The Priest, The Beast, and The Dead (story)

[Rabbit]

The Priest, The Beast, and The Dead Story Review

NIGHT ONE

The vampires are called before their prince, Hildric. It seems that a Gangrel pup has been telling secrets to a local friar. The friar has taken it upon himself to send a troubling letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury which could uncover the local vampires.*

Prince Hildric’s agents intercepted the letter but the matter is far from settled. He sends the three vampires to investigate, the friar, the renegade Gangrel, and what became of the vampire Atilla.

The Venture, Coulin convinces the trio to split up. He travels alone to South Shield to seek out his brood-brother Atilla. The Gangrel, Edgar and the Toredor, Galliard travel west to Hexam in search of the friar’s messenger.

Coulin finds some skittish priests and villagers camped on what remains of Atilla’s church haven. The church was burnt down and Atilla was seen (raging with claws and fangs) in a battle with someone as the building caught fire. The remaining priests believe that Atilla was possessed by the devil. Coulin uses his supernatural charm to convince them he is on official business from New Castle (which is a truth of sorts) to investigate the happenings here. In the basement of the burnt church Coulin finds Atilla staked and unmoving. Feeding his ambition Coulin does not hesitate to commit amaranth on his elder and moves a generation closer to Cain. He gains new power as he drinks the last of Atilla’s blood.

Meanwhile, Edgar and Galliard arrive in Hexan and find that all but the innkeeper have retired for the night. Galliard use his powers on the innkeeper to learn the messenger’s room number, and Edgar uses his physical presence (and glowing red eyes!) to cower the messenger into revealing that the rogue friar is hiding in a nameless shepherd village to the south. Edgar leaves the messenger alive but knocks him out for his trouble, and the two vampires head south. Edgar’s mortal servant stays behind to keep an eye on the inn and watch for Coulin. Using his tracking skills Edgar is able to locate the village, but the sun is near rising so the two find a cave in the mountain pass to take shelter until the sun sets again.

Coulin returns to his prince and sire, Hildric, in New Castle to report that Atilla is indeed dead. Coulin leaves the implication plain that Atilla was slain by the friar (and omits that he did not feed upon him), but Hildric never trusted his Saxon born childe. After a very tense conversation Hildric sends Coulin away to continue his mission.

NIGHT TWO

Upon awakening Galliard bids Edgar to wait outside the village while he attempts to handle the friar. Galliard’s knightly appearance and charm convinces Friar Bruno that he has been sent by the archbishop. The two leave the village alone where Galliard reveals the friar’s prayers have not been answered after all. Attempting to talk to the friar into swearing off his quest, even offering to pay his passage to Scotland fails. Galliard, the dutiful knight, turns to butchery as he cuts down the priest in a drawn out and bloody murder.

Coulin arrives in Hexam to find that Edgar’s human servant is being detained by some local sellswords. News of “demon possession” in South Shield has reached the town and the locals are nervous. So when the friar’s messenger came into the common room speaking of a red eyed devil in his room last night some were more inclined to believe him. Edgar and Galliard’s sudden disappearance the night before did not go unnoticed.

For a time Coulin was unable to enter the inn. A large fire blazing in the common room was too much for his vampiric fear of flame to overcome. Eventually, he made his way into the inn and used his powers to dominate the messenger’s mind. The simple command “lie” was his undoing. “I AM drunk… no, I AM drunk… I’m telling the truth! I’M DRUNK!” With Edgar’s servant in tow (and a talkative stable boy for a guide) Coulin made his way towards the shepherd village.

The three vampires reunite outside the village and leave the stable boy behind with a reluctant village elder.

Heading north into the Northunder Woods the three vampires begin their hunt for the renegade Gangrel. Hours of hunting prove fruitless and the group is ambushed by three bandits who thought they found some easy prey. The vampires set upon the mortals, but Galliard is cut down and sent into torpor. After the battle died down Coulin brought a dying bandit to Galliard and the taste of blood awoke the vampire into a blood frenzy.

The remaining bandit presented a wooden cross and begged for his life, “Please by the saint of the wood, mercy.” Coulin dispenses justice and cuts each of the bandit’s throats.

The hour grows late and the Gangrel’s trail is cold.

