Eminem

August 23 - September 1, Albanus 1.

After Hakarim, the party had a week's rest before the Council assembled.  Balthasar woke up the morning after the party sick as a dog, and despite Leyna's best hangover remedies he dragged through the day like a zombie.  Until Sir Darius called him up to his rooms for a little chat that left the boy ashen-faced.  Darius didn't reprimand him.  He simply pointed out that a paladin's life wasn't for everyone, and perhaps Balthasar wasn't really cut out for it.  There was no shame in returning to the secular world.  The terrified squire insisted he really, truly did want to be a paladin -- and he proceeded to dedicate himself to sword-training most assiduously.

Leyna continued her flute lessons and practice.  Titus hobnobbed with the growing crowd of paladins that filled the villa.  Poor Marius was sent back to work, scribing scrolls.  Severus sent word to Captain Cassius of the Praetorian Guard, warning him that Pontifex Phinias was not truly dead.  Gaius searched for an animal companion in Viridistan's markets, and Corvina simply relaxed and enjoyed herself.

Gaius also checked with Magister Oshan, to see if he had any tasks he needed done.  Nervous as always, Oshan asked if his band would be willing to act as body-guards for him for two or three days:  one in Dulsanius, then one or two in Sobel Ka.  The party said, tenatively, they'd be interested -- provided they had more information, and so Oshan agreed to talk this over in more detail in a week or two.  He also acquired two passes to the Collegium's libraries, so that Corvina and Severus could do more research.

September 1st finally rolled around:  the day of the first Council in 80 years.  Tinnius invited Marius to join them, and he and Titus marched down to the Temple of Legis with the senior paladins.  There, Pontifex Orosius awaited them, at the head of all the clerics of Legis.  After welcoming the paladins Orosius quickly stepped up to Tinnius' side and "lead" the Order into the Council chamber.

The first speaker was Lucellus, who explained why he'd summoned the Council and what was going on in Rostilla.  The blunt knight was on his worst behavior, visibly bristling every time Orosius opened his mouth.  He started out speaking in lillendi -- until he remembered that Orosius knew that language, and Marius didn't.  After he finished, Tinnius presented evidence that Theodosius was still "alive" in a sense.  The assembled brothers quickly agreed to depose their undead "Grand Master" and evict him (and any other fallen paladins) from the Order.

Titus then rose to address his brothers.  He talked about his vision for the Order:  new Chapter Houses, where young squires could receive their initial training, and where elderly knights could continue to serve the Order after their warrior days had passed.  How there ought to be a place for youngsters who had good hearts, but lacked the physical prowess a knight needed.  The Order needed to pay attention to politics -- not to be entangled in them, but so that they would be prepared when evil arose in the aristocracy.  They should forbid suicidal rides into the Fallen Lands.  They needed communication, they needed organization and paper-work, even.  A suggestion that got some of the younger knights laughing.  What kind of paperwork could the Order possibly need?  Titus pointed out the list of attending paladins that Marius had scribed -- and noted the fact that no one really knew who was alive and who wasn't.  Every man was alone;  they weren't truly a Brotherhood any longer.  He also suggested that the Order needed a Grand Master again, and offered Tinnius for the honor.  

At that, the Council broke down into chaos as all the Brothers began debating and arguing these points amongst themselves.  Titus and Marius were frustrated by this disorder, but Tinnius said he thought it for the best to let the younger paladins talk themselves through their first shock at the proposed changes.  He and Titus then wandered into the verbal melee, cajoling and persuading the other knights.

Throughout the Council, Marius had noticed that one older knight, Sir Stannus, grew increasingly upset.  He was glaring at Pontifex Orosius, and as the Council broke down, Stannus rose to his feet and stalked towards the priest.  Marius hurried out to meet him and inquired what was wrong.  At first the man couldn't even bring himself to speak.  At length, he sputtered that Orosius was staring, most lasciviously, at Marius and some of the younger paladins.  Marius attempted to calm him, but Stannus insisted there was going to be "an accounting" right here, right now.  No matter what the political fallout might be, if the High Priest of Legis was assaulted by a paladin.  Stannus got louder and louder, until one of his comments about "perverts" silenced the whole room.  Tinnius and Titus came over at that.  Titus also urged Stannus to wait until the morning.  Then, Marius could cast "detect law" and they'd know whether Orosius simply wasn't good -- or if he was truly evil and concealing his darkness.  Stannus, however, refused to delay.  "I don't need a prayer.  I know evil when I see it," he snapped.  "And I'm not inclined to sit about and let evil pass."

Reason and logic appeared to have no impact on Stannus, and Marius grew suspicious.  Praying softly, he checked the old knight for magic -- and spotted an enchantment spell that clearly was out of place.  Marius whispered to Lucellus, who whipped out Ancilla and broke the spell at once.  As it faded, Stannus blinked and apologized for his fanaticism.  Of course he'd wait for proof.  (If you're curious, here's what would have happened if Marius hadn't spotted the suggestion spell.)

