It is to the northwest, in the Vatican, that the mighty Papal Palace of Saint Peter's Basilica towers over the surrounding rooftops...
It is to this impressive temple-fortress that Cardinal Lucius D'Borja leads the others, after buying them lunch and drinks at the Tavern of the Dancing Weasel...
It is about three hours past noon when they come to the gates of the magnificent Basilica of Saint Peter...
Flanking the main portal is a pair of tall, well-built knights, clad in shining full plate armor, and bearing shields with a red cross device, and longswords with yellow flames dancing along the blades. They seem to scrutinize each of the approaching adventurers carefully...
A band of armed men approach! ... But they do not stink of evil, and they are led by a cardinal. Is that Cardinal D'Borja? Yes, I believe it is he...
The knight on the left side of the portal calls out to the travelers in Italian: Benvenuti nella Basilica di San Pietro, santo padre! The knight on the right throws the great portal wide, granting access to the interior of the mighty basilica...
Arc stares in wonder at the massive palatial spectacle that is St. Peter’s Basilica, taking a few moments to process everything he sees. He then glances down at his clothing, worn by weeks of ceaseless travel as they are, and makes a wry face.
Quinlan responds to Lucious distractedly, he attention is mostly drawn by the performing animals. "Es ist nicht das, wofür ich hergekommen bin, aber ich denke, es könnte sich lohnen."
Quinlan seems to have become a little less animated now that he is in the city. Perhaps a bit anxious about what the cardinal said. men of your heritage however - do not receive the same courtesy that others would. he finishes his meal and follows the group to the basilica.
Zagathoth brings the bone from the lamb leg with him when the group leaves the tavern. Even after all the meat is gone from it, he absentmindedly chews on it, not unlike a dog. Blissfully unaware of how uniquely magnificent the basilica truly was, and what the doormen were there for (or what effect his appearance likely had on them) he gives the knights a goofy, toothy grin and heads in.
Much like Arc, the Ogon Fox gazes with amazed eyes at this most glorious of basilicas. "Karera ga koko ni motte iru paipuorugan wa subarashikunakereba narimasen," he mumbles to himself as they approach the paladin guards. He gives them a friendly nod as the group passes inside.
Inside the great Basilica of St Peter, a throng of faithful Christians kneel in prayer, some praying the rosary with beads, others lighting candles for deceased loved ones...
Several priests tend to this great flock, blessing them with holy water, hearing confessions in private confessional booths, or administering sacraments of holy communion, or last rites to those who are near death, and beyond the aid of clerical healing...
A shaft of sunlight, transformed by the stained glass window through which it is filtered into a rainbow beam, illuminates the gilded and bejeweled marble altar at the back end of the vast church, where a group of robed and mitered bishops lean upon ornate, gilded and bejeweled crooks, conversing with one another...
One of these is the Bishop of Rome, Holy Father of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Eugenius IV. He nods occasionally as he listens to the other bishops...
One of these is a short, swarthy man in his middle years, who speaks to the pope in Italian: Your Holiness, the faithful of Toledo are much beleaguered by the Ottomans... If Rome could send succor... Perhaps a battalion of footmen and a few units of light horse...
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Johann does not even need memories of ol' ma to keep his mouth shut in this place. The holy aura of the Basilica has left him dumbstruck. I ... I was just in line to be a tourist! A couple of hours later I'm walking up to the see Pope himself! I guess I stood in the right place in line...
Johann tries to straighten his hair, gives up, and just decides to pull his hood further over his face so that no one can see his ugly mug. He is embarrassed to be seen in a place of such beauty, wearing his traveling clothes and wearing a face that is not beautiful even after the monthly bath.
Another is a tall, distinguished-looking gentleman, who speaks Italian with a French accent: Your Holiness, I have traveled many leagues, all the way from Paris, and have crossed the mighty Alps, and braved the wicked, war-ravaged lands of north Italia, that I might come to honor you as the true Shepherd of the Catholic Church. I pray that the unpleasantness of the Papal Schism* has not hardened Your Holiness' heart against the faithful of France...
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"My Lord Bishop," Lucius responds to Bishop Tostado, matching the Bishop's Italian with his own - although he lets his spanish accent through a little. "His Holiness, and the Sacred College have Toledo and the whole of Christian Iberia in our thoughts and prayers. No doubt the Lord will provide in time, rulers of unparalled faith and skill who will lead you in glorious crusade against the Infidel. However," He spreads his hands disarmingly, "Our Mother Church is few in number. We are no great military power. Our Holy Father will render you aid no doubt, but we have few weapons, and fewer men with which to fight. It must be our faith, and yours, which guides us all in this battle. God be with You."
