prepared, I direct the Blackhawk to rise up into the sky. Her passengers are surprised by just how small their world looks from up on high.

“We have left the atmosphere,” Serena announces. The Blackhawk has ceased to rise, but at this point the world is so far below that you can't tell that you've come to a halt. The entire trip took about 45 minutes.

“Now we come to the really strange part of our voyage,” Serena continues, seemingly at ease in this very strange environment. “I will channel the Spell Engine to move the Blackhawk faster than the human eye can follow for a few seconds. Based on the maps and our calculations, this will move us over Alexandria. Then we simply lower ourselves back down.”

“Now its going to get strange?” Argent wonders aloud. As if what they just did wasn't?

Serena laughs at the mages comments. Such things are to be expected by those who have never traveled like this before. The Inquisitor concentrates and moves the ship forward for a few seconds. Sherra confirms that we are now over Alexandria and start to descend. But a new trouble arises.

“Stop!” Sherra cries out in alarm. “There's something wrong here!”

While not understanding what is happening, Serena complies with Sherra's wishes and the Blackhawk slows and then stops.

“Look around,” Sherra says. “The sky is clear, other than ourselves. If the sky is clear then what is causing those shadows on the ground below?”

For those looking down, it takes a few moments to realize what Sherra is talking about. With the moon behind you, you can see the Blackhawk's shadow on the city below. Those on the ground wouldn't likely notice this shadow at all. But that is not the cause of Sherra's concern. For not counting the Blackhawk's shadow, you can see three other larger shadows covering the city below. And these shadows seem to be moving...

“As I feared, we have company.” Serena announces while looking down. “Undoubtedly three other vessels using Spell Engines like we are. This may very well be a trap that only our sharp eyed captain kept us from falling into.”

“What are we dealing with?” He says to the others looking down at the shadows as they move somewhere below us. “Flying Defenses? Monsters? Whatever they are, it doesn’t appear that they have seen us yet.”

“I will assume a worst case scenario.” Serena states. “Each shadow is an invisible Alphatian warship. Such ships are heavily armed, have over 100 crewmen, including many mages and marines. Each ship undoubtedly is powered by multiple Spell Engines unlike the single one we have.”

“Sherra, Can you direct Serena to control the Blackhawk to move with one of the shadows?””turning to Validar, “If they are invisible defensive ships perhaps we should over take one as quickly as possible and use it against the other two?” he surmises as he does not like the odds of three on 1. “I could try to dispel the magic on the ship but It may be beyond my skill to do so.”

Serena shakes her head slightly, but still looks concerned. “Gentlemen, if what I said is true, then we are outmatched by a superior enemy. They are bigger, stronger, faster, and have superior armaments. I believe that trying to take even one of those ships is far beyond our ability. The only logical course of action is to withdraw and come up with a new strategy to rescue the men we came here for.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

How far are the shadows away?

I'll put the Blackhawk around 10,000 feet over Alexandria. The shadows would be, best guess, around 4-6000 feet above ground. None are dangerously close to the Blackhawk, none within 8,000 feet. However, unlike the unknown ships, the Blackhawk is NOT invisible. The Spell Engine is not capable of make the ship invisible. As per the GM Note back in New Frontiers #106, the Blackhawk Spell Engine can make it fly, move faster than light and generate a comfortable environment around it.

What is their relative positions?

The three ships are slowly moving above Alexandria, roughly walking speed, so quite slowly. Undoubtedly when they leave the city the ship turns and flies back over it. If you watch long enough, each ship is patrolling its own area, so there is no danger of the ships colliding with each other. One ship covers the palace, another the Order Hall and the last the Sculley estate.

What sort of means do we have to circumvent invisibility (ask the mages) should they prove to be ships like ours and invisible?

Detect Invisibility is the obvious one and its range is only 10 yards per level. Assuming that anyone even has one available.

How many people have flying abilities?

From what I can tell, Argent is the only one with a fly spell in memory.

What weapons does the Blackhawk have, if any?

The Blackhawk is a cargo ship converted into a slaver ship. It's around 40 feet from stem to stern with 2 masts and a single lower deck. The only weapons, and defenses, are the crew.


Sherra will study the shadows for a time to try and figure what kind of ships there are below. One of them is similar to the Blackhawk in that is has 2 masts. But unlike the Blackhawk, its bowsprit is much longer and ends at a point. The bowsprit is the pole that sticks out from the bow of a ship and points forward. This vessel is around sixty five feet long and seems to lack a below deck area like the Blackhawk has.

The other two ships are almost identically to each other. Both are huge in comparison to the Blackhawk. Each is around 100 feet long and they have three masts. The ships appear to have multiple decks to them and are unlike any ship that Sherra has seen before.

