After drinking and casual conversation, the Duke welcomes The Lusty Fools back to Greenwich Manor to discuss whatever it is they wish to discuss....
The Duke and his two guards unhitch their horses, mount up, and lead The Lusty Fools on a brisk ride back through The Isle of Dogs, back across the stone bridge spanning the River Thames, and back to Greenwich Manor, where the gatehouse guard opens the outer gate and steps aside, bowing low to the Duke as he rides through....
A green courtyard lies just beyond the outer wall, with a cobbled path leading to the grand front door of the stately manor. Here, a liveried constable and two stable hands await the Duke and his company. Duke Humphrey and his guards dismount, and the constable and stable hands lead their horses to a stable on the side of the manor house proper....
You may leave your horses here.... instructs Duke Humphrey, ....my constable and stable hands shall see that they are well tended.... Come! The Duke leads the way through the front door and into the great hall of Greenwich Manor....
Thank you, Lord Gloucester, for welcoming us, such. I am glad that we have been able to rid England of much of its lycanthropic threat and look forward to further opportunities to defend England from its menaces.
when we are more alone -- and certainly not near the Duchess...
--Sir, we have heard rumor, reliable rumor, that the horrid Wyrm Conflagratious has influenced some vile creature here in England to plot against His Grace your beloved nephew, young King Henry.
We seek commission from you to expose this corrupt fiend and its fellow conspirators, to bring you proof when we uncover it, and to have the honor of execution of the principal if it is within our abilities.
We are following a remote lead that mayhap will lead us to the villain, but I fear that, if it is indeed a plot against His Grace then the villain will be close -- perhaps in the King's Court somewhere feigning the aspect of friendship.
Why, if it turned out that Conflagratious had corrupted a Royal bodyguard, nurse or cook -- or worse, a Noble mentor, and we were to uncover evidence of this, we could be arrested in a plot to cover up the truth. Therefore I beg thee, commission us to search out this threat, for I believe it to be true, and we will be as subtle as we can in finding evidence to bring before you and, with your leave, execute the villain who plots against the King.
This is the news we bring before you, Your Lordship.
Seven men-at-arms (including the two bodyguards met in the tavern) stand on guard in the great hall, but Humphrey leads The Lusty Fools into an adjoining den with only his two bodyguards along.... Once all of The Lusty Fools are inside the den, one of the bodyguards closes and bars the door.... Now, there is relative privacy....
Thank you, Lord Gloucester, for welcoming us, such. I am glad that we have been able to rid England of much of its lycanthropic threat and look forward to further opportunities to defend England from its menaces.
when we are more alone -- and certainly not near the Duchess...
--Sir, we have heard rumor, reliable rumor, that the horrid Wyrm Conflagratious has influenced some vile creature here in England to plot against His Grace your beloved nephew, young King Henry.We seek commission from you to expose this corrupt fiend and its fellow conspirators, to bring you proof when we uncover it, and to have the honor of execution of the principal if it is within our abilities.
We are following a remote lead that mayhap will lead us to the villain, but I fear that, if it is indeed a plot against His Grace then the villain will be close -- perhaps in the King's Court somewhere feigning the aspect of friendship.
Why, if it turned out that Conflagratious had corrupted a Royal bodyguard, nurse or cook -- or worse, a Noble mentor, and we were to uncover evidence of this, we could be arrested in a plot to cover up the truth. Therefore I beg thee, commission us to search out this threat, for I believe it to be true, and we will be as subtle as we can in finding evidence to bring before you and, with your leave, execute the villain who plots against the King.
This is the news we bring before you, Your Lordship.
Forsooth, this news you herald is dire.... A possible traitor in the court?.... A dire allegation to make without substantial evidence, Master.... Sverreson.... Whom would you suspect, if a noble of our own realm?
I would not dare make an accusation without proof. If we are wrong then our impropriety would be unforgivable. And the fewer people who know about such a rumor the better. Suspicion leads to inquisition and that leads to paranoia and then evil deeds.
Instead, may we quietly search for proof and then bring whatever information we find to you?
I would not dare make an accusation without proof. If we are wrong then our impropriety would be unforgivable. And the fewer people who know about such a rumor the better. Suspicion leads to inquisition and that leads to paranoia and then evil deeds.
Instead, may we quietly search for proof and then bring whatever information we find to you?
** spoiler omitted **
The two bodyguards seem to be genuinely intrigued, and interested to hear whatever information the party might reveal....
