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Chosen by the Dragon God
- Thread starter Chandagnac
- Start date
- Original
Something Rotten in Rivayne (Part Seven)
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Actually, that scene was inspired by my reading of a scientific article about how 'sea grapes' have an unusual symbiotic relationship with 'former parasites', which help them by breaking down their kidney stones and turning them into useful nutrients. I found it fascinating, but then I thought, 'Wait, why am I reading this?' As I'm sure you can imagine, it was rather different from the sort of thing I normally read.
And then I imagined that Mishrak might enjoy reading it. Or perhaps he would prefer examining sea grapes for himself. That's basically what he was doing in the above update.
*
Something Rotten in Rivayne (Part Seven)
Something Rotten in Rivayne (Part Seven)
"No, but thank you for taking the time to talk to me," you say, throwing your arms around him and giving him a tight hug.
"Have a good day, Elys," he says, smiling down at you. "Enjoy your weekend."
You will, as much as possible, but you have plenty of things to worry about. First and foremost, your parents might be heading into danger, which is why you want to assemble a team to help them if a fight breaks out. They started their current investigation with Bellona Kachalskey and Sir Moridan Ambros to help them, so you will call upon them before anyone else; you're sure that they will be useful allies, as they have been before.
Bellona is in her makeshift hospital. She seems engaged in thoroughly cleaning it and changing the sheets on the beds, as if she were a housemaid and not the Chosen of a god. Other than you and her, there is no one else in the room.
"Where are all your patients?" you ask, before you can restrain yourself.
She raises an eyebrow at you. "Good morning, Elys. How are you today?"
"I'm very well, thank you, Belle," you say. "How are you? And where are your patients?"
"I'm fine," she replies. "And… it's been well over a year since we rescued the last of the Sea Ghouls' victims. By now, most of them have had time to recover. Either that, or they're dead."
"Um… I'm glad most of them have recovered," you say, determined to look on the bright side. "And I'm sure you did what you could for the others."
Belle inclines her head. "Indeed."
"So… I expect now you're looking for work?" you say. "I mean, since you've finished here, what are you going to do next?"
"I suppose you have a few suggestions? What do you want from me, Elys?"
"I want you to help mom and dad investigate what's going on in Truinon. They're close to solving the mystery!"
"Yes. Just as they were several months ago," she says, without enthusiasm. "But… if they need me, I will be there. What exactly do you need me to do?"
"Tonight, dad's planning to sneak around a townhouse belonging to a possible demon worshipper, searching for proof of his guilt," you explain. "But I'm concerned that if he's discovered it will lead to a fight – like when you sneaked into the caverns of the Sea Ghouls – so I want us to ready to back him up if needs be."
Belle shudders at the reminder of what happened in Windskil, when she would have died if not for Teryn's intervention. Before then, she was an ordinary mortal woman with a few magical powers she'd dabbled in; afterwards, she was his Chosen, elevated by his divine power. Evidently, she doesn't like being reminded of how close she came to death back then.
Putting on a firm and resolute expression, she says, "I'll be there. Just tell me exactly where and when you need me to go."
"I will," you promise.
Soon after, you head to the dining hall where Jana is eating breakfast with Catharne, who is excitedly telling her about some of the hijinks she has been getting up to at school: "–a bit deaf, so he obviously didn't hear what she said. So, he tried to guess." She grins, as if telling a very funny joke. "And then he said, 'Oh, go on then,' and we all fell about laughing!"
"Hilarious," says Jana, drily. "I too enjoy making fun of people who've got disabilities."
"It's not a disability, he's only slightly deaf!" Catharne protests.
Jana's reply is sardonic: "Well, that's all right then."
Your dragonling friend, still in human form, frowns at her, but seems to realise that she may have behaved badly. "He's not very nice," she says, defensively.
"So it's all right to treat him badly?" asks Jana, with a raised eyebrow. "What has he ever done to you?"
"Uhh… he's a clueless idiot who says stupid things."
"Because he's deaf and having to guess what people are talking about?"
"Possibly," says Catharne, eyes downcast.
"Has he ever said or done anything malicious that you are aware of?" asks Jana.
"Not really… but I don't like him. He's a swot and he keeps quoting books or newspaper articles instead of having opinions of his own. He doesn't stop to think for himself. And he bursts into tears all the time!"
