Apocalypse or Deliverance

 

More Discussions with the Lord of the Glaennyn. cy 4822 Mar 14

 

Well, well who could have anticipated that? However, the impact will probably only affect the next few heartbeats of Grayhawk as Malkar would put it. At one level it might appear that we have become involved when we should not have. But maybe there is another way of looking at events. For a start, thanks entirely to your wisdom during the heat of the moment, we have not irritated Malkar as much as we would have had we followed my immediate desires. And then once your valid objection had been played out we demonstrated that we can, and will, act. Malkar considers me his friend and I reciprocate that feeling. Without your advice I might have lost all of that. I have some way to go in these things, but with your help I will learn and grow.

A fool that rushes into combat and burns his bridges is a fool with many enemies. Patience is something you will learn, Jarik, and the Glaennyn have more of that than anyone. The situation is tense at present, the world spins uncontrollably and those without control fight for it, those without direction would substitute violence for a plan. View the whole instead of the minor skirmishes and you will see the panaromic view of Grayhawk.

It is difficult for one of my years to perceive such a panorama, but my view will broaden with time.

Actually the conflict between the Disciple and the King of Thieves was vital. It lay down the line in the sand and gave boundaries to all present. What the Disciple did was more for Grayhawk than for his own sense of honour.

Agreed, that was my feeling too

The world was poised to war – a war we all would have been dragged into – and Valadain showed us all that courage and honour are sharper weapons than swords. He has caused enmity and mistrust but he has stabilised Grayhawk and diverted the elves from a heinous war…even now Valadain and the sorcerer Fly Tarin sit in council with Willowstar herself.

Agreed again, I believe his action was for the best, indeed I knew there was not enough time for us to intervene, however, it was critical as you realised that we could not act before Valadain had succeeded. This is very interesting, I too wish to meet with Willowstar in good time, but I will start with her Kings, Queens and Priests and work my way up tactfully.

As for the breakdown of relations between the King of Thieves and the Disciple, we may have come out in a stronger position than before. We still maintain good relations with both parties, and I believe it is vital to keep the King of Thieves on side as well as the Disciple. If anyone could steal the Staff then it is he. Indeed I am still worried about him. But maybe less so than yesterday. However, there is no such thing as honour among thieves or so they say.

You live in a world of complicated relationships. For the Glaennyn it is a simpler matter…human needs and desire colour the way they react to each other (for human read elves as well)…it is also what makes them so powerful. Valadain and Viator will survive the tension of their perceived feud – indeed if they are clever they can use it as a tool in the diplomacy yet to come.

That is very clever my Lord Glaennyn, in due course I will suggest this to them.

As for fear of the King of Thieves I doubt whether you need to fear him…his respect for your loyalty should keep him in check. He was not so laden with dishonour that he refused to fight Azael…a man that stood beside us in that fight is an honourable one.

I fear that like the scorpion he will sting because he cannot because he wants to. Me may act simply because it is in his nature! That said I am happy to take the risk, clearly so, else I would not have ordered his extraction. But your words comfort me. The responsibility of the Staff still weighs heavily on me. But as I grow perhaps the weight will lessen.

If you would like my guess it is from the elves that our immediate threat will come. There are various reasons for this. Firstly, was it not a Glaennyn, albeit under the control of a demon, that killed Willowstar’s son? Secondly, are not the Elaenorian elves the most likely to ‘adopt’ the demons that have been left here, after all they have a history of it and with the Queen in the middle of the intrigue? Are they not ideally positioned geographically? Were you not liberated specifically to deal with the threat of demons? Did not Willowstar only allow that liberation under a certain duress from Malkar? Finally, did I not order the thief’s extraction? Believe me, we can expect trouble from that direction. Perhaps even as soon as tonight, when better than when we not only concentrated, and concentrating on our own business? We must be prepared, as you know better than I, demons are dangerous and some can move very fast.

It is now I feel that I must confess to a degree of duplicity, Jarik. I have a spy in the heart of Illythar’s court, a subtle shadow within. The Disciple has returned the necklace to the queen and such was their gratitude that they have stood down the forces they were gathering. Do not misjudge Willowstar…her true intention with the demons has finally come to light. She gathers as many of them as possible to her – but she intends to banish every last one of them. Willowstar is not a goddess who feels the need to justify herself to the world…the problem was that everyone assumed that she was gathering demons to amass an army. I can say truthfully this is not the case.

Now that is the best of news, I feared the elves were about to make a monster of me! I have misjudged them.

We now live again in an era of three-dimensional warfare. Wars, if we cannot avoid involvement, will involve deep strikes behind enemy lines. Indeed in some wars fronts may dissolve completely. During a war civilians all round Grayhawk would be threatened by the mass deployment of demons in terror attacks. The Elaenorians could near cripple the morale of Grayhawk’s population in a week and its armies would surely follow. It maybe that we offer the only non-deity power capable of acting in Grayhawk. I worry that the war that nearly fell on New Brettonia will soon evolve into a war against us. I don’t know why, it’s just my gut feeling. I fear some kings will see me as a wild despot, I fear more that they will make me one.

I have seen many wars, Jarik, and none of them were pleasant. The Dragonmoot will announce our presence on this world and it would be a brave army that stood against us. Stability is important and if the kings and emperors witness this then they will stay their hand. As for your popularity amongst them? You will find that kings court favour for political reasons – it is rarely out of friendship – the fact that many of them want to hear your counsel will indicate this. It is sometimes better to be a despot that people take notice of than an honourable man that everyone ignores.

