Session II

"Truth disguised as prophecy."

Players Involved: FBH, Lokar, Ent, Silence

Return to Ascension Isle: Legacy

While the humans enjoy their ball at the Governor's Palace, the Fey Princess Aranitha Fury Morrigan makes her way through the slums of Ward 8, on her way to inform Chey Hexum of the success of her mission, and await the return of the Clockmaker. Immediately inside the wall in the West Park area, she enters a massive slum of refugees from the Endrus District. Buildings stacked almost to the top of the wall in dangerously wobbly-looking towers, connected by rope latters and bridges. It's populated by a mixture of undesirables, mainlanders, Rafaelan transportees, elves, and other social detrius. The chill evening air is filled with the rattle of steam and gas engines, straining to provide heat, and lingering crowds enjoying the last hour before curfew. High on one of the slabs of wall Aranitha sees an interlocking symbol of what looks like four ovoids or eyes. It's painted in red paint. And below it is written in Adamic (the Jibril language)the words "They Fall." High on the 30 story ring wall that surrounds the city and separates it from the rest of the Zone, Araitha can also see work crews on scaffolds, stringing some sort of cable. Aranitha wonders aloud at the purpose of the work.

"Who knows," Says an old dark skinned Rafaelan woman. "Supposed to be some new fangled system to bring light and heat to all the wards, but who can trust what They say."

Another old woman nods and puts a finger to the side of her mouth conspiratorially. "Its some new weapon, just you wait. All they build is weapons these days."

Nodding to each other, they go back to arguing over the price of potatoes with a street vendor.

The workers are not forthcoming, and rather than risk a confrontation with the Constables and giant Gigganger constructs guarding the site, Aranitha backs off and heads into the slums. Distracted by a vision of glowing butterflies, generated by her still sulking Selkie rider, Aranitha turns on her Anja eye to view the etheric world, and sees etheric grafitti plastered all over the slums. Prayers to the Chosen ("Be virtuous and true,") overwritten with revolutionary slogans ("25th Libra," "Eria lives!").

"We are knights of the Empire! No matter how impossible the task, it is our duty to keep trying! Always, and everything with the utmost will!"

With her Anja open, Aranitha also sees an etheric web guarding an alleyway. Curious, she slips over the web, and hears the impassioned words in the Zenith Imperial tongue, swearing to defeat the Chosen. Elated, Aranitha pushes her way into the room, hoping to find a fellow Knight. Instead she finds an illicit Tinbell theatre, where a cluster of slum dwellers are watching Eladish subtitled Zenith cartoons. Aranitha's disappointment is profound, but then she hears two boys talking about the legendary hero, Eria, who is either dead, or still fighting the Chosen. Heartened, and restored in her purpose, Aranitha slips away, and travels unseen back to Emeraldine House, to await the return of Gregorio.

Meanwhile, at the party, the arrival of the Governor and his wife has just been announced. The gilded doors to the inner palace swing open as the guards come to attention in their red and white uniforms, banging the silver bound butts of their Arclave Halberds to the marble floor. Armiger enters, looking older than his years, thin and hollow, his once full beard fading to wisps of grey, wearing the white coat of a Protectorate ruler. On his arm is a subdued Aster Emerald-Archangeli. She looks like a slightly thinner version of Lilly's mother, not dissipated with drink, but distanced by public captivity. Of course her twin isn't here tonight. Jonas sighs slightly at the sight remembering his friend as the man he was, not the creature he became. Alice quietly makes a note to ask Jonas whether he'd like to be shot or rescued if captured, before the same can happen to him.

Following the governor and his wife is the Lord General Marianne Saint-Just, in full dress regalia. In her dress armour, Lord General Chesne Du-Blessed looks daggers at her peer. Behind her is a small honor guard, led by a young silver haired captain, who looks. . . a little familiar. Then the High Priestess Joanna Alisandre, the Cardinal of Liah here in CZ central, steps out in front of the dias, holding a golden monstrance. It stays dull, its crystal not shining with the light of the Chosen, but she raises and speaks the traditional benedictions - The Chosen's blessing to you, on the fifth year of your union. After Liah, she invokes the names of the 20 other Chosen, to witness their Heirophant servants on Arth, as Armiger and Aster kneel before her. Caught in angry memories, Jonas neglects to kneel with the gathered assembly, until Alice discreetly kicks him in the back of the leg.

"Cordinal bid your time" Alice whispers. "I don't have enough ammo to shoot all the guards in this hall."

To hear the High Priestess speak, you'd think this was some happy union of star crossed lovers. Jonas remembers it rather differently: Armiger's wife left for Auraden after Independence, and he took up with the younger Emeraldine twin in a semi-scandalous affair. Aster Emeraldine then renounced her own position as a priestess, and was one of the heroes of the defense of Prion. She reportedly spat in the face of the Chosen Leliel after Nightfall blasted much of the city. To save Aster from death, Armiger made her life a condition of his surrender.

"We can be merciful, even to those who offend us." The Chosen Liah said, with a sly and terrifying smile. "She will be spared, but she can no longer be trusted. She has lost her freedom, and you will be her jailor."

