Session 14 - November 20 - November 23 4005AD

The Knights and Brother Godfrey pushed on from Rande Shire village heading in a direction they presumed was the Northeast, following a trail higher up into the hills of Sekbridge. As they fled they could hear autowagons arriving in the village below. Brother Godfrey was barely able to keep his footing, being supported by Sir Ben. After about an hour on the trail he fell unconscious again and they carried him until they reached a clearing where they could rest. Sir Alden was fearful that the Inquisition would be right behind them. They rested and Brother Godfrey performed the Rite of Regain Strength while basking int he sunlight and within an hour he was ready to push on. The trail took them up higher to a lake nestled in the high hills with a run-down hunter's cabin but Alden, feeling dogged, insisted they pushed on. The trail turned downhill into the thicker parts of the jungle and almost immediately it began to pour rain down on the team. They quickly started losing the light and folks were talking about making camp but Sir Ian insisted that stopping without shelter would only worsen their situation. Alden monitored his squawker to see if he could pick up any signal and he was able to pick up bits and pieces of someone talking about following a trail and concern it would be lost in the rain. Uzilo was especially concerned about the cold weather. His warming doublet was still running but his fusion cell was low and without a replacement the cold weather would make it hard for him to go on. He agreed that they needed to move on deeper into the ravine. Brother Godfrey believed they were close to the border with Molovko but he couldn't be certain with so much of the canopy of the trees obstructing his view. Alden decided that they would push on as long as they were able.

They reached the bottom of the ravine and found a narrow river that looked a bit dicey. With a little scouting around they found a fallen tree that had been used as a bridge and one at a time they crossed the river then discovered a path leading up the other side of the ravine. Climbing out of the ravine after hours of rain proved to be much harder. Both Uzilo and Alden took a spill while climbing and nearly tumbled down into the wooden ravine, Anden hammered himself on some of the rocks on the trail falling down but his armor protected him. By sunset they reached the other side of the Ravine feeling exhausted and they found the trail split going up one side of the ridge and down the other. Alden reasoned that fresh water and roads would be down and they followed the path down the ridge for about two hours until Hildi and Sir Ben were falling down exhausted. They huddled together at the based of a tree and tried to stay warm in the storm and sleep until morning.

Late in the night they heard a woman's voice over the squarker talking about kittens. With some work Alden tuned it in and heard his own sister broadcasting that she had lost her kittens and had anyone seen them. He responded that all of her kittens were found and he just needed to know where to bring them. Chelsea told him to move to where he could see the sky and as he positioned himself under a rainy opening in the canopy he could barely spot the glimmer of fire arcing above the trees and the voice on the squawker asked "Do you have the mark?". Alden smiled exhausted and rallied everyone to their feet, concerned about who else might see the signal shots. He got everyone backtracking up the trail, stopping every 30 minutes or so to call for another signal arrow. With the dawn barely tinting the sky the group could see half a dozen figures moving through the brush, hironem bundled against the weather. Uzilo held the others back and approached them. Speaking in Hironem he found that they served the Seashell (Alden's family-line heraldic device) and they were looking for the brother and his men. There was a collective cheer as the soaked and exhausted escapees were led off the trail into the interior woods and finally to Abraham's Western village 3. Chelsea embraced her bothers and got everyone into the headman's house to warm up in front of the fire.

In about an hour the sun was up and Chelsea loaded the knights, Brother Godfrey and her poor cousin Hildi into her autowagon and drove through the wind and the rain back to Hendleridge. Sir Ian insisted he remain behind at the village attempting to contact stragglers on his squawker, assuring them he would catch up. Once there she had the servants get everyone in a room. While everyone was filing exhaustively into guest rooms Thaddius Hendle VanGelder caught Alden in the halls and told him he needed to have a word with him, not urgently but before he departed. Alden showed Uzilo to his room and let the sore alien have a hot shower in his own private bath. Uzilo was astounded that not only was he just allowed to have as long and hot of a shower as he liked but that after 30 minutes of soaking in steamy hot water the shower hadn't run cold. By the time he got out of the shower Alden and the others had fallen asleep throughout the house so he found a quiet chair to curl up on under his warming doublet and he nodded off warm and happy.

Alden woke first as usual. His gene-tinkering made most nights short but beyond that he never slept well in his father's house, sleeping the day away only made that harder. He roamed the halls of Hendleridge noting how different it looked since his mother's passing. Alden found his father Thaddius at work in his study, immersed in stacks of parchment, tracing columns in his big old logbooks with his finger. As Alden cleared his throat Thaddius lifted his face from his work, looking so much older than just weeks ago. He smiled tiredly and invited his son into the office for the purpose of formality and began digging through papers for a long wooded box which he opened to display a vibro saber of remarkable quality, etched in antique fashion and bearing the family crest. "It was your Great Grandfather's, the sword that won us this land. I don't know if I ever told you but he rode to the rescue of Graff Octavious in the war." Thaddius said in a voice that sounded like a presentation "I've been unpacking a lot of the family heirlooms in your mother's passing. My father, your grandfather wore it rarely. He didn't care for the weight of it. I wore it when I entered military service but I had no talent for the sword and I ended up shipping it home for fear I'd lose it in the war. I can't give it to your sister as she's tapped for a life without swords. I want you to have it son." Alden wasn't stunned by the logic but the gesture made him teary-eyed. He took the sleek curved weapon in hand and admired it before returning it to it's fitted box, thanking his father.

Brother Godfrey was dreaming of a ride in a flitter, gliding smoothly into a thunderstorm, rain pelting the windshield and streaming across the glass as he flew. The flitter sat down on a cloudy embankment and instantly the drops of water covering it began to shrink and evaporate as it's miraculous technology dried itself. Suddenly there was an alarm on the display as a fuel indicator started to blink and buzz at Godfrey. He wasn't familiar with technology of this sort and couldn't figure out how to solve the issue as the alarm grew louder, suddenly filtering into the bleating of his alarm clock as he woke.

