Session 1: The Dragons Lair Report

General Summary

Else and Ferdinand have travelled from Bogenhafen to meet with the Duke von Drakenburg at Drakenburg Castle.

The Castle Reception

Date: Wellentag 24th Day of Vorhexen 2512 IC
Time: Evening
Weather: (Sunny) The watery sun has soaked up all the mist and the day is mild and sunny.
Having stabled their horses Else and Ferdinand make their way to the main reception room and ring the bell to attract the Steward. It takes a few minutes before he appears during which time you get to admire the family portraits and local art collection. There is even one of Sali and her two brothers. Eventually you hear the tap of footsteps and the Steward appears at the end of the hall and walks swiftly to greet you.

"Mademoiselle Else 'ow pleasant to see you." Oliver de Dampierre dutifully comments in the same silky voice and with the same fake smile as always "And I see you 'ave brought a friend. 'Ow lovely."
"And to wat do we owe this pleasure." he adds more poiintedly.

"Oliver, my companion Ferdinand Gruber and I have ridden hard from Bögenhafen with important news for the Duke and Lady Salundra. Is it possible to meet with either of them? The matter is of the gravest importance." Else returns the fake smile.
"Ah! Non je regrette. The Duke 'e is in the conference with an emissary from the elves and Mademoiselle Salundra she is not 'ere." He shrugs his open palms confirming that there is nothing he can do to help.
"I will tell the Duke you are 'ere. In the meantime per'aps you would like to wait in the library." he says gesturing to a room off to the left of the hallway."'ave you 'ad dinner?" "I can ask the cook to prepare something or just a drink per'aps?"
"I understand, Oliver. I would ask that you hand the Duke these two important documents. No-one is to have sight of them but the Duke himself. One is a letter from myself to the Duke.
The other is a warrant recovered from the body of a bounty hunter en route to Drakenburg today. Unfortunately, the two may be connected. I will wait in the library as you suggest - and yes food and drink world be very welcome."

"Of course!" says Oliver taking the documents with ill-disguised curiosity "I shall tell the kitchens to send you a tray."
With that, he withdrew from the room and left you and Ferdinand alone.
The Drakenburg Castle library is a medium-sized wood-panelled room lined with bookcases stuffed with books on a wide range of subjects. There are a number of comfortable reading chairs scattered around the room and a central occassional table with stools in the centre.
Ferdinand begins browsing the books, with an eye out for anything that references magic. "That man mentioned that the Duke is with an emissary from the elves. It is possible the creatures I was speaking with in the woods were also elves. I propose a theory: could it be possible that he is speaking with our quarry this very moment?"
As he speaks Ferdinand idly scans the books in the nearest of bookcases looking for anything to do with magic, but most of the books on these shelves seem concerned with historical subjects.

Comprehensive Considerations on the Destruction of Mordheim
Indispensible Essays on the Middenheim's History
Great Hypothesis on the Knights of the White Wolf
Indispensible Exposé on the Destruction of Mordheim
Essential Examinations on the Middenheim's History
Abridged Examinations on the Great Witchunters of Ostermark
Fundamental Lectures on the History of Chaos Incursions
First Theories on the Peasant's Revolts in Bretonnia
Principal Dissertation on the Victories of Karl-Franz I
Final Essays on the Knights of the White Wolf

There are many more but nothing Ferdinand would class as a magical reference.
Else paces back and forth, scowling intensely "Elves?! Yes, maybe. Maybe. But breaking into offices? Skulking in forests? Is that really conceivable? Even possible?"
"But if the Duke is in there with them now..." she halts, spins on her heel and smashes her fist down on the library table. "What in Sigmar's name is going on!"
Ferdinand flinches "How well do you know this Duke? Is he trustworthy?"
You are interrupted by a petite young maid carrying a tray loaded with pastries and various carafes of aromatic beverages. "Bonjour!" she says brightly placing the tray carefully on the library table. "Would you like some consommé et pain?" she asks then corrects herself "I mean bread and soup."
Ferdinand leans over eagerly and starts looking over the food. "These look quite interesting. Are they Brettonian specialties? I also would not turn down some soup." He takes a bite out of one of the more interesting looking pastries.
The maid leaves the room and Ferdinand turns quickly to Else, and lowering his voice asks the question that is burning on his lips. "I am aware that we are very close to the border, but the number of Brettonians in the Duke's employ seems abnormally high to me, even given that consideration. Were a move to be made on the border, many sympathetic to the King would reside within these very walls!"
Else frowns "I have trusted the Duke. I know his daughter... I find it hard to believe he is in league with any foreign agency. I just hope that he can make sense of the situation and that we are not too late."
You hear the approach of another person along the hall and after a few seconds the Duchess herself breezes into the room to greet her guests.