"Oh, I never said you had to like him," Jana assures her. "It's a free country. But I don't think you should treat him badly because of something that isn't his fault. That's not exactly fair, is it?"
Catharne stares at the floor. "No," she mutters, after a few moments.
"Besides, none of us are adults yet. We're allowed to say and do idiotic things while we're still considered to be children. That's one of the benefits," says Jana. "He's in his first year, so he's eleven or twelve years old at most. If you still think he's an idiot when he's a fully-grown adult, that's when it'll be a problem, but for now… Why not experiment? Act stupidly while you still can."
"You're only thirteen," Catharne points out. "It's not like you're much older."
"Yes, but it's not like anyone expects me to act like a mature, responsible, well-rounded person," says Jana. "Like I said, that's one of the benefits of still being a kid."
"So… what do you think I should do?"
"It's not up to me to tell you what to do," says Jana, with a shrug. "Just… think about what you're doing, all right? And don't do anything that you'd think was wrong or unfair if someone else did it to you."
"How did you get to be so wise, Jana?" you ask, stepping into the room.
"I've had a few great teachers," she replies. "It's only fair that I pass on some of what they taught me, isn't that so?"
What will Elys say to Jana and Catharne? Will she involve herself in their prior conversation or just leave it at that?
When I was a child at school, I suspect that I was that silly, swotty, slightly deaf boy who kept quoting books instead of having opinions of my own. But anyway…
Jana will take you to meet Moridan Ambros, if you ask her. Is there anything else you want from her? Also, do you want to involve her and Catharne in what might turn into a battle against demon worshippers?
Jana will take you to meet Moridan Ambros, if you ask her. Is there anything else you want from her? Also, do you want to involve her and Catharne in what might turn into a battle against demon worshippers?
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- Location
- Earth
This isn't a fight for Catharne, in my opinion.
Elys will be involved, so Jana will be too, and I think the kids involved should stop at those two.
As for the current situation, Jana seems to have it well in hand. I'd suggest perhaps only some teasing of learning from experience.
Lastly, cool info about the sea grapes.
Elys will be involved, so Jana will be too, and I think the kids involved should stop at those two.
As for the current situation, Jana seems to have it well in hand. I'd suggest perhaps only some teasing of learning from experience.
Lastly, cool info about the sea grapes.
We definitely shouldn't miss an opportunity to tease Jana, but she's done a good job on the lesson.
Having Catharne in combat with Elys gives her an extra 1d6, so I guess we should go for that.
Having Catharne in combat with Elys gives her an extra 1d6, so I guess we should go for that.
Yeah, I think bringing along Jana and Catharne is a good idea. They may not be Elys strong, but they're still pretty tough, particularly Catharne since... y'know, dragon. As for Jana, despite her beloved dagger, I suspect that she will be useless at best in a direct fight against anything but the weakest sorts of enemies, but sneaky and clever and perceptive enough to both more than make up for that out of battle, and not get herself or her allies into trouble within battle.
Well, if you're ever interested in more weird biology (particularly deep sea biology) that Mishrak would like, maybe take a look at some of Bogleech.com's biology articles.
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
"I may be all out of patients, but so, it seems, are you."
If her previous level of power was dabbling, well, I suppose we know what a more serious magician is like.
Saying this most anywhere in Creation is funny, honestly.
"Trust me, when you turn 16 you don't even get to play anymore, it's 'hanging out'."
Jana... I do like having her around, she's good with a knife, and she is developing burgeoning magical powers... I think she is good to come along, our enemies are unlikely to target her before they target the adults, and she has a fairly good chance of skirting their notice in the first place. Catharne, on the other hand, though she is 11, is also a Whole Dragon.
I concur with Tascion, a little light ribbing about who exactly taught her that and maybe some hugs all around sounds good to me.
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Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Catharne is young and naive, but she's also a dragon(ling). I think you've been outvoted.
Any ideas for exactly how Elys might tease Jana about that?
Remember, the goal of this exercise is not to fight Alfonse Raynott and his chums (although that may end up happening regardless) but to sneak into his house and find evidence of his wrongdoing. I reckon Jana would be good at that, if Gareth is busy elsewhere.
Thank you for the recommendation. I think the article about Parasitic Crustaceans is going to give me nightmares. Brrr.
I shall certainly read more when I have time.