As Uzilo and the rest of the party awoke late in the afternoon and were pulled together around the table for a light dinner. Sir Ian had arrived but he hadn't manage to round up Lord Gunther, Sir Altier or Lady Willemeena. A discussion was had about how to handle the inquisition and it was generally agreed that the knights would play dumb to the announcement of any interdiction, claim that they were pursuing their duties rescuing VanGelder hostages and didn't see any sigh of the occult. Chelsea announced that she was driving back into the city with Hendleridge's only available autowagon and anyone who wanted a ride would want to be ready after the dinner.

Brother Godfrey was especially upset that the church would be lied to and he tried to reason with Alden after the meeting but Alden wouldn't be dissuaded and he made it clear that Godfrey would have to lie to the Church for the sake of his family. Chelsea approached the pair as they bickered under their breath frowning darkly "While we're on the topic I'm afraid we're going to have to talk about Hildi. We're going to have to hand her over to The Inquisition." Both brothers were stunned that Chelsea would turn her own blood over to uncertain extreme punishment but she clarified "She's a person of interest in an Antimonist investigation, if we try to shield her from The Inquisition, it will only draw their suspicion on the family, on Molovko, and on your order. We must, much as it sits poorly in our hearts, give them our cousin. This isn't a debate. You know in your heart we have no choice." Chelsea left her brothers scowling in the hallway as she moved to check on the autowagon.

The ride back to the city was dire. It rained most of the way with four knights, Uzilo and Brother Godfrey huddled in the back of an open cargo bed, none of them terribly happy with how the rescue panned out. Sir Ben to his credit tried to get them to sing a song or two but eventually they all dozed off as the old autowagon sailed through the night. In the dark of the morning Chelsea pulled over at Henningholm Manor and lets Sir Ben and Sir Ian out. Alden found out no news had been heard from Lord Marshal Gunther and the others left in Sekbridge. Exhausted, Alden he climbed back into the Autowagon and Uzilo took the wheel for the last 100 miles to Sokol, driving uncomfortably in a cab that reeked of sleeping human females.

The group rolled into Sokol with the rising sun and Uzilo was dropped off at his shop. Back at Hildi's townhouse Maid Ava was extatic to have her Mistress returned and fussed over her endlessly. Later she embraced Alden and called him a 'hero' for returning Hildi. Alden walked his brother back to the cathedral where Brother Godfrey and exhausted as they were they sat in the Bishop's offices until she would see them. After nearly falling asleep on the uncomfortable bench in the Sacrosanct the Bishop's assistant invited them into the Bishop's office.

The Bishop arrived some few minutes later talking on a squawker about the issue in Sekbridge and having some not-so-pleasant things to say about Lady Aria's questionable outlook on Antimony. She apologized for her poor manners and sat across from the brothers. Godfrey began first, cagily asking if there were a situation where the Church could offer protection for Hildi if she were a hostage of a cult. The Bishop listened attentively and explained that she has no authority over the Inquisition and she has limited legal experience but she agrees that allowing the Inquisitor to interview Hildi is the only sane option. She didn't feel that Hildi was in a precarious position with the church but she'd be happy to arrange a meeting with an Eclesiastic Legal Specialist that the Cathedral retains if Brother Godfrey was nervous. Both brothers agreed to the idea and the Bishop said she'd arrange a meeting for the following day for Alden, Brother Godfrey and Hildi.

Uzilo woke feeling pretty good about himself despite some cuts and bruises from destroying the gates at Sekbridge Keep. He got a warm shower and started the fires in his workshop, preparing to build up some stock products. As he was working a younger Hironem wearing the NLO band on his bicep leaned into his doorway and looked around the shop "Are you Uzilo?". Uzilo had dealt with NLO soldiers many times before but it always made him a bit defensive "I am, what's your name?" The soldier introduced himself as Tawn. He said he was trying to remove a stump and was told that Uzilo knows how to get stumps out easy. Uzilo asked him how big the stump was and Tawn told him it was 100 sticks. Uzilo was less that pleased with what the NLO were going to do with 100 blasting sticks and he wanted to ask if anyone lived on the stump but he didn't think he could afford to spook the NLO he told Tawn he charges a Crest per stick and he needs half in advance for materials. Tawn counted out a big stack of firebirds, they shook hands, and Uzilo took a walk around the neighborhood to get some of the local Hironem collecting materials for him.

Alden woke after a short rest on Hildi's Couch, he left a note for his cousin that they would be meeting with a church advocate the following morning and he'd come round to escort her. He also wrote a letter to little Emily, concerned that he may be unable to write her for some time. He packed up the things he had left at Hildi's home and moved them to his waterfront garage then he made a comfortable space and

Brother Godfrey woke a bit later in the day, feeling like he was coming down with something. He found some coffee and prowled the work halls until he tracked down Initiate Gans. After their previous talk Gans had come to understand that any pitiful chance for advancement or opportunity depended on his willingness to forget Gans had stolen their Per Diem on the trip to Elibyrge. When they met this time Gans was quick to offer Brother Godfrey updates on the various tournament projects that he had left sitting idly and advised him of upcoming appointments with the tapestry maker and the Sokol Tourney Council. Godfrey was pleased with his investment of intimidation and began to see actual potential in young Initiate Ganz despite his lack of backbone and simple wit. He went to dinner with the tapestry maker to review the final construction on the proof banner and again he was pleased with the work. If only keeping his brother from doing something stupid were so easy as running the Cathedral he mused.

The following morning Alden woke, practiced with the sword before dawn, armored up and collected his cousin Hildi, driving them both to the Cathedral. They were intercepted at the gates by a nervous Initiate who hurried them into the sacrosanct under the Cathedral and into a small room off of the black hallway. Shortly after they settled down Brother Godfrey arrived looking considerably less nervous than the two Van Gelder, he wasn't afraid of Church or it's watchdog. Surprisingly the next person to arrive was Godfrey's tutor Lord Benito Levasque Torenson.