"Else how pleasant to see you again. Oliver told me you were here and you brought a friend how nice." She holds up her hand for Ferdinand to kiss.
"Oliver has provided refreshments I see. But I assume you will be staying tonight so I shall have rooms prepared."
"If you need anything else then please let me know."
Whilst the Duchess speaks perfect Reikspeil there is no mistaking the faint Bretonnian accent that exposes her roots.
"Did you have a pleasant journey?.
"The weather was quite pleasant once the mist had lifted."
"We thank you kindly for your exceptional hospitality, your Grace. You are too generous as ever. May I introduce to you my companion Ferdinand Gruber, returning eldest son of Baron Gruber of Weissbruck. The trials of our journey here were as nothing when compared against the gladness I experience on returning to Castle Drakenburg. I wish only that we could have arrived a little earlier and gained an audience with the Duke, but I understand he is meeting with other visitors..."
"Ah! Yes! The Ulthuan Emissary arrived yesterday. Very tall and elegant I wish I had hair with that much sheen." The Duchess pauses to check her image in the mirror across the room and frowns. "Since then I have hardly seen the Duke myself except for dinner of course. Elves do like to talk, don't they. He and the Duke have been talking strategy and pouring over maps ever since. It's quite boring I assure you."
The Duchess pauses "But you really must introduce me to your friend Else. I have no idea who he is and I'm intrigued by his attire. You have never brought a friend to meet us before." she says smiling disarmingly up at Ferdinand as though he was some strange artwork in need of evaluation.
Else turns to Ferdinand with a pleading look in her eyes. "Ferdinand, maybe you could entertain the Duchess with an account of your travels. Though I am sure there is no need to dwell on every detail, you understand?"
"No! Else please let him tell me every detail. I'm intrigued to hear everything. How did you two meet?" the Duchess asks settling herself in a convenient chair and waiting to be entertained. "Was it very romantic?"
Ferdinand blushes. "Your Grace, I am pleased to meet you. Regrettably, the meeting between Else and myself was not so pleasant. Some villagers had been scared by my dress and had reported me as a demon. Which is where she comes in. I am thankful that she was clearheaded enough to realize that I was in fact a human!" He pauses and looks down at his outfit. "I have been living in Marienburg, so I was not aware how much attention my robes would gather me here in the Reikland. I will eventually be procuring something less conspicuous"
Else stands open-mouthed for a second as she realises the misapprehension that the Duchess is under, before blushing fiercely and turning away to busy herself pouring a drink.
The Duchess looks disappointed and sighs "I suppose it was too much to hope for, neither Else nor my daughter seems able to attract a man. I think men find them intimidating. You men prefer women who are fragile I think." she reaches over to the tray and pours herself some sweet-smelling liquid into one of the bowls before choosing a pastry and dipping it into the bowl and eating it. "But you are still being mysterious Monsieur. Must I pull rank upon you as your hostess to get you to tell me who you are, after all, I can hardly be expected to provide hospitality to a stranger can I?" She smiles disarmingly as she dips another pastry in the bowl of liquid.
Ferdinand looks back at the Duchess, eyes diverted a bit to the side as he racks his mind to pull up his manners. "Oh yes. My apologies," he says stiffly, "Thank you for your hospitality. The weather is indeed much nicer now. I am quite pleased by your pastries. My name is Ferdinand Gruber. I am the eldest son of the Gruber family, out of Weissbruck. I have been out of the Empire for some time and was returning from Marienburg to visit my family when Frau Sigloben and I first made acquaintance. We have, of course, deviated slightly from that path in order to bring your husband our news."
"Ferdinand Gruber son of Baron Barhold?" the Duchess looks perplexed "That's the name Oliver gave me but I did not believe him. I'm afraid Monsieur that you cannot be Ferdinand Gruber." she pauses and takes a deep breath before continuing. "Ferdinand Gruber is dead. I myself attended the funeral his mother cried for weeks. The poor child was only eight years old as I recall, some sort of illness I was told. That must be almost twenty years ago. The Baron has had another son since and he is the Baronet of the Weissbruck estate."
The Duchess fixes Ferdinand with a penetrating stare "If what you claim is true there would be a huge scandal. Is that your intention?"
Else chokes on her drink and stares at Ferdinand, her flabber well and truly gasted.
The Duchess notices Else's discomfort. "Else dear, I'm sorry for being so blunt. It's rude of me I know but even if your friend here is telling the truth you must realise that the implications for the Gruber family are quite serious. Like us, they answer directly to the Grand Prince, if he were to find out about this they could be ruined."
She turns to Ferdinand "Young man I have no way of telling whether you truly are the son of Baron Bartold, or simply an imposter no doubt being paid to cause him harm. I had hoped that you might just be some long lost nephew or cousin with a similar name. But the fact that you name the Baron as your father confirms my worst fears. Were it not for Else quite honestly I would ask you to leave my house. I like to think that the Baroness and I are friends as far as that is possible given our respective stations and I would not want to be seen as an agent in her discomfort. If you are truly her long lost son then I beg you to think carefully about your behaviour. If news of your existence were to become known to your father's enemies it could cost your family everything"
"I hope I've made that clear." she adds earnestly.
Ferdinand starts to look sick. Breathing rapidly, he sits down and pulls out his engraved stick and starts moving it quickly between his hands. Eventually he speaks quietly. "I . . . did not know."
The Duchess appears to soften slightly and smiles at Ferdinand "Well hopefully no harm has been done and we can keep this to ourselves. It is fortunate that you came here first, had you gone to Weissbruck, or worse still visited the Saponatheim's we would never have been able to contain the scandal."
The petite French maid returns this time loaded down with bowls of soup and long Bretonnian bread rolls. She leaves them on the table clearing away any empty plates. The Duchess asks her to tell Oliver to have your rooms prepared. "Tell Oliver to put our guests in adjoining rooms and to make sure that the connecting door is unlocked." she says with a impish grin.
Else is still processing Ferdinand's news as she slumps down in front of her bowl of soup. "Your plans. To join your family. To.. study.", she pauses. "Everything is changed.."
Ferdinand speaks quietly to Else hoping to avoid the Duchess hearing. "I knew I was ushered out to hide my Gift, but did not know that they faked my death. With no legal status, what will I do?"
"I.. I don't know. It's just so unfair. Cruel even. My only thought is that perhaps the College of Magic will take an apprentice irrespective of their heritage. They surely only care about what you are, not from where you hail. But you must treat carefully as her Grace advises. From now on you must not mention your true identity. For myself, I must reconsider what my duty is in this situation. For a witch hunter to aid a stricken lordling is one thing, to accompany a homeless, stateless, nameless creature looking the way you look and with the .. skills that you possess.. Well it would raise some very difficult questions." Else shakes off this awkward line of thought. "My first duty is to Sigmar, the Reikland and thus to his Grace the Duke. Tomorrow I will speak with him and learn what help he needs from me. Then things will be clearer and we may talk again of your situation.. in private."
The Duchess sighs and rises from her seat "Herr Gruber it is not considered polite to whisper behind the back of a lady least of all your host. But as I see you and Else desire some privacy I shall withdraw and leave you to talk in peace. Oliver will let you know when your rooms are ready so that you may freshen up before dinner. In the meantime enjoy your soup and if you need anything else please ring the bell by the door." With that rebuke, she turns and leaves Else and Ferdinand alone.
Else and Ferdinand settle down to finish their soup and are eventually interrupted by Oliver who informs them that their rooms are prepared.
He leads them along the hallway and up a broad flight of stairs to the first floor of the castle and along several corridors until they are shown into two adjoining rooms whose windows face west towards the spectacular heights of the snow-capped Grey mountains.
The rooms are lavishly decorated and the four-poster beds in each laid with silken sheets. There are rugs on the floors, paintings on the walls and each has its own fireplace with no shortage of firewood.
The two rooms are joined by a discreet door near the outer wall which allows the occupants to visit each other without being seen from the hall and as instructed the door has been left unlocked.

"Will you wish to bathe before dinner?" asks Oliver "If so I shall have the servants provide you with a bathtub and hot water. Dinner will be at sunset as usual, but I shall inform you when it's served."
"A bath. That would be truly excellent, Oliver. Thank you." enthused Else.
"Ferdinand, do you want to talk before dinner? About.. your situation?" Ferdinand seems calmer now. "Yes, that would be a good idea."
After Oliver leaves, Ferdinand turns to Else and takes a deep breath before releasing a torrent of speech, speaking quickly "We can immediately conclude that I should, as the Duchess suggested, immediately stop introducing myself by my true name. However, it seems likely that the Duke is already aware of this."
"Secondly, it seems ill-advised to continue to Weissbruck as we intended, unless we were to sneak myself in somehow to meet with my father. Perhaps another approach would be to contact him via letter, once I know I will be in one location long enough to receive a response."
"Third, is the matter of my licensing. I am hesitant to arrive at one of the Ministries in Altdorf and put myself at their mercy. However, if you were able to escort me there I think it would provide me with a measure of protection. Another option would be to make contact first with a licensed wizard who could then vouch for me and assist me in getting licensed. I had heard of a wizard residing in Ubersriek whom I was hoping to gain some instruction from, so perhaps he could provide that assistance."
Ferdinand looks to Else. "What would you advise?"
The wooden bathtubs were delivered to your rooms a few minutes later and lined with bath cloths. Else and Ferdinand were then given bath gowns to change into and the process of filling the tubs began. The servants forming a chain of buckets filled with hot water from the kitchen.
"To be frank, Ferdinand .. if that is what I should still call you? .. your situation puts me in a most difficult position. You are a self-confessed illegal magic user. Your identity is disputed and suspicious. You are homeless, friendless. No one of significance vouches for your character or honesty. And by your appearance and behaviour, common folk are not unreasonable in taking you to be an agent of the most nefarious allegiance. Ordinarily, my duty would be clear: two shots to the head and a thorough incineration."
Else pauses momentarily and touches her scarred cheek absent mindedly, "But.. the judgement I made when I first met you remains unchanged: that appearances in this case are deceptive. You are not an evil fiend. You are a strange beast, to be sure, and unsuited to the societal complexity of a country as advanced and sophisticated as the Reikland .. and, crucially, you possess an other-worldly power, a power to control forces that I have been taught to mistrust, but forces that can perhaps be used for good as well as ill."
"What to do?"
"If your initial plan must change, what is to be your new route forward?"
"I feel that the situation with the Duke and his daughter, my friend Lady Salundra, requires my attention. I cannot leave them in order to chaperone you to Altdorf, even if that were the best course of action for you which I doubt. But I cannot release you into your own authority - I have committed to seeing you and your powers come under the Empire's legal supervision. How to balance these twin duties?"
"I will sleep on the matter this night. But my initial feeling is that you must remain under my supervision for the meantime. I am not knowledgable in the ways of wizardry, but I believe that a Wizard master may take an apprentice for a time before introducing them to the colleges at Altdorf. I know not where such a master might be found for you, whether Ubersreik or some other place. But I would feel my duties discharged were you to be accepted by a legally recognised Wizardly master - ideally one that I felt I could trust in confirming my judgement of your character. At such a point we would be free to go our separate ways, no doubt, but until then you and I are bound together. You disguising your heritage and me disguising the extent to which I am bending the rules of my order in even allowing you to live to see the dawn tomorrow."
Ferdinand listens gravely to Else as she speaks.
"Yes. I have come to realize that I would have benefitted from further research before departing from Marienburg. I allowed my eagerness to return home to overshadow my usual rigor for preparation. I conclude that your proposal is best. It would also be prudent for me to find some other clothes and take on a new name for the time being, until we can find a suitable instructor."
"I must also add . . ." Ferdinand says, then looks down intently at the bathwater while scratching his head, "You have my thanks. Of all the things I did not account for upon returning to the Empire, you are at the top of the list."
During the brief silence that follows Ferdinand's final words, Else mirrors his awkward discomfort before clearing her throat noisily. "Yes, well I could say the same for you, Ferdinand. Who, I wonder, could ever have expected to discover someone like you in that forest that night. Anyway, the water grows cold. I will see you at dinner."

