Le rituel de l'Ordo Septenarius
General Summary
Alors que Karl et Rayaar contemplent l’autre rive et que le prédicateur décharné y disparait, ils décident de ne pas le poursuivre. Ils attendent donc l’arrivée de Magirius, prévue pour 10h.
Dans l’intermède, ils écoutent les bruits et rumeurs du port. Ils apprennent notamment qu’Anton, le gardien des entrepôts Steinhäger a été retrouvé mort noyé dans le fleuve Bögen, hier soir. « Il était toujours bourré, il a dû glisser ».
Une autre nouvelle est beaucoup discuté :Il se dit que l’empereur a publié une nouvelle loi déclarant qu’il n’y a plus de mutants dans l’Empire. « Les personnes difformes sont dorénavant considérées comme des citoyens comme des autres. L’exil ou le massacre de ceux qui ont la malchance d’être difforme est désormais illégal et punissable de mort. »
Enfin, Friedrich Magirius arrive, paniqué. Il est encapuchonné et regarde autour de lui de peur d’être épié. Assez vite, il attire Rayaar et Karl dans le tunnel d’entrée des égouts pour s’abriter des regards extérieurs.
Il est accompagné de Klaus son domestique – digne de confiance. « Il est de la famille » Il insiste pour leur parler dans un endroit où ils ne risquent pas d’être dérangés ou entendus, et ce n’est qu’alors qu’il révèle la cause de son mal-être.
«Je dois vous avouer que je n’ai pas été honnête avec vous, mais je le regrette ! Je vais vous raconter …. Quand Teugen est revenu de Nuln pour vivre à Bögenhafen, il nous a affirmé qu’avec notre aide, celle des marchands de la ville, sa sorcellerie pourrait influencer l’économie de l’Empire tout entier. Bögenhafen pourrait redevenir une ville importante, plus importante que Marienburg elle-même, et nous aurions l’occasion de devenir plus riches que dans nos rêves les plus fous. C’est ainsi qu’est né l’Ordo Septenarius, et les membres ordinaires ne sont rien de plus qu’un écran de fumée. Tout se déroulait selon les plans de Teugen, jusqu’à ce que vous découvriez le temple, sous les bureaux de Steinhäger. On m’a demandé de vous rassurer et de vous éloigner de façon à ce que les préparatifs nécessaires au rituel destiné à nous rendre tous riches puissent être menés à bien.
Cette cérémonie aura lieu cette nuit. Je ne sais pas encore où, mais je vous en informerai dès que j’aurai été mis au courant. Teugen nous a dit qu’un sacrifice humain était nécessaire pour préparer le nouveau temple, et c’est trop pour moi. Je ne pensais pas que tout cela impliquerait la mort de quelqu’un. Vous devez m’aider. Aller voir les autorités est inutile, car Teugen et le Conseil intérieur les contrôlent.Aidez moi, Karl et Rayaar. Vous êtes mon seul espoir. »
Les deux voyageurs acceptent.
Karl, qui n’oublie pas ses deux précédents echecs aux baraquements de la garde, demande alors un peu d’aide pour rencontrer le capitaine de la garde.
« Je peux vous faire un courrier de recommendation. Klaus, prépare ceci s’il te plait » Et le domestique de Magirius de s’executer en prenant appui sur les murs du tunnel pour écrire sa missive.
Magirius et Klaus abandonnent alors Karl et Rayaar, ne voulant pas être vu avec eux trop longtemps.
Les deux aventuriers décident donc immédiatement de se mettre en route vers la caserne de la ville. Cette fois ci, la lettre de Magirius leur permet de passer les controles et de se retrouver face au capitaine Goertrin.
L’homme est grand, maigre, aux cheveux blanchis par les ans.
« Dépêchez-vous, j’ai beaucoup de choses a faire avec la Schaffenfest qui se termine »
Karl et Rayaar l’interrogent sur sa rencontre avec le Juge Heinz Richter . En effet, Andréa, la greffière du tribunal des fetes leur avait indiqué que les deux hommes s’étaient rencontrés la soirée précedent la maladie de l’homme de loi. Mais à cette évocation, Goertrin les stoppent tout net : « Je ne sais pas de quoi vous parlez. Je n’ai pas vu Richter depuis la semaine dernière alors que nous préparions l’organisation de la Schaffenfest ».
L’officier parait honnête, et les deux aventuriers sont circonspects.
Alors qu’ils quittent les lieux, ils décident d’échanger quelques banalités avec les gardes en repos trainant dans la cour de la caserne. Ceux-ci confirment que leur capitaine passe toutes ses soirées enfermé dans son bureau à vérifier les rapports des patrouilles de la Schaffenfest : Qui était la personne qui a rencontré le juge (et potentiellement contaminé) et qui se faisait passer pour Goertrin?
Rayaar et Karl décident d’aller confronter Andréa la greffiere, pour confirmer sa version. Ils se dirigent donc vers la tente hébergeant le tribunal de la Schaffenfest. Là bas, ils trouvent une longue file d’accusés qui attendent d’être jugés.
En fin d’apres midi, Andréa fait enfin une pause et peut discuter avec les deux aventuriers : « Mais bien sûr que c’était Goertrin, je ne lui ai pas parlé, mais c’était bien lui ».
Sans réelle explication, les deux voyageurs repartent donc en direction de la ville. Alors qu’ils passent les murailles de Bögenhafen, un domestique se présente devant eux. Ce messager est un serviteur portant la livrée de Magirius. Il leur tend un parchemin roulé portant le sceau de la ville puis s’en retourne sans dire un mot.
Hôtel de ville, Bureau du Conseiller Magirius Je dois vous voir de toute urgence. Rendez-vous à ma résidence sur l’Adel Ring dès que vous le pourrez.
Magirius
Lorsque les deux aventuriers atteignent la résidence de Magirius, la porte est ouverte par le même domestique qui leur a remis son mot.
Il confirme que Magirius les attend, et les emmène jusqu’à son bureau, où il frappe à une lourde porte de chêne, avant de leur faire signe d’entrer.