And then she ripped out Armiger's mind, and remade him into her loyal servant. They were married later that month, in a ceremony whose pomp almost matched its tragedy. Now Aster Emerald-Archangeli lives with the husband she once loved replaced by a puppet of vengeful demigods, a captive princess in a fairy-tale castle.

The invocation of the Chosen is finished, and the governor and his wife seat themselves on their raised chairs, as everyone rises. Jonas slowly rises and takes a couple of deep breaths; this isn't as easy as he thought it would be. . . never is. As the Cardinal turns to leave, as the reflected light of the dull crystal host falls across the thrones, suddenly Aster's eyes blaze purple, she gasps, and her back arches.

"The light! The light!" Aster yells, "Hear the words of heaven!" Her rings across the chamber with the power of those who spoke prophetic words for the Chosen in years past.

"After the light of Heaven, hear these truths!" The words are in Enochian, the languange of the Chosen. "The drums beat, the trumpets sound! Heroes! It calls you! Children of war, and warriors born - you walk amidst relics of a fallen empire! Mount your bright steeds and defend what is lost."

She takes a deep breath, it echoes through the deathly silent chamber. "At the changeling call, the shadow of Eria steals souls that are chosen, and darkens the City with her deeds. What that is built can stand against the cogs of time? War comes with the cry of the crow! Within a ring, purity and transformation, from works divine to profane."

Aster raises her hands. "The patron of mercy emerges from mystery, and the Justice of Mag Firin attains her deepest desire."

A bell rings somewhere. Her voice falls, and Aster collapses out of her chair, her voice fading "I see the light, and I speak it's truths."

Armiger sits on his throne, frozen, looking like a puppet without orders. Lord General Marianne stands still, looking over the Dias at Aster, hand on her sword hilt. A long hush falls over the crowd. No one moves. Except Jonas. "PRAISE BE THE WORDS OF THE CHOSEN!" He shouts, as he steps onto the dias to check on Aster. The young captain moves to block him, but Jonas stares him down. Jonas reaches Aster and finds her collapsed beside her chair, breathing heavily. "Aster. . . Can you hear me?" He whispers as he checks her pulse. And then he feels a shock go through him, and he blacks out.

"Move back, gentle men and ladies." Says Marianne Sait-Just. "Cardinal? *Cardinal*." She snaps her fingers. "I believe we may have witnessed a divine manifestation. This is now holy ground, and no place for a party. Don't you agree?"

"Ah. Yes, of course." The stunned Cardinal looks over at Saint-Just. "Please depart this temple, this is now consecrated ground."

The still dazed Jonas is pushed back by more guards and the ever protective Alice grabs his arm and escorts him from the ballroom. In the garden outside the exiting guests are abuzz with the meaning of Aster's words, as Crusaders seal the palace. Lilly and Gregorio, both well fluent in Enochian debate the meaning of various passages. Taking a moment, Jonas thanks Alice for keeping an eye on him.

"I apologize," Jonas says. "Wasn't quite myself back there. Are you well? I saw you had a run in with your cousin." He touches her face to check the cut left by Ingria's wine glass.

Alice blushes. "M-My. . . cousin is fine, she just needs pity." She leans in closer and whispers, "You know, she's not right in the head, the family curse."

An agitated Loran chooses that moment to interrupt. "Lord Flavius! Lord Flavius! I can't find Chrysanth! The lady de Caritas!"

Clearly less concerned about the welfare of their Chosen annointed, Jonas lets Loran head back into the palace alone (as an appointed Crusade officer, he has authorization to re-enter). The others decide to leave the young cornet to his self appointed task, although Lilly isn't happy about it!

"Knowing Loran, he'll only get himself in trouble." Jonas says. "Boy's too young to know what he doesn't know."

Lilly glares at him, "Uncle! Loran is very brave, and he knows what he's doing!"

"Just like back at the castle?" Jonas says.

As the guests begin to depart, Gregorio takes advantage of Jonas' presence to request his help in moving a few. . . items. . . from the Arhyna storehouse in the Unity district. Jonas agrees, and after a short detour his carriage is loaded up with a large number of suspicious crates. The party returns to Ward 8 and the Emerald Castle, where Aranitha is waiting for them. She helps Gregorio unload his loot, and greets Jonas, having heard his speech at the death of Pravel Hexum in the courtyard earlier that day.

"Cordinal." The beautiful elf in rags says.

"Not Cordinal. Just Jonas now."

Alice's smile flickers a little bit; another one!'

The meeting is cut short by a scream from inside the house. The party rushes inside to find three men in the drawing room. Two are holding the semi-conscious Hazel Emeraldine, and a third is holding a knife to young Lilly. The men clearly expected everyone to be away at the party for some time, and have been interrupted in their kidnapping of the Countess Emeraldine by the early return. The leader of the men threatens to kill Lilly if anyone tries anything, and Alice and Aranitha spring into action.

"May I engage Cordinal?" Alice asked.

"As you wish Miss Samelrand."