Dinner Is Served

Date: Wellentag 24th Day of Vorhexen 2512 IC
Time: Dusk
Weather: (Sunny) The sun is setting behind the Grey Mountains but the sky remains clear and cloudless.

The sun is setting behind the Grey Mountains before Else and Ferdinand have finished bathing and dressed in dark green and grey house robes provided by their maidservants they are finally informed that dinner is served and Oliver leads them down to the dining room. Oliver leads Else and Ferdinand through the door and politely directs them to their seats at the table. Else finds herself directed to a seat next to an immensely tall elegant elf. It must be at least a foot taller than Else and she feels like a little girl sitting next to it.

Ferdinand is led to the opposite side of the table and finds himself seated next to the Duchess. She greets him with a polite smile and then turns to an elegant gentleman seated at the head of the table that Else recognises as Duke Konstantin, Salundra's father. Before anyone else can utter a word the Duchess places a hand on Ferdinand's arm and turning to her husband deals with the formal introductions. "My Lord, this is Ferdinand, Else's friend. The man I mentioned earlier. Apparently, he is a distant relative of the Baron Barhold. I said I'd write to the Baron and try to arrange for him to visit whilst he is here." She smiles and pats Ferdinand's arm in a maternal gesturer of reassurance.

The Duke rises from his chair and nods "Ferdinand! Welcome to Castle Drakenburg." "Allow me to introduce our other guest." he says gesturing towards the tall elf sitting closest to him on the right side of the table. "This is Lord Illyrius Starsight, Emissary and Lord High Councillor to Her Royal Highness Princess Imryth Emberfell of Caledor." He then gestures to Else "And this my Lord is Hunter Else Sigloben of the Templars of Sigmar, agent of The Sigmarite Order of the Cleansing Flame and a friend of the family." He sits down and picks up his napkin as the servants begin to serve the soup. "Else, I have read your report it's very interesting. I also understand that my agent in Bogenhafen was attacked before you left. Lord Illyruis believes the two events are connected and possibly perpetrated by the same group of elven agents that he has been tracking and have been causing concern across the Duchy." "Was there anything else to report since?" Ferdinand cannot help noticing that the tall elf is staring at him in a most disconcerting fashion. Ferdinand stares back curiously at the elf, trying to discern what the look means. He raises an eyebrow, but has the sense to not say anything as the Duke and Else converse. Else is frozen for a few seconds, grasping for words as she tries to cope with the aura of perfection emanating from the creature sitting beside her. Taking a deep breath, she locks her gaze on the Duke and tries to summon the right phrases. "Your Grace, I believe that his grace," she nods sideways towards the High Elf before realising that she has no notion of how to address the creature, "I mean his eminence, .. um, the Lord Starsight, may indeed be correct in discerning a link between the recent worrying events. I must admit that it had not occurred to me at all that Elves could be responsible for violent criminality in Bögenhafen or that they would ever be found lurking in the woods outside one of our local villages. But my companion Ferdinand here", and here she gances at the Duchess, hoping to mend some of the fences that Ferdinand has blunded through earlier, "has been instrumental in detecting a similarity in the accents of both parties and the liklihood that they are Elves of some kind now seems strong." Else pauses, undecided about whether to broach the next subject, but noting that the Duke has spoken openly of his sensitive business in front of the Elven emissary, she ploughs on. "Perhaps the only other matter to report relates to the second document that I had Oliver pass to you. A matter that, I am afraid to say, involves your daughter, Lady Anya. Again, Ferdinand was key to our ability to recover the document from the body of a luckless bounty hunter operating out of Altdorf under instructions to apprehend Lady Salundra for reasons that are not yet clear to me. If it had not been for Ferdinand, Lady Anya, we may not have learned of this situation in time to warn your daughter. My sense is that someone or perhaps more than one person should ride to Lady Salundra's assistance with all haste. I would volunteer my services for the duty unless the Duke would bid me attend to different matters." The Duchess looks increasingly agitated as Else speaks and eventually interrupts the conversation. "What's this about Salundra is she in danger?" The Duke soothes her concerns "No! My dear. It's just a silly misunderstanding. Else and I shall talk about it later and I shall decide what needs to be done. I'm sure it's nothing serious. It would appear that Lord Alantha has been exerting his influence at the Imperial Court. Her highness will obviously attempt to counter his actions as best she can but regretfully Lord Alantha has much more to offer than we do and some men are easily bought." The Duke turns to Else "Until this misunderstanding is resolved I shall indeed need your services. We can discuss the details after dinner. I believe Lord Illurius wishes a similar audience with Herr Gruber but on a different subject." "As you wish, Your Grace." "Do not take that commitment lightly Else. It is clear from the document you recovered that this family has some powerful enemies at court. Allying yourself with us may well put you at odds with your own Order and in conflict with agents acting under Imperial orders. Baron Amadeus Mencken may be a paranoid idiot easily convinced that there is a traitor under every cot but he is still the Chamberlain of the Seals and has all the resources of the Reikland at his disposal. This Bounty Hunter may just be the first of many you will encounter." "I appreciate your candour, your Grace, but I cannot turn my back on a family that have done so much for me, and, in your daughter, someone I consider a friend. If what you imply is true, and your current predicament arises from the duplicity and corruption of dignitaries at court, then I would surely be serving the Empire and Sigmar himself in helping to defeat them." "However, that being said, I do look forward to understanding more from you about how we arrived at the current situation... and how it comes to involve such..", another glance at Lord Starsight, "exceptional allies and adversaries..." The Duke glances at Lord Illyruis and frowns "Yes! I suppose if I am asking for your help to protect my daughter you deserve to know the reason she needs your protection." "About seven years ago I was trying to bolster my families fortunes by forming alliances with our more wealthy neighbours. Unlike Herr Gruber's relations in Weissbruck we are not fortunate enough to have an estate with strong and exploitable trade routes. The pass through the Grey Mountains here is rarely passable at all and when it is it's not suitable for trade wagons and the river isn't navigable beyond Hetzford. Whilst that makes it easy to defend it also leaves us poor and I have two sons to consider." "Anyway, I was hoping to arrange a mutually beneficial marriage between Salundra and Graf Sigismund's eldest son. It was a foolish idea but I thought bonding with the Jungfreuds might increase my