Dark_RP

Bitter Crusade XI
Dying Embers II


And so Maelduin, Volund, and Baradeus went to the spot they had chosen not far from the entrance to the Venetian Quater, and awated the return of Gregoire and Brother Anthony.
Meanwhile beneath one of the city's fine mausoleums Brother Anthony and Gregoire stood in a catacomb of sarcophagus's. Lady Alexia gave them her thanks for intervening, and thus preserving one of those sleeping the sleep of ages in the chamber, she then asked why they had come to see her, but her grascious tone changed sharply upon hearing that they had come with the Crusade, and this was sealed when Mortius revealed, upon being asked, that his greater loyalty was to the Heresy and not his Clan. She thanked them for their timely arrival once again, but instucted them to find quaters within the Venetian Quater. She then bade them leave, and they duly obeyed.
Those that waited in the night-mists talked among themselves of which course to take, when a tall, well-built, and straight baked man, hooded and cloaked, began to stride purposefully toward them. As he approached them he threw back his hood, revealing a proud and commanding face. He introduced himself as Symeon, sire of Vykos, and brother and Childe to Gesu.
He was greeted with respect by Baradeus and those with him, and he went on to say that he knew Vykos, his loyal Childe, was planing some action with them against Gesu. He asked them not to act, though he knew that Vykos only wished to free him. Though he knew his brothers actions may well doom the Library of The Forgotten, he could continence no harm against him. As he spoke it became clear that he acted out of love for his brother, though equally obvious was the simmering hate and anguish that lurked beneath the surface. After speaking to them, and before receiving and answer, he walked off into the night and down the winding streets oncemore.
After waiting a time longer Mortius and Gregoire arrived, and saying that they must find lodgings in the Venetian Quater, returned there to secure them.
Once safely locked within on of the inn's rooms each group told the other of what had occurred and been said on the other was away.
Debate raged oncemore among the Itinerant Company, opinions changed with the wind, and unsurety was in the air. But at length they resolved to do the deed, for the greater good, and perhaps their own.
And so they left the inn and the Venetian Quarter, walking now through the eerily quiet streets of Constantinople proper, and strange sound on the edge of their hearing, like distant thunder rolling far away.
They continued to walk, and after a time a large group came walking down the street toward them, as they passed one of them barged into Volund, but as Volund turned to reprimand him the man looked into his eyes and screamed Only the Chosen will be saved!, and as one the group turned into a mob attacking the Company like devils. The fight was bloody, and many of the Company called upon their vampiric strength to slay their numerous oponents. Limbs were hacked off and throats torn open in the streets, but the attackers showed no fear, and threw themselves upon the Cainites until Maelduin saw that their leader was himself vampire, and leaped toward him. They struggled against each other but the Celt was the stronger of the two and his fangs bit deep, draiining his opponent of vitae and sending him into bloodless torpor. The remainder of the cult that stood around them either fled into the night of threw themselves upon the Company's swords upon seeing their leader slain.
The Cainites of the Itinerant Company were left standing in the deserted street, surrounded by bloodied corpses and limbs. Many of them now thirsting for vitae themselves draged some of the corpses into a nearby alley and fed upon them there.
As they stooped, draining dead blood from the still-warm corpses in the filthy alley, there was suddenly a blinding light all about them, and they looked up.
Over them floated a shining brilliant angelic form, bathed in golden light and with a countenance so gloriously beautiful that it truly hurt to behold it, and radiating an incalculable yet total benevolence down upon them like the light of Heaven itself.
His face was impassive yet strangely saddened My children, there is not much time. One Dream is about to end, but yet another is about to begin. And you must see that it is not stillborn. Ignoring their awe Michael continued. Do not be afraid, do not worry. But most of all do not be deceived, for even in beauty, there can be deception, and madness. The Dream has need of guardians, and it is you who will serve. After a moment of silence he looked upon Mortius, asking What do you think of my city Brother Anthony? Upon receiving the answer he expected he replied, But it is still so new, and after all is nothing but Shadows and Dust... He turned to Baradeus, his face growing sadder still as he beheld him. I apoligise he said, it is just that you reminded me for a moment of Antonius when he was but young...
Shaking himself out of his reverie Michael spoke again. Remember that this is but one form. The Dream can have as many forms as there is dreamers to imagine it.. And with another blinding flash, he was gone, as if he had never arrived.
For a time the Company stood there in silence, before leaving, the experience having robed them of their words.
They were near to the Monastery of St Jhon Studius and the abbey of the Divinity Within when they spoke again.
They found the small locked wooden door around the rear of the Abbey, just has Vykos had told them they would, and they began to make last minute preparations. Maelduin sumoned a nearby spirit, one of stone and pillars, and sent it to scout the passageway and what lay at its end while Mortius organised the rest.
Baradeus put his shoulder to the door, hoping to break the lock, and on his second attempt succeded, and the old door swung back on its hinges revealing a dark passageway ahead.