À première vue, la pièce semble déserte. Un énorme bureau en chêne occupe l’essentiel de l’espace, et une lourde chaise en bois est renversée derrière lui. Karl s’avance un peu : Sous le bureau se trouve le corps de Friedrich Magirius. Sa gorge a été tranchée, et une mare de sang se répand, imbibant l’épais tapis. Il n’a l’occasion que de balbutié quelques mots « Entrepot treize… Entrepo…. » avant que sa voix ne s’éteigne dans un gargouillis sanglant.
Alors que Rayaar se rue hors du bureau pour alerter le domestique… Une serie de cris se fait entendre « Au secours ! Au secours ! Au meurtre ! » depuis la porte d’entrée de la maison.
« C’est un piège ! » s’écrie Rayaar qui revient en courant dans le bureau auprès de Karl.
Par la fenêtre, ils entendent alors une patrouille du Guet accourir. Au même instant, le serviteur se présente à l’entrée de la pièce, c’est sans doute lui qui a appelé à l’aide..
Il s’adresse alors à eux d’une voix caverneuse semblant résulter de la superposition surnaturelle de plusieurs voix, qui fait froid dans le dos : « Vous savez, vous auriez vraiment dû vous occuper de vos affaires. » avant de disparaitre dans un nuage de fumée surnaturel.
Karl et Rayaar n’ont que peu de temps pour réfléchir : déjà ils entendent les gardes entrer dans la maison, il ne faut pas trainer. Ils se précipitent vers le jardin attenant au bureau et Rayaar, soutenue par Karl, se hisse sans difficulté en haut du haut mur séparant la propriété de la ville. Rayaar assiste Karl également à passer l’obstacle, et quelques secondes plus tard, tous deux se laissent tomber dans la ruelle attenante.
La suite n’est qu’une longue poursuite vers l’entrepôt 13, dernier indice donné par Magirius, localisé sur les quais. Karl et Rayaar décident de se se séparer. La femme du fleuve courant vers le Nord, tandis que l’herboriste choisit l’Ouest. Les troupes du guet les poursuivent avant de finalement perdre leur trace.
Karl aura droit à une péripétie supplémentaire : alors qu’il court vers le fleuve, il distingue a à quelques centaines de mètres devant lui, des nuages de fumées annonciateurs d’un début d’incendie. Il entend bientôt un groupe bruyant se dirigeant dans sa direction : « A l’incendiaire ! Arrêtez le ! » et poursuivant un fuyard. Alors que le fuyard passe devant lui, en lui adressant un clin d’œil, Karl se rend compte qu’il lui ressemble trait pour trait !
Quelle diablerie, est ce là ? Peu disposé à expliquer cette sorcellerie au groupe arrivant vers lui, il décide de s’échapper à nouveau.
Après ces émotions, tous deux arrivent finalement devant l’entrepot 13. La nuit vient à peine de tomber et il y a peu d’animation sur les quais. Morrslieb, comme la veille, apparait dans le ciel, dévoilant son visage grimaçant et semblant presque toucher les toits de la ville.
La porte de l’entrepôt est fermée mais les deux aventuriers décident de tenter leur chance avec les fenêtres. Après avoir forcé les volets, une forte poussée sur les fenêtres leur permet de se retrouver à l’intérieur. L’entrepôt contient de nombreuses caisses de bois, stockées dans le fond du bâtiment, mais pas seulement : nos aventuriers découvrent aussi un optogramme tracé à la peinture sur le sol, entouré par un cercle de cuivre. La même installation que dans le temple secret découvert dans les égouts.
Après une rapide inspection de l’étage, sans réel intérêt, Rayaar et Karl décident de se poster en embuscade, derrière les caisses.
Ils n’auront pas longtemps à attendre. Peu après 20h30, un premier chariot se gare devant la porte et un trio pénètrent à l’intérieur : Un homme richement habillé et deux personnes accoutrés plus modestement.
Les deux ouvriers déposent des sacs sur le sol puis quittent le bâtiment. Le riche individu, reste et commence à prendre du sel, le répandre à certains endroits de l’octogramme, et place des chandeliers à chacune des extrémités de l’étoile peinte sur le sol.
Après quelques temps, plusieurs calèches vont se succéder. Parmi les occupants, deux visages connus rentrent dans l’entrepôt : Johannes Teugen et un jeune adulte : le domestique de Magirius qui avait remis le message à Karl et Rayaar un peu plus tot dans la journée. D’autres personnes arrivent, toutes vétues de la même robe sombre et commencent à s’installer autour de l’octogramme, un à chaque extrémités d’une branche, Teugen se positionnant au centre.
Arrive alors un autre chariot, deux hommes entrent dans l’entrepôt en portant un sac de toile, qu’ils déposent près de Teugen au centre de l’étoile.
Rayaar et Karl remarquent que le sac semble bougé mollement. Ils comprennent rapidement lorsque Johannes Teugen l’ouvre en grand, dévoilant une jeune fille pieds et poings liés. Le marchand se saisit alors d’une couteau de cérémonie et l’approche lentement de la gorge de la captive.
Karl ne réfléchit pas et décide de sortir de sa cachette pour se jeter sur lui. Rayaar consternée par cette action rapide (et imprudente selon elle) se saisit de son arbalète et tire sur Johannes. Le carreau de l’arbalète se planta dans la jambe du conseiller municipal, qui crie de douleur. Entre deux grognements, il s’adresse aux autres membres de l’Ordo Septenarius.
« Ne brisez pas le cercle ! Les forces obscures veulent empêcher notre succès ! Nous allons les défaire. Fermez les yeux, je vais faire appel à des forces occultes pour nous aider. Gidéon, avec moi ». En s’adressant au domestique de Magirius.
Karl commence à combattre Gidéon , le blessant gravement. Alors qu’il s’apprête à lui donner le coup de grâce… celui-ci se transforme dans un nuage en un démon rosé.
Rayaar de son coté, utilise sa lance pour défier Teugen qui se défend et évite ses coups.
Elle prend également la parole pour tenter de raisonner les autres membres du culte.
