#73 The Brotherhood of Mannfred
The rusting knocker was shaped in the form of a rose. As it rapped the rotting door, a cloud of orange flecks was released and drifted away. A female voice responded: “Kisses for me?”
“Save your blood kisses for me,” Khammron replied stiffly.
He folded his wings and waited as a key turned in the ancient lock. “Who came up with that password?” he grumbled.
Tes smirked as she opened the door and Khammron stepped inside, gazing around the once grand interior. “So this is the infamous Barfunweltz Manse?”
Two others were already seated by the fireplace. Even though Boritz had removed his wolf’s head cape, his massive physicality seemed to fill the room. But it was the fourth figure whose presence dominated all.
“Welcome Khammron,” said Jean de Majeure, “you have recovered I see.” Khammron scowled at the reminder of his recent defeat but knew better than to challenge such an influential officer of the Legion of Night.
“Be seated,” ordered Sir Jean, “we have much to discuss, and I must return to Chamon before my absence is noticed.”
Tes smiled coldly. "No Sir Jean, she is otherwise engaged for the time being. I believe she is attempting to procure a Coven Throne."
"Indeed...?" Sir Jean gesticulated impatiently, "Let us have your full report then."
"I infiltrated Beauvoir's coven relatively recently,” Tes continued, hiding her irritation, “but already I enjoy considerable influence, particularly over the naive young vampire Anya Liedl - it was she who provided the candelabrum that enabled me to find this gheist-building, which can be challenging to locate. Having explored the library here, and from our regular coven meetings, I think I now know most of what Beauvoir knows." Tes elucidated the history of the Cinquefoil and Beauvoir's unsuccessful attempts to reunite the soul shards of the False Apostle.
"Of course, she now realises that the False Apostle was merely three fifths of another person: the ancient Shyishian king Gulaab Kaphool. She successfully tracked down one more fifth - the wight called the King of Thorns - but she does not know the identity of the final 'Petal of the Rose'. Her necromancer, the Hermit of Barfunweltz believes it is Elohiim, but of course we know him to be the blood-father of Gulaab Kaphool, not a part of him."
"We will come to Elohiim in due course," interjected Sir Jean with a glance at Khammron, "but tell us of Lady Beauvoir's state of mind? I hear she has taken to describing her coven as 'the Saviours of Barfunweltz'? Quite a claim for one so inept!”
A ripple of chuckles passed around the room as Tes continued. "Yes indeed. She also calls those of us in her coven 'The Bloody Pilgrims'. It’s clear that she has moved from a position of scepticism to a stronger faith in the Way of the Rose. Not only that, but as you say, she sees herself as a saviour figure."
"Interesting..." nodded Sir Jean, "I have witnessed a similar messiah complex motivating the Pontifex Surrexit in his crusading zeal."
He turned abruptly to Boritz. "Beauvoir has renewed contact with the Heisenbergs, I believe?"
"Yes," growled Boritz, "I was sent to meet with her myself on their behalf. She sought their help gathering intelligence about a certain Stormcast Eternal stationed in Glymmsforge, a Lord-Exorcist of the Gravewalkers. From what I have learned tonight, I wonder if she might think he is her Fifth Petal."
"A Stormcast?" asked Khammron, "Is that even possible?"
"It could be..." mused Tes, "If Sigmar had whisked away his fifth portion of Gulaab's soul at the moment Elohiim shattered it? And then later reforged it on his Anvil of Apotheosis?"
"I concur," nodded Sir Jean. "Boritz, have the Heisenbergs looked into the matter yet?"
"I don't believe so. They no longer take Lady Beauvoir very seriously so they are not rushing to her aid."
"In that case Boritz, volunteer to take responsibility for those investigations." De Majeure's eyes glinted with ambition. "Try to limit what Lady Beauvoir (and indeed the Heisenbergs) discover. If it turns out that she is correct and this Gravewalker is indeed the Fifth Petal, it will serve the Legion of Night well if our Brotherhood can keep this information from the other dynastic factions. But it may of course be a false trail anyway; Khammron, might Elohiim be able to fill in the missing parts of the puzzle?"
Khammron shrugged. "To be honest Sir Jean, Elohiim is a puzzle himself. You know what these Vengorians are like - he's as mad as a casket of bats!" If he was expecting the other vampires to laugh at his joke, he was disappointed. He quickly went on: "Half the time, he doesn’t really know what’s going on; I got him to accept me as his blood-son by telling him he'd granted me the blood kiss during one of his ‘episodes’ (he doesn't remember much of what he gets up to when his monster takes over).
“Anyway, I know Mannfred tasked us with investigating whether Elohiim had abandoned our Legion for the Avengorii, but I don't think he feels a strong allegiance to any particular dynasty. In fact, what you said about messiah complexes" (he looked from Sir Jean to Tes) "seems to ring true here too. He's given himself a very grand title and believes himself sovereign not only of Barfunweltz's gravelords, but of its flesh-eaters and nighthaunts too!"
"Indeed?" replied Sir Jean, his dead eyes alight with interest, "That could explain how he managed to call away the Pontifex's gheist-dragon to his service. The Lord Crusader was most put out!" He chuckled. "I think it might be enough to bring him home from his crusade, but the Missioner is ever persuading him to promulgate his foolishness further afield."
"Sir Jean," interjected Tes, "this tendency towards a messiah complex - it seems to be a common theme among the Soulblights of Barfunweltz, whether they are of the False Apostle's bloodline or have simply come under the influence of his contagious abhorrent delusions. I wonder if we might be witnessing the rise of a new minor dynasty? A new breed of vampires with an ecclesiastical inclination?"
"Yes Teresa, I think that may well be the case," nodded Sir Jean, "such a thing is not unheard of. If we are correct, then it is all the more important that we gain control over the identification of the fifth petal for it will hold powerful religious significance for them: we know that Beauvoir and the Hermit seek a 'Reunification of the Cinquefoil' and I suspect the Pontifex would want that too. Perhaps even the Baby-Eating Bishop and his mad followers would put their hope in such an eschatological event? Should we control if - or simply when - it might occur, the Brotherhood of Mannfred would surely be the true masters of Barfunweltz!"
"And mistresses..." muttered Tes under her breath.
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| The Brotherhood of Mannfred (secret cabal of the Legion of Night masquerading as Avengorii, Kastelai, Vyrkos and Legion of Blood) |
#74 THE ECUMENICAL SYNOD OF THE SANGUINE ROSE
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