The Six Women of Geryon

 Present

• 

  Fabius Cato

  Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, 31, Moor Arian Fighter from Septum – Jeff
• Brave Jose, 22, Arian Visigoth Fighter from Astigi – Jamie
• Fabius Cato, 26 Roman Nicene Temple Fighter from Rome – Richard 
• Luigi Abundus Bertolini, 23, Roman Nicene Priest from Ravenna – Chris
• MARMALADE Merkel, 24, Vandal Arian Temple-Fighter from Gades – Kevin
• Hawk-Eye, 22, Arian Visigoth Barbarian from Astigi – Shane
• Velito Rosso, 24, Roman Nicene Barbarian from Venice – Darryl
• Victor Koshenko, 24, Alan Arian Thief from Gades – Ian
• Sister Sarah, 22 Arian Visigoth Priestess from Hispalis- Steven

by Richard

We are on our barge awaiting the new guards to arrive. Brave Jose (known as "BJ", not "blow job"), Hawk-Eye and Sister Sarah all board [ these are Jamie, Shane and Steven's new characters – Steven joins the campaign for the first time, and Jamie and Shane chose to retire their characters before they either were burnt at the stake or caused a major schism in the party. ]

Luigi, standing with his jug of honey mead and looking rather pleased with himself for no good reason, welcomes the newcomers, embracing them as they board. A little too much mead has made Luigi overlook he fact that they are all Arian Visigoths – heretics all of them.

In fact, it doesn’t take long for the man all the men know as "BJ" to make his religious and ancestral claims well known, irritatingly so, to the Nicenes on the barge.

After some verbal jostling we get moving again. "These people make Velito look good" thinks Fabius.

The barge is travelling to Corduba. On board is the Lady Florinda, her ten ladies-in-waiting, seven handmaidens and six slaves, Centurion Rodrigues, seven guards and us lot. Velito is "ship's captain".

We are travelling west, upstream, along the left side of the 60m wide Baetis river. Next to the river, there is a well-trod path for the four heavy horses to pull the barge. Along the opposite bank there is a similar well-trod path.

The days travel goes fairly uneventfully with the only thing of minor note (at this stage) is six women dressed in black walking the same direction of us, but on the far side of the river. Occasionally they go into the trees on the opposite bank and, we soon realise, that this is clearly to avoid meeting barges going the opposite direction.

"Strange" muses Luigi "they seem to be following us"

Luigi, Able and Marius, a guard and boatman, decide to take the barge's rowboat and go over and talk to them. As they get within 15m of the opposite shoreline, Luigi notices the women all have glowing red eyes. He looks at Able.

"We've seen that before" says Luigi "with Elia, Owl and Vanker"

They stop rowing and call out "why are you flowing us?"

"Where is Vanker?" one calls out. "Where is Aulius? Where is Elia?"

"Luigi calls back "they have left us some time ago, they took some horses and travelled south from Astigi. Why do you want them?"

The women huddle together and then turn back calling "what are your names?"

"Luigi and Able" Luigi answers foolishly "What is yours?" [ WTF – why would you give your names and ask that? – we think out of game ]

Sisters of Mercy
(but only one spear)

"I am Claudia," one of them answers. "We are the Sisters of Mercy."

At this point Luigi and Able also take note that Claudia is carrying a large black spear.

"Do you see that?" whispers Able.

Luigi nods and murmurs "Let's go"

They quickly row back to the barge and tell their tale.

"We go, we go" yells Velito as we get the barge moving. The rest of the day passes uneventfully albeit the six women continue to follow us.

That night we set camp near the bank at a side tributary river. We set watches.

1. Sarah, BJ and Marius.
2. Luigi, Fabius, Justina and one of Florinda's guards Alejandro.
3. Victor, Able and Velito.

On the second watch, Luigi and Fabius note the campfire on the far side of the river grow in scale, and can see the women outlined against it. As they watch, they are sure that one slips into the river and, as they listen, they can hear the gentle strokes of a swimmer.

The rest of the group is awoken and we wait in darkness with the only slight illumination coming from our own campfire on the banks of the river.

Fabius whispers "I can hear her. Do you have a net Velito?"

"No no sorry"

"I will hit her with an arrow – it will only wound her but should allow us to grab and question her" Fabius states with certainty.

With that he lets a shot off. [ A 1 is rolled and Fabius' critical does 10 points of damage. ]

A thud is heard and then silence.

"Ooops sorry," says Fabius knowing he had hit very well.

