Astarael42

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

Yes. Just ignore the time warps. Mark it down to alien interference or something. :-)

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

@Everyone: Sorry for the delay. I've been on vacation (a massive road trip through the West/NOrthwest United States) and I expected far more free wireless as I traveled. I also expected not to be so tired. I spent a day at 12,500 ft in Rocky Mountain National park and discovered I am a) old b) out of shape and c) such elevations are intensely exhausting. I should have wireless again 2 days from now when I'm in Montana.

@ConteAmarula Did you have a desire to post before I move Lily & Ren along?
@Monochromatic Rainbow I am just going to sweep you along in the story and whenever you are ready to post just do so without worry.

@Everyone: I am trying to catch up everyone together so we are all in the same time (not spread out between afternoon, evening, and night) as well as bring everyone (protagonists and antagonists) together at the old mill.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

Brisa looked up at him and blinked owlishly; an expression that those who knew her were all too familiar with. Surprise coupled with an unstoppable curiosity. Books were so very valuable; they were all painstakingly crafted by hand and rarely duplicated. She desperately wanted that book; if it was as he claimed it could teach her from where Autry left off.

She carefully put away her spellbook, wrapping it carefully in is protective cover, and slipping it into her satchel. Then with reverent hands she reached for the book. She opened it, quickly scanning the pages. She let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. It was written in common; that was lucky. Then she took a moment to look at the entries a bit closer. Detailed and very precise they included the plants name, other names it was likely to be known as, where it grew, what it looked like, what valuable properties it had, and how to prepare it. In some cases it included clear precise sketches.

She shook her head softly.

“I can't, its too valuable” but she didn't hand the book back. Instead she kept staring at it in awed pleasure. Suddenly she remembered her manners. “I mean thank you so very much. Are you sure? This is wonderful.”

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

Part up now and more to come later as I work on tying all threads into one strand of yarn.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

~~The Creature~~

only go out at night, only go out at night...

Like a mantra those words poured through the creatures mind. If it could even be called a mind. It never knew what it was, or how it worked. Only that it, he, must only go out at night.

It's mother lover had stressed that. Night time was the only safe time.

It couldn't understand exactly what “safe” was. Or things like “he” and “she”. But it knew that people would try to stop it. And worse some part of it knew if it was caught it would lead back to the only person who cared about him. She fed him, she tended his body, she read to him, she was his whole world.

So he would only go out at night. Even then he knew that he could be seen so he was careful. But every day he was growing more and more interested in life, what it was, how it came to be, how all these people lived and died and communicated and dwelt together. They seemed happy, though he didn't know the word happy he could clearly see the emotion. He had also learned fear, disgust, and hate. People were so interesting.

Occasionally he caught fleeting memories of his past, he remembered being interesting once too. Now all he knew was loyalty and a constant state of confusion and desire to understand.

The city was dark this late at night, bright fire filled lanterns were hung sporadically around the streets of the wealthier districts to light the city. Here in the slums the lights were sickly and weak, only lighting a minimal space around them. Lots of business was usually conducted in the dark but it seemed less and less happened since he had been watching.

This was where he came from, he knew that, he felt at home here. But whenever anyone saw him they ran. If he was lucky. Sometimes they tried to beat him. He didn't like that part.

He shambled along at his awkward gait, trying to make his way unnoticed through the streets. At over six feet tall and broad as a bear he did tend to stand out. His weird rolling shuffling gait, as if his body was constantly stiff and off balance, did him no favors either. Not to mention that everyone was always watching for his passing. He did not go unnoticed but people no longer tried to stop him. Instead they slunk away in the shadows, cowered quietly in the dark, and ran away. Friends abandoned friends, it was every man for himself.

Then a strange scream rent the air, like a woman only unearthly and wild. He stopped and lifted his head looking around.

mother lover

It was the only thing in his mind now. Might that be her? Someone hurting her. He listened but the scream only came once. He didn't know what to do and his confusion increased. He didn't like the feeling...the only answer he could think of was to go home. She would come visit him with the dawn. Surely she would. She came every day. If she didn't come...if she didn't come...

