Count Julian's Sceptre

 Present:

• Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, 31, Moor Arian Fighter from Septum - Jeff
• Aulius "Owl" Lucius Decanter, 25, Polytheistic Fighter from Gades - Jamie
• Elia Ildaria, 24, Basque Pagan Barbarian from Gasteiz  - Richard
• Luigi Abundus Bertolini, 23, Roman Nicene Priest from Ravenna - Chris
• MARMALADE: Merkel, 24, Vandal Arian Temple-fighter from Gades - Kevin
• Vanker Polyester, 22, Vandal Pagan Rogue from Gades - Shane
• Velito Rosso, 24, Roman Nicene Barbarian from Venice - Darryl
• MARMALADE: Victor Koshenko, 24, Alan Arian Thief from Gades - Ian

By Andrew

Spine snake bite

The group had just returned to Gades from Geryon Sepulchre island on the church's boat Llaga Supurante. Owl and Vankar both had gleaming eyes, and Velito had the infected bite from the spine snakes. The wound was starting to go grey as the necrotizing fasciitis apparently set in.

Back Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, they went and saw Father Valerius. But he was still ill and barely aware of them as they circled his bed in mock concern. Acolyte Felix said that the delirium was getting worse, and then visions were becoming more disturbing.

"He claims you and Vanker are possessed by skeleton demons," said Felix to Owl with a snort.

"Owl and Vanker;" croaked Father Valerius, his eyes bloodshot and yellow. "Growing darkness in their souls. Purged they must be."

 

Aulius and Vanker looked awkwardly at each other.

"Something I should know?" asked Felix.

"No no... but look at poor Velito!" said Aulius, quickly changing the subject. "Can you fix his wound?"

"Puuuurged!" screamed Father Valerius.

Acolyte Felix shook his head slowly. "The only one here who could hope to pray strongly enough would be the ill Father. But not in his current state. Perhaps God will guide you to another church in Gades. Nicene, of course!" 

Nuestra Sagrada Virgen
de las Tetas Blasfemas

Sister Justina nodded solemnly. "I can help show you way, friends."

They considered going to Nuestra Sagrada Virgen de las Tetas Blasfemas, (Our Lady of the Blasphemous Boobs), but the good sister said she was not so sure of the rigor of that place. 

"There are uncomfortable rumours... strange goings-on ... secrets unsaid," she said with a blush. "Let us gave it a wide berth."

Next choice was the Capilla de Santa Maria, but that was only a chapel, and run by a mere Deacon.

"He has not the fervour," she mused sadly.

There was only one Nicene church left to try: Nuestra Sagrada Virgen de la Paz Eterna (Our Lady of Eternal Peace). 

"We will have to go to la Paz Eterna," said Sister Justina. "Despite their unusual foot-wear rules. They demand that you must enter the nave barefoot, like our Lord."

On the way there, townsfolk were gossiping in the streets of Gades. There was news from official runners from Cordoba: The new King Roderic had recently appointed a new Dux for the Duchy of Baetica: Dux Ramiro, (Roderic was the former Dux of the Baetica, so the position was made vacant when he became king). Ramiro's wife would now be Duchess Isabella. They had a son Alfonso and daughter Beatriz. They were based in Cordoba (two week's travel from Gades).

Velito, Able and Justina turned up at Our Lady of Eternal Peace, removed their shoes & boots, and sought the priest. They managed to cajole him enough to get him to perform the Neutralize Poison miracle. And praised be, Velito was cured!

Monoreme

On the way back to the party's church, there was some more even more exciting news!  A fleet of six monoreme galleys had arrived in the Gades harbour: twenty-five oars a side, brightly coloured sails and pennants, soldiers on the decks with gleaming shields, ladies-in-waiting dressed in their finest, and beautiful dancing girls in scandalous attire.

These galleys were from Septum, across from the other side of the (Gibraltar) straits. This was Count Julian, and his wife Florinda. And a contingent of 120 soldiers, servants and slaves. Apparently, the couple was headed to the royal capital Toletum, for Florinda to attend the recently-built palace university there. She had expressed interest in learning medicine, blood-letting and piety.

The Dux of Gades, Arvandus and his wife Livia welcomed them to Gades, in a small ceremony at the docks.

