Chapter: The End of an Era

Cast: Aegir of the Enæidùn, Mandan Bansl, Gryff Galan, Percival O'Conner, Velimir Tito, Yolander van Zaar, and Toadface. Many NPC's also played a part.

The following takes place between 6 and 21 Undecium, YE 1022.

After the Pius Cabal returned from the Void, having killed Dr. Mörbius, they came to realize that unless the schemes of the Queen of Stars were stopped, all they had done would be for naught. No amount of lesser victories would stem the tide. Evil would triumph, and the fate of mankind would be sealed. But how do you go up against an ancient goddess?

Chapter: Touring the Frontlines

Cast: Aegir of the Enæidùn, Gryff Galan, and Velimir Tito. Also, numerous NPC's.

The following takes place between 3 and 6 Undecium, YE 1022.

With the Pius at anchor in Göteshaven, the heroes seek out their allies in the fight against the Deep, they visit kings and great magicians and learn many things about the state of affairs; they also make sure the moon is not forgotten, then they do battle on the Western Isles.

Chapter: Dr. Mörbius, I presume...

Cast: Aegir of the Enæidùn, Gryff Galan, Velimir Tito, Yolander van Zaar, and Toadface. Guest starring: Deep Thought.

The following takes place on 28 Decanum, YE 1022.

Having reached the position of the OUT mother-ship, EXODUS I, the heroes decide to play fair: one by one, they enter the labyrinth designed to bewilder, weaken, and kill them – Bansl has already gone missing, soon others will too; meanwhile, van Zaar reappears with new visions of imminent doom.

Chapters: Counter-strike, Bomb Run, and Departure

Storyteller's note: This post will cover three separate sessions, one with the majority of the cabal, the second with Master Bansl, and the third being Yolander's last chapter. For now. The last of these chapters also closes another volume of the Pius Chronicles.

Cast: Aegir of the Eneìdun; Mandan Bansl, Master of Matter; Gryff Galan, Master of Prime and Space; Velimir Tito, Master of Spirit: Yolander van Zaar, Master of Fate and Time; and Toadface, Master of Life. Many NPCs were also involved.


The following takes place on 14 and 15 Decanum, YE 1022.


After the scouts return from the moon, Yolander has become certain that the enemy is about to attack the Black Man's Mill, as well as the Pius Fleet lying at anchor in the port of Petra; all plans are changed, new are hatched -- Velimir refuses to sacrifice his land, and preparations are made to defend the mill -- and a daring assault seems the only way to reach the moon.

Chapter: Moonwalk

Cast: The entire Pius Cabal. Also, as NPC's: Illandra of the Rubayan, Master Ludenius and Onkel Smit.

The following takes place between 10 and 14 Decanum, YE 1022.

After discussing the imminent assault on the OUT's moon-base, the war-council agrees that more intelligence is needed; Toadface promptly volunteers himself, Bansl and Dr. Drake for this job, Tito expands expands his maps, Aegir enters the slave-business, and Galan stares at the moon.

Chapter: Council of War

Cast: The entire Pius Cabal, as well as several important NPCs.


The following takes place between 7 Decanum and 10 Decanum, YE 1022.


Following the victorious Battle of the Blight, most of the cabal gathers in the Barony of Geistwald for some gardening, while Gryff heads North to be with his daughter and acquire some meese; thereafter the companions joyfully gather again, and several prominent personages are invited to attend a palaver in the Black Man's Mill.

Chapter summary: Into the Breach

This time I'll go for a slightly different approach, as 1) it's been a week and a half since we played, and 2) we did about 22 hours of gaming in two days. What follows is a not necessarily chronological, or even entirely accurate, account of the events.


Cast: The entire Pius Cabal, including the long lost Dr. Drake, a.k.a. Arkrash Mnarkl, a.k.a. Percival O'Conner.


The following takes place between 29 Novium and 7 Decanum, YE 1022.


After lengthy preparations, the cabal mounts an attack on the heart of the zombie plague; they face the OUT in personal, if highly magical, combat, they make new alliances, acquire new resources, are faced with problems of far reaching proportions, and Bansl wrecks a bakery.