Darn. I wish I'd thought of that line. But it would probably have been out of character for Belle, so... oh well.
Before ascending as Teryn's Chosen, Bellona had various magical powers, but they were all tools she used for her job: being a necromancer and laying the souls of the dead to rest, which she did conscientiously.
Jana: "Hey! Everything Teryn did was so that people would be free!"
Actually, Catharne is only seven years old. (She was given to Elys by Mishrak on her fifth birthday.)
However, it's pretty clear that, physically and mentally, she's grown up much faster than a human would have. For instance, she was capable of telepathic speech only moments after she first hatched from an egg. And, because Mishrak has trained her in how to shapeshift into a human form, she has so far blended into a class of eleven-year-old student mages for the last three months, seemingly without anyone noticing that she's any different from her classmates.
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- Location
- Earth
Eh, I'm over it
I'm not sure about particular topics for teasing Jana. My first thought was her various dating pursuits, but I'd rather the commentary be relatable to Catharne. Maybe some self deprecating humor, with Elys "pitying" Jana over her already decade or so long career as a minder for Elys.
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
So how many is she in
I felt compelled by forces beyond my command to create this:
Sometimes, upon reading your works, the mad spirits of creation overtake me, and something funny comes out. As always, I don't mind if you apply it to its inspiration.
Something like "Don't sell yourself short, Jana, you have such a long, distinguished career yourself!" or "Ohhhh? And who taught you that lesson?"
- Location
- scrabbling
Well, all caught up now. There are certainly some bits that drag or feel a bit empty, but altogether I still enjoy and feel quite some attachment to this world. Perhaps I'll reread Hedge Maze...then again, it's a few hundred thousand words, and the most nitty-gritty fine-detail of all your quests...
I feel quite strongly like I've read this most recent Riddling Knight segment twice, for some reason. I went back and checked, and it's too specific to have been showing up more than once, but still the feeling remains. A little curious.
I feel quite strongly like I've read this most recent Riddling Knight segment twice, for some reason. I went back and checked, and it's too specific to have been showing up more than once, but still the feeling remains. A little curious.
Maybe you read it when it was posted in Hedge Maze Quest too?
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Indeed it was, and Calo mentioned the story too. Perhaps that's what you're remembering?
- Location
- scrabbling
It was. And I realized that later while I was chopping carrots
Something Rotten in Rivayne (Part Eight)
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Well, maybe it's just the placebo effect, but I took the first dose of my new medication earlier today and I feel better already.
It's worth remembering that the Elder Gods of this setting were very flawed individuals, even the ones who had benevolent motives (which many of them didn't).
Some of the problems of Telthalus's policy that 'everyone should be free!' became apparent back in the First Age, even before he had any major disagreements with the other Elder Gods.
See here:
Also, a recurring theme of this grand overarching story (even if it doesn't come up very often) is 'What does "freedom" actually mean?' Various characters have tried to answer that question; or, in the case of Zhordros/Tondemonai Zhordra, cruelly twist it around.
Anyway, I'm pleased to see you here. Welcome.
To be honest, it's difficult to say. She certainly acts as if she's younger and more naïve than Elys and Jana, but is that really an accurate reflection of her mental and physical development? I'm really not sure.
Well, I'm not quite sure how to react to that…I felt compelled by forces beyond my command to create this:
It's worth remembering that the Elder Gods of this setting were very flawed individuals, even the ones who had benevolent motives (which many of them didn't).
Some of the problems of Telthalus's policy that 'everyone should be free!' became apparent back in the First Age, even before he had any major disagreements with the other Elder Gods.
See here:
Also, a recurring theme of this grand overarching story (even if it doesn't come up very often) is 'What does "freedom" actually mean?' Various characters have tried to answer that question; or, in the case of Zhordros/Tondemonai Zhordra, cruelly twist it around.
Yeah, I think that's fair enough. There have been times when I've felt less than inspired and I'm sure that's affected my writing.
Anyway, I'm pleased to see you here. Welcome.
Yes, I took the 'Riddling Knight dream sequence' from the latest arc of Chosen By the Dragon God, rewrote it slightly (in third rather than second person) and posted it in A Hedge Maze Is You as a teaser. I thought my old readers would enjoy seeing how Calo's story was supposed to end.
*
Something Rotten in Rivayne (Part Eight)
"Teachers such as whom?" you ask.
