Session Seventeen
The group are all back in Southampton.
Lucas is forced to attend a number of classes to fulfil his student's role, (his player was unable to show for the session.) Bernard returns to his office. Case has a self-defence class to run at University. Nathaniel is lurking with intent outside the University Library. Zebediah is at the Lightning tether speaking to Lucille, the lilim who is considering redemption. Martin is also at the tether, possessing two students playing a multi-player game of 'Diablo'.
Esaranothiel shows up outside looking somewhat out of place and dishevelled, in a suit of clothes that don't quite fit him. He spots Nathaniel and greets him. They establish their identities to each other and Nathaniel suggests the Lightning tether as a more discreet place to chat.
Esaranothiel refuses point blank. He explains that someone in Heaven is out to get him and he would prefer to avoid any tether.
Nathaniel rings Abdi-Bezek, the seneschal at the tether and asks him to inform the others of the arrival of their visitor, and the fact he doesn't wish to enter the tether.
Abdi-Bezek passes the message onto Martin who abandons one half of his game to go outside. Abdi-Bezek replaces him in the game. Zebediah is also informed and says his farewells to Lucille who seems to be saddened by his leaving.
Zebediah and Martin's current host leave the Tether through the library and spot Nathaniel in the company of an unfamiliar gentleman. Zebediah performs a resonance check on the newcomer;
Three most ignoble deeds: Forcefully obtaining the clothes, becoming a prisoner in the first place and the continuing blame self for death of his Superior (Raphael).
Three most noble deeds: Escaping from the prison, saving a 'woman of the night' and giving the money of the unfortunate donor of the clothes to charity.
Introductions are made, and Esaranothiel thanks Martin again for releasing him. They arrange to meet up at the museum where Zebediah works.
Nathaniel offers to inform Case.
The others head to Zebediah's Morris Minor and Esaranothiel is initially wary of getting into it, but he, Zebediah and Martin all leave for the Museum.
Nathaniel finds Case, and waits for the class that Case is running to be wound up and mentions that the 'visitors' that they were expecting have arrived and a meeting is due to take happen at 'Zeb's' place.
Abdi-Bezek rings Bernard at his office and informs him of the meeting.
Nathaniel and Case leave for the Museum on Case's bike. Everyone arrives at the Museum, approximately the same time and Zebediah lets everyone in.
Almost immediately, Case and Esaranothiel exchange strong words and there is much posturing on both sides. Zebediah leads the group to the back room of the Museum and makes coffee for all.
Esaranothiel is 'invited' to tell his tale.
After the loss of Raphael, he vowed to find and destroy remnants of the Prince of Corruption, a.k.a. Legion and to find some way to bring Raphael back. In the immediate aftermath of the 'Legion Affair', he came under great pressure to join the Word of Lightning, but he resisted in order to continue his search.
After many years searching and talking to both former servants of Knowledge and Corruption, around a hundred years ago in London he finally got lucky and found out a location of a fragment of Legion and that someone up in Heaven was actively concealing it, following some sort of hidden agenda. It was because of this he didn't want to enter the Tether. However, before he could act on the information, he was attacked, captured and imprisoned. During his imprisonment, he also claimed that he was taunted by a bright light and a voice telling him to accept the fact that Raphael was gone. This happened once every decade or so. At some point during his imprisonment, he became an Outcast. Then the Southampton group rescued him.
Esaranothiel then states he wants the group to accompany him to investigate the location that he uncovered prior to his capture.
Bernard has been resonating him during this time, determines that Esaranothiel has been telling the truth as far as he knows it. However, Esaranothiel's request is met with an mixture of noncommittal silence and distrust.
Esaranothiel attempts to convince the group to accompany him by explaining the frustration and anger at being imprisoned. Nathaniel comments while he can sympathise with the intensity of Esaranothiel shows at his quest, the fact remains that Esaranothiel is still an Outcast, and one who was formally a Malakite, making matters worse.