influence over the Saponatheims and perhaps secure some land east of the Hohenlach Hills such as the village of Herzhald that would provide us with more income." "But it wasn't to be. I'm sure Salundra did her best but it was an impossible task. Before the Graf would even consider it he demanded that I pledge total allegiance to the Jungfreud family and I was forced to give him a pledge ring to confirm our alliance." The Duke's face darkened. "Then after all that he cancelled the marriage contract and married his son to Greta von Tahme instead. He must have been just using my family as a bargaining chip to force von Tahme's hand." "We were humiliated and then when this supposed war broke out between the Jungrfeuds and the Wallenstein's he tried to invoke the pledge of support I gave him and ordered me to send the Drakguard to assist him in the defence of Ubersreik." "I refused of course. That pledge was dependant upon my daughter's marriage. But he said that the two were not connected and that the ring was evidence of my commitment and when I still refused he sold the ring to an elven Merchant Prince in order to raise money to hire mercenaries." "That Merchant Prince was Alantha Goldcrest the now husband of my mistress Princess Imryth of Emberfell." Interupted the Elven Ambassador. The Duke nodded his confirmation of the Elves explanation and then continued with his story "Lord Alantha then began demanding my support on the Council of State for proposals to expand his trading influence in the Empire. Gradually squeezing out any competition in return for exclusive licenses for his agents. He has grand ambitions and not just in the Empire. Having married the Princess he has set his goal at nothing less than the Dragon Throne of Caledor itself initially imprisoning the true Prince in his compound in Sith Rionnasc'namishathir. His initial aim was to rule Caldor as Prince Regent when the Princess ascended. But when the Princess denied him that right he threatened her son and has now taken the Dragon Ring of Ascension and has given it to his nephew. No doubt planning to claim the throne through him." The Duke paused for breath and looked downcast. "That was when Salundra decided to take matters into her own hand. She broke into the Goldcrest compound in Sith Rionnasc'namishathir released the Prince and stole back the pledge ring I had foolishly given to Graf Sigismund. It was a brave and foolish thing to do and now it seems that Goldcrest is determined to make her pay for it." "Lord Alantha is determined to hunt the perpetrator down and bring her to justice under elven law. That is why the Manniocs-Quinsh are loose in the Empire though strictly speaking they have no jurisdiction beyond the borders of the Wasteland. But it now seems that Lord Alantha has influenced the Imperial Court to support his cause and their agents are harder to track and deceive." Added the Elven Ambassador. "Meanwhile we have the elven Prince in hiding and safe for the moment. Though it is only a matter of time before he will be tracked down." warned the Duke. Ferdinand listens intently while looking up and to the side, visualizing a mental map of the connections involved in this story, that he plans to write into his grimoire that evening. "So, that's the gist of it. Lord Illyruis is doing his best to minimise the damage and to distract the elven hunters searching for Salundra and the Prince. But based upon your information it now looks as though we may now have Imperial Agents involved in the search." "Unfortunately there is little I can do to frustrate your Imperial Agents. The Manniocs-Quinsh do not normally operate outside the borders of Sith Rionnasc'namishathir and being Uranai they put their faith in magical ley-lines for fixing their position and navigation. I have been reasonably successful in corrupting these and making it as difficult as possible for them to locate this castle let alone their quarry. But human agents are not so easily fooled." adds Illyruis. Else and Ferdinand are so engrossed in the dinner table conversation that they fail to notice that the Duchess has gone very quiet. "Uranai!", Else breathes, leaning back in her chair and gazing wide-eyed at the ceiling. "I spoke with Sea Elves..." she mutters, and then thinks "..and I am seated next to an actual High Elf Lord right now!" "If you have a plan to protect your daughter and clear her name, your Grace, I would hear it whenever you wish." "So should I" blurts out the Duchess glaring at the Duke. Shocked, Else sits back in her chair, and looks to the Duke, red faced. The Duke rolls his eyes "Calm yourself, my dear, this is not the time to become emotional. We must put our faith in Sigmar and trust that his divine justice will prevail." "In the meantime, we must root out those who bear us ill and their motives." His voice takes on a dark tone. "Clearly, there is a major conspiracy against the Jungfreud family in the Imperial Court that has already cost many lives and stripped them of the wealth of Ubersreik. Salundra did well to recover the only physical evidence linking this family to whatever they have been accused. But now we need to demonstrate our loyalty to the Empire whilst uncovering whatever is behind this plot to discredit our family." "I intend to write to General von Dabernick and to Lady Nacht and offer them our full co-operation in their difficult task of maintaining order in Ubersreik and in dealing with any corruption they uncover in the city. Salundra will command that company and thus be able to prove her loyalty to the Empire by placing herself at their disposal. Whilst so doing she will also try to determine the real motives behind the conspiracy that justifies them being there and the corruption behind it." "Meanwhile" he adds looking at Lord Illyruis for confirmation "we must keep Prince Amris safe and out of the clutches of the Goldcrest's until such time as the Princess can deal with her wayward consort, or the Prince can ascend the throne of Caledor and wreak righteous vengeance upon him." The Elven Lord nods his affirmation of the latter part of the plan.
The Duchess suddenly interupts her husband "She will simply be arrested. You are feeding her to the wolves." she snaps clearly agitated.
"Perhaps!" admits the Duke "But she will be arrested eventually anyway. I served with Dabernick and I shall appeal to his comradeship. Whilst Lady Nacht has a reputation as a seeker of the truth. I am relying on the fact that they are hard-pressed to keep order in Ubersreik and willing to extend Salundra their protection as long as she is being useful to them. If nothing else it will give her the chance to prove her loyalty to the Empire."
"Salundra will need trusted aides at her side", Else muses. "That's where I seek your assistance Else. You are her friend and she trusts you." admits the Duke. "The warrant, though..? Could it be challenged somehow? Revoked?" "I sincerely hope so." retorts the Duke with a derisive snort of indignation. "I intend to appeal to the Prince himself and I'm sure that the Princess will support that appeal." adds the Duke. "Indeed she will." confirms the Elven emissary. "However, that doesn't mean we can be complacent. We have no idea who else might be plotting against us and even if we are successful in our appeal the wolves are already on the hunt and will be difficult to recall." Ferdinand breaks himself out of his mental mapping of the situation and interjects.