Stepping up to the Pope's side, Lucius genuflects slightly - as appropriate to the primus inter pares of the church, and speaks softly in the Pope's ear. "Holy Father. God has smiled upon us - I have found these men, of true faith and foreign land, who are willing to serve in the Catacombs. They might be the agents we need."
One of these is a short, swarthy man in his middle years, who speaks to the pope in Italian: Your Holiness, the faithful of Toledo are much beleaguered by the Ottomans... If Rome could send succor... Perhaps a battalion of footmen and a few units of light horse...
In Italian: We shall do all within our power to succor Toledo against the Ottomans, Bishop Tostado, but please bear in mind that Rome is much beleaguered by an even more wicked foe--the Church of Lucifer! I fear the rumors of the Antichrist's reformation are quite true... It is believed that the heroes who'd descended to the City of Dis in Hell to destroy the Antichrist's phylactery were deceived by the evil magic of the Archdevil Mephistopheles, and it was a false phylactery that was destroyed!
Another is a tall, distinguished-looking gentleman, who speaks Italian with a French accent: Your Holiness, I have traveled many leagues, all the way from Paris, and have crossed the mighty Alps, and braved the wicked, war-ravaged lands of north Italia, that I might come to honor you as the true Shepherd of the Catholic Church. I pray that the unpleasantness of the Papal Schism* has not hardened Your Holiness' heart against the faithful of France...
Speaking in French: My dear Bishop du Chastelier, the matter was satisfactorily decided nearly two decades ago at the Council of Constance. Think no more of it! Let us resolve to cooperate in the fellowship of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, as one, united, holy and apostolic Catholic Church.
Stepping up to the Pope's side, Lucius genuflects slightly - as appropriate to the primus inter pares of the church, and speaks softly in the Pope's ear. "Holy Father. God has smiled upon us - I have found these men, of true faith and foreign land, who are willing to serve in the Catacombs. They might be the agents we need."
The pope dismisses the other bishops, his attention fully upon the unusual band of adventurers led into the church by Cardinal D'Borja...
My Lord! Can these be the heroes foretold by the Archangel Saint Michael as I knelt in prayer this morning??
In Italian: Excellent, Cardinal D'Borja! You are a credit to your order and to your noble house. Let us repair to my private chambers, where we might discuss this matter in private... I fear that the Enemy might have eyes and ears even in so sacred a sanctuary as the Basilica...
Gesturing for the adventurers to follow, Pope Eugenius leads them out of the church and into his private apartments.
The adventurers are soon sequestered, along with Pope Eugenius and four loyal knights like those guarding the main portico of the Basilica, within the luxurious papal apartments...
This suite of private chambers presents a spellbinding juxtaposition of heavenly piety and decidedly Earthly opulence that often results in a kind of unintentional irony, such as fine silk and cloth-of-gold tapestries worth hundreds of gold coins that depict impoverished desert hermit, Saint John the Baptist, or Christ delivering the Sermon on the Mount...
Golden candlesticks and vases glitter in the candlelight, and sweet incense wafts from silver censers. A fountain spills cool water into an aquamarine-and-pearl-inlaid silver basin in the east wall, from a silver horn silently sounded by a marble angel in bas relief over the basin...
Divans of Lebanese cedar upholstered with goosedown-stuffed Kashmir or velvet, high-backed privately carved oak chairs covered with silk pillows or the soft pelts of sable, fox, and leopard, and side tables of elaborately engraved ebony and ivory furnish the chambers...
A 10-foot crucifix of gold-plated marble, inlaid with bloodstones, carnelians, fire opals and rubies, with a rose quartz sculpture of Christ affixed to it, hangs over a four post canopy bed with silk curtains depicting Christ walking on water, transmuting water to wine, multiplying fish and loaves of bread to feed the multitudes, and resurrecting Lazarus...
Pope Eugenius IV indicates the abundant luxurious seats with a gesture, and sits upon a cushioned, high-backed chair.
In Italian: We may speak freely here. These men are unquestionably loyal... Here, His Holiness gestures to the four knights standing guard, two flanking the entrance, the other two at either side of the pope... Rome, and indeed, all of Christendom, is in need of brave souls, for a dreadful enemy grows in evil and power, and seeks to enslave and destroy God's creations! This enemy is none other than the Antichrist, whom Saint John warned us of in the Book of Revelation!
Pausing to cross himself, and then to bless the others present, Pope Eugenius IV then continues...
