Session forty - the epilogue

The travel back to Ravenna was slow (as Hemlock didn't want to push the ship or his piloting skills) and in many respects awkward. The cadre are a little uncomfortable in each others company now and meals aboard the ship are stinted affairs.

Hasimir states that he will not be hiding and will return to his liege and find a new appointment.  De Havilland advises him against it as there is nothing to say that the Decados will not attempt to kill him again but he will not hide away. However he does take Sir Hemlock to one side and tries to explain some of what happened with Arcadia's possession. Hasimir told Hemlock that regardless of what Sir Anduin believed, it was his psychic intervention that led to Arcadia passing on, which Hemlock felt some gratitude for.  Hasimir also gave Hemlock Arcadia's old shield unit.

The ship arrives on Ravenna near the city of Celdor and the party pay a visit to Earl Kiruda. The earl appears to have heard news of the demise of Arcadia already and is somewhat surprised that Hasimir still lives.

They learn that Stephanie has left the Midden Barony with the Hawkwood guard (leaving the massacre De Havilland feared in their wake) and has established herself in The Barony of Abalone, which she has renamed "Windsor's Recourse" in memory of her late husband. Many of the Hawkwood guard have deserted her service and are returning to the capital as they do not recognise her authority. Sir Tarquin has taken control of his family lands and has his people's support but seems to lack any close advisors or inner circle.  Baron Tumeric's Muster returned to the Folly but Earl Kiruda has dispatched some of the knights of the Justinian Silent Guard to arrest him.  The Earl plans to use the Baron (long a thorn in his side) as a scapegoat to appease the Hawkwoods.

He also confirms to Hemlock that he has passed the notebook he gave him to the local Bishop to deal with, along with a pledge of the full support of House Justinian in the matter. He wants it dealt with appropriately and officially and is trying to balance his desire to take down the Baron with his urge to protect his House from further loss of face and reputation.

The group walk through the cobbled streets of the idyllic coastal city, heading back to the Endless Turn when a voice from a nearby noble palanquin causes them to halt; it is Hemlock's mother, Baroness Esmeralda Al Malik Justinian.  Hemlock is a little taken aback but she insists that they at least come to their town house for refreshments. They agree but Sir Anduin Takes his leave of the group and wishes them well.

As the procession moves through the city they note a disturbance ahead.  It seems to be approaching and shots are fired. It turns out that it is the cadre's old acquaintance (and De Havilland's cousin) Sir Mal Hawkwood.  He stops running and seems pleased to see them (although like earl Kiruda he seems to have heard that Hasimir had died). They agree to help him evade his pursuers and he manages to hide as two pistol armed Hawkwood retainers come running down the street.

The marquis insists that they will hear more of this later but they continue to the Baroness' residence.

Hemlock's mother is insistent that Hemlock should discard his dirty and drab attire and let her people dress him in something more suitable.  He needs to stop all this travelling, settle down and continue in his preparations to inherit their lands. Hemlock refuses, he tells her about what he learnt from his father and the events with the Al Malik and his mother advises that she knows about the visit and the Baron has told her that Lady Chastity murdered Al Salih. She is also incredulous that Hemlock might be suggesting that she or her House should have had a hand in the attack on the fief during his childhood. De Havilland is convinced that she is up to something and that she is a very dangerous woman. They excuse themselves and leave as soon as they are able, Hemlock saying that his mind is set, he has made a promise to Corteaz, regardless of what his mother may say.

Mal asks if there might be a place on the San Paulus crew for him, to which Hemlock says he will speak to Corteaz on his behalf.  Before heading to the station though they fly to Austrum West (over artillery barrages on the front line) to the Marquis' fief of Havilland.  There they are greeted warmly but witness first hand the effects of the war on the people and town.

In the local tavern they rest and dine (Hasimir getting rather drunk) and Mal tells of how he the psychic twins, Sir Victor & Sir Hugo Windsor Hawkwood accused him of killing Baron Christopher and that he believes it was they who sold his previous psychic associates out to the church.  It was their men (he believes) who were after him in Celdor. 