Chapter: Preparations

Cast: King Aegir of the Gypsies, Masters Bansl, Galan, Tito, and van Zaar, and Toadface of the Great Woods. Also, as NPCs: Queen Ylvana of the Terema, Mistress Severa Septimus, Master Octavian Arbalestus.


The following takes place between 23 Novium and 28 Novium, YE 1022.


After the naming ceremony of Gryff's daughter, the heroes start planning their assault on the Redlands, first by discussing the situation with their allies, then they undertake a complex ritual so as to scry the city of Zalburg; the whole thing is delayed by heated negotiations over the new members's status within the cabal.

Chapter: Monkey-wrench!

The seventh chapter of The Black Spear

The following takes place on 7 Novium, YE 1022


Cast: Aegir of the Enidùn, Mandan Bansl, Gryff Galan, Velimir Tito, Yolander van Zaar, and Toadface. Also, as NPCs, in order of appearance: Theurge Galeantis of the Draccian army on Cora, Mahdi Abu Aden of the Enlightened Viziers, The Purple Robed Man, Master Octavian Arbalestus of Battlefleet Hermetica.


Having left King Radan the Great of Draccia, the heroes find their plans thwarted by the Court of Star's untimely attack on Cora, and the Pius Fleet escapes before the Kraken drags it into the Deep; a meeting turns sour, van Zaar seeks the wisdom of the Prophet -- and meets a man in a tower -- before they again turn to Octavian for his advice.

Chapter: Anchorhead

The sixth chapter of The Black Spear

Cast: Aegir of the Enæidùn, Mandan Bansl, Gryff Galan, Velimir Tito, and Yolander van Zaar. Also, as NPCs: His Majesty, King Radan of Draccia, Lord Ares, Huntsmaster to the King, Princess Sara, sister to the King, and Grand Master Martellus of the Knights of St. Invictus. Also, on board the Pius, Adeptus Ludenius and Commander Spearhawk.


The following takes place between 1 and 7 Novium, YE 1022.


Returning from the moon, the heroes debate the ramifications of their discoveries, sails south towards friendly ports and old enemies; Theurge Tito is reminded of his loyalties, Aegir initiates a romance -- and is presented with an ultimatum -- Bansl reveals his latest masterpiece, and the cabal is given command of an army.

Chapter: Fourteen Ghosts

The fifth chapter of The Black Spear

Cast: Aegir of the Enæidùn, Gryff Galan, and Yolander van Zaar. Also, as NPCs, eleven Enæìds and fourteen ghosts.


The following takes place on 30 Octavum and Harbringer, YE 1022.


Following the events that took place after the Battle of the Tower of Man, Gryff Galan visits the graves of his ancestors; the cabal gains an audience and pays the ferryman, checks in on a friend in need, and pursues their enemies to the moon.

Chapter: Aftermath

The fourth chapter of The Black Spear.

Cast: Aegir of the Enæidùn, Mandan Bansl, Gryff Galan, Velimir Tito, Yolander van Zaar, and Toadface. Also, various NPCs.

The following takes place on 29 Octavum, YE 1022.

Following the victorious Battle of the Tower of Man, led by the Pius Cabal, various events takes place as the magicians take stock of the situation; van Zaar and Toadface takes an interest in genealogy, Bansl makes an alchemic breakthrough, two Black Friars delves into the dungeon, and nature reclaims what was taken from it.

Chapter: The Battle of the Tower of Man

The Third chapter of The Dark Spear

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Cast: Aegir of the Enæidún, Mandan Bansl, Gryff Galan, Velimir Tito Toadface, and Yolander van Zaar. Also, as NPCs: Master Octavian Arbalestus, Onkel Smit, Admiral Colomb, Brigadier General Bothwell, First Mate Hawkins, a.k.a. Commander Spearhawk, and Adeptus Rupertus Ludenius.


The following takes place between 28 and 29 Octavum, YE 1022.


After a night of much needed debauchery in Göteshafen, the Pius Cabal sets sail again, and discover that the dastardly Thulists have established a base in the ruins of the University of Man. Toadface and Tito takes a bath in a river and decides that what they need is a mire. A hastily laid plan is made complicated and Bombmaster Bansl's craft becomes the target of criticism.