"Why you kill her?" questions Velito.

"Sorry" repeats Fabius.

10-15 minutes passes without incident. The second watch is finished and the third watch is uneventful. Morning dawns, and after a hearty breakfast, we continue our journey - with five black-robed women following us. 

"What happened to the sixth one?" questions Victor who isn’t that smart (7 mind).

"Shut up," says Fabius. 

The day passes and the women continue to follow along the banks. 

Around lunchtime and we pass the town of Carbula, in the distance, which we would have passed through if we'd gone by road. After Carbula, the Roman road to Corduba runs next to the Baetis river. 

On the road, we see smoke and as we come around the bend in the river we can see that there are FIVE coaches burning on the road 

"They look like our ones" says Able indignantly

"Si si, I agree" mirrors Velito

"What about the guards?" says Centurion Rodrigo.

We stop the barge to continue our conversation / debate. The women similarly stop and stare at us.

After some time, it is decided that we need to go and see what's happened to the five guards, and if they are dead give them a proper burial. In fact, Rodrigo insists (given they are his men). Marius, Rodrigo, Sarah, BJ, Able and Victor decide to go.

Marius rows them over in two trips (the rowboat can hold four). By this time the women have turned and are also making their way back to the burning coaches. As the group follow, they turn and await their approach.

Claudia steps forward and points the large black spear at the group. Able and Victor cower at the back, knowing its power. 

"Did you destroy our wagons?" Rodrigo asks

"We had to – were told Elia was with them"

"But we told you they had left" 

"Our lord has told us" Claudia states 

"Let's get out of here" whispers Victor, wanting nothing more to do with Geryon.

The others agree and quickly go around the women who now head back to the river bank.

The coaches were definitely ours and the guards and horses all dead. In fact, the guards are charred to be unrecognizable. Shallow graves are dug and Sister Sarah says a few heretical words to ensure their souls will forever live in purgatory.

When Able and Co return to the river, the five women are there staring at the barge. The rest of the party on the barge had, by now, pulled the rowboat back to them.

As is normal with our group we had now effectively split the party in two. The shore party (consisting Able, Victor, BJ and Sarah) were trying to convince the women and the barge party to allow two women to go across and search the barge (supposedly for Owl and Vanker). Their cunning plan was to split the women and deal to two of them thereby leaving only three on the bank. Of course, the barge party knew none of this

The barge party (Luigi, Velito, Fabius and Hawk-eye) had no intention of allowing these women on the barge, but were happy to send the rowboat back for the rest of our group. The shore party were having none of that.

Much confusion reigned with shouting across the river. 

"Tell them to get fucked!" yelled Velito to Able.

At this, Claudia stepped forward and threw the spear at the barge. Her throw landed half way and into the river, but moments later the spear was back in her hand. 

Fabius stepped forward and shot an arrow at her (2-dice roll due to distance, a 4 and a 5, hit for …. wait for it ….. 1 point, a graze only)

BJ draws his sword whilst Victor, Able and Rodrigo run like buggers, fearing the spear.

BJ seeing that he and Sarah are alone, grabs Sarah by the arm and also runs as fast as the wind.

Will he and Sarah get away?  

Will the two parties rejoin?  

Will the black-robed women find what they are searching for? 

Tune in next week to find out!

The Light in the Sky

 

 Present:

Velito Rosso

• Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, 31, Moor Arian Fighter from Septum - Jeff
• Aulius "Owl" Lucius Decanter, 25, Polytheistic Fighter from Gades - Jamie
• 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
• Victor Koshenko, 24, Alan Arian Thief from Gades - Ian
• MARMALADE: Fabius Cato, 26 Roman Nicene Temple Fighter from Rome – Richard

by Darryl

Prepared by the large language model between Darryl's ears.

Following is a transcription of a story told by Velito Rosso, as in his old age he recounts many of his adventures. He is unable to read and write hence the transcription of his spoken tale.

"

So now I a tell you about the next-a part of my adventures with the great-a Spanish group of fellow travellers.

We decide-a to travel onto Corduba using the barge-a as the way to get-a there, safer and more comfortable for all, I think-a. So, I a runna around-a getting the barge-a all ready for the great-a lady and all her hand-a maidens, (especially for a one of them, wink wink-a wink-a, baddaboom baddaboom). 

We have-a a new member of the group-a, Elena, the beggar cleaning girl from the beggar underground-a town, and she a follows the sister Justina and Luigi everywhere. 