It appears that someone in the town has been looking for De Havilland and he approaches the Marquis in the tavern.  He is an Imperial Consort with news from the Order in response to De Havilland's original questions after the revelation of Tonbei's betrayal. A full investigation into the assessment of Tonbei will be launched but the council suggest that De Havilland has possibly lost direction somewhat.  He might benefit by returning to the tenets of the Company and charge him to quest. To push out and go forth in the name of the Emperor.  

Hasimir receives word from his Coven ("The Club") that Sir Mal is a member of the Invisible Path and must be killed. He contacts the magus of coven to address this and says that there must be a mistake.  He tells them his suspicions about the twins and the magus reluctantly agrees to investigate. 

The crew eventually leave Havilland and dock with the station to rendezvous with Corteaz. De Havilland goes to speak with him to negotiate passage on his vessel. Corteaz discloses that the jump key that recently came into his possession, and motivated his acquisition of a ship, leads to a lost world. Having an Imperial Knight aboard would validate his journey beyond known space and provide the quest De Havilland seeks... 

Interlude - To Byzantium Secundus

Herein rests a declaration to the authorising office of his Imperial Majesty concerning the events surrounding the life and final death of Dame Arcadia Justinian; as detailed by Phoenix Knight, the Marquis Anton De Havilland Hawkwood.

This account has been submitted in accordance with the due diligence of the Imperial Office and as a witness to the events surrounding the last year of my service to His Imperial Majesty. One copy of this epistle will be sent via the usual securities to The Administration on Byzantium Secundus and one other will be placed into the store of Sir Vim Militas-Djinn Al Malik for release only in the event of my sudden and unexplainable death. The reasoning for that may be more apparent by the end of my report and so I make no apologies for the candour of my words as I need to ensure that the truth is kept somewhere even if it never reaches the intended recipient.

Just before my previous submission to The Order I had decided that it was the right time to make my way from Deepcore 104. Just as I was making that decision Count Innocence's daughter the Lady Chastity Decados made an appearance at Sector 42, the residential barony of Baron Tochiro Matsumoto Justinian. Her reasoning to arrive at that particular barony did not sit well with me and I tried to reason with Baron Tochiro's son (Sir Hemlock) vigorously at the time. As a personality filled with a somewhat awkward sense of duty Hemlock was insistent on maintaining the hospitality of his father's house, something that I feel he may now regret until the end of his days. Having kept Chastity Decados as a guest, it was ironically from her that we first heard more about the reputed “hit list” that we had found on the body of the Ur-Oban, Tonbei. As recalled in an earlier account this list contained many names including Sir Selwyn Justinian, Baron Christopher Hawkwood and Sir Hassimir Fenrig Torenson. Chastity claimed that it had come from her father and that he had ordered the assassinations. My trip to Suryada soon after allowed me to investigate this matter further plus a number of other important events which included The Count's previous movements (and those of his daughter as they seemingly appeared in court sporadically and only comparatively recently too), news concerning the stolen ship of Sir Hassimir Fenrig Torenson (curiously stolen by his employed Muster whilst he was under armed escort by Sir Bedevere Hawkwood, Baron Christopher's brother) plus I was also interested further in the potential motivations of the Baron himself and those of his allies.

As my last report made clear, although the Baron was managing his new estate extremely firmly, his handling and treatment of his people at that moment in time was certainly not the worst I had witnessed to date. What did become increasingly apparent thereafter though was that this treatment was on a downward spiral and that the numbers of well armed and well equipped soldiers from the Planetary Duke's estate was growing in alarming numbers. My experience of the Baron to date had assured me that he was extremely keen to continue to grow in power and authority as quickly as he could. I felt early on that his position within Deepcore 104 would lead to unrest in the city and so had made what little attempts I could to monitor events as closely as a public Imperial Phoenix Knight can. Early on in his reign he had determined to keep Dame Arcadia's younger brother and sister under close household scrutiny and their movements were limited. Lady Stephanie appeared relatively content with this arrangement whilst Sir Tarquin Justinian (it appears) soon started to resent it. By the end, the armed retinue under the Barons control had grown up to three times as large as they were on his arrival to the city.