« Ouvrez les yeux, voyez la vraie nature de l’Ordo Septenarius »
Quelques-uns se laissent convaincre et , devant la vision du démon, décide de quitter les lieux, tentant d’ouvrir la porte de l’entrepôt avant de disparaitre dans la nuit.
Décidé à utiliser son aura magique, Gidéon commence une invocation, psalmodiant des mots d’un autre monde. Alors qu’il s’apprête à lâcher la puissance de son sort, il en perd le control et les vents magiques explosent autour de sa tête, le faisant saigner abondamment ses yeux.
Teugen de son coté, parvient à assener un violent coup au bras de Rayaar qui s’écroule dans un cri de douleur tout en lâchant sa lance.
Le combat est bien mal engagé. Karl se dirige en toute hâte vers Rayaar pour la soigner et l’aider à se redresser.
GIdéon profite de cette opportunité pour préparer le lancement d’un sort encore plus destructeur, attirant à lui l’énergie magique environnante dans un crépitement d’étincelles multicolores.
Alors que Karl se dirige à nouveau vers le démon, celui-ci déclenche son attaque magique d’une puissance exceptionnelle. Mais encore une fois, Gidéon ne parvient pas à contenir la puissance de son sort… Un jet de flammes pourpres et roses sort de ses doigts crochus et se dirigent vers Johannes Teugen, la jeune captive encore dans le sac au sol, et un autre membre de l’Ordo Septenarius. Tous trois s’embrasent immédiatement dans des cris de douleurs.
Karl profite de l’opportunité pour assener un coup critique au malchanceux démon. Presque terrassé, il chancelle et semble hésiter sur la marche à suivre. Sans Teugen, il semble réaliser que le rituel ne pourra aller à son terme.
Soudainement, des langues de feu roses et bleues jaillissent de l’octogramme. En son centre se forme un Œil énorme et sans paupière, bordé de plumes scintillantes et de toutes les couleurs imaginables.
Terrassé par la terreur, les derniers membres de l’Ordo Setpenarius s’enfuient. Gidéon s’adresse à l’œil et supplie qu’on lui laisse plus de temps, mais une voix désincarnée aux multiples sonorités, à la fois grave et aigüe, terrible et mélodieuse, et incroyablement froide lui répond, plus dans l’esprit des gens présents que vraiment intelligible :
« Il n’y a pas de portail. Tu as échoué. Reviens-moi. »
Gidéon commence alors à se consumer dans des flammes scintillantes. Il hurle et se tord de douleur dans une agonie indescriptible, puis disparaît.
Le grand Œil dans l’octogramme se tourne alors vers Karl et s’arrête. Ce moment semble durer un temps indéterminé pour Karl, reste t’il plongé dans les profondeur de cet œil pendant plusieurs heures ?
Puis l’Œil se consume dans une gerbe d’étincelles multicolores.
Ces étincelles déclenchent rapidement un incendie dans l’entrepot. Il n’est plus temps de réfléchir, il faut fuir.
Alors que Karl et Rayaar quitter l’entrepôt et arrivent dans la rue pavée, ils remarquent que Morslieb n’apparait plus dans le ciel. A la place des lueurs vertes, ce sont maintenant des reflets violets qui teintent la nuit de Bogenhafen. En effet, en se retournant, ils se rendent compte que les flammes sont en train de se propager aux entrepôts voisins.
Arrivent alors quelques gardes du guet, qui regardent médusés l’incendie. Alors qu’ils posent les yeux sur vous, l’un deux s’écrie :
« Je les reconnais, ce sont les incendiaires de cet après-midi ! Ils ont remis ça ! » En se tournant vers ses collègues : « Vous deux, sonnez l’alerte ! Il faut éteindre ce feu ! Toi Albrecht, Avec moi ! »
Et se tournant vers les deux aventuriers « Ne bougez plus ! Arrêtez-vous immédiatement ! Vous allez passer quelques temps derrière les barreaux mes gredins ! ».
Les deux voyageurs s’enfuient alors, tentant de lâcher leurs poursuivant.
Un dernier saut et ils se retrouvent sur le Bérébéli.
Karl crie à Josef : « Vite, nous devons partir … maintenant !»
Josef, un peu surpris mais voyant la mine décomposée de ses deux amis, décide de larguer les amarres… juste avant de voir débouler les gardes sur les quais « Arrêtez vous ! Au nom de Sigmar, je vous ordonne de revenir sur le quai »
Josef, fait mine de ne pas entendre et laisse le Bérébeli s’éloigner et se faire pousser par le courant.
Cachés sur le point, Karl et Rayaar jettent un coup d’œil un tribord, et voient maintenant les hautes flammes violettes qui illuminent l’obscurité et que toute la partie nord de la ville est maintenant concernée. De nombreuses personnes s’agitent et font une chaine humaine pour se passer des seaux de mains en mains et tenter de limiter la propagations des flammes.
Comme ils reprennent leur souffle et leurs esprits, ils remarquent une silhouette passée initialement inaperçue sur le pont : Il s’agit de Klaus, le domestique de Magirius.
« Bonsoir,
Visiblement, les évènements ont dégénéré. Comme vous le savez peut-être, mon maitre est décédé aujourd’hui. Il avait aimé votre honnêteté et votre volonté de sauver la ville. Il m’avait laissé une lettre pour vous, au cas où il lui arriverait malheur… Ne sachant trop ou vous trouvez, je suis venu vous l’apporter en main propre ici en début de soirée… Il aurait souhaité que vous finissiez le travail.
Regardez ces documents qu’il avait trouvé plus tôt aujourd’hui.
Que s’est-il passé ce soir ? Cela a-t-il à voir avec l’Ordo Septenarius ?
J’avais aussi une lettre pour moi, c’est très frustrant.
Dans ce courrier, il m’annonçait que j’étais en fait son demi-frère… Son père ayant fauté avec la domestique, ma mère. J’aurai aimé qu’il me l’avoue plus tôt…
Il m’a laissé une petite part de sa fortune… mais j’aimerai voir ses meurtriers punis. Que diriez-vous de 20 CO pour retrouver cette Etelka ? Ramenez-moi sa tête et ils seront à vous.
