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Tyto: “Wake up everyone.”
Faraine: yawns gently.
Greyside: “We get food, right?”
Kyaren: “How can sitting all day be so exhausting?”
Mitelan: “Good evening your highness, I am ambassador Hector Mitelan.”
Faraine: “My pleasure to meet you Ambassador Mitelan.”
Mitelan: “I hope you had a pleasant trip.”
Faraine: “Very, one could nap the whole way.”
Faraine: “These are my associates for the testimony.”
Faraine: “Tyto Breanna, Kyaren Onder and Greyside.”
Faraine: “…”
Faraine: “I, must be very tired.”
Mitelan: “Of course, right this way your highness.”
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Mitelan: “I hope you will join me for a light supper.”
Mitelan: “After which I suggest we all retire for the night; we have prepared rooms for you all.”
Faraine: “Thank you Ambassador Mitelan.”
Mitelan: “Also I should update you on developments.”
Tyto: “OOo that is always code for like bad news.”
Mitelan: “Yes. The assembly has moved up the date of testimony.”
Kyaren: “So, we have less time to prepare?”
Greyside: “A tactic to get us to screw up.”
Mitelan: nods solemnly.
Mitelan: “The testimony begins tomorrow.”
Tyto: “WAIT! We just arrived.”
Mitelan: “My apologies your highness we tried to get them to hold off.”
Faraine: “Ugh, since we are the ones claiming a treaty violation.”
Faraine: “It makes it difficult for us to delay the process.”
Mitelan: “It is as you say, your highness.”
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Storyteller: “And so the next morning.”
Tyto: “Clearly this is where the money goes.”
Kyaren: “Well it is their assembly hall.”
Greyside: lets out several deep breaths, bracing for the worst.
Faraine: “Everyone remember, they definitely have an agenda.”
Mitelan: “Hmm they are pulling out all the stops, black lips is here to greet us.”
Faraine: “Black lips ?”
Mitelan: “Lord Eirah, he is quite the Arjen Nationalist.”
Mitelan: “He will make clear his thoughts to those he does not like.”
Faraine: “I see, the nickname black lips refers to his political attitude then.”
Mitelan: “Indeed, your highness.”
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Mitelan: “Your highness these are the engineer lords who will be conducting the testimony.”
Mitelan: “Lord Micesh”
Lord Micesh: “This process is to find the truth I assure you.”
Mitelan: “Lord Hyroux”
Lord Hyroux: “I look forward to what you have to say.”
Faraine: “Lord? For a lady I presume?”
Lord Hyroux: “Yes, Princess, unfortunately, the title is somewhat archaic.”
Lord Hyroux: “The engineers lords use to all be male a few generations ago.”
Mitelan: “Lord Eirah”
Lord Eirah: “The assembly can get rowdy, only answer our questions.”
Lord Eirah: “This way please.”
Lord Eirah: “Oh and inside the assembly we keep out excess light, don’t worry about it.”
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Lord Eirah: “Attention! The esteemed assembly of Arjen Engineer Lords.”
Lord Eirah: “The kingdom of Scendall has filed a claim.”
Lord Eirah: “They claim our mutual peace treaty has been violated.”
Lord Eirah: “They claim that our constructs have been found within their borders.”
The Engineer Assembly: jeers loudly!
Lord Eirah: “I present to the assembly the witnesses of this claim.”
The Engineer Assembly: pulsates with intentionally audible murmurs.
Lord Eirah: “Please for the sake of assembly would you give us your name.”
Faraine: “Faraine Jennifer Scendall, Crown Princess of Scendall.”
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Lord Eirah: “Strange, strange. The crown princess herself, is the one to make such….”
Lord Eirah: “AN OUTRAGEOUS CLAIM!”
The Engineer Assembly: erupts in cheers!
Faraine: “I am sorry Lord Eirah, what exactly was your question?”
Faraine: “I would expect an engineer lord knows how to be precise.”
Lord Eirah: ”Hmpf! Where is the tangible proof of your kingdom’s claims!”
Lord Eirah: “Nothing has been presented!”
Faraine: “Before our arrival, gear and chassis samples were supplied via our embassy.”
