20010224 ScratchYourBack

<H1> I'll Scratch Your Back... </H1>
<H2> Role Call </H2>
<TABLE>
<TR>
 <TD> Kill'Dar </TD>
 <TD> 11th/3rd Elf Wizard/Fighter </TD>
 <TD> Rick DiRicco </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Kieran </TD>
 <TD> 8th/5th Half-Elf Cleric/Wizard </TD>
 <TD> Ray Chiang </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Auric </TD>
 <TD> 9th Human Druid </TD>
 <TD> Keith Farrar </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Colin </TD>
 <TD> 14th Human Fighter </TD>
 <TD> Jim Yonemura </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Grackle </TD>
 <TD> 6th/8th Half-Elf Fighter/Rogue </TD>
 <TD> Mark Whisler </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Fingle </TD>
 <TD> 3rd/11th Gnome Cleric/Wizard </TD>
 <TD> Richard Jacobsen </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Prince Donner </TD>
 <TD> 6th/8rd Human Fighter/Wizard </TD>
 <TD> John Speck </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
 <TD> Travian </TD>
 <TD> 12th Human Paladin </TD>
 <TD> Robert Giedt (Full Risk, Full Reward) </TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<H2> Session Summary </H2>
<H2> Prelude </H2>
<P>
Grackle goes to the central command to check on the status of the army.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> How's it going?
</P>
<P>
<B>Hagal:</B> The militia is coming together. They've been coming
 together slowly, so we're starting to take more of a
 hands off approach.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Good. So, how soon will you be ready to move out?
</P>
<P>
<B>Hagal:</B> Soon. We're starting to gather supplies and get ready
 for the long march down there.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I don't think that that will be a problem.
</P>
<P>
<B>Hagal:</B> My diviners have indicated that any aggressive action
 against Grax by the Black Lions would be hazardous.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Any other information from the divinations?
</P>
<P>
<B>Hagal:</B> No. We're lucky to get what the gods give us.
 Kieran is probably your best bet for asking any such
 questions. He's the best diviner in the area.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> (Thinks of the desolate area around Og-Kund)
 Well, you're probably right about that. Anyway,
 we're probably going to start some scouting of Grax.
</P>
<P>
<B>Hagal:</B> There are three diviners among my crew who can work
 miracles of the third rank.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Scouting reports?
</P>
<P>
<B>Hagal:</B> I haven't sent any scouts outside the city.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<H3> Broken Home </H3>
<P>
Fingle teleports to Home. He notices that one of the rune stones
far away from him is lying down and two of the others are cracked.
Near the gap are the remains of a big piles of bodies which has
been burned. There don't appear to be other signs of destruction.
</P>
<P>
Marta answers the door. She appears to be wearing three or four
weapons and he sees two traveling packs in the room. Fingle
asks to see George and she quickly directs him to the lab.
</P>
<P>
George is rapidly writing labels on potion bottles and placing
them in a pile.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> It looks like the entire town is on alert. And I
 saw the cracked stones and the pile of burned bodies.
 What's going on?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> The demon is back.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> I knew it.
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> She sent some of her minions and one of them
 successfully broke the stones enchantment. They
 were ready for the spirit guardians, but they were
 not ready for us. Marden accounted for himself
 well--he shall be missed dearly.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> So what exactly happened?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> She sent some of her minions and one of them
 successfully broke the enchantment on the stones.
</P>
<P>
 There were gnolls as foot soldiers. There were
 several spellcasters among them--they appeared
 to be human. They have probably been recruited
 with the promises of riches.
</P>
<P>
 Two of them were familiar, Graden and Ciarda. They
 appear to be lieutenants in her army. She did not
 stay around for much of the fight. She apparently
 took offense to some of the spells that Father
 Cullaim was throwing.
</P>
<P>
 Fortunately, our warriors managed to hold of their
 forces. They have managed to stay sharp despite the
 protection of the stones.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> So, is the town packing up to move?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> We are not leaving.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> You're not leaving?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> No. We are gearing up for battle.
</P>
<B>George:</B> We've sent word to the dwarves of the teeth. We hope that they will remember the favor and send some forces to aid us.
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Is there anything that I can do?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> If you could carry word back, Young Philip is needed
 at this time. As well as Auric, whose leadership the
 young druids need.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> What was Aishapra's goal?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> She was seeking to establish a permanent on the Prime
 Material Plane, in clear violation of the Covenant.