There is then a long discussion about whether the group is going to co-operate with Esaranothiel or not. It is evident that the group does not trust Esaranothiel and during the discussion, Case is most reluctant about getting involved.
At the end of the discussion, the general idea is the group will accompany Esaranothiel, but should he step out of line, then the deal is off. This was only agreed to by the likes of Case, due to the potential threat that Legion poses.
Esaranothiel mentions that the group should head for Guernsey and suggests that the group should get there by boat. Those in the know recall there is a regular flight from Southampton to Guernsey and it would be a faster way to get there.
Lucas rings Nathaniel to find out what's going on. Lucas is eager to join the rest of the group, but he is tied up with lectures. Nathaniel tells him that he wants Lucas to report 'upstairs' that the group is going to Guernsey and he might needed as back-up and to be ready. Reluctantly, Lucas accepts. End of call.
Zebediah gives Esaranothiel a sword from the collection. There is a short discussion of how to get various weapons through Customs. The solution is to pack up various swords and using the museum's name, and claim they are being taken to be viewed by a potential buyer in Guernsey. Eventually the group arrives at the airport and they get through Customs without problems.
Esaranothiel is unimpressed with the aircraft for the trip. The idea of aeroplanes is a completely new concept to him. The group attempt to reassure him by the fact they are willing to go on it themselves. He nearly freaks out during the 'safety' lecture prior to take off and then at some women's magazine that he spots one of the other passengers is reading. 'That woman's nearly naked. Have we lost so much ground in the War?', he exclaimed referring to some of the photographs in the magazine.
The group decides to give him a window seat, so he can concentrate looking out of it. The flight is otherwise uneventful.
After coming out of the Airport at Guernsey, Zebediah and Bernard arrange a hire car with a number of the group nominated as drivers. They end up getting a Land Rover. Zebediah happens to briefly notices an old woman taking interest in the group, but fails to mention it.
Case gets behind the wheel of the Land Rover and after the group gets in, he asks 'Where to now?'
Esaranothiel instructs Case to drive to the island of Lihou. They drive out. The island is joined to the rest of Guernsey by a causeway for a couple of hours each low tide. Martin's host who is still back at the Tether calls up the information of the island.
The island has a nature reserve and one Doctor Adrian Gidney is in charge of running the reserve. The other place of significance is a ruined Priory (St Mary's). It was founded in the 13th Century. (The Legion affair occurred 1008 AD).
Bernard suggests that someone runs a check on Dr. Gidney.
The group arrived at the causeway. The tide is low enough to allow people to cross the causeway. They estimate they have approximately another hour before the rising tide cuts off the island again.
Martin's calls up the times for high and low tides for the area back at the tether and it will about another eleven hours before the causeway could be used again.
The group crosses over. Various sea gulls fly overhead and the strong odour of the sea in the breeze hits them as they cross.
The first choice is to either check out the lodge at the reserve or the Priory, on the theory that they may possess underground passages. The group choices the ruined Priory. Upon arrival they quickly find two large stone slabs probably blocking access to underground passages, one in what was the kitchen area and the other in the scriptorium. Out of the two, the kitchen one seems to be one that has been most recently moved, but not that recently.
Given the rush to get to the Priory, and that there is a distinct possibility that the group will be here for some hours, a suggestion is made to get various pieces of equipment from Guernsey itself, things like torches, rope, camping gear and the like.
Martin chooses to drop the 'Diablo' player back at the tether at this point.
A discussion ensues as to who is going to fetch the supplies and who is staying. As it turns out, Zebediah, Case, Esaranothiel and a seagull recently possessed by Martin will stay, while Bernard, Nathaniel and the rest of Martin in the student he possessing will do the stopping.
Of the group staying, Zebediah takes watch over the entrance way as will Martin's seagull. Esaranothiel and Case decide to sweep the area and 'discuss' their respective viewpoints.
The group going shopping buys a variety of bits of equipment, including walking boots for Bernard, binoculars, a dingy with an outboard motor, crowbars and gas stoves.