"If I have properly followed, this means those that I encountered in the woods, and those that attacked the guard post in Bogenhafen, were Manniocs-Quinsh?!" Ferdinand pales. "I had, while in Marienburg, been quite lucky to never have the occasion to personally interact with them. Of all the things that caused me trepidation upon my return to the Empire, I had not counted their group among them!" He looks over to Else. "The Manniocs-Quinsh are a group that we should take all efforts to avoid." Else is very relieved to hear Ferdinand's casual use of the word 'we', confirming that he is still thinking of himself as involved with her problems rather than looking for a way to exit the increasingly tangled situation with the Drakenburgs - a course that wouldn't be unreasonable under the circumstances. But she misses the main thrust of his point, being more concerned about the uncomfortable prospect of squaring up against exotic Elven creatures. "Indeed, Ferdinand. I wouldn't wish to cross swords with any Elf, but particularly in this case - we could become the centre of an international incident!" And emboldened by Ferdinand's interjection, she suddenly finds herself speaking for the pair of them. "Lady Anya, know that Ferdinand and I will do everything in our power to assist and protect your daughter. Even if that entails operating incognito alongside her for a period. Ferdinand may look somewhat 'unusual', but I have found him to be an intelligent, noble and not uncourageous ally. I am also sure that Sally will appreciate the company of someone from a similar.. heritage. Be assured that Lady Salundra will no longer be alone in facing your current challenges.." The Elf returns to Ferdinands observations about the Mannioc-Quinsh "That is my assumption. It would explain why they are confused as I have corrupted the Ley-Lines in this area and if they are trying to follow them then it would explain their frustration. However, I should warn you that the group you encountered are probably from the Tarn-Manniocs. They are specialists and much more dangerous than those you saw on the streets of Marienburg. Plus they have at least one Rion'Kosdar with them as a guide. It is that aetheric aura I have been tracking and no doubt they can see ours. Fortunately, there is a stronger aura to the south that distracted them and now they are following the ley-line westwards towards another." Else is fascinated by the talk of the aethyr, auras and ley lines..."But what exactly is a Reon Costar, Lord Starlight?" The Elven Emissary ponders the question for a minute trying to think of the most accurate translation. "In Reikspiel Rion'Kosdar would translate to 'Star Gazer', but their role is to use the aura's and signs around them to gather intelligence. So, they will be checking the ley-lines, monitoring magical aura's and advising the hunters on where they are and where they should search. They are powerful magic users that the sea elves often employ on their ships to help with navigation." Ferdinand perks up. "You said there was a stronger aura in the south? Any idea what is causing it?" The Elf turns to Ferdinand "Perhaps we can talk about aura's later as they are pertinent to a proposition I would like to present for your consideration. In the meantime, I am curious what the current Imperial Law is on the use of magic?" "Well, Else would be the expert on that, being a Templar of Sigmar and thus a member of the Order of the Cleansing Flame." explains the Duke Else shifts uncomfortably in her seat, acutely aware of the relevance of her answer to those present. "Within the Empire, unauthorised magic use is prohibited and punishable by the strongest possible penalty, Lord Starlight - death by burning. This is the only way to be sure to extinguish the taint of chaos that accompanies such atrocity. As an official witch hunter, my sworn duty is to root out such corruption and magical malfeasance wherever it manifests. However, .. and this is a subtlety that may not be interpreted in precisley the same way by every witch hunter, .. there are cases in which magic use outside the administration of the Colleges may be.. tolerated. Elves, for instance, and some other races, practice magic that is not subject to the same restrictions as humans.. although they are expected to keep this magic use discrete, and should there ever be evidence that their spell craft is corrupt, pernicious, malevolent or insane, a member of my order would be obligated to.. intervene. Contrariwise, there are some cases in which an unlicensed human magic user, rather than being put to the flame, would perhaps instead be considered for apprenticeship within the Colleges at Altdorf - were this not the case, there would never be a new licensed wizard able to serve the Empire.. under the careful scrutiny of the College and servants of Sigmar such as myself." Lord Starsight listened attentively. "Thank you Lady Sigloben that has made it perfectly clear. Though I take it that those in your profession cannot detect the existence of magic in others. So, it must be difficult to determine who is tainted." "Yes, that is certainly a challenge. Luckily, the taint of corruption always, always leaves some trace and we are trained to detect it. Close interrogation can also often reveal the web of lies that inexorably develops around the impure and depraved. However, it is true that many of my order tend to 'burn first, ask questions later' - an approach that I increasingly find.. disturbing. In my experience, those who have been possessed can usually be identified by the chaos they create around them." "Indeed! I would imagine that if one had been given the gift and not trained to control it one would be a danger to everyone and everything around you including yourself." replies the Elf turning back to Ferdinand. "Herr Gruber I take it you are equally blind to aetheric aura's as your friends. But do you have any sense of the aetheric energy around you at all?" "That is correct. I am unable to visualize the aetheric energy." Ferdinand glances nervously at Else and wrings his hands together, but looks back at the elf. "However, I have been able to, in triple blind tests set up by my colleagues, as well as in. . . more practical applications, identify the presence of energies within a personage or object with a high degree of accuracy, provided that I make physical contact with the object or person in question." He glances out the corner of his eye to see if Else has reacted negatively to this information. Ferdinand catches Else looking fascinated but quickly trying to look stern and pensive when she sees him turn in her direction. "Interesting!" Lord Starsight seems to ponder for a moment "What about your olfactory and audible senses?" "Have you noticed any indicators from those?" he asks. "I am told that the blind often develop heightened awareness from their other senses." Ferdinand thinks. "I have not found those a reliable method of determination, no. Occasionally I have noticed slight changes when in the presence of magical energy, but these seem to vary with such a degree that they are not a deterministic method of sensing the energy." "Can Elves really smell magic, then?", Else breathes, "And even hear it in the air?" "Obviously as most elves can see aetheric energy it's not normally something that is relied upon. But breathing in aetheric energy does stimulate the olfactory glans of most elves creating a distinct aroma that varies according to the balance of energy it contains. I was just curious if Herr Gruber had experienced it too, as he seems to have the physical senses. As for the audible senses, I find that I can usually hear aetheric energy being channelled. I suspect it has something to do with the vibration created by the energy as it is absorbed or consumed. Have you never heard a spell being cast Lady Siglobel?" "I'm actually quite curious whether other races have these abilities without recognising them for what they are?" Else's brow furrows. "Excuse me Lord Starsight, but I am no Lady - just a hunter. I have heard chanting.. wailing.. screaming.. but nothing of the aethyr.." Lord Starsight looks embarrassed "My apologies I was not aware of the distinction." Sensing the awkward atmosphere that has descended on the table the Duke tries to change the subject. "Herr Gruber I understand from Else that you have just returned from an extended residence in Estalia. I must admit I know very little of that place having never travelled beyond Bretonnia myself. How does it compare to the Empire?" Ferdinand glances at Else, a bit confused about why she would have mentioned Estalia. "Actually, Lord Drakenburg, I have not been in Estalia for many years now, and would find it difficult to conduct a direct comparison. I have, however, for quite some time been residing in Marienburg. As such I am able to relate some of the difference I have noticed between Marienburg and the Empire. The people here seem to be less tolerant of people different from themselves. In my short time back I have been accused of being a demon, as well as had refuse and feathers thrown at me! Likely just because I did not behave or look as they expected. In Marienburg we have people from all backgrounds and places in the world, so perhaps it makes us used to such differences." "I must as well point out that there have been some positives. I have tried much great local food and drink. We had a fantastic cider just the other day!. And some of the people I have met have gone much further to assist me than I would expect from any strange in Marienburg. People such as Frau Sigloben here." Ferdinand pauses and squints his eyes, as if he knows he is forgetting something. After an awkwardly long pause he remembers. "And of course, Lord Drakenburg, yourself and your wife, as well as Lord Starsight, have been exceptionally hospitable." "It sounds like you preferred the more chaotic lifestyle of the Wastelands to our more ordered existence here in the Empire." Ferdinand pauses. "Well. . . likely I am merely still in the process of adapting to the local culture and traditions." "Really Konstantin I fail to see how you can continue to sing the praises of the Empire when they have just put a bounty on our daughter's head. Sensing a awkward friction developing Else, steps in to change the subject: "I believe Ferdinand is very interested in learning of all kinds, your Grace, and was interested in finding a learned master of some kind to study under." Else dear, this must place you in a very awkward position. Will you be able to reconcile your friendship with your duty?" asks the Duchess "My ultimate duty is to Sigmar and the Empire, your Grace, not to any particular man or their office of state. As I see it, Lady Salundra is acting in the interests of the Empire against those that would seek to diminish and destabilise our borders and collude with.. I am sorry Lord Starsight, .. a foreign power. Corruption at some high rank within the Empire's noble houses is not unknown to my Order, and cannot be ruled out in this matter. As ever, where Sigmar leads, I follow. And at present, he has led me to Ferdinand and thence to your door. I see no conflict between my duties and my desire to protect and support Lady Salundra in her endeavours, in fact, quite the opposite." "Well said Else. I doubt this issue has anything to do with Sigmar or the Empire. This is undoubtedly the result of greed and corruption at the centre of power and we must root out the cause and destroy it." growls the Duke. By now the dinner was coming to an end and as the plates are cleared Lady Anya excuses herself and the Duke suggests that everyone else retire to the smoking room to discuss their future plans in more detail. Else hurries after the Duchess and briefly assures her that she and Ferdinand will take every effort to protect and support Lady Salundra and that she should try not to worry too much.