 Occasionally, one of the demons or devils will attempt
 such a thing, but they are usually repelled, since one
 of the good entities will also be allowed to do such
 a thing.
</P>
<P>
 She was banished for 666 years. We're not sure how she
 has returned. For a full understanding of these issues,
 you should consult with Father Cullaim. I threw what
 magicks I could, but I was not entirely prepared at
 the time.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> What about your golem?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> I assigned the shield golem to Philip. His leadership
 is much needed by the people.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Well, I shall go help at the temple and then come back
 here.
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> That would be much appreciated.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Fingle makes his way over to the temple. There, Father Cullaim and
several others are helping deal with the wounded villagers.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> It looks like you could use some help.
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> My divination indicated that there would be help
 coming. It is good to know that it would be you.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Yes, I thought I would help here today. Tomorrow I
 will return to Donner to deliver the news. What about
 the dwarves?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> We've sent several messenger birds, so they should
 know soon. The situation here is We were well
 prepared for what they sent.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> It might be the first finger of the hand.
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> It might very well be. The demon brought some minions
 with her, but I was able to banish them easily. Given
 time, I could eventually banish her, but only without
 her knowing. Now that she is aware of my presence, I
 will be the target of the next attack.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> What else do you know?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> Divinations indicate that there would be night before
 there would be day, but that day would come.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> So, what can we do to help?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> The thing we need is are individuals who can face the
 individual minions she summons. Our army can face the
 gnolls, but there are few people who can stand and
 face the minions she summons.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> I see.
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> If I can remove her and send her back across the planar
 barrier, her forces will disperse. The temporary
 minions she summons can cause havoc during the short
 time they are here.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> If you banish her, will she stay in the Abyss?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> Yes, if we banish her again she will be banished for
 another 666 years. She will need permission from
 four elemental princes to cross again.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Well, that seems good. Is the bargain easy for her?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> The favor is relatively simple. The general problem
 is that she cannot easily get access to talk to the
 elemental princes. My guess is that her servants
 somehow sent the swords across the planes to her.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> We still have the fire sword.
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> Well, fire would be the easiest for her to talk to.
 Earth and water would be the most difficult to convince.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Do you know anything about Bellairno?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> I haven't the faintest idea. George may have an idea.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Is there no way to retrieve Marden in this world? By
 the way, I'm sorry to hear about him. Can you tell me
 what happened?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> We believe that he was taken prisoner after being slain.
 I have already attempted to work the miracle of his
 return, but he is in a realm where Diancecht cannot
 reach. We believe he is being extensively interrogated.
 He may even be turned.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Is there no way to find him?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cullaim:</B> I can tell you exactly where he is--he's on the Abyss.
 Unfortunately, he may be kept there as a trap.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
While healing the troops, Fingle talks to the troops. The attack
apparent consisted of a mass of about 100 gnolls. There were a
few spellcasters as well as a few mercenaries. The generals
roughly fit the description of Graden and Ciarda. They left with
the demon when the Guardian Circle made their presence known.
</P>
<P>
Since he has to wait until tomorrow to teleport again, Fingle goes
back to George's and looks at the crafstmanship of the shield golem.
</P>
<H3> The Natives are Restless </H3>
<P>
Donner and Kill'Dar go to Aquarna. He asks that the spell lab
is prepared.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Is Seledan here?
</P>
<P>
<B>Page:</B> I was told that your work should be monitored for the
 progress and the materials used.
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> I think I'll change and take a bath.
</P>
<P>
<B>Page:</B> You do have the whiff of the sea about you sir.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> We went for a long swim.
</P>
<P>
<B>Page:</B> I see sir. Is there anything else?
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> I'm also going to need grubs. Large grey grubs.
</P>
<P>
<B>Page:</B> (One eyebrow raised) I see sir.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> (Holds up toad to the page's face) For my familiar.
</P>
<P>
<B>Page:</B> (Turns slightly green) Very good sir.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Meanwhile, back in Og-Kund, Colin is getting more status on the situation.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> What is the current status?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cavalry Commander:</B> It's been a lot quieter recently. We used
 to have some problems with chicken coops
 being raided, and so on.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> I see. I'm not sure I like that.