"Well, your father, for one," Jana replies.
"And I suppose you've had plenty of experience in all the years you've had to look after me," you tease, walking over and wrapping your arms around her.
"Yeah." She sighs. "Life's a nonstop adventure with you, Elys."
"Speaking of which, would you mind helping me get in touch with an acquaintance of yours?" you ask. "Sir Moridan Ambros, the Death Knight. He was helping Mom and Dad with their investigations."
Jana gives this due consideration. "All right, I know where his temple is. If you can get me to Truinon, I'll take you there."
"I'll open a portal there right now," you say. "Unless you're busy."
"I didn't have anything planned." She shrugs. "Are you allowed to do that on your own now? You don't need Raef or anyone to guide you?"
"Truinon isn't far away. And I've got to start using portal magic without his help sooner or later."
"That's not the same as a 'yes'," she points out.
"I haven't specifically discussed it with Raef," you admit. "But last time I had a lesson with him he said I was ready to start opening portals over short distances on my own."
"All right, if you're sure."
"I'll come too," says Catharne. "There are some dangerous and untrustworthy people in Truinon. You may need an extra bodyguard."
"Will you be going in your normal 'dragonling' form?" you ask, somewhat worriedly. "That might attract more attention than I would prefer."
"No, I can use my shapeshifting powers to look like a few different people. I spent a long time practising," she assures you. "Watch this!"
She transforms into a large, vaguely misshapen figure swathed in black robes, which you and Jana both agree is rather intimidating.
"That's perfect," you say. "No one will dare to approach us if you look like that."
Jana gives a nod. "I suppose we're ready to get going, then?"
You open a portal to Castle Standfast, the ancestral home of Rivayne's royal family, one of the few places in Rivayne that you're somewhat familiar with. Another advantage is that the guards, servants, and courtiers are more used to portals and other strange magical phenomena than the majority of people, so they are not especially troubled by your sudden arrival. You receive a few interested glances and suspect that you have become a subject of furtive gossip, but no more than that.
"While we're here, I want to talk to the stable hands," you decide. "They may have some idea why Gerrod Burntree was so keen for the King to increase the size of the royal hunting grounds."
"Why is that important?" asks Jana.
"I don't know that it is important. But Mom and Dad suspect Lord Gerrod of manipulating the King's mind and murdering more than a hundred people at Greygor Keep, including my Aunt Joyzelle, so it might be useful to know what his motives are."
"How did he murder more than a hundred people?" asks Catharne, sounding impressed.
"There was a plague that killed everyone in the castle and left him as the only heir," you explain. "And since then he's been acting very strangely."
"Oh." Catharne spends some time thinking about this while you're on the way to the stables. "I'm sorry about your aunt, Elys."
You give an indifferent shrug. "I never met her. And I know Mom didn't like her very much."
Castle Standfast's stables are large and extensive. It takes you a few minutes to find someone working there who isn't too busy to talk to you. "Who?" he asks, rather rudely, when you ask about 'Lord Gerrod Burntree'. Then, looking up, he notices Catharne's huge and hulking shapeshifted form looming over him. "Uh, I mean, I'm not sure who you're referring to, ma'am."
"He was the one who wanted to expand the royal hunting grounds," you say, hoping to jog his memory.
"Oh. Him. I'm not sure why, since he was never very interested in hunting. He had the King's ear, though, while they were riding together, which may have been part of it. And he seemed to like spending a long time riding in the woods, for whatever reason." He shrugs at that. "I suppose it takes all sorts."
"Thank you. You've been very helpful," you say, suspecting that you won't get any more useful information of him. "A pleasant day to you, my good man."
As you leave the stables and head out through the main gates into the city, Jana jokingly suggests, "Maybe there isn't anything sinister about Lord Burntree – except that he's a nature lover!"
You frown at her. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but… the royal hunting grounds are an area of woodland where the highest nobility occasionally go out to hunt deer, grouse, and so on. The rest of the time, they're left alone, untouched and unspoilt. No one is allowed to chop down trees or kill the animals or anything like that, not without the King's say-so."
"And if the King was going to expand the royal hunting grounds, he would need to drive some villagers out of their homes and leave their farms to turn back into woodland," you say. "I bet there are more than a few nature spirits who would like that."
"So… Lord Burntree is connected to the nature spirits somehow?" Catharne theorizes. "He's allied with them, or repaying them for something, or they're manipulating him like a puppet?"
