GLRP:EMs:Royal Spies:2011:Ordinary Times, Interesting Times

Ordinary Times, Interesting Times

Mission 102, April 5, 2011 - The Synod
With Magnus still recovering from Oswald’s attack the previous week, Sarah Paumera assumed temporary command of the Spies. She presented Adelais who wished to address the group regarding Princess Mirendel.

Adelais informed the Spies that the young platinum had been removed from Castle Britannia since Queen Dawn was no longer available to guide her. Apparently, a vote amongst the Platinum Synod had gone in favor of Mirendel’s placement with an elder of her race. However, the entire Synod hadn’t voted, and Adelais hoped that the Spies might be able to tip the balance in favor of Mirendel remaining at the castle. He said that three votes were all that was needed and then provided a tome containing the names and locations of those the Spies should contact.

The Vote on Mirendel, by Adelais

The first vote-eligible Synod member the Spies encountered was Myroxylon in the library of Terort Skitas. Myroxylon hadn’t voted regarding Mirendel due to being able to see merit in both opinions, and because several books had gone missing from his stash at the library. After questioning how Britannia would educate the Princess, the elder platinum agreed to vote in their favor in exchange for a favor.

The one responsible for the missing books was a lich located several floors below the library, thus Myroxylon asked that the Spies recover his books. When the lich lay dead and the books returned, the Spies were presented with Myroxylon’s vote in the form of a scale.

The next platinum they were to encounter, Cethiba, was found communing with Sudiva on the deepest level of Covetous. While polite about Britannian culture, she was set against Mirendel staying with the Britannians. The Spies did not secure her vote.

The third platinum, Xylosma, they met just west of the labyrinth on the island in the Divide of the Abyss in Malas. This platinum, known as the Silent Watcher because of an inability to speak, used a telepathic crystal for communication. This dragon wished to test the strength and Valor with which the Spies would defend Mirendel against a denizen of the labyrinth, a minotaur totem. The creature’s defeat earned the Spies the platinum’s vote. Only one more was needed.

The last Synod member, Aenvral, was located at the Shine of Honor on Homare-Jima of the Tokuno Islands. He said that protocol indicated that he must test strangers as if they were brothers and sisters, and wished the Spies to take a special oath to care for Mirendel as if she were kin. To do so, the Spies would need to secure an Oath Flower from the Winter Spur. Once the flower was acquired and presented to Aenvral, the Spies swore to protect and love Mirendel as if she was one of their own. Thus the platinum’s vote was earned.

With three votes to tip the balance back towards Mirendel’s continued care at Castle Britannia, the Spies set out to find the elder Cremix. This platinum was found in a canyon in the Serpent’s Spine Mountains north of Britain. When presented with the new votes, the elder seemed perturbed and didn’t believe the Spies had obtained them honestly. When pressed to accept the votes, Cremix lied about the Princess’s whereabouts before admitting he wouldn’t return her. As the Spies readied various weapons, the great dragon’s pretense dropped – for he was not what he appeared. In truth, he was actually a crimson who had slain Cremix and assumed his identity to abduct Mirendel.

The Spies found themselves honoring Aenvral’s oath sooner than expected as they battled the faux Cremix. Upon his demise, a book was found indicating that Princess Mirendel would soon find herself the first meal of a baby crimson soon to be hatched…

The First Meal, by Cherisanth

Mission 103, April 12, 2011 - Blood Wyrm Queen
A week had passed since Princess Mirendel’s abduction by the Crimson Dragons, a week of scant intelligence about her whereabouts...

Sarah Paumera, still filling in for Magnus Grey, said there had been a dragon attack in Vesper. The platinum Aenvral was brought in as a go-between for the Synod and the Spies during the time of crisis. He believed the attack may somehow be connected to Mirendel and urged the Spies to investigate.