</P>
<P>
<B>Cavalry Commander:</B> We've done a good job of clearing out large
 packs of bandits, but there do seem to be
 several smaller groups which escape our reach.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> Anything else?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cavalry Commander:</B> I think we drove them off a bit too quickly,
 so there may be an external controlling
 element here.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> I think the Prince is going to want us to move out soon.
</P>
<P>
<B>Cavalry Commander:</B> I don't think the farmers will like that,
 sir, but if the Prince commands...
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> Anything else? The local militia has been handling
 things okay?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cavalry Commander:</B> The heavy troops have been very good with
 handling the peace. They have handed the
 militia a pretty stable situation. There
 have been some incidences with how the
 situations have been handled, but I think
 we did the best we could.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> Any more details about the situation?
</P>
<P>
<B>Cavalry Commander:</B> (Goes into long spiel about class conflicts
 between peasantry and nobility) It's just
 one of those situation where the either the
 farmers or the militia will be unhappy.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> Well, that's fine.
</P>
<P>
<B>Cavalry Commander:</B> You might want to talk to the commander of the
 infantry. He's been wanting to talk to you.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Colin finds the infantry commander, where a very different picture is
painted.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Infantry Commander:</B> We've had to take this city block by block
 so many times, you wouldn't believe it.
 Frankly, the militia are worse crooks than
 we've seen here in a long time.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> I see.
</P>
<P>
<B>Infantry Commander:</B> If you want my opinion, we should run them
 out of town. This militia is worse than
 useless. I have a few reports that they are
 instituting insurance and other extortion
 among the few businesses and farms. They
 are using strongarm tactics.
</P>
<P>
<B>Infantry Commander:</B> Permission to speak freely.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> Permission granted.
</P>
<P>
<B>Infantry Commander:</B> Some of the heavy cavalry have not only been
 turning a blind eye to this, but also taking
 a profit from it. There have been times
 where there have been disputes among the
 militia and the farmers that the cavalry
 shows up and uniformly decide against the
 farmers.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> Well, I appreciate the information. I'll take care of
 it from here.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Colin inquires about Grackle's whereabouts. Eventually, he finds him.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> (Talks to Grackle about the situation)
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Get the nobles off the street and I'll see what I can do.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Colin talks to some farmers. The quick synopsis is that the current
situation is pretty reasonable. They are happy with the response
to raids and pillaging outside the town, but the cattle rustling,
the protection rackets, and the looting are entirely out of control.
The only time they feel safe is when there an infantry officer on
hand. They seem to have an understanding with the infantry commander.
The senior infantry officers seem to be able to handle the problem,
but the rest are unable to handle the situation.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I have a different plan.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> Okay.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Take the infantry and round up all the militia. Hold
 them in one place and I'll take care of the rest.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> Consider it done.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Colin goes back to talk to the Cavalry Commander.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Cavalry Commander:</B> I believe sir that you have been misled. The
 farmers have colored their stories in their
 favor.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> I've talked to them and I don't think they are lying
 to me.
</P>
<P>
<B>Cavalry Commander:</B> (Says several things--all in an attempt to
 avoid lookking incompetent)
</P>
<P> 
<B>Colin:</B> (Looking disgusted) Well, I'll take care of this situation.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Colin goes to find the Infantry Commander to handle the situation.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Infantry Commander:</B> How shall I handle it sir? Quickly or quietly?
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Quietly.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> Trickery would probably work better.
</P>
<P>
<B>Infantry Commander:</B> Very well. I shall not inform Colonel Berrick.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Sidebar:</B> Apparently, Berrick has been extremely competent in
 the field and has been promoted. Twice, his commander
 has been killed in the field.
</P>
<P>
In order to gather the troublemakers, they decide to spread news
about "weapons surplus" being handed out.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> What do you know about witch hunters?
</P>
<P>
<B>Kieran:</B> (Rolls 5) Uh, I avoid them at all costs.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Well, you have a standing request from me to find any
 information you can about them.
</P>
<P>
<B>Kieran:</B> Okay. I probably won't be able to provide you any
 information until I get to the Library at Kennetar.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Kieran casts a Divination for the King and his battle in Telendir.
The Divination give a strange reading. The cards indicate either
the Emperor and the Inverted Tower or the Inverted Emperor and
the Tower. The destruction of the physical realm and the
continued health of a political structure or the continuation of
a realm and the destruction of a political structure.