The elderly lesser noble smiled graciously as he took a seat at the table and made pleasantries with those there, explaining that one of his subjects of expertise is ecclesiastic law and he often takes on these little jobs when the Church would rather not rely on the Reeves. He went over the process the of the investigation, that the inquisitor would talk with each of them without inquisitional bond and he would be beside them to advise them of their legal writ. When Lord Benito asked if he could have an overview of the case everyone seemed a bit stumped what to share so the lord flashed a grandfatherly smile "Hey, I'm your ally in this fight and you've a strong ally. Just share with me what I need to fight your battles.. Were you involved in the activity of this Cult Hildi?" Hildi recoiled but Alden explained she was a prisoner, forced to do labor for the cult. Benito smiled "That's nothing you need to feel ashamed of.. were any of you exposed to any proscribed devices or theurgies?" They looked at each other uncomfortably and slowly they began to describe the details of Hildi's capture, imprisonment and rescue. Benito assured them throughout that nothing they admitted to was against Church law or at best could be said to be actions they were coerced into. Benito concluded to explain that they would receive a summons and when that happens just notify him of the time and he'd be at their side.

Alden Hildi and Brother Godfrey left the meeting feeling good about their prospects. Alden drove Hildi back to her home only to find one of the white Inquisitional autowagons parked in front of her home. A pair of armored church knights approached them, confirmed their names and explained they were to be taken under Inquisitional Bond, they would surrender any arms and come with them. They were driven back to the Cathedral and escorted discretely into the Bishop's manor, down the stairs into a sort of dungeon where they were separated and locked into comfortable cells. Looking around at the clothes and books in his room Alden was bemused to discover he was in the cell that recently held Andre Decados.

As Brother Godfrey heard word of his Brother's arrest he quickly set out to Lord Benito's home only to be stopped at the gates by a famegun wielding knight he was apparently waiting him "You, what's your name.." he was rarely so tempted to lie but Brother Godfrey admitted "I am Brother Godfrey." The Inquisition knight nodded "You're with me.." escorting him back to his cell where he was locked inside without explanation.

Morning came to find Uzilo checking on a large batch of  sodium carbonate. He got his shop running and prepared to separate some solutions when he was called on by a man introducing himself as Ser Iker Martzel Basque. Ser Iker was in need of help. His physik had evacuated because of the impeding storm and he needed to know if Uzilo had any sort of painkillers, his bandaged chest apparent through his open doublet. Uzilo didn't keep medicines around and had little experience crafting drugs. He suggested the noble see someone from the Alchemist's Cartel but Iker was insistent he needed medicine quickly, he asked if Uzilo could process Goquaine. Uzilo flushed and smiled, knowing well he could figure it out but conveniently he explained "Yes, but who can find Goqua, Right? Iker fished a pouch out from around his neck and handed it to Uzilo. Uzilo smelled the pungent pouch before pulling it open to reveal a half pound of shredded Goqua plant, still damp from the vine. The lesser Lord then planted a little tower of 10 FB on the counter. Uzilo didn't like working for Nobles in the first place and  he didn't want to be caught up in the madness that surrounds Goquaine, but in his experience when an alien pisses off a noble, even a lesser one, it doesn't work out for the alien. He swept it under the counter, hiding his surprise "I should have your medicine ready tomorrow Ser Iker Martzel Basque.."

Alden slept restlessly without clock or window, pacing his cell and staring at the ceiling. At some point he heard Hildi shrieking in protest as she was taken away. He shouted fecklessly through the closed iron cell door but her captors showed no interest in his angry protests. Hours later the same armored and armored knights came for him, starved and sleep deprived, dragging him to the small dark interview room under the Cathedral. He was shown in to find Inquisitor Barnes with a pair of his assistance operating high tech equipment. The inquisitor drank his tea and explained that they would begin shortly while he very obviously perused a folder of Alden's details. Suddenly the door behind him opened and in walked Lord Benito Levasque Torenson with a bulging valise of papers. He sat beside Alden and chided the inquisitor "Your men failed to alert me again that you're questioning my clients.. One could think you're trampling their rights.." Barnes smiled and shook his head "We were simply waiting on your arrival Lord-Advocate, let's begin.."

Inquisitor Barnes began with some establishing questions about weather Alden was in Stone Harbor on the 13th of November and again on the 16th, if he was there on the business of the Knights of the Blue Glove. Barnes asked if Alden knowingly violated the Inquisitional Edict of Interdiction in Sekbridge and immediately Alden felt Lord Benito's hand on his shoulder as the elderly noble leaned in "Inquisitor that question is prejudicial, it presupposes that if my client is now aware of The Inquisition's Edict that he was at the time of his entry into Sekbridge Fief.." The Inquisitor raised a brow at Alden's advocate and rephrased the question "At the time of your entry, were you aware of the Interdiction" and again Benito's hand pressed gently at Alden's shoulder "I'm afraid I must interject once more, Eclesiastic law makes no distinction of whether or not my client violated Interdiction through intent or error, asking him if he was aware at the time only serves to implicate him if this matter is heard in the Noble Courts. With regret and by Chapter and Verse my client must refuse to answer based on clause of Self-Incrimination Externus." Inquisitor Barnes leaned back in his chair, his assistants trading nervous looks. And on it went, questions seeming innocuous were routinely challenged by Alden's advocate until the only answers he provided were yes or no responses to the most inconsequential details. After about 25 minutes of testing the Inquisitors patience with legal precedent Barnes asked his assistants to leave the room, he looked at Alden and said "This is an formal interview, there are risks to you if you make a statement that incriminates you. I am questioning you in the hopes of learning information that will stop dangerous church criminals that pose a threat to the safety of everyone in this valley. I am going to ask you, against your best interest, to dismiss your counsel for the remainder of the interview.." Alden felt a lump in his throat and turned to Lord Benito, thanking him for his help and asking him to wait outside. Lord Benito left with quiet protest, eyeing the Inquisitor distrustfully.

