Seas Of Erin > Lorrain > Death on your Doorstep


Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 16 2007, 11:05 PM
This time, when Andre approached the Chancellor's office, it was alone, tense, chill, and he pulled his jacket tightly to him before he knocked on the door, then stood back, respectfully.

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 16 2007, 11:14 PM
The door was answered by a neophyte: a boy around Curr's age, his eyes made huge by his shaven head and eyebrows, skin sallow in comparison to his heavy black clothing. "Sir?" he asked politely.

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 16 2007, 11:17 PM
Andre held a hand out to the boy. "My name is Romain," he answered. "I was hoping to speak to the Chancellor? If I could?" he asked politely.

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 16 2007, 11:25 PM
The young boy's face grew stern; he began to retreat behind the heavy door, narrowing it down to a crack through which his face was just visible. "The Chancellor will not see you."

From behind the boy came the old man's voice. "I'll be the judge of that, Yevin." And the door was pushed open again by the Chancellor, who squinted at Andre before his eyes opened wider with recognition. "I thought that was your voice. Where is Brother Rolane?"

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 16 2007, 11:28 PM
"Dead," Andre answered grimly, bowing his head. "At the second-to-last point of the pattern. We-- you and I need to talk," he said tightly. "I'm not really fond of the idea that the entire city is going to be destroyed."

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 16 2007, 11:35 PM
The Chancellor's face turned waxy-yellow. His mouth contorted. "Nor am I, sir. Come inside." He held the door wider, then turned and spoke to the boy, who hurried away. "They took him?"

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 16 2007, 11:39 PM
"Cut his throat," Andre answered, entering the building. "I-- look, I'd like to know as much as you can tell me about what's going on. I feel-- ill-equipped to handle this."

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 16 2007, 11:46 PM
"You are not alone in that." The man shuffled at a painful gait up the hallway, indicating that Andre should follow. "This has taken us all unaware. We had no idea what was happening until there had already been two sacrifices. Since then we have been working to either break up the patterns around the city or to stop the heretics. So far we have failed in both."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 16 2007, 11:51 PM
"Do you know who these people are?" Andre asked. "The ones you call heretics? It seems they have powerful mages of their own. Surely...they didn't just appear out of nowhere, did they?"

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 16 2007, 11:53 PM
He gave Andre a penetrating look. "They are our people," he said. "I should have thought that would have been evident. They are using our own magics against us, along with those that the demon has bestowed upon them. They know how we would search for them, and have covered up their tracks at every turn."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 12:01 AM
Andre blinked. "Well, to be honest, I came here expecting to accuse you," he answered. "That explains things a bit," he agreed with a nod. "But...doesn't that mean you know how to do the same things they're doing? Why can't your men stop them?"

He hesitated, and then decided it wasn't quite time to tell him that the demon wasn't exactly a demon. "How do you know what it is they're trying to do? What they're trying to call?"

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 12:14 AM
Now he looked at Andre with a growing caution. "My people," he said stiffly, "are entrusted with the name of God and his messengers. Also with the names of the Fallen and his minions. The name of the scarlet demon had long been with us. No one has dared to use it. The . . . the scarlet demon is a personification of seduction. Those susceptible have reported being allured by the symbol alone."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 12:19 AM
Andre frowned. "Ah. So...there are more of them? How many of them are there, exactly? Do you...do you know what they are?"

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 12:25 AM
"Five for which we have the names," the old man said grimly. "The records state that there are twelve in total." He looked sharply at Andre. "I should seriously hope, after what you've witnessed so far, that you are not making any consideration to these others."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 12:26 AM
The Frenchman shook his head. "No, I'm just...concerned," he answered. "In case they try to call any more of them. What would we be dealing with? Seduction, and...what else?"

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 12:29 AM
"Time. Immortality. Healing. One for which we have no direct association. And the fifth appears to be a herald for the others."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 12:36 AM
Andre frowned. "But those...other than seduction, those don't sound like such terrible things," he answered. "Time, immortality, healing...those are all good things. What do they do that's so bad? And I don't quite-- could you try to explain the no-direct-association bit?" he asked. "Is it something you can sort out in words?"