"Maybe we shouldn't discuss this out here in the open," you say, glancing around uneasily. "Anyone could be listening in."
"Where we're going, it'll probably be a good idea to stay tight-lipped," Jana agrees.
She leads you along multiple streets, through a series of gates, and into a filthy slum, inhabited by the poorest and most desperate people in Rivayne's society. You find yourself walking through slimy mud mixed with garbage, offal, and the slosh from chamber pots. The smell is indescribably horrible, offending your sensitive nose and making you want to retch.
"This is shameful!" you cry. "Why is anyone forced to live like this?!"
"I suppose it's because all their homes and farmlands were destroyed by lords who really wanted to suck up to the nature spirits," says Jana, wearing a strange expression like a combined smirk and grimace, which suggests to you that she is joking, sort of. "Or because of new farming techniques and so on."
Perhaps fortunately, while Catharne is accompanying you in the form of a monstrous hulk, none of the locals dare to approach you.
"Last time I was here, I was accosted by a group of urchins," Jana reminisces. "But Amber pulled me away before they could rob me or… Well, I don't know what they would have done to me, to be honest."
"I don't believe that," you say, taking shallow breaths. "You don't get urchins this far inland."
Jana rolls her eyes at you. "That was an awful joke and you should be ashamed, Elys."
"Amber… was the one you had a crush on, wasn't she?" you say. Under normal circumstances, you would have a great deal more enthusiasm for teasing her about her love life, but right now you just want to leave this wretched place.
"Yeah," says Jana, with a wistful smile. "Maybe I'll drop by the House of Cunning Women and pay her a visit when we're done here."
There is a thoughtful silence for a few moments after that, until you enter the temple of the Forgotten God at the end of the road. Inside, you are surprised to find that the air is cool and clean; you gulp it down gratefully.
"Good morning, Jana," says a tall, muscular man with a horrifically scarred face. You were so distracted that you didn't notice he was in the room with you until he began to speak. "It's a pleasure to see you again. What can I do for you today?"
"Tonight, Mom and Dad are going to be raiding the home of a demon-worshipping cultist," Jana replies. "Do you want to take part?"
Sir Moridan Ambros considers for a few moments. You gaze at him, wondering if you should offer to have Mishrak heal the scars on his face. They don't seem to be causing him pain or discomfort, or to have become infected, so you assume that he must have had magical healing already, but the damage was so extensive that it couldn't be healed any further. Except that Mishrak could probably do it, in much the same way that he was able to heal Theophyllus Valens even after that poor man became all-but-immune to magical healing. He could give Moridan his pristine unscarred face back. But would he want it? Or does he prefer to scare people with his horrific visage? You're not sure whether to make the offer or not.
"If they have need of my sword, I'll be there," Moridan promises. "Where shall we meet?"
"The Clipped Copper Coin again?" Jana suggests. "Around eight o'clock?"
Moridan slowly nods. "I'll be there."
When you return to the Underwater Palace, your father informs you that Lord Raynott has invited a bunch of his friends over to his townhouse tonight – strange people, some of them – which might necessitate a slight change of plans.
"Maybe his so-called 'friends' are his fellow cultists?" you suggest.
Your father nods. "That's exactly what I was thinking."
"This may be a chance to catch them in the act!"
Another nod. "Right… so, how should we go about this?"
What should be done about Lord Alfonse Raynott, who is suspecting of being a demon-worshipping cult leader who mind-controlled King Marc, orchestrated the murder of Prince Barathar, and made it impossible for Rivayne to respond to Aspiti aggression for several months before Gareth and Yslena managed to solve some of the problems he'd caused?
Basically, do you want Gareth to sneak in to his townhouse and search for evidence, as previously planned? Do you want to go in 'all guns blazing' and confront Raynott while he's in the middle of a cult meeting? Or something in-between?
Also, feel free to suggest anything else you think Elys should say or do at this point.
Also, feel free to suggest anything else you think Elys should say or do at this point.
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This was a fun chapter
I want Gareth to sneak in to his townhouse, but only to confirm if a cult meeting is happening, if it is then we go in 'all guns blazing' but if not then just gather evidence.
IE, I feel if we just bust our way in nothing will be happening, but if Gareth spends too long in there alone he will die.