Duke Humphrey rubs the neatly-trimmed, graying auburn beard on his chin, seemingly considering Tyr's request for a charter of commission to root out suspected conspirators against the crown....
Were I to grant your request, Master Sverreson, where would you begin your investigation?
In a sewer tunnel underneath London where we ended the recent Wererat threat. We follow the trail from there and see what we find at the end.
In a sewer tunnel underneath London where we ended the recent Wererat threat. We follow the trail from there and see what we find at the end.
I'm going to be frank with you, Lusty Fools, because I like you, and I don't want to play the b&~!%@!% role of noble-talking-down-to-vagabonds with you. You remind me of myself as a lad.... Full of ideals and eager to uphold the right.... Filled with lore from books about King Arthur and the Holy Grail.... There is no Holy Grail in the real world, blokes, let's get that clear, okay?.... All that is a rasher of courtly rubbish.... The problem with the world is not the Black or the White..... It's the Gray, know what I mean?
I'll give ye your charter to hunt conspirators, "Sverreson", Alphonse, "Henry", Paddy, "Nacht", and company.... But I'll not give ye my word that you'll like what ye find. Fair enough?
Fair enough.
Fair enough.
The Duke writes up an official charter granting The Lusty Fools who sign their name or make their mark upon it lawful authority to investigate suspiciouns of conspiracy against the crown of England. Henceforth, Duke of Gloucester has deputized The Lusty Fools to investigate charges of treachery, and execute such punishments as they see fit to those found guilty of such charges....
I sign "Iommi-Tyr Magnusson" instead of my alias "Magnus Sverreson" and hope Gloucester doesn't bother to look at it. But I say nothing unless I'm confronted with it.
I sign "Iommi-Tyr Magnusson" instead of my alias "Magnus Sverreson" and hope Gloucester doesn't bother to look at it. But I say nothing unless I'm confronted with it.
Duke Humphrey grins at Iommi-Tyr....
I guess those tales about a sea-nymph whisking you away for a "brief romance" that was really two decades were true, Iommi.... Did you think I wouldn't recognize the Norse philosopher who told such wonderful stories of history and legend to my brothers and me when we were boys?.... I could hardly believe it was you, until I saw how you signed the charter, you mad fox! Heeheeheee!!
The Duke claps the Norseman on the back....
Welcome back to England, Iommi-Tyr Magnusson!
Paddy signs his name after the happy reunion.
"Thank you, your Grace." Alphonse manages as he signs his name.
And just as I was growing fond of "Magnus Sverreson."
.
.
.
Thank you for your fond memories, Lord Gloucester.
....Only-- I doubt Bedford would react as pleasantly; he's always been a bit more brash and suspicious. You understand my alias.
....And well, I did not present myself to King Eric at Akershus, and I don't have a plan to.
I am glad you remember me but I hope that you will keep my secret.
Nacht looks at the being's parchment.. it seemed the rest were writing words he could only guess were.. labels of their status.. perhaps their names. Something about this had Nacht uneasy and worse.. when he placed the implement to the parchment... his hand was unable to process the same. Eventually it moved and when it finished a strange serious of blades.. crossed was the result.
Hisao makes an X sign on the parchment
Henry can't write he mutters.
And just as I was growing fond of "Magnus Sverreson."
.
.
.
Thank you for your fond memories, Lord Gloucester.....Only-- I doubt Bedford would react as pleasantly; he's always been a bit more brash and suspicious. You understand my alias.
....And well, I did not present myself to King Eric at Akershus, and I don't have a plan to.
I am glad you remember me but I hope that you will keep my secret.
Your secret is safe with me, Master Sverreson. I wish you luck and Godspeed on your further ventures.... And I hope you shall not be led into despair by whatever you discover....
Duke Humphrey bestows a secondary copy of the charter on Iommi-Tyr, and keeps the signed copy....
Riding back to London, The Lusty Fools inquire of the gatehouse guards at London Bridge about the location of a reputable apothecary. They are directed to MacCormack's Apothecary on Fleet Street. The heroes find the apothecary at around noon, and consult with the proprietor, the renowned apothecary MacCormack (a wizened gnome from the Scottish Highlands), who sadly informs them that "none o' me curatives'll restore to ye what a vampire takes away.... For that, lads, ye'll be needing a powerful priest o' The Good Laird.... Or a powerful priest o' the Old Gods...."
Rather than a spire, the nearest temple is a domed edifice known as Temple Church....
It is a little after high noon when The Lusty Fools enter through the main portals....