At that, Titus shouted to lock the doors and let no one leave -- there was a magus present, sabotaging the meeting.  Lucellus had Ancilla dispel magic over the knights who'd been near Stannus.  And when she did, one of these knights -- young Sir Borus -- vanished.  In his place a young woman appeared, wearing silken gowns and golden jewelry.  Darius recognized her as Baria Corresanti, one of the daughters of the count of Corresanti and a friend of Surilla.  Startled, Baria snapped that they dared not touch her.  She was a noble, and they'd be in great trouble if she was harmed.  But in the next moment, Ancilla shredded the spell concealing her aura -- and it became clear that Baria was both deeply nefas and evil.

Titus was the first to come to his senses, and he charged.  Two swift blows brought the mage to her knees, nearly dead.  But she managed to grab an amulet with her bloody hand and teleported;  Lucellus couldn't quite dispel that magic as it went off.  Furious at her escape, Titus began to pound the floor in a rage.  "Do you see what things have come to?" he yelled at the startled brothers.  "Do you see?"

Marius suggested that Ancilla keep sweeping the room clear of magic, a request Lucellus was only too happy to comply with.  A moment later, Orosius' protections crumbled and the shocked paladins were able to confirm that the High Priest was evil (though not nefas).  Titus rounded on him as Orosius backed away, shrieking.  He rushed across the room and slammed him into the wall, demanding to know what he knew about Theodosius, the Mystery Cults, and Baria.  The terrified pontifex squeeled that he knew nothing, nothing at all.  Not trusting himself to keep his fury in check, Titus snarled at Lucellus to make sure he had no other spells on him.  Lucellus cheerfully stripped Orosius, a process that involved more slaps, smacks, and bangs against the floor than was strictly necessary.

Regaining a tiny measure of composure, Orosius hissed that they had better let him go.  He had friends in high places.  The Praetor found him useful, and they'd all be in dire straights if they upset the Praetor.  The paladins agreed to take him to the Carcer (the jail over which the Praetor presides).  But first, they marched all the subordinate priests into the room and told them to check Orosius with detect evil.  Once they had fifteen witnesses to Orosius' perfidy, Tinnius and the other senior paladins marched him off to the Carcer.  The rest of the Council broke up for the day, and returned to their rooms.

While this was all going on, Corvina and Severus visited the Collegium's libraries.  They didn't find much information in just one day;  little is known about the Kingdom of Vesterix (which became the Fallen Lands).  However they did manage to find an old elvish map of Vesterix which listed the realm's major cities.  After conferring with Ambassador Anat, they were able to confirm that all of the Vaults around the edges of the Fallen Lands had probably been destroyed.  Several in the center of the chaos, however, could not be confirmed...

Leyna spent the day chatting with the paladin squires, who were mainly hanging out at the Surrexus villa.  After beating one of the oldest youngsters in a sword-fight (and, generously, not forcing him to wear a dress for losing), Leyna dispersed their initial awkwardness and fit right in.  She listened to their stories about their knights and the "adventures" they'd been on, and found no signs of unhappy or abused squires.  Most seemed very content and well-trained (though she noted many great lapses in their knowledge of theology).

Late in the afternoon, everyone gathered back at the villa, where Dah had arranged a fine repast.  As they discussed the day's events, Dah approached Severus.  There was a man here on horseback, the Sobellian slave said.  He wished to speak to the Most Illustrious Lord, Light of the East.  But there was something odd about him;  he looked sick or tired, and Dah had seen him drink from a small flask he kept hidden.

Following Dah downstairs, Severus found a nondescript traveller who, after a moment, addressed him in flawless elvish and apologized for his lateness.  It was Sandarfon, the elvish paladin, at long last.  Severus summoned Balthasar to attend his horse, and the elf followed him upstairs.  Once they were in private he let his illusion slip;  he was dead white, and obviously in pain.  He said he needed no help however;  he had waters of kirisin (a night-blooming flower the elves believe collects the stars' light in its nectar), and simply needed to rest.

Sandarfon's news was dire.  The Watcher was corrupt.  Loviatar had attacked them.  She spoke of the Sebetu as "her limbs" (not the Sleeping God's) and boasted that the elves had come too late.  She had passed the Sebetu into the world, where they would gather powerful servants to her, to release her from her prison...  

Just before the camera faded to black, Leyna asked a critical question.  Four Vestran mages had supposedly "Ascended".  Did Sandarfon know what happened to them.  The elf nodded.  "Pazex, Lilesh, Selnesh, Morresh," he said.  "They became the Hands of the Sleeping God."  Creatures that were better known to humans as Pazzur, Lil, Selness, and Morrash the Devourer.

(To be continued)