Back at the ruins, Zebediah has a message delivered to him by a seagull. He takes the note then reads it. The Martin seagull attempts to read the note but Zebediah realises this and puts it away. Martin informs the other group directly and his seagull finds and tells Case. Case plays down the incident.
By the time the shoppers return, the tide has risen enough to make the causeway unusable. They unload the Land Rover and load up the motorised dingy with their staff and then attempt to cross the water separating Lihou from the rest of Guernsey. Nathaniel takes control of the craft and is just about able to find a suitable place to beach the dinghy. The others on the boat decided to check for sea caves but fail to spot any. After unloading they collect up their equipment and head off to rejoin Zebediah.
Dusk falls and soon gives way to night as Case and Esaranothiel return from their scouting, still not seeing eye-to-eye.
Zebediah is questioned about the note, and he tells the others that he is unable to tell the others what the note said if it becomes important later. Bernard detects a porky. However, before the matter can be explored further, Esaranothiel grabs one of the crowbars and starts trying to remove the stone slab in the kitchen. Some of the others assist and after a struggle, the slab is moved away.
It appears to be a dark hole underneath. Martin shines a torch down it to reveal a set of stairs. The group kits up and heads down the stairs. Martin keeps his seagull on watch outside the entranceway.
Marching order: Case and Esaranothiel take the lead, Martin and Bernard next, then Zebediah and Nathaniel as rearguard.
The stairs spiral down before opening up to a passageway. Pressing on the group soon hits a T-junction and one of the passageways has a slight breeze from it, but the group takes the other one.
The passage ends in a room. It looks to be some sort of living area now. Three doors lead from the room. A book sits on a lectern sits in here gathering dust.
Bernard investigates the book, it is a copy of the Gospels. It lies open at John 1:14. Bernard can tell it hasn't been touched for many days. Case and Esaranothiel check out what lies beyond the three doors while Zebediah and Nathaniel guard the entrance way to this room.
The rooms behind the three doors are all small dorms. A few sackcloth robes can be found of the back, all black or brown, the sort that Benedictine monks wear (?).
Martin senses someone is coming. Esaranothiel swings around to face the newcomer as do some of the others in the group. Bernard shines a torch at the figure. A crouching figure in a dark robe, with long hair. The figure throws something and it hits Bernard's torch smashing it.
The figure is then heard running off.
Esaranothiel is the first to commit to the chase, followed by the Malakim.
Bernard picks up the object that smashed his torch. It is a dagger of sort.
The figure heads off down the other unexplored passage from earlier and into a twisting corridor.
Meanwhile, Martin as seagull on watch outside, sees another boat approaching the island and he warns the rest of the group via his student host.
The robed figure seems to heading for an open door. Case throws one of the crowbars at the figure and the figure falls. Esaranothiel attempts to stop the door from closing but fails. Case retrieves the crowbar from the floor. Zebediah has had the chance to build up a head of stream and crashes through the door into a room that contains some sort of shrine, possibly it could have once been a chapel. There are several pews on each side and in the centre there is a large sarcophagus. There are also no other religious symbols present. Around a dozen or so figure dressed as monks begin to stir. However an exact number is difficult to determine as the light is from the torches that the angels carry.
Esaranothiel, Case and Nathaniel rush into the room after Zebediah.
Zebediah attempts to disarm the closest figure to him but fails, although he is able to successfully resonate on his opponent. He gets little information though apart from the fact that this person has been guarding this place for a VERY long time. Esaranothiel attempts to make a break down between the two sets of pews towards the sarcophagus. Case follows him and notices a small passage behind it, the source of the breeze felt earlier. As Zebediah is on the left, Case and Esaranothiel are in the central aisle, Nathaniel is forced to go right.
Bernard chooses to sing the Ethereal song of Shields. Martin is both providing light and keeping an eye on the new visitors to the island. There is around a dozen figures or so in total and his seagull can make out that they wear a large cross motif on their chests. He can't determine any more as it is now dark outside.