Je vais passer remettre ma démission à la madame Magirius.»
Klaus leur remet differents documents:Lettre posthume de F. Magirius , Brouillon de lettre de J. Teugen , Lettre d'Etelka
Après avoir accepté la proposition de Klaus, vient le temps du repos sur le Bérébéli.
Le lendemain matin, alors que le jour se lève à peine, Rayaar et Karl sone réveillés par Josef.
« Je suis désolé de vous tirer du lit, mais je ne vais pas pouvoir continuer le voyage avec vous. Je ne sais pas ce que les gardes Bogenhafen ont vu, ni s’ils vous cherchent mais pour le moment il faut se faire oublier, et je ne peux pas prendre le risque d’avoir le Bérébéli fouillé et qu’ils vous trouvent à bord. J’espère que vous ne m’en voudrez pas trop… mais je vais devoir vous débarquer ici. Nous sommes suffisamment loin de Bogenhafen, il ne devrait plus avoir trop de patrouilles.
Continuez à longer la riviere vers le Nord et vous arriverez bientôt à Wissenbruck. Encore une fois, désolé, mais je n’ai pas trop d’autres solutions. Après ce qu’il s’est passé ces dernières heures, il y aura sans doute beaucoup de nouvelles affaires à faire avec les nouveaux maitres de Bogenhafen, et je ne peux prendre le risque de me voir fermer ce marché. Puisse Sigmar veiller sur vous et vous protégez. Faites-vous oublier à Bogenhafen pour le moment. Et que nos chemins se croisent à nouveau ! »
Alors que Karl et Rayaar debarquent dans les fourrés longeant la rivière Bogenhäfen, ils jettent un dernier regard au Bérébéli qui s’éloigne maintenant doucement de la berge. Sur le pont, Josef , Klaus , Gilda, Wolmar et Lily vous font des signes de la main, silencieusement.
Maintenant que la barge est à quelques dizaine de mètres, nos deux héros décident de se mettre en route : ils empruntent la route longeant la rivière et commencent à marcher en direction du Nord. Vers de nouvelles aventures…
A suivre dans Une nuit à l'auberge
As Karl and Rayaar contemplate the other shore and the emaciated preacher disappears, they decide not to pursue him. They wait for Magirius to arrive, scheduled for 10am. During this interlude, they listen to the sounds and rumours of the port. In particular, they learn that Anton, the guard at the Steinhäger warehouses, was found drowned in the river Bögen last night. "He was always drunk and must have slipped". In other news, there's been a lot of discussion: it's rumoured that the emperor has issued a new law declaring that there are no more mutants in the Empire. "Deformed people are now considered citizens like any others. The exile or slaughter of those unfortunate enough to be deformed is now illegal and punishable by death." Finally, Friedrich Magirius arrives in a panic. He is hooded and looks around for fear of being spied on. Soon enough, he lures Rayaar and Karl into the sewer entrance tunnel to take shelter from the outside world. He is accompanied by Klaus his trusted servant. "He's family" He insists on talking to them somewhere where they won't be disturbed or overheard, and only then does he reveal the cause of his unhappiness. "I must confess that I haven't been honest with you, but I regret it! Let me tell you .... When Teugen returned from Nul to live in Bögenhafenm, he told us that with our help, and that of the town's merchants, his sorcery could influence the economy of the entire Empire. Bögenhafen could once again become an important town, more important than Marienburg itself, and we would have the opportunity to become richer than in our wildest dreams. This is how the Ordo Septenarius came into being, and the ordinary members are nothing more than a smokescreen. Everything was going according to Teugen's plan, until you discovered the temple beneath Steinhäger's offices. I've been asked to reassure you and take you away so that the necessary preparations can be made for the ritual that will make us all rich. This ceremony will take place tonight. I don't know where yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I've been informed. Teugen told us that a human sacrifice was necessary to prepare the new temple, and that's too much for me. I didn't think it would involve anyone dying. You've got to help me. Going to the authorities is useless, because Teugen and the Inner Council control them.Help me, Karl and Rayaar. You are my only hope. The two travellers agreed. Karl, who has not forgotten his two previous failures at the guard barracks, then asks for a little help to meet the captain of the guard. "I can write you a letter of recommendation. Klaus, please prepare this" And Magirius's servant did just that, leaning against the walls of the tunnel to write his letter. Magirius and Klaus leave Karl and Rayaar behind, not wanting to be seen with them for too long. The two adventurers immediately set off for the town barracks. This time, Magirius's letter enabled them to pass through the checkpoints and come face to face with Captain Goertrin. The man is tall and thin, his hair bleached by the years. "Hurry up, I've got a lot to do with the Schaffenfest coming to an end". Karl and Rayaar ask him about his meeting with Judge Heinz Richter . In fact, Andréa, the clerk of the festivities court, had told them that the two men had met the evening before the lawman fell ill. But Goertrin stopped them dead in their tracks: "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen Richter since last week, when we were preparing to organise the Schaffenfest". The officer seems honest, and the two adventurers are circumspect. As they were leaving, they decided to have a chat with the off-duty guards hanging around the barracks yard. The guards confirm that their captain spends every evening locked away in his office, checking the reports of the Schaffenfest patrols: who was the person who met the judge (and potentially contaminated him) and who was pretending to be Goertrin? Rayaar and Karl decide to go and confront Andréa, the court clerk, to confirm her version. They head for the tent housing the Schaffenfest court. There, they find a long line of defendants waiting to be tried. At the end of the afternoon, Andréa finally takes a break and is able to talk to the two adventurers: "Of course it was Goertrin, I didn't speak to him, but it was him".