We have discovered, thanks to the heroic efforts of a band of heroes known as the Lucky Fools, that the Antichrist is the Emperor Nero, a half-fiend, spawned nearly fourteen centuries ago by an unholy union of the witch Agrippina the Younger with the Archdevil Lucifer himself! After a tyrannical reign. Nero was deposed and sentenced to death in absentia while he was away from Rome. On hearing this news, it is recorded by sages that he took his own life. The truth is far more terrible than damnation via suicide...
In fact, Nero was a powerful necromancer, and he completed the final step to transform into a lich--a powerful undead monster! As a lich, Nero continued to plague the world with evil, disguising his true identity with magic, and instigating a litany of catastrophes to bedevil humanity... He instigated the Revolt of the Jews against Rome two years after his supposed suicide, in the Year of Our Lord, seventy... Masquerading as various Roman Emperors, he succeeded in continuing to rule through assassination of rivals and bloodthirsty despotism...
Posing as Alaric, King of the Visigoths, he invaded Greece and plundered Athens and the Balkans near the end of the fourth century, and sacked Rome in the early fifth century... Communing with Our Lord, we have learned that he secretly murdered and took the shape of Attila, King of the Huns, known throughout Christendom as the Scourge of God... There is maddening evidence of countless other crimes against mankind perpetrated by this King of Villainy, far too many to trouble you with now... Suffice it to say that Nero's evil deeds continue to plague the world even now!
Zagathoth sets his bone down on one of the fancy end tables. Then he drinks deeply from the running water of the fountain before giving his hands and face a quick rinsing in the bejeweled bowl.
Although he doesn’t understand a word that the Pope is saying, he recognizes the sign of the cross and crosses himself in response.
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Italian: "Forgive me Holy Father, many of these men do not speak Italian - I will translate as best I may."
Only able to translate into one language, Lucius falls naturally into his native tongue and keeps up a quiet, and slightly more succinct account of the Pope's words in spanish.
Once the Holy Father has finished, he summarises again, in German.
"e il loro ruolo, Santo Padre?" He prompts gently when the Pope finishes speaking.
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As Cardinal Lucius translates, Johann begins to get angrier and angrier. In English, he growls out. "WHAT HORRIBLE EVIL! SHOW ME WHERE THIS EVIL IS AND I WILL GUT HIM WITH MY OWN TWO CLAWS! WE MUST DEFEND CHRISTENDOM FROM SUCH A ABOMINATION IN GOD'S SIGHT!" He begins to pace about and look around the room, as if he could just find Nero right in front of him in the Pope's chambers. Losing control, he switches unconsciously to his half-bear half-human form.
"I... I WILL CRUSH THE UNDEAD LIFE OUT OF HIM! I..." Remember ol' ma..."... oh... ah, forgive me, Holy Father." ..."Johann, that temper of yours will get you in trouble on of these days...." Deep breaths, deep breaths.
The burly orc cocks an eyebrow at Johann's outburst, and transformation.
humans with horns... humans who are dogs... humans who become like bears... why were these not in the fighting pits?
He nods in agreement with the sentiment of the outburst though. "Yes," he adds, "Father Cortez sended me to kill things for the Pope. Show me what to kill and me and bearman will kill it."
The knights flanking the pope raise their flaming blades in anticipation of having to defend the Holy Father against a berserk bear-man...
When Johann regains his composure and apologizes for his outburst, they lower their swords and grin at each other.
Those flanking the door also assume battle stances briefly, relaxing when the burly bear-man calms down...
Chuckling at Johann's ardent enthusiasm, the pope gestures for his vigilant knights to stand down...
In English: Ah! God's creation is indeed marvelous! The great strength and courage of a bear, and the faithful, loving heart of a child of God... Moved by the mysterious wonders of his God's creatures, Pope Eugenius IV intones a benediction in Latin and blesses Johann with the sign of the cross...
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti...
Having blessed Johann, Pope Eugenius blesses each of the others in turn, ending with Cardinal D'Borja.
In Italian to Cardinal D'Borja: If you will lead these faithful crusaders on the quest I have proposed, you will have the full support of Holy Mother Church... Holy water, curatives, silver and cold iron weapons, provisions, sanctuary... Will you do it, Lucius?
Arc observes the reactions of the rest of the group with some bemusement. Once Johann settles down, he adds, ”I assure you, Blessed Father, that we will bring all the powers in our possession to bear against this terrible adversary. You may trust us to act in the interests of protecting this land and her people.” Seeing as Arc speaks neither Italian nor Spanish, he has to dictate this to someone able to translate from either English or French.
