Lord Tephys of the
Koada'Dal and Carson
McCabe of Highkeep
stared at each other with
long faces over the council
table in Highkeep. The
meetings were not going well.
Upon hearing of the
Teir'Dal's plans of conquest,
Tephys had immediately
dispatched word to Felwithe
petitioning help. He had yet
| to hear a reply.
Carson's biggest problem in
drafting forces for Highkeep
was that most of the merchant
lords on the council were
just that, merchants. They
spoke endlessly of buying
their way out of the fight,
that the goblin was lying, or
that they should just cut
their losses and leave.
|
|
Carson and Tephys held no
such disillusions. They knew
that the Teir'Dal would not
bargain, and those that
surrendered were doomed to
a quick death at best, with a
long life of torture and
servitude being the
alternative.
"Have we received any word
| from Antonius Bayle yet?"
Tephys asked, not for the
first time since the council
had convened.
"I'm afraid that my
messengers have returned
with the same news we
expected Lord Tephys,"
Carson explained. "He
cannot lend us much
support, if any, in our
|
|
struggle. He is afraid,
and with good reason, that
were he to make any attempt
to do so the rival factions
in and around Qeynos would
be quick to take advantage
of the city. He envisions
everything from the gnolls
of Blackburrow overrunning
the city to the Bloodsabers
taking it from underneath
him. And the sad thing is,
| I can't really say I blame
him."
"What of Freeport?" asked
Taliman Yurick, the leader of
the cities brewing merchants.
"Surely they're in the best
position to help us,
practically bordering
Nektulos and all."
"Freeport is in no position
|
|
to help us either," Lord
Tephys was quick to point
out. "The Militia and the
Paladins keep each other in
check constantly. Both know
that if either were to support
us the other side would
only use it as an excuse to
try and take complete control
of the city. No my friends,
I'm afraid it looks like both
of the great cities of
| Antonica will not be aiding
us in this fight. And we can
count the dwarves out as
well. As I suspected, my
emissaries to King Kazon
were met only by the
damned dwarven logic
of, 'all the more reason
we should stay here and
prepare to defend the
shores of Butcherblock'."
|
|
"I too, have contacted my
people across the sea," spoke
Pracil Micus of the Erudite.
They have agreed only to
bring it up in the next High
Council meeting for
discussion, at which point
they may decide to send
some sort of help."
"Great!" shouted Thubr
Axebringer. The prominent
| dwarven smith from Kaladim
jumped up from his seat
fuming, "The way ye blasted
Erudites discuss things in
yer meetins we should be
getting help just about this
time next decade!"
Indignant, Pracil Micus
retorted, "Why you little
bearded retch, I suppose I
should expect such manners
|
|
from a.."
"SILENCE!" bellowed Carson
as he banged his gavel upon
the table. "I'll have no
bickering between us,
especially at a time like
this. You think the Teir'Dal
are fighting over which of
them are going to attack us!?
No, they're not because they
ALL want to attack. And if
the stories I've heard of
| late are indeed true, that
the Teir'Dal have indeed
united under this prophet,
this 'child of hate', then
we may not just be facing
a few Teir'Dal war parties,
but rather the whole of
Neriak itself!"
"But Carson!" Taliman
protested, "If what you're
saying is true then we're
|
|
doomed already. We have
no armies save the guard of
Highkeep, no allies to call
upon, and all against an
entire nation of Dark Elves!"
| |
Planes of Power