I want Gareth to sneak in to his townhouse, but only to confirm if a cult meeting is happening, if it is then we go in 'all guns blazing' but if not then just gather evidence.
IE, I feel if we just bust our way in nothing will be happening, but if Gareth spends too long in there alone he will die.
I feel like if Gareth goes in alone he'll get caught, since we know that if Elys' parents went into this situation without her they would die.
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Precisely the sort of interaction that 'political comic' was meant to parody! That is to say, Telthalus giving humans the freedom to act as they please through his sacrifice, only for the humans to turn around and deny orhers the freedom to act.
Elys is a loose cannon! On the edge! She skirts restrictions slightly!
Getting some pinwheel vibes from this form but I like it. I wonder what else she knows?
Aha, see, my theory right now is - he made something in the woods, something he is using on the king. Something no-one can ever find out about.
Jana learned where cities come from! This is her best line in the chapter, IMO.
Hehehehehe
Highly agreed. We sneak in with portals, get the lay of the land, and if it's an evil meeting we bust the door down!
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
All right, so...
The latest storyline is kind of a weird one because it feels like Elys doesn't have much of a stake in it. Obviously, she's keen to save her parents from getting killed by demon worshippers, but she hasn't had much involvement in their investigation up until now. Mostly, this storyline has been happening offscreen, starring Gareth and Yslena, and you (my readers) haven't really had a chance to influence it one way or the other.
Shall I just move on to the big fight with the cultists and their summoned demons? (Yeah, well, I guess it was obvious all along that this was going to end in a big fight. There's no real point in my being coy.)
The latest storyline is kind of a weird one because it feels like Elys doesn't have much of a stake in it. Obviously, she's keen to save her parents from getting killed by demon worshippers, but she hasn't had much involvement in their investigation up until now. Mostly, this storyline has been happening offscreen, starring Gareth and Yslena, and you (my readers) haven't really had a chance to influence it one way or the other.
Shall I just move on to the big fight with the cultists and their summoned demons? (Yeah, well, I guess it was obvious all along that this was going to end in a big fight. There's no real point in my being coy.)
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Whatever feels the most fun to you.
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Either or, but I think a big fight wouldn't be nearly as fun if we don't have proper context. I would ask, as a middle ground, perhaps abbreviated sneaking around?
The King in Exile (Gareth's POV)
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Um. I hope that you'll have fun with it as well.
Seems like a good idea to me. Let's do that.
*
The King in Exile (Gareth's POV)
Then, Mishrak had healed his wounds and rejuvenated him until he didn't look a day over thirty-five. It was just a shame that his mind was as old and slow as ever. He hadn't had a clue about how to unravel the tangled mess that was the Rivayni royal court. Fortunately, his wife had done most of the work, along with Belle and a few others who'd lent their assistance. It left him feeling kinda useless that he'd had so little to do with it.
Mind you, their successes had been few and far between, so he probably wasn't the only one feeling that way. They'd discovered that King Marc's mistress, Ayana, was an Aspiti spy, but it didn't seem as if she'd ever had much choice about that. And anyway, she was a mere pawn, not one of the ringleaders. Then, they'd found a ritual circle that was being used to bind Castle Standfast's guardian spirit, stripping the royal court of its ethereal defences, rendering the King and his courtiers vulnerable to being cursed or mind-controlled. Of course, they'd done their best to erase the ritual circle and restore sanity to those who'd been afflicted by it, but then Crown Prince Barathar had been murdered by some of his younger brother Kristan's friends, who'd clearly been ensorcelled, and that was yet another complicated mess that needed to be sorted out.
And we still haven't got any indisputable evidence as to who was behind all that, he thought to himself, glumly.
In recent months, they'd been helping with Prince Kristan's legal defence, which had been going well. It didn't seem likely that he'd be found guilty of the murder of his brother, not unless the jury were bewitched as well, but… Of course, even if he were exonerated, the poor boy would be forever stained by the accusation. People had assumed – thought it quite likely, in fact – that he had masterminded his beloved brother's death. What would that do to him, in the end?
Ugh. Another life ruined. And they were still no closer to finding the real culprit.
