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Cardinal Lucius GM bot's page

8 posts. Alias of Michael Johnson 66.


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Resurrected by his trusted colleague Cardinal Sforza, the Mighty Ones' former companion Cardinal Lucius D'Borja has been elected to succeed Eugenius as Pope Nicholas V.

This makes Pope Nicholas V ten years earlier than RL history, but that kind of thing can happen in this alternate Earth...


Seemingly distracted for the last few days and nights by some troubling inner turmoil, Cardinal Lucius D'Borja glances only briefly and with little interest at the behemoth riverhorse and other various beasts around the river junction. He turns to look at each of his companions with a look that has become too familiar to them by now. It is the same expression that was on the faces of Alten, Wulfgar Ivarrson, Lady Giovanna, Arc Du Perdu, Boga the Hand of Jan Hus, The Rabbi, and most recently, Johann, right before they said farewell and left the company.

My dear companions, I fear that I can no longer ignore the troubling dreams and daytime intuitions that I fear might be prophetic. Johann and Lord Perpireen are in some kind of great danger or trouble in the Black Forest, and they need my help. You are a capable band without me, and I shall pray to Our Heavenly Father every day for your success in finding the Lost Mines of King Solomon, and for your safe return, enriched by that fabled king's lost treasures! But alas, I must say farewell now, and fly away to the North. My trusty flying carpet, Seraphim, will carry me safely to my destination, as will God's angels. Farewell, my dear friends, and the blessing of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit be upon you now and always, Amen! He makes the sign of the cross over each of his companions before mounting his magic carpet and flying away northward...


At the same time that the Sultan of the Ottoman Turks and the Queen of the long-gone Assyrian Empire are seeking the Black Pyramid by magical communion with the demonlord Dagon, Cardinal Lucius D'Borja is investigating the Church of Lucifer with a new band of stalwart servants of the Church.

Lucius' nephew, Rodrigo D'Borja, a young paladin of Saint Michael, has received his uncle's summons in Seville, and has departed aboard a Spanish caravel for Rome.

Although hunting down the Antichrist and any members of the Church of Lucifer that can be found is still the cardinal's primary objective, the spectre of the Black Pyramid of Kronos, and the obvious hold it has over his former companions, weighs heavily on him...


In the Church of Saint Peter on Vatican Hill in the Eternal City of Rome, Cardinal Lucius D'Borja delivers grave news to Pope Eugenius IV...

Italian: Holy Father, forgive me, for I have failed Your Holiness... I must confess that I have lost the champions we had fixed our hope on... I can no longer lead them, for they will no longer follow... A terribly powerful and awful artifact of the ancient pagan past has resurfaced... The Black Pyramid of Kronos, it is called, Your Holiness, and with it, man can wield powers that God alone was meant to wield! The power not only to travel anywhere on Earth and beyond in an instant, but to past or future, as well!

The elderly Cardinal closes his eyes and bows his head, lips trembling as he is momentarily overcome by emotion...

The champions have fallen under the spell of this dreadful artifact, which I feel certain must have been placed in our path by the Devil to tempt and divide us... And lo! We are divided! They have chosen not to heed my warning and counsel to destroy this monstrous abomination, but have instead embraced it as a tool for good! They cannot understand the potential for evil this thing presents, Your Holiness...


Alexei Orlovsky wrote:

***earlier this morning***

Roused by his dream, the Rabbi teleports to the helm to make sure everything is secure. When he finds the Cardinal looking for a way out he sighs. Placing a hand on his Gentile counterpart’s shoulder he says, ”I’m sorry, Lucius, that we couldn’t come to some understanding, but if you wish to leave I will not stop you. Return to Rome and make preparations. We shall arrive before the attack to aid in the fight against Nero and his minions.”

I’ll teleport him to Rome, if possible... if not, I’ll take the pyramid to Rome (which is a few hours behind Kiev, so it should still be dark) for just long enough to drop him off.

Cardinal Lucius places a hand on the Rabbi's arm and smiles sadly.

I am also sorry we could not come to agreement on the grave danger this Pyramid presents... I cannot but believe that the Enemy has placed this thing in our midst to tempt and destroy us! But you and the others feel differently, so it is I who must take my leave... Know that I will always count you and the other Champions as dear friends, even if I am compelled by the greater good to oppose you in your use of this dangerous artifact of the pagan past... Be well, Rabbi, and do your best to guide the others with wisdom and wit. I can fly on my carpet to Rome, no need to transport me there with this... thing... Just kindly teleport me outside, if you would. Farewell, my friend.

Cardinal Lucius embraces the Rabbi and then produces his carpet of flying and mounts it. Alexei teleports the cardinal outside, and he flies off toward Rome...


Cardinal D'Borja's dream:

Lucius dreams that all the lords of Europe, Asia, and Africa learn that the Champions have found the Black Pyramid of Kronos, and are seized with insane desire to possess its power. A cataclysmic war of many nations is ignited by the evil artifact, which Lucifer has caused his foes to find as a curse disguised as a blessing. Satan, laughing, spreads his wings as the War Pigs crawl upon their knees...

Awakening in a cold sweat just before dawn on the 22nd, the old priest gathers his belongings, pens a farewell letter in German to his beloved friend Johann, leaves with the letter a wand, an amulet, and a few potions, and exits the Pyramid through a portal at its pinnacle on his carpet of flying, soaring away toward his home in Rome...


Fortitude save vs DC 15 paralysis 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 and 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 both succeed! The cardinal is unconscious from claw damage, but NOT paralyzed...

UGH!! Overwhelmed by the ghast's powerful blows, the cardinal collapses, knocked senseless!


Cardinal Lucius shifts closer to the stairs, next to Zagathoth, and slashes at the nearer ghast with his longsword...1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20...cleaving its dead flesh for 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 slashing damage!

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