A day matrix is also available, as well as the house rules for combat.

1.  March in slavery

It has been ten years or more since the heroes marched to free the Holy Lands from the grip of the Müsülman. Their campaign ended in disaster: slavery instead of salvation was their reward. Godefroi, Jean and Samuel, all of Blois, and Andreas and his brother-in-law Ulrich of Basilia, found themselves in the same slave caravan. They are all sold on to new masters, and contemplate their fate as they pull their chains over the arid Armenian landscape.

Their ten day march takes them over more fertile lands; they taste olives, figs and hesperidia. Eventually they reach the end of this journey, when two large hooded figures arrive with a large cart to collect them. Ten slaves are loaded on the cart --the heroes and a group of five Welshmen, chained together in groups of five, and bound on the floor of the cart. A thick canvas is thrown over them.

A dreadful trip follows. They remain bound on the cart for five days, sweating, urinating and defecating where they sleep. Only occasionally they receive a sprinkle of water or a moldy piece of bread, after hours of pleading to their new captors.

2.  The cross of Bosphorus

It is dark. The heroes are on a beach facing Constantinople, across 800 yards one mile of water. They can clearly can see the mighty city walls, two large churches one of which is identified as Hagia Sophia, Justinian's column and city lights.

After pleading with the hooded figures (H1 and H2), the party and their Welsh co-slaves are allowed to get in water and bathe. It is painful: they have spent days on end crammed on a little cart, and are covered in sores. While in the water, they notice a rowing boat small caïque ashore. They also notice some scattered lights on a distant hill, somewhere on their right. One of the hooded figures (H2) pulls the caïque on the water, quite effortlessly, and the heroes together with the Welsh are seated on-board. There are some initial thoughts of making a run, but in the end they are discarded. Andreas, Ulrich and three Welshmen are seated in the back row, while Godefroi, Samuel, Jean and two Welshmen are seated right in front of them. They are all looking towards the bow. In from of them there is an empty row, and the two hooded men occupy the next two rows. They are facing the bow.

The two large hooded figures produce oars (two each), which are noticeably large given the size of this vessel. They start rowing towards Constantinople.

The caïque has moved perhaps 200 yards from shore, when shadows engulf the boat. The heroes and the Welsh feel a disconcerting weight and some of them panic. The city lights in the distance become progressively dimmer, and they lose sight of the shore. Some start praying, some start crying.

A few more minutes pass, when sounds appear to dim too. First the noise of the sea disappears, then the sound of the oars hitting the water; in the end characters cannot even hear their own prayers or cries. Now there is widespread panic: Jean is clearly the one mostly affected, and he tries to flee overboard. Fortunately, he is constrained by his chains and Samuel, who is perhaps the only one that has kept it together. Traveling in total silence, they approach the imposing sea-walls of Constantinople and turn right. Now they move across the walls in darkness and silence, following the shoreline. Eventually they reach an inlet and enter a small cavern. It doesn't take long for the party to realize that they are actually in a large cistern, with hundreds of pillars extending in all directions.

Although the boat is now moving in darkness, the supernatural darkness and stillness that they experienced before have dissipated. Some party members take advantage of that, and shout for help at the top of their voices. There is no reply. Eventually the heroes notice a light source, where it appears to be their destination. As they approach the end of the cistern, they find a landing where a shorter hooded figure (H3) is waiting.

There is a barred metal door leading off the landing, and two peculiar looking lanterns providing light. Given the lack of any other light source, the party find the presence of lanterns odd and inefficient, as they would expect a more generous light source with an open flame instead (like a torch). H3 ties the front of the boat to the landing, while H1 and H2 disembark.

* * *

At this point the heroes attempt to make their move to regain their freedom.

The first row attempts to stand: Jean succeeds, Godefroi fails and remains seated. Unfortunately Samuel slips, loses his balance and drags the rest with him. Second row plan their move in a more orderly fashion. Due to these erratic actions the boat starts rocking, forcing the untied back to move away from the landing. All three hooded figures seem to realize what is happening, and H2 starts moving toward the back end of landing, towards the barred door. H1 draws his sword and calls for the party to stand and remain still. The heroes ignore his order and in fact shout various insults instead; on the other hand the Welsh contingent seem to consider his point, especially after noticing the weapon.

The first row manage to scramble towards the middle boat seat, and are now trying to climb over. This is not easy as their hands and feet are chained together, and they are also chained with each other. The back end of boat keeps moving further away from the landing, and at this stage the boat is probably at 45 degrees. H2 reappears carrying a boat hook, and apparently he will eventually try to bring the boat back in. H1 steps onto the bow, once again ordering the party to stop moving and drop themselves on the floor. The second row attempt to move in unison, and manage to put one foot on the seat in front of them; they will try to stand on this seat. But the Welshman in the middle loses his balance; fortunately Ulrich is there and quickly manages to get hold of him. Further ahead, Godefroi scrambles over the middle seat and reaches one of the oars, with Samuel giving him some slack. Jean is held back by the terrified Welsh, and attempts to march them into action. He is not convincing. Andreas, on the other hand, seems to be more successful in back row where Welsh follow his lead.

Godefroi manages to stand up, with the large oar in both hands, wielding it around and trying to keep H1 away. He is successful, as H1 keeps his distance. H2 is now close to the front end of boat, and tries to pull the boat back towards the landing with the boat-hook.

At this point H3 drops back his hood: he has a grotesque, ancient, pale, leathery face. His eyes cross Godefroi’s eyes: Godefroi is transfixed. Jean still tries to lead the Welsh, with more success this time, but only until they realize the dreadful figure that is now looking in their direction. H3 is looking deep into Godefroi’s eyes and suggests: - Drop the oar into the water Godefroi does as instructed; he drops the oar into the water, as if in trance.

Party notice this bizarre behaviour; after all Godefroi was one of the most vocal proponents of action. Samuel drops on him knees and starts praying. Godefroi recovers from his experience clearly shaken, shouts obscenities at the Devil and his works and drops on his knees too, praying. The Welsh are terrified.

3.  Enter the nightmare

Jean is only party member still going on. H1 once again orders the slaves to drop on the floor, but Jean ignores his command and tries to move forward, although his movement is much restrained as he is chained to the Welsh, Samuel and Godefroi who have stopped and are refusing to move forward.

- Kill him, H3 commands. H2 follows the order and attacks Jean with his sword. As he towers above the Frenchman he brings his sword down, only to be blocked masterfully by Jean's chains. His second strike though is more successful, as the sword sinks into Jean's chest, wounding him severely. Samuel's attempt to protect his fellow is a fraction too late; as Jean drops on the floor of the boat, Samuel rushes to aid him by stopping the flow of blood.

* * *

H1 brings the boat to the landing using the hook, and the slaves move off the boat quietly. Samuel and Godefroi try to support Jean as he looks in a terrible state, but he refuses assistance, pretending to be in a better state than he really is, in order to rob their adversaries of part of their victory. All are taken into a what looks like a smithy's workroom, where their chains are removed. The heroes are then separated from the group of the Welsh, and are led into a large cell.

The cell is about 5x4m, with thick stone walls and a solid iron door. The ceiling is domed, and there is a small stream of water running across the far wall. The water is only an inch deep, and disappears through a hole on the wall. There is no bedding.

A few days pass with the heroes being held in the cell. Surprisingly good food is provided in decent quantities, as well as water and even wine. Thus the heroes somewhat recover from their dreadful trip, and manage to put on some weight. Godefroi, Ulrich and Samuel spend their time exercising and playing various games. Andreas uses a bone to carve quotes from the bible on the walls --which Samuel subsequently tries to remove. Jean's condition improves, although he is still weak. He is frequently tended by Samuel.

H3 and H1 come to visit, with H3 carrying a large black leather-bound tome. Godefroi scoffs that "[H3] will bore them to death", but H3 asks they party how they are getting on, about the state of their health and their backgrounds. Jean does most of the talking, telling H3 that he originally comes from Blois, a place which apparently H3 had visited in the past. H3 addresses H1 as Ladislas, and tell his that Jean could be James the Just. The heroes are puzzled by this odd statement; Godefroi makes some mocking comment, to which H3 replies that [Godefroi] would make a good Paul. Andreas believes that these are names of Christian martyrs, and tells H3 that he would like to be John himself, as he was the only disciple that did not die as a martyr. H3 replies that although John did not die a martyr, he was still boiled alive but survived, and adds that he nevertheless sees Andreas more of a Philip. H3 makes notes throughout this conversation with the heroes.

A few more days pass, with more food, water and wine provided. Jean is feeling a lot better, albeit not yet in top form.

H3 and Ladislas return, with H3 querying again on their well-being. Godefroi points out that he is puzzled as they are supposed to be slaves, to which H3 replies that he actually has a favour to ask them; their help with an issue at hand.

The heroes are taken into a large room, which looks like a torture chamber. One of the Welshmen (Huw) is tied onto a large wooded pole in the far corner of the chamber, with his hands behind his back. He looks in a bad state, very skinny and weeping.

H3 points at Huw - Do you remember Bartholomew? - No, this is actually Huw, Jean replies. H3 ignores Jean and carries on - Have you ever flayed a man alive? The heroes are taken by this comment and start talking to each other. H3 turns to Andreas - You are a man of the cloth; you know how it's done, so make sure it's done properly., after which H3 leaves the room, leaving the heroes debating.

The heroes appear to be in denial, and at first [pretend that] don't understand what they are supposed to do. After that they turn to Andreas, suggesting that he alone was ordered to flay Huw, and that they don't have anything to do with it. To the horror of Godefroi and Samuel, Andreas suggests that they should decapitate Huw rather than flay him, to spoil their captor's plans. Jean makes the point that no-one will be flayed or decapitated, and proceeds to release Huw.

