Barony of Saraband
==================
Saraband as name of the barony - sounds kind of eastern, and has a couple
of meanings (one of which is a stately court dance of the 17th and 18th
centuries resembling the minuet, but apparently it was also a fast erotic
dance in 16th century Mexico and Spain!).
Tess' barony is an area called the Scotch Breach. Patrolling that area
would be handy, and settlers there are attacked by monsters from the
mountains (both from the Wendarian Ranges and the Colossus Mountains), and
it would be useful to keep the road open. In the "r" of the Scotch Breach
of the glantri-8.png map, above the Colossus Mountains.
As a baron, Tess gets a vote on the Glantri Council, and his vote is worth
4 points. A prince's vote is worth 10 points. Grandmaster of the School of
Magic gets an extra 10 points. Viceroy of a named fort gets +1 voting
point. Tess is a member of the parliament, but not the Council. Only
princes are a member of the Council. The parliament only votes when there
is insufficient quorum for the Council, or when there is a tie on the
Council.
Druids are treated as Clerics, they are also not allowed in Glantri.
Clerics may enter Glantri on a license, and they may pick one kind of
spell that they are legally allowed to cast with that license. There is a
Monster Hunters Union. Monsters owned must be handled by a member of the
Monster Handlers Syndicate.
Responsibilities as a baron:
- Tess gets to name his tower
- Tess is a member of the House of Singhabad
- expected to turn up to vote, or hand vote to someone else to vote on
your behalf
- e.g. someone from the Professional Spokesman's Guild, they have a
reputation for being absolutely loyal to their ruler, need to be
registered and can tell someone is an official spokesperson by the
diamond implanted on their forehead
- Tess would get a 9th level Bard to be his spokesperson - name Jericho
of Saraband
Tess' research
==============
You need to build a special crystal receptacle to tap into the power of
the radiance - Tess figures out how such a receptacle can be made. Tess
also believes that the receptacle can be used to contact other members of
the Brotherhood of the Radiance. At the solstices (whenever Mystara's axis
tilts the most toward or away from the sun - in Summer or Winter) and
equinoxes (is the event when the Sun can be observed to be directly above
Mystara's equator - in Spring or Autumn), by laying your hands on the
crystal and concentrating, you can contact others who are laying their
hands on the crystal - it could potentially be at some other time too, if
they are connected to the crystal. Tess doesn't know how to tap into the
power yet, or what to do at the next step. The crystal receptacle is
nothing like what the Shepherds of Rad had.
It does not take Craft Wondrous Item to make a receptacle. You must have
single crystal that weighs 80lb, and you have to cast various spells over
that, it will take about a month for Tess to do. You also need to cast
Permanency, costing 500 XP. The cost for making the crystal receptacle is
5,000gp. **PAID** Tess needs to wait until the next solstice or equinox to
find out how to use the crystal.
Protection spells Tess has up when he uses the receptacle at the next
solstice: Detect Scrying, False Vision and Nondetection. Tess is not
disguised. The crystal starts swirling with colors and giving off little
sparks of light. Tess lays his hands tentatively on the crystal, and feels
a kind of tingling. A vibrant voice says, "Welcome brother, we have been
waiting."
Tess says: "Greetings."
The vibrant voice continues: "Tonight a newcomer joins the Brotherhood."
A child's voice says, "Welcome Brother," and a number chime in "Welcome
brother."
A child's voice says, "He's got to have a name ...
One says, "Brother Day Moon", which Tess says he likes well enough.
The child is "Brother Morning Sun"
One introduces himself as "Brother Night Fire"
Another introduces himself as "Brother Moon Shadow"
There are no women's voices.
"Brother
The child says, "I will teach you the first spell as was taught to me, the
other spells you must research yourself."
- Brethren may draw the power of Rad from within their fief and nowhere
else
- this is our first law. The power of the Radiance grows as you approach
the capital. As you grow in power, you will be situated close to the
capital. As a Prince you may draw from the power of the Radiance
within the capital itself.
- Brother Nightfire says there are limits to the power. You should only
use it when necessary, It can wither the body, and prevent the mind and
body, causing one to enter a limbo between life and death with no mind
of their own. You will discover limits on what you can tolerate as you
progress, as you discover the spells to unlock the powers of the
Radiance.
- Neither outsiders nor common men may use the radiance
- To protect our nation
- The vibrant voice breaks in, "There isn't much more that we will reveal
tonight." Tomorrow you shall promote the construction of a new temple in
your town, its shepherds shall be yours to command.
