A Hazat couple, Alfonse and Shela Hazat returns from two decades of exploring and adventuring with a daughter, Sophia who a fortnight after her arrival she vanishes.
| | | 'A Noble Sacrifice' in Word 6, postscript and space delimited text formats |
A Hazat couple, Alfonse and Shela Hazat returns from two decades of exploring and adventuring with a daughter, Sophia, who has yet to experience the wonders of civilisation, politics, religion and male company.
Within a few days of return she is getting amorous with an al-Malik noble, Lazra al-Malik, much to the disdain of her house. Then a fortnight after her arrival she, and her partner, vanish. Accusations between The Hazat and al-Malik fly but The Hazat are secretly worried that her vanishing has consequences of the most Unholy kind, as she has yet to be baptised, making her useful in many Antinomist rites.A noble Antinomist, Kazir al-Malik, hears of her and decides that she would be of much use in his, and his companions, activities. Thus he arranges for his nephew, Jahad al-Malik to meet her and the expected attraction takes place. He arranges numerous meets for the couple, ensuring that they feel indebted to and trusting of him. Finally the time approaches that she would be of use to them, arranges a meet and kidnaps them. Hiding them in this coven's hideout, an ancient old house in the poor district on the Imperial City. They intend to use her blood to Exsanctify an Inscribed circle for the purposes of a summoning.
They all go into hiding preceding the kidnapping except for one, who discovers an outbreak of Husks in a peasant village within a few days travel and cannot resist investigating it. He leaves a few days before the kidnapping with an apprentice, Hayn Lihar, and poses as a medical doctor sent on a humanitarian mission by the Empire. He then proceeds to poison the local well and animals to encourage deaths so that he may research into the deaths, which his position as a doctor allows. He intends to return for the summoning ceremony.
Any nobles in the party (in this case Miguel and Zarakim) are invited to a ball in which the talk of the town will be, in addition to the local gossip, possibly the PC's latest exploits and the 'horrific' happenings (Husk) nearby, the arrival of Alfonse and Shela Hazat, which Kazir al-Malik attends. The next night the couple disappear.
The PC's are called in to help find both missing nobles. Miguel is summoned by the uncle of Sophia, Baron Holas Hazat and is asked to locate and rescue Sophia. he is informed of her unreflective status, and it suggested that he involves the two priests that he has been journeying with, optionally the Scraver, Zarakim, although her being unbaptised is an embarrassment and The Hazat would like it kept quiet. The party is informed of the events and are asked to find and return her ... and the al-Malik Lazra, if convenient. He will be unable to offer any leads as the family has only been around for a few weeks.
Zarakim's contacts, once discovering that he is involved in the search, will command him to aid in the search and return Lazra. If they are made aware that the Hazat suspect Antinomist activity the contacts will immediately suggest Kazir al-Malik, a suspected Antinomist, supply a complete list of known contacts and authorise to eliminate him, and all accomplices, with extreme prejudice. He is most insistent that no one knows that an al- Malik is involved in such ungodly activities.
The list is quite long, detailing 30 or so people from various backgrounds. The PC's could check out all of these people, all but one of which will be innocent (of the accused crime, at least), or they could cross-reference with an Avestite list (obtained by Lansaris) which will result in one name Ghent Quen, a medium ranking Reeve and secret enthusiastic, Antinomist. Assuming the PC's visit his townhouse the will have the chance of finding two clues to his current whereabouts. An entry in his personal journal in his bedside table, detailing his knowledge in the Husk outbreak and interest in solving it's source and where he was going to 'experiment'. The second is his housekeeper, a cute, cuddly little old lady who is unfortunately also a sociopath. Originally hired for her notable lack, or awareness of morals, she is loyal to but also relatively simple and trusting. Although ignorant and oblivious to his activities she can tell them of his whereabouts if she likes them.
By the time the PC's get to the village Ghent will already have been busy, having nearly killed half of the population, a fair proportion of which will have become Husks, some of which will rampage, killing all they find (Ghent uses his Antinomist powers and SMG to deter them), some attempting to carry on with their lives, eating those who pass by. It is likely that these are the first that the PC's meet, invited in by somewhat simple, and odd, and funny looking peasants for a hospitable meal, then assaulted. Ghent is busy studying the transformations of people as they become Husks. The PC's must locate him, and his apprentice. If the do find him, Ghent will kill anyone available to provide Husks as a diversion while he escapes, including his apprentice Hayn.
He is the only lead that the PC's have to the whereabouts of Sophia and Jahad. They must get the information out of him. Given they can 'pursuade' him he will tell them the location of their Coven's house. If they fail then they will have to find an alternative method, which may take to long, with the exception of a public transport ticket in Hayn's pocket to the area of the Coven's house.
The house, situated in the poor sector of the Imperial City, is well avoided by the locals, some of whom have 'vanished' in the area. All reports to the authorities have been ignored. The house is used by a coven of 5 Antinomists for their research. Their activities are performed in the cellar. The rest of the house is used as any house would be, a study, kitchen etc. See map enclosed.
The house is ancient, aging back to the Diaspora, with such luxurious, but inactive, facilities as air conditioning and the like.
Assuming the PC's get there within reasonable time they will arrive soon after the rite has been perfomed. The Antinomists will arrive through a secret passage straight into the summoning chamber. They will use Sophia's blood to Exsanctify the Inscribed circle and then throw her, wrists slit open, into a locked room. Sophia is unconcious and bleeding to death, after which her skin and bones will be used for future rites. However the the Inscribed Circles have been tampered with, making them inactive, the summoned fifth Qlippoth demon, a 'Blade Dervish'. The Antinomists intend to summon the demon, allow it solid form and study it's assault on a subject, in this case Jahad, who is manacled to the centre of the floor, surrounded by the four Antinomists, each in a protective Inscribed Circle.
When the PC's arrive it will be too late (unless they do particularly well), the Blade Dervish will have slaughtered everyone and have escaped through an air vent (for dramatic effect, have the PC's arrive as the slaughter is in process, as they walk into the buildingthey will hear the screams), as the faulty Inscribed Circles were ineffective in keeping out the demon. The demon will stay inside untill all the people in are dead, after which it will leave to kill more.
Other than the Antinomists there are 5 servants, all armed with small arms (medium pistols), who will kill unfamiliar people on site and will listen to no reason. The PC's must rescue Sophia and destroy the demon, or hold it in the building until it returns to it's home plane.
The reason for tampered Inscribed Circle is a mystery the players will have to solve at a later date.