With no real explanation, the two travellers set off towards the town. As they passed the walls of Bögenhafen, a servant appeared before them. The messenger was a servant in Magirius' livery. He hands them a rolled parchment bearing the seal of the city, then leaves without saying a word. City Hall, Office of Councillor Magirius I must see you urgently. Meet me at my residence on the Adel Ring as soon as you can. Magirius When the two adventurers reached Magirius' residence, the door was opened by the same servant who had given them his note. He confirms that Magirius is expecting them, and leads them to his study, where he knocks on a heavy oak door before beckoning them in. At first glance, the room seems deserted. A huge oak desk takes up most of the space, and a heavy wooden chair is overturned behind it. Karl moves forward a little: beneath the desk lies the body of Friedrich Magirius. His throat has been slit, and a pool of blood soaks the thick carpet. He only has the opportunity to stammer out a few words "Warehouse thirteen... Warehouseo...." before his voice dies out in a bloody gurgle. As Rayaar rushed out of the office to alert the servant, a series of cries were heard: "Help! Help! Murder! Murder!" from the front door of the house. "It's a trap!" cries Rayaar as he runs back into the study to Karl. Through the window, they hear a Guet patrol running up. At the same moment, the servant appears at the entrance to the room - he must be the one who called for help. He addresses them in a cavernous voice that seems to be the result of the supernatural superimposition of several voices, which is chilling: "You know, you really should have minded your own business" before disappearing in a cloud of supernatural smoke. Karl and Rayaar had little time to think: they could already hear the guards entering the house, so they had better get a move on. They rushed to the garden adjoining the office and Rayaar, supported by Karl, easily climbed to the top of the high wall separating the property from the town. Rayaar also helped Karl over the hurdle, and a few seconds later they both dropped into the adjoining alleyway. What follows is a long chase towards Warehouse 13, the last clue given by Magirius, located on the quayside. Karl and Rayaar decide to split up. The river woman heads north, while the herbalist heads west. The watch troops give chase before finally losing their trail. Karl is treated to an extra twist: as he runs towards the river, he notices clouds of smoke a few hundred metres ahead, heralding the start of a fire. He soon heard a noisy group heading in his direction: "To the arsonist! Stop him!" and chasing a runaway. As the fugitive runs past him, winking, Karl realises that he looks exactly like him! What devilry is this? Unwilling to explain this sorcery to the group coming towards him, he decides to escape again. After all this excitement, the two of them finally arrive in front of warehouse 13. Night had just fallen and there was little activity on the docks. Morrslieb, as on the previous day, appears in the sky, revealing his grimacing face and almost seeming to touch the roofs of the city. The door to the warehouse is locked, but the two adventurers decide to try their luck with the windows. After forcing open the shutters, they pushed hard on the windows and found themselves inside. The warehouse contains many wooden crates, stored at the back of the building, but not only that: our adventurers also discover an optogram painted on the floor, surrounded by a copper circle. The same installation as in the secret temple discovered in the sewers. After a quick inspection of the floor, of no real interest, Rayaar and Karl decide to set up an ambush behind the crates. They didn't have long to wait. Shortly after 8.30pm, the first trolley pulled up in front of the door and a trio went inside: a richly dressed man and two more modestly dressed people. The two workers put bags on the floor and then leave the building. The rich man stays and begins to take salt, sprinkle it over certain areas of the octagon and place candlesticks at either end of the star painted on the floor. After a while, a succession of horse-drawn carriages arrive. Among the occupants, two familiar faces enter the warehouse: Johannes Teugen and a young adult: Magirius' servant who had delivered the message to Karl and Rayaar earlier in the day. Other people arrive, all dressed in the same dark robes and begin to settle around the octogram, one at each end of a branch, with Teugen in the centre. Then another cart arrives, and two men enter carrying a canvas bag, which they place next to Teugen in the centre of the star. Rayaar and Karl notice that the sack seems to be moving sluggishly. They quickly understand when Johannes Teugen opens it wide, revealing a young girl bound hand and foot. The merchant then grabs a ceremonial knife and slowly approaches the captive's throat. Karl didn't think twice and decided to come out of hiding to pounce on him. Rayaar, dismayed by this swift (and reckless, in her opinion) action, grabbed her crossbow and fired at Johannes. The crossbow bolt hit the councillor in the leg, and he cried out in pain. Between two grunts, he addressed the other members of the Ordo Septenarius. "Do not break the circle! The dark forces want to prevent our success! We will defeat them. Close your eyes, I will call upon occult forces to help us. Gideon, come with me". Addressing Magirius' servant. Karl begins to fight Gideon , seriously injuring him. Just as he's about to give him the final blow... he transforms into a pinkish demon in a cloud. Rayaar, for her part, uses her spear to challenge Teugen, who defends herself and avoids her blows. She also speaks up to try and reason with the other members of the cult. "Open your eyes and see the true nature of the Ordo Septenarius". A few of them were persuaded and, faced with the demon's vision, decided to leave, trying to open the warehouse door before disappearing into the night. Determined to use his magical aura, Gideon begins an invocation, chanting words from another world. Just as he was about to unleash the power of his spell, he lost control and the magical winds exploded around his head, causing his eyes to bleed profusely. Teugen, for his part, manages to land a heavy blow to Rayaar's arm, causing him to collapse with a cry of pain as he drops his spear. The fight was off to a bad start. Karl hurried over to Rayaar to treat her and help her to her feet. GIdéon took advantage of this opportunity to prepare to cast an even more destructive spell, drawing the surrounding magical energy towards him in a crackle of multicoloured sparks. As Karl moved towards the demon again, it unleashed its exceptionally powerful magical attack. But once again, Gideon was unable to contain the power of his spell... A jet of crimson and pink flames shot from his hooked fingers towards Johannes Teugen, the young captive still in the bag on the ground, and another member of the Ordo Septenarius. All three immediately burst into flames with cries of pain. Karl seized the opportunity to deal a critical blow to the unlucky demon. Almost knocked down, he staggers and seems to hesitate about what to do next. Without Teugen, he seems to realise that the ritual cannot be completed. Suddenly, tongues of pink and blue fire burst from the octogram. At its centre, an enormous, eyelidless Eye forms, lined with glittering feathers of every imaginable colour. Terrified, the last members of the Ordo Setpenarius flee. Gideon turns to the eye and begs for more time, but a disembodied voice with multiple tones, both low and high, terrible and melodious, and incredibly cold answers him, more in the minds of those present than truly intelligible: "There is no portal. You have failed. Come back to me." Gideon then begins to burn up in flickering flames. He screams and writhes in indescribable agony, then disappears. The great Eye in the octogram then turns to Karl and stops. This moment seems to last an indeterminate amount of time for Karl, does he remain immersed in the depths of this eye for several hours? Then the Eye is consumed in a spray of multicoloured sparks. These sparks quickly ignite a fire in the warehouse. There was no time to think, they must flee.