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 01:20 PM
"Any one of these beings, summoned to the world, will dominate all aspects of life." The man looked grave. "These are creatures who by their very existence will attempt to usurp both God and the natural order. The unknown aspect is just that--unknown. There is no interpretation for what it might bring into the world."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 01:23 PM
And Andre frowned again, nodding. "Have you...has anyone ever brought one of them to the world before? That you know of? Or is this something that's never been attempted before. I just wonder...if is has happened. what the result was like."

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 01:47 PM
"There have been two recorded incidents. One was of a young man who claimed to have been possessed by one of the aspects and who was locally revered as a prophet and a soothsayer." The Chancellor spat out the two titles as one would spit out a bite of burnt gristle. "This lasted for three months. In the end, the young man, as well as almost every person for whom he had directly prophesied, disappeared without a trace--all of them within a period of a single day. The brethren who noted the incident said that before the sun set on that day, there was not a man remaining who had memory of any of the disappeared. He wrote that it was as if both the slate of the mind and the world had been wiped clean of them. Why the recorder was spared, we know not."

Briefly he pressed his fingertips to the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, remembering. "The second time, no one was spared. What records we retain are only of those from the area immediately surrounding the plains where the events occurred. It was the same series of events as are taking place in Cavanaugh. A group of people became obsessed by one of the aspects and attempted to draw it into the physical realm. The result was catastrophic destruction within an area of several miles surrounding the point of entrance."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 01:52 PM
The Frenchman gave the Chancellor a grim look. "And...do you know which aspects those were?" he asked hesitantly. "I...you called this one...or Rolane did...Red, wasn't it? Are they all different colors?"

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 02:02 PM
"The young prophet referred many times to a 'grey man'. One of the records we have makes reference to the Grey Tablet as relating to time, with the specific ability to . . . to recreate the past so as to be more accommodating to manipulating events within the present. For the one whose coming destroyed the plains, we have no records, but they do appear to be associated with different colours."

Wearily, the old man shuffled into a small side room and collapsed with a grunt of relief into a chair.

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 02:22 PM
Andre sighed, looking the old man over. "I'm sorry," he said politely. "I didn't mean to tire you out. I-- This just seems so futile. If there's no possible way to stop this thing from coming-- of course, we've plotted the last point; we know where it is, but all we can do right now is keep them from killing on that spot. A few days, maybe, and we can manage. But if this goes on and the port is still closed, if there's no way to leave...it's going to be a disaster. I don't know how we can change the lines, or...erase what's been done. Go beyond preventing it from happening to actually solving the problem."

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 03:06 PM
The old man regarded Andre very quietly for a long moment before going on. "Our last effort would be to create another set of opposing patterns atop those that the heretics have drawn. I believe we have nearly come to the time for that measure."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 03:10 PM
Andre nodded. "And those would send the ley lines back to where they ought to be?" he asked. "I...I'm sorry for all the questions, but I'm not a mage myself. I don't know anything about this. It wouldn't...call forth another one of these...things?"

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 03:17 PM
"It is more likely to counteract the sigil that already exists. When the purpose for which the pattern is fulfilled, it should dissipate of its own." He let out a long sigh. "We have only hesitated this long because it would require still more sacrifices."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 03:23 PM
"Oh," Andre answered, his face tightening. "And there is no other way to do such a thing?" he asked. "Why..." He frowned, thoughtfully. "That would not be good. Should I-- perhaps I ought to consult with my mage friends to see if they have any other possibilities before we go through with that?"

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 03:33 PM
"The heretics have used the aspect's voice to recruit willing sacrifices. I would suggest that your daughter be aware of this. Watch her. She is susceptible, as is the young boy Rolane reported. Rolane . . . " And he shook his head. "Where is he? I would rather . . . he had family . . . "

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 03:37 PM
Andre nodded. "We're working with the children," he answered. "The mages are both trying to teach them what to do..."

And then he winced. "We left the body where it was; I came straight to you as soon as I could; I didn't know if...if handling him...how the th-- sigil worked. He..." Andre bit down on his lip. "Did he have a wife? Children? He never spoke of them..."

Posted by: Fortuna Sep 17 2007, 03:46 PM
"He had family. It need be no concern of yours. Tell us where to find him. And pray to the Name, who loves children above all things, to protect ours." The old man's grin was tired and rather grim. "Meanwhile we here in the world will do the best we can for them."

Posted by: Andre Romain Sep 17 2007, 03:53 PM
"I'm sorry," Andre answered, nodding tightly. "He was a great help to us. If there's anything I can do..."