Book Eight, Chapter Five �Locate Subvert and Terminate�

Double Harn 20/11/09

We have a great party in Cherafir to celebrate the completion of the quest for the Harp of Galeroth, which looks remarkably like a lute. Then we start planning for Zytsi�s wedding, and stag does, with wedding presents and lists of who to invite and not invite. Sir Martyn wants to invite Sulla but not his Primate, I wonder why? The stag do in Burzyn is glossed over somewhat and we are in Azadmere. P.S. Zara is the name of Zytsi�s intended. It takes a week to get to Thay, and two weeks to get to Burzyn, with a week in Burzyn and a month to Azadmere.

The wedding will be on the 15^th of Azura. Sir Martyn married Sulla during our last holiday and has 4 or 5 month old twins!!!! A boy and a girl called Elric and Leone! Boy were we all gobsmacked. It must have happened when he claimed he was looking for Frost�s grave. And Balatar turns up as her footman! So that�s how she knew where we were and what we were doing!

Bowlhead has his birthday celebrations on the 5^th of Azura 728, but nothing untoward happens. There was an out break of clothes shopping for the wedding. Zytsi is discovering how expensive getting married is. Sir Martyn and Sulla provide a pair of wedding rings that do various things. Like theirs no doubt.

Daniel has a 248 roll on writing music for the wedding, Song of the Soul Mates, as first performed at the wedding of Zytsi and Zara. Daniel rolls 435 for playing the music at the wedding. The whole ceremony lasts two hours, and Bowlhead helped officiate with the Marriage Ceremony spell. Starts at 2 in the afternoon ends at 4, and outside Sergeant Kruel organised a group of the Royal Guard for ceremonial arch.

A whole bunch of women burst out of the hotel opposite and start attacking the wedding party. An arrow hits Zara and puts her on a countdown with a 100 critical. Daniel uses his new lute power to Preserve the bride. The ten Royal Guard butcher the dozen women attackers. They weren�t expecting the Royal Guard. They were recognised as members of the Order of the Crimson Dancers, once we search their rooms. Sulla was politely arrested on general principles.

Bring forth the Yulpris of fixing everything. Sir Martyn has three doses with the side effect removed. But all our Yulpris has been stolen, and the only two doses in town have been bought by two human women a few days ago. There are three women in the hotel whose bodies are not here.

Zara has also been poisoned as well; we need to find the antidote. We need Yulpris, or a serious healer, AND the antidote. Plus Sulla is going to be charged on general principles as it was Agrikan women that did it and she is a priestess of Agrik. So the weekend�s adventure is getting the antidote for the bride and free the wife.

The missing three women turned up, bought Yulpris and left three days ago. The twelve women turned up today, and they were not Paladins, just a suicide squad.

Sulla is in jail. If Zytsi uses his influence he could get her moved to his wife�s clan house not a good move.

<<Dinner>>

The poison is some kind of Orbaalesse poison created using a form of clerical magic, the poison and antidote are created at the same time, and requires a particular herb that can only be find near Geldeheim, says Daniel using his new Legend Lore song. Using the Streetwise skill does not provide any more information.

Ah yes the mother of the current king of Orbaal was the head of the Clerical Order of the Kukshin, which had twelve soldiers in Geldeheim. She was the mistress of the King before the one we killed. And her Order sponsored the Order of the Crimson Dancers, who we butchered most of.

It will take 46 days to get to Geldeheim, and we need more time. Daniel manages to talk us into having an extra 10 weeks on top on the month before the trial. We are leaving on the 18^th of Azura arriving on the 3^rd of Savor. So the travel takes place and we do some planning on the way.

When we left there was a power vacuum after the death of the King. Now the half brother is the King and the mistress is now the Queen Mother.

We need new alias and disguises. Now Zytsi, wedding present ring minor effect, can do a facade of a human (same human every time). Sir Martyn is the most recognisable party member, followed by Bowlhead due to Gloriana, then Daniel and Aruth.

On the way there is Leriel, which has a four star apothecary. Daniel talks to the apothecary and offers 300d for information. The poison is partly alchemical but requires a fairly high level clerical ritual (magic) which could only be done by an 18^th level cleric. The antidote will probably be a vivid coloured liquid. She doesn�t know who could make it. The antidote has to be worn by the caster in a vial around her/his neck.

Once there we work out that on the 8^th of Savor the Queen Mother has to come out of the Castle and go to the Temple. It�s a holy day and she�s trying to establish the Agrikan religion in the city.