Inquisitor Barnes thanked Alden and poured him a glass of water from the pitcher on the table and they continued alone in the small interview room. Barnes resumed his questions. This time, to his word, he kept his focus specifically on the cult, their numbers and assets and any signs of supernatural corruption Alden witnessed. Alden was cautious but candid, volunteering information beyond what was asked. The interview went on for over an hour of stressful exchanges with Inquisitor Barnes furiously writing in his notebook as they talked. When he concluded Barnes wrapped up his notebook and politely asked that Alden steer clear of the investigation and allow the Inquisition to do their work. He told him in a lecturing tone that Interdiction serves to protect the innocent and sinner alike and his interference in Inquisitional action may have doomed as many lives as it saved. Alden was already on edge from being interrogated by an Inquisitor and Barnes's tone just made him snap "Well if you did YOUR JOB we wouldn't have had to go into Sekbridge.." Barnes scowled but seemed to nod in acknowledgement. He stood and knocked at the door of the room, calling on the Knights of Lexitus who brought Alden to the interrogation "Please return to prisoner to his cell, we've finished." Alden chaffed at the dismissal "For how long??" Barnes turned to face him with a dispassionate expression "You violated Interdiction in an Antimony investigation. You seem to be innocent of any wrongdoing but I'm going to hold you until my investigation is complete in case new evidence comes to light.. I know it seems excessive, but it -is- my job..". Barnes didn't smile or mock Alden, didn't even look at him as the Knights of Lexitus dragged him back to his cell.

Brother Godfrey had been woken and brought to the sancrosanct to wait his turn to be interviewed and was waiting in the hall for his brother's interview to finish. As the knights dragged Alden out he went to Inquisitor Barnes Immediately "Inqusitior? I'm Cannon Godfrey. May I ask why Alden Hendle VanGelder is being held?". The Inquisitor was packing his things briskly "It's a lesson in humility before The Chuch Cannon, a lesson I'd suggest you take to heart.." as he glanced at Godfrey the Inquisitor's brows creased "You're the young man who saved me after the Demon Attacked aren't you?". Godfrey smiled, feeling blessed "I am Inquisitor, I was only doing my part.." The inquisitor pulled an old leather backpack over his shoulder and walked out "I won't need to interview you Cannon, if you wish you may submit an affidavit in writing.. you and your sister are released from bond.." and he walked away from Brother Godfrey.

Uzilo had had remarkable success improvising a recipe for the notoriously difficult to process Goquaine and produced several ounces of the glittering white powder. While he worked to catch up making blasting rods he spotted a shady looking human outside his shop, a strange sight in the rural Hironem neighborhood. Uzilo wasn't paranoid by nature but sitting on a tidy sum of Goquaine and a cook of nitro make him positively anxious. As Uzilo continued to work and keep an eye on the human on the street he was joined by Ser Iker, come to pick up his medicine. Iker walked in with a smile and asked to see the results and Uzilo presented the small cardboard box of white powder. To his surprise Ser Iker pulled a drinking glass from his pocket and a little squeeze bottle that he presumed was an activator. He sponned a tiny portion of the Goquaine into the glass and irrigated it then pulled out a multi-scanner and he checked the chemical composition of the Goquaine before smiling at the shady looking freeman who was now smoking a cigarette and leaning against the door of Uzilo's shop. Ser Iker smiled at Uzilo "This is fine work Uzilo, you're an artist.. I'd like you to make more.." Uzilo felt a little sick, he had gotten lucky producing a small batch but he was no apothecary. He wanted to refuse but looking between Iker and his friend he wasn't sure that was an option, so he did what any guilder does when they don't want work "Artists starve, I'm an alchemist.. lets talk price.." Iker nodded "Two birds for three ounces, you carry the loss on any damaged product, our product goes to the head of your line whenever we bring it in.." Uzilo smiled confidently, any man who negotiates can be tipped over into a no "Your product takes twice my attention to make, Bird per ounce and you carry the loss, you've tested me as a professional and you know my losses will be necessary. I can put you ahead of everything else as long as you're paying my bills. If you do less than 50 Firebird a month I set my priorities.." Iker didn't hesitate "Done.." he snapped his fingers before Uzilo could think and the seedy looking freeman by the door march over and dropped a sling bag on his counter with an audible thump. Uzilo opened up the bag and found what must have been almost thirty pounds of fresh cut Goqua. As he stared at Ser Iker in unabashed astonishment the lesser noble gave him a little salute and walked out of his shop "See you in three days Uzilo." All at once he realized he wasn't dealing with some drug peddling upstarts, he was now a part of the Goquaine Cartel.

:This is our last session for a while as we switch between games. We'll likely be posting new sessions sometime after Spring 2017. Stay clear of the Shadows:

Session 13 - November 16 - November 20 5002AD

:This session we had a sit-in player from a previous Fading Suns game. Since I had Uzilo completely statted out I let him pick up the character and play him through this game session. The results were amusing so I wanted to credit Uzilo as a player character in this post:

Brother Godfrey pulled on the wheel of the autowagon as it bucked over the driveway into Stone Harbor, careening towards the little militia shack that stood next to the toll gate for the road leading into Sekbridge. He threw the wheel and skidded nearly perfectly into place as the autowagon behind him swerved and skidded into position behind him, forming a fortification around the shack. As the dust cleared two knights rushed into the guard house and dragged out a single militiaman, pinning him to the ground while others took up positions with guns ready. However, Stone Harbor remained unimpressed and silent. Candle light flickered in windows but there was no clear sign of any human presence midday in a highway town.

