Against the 5 Rings

They were escorted to the central conclave where many of the Princes' advisors were in place and reported to Cynan.

Parting of the ways

At this juncture, Harry announced that with his partial recovery, he was duty bound to return to active service and was returning back to the British Army with an aim to secure a commission in the Royal Flying Corps. George was also leaving, needed to support a Indian Imperial Army mission into Turkey.

Planning the next steps

Reviewing the options open to them, Marco proposed a move against the core of the 5 Rings, the Thule society in Berlin, and collect any heroes that might otherwise be subverted. Initially the plan was considered somewhat risky ("You must be bloody insane") but eventually reason won out and they agreed to start in Spain through connections with the Order of Santiago.

Objectives

1. Locate any of the reborn heroes, arrange custodianship or bring out of the area if necessary.

c. Find out who is manipulating the 5 rings

Escape route : if we find an ancient item and go into the heartland we will be able to stay awake for a few minutes in order to cast a spell to summon help.

New companions

Depleted due to the departure of George and Harry, Cynan co-opted a couple of new memebers to the group.

Johann : a star pupil of Corvus, this 6'6" blond haired, blue eyed Norweigan is a master of the green weave and a crack shot with a rifle.

Nel : one of Sophia-Astarte's "Chosen Men", Nel is young but one of the finest theives around. Not the greatest sophisticate.

First port of call is Santiago where they approach the Order of Santiago. Last time there, George and Marco discovered the infiltration of the Order of Santiago by the 5 Rings. They exposed and killed Don Fernando Gonzalez, scared off Don Ruiz Gonzalo Fernandez De Alazar and persuaded Jose Vincente Manriquez to revert to the original purpose of the Order.

As they walked through the town, the party noticed many of the citizens had a nervous and suspicious demeanour.

Sinclair went to the Order of Santiago to meet the current head of the order, Jose Vincente Manriquez. He confirmed his credentials as a troubleshooter for the Vatican and outlined the general purpose of his mission. They discussed the spate of recent deaths in Santiago that was making people nervous. The deaths were macabre and had the police perplexed. Manriquez offered an introduction to the investigating officer. As they had arrived with no iron or steel items, Sinclair requested equipment form the Order of Santiago armoury : pistol for Sinclair (his sword had passed through the gate); rifles for Johann and Marco; Mauser automatic pistol for Marco; and dagger for Nel.

Next stop for Sinclir was the police station where he met the medical examiner who explained the quandry, 5 bodies which had obviously moved and acted long after their deaths. Sinclair ensured that he was able to return later for a detailed examination.

An unsanctioned autopesy

Bringing the and examined the corpses. 5 corpses, all of which died and then were animated for some hours after. Hornet trap. Johann ritual for last thing seen - 5 people being addressed by bearded man.

This included : member of the Syrian Assassins; ambassadors wife; visigoth researcher

Marco sent note to Jose Vincente Manriquez for an appointment, got invite to dinner.

Johann went looking for the house he saw in Nazir Ismaili visions. Didn't find it but whilst looking at the Cathedral, Nel spotted an artist using a camera lucida to paint a pictire of the cathedral but on closer inspection wa susingf various powders to check lout the weave coming off the statues off the tp of nthe cathedral. She watched for a while and then pickpocketed his business card and a witch-compass.

Sinclair went examining the murder sites and found a tramp mark on a building (had been removed and re-applied several times). Went to interrogate the tramps who claimed that there was a personless shadow floating around parts of the city and those that it followed died.

Went to site of murder, knowcked on door, crone openmed door, polite enquiry then she ran away

Miguel Gariella (toy boy) Ruis Sebastien (brother Carlos and related to Vega in South America) Rodrigo

American was William Hemmings III. Carina, Blake, Tom, Stacey and Denzil

Old crone worked for Miguel (loved him and hated him)

Evening meal with Jose.

Party scout out the red team. Johann and Marco observe Gabriella as the plane crashes and kill her. 2 shots, dead.

Nel and Sinclair observe Miguel.

Mkigules house :

Nel sniuck in, Locked servants in Opened doors Party sneak upstairs to office. Weave on door, insanity glyph on opposite wall,

Johann - successfull mega ritual, rebuildingf assassin brain and got memory. Fireballing zombies. Double elimibnation of Gabriella/Rodrigues. Shot the cat iron bullet (cat-iron)

Nel - murdering the fat man man, getting snit on for the death of Gabriella; old ladies gold; acquisition of sparklies; frightening kids from America

Sinclair - nail head to wall, smashing zombies, converting the witch before execution

Marco -

Red Weave realm ; Harry nano-bots (healing); George had serpant broach (connection to Quezicoatl); Marco (8 starred item).