- Tess gets taught the very first and simplest of the Radiance spells:
"Call Upon Radiance", a 5th level spell - it only works within 30' of
the receptacle, lasts 1 round/level. It allows you to do two things: (a)
decrease the cost of casting a spell with metamagic, or (b) increase
your caster level. As a Baron, you may reduce the cost of applying a
metamagic by one level (higher ranks can get more), or you may increase
your caster level by one. You may do that each round of the spell
duration, and it lasts 1 round/level. You may also cast say an extended
5th level spell - a 6th level spell - which you wouldn't normally be
able to cast. Someone like a Duke gets 5 free levels, which they can
split across multiple metamagics. e.g. A Duke could pump out quickened
spells for free.
- There are presumably further more powerful radiance spells, but they
would probably be beyond Tess' capability at this stage.
Tess concludes that a subset of the nobles are members of the Brotherhood
of the Radiance, and it is now clearer why rank corresponds to proximity
to the capital. There are children who have noble titles, though there are
children of nobles, one of whom might be the child's voice. There don't
appear to be any women. Tess did not recognize any of the voices - they
appeared to be somewhat altered.
Every time Tess uses the ability, he feels the energy roiling through him,
and there is a slight chance of something going wrong. As Tess is rather
cautious, he won't use it much.
Tess probably can't do more useful research at the moment, as the more
powerful Brotherhood of the Radiance spells are beyond his power.
Tess will go and have a chat with Phoranin and relay what he has found
out. Phoranin says it sounds like our powers are related but different -
different paths. Tess asks to do some research using a soul crystal.
Phoranin thinks the different paths are Arcane and Divine ... Tess
counters, yet you can cast some Arcane spells. Phoranin says she thinks
these are spells that Rafiel grants, that is something in his power to do.
They are not spells via a soul crystal. Tess asks for access to a soul
crystal - Phoranin says she doesn't think it is a good idea. Tess offers
to do so in a location of the Temple of Rafiel's choosing, but Phoranin
doesn't think it is a good idea.
Tess thinks it might be easiest to steal a soul crystal from a priest on
their own. Priests and additional guards guard the mining operation and
the crystals as they are transported. The crystals are stored in the
temple. If a priest did lose their soul crystal, they would get in
trouble, there would be a hunt for the missing soul crystal. It wouldn't
be too hard to get a fake to replace a soul crystal.
Tess organizes a place to set up to do some research on a soul crystal.
Wearing the silver suit, slip into the mining operation, swap a fake soul
crystal, when they are attacked by some monsters that Tess' sets up. Tess
wanders around in disguise amongst the miners for a couple of days, but
hasn't had an opportunity to switch a crystal.
Tess has spent a week to establish a disguise as a Schattenalfen before
interacting with any monsters in the nearby area to try and arrange an
attack. Tess would have Obscure Object spells memorized.
Tess finds a group of five small brains on legs. They are surprised when
Tess comes out of hiding. Tess sense that they are going to attack him,
feeling something attack his mind five times. Tess leads them back to
attack the mining operation. Tess discovers that the miners have prepared
themselves at the mine site, and everything is now locked up. There is a
guard in front of them. Tess casts Dominate Person on the guard, swaps a
fake crystal with the soul crystal, and then slips away. Tess uses a
slight Schatten Alfen accent to attempt to leave the impression when the
guard is questioned that it was a Schatten Alfen who did this.
Tess keeps an Obscure Object spell cast on the soul crystal at all times -
3 times a day, as he does his research. It quickly becomes apparent that
the Soul Crystal is not a channel of Radiance power, it is a receptacle of
Radiance power. Radiance power is somehow naturally already in there. Tess
thinks with some research he could potentially draw on the power that is
in there. Tess eventually hears about the ongoing search for the missing
soul crystal. Tess has also arranged for Mark Sutherland to make a few
random appearances as Tess in Sind to keep up appearances.
It will take Tess at least 6 months to a year to do the research. The
creatures are Intellect Devourers - they confused and dominated various
people, and stole a soul crystal for their own use. The Shadow Elves get
together an army and start hunting the Intellect Devourers down. Tess
believes that he would be able to use the crystal as a portable source of
magical energy, to draw power out of them to cast a spell without having
it disappear. In all it took a year for Tess to research, at the end of
which, Tess has all but exhausted the soul crystal, with one spell level
left, and it has cost 10,000gp.
Tess arranges a meeting with the king through his bosses. Tess is told to
go to a certain room in the palace at a certain time. When Tess gets
there, the king is sitting there waiting by himself. Tess relates his
research into the use of soul crystals by the Temple of Rafiel and what
can be done, and that he can train others to do so. Tess then demonstrates
use of the soul crystal while the king watches the demonstration with
Detect Magic. Tess also relates that the priests can cast spells above
ground, and in fact did so to bust Janilee out of jail, who had been
spying on the princess and Tess in subterfuge with them has had Janilee
working for him.
The king says long has he suspected that the crystals are not what they
appear to be. It is now very clear, that the shamans of Rafiel have been
hoarding this for their own power. Tess offers to train some mages in use
of the soul crystals. The king says this will break the power of the
shamans over our people. Tess suggests proceeding very quietly. We will
need to be careful about obtaining more. Tess relates his dream about the
Temple of Rafiel and the radiant object therein.