Tonight's mission was an act of desperation as much as anything else. For some considerable time, they'd suspected that Lord Alfonse Raynott, the Baron of Loignon, was a demon-worshipping cultist, but they'd been unable to find anything more than circumstantial evidence of his guilt. Being a smarmy sycophant was not a crime – or else there'd be hardly anyone at court who wouldn't be found guilty of it – just as sucking up to the king was not a crime and having some unusual friends was not a crime. It was suspicious whenever he made suggestions that seemed superficially reasonable but would inevitable lead to catastrophe, but he always had a 'perfectly reasonable' explanation as to how and why he hadn't realised that the consequences would be so dire. He played the part of the vain, empty-headed nobleman exceedingly well.
And so, tonight, Gareth was going to break into his townhouse and search for material evidence of the crimes that so far they merely suspected him of. Let's hope that'll be an end to it, he thought to himself. I've had enough.
His daughter, Elys, had prepared just about everything ready for tonight's mission while he and his wife had taken some time to rest. She'd done a good job of it, too. Although she wasn't even twelve years old yet, she had a good head on her shoulders. Probably because of Mishrak. If she wasn't his Chosen… Well, there was no point in wondering what might have been. Elys wouldn't have survived without Mishrak's intervention. And neither would I.
"All right, you all understand what we're going to do?" he asked, looking around the backroom of the Clipped Copper Coin. Belle was there, as was Sir Moridan Ambros. He fought alongside them a few times before; he knew he could rely on them. On the other hand, he was much less enthused about involving his daughter or her friends, Jana and Catharne, in this potentially dangerous venture. They were all too young. However, Elys was Mishrak's Chosen, which meant that she was blessed with knowledge and power greater than the majority of people twice her age, Jana was her sneaky and devious bodyguard, and Catharne was a dragon. A small dragon, but nevertheless tough, strong, and fire-breathing. And they seemed to work well together as a team. He'd never forgive himself if any of them got badly hurt or killed, but… They're extraordinary, they're involved in this as much as anyone, and they probably have a better chance of escaping without injury than I do. Ugh, I'm old. Even if I don't look it, I feel it.
"Yes," said Elys. "It's not a complicated plan: you'll sneak into Lord Raynott's townhouse and search for incriminating documents and the like. We'll stand ready to come to your rescue if you are discovered."
"It could easily happen," Gareth warned her. "I don't know what kind of magical alarms he's prepared."
"Actually, I have a question," said Jana, raising a hand as if she were in a classroom. "We know that Raynott's having a party with some friends. Is that likely to change the plan at all? Or not?"
"Well, if I catch them in the middle of a cult meeting, that should hopefully be all the evidence we need," said Gareth. "Otherwise, it'll mean a more difficult fight if they're alerted to my presence. And… hmm, possibly it could mean innocent bystanders, if he genuinely is having a party and has invited a whole bunch of people who have nothing to do with his cult, but I hardly think that's likely."
"Do you think I should go looking like this?" asked Catharne, in her dragon form. "Or should I shapeshift into something smaller and more agile?
"Smaller and more agile might be useful for manoeuvring inside Raynott's townhouse, but I'll leave it up to you to decide how you want to go about this. You may as well be comfortable."
"If it comes to a fight," said Elys, who seemed to think that they needed the reminder.
"The reason we're all here is because it might come to that," said Belle, with a hollow laugh. "Otherwise, we'll have wasted an evening."
"We'll see," said Gareth, rolling his shoulders and stretching as if he was preparing for some strenuous exercise. "Wish me luck."
Inside the townhouse, there was little sign of Lord Raynott or his party guests, which Gareth immediately thought was suspicious. They weren't in the dining room, or the ballroom, or the parlour, or anywhere upstairs, so where were they? He couldn't see any servants either.
It occurred to him that this would be an opportunity to search through Raynott's private documents without getting caught, but he suspected that there was some nefarious reason why he couldn't find the master of the house or any of his party guests and he wanted to find out what it was. And, of course, if they weren't on the ground floor or upstairs, they must be underneath, in the cellars.
Gareth had seen some very extensive tunnel networks during his years as an adventure. Miles and miles of earthen caverns, stone passageways, and clapped-out mines; many of them used as cultist dens and monster lairs. Just like the old days.
Heading down into Raynott's cellar, he moved past several shelves of wine, stacks of firewood, and piles of empty crates, into a large rounded area that appeared to have a more sinister purpose: the stone ceiling had been carved into grotesque shapes like a horde of gibbering demons; the pillars supporting it had been decorated with elaborate runic patterns; and there was an arcane circle in the middle of the room, around which there were a dozen men wearing hooded robes, chanting and waving their arms.