Chapter: Point of Catastrophe, part III

(Death Comes From Above)
The final part of the second chapter of the Dark Spear

Cast: Gryff Galan, Mandan Bansl, Yolander van Zaar, Toadface, and Prince Aegir of the Enæidun. Also, as NPCs: Hans Willem Smit (Wezellian Onkel), Octavian Augustus Arbalestus bani Flambeu (Hermetic Master), and Geoffrey Colomb (Admiral of the Argonauts).


The following takes place between 25 and 27 Octavum, YE 1022.

Chapter: Death comes from above

Chapter One of the Black Spear.

ADMIRAL VORTIGERN - Wyrm-class battle-cruiser

Cast: Master Bansl, Master Galan, Master van Saar, Prince Aegir


The following takes place between 14 Octavum and 23 Octavum, YE 1022.


Last time the heroes passed through the Waymar Islands en route to the elves. They were spotted by the enemy on two occasions. Previously, the Ordo Ultima Thule has tried to assassinate both the prince and Galan. What is known about the OUT is that they come from a dead world far, far away, and that they employ advanced technology in their service of the Deep. For at least eight months now, the OUT has had complete control over the Waymar Islands.


Whilst sailing down the river, towards the coast of the Land of the elves, the Pius Cabal decided to strike a killing blow towards the OUT on the Western Isles. As they had days to spare before they came to the navigational point outside the river's mouth, they planned their assault thoroughly.


All available knowledge was put on the table and properly examined. Based on this the cabal then laid a plan to burn the main base of the OUT on the the island of Corregidor. They would teleport their ship in above the island, and while the flying vessels of the enemy climbed to come within striking distance from the Pius, van Saar and Bansl would be teleported down to the base. Here they would blow it up, while captain Galan and the prince destroyed the enemy ships. Once the time was right, the prince would call upon the dragon, and it would then vanquish the enemy totally.


In preparation to this, the balloon Bansl ordered built, back in Dodecium of 1221 was readied, and the Pius was rigged for flight. Great magics were employed to further bring the ship to a state of battle-readiness. As a step in this, the hight of the Troposphere needed to be measured. To fail-safe these measurements, a chicken was put in a cage beneath the balloon Bansl and Galan sent up. The chicken ended up dead, but became an important part of van Saar's divination-spell.


In this ritual, van Saar looked into the future, and there saw the cabal surrounded by fire, wounded and dying, with death pouring into them from all sides. The last captain Galan had said in this vision was, "death comes from above." Van Saar's apprentice, Simon, who had been the one to cut open the chicken, became overwhelmed by what he saw, and had to be taken below deck.


Based on this new information, the cabal made some minor adjustments to the battle-plan, and then advanced on the enemy. The sails were struck, and the good ship Pius rigged for flight. When the ship had cleared sea-level, it teleported in above Corregidor, 10,000 meters above ground. Thanks to good leadership and its crack crew, the Pius stabilised in the air, and the chain of events began.


Below them, two wings - three vessels each - of OUT Reavers began to climb. Below them, there were at least three more wings. Within not too long, a lookout called, "Meteorite, hoi!" Above the Pius a great, burning, metal sarcophagus came thundering into the Troposphere, a terrible, snarling maw painted on its bow. On the sides of this terror, the words "ADMIRAL VORTIGERN" could be made out. As the fires engulfing this horrible ship went out, and a shock-wave that made the heavens boom in thunder spread from it, van Saar called the out the dreaded words, "the Olympos is here!"


It became clear that the course of this new enemy would take it clean through the keel of the Pius, and captain Galan quickly teleported the ship into a new position. Within seconds, the sarcophagus belched fire, and great metal projectiles came hurtling towards the heroes. By now, the cry, "Olympos!" had convinced van Saar and Galan that this was indeed the First of the Eldren Ships come onto Argos, and so the Pius teleported to safety.




Storyteller's note: First, let me give a short explanation of the Olympos, just to make what happened understandable. The Olympos is, according to legend, an Eldren ship, and it has set course towards Argos to destroy all that has been corrupted by the Exarch. This is a terrible thing, as everything on Argos has been touched by the Deep in one way or another. It has been described as the Sarcophagus of the Gods, travelling through space.


Now onto tonight. Van Saar's player's misunderstanding of the situation was just too sweet. I did not have the heart to intervene, but I probably should have <--- note to self.