As a protector of the Midden Barony the Baron's role was to ensure a stable environment and to manage the estate until such time as Tarquin Justinan was of age to inherit his rightful title. Before the end of the whole sorry affair, Tarquin had been branded a traitor and placed under arrest and the Baron had decided to marry Lady Stephanie and thereby secure the estate for himself on a more permanent basis. That permission for marriage had been granted to the Baron by Lady Stephanie's father is of little interest. The message to the Justinian nobility of Deepcore 104 was evidently clear, that power could be seized and justified by force of arms. I make no judgement upon the Baron at this point for the outcome of this sad affair was evident from the incept, that placing such an individual into an estate where a traitor originated and allowing him to build up force of arms and marry the youngest daughter of that estate would always end in bloodshed. When that bloodshed finally came the attack came suddenly and had been well planned.

Baron Christopher was already dead by the time the first shots had been fired. The murder investigation confirms that he was poisoned by a tea laced with a lethal toxin, a tea that had been handed to a local priest by Count Innocence Decados and passed on to the Baron as a gift. Whether this had been the intention of the Count at the time is not clear, but given what we learned later then this remains entirely possible. Tarquin himself then arrived with a sizeable army of Muster having received backing by the neighbouring Justinian barony. The inevitable clash between the Justinian and Hawkwood forces took place with the loss of many lives. That I had been unable to prevent this clash is highly regrettable. I had made as much of a nuisance of myself as I could, making it evident that I was monitoring both sides and that the Imperial authorities had not missed the conflict. It lead to a brief period of incarceration by the Baron's forces but again I hold absolutely no ill feeling with the Baron on this matter. We were both doing as we felt compelled.

Once the fighting reached its peak I made my way from Deepcore 104 to the capital in haste in order to gain an audience with Earl Kiruda in order to determine what his actions might be next and to inform him of the role of Sir Tarquin Justinian in this coup, to highlight the risk or repercussions for the attack on Hawkwood troops. I had of course visited the troops encampment before leaving the Midden barony and was satisfied that they had been able to make outside contact and secured support. By this point their titular leader was the now Lady Stephanie Midden Justinian Hawkwood, as her marriage had been confirmed at the point of Baron Christophers death. Concerns at this point were whether force of arms on both sides was about to escalate outside of Deepcore to any other areas of Ravenna.

For some time up until this point news had reached me that a pirate claiming to be Dame Arcadia Justinian had been attacking Hawkwood and Guild vessels off-world. After discussing with Earl Kiruda the situation in his estates, post coup, I made my way into space to investigate these reports and to see if the information I had heard concerning the involvement of Count Innocence in the matter was true. The fact that the Count's name had come up in a number of associated plots in Ravenna and now here was not to be ignored and so with a retinue including some of Arcadia's previous attendants I made the attempt to determine whether there had been a plot to create harm to the peoples of our Imperial Majesty. The group included Hassimir Fenrig Torenson and his attendant Virrsu, Hemlock Justinian, and a new fellow traveller; a legitimized Justinian bastard and Eskatonic scholar, Sir Anduin, who appears to be an old student of Hassimir's but with whom I am only beginning to become aquatinted with.

It was Sir Hassimir's stolen ship that was reportedly undertaking a series of these pirate attacks, part of a reason before why he had been interred by Hawkwood forces and tried within Deepcore 104 before the coup. I had learned previously that a Decados knight by the name of Lady Yelizaveta had been responsible for the Muster's contract at the time the ship had been stolen and that she was a servant of Count Innocence. The expectations were of a Decados plot to continue the myth of Arcadia Justinian's traitorous attacks on Hawkwood vessels, to continue to bloody their name even after her death.

The pirate vessel, The Questionable Intent, was attacking Hawkwood ships when I finally overheard an SOS message from the crew of an assieged vessel. Making our way to what may be certain death at the hands of an Al-Malik warship, we were able to parley with the captain of the ship who was indeed Lady Yelizaveta. However once the crew were on-board the true story could finally be revealed.