</P>
<P>
Auric has been keeping an eye on Young Philip. Apparently, he has
been successful in repelling orcish bandits. Philip has not
successfully captured any bandits, but none have escaped. Barak
has given Young Philip special sergeant status. In the recent
weeks, Auric has noticed a change in Young Philip. Since he has
seen two of his friends die among other things, he has grown a
bit more mature in his behavior. While Young Philip is not as
wise as his father is, he is no longer the impulsive boy from a few
weeks ago.
</P>
<P>
In his travels in the surrouding area, the land appears to be
slowly recovering.
</P>
<H3> Gathering the Troops </H3>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Is there anything you'd like me to bring from Aquarna?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> Yes. If you could bring Father Joshua or Seledan to
 help, that would be great.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Uh, I don't think that I'll be able to pry them away
 from their duties.
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> The only thing that would really help would be Donner
 and his companions. Also, if you could get the
 temples convinced to let Travian wield the Holy
 Avenger again. I know that they wouldn't care about
 a small village on the Plateau, but if you can get
 word out.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Kieran gives Grackle two temporarily enchanted weapons--a long sword
and a short sword. Grackle sends Colin to get the rest of the
information from the 
</P>
<P>
Fingle teleports to Aquarna and talks with the Chief Page. Talking
to him, he discovers that both Seledan and Father Joshua are unavailble.
The Chief Page directs Fingle to where Donner and Kill'Dar are working.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Hey there!
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> Can't talk. Enchanting.
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> Well, Aishopra has breached the stones. (Runs off)
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> (Drops vial) Wait, come back?
</P>
<P>
<B>Fingle:</B> (Stops) Are you sure? I don't want to disturb you.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> (Sighs) Let's get everyone together.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Donner sends pages to gather the rest of the party in Aquitaine.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Page:</B> The prince wants your presence right away.
</P>
<P>
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Did he stop his work?
</P>
<P>
<B>Page:</B> Yes.
</P>
<P>
<B>Kill'Dar:</B> Tell him I'll be there in a minute.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Back in Og-Kund, Grackle decides to talk to Korla about Meriac. He
finds him waiting in line for the weapons surplus.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I need to talk to your boss. But before that, what
 can you tell me about him?
</P>
<P>
<B>Korla:</B> He's not from around here. He can kill someone without
 being seen.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> What have you seen him do?
</P>
<P>
<B>Korla:</B> I know that he isn't afraid of wizards. I know that he
 can find anybody. He's also one of the smartest people
 in the city.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Hmmm...
</P>
<P>
<B>Korla:</B> I can tell you that he's honest. He doesn't tell a lot
 of lies.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Well, that's good to know.
</P>
<P>
<B>Korla:</B> Things are just settling in. You know--change of
 ownership. If people keep complaining, things will
 quiet down.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I see.
</P>
<P>
<B>Korla:</B> Hey, do you know when we're getting our weapons?
 Man, we've been standing in line forever.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Grackle meets with Meriac later that evening.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I wanted to thank you for putting us in touch with that
 individual.
</P>
<P>
<B>Meriac:</B> Sure. He asked about a contract on you in case things went
 sour, but I told him no.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I was a bit concerned about the trouble going on here.
</P>
<P>
<B>Meriac:</B> Well, you can only make certain decisions from here.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I would expect that you would have things under better
 control. We were thinking about "drafting"
 some of the troublemakers into the army.
</P>
<P>
<B>Meriac:</B> I see. Well, this militia consists almost entirely of
 members of our Guild. Frankly, drafting them into your
 army would cause more trouble than you'd like.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Well, I would appreciate any efforts to lessen the
 problem.
</P>
<P>
<B>Meriac:</B> I suppose we could stop bribing the nobility.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Leave that side to me.
</P>
<P>
<B>Meriac:</B> If we stop doing business with them, I expect that things
 will eventually settle down.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I think I'm beginning to see the problem.
</P>
<P>
<B>Meriac:</B> I will tell you that any who resist the militia, will
 eventually stop resisting the militia. And I mean that
 in a very real sense. Ideally, I would like them to be
 ideal members of society. Some of them are likely to
 become fertilizer with time. In this case, it's not
 oil that the squeaky wheels should not be greased
 with, but that the machinery should be removed.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> Well it seems we have an understanding. (Gets up to leave)
</P>
<P>
<B>Meriac:</B> I am a business man and I would like to keep things
 on a business level. If Donner wishes to declare war
 on the guild, tell him that that would be a dangerous
 proposition for him and his friends.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> I'll keep that in mind.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Grackle confirms Colin's concerns. Colin institutes a special training
for the knights.
