#4 Cortege of the False Apostle

AUDIO

The Empty Hearse of the False Apostle heads the Procession of the Foolish Martyrs. Decorated with blood roses of Barfunweltz, his vacant casket is attended by the Undertakers, spirits of his most blindly devoted disciples. Each bears a symbol of the Society of the Sanguine Rose: a book for the Mission; a chalice for the Congregation; a Sword for the Crusade.

The Empty Hearse (Black Coach)

The False Apostle’s hearse is also accompanied by one now known as The Apostate, the soul of none other than Liesel Sommer, the vampire hunter who exposed the true nature of the False Apostle. Infiltrating the Society of the Sanguine Rose in the guise of a devoted and selfless disciple, she drew closer to The Apostle than any other before betraying him. Such hubris earned her the curse of remaining by The False Apostle’s side for all eternity. She is forever haunted by the souls of those converted to the Society because of her actions undercover, and who were consequently persecuted to death. Their forms in undeath reflect the manner of their martyrdoms. 

Furthermore, the souls of some of her fellow Glymmsmen spies also join this procession – vampire hunters of Glymmsforge now hunting the enemies of Nagash for all eternity.

The Betrayers (Glaivewraith Stalkers)

The Apostate, they called me. And I am forever haunted by my deeds and their consequences. 

Haunted by souls damned through my actions. Innocents I indoctrinated into the Society of the Sanguine Rose merely to enhance my cover, were martyred. Because of me. They are here now, they always are, empty eye sockets staring reproachfully at the one who led them by lies to terrible deaths. I know that if I look, their forms will remind me of the precise nature of their persecutions.

Life seems so long ago that I can barely remember my name. But I can. Liesel Sommer. The Vampire Hunter. The Apostate. I infiltrated the Society of the Sanguine Rose with my band of spies. I betrayed them too, in a sense. Led them into hopeless danger, risking not only their lives but their very souls. A few of them are here with me now as well, glaivewraiths, still stalking impossibly elusive prey.

I am The Apostate. The betrayer of The Apostle. 

The wonderful, mad, wise, beautiful, unpredictable, terrifying Apostle.

I fell under his spell. 

I loved him. 

But I still betrayed him.

The Apostle will have his funeral.

A Cortege of Foolish Martyrs. 

And I know that whatever comes to pass, I will mourn him forever.

The Apostate Liesel Sommer (The Briar Queen)

#5 THE CONGREGATION OF FOOLISH MARTYRS