The players did not expect the ADMIRAL VORTIGERN, or anything on that scale, and the battle-ship effect is such that it strikes terror in the hearts of its enemies. And it did indeed appear to be a metal sarcophagus of enormous size bearing down upon them. Two players questioned this assumption, while the other two became convinced. And so the assault on the OUT was cancelled.


The players became quite downcast for a while, feeling cheated of a victory, but they seemed to rally once the situation had been assessed properly. The war is entering a decisive phase, no doubt about that, and an enemy long avoided has now become quite real.


Over the next week, I plan on posting on the Space Nazis, a.k.a. OUT, as well as the Waymar Islands.




[Artist: Keith Thompson]

The Journal of Captain Gryff Galan

Source: The Earl of Northampton's Regiment of Foot

We returned to Rederhafen. Bansl, still high on his Mastery, was eager to put out the fire, and took matters into his own hands, so to speak. Had he not been stopped he would have gone on to put the entire fire out himself.

To avoid chaos breaking out in the city, Verasius, Adeptus of the Ordo Hermetica, was given the task of taking control the remaining flames. Which he did.

The Tradesmaster was sent down to the Prince. His quarters thick with gloom when our man Drake came in with The Light of Life in his hand, giving air to the room and aid to the Prince.

Meanwhile, on deck was El Rey Mistario. A joyful sight, indeed. Though he was not as joyful himself. ”So, it has begun”, he said, staring into the flames. We greeted him, all except Yolander, who had been sent away by the emerging M’Narcl. ”You are back amongst us, at last!” ”It has been a long journey”, Mistario whispered. He is still frail.

Yolander, clear-sighted as he is, pointed out the significance of the death of Captain Armand of the Kraken. The Exarch does not produce strategically gifted brains. We took out his Number One.

I located Rowar II 7 miles south of Stafford, at Sander Bridge. And after Arkan (Arcrash getting his names confused), a tad impatient, had walked out, the rest of us quickly agreed on the course of action. I found the Royal Crown of Pendrell, Bansl apparated it out, and we travelled to the soon to be King by portal.

I was pleased to find someone trying to hinder our arrival. And even more pleased to learn that it was, as I suspected, the Argonauts, who had flocked around Rowar, the New Hope of Pendrell. There was Commander Sir Geoffrey Colomb, and 32 others. We also learned that all the Navicrons have fallen into enemy hands.

At The Crowning, The Prince Exalted spoke to The King. He has a truly fantastic presence, and speaks both sense and wisdom. ”A Crown can not be given”, he said. ”It must be taken”. He has really found his footing now, since he killed The White Stag. He will unite Man.

32 000 men on our side. 12 000 men, better equipped, are positioned to hold Sander Bridge. ”Where you cannot cross, you go around”. Not only will we cross, we will empower the Argonauts in doing so, by making them a part of The Crossing.

In The Ambush at Sander Bridge we lost 1700 men, and killed four times as many. Three thousand were captured, and three thousand fled. 8000 Repeating Rifles were won.

Valdvix, the Blue Fox, was so named by his Master.

And the King has Awakened. He was given a book I found in the library of the Blackfriars, The Mind of Man, as a parting gift.

What a day! We have crowned an Awakened King in Pendrell. The Parliament is surrounded. When it rains, it really pours.

---

Storyteller's note: This is The Captain's first post. He has been suckered agreed to do the write-ups of the weekly sessions. These posts reflect his views and experiences, and hopefully the other guys will speak up if their opinnions differ radically. I may add pictures, but apart from this note, I will only add my observations as comments.

The last chapter

In the previous chapter, not written, the Pius Cabal built a temple to Arkon outside Rederhafen. The reason was that by so doing, the Older God could work a miracle; the Host of Man, encircled on the Dark Continent, marched home through Arkon's Gate.


This chapter started with Banzel's Masterpiece. It involved building a grand machine, combining the ship's Navichron and the Dragonheart. The new contraption, Banzel's Apparatus, would then allow the Cabal to teleport the Pius, with all her crew.