Everyone gets tooled-up, mainly with axes and hand-axes. Huw sobs and thanks Jean, and in fact follows him around from this point on. Godefroi avoids Andreas, always keeping at least a few yards between them.

Godefroi keeps avoiding Andreas, while Ulrich and Samuel look for secret doors. Jean [and Huw] are examining the door, which is large, solid iron, with an opening to look into the chamber. The opening is covered with a sliding iron piece. The door hinges are on the other side of the 2-foot wide wall. They remember that the door is held in place by metal bars on the other side.

Time passes and the heroes become increasingly tired and erratic. Their is a confrontation between Andreas and Samuel, which Jean tries to diffuse.

4.  Surrender your souls

Over this time the heroes take a better look around the room. There are inter alia:

• a large [human size] table with chains and ropes
• two smaller tables
• three large crosses, with crucifixion marks on them
• one large cauldron suspended from the ceiling
• five large poles fixed into the floor [Huw was tied on one of them]
• two pillories
• one large thin pointy pole [for impalement?]
• one device like a stool with a pyramid attached on top [Judas cradle?]
• one large iron chair
• one man sized cage
• sets of pulleys attached to the ceiling
• chains attached to the ceiling and walls
• axes, pinchers, thumbscrews, hammers, sledgehammers, pokers, needles, nails, knives, various metal pieces of unknown use
• six odd-looking lanterns on the walls
• one small barrel of oil
• some wood
• some coal

The heroes are now very thirsty and tired. They don't know exactly how long they have been in the chamber, but it has been over 15 hours. At this point they finally acknowledge that H3 issued the order to flay Huw alive to all of them as a group, rather than to Andreas alone. Jean suggests to Huw that he takes a rest, and Huw moves towards the far end of the chamber.

Jean investigates the lanterns: they are in fact oil lamps, but very robust and of very high craftsmanship. The glass is extremely strong and thick, but at the same time very clear. The oil in the lamps matches the oil in the barrel.

A decision is made that they should break through the door opening to facilitate their escape. Andreas builds a device that hold a pole as a battering ram. Ulrich and Godefroi hold the device steady, as Samuel will try and hit the pole with a sledgehammer. Jean positions himself next to the door with a second pole, ready to use it if anyone opens the door.

Samuel takes four good blows at the battering pole, but there is not much impact on the door slide. Before he makes any further attempts, he and Ulrich get the feeling that there is someone else in the room. As they make out his silhouette, H3 speaks from the corner, next to the Judas cradle: "This is not the way to flay a man".

Everyone turns and can now see H3. He is standing in the corner, with his right hand cupped. As they focus, some heroes realize that H3 looks somewhat transparent, since they can make out the torturing device that lies behind him. Andreas tries to engage him in conversation, by saying that they never understood that he wanted them to flay Huw. At the same time Samuel uses his sledge hammer to attack H3, an action that everyone else seems to follow.

As Samuel lunges towards the ghostly looking figure, he finds that the wood that supports his sledgehammer becomes flaccid and warped. Everyone else also notices that all wooden parts of their weapons also warp, becoming utterly useless. There are screams - Sorcery!... - Demons!... as Samuel carries forward with his attack, trying now to tackle H3. He goes straight through his opponent, crashing on the device beyond. Jean tells H3 that they will not follow his sick plans, and they Huw will not be flayed. To this H3 replied that he has heard that before, and that things will change as they become more thirsty and desperate. Then he walks through the wall and disappears.

Some more hours pass. Now the idea is put forward by Ulrich that they should set fire next to the door, weaken the metal and break through. He starts building a pyre using every available piece of wood and coal. Andreas and Jean find that a great idea and try to help him. Samuel and Godefroi do not make a decent effort, and Jean tries to encourage them. The fire starts and there is some smoke accumulating in the room. But it doesn't seem to be strong enough to melt or weaken the iron door.

The heroes start loosing control. Godefroi is too weak and collapses first. Ulrich loses it, takes a knife and makes a move towards Huw. As Huw is lying face-down, Ulrich puts his knee on Huw's neck and sticks the knife under his back skin starting to cut. When Andreas notices, he tries to move and stop Ulrich, but at the same time Samuel puts himself between them, protecting Ulrich as he carries out his act. Jean protests, but is too weak to take action.

The shock wakes Huw up and he starts to cry - Jesus Christ! Have mercy on me! while Ulrich keeps chopping away pieces from his lower back down to his thighs. Andreas attacks Samuel with a piece of chain, as he tried to go through. Samuel defends himself with another piece of chain, and later moves to attack. Ulrich turns Huw over, and sticks his knife under the collarbone, working his way across the chest. He is now covered in blood that pumps freely from Huw's wounds. Huw stares as Ulich, still alive but unable to speak, as Ulrich severs his windpipe. Jean gives up protesting, puts his face in his hands and starts sobbing. Andreas and Samuel are still in melee, as Hew expires, still staring into Ulrich's eyes.

* * *

The fire by the door is still burning, and the room is now filling up with smoke.

5.  Hope

One by one the heroes slip into unconsciousness, as the lack of water, oxygen and sleep gets the better of them. After a few minutes only Andreas is still awake, sitting on the floor and whispering a prayer. The door opens and Ladislas throws a bucket of water on the smoldering fire, followed by the other thug. One of them goes to inspect the remains of poor Huw and the pieces of skin, still clutched in Ulrich's hand. - Not a very good job, he comments. The master will not be happy.

Ladislas lifts Jean and Samuel with remarkable ease, as he calls Andreas - Come on, pick one up and follow, as he walks towards the door Andreas picks up Ulrich, while the second thug carries Godefroi behind him. They walk through some lit corridors, through two sets of barred doors and into a large room. The thugs drop their load on beds and leave.

The room is large with eight beds in it, arranged in two rows of four. It could be a room at an inn, or perhaps barracks. There is a large table, with food, water and wine. On the far corner there is a bath. Some garments are hanging next to it.

After having some water, Andreas uses a sponge to put some wine on his comrades' lips, first on Ulrich's and then on everyone else's. The wine together with the fresh air certainly help, and the heroes start recovering their senses. Samuel and Jean are the first to come around, still very weak, thirsty and frail. Ulrich and Godefroi follow within a few minutes.

Ulrich is in a catatonic state, he is rigid and quiet, his blank eyes staring in the distance. He seems to be disorientated, and needs Andreas to move around. His rugs, face and much of his body are still covered in Huw's blood. Andreas takes the bloody clothes off, and gives Ulrich a bath. Samuel, Godefroi and Jean have a quick look around the room, without finding anything special. The door is wooden, and to their surprise it is not locked. Samuel has a quick peek outside, to find that there is a corridor that runs in front of their room.

After a few hours, the heroes are strong enough to venture down the corridors. First they turn left --as Andreas recalled that he arrived to this room from the other direction, and after 20m they reach the end of the corridor. There are two doors near the end, one on each side. The doors appear to be locked, and no there is no sight of light beyond. Then, the heroes move back, past their room, where they now find another locked door on their left. A bit further down they reach the two sets of barred doors, where there is some light on the other side. Ladislas approaches the other side of the bars, and tells the heroes that he will let the master know immediately that they are up. The heroes ask for more water and food. Samuel points out that Jean is badly wounded, and asks for medical alcohol.

The party want to find out how the double doors are operated, and to this end Samuel takes a position near the bars. He sees Ladislas opening the first door, then locking it behind him and passing the keys back to his comrade, before opening the second door. Samuel moves swiftly back to the room before he is noticed by Ladislas.

There is plenty of food and wine during the next days. Godefroi is a keen drinker, while Jean and Andreas decide to keep of the wine. The food is mainly meat, but there are no knives or other implements. At some point Ladislas and H1 enter the room, asking the heroes to follow them as the Master would like to see them. Initially Jean protests, stating clearly that he is not going to follow anyone's orders , and that if the Master wants to see him he should come himself. Godefroi and Samuel ask what would happen if they refuse to follow, Ladislas seems puzzled and just points out that whoever wishes to follow him should do so. The Master would be obviously unhappy if his orders were not carried out. After Godefroi makes the point that an opportunity to escape might present itself, Jean decides to follow.

The party moves down the corridor, with Ladislas walking behind them and the second thug leading the way. They move through the double doors, which are now unlocked, and carry on to the end of a corridor. There, the leader of the procession reaches into the far wall and an opening appears on the wall to their left. Through this doorway they find themselves in a set of ancient tunnels that were most possibly used as catacombs many years past. Now there are no bricked walls or stone floor, the heroes walk through tunnels dug into soft earth. On either side there are 3-foot holes into the walls, where they can see human remains that are apparently ancient. There are three rows of holes on each wall. Jean spots rocks on the floor, and successfully manages to harvest a few handfuls, which he keeps into his sleeve. Godefroi spots Jean's attempt and makes moves that deliberately distract Ladislas.

Eventually the heroes reach (a 3d Google sketchup map is available, free viewer here) a subterranean gallery, with more human remains placed in the walls. They are now at the higher level of the gallery, with a set of stairs going down into what looks like a vestibule of a chapel. Turning left into this area they climb up two sets of stairs, leading first to an large landing, and then to a rotunda bathed in light. There is a pool of water in the middle. Looking up, the heroes realize that they might be at the bottom of a well; as they can see the sky above their heads. The sides are bricked and there are occasional small openings; they soon find out that these openings are parts of a spiral staircase that climbs upwards. The guards lead the heroes towards the staircase and they start climbing towards the surface.

Before reaching the surface they come to a doorway on the left, in which the leader turns. Godfrey and Jean believe that this is a good chance to escape, and rather than turning left they carry on climbing the stairs. At this point Jean passes a couple of his stones to Godfrey. Ladislas, who was covering the back, commands them to stop, and as they do not respond he runs after them. Godfrey, who is ahead, starts running up the stairs with Jean following behind. Ladislas is faster, and seems to be gaining ground, eventually reaching Jean.