Lady Yelizaveta did not claim to be herself at all, but the spirit of the genuine Dame Arcadia Midden Justinian who had possessed the psychic Yelizaveta. This seemed very much a ploy up until it became evident that Lady Yelizaveta (or Arcadia) was aware of a host of very personal information that she had only ever been shared been herself and Sir Hemlock. It was then revealed that Chastity Decados was in league with this Arcadia Justinian and that she had always been in dialogue with her and her father. The unbelievable truth appeared to be that the Count had given protection to Dame Arcadia after her failed attempt on the life of the Planetary Duke (with the mercenary Façade) and when she was forced to go on the run to escape immediate suspicion. The account of Lady Chastity and Dame Arcadia was that the Count had fallen in love with the “Young Turk” and dedicated his resources to protecting her in the following years. As absurd as this will sound to those of us who appreciate the Count's fearsome reputation as an cold intellect and political player, Arcadia and Lady Chastity were thoroughly convincing.

The Count had drawn up the hit list as a means of exacting a revenge on those who had offended his love. Each had been dealt with in turn and yet there was one name left standing. At this point Lady Chastity suddenly drew a blade and against the pleading of Sir Hemlock, commenced an attack on Sir Hassimir. The attack was prolonged and fearsome and only ended once Hassimir had been cast down and Chastity assured of his death. At the end of the fraças Anduin had somehow managed to cast out the spirit of Arcadia from the body of Yelizaveta, so that she was finally gone and that Lady Yelizaveta had managed to regain control of her faculties. As far as she was concerned, the matter had been settled in full. Hassimir had been felled by Chastity's blade, the Count was on route to meet them all and Hawkwood vessels had been seized and would be held to ransom.

The retinue were allowed to collect the body of Sir Hassimir and to leave without any further action. Sir Bedevere Windsor Hawkwood (Baron Christopher's brother who had been with Hassimir when the Questionable Intent had been stolen) was a prisoner on board and would be ransomed. I mention him here in the hope that this has now happened and that he is safely returned to his duties. The whole episode is both very sad, and wholly desperate. So much power play has been taking place, lives lost, forces pitted against one another and down to the relationship between a strong willed Justinian and a powerful Decados leader. What a thoroughly dangerous mixture of peoples.

I have no ideas if this note will ever see the light of day, but am compelled to tell the story anyway. By allowing us to leave alive Lady Yelizaveta allows the story of Count Innocence involvement in death and political intrigue in the legacy of Dame Arcadia Justinian to leave with us. Even if we find ourselves unable to prosecute any of this story further, the thought of the Count as just a mere man with normal thoughts and feelings reminds us that the fiercest amongst us are still just men. I have always had a strong respect for the capability of the Count, just as one can admire the power of a force of nature, but I feel this situation may be the end of him. If the Decados know of this situation it is probable that at some point an upstart from within his ranks will perceive weakness and attempt to overthrow him. To be in love with a Justinian and risk the wrath of the Hawkwood's for just that cannot be ignored if known. Such matters are beyond my understanding and so I will wait to hear news of his fate over the coming years.

As for Lady Yelizaveta and Lady Chastity, well their fate depends on the mood of The Count. I dare not consider the possibilities there.

Sir Hemlock Justinian will return to Ravenna for a period but I feel his association with Dame Arcadia and the legacy of her menace, alongside a family rift, will lead him to look for opportunities elsewhere. He is a darkly haunted character and is assuredly likely to want to put the whole sorry episode behind him. There will be Sir Hassimir's funeral to attend to as well and Sir Hemlock will want to have a hand in those plans. In the time I knew him Hassimir fell from one disgrace to another, and yet just as one finds themselves in the company of many kinds of people in a war, I found Hassimir very stimulating company. I am sure the rumour mill of Ravenna will miss him until they can find another poor soul to entertain their dinner conversation.

I will attend to matters concerning my estate and make a decision as to whether to continue to serve in Ravenna or to look to the stars instead. I have done my best to look for the threat of instability and unrest in Ravenna over the last year and was able to see the threads of that distress forming. But it is clear a Phoenix Knight is not the right person to be able to listen to all ears and to know all minds as a man standing alone. That expertise rests elsewhere and with their specific roles and talents. But by being in Deepcore 104 I feel I did remind all parties of the risks of such games on the lives of the peoples and that ultimately when nobles take decisions concerning power then it is the people who will ultimately suffer. Now that Deepcore 104 has had its moment it is up to The Planetary Duke to make a decision as to how to manage this next. I must make visit to the Planetary Duke and see if I may be able to have an audience with him. He will be well advised by his people already of course, but I can only pray for clemency for those took up arms against Justinian and Hawkwood alike. They did not know what they were doing. Fear is a terrible thing to nurture in the hearts of common people.