As Banzel, Galan and van Zaar were hacking out the spesifics of the Masterpiece, Drake and the Prince went to visit the Host. Drake had decided that he needed a seal-breaker (some artifact designed to break metaphysical seals), and that the Draccian Wolf Lords of the Host would possess such an item.


Thus he came before Lord Vargas, the leader of the Wolf Lords, presenting his request, which was promptly denied. Lord Vargas quoted the previous handywork of the Worlock, and said that he did not deem it wise to aid in furthering that craft.


The Prince asked for Grey Knights to serve as weapons-masters in the martial college he was planning to build on his newly gazetted land. He had more luck than his compannion.


Afterwards the prince went to the newly constructed temple, Arkonshov, and found it quite busy.


Not only the Pendrellians of the Host, who knew the god as St Marcus, and had seen his might when the Gateposts were erected on Cora, but countless others as well, had come to worship. The Prince spent the remainder of the day at the temple, speaking to the masses about the divinity of man, and the futility of worship. He was treated like a saint come amongst mortals.


Drake, sickened by the spectacle, and feeling insulted by Lord Vargas, left the Host and walked back to the city. On his way there, he came to a bridge, and there he found a steady trickle of rats coming the other way. He snatched one up and spoke with it. At first the rat seemed reluctant, but after being duly threatened it revealed that all the rats were leaving Rederhafen due to something dark coming up from below. So adviced, the Warlock hurried back to the ship and informed the Cabal.


Van Zaar, the Adeptus of Time, looked into the future and saw pestilence, fire and death. He also saw demons walking the streets, and at the root of it all, he saw the Kraken, leaving the port three nights earlier. And then the Cabal despared. It took them a while to disbelieve the whole thing, and in the meantime Banzel completed his work; Banzel's Apparatus was finished, and Mandan Banzel could style himself Master of the Arcana of Matter.


Only when the Prince returned, well after dark, did the Cabal spring into action. First Drake went to the site where the temple of Gilgul, Gulathing, was under construction. He called for the Lord of Justice, and he appeared. After having heard the plea, Gilgul warned him of the cost of releasing the Hosts of Nightmare on Rederhafen, and the Cabal saw the wisdom in that, and turned to other sollutions.


They decided to go after Armand, and the Prince sent his men to warn the Marshal of the Host about the danger.


Galan scryed for the Kraken, and found her in the Straits of Ahriman, sailing a storm, in plain view with her flag flying. The Cabal took the Pius out to sea, and using Banzel's Apparatus, teleported right behind the Black Ship.


The Prince charged the aft-deck of the immense ship, wielding the sword Deicide, and attacked Armand. As this happened, the Kraken let her anchors drop and unfurled her sails, thus capsizing the ship. On the deck, Armand called forth shadowy tentacles and grappled the Enæïd, while throwing himself overboard. As the Kraken sank, her crew threw grappling hooks over at the Pius, hoping to drag her under with them.


This is when van Zaar cast a mighty spell, undoing all events and offering the Cabal one more try.


Following the same strategy, only now focusing on destroying the anchors, and controlling the Gauntlet, the Cabal attacked the Kraken. This time the Prince managed to gravely wound the captain of the Black Ship, and as he threw himself overboard, the Prince jumped after, driving the sword through the heart of Armand.


As the dark mariner died, all the power bound in his flesh discharged with eldritch lightning and bursts of fire that blew in the side of the Kraken. Thus Captain Armand died.

The last chapter

We picked up where the last left off, at the gates of the Hermetic city of Septimus.


The heroes were let through both the Outer Gate and the Middle Gate without any problems. At the Inner Gate they were challenged by the Hermetic Adeptus Severa Septima Arachnidus. Before they were allowed entrance to the Inner Circle they were made to swear not to bring enmity or maliciousness to the tower. As it happened, Severa was a rather attractive woman, something the good Percival O'Conner noticed quite well. More on that later.


After the formalities were dealt with the Cabal was brought before the Master of the Tower, Lucius Septimus Arachnidus. They had a long conversation over a light meal with the Master, and many questions were asked and answered.


Afterwards they were lodged in a guest house and Adeptus Severa was assigned as their liaison. Banzel hung out with the smiths, and since the master smith was an Enæïd they were also joined by the Prince. The latter, believing his band to be the last if his people, also visited the smithy, as well as as many of the Enæïdùn he could. He had some issues with his people being ruled by anyone but him, and he also brought his concerns before Master Lucius Arachnidus.