All in a Nights Work

Wellentag 24th Day of Vorhexen 2512 IC
Time: Early Night
Weather: (Sunny) A warm cloudless night
The dinner at an end the Duchess excuses herself and leaves. The Duke now leads Else, Ferdinand and Lord Illyrius through to the smoking-room and offers them all pipes and brandy. After making sure they are all comfortable and settled he returns to the business at hand. "Else I cannot tell you how relieved I am that you have agreed to assist me in this matter. I fear my daughter's judgment is often driven by her emotions and I would like you to be a steadying influence on her whilst making sure that these agents on her trial are kept at bay. I shall, of course, make sure you are not out of pocket by being dragged away from your normal duties to Sigmar. Will one crown per week by sufficient to cover your expenses?"
When Else did not respond the Duke looked concerned "You did say you were prepared to help?"
"If the compensation I'm offering is not enough then please say so. I believe Lord Illyrius has a similar proposal to make to your friend Ferdinand if that's your concern. " "The arrangements you propose are very generous, your Grace. I would only ask that if we are to make it to Salundra quickly, I hope it is not too forward to request a horse for Ferdinand - I have Clever Hans of course but he would not be able to accommodate us both on such a journey." "Of course," he says looking at Ferdinand "Was the one you rode here acceptable if so I shall have it made available for you before you leave?"

Ferdinand perks up. "Oh yes, that would be preferable. The two of us had a difficult first meeting, but we . . . have come to an understanding. My thanks."
"Good then unless there is anything further either of you needs to ask Else and I shall leave as Lord Illyrius has some private business he wishes to discuss with you." replies the Duke offering a hand to lead Else from the room.
Lord Illyruis stands and bows to the Duke "Thank you, your grace. I'm sorry for being so melodramatic but I have some business to discuss with Herr Gruber which is best done in private. I hope you understand." "Do not concern yourself my friend Else and I can find something to amuse ourselves I'm sure." He heads for the door expecting Else to follow."I take it you don't play chess, Else?" he asks hopefully. "I can never find anyone who does. Salundra hates it and the boys don't have the patience to learn." "But what about fencing, we could practice our weapon skills, or I could show you the new duelling pistols I had specially hand-crafted in Tilea. Beautiful weapons, perfectly balanced. I can let you try them if you like."

Else expresses an interest in seeing the Dukes duelling pistols and he leads her to his study where he collects an ornate walnut box containing two exquisitely crafted pistols of walnut inlaid with intricate silver motifs. Having admired the Dukes weapons Else collects her own from her room and follows the Duke down to the cellars under the castle where the Duke has a shooting range. Illyruis waits for Else and the Duke to leave the room and then smiles re-assuringly at Ferdinand before rising to his feet and beginning to pace the room nervously his fingers templed in front of his chest as if praying. "I wanted to have a chance to talk with you alone, Herr Gruber, as I understood from his grace the Duke that your companion is what you commonly call a witch-hunter. A fact, that she readily confirmed over dinner. One of those charged with the duty of continuing the purge instigated by our Lord Teclis." He paused and turns to face Ferdinand "You see you may be blind to the aetheric energy all around us but I am not. Does Hunter Sigloben know that you are channelling dark energy?" For someone who just apologised for being overly melodramatic the question was delivered with all the drama of an accusation and made Ferdinand feel very uncomfortable. The elf didn't wait for an answer but continued "I find it fascinating that you seem able to channel such dark energy and not be affected by it. Were I to allow myself the same indulgence I would become both physically and mentally transformed. But you seem to be channelling almost pure shyish with no obvious transmutation." Illyruis leans forward as if studying Ferdinand for some blemishes. "This is quite fascinating, I've never met a human channelling such pure energy before, who trained you?"

Ferdinand turns to Illyruis. "Hunter Sigloben is aware of my vocation, though she has forbidden me from practicing in her presence. Truth be told, I had expected her to kill me on sight. It has, however, been tough for me to go so long without continuing my studies."
The tall elf nods his understanding "So, she is in denial and you are making sacrifices to placate her."
"It is true that there are some inherent dangers for us. I was taught at Baron Henryk's College in Marienburg, which emphasizes precise techniques for known spells. In this way we can somewhat limit, though never completely remove, the risks." adds Ferdinand.
"Well, they certainly seem to have taught you how to control your channelling. The colour of your aura is almost pure." he pauses and then tentatively asks "Do you mind if I try something." The elf looks a bit nervous "I've never actually been this close to a mortal channelling dark energy. I'm afraid if you were Druchii we would probably be trying to kill each other by now. I'm just curious if my theories are correct and energy from opposing sides of the spectrum naturally conflict." Ferdinand hesitates and squints at Illyrius. "Although I am intrigued, the idea of our energy conflicting worries me. Do you have the necessary control to disperse any potential conflagration of energy this may cause?" "As children, we are taught never to try and weave the energies from opposing sides of the spectrum, but rather to harmonise it slowly from one hue to the next. A bit like a musician might work his way up and down a scale." explains Illyruis but this is an opportunity not to be missed he adds holding out his hand tentatively "See if you can touch my fingertips, we can always snatch our hands away if there is a violent reaction." Ferdinand looks at Illyrius hesitantly, but his curiousity overcomes him and he reaches out to touch fingertips. As Ferdinand's hand reaches towards the elves he can feel a heat beginning to build in his fingertips and a strange crackling noise like burning pine cones begins to fill the room. Illyrius seems fixated by what is happening but Ferdinand can see nothing as the room begins to fill with the strange smell of honeysuckle and burning incense like a cheap Marienburg brothel. Eventually, Illyruis snatches his hand away and cradles it close to his chest a smile of satisfaction on his face. "Exactly as I suspected." he grins "Opposing energies cannot exist in the same ethereal space. Did you see how they repelled each other?" he adds clearly excited. "Oh! No, my apologies, I keep forgetting that you are blind." he looks pityingly at Ferdinand for a few moments before his enthusiasm forces him to move on. "But surely you felt the conflict?" he asked. "It confirms that my plan will work if you are willing."

Ferdinand stares dumbstruck at his finger. "This is quite intriguing! I would be interested to study these effects further." He pulls himself into focus. "Your plan? What would that be?" "Prince Amris is currently hiding in Altdorf." replies Illyruis "One of my apprentices is doing her best to protect him and with all the human magic colleges in the city it is a mass of conflicting aetheric aura's that will make it hard for the Goldcrest agents to track his location and movements." "However, he cannot remain in Altdorf for much longer. Now that we know the Goldcrests are employing human agents it is only a matter of time before he is betrayed and captured. We need to move him out of the city and into a location where the influence of the Imperial Court has been disrupted and is easier to avoid." "The difficulty was that as soon as the Prince leaves the protection of the city and moves into a rural area his aura will become much easier to track." Illyruis explains "What I have just confirmed is that if you were to accompany him the conflict between your opposing aetheric emanations will at least partially disrupt the identification of the Prince's aura by the Star-Gazers. I'm hoping it will be enough that they either don't notice it or dismiss it as too weak to be Asur in origin. They may even assume that the conflicting energies are emanations from some rogue human spell caster or bestial shaman and thus none of their concern." he pauses to allow Ferdinand the chance to ask questions but then continues providing his own clarification. "So, what I'm asking is that you go to Altdorf and escort the Prince out of the city. In return, the Princess will reward you and I shall be happy to assist as far with the future mastery of your skills." Ferdinand ponders the proposal. "I would be quite interested in your assistance in mastering my skills, as it seems it will be difficult for me to manage this legally. As far as accompanying the Prince, wouldn't our conflicting auras be interesting enough to draw the Star-Gazers to us? he asks. "I would, if possible, like to avoid detection as much as I am able. Although your promise of further training is enticing enough that I would accept some level of risk in exchange." A superior smirk ghosts across the tall elf's face "You might be right were the Goldcrests searching for any sort of aetheric anomaly on the magical plane. But if that was the case then they would find their senses overloaded with spurious anomalies amongst the lands of men. As Lord Teclis has observed it would have taken an army of star-gazers to track down and purge every wayward aetheric aura emanating from a mortal human. My assumption is that the Star-Gazers are only tracking pure emanations and probably only those from the lighter spectrum as they will know that the Prince would not allow himself to embrace the darker powers."
"That being the case I believe that by curdling the milk so to speak we can persuade them to ignore the emanations from yourself and the prince as some sort of uncontrolled magic source." Illyruis concludes confidently "Perhaps a child or a shaman but nothing their master is interested in." "The real risk will come from your own kind and I am conscious of the fact that I am asking you to expose yourself to considerable danger in travelling to Altdorf. A place that no doubt you would prefer to avoid. But that is what I need you to do and all I can offer as compensation is gold and the benefit of my knowledge. I fear even the latter may be limited as I have little experience of the dark craft." Illyruis concludes