Catching an old Arclave tossed by Greg, Aranitha smokesteps behind the two thugs and quickly dispatches them, while Alice whips out her pistol and shoots their leader before he has a chance to move. On Jonas' orders she leaves him alive, for questioning.

"Secure the prisoner, Alice." Jonas says, shouldering the still insensate Hazel Emeraldine. "Lilly help me get your mother back to bed."

Alice flushes at hearing her first name for the first time, then goes to work with enthusiasm.

As Alice slaps the survivor awake and begins to interrogate him, Jonas carries the Lady Emeraldine back to her room, still oblivious to the world around her. He lays her down on her bed, brushing back some stray hair as he remember the woman who she was before she decided to slowly destroy herself. "There was a time when Hazel could have taken on all three of them herself. . ." He says to himeself, then kisses her on the forehead before quietly closing the door and leaving her with her daughter.

From the Alice's interrogation of the thug's leader it quickly becomes apparent that the thugs are under orders from the Nexlexi gang and Artemis Frost to kidnap a noble for some unknown purpose. Welser knows nothing more, and as Alice prepares to execute him, Aranitha quietly suggests mercy to Jonas, to the annoyance of Alice.

"Do you know who I am son?" Jonas steps up beside Alice, who is holding her Mattock pistol in hand, ready to shoot. "I am Jonas Flavius."

There is a flicker of recognition in the thug's eyes. "They say I was a hero once. Fought the good fight. Saved some people, not enough though." He frowns, "You threatened my family. Tell me, why should I spare you?"

"Please sir." The thug sniffles, "I didn't want to be threatening women and girls. Its just. . . You do what you gotta do on the street. You wouldn't know. You're a lord."

"I've seen war son," Jonas says, "I watched good men and women go to their deaths fighting for what they believed in. FAR too many."

"And they all died!" The thug says. "My ma, my pa, they all died! There aint nothing to believe in anymore, and no one to believe it!"

"There is son. A future." Jonas says, "You gave us the intel we needed. I will grant you mercy but under one condition."

He looks to Alice's gun, then to Jonas, daring to hope.

"You will be inducted into the Tenth Legion. I will give you something to believe in. A return of the Republic." Jonas says. "It will be harsh and it will be difficult but you will find redemption there. Consider this your second chance, if you waste it. . . We operate under the old military code."

The thug blinks, and then nods. "Yes, yes sir. Thank you for your mercy sir! I promise, I didn't mean to be bad!"

"What's your name son?"

"Welser, sir."

"Alright Recruit Welser, I'll keep an eye you." Jonas says. "Welcome to the Legio X."

With the immediate situation taken care of, Alice, Jonas, Gregorio and Aranitha convene to the kitchen to discuss their next moves. Aranitha, having demonstrated her abilities, admits to being a stranded Zenith Knight, now driven by a desire for revenge on Lord General Marianne who killed her lance-mates. Sensing common cause, Jonas forges a hasty alliance with her and Gregorio. Alice is less than thrilled about the group's newest member, although sensing the other woman's concerns, Aranitha bluntly states her lack of interest in human men, deeply embarrassing the young Samelrand. Alice gets her revenge by suggesting that in future outings, Aranitha pose as her elven maid.

Returning to events at the party, Gregorio identifies the Praxis cast on Jonas when he touched Aster as a kind of telepathy, and warns him to pay attention to his dreams. Considering the words of the last line of Lady Aster's prophecy, Alice suddenly recognizes the name Mag Firin - it is a place about 100km west of CZ Central, in the Endruscare Occupation Zone. Jonas realizes he has also heard of it before, in barracks room scuttlebut about the Lord General. The story he knows is as follows:

As legend tells it, back when Lord General Marianne was a Crusader Cordinal she was charged with pacifying the elven region of the Correctional Zone known as Mag Firin. Shortly after the fall of the Republic, on 0 A.E. 5th Leo, she and her troops encountered a coven of powerful Sorcerers and defeated them in a ferocious battle during which the Chosen Liah descended to aid her. Marianne was the only survivor, and was appointed the trusted hand of Liah in the Correctional Zone for her bravery. She eventually rose to the rank of General, promoted over her peers, to the annoyance of some.

The elves and some disaffected officers tell a different story. According to them, Mag Firin was a defenseless elven ghetto, and the Crusaders entered it to do a routine Purification – kill all the residents with Thaumatech devices. As the crusaders were preparing to purify the elves and send their souls to the Chosen Liah, an elven hero, the Eria appeared and struck the Chosen herself, wounding her. Liah fled in terror, and the elves rose up and defeated the Crusaders. They were preparing to march on Prion when Liah returned, full of fury and vengeance. The Eria duelled the Chosen and inflicted many wounds on her, before the hero was defeated. Liah then slew every living thing in Mag Firin in her fury, and left it a wasteland. The leader of the Crusaders, Marianne, survived, and to hide the failure the Chosen span a tail of evil sorcerers and promoted the undeserving Cordinal to General. Elven street legend says the Eria escaped, and will return some day, and finish what she started.

Realizing there may be more to their enemy than they suspected, the party debates their next move.

Return to Ascension Isle: Legacy