Anton De Havilland Hawkwood
Phoenix Knight

Session thirty-nine - Loyalty unto death

Well, that was a pretty good finale... as is often the case the adage "you had to be there" applies. There was so much going on and some wonderful in character moments that I will fail to capture it all, so rather than doing any player a disservice, and yet wanting to ensure that events were captured for our own reference, I'll do my best to summarize things...

(We rewound the scene a little as I wasn't happy with how I'd explained things.  Therefore we joined events before Chastity had drawn her Viper blade)

Arcadia tells Hemlock he should be with her against the enemies of their house and keeps referring to "Him" as Tigerlilly (Hemlock's twin sister)

It is revealed/confirmed that the hit list was Count Innocence's creation; He and Arcadia were lovers after he gave her refuge after her attempt on the life of Duke Cassius Hawkwood and she was a foster mother to Chastity. The story that she had spent the previous three years working as a mercenary throughout the Known Worlds was all fabrication. The Count's reemergeance onto the social scene, and introduction of Chastity, coincided with Arcadia's return in order to keep watch on her and protect her as necessary. The list was added to over time and each name was someone that the Count felt had harmed Arcadia:

• Sir Selwyn Justinian - Betrayed her with Façade
• Beorn of the Muster - Killed her (or so it was believed)
• Baronet (at that time) Christopher Windsor Hawkwood - Betrayed Arcadia and had her mother interred
• Lawrence of the Scravers & Sir Hasimir Fenrig Torenson - had Arcadia killed (as reported by Lady Yelizaveta Decados when she infiltrated the crew)

Yelizaveta is an agent of the Count's who's order was to ensure that no harm came to Arcadia, but to ensure that the connection to her and the Count remained secret.  This she arranged a loyal crew and set up the "pre-existing contract" with the Muster. Likewise Hemlock challenges Chastity about whether she ever cared or was it all lies and he is stunned to discover that she was there to protect him (from Hasimir and possibly others). The Count recognised that Hemlock was one of the few who always tried to help Arcadia and wanted to protect her in thanks, and also as he did not trust the Torenson not to turn on Hemlock as he did with Arcadia.

Arcadia suggests that it is time for them to fulfil the Count's wishes and complete the list.  Chastity draws her Viper blade and engages starts striking at Hasimir. Chaos ensues.  Hemlock tries to reason with them while trying to interposing himself between Hasimir and Chastity, Anduin unsuccessfully tries to use his Theurgy to slow the attackers, Hasimir attempts to protect himself while attempting to reason with Arcadia, Virrsu constantly peppers Chastity's Shield with bullets, Arcadia signals marines to engage the cadre and a pair of them come at them with clubs.  Meanwhile the Marquis De Havilland is listening to events via sqwarker from the Endless Turn he has Drumpf disengage the grapple line and pull away.  The Questionable Intent, being at full stop, starts to be pulled along by the smaller vessel.

Anduin is praying to expel the spirit of Arcadia while Hasimir is on the floor.  Although he is almost dying he reaches out with his mind to Emote to Yelizaveta.  He manages to make contact and it is enough to allow her to throw off the possession, which Anduin believes is his doing. As Arcadia screams and Yelizaveta returns to herself Chastity is outraged; her "mother" is gone again, this time seemingly permanently. She raises her Viper blade and strikes Hasimir down.  Hemlock grapples her while Virrsu continues to shoot.  Anduin rushes to the fallen knight and checks on him, he declares him dead but knows that there is a chance to still save him.

Yelizaveta, thankful for her freedom but still beholden to her liege, stops the guards, brings the ship to a halt once again, calls Chastity off and permits the cadre to return to the Endless Turn. Once there, and with the aid of De Havilland and Hemlock, Anduin stabilizes Hasimir and with a dose of Elixir that Virrsu has stashed away he manages to bring the Torenson knight around. Hemlock sets a course back to Ravenna...

Next time the denouement/epilogue before the next epic arc begins...