Rodrigo, the commander of the great-a Lady Florinda's guards then a discussed with us all about how many of the guards come with us and how a many should go with the five coaches that will meet us in Corduba. Eventually we end-a up with seven of-a them staying with us to help in the guarding.

It a was a lovely barge with two cabins for the great-a ladies, a small a shrine at da bow of the boat-a, some big oars if needed, and we were a pulled by four great horses. I, of course, took a hold of the tiller being the great-a sea captain, and we a set forth along the small a river (Singilis north from Astigi) heading towards the main river (Baetis) that head a east to Corduba. 

At about 10am in the morning, Vanker begin a spluttering and then with a screams his a body jump-a around-a and his back arches and a flings him about a lotta. He then settles back a down and marmalade again begins its a oozing from his nose. We are all-a bit-a upset at a seeing this, and so Brother Luigi places a lotta drawn crosses all around-a him.  The rest of the morning passes peacefully.

At about a lunch time, when we are having a very a nice a lunch, Vanker once again begins a spluttering but this time he stand up-a and says "morning all". He seems a better, and all a back to normal.

Whilst we a finish our a lunch, Vanker and  Aulius wander off to have-a chat-a and it is not until much-a later that I know what-a they say to each a other:

"I am a bit worried that our ex-lord might be getting a bit upset with us."

"Yes, I think you are right."

"This Christian god might be ok and he may be able to beat the old bugger off."

"Yeah, but that so-called holy water burns, and I can't get close to the altar to pray, so maybe this won't work out."

"Yeah, and this hair-shirt itches like hell itself."

"Maybe we should find some other more lowly and less controlling pagan god."

"We need a nice local Druid to help us out."

"How about Cernunnos, the ancient Celtic god?"

"Yeah, he sounds good, and you get free antlers."

Aulius touched Vanker and a vision flashes between them, and they both straight away see exactly where the Spear of Christ was buried. Next to a little copse and a gnarly tree.

"Mmmm, but I think we may have to head off to England to find someone to help us convert."

Vanker: "What about Bacchus the Roman god?"

Aulius exclaims "Silvanus - a roman god would be perfect"

"Who is he?"

"The Roman god of the forest, dummy."

"Yeah, but Bacchus allows for a bit of drinkin' and carousing - being the god of pleasure and indulgence."

Vanker: "We must make the greatest show of being good Christians until we find someone to help us with joining Silvanus or Bacchus. I am looking forward to the more wine thing."

The rest of the group we do not a know of this at the time, and so we a pack up and carry on peacefully for the rest of the day, passing only a one a river boat going in the other way. 

We stop a just a before the fork in the river as we not a want to cross over and do the complicated things just a before the dark of the night-a. So, we set a up the camp-a and do our normal guard type a things.

The sister kindly says a to Vanker and Aulius that she would like to a heal the poor men who are both a looking rather injured. But they a say that they are-a very holy humble and devout-a Christians and as a such wish to remain a injured and let-a the Lord his self-a heal them as and when a he thinks it is a right-a. I could hear much-a guffawing in a my a head at this a time.

Then a things begin a getting very strange and scary. As the a dinner is being a prepared a, one of the hand-a maidens has fire creep-a up her arm from the pot of lovely stew and she a begins screaming. Then she begins a wailing "Geryon, Geryon" and she is a running and a pointing at Aulius.

The sister and Luigi are a able to calm her a down and heal her. She is able to say to them that she has a vision of the beasts and the fire and the giant Geryon and that a Aulius is the one to a blame. Luigi tells her that it is a not to a worry and that it is a church's business, and that he will a sort-a it out-a.

The rest of the a night passes ok, and then a in the morning Luigi goes a up a to Vanker and Aulius: "Is Geryon following us?"

Aulius : "I am no longer connected to him. I defy him and am not a follower."

"And you Vanker?"

"I know of him but that is all I know. I know nothing about the spear I never touched the filthy thing."

"Do you consent to a Detect Evil?"

 "A what?

"Detect Evil miracle"

"No."

Luigi flicks some holy water on him, and Vanker says "Ow that hurts! Why pour acid on me?!"

"You are evil!"

"Oh, that's not good."

The sister Justina did not a see and then Luigi he a begins to tumble towards the barge and falls down out of the way covered in marmalade. [ Chris leaving for the night ]

Sister Justina flicks some a holy water at Aulius, but Aulius was a able to turn away and hide the great-a pain as it a sears into his flesh. She is a then a convinced that Aulius is on the healing path.

