Danse Macabre Part 6

Intro - Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Avenionensium

• Initial situation :
  • Date : 10 January 1348
  • Location : Avignon (Papal States)

After the events in Marseilles, the players are summoned to Avignon. After one week of travel, they arrive in Avignon the 10th of January 1348.

Few days later, the 12th of January, they are summoned by the pope.

He received a letter signed by Cardinal Élie de Nabinal dated from this morning saying that they murdered Agoust Louis des Beaux and asking that he is excommunicated, there is do doubt that the letter is genuine.

The Pope is supportive, but he still deserves an explanation.

He summons the player and the Cardinal, he amuses them.

Books in the Secret Archives ?? : http://esotericarchives.com/esotime.htm https://www.alchemylab.com/chronology_of_alchemy.htm

• Liber Juratus Honorii (Sworn Book of Honorius)
• Sepher Raziel HaMalakh (The Book of Raziel the Archangel)
• Ghayat al-Hakim (The Aim of the Sage)
• Sepher ha-Razim
• The Sword of Moses
• Book of the Acts of Solomon <-- MOST IMPORANT !!! MISSING BIBLICAL TEXT !
• Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm (Picatrix)
• Ars Notoria
• Liber Semamphoras
• Summa sacre magice
• Emerald Tablet
• Ars Notoria Sive Flores Aurei
• Liber de compositione alchimiae
• De mineralibus
• Opus maius (Roger Bacon)
• Ars Magna (Ramon LLul)
• Books from Jabir Hayyan
• Le livre d'abraham le juif (livre donné à Nicolas Flamel)
• D'un autre côté, deux traités d'alchimie sont attribués à Jean XXII : L’élixir des philosophes42 et L'art transmutatoire43,44

XX Witchcraft attempts two poopes ago, clay figure hidden ini bread.

Ne pas oublier. Le pouvoir de la bague c'est la nécromancie ! Donc il sait des choses de gens qui sont morts y compris depuis longtemps. Il connaît les passages secrets des gens qu'ils tue et leurs mots de passes. Il connait des livres que personne ne sait sont là. Car il a interrogé les deux précédents papes. L'emplacement de trésors, des secrets de famille (que quelqu'un n'est pas noble ou autres ) Donc il peut faire pression sur des gens.

Il va essayer de discréditer les joueurs, les faire assassiner, les envoyer en mission ailleurs. Le médecin du pape as la peste. Le pape se clisinne dans sa chambre. Des cardinaux meurent. Cacher des documents compromettants sur eux. Ils se réveillent un matin avec de l’huile philosophale en croix sur le front. Mais ils sont tous immunisés heureusement. (si pas tous immunisés, seul un joueur as le croix sur l front, celui qui est immunisé.) Stygmates du christ à la main et aux pieds ? Marque du diable. A la fin de la pahse 1, les joueurs vont récupérer le sous fifre en charge de faire cela. Il est abodament torturé mais meurt de ses blessure.

Les joueurs sont assaillis par ce qu'ils pensent être le fantome de Jean XXII, le pape alchimiste.

• Explanations :

• Unsolved mysteries :

• Historical themes :

-Vatican Secret Archives

-Avignon

-Roman Curia

Part 1 Intrigue in Avignon

• Normal : Z_Normal-Commanderie Templière

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Accused of Murder

Description of the palace of the Pope "On ne saurait concevoir un ensemble plus beau dans sa simplicité, plus grandiose dans sa conception. C'est bien la papauté tout entière, debout, sublime, immortelle, étendant son ombre majestueuse sur le fleuve des nations et des siècles qui roule à ses pieds. "

The players are greeted by the doctor of the Pope "Guy de Chauliac" He forbids the players from approaching the pope, he meet them in his chambers and they talk through a door. With perfume being burned in the whole room. He explains the relation between the current outbreak and the Justinian Plague.

The 11th of January, they are summoned by the pope.