Nathaniel decides to bodycheck the nearest pew on his side and this knocks over the pew and causes a domino effect on the other ones on that side. This throws up a lot of dust, wood splinters and knocks over a number of the robed figures. Esaranothiel and Case have had their route block and are now engage in combat with some of the robed figures, who are obviously trying to protect it.
Bernard still outside the chapel, begins to interrogate the 'monk' that Case had previously dropped with the crowbar earlier.
Nathaniel, faced with the prospect with five or six opponents in front of him, lights his flaming hands ability and unwittingly causes a localised fireball by igniting all that dust and dry wood in the air around him. This deals with his opponents and because of an attunement he has, he is unaffected by it, except for some singed clothes.
Esaranothiel, Case and Zebediah are still in combat at this point but it is obvious they outclass their opponents and will soon finishes them off.
Esaranothiel, it seems, wants to open the sarcophagus, Case demands why. Esaranothiel admits that he is not sure that it isn't a part of his former master in the sarcophagus, rather a piece of Legion.
Case demands Esaranothiel remembers his training, the particular point of securing ones borders. Esaranothiel reluctantly agrees. Case investigates the hole at the back of the chapel, and it seems to be some sort of tideway.
Meanwhile the interrogation by Bernard has began, however all that Bernard can get out of the zombie is 'Leave this place - Forbidden Ground!' The zombie suddenly produces a dagger and stabs itself in a suicide bid, such is its aversion to tell Bernard the truth. Bernard counters this by casting the Corporeal Song of Healing and heals the zombie's wound with the dagger still in place.
Martin reports that the other group has reached the ruins and are entering the tunnels. Zebediah, in response to this, leaves the chapel to defend the rear of the group.
Bernard is still not getting any joy from the zombie with regards to whom placed the sarcophagus here, and in a pique of anger grabs the dagger still embedded in the zombie and yanks it. Zombie screams in pain, sobbing at the fact that it can't. Nathaniel's innate detection of cruelty kicks in.
A beautiful woman is leading the group of interlopers, Zebediah meets them. She greets him by name. Zebediah attempts to resonate her but fails. She claims to be on a secret mission and her orders were that she was to collect 'the sleeper'. 'Is your mission for..?', Zebediah asks while making a 'L' shape in the air. She nods.
Bernard is getting more frustrated and goes celestial, a loud bang goes the Symphony! The zombie just weeps, partly in pain and partly because of seeing the Seraph in all his glory.
Esaranothiel and Case are still discussing the sarcophagus and it seems that Esaranothiel is losing self control and patience. Nathaniel notes a signal from Case and get ready. Esaranothiel finally snaps and attempts to make a bid for the sarcophagus, but Case, closely followed by Nathaniel are able to knock Esaranothiel unconscious with a few well-placed shots. Case places his body in the entrance of the tide way.
Zebediah is attempting to stall the woman and some of her men, but is forced by the woman who mentions 'his orders' to let her by. They pass the celestial form of Bernard who is at the end of his tether sings the Celestial Song of Light at the zombie. The zombie is past scared but will not say whom he serves.
Within earshot of Bernard, Zebediah asks totally innocently the woman, if she is an servitor of Laurence as well. She becomes decidedly uncomfortable at the question. She changes form and becomes Laurence. .'Oh, so you're Laurence then?' Zebediah continues.
'Yes, I am', Laurence replies. Bernard who is still within earshot hears this and the grating sound of a lie against the Symphony. 'Liar', he screams. Zebediah immediately draws his sword and manages to hit the 'fake' Laurence, thereby proving this Laurence is not real.
Martin warns Case and Nathaniel that 'one of the Finnish lot', is out there. Case rushes to the ensuing combat. Nathaniel retrieves Esaranothiel's body, so he can keep an eye on it and cover the back door.