</P>
<P>
Donner casts Detect Scrying. Donner gets an image of a man dressed in
some sort of scaly leather armor. Donner recognizes him as Ciarda and
he is far away (around the Plateau). He appears to be looking at a
small crystal.
</P>
<P>
The group discusses what to do. Donner seems inclined to attack Ciarda
quickly and the rest of the group concurs. After some arguments, the
party gears up to go. Fingle casts an Augury for the teleport attack
with the result being "Woe". As such, the group aborts their plan.
</P>
<P>
The party teleports to Home, including Young Philip and two of his
friends.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>George:</B> It certain is something that your group can do. We
 cannot leave this place.
</P>
<P>
 Father Cullaim is doing daily Divinations to determine
 when the next strike will come. The risk is that since
 you are being scried upon, that could affect the flow of
 divinations.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> Well, we could go and you could cast a message spell to
 get to us.
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> That would not be reliable. We need quick response to
 any attack and you could be preoccupied when any such
 message reaches you.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> What about the guardian spirits?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> My thinking is that the enchantment has been broken and
 that access to the demi-plane no longer exists. I
 believe that the guardian spirits in that demi-plane
 have gone on to a higher plane.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> As long as your soul isn't dragged to the Abyss.
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> I believe that I possess enough power that they won't be
 capable of that. If they take me town, I have faith
 my soul will be safe.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> Well, how much time do we have?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> Our divinations indicate that the next attack is likely
 to come in a week.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> Well, I'd like to discuss this some more, but I have
 this scrying following me around.
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> (Peers past Donner and spots scry spot) I think that
 we should sit in council with the Guardian Circle and
 discuss our plans. I will work on protecting that
 council from the scrying problem you described.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> That would be great.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
That evening, the party meets for council.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<B>Philip:</B> I suggest a counterstrike. When we detect that a strike
 is coming, then we can prepare to attack their base of
 operations.
</P>
<P>
<B>Colin:</B> I like that idea.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> 
</P>
<P>
<B>Philip:</B> That's your advantage really. You have the advantage of
 effectively being in two places at once.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> I believe that it will depend on the specifics of the
 moment.
</P>
<P>
<B>Kieran:</B> One other plan that has been discussed would be for this
 group to go and rescue Marden from the Abyss.
</P>
<P>
<B>Philip:</B> That would be helpful.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> One problem is that we have commitments to the Lower
 Kingdom.
</P>
<P>
<B>Grackle:</B> (Updates Donner on the situation with Hagal) So, in that
 regard, we have some time if we need it.
</P>
<P>
<B>Philip:</B> With regards to your mission plan, at what point would
 you be free to help us?
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> (Details the situation with Grax)
</P>
<P>
<B>Philip:</B> What if we were to put our forces at your disposal for
 one day to accomplish this task? And then, you could
 come here and help us with our situation.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> If this doesn't jeopardize Home, I would be agreeable to
 that plan.
</P>
<P>
<B>Philip:</B> With George's help, we could move a large group of 
 people to your field of your operations. George, how
 many could you move?
</P>
<P>
<B>George:</B> (Thinks) 30?
</P>
<P>
<B>Philip:</B> Then we could take 30 of our best men to help with the
 attack for a day. Alternatively, we could use this as
 a semi-surgical strike of 15 and pull out to Home.
</P>
<P>
<B>Donner:</B> We should put than plan into execution as soon as
 possible.
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Kieran casts a Divination concerning Grackle scouting out Grax.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
 Into evil's heart
 Let the arrow fly
 Grievous harm is done
 Prepare to mourn the spy
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Father Cullaim casts a Divination for the assault on Grax during
the daytime tomorrow.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
 River time cuts a changing path
 Noontime's flow is rough and tumble
 By dusk the fording way is clear
 Downstream the story is different
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
Donner considers attacking at noon to ensure that all the forces
are at Grax.
</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<B>Philip:</B> What do they call that? Ah yes, a target-rich environment.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<H2> Foes Fought </H2>
<P>
Base Experience:
</P>