Back in the party's church at about the same time, an urchin boy rushed in looking for Able. He had an important message. The head of the Slavers' Guild, Lucius Brutus, wanted to speak to Able. "Right now". So, Able rushed off. Brutus was not someone you kept waiting.

Able went to the slave pits and was shown to Lucius Brutus, surrounded by his lieutenants and his usual coterie of slave girls. 

"I have a job for you, my good friend," said Lucius. "There is an heirloom I want. Go fetch-ah me it from one of the Count's boats. It is a golden rod; a sceptre. My spies tell-ah me it will be on-ah board the Star of Septum, Julian's fifth galley. Help-ah you-self to anything you find on-ah board, but you will give-ah me half."

Able returned to the group. "We have a job..."

That night it was clear but there was no moon.

The group used the church row-boat Llaga Supurante again. It could seat 12. They rowed out to the fifth galley. 

As they approached the monoreme, first they met the stench of the sweat and filth from the rower slaves, then they could hear drunken singing coming from the deck.

The Sceptre

They pretended to be drunken fishermen, and had a firkin of wine. The drunken sots on board were only too happy for more, and helped the group and the barrel up on board.

Elia separated herself from the group and snuck into the the central cabin on the deck. There were some guards cavorting with some winsome slave girls in the cabin, but they were all pretty drunk and too busy to notice Elia. She managed to take three bags of coins from there and she found a gold sceptre in a trophy case. This, she took.

Elia hid one bag on her person, then snuck out of the cabin, onto the deck and made her way to the railings. Here, she handed the two bags of coins and the sceptre down to the Owl, standing in the Llaga.

Then all quietly rowed back to the shore, and went back to their church. 

In the safety of the narthex, under torchlight, they examined their spoils. Each bag had 60 silver coins [each worth $100 in today's money]. The sceptre was gold and beautifully made. No-one noticed that Elia had an extra bag.

Lucius Brutus

Able was getting antsy. "We better not linger. Lucius does not like to be kept waiting."

He took one bag of coins and the sceptre, and headed to the Slavers' Guild. Sure enough, Lucius Brutus was here. He was most pleased.

"You have-ah done well."

Next morning there was a big hue and cry. "Some evil thieves had stolen Count Julian's Sceptre of Office!" was the astounding news.

It didn't take long for Count Julian and Gades Dux Arvandus to proclaim a 200 silver coin reward for recovering the sceptre, and info on the thieves that stole it.

The Gades militia was tasked to search the town for the sceptre. 

Aulius, a former militia member himself, reported to his friendly Sergeant and volunteered to help. The militia was going door to door.

Later that day, Sister Justina, who was tending the sick Father Valerius, came and told the group.

"The good father says the missing sceptre is hidden in a bone hut in the Slavers' Guild!" she said. "I'm afraid his delirium is getting worse. Brother Felix is bleeding him now. The humours are strong."

She added, with a dubious tone: "And he says the demons inside Owl and Vanker are getting stronger."

 

Soldiers came and searched the church. Aulius was part of this squad, and he gave the group a cheery wink as he went through their personal items in their tents. Anything that could fit a sceptre-sized object was searched. Elia's pack was very thoroughly searched - multiple times - as they carefully examined her exotic Basque lingerie.

Florinda of Septum

There was new news around town. Count Julian was scheduled to leave for Hispalis today (one week's travel) and thence on to Toletum, but he needed his sceptre, so he had changed his plans and was now staying in Gades to help with organizing the search. 

However, Florinda, his wife, would still be leaving. Her entourage was all the ladies-in-waiting, a handful of slaves, and twenty soldiers.

When Velito heard the news that the sceptre was so important and so valuable, he thought that the party had been duped and this this matter ought to be remedied. So, he headed off to the Slavers' Guild to talk to Brutus. When Velito arrived, Lucius's guards stopped him.

"The Boss ain't here."

"Well, I wanna to see him," replied Velito. "It is-ah important."

"He's out on business. Now piss off."

"Well, tell-a him Velito want-sa to talk-ah to him. Contact at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour."

That evening, back at the church, six bully-boys arrived, and they beat the living snot out of Velito. Sister Justina was distraught at such violence, but the rest of the group stood idly by and watched.

"Think about your life choices," they hissed as they left him bruised and battered on the ground.