The Collective - Session 66

This is the sixty-sixth session in The Collective campaign and the second session in the Running Up That Hill storyline of the Conflict! Arc. Player feedback ranks this session at a 7.71.

## Notable Events

* The party met with Tolzes and another clergyman named Orwell, who strongly insisted that they attend the morning service in King Ossian's Cathedral.
* The party proceeded to the encampment, learned that their rival was unexpected, and met the ruler of Magnolia, Duke Brolin.
* Rosanhi contacted her mother Eliyen using magic to attempt to coax her from the fort, to the latter's denial of her daughter really being there.
* While Rosanhi and the others charged up the hill towards the fort, Cedric infiltrated the fort as a bird and made contact with Eliyen.
* Rosanhi, after many years, finally reunited with her mother, standoffishly discussing the terms of their negotiation.

## Summary

**SUNDAY, MAY 27, 1001:** After a restful night’s sleep, the Collective awoke in their chambers to general hustle and bustle around the upper levels of the cathedral. Treated by the clergy to a breakfast of some very delicious and unfamiliar breakfast dishes, and a not-so quick discussion on whether there was time for a fishing expedition before the work of the day to ease Gorrn's nerves from the day before, the Collective made their way back down into the main hall. As they entered the main hall, they found the previously empty pews to be packed end to end with the citizens of Magnolia who had come for the day’s mass, the hall filled with an energy and business almost completely unfamiliar to the party. Truly, a gathering so large for a purpose other than war was a strange sight indeed to the group, and as they took in the sight, they were approached by Tolzes and another unfamiliar clergyman. Orwell welcomed the party to Magnolia and invited them to stay for morning service, to the polite declination of Rosanhi, prompting him to welcome her return specifically and to *insist* that, as per customs she is quite aware of, that the party should consider attending the service. Gorrn stepped in, explaining that his appearance may deceive the priest and that he did not understand the Triadic belief set and inquiring why Humans only worshipped three Gods. Orwell explained to Gorrn his beliefs:

> "You mistake me, brother. Your appearance and the implications of your heritage mean nothing to us here. The Triad accepts all that come to be bathed in its light. Why there are only three...that is not a question that I, or any, may adequately answer. It simply is - always has - and always shall be."
>
> Orwell, Triadic Priest

Convinced to stay for the service, the group found seats amongst the crowd and listened as three Triadic priests proselytized to the three great halls of the cathedral, each filled with religious fervor. Upon the sermon's conclusion, the group departed from the cathedral and began to make their way to the encampment where Duke Brolin reportedly waited. When the party arrived at the camp, set up at the foot of the hill leading up to the fort, they were halted by a pair of younger guards who forbid the party from entering. Though the party explained that they were to be expected by the Duke, the two guards looked confused and fetched a senior to handle the situation. The senior guard that returned explained to the party that the Duke was not anticipating any assistance, as the king had never sent a response to their request for aid. After a short debate with the party, they were all interrupted by another man, a man of average height clad in fine old armor, his face housing a long scar and his left arm noticeably absent from his body.

The man introduced himself as Duke Brolin, and upon gazing the party up and down, quickly deduced that they had been sent by the King, much to his surprise. He explained that they had never received a return message from the king and had assumed that their calls had been left unanswered. The Duke invited the party into the encampment to discuss the situation with them, ordering a nearby stablemaster to take their horses. The party were led into a makeshift war room on the second floor of a ramshackle old stone tower. As the group gathered around the table, Brolin explained to them the timeline of events. A few weeks prior, a farmboy named Patrick noticed one night that there were several flashing lights coming from the old fort atop the hill. The boy ran up the hill to see what was going on and saw "hundreds" of "strange, pointy-eared people" within the fort, prompting him to run away and tell his father, who later reported it to the guards.

Twice, Brolin attempted to make contact with the fort's occupants, bringing with him a retinue of soldiers and a group of clergymen from the cathedral, and both times they were fired upon, injuring several. Though skeptical that the fort's occupants were certainly Elves, Brolin explained that due to the range of the occupant's bows (only 300 feet, the maximum distance of shortbows supposedly wielded by the Elves), coupled with Patrick's descriptions and the proximity of their city to the Elven lands, he was certain that they were Elves. After the second attempt at contact, Brolin ordered several longbowman positions be established outside the fort's ranged and the encampment to be stocked and prepared for battle. While Brolin admitted that he did not wish to sack the fort, his hand was being forced.

