#76 The Bloody Pilgrims: Saviours of Barfunweltz

AUDIO

Anya Liedl gazed longingly at the glistening crimson surface of the scrying pool. So much blood; and it looked and smelt so delicious. Almost involuntarily, she reached out her hand - 

"Don't touch, dear!" Lady Beauvoir laughed indulgently. Paule Wieß tutted. 

The Bloody Pilgrims were gathered upon Lady Beauvoir's new Coven Throne, the culmination of her own arcane preparations and many weeks' toil by the necromancer Viktor Bract of the Lost Thorns. The eerie construction was borne aloft by a swirling cloud of ancient spirits. The gheists moaned and groaned constantly in the background, while a banshee wailed her mournful harmonies over their murmurings. Weiß had claimed that the banshee was the tormented spirit of a former coven member who had betrayed Lady Beauvoir and was now doomed to wail her warning to those tempted to resist the powers of the Bloody Pilgrims. 

Anya found it all very invigorating and exciting: truly their coven was becoming a force to be reckoned with in Barfunweltz. Beauvoir called it her 'Throne Behind the Power' for it was her intention that the Pilgrims should become such an asset that all factions of the Sanguine Rose would solicit their alliance. Thus would the Legion of Blood quietly control the armies of Barfunweltz, whether the other Soulblight dynasties realised it or not.

The Bloody Pilgrims

"Shall we see what the Count and Countess are up to?" purred Lady Beauvoir as her hands worked shapes over the surface of the enchanted blood.

Images rippled and shimmered, as if reflected on the still, red pool. Anya was still learning how to read them, but she could read the expression of her mistress's face: gratification. Lady Beauvoir's status had, until recently, been waning in the eyes of Countess Heisenberg. But at last she was on the rise.

It had also irked her mistress that the self-styled 'Saviours of Barfunweltz' had not been invited to the Hermit's Synod, purely because it was only for clergy and the Bloody Pilgrims were regarded as laity. Beauvoir had promptly 'ordained' Paule, much to the old vampire's delight. Anya knew that Weiß had been a devoted follower of the Way of the Rose long before she was granted the blood kiss, and she had retained something of the False Apostle's religious delusion. This seemed to have developed into a stronger faith recently, especially since Lady Beauvoir had become more pious after her pilgrimage to Gyhran to study the Cinquefoil. 

She had brought back the King of Thorns, the fourth of the five soul shards of ancient king Gulaab Kaphool. She had also discovered the enigmatic Elohiim, whom the Hermit had declared the fifth and final 'Petal of the Rose'. But the Bloody Pilgrims always knew Elohiim could not be the fifth petal, for he predated the fall of Gulaab Kaphool. And now their scrying pool had confirmed that he was in fact the Primogenitor of the Cinquefoil - the Soulblight who had caused that fall and granted the blood kiss to the founder of the Way of the Rose, the False Apostle himself.

Lady Beauvoir had instructed the Bloody Pilgrims to keep this discovery to themselves for the time being for knowledge is power and she was adept at controlling both. They had started referring to Elohiim mockingly as the 'Sepal', although only when speaking behind his monstrous back of course. The Vengorian's power in Barfunweltz was waxing at the moment, indeed he was a uniquely unifying force among all the undead factions, so it made good sense to keep him close. She wondered what the Pontifex Surrexit would make of him if or when he ever returned from his crusading. But in the meantime, and until she had discovered the true identity of the Fifth Petal of the Rose, the Bloody Pilgrims would keep fellowship with the 'Lord of Hosts'. Thus would the true Saviours of Barfunweltz maintain their ascent to glory.

The Throne Behind the Power

Reflecting on all the ecclesiastical machinations, Anya once again found herself glad that Tes had joined the coven, offering a bit of relief from all the spiritual intensity. The newest Bloody Pilgrim was currently away on some errand. As Anya gazed absent-mindedly at the enticing blood, she suddenly noticed a small, subtle image of the beautiful Tes. Glancing up, she saw Beauvoir and Weiß were studying something reflected on the other side of the scrying pool and had not noticed. Anya peered more closely, mildly uncomfortable about spying on her friend, but encouraged that she seemed to be learning to read the blood. Anya found she could not only see Tes, but feel something of her too. And what she felt was not what Anya expected: Tes exuded conspiratorial secrecy. This was of course perfectly normal for the servants of Neferata, but Anya could sense that Tes appeared to hiding something from Lady Beauvoir herself - something very significant. Just as she was about to probe deeper into her friend's secrets, her mistress spoke:

"Anya my dear, have you seen something?"

Anya had less than an instant to decide what to do. Would she betray her friend and show Lady Beauvoir what was in the blood?

She made the tiniest movement and her finger broke the surface of the pool. Ripples instantly spread across the surface and obliterated the vision of Tes, and indeed of whatever the other two vampires had been studying.

"Oh Anya," chided Lady Beauvoir, "I said not to touch!"

#77 ROSE GUARD OF THE BLOODY PILGRIMS