Brother Godfrey exited the Autowagon and moved towards the prisoner, crouching over him because everyone was crouched down "I'm going to ask you some questions and your answers are going to have a big impact on your life.. What's your name?" The guard introduced himself as Boarz. Boarz was initially hesitant until Uzilo wordlessly unloaded a crate full of bottles with warning labels on them and rested it on the ground next to Boarz's head, then he was a font of helpful information. Boarz maintained that he was just an innocent militiaman. He didn't know where the other militia or the Sgt were but he believed they'd be found in the pub. He politely cautioned against moving into Sekbridge where there would surely be more militia and inquisition. Boarz insisted he knew nothing about a cult, that it was some trumped-up nonsense the Inquisition was talking about and the men in red the brothers saw were likely the Orthodox clergymen who lived in Sekbridge Village. The militiaman seemed convinced of his story but Godfrey didn't buy into his tone so he head Sir Ian bind him with a pair of shackles from the guard shed and secure him to the bed of the autowagon.

Alden took the lead with Lady Willemeena and Sir Ben, searching the other buildings in the village. After clearing the empty periphery buildings they approached the tavern. Willemeena called the trio to a stop and suggested that there was nothing to gain from searching the Tavern, either they'd find no threat and it would be time wasted or they'd find a confrontation that wouldn't yield any VanGelder hostages. Alden thought the matter over and pulled them back to the autowagons.

Sir Altier threw the simple gate bar from it's moorings to clear the road and everyone boarded their autowagons with Alden taking a seat in the cargo bed of the lead autowagon to have a word with militiaman Boarz and Sir Ian and Lady Willemeena joining Brother Godfrey and Uzilo in the trailing autowagon. Uzilo wasn't very comfortable with the female knight hovering over him. It's not that he disliked females but something about human woman stink just put him on edge. In seconds they lurched into motion and we're tearing down the muddy roads of Sekbridge fief, driving deeper into the dark swampy jungles. Brother Godfrey was tailing the other autowagon well until he turned into a muddy shoulder and his autowagon slid of the road into the brush. Nobody was injured but it took some time to get back on the road. Uzilo took the wheel while Godfrey tried to raise the lead autowagon. Alden wanted to turn back, but with the sun fleeting from the sky deep in Antimonist country, Sir Altier convinced Alden that they must push on and hope his brother and the others will catch up quickly.

Just before sunset Alden's autowagon rolled into the township of Eden Prairie in the rocky highlands of the fief. The town had been destroyed, it's buildings gutted by fire. Alden could see signs of gunfire in the remains of the buildings. As Brother Godfrey and Uzilo drove up into town behind the lead autowagon he spotted the burnt wreckage of a large autowagon plowed into one of the buildings, he couldn't be sure if it was one of the Inquisition's vehicles. Uzilo noticed a chilling disturbance in the Szu of the area, as if multiple people had been altering flow of wyrd here recently. While the autowagons parked next to one another so the Knights of the Blue Glove could debate what should be done, a pair of figures appeared from behind one of the burnt buildings wearing the black and white robes of the inquisition.

The men approached the autowagons, cradling Martech Defender Blaster Rifles "Hold!" called out one of the men "Lower your weapons and produce papers.." he added with a smug confidence.  The inquisitor introduced himself as Sir Kemp, Knight Penitent of The Inquisition, and said his associate was Knight Penitent Fox. Fox was much less chatty and more dubious of the autowagons full of knights, taking up position behind them and watching. Kemp explained that the Inquisitor left them to guard Eden Prairie while he took the rest of his retinue to deal with the trouble in Snopa Pass and nobody would be permitted through. Alden explained their mission and pleaded ignorance of any Inquisitorial interdiction in Sekbridge but Sir Kemp wasn't having it, insisting that Alden and his men produce their papers impatiently. Fox made his way between the autowagons giving each person's valise of papers a casual inspection before handing them back. Sir Ian looked confused and climbed out of the autowagon to speak with Kemp "Look we're not hoping to be trouble Knight Penitent, we're honestly just not sure where we're going.. do you have a map?". Sir Altier shifted uncomfortably and began watching the Inquisition Knights movements suspiciously. Alden had dealt with Church knights much of his life but never had one called him "Sir Alden" They always referred to him is "Knight" as if to infer that he wasn't their peer. He too climbed out of the autowagon and approached Kemp. Brother Godfrey noticed tensions rising all around him and stood up to try to calm things but before he could speak Sir Ian drew his shotgun from behind the cover of his map and drove the barrel into Knight Kemp's face while Altier slammed the door of The Order's Autowagon into Knight Fox's back launching him face-first into Lady Willemeena's armored soleret, and within seconds the ambushed knights were pinned in the mud.

Godfrey shouted at the knights "Stop this! Violence against the Inquisition will spell your doom!" Alden leveled his broadsword at Kemp's throat "No church knight calls a noble 'sir'". Sir Ian added "If we broke an interdiction these men would have shot first and checked our papers after we stopped moving.." Altier added "Inquisitors don't have work callouses on their hands.." Uzilo, not wanting to seem like he caught by surprise, added "These men are wearing farmer's boots.." Godfrey was pissed at being made a fool of. He jumped out of the autowagon he was riding and walked over to Kemp, resting his foot on the man's groin "I'm going to ask you some questions and your answers will have a big impact on your life... peasant Kemp.."

Kemp stubbornly insisted on his story that he was an inquisition knight despite his panicky flopsweat. Finally Brother Godfrey decided that he didn't have time for this and he cast the Rite of Strike with Awe, touching Kemp's brow with a glowing hand and flooding his senses with the majesty of the Pancreator. The may not have been intended for interrogation but it worked perfectly. Kemp was so dazed by the Majesty of creation that he blithely answered questions without thought of deception. Kemp admitted he wasn't with the inquisition and that he and Fox had stolen their robes and weapons from fallen Inquisitorial retinue. He told them plainly that lady Hildi and her fiance were kept in Randeshire where she was producing munition and that the cult knew Alden and his knights were coming and a deadly trap waits him there. Also he disclosed that the Lady of Sekbridge and her knights are locked in the Dungeons of Sekbridge Keep. Once Godfrey had finished with his productive interrogation Sir Altier asked if they were taking the other cultists with them. Godfrey responded with an indifferent shrug but realized only a second too late what was being asked as Altier ripped the throat of Fox out with his kossak chain-sword and as he turned to complain to Alden his brother had stabbed Kemp through with his Broadsword. Stunned, Godfrey climbed back into his autowagon.

