Bitter Crusade X
Dying Embers I


The Itinerant Company passed through the ruined gates and scorched walls of Zara, all the while making their way through refugees leaving the city, and the bereaved wandering aimlessly through the raped city.
A very different place to the beautiful Hungarian trading city that they had seen upon their initial arrival . After some debate they made for the large tavern beneath which Prince Gari was lairing, but after making their way there, found only a scorched pile of ruble where the opulent taverna used to stand. Volund and others sought in vain through the wreckage for any sign of Gari, his secret chambers beneath the building, or the precious metals he owed them. After coming to the conclusion that they would never again accept a hire from a childe of Malkav without some kind of down-payment, they decided to search the harbour and docks for a ship that may take them after the Crusade, or for anyone that may relate to them exactly what had happened to Zara while they were away.
At the harbour they found the bay deserted, no longer were their twenty thousand Crusaders moored off-shore, and only a scant few merchant vessels stood at anchor in the dark waters of Dalmatia.
As they stood talking a robed figure who had been standing by the docks suddenly took notice of Mortius, and seeing that he was noticed himself, moved to approach. Brother Anthony walked toward him, and was greeted by the young monk who introduced himself as Brother Euginious, a messenger from Narses and monk of the abey of St Pentelaimon. He greeted Mortius with a humble demeanour and told him that he had been waiting by the docks of Zara for more than two weeks to give him a letter from the Archbishop of Nod, upon finishing he produced a scroll from the folds of his grey robe, housed in a leather tube and sealed with the symbol of Narses in red wax.
The letter told Mortius, and thus the Company, whom to make contact with in the event the Crusade sailed for either Jerusalem of Constantinople.
In the event of Jerusalem it was a Bishop Federa, and in the event that the Crusade should sail for Constantinople, it was a Cainite named Bishop Alfonso, to be found in the Venetian quater.
Stowing the letter in his own cloak, Mortius led Eugenius back to the Company, and from there they proceeded to the tavern where Eugenius had lodgings.
Round a table in the inn they learned that some months after they had departed Zara for Toth the Crusaders had turned upon an increasingly hostile populace, burning the city, looting it's wealth for their debts to the Venetian navy, and then leaving it in it's wake as they set sail for New Rome.
For it would seem that some time ago the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II was deposed, blinded, and imprisoned by his own brother, the new Emperor Alexius III. The son of the now deceased Isaac, also called Alexius, had come to the mortal leaders of the Fourth Crusade, ofering to use Byzantine wealth to pay their debts and Byzantine soldiers to aid their assault of Jerusalem, if they would but put him upon his rightful throne.
At last, and with no where else to turn, the noble leaders of the Crusade had agreed, and even now sailed east.
After informing Eugenius of their reasons for leaving Zara so that he might pass word to Prince Narses, they debated the course they might take to Byzanium, to catch up with the fleet. On the one hand was the longer but perhaps swifter route by sea, on the other hand the shorter yet more cragnannyfied land route, across the Balkans. The latter was chosen by merit of it's increased cragnannyfication factor.
And so, leaving Zara behind, and much to Dragovich's dismay, they embarked upon yet another lengthy journey to the east, sailing down the mighty Danube and passing through many great city's along their route.
In April of 1204, the boat they had hired to take them on the last leg of the journey reached the huge battlements of The Queen of Citys, and found the numerous armed ships of the Crusaders moored outside it's walls in the Bosphorous. Sailing through they came to one of the half empty harbours and disembarked.
Passing though the greatest battlements in Europe they entered the metropolis of Constantinople, with all it's high walls, golden domes, slender towers, pillared villas, wide thoroughfares, and eastern flavour.
After almost a century of wandering Baradeus was home at last.
Wandering the streets of that most cosmopolitan of cities, they were all struck by it's beauty and uniqueness, The Dream that is Constantinople.
They decided it best that they make contact with Bishop Alfonso in the Venetian Quater as soon as possible, and so they set off, Mortius looking at the striking skyline of the city thinking that it perhaps reminded of one he had seen before, if only in dreams.
They reached the walled suburb of the Venetian Quiater, where the guardsmen, noting that they were not natives of the city, let them pass, all save Baradeus who was dressed in the old attire of the Byzantine infantry. Looking at Baradeus suspiciously he told him to surrender his weapons before entering, and just as soon forgot when Baradeus applied his arts of Dominate to his weak mind.
They soon found the centre of the Quater, and thus the most likely place for Bishop Alfonso. It was a large governor's house of wood and stone with guardsmen in Venetian livery at the door. Showing the guards the seal of Venice, and informing them that they were there to see the Bishop, they were allowed inside. They were led into an opulen waiting room of red velvet drapes and panelled wood, dimly lit by lamplight.