<<End of Day>>

The planning session considered (briefly) seventeen dancing bears attacking in the summoned mist; however it takes too long to randomly arrive and doesn�t last long enough. Shame about the bears though. The wall around the temple is a big problem as we can�t trash walls. Various plans involving the flying wagon were considered, but it is best used for the getaway.

Zytsi uses fa�ade to look like a nondescript human and goes into the town for pie, pint and large rumour from the local inn. The local populace is best described as sullen. Most of the followers of the temple of Agrik here are women. This is one of the few temples of Agrik outside of Rethem and Golotha. So he wanders into town, has a pint and leaves. He was followed by an Ivinian as he left town. Zytsi stops round a corner and hides; he doesn�t see him at all. Zytsi goes off in a different direction and re-joins the party.

The plan: - we hide until she goes into the temple, then its plan A. Woodwalls over the entrance and mass butchery and capturing the Queen Mother.

And these are the Bardic wind up spells - Inspirations II +20 (14), Combat IV (13), Shield II (9) Inspirations I +20 (16), Resistance to Channelling +50 on 3 (150 from Harp), Great Song V + Panic Song True (17+15). And Sir Martyn is giving Inspirations of +40.

Silence 10�R round the party while winds up goes on, which is dropped for the attack.

Zytsi goes a head and see her go into the temple and the wagon starts rolling. He can see no look outs. So we roll up through the gates. There are two guards on the door. One sees the wagon and goes inside. Sir Martyn gets off the wagon and Immolates, Zytsi gets off the wagon and runs up to the door. Aruth drops the Silence and drives the wagon up to the door. The other guard goes through the door and slams it shut.

New round, spell phase, nothing visible happens. Zytsi can�t open the door, we are assuming that there is a Stonewall behind the door. The windows are 15 foot up and not big enough to get Sir Martyn through. Khuzdul tossing anyone. To the back door lads! Aruth doesn�t follow he Woodwalls the front door our side.

Sir Martyn opens the back door, it is not locked. There is a more private temple here, with a more easily washed altar and eternal flame. We rush in, except Zytsi. Zytsi Spys through a window and sees eight female soldiers, female clerical spell casting and thirteen random worshippers. There is a Stonewall the other side of both of the doors. Back outside and to the wagon. Cancel plan, new plan.

Ladder up by the wagon at the front, Sir Martyn, Bowlhead, Aruth and Daniel goes through the side door and approach the inside door. Warp wood on the wooden inside door and then Dispel the Stonewall the other side. On the fourth attempt to Cancel it the Stonewall goes down.

There is burning man standing in the doorway and the Bard Song floods in. The peasants are panicking but the soldiers and the main woman ignore it. And a large Firewall appears (on opportunity) immediately in front of the door. And Sir Martyn has to make a saving throw versus Channelling, which he does. He throws his Absolution back, but it gets Dispeled. Zytsi charges up to one of the two soldiers at our end of the room but doesn�t arrive.

Next round two of the soldiers, or rather Paladins, move up to our end. Zytsi moves up and parries a lot against one. Sir Martyn, being immune to Fire, moves up into the area and one�s leg fell off. Sir Martyn is using both Agrikan and Laranian magic here, but did call upon Our Lady of the Flowing Red. Sir Martyn has a good hit which does only damage, she misses, then Sir Martyn does hit her a little bit, then a minor critical and just a damage hit again. He�s doing just damage at times five so she goes down.

Zytsi drops his fa�ade and says �I�m Zytsi of Dhuzak, you killed my wife, prepare to die.�

New round and Daniel tries to stun the cleric but she�s cancelling everything, and Aruth�s Lightning bolt was just as effective. Bowlhead slurps Zytsi�s damage. There is a new firewall on our fighters and Zytsi drops his shield. Combat was ineffective as they were parrying with Bladeturns.

The Cleric through a spell at Daniel but he saved. Sir Martyn turns his personal Cancel into a 10� radius which gets rid of firewalls and nearly the True Aura on Zytsi was dispelled. Sir Martyn�s Aura knocks one down and the dispel took down the fire aura and knocked down and getting back up as well. Combat was fairly ineffectual again.

And a Stonewall goes up in front of the door. Aruth goes for the ladder otherwise combat continues. Chop the two Paladins down by inches, very, very slowly.

New tactics from the opposition. As Zytsi is outside of Sir Martyn�s 10 foot Dispel he gets hit by four fireballs. He�s takes 100 off and is reducing criticals by two. One of the four criticals rolls a natural 100 with a 66 critical. He takes 52 points of damage, bleeding 2 per round and is knock down:- got a way with that then. Didn�t even take out the Paladin he was fighting wasn�t taken out.