Jean decides to attack Ladislas with his stone, but before he manages to do that Ladislas strikes him with his sword. Jean drops on the floor bleeding very heavily, while Ladislas carries on with his pursuit of Godfrey, who has now reached the top of the stairs and is facing a door. Further down, the second thug draws his sword and takes an attacking posture, as Samuel tries to backtrack into the staircase. Andreas reaches for his chain, which was not removed from him after the flaying of Huw.

* * *

Godfrey is delighted to find that the door in front of him is not locked; he rushes through and finds himself in a large gallery. The floor is marble, as are the pillars that support the balcony. There is ample light, as the roof is partly made of glass. There is a door in the far corner, and a second door on the side wall. Godfrey decides to make it for the second option, as it is closer and he can hear Ladislas catching up.

Unfortunately this door is locked and Ladislas is now in the room. Godfrey's guess is that he might not make it to the far door in time, and decides to give up. He drops on the floor and whimpers. Ladislas is not amused, he grabs Godfrey from the hair and drags him back towards the well.

* * *

In the meanwhile Andreas decides to attack the thug in front of him, at least buying some time for his comrades. He tries to use his chain to disarm his foe; the chain wraps around the thug's weapon, but he is too strong and keeps hold of it. He then replies by attacking Andreas, at the same time ordering him to put his weapon down and for Samuel to drop on the floor. Andreas lowers his chain, but still refuses to drop it. The thug attacks and wounds Andreas, who retaliates by hitting his foe with his chain. Andreas is attacked and wounded for a second time. He finds himself on the floor, badly damaged and unable to do anything but crawl.

* * *

Samuel reaches the badly wounded Jean. It is obvious that he is in a very bad state, and perhaps already dead. Nevertheless, he chooses to ignore his wounded fellow, and instead leaps over his body running up the stairs. He reaches the top as Ladislas is pushing and kicking Godfrey through the door. As his escape route is blocked, Samuel scrambles down to Jean and tries to administer some first aid. There is really only one wound, bleeding profusely, which Samuel tries to wrap tightly with pieces of cloth.

6.  Dinner

Ladislas keeps pushing Godefroi down the stairs, towards Samuel and his wounded comrade. Godefroi tries to scramble slowly, giving Samuel more time to dress Jean's wound. Now the party has two fallen members, one of which is perhaps dead, and another member who seems to be detached from reality. Godefroi and Samuel are ordered to carry Jean, to which they comply after some feeble complaints. Andreas is using Ulrich to stand up.

The party is led through the corridor off the staircase, as initially intended. They move slowly through a domed room, with another corridor leaving off their left. In this corridor they can see another set of two barred gates. Straight ahead there is another barred gate, and behind that a wooden door. One thug is leading the way through this door and into a relatively small room. There is a table in the middle of the room, while the walls are covered with barrels and shelves with bottles, cups, jugs, pitchers and other drinking paraphernalia. Samuel and Godefroi place Jean's wounded body on the table, and Samuel is trying to find any signs that would suggest that Jean is still alive. The heroes are asking for some external medical help for Jean, and Ladislas replies that he will let the Master know, although the heroes' behavior is most likely to upset him gravely. He also points out that in a few hours the preparations for dinner will start, and the heroes should be ready for that.

After a short investigation, the party conclude that most barrels contain red wine. There are three smaller barrels with brandy. Samuel believes that Jean's body is getting colder, and he cannot find any vital signs. Godefroi is distressed and starts drinking to the memory of the Count of Blois. Andreas notices this strange comment, but before he gets an answer Samuel changes the topic. A few more hours pass, and successive attempts by Samuel to find any hint that Jean is alive fail. He collects a number of cloths and coveres the body, in an attempt to conserve any heat. Andreas is also drinking quite heavily, and is also offering some brandy to Ulrich. As time passes, the heroes are getting progressively drunk (with the exception of Samuel who is nursing the same glass of wine, and of course Jean).

* * *

- Ladislas tells me that you caused a bit of a scuffle again, comments the Master as he opens the door. He is flanked by Ladislas and the other hooded thug. The heroes scramble towards the far end of the room, behind the table where Jean's body is still lying, covered head-to-toe in cloth.

- And he also said that James here is a feisty little fellow, leading all of you astray. He says that he is your leader, organizing your revolt.

- It was Jean, not James, says Samuel. He is dead.

- The Master approaches the table, removing the cloth from Jean's face. Ladislas was feisty too.. once... weren't you Ladislas?

Ladislas nods as he lowers his eyes: Yes Master.

- He deserves to be punished, and what punishment is better than memory? the Master declares. He stares into Jean's pale face, as he pulls his left sleeve up, revealing a leathery pale wrist. In his other hand he is holding what looks like a very small golden knife, ornate with glittering jewels. He opens Jean's mouth.

With one decisive move the Master cuts his own wrist open, and quickly moves the wound over Jean's mouth. The heroes are stunned, staring at this odd ritual with awe. The Master keeps his eyes locked into Jeans face, as he pushes his wrist against the Frenchman's mouth. After a few moments he withdraws, a small line of blood visible on his wrist as he does so.

- This will teach him a small lesson, won't it Ladislas? comments the Master as he leaves the room. And it will certainly change his ways.. He stops at the door and turns: I am sure Ladislas told you that dinner will be served shortly, please get prepared. There is plenty of wine here, as I see you noticed.

The party is left again in the room alone. Samuel and Andreas rush to check Jean's body, Andreas uses a glass bottle to check for signs of breathing, and surprisingly he finds that Jean is alive. You got it wrong before!, he scoffs Samuel, who insists that his comrade was certainly dead a few moments ago. A drunken Godefroi is cursing the Master and his satanic ways, drinking more wine as he does so. Andreas and Ulirich also have a few more cups of brandy and wine. Samuel does not drink, examining Jean in disbelief: he is very much alive, with a faint heart beat and breathing. A while later, the rest are so drunk they can hardly move.

* * *

Come on! it's time! shouts Ladislas as he opens the door. I see you are ready to go! Come on, and carry James with you

The heroes are led slowly in a drunken procession, through the set of two gates. In the end of this corridor they find a set of stairs on their left, which take them to the upper floors. It is obviously that they have moved out of the servants quarters, and into a lavish gallery. There are statues, paintings and other ornaments on the walls, the floor is shiny marble and two winding stairs lead them to a balcony. There a set of heavy double doors that bring them into a room with a large oval table in the middle. There are heavy chairs around the table, and Ladislas takes each party member to their seat. An empty seat is left between heroes.

Ladislas then reveals what looks like shackles, locking the heroes arms and legs on the specially crafted chairs. Most of them are too drunk or unconscious to protest, but Samuel dashes under the table looking for safety. But as he realizes that there is no escape route available, he gives up and takes his place.

After this part is complete, and all party members are safely secured, Ladislas comes backs with a set of peculiar looking instruments. They look like 20cm long golden needles, with a small tap placed on one end. Ladislas first approaches Godefroi and reaches for his neck; Godefroi will not stand still and struggles, shaking his head and trying to break free. The second thug comes to aid Ladislas, keeping Godefroi's head steady. Stand still and it will not hurt, advises Ladislas. It hurts more if you are not relaxed, and the wine you had will help.

The needle goes through Godefroi's neck, into the carotid artery. The other end, the one with the tap, is over Godefroi's shoulder, behind his head. Ladislas then fastens the needle on Godefroi's shoulder, and then moves to the rest of the heroes where he repeats the same procedure. The numbness of drink certainly helped and, perhaps surprisingly, there no substantial pain involved. Samuel, unfortunately, decided to stay sober: he begs for some brandy before the needle is put, but Ladislas is not prepared to wait. Ladislas makes a final check, making sure that the taps are working properly, bringing a steady stream of blood. Then the two thugs leave the room, and the heroes are left alone, drunk, wounded, exhausted, tied to their chairs, with long needles through their neck and into their blood stream.

* * *

- Please come in!.. this way!.. just help yourselves, please!..

The Master enters the room, accompanied by two guests, a man and a woman. The man is tall and slim, with an air of sophistication and even divinity. As he enters the room he clearly commands everyone's attention, notwithstanding the fact that he appears too be ancient. He is dressed in what looks like a dark silk tunic, heavily embroidered with gold and silver threads. He is bold, and even though his face has a substantial amount of makeup, he looks cold and distant. The woman is shorter, wrapped in a dark brown mantle and wearing what looks like a chaperon. Unlike the older man, she moves swiftly, and rather than drawing attention she seems to repel it. The Master is referring to the old man as "Lord Ioanni", and shows a great deal of respect to him. The woman is apparently called "Semina".

The Master produces a set of goblets from the cabinet, and points his finger at Godefroi:

- I believe that this one over here is mostly ready. I have been preparing them for the whole evening, although I was told that one or two are still quite dry. His guests move towards the detained Godefroi, who is spurting and cursing, and fill the containers from the tap. Like real connoisseurs, they sip and taste the blood, before complimenting the Master for his cellar.

As the evening progresses, the Master and his guests sample the blood of all party members. They alternate between the heavily intoxicated Godefroi, Andreas and Ulrich, and the sober Samuel and Jean. They discuss politics, religion and trade. Lord Ioanni is frequently speaking for long periods of time, with the Master and Semina paying intense attention. It appears that the Master is expecting more guests later in the evening.

* * *

The heroes spend a good few hours tied on their chairs, with their blood being slowly drained. They start feeling thirsty and sleepy, but they don't actually lose consciousness at any point (apart from Jean of course). The drunken ones begin to slowly sober up, something that is also recognised and commented upon by Semina as she sips her drink.

The Master turns and looks startled at the loud banging noise that comes from beneath. His guests also fall silent and try to hear. There appears to be a rumble, very faint initially but certainly getting louder. Some heroes can discern loud voices and the sound of metal against metal. The Master quickly rushes through the door; as he opens the noises become momentarily louder and clearer. There is also the distinct smell of wood on fire that enters the room.

