The Fall of Morninglight

(( This entry is dated November 29th of this year ))

It has been a year since the north of the Empire fell to the Changeling menace – a year that the crown of Roanoak has been residing in Ardennes. In that time I have stabilized the Roanoak economy, rebuilt the Imperial Guard, solidified several agreements for aid both material and marshal, and have set about planning to remove the scourge that has vexed me since the Changeling Accord…

In this, the efforts of my network of brave scouts and spies have produced fruit it seems, and the stalemate I am in with the Changelings is beginning to have options...

Allow me to begin at the beginning…

Several months ago I set about acquiring the efforts and skills of various Ponies, and others, who were comfortable working in the shadows and dodging ever-present danger. My task for them was simple: infiltrate the Changeling controlled north of Roanoak, gather actionable intelligence on the Enemy, and return that information to me in any way possible.

For this I have been offering quite handsome pay upon delivery of said actionable intelligence. And whilst I make every effort to ensure those I send into harm are both cognizant of the danger, and capable – there are entirely too many I have lost to this mission so far.

But, events seem to finally be turning in my favor…

Two days ago I received a missive from one “Beryl Flash”, a Unicorn and occasional instructor at the Canterlot Royal Academy - and a Pony who I am told is something of a burr in the tail of the administration there. His credentials for my needs were exemplary, as he has most recently returned from delving some Dragon temple in the Scorched Lands to the south – not only with a wagon-load of artifacts, but also with his hide largely intact…

One does not simply wander into those lands and live to tell about it, let alone leave with ancient Draconic treasures in tow… And as such I am impressed.

Even more curious to me was his requested fee.

Others have insisted on a payment that would set them up for life if they were successful… Beryl simply wanted to keep any artifacts he could recover from the more secure catacombs under Morgan – places where I keep things I have found on my travels that I deem too dangerous for the world at large.

I initially declined, as the potential of having those items loose in the world was too much. But as he correctly pointed out – the Changelings have had a year to penetrate every inch of the catacombs and they are far more liable to do bad things than a Canterlot researcher…

We hope.

Eventually we hit a middle ground where, should he be successful in returning and with items from the catacombs, I have first right of refusal and he has the option of stipulating further agreements for acquisition.

That agreement is academic though as he has not returned…

What has returned is his assistant, one “Tumbleweed Jackpot” whom insists on simply being called ‘Weeds’. This Weeds fellow is a mountain of an Earth Pony – not too bright but loyal to a fault – and he seems to be Beryl’s ‘hooves on the ground’ for their misadventures.

But back to the subject at hoof: Weeds appeared at the doors to Castle Astur about two days ago bearing a missive from Beryl in a sealed parchment tube. In his typical less-than-loquacious way he let it be known that Beryl was alive the last he saw, but had been captured and hauled off to Morgan castle by a dozen or so Changelings.

Beryl did manage to acquire some information before his capture though, and had Weeds deliver it to me.

I am guessing that the acquisition of this information undoubtedly lead to his capture…

You see, Beryl’s primary goal is getting into the catacombs - I know this and he knows this. And getting any information for me is secondary to his goal of finding dangerous artifacts. While in pursuit of his goal he managed to discover that the Changelings have added tunnels from the original catacombs all the way to the town of Morninglight. And he supplied a map of the current state of the town, and a potential method of ingress in the form of a closed off room in a collapsed building…

Both the notes and the maps are very hastily penned though, so I assume he had some measure of understanding of his fate when creating them.

Up to now we knew that a new queen had either arrived from elsewhere, or was somehow created when the Changelings reached a critical mass – and we know she has been secured in the very bottom of the catacombs. We also know that assaulting Morgan to remove her is a fool’s errand for many of the reasons Castle Morgan was built… It was designed to protect me against all threats, and in this regard it is all but unassailable - and has even withstood full assaults by Dragons in its time.

A ground army will be ineffectual against Castle Morgan – and that is all I have currently.

Given this new information though, it may be possible to send in a small, highly skilled force via the tunnel from Morninglight, and completely bypass the thousand or so Changelings safe behind the walls of the castle.

If the queen can be dealt with, we know the swarm will fragment once again and disperse, making containment and defense possible…

The catch is getting the strike force into Morninglight… Walking there is right out, as it is a day by hoof though enemy territory, and the Changelings have somehow cut off the town magically. I am certain they know of my talent with portal magics and desire to not allow me to simply deposit my army in their midst…

But I am what I am and if little else I have done a lot of research in my time, and I may have an idea that can overcome their magical dampening… It will undoubtedly mean a one-way trip for the force I am sending in there though.

So... I get one chance at this.

And this means I need Imperious…

Unfortunately Imperious is amidst some sort of … situation, and I have not been able to locate him.

In that regard, I do not believe he and his immediate command have been ousted from Canterlot for daring to travel to another kingdom, as is the public story currently. I think both he and the Diarchy are up to something though, and the dismissal and disavowment are a cover for something… I am guessing he and his command need to gain access to some group that will see his removal and expulsion from Canterlot as a good sign.

Whilst I do not wish to interfere with whatever they may be up to, I have a small window of opportunity – therefore I shall personally head to Avarin, where he was last seen, and seek him out myself.

My airship departs in the morning…