Sir Martyn finally puts his Paladin down in this round. And Daniel notices that the stonewall is up, well I was in the loo at the time.

Four fireballs hit Zytsi again, which knocks him over, which happens just after Bowlhead slurps his damage. Not as bad as last time.

The next round Zytsi fires four lighting bolts as four fire balls hit him. And they parry furiously, except Sir Martyn now wanders over and she parries furiously against him. This combat is dragging on but we are technically winning on points, probably.

<<Send out a mini expedition for mini fish and chips>>

Next round the cleric gets a spell through Sir Martyn�s dispel but he saves easily. The fourth paladin finally goes down in combat phase.

Zytsi picks his shield up.

<<Food arrives and is eaten, that was quick>>

Aruth has broken the window and can cast spells in, Daniel has cast a spell. Sir Martyn and Zytsi move up and his Our Lady of the Flowing Red has a 100 critical on one of them; plus 5 hit SNP for the next 30 rounds, and destroys her eyes. Then 97 heat criticaled the same one again.

Aruth shoots a random Paladin, the arrow splits into three so does three times and three criticals, one of which kills in three rounds. Shame is was the same one Sir Martyn made a mess of. Aruth slides down the ladder. Daniel runs around to the broken window as he�s Hasted III.

So Sir Martyn is facing two paladins and Zytsi one. One hits Zytsi and it hurts but not a great deal. Sir Martyn knocks one over in combat. Two paladins left and a cleric.

Zytsi has his damage slurped by Bowlhead. Sir Martyn suggests that she surrenders and come with us as Sulla would like a word. The Cleric moves up on Zytsi, keeping out of the 10 foot range of Sir Martyn. Zytsi�s paladin parries ferociously, and Sir Martyn�s misses him. Zytsi misses his paladin but Sir Martyn hits his but she�s still alive. The Cleric misses Zytsi with the staff (or spiky swordy thing they have) and chucks in her instantaneous spell, which doesn�t get through the dispel (which Zytsi is in).

New round, Zytsi takes a minor hit which he wasn�t parrying so he hits the cleric, who he was parrying, but only did damage. Sir Martyn has battered another paladin to the ground in a taken on damage fashion, and Cleric does some trivial damage to Zytsi.

Next round. Bowlhead slurps Zytsi�s damage. The paladin doesn�t miss Sir Martyn but does only trivial damage. Zytsi pulls to As with double damage, and hits the first is trivial, the Impact is incapacitating, and the Mithral is not that bad. The Paladin is still there.

Sir Martyn tries to Absolute her, but it doesn�t go through her dispel. The Paladin hits Sir Martyn and breaks his weapon arm doing tendon damage, what a silly game. Zytsi and the cleric exchange ineffectual blows.

New round, Bowlhead slurps Sir Martyn�s damage. The paladin shatters Zytsi�s knee, knocks him down and puts him on -90 but Sir Martyn kills the paladin. The Zytsi activates the goat of ignoring one wound penalty and stun manoeuvres so he doesn�t get hit by the staff. Sir Martyn tries to hit the cleric with an Absolution, but misses. The cleric swings at him � now can Sir Martyn cast a instantaneous Bladeturn (Absolution is also instantaneous), there was then a rule discussion. Result, nothing much happened.

New round, Sir Martyn turns off the Larani Give Me Ears spell, well we don�t want to kill her. The eight paladins are down, the rest cower around the wall, and it�s just her left. Sir Martyn hits her with his sword. Well he tries to pull to As but it�s a Larani sword and it won�t pull to As against her. So she dies and her stonewalls go down. Quick pump hits into her so we can get her back.

Grab her and her stuff and an unconscious paladin. There is no chance that we can�t not be seen leaving. There aren�t anyone the other side of the gate, down the Woodwall, we pile out and hang a right. Pursuit follows.

Given the time of night we get away, with no precedent set, and we get back to Azadmere.

Politics come into play. We have kidnapped the Queen Mother of a neighbouring kingdom, she gets handed over to the Royal Guard. She will be ransomed. The paladin is Orbaalese and now can�t go home now, but Sulla will find her a job. Sulla can dispose of the sword that does bladeturns, absolution, and is an adder and multiplier.

We can give Zara the antidote and she can be healed. Not instantaneous. We winter in Azadmere. We have a party. Zytsi is duly grateful. Oh yes we get the Yulpris replaced, 3 with side effects removed and one without.

Now when I started writing this I wrote the name of the album I was listening to on the way here as the place holder chapter title, on the whole I like it and think it fits so I�ll will keep it.

7,000eps each.