He couldn't handle that thought. He had wanted to find another creature to study tonight, and he was hungry. He had all these plans but they vanished with this new thought. Now, now he had to get home. He would try to learn more about life the next night. He picked up his pace, his odd rolling gate and huge body making a strange sounding set of footsteps as he ran towards the forest, towards home.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

~~Group A~~

Adam remained unconscious as he was carried through the manor and Isabeau, with her butler's help, tied him on a spare horse. She didn't look back as she rode away, leading the horse with Adam's unconscious form. She didn't see the look on her butler's face as he watched her ride away.

He had been besotted with his Lady for so long; this was the last straw. He had seen how she looked at Adam, knew what fate awaited the man, but he had once hoped it would be his fate. That she would consider him worthy. He knew now it was not to be. And he knew what sort of trouble his mistress would be in now; he could smell power when he chose. Isabeau had it. So did Adam. He wasn't sure what would happen but he knew it wouldn't be good.

So he slipped into the servant's quarters, packed a bag, helped himself to a few valuable trinkets he knew the Lady would take a very long time to miss, and left.

Ren meanwhile was working to control the anger that seethed through him at Lily's words. He had come to value his relationship, professional and personal, with Adam greatly. That this bitch of a woman would dare to harm him angered him greatly but he worked hard to remain calm, as Adam would have done.

“I have less...acceptable...ways of getting information should it come to that” he said as evenly as he could. “Let us first examine this lab you found.” He stopped and looked back towards the room where the Lady and Adam had conversed.

“One moment Ms. Lily” he said and turned and swiftly went back to the room. He scanned around rapidly looking for anything that might give him a clue as to what had happened to Adam. His master was canney and clever, and was used to attempts on his life. He spotted nothing that might be a sign to him, or a warning. That meant that Adam had been caught unawares. He cursed, rather fluently, and turned. His eye caught the shine of metal at the side of a sofa and turned back. His master's sword and belt lay there, cast aside.

He grabbed it and looped it over his shoulder before returning to Lily.

“Adam will be wanting this” he said as he jerked his head slightly towards his shoulder, the weapon clearly seen hanging down his back. “Lets go get him.”

It was clear if he had known where the lab was he would have headed there without further hesitation; leaving Lily to stay or follow of her own choice. As it was he needed her to show him the way so he worked to conceal his impatience. His determination he didn't bother to hide. He would find Adam. There was no shaking his faith in this.

~~Group C~~

Filip raced into the tunnels, the darkness closing over him. Like most of the folk in his particular economic class he knew his way around the tunnels in the near dark that enveloped them. Only an occasional grating opened to the surface to let the faint light of the night down into these passages.

His steps splashed in the muck below and it squelched at his shoes but he ran on. He could hear footsteps behind him, and worse they were gaining on him. As the darkness closed he veered off with the tunnel as it split. He desperately hoped he could loose his pursuers; and he had an idea. Ahead there was a cave in, the old masonry had crumbled leaving just a spits worth of a hole to crawl through. In the dark. And the muck. He knew his way around there; he doubted the person chasing him would.

He turned to dart into the caved in passage, unaware that in the shadows ahead of him another had sped to catch him. The lad was trapped between the swiftly closing Aleksandra and the danger of Lucie, a danger he didn't see lurking in the shadows ahead of him. The obvious threat hides the insidious one.

NOTES FOR REFERENCE:
Group A—Adam, Lily
Group B--Rabid Bear in the Woods. Johanna, Wes
Group C--Missing Men. Aleksandra, Lucie

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

Just move on @orcpunx. If @POOHEAD189 decides to make a character it will still need to be approved by me and I will need to give him supplies/clues which will take time. We can work it in whenever at a later date; this story is easy to add and remove people at almost any point.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

go ahead and post if you beat me to it; that's ok. Started working then fell asleep

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

I've got an hour of free time now. We shall see if the brain cooperates.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

okiedokily. I'll get something up tonight. Thanks!