Lord Eirah: “YES, YES the scraps! Those could have been taken off any old farm equipment.”
Lord Eirah: “Or those antique windmills which dot your capitol!”
Faraine: “We value our antiques Lord Eirah; hence we do not leave them to rust.”
Lord Eirah: “Ah yes, rust and other maintenance considerations!”
Lord Eirah: “These hypothetical constructs would have rotten wooden components!”
Lord Eirah: “It is common knowledge, such sections must be oiled and replaced over time.”
The Engineer Assembly: coughs with clear disapproval.
Faraine: “They were entirely metal…”
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Lord Eirah: raises an intrigued eyebrow “An ambitious design.”
Lord Eirah: “If your kingdom has these constructs why not supply them for independent scrutiny.”
Faraine: “As stated in the formal claim, these constructs attack automatically and indiscriminately.”
Faraine: “One would not risk, the lives of those tasked with such scrutiny.”
Lord Eirah: “A clever obfuscation Princess.”
Lord Eirah: “This same claim states that these constructs on the same night as your birthday celebrations?”
Faraine: “Lord Eirah, I need not be present for those celebrations to be enjoyed.”
Lord Eirah: “Perhaps, the assembly need not trust the word of an irresponsible princess?”
Lord Eirah: “One who is thoughtless enough, to disregard her own family’s celebration of her birth?”
Faraine: uncomfortably squirms in her seat.
Faraine: “I assure you Lord Eirah we have no reason to lie to you and your colleagues.”
Lord Eirah: “Admit it! This is just a pretext to extort compensation from this great nation of Arjen!”
Faraine: “Lord Eirah! Our claim comes with no request for compensation.”
Faraine: “ONLY, a respectful request for an explanation.”
The Engineer Assembly: shifts and mutters with bewilderment.
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Lord Hyroux:“Lord Eirah, if I may.”
Lord Eirah: bows as he steps aside.
Lord Hyroux: “I have read this claim thoroughly.”
Lord Hyroux: “I have found details of these constructs, sparse.”
Lord Hyroux: slaps a thick bunch of papers.
Lord Hyroux: “It appears you and your compatriots activated them…”
Faraine: “Yes, we activated them, then they attacked automatically.”
Lord Hyroux: “Yes, yes I am asking how you directed them.”
Lord Hyroux: “Which lever or control panel you used.”
Faraine: “These constructs have no such control panel.”
The Engineer Assembly: begins inhale with anticipation.
Lord Hyroux: “That’s … that is quite, are you saying they are autonomous?”
Lord Hyroux: “Like, mage golems…”
Faraine: “Yes.”
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The Engineer Assembly: roars with excitement!
Lord Hyroux: “Quite the claim you have stated here Princess Faraine.”
Lord Hyroux: grins with sudden inspiration
Lord Hyroux: “The claim does not state what means of motion the constructs used.”
Lord Hyroux: “How could these constructs prove a problem in the uneven terrain of a cavern?”
Faraine: “They walked.”
Lord Hyroux: “Like a person, like a horse or like a SPIDER?”
Faraine: begins to give Lord Hyroux a cold stare.
Faraine: “Like a spider.”
Faraine: “It seems princess, you are describing a whole new form of weapon.”
Lord Hyroux: “Certainly how they acted.”
Lord Hyroux: “Do you really think we would violate the treaty.”
Faraine: “Not intentionally, Arjen has behaved in good faith my entire lifetime.”
Lord Hyroux: “How diplomatic of you princess.”
Lord Hyroux: “I move for a recess. There is much we need to consider.”
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Faraine: “HOW!?, how did she know that detail?”
Greyside: “Someone, leaked the report?”
Tyto: “Or they knew about it, from the beginning.”
Mitelan: “Your highness, the spymaster himself is handling the investigation.”
Faraine: “Indeed he is.”
Mitelan: “As a diplomat, we live our lives trusting the spymaster’s office.”
Mitelan: “I doubt there would be such a leak.”
Kyaren: “Are we may be over tipping our hand here?”
Faraine: “We are, we just need to find out what they know.”
Kyaren: “We are still trying to stop war breaking out, yes..., maybe?”
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Crickets Chirping at Night Recorded by Lisa Redfern used under Public Domain