Cardinal Élie de Nabinal accuse them of the murder of Agoust Louis des Beaux in cooperation with Hugues des Beaux and asking that they are excommunicated. He says he was there is the church where they killed him. They feel that when he talks, he is super uncomfortable.

The players should find a way out of the accusation. Either using a skill, or using proof. What proof do they have ? Cardinal de Nabinal wasn’t even in Marseilles at the time. But right now they can’t prove it.

Either they use a skill right now, or they have to prove their innocence.

After he audience, the cardinal looks terrified.

Reasoning with the cardinal

Either they go to the cardinal by themselves, or he sends them a letter.

He explains that he had no choice but doesn’t say anything more, their goal is to find leverage on him and/or prove their innocence.

‘’’Prove their innocence : either they use a skill, or they find that he was not in Marseilles, but in Aix en Provence preparing the arrival or the Queen Jeanne. The proof, they have a signed document by the barons of Provence who say they will greet her.’’'

They can try to use this as leverage against him, in which case he will simply withdraw his accusation. But it’s not a strong enough leverage to have him talk.

They have to find a way, any way to obtain this information. For example they can ask his valet, even though it will be tricky because he doesn't want to talk to them.

Once they confront him with this truth, he will withdraw his accusation.

Then his valet will come to them and explain that he is haunted by a very powerful ghost. He says he saw this card on his table one morning.

The dead pope

A card with a skeleton pope on it and one sentence : Remember Narbonne. (Jean XXII was part of a big inquisition trial against Fraticelli in Narbonne and he knew things about Élie de Nabinal that he use as blackmail. Elie de Nabinal was promoted by John XII because of his fight against Fraticelli)

The valet doesn't know what this means.

Any player with Knowledge (heresy) will know what it means.

Otherwise they have to search the past of Elie de Nabinal where they see that Jean XXII gave him the title of "Master" in 1331 because of his fight against Fraticelli in Narbonne.

If they ask to check the records from that trial. They are told that the records disappeared.

Assasination attempt

The same night an assasin come through a secret passage, even the pope wasn't aware of this secret passage. Fight in the night.

Élie de Nabinal is assassinated on that night. He dies of the plague. (The players can’t prove he was assassinated)

Part 2 Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Avenionensium

• Normal : Z_Normal-Département Nécrologique

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Some documents were stolen in the secret archives ! This is unacceptable !

Non only the archives of this inquisitorial trial, but also all his bull condemning alchemy.

The players have to protect the archives the best they can.

Each X minutes some books disappear.

Some books are in a log, but the vast majority arent. Way too many books to transfer out of avignon. Also the pope doesn't want too much noise about it.

They cannot condemn the access, because the pope has to send some new books or bulls or letters regularly.

Like everyone else, they can request access but they have to say exactly what they want to read.

Security system : There are guards fulltime by the door, just one entrance.

There's a librarian. To get a book, you need some kind of written authorisation and a password.

THis password changes every week and depends on the sections (same system since Jean XXII). Very few people know the system.

The librarian gives a key that depends on the section.

Most books are chained, so when a chain is broken they know a book have been stolen. Then the librarian knows the names sometimes.

Action : Lock the most sensitive books / books about alchemy somewhere else. Not possible, too many of them.

Action : Ask the Librarian to make a list of all the people he let in in the past month. He say he will need some time. Then he dies of the plague before he is finished.

Action : Ask to simply shut down the archives : The pope refuses, it's impossible.

Action : Change the password system. ->He will get a very "low security" password and still access the best books by picking/breaking locks.

Action : Let one of the players guard the entrance and ask for the librarian to write the names of people goign to the archives. -> Books missing. One of the locks have been broken. No suspicious names in the list of people.

Action : Search everyone leaving the archive -> It's actually useless because he hides the books in an alcove and will unload all of them in one night through the window.

Action that works : Action : Ask one guard to follow each person in the archives and check the name match guard x person Action : People need to ask for a document and only the librarian go fetch it then record it. ->Books still disappear, it's proof that there's another access, secret passage.