As a for the rest of us, we a get-a the boat across-a to the other side of a the river with a great mastery from myself-a. And we now a travel up-stream the main a part of the Baetis river. The horses have a to pull a lotta more. 

Aulius and a Vanker go for another walk-a alone:

"It is only a matter of time before we are burnt at the stake"

"I reckon we do a runner."

"Ok, let's do that tonight."

And they call themselves Christians.

We travel on until it is a time again for one of the great lady's wonderful lunches as and we stoppa for the normal 2 to 3 hours of eating and a sleeping (afternoon siesta). 

Aulius convinces us that he and a Vanker need to take a the horses to a place that is a better for the grazing for the horses, and so he and a Vanker. they take-a the two horses and they a rides off in the not-setting sun. We of course being asleep-a do not know of this, and when we awakes and are a ready for starting on again we not are able to find-a them. We look and we await-a and we look and we await-a and then we get a worried. 

We setup-a the guard for the night, but we have a no-one that-a canna look around in the ground for the tracks and we a not know-a what has a gone on. We not know-a what a to do and as we wait-a. Able begins a spluttering and stands a up and wipes the marmalade from his mouth. We decide to a stay here for a one a night just in case something will happen and the great Aulius and Vanker come-a back.

That-a night all is a quiet until Viktor on the last a watch sees, in the sky, a long-day's walk away, a great a flame shining and exploding into the sky. He awakes us and we a not a understand, but we also take a note that we have not had any one again be a screaming and a seeing demons, so maybe we think to us that this a was a happening because of Vanker and Aulius and maybe we should a be going onwards in the morning.

This we a do and we arrive in a river town called Detumo, after we a pass a lot a more barges on this busy part of the river. The lady, she a wants to do the praying in the Arian Chapel of the Professed Light, so we stop-a and she go and do her praying, and we have a look-a around-a a bit in the town. We are a wanting a couple more of the guards so as to help-a us now that Aulius and Vanker are not a with us no more-a. We spot-a a couple of likely looking a men a when we are in the square [ Jamie and Shane's new characters ]. They are a standing about-a but have-a the look-a of the adventure about them and so we a goer up-a to them and we begin a talking.

"You two a looking for some a work?"

"Yeah, what is the offer?"

"Standard merc rates."

They ask-a a bunch of the questions and decide they like the look of a sit-on-the-barge type of job, so we say that-a they can join a upper with us and we are all a bit more a happy to have-a more of the guards with a us.

Their names are Hawk-eye and BJ.

Well that-a is all of my a story today, now that I am a older man I cannot tell-a more of my a story, but maybe I tell-a you some more the next-a  time we a are together again.

"

The Cup Runneth Over

 Present:

The Lady Florinda

• Abellinut "Able" Ugwistan, 31, Moor Arian Fighter from Septum - Jeff
• Aulius "Owl" Lucius Decanter, 25, Polytheistic Fighter from Gades - Jamie
• 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
• Fabius Cato, 26 Roman Nicene Temple Fighter from Rome – Richard

by Richard

"What's happened to them?" commented Fabius, looking down at the collapsed Victor, Able and Vanker, who now had marmalade coming from their mouths. [ Jeff and Shane's late arrival and Ian's absence for he night meant that Fabius and Velito were left alone in the Undercity trying to find the Beggar King – not an ideal circumstance ].

"Dis way – dis way" urged Velito "the lady points at that pink door"

Fabius and Velito rush to the door and uncertain what to do with the woman they had captured Fabius knocks her out.

"Why you do tat?" whines Velito

"Other ideas," stated Fabius

Beggar King's door

"Si si," many ideas" 

"Not now" and with that Fabius puts his shoulder to the pink door, splintering it open

There is a small room with a staircase winding up which Fabius quickly ascends with Velito cautiously following. 

They see the stairwell open into another small room and there is a man with a spear pointing it downward toward Fabius.

"Surrender" Fabius demands with no success as the man pokes him with the spear for 2 points of damage.

A small dagger whirls over Fabius' shoulder and lodges itself in the man's leather armor.

""I got him – I got him!" Velito delightfully announces [ in fact he did 0 damage with the armor absorbing the 1 point ]

Fabius steps forward and hits doing 6 damage sending the man reeling across the room albeit still standing. 

"Surrender" Fabius repeats his call and this time the man lays down his weapon. Fabius steps forward and knocks him across the head with the hilt of his sword endeavoring to knock him out. A roll of a 20 ensured that the hit was too hard and caved the man's skull in killing him instantly.