[Rabbit]

*the letter from Friar Bruno to the Archbishop (intercepted by Prince Hildric's agents)

To Baldwin of Forde, the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury;

Forgive me. I know I am but a humble friar and I am out of order writing you directly, but I dare say I would have written His Holy Father in Rome if I thought the letter would safely reach him. The salvation of the entire world may be at risk.

I shall start at the beginning.

This past winter a member of my flock, a boy by the name of Geoffrey, came to me in the night. This was quite the surprise as Geoffrey had gone missing some five years earlier. The boy who now stood before me had changed. He called himself a devil, but he used a word new to me. He called himself Gangrel. At first I laughed thinking the poor boy was playing some dark game, but the way he looked at me sent a shiver through my soul.

My Grace, Geoffrey has become one of the damned! Through tears of blood he begged me to hear his Confession. He told me things. Terrible things I cannot bare to put in writing. But let me say this. Geoffrey is not alone. The damned are many and they walk among mortal men!

When I still doubted Geoffrey he bid me go to South Shield. He told me of a Church on a hill hiding a monster within its crypt. I did as Geoffrey asked and went to go see for myself. I uncovered the devil while it slept in the daylight hours. Foolishly, I roused it and a terrible battle followed. The creature tore at my flesh, but it was weak and sluggish having been awakened from its unholy day-sleep. By the grace of God I pierced its heart, sending it back into the arms of Satan! The people of South Shield drew near having heard the demon’s wailing death throes. Fearing the mob I fled into the wilds.

I know what I say sounds beyond imagining. I wish I could disbelieve this terrible truth, but I cannot. I have come too far and looked too deep. After the ordeal in South Shield I returned to Haltwhistle and confessed all to Geoffrey. He laughed in a wicked way which haunts me still. Before fleeing back into the Northunder Wood he warned me to leave our village. “Others will come for you.” he said.

I fear that I will now be hunted, but I shall not cower.
I have been set on a new road and I await your guidance. You can contact me at Hexam. I have a messenger there by the name of Paul. He awaits word from you at the Crossroads Inn. He can be trusted and will reach me when the time has come.

God’s mercy be upon us all,
Friar Bruno of Haltwhistle

[Rabbit]

NIGHT THREE

Heading deeper into the Northunder Wood the vampires where able to follow a trail to a camp that was little more than a flimsy hut and a lean-to. The women living there were startled when three strangers emerged from the forest, but they tried to out on a brave facade. Using his intuition and vampiric powers Galliard saw they were no threat, but the cuts on their arms suggested they may be more than just woodland peasants. Coulin added his Presence to influence one of the women who seemed overwhelmed by the two vampires’ enchantments.

Unable or unwilling to resist she led the three vampires to a grove in the woods were she said they conducted night mass for the “Saint of the Wood.” Sure they found the renegade Gangrel’s trail they sent the woman back to her camp.

“You aren’t supposed to be here!” the boy vampire, Geoffrey shouted from a hiding place in the trees. When the vampire from New Castle refused to leave the Gangrel turned their horses against them. The horse bite at their master then fled into the forest. Undeterred Galliard and Coulin closed in on Geoffrey while Edgar took to hacking apart the wooden cross at the center of the grove, and centerpiece of Geofrey’s “church.” The brief battle ended with Geoffrey slain and the cross demolished.

The vampires were able to find shelters in the forest before making the long march back to New Castle. Prince Hildric seems satisfied after the three report back with the results. Though he orders Coulin to have some men rout out the remaining “bandits” in the woods and have them hung. No loose ends.

Post Story Events: The Rumor Mill

The rumors are still pouring in from South Shield. Priests making claims their supior was demon possessed and murdered as their church burned down was followed by one of the priests hanging himself. This has lead to a rash of witch burnings.

A young man apparently went mad on the road near Hexam. Claiming the devil came to him in the night. He was found in the South Moors having butchered a priest most gruesomely. Some whisper that he might have been right about the devil after all.

Lord Aiden, the Earl of New Castle has given a decree in order to stifle the fears circulating the country side. All acts of heresy are punishable by death, this includes practicing the Saxon pagan faith native to Britain. Anyone accused of such heresy is to be delivered to New Castle where they will stand trial. Witch burnings unauthorized by the Bishop of New Castle is a crime against the crown and church.

Experience
Edgar 8
Galliard 8
Coulin 13 (five extra for gaining a generation through Amarath)