Tess suggests setting up a quiet mining operation for soul crystals,
training some mages in quiet, then revealing our hand in due course.
The king says welcome to his inner circle. The door opens, the head of the
Eyes of the Serpent and his daughter Princess Tana de Lao enter, and they
ask him to continue. Tess will not be able to figure out any further
detail on the secret project of the Temple of Rafiel - only a few priests
are involved, and Phoranin is one of them.
Most of the others are more interested in reducing the power of the church
over the people, rather than caring about the soul crystals - they see the
amount of effort of maintaining an intensely religious society as holding
the Shadow Elves back.
Tess will ask Phoranin about the Wanderers - the Temple of Rafiel is
mostly ignoring it. They believe the religious implications fall on the
Wanderers heads. The Temple of Rafiel is rigid and doesn't want to change
the way things are being done.
The energy of the soul crystals slowly regenerates over time, which has
not been the case for the soul crystals that Tess' group has used. The
artifact in the Temple of Rafiel needs more soul crystals to be completed.
Tess has a long chat with Phoranin about the situation, asking that the
situation be resolved diplomatically. She says that she thinks it best
that he not return here for the moment.
While Tess is waiting, at the next meeting of the inner circle of the
king, it is reported by the head of the Eyes of the Serpent that the
priests seems to be up to something. The priests seem to be doing
something - more senior priests are at the temple than would be expect,
normally having some duties elsewhere.
Tess has a talk with Phoranin again, to ask if things are going ok. She
says this strikes at the core of the Temple of Rafiel in Shadow Elven
society, and that Tess does not trust in Rafiel, that Rafiel knows what is
best.
Tess takes hallucination dust under Thora's ministration. Tess drifts for
a while and finds himself in a beautiful underground cavern. Tess hears
the sound of chiseling, but cannot see who is doing it. It does not look
like a soul crystal area, but more like a residential area without houses
that has been smooth over time. Tess sneaks around a bit, and finds a spot
near the center of the cavern - there is somebody there, an elf, who is
busily chiseling away at a statue of a large number of Shadow Elves, who
are twined together doing various activities - someone baking something, a
soldier, etc. Standing on top of the statue is an elf in a coat with
glasses, he has one foot raised to push down the Shadow Elves. The guy
seems to be chiseling away at the person on top of the statue's foot. The
person on top of the statue resembles Rafiel. The one who is chiseling is
very concentrated, but not having much luck - he looks over at you, and
says, "Well, are you going to help?" and gestures at some tools that
weren't there before. It looks like the stone of the foot is very hard,
and you would need to chisel at the stone of the rest of the statue. Tess
asks, "Who are you?" he replies, "A friend." Tess asks what this is, and
he says it is what it appears to be, Tess says, "Shadow Elven society
under the foot of Rafiel," and he replies, "Exactly." Tess asks, "Are you
Atzanteotl?" He replies, "I am indeed."
Tess says, "Then perhaps we serve a similar cause. I must be cautious."
Tess asks, "Are your people ready?"
He replies: "The Shadow Elves?"
Tess says, "Those amongst the Shadow Elves, and of course the Schatten
Alfen."
He replies, "They are all my people."
Tess asks, "What would you have of me? I can be quiet ... but then you
already have those ..."
Atzanteotl replies, "Yes."
Tess asks, "What do you offer me?"
Atzanteotl says, "If you want to work for me, I can make it worth your
while. I know you are striving for immortality ... I can give you that
..." - Tess replies yes - "I can give you that". Tess asks "In exchange
for breaking the power of the Temple of Rafiel?" Atzanteotl replies,
"Yes."
Tess does not start chiseling away. Atzanteotl asks if Tess will help,
Tess says it does not matter what I do here, this is just a dream, but in
reality, in reality it makes a difference. Tess watches and talks further
and the vision ends.
Tess asks to talk to Phoranin. Tess implores Phoranin to help resolve this
diplomatically. Phoranin says you must accept Rafiel and trust in him.
Phoranin tells Tess to not deplete the soul crystals, that is against the
will of Rafiel. Phoranin says as for the wanderers, I do not know why we
found them, but even so they were still helping us.
We do find and mine some more soul crystals, but we do not know how to
figure out how to get them to regenerate power. Tess tries praying, but it
has no use. We spend some time and resources, but nothing succeeds.
Tess will secretly recruit some Shadow Elves to work for him, and try to
ferret our some Schatten Alfen spies, but doesn't find any. Tess will keep
his ring of trusted spies operating in the meantime.
They have decided to not reveal information publicly on Tessarael's
advice, but to go and talk to the shamans. They have to have sufficient
material ready in case things don't work out with the priests, and to make
some public difference in terms of the power of the Temple of Rafiel.