Session thirty-eight - The Fate of Arcadia

The Endless Turn lifts off and breaks through the atmosphere, Hemlock at the helm with Anduin navigating.  The Justinian Eskatonic uses Celestial Alignment to help guide the ship but as they emerge into space the vessel shifts course and follows the curve of the planet rather than heading out into the black.  Hemlock tells them he is taking them to one of the orbital stations above Ravenna in order to try to get more information about the pirates.

Above: The crew set off into the black...

.Aboard the bustling station they head to a bar where Corteaz, Hemlock's old travelling companion, business partner and friend is using a booth as a office. Corteaz greets Hemlock warmly and they speak at length, Hemlock telling him all that has pasted and Corteaz explaining how he has risen in rank within the Charioteers and now commands his own ship the "San Paulus". They discuss the pirate attacks and Corteaz mentions how "Arcadia" is targeting Hawkwood cargo coming in from the Jumpgate. Meanwhile Hasimir exerts his power to read the mind of this trader, constantly listening to his surface thoughts throughout the conversation. He discerns that Corteaz is concerned about something and that there's is someway he thinks Keats (as he calls Hemlock) can help him. Eventually, frustrated that his friend is determined to hunt down a dangerous pirate, he offers Hemlock the station of first officer on his ship and pleads with him to accept. Hemlock had been saying how he needed to find the pirate as he owed it to Arcadia and that she was family.  Corteaz argues that aren't they as good as family? Hemlock replies "Better: you never tried to kill me." Hemlock seems torn, he really wants to accept but feels he must complete his mission to clear Arcadia's name. He asks that Corteaz waits for his return and the Charioteer agrees, he still has to finish recruiting a full crew and preparing for their maiden voyage.

Returning to the ship they find the Marquis De Havilland and the hireling engineer, Drumpf, have been monitoring communications and have picked up a distant mayday. They launch the ship to investigate. Sir Anduin prays for guidance from the Pancreator and is shown that they are on the right path.  He tells the crew and they proceed swiftly but still with caution. Over the twelve hour journey Hasimir drinks, Anduin prays and meditates, Hemlock exercises, checks on the course setting and chats with Chastity. He asks her again about the time when she called out Arcadia's name but she says she must have just been delirious and it meant nothing. Hemlock can tell she is hiding something (which is remarkable for him).


As they close on their target location Drumpf uses the ships sensors to scan ahead and reports a group of five ships but without engaging more active systems (and alerting them to their approach) he can tell nothing more.  Hemlock slows the ship for their approach and Drumpf performs an active scan, identifying two League Freighters, a Hawkwood explorer and frigate and the Questionable Intent, Hasimir's stolen galliot. As they get closer the engineer also advises that the three warships are all damaged.  It looks like they have been involved in a tough skirmish but that the pirates won.

Above: The Endless Turn approaches the source of the mayday.

They are then hailed by the Questionable Intent and Hasimir responds. Hemlock has suggested that they parlay and the pirates agree to permit the crew to come on board as their captain wants to see them. The ships grapple each other and Hemlock, Hasimir, Virrsu, Anduin and Chastity put on spacesuits and head across to the galliot (leaving Drumpf and De Havilland on the Endless Turn). Greeted by armed guards (who were originally hired and equipped by Lawrence and Hasimir) they are taken to the bridge and greeted by the captain, a young woman claiming to be Arcadia, but who Chastity recognises as Lady Yelisaveta Decados.

Above: Arcadia revealed...

Hasimir attempts to read her mind and discovers something he has never experienced before; it is as if there are two minds at once. "Arcadia" tells them that her spirit obviously had unfinished business as she had remained on board the ship after her murder, which she holds Hasimir responsible for as she says Koehlang was following his commands and thus had haunted him.  When Yelisaveta took command of the ship she, as a psychic, felt the presence of Arcadia and attempted to contact her.  Arcadia used this "bridge" to take control and possess her. The hit list is mentioned and Arcadia seems unaware of it's existence but is flattered that Innocence, the "sweet dear" would do such a thing for her. Anduin asks if they have some sort of relationship and Arcadia tells Chastity "I think it's time, dear." and looks to Hemlock saying "And Tigerlilly, don't think about interfering."  The Decados ejects her Viper blade and holds it towards Sir Hasimir...