After waiting for some time the majordomo of the house came to them offering refreshments, and then ushering in the zombie-like yet beautifull girls when they acepted. At last they were led before Bishop Alfonso, a tall dark haired man with hawkish features and dressed in robes remeniscent of those a Cardinal might wear. They formally introduced them selves and told him of their purpose, showing him the seal and letter of Narses.
He questioned about their deeds and intentions, before saying that there was a deed that they could do in the city for Narses.
A prominent Cainite among the Obertus named Gesu, a childe of the Dracon, needed to be removed. This he said, would make things smoother for both the Crusade and the City. Gesu was an obsticle, he said, and even more would die if he continued to live.
Wouls they do this deed for their liege he asked, they must discuss the matter they answered, and so with some iritation he bade them return to the waiting room, saying he wished for an answer before they left his house.
They returned to the antechamber and debated what course to take, Baradeus the most undecided of all, and resolving to enlist the aid of Vykos as he had spoken ill of Gesu to Baradeus in the past, they returned to Alfonso and agreed. He gave them the location of the Monastery of the Divinity Within, where Gesu and his ghouled monks could be found.
They left the Venetian Quater and devided their company, Mortius and Gregoire to go to Lady Alexia the Cappadocian, to whom all new arrivals in the city must report, and Volund, Maeduin, and Baradeus went to seek out Myca Vykos, if indeed he had returned there after Toth.
When Mortius and Gregoire arrived at the Mausoleum they went to the back entrance as instucted, and knocked but receaved no answer from any within the dark building. Knocking harder there door swung open slightly, and with their heightened senses they heard a wet growling sound from within.
Fearing that something may be amiss Gregoire, cloaked by Obfuscate, ventured into the darkness, seeing that the sounds enamated from a dark stairwell at the corner of the large room. Creeping as he went he approached the stairs, descending slowly and carefully. Upon reaching the bottom he saw a long subterranean chamber hewn from the stone and lined with a myriad of large stone sarcophagus's . At the near end was a tall pale skinned dark haired woman, staked through the heart and sprawled with an expression of fixed horror. At the far end was a finely dressed man with blood on his face, leaning over one of the sarcophagus's and seemingly draining the body that lay therin, frenzied, and unaware of the obfuscated Gregoire.
But as always, Gregoire was betrayed by himself, and stepped upn a loose flagstone alerting the diablerist to his prescance.
Looking up with a start, the man charged across the chamber, and stoped only when Gregoire aplied the arts of confusion to his mind. He then turned to the woman, and attempting to remove the stake, shouted for Mortius, who began to run toward the sound.
Over coming his befuddlement the frenzied Cainite resumed his charge toward Gregoire, and seizing him began to go for his throat.
Mortius reached the bottom of the spiral staircase and seeing what was happening thought fast and using all his strength, unstaked the female Cappadocian, who immediately grasped the frenzied Cainite and flung him so hard across the chamber that cracks apeared in the stone wall he impacted.
Then stooping over him she took out a dagger from the folds of her black dress and begad to inflict deep cuts upon him, spilling all his vitae on to the foor and sending him into Torpor.
Then turning toward Mortius and Gregoire, thanked them, and introduced herself as Lady Alexia of clan Cappadocian, and the man on the floor as Markus Musa Giovanni.
Meanwhile Baradeus led Volund and Maelduin to an abey where he dimly remembered that Vykos and Symeon may be found. After introducing themselves to the monk at the door they were given entry into the spascious knave of the building, all quiet save for the soft shuffling of feet or the low murmur of voices.
After a time the monk returned with Myca Vykos walking behind him, dressed in robes both fine and plain. He seemed pleased to see them, and after taking them aside answered their questions about Gesu, saying to Baradeus that the time had come for him to serve his city oncemore, though he seemed not to know they had already been employed for the very task. He told them of what had passed between Gesu and Symeon, his own sire. And of how Symeon both loved and hated his brother, but could not free himself from him. He told them of how Gesu refused to leave the city nor send the library of the forgotten away to safety as Symeon would do in his place. He would only meditate on the nature of his own Immaculate Union and his Divinity Within, and so they entirety of the Obertus were doomed to stay in Constantinople and suffer his fate.
When Vykos saw that Baradeus and his cohorts were ready to slay Gesu, he told them of an unused entranceway into his monastery that they may pass through unheeded, and told them to act swiftly, for time was now in short supply, both for them, and Constantinople itself...


As of last week the Itinerant Company is officialy 20 sessions old.