Drake/M'narcel, or, since the Hermetics knew his Truename, Percival, got the lovely Severa to show him around in the gardens, under the pretext of learning more about the Arcana of Life. In reality he was trying his level best to disrobe the Adeptus, and he didn't take no for an answer. In fact, he pleaded with her til she gave in. And so it was that Percival came to be Severa's boy-toy.


The Prince, wishing nothing more than to set his people free, went into the Wild to brood. Not only had the Enæïdùn become servants of "lesser people", they had also taken to worship of gods, Arkon to be precise. Sitting alone in the wilderness his thoughts was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a great white stag. Being a rather straight forward kind of guy, he killed the animal, thanked the Huntsman, and brought the kill back to the city.


Since the White Stag is closely connected with Arkon, and since the Prince was the last of the Royal line, this caused quite an uproar. The Enæïdùn of Septimus decided that this called for a blot, and shortly after the heroes found themselves eating the sacred flesh of the stag, drinking Aetlingamjöd, and bloting. The Prince got up and held an epic speech about the inheritance of Arkon, then the captain followed up with a just as epic song.


The blot lasted for three full days, and the participants all felt like they were sitting in Arkon's hall. Percy, by now drunk on love... er... sex, was seen dancing in a field of flowers he had created himself. Banzel also made a discovery, he found that by drinking Geminon's toast in Waymar Water he could remain sober. This of course led to there being no Water left when the blot was over.


Storyteller's note: The Cabal has called for a Grand Convocation of mages and supernaturalists. They have also recently dealt a few hard blows to several Enemies of Creation. The problem is that they cannot stay in one location long, because they are far too popular with those who want to kill them. They also have a few longer plays planned, plays that demands that they stay close.


Players, I suggest that you decide what to focus on next. If you want to prepare for the Convocation, and if you want to make the Pius airborne, staying with the Hermetics for a while isn't a bad idea. The city of Septimus is as good a place as any, better than a few even, to lay low for a few weeks.


Alternately, you can return to the war, and deal with what comes up.


On the Situation, a month or so will not lose you the war if you come back stronger and more prepared. The forces in motion are huge, and thus somewhat slow.


The question is: Do you want to fight now, or do you want time to complete a few longer projects? One doesn't neccesarily negate the other, but the question bears answering.

Last chapter

The Cabal had returned to Wezell after having unleashed doom on Pendrell. Upon returning they were received as heroes, lauded, rewarded and knighted, and they were set up in a quite decent and well guarded mansion on the outskirts of Rederhafen.

After A few days of doing Important Stuff (both Ylvana, Galan's wife, and Octavian, the Hermetic, left for their respective homes; both had Important Stuff to do) the Cabal decided it was time to get back in the game again. The old spy, turned magician, van Zaar had a Plan. As his Masterpiece involves travelling back in time, and having studied the works and ramblings of Franko da Cola for more than a decade, he proposed that the Cabal reach out to the Bodhisattva of Time. Da Cola had met this figure, under the name Grå Bekk in his travels -- van Zaar felt that speaking to the wise man on the mountain was crucial to the success of his plans. There was also the added possibility that the people of the East would join in the Great War.

And so the Cabal gathered on a eastward-facing terrace on their mansion, and as the sun came over the horizon they called for Grå Bekk. Galan, being the Master of Ceremony in most Space or Mind rituals rapidly got contact. However, since the old man on the mountain didn't feel like shouting to someone a world away they had to come to him, he was nice enough to show Galan the true path though.

Thus the Cabal stepped through the portal and came to the Mountain of Time, where, true to form they had to endure a long and hard climb up the winding steps to the summit. The bodhisattva, an old man with Fu-Manchu mustaches, sat in a pagoda in the middle of a lush garden, looking like he'd been sitting there for a long time.

They asked him many questions, and got some answers. He showed them the Empire in the Middle of Time and many wonderous sights. Drake managed to offend the old man somehow, and so they decided not to push their welcome further.

At the foot of the mountain there was a short debate about whether or nit they should wander East, into Cathay and devote themselves to bringing that empire into the war, or West, back to Rederhafen. They chose West.