- It is the crusaders! declares the Master as he comes back. They have breached the walls and the palace is on fire. There is chaos out there; the peasants have broken into the villa, burning and looting. Soon they will be up here.

- Can we get out? asks Semina. I can smell the fire.

- Well not through the front door, but I have a way, replies the Master. Ladislas will hold them for a while, but they might still catch up with us.

- I have an idea that will buy us some more time, say Lord Ioanni, as he turns Ulrich's tap full on.

Semina and the Master join in, turning all taps on. The heroes can hear their blood pouring on the carpet, as they slowly loose consciousness.

* * *

They are in there!.. Burn them! Burn the demons!..

Andreas is the first to open his eyes to the heavy banging on the door. The rest of his comrades are around the table, but still unconscious or perhaps dead. There are shouts and loud bangs coming from the other side of the door, which seems to be barricaded with various pieces of furniture. Andreas' finds that his hands and feet are not constrained in any way any more; he is free to stand and walk.

Ulrich, Godefroi and Samuel come back, one after the other. Jean is still unconscious. The Master and his guests are nowhere to be seen. The loud bangs continue, as do the shouts and now the barking of a dog.

The heroes start dismantling the barricade, trying to help the invaders to reach the room. Yes! the demons were here!.. We were their prisoners!.. They are not here any more!.. Jean is the last one to regain his senses. Some look around for any items they could use as weapons, and notice that in the cabinets there are some ceremonial or ornamental axes and swords. Andreas and Ulrich grab a couple of axes, while Samuel arms himself with a sword. At the same time Godefroi is busy removing furniture that is blocking the door.

Burn the demons!.. Follow the dog!..

An axe bursts through the door, as it swings wide open. Five men, armed with sword and axes burst into the room. One of them is being pulled by a vicious and very aggressive dog. Three of them are carrying torches. As the door opens, smoke and a strong smell of fire enter the room. More bangs and shouts can be heard in the distance, perhaps coming from downstairs.

Jean is the first one to be hit by Roetschrek, the red fear. He panics as soon as he sees the naked flame, and flees towards the back end of the room. Godefroi manages to momentarily hold his nerve, but is eventually overcome as well. The rest appear to keep it together, at least for the time being.

The intruders do not pay any attention to the heroes pleas that the demons have left the room. They move in and attack their closest party member. Andreas and Ulrich retaliate and cut one their foes in pieces. The dog lunges forward towards the fleeing Godefroi, who in desperation replies by throwing books that he grabs from the nearest shelf. Samuel is holding his ground, as the torch bearers move forward into the room.

Burn them!.. Cleanse with fire!.. Burn the demons!..

7.  Justice pursues the body beyond all possible pain

It is a bloodbath.

One of the intruders manages to get a hit on Andreas, but to everybody's amazement the axe sinks into Andreas' abdomen without causing a wound. The cut is not bleeding, and Andreas actually does not feel any pain although he very much saw the blade entering his body. His stunned adversary is then quickly dealt with, and so is his comrade that attempted to hit Ulrich.

They ARE demons! Fiends from Hell!.. is the last cry of the startled intruder, having witnessed the successful but inconsequential hit of his comrade. Ulrich quickly cuts the man in half with a mighty swing of his axe.

There is a torch burning on the floor, which Andreas puts out using the severed head of his attacker. Jean makes his way quietly around the room, overcoming gradually his fear. As the torch that triggered it is no longer there, he collects himself and steps forward.

The remaining two attackers follow the dog which leaps on Godefroi. The dog manages to get a bite before Godefroi hits it hard with the spine of a large tome and sends it on the floor, unconscious. The last standing foe, in his confusion and fear, looses grip of his axe which falls on the floor. He then tries to make a run for his life, behind the table and across the room. Andreas, who is first to notice his plan, jumps over the table and grapples the poor militiaman. After being headlocked for several minutes, the last remaining enemy drops to the floor unconscious.

* * *

While this carnage is taking place in the far end of the room, Ulrich and Jean are keeping a lookout through the smashed door. It is dark outside, although one can here clearly mob-like sounds coming from the floors below. Occasionally there is a dim flicker of light on the far wall, past the balcony. The smell of burned wood is as strong as it has been.

* * *

There is a consensus that a secret exit must exist out of this room, and it is just a matter of locating it. All party members are frantically tapping on wooden panels, throwing books off the shelves and checking the walls for any sign of a concealed passageway. Godefroi takes a more analytical approach, searching the carpeted floor for bloody footpaths that lead towards a wall and disappear thereabouts. Indeed, he manages to locate an area which party member have yet to visit, but where footprints exist. Unfortunately, the direction of motion is not clear enough, but nevertheless he and Samuel focus their attention to the bookcases surrounding this area. And it is not long before Samuel discovers that a thick tome, which aptly bears the word "Exodus" on its spine, is not movable. By pressing it the side paneling opens, revealing a short corridor leading to what looks like the wall of a well. On the far side there are rungs leading down.

Jean ensures that the main entrance to the room is left open, as to indicate that the occupants have left that way. Then, he joins his comrades as they descent, closing the secret door behind him. As he does that, the heroes are engulfed in total darkness. Samuel is first, followed by Andreas, Ulrich and Godefroi. Jean is last down the ladder. There is a smell of decay, brought by a slight breeze. Samuel can hear muffled sounds in the distance, consistent with a mob which is looting and burning down the villa.

As they make their way down this well, Samuel has the feeling that direction of the breeze is changing, coming now from somewhere on his left. Although the ladder keeps going down, he has the feeling that there might be an opening leading off. To investigate this conjecture he stretches in the darkness, one hand on the ladder, the other searching the wall. And indeed he finds a ledge, indicating there is some other passage joining the well. Moving a few rungs up the ladder and feeling the wall again reveals a metallic ring fixed on the wall, presumable to make the transition from the ladder to the ledge easier.

Given this new piece of information the heroes decide to leave the well and move across the new passageway. The feel that this might lead to one of the lower floors of the building, perhaps some servants quarters or the dungeons where they spent the first days of their captivity.

Samuel easily makes the move from the ladder to the ledge. He can now feel clearly that the breeze is coming from this direction, with the smell of rotten matter becoming stronger. As a matter of fact, Samuel is surprised by the clarity of his senses, and somewhat puzzled to that.

Andreas and Ulrich also make the leap using the ring, but when Godefroi's turn comes he freezes. He cannot find the ring, and starts to get anxious about it as he holds tightly on the ladder. He then decides to let Jean go first, moving a few rungs further down to make the necessary space. Unfortunately Jean is also unable to make the transition, even after Ulrich positions himself with one foot on the ladder, taking Jean's hand and showing him where the auxiliary ring is.

Perhaps uncharacteristically, Jean starts to believe that the task is doable and literally takes a leap of faith landing on the lip and Ulrich's arms across. Godefroi also has the same feeling, believing that willpower alone can take him across, even when the rational thing to do would be to devise some other method. He too lets the ladder go, and finds himself on the other side.

* * *

With everyone on the same side of the gap, Samuel carries on forward, feeling the walls as he moves along. The corridor is narrow, perhaps 5' across, and arching just above Andreas' head. Just like the well, it feels like a stone wall. Eventually, after a few yards Samuel feels a wooden door in front of him. A bar across the face of the door seems to be keeping it closed, as there is no lock or keyhole.

Samuel drops on the floor and tries to peek under the door, but there is only darkness ahead. The smell is now a stench, rotten vegetables and decaying flesh fill his nostrils to an extend he had not felt before. As the rest of party remain quiet, he is able to still hear the muffled sound of the mob somewhere beyond these walls.

With their progress on hold, the party spend the next few minutes discussing their options. They find that this door is a natural point for them to halt, and decide that they should investigate the destination of the ladder before moving any further. To this end they find their way back to the well, and one by one jump across without any issues this time. Andreas is now leading the way down. The descent is longer than before, and eventually Andreas finds himself putting his foot on what feels like solid ground. He feels his way on the wall towards his left, which appears to extend into an opening. Andreas then takes a few steps into the darkness, making space for the comrades that follow.

Andreas takes a few more steps away from the wall, as the rest of the party make their way. Everyone else has at least one hand on the wall, trying to listen to the echo in order to gauge the size of this opening. It feels that this is not a large chamber; also, now the air is still and drier compared to the breeze they felt further up. The heroes, except Andreas who has wondered off, decide to hold each others garment as the form a chain moving across the wall. Eventually they traverse their way back to the ladder, having established that this is a rectangular room without any obvious exit leading off. In addition, Andreas' blind wanders in the middle of the room indicate that there is no further well leading further down.

As they slow down and have some time to reflect, the heroes realize that their bodily functions are not as they ought to be. Their mouth is dry as dust, but they don't feel thirsty although they have not drunk any water for many hours. They have not had any food for what could be a day, but they don't feel hungry. Disturbingly, the closest they get to feeling thirsty or hungry is when they recall the pools of blood following their combat, but no one dares to admit any connection. And, perhaps more alarmingly, they cannot feel their heart beating, or their chest moving as they don't feel the need to take any air. Everyone but Godefroi seems to be puzzled by their state; Godefroi valiantly puts it down to tiredness and their general anxiety.

Jean and Andreas on their other hand debate on the notion of the purgatory, an idea that is gaining ground around this time. They view their descent into the earth as their descent towards hell, and their trials and tribulations as their chance to prove they are worthy of salvation. Ulrich is fascinated by this idea, and is certainly concerned about the final destination of his soul. It appears that they should be very careful of their actions from this point on, as God is certainly watching them and is taking notes. Any slip can make the difference between life in heaven and eternal damnation in hell. The thesis is that they are dead, waiting to be judged.