As Karl and Rayaar leave the warehouse and reach the cobbled street, they notice that Morslieb no longer appears in the sky. Instead of the green glow, the Bogenhafen night is now tinged with violet reflections. As they turn round, they realise that the flames are spreading to the neighbouring warehouses. Some of the guards on the lookout arrived and looked on in amazement. As they look at you, one of them shouts out: "I recognise them, they're the arsonists from this afternoon! They've done it again! Turning to his colleagues: "You two, sound the alarm! We've got to put this fire out! You, Albrecht, with me! And turning to the two adventurers: "Don't move! Stop immediately! You're going to spend some time behind bars, you rascals! The two travellers then ran off, trying to let go of their pursuers. One last jump and they find themselves on the Berebel. Karl shouts to Josef: "Quick, we have to leave... now!" Josef, a little surprised but seeing the decomposed look on his two friends' faces, decides to cast off... just before seeing the guards appear on the docks "Stop! In the name of Sigmar, I order you to return to the dock". Josef pretended not to hear and let the Berebeli float away, pushed by the current. Hiding on the point, Karl and Rayaar take a look to starboard, and now see the high purple flames lighting up the darkness and that the whole northern part of the town is now affected. Many people are getting restless, forming a human chain to pass buckets from hand to hand and try to limit the spread of the flames. As they catch their breath and regain their composure, they notice an initially unnoticed figure on the bridge: It was Klaus, Magirius's servant. "Good evening, Things have obviously got out of hand. As you may know, my master passed away today. He loved your honesty and your willingness to save the city. He left me a letter for you, in case anything happened to him... Not knowing where to find you, I came to hand-deliver it here earlier this evening... He would have wanted you to finish the job. Take a look at these documents he found earlier today. What happened tonight? Does it have anything to do with the Ordo Septenarius? I also had a letter for myself, which is very frustrating. In it, he told me that I was in fact his half-brother... His father having been unfaithful to the maid, my mother. I wish he'd told me sooner... He left me a small part of his fortune... but I'd like to see his murderers punished. What would you say to 20 CO to find this Etelka? Bring me his head and they're yours. I'm going to hand in my resignation to Madame Magirius." Klaus gives them different documents:Lettre posthume de F. Magirius , Brouillon de lettre de J. Teugen , Lettre d'Etelka Having accepted Klaus' proposal, it was time to rest on the Berebeli. The next morning, just as day was breaking, Rayaar and Karl were woken by Josef. "I'm sorry to drag you out of bed, but I'm not going to be able to continue the journey with you. I don't know what the Bogenhafen guards have seen, or if they're looking for you, but for the moment we have to make ourselves scarce, and I can't risk having the Berebel searched and them finding you on board. I hope you won't mind too much... but I'm going to have to put you ashore here. We're far enough away from Bogenhafen that there shouldn't be too many patrols. Keep heading north along the river and you'll soon reach Wissenbruck. Again, I'm sorry, but I don't really have any other options. After what's happened in the last few hours, there will undoubtedly be a lot of new business to do with the new masters of Bogenhafen, and I can't take the risk of having this market closed to me. May Sigmar watch over you and protect you. Let Bogenhafen take care of you for the time being. And may our paths cross again!" As Karl and Rayaar disembark in the thicket along the Bogenhäfen river, they take one last look at the Bérébéli, which is now slowly pulling away from the bank. On the bridge, Josef , Klaus , Gilda, Wolmar and Lily are silently waving at you. Now that the barge is a few dozen metres away, our two heroes decide to set off: they take the road alongside the river and start walking northwards. Towards new adventures... Next in Une nuit à l'auberge Une nuit à l'auberge
A suivre dans Une nuit à l'auberge
As Karl and Rayaar contemplate the other shore and the emaciated preacher disappears, they decide not to pursue him. They wait for Magirius to arrive, scheduled for 10am. During this interlude, they listen to the sounds and rumours of the port. In particular, they learn that Anton, the guard at the Steinhäger warehouses, was found drowned in the river Bögen last night. "He was always drunk and must have slipped". In other news, there's been a lot of discussion: it's rumoured that the emperor has issued a new law declaring that there are no more mutants in the Empire. "Deformed people are now considered citizens like any others. The exile or slaughter of those unfortunate enough to be deformed is now illegal and punishable by death." Finally, Friedrich Magirius arrives in a panic. He is hooded and looks around for fear of being spied on. Soon enough, he lures Rayaar and Karl into the sewer entrance tunnel to take shelter from the outside world. He is accompanied by Klaus his trusted servant. "He's family" He insists on talking to them somewhere where they won't be disturbed or overheard, and only then does he reveal the cause of his unhappiness. "I must confess that I haven't been honest with you, but I regret it! Let me tell you .... When Teugen returned from Nul to live in Bögenhafenm, he told us that with our help, and that of the town's merchants, his sorcery could influence the economy of the entire Empire. Bögenhafen could once again become an important town, more important than Marienburg itself, and we would have the opportunity to become richer than in our wildest dreams. This is how the Ordo Septenarius came into being, and the ordinary members are nothing more than a smokescreen. Everything was going according to Teugen's plan, until you discovered the temple beneath Steinhäger's offices. I've been asked to reassure you and take you away so that the necessary preparations can be made for the ritual that will make us all rich. This ceremony will take place tonight. I don't know where yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I've been informed. Teugen told us that a human sacrifice was necessary to prepare the new temple, and that's too much for me. I didn't think it would involve anyone dying. You've got to help me. Going to the authorities is useless, because Teugen and the Inner Council control them.Help me, Karl and Rayaar. You are my only hope. The two travellers agreed. Karl, who has not forgotten his two previous failures at the guard barracks, then asks for a little help to meet the captain of the guard. "I can write you a letter of recommendation. Klaus, please prepare this" And Magirius's servant did just that, leaning against the walls of the tunnel to write his letter. Magirius and Klaus leave Karl and Rayaar behind, not wanting to be seen with them for too long. The two adventurers immediately set off for the town barracks. This time, Magirius's letter enabled them to pass through the checkpoints and come face to face with Captain Goertrin. The man is tall and thin, his hair bleached by the years. "Hurry up, I've got a lot to do with the Schaffenfest coming to an end". Karl and Rayaar ask him about his meeting with Judge Heinz Richter . In fact, Andréa, the clerk of the festivities court, had told them that the two men had met the evening before the lawman fell ill. But Goertrin stopped them dead in their tracks: "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen Richter since last week, when we were preparing to organise the Schaffenfest". The officer seems honest, and the two adventurers are circumspect. As they were leaving, they decided to have a chat with the off-duty guards hanging around the barracks yard. The guards confirm that their captain spends every evening locked away in his office, checking the reports of the Schaffenfest patrols: who was the person who met the judge (and potentially contaminated him) and who was pretending to be Goertrin? Rayaar and Karl decide to go and confront Andréa, the court clerk, to confirm her version. They head for the tent housing the Schaffenfest court. There, they find a long line of defendants waiting to be tried. At the end of the afternoon, Andréa finally takes a break and is able to talk to the two adventurers: "Of course it was Goertrin, I didn't speak to him, but it was him".