Back in their own paradigm again the Cabal found that eleven days had passed while they sat with Grå Bekk. Undeterred, they set out again to gather allies in the fight against the Deep. This time they sought out the Ordo Hermetica, or more to the point, a Master Lucius Septimus Arachnidus. Galan had been given instructions of how to reach Master Septimus.

Following old paths Galan took the Cabal to the northernmost city in the Hermetic State, the city of Septimus.

Chapter end.

The last chapter

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The Cabal returned safely back to the Pius from Fornost, the Realm of the Frost Elves, after having rescued those who remained of the Seven Seekers.



The Seven Seekers, and their status:
Princess Ylvana Eclipseborn, alive and well. She never doubted that her dear Gryff would come and get them.


Tomas Parlay, alive, but suffering from chest rot, a form of consumption.


Brother Augustus of the Black Friars, alive and well.


Reigald Galdgrimson of the Enæìdūn, very much alive.


Thorgrim of the Enæìdūn, also alive.


Doctor Misterio, rescued earlier from captivity at the hands of the Ministerium. Lost in madness.


A servant boy, dead.


Aboard the ship, both parties wanted to hear of the adventures of the others, and so great tales were told. Princess Ylvana told of the adventures of the Seekers's, familiar to, but not neccesarily similar to Parlay's account. They had found the portal, and Misterio had calculated that the Moon of Emmeroch would indeed shine upon the plateu only a few days after their arrival. The servant boy had snuck away from the camp one night, and they never saw him again.


When the gate opened, the Seekers had followed the same path taken by the Cabal, and they had indeed come into the forest. There they had been captured by the Elves. On the escape of Dr Misterio, neither the princess or any of her compannions could shed any light. He had vanished from their prison one night, and they were suprised to hear that he was alive and on the ship.


The Great Matter of the chapter was the option presented by Huron the White. Burn the Five Forts, and thus break the seal that kept the elves from crossing into the lands of Man. Drake and Van Zaar wanted to summon the Dragon [Storyteller's note: Three times they may call for the Dragon] and put terror in the hearts of the Presbyterians, they did not however want to break the seal -- burn one fort perhaps, but they didn't want to let the Great Hunt loose on Pendrell. Captain Galan wanted to go all the way. Here he found support in Brother Augustus, "Let him who wants to avoid his enemy walk softly; he who walks to battle shall go forth boldly, with fanfare and bared steel." The debate surged back and forth for a long time.


Brother Augustus also pulled the captain aside and informed him that as a priest he had the authority to perform a wedding. He also spoke warmly of why he felt that the marriage was a Good Thing. Ylvana agreed.


The rest of the Cabal now wanted to call upon Octavian. [Storyteller's note: The relationship between Gryff and Octavian has been a matter of some controversy. There are those who are convinced that the two have a bond deeper than friendship. While this has been confirmed once by the player (and that candedness may be blamed on Single Malt), it has been denied more often.] So, as so often before, Gryff Galan sat in the light of the Elfstone and sang Octavian's name. He found him, deep in the Underdark, beneath Mount Guthûrgoth, in a dark, dead end. His retinue, numbering three Deciples, five Apprentices and three times seven Proxima when they set out, now numbered only one Deciple and two Proxima. Octavian himself lay mortally wounded on the hard stone, wrapped in his cape. It was a very moving scene when Gryff came to him in his mind.

Octavian told Gryff that they had indeed found what they were seeking, but in the battle that followed many had lost their life, and more still had perished in the aftermath -- something old and sinister had been stalking them. Even now, all the Hermetics could do was to keep the darkness at bay. And their light was faltering.


Of course, our heroes could not sit idly by while the brave Hermetics faced a nameless terror in the bowels of this mountain of madness. So it was that the Pius Cabal mounted an epic rescue operation, preparing a great portal-spell and calling upon no fewer than two gods to aid their efforts. [Storyteller's note: two rhymes were written, one for the spell, and one for calling on Geminon]


When the door opened into the dark subterranean chamber and light shone on the survivors the darkness reacted. Drake was unable to hold it back at first, and it was like a great, primordial hatered had become aware of their presence. Arkon's Gateposts guarded the portal, and as the light seemed to go out, Geminon, in the guise of a great Corinthian swordsmaster strode into the cavern, and drawing his sword he walked to face the Dark. Drake mustered his strength and wove a powerful ward. Enæìds now ran to the exhausted Hermetics and pulled them to safety. The portal was closed, and the connection severed. Octavian was safe.