As well as debating theology, the party are also spend a few hours in the dark looking for secret exits. It feels odd that a ladder extends so deep into the earth, only to lead to a small room. Although well motivated, their search bears no fruit and the small room remains a small room with no other exit. It is at this stage that all heroes start feeling tired, being unable to keep their eyes on. This feeling landed on them so rapidly and without any warning, that some just fall asleep without any notice. They ones that try to resist find it increasingly harder until they succumb.

* * *

After an undetermined length of time the heroes come back from their very deep and dreamless sleep. It could have been a nights sleep, or it could have been a few minutes. For what it's worth, all felt the urge to sleep at the same time, and they all seem to wake up together. It is pitch black and quiet, as they decide to abandon this room and try their luck through the corridor they found further up.

* * *

Samuel feels the bar that keeps the door closed, and finds that it seems to pivot around a pint in the wall on their right. His first attempts to lift it indicate that the bar is not locked or secured in any way. He then proceeds to lifting the bar, opening the door a trifle, and staring into the darkness. There does not appear to be any light; the sounds of the mob looting have also gone. Samuel picks a small stone and trows it across the room; the stone hits what sounds like a stone wall, a few meters ahead, and drops to the floor.

Eventually Samuel opens the door enough for him to step into this room, which he does. As they traverse to their left, the heroes find a set of bars in front of them. Moving across the bars they encounter a small barred door, while the bars extend to the wall across. It appears that the source of this foul smell and the breeze that brings it originate somewhere behind these bars. The wall opposite their entry point appears to be naked, while the wall on the right features a wooden door. This has a keyhole, and looking through this keyhole or under the door indicates that there is not light source on the other side. Samuel tries to smell under the door, and he is surprised to get odd odours like honey, flowers, oil and egg.

As the door appears to be locked, Andreas brings an axe to it and tries to smash through. It doesn't take too long for this noisy affair, and Godefroi is the first to enter this area feeling his away for a few feet, before he finds a table covered in a multitude of items. There appear to be vials, nails, bottles, various pieces of wood and metal of different shapes and forms, pieces of cloth, stones and marbles. There are also different instruments, like small hammers, pliers and knives amongst others. More importantly, Godefroi finds a tick-glassed lantern, like the peculiar ones dotted around the house.

Samuel, who followed behind Godefroi, also feels the objects on the table, collecting what feels like saw dust, wood chippings and cloth. Then, using two wood rasps he tries to generate sparks and set the dust and chippings alight. Eventually he succeeds, building a small fire on the table and using that to put the lantern on. Everyone is cheerful, as for the first time the heroes have a light source. There are three more lanterns hanging from the wall, the party put one more on and take the rest.

* * *

This is a very large room, full of various bits and pieces. It appears to be some sort of workshop, with various materials scattered around. There are shelves with books, scrolls, bottles of color, oil and resin. There are boxes, chests and drawers with various tools. There are Christian paintings, some finished some in progress. There are crosses on the walls, together with other Christian symbols like the fish or the shepherd. On some desks there are various artifacts in progress, all ornate with precious metals and stones. In one far corner there are human body parts, appearing to be drained of blood and dried.

And there is gold, silver and precious stones. Gold is in leaves for gilding, or in small pieces for decorating.

Andreas is the first to observe that this looks like a factory of Christian relics, something that the Venetians would do. Jean concurs, also pointing out that these are fake relics, having no powers whatsoever.

The heroes investigate thoroughly the bits and pieces found in the workshop. Apart from the multitude of items with known and unknown uses, there are some that are worth mentioning.

A large picture of a figure that looks like Lord Ioanni, and a half-complete mosaic that resembles Semina. Andreas makes the point that the features of the mosaic are consistent with depictions of Angels in Christian art. There is also the picture of the stairway to heaven. A procession is ascending to heaven, while deamons manage to pull some individuals down to hell. Some distinctive individuals are standing on the top rungs, but as no party members can read Greek, their identity is not confirmed.

A large number of reliquaries and other jewelry-laden boxes are also present. Fingers, heads, feet, arms, eyes, ears, navels and foreskins are all there. They are ornate with gold leaves, precious stones, small moisaics, and pictures of Saints and Apostles. They vary widely with respect to size and weight.

There is a magnificent small church-shaped container, which Godefroi pockets (after he fills it up with gold leaves and precious stones). Godefroi also swallows a number of stones that he believes are most precious. He also takes a small knife. Jean picks some gold leaves and provides pathetic excuses to Ulrich and Andreas for doing that.

Wooden bookcases cover much of the walls, with a multitude of books and scrolls. There are also Bibles and other Christian texts stored in beautiful gold plated ornate boxes. The texts are written mainly in Greek, but also in Latin, Aramaic, Armenian, Coptic, Syriac, Arabic, and other languages that are unknown to the heroes. A small sample is given below (some of these are multi-volume texts)

• Anon: Corpus Iuris Civilis
• = Codex Justinianus
• = Ecclesiastical History
• = An Arab Ambassador in Constantinople
• = Notitia Dignitatum (Register of Dignitaries)
• = Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles
• = Legends of Eastern Saints
• = Origo Gentis Romanae
• Procopius: Secret History
• = On the Wars
• = Buildings
• St Theophanes: Chronicle
• Justinian I: Dialogue with Paul of Nisibis (Nestorian)
• Paul the Silentiary: Descriptio S. Sophiae
• John of Nikiu: On the Factions in Egypt
• Antiochus Strategos: The Sack of Jerusalem
• Huneberc of Heidenheim: The Hodoeporican of St. Willibald, 8th Century.
• John of Damascus: In Defence of Icons
• = Apologia Against Those Who Decry Holy Images
• Second Council of Nicea
• Symeon Logothete: Chronicle
• Constantine VII Porphygenitus: De Ceremonies Aulae Byzantinae (Protocols and Forms)
• = De Administrando Imperio
• Polycarp: Victor of Capua
• Aristides the Philosopher: The Apology
• Irenaeus: The Proof of the Apostolic Preaching
• Hermias the Philosopher: Derision of Gentile Philosophers
• Origen: On Prayer
• Eusebius Pamphili of Caesarea: Chronicon
• = Contra Hieroclem (Against Hierocles)
• = Demonstratio Evangelica (The Proof of the Gospel)
• = Encomium on the Martyrs
• = The History of the Martyrs in Palestine
• = Letters
• = Onomasticon
• = Praeparatio Evangelica (The Preparation of the Gospel)
• = Theophania
• = On the Star
• Aphraates: Demonstrations
• Gregory of Nyssa: Life of St. Macrina
• Gregory Thaumaturgus: Sermons
• Ambrose of Milan: Letters
• Macarius Magnes: Apocriticus
• Chromatius of Aquileia: Sermons on Matthew
• Hegesippus: On the ruin of the city of Jerusalem
• John Chrysostom: Four Discourses
• Jerome: Biblical Prefaces
• = Vulgate preface to Paul's letters
• = Chronicle
• Nestorius: The Bazaar of Heracleides
• Cyril of Alexandria: Adversus Nestorii blasphemias
• = Quod unus sit Christus
• Salvian: On the Government of God
• Eugippius: Life of St. Severinus
• Dionysius the Areopagite: The Divine Names
• Joshua the Stylite: Chronicle
• Simeon Stylites: Letters
• Gildas the Wise: The Ruin of Britain
• Philoxenus of Hierapolis: Ascetic Discourses
• Evagrius Scholasticus: Ecclesiastical History
• Severus of Antioch: A collection of letters from numerous Syriac manuscripts
• John of Ephesus: Ecclesiastical History
• Zachariah of Mitylene : The Syriac Chronicle
• Cosmas Indicopleustes: The Christian Topography
• Theodore Syncellus: Homily on the siege of Constantinople
• Zosimus: The New History
• Timothy I: Apology for Christianity, to the Caliph Al-Mahdi
• Photius of Constantinople: The Bibliotheca or Myriobiblion
• Agapius of Hierapolis: Universal History

On the desks there are some volumes and scrolls, in particular

• Codex Athous Dionysiou (G); margin obeli and notes (G)
• Zosimus: The New History, Book IV
• Simeon Stylites: Letter to Emperor Leo (L); superscripted (G)
• Eusebius: The History of the Martyrs in Palestine

The heroes spend quite some time searching through the room, while at the same time looking for secret exits that would lead them out. Their conjecture is that their captors must have escaped through this room. After a few hours of searching, tapping and moving furniture, boxes and bookcases, Ulrich finds what he believes to be the outline of a secret exit. He marks his discovery, and the others eventually confirm that the area just behind the normal entrance looks like the outline of a secret one. Samuel takes a closer look, and by examining the flow of air and inserting sheets of papyrous through the gaps, concludes that the door opens downwards, sinking into the floor.

Motivated by this discovery, the party collect pieces of wood and metal to use as lever and push the door downwards. Unfortunately this approach doesn't seem to work, and they fail to force their way through. At the same time, Ulrich searches for hidden levers, buttons or switches that would activate the entrance, also to no avail. Jean then produces the theory that this is an emergency exit, and can only be operated from the other side. After a long debate, the heroes decide to make their way out through the sewers.

First they decide to create a pyramidic structure for them to make their way down to the sewer pit. Under the instructions of Andreas, the heroes first lower a hefty table in the muck, and then place a chair with some support on top of it. Andreas ensures that the structure is stable enough, and takes a step on the chair. Unfortunately the structure is far from stable, and Andreas finds himself covered in shit. Fortunately, the shit is not too deep, only up to his chest. Andreas has a quick look through the pit, concluding that the only possible exit is through the pipe-shaped sewer which is blocked by heavy iron bars.