The Spies found several strange dragons menacing Vesper citizens near the bank and immediately set upon them. Once the dragons had been felled, a book was found which shed light upon the attack, and the possible whereabouts of Mirendel’s abductor, the Queen of the Crimsons: Cherisanth.

Dragon Research I, by Edmund Butterfield

The Spies stormed the Fire Dungeon on the Isle of Deeds where they found an irate platinum dragon fuming on the bridge over the river of lava. This platinum said the he had seen Cherisanth and could smell Mirendel. Unfortunately, his anger got the better of him and he attacked the Spies in despair. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, the platinum did not survive this encounter. Fortunately, another tome was discovered nearby that suggested Destard as the next locale to investigate.

Dragon Research II, by Edmund Butterfield

The Spies found the Great Jade Wyrm on the lowest level of the dungeon eying a terrified looking man. Once the wyrm had fallen, the man introduced himself as ‘Lord’ Edmund Butterfield a researcher of dragons, and recent captive of Cherisanth. He said that he had been captured by the Blood Wyrm Queen in the Desert of Compassion and taken to her hidden lair in the mountains to the west.

Cherisanth’s lair was discovered just to the southwest of the Shrine of Compassion, Princess Mirendel sat cooing to a large crimson egg. Apparently, she was unclear on what the egg represented and her role in its hatching. As the Spies attempted to explain the nature of the situation, Cherisanth angrily returned to her lair. The Spies ignored her preposterous claim of ownership over Mirendel, goading the Queen to battle.

As Cherisanth’s body hit the floor of her mountainous lair, she used her dying breath to cast a spell which would destroy her lair and all within. Fearing the death of her egg-friend, Mirendel wished the egg “…far far away to cold place where it not hatch ever!” before fleeing from the lair with the Spies.

Mirendel returned to her playpen to resume her life and training with Britannia, but now with even more eyes watching over her…

Mission 104, April 19, 2011 - Fellowship
Magnus Grey returned to once more lead the Royal Spies after convalescing for several weeks following Oswald’s attack. Eager to resume his duties, Lord Grey tasked the Spies investigating several disappearances. Since VirtueBane’s defeat, people had mysteriously vanished from the major cities only to reappear elsewhere without explanation.

Thinking this might be a case of mass-wanderlust in the wake of yet another near apocalypse, the Spies traveled to Trinsic to investigate the disappearance of a group of Paladins. There they met Zachary Oathsword at the city’s Training Hall and he related the story of Aaron.

Aaron, an older paladin, had felt his beliefs strained by years of a kingdom in turmoil. The duplicity of Casca and the corruption of the Shadowlords; the rise of Virtuebane and the betrayal of Dawn’s murder – a blow only heightened by the archdaemon’s escape. The paladin had been acting oddly for a while, slipping away during the night, meeting with strangers, and…reading.

Zachary led the spies to Aaron’s bunk in the Trinsic barracks so they could look for clues in his belongings. A suicide note lay crumpled along the wall, while a message suggesting a sudden faith in a new community had lured him away. Under the message lay a book outlining the tenants of 'Fellowship.'

Crumpled Paper, by Aaron of Trinsic

Honor and Peace!, by Aaron of Trinsic

The Book of Fellowship, by Batlin of Britain

Mission 105, April 26, 2011 - The Xorinite Protocol

Louisa Clark >> circle >> Shame L3
Relic Notes #1, by ...

Sam Oxley >> Wisp Dunegeon L4
Relic Notes #2, by ...

Michael of Moonglow >> western blackrock lode
Relic Notes #3, by ...

Adelais >> Despise >> Sneaky >> bucket
Sneaky, by Lsst

Relic Notes #4, by ...

Margaret Korbel >> Ophidian Ambassador >> Terathan Keep
Relic Notes #5, by ...

Margaret Korbel >> Bertrand >> Xenve An-amo-lem??? >> Daemon Temple
Relic Notes #6, by ...

Danner >> Montor >> Expidition book/map >> Rock Dungeon
Expedition, by ...