[Chareos]

Chareos

Serena shakes her head slightly, but still looks concerned. “Gentlemen, if what I said is true, then we are outmatched by a superior enemy. They are bigger, stronger, faster, and have superior armaments. I believe that trying to take even one of those ships is far beyond our ability. The only logical course of action is to withdraw and come up with a new strategy to rescue the men we came here for.

“I do not have any spells that would help us detect the invisible ships. I do have one spell that may work but I have my reservations for trying it. It is used against mages to strip them of their protections, I doubt the spell would work against the ships protections let alone a spell engine.”

“The only spell I have that I could reach the other ships is, Polymorph self. That is if I take the form of a harpy or similar. I could try to cast Improve Invisibility on the ship, though I don’t think it would carry over to the individuals upon it….” He guesses out loud.

After pausing to gauge the reactions of the others he adds, “There is no shame in retreating as Serena has stated. We can ask Jallarzi her opinion on using Breach on the spell engine ships. Adjust our spells, gather the others and come back in force when ready.”

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

“Back us off,” Dame Sharl tells Serena. “No sense in risking us being spotted while we are considering our options.”

Serena does as asked and the Blackhawk rises up to a safer distance.

“Tactically speaking, we are at a huge disadvantage,” Dame Sharl states. “I prefer to fight my battles at a time and place of my choosing. We don't even know the size or composition of the enemy.”

After a pause to gather her thoughts, Sharl; continues. “Clearly, this was a trap set by our enemies. However, the question remains were they expecting us this soon? We know that Sir Alon is within the Order hall. That is what Sir Acerion's father told us, so I consider that to be a fact. Most likely he is being held high in the tower with the strength of their defenses at the ground level.”

“A few options do come to mind. If we do not attempt to rescue Sir Alon tonight, we should at least learn more information before withdrawing from the field.”

“If we do make the attempt to complete the mission, then we need to time our arrival at the Order Hall so that the observing ships are the furthest away. Sneak in from behind, carry out the mission as fast as possible, and withdraw as quick as possible. Obviously, the risk is great here.”

“One last possibility comes to mind. We could make an attempt to capture one of this enemy ships. In my mind, the smaller of the three seems the most likely target. With the other two being so similar to each other, it speaks to me of them being military vessels. The other is unlike them so it may not have been a ship built with military usage in mind. It would have a smaller crew to contend with. If it were up to me, I would target this ship when it is outside the city while it is the farthest away from the others. Strike when it is most isolated and cannot be helped by the others.”

“What say you?”

[Argent]

Argent:

The Invoker recovers from the surprises offered by this mission and has some thoughts to add.

“I do not have any spells that would help us detect the invisible ships. I do have one spell that may work but I have my reservations for trying it. It is used against mages to strip them of their protections, I doubt the spell would work against the ships protections let alone a spell engine.”

“I have no idea what a Dispel Magic would do against a Spell Engine,” Argent adds. “I do know that you have to specifically target a magic item to have it be affected by Dispel Magic. And even then it just stops the item from functioning for a short time. Even if we could do that, I wouldn't want to risk having a flying ship fall onto the city below. That could get messy.”

“A few options do come to mind. If we do not attempt to rescue Sir Alon tonight, we should at least learn more information before withdrawing from the field.”

“I have a fly spell in memory along with Improved Invisibility. Alas, this version of the invisibility spell has a short duration. I also have Wraithform in memory. So I could either scout out one of those ships and then slip away, or I could slip into the Order Hall, maybe find Sir Alon and then just Teleport away with him back to Jallarzi's Estate.”

[Serena]

Serena:

The Inquisitor does as Dame Sharl requests, rising the Blackhawk higher up so it won't be spotted.

“I have no idea what a Dispel Magic would do against a Spell Engine,” Argent adds. “I do know that you have to specifically target a magic item to have it be affected by Dispel Magic. And even then it just stops the item from functioning for a short time. Even if we could do that, I wouldn't want to risk having a flying ship fall onto the city below. That could get messy.”

“Argent has the truth of the matter,” Serena adds. “However, specifically targeting a Spell Engine with a Dispel Magic wouldn't do anything. Spell Engines are designed to absorb magical energy to power themselves. In this instance, all you would do is give the engine more power.”

“Alphatian ships typically carry multiple Spell Engines instead of just a single one like we are using. Each engine has its own Engineer and they are secured at different locations throughout the ship.”

“There is one other detail I should inform you of. Typically area effects generated by a Spell Engine expand in a sphere around the engine itself. The affect that I have in place that provides a comfortable atmosphere extends from stem to stern. It also goes up and down. In short the invisibility spheres around those ships are also large enough to cover the entire vessel. If we were to get close enough to one of those ships, we would enter its invisibility field. Our ship would start to disappear to those looking from the outside, while inside we would be able see the enemy ship normally.”

[GM Mad]

Post Closed