There was a brief discussion of what the next move would be as the two cultists were stripped and shoved into a ditch. While the knights agreed that the VanGelder hostages were the priority they decided there would be no gain to driving into a trap, so they mounted up and drove deeper into the swampy lowlands as the sun set, following the road to Sekbridge Keep.

Late into the dark hours of the morning the curve of the road brought them to a small town that Brother Godfrey recognized as Sekbridge Port where they had first fought these cultists. They turned off the running lights on the autowagons and secured Boarz after interrogating him briefly about the Keep. The troupe, laden with armor and weapons, did their best to quietly ascend the treacherous cliffside road that wound up to the gates of the keep in nearly complete darkness. Once they had reached the rocky outcropping a few dozen yards from the gates that they had used to spy on the keep before they hatched a battle plan; Uzilo and Brother Godfrey, being the least noisy would sneak up to the gates and blow them open while the knights kept watch over them with longarms. The walk to the gates seemed to take forever and once they were just a few yards from the gates they heard a voice up on the wall say "Hey, shut up.. did you hear something?" Uzilo and Godfrey crept tightly against the wall as the guard above shone his lantern over the top of the wall, searching for voices he heard in the dark "Hey seriously, I think someone's out here.." Uzilo set the charge quickly believing he or Brother Godfrey could be spotted at any moment. Back at the rock Alden and Willemeena tracked the guard with the lantern in their sights, ready to drop him. Uzilo planted his charge and shoved Godfrey back into the cliff wall as Godfrey quickly cast the right of Shielding. With a tug of the primer string the gates erupted in fire and splinters injuring both Godfrey and Uzilo. The guard on the wall was thrown to the grown by the blast and the knights charged towards wall to the Keep's Courtyard.

The knights of the Blue Glove charged in at the wall, taking cover at the still smoking doorway to the keep's courtyard. They traded fire with one of the guards who was trapped outside of the keep, their gunshots punching holes in the old masonry of the fortress. Alden took a reckless chance, charging the low wall the cultist was hiding behind with his sword. Unfortunately as he came up over the wall to slash the cultist he found the man ready with rifle aimed. His slash was deflected by the cultists chainmail and the rifle shot punched a hole through Alden's duraplast breastplate and dropped him nearly dead in the courtyard. The other knights and Brother Godfrey rushed in as the cultist reloaded, Willemeena's armored form crushed atop bleeding Alden to shield him from another shot. The cultist put an armor-piercing bullet into Altier's chest as well but grazing shot didn't stop the knight from cutting him down with his buzzing Kossak chainsword. The knights secured the compound and tried to find a way into the keep other than it's heavy armored doors. Sir Ian performed first aid on Alden and he was able to get up and around but he was still badly wounded. Uzilo carefully placed a breaking charge on the doors to the keep while he was covered by knights keeping careful watch on the keep's firing ports right above the door.

With another successful Uzilo detonation the keep's heavy oak doors fell in and Sir Ian and Lady Willemena lead the charge to clean out the last of the hiding cultists with a hail of gunfire. Alden and Sir Ben joined the search for remaining cultists and after a stressful search of the dank cramped keep they discovered Lady Aria Turrian Decados locked in her own Dungeon along with her knights, guards, and most of her household staff. Lady Sekbridge immediately took charge, taking custody of the arms of the cultists the knights felled and graciously offering her forgiveness for The Order of the Blue Glove invading her lands. She worked quickly to establish a command post and fortify the hammered keep while she made sure the Alden and Altier's wounds were cared for.

Brother Godfrey looked after the needs of those who had been imprisoned by the cultists, many of them tortured or abused, he tended to their dehydration and simple discomforts. He offered confession to a number of the staff who confessed to the more atrocious sins. They had betrayed their house and Lady and put others in harm's way when the Cultists were taking over the fief in order to save their own lives. Brother Godfrey wasn't shocked, frightened people can do horrible things, but it was a stark contrast of the difference between these spineless Decados householders and the knights who had just risked their lives to free their enemies. Uzilo and Ben crept back down into the village below and brought up the autowagons to keep them out of enemy hands and lastly as the sun rose on the keep Uzilo stretched out in the back of the Autowagon and had a lazy nap while basking in the sun's warm light.

As the morning wore on the Keep was fortified and the survivors were fed a meager meal from the keep's depleted stores. Knights of the Blue Glove kept watch beside Decados militia men and Alden and Altier rested. A few attempts were made to use the Keep's antenna to squawk other members of The Order or raise the Graff's forces but to no avail. As the sun began to set without a response from the Cultists the mood grew grim. Alden was woken and brought up to a conclave around a map of the fief laid out on the bed of the Order's autowagon as they drew up plans for the next push. Lady Sekbridge had been less than  generous in her offer of aid, her men were wounded and rattled and she had hopes that the Graff's men were coming to save her. The consensus among the knights was that it was still foolish to push onto Rande Shire's sure trap without more numbers, especially in light of the fact that the cultists were armed with armor piercing ammunition. They calculated that Rande Shire was a day and a half away by foot and if word of the siege reached them the response force would be coming in two more days or less if the news traveled by horse. It was decided they wouldn't abandon Lady Sekbridge, enemy or not she was a noble Lady and their code as knights would not permit them to abandon her to cultists, so reinforcements must be had. They decided two volunteers would drive to Henningholm in Irkuz in hopes of drawing reinforcements back to Sekbridge. As Alden was wounded and Brother Godfrey could pray for them anywhere it was decided they would ride for help and with any luck the cultists might be confused into thinking The Order had withdrawn.