With no real explanation, the two travellers set off towards the town. As they passed the walls of Bögenhafen, a servant appeared before them. The messenger was a servant in Magirius' livery. He hands them a rolled parchment bearing the seal of the city, then leaves without saying a word. City Hall, Office of Councillor Magirius I must see you urgently. Meet me at my residence on the Adel Ring as soon as you can. Magirius When the two adventurers reached Magirius' residence, the door was opened by the same servant who had given them his note. He confirms that Magirius is expecting them, and leads them to his study, where he knocks on a heavy oak door before beckoning them in. At first glance, the room seems deserted. A huge oak desk takes up most of the space, and a heavy wooden chair is overturned behind it. Karl moves forward a little: beneath the desk lies the body of Friedrich Magirius. His throat has been slit, and a pool of blood soaks the thick carpet. He only has the opportunity to stammer out a few words "Warehouse thirteen... Warehouseo...." before his voice dies out in a bloody gurgle. As Rayaar rushed out of the office to alert the servant, a series of cries were heard: "Help! Help! Murder! Murder!" from the front door of the house. "It's a trap!" cries Rayaar as he runs back into the study to Karl. Through the window, they hear a Guet patrol running up. At the same moment, the servant appears at the entrance to the room - he must be the one who called for help. He addresses them in a cavernous voice that seems to be the result of the supernatural superimposition of several voices, which is chilling: "You know, you really should have minded your own business" before disappearing in a cloud of supernatural smoke. Karl and Rayaar had little time to think: they could already hear the guards entering the house, so they had better get a move on. They rushed to the garden adjoining the office and Rayaar, supported by Karl, easily climbed to the top of the high wall separating the property from the town. Rayaar also helped Karl over the hurdle, and a few seconds later they both dropped into the adjoining alleyway. What follows is a long chase towards Warehouse 13, the last clue given by Magirius, located on the quayside. Karl and Rayaar decide to split up. The river woman heads north, while the herbalist heads west. The watch troops give chase before finally losing their trail. Karl is treated to an extra twist: as he runs towards the river, he notices clouds of smoke a few hundred metres ahead, heralding the start of a fire. He soon heard a noisy group heading in his direction: "To the arsonist! Stop him!" and chasing a runaway. As the fugitive runs past him, winking, Karl realises that he looks exactly like him! What devilry is this? Unwilling to explain this sorcery to the group coming towards him, he decides to escape again. After all this excitement, the two of them finally arrive in front of warehouse 13. Night had just fallen and there was little activity on the docks. Morrslieb, as on the previous day, appears in the sky, revealing his grimacing face and almost seeming to touch the roofs of the city. The door to the warehouse is locked, but the two adventurers decide to try their luck with the windows. After forcing open the shutters, they pushed hard on the windows and found themselves inside. The warehouse contains many wooden crates, stored at the back of the building, but not only that: our adventurers also discover an optogram painted on the floor, surrounded by a copper circle. The same installation as in the secret temple discovered in the sewers. After a quick inspection of the floor, of no real interest, Rayaar and Karl decide to set up an ambush behind the crates. They didn't have long to wait. Shortly after 8.30pm, the first trolley pulled up in front of the door and a trio went inside: a richly dressed man and two more modestly dressed people. The two workers put bags on the floor and then leave the building. The rich man stays and begins to take salt, sprinkle it over certain areas of the octagon and place candlesticks at either end of the star painted on the floor. After a while, a succession of horse-drawn carriages arrive. Among the occupants, two familiar faces enter the warehouse: Johannes Teugen and a young adult: Magirius' servant who had delivered the message to Karl and Rayaar earlier in the day. Other people arrive, all dressed in the same dark robes and begin to settle around the octogram, one at each end of a branch, with Teugen in the centre. Then another cart arrives, and two men enter carrying a canvas bag, which they place next to Teugen in the centre of the star. Rayaar and Karl notice that the sack seems to be moving sluggishly. They quickly understand when Johannes Teugen opens it wide, revealing a young girl bound hand and foot. The merchant then grabs a ceremonial knife and slowly approaches the captive's throat. Karl didn't think twice and decided to come out of hiding to pounce on him. Rayaar, dismayed by this swift (and reckless, in her opinion) action, grabbed her crossbow and fired at Johannes. The crossbow bolt hit the councillor in the leg, and he cried out in pain. Between two grunts, he addressed the other members of the Ordo Septenarius. "Do not break the circle! The dark forces want to prevent our success! We will defeat them. Close your eyes, I will call upon occult forces to help us. Gideon, come with me". Addressing Magirius' servant. Karl begins to fight Gideon , seriously injuring him. Just as he's about to give him the final blow... he transforms into a pinkish demon in a cloud. Rayaar, for her part, uses her spear to challenge Teugen, who defends herself and avoids her blows. She also speaks up to try and reason with the other members of the cult. "Open your eyes and see the true nature of the Ordo Septenarius". A few of them were persuaded and, faced with the demon's vision, decided to leave, trying to open the warehouse door before disappearing into the night. Determined to use his magical aura, Gideon begins an invocation, chanting words from another world. Just as he was about to unleash the power of his spell, he lost control and the magical winds exploded around his head, causing his eyes to bleed profusely. Teugen, for his part, manages to land a heavy