How to find the secret passage ? There's dust on the ground, but not nearly enough. Action : If they try to study the plans of the floor, there's no chance to find it. Because no precise plan exist. Action : Tracker can work. Action : Anything that makes sense is ok Action : Knock on every walls until one of them sound empty. is ok. Action : Pour water as much as they can and see where it exfiltartes is ok too.

They found a secret passage that leads to the archives that's where he was held !

That's when all the otrches are blown

Phase 2 Protéger les archives Puis voyant que cela ne fonctionne pas, il va essayer d’obtenir un laisser passer, essayer de forcer la serrure des archives, controler un cardinal pour aller fouiller les archives, Les joueurs doivent trouver un moyen de protéger les archives Découverte que le peu qui restait au Vatican a été pillé. Epicentre dans les alpes. Là où était le premier scénario ? Dans une église cathare/bogomile/waldesienne reculée Hérésie ulétireur qui est à Friuli https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benandanti au final il est entré par un passage secret. Dont personne ne connaissais l'existence. une des clefs est en possession du pape lui meme et biensur la pierre n’a pas d’effet sur lui.

Part 3 The Labyrinth of Paper

• Normal : Z_Normal-Département Nécrologique

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They hear a voice which is not Human

"AAAAAAAAA something about life and death)

They see the skeleon of Jean XXII walking by in the archives. (it's just "the cardinal" Disguised as Jean XXII)

He when through a gate which is locked (actually he has the key, made a copy of it) Action : Lockpicking or some strength feats

"BBBBBBB something about burning heretics" A torch was knocked over and start to burn books. They have to exinguish the fire !

Action : Unless thye have a better idea, the only thing they can do is isolate the fire from other books. using a cover of hitting the flame of peeing on it or whatever won't work. But for example is they have "Well Prepared" they have enough water on them. They don't have time to go fetch water or watever.

"CCCCCC"

They see him go through a bookshelf, actaully there's a secret passage.

Inside the Archives, Jean XXII had walled a section. e.g. there's no way to reach it unless you know the right secret passage. It's a narrow passage between two shelves.

There's a statue of him on a column Aciotn :

"DDDDDD something about templars"

The book shelfs get closer and closer and there's an army of hands with chainmail (he Disguised people as templars) Action ; Some smart way to pass through for each players or they get stabbed

"EEEEEE soemthing about satan/pageans about someone who plotted against him ? https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_XXII#Le_complot "

Someone disgusied as a demaon Action : unless Combat (monster) need some smart way to take him down

"FFFFFFF Something about alchemy ? Something about Fratricelli ?"

XXXXXXXXXXX

"GGGGGGGGG something about the fact that he found what he was looking for and he is dead anyway so he doesn't fear death."

Several flying pigeons flew away with pages of a book. They can take down one of them, the last one that he release but that's it, other are gone already.

Those pages of a book are taken from another book. The book gives quotes from an alchemy book.

He doesn't resist, they can kill him, he drunk poison anyway.

Phase 3 Le dédale des archives. Le parchemin des templiers. Une personne est dans les archives. Un feu se déclare ils doivent l'éteindre Un cadavre de monstre bizarre Une section sur les parties interdites de la Bible Quand ils le trouvent il viens de lâcher les pigeons voyageurs. Reliques connues et autres choses que l'ont sait être dans les archives du Vatican

A la fin du scénario, des pigeons voyageurs ont été envoyes dans un monastère au friull ou près du Frioul pour que la coïncidence ne soit pas trop forte.

Epilogue

Epilogue musics :

• Epique entre-scenart gagant 12-Pista de audio 12.mp3
• Epique entre-scenart gagant 12-Pista de audio 12.mp3 (put it twice)
• Fin epique glorieuse 06-Final
• Then loop this Playlist Normal-Prima

25 Janvier

Garder le mystère. Il y a un tremblement de terre a Neuberg, mais les joueurs n'en savent pas plus.