'Laurence' turns into a large brown bear, this freaks the other men accompanying the woman originally and they run away. Case joins in the fun and between him and Zebediah they are inflicting a lot of damage on the bear. Bernard was still trying to get information out his prisoner, but to no avail. He knocks the zombie out, then returns to his vessel.
The bear begins to shift again, this time into a bird, but as it tries to fly away, Zebediah and Case hit it again and it falls. The bird shifts again back into human form, an old woman. They check for signs of life, she seems dead. This was presumably Louhi, the shape-shifting ethereal and the old woman spotted by Zebediah earlier.
By now, her men are attempting to leave the island by boat and generally get away from the place. However, Martin possesses the boat's engine and sets it into reverse, forcing them to come back. Case rushes outside and is forced to take cover as the men attempt to shoot him as the boat is returning. Case orders them to cease fire and surrender. Somewhat confused and a little annoyed, the men demand who Case is. Case attempts to convince them that their 'leader' wasn't whom she claimed she was and was making them do her dirty work in the Lord's name. They are not buying this, so Martin possesses one of the men and says 'He's right, you know.' This just causes an argument. Martin is also relaying details to those still downstairs and this gives Bernard an idea.
He goes celestial again, with the accompanying bang in the Symphony and then manifests himself in front of the still arguing troops. They immediately recognise him as a Seraph, (as good little soldiers they know their bible), and surrender. They start to pray, kneeling and doing the 'we are not worthy' routine. Case says 'I am with him.'
Once he feels his work is done, Bernard returns to the underground passages, retakes human form and goes back upstairs to help Case escort the troops. The troops start singing hymns as they await further instructions.
Shortly afterwards, there is a 'large' Symphonic disturbance. The Angels immediately know that it is the sort associated with the arrival of a Superior of some sort and the point of arrival was the chapel with the sarcophagus in it. Those topside, rush down to see who it is.
Zebediah, Martin and Nathaniel who are still downstairs, see someone looking like Michael appear in the Chapel. Nathaniel assumes a defensive stance at this sudden entrance and performs a resonance check upon the new arrival. He is almost overwhelmed by the purity of the Archangel of War's being. He relaxes somewhat and greets the newcomer as 'Sir'. Michael instructs him to 'stand at ease.'
Once everyone has assembled in the chapel, Michael asks for a report which is duly given by various members of the group.
Upon hearing an account of Esaranothiel's tale from the group, Michael admits that he was the one who had taken action against him back in the Autumn of 1888, in Whitechapel because of the certain way that Esaranothiel had killed certain 'fallen women', implying that Esaranothiel was Jack the Ripper. He then suggests that the cultists whom had accompanied Louhi could be useful to Laurence. He says this in almost dismissive tones.
Nathaniel asks if the sarcophagus contains a piece of Legion. Michael confirms this, and mentions that it will need to be securely hidden again. A number of the group pick up the word 'again'. He turns to Nathaniel admitting that he was acting on Gabriel's instruction. Michael then mentions that he could use the angels on other 'Legion' related missions particular as already know much about the situation, particularly in dealing with certain Finnish Ethereals.
Something apparently seems to snap in Nathaniel as without warning he attempts to punch Bernard's lights out, only some inspired dodging on Bernard's part save him. Michael grabs the pair of them and demands what is going on. Nathaniel says he is attempting to punish the cruelty of Bernard when he started to torture his prisoner as his Lady demands it. Michael's grip tightens on Bernard and he invites Bernard to explain. Bernard convinces Michael that he believed he had no other opinion. Michael releases the pair, and orders them to have five one hour long discussions over the next week on the topic of cruelty.
Michael chooses to reward the angels for what they had done;
Zebediah - Malakim of War Attunement.
Case - A Katana that appears at will.
Martin - A pistol that appears at will.
Bernard - Access to some of Michael's rites.
Nathaniel - A role of a military doctor, based in Portsmouth.
Michael instructs them to leave the situation and Esaranothiel to him. They then return to Southampton via plane next day.
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Feather And Bone