#27 Machinations of a Sanguinarch

The Lady Beauvoir, to Her Majesty Neferata, Queen of Mysteries. 

Humble greetings. 

Here follows my latest intelligence report regarding the being formerly known as The False Apostle. 

In order to further expedite my investigations, I tasked each member of my coven with a mission: 

Lord Voltaire and his Blood Knights I have sent to discover more regarding the fate of 'The Paladin' of their order. Specifically I wish to understand the details of what happened to lead him to travel to Glymmsforge, become 'The False Apostle' and found the Society of the Sanguine Rose. I anticipate this will explain how a Soulblight such as he could become manifest as the Abhorrent 'False Messiah'. Lord Voltaire has not yet returned from his quest, but this troubles me little as I was tiring of his presence.

Marchioness Weiß I sent in search of her former fellow believers of the Sanguine Rose. Most are trapped within in the Procession of the Foolish Martyrs with no memories of anything beyond that for which Nagash now punishes them. They confirm much of what we already knew about the Society, but have added little to our knowledge. One spirit, a tomb banshee calling herself The Apostate, reluctantly revealed a detailed explanation of the False Apostle's fall, but it was The Abbess, a great mourngul, which proved most intriguing. Such is the raging remorse of this spirit that it is particularly challenging to discern its message. Nonetheless, it has led us to suspect that the False Apostle was not merely blessed as a Soulblight but somehow simultaneously cursed as an Abhorrent. I have never heard of such a thing before, but if this is true it would explain much.

Anya Liedl (the debutant enjoys my favour at this time) I would have sent to the Raptured Court, but it is of course futile to expect mordants to speak sense. We need to approach the Baby-Eating Archbishop of Barfunweltz himself, but he commands a powerful host and I sense his delusions render him unpredictable. We will need a more subtle approach here. 

Instead, Miss Liedl and I sought to locate and investigate the elusive Barfunweltz Manse. As I predicted, we were able to do this by performing certain rites involving the candelabrum she had procured from there as a mortal child. I am gratified to inform you that the Manse proved to be a bountiful source of intelligence for it contained many artefacts, papers and mystical echoes of the False Apostle's life. In fact, I doubt even Lord Voltaire's quest can add much to our knowledge now, for we discovered how the Soulblight Paladin was at one time infected by an Abhorrent arch-regent! Incredibly, he managed to hide this shame from the Order of the Blood-Drenched Rose and fled to Barfunweltz where he used the combined abilities of Soulblight and Abhorrent to establish the Society of the Sanguine Rose. I confess myself as fascinated by this power as I am repulsed by its cause.

Finally, I sought out the Hermit of Barfunweltz, in the hope that he might enable me to put together all the pieces of this puzzle. Marchioness Weiß knew of his hermitage from her days in the Society, and we found references to him in the Manse as well. Over the years he has become a powerful necromancer, but he is almost as deluded as the mordants of the Raptured Court. Nonetheless, I learned much from him, particularly regarding the events following the False Apsotle's fall at the hands of the hateful Gravewalkers of the Stormcast.

Perhaps most importantly, he revealed that the abhorrent False Messiah was made manifest by the empowering of the False Apostle's Black Coach. This Black Coach, now known as 'The Empty Hearse', is still at large and I find myself wondering whether it could not be empowered again to release the Soulblight within? I would very much like to revive this False Apostle and fully know his power.

Furthermore, the Hermit spoke of The Revivalist, a mortal survivor of the Society's tribulation who even now seeks to convert the free people of Glymmsforge to the Way of the Rose. Apparently she speaks of a 'Reformed Society of the Sanguine Rose' but it seems she has attracted so few followers that no one but this mad Hermit takes her seriously! However, I have in mind a scheme to use her to get to the Baby-Eating Bishop by granting her a kind of 'success' of my own making!

Finally, the Hermit is obsessed with what he calls Ecumenism, the reunifying of the three factions of the Sanguine Rose: Procession, Court and Reformed Society. This of course is but a fool's religious fantasy, but I see in it the potential for a powerful alliance of Death which could see Barfunweltz come under my own control (for your pleasure of course my liege). I have in mind a scheme by which I might reform the Society, reunite the denominations and perhaps even revive the False Apostle.  

Further reports will follow.

May blood flow forever in your honour.

#28 THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LADY BEAUVOIR