Andreas tests the strength of the bars, and they are indeed firmly in place. Nevertheless, powered by sheer will he attempts to bend them open, and surprisingly succeeds. With superhuman power he totally removes the grill from the wall, producing a way out of the house. One by one the heroes lower themselves in the pit, and they make their way through the pipe. The passage is narrow, and the heroes have to crawl in all fours. After a short while the pipe starts to slope downwards, and eventually the heroes (and more specifically Andreas) find themselves facing a second iron grill. Breaking through that will lead to a wider sewer.

It is up to Andreas to exhibit his superhuman strength once again, breaking through the iron bars and into the wider sewer. There is a walking path on each side, and the heroes can see more smaller barred pipes leading in, presumably bringing the sewage of neighbouring houses into the citywide system.

There is a long debate on where the heroes should go from here: should they try to pursue their captors and abusers, or should they try to make it to the sea and to freedom. There is no clear indication on the direction of the sewage flow, and therefore the party randomly select to head right. The tunnel is about 2m at its highest point and about 5m wide, with 1/2m-wide walkways on each side. As the heroes walk down they pass a few points where sewage pipes, like the one they used, spill sewage into the system. After a few hundred feet they reach a crossing with a wider tunnel. This is perhaps 10m wide, and as the heroes are reluctant to cross they decide to turn right, after Godefroi and Jean use their weapons to mark the wall.

The heroes carry one, eventually crossing a number of medium-size tunnels one their way. It is unclear to them what distance they have covered. The small lanterns they carry are just enough to illuminate the other side the tunnel as they make their way, but Samuel manages to notice the illumination of a metal door opposite. After established that the large sewer is not too deep to pass, the party slowly wade through towards what looks like a way out.

The metal door is latched closed, but not locked in any way. Beyond that a small square room with stairs on the wall winding up. As the party climb the stairs, Samuel stops them as he listens intensely. Clutter noises and the smell of fire seem to be coming from the surface.

After having climbed the stairs the party find themselves in a small square room with a latched metal door. There is indeed noise coming from outside: drunken shouts and arguments, screams and cries, carts and pack animals carrying loads, and the distinctive sound of metal on metal. It is obvious that Constantinople has fallen and it is being sacked. Samuel and Jean slowly and carefully open the door, just enough to have a quick peek that confirms the situation. It also adds another detail: the hordes looting and slaying carry the familiar crimson sign of the cross on their tabards.

It is unclear what the heroes should do now. It is night outside, but the sign of torches and fire makes them uneasy. Andreas suggests that they make their way out and try to pass themselves as beggars, but others find that too risky. Godefroi decides to put his treasure in the safety of the filth: he quickly puts the exquisite reliquary in some cloth he tears off his clothing, and carefully places it into the the sewage, a few yards away from the exit. He then uses his knife to place a mark on the walkway.

The party decide that the best course of action is to reach the surface through another house, rather than directly exiting the sewers. They follow the stairs back to the tunnels and turn left, making a new left at the first crossing. It is Ulrich that breaks through the grills, as the party move towards a house garbage pit. They lift Samuel up through the ceining opening first, and after he ensures that the area is cler, all heroes climb into the basement.

8.  Only the actions of the just smell sweet and blossom in the dust

There is a small wooden door that leads off this empty basement room, and a set of stairs beyond that. Samuel is heading the party as they try to climb the stairs as quietly as possible. On the top there is another latched door. Samuel tries to listen intensly, and believes that there is indeed someone on the other side of this door. He communicates this to the rest of the party, and the decision is to storm the house.

Samuel pushes the door and moves in, followed closely by Andreas and Godefroi. And it is true that there the proprietor, who had noticed the noise that the party made during their break in, is waiting for them weilding an axe. The poor fellow has no luck though against Andreas, Samuel and Godefroi. As they enter the room and axe the man to death, his two small children, which were hiding in the far corner with their mother, begin to cry.

Ulrich spots them and rapidly moves against them, being superhumanly fast. The mother is hissing and shouting abuse at him in Greek, while her children are screaming in fear. In spite of being quick and agile, she is no match to Ulrich, who brings his axe across her chest. As she drops on the floor bleeding heavily, Ulrich grabs one of the children from its hair and poignantly hurls him on the floor, crashing his head in front of his startled mother. She makes a last attempt to stab Ulrich on the leg, but the super-fast Ulrich has already grabbed her baby daughter which he uses as a shield; the poor mother drops on the floor dead, after having killed her own child.

In the meanwhile Andreas and Samuel find the sight and smell of blood too hard to resist. After having the man of the house killed, they both jump on his body rapidly sapping his warm blood. Godefroi is clearly appalled at what he witnesses, moves towards Jean. After finishing feasting on the dead man's blood, Andreas stands up, and having overcome his frenzy he moves towards his brother-in-law, aiming to stop him committing these terrible atrocities. But he is too late; by the time he arrives, Ulrich is finishing feasting on the baby boy's body.

Jean is also affected by the pool of blood on the floor, and he also succumbs and is overcome with frenzy. He jumps on the small girl and drinks as much as he can draw, before turning to the mother lying by the side. This is enough for Godefroi, who is the only one to resists the frenzy. He runs to the ground floor, hides in a servant's bedroom and barricades.

After a few moments Jean is saturated and what he just did becomes clear. In disbelief he drops on the floor weeping. Samuel is by his side, trying to offer whatever comfort is possible. Andreas notices Godefroi's departure, and follows the Frenchman after grabbing a lantern. Ulrich follows, and so does Jean supported by Samuel.

* * *

The party find themselves in a corridor running across the ground floor. In one end there is the main hallway, with a door opening into the kitchen. Andreas and Jean take off their clothes and try to clean themselves from the mixture of filth and blood that coveres them. After that, and a short catatonic spell that takes over Jean, the two engage in a deep theological discussion, trying to make some sense of what has befallen upon them and their comrades.

Ulrich, on the other hand, is moving swiftly through the house looking for Godefroi. Eventually he reaches the blocked door and tries to push his way into the room; Godefroi manages to stand his ground for a while, but cannot overcome Ulrich's strength as the Swiss budges through.

Ulrich walks into what looks like a servant's bedroom, with just a plain bed and a cupboard. Godefroi jumps behind the bed, as he tries to keep it between himself and Ulrich. The Swiss walks to the cupboard and opens it, looking for a set of clothing. At this point, the servant girl who was hiding in the cupboard jumps onto Ulrich and sinks her nails into his eyes. Taken by surprise, Ulrich is slow to react, [Godefrois kicks the girl off Ulrich]but eventually brings his axe through the girls body, even cutting through his own. A mortal man would have, perhaps, lost his eyesight, but Ulrich uses his newly-found powers to heal his undead body. He restores his eyes and closes his self-inflicted wound, as Godefroi watches in awe.

At this stage a naked but relatively clean Andreas enters the room, walks to the bed, takes a bedsheet and puts it on, in a toga style. Godefroi is also trying to find something to wear, putting on a dress that he finds in the cupboard.

In the hallway Jean decides to challenge his destiny and, still naked, grabs a lantern and starts making his way towards the main entrance of the house. When Samuel notices that he raises the alarm and tries to put himself between Jean and the door.

Get out of the way! Jean commands Samuel, looking deep into his eyes. Without even contemplating or controlling his body, Samuel obeys and steps aside. In the very next moment he is brought back to reality, but Jean has already opened the door and has stepped outside. There is courtyard that extends for about 10m in front of the house, and after that one can see soldiers walking up and down with mules and oxes carrying booty. There is a quarter-moon in the sky, but it is largely overcast and relatively dark.

Samuel tackles Jean from behind and brings him to the floor, Ulrich rushes into the courtyard as well, and assists to bring him back inside. Inside the house, Godefroi finds the set of stairs that lead to the first floor, finds the master bedroom and barricades himself in there. He finds some clothes that belong to the master of the house and has a quick look around.

As the rest of the party follow the Frenchman up the stairs, Godefroi jumps out of the window and hides in the bushes. Ulrich breaks through the barricade and also finds some new clothes, as do Jean and Samuel after him. Andreas, on the other hand, jumps out of the childrens' bedroom window and starts looking for Godefroi. Samuel also makes his way to the grounds, as the rest of the party return to the hallway. Eventually a frightened Godefroi is convinced to come back inside, and the heroes are once again together in the hallway discussing what to do next. Ulrich, Andreas and Samuel believe that the safest place for them to sleep is downstairs in the basement, and they make their way there. As Jean and Godefroi make their plans for the day, the first rays of the sun enter the room and their impact takes them by surprise. The smallest exposure to light appears to be enough to make the skin blister, break and burn. Godefroi is hit first, dropping on the floor in pain. In true pain, and with sheer willpower, Jean pulls his fellow as they scramble down the stairs and into the basement. There they all fall asleep.

* * *

During the next night the party explore the area around their hiding place. As they step out of the courtyard they realise that they are positioned on the side of a hill overlooking parts of the city. There are scattered fires in the distance, where Jean identifies the "central" area of Constantinople. The heroes can make out the Imperial Palace, Hagia Sofia, the Hippodrome and various fora, pillars, obelisks and other monuments.

The house stands on a narrow dirt path, and the heroes decide to take a left down the hill, towards the centre. After a few meters they meet a wider paved road, where Godefroi and Jean place some marks. They can see a group of soldiers in the distance and decide not to confront them but walk in the dirt paths off the main road. After a while they reach a point where two paved roads intersect, and notice a small church on one of the corners. At this stage another group of crusaders passes by, and as they walk past the church they illuminate the entrance: it appears that the church door is open.

When the road is once again quiet, the party move towards the church. Samuel and Godefroi keep watch, while the rest move inside to investigate. The door is wide open and the interior is pretty much destroyed. It appears that, whoever desecrated the building, have used pack animals to try and remove the Templon and the Holy Gates which lie on the floor in ruins. The floor is covered in dung, and there is nothing of any value left. Based on the frescoes on the walls and the dome, which could not be removed, Andreas guesses that this church is dedicated to Hagia Irene. Andreas finds the ladder that leads to the belfry and climbs to have a good look of the city.