With only a handful of hours of sleep over the last day between them the brothers set out on the muddy roads of Sekbridge, driving into the night. Nearly at dawn the arrived at the Order's Manse at Henningholm and were greeted by sleepy servants who showed them in to wait. Brother Godfrey fell asleep on the couch almost immediately after they arrived. The High Marshall Lord Banner Hening VanGelder came down in his dressing gown, curious as to what his most provocative knight could have brought him in the middle of the night. Alden retold the tale of their battle in Sekbridge and surprisingly the Lord Marshall was well informed of what he had been doing. Banner walked to a nearby table laid out with a map of the valley and colorful little wooden blocks that likely represented  forces at play. The Lord Marshal's brother Gunther arrived looking equally disheveled as Banner was taking measurements with a pen and wrapping his head around a plan. When Banner spoke it was with almost tactical detachment "When it was just a small cadre of knights invading a fief under interdiction there was plausible deniability, if we go all-in it will mean we will face consequences as they land. The Inquisition is either 9 hours into the valley from Stone Harbor or they arrived moments after you drove out but I doubt they traveled into a den of antimonists by night." he looked up at Alden and Gunther "We can act if we act very quickly. Sir Alden you'll drive supplies and news back to the keep, no squawker transmission, Gunther I'll need you to make a few stops to gather forces. If you encounter the Inquisition then you will co-operate with them but delay them as best you can to give your brethren.. and sistren. time to wrap up their battles and escape Sekbridge. If you get in before the inquisition assume they will be arriving at any moment, move quickly, secure prisoners as you can and get out without being caught.". The Order manse erupted into quick action as Banner got on the squawker and tried to reach knights in the field and servants began loading the autowagons with supplies and rifles while Gunther changed hastily into Noble attire and loaded his armor into the back of the Autowagon. Gunther advised Alden that with his run he would be about 6 hours behind them and they must get supplies to their comrades in the keep before attempting any other actions. With that they pulled out of the drive of the manor house and drove off in different roads in the morning twilight.

Within hours, with the dawn's light still bleeding through the forests, the brothers had reached Stone Harbor. At the turn they saw a pair of big white autowagons coming towards them less than a half-mile up the highway. They were too far to see the livery on the vehicles but Brother Godfrey was certain they were inquisition. In a split second Alden decided to take the turn quickly into Sekbridge and they began driving recklessly across the muddy roads and bridges to get as much of a lead on the Inquisition as they could.

Back at the keep Uzilo was antsy with an attack impending. Feeling uncomfortable in the cool winter night he took stock of the road up to the keep and by moonlight he went out and laid half a dozen improvised mines and incendiary devices using the last of his crate of explosives. Whatever was coming up the road wouldn't be approaching quietly and wouldn't be ready for what they'd step on. When the sky started to lighten he walked around the yard of the keep, and huddled near a fire barrel to stay warm, being sure not to unsettle the humans any more than he needed to.

Around lunchtime the brothers returned in their autowagon with food for the knights and Uzilo. There was a moment of panic as they started to drive up the road towards the first of the mines but they were waved back until Uzilo could disarm them. In another tailgate planning session it was decided that with the Inquisition closing in some attempt must be made to rescue VanGelder hostages in Rande Shire or all of their efforts would be wasted. Sir Ben had learned from one of the Keen guards that there was a waterfront trail that was accessible from an escape exit below the dungeons that turns inland at Tomokin Village and travels up into the highlands to Rande Shire. It was decided two knights would remain behind to defend the Keep while the rest of the knights with Uzilo and Brother Godfrey scouted Rande Shire's forces and disposition. If the Inquisition came to the keep the knights standing guard would follow the forward group to Rande Shire and if Rand Shire had been secured by the inquisition the forward group would retreat to the Keep. Altier's wound would slow down the forward group so he volunteered to stay back. Willemeena had the only longarm with a scope so she volunteered to guard the high tower on the keep.

The Forward party led by Alden geared up and took a split of the supplies before sneaking out of the Keep's hidden escape and hiking out on the trail to Rande Shire. Just before sunset they encountered Tomokin Village, it was lit but deathly quiet. Brother Godfrey wanted to check on the inhabitants but Alden argued that if they encountered cultists it could bring failure to the mission. So they skirted around the edge of the quiet little village and continued on the trail heading up into the highlands. Just past Tomokin Village exhaustion set in. Knights who had been expecting an attack all night were flagging and Alden and Brother Godfrey could barely stay on their feet. They settled down in the brush in the dark, divied up their supplies and hoped that Sir Ben's fancy watch alarm would rouse them in a few hours.

Uzilo woke in the night to the sound of distant shouts and firelight playing across the canopy. In and instant he was aware that dozens of people were running towards him. Instinctively he laid still in the bushes and waited to see if this was a threat that could be avoided. Beside him Brother Godfrey stirred from his sleep with a start and Uzilo hastily covered the priest's mouth, giving him a warning look. A few feet away from them both a stream of cultists in red, carrying torches and rifles ran down the trail towards the keep. Uzilo hold deadly still in the flickering shadow of their torchlight praying to the Pancreator that non of the knights tried something stupid. As the army of cultists passed and their torches moved away down the trail Uzilo raised his head slowly and looked at them fading into the forest and he spotted Sir Ian cautiously peering through the brush at the departing forces. As the forest once more went dark Uzilo discovered that despite his fears all of the knights had the good sense to lay still, except Alden who was too exhausted to wake up but kind enough not to attract attention by snoring.