They entered with some trepidation, and took care to be quiet as they moved up the passageways stairs, all the while aware of the hundreds that were beyond its walls within the building. At last they reached a door at the other end, locked, though with the key in their side. After listening for any sound on the other side they turned it and slowly swung the door open, revealing an open space with passages leading off in three different directions, two down, and one continuing on the same level.
After investigating the two that led down and either hearing or seeing Obertus monks about their business, they proceeded down the other corridor.
At the other end they approached the small gilded door, and after each taking a deep draft of luscious Umbongo, opened it.
Inside was a large chamber with a huge and beautifull stained glass window set into its wall and an altar before it. With their backs to the Company and facing the altar were many monks, robed as Obertus, and with his back to the altar and facing the Company was Gesu, Saint of the Divinity Within.
He was praying on his knees, but opened his eyes as the monks turned around, looking at the Company that had come to show him his end.
He asked them why they had come, and upon receiving his answer from Baradeus a look of sadness crossed his thin face just as it had Michael's.
You have been decieved he told them, but they would not listen. Baradeus told him that they had been sent by Michael, but he did not believe them. As one the Company surged forward to attack, and the monks, drawing swords from their robes, moved both to defend their leader and slay the intruders.
The melee was swift and bloody before Baradeus leapt forward over the heads of the fighting monks and landed not far from Gesu. Gesu raised his hands telling his followers not to fight any longer, he then stood, rising a full seven feet, and turned to face Baradeus, saying that he abhorred violence and would not fight him, and saying that he knew neither Michael nor Symeon would approve of what they were doing. Baradeus told him that he needed to die for the Dream to be saved, and Gesu replied that he was as much a part of the Dream as Michael.
Volund, who had been working up a berserk rage at the edge of the chamber, now saw that things had gone on long enough, and leaped forward, charging toward Gesu.
But at the last was stoped by Baradeus' request, and so stood on, watching as Gesu looked Baradeus in the eye one last time, and knelt down before him, beginning to pray. Baradeus stooped down and whispered in his ear that it was Vykos who had sent them, Vykos, and Narses...
Let me take him Baradeus... asked Mortius, but his words were not heard.
He then raised his sword, and struck down as hard as he could. But his strength was not enough to sever the elder's neck, and dark old blood spilled out from his neck. Gesu did not react, merely continuing to pray, while the Obertus looked on in horror
Baradeus raised his sword once again, and this time his blade passed through, as Gesu exploded into ashes before him.
Just al the remeining monks in the room wailed in horror and anguish at what had occurred, they heard a great sonorous boom ring out over the city outside, as Constantinople's gates fell before the Crusaders, lighting the horizon a blood red with their fires.
The other monks either fled the room or threw themselves upon the slayers of Gesu. Baradeus now griped by the anguish of what he had done simply held his head in his hands, leting their swords bit into him until Mealduin lifted him over his shoulder, carrying him away.
There was a glow at the windows and Volund quickly looked out, seeing that bellow them was a band of Crusader Knights, in the act of setting the monastery ablaze with all inside, and leading them was none other that Gauther Du Dampierre, the fanatical zealot that had caused so much trouble in Zara, and had slain the son of Bodor Toth.
As the other ran for the exit and the passageway, Volund remembered their promise to Bodor, and leaped from the window, breaking through its beautifully coloured glass.
He landed on far from them, and grew his long feral claws. The knights turned to face him, seeing some creature of the night come to defend the heretic's monastery which even now burned with tumultuous screams behind them. But Sir Gauther stayed them, saying that he would dispatch this monster himself. He drew his sword, and pointed toward Volund, laying down a curse from God that burned Volund's very flesh, but to no avail, for as Volund struck out with his long claws, he tried to parry, and failed.
His skull became a mangled mess beneath the fury of Volund's claws, and at last Gauther Du Dampiere fell dead to the ground.
The other ran as swiftly as they could back down the passageway, all dashing passed the newly appeared opening in the wall save Gregoire, who turned and investigated. H walked down the smoothly cut tunnel until he came to what was perhaps a region of the city's sewers, and there in an opn space, found three cainites. One tall, hunch-backed and monstrous, another in the fine garb of a noble, and a third, female, and possesed of great beauty.
They questioned Gregoire, but upon hearing his answers allowed him to aid them in saving the Library. They introduced themselves as Malachite of the Nosferatu, Baron Thomas Freoux of the Gangrel, and Natalya Svatoslav Aotocrator of the Brujah. The Covenant of Three.
They were loading numerous scrolls and tomes into crates, and from there placing them into a wide boat that sat waiting in one of the subterranean cisterns near where they stood. They explained that they were trying to save what they could of the Library of the Forgotten, and Gregoire, with all haste, moved to aid them even as the monastery burned above them.
Now outside Mortius realised that Gregoire had not exited, and returned to find him. While the other ran Maelduin, still carrying Baradeus, ran on round the side of the building, and there encountered Volund, a company of charging knights on his tail...


Guys, for those of you that need to finish around twelve, we need to start at nine and no later. It isn't worth it to only play for two and a bit hours, especially for those coming from further away.
So in short, if we start late, we finish late.