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Grazie, Padre. Would you say a few words for the dearly departed. They should get a proper burial, after all. And maybe a blessing on their graves to prevent any necromantic aspirations. We should set about making a base here...can't see why not...have to call somewhere home, right? Vanna says after a quick prayer for the fallen comrades Father Abelard bows and agrees to give O’Reilly and Godfrey last rites and a Christian burial.
Father Abelard answers Wulfgar, stepping forward and making the sign of the cross over the Northman, and then touching him on the forehead, praying, In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I pray thee, O Lord, render unto thy servant Wulfgar thy greater restoration, replenishing him in the spirit that was stolen from him by the servant of the Evil One. Amen.
Whispering to Wulfgar: Do not trust the gypsey, Monsieur Wulfgar... Something about his behavior hints that he may be a thrall, dominated by the vampires and sent into the populace to tell his tale of “escape”, and lure the vampires’ enemies into a trap...
Having only made the one flask of holy water the previous night, Father Abelarde rises at dawn and prays for the power to make at least three more flasks of holy water, which he does aboard the boat.
Father Abelarde intones piously: Father, give us pure water, that we might use it to do your divine work! A silver bowl in his lap miraculously fills with water! Taking a small goat horn filled with powdered silver, the cleric pours a little of the silver into the silver bowl of conjured water, and stirs it with a silver crucifix at the end of a rosary... In Latin: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let this water be blessed, that we might use it to carry out God’s will, to sanctify, to consecrate, and to lay to eternal rest the children of God who have been enslaved by the necromancy of the Evil One!
Wulfgar nods, "If you need water, I can create some also." He smiles and nods, "Of course were surrounded by an ocean, does it need to be fresh water?" It must be freshwater, Wulfgar. And we will need a good deal of powdered silver to turn it into holy water...
I will begin to make holy water now. I can create water, and combine it with powdered silver, and bless it...
Spells of fire or acid will be most effective against the vampire and its spawn... They are resistant to cold and lightning... Spells of protection against evil will certainly help to ward off their attacks, both physical and magical, particularly their ability to dominate their victims with their gaze...
They have the same vulnerability to the sun as their master... They must lay in their coffins by day, most likely in a subterranean sanctuary, perhaps in the donjon beneath the fortress-monastery...
"You seem to know a thing or two about these cursed souls? Tell me what exactly do we need to kill them?" She asks the priest they freed. Oui, Madame... We will need silver weapons... Sharpened stakes... Holy water...
Father Abelarde of Reims confirms Altin’s lore regarding the vampire spawn, adding that if the master vampire is destroyed, the spawn become free-willed. Further, the French priest knows a special ritual that can be performed after the master vampire is destroyed that will reverse the victims’ transformation, freeing them from undeath and restoring them to their original mortal conditions. If we can find and destroy the master vampire, and perform the ritual, we might be able to save the lives of the vampire’s victims and turn them from foes into friends!
The French crusader priest slides swiftly down the silk rope... The Lord Our God hath given mankind dominion over the beasts... You would not dare attack any of us, Monsieur Tiger, would you?
Crossing himself, this French priest thanks the party quietly for freeing him. In French: I am in your debt, Good Folk!
Another slave gladiator is a stoic French crusader priest... He wears a cross-embroidered tunic over chainmail hauberk, has a wooden shield bearing a red cross, and a spiked morningstar...
Giving a little more consideration of The Lusty Fools' heroic deed on behalf of France when he learns by questioning them that they defeated no less than fifteen loup-garou on the road to Reims, Father Abelarde decides, on second thought, to accept whatever the heroes deem appropriate as a tithe, and to reward them with five silversheen, 10 vials of holy water, a case with 10 silver bolts, a quiver with 20 silver arrows, and 10 potions of cure moderate wounds. Two paladins bring a large chest containing these items up from a secret vault in the cathedral catacombs, and set it down before The Lusty Fools, bowing courteously. Please, brave gallants.... Accept these gifts on behalf of Our Lady of Reims, and use them to continue your crusade against the forces of The Enemy!
Father Abelarde fetches enough antitoxin and wolfsbane for all who were injured by werewolves (Paddy, Iommi-Tyr, and Nacht, if I recall correctly?).... In French: Let us pray.... Father Abelarde prays the Pater Noster (Our Father) in Latin as he administers the cure to those afflicted with lycanthropy....
In French: Sacred Heart! May God have mercy on your souls, Monsieurs.... It cannot be known for certain if the curse afflicts you until the moon is full.... Which happens about two weeks hence.... To be safe, we should administer the cure to each of you that suffered a wound from fang or claw.... Though, I must warn you, the cure itself can be deadly to those who aren't strong in body.... But you Monsieurs all appear to be quite hardy.... I think you will survive the cure.... Those who might be afflicted must eat a sprig of wolfsbane, which is poisonous.... Hopefully, the poison of the wolfsbane will quell the curse of lycanthropy without killing you, or making you very ill.... I am very sorry that I lack the holy power to cure you with divine power, nor is there a priest of such power in all of Reims, that I know of....
After concluding the noon mass and dismissing the congregation, the nasally priest notices the band of armed and armored men standing in the nave of the cathedral and beckons for the escort of a trio of French Paladins in half-plate armor carrying greatswords before approaching The Lusty Fools.... In French: Bonjour, visitors! I have not seen your faces in Our Lady of Reims before now, non? Or am I mistaken? My apology if so.... I see so many faces here, it is difficult for an old man such as I to remember everyone.... The priest smiles and opens his arms wide in a gesture of welcome, but keeps a healthy distance of about 15 feet from the nearest of the Lusty Fools (Alphonse).... Welcome to Notre Dame de Reims! How may I be of service? |
