Zoom 2024-06-04 21:00

* The party	decides that Bazin is the best recipient for the Shanah Armour.
* Francis sends a	letter to Prelate Kilan of the house Areistan, asking for	information on the Stormhaven temple.
* Dougal has been	looking through his ‘Ladybird book of Magic spells for grown-ups’	and reckons that Fumble could be effective at stopping Sorlor from	casting spells. A suitably worded Suggestion might also work	provided it seems ‘reasonable’ to her.
A representative (young male Elf) from the Hashandra temple comes to see us, and asks for a private audience with Brokev and the party priests (ie Wun. RiffRaff and Bazin). He speaks directly with us, not through a Dark Elf intermediary. (How very enlightened!)
Once in private, he asks to cast some spells that will conceal the presence of the person who wishes to converse with us. The group agrees, and a muffled female voice speaks to them. The conversation is very guarded with lots of circumlocutions, but basically this is the gist of it:
* They know we	are going to try to recover Hentron from Sorlor in the temple in	Stormhaven.
* Solor is in a	‘god-blinded’ state (similar to how Joshua was). She doesn’t	believe in her own god, and is untrusting of all authorities. As	such, she is an embarrassment to Hashandra and the Elves.
* If Sorlor were	to die that would be ‘unfortunate’, but ‘convenient’. Ie	they want us to kill her.
* When we explain	that Rasten would come for us if that happened, a ‘Seal of the	Empire’ appears on the table. We are told this would provide	protection against Rasten’s wrath.
* Sorlor cannot	cast (clerical) spells in her current state – she is cut off from	her deity. She probably has access to illusionists/mages to make it	seem as though she can – otherwise she would lose all authority	when people realised she couldn’t
* If she does	manage to cast actual clerical spells (“miracles”) that would	indicate that she is recovering from her malady, and we should back	off. Otherwise, if we can kill her that would be good – if not,	well not to worry.
* However, it	must not be an obvious assassination, but must appear as a	reasonable action/consequence of our operation.
* They can help	us by ensuring that the high-level priests of the temple get ‘called	away’ at the right time: We should send an appropriately obtuse	message to Elvenstar at the Willston temple the day before we go.	(The message won’t reach Elvenstar – it will be intercepted.)
* Rules/Suggestions	for when we are in the temple:
** Don’t		desecrate it
** Don’t summon		things within it
** Done raise or		do anything with Undead
** Don’t		take/steal anything obviously connected with Hashandra
** We can casts		spells as per normal, but won’t be able to learn (clerical?)		spells there.
** Divination		spells within the temple should be OK.
We ask if any promises can be given about Elven/Human relations, given that we may lose our main proponent (ie Rasten). The response is: “We are not here to offer assurances, just here to offer opportunities, should circumstances permit.” The audience ends.
Brokev takes the seal, and the group leave. The immediate consensus its that, as this is an option, not an imperative, we can defer the decision and carry on planning as before. However, it is probably not a good idea to tell those involved directly in the negotiations with Rasten’s intermediary, or other members of the party who may let things slip. In the end, it is decided that Garaf should be the only other person told about this, for now.