> "From their actions, I am confident they are not to be reasoned with but I could not explain to you why that is the case. Their shared history with us speaks magnitudes, but twice now they have attacked innocent clergymen with a clear intent of diplomacy. If this continues to stand, I have no choice but to treat this occupation of the fort as an invasion and will order it sacked accordingly."
>
> Duke Brolin of Magnolia

After further discussion about the party's strange appearance and how it informed the Duke of their allegiance to the King, and another going over of the tactical map of the region, the group formally introduced themselves to Brolin (with Gorrn testing the waters of his non-triadic faith with him, to no notable response from Brolin) and began to prepare their plan to approach the fort. Brolin assured (or perhaps warned) the group that should his longbowmen see a signal from the party or fighting within the fort, they would sound the alarm for Brolin's men to storm the fort and assist them. As the party left their meeting with Duke Brolin, Rosanhi informed them of her plan to get her mother to meet with them, saying that she would use her magics to speak to her mother and ask her to talk about what was been happening. The group spent some time creating a message and a plan for negotiations, deciding that meeting in the middle would be best for both groups. They would also allow Rosanhi’s mother to bring a small group if she wished.

With their plan and message prepared, Rosanhi sent the following message to her mother: “Hi Mom, I’m in Magnolia. I’m here with a group to talk with you and your companions. Meet us between the fort and the encampment.” Though merely a minute passed, it felt like hours before Rosanhi received a gut-wrenching response from her mother: “Lord of Magnolia, your mage has already done enough damage to my people. Do not tempt me with memories of my forgotten past. Leave us alone.”

Distraught and confused, Rosanhi sent another desperate message to convince her mother that she was who she said she was. Not realizing she was now speaking aloud as she said her message, Rosanhi bitterly responded with: “Memories of your forgotten past? Did you forget me that much, when you left me and my brother with our father? He beat me after you left, almost killed my brother.”

Soon after, Rosanhi received another response: “I will not fall for your temptations. Do not use my daughter’s likeness against me. You shall not claim another life so long as I live and breathe here. Be gone from here, I ask not again.” Enraged by this answer and her mother's apparent dismissal of her daughter, Rosanhi began to march towards the fort without another word to her companions. Seeing her storm off, the rest of the Collective quickly decided their plans, with Cedric and Kevril using their magics to transform into birds and take flight above the fort to get an aerial view. The rest of the party followed closely behind Rosanhi as she carelessly passed the marker establishing the offensive range of the fort.

Cedric and Kevril quickly surveyed the fort, with Cedric noting a group of Elven archers stationed along the wall arming preparing their shortbows for a volley. The arrows let loose, Rosanhi channeled her divine magic to shield the approaching group from the projectiles as they continued their dash to the fort. Cedric flew dangerously close to the center of the camp to search for Rosanhi’s mother while Kevril took it upon himself to knock the Elves' arrows from the sky. After deflecting several, Kevril was spotted by a few archers and was struck by an arrow in his flank, greatly injuring him and forcing his retreat. Cedric, on a final pass into the fort, finally caught sight of two Elves stationed the entrance of the fort, a man seemingly leading the barrage of arrows and the woman visibly upset and crying.

As the Collective members marched ever onwards, Rosanhi sent one final plea to her mother, saying to her, "If you want to forget everything that's happened, that's on you. But I’m here for everyone else that's in that fort, and in this city. We need to talk." The group continued to run up the hill, being struck by several stray arrows that managed to break through their defenses. Kevril, having previously been injured, returned to the approaching group and joined their ascent in his Elven form.

Quickly identifying the tear-stricken woman as Rosanhi's mother, Cedric flew down to the duo at the gate, transforming back from his bird form. He hurriedly introduced himself as a friend of Rosanhi’s, and explained that she was indeed outside being fired at by their archers and not simply being used to trick the Elves. Registering Cedric as an immediate threat, the Elven man next to her grabbed Cedric by the throat and prepared to stab him, but was stopped by Eliyen. She then solemnly ordered the archers atop the wall to cease fire and demanded Cedric come with them to meet the rest of the party.

Finally arriving atop the hill and quickly tending to their wounds, the party was met by a group from within the fort, with Cedric held with them. In an incredibly tense reunion, Eliyen attempted to apologize to her daughter for not trusting her. Despite this attempt, Rosanhi immediately shut out her mother as all of her hurt and frustration finally surfaced. Recoiling and choosing instead to appeal to the mother and daughter's shared sense of duty, Eliyen was convinced to discuss the possibility of negotiations with the Elves in the fort. Announcing that they would return once a decision had been made, Eliyen commanded Cedric to be returned upon request of Rosanhi and turned away from her daughter and companions, returning to the fort as the man beside her affirmed her decision.

## See also

* The Collective - Session 65
* The Collective - Session 67