blow to Rayaar's arm, causing him to collapse with a cry of pain as he drops his spear. The fight was off to a bad start. Karl hurried over to Rayaar to treat her and help her to her feet. GIdéon took advantage of this opportunity to prepare to cast an even more destructive spell, drawing the surrounding magical energy towards him in a crackle of multicoloured sparks. As Karl moved towards the demon again, it unleashed its exceptionally powerful magical attack. But once again, Gideon was unable to contain the power of his spell... A jet of crimson and pink flames shot from his hooked fingers towards Johannes Teugen, the young captive still in the bag on the ground, and another member of the Ordo Septenarius. All three immediately burst into flames with cries of pain. Karl seized the opportunity to deal a critical blow to the unlucky demon. Almost knocked down, he staggers and seems to hesitate about what to do next. Without Teugen, he seems to realise that the ritual cannot be completed. Suddenly, tongues of pink and blue fire burst from the octogram. At its centre, an enormous, eyelidless Eye forms, lined with glittering feathers of every imaginable colour. Terrified, the last members of the Ordo Setpenarius flee. Gideon turns to the eye and begs for more time, but a disembodied voice with multiple tones, both low and high, terrible and melodious, and incredibly cold answers him, more in the minds of those present than truly intelligible: "There is no portal. You have failed. Come back to me." Gideon then begins to burn up in flickering flames. He screams and writhes in indescribable agony, then disappears. The great Eye in the octogram then turns to Karl and stops. This moment seems to last an indeterminate amount of time for Karl, does he remain immersed in the depths of this eye for several hours? Then the Eye is consumed in a spray of multicoloured sparks. These sparks quickly ignite a fire in the warehouse. There was no time to think, they must flee.
As Karl and Rayaar leave the warehouse and reach the cobbled street, they notice that Morslieb no longer appears in the sky. Instead of the green glow, the Bogenhafen night is now tinged with violet reflections. As they turn round, they realise that the flames are spreading to the neighbouring warehouses. Some of the guards on the lookout arrived and looked on in amazement. As they look at you, one of them shouts out: "I recognise them, they're the arsonists from this afternoon! They've done it again! Turning to his colleagues: "You two, sound the alarm! We've got to put this fire out! You, Albrecht, with me! And turning to the two adventurers: "Don't move! Stop immediately! You're going to spend some time behind bars, you rascals! The two travellers then ran off, trying to let go of their pursuers. One last jump and they find themselves on the Berebel. Karl shouts to Josef: "Quick, we have to leave... now!" Josef, a little surprised but seeing the decomposed look on his two friends' faces, decides to cast off... just before seeing the guards appear on the docks "Stop! In the name of Sigmar, I order you to return to the dock". Josef pretended not to hear and let the Berebeli float away, pushed by the current. Hiding on the point, Karl and Rayaar take a look to starboard, and now see the high purple flames lighting up the darkness and that the whole northern part of the town is now affected. Many people are getting restless, forming a human chain to pass buckets from hand to hand and try to limit the spread of the flames. As they catch their breath and regain their composure, they notice an initially unnoticed figure on the bridge: It was Klaus, Magirius's servant. "Good evening, Things have obviously got out of hand. As you may know, my master passed away today. He loved your honesty and your willingness to save the city. He left me a letter for you, in case anything happened to him... Not knowing where to find you, I came to hand-deliver it here earlier this evening... He would have wanted you to finish the job. Take a look at these documents he found earlier today. What happened tonight? Does it have anything to do with the Ordo Septenarius? I also had a letter for myself, which is very frustrating. In it, he told me that I was in fact his half-brother... His father having been unfaithful to the maid, my mother. I wish he'd told me sooner... He left me a small part of his fortune... but I'd like to see his murderers punished. What would you say to 20 CO to find this Etelka? Bring me his head and they're yours. I'm going to hand in my resignation to Madame Magirius." Klaus gives them different documents:Lettre posthume de F. Magirius , Brouillon de lettre de J. Teugen , Lettre d'Etelka Having accepted Klaus' proposal, it was time to rest on the Berebeli. The next morning, just as day was breaking, Rayaar and Karl were woken by Josef. "I'm sorry to drag you out of bed, but I'm not going to be able to continue the journey with you. I don't know what the Bogenhafen guards have seen, or if they're looking for you, but for the moment we have to make ourselves scarce, and I can't risk having the Berebel searched and them finding you on board. I hope you won't mind too much... but I'm going to have to put you ashore here. We're far enough away from Bogenhafen that there shouldn't be too many patrols. Keep heading north along the river and you'll soon reach Wissenbruck. Again, I'm sorry, but I don't really have any other options. After what's happened in the last few hours, there will undoubtedly be a lot of new business to do with the new masters of Bogenhafen, and I can't take the risk of having this market closed to me. May Sigmar watch over you and protect you. Let Bogenhafen take care of you for the time being. And may our paths cross again!" As Karl and Rayaar disembark in the thicket along the Bogenhäfen river, they take one last look at the Bérébéli, which is now slowly pulling away from the bank. On the bridge, Josef , Klaus , Gilda, Wolmar and Lily are silently waving at you. Now that the barge is a few dozen metres away, our two heroes decide to set off: they take the road alongside the river and start walking northwards. Towards new adventures... Next in Une nuit à l'auberge Une nuit à l'auberge
Report Date
02 Sep 2023
Primary Location
Related Characters
Comments