Danse Macabre Part 7

Teaser

Send to the players before the game :

 29 Juillet 1346, Caen (Royaume de France)
 Depuis 3 jours que la ville est mise à sac,
 chaque règle de la chevalerie a été bafouée.
 Dans la sauvagerie, les hommes n'ont plus de nations,
 ils suivent aveuglément la bannière de gueules à la fasce d'or.
 La bannière du Diable.
 ⚜️⚜️⚜️💀💀💀

 29 July 1346, Caen (Kingdom of France)
 For three days the city has been sacked,
 every rule of chivalry has been flouted.
 In savagery, men have no nations,
 they blindly follow the banner Gules with a fess Or.
 The banner of the Devil.
 ⚜️⚜️⚜️💀💀💀

Intro - L'Œuvre au Rouge

• Initial situation :
  • Date : 15th of February 1348
  • Location : Neuberg Abbey (Holy Roman Empire)

Music : twice Epique désespéré 10 - Requiem, K.626, Lacrimosa (Mournful Day) puis Behelit - Berserk

As the players arrive in Neuberg, they see the entire region have been devastated by a earthquake.

Even up to Rome considerable damage was sustained by the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the basilica of Santi Apostoli is in complete rubbles. Damages even up to Pisa and Naples.

Entire villages are levelled to the ground. Which makes the road even more difficult. So it took them 21 days to arrive at the abbey.

When they arrive at the abbey. They notice there was a massive landslide that basically crushed the whole village.

Everything is covered in a very dense snow. The population fled the village, so all remaining of houses are covered in white.

The landslide have unearthed a cave with lots of weird paintings.

The paintings are weird white runes, whiter than white. They feel very primitive and appeal to the inner monkey in us.

Impossible to tell if they where made last week or thousands of years ago or both.

Or perhaps the design is ancient but the craft in recent.

The cave has the perfect shape of an egg.

If there's an Alchemist or Knowledge (heresy), he will recognise Albedo

Searching the remains of the monastery take them a week, they see a dead monk killed by the collapse of the roof.

He is in a red robe. He has a small journal on him. The red of his robe is very strange. It could be blood red, but all reds could be blood red depending if it's artery or vein etc.... but this red gas a shade that is not usual. The start of the notebook is legible and at some point it becomes illegible scriblings. He apparently started sane, then lost his mind but kept using his notebook(which explains why he has it with him at the time of his death), also all of the bones in his hands are broken which explains the bad writing.

They starts reading it.

 20 Juin 1346 Caen
 Moi, Robert Rougecogne, compagnon de voyage de Seguin III de Badefol
 Ai décidé de tenir notre journal.
 Pour que le monde puisse connaitre les exploits de "La Margot" notre petite compagnie franche.
 

 20 Juin 1346 Caen
 I, Robert Rougecogne, travelling companion of Seguin III de Badefol
 Have decides to keep our journal.
 So that the world may know the adventures of "La Margot" our little free company.

• Explanations :

Seguin III de Badefol is the head of a small mercenary band.

He participates in the defense of Caen, and is captured by "the Devil"

The Devil tortures him repeatedly until he accepts to sign a pact with him and become "Knight".

He then follows the English troop up to Calais, where he feeds on the starving population during the siege.

He slowly prepares the Rubedo, the third part of the Opus Magnum, but of course he cannot start until Albedo is finished.

As soon as Albedo is finished (in the earthquake in Neuberg) he gathers with all the remaining of the cult and makes a massive blood orgy to trigger Rubedo.

• Unsolved mysteries :

-What was Albedo exactly ? Did it trigger such a big earthquake ? -Who is "the Devil"? And why was he riding with the English ?

• Historical themes :

-Crécy -Siege of Calais -Pillage of Caen -Plague -Free Companies -Seguin III de Badefol, La Margot -Hundred Years War -The Devil's Crest -Albedo -Rubedo

Part 1 Caen

• Music start with Firelink Shrine 1h + Fire sound but will change at each sections.

Flashback, they play the companions of "Knight" defending Caen. They can keep 4 of their feats plus faith.

Combat (battle) can be used at any phase to win the phase

They start with a list of mercenaries, and at each phases they lose some men depending on their choices. They have a number of mercrenaries and few iconic ones (with a feat that can be used once)

Around the campfire : 15 min

Music : Firelink Shrine 1h + Fire sound

They are around the campire before the battles. They wake up after their first sleep (in the middle age people where sleeping in two shifts biphasic sleep) They have a total of 21 troops plus 9 iconic soldiers.

They introduce each others.

Iconics :

Seguin III de Badefol : Tough

Robert Rougecogne : Knowledge

Roger Moulinette : Strong

Flavio : Falconry

Artème : Charismatic

Victorine : Heal

Eric : Noble

Eloi : Disguise

Adrien Reichtfield : Combat (duel)

Evans : Deus Vult !

The book contains detailed and realistic drawings of each, detailed enough so that players would be able ot recognise them if they saw them.

Seguin speaks (he is super super young, very handesome with long curved blond hairs, incredibly young to be a commander): He asks everyone what it feels to be a mercenary. We followed Raoul II de Brienne from Gascony and finally we will see our first big battle.

The players answer what they want :

Roger Moulinette (black hair, a small beard but he is super super tall and wears some plates he has a sword and a shield) : I have found a family. At last. I have found a home.

Adrien Reichtfield (long hair wearing a chainmail with a spear): Parbleu. It used to be the nobles who protect the poor, now it's the poor who protect the nobles. So we might as well get paid for it.

Evans (short hair, sword and shield, he has a green cape with a Vouivre embroided on it): Taxes are crushing