The heroes resume their exploration, and further down they notice a pack of four dogs feasting on a pair of human corpses. Driven by their hunger they decide to split and move around the pack, attempting to surprise them. Andreas moves further ahead, Ulrich and Samuel split and take their positions on either side of the pack, while Jean and Godefroi are preparing to attack head on. The attack is successful, and the dogs are quickly disposed off. But while lapping the warm blood, Samuel is the first to hear the noise of a group approaching, and the party quickly take their hiding positions, with all party members except Andreas hiding behind their near wall. Andreas takes his place behind the far corner.

As the group of six crusaders marches on, one of them notices the corpses of dogs and humans and takes a small detour to check it out. But as he approaches he drops down on his knees and starts chocking, as if a bundle of cloth was pushed deep into his throat. One of his comrades runs towards him, and tries to pull him back towards the rest. At this point Andreas tries to make his move around the building, brushing against the bush and giving his position. Immediately, two crusaders also run around the house to engage Andreas around the corner.

The heroes decide that they should engage the crusaders, and Ulrich, Samuel and Jean move forward from their hiding place. Godefroi also moves behind them, as a peculiar mass of darkness drops on the crusading group. The heroes quickly cut through their foes, as the dark cloud changes shape and lifts from the ground revealing the feet and thus position of the crusaders. On the far side of the building Andreas is dealing deadly blows to the two soldiers that moved against him.

Before long all crusaders lie dead on the road, and the heroes spend some time filling themselves up with fresh blood. After that they take the crusaders' clothes and head back towards the house.

* * *

When they get back, Ulrich and Andreas offer to pop down the neighbours' and ask for some water to clean themselves and their clothes. They find the door locked, and Ulrich brings his axe to it, breaking it down. It appears that they have woken up the residents: there are kids crying, and a light moving through the corridor upstairs. Ulrich activates his celerity and dashes upstairs, where the man of the house is waiting with a torch in hand. Ulrich attacks him with the axe, but the poor man manages to deliver a blow with his torch before hitting the floor dead. Ulrich then grabs the dead man's upper half and shows it to his wife as she looks down from the far end of the corridor. He yells and screams as he lunges towards her, she moves back into the bedroom where her small baby is screaming and crying.

It takes a few blows to kill her, and Ulrich them turns to the crying baby, which he suffocates using the bedding. Andreas follows behind, and helps Ulrich put the dismembered bodies and the dead baby into a bedsheet to carry home. Ulrich also has a look in the kitchen downstairs, finding a large water bowl which he carries outside.

In the courtyard the two brothers-in-law spend a good time discussing if they should burn the place down, when Ulrich hears the slightest sound of shutters moving. There are five houses with direct view of the courtyard, but it is not clear where the noise came from. To conceal the whereabouts of their hiding place they carry the bed-sheet with the bodies through the house and the back window, then breaking into the back window of their safe-house.

The reception of the goodies is mixed: Jean and Godefroi refuse to taste the baby, but Ulrich cannot really understand what the issue is, as he specifically suffocated the little one to preserve its blood. Samuel, on the other hand, is more adventurous and tries the infant, which has an effect on his humanity. As he finishes drinking from the tiny vessel, his skin becomes visibly more pale and leathery.

Ulrich repeatedly urges his comrades to burn all dwellings within a five-house radius as their hiding place is compromised, but to no avail. Then he and Andreas spend an hour on the rooftop looking around for any movement, but when they realize that there is a real danger of falling asleep they decide to head back downstairs.

The heroes get increasingly tired, and after some animated debate, they spend the day deep in the sewage.

* * *

Nothing disturbs the party over the day, as they wake up and emerge from the shit. While they discuss their next move, Andreas is the first one to go to the cellar and realize that they had some visitors during their sleep: the bodies are gone, there is a smell of incense, and various crosses drawn and left on the walls. All the items that they had left there are gone or burnt to ashes.

9.  Food

The debate started the previous night on where the party should go from here recommences. The Frenchmen believe that they should keep a low profile, drink blood from random vessel but not kill them. Ulrich sees this approach as problematic: in his eyes this approach increases the risk, as they leave a trail of witnesses. He believes that they should instead drink their target dry and dispose them. Andreas has the view that there are certain group (lifestyle, ethnic or religious) that are damned already, and therefore fair game. After a very long exchange of opinions and insults, Ulrich comes around and agrees not to kill for this night alone. He will try the French approach, with the condition that if it fails they should fall back to his way of feeding.

* * *

To this end the party once again take to the sewers. They reach the only direct exit that they previously identified, and make their way up the stairs. Samuel checks for any signals of activity outside, and when everything seems clear, Godefroi steps out.

It appears that the sewer exit is part of a larger structure, and the door is on a 30m wall with no windows or other openings. The wall is perhaps as high as 6m. The street is quiet, and is if one turned left he would travel down a hill towards what looks like the central part of the city. On the right, and is some distance, the outline of the city walls can be seen.

Godefroi freezes as he notices that two or three corners down the road there is some light spilling out, what looks like torch light. He also notices another light source moving on the top of the 6m wall, accopmanied by the footsteps of some patrol. He quickly steps back into the room, notifying his comrades of his discoveries.

The heroes agree that it looks rather dangerous to exit through the door, and decide to follow their tested method of breaking into houses through the sewers. They now take a left turn, and follow the first tunnel on the left. Ulrich spends a large portion of his blood to beef up his strength and break the iron grill. Eventually the party move through the cellar and into the main hall. As everyone stands still, Samuel is able to confirm that there is indeed someone sleeping upstairs. Godefroi casts a spell of silence, after having explained to his comrades the effects. Everything within a 20ft radius becomes immersed in total silence, as the heroes make their way up the stairs towards the bedrooms.

The first door on the left opens into what looks like a study. Further down the corridor is the master bedroom, where an elderly couple is asleep. With the silence spell still active, Godefroi and Jean move around each side of the bed. In unison they sink their teeth in the necks of the sleeping couple, and each one drains 2bp. The victims do not react, and in fact appear to become loose and relaxed after the sharp teeth break their skin. After the feed, they both feel the instinctive urge to lick the tiny wounds left on their victims' necks. Doing so results into the wounds rapidly closing and disappearing in front of their eyes.

But this small amount of blood is not enough. With the silence spell still on, the party walk across the courtyard to the house opposite. The door is barred, but Ulrich has no problem in swiftly kicking it in. There are two bedrooms upstairs: two young boys, perhaps five and seven years old sleep in the first one, their mother in the second.

Godefroi approaches the young woman, and takes 2bp off her. He takes his time, allowing the blood to slowly diffuse through his body. It is a wonderful sensation, and the vampire is as relaxed as his victim. The young woman lifts her arm and embraces Godefroi, breathing heavily as if in a dream. After completing the feed and licking the wound, Godefroi produces a small gem from his anus, licks it clean and places it under the womans pillow. Ulrich also drinks a single blood point, keeping his promise of leaving the victims alive for this night. He also licks the wound, and is amazed with the result. Samuel steps into the children's bedroom, and still covered by the silence spell, extracts one point of blood from the oldest.

After this expedition the heroes return to the sewers. Godefroi, Jean and Ulrich decide to start the process of healing their aggrevated wounds early, and for that reason the heroes decide to retreat. Rather than spending the night in a house cellar, they decide to sleep in a smaller tunnel. Samuel sleeps on the sidewalk.

As the heroes emerge, Samuel discovers that his sleep was markedly deeper than the day before, a result of his humanity loss. He also discoveres that he was attacked by rats in the night, with a small part of the flesh of his calf missing. Using his newly found powers he heals the wound, and the heroes remain in the sewer waiting for the healing process to complete. Then they carry on looking for fresh blood.

* * *

They take a route that, they believe, leads them roughly towards the center of Constantinople. They also try to mark their path, making sure that they can find their way back, if needed. After walking for the best part of an hour within the large tunnel, and as the tunnel slightly veers left, Samuel picks a flicker of light on the far wall. The heroes swiftly kill their light, and they can see themselves that there is indeed torchlight reflected off the wall. They believe that this might be the end of the tunnel, and decide to take a turn rather that facing the open air and the fires that seem to lie ahead. Godefroi walks across the sewer to investigate the next exit, and he manages to take a look at what lies ahead.

The main tunnel does not necessarily end, but it is certainly barred. There are two figures patrolling what seems to be a gate, one on each side of the bars. There is a brazier giving the light, and a small walkway over the sewage. But the heroes have plenty of space to reach the next smaller tunnel into the darkness, without risking detection. Nevertheless, after Godefroi explains the situation, the heroes decide to head back and take the last tunnel they passed on their way. Andreas and Ulrich throw their barrels across and try to jump rather than cross, making some noise as they miss their marks, but eventually the heroes manage to get to the tunnel, and from that to a grill. Samuel, Ulrich and Andreas pool their strength, and they manage to break the grill away. Then, they make their familiar way through the pit, where Andreas and Ulrich leave their barrels, and from that and into the cellar. Everything seems quiet. The heroes kill their light as they prepare to move through the trapdoor.

As they walk up the stair toward the ground floor, Samuel notices the air getting fresher, mixed with the smell of burned wood. And as the heroes emerge through the trap door, they find themselves in a burnt out house. The roof and the first floor are missing, and the floor is covered in debris. The party split in different directions, and soon discover that there is nothing here to draw blood from. Godefroi makes his way to the next house, and waves to his comrades to follow. They know that their time is running out, as sunrise is not far ahead. They also discover that they have left their extra light source and the flint and steel back into the pit. As Godefroi and Jean are feeling particularly hungry, they do not want to stop the hunt. Andreas and Ulrich decide to get back to the pit and retire. Samuel joins them to bring the flint and steel back.