After explaining to an acolyte that they need the most powerful cleric in Temple Church to minister to vampiric loss of vital energy (), the company is soon after approached by the Master of the Temple, an aged Englishman in white, red and gold clerical vestments who walks with the assistance of a gilded and bejeweled shepherd's crook....
Good afternoon! I am the Reverend Canon Athelstan Gray, Master of the Temple. Besides my colleague, the Reverend Dunstan, Reader of the Temple, I am the highest-ranking servant of Our Lord in Temple Church, and I can, by the grace of God, restore your vampiric losses.... For a nominal donation to the poor box, of course.... Five-hundred golden pounds for each casting of restoration, please.... Your donation will feed and clothe many of London's poor and hungry!
"Of course, Reverend." Alphonse says and manages a weak smile."[/b]
"Of course, Reverend." Alphonse says and manages a weak smile."[/b]
Paddy readily chips in 100 coins.
Seeing the obvious great wealth The Lusty Fools command (compared to the average visitor to the Temple Church), and considering the fact that they have obviously survived at least one encounter with a vampire, Canon Grey becomes curious and interested in hearing of The Lusty Fools' exploits thus far.... But how much do The Lusty Fools reveal?
"Of course, Reverend." Alphonse says and manages a weak smile."[/b]
Alphonse will pay for at least half of it.
Alphonse happily reveals everything to the Reverend, except the things that would obviously jeopardize their current mission were they to be revealed (like their investigation of the Duchess).
"Of course, Reverend." Alphonse says and manages a weak smile."[/b]
Alphonse will pay for at least half of it.
Alphonse happily reveals everything to the Reverend, except the things that would obviously jeopardize their current mission were they to be revealed (like their investigation of the Duchess).
Reverend Canon Grey seems more and more impressed as Alphonse unfolds the tale of The Lusty Fools.... He chuckles at the young English aasimar's descriptions of their up-the-stairway battle with the gremlins of Notre Dame.... He gasps at the near-death escapades in the catacombs battling the undead minions of the Necromancer of Notre Dame.... He thrills to the depiction of the ship-deck maritime battle against the Sea Drake Brinegullet in the English Channel.... And he nods and smiles approvingly as Alphonse relates their victories over werewolves at The Stag Inn and wererats here in London.... Then he casts restoration on Alphonse after the English squire describes his close brush with The Plane of Negative Energy during their deadly battle against Vampire Caldwell.... He sprinkles diamond dust procured from a pouch at his side as he chants in Latin.... Alphonse is fully restored, the negative level removed!
Saw Hamid get eaten by rats Henry mutters.
Saw Hamid get eaten by rats Henry mutters.
Dreadful! Simply dreadful!.... My condolences on the loss of your alias--er, friend!
Paddy stifles a chuckle as the priest sees through Hamid's attempted misdirection.
Yes, we have seen some rather dire things these past few weeks. It seems as though fate has brought us together for some reason. I am not the most staunch believer in destiny....I feel nothing is preordained...but lately...I do not know.
Paddy genuinely seems at odds with his beliefs.
Alphonse breathes but a sigh of relief as the pervasive chill finally leaves his body.
"Thank you reverend. Take this for the payment, and a little extra."
Nacht feels wholly uncomfortable in the place as he did in the place prior, as if to distract the being from himself he throws gold into the box as he did before at the other being's. That seemed to appease them. Otherwise the creature did not speak but observed.
During the party's time in The Temple Church a few barristers enter and ask for blessings from the Master of the Temple for upcoming trials.... Apparently, Temple Church is favored by the law officers of London....
Iommi-Tyr Magnusson, being suspicious of all aspects of organized Christianity -- introduces himself as "Magnus Sverreson" before Paddy gets a chance again to accidentally say his real name -- stays both cognizant and wary of Canon Grey.
Not wanting to rudely interrupt his noble friend, Alphonse Veritas, Iommi-Tyr Magnusson instead scrutinizes the Cleric from a few feet away from great Paladin, trying to discern the Christian's emotions while hearing our tale:
Is he thinking how he could manipulate us to work for his vile goals?
Is he growing concerned that we may be a threat to his true master, Conflagratious?
Is he just a typical greedy and ambitious religious figurehead, typically trying to get a bit more gold from some rich adventurers before never seeing them again?
Hisao breaks out in a sweat and nods and mumbles
...kuso
And when several Sergeants of Law arrive and obviously have a strong rapport with Canon Grey, Iommi-Tyr Magnusson becomes even more suspicious.