Once again your wisdom is abundant. But is it not also possible to be a honourable and benign despot?

So once this moot is complete we must go on a diplomatic offensive, excuse the oxymoron. The King of thieves must not attend these, despite my respect and liking for him as a true rogue, we would not like his form of ‘diplomacy’ too clearly connected with ours! One only needs witness his involvement in Brettonia’s recent political history and likely future military history. But here is another need for us to retain a good relationship with him. He owes us one, as they say on the street, we maybe able to call on that one day, and when it is deadly important. But with him we must have more than a care.

Here we disagree. True enough I see your role as a diplomatic one but the King of Thieves should fall under your protective umbrella. He may well be the most hunted, most hated man on the planet at present but if he is left to roam free his life will become intolerable. Rather you promote him into your entourage…draw another line in the sand. You will find that no king or emperor will want to cross you…and Viator has considerable talents – talents that could serve us all well.

I will bow to your judgement here, but I’ll still have an eye on him!

It should not be difficult to cast the Elaenorians, as a militaristic menace; after all they nearly went to war with a nation over a theft by an individual. That demonstrates a desire for war, oh to be a fly on the wall of their military planners; this is far from over. I am convinced that Azael would have included demonic generals in his entourage with a pre-determined dispersal plan should events unfold as they did. We know he had contingency plans. Indeed, it is noteworthy that the demons offered no resistance when we arrived at the mountain, they simply dispersed immediately; vanity has clouded all our perceptions of events. When a God, four Glaennyn and a powerful company of men and elves arrive cowards would flee, but are bound demons capable of cowardice? That would require choice and bound demons have none. It was a plan, and I suspect a plan to move to Elaenoria and other key locations around Grayhawk, to consolidate and then await the signal to assault everywhere simultaneously, creating such shock that no co-ordinated response would be possible. We could be facing the entire annihilation of every Royal family on Grayhawk, we just don’t know what comes next and that scares me.

This is the most astute observation…this was something that was bothering me also. When we flew into battle the demons parted and fled immediately…I would not expect that. A bound demon would have had no choice but to defend his master – unless of course (as you have intimated) there was a contingency. Furthermore we may be looking in the wrong direction for this contingency. What if Azael was sacrificed to hide the real driving force behind the demons? We are assuming that Muziel (the reaper of souls) was bound to Azael – could it be possible that the relationship was the other way round?

Inspired! Both, the plan and your intuition. That will be it! So Azael led the vanguard, and held the line because HE had no choice. That would be funny if it was not deeply worrying. Meanwhile, the real plan unfolds around us, it was, presumably, no contingency when the demons scattered, but the plan as originally conceived.

The only reason I suggest this is that Willowstar has sent a spy to Echeron (Muziel’s plane) and discovered that the new reaper (until a better name comes up) was a murderer back home and was also one of the most powerful aristocrats on the plane.

There seem to be spies everywhere! But that is now inevitable.

I believe it will be on us that the hammer will fall. The Elaenorians may use the involvement of the Disciple in the recovery of the amulet and our recovery of the thief to provoke Willowstar and create fractures between Malkar and ourselves. I almost caused that to be a certainty, but fortunately you save me from folly. Enough apologies. We must be on our guard and ensure this does not come to pass and I need your wisdom to ensure this. Despite holding the Staff I am only a teenager, and this is young even by human terms.

I strongly believe that Willowstar is not the enemy…the true enemy has not even surfaced. With the Dragonmoot our intentions will be clear – the world will know where we stand…and where it stands. It will serve to flush out those who oppose reason and stability.

I now understand much more of Willowstar and will begin a diplomacy as I suggested earlier.

Note to DM: I would have not have laboured the points on elves and Viator if I had had Lord Glaennyn’s responses in real time.

 

My fears see me soon to take my first life, followed by apocalypse.

 

When the levee breaks.

 

One Land

One Song

One Staff

 

Note to DM: Just a little Germanic here

 

Is that the dark side of a dream, the unforgettable touch of the Unmaker? But was there not a warmer side? Prometheus’ touch you might say?

 

People and peace

Remembrance and respect

Protection and preservation

Future and freedom

Creation and culture

Love of life

 

So what future do the Glaennyn seek? What of the dragons? What are your desires? Who am I? What do I want? What is my future? But most of all how do we avoid war?

The impatience of youth! (The Nameless One laughs) It has taken me an unimaginable number of your lifetimes to ponder such questions…and even I – the Lord of the Glaennyn – do not have all the answers.

If we knew all the answers there would be none to ask and nothing left to understand. At that point immortality would become a curse eternal.

Note to DM: One can imagine an eternal race who feel that they will ‘soon’ know all and in response only seek the answers to questions in the most obscure, time consuming and torturous way.

 

If you want peace prepare for war

If you war, war for peace

If you want peace understand war

If you die, die for peace

But if you live, live for life.

 

Amen

 

Jarik Saal

 

Note to DM: I have a long term plan gestating here. What should Jarik do now he has the chance? I believe he would build on his career of not taking life. The best Earth analogy would be Buddha. Gather philosophers, and thinkers and seek the answers to the universe but only when directed by the fundamental value that all knowledge and power should be dedicated exclusively to the pursuit of peace. Indeed, the last sentence should form the basis of Jarik’s philosophy, diplomacy and future.

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