"Why you do that?" questioned Velito

"Oops – the Lord's will" said Fabius moving up the next stair.

The stair ended in a door but this time unlocked. After listening and hearing nothing the door is opened and it enters into the back of what appears to be a cloakroom which in turn leads back into the Arian Church of the Sacred Flame. Strange indeed!!

'We go, we go" implored Velito. "But first we get the woman we left"

"You go. I will watch here."

"No no – I need you to carry. He marmalades." 

"Oh yes – of course" agrees Fabius

With that they both descend the stairs, collect the various unconscious people and head to the Nicene church Our Lady of Radiant Hope, where Brother Luigi and Owl wait.

Velito and Fabius explain what has happened. 

"De woman said the Beggar King was through the pink door and de pink door leads to the church. So, de Beggar King must come from the church" concluded Velito in a huge jump of logic {which proved to be correct}

We cure the woman and she comes around. Her name is Elena and she is 22 years of age and handmaid to the Beggar King's guards. She is Arian. After lengthy discussion we convince her to join us and that we will protect her, and she can be the maid for Brother Luigi. Of course, our main motivation was to better understand what she knows. 

She describes the Beggar King – "he is around this high – pointing at Owl {5'9"} with brown hair and a cropped greying beard. His are blue and he has a slightly sunken face.

"That sounds like Father Manuel, Priest from the Church of the Sacred Flame" says Owl, who off course got up close and personal with him during his confessional.

"That would make sense" responds Luigi – "the path did lead back to that church."

"We will investigate" volunteers Velito for us all. 

We head off to the Church of the Sacred Flame. We have free run of it as Lady Florinda is staying there and we are, of course, her guards. We search the cloakroom, altar and every nook and cranny we can and without finding anything of interest except a bunch of old bones beneath the altar.

There is a late afternoon service and Velito volunteers to stay and watch.  The rest of us loiter outside as guards do.

The acolytes bring the golden crosses and chalice from the direction of the barracks while Priest Manuel enters a door from the side. The Lady Florinda attends the service.

The service is uneventful and the acolytes return with the crosses to the barracks while the priest exits the side door. Velito follows him and sees him cross the court yard and enter a separate small building – we assume the vestry.

 We continue to observe the church and of course guard Lady Florinda. At around 8pm Vanker and Velito observe Priest Manuel leave the vestry and enter the church. He goes to the cloak room and enters. We assume he is going to the undercity.

"Dis is our chance" says Velito "we will sneak in" and that’s exactly what they do.

They both make successful sneak roles and get across to the vestry (actually a cottage). The front door is locked but Vanker with the help of 3 luck manages to pick it. There are only two rooms – the main room that Vanker and Velito have just entered and a further room behind another door. The windows are barred and there is a back door from the main room, they assume to the outhouse. 

They listen at what they assume to be the bedroom door and hear continuously flowing water. 

"It's there – it's there – si" says Velito excitedly.

Vanker nods and proceeds to try and open he door which is locked. This time 4 luck is needed to make the pick-locks successful.

This is a bedroom with a large unmade bed and draws. In one corner is a small altar and resting on it is a ceramic flask with water flowing, continuously, from it onto the floor and out a small drain hole in the corner of the walls.

Flask of Water

"That’s it" says Vanker as he moves over to it and picks it up. He immediately drops it back shaking his hissing hand and in tears of pain.

"What what?" calls Velito.

"You carry it" murmurs Vanker still in pain with his hand now blistering where the (obviously holy) water touched him.

"Si" responds Velito picking it up.

They head off splurging water behind them and as quietly as the can. Vanker at least is successful and they make their way to the rest of the group.

"Now we go and find the Prophet" says Owl "and we need to get Justina on the way"

"It's night – we sleep" says Velito "we go in the morning"

"We go now" commands Owl who remains our self-elected leader - albeit now on slightly shaky ground.

We head off to the docks and Owl goes down the ladder to the Undercity, followed by everyone else, and to the Prophet's lean-to. As luck would have it (successful luck roll) the Prophet is there and awake.

We all enter the lean-to and the Prophet seems delighted that we have the Flask of Water.

"Now you must cure Justina as you promised" says Luigi.

"Bring her here" the Prophet demands.

Justina steps forward and upon instruction kneels before the Prophet who pours the water from the flask over her making strange utterances. Justina screams and writhes on the ground before falling unconscious, hissing and boiling and scalding.