Without discussion the party grabbed their gear and began moving up the trail to Rande Shire. They all understood this was their window of opportunity. As before sunrise they arrived on the road to Rande Shire. They cautiously approached the town from the brush and found no sign of the inquisition and what looked like only a few of the cultists largely fooling around. Rande Shire was five large barn-like metal buildings with a well and a smallish empty animal pen and what looked like tanning frames and some partially built barrels. They decided to risk that the inquisition wouldn't make a move before dawn and waited and watched for the first two hours of the morning. They noticed that there were about five cultists, as best as they could estimate with their hooded uniforms, and they seemed to be concentrated between two buildings. Alden decided that one must be their barracks, the other where the prisoners are held. He sent Sir Ian and Sir Ben to the hill on the South side of the village with his Huntsman rifle where they could take advantage of better lines of sight. While they waited for the other team to get to sneak to the hill they spotted the cultist in the black robes walking into the "hostage" hut with another cultists carrying a bucket.  Uzilo and Godfrey advanced cautiously on the village, Godfrey canting the Rite of Shielding as he hustled across the open field.

They made it about six yards away from the hostage hut before a cultist who was fooling around with the bonfire in the center of the village spotted movement and shouted the alarm and they ran for cover behind the metal quantity hut where the black robed cultist and his toady had disappeared. There was a rifle report from the South hill and the cultist who raised the alert fell down next to the bonfire. Alden spotted Sir Ben sprinting around the back of the village. Uzilo peered around the corner of the hut and kept his Dreskel Boomer on the door. As he aimed a cultist ducked out from around the corner of a building and took a pop-up shot at him, the bullet winging off the frame of the building over his head. Within the hut Brother Godfrey could hear chanting in Latin but it didn't sound like a prayer to the glory of the Pancreator. The cultist in red came screaming out of the hostage hut with nasty looking shortsword and Uzilo blasted him with two rounds of buckshot dead in the chest, dropping him into the mud dead before he finished screaming and he ducked back around the side of the hut to reload. There was another shot from the South hill that missed  the cultist who had fired on Uzilo who decided to start shooting at the sniper on the hill. Alden began taking fire from another cultist who was circling around the hut from the other side with one of those armor piercing rifles and he fired recklessly with his shotgun as he tried to take cover, not even managing to ruffle his feathers.

Shadows grew longer and darker around the base of the hostage hut stretching out to swallow the ground in their blackness and beginning to cover Uzilo, Godfrey and Alden. Alden began to cant the Rite of Empyrean Light in a panic, using his own holy symbol as the focus. Alden dodged an incoming shot from the cocky cultist coming around their right by pressing hard against the side of the hut for cover and he clipped the cultist with another blast of his shotgun. Uzilo loaded his shotgun and not seeing anyone lining up to go first, plunged himself into the blackness that filled the doorway of the hostage hut. Sir Ian and the cultist in cover traded shots fruitlessly and Sir Ben had all but vanished behind the village, leaving only the sound of his breathless voice over squawker "... I'm coming... fuck this is a big village..".

Within the inky darkness of the hostage hut Uzilo could hear the excited chanting of the Antimonist and a woman's hysterical sobbing but he wasn't willing to fire a shotgun blindly around hostages so he carefully waded in. Outside Brother Godfrey imbued his holy symbol with the light of a campfire pushing the shadows back like creepy recoiling tentacles of blackness, but the effort took so much out of him he was barely able to stand on his feet. The cultist who was dogging Alden fired a shot that creased the armor over his ribs but didn't injure him. Alden returned fire with the last shotgun shell loaded and obliterated his right arm. The cultists flailed in a bloody panic before going down clutching his arm. As Godfrey moved to follow Uzilo into the dark he spotted the shadow of someone in the doorway of the barracks, a 6th cultist.

Uzilo could sense the flow of power the Antimonist was using and he moved cautiously towards it when he felt a pair of icy hands wrap around his throat that disturbingly seemed to be an extension of the Szu the Antimonist was drawing upon. Brother Godfrey felt dizzy with exhaustion as he rounded the corner of the hostage hut, he stumbled and fell to the ground unconscious, his holy symbol gleaning just out of sight of the unnatural darkness within. Alden turned and hustled towards the other end of the hut, hoping to put a quick end to whatever was going on inside. The cultist trading shots with Sir Ian decided the power of dark princes wasn't worth having to be a human target and he turn and ran for it only to be shot in the back as the cultist in the dark extended a heavy revolver from the doorway of the barracks and dropped him with a single shot, then fired a shot at Alden, dinging his armor.

Inside the hostage hut Uzilo was struggling to breathe, he struggled around and shoved his shotgun into what would be the body of a person choking him and fired both barrels, there was no light from the barrel flash but he certainly heard the boom and the icy tendrils choking him evaporated leaving him coughing for breath. Outside Alden drew his Maserri Mercenary pistol to return fire on the cultist in the barracks when a wild-eyed bearded antimonist in black robes stepped out of the darkness, shadow clinging to him like a child. Alden shot him three times in the chest from inches away and killed him in an instant. As the antimonist fell to the ground Alden could see that the cultist with the heavy revolver had steeped out into the light and taken aim at his head but before he could fire a rifle shot from the South rang out and the last cultist fell to the ground in a spray of blood.

Sir Ben appeared around the side of the Baracks, panting for breath "This village is huge.."

Over the Squawker Sir Ian the Handsome chided "That's four for me chaps, were you planning on entering the fray today?"

As the dark rite reached it's conclusion the darkness inside the hostage hut faded and a cluttered workshop was revealed with workers chained by the neck to the rafters above. All of them had had their chains pulled until they were hung by them except the lone survivor, Hildi Sanderson VanGelder. When her chain was removed she stumbled to one of the corpses holding him and sobbing. As Brother Godfrey regained his consciousness he went to his cousin and tried to comfort her in her loss. Alden and Sir Ben swept the rest of the village for cultists or survivors but found only bones in the bonfire in the village, likely those who didn't want to cooperate with the cult. The pulled Hildi together quickly and swept up the cultist's weapons and some supplies for the trip home. Alden tried to squawk someone at Hendleridge to let them know knights were crossing the border, he reached a servant briefly but couldn't hold the connection long enough to get his sister on the squawker. They did their collective best best to take a bearing without any real navigation training and they set out on a path through the forest that they hoped would take them across the border into Molovko.