While Samuel is away, Godefroi and Jean investigate the next house, but this appears to be void of any life as well. There is broken furniture in the main room, and the smell of blood is in the air. Godefroi manages to locate two corpses in the darkness, but the blood is too old to be of any use. Jean goes back to the door, waiting for Samuel to appear. It is then when he notices a figure moving by the side of the house opposite and disappearing in the shadows. At the same time Samuel emerges from the door, and makes his way towards Jean.

10.  Hic est enim calix sanguinis mei

Jean briefs his comrades and starts moving swiftly towards the place where he last saw the shadow. Samuel follows, not far behind, and so does Godefroi. En route, Samuel turns on his celerity, picking up speed as Jean reaches the corner. There is no one there, but Jean hears the shuffle of bushes on the other side, and can soon make out a robed figure running in the distance. The super-fast Samuel overtakes him, running towards the escapee trying to tackle him down.

It is a matter of seconds before the figure is pinned to the ground. It is a bearded man in his 50s, dressed in expensive silk in the Byzantine fashion. His hands are soft and the nails are well trimmed. There are heavy rings on three of his fingers.

- Please don't hurt me!.. I know what you are,.. I can help you..

These are the last words he utters before the three vampires gag, blindfold and tie him up, using strips from his garments. They quickly make way to the cellar, where Jean tries to converse with him. He removes the gag and the blindfold, as he stares the old man deep into the eyes. Jean is sure he has seen the old man before, but he cannot place where and when.

- I know what you are, I have seen your sort before.. I can help you, don't hurt me..

Jean's presence is enough to make the old man feel more relaxed and comfortable. He tells the party that his name is Nicephorus Choniates, an aide to the Emperor in Constantinople. Jean can confirm that: he has seen the old man during the time he spent in Constantinople on his way to the Outremer, having spent some evenings dining with the top executives of Byzantium.

According to Nicephorus the city is still being sacked by the Crusading army. He is trying to get his family out of the city, and he asks for the heroes' help.

- Relax, whispers Jean in Nicephorus ear as he sinks his teeth into his neck. Everything will be all right..

Nicephorus relaxes as Jean feeds from his blood, but evenually comes back and looks rather distressed.

- Can I have a bit of blood as well? asks Godefroi cheekily.

- Curse you! replies Nicephorus in French, accompanying his reply with a barrage of Greek insults, before he is gagged and blindfolded once again. The heroes then put his body in a large barrel, which they place behind the cellar door. After that they descend back into the pit where they sleep the day.

* * *

The next night finds the heroes hungry. They prefer to leave Nicephorus in the box, as they don't trust that they would be able to overcome their urge for blood if they face him. They move down the sewers and pick a random house to break in for some blood. As they walk up the stairs, Samuel picks the smell of food and the voice of children and adults praying. Jean is confident that his supernatural presence will be sufficient to calm the family that is, presumably, getting ready to dine. He climbs through the trapdoor into the kitchen, and through the door into the living area. He has his hands spread outwards, making signs of calmness and conjuring his magical powers.

Unfortunately these powers fail miserably. On sight of a naked, bearded man who is covered in excrement, the three young children and their mother start screaming in panic and attempt to flee through the back entrance. Godefroi attemps to cast his darkness spell, but he also fails. The father of the house grabs a knife and attacks Jean, as he tries to protect his family. Ulrich, driven by the thirst of blood, pushes Jean aside as he walks into the living area and follows the mother and children.

Andreas and Samuel also take positions in the living room, with Godefroi behind. Godefroi sneaks behind the father and sinks his teeth into the back of his neck. The father collapses to the floor, while Godefroi loses his self control and violently drinks his blood. Jean, having failed to keep blood-thirsty Ulrich from attacking the family, and seeing the violent attack of Godefroi, moves towards the corridor where the woman with the kids and Ulrich disappeared into. Andreas and Jean follow suit.

Godefroi drinks until he feels satiated, and only then he does comprehend what he just did. He checks the body of the man for a pulse, and cannot find any. Remembering the revival of Jean by the elderly vampire that they witnessed while in captivity, he slices his own wrist open and offers his blood to his victim.

In the meanwhile the woman and the screaming kids flee through the back yard, and this is where Ulrich, now on celerity, catches them. He grabs the woman and drinks a small amount from her mouth, as she faints and collapses in his hands. He then drops her on the ground and grabs a child that he also drinks, this time dry. At this stage the three party members that were following them also reach the yard.

Andreas catches another screaming child and tries to bring it back to the house. Jean is now at the entrance, and he commands Andreas to let the child go. Andreas obeys momentarily, but recovers the fleeing boy as he tries to run away. Without looking towards Jean's direction he states that his following actions are a retaliation to Jean's attempt to put a spell on him. He then drinks from the unfortunate child, an amount which is enough to leave it dead. He then dispatches the corpse on the ground and moves back into the building.

Samuel collects the remaining boy and runs swiftly to the far end of the yard. He reaches the house opposite, perhaps about 15m away, and keeps running around the corner trying to keep the boy silent. Jean follows them, and when he urges the boy to run away as fast he possibly can. The child obeys and runs away screaming and crying in terror. Samuel and Jean then also return the the house.

Ulrich brings the barely conscious woman back into the dining area, and drops her next to her husband. She reaches to his lifeless body, weeping until she loses consciousness herself.

Godefroi first goes upstairs and brings clothes which he piles into the living room. After having found two suits, he heads back to the kitchen and puts together some bread, soup and wine in a piece of cloth. He then leaves through the trapdoor. Andreas follows him, into the cellar and through the short tunnel into the sewer system.

Samuel and Ulrich cannot make up their minds on the condition of the fallen man. One says that he is fine while the other argues that he only has short to live. Jean breaks the kitchen window to make the carnage appear as an intrusion from the front of the house. He then finds some flammable spirit which he pours over the pile of clothes. With the help of Samuel he takes the bodies to the back yard and leaves them there. They set fire before leaving through the trapdoor.

All heroes then make their way back to their hideout to interrogate their captive.

* * *

11.  Nicephorus

Nicephorus (Doukas?) is a Byzantine official. He is rich and he is concerned about his family. He knows of vampires, as they have been employed by the Emperor as elite killing machines in the past as part of the Varangian guardsmen. Nicephorus claims that he can offer the heroes gold, feed and safe passage, if they help him and his family (wife and two boys) escape the city.

The heroes ask him about their condition, but Nicephorus does not seem to know much about it. He seems surprised and suspicious that these questions are asked. Nevertheless, he confirms that apart from the guardsmen there are more vampires hunting in Constantinople. The heroes give descriptions of their captors (and Sires) but Nicephorus is not able to help identify them. But he promises to arrange a meeting with a Byzantine Priest that has been knowledgeable on the subject, if the heroes promise to help him. In the end a deal is reached: for a safe-house, a way out of Constantinople, a supply of food and gold, the heroes promise to help Nicephorus. They release him and arrange for a meeting next evening.

The general feeling is that Nicephorus is not to be trusted. Discussions reveal that not a single hero is willing to keep their side of the deal, and plans are being made on how Nicephorus and his family should be tortured and executed. The rest of the evening passes with the heroes relocating into another house, since their previous hideout is now known to Nicephorus.

* * *

Nicephorus takes them to safehouse, an old bunker built for the Byzantine Royal family. There is water and a secret door. Furniture, basic weapons and armor are also available.

He mentions that an arrangement has been made for them to meet His Holiness Father Chrystodoulos at the Monastery in four nights' time. He will arrange for a guide. He will also return with an update and to finalise the evacuation plans.

Food arrives in the form of treppaned individuals chained outside the bunker. Some feed and some resist and try animals instead. Heroes wait for an update, but Nicephorus does not show up for four nights. Feed arrives regularly.

Over these four nights the heroes occasionally wander outside. The city is still being sacked, albeit it appears to be calmer. There are fires burning in the south-east. Soldiers speaking Italian and French dialects are wandering drunk, and some checkpoints have been established. There appear to be walls and fortifications which divide the city into sections.

The heroes also wander the sewers. The find that eventually they reach guarded portcullises which cut them off. These roughly correspond to where the walls would be overground.

On the fourth night they find a young city urchin wandering outside the bunker's secret door. He claims that he is to guide them to the monastery. His name is Joseef and a 'well dressed gentleman' gave him a few copper pieces to do the job. He knows no more.

Joseef takes the heroes through the sewers, and eventually leads them outside. They wander on the surface and get a decent view of the city.

Eventually Joseef takes the heroes down into which appears to be a major sewer/river. Hundreds of bodies appear to float, and the stench is horrible. They walk upstream and pass through open and broken gates. Corpses thin out, and it appears that it is the underground section of a river rather than a sewer. Eventually they reach the end of the tunnel, where they can see clear sky.

There is perhaps around an hour-and-half before daybreak. There are discussions on whether this is a trap. Andreas, Samuel and Godefroi decide to stay behind, as Jean and Ulrich visit the priest. As the two heros follow Joseef towards the monastery, the rest move back into the tunnel and eventually sleep under water disguising themselves as corpses.

Jean and Ulrich reach the monestery walls. Joseef promises to come back at the same spot to guide them back. The two heroes reach the entrance and knock. A monk answers, and confirms that they are expected. He opens the gates and another monk takes the heroes to a large Byzantine church. There are about eighty seats, and a balcony overlooks the main area. The monk shows them to their seats in front of the altar, and nods them to wait there. They can hear prayer coming from the holy of holies, and after perhaps 15 minutes an elderly Greek orthodox priest emerges, dressed in ceremonial robes and holding a staff which is heavily ornate with gold and stones.

Back to main sewer.

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Some useful links

• 3rd edition rules in html
• combat rules

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• Codex Athous Dionysiou in Uncial Greek
• When it is evening, you say, “It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.” And in the morning, “It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. [Matthew 16:2b]
• And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. [Luke 22:43]
• And every man went unto his own house. Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

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