Ferdinand frowns "Yes, that is understandable. But, if Hunter Sigloben is to accompany us, she may continue to help alleviate attention. And it would also be prudent of me to change my robes." he adds gestures to his outfit. "However, yes, Herr Stardust, I accept your proposal and will attempt to assist the Prince. I am, unfortunately, aware of what it is like to be hunted through no fault of your own, so he has my sympathy and my support." Illyruis rubs his hands together in a gesture of triumph "Excelent!" he exclaims "I shall suggest to his grace that he issues you with a local license to practice magic. It may afford you with some limited protection as I've noticed that most men are illiterate and thus overly impressed with such tokens." He raises a finger "It might also be wise to exploit your foreign connections as many of the Imperial rules are eased for those who are not subjects of the Empire and..... a less conspicuous costume would certainly help." he agree's. "I concur with the advice you have both given. Duke Drakenburg, I would be quite grateful for some of your clothing. And though it pains me to deny my heritage, I will do as you suggest and downplay my connection going forward. It is lucky that it was in such company that I have first given my name."
Illyruis nods "In the meantime is there anything I can do to help with your own personal improvement. he asks. Meanwhile in the cellars below the Duke and Else were otherwise engaged. "Shall we say the best of three shots at ten paces?" asks the Duke. "Are you sure you want to use your own pistols?" Else notes the implied suggestion that her pistols are clearly inferior and plays along tactfully. "I would certainly enjoy the opportunity to fire your weapons, your Grace. I have rarely if ever seen a pair as fine."
"You are welcome to try them, at least then we will be competing on equal terms." smiles the Duke clearly pleased with the opportunity to impress the girl and handing her one of the pair of pistols from the elegant case. Else examines the pistol carefully, appreciating its more delicate workmanship and weighing its balance in her hands. She then lets the Duke fire first, watching carefully the process he follows it case it differred from her own.

The Duke takes careful aim at the target and fires the shot missing the target completely and embedding itself in the woolsacks behind. The Duke frowns "I think there must be a flaw in the barrel of mine." he observes acidly.
"Where exactly is Lady Salundra at present, your Grace?" Else asks as she completes the loading process "Is she alone with the rescued Elf, or does she have a company to protect her?"
"According to today's report from Wheburg Salundra was there two days ago and followed the trail of some mysterious characters who had been asking for directions here. They were sent towards Bogenhafen and it seems likely they were the same group you ran into in the forest and the town. But how far behind them Salundra might be is hard to predict, she may even be in Bogenhafen by now but I probably won't know until tomorrow evening when Wolmer's daily report arrives." Replies the Duke watching Else expertly loading her pistol.

Else takes aim and delivering her shot straight into the targets inner circle. She brings the discharged pistol up and blows smoke from the end of the barrel... "Nice firearm, your Grace." she admits trying to avoid sounding too smug.
The Duke frowns at the target clearly not listening to Else's question "That was a good shot." The Duke admits grudgingly. "Were you planning to leave tomorrow?" he asks suddenly "It's just that we need to let my daughter know where to meet you and it may take a day or two to get a message to her. She knows nothing of this Bounty Hunter business." The Duke begins to carefully reload ready for a second shot. Else smiles to herself as she relishes the accuracy of her last shot "Maybe it would make sense for us to take that message to her? she suggests.
"Or, alternatively, Ferdinand and I could leave for a rendezvous destination and wait for her to join us there?"
"In fact if our eventual destination is to be Ubersreik, perhaps it would make sense for Ferdinand and myself to travel there now in order to arrive independently of Salundra?" Else cleans the duelling pistol's barrel and reloads it as she thinks the situation over.

The Duke completes the reloading of his pistol "You could travel directly to Ubersreik and I can tell Salundra and Gunnar to meet you there. Unfortunately, I have no agent in Ubersreik, so we would have to agree in advance where you were to meet. It's not a small place and if anything should happen it would be hard for you to let each other know." he warns "Do you have a sense of how things stand now in Ubersreik?"she asks. "Known enemies? Allies?" Else asks "Perhaps there are people known to you there that could help to establish our cover story: whatever we decide that to be."
"I believe that it may make sense for us to travel with a secret letter of introduction from yourself to whoever can be classed as a friend of the Drakenburg's in Ubersreik. Also, perhaps Salundra will require written instructions regarding the generous remuneration agreement that you suggested earlier..."
The Duke has finished loading his second shot and fires, his second shot embedding itself in the woolsack even farther from the target than his first. "Sigmar save us what is wrong with me this evening." he growls.

"Surely a mis-cast ball-shot, your Grace.", laments Else."Bad luck. When they fragment in flight like that, the accuracy is ruined."

"Many matters to consider...", she mutters, absent-mindedly firing at the target. Her ball once more finds the target though this time only the outer ring.
The Duke grins "You are most gracious Else, but I know when I am outclassed."
"I could send a message back with Claus tomorrow asking Wolmer to have her wait for you when she arrives, or you could go back with Claus tomorrow and perhaps meet her. I can always let you know if I hear anything different." he adds beginning to load his third shot. "As far as the situation in Ubersreik is concerned I have only the sketchiest information. I understand General von Dabernick is in command and whilst I consider him a friend and have served with him in the past he is hardly the most imaginative leader. His solution to every problem is to hit it and if that doesn't work then just hit it harder. So, I imagine the situation in the Ubersreik will be harsh, to say the least." The Duke explains.
"As for this Lady Nacht, the rumours are that she's a real trouble maker. She was causing a lot of upset at the Imperial Court when she was in Altdorf and it's possible that she has been sent to Ubersreik just to get her out of the way." The Duke adds "There is also Prince Amris to consider and at the minute I have no idea where he is, but he needs to be brought under our protection. His Highness was left at our townhouse in Altdorf when we heard about the questions being asked in the Duchy. At the time it was decided best to keep him as far away from those seeking him as possible, but I'm beginning to wonder if that was as wise as we thought. Lord Illyruis visited him a few days ago and says he was fine if a bit bored with his confinement, But the Goldcrests do have property in the city and so there is still a risk."
The Dukes waves his hand dismissively "Regardless of where to meet my daughter, I think the plan is that you head for Altdorf. Lord Illyruis seems to think your friend has some special role to play in keeping him safe. He's been trying to explain it to me for days but it's all far too complicated for me to understand. All about energies and aura's and the like, same sort of thing he was talking about over dinner. But he knew your friend was coming, in fact, it was he who had me send you to collect him from Herzhald. He somehow knew he was there just as he knew about those people in the woods."

The Duke finishes loading his third shot and takes long careful aim at the target. The shot slams into the centre of the target and the Duke has to suppress a whoop of satisfaction. "At last, I was beginning to think I had lost my touch," he announces to Else with a self-satisfied grin.