Safe, but not out of danger yet. Drake has been studying the Arcana of Life for a while, though at this point he was still only an Apprentice. He has also been dabbling in Mythos matters (amongst other things, he stood face to face with Shaitan, the Drowned Man, in the dark storm) and when he examined Octavian's wound he found it poisoned. Something dark was deep in the wound, and it meant to kill him. Having consulted both Banzel and the ship's surgeon, dr Toombs, he believed himself capable of saving Octavian's life, although his left arm and shoulder had to be cut off.


This was Drake's Deciple-test. Assisted by the surgeon he cut deep into the flesh, so deep that they saw things no man is meant to see in any living human. Van Zaar, having offered to love Octavian on behalf of the captain, never left the patient while they cut. The captain sat in his quarters, praying to Arkon with Ylvana. At length Drake closed the wound and proclaimed the operation over. He had saved Octavian's life, and become a Deciple of the Arcana of Life. He then went on to promptly cure Parlay of his chestrot.


In the elated state of mind that followed, the Cabal decided to go to Five Fort Vale and call upon the Dragon, and leave it to the Dragon to decide what the Dragon would do. The marriage between the captain and the princess should also be performed there. Thus the Cabal again left the Pius by means of great magic.


The Vale lay peaceful in the hour before a bright winter dawn. The five forts, arrayed with some great and unknown design along key points looked peaceful and serene. The captain had scryed the valley earlier, and discovered that the forts lay upon ancient Hallows, and that apart from the structures themselves, there were no other apparent defenses.


There, on a hill overlooking the valley, by a caern built by Galan when he went hiking in the Vale three years earlier, Brother Augustus bound Gryff and Ylvana in wedlock. Then the Prince called the Dragon's name. Once. Twice. Three times. And then it came.


Coming out of the sun rising behind the mountains the Dragon flew over the Vale and landed infront of the Cabal. "You called," it said. The magicians now found it difficult to answer. Some tried flattering the Great Wyrm, others tried appearing powerful, most bowed their heads and felt insufficient. The Dragon looked at them like an enormous cat who is deciding whether or not to play with them. In the end the Prince had to speak. [Storyteller's note: His player wasn't at the table this evening, and so in effect they pawned the responsibility off on an NPC. Tsk-tsk.] He said: Break the Seal.


The Dragon took flight and circled higher and higher over the peaceful valley. Lazy as a bird of prey deciding which of these fat sheep it would devour first it soared in great circles, high in the air. Then it dived out of the sky. Like a star falling to the earth, a great comet, trailing bright fire it struck the first fort. Stones were shattered, and flames rose high in the air. Then it took flight again, only to gain altitude before again throwing itself on another fort. Now bells started ringing in the valley, and leaving the second conflagration the Wyrm flew low over the farms and villages, spreading death, fire and fear beneath its enormous wings.


The third and forth fort fell. Screams and bells ringing frantically rose to where the Cabal stood aghast. Some of them cried out to make it stop, and some might have wept. From the forest on the oher side of the River Manshield sounds could be heard, as if the forest itself was awakening. Landing infront of the last of the Five Forts, the valley burning around it, the Dragon seemed to have gotten warmed up. Spreading its wings, it seemed to draw in air, then it breathed a vast cone of fire. Fanning it with its wings it continued to breathe, whipping the flames to such a great heat that even the stones melted.


Then, as a horn could be heard from the forest, calling the Hunt, the Dragon took flight for the last time. It passed over the Cabal, standing in shock and awe on the hill, and flew off into the rising sun.


After this, the Cabal returned to the Pius, and then to Rederhafen, where they were dubbed Knights Arcane of the Order of the Golden Dawn.


Storyteller's note: Dragons kick ass! I've always loved them. And when my players leave it to an NPC to input the launch-data... Well, if my memory serves me, the Prince confessed some sympathy with the Elven Prince…


I must confess it felt extremely liberating to unleash such destructive power on my world. I want to go again ;)