I Shall Be First

Date

Spring 1199

Dramatis Personae

Introduction

The wizard Argus tracked his former apprentice to Lincoln but his quarry evaded him within the city walls. Sandre and I were summoned to help bring Seleucus to justice. With Angus and Fredigisa, we rode north from Bedford Castle to Lincoln. There we met with George and Godwyn's man Thomas. Argus instructed us to find Stephen and return him for questioning. He was to keep watch over the city to assure that his apprentice did not escape.

At his request, we provided him with locks of hair from our grogs and permission to scry on our party. I did not make my thoughts known at the time, but Argus referred too familiarly to his former apprentice. His apprentice was no longer 'Stephen the Lost Apprentice' but 'Seleucus the Murdering Infernalist'. I feared that Argus might not have the will to do his duty and this thought grew in my mind during the days of the hunt.

The Lair of the White Wizard

Days of mundane plodding around Lincoln in full mail resulted in little but odd looks and tired legs. We thought we had a lead when we followed a Wizard in Red into a seedy tavern only to find out they were only recruiting mercenaries. I heard they put forth quite an attractive offer. It left Sandre and I wondering what sort of trouble the Crimson Brotherhood was preparing for but once we determined they were not in immediate league with the White Wizard we left these rascals and continued our search of the city. Our luck changed when under the advice of one of the grogs, we interrogated a wealthy draper. We were able to trick him into giving us the White Wizards location by implying that Seleucus had told them to come to his shop for the enchantment of magical clothing. With this information we marched toward his warehouse.

After enchanting my peers gambesons, we positioned ourselves in front of the warehouse door. I advised then that no one should hesitate to strike the White Wizard despite what Argus said. I knocked loudly and when asked my business I stated loudly 'Wizard's Business' at which he tried to secure the door. Angus and I pushed it in and engaged six lightly armored brigands. Armed only with knives, we made quick work of them smashing bones and cutting flesh. Soon they all fell leaving us to face the wizards lair.

Upon the floor was a sanctum mark on a trapdoor. Not hesitating in the least, I swung the door open and headed down into the dark musty basement with faithful Angus at my back.

Battle in the Basement

As the light faded, I summoned a sword then brought it to flame just in time to see two dead men lumbering forward, with white eyes and the scent of death heavy upon them. Wielding Corpse Crow, Angus quickly dispatched the dead and we turned upon the White Wizard who was fleeing toward the door. George engaged him, holding his retreat, then Sandre summoned a crystal dart which bounced off his Parma Magica. Upon seeing this, I spirited three knives at the retreating wizard. The first missed, the second struck his thigh, and the third pierced his heart killing him dead.

A long moment of quiet followed, waiting for the next foe to rise from the shadows. None did, and the look upon Sandres face was that of shock and anger.

He said, 'You killed him.'

I replied, 'I had to.' Still, doubt filled my heart: what if he wasn't an infernalist? What then would be my fate? Then came thoughts of Argus' ire as he no doubt saw my actions.

Sandre snapped me out of my self-doubt and stated we need to find proof of his Infernalism before Argus and Fredigisa show up. Still contemplating my fate, I summoned a bright light to aid in the searching of Seleucus' lair.

Finding the Evidence

It was Sandre who found the Seleucus#Journal journal amongst the library. It stated clearly his path towards the Infernal. It was a sad tale of loss, corruption, and failed redemption. Having lost his Gift, Steven summoned the demon Tazel who restored his Gift as long as he did his bidding. The tasks started small, killing goats and smearing their blood upon remote standing stones, but over time the tasks got more and more evil. Instead of a goat, a beggar was killed, and soon he was summoning other demons to aid in the corruptions of the stones. When Steven, who was now Seleucus, realized the greater evil he was performing he sought ways to trick and in turn bind Tazel, and he was almost there but... I, Caballus, had kill him.

Argus arrived, furious at my recklessness. I weakened stating that I wasn't trying to kill him and that I meant only to wound him, which, though true, wasn't fully accurate as I had already decided that I would kill him if he resisted capture. Argus, being a keen judge of character dismissed, my excuses and his berating only stopped when Sandre presented him with the Journal.

Fredigisa arrived thereafter, looking none to pleased. She surveyed the room and asked me why I killed him. I echoed my weak excuse stating I did not mean to, at which she growled, "if you didn't mean to kill him, you did a very poor job of it." She then read the Journal and Argus confirmed it was in Stephen's hand, at which point she declared the wizards present a Council and posthumously Marched Stephen filus Argus from the Order.

Argus, seeking closure, cast a variation of Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie then questioned the body by driving the spirit to speak with powerful Rego magics. Stephen, so coerced, provided names of collaborators: corrupt monks and an infernal crusader, as well as the location of his other sanctum in Lancaster. He also falsely indicated the wizard Virakon as being involved in the plot: falsely in that his breath was clearly fogged. This evidence contradicts previous accounts from the hedge wizard's ghost that indicated Virakon was league with the White Wizard.

Argus, satisfied, ended his seance, at which I handed him Corpse Crow. He leaned it into his former apprentice, turning his body to dust. Fredigisa directed us to "clean up this mess and don't come back to Lincoln until I've cleared up this up with the Bishop." Not ever wanting to cross Fredigisa, I directed the unmaking of the sanctum and we sent George and Thomas, who was wounded, back on the Oared Wheel with Argus. Sandre, Angus and I rode north to Lancaster where we found his manor house protected by undead minions. We dispatched the skeletons with the aid of Corpse Crow and then proceeded to dismantle his laboratory and various belongings of value were placed in a cart and brought back to Stranggore.

Aftermath

There I called a Wizard's Council meeting and declared that I had killed the White Wizard and proceed to divide up the bounty making sure to be generous so as not to seem to profit from the suffering of Argus and the death of his Apprentice.

(Not mentioned above was the spider tattoo found on Seleucus forearm which Sandre and James found upon examining the body.)