Else stands frozen for several seconds as she contemplates the Duke's casually delivered words. "So it is true", she mutters. "Confimed. My path has indeed for all this time been steered by a higher hand. I had suspected as much... hoped... but surely it was only my own hubris and self-regard. Yet no, Sigmar has laid His path for me. A path that's led to Elves and Wizards and on to Salundra and an Elven prince." Her eyes shine with delight, relishing the prospect of what lies ahead. It is not for me to fathom His plans - merely to play my part and serve as best I can."
Else embraces her destiny "So it is to be Altdorf, then. At least as a beginning." Turning, she fires the the pistol a final time.
The Duke watches Else deliver a third shot into the inner circle of her target and frowns. "Remind me never to get into an argument with you that demands satisfaction," he says with a grin. "But yes, it appears that we are all merely pawns in some elven power game at the moment. I only hope this wayward Prince is worth all the effort."
"I have no idea why your friend is so important in his scheme, but he was quite keen that I had you seek him out." admits the Duke.
"Ferdinand is a man of mysteries, certainly." Else grins. "Sometimes, I think, even to himself. I wonder whether it might be prudent to put some thought now into constructing an identity for him to travel under. Something close to the truth, but substituting something benign in place of the intrigue of his family situation. Perhaps some documents could be produced that support the new story - letters of invitation perhaps - and maybe a few sets of less conspicuous clothing could be supplied?"
"It would be wise were he to stop introducing himself as the son of Baron Barhold. As my wife has pointed out that will merely encourage a scandal and could potentially lead to violence against him or his family. The Duchess will write the Baroness and seek guidance from her as to whether he is welcome, but I would not hold out a lot of hope given that the Baron has officially declared him dead." The Duke frowns still not happy with the connotations of that history. "The Duchess believes that he should merely describe himself as a distant relative of the Baroness. That would at least explain his strange appearance, accent and behaviour. It might even be useful were he to claim to be a foreigner as it may give him some immunity to Imperial Law." The Duke pauses before continuing "As for clothing, he is welcome to borrow anything he can find that will fit him although he is rather tall. Not as tall as Lord Illyruis, of course, but taller than myself or my sons."

"Perhaps Ferdinand could pass as an obscure Gruber orignally living as a ward of the Drakenburg family? Sent to live and study abroad with the notion of eventually returning to tutor the Drakenburg children? Invited home to rejoin the court and report on his education?" suggests Else "Will Salundra need to operate undercover as well, I wonder?" she adds
"Many thanks, Your Grace." Else returns the pistol the Duke. "It was a pleasure to practice with a firearm of this quality."
"I realise that it is late, but, if you have no further need of me this evening, I wonder if I might use your chapel or prayer room to give thanks to Sigmar for the guidance that He has given me and to ask for His continuing protection for the Drakenburgs and their allies, wherever they may presently be?"
"Certainly" replies the Duke as he collects the pistols and returns them gently to their case. "Follow me and I'll show you where it is."
With that, he leads Else back up to the ground floor and through the corridors to a small chapel dedicated to Sigmar. "I shall leave you to your devotions. You know your way back to your room I hope?" he asks
"Yes, I can find my way back thank you your Grace".
Else nods at the Duke and waits for him to withdraw before entering the chapel. She kneels at the altar and silently offers thanks to Sigmar for protecting her and for guiding her to such an important and significant moment. Images of beautiful, otherworldly Elven princes flash across her minds eye for an instant, but she quickly banishes them from her thoughts and tried to slow her breathing. Regaining her composure, she prays for the safety of the Drakenburgs, particularly Sali wherever she is, and also asks that Ferdinand's course become easier and less beset by challenges, even if they are sometimes of his own creation. Her final request is hard to articulate. She prays for the opportunity to become more than a mere witch hunter, to offer something of value to the world, something of truth and logic rather than superstition and dogma.
Having completed her observances, she rises, bows and returns to her room.
In the smoking room above them Ferdinand and the Elven Emissary have concluded their business and moved on to more academic pursuits.

"You certainly seem to have mastered the art of channelling pure energy which is a major achievement in itself. But how much influence do you have over the flow of energy through your body?" asks Illyruis. "Do you just rely upon your natural attunement to attract the aethyr or are you able to draw it towards you through your own willpower?" Ferdinand consisders the question "The methods from the College dictate specific phrasings with the Language Magicka, as well as, for specific effects, the proper foci. I believe that was occurs while I am performing these techniques is a drawing of the aethyr towards me in order for it to be shaped, though, not having the ability to see it myself, this is at the moment an unproven theory." he explains.

Illyruis smiles as listens to Ferdinands answer "I've noticed that man has an aversion to embracing the idea that their flesh becomes infused with aetheric energy. They tend to prefer to imagine that the aetheric energy they use simply passes through them or in some theories it never enters their body at all but just leaps from the air to their fingertips without touching their flesh at all," Illyruis waves his hands dismissively "But that's pure delusion," He gives Ferdinand a condescending look. "You must have noticed that if you cast too many spells you eventually become drained of power and unable to continue. Doesn't that suggest that at the very least your body acting as an inhibiter to the flow of aetheric energy if not an actual storage vessel for it, he pauses giving Ferdinand an enquiring look " were that not the case and all the energy in the air had been expended then how would one magister be able to continue casting whilst another cannot." he adds with a triumphant grin.
We Asur have always accepted that we use our bodies to collect and store aetheric energy so the concept doesn't concern us. Indeed the key to increasing one's aetheric power is to train your body to store a larger volume of energy. This is the only way to prepare yourself to cast more powerful spells and to avoid becoming drained of energy during a prolonged strain on your powers. Illyruis adds.
"If you want to become more powerful you need to train your body to absorb more energy. The easiest way to achieve that is to make sure you cast spells regularly so that your body is constantly active in drawing more energy into itself. Over time that constant flow of discharge and replacement will condition your flesh to accept more energy and increase your power.
"The other skill I can teach you is how to use focus your will to draw energy into yourself at a greatly enhanced rate. The advantage being that should you become drained of power you will not be reliant upon the passive reaction of your body to recharge itself but instead be able to encourage the process through meditation."
Ferdinand rubs his head. "Well, that is an exciting revelation! And would explain how the more experienced magisters tend to be able to channel larger amounts. I will attempt to practice much more often. Although that is quite challenging given my travelling companion. This technique of meditation, however, seems like something that may be easier to practice without drawing undue attention."

Illyrius offers to help Ferdinand practice his meditation skills. The trick being to allow your body to relax and your mind to free itself of its anxiety and focus instead open a calming thought or image. This prevents the conscious mind from creating barriers to the flow of aetheric energy by simulating a mediative trance. Obviously hard to do in the middle of a battle but if mastered it can provide a critical additional burst of energy at just the moment you may need it most.
"Yes Herr Starsign, that would be most appreciated!" Ferdinand rubs his head in an attempt to remove the thoughts coursing rapidly through his brain.
Illyrius and Ferdinand spend the night practising his meditation skills during which he was forced to expend all his magical energy to place his body in a receptive state. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he was unable to master the skill and dawn broke to discover Ferdinand fatigued and drained of energy. Illyrius urged him to keep practising and to remember to channel fresh energy through his body on a daily basis.
Illyruis also handed Ferdinand a small delicate scroll which he said contained a simple spell to render a mortal senseless for up to thirty seconds, but Ferdinand found it was written in a foreign language which he could not read. Illyrius told him it was written in Magick and that it was important that he learned how to read it as many spell scrolls and grimoires will be written in it.
Else meanwhile had returned to her room and apart from wondering where Ferdinand was had spent a restful night, waking early to perform her daily penance before going down to breakfast. SESSION CLOSED Please continue posting to Session 2: A Delicate Mission