You must go down into the catacombs, once a sacred labyrinth, a place of eternal rest... Now a maze of dangers, haunted by the unquiet dead, quickened by necromancers in service to the Devil! You must purge the upper catacombs and the lower of the evils therein... If possible, discover and relay to me the location of the secret lair of the Antichrist Nero and his Church of Lucifer!
Our Enemy has no doubt grown wealthy by plundering and taking tribute and sacrifice from wealthy and powerful patrons... We know for a certainty that this Philip the Good of Burgundy is not really so good... Nor are the English dukes, uncles of a boy-king they would have murdered with black witchcraft, had the Lucky Fools not uncovered the plot...
Any treasures you find in the catacombs in the course of meting out God's righteous wrath is yours to keep! You will no doubt be rich men at the end of this quest, if you succeed!
Lightning arcs and crackles briefly around the Ogon Fox's hands. "I, too, am ready to serve this great and holy cause," he says in English, finishing with a deep bow to Pope Eugenius.
The orc repeats the Pope's words (rather poorly), "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti," and crosses himself once again. Picking up his bone from the table and beginning to chew on it again, he walks over to the cardinal and asks, "we go kill stuff now?"
Arc falls silent once again as he weighs the various outcomes that may yet come to pass. It would appear that I am not destined for ignominy yet. Still, I cannot see whether this turn of events has been sent to deliver me from my sins, or entrap me within their consequences...
The young man drums his fingers on the pommel of his longsword as he sifts through his thoughts, hoping to find an answer to the lingering questions surrounding his fate.
Quinlan nods in grim understanding as the Pope speaks. He scratches the back of his head as he thinks. Finally he speaks up from the back of the group. "Beh diamine! Stavo progettando di uscire in giro per una libreria per qualche giorno, questa attività di anticristo sembra molto più interessante. Non posso affermare di avere molta esperienza con i non morti ma farò il possibile per aiutare. Ma Santo Padre, perché noi? Sicuramente la chiesa ha eroi più grandi di noi nel suo impiego?"
The Lucky Fools have done more than could be expected of any band of heroes... Delved into the very pits of Hell in search of Nero's phylactery, and to rescue their friend, the Welsh Archmage Merlin, who had been dragged along to Hell by Mephistopheles when he banished that archdevil... They have been blasted by the fiery breath of Wormwood, and nearly frozen to death in the glacial lair of Frostfløyen... We cannot entreat them further... They are retired from the hero life... Alphonse stays in the Crystal Cavern beneath Stonehenge with his mother and sisters, and the pixies who tend the fungal gardens therein... The ninja, Hattori Hisao, I hear is currently the guest or prisoner of Murad II... Paddy the Loon and his lovely wood elf wife, Nachtigal, are getting rich as French privateers, so I have heard, and raising their little half-elf daughter to be the greatest pirate captain of the Seven Seas...
Prospero Blue, the talking cat wizard, and his brave companions, Tunes D'Holiday the aasimar paladin and Pamentet the Egyptian priest of Ra have not been seen since they made a second foray into the Underworld, via the Cave of Hercules in Morocco, on behalf of Prince Henry of Portugal... It has been two years now...
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"Of course, Holy Father. I will lead them into the catacombs for the sake of our Mother church."
After translating back and forth as required, Lucius bows deeply to the Pope and withdraws, beckoning the rest to follow him.
[Spanish] "Gentlemen, you have heard the Holy Father and our mission. The resources of the Church are at our disposal. I propose we head to the Castel St'Angelo and equip ourselves for an expedition. Then I will lead us all to an entrance to the catacombs. Will that suit?"
As is becoming entirely normal he repeats the speech in french and german.
Ogon Fox responds to Lucius, "Oui."
Quite forgetting that a bear would have no problem eating a fox, Ogon can't hold back a burst of laughter in response to Johann's question.
"I don't think it will be quite so easy as that, my friend," he says, full of mirth.
The Ogon Fox quickly quiets back down and looks away from Johann.
“Allay your anger, Monsieur Johann,” Arc says as placatingly as he can. “There will be many chances to lose your temper at our proper enemy.” He motions to the ground beneath their feet, indicating their unseen foes lurking in the catacombs.
"Te seguiré, padre. Dirige el camino," Zagathoth replies to the cardinal. As they make ready to leave the room he gives the Pope a big, goofy, toothful grin and, with a wave, calls out, "Fue un placer conocerte Papa. El padre Cortez estará feliz de que tengas cosas que pueda matar por ti."
"It was nice to meet you Pope. Father Cortez will be happy that you have things I can kill for you."