Fabius is about to draw his sword when Luigi bends down to Justina and says softy "she lives – we must take her back to the church and cure her"

"I will be back for you if she dies" Fabius glares at the Prophet fondling the hilt of his two-handed sword.

We get back to Our Lady of Radiant Hope and Luigi proceeds to cast a Cure. Success, and Justina comes around. He then casts Detect Evil and announces she no longer has an evil aura – success. Then he collapses with marmalade pouring from his mouth

We retire for the evening feeling rather satisfied with ourselves.

The next day we pack up our gear ready to head off with the Lady Florinda. When we arrive at the Church of the Sacred Flame, she is in quite a state. She tells us the Father Manuel is missing and we must find him.

Velito and Vanker look at each other knowing full well where he went – to the Undercity via the cloakroom. We go back and get Elena, who knows the Undercity better than us, and we head down. We wander the streets for quite some time until Elena points out a few vagabonds who she recognizes.

"But don’t trust that one" she points to a large ugly pox-ridden beggar.

Velito choses the small wiry one to question while Able and Fabius nonchalantly amble up to the supposed trouble-maker. 

Supposed trouble-maker

After some questioning, intimidating stares and appropriate levels of violence the beggars admit to seeing the Beggar King and what's more that a mob of them jumped him and beat him to death. They dismembered and disposed of his body however the large pox-ridden beggar had kept his head as a keepsake. 

We took that from him with little resistance and returned to the church. Velito also managed to recover a pinky finger of unknown origin. 

At the church there is clearly an uproar although the senior acolyte who is now likely to be the priest seems a little less distraught although is very concerned that the Flask of Water is missing.

We kindly volunteer to search the vestry and all head that way. We thoroughly search both rooms and finally behind a picture of the Madonna, we find a small safe.

"Open it Vanker" says Velito

"I will check for traps first" says Vanker as he spends the next 5-10 minutes thoroughly looking at the safe and its lock. 

"Nope – all safe" he declares as he starts to pick the lock.

Suddenly Vanker reels back in agony with a tiny needle in his finger.

"It small - it small – it not tat bad" declares Velito almost at the same time as Vanker goes deadly pale and collapses to the floor frothing at the mouth.

"Or maybe it is" Velito is heard to say

Vanker is unconscious [ having taken 15 points of damage and failing his Poison Defense skill roll; a 19 and so not even Luck could help – you can only ever use 6 luck in a roll ]. Owl rushes to his side and successfully applies First Aid – sucking the poison from Vanker's wound and saving him from sure death.

"That’s a shame" says Able "the safe isn’t open"

We search again for a key but with no success.

"If we wait here in ambush- I'm sure the beggars will turn up with the key to get what ever is inside" volunteers Fabius.

 

"No no  Rip it from the wall" says Velito

"Shut up Velito" commands Owl – "we will wait in ambush'

Vanker is placed in the bed under the covers, and the rest of us hide as well as possible in a small room. And sure enough, a few hours later, we hear noise at the front door followed by footsteps. Slowly the bedroom door is opened and two men step in.

They start searching the room and it doesn’t take long for them to realise we are there. We slam the door behind them and seeing they are out numbered and muscled, they surrender.

"Open the safe" demands Owl

"We have no key!" they chime in together

"Surely men of your character can pick it" states Able menacingly.

Sure enough they could, and they did so just before Fabius and Able knock them out.

In the safe is 150 silver coins [ equivalent value of 15,000 NZ dollars ] plus a strange transparent vial with a red liquid (crystal - usual technology for the 8th century).

We close the chest, return the picture of the Madonna concealing it, remove the two beggars, lock the doors and leave. It's night and no one sees us. We leave the beggars on a street and return to our lodgings (Bronze Bull).

The next morning, we again return to the Church of the Sacred Flame and meet with Florinda and the senior acolyte. 

"There was coin in the safe" we say handing over 50 coins. 

"We must leave now Lady Florinda" says Owl "we have discussed it and consider going by boat to Corduba may be a safer option"

"If you think so" she responds "I will arrange it"

In the early afternoon we meet at the docks. A (horse-pulled) barge has been hired and our provisions loaded on. The wagons will meet us in Corduba and we will travel incognito and safely by barge. What could go wrong? We haven’t returned the spear to the Prophet as he prophesised, we have taken coin from the church and of course let's not forget about that blood(?)-filled crystal vial. What could go wrong? …….