A demon appeared in the centre of the circle. It had four spindly arms, each of which ended in a different extremity, as if their owner had been unable to decide if it wanted a hand, a set of claws, a hook, or pincers. Its face was humanlike and could have been described as beautiful, if it hadn't been so bizarrely distorted and elongated. And large parts of it appeared to have been constructed out of a grey, amorphous substance, like a shadow.
Gareth crept a little closer, until he could hear what was being said.
"–an honour, great Visheroth!" cried Raynott, sounding just as sycophantic as he ever had in King Marc's court.
"Save your flattery for someone who cares," said the demon. "My Infernal Lady is not pleased with you. Great power she gave you, not out of generosity or because she has any particular regard for you, but because you promised–"
It suddenly stopped speaking. It cocked its head to one side. Then, in a curious tone, it asked, "Are you aware that one of your enemies is in this room, here and now, and is listening to everything we say?"
"Yes," said Raynott, in a gleeful tone. "I have been aware ever of him since he entered my house. He will make a fitting sacrifice for you, don't you think?"
Without waiting to hear the demon's answer, Gareth turned tail and began to run. And while he did so, he channelled magic through his connection to Yslena, alerting to the fact that he was in danger. Belle will be pleased. She won't have wasted an evening after all, he thought to himself, darkly humorous as ever in the face of death. Possible death, of course. Not certain death.
All right, how do you want to go about this?
So, this is your team:
Gareth and Yslena (who fight best as a pair) – individually, they're Rank 5, but together they're Rank 6
Elys and Catharne (who fight best as a pair) – together, they're effectively Rank 4
Jana (who should act either as Elys's bodyguard or watch someone else's back) – Rank 2
Sir Moridan Ambros (who is a magic knight) – Rank 5
Bellona (probably the most powerful member of your team) – Rank 6
And this is who you're fighting:
Visheroth, a demon – Rank 6
Alfonse Raynott – Rank 5
Eleven other cultists (it depends on how you split them) – individually, they're Rank 2 or 3, but in groups they can be more than that
What do you want Elys to do in this fight? How will you organize your party members?
(Remember, it's not just about the Ranks. Bonuses are quite important as well. You can get bonuses in lots of different ways, but I'd suggest that using your powers in ways that your enemies aren't used to and haven't prepared for would be a good start.)
Gareth and Yslena (who fight best as a pair) – individually, they're Rank 5, but together they're Rank 6
Elys and Catharne (who fight best as a pair) – together, they're effectively Rank 4
Jana (who should act either as Elys's bodyguard or watch someone else's back) – Rank 2
Sir Moridan Ambros (who is a magic knight) – Rank 5
Bellona (probably the most powerful member of your team) – Rank 6
And this is who you're fighting:
Visheroth, a demon – Rank 6
Alfonse Raynott – Rank 5
Eleven other cultists (it depends on how you split them) – individually, they're Rank 2 or 3, but in groups they can be more than that
What do you want Elys to do in this fight? How will you organize your party members?
(Remember, it's not just about the Ranks. Bonuses are quite important as well. You can get bonuses in lots of different ways, but I'd suggest that using your powers in ways that your enemies aren't used to and haven't prepared for would be a good start.)
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- Location
- scrabbling
An Infernal Lady suggests perhaps the Three who are One. I can't think of any other female Demon Lord, at least, though I'm sure most of them could take a female form trivially. Speculative identification of course, and probably wrong.
I think that Elys, Jana, and Catharne should all fight together, especially since I think that this is Elys' first chance to ride Catharne into battle, and that they should fight the Rank 2 cultists since they'll be the easiest to fight and Elys has area attacks.
Visheroth is probably the biggest threat, so how about siccing two Rank 6 characters (Bellona, Gareth + Yslena) on them?
Sir Moridan should be able to beat Alfonse, since they're both Rank 5 but Moridan is a magic knight and Alfonse has been squandering the demons' gifts.
Visheroth is probably the biggest threat, so how about siccing two Rank 6 characters (Bellona, Gareth + Yslena) on them?
Sir Moridan should be able to beat Alfonse, since they're both Rank 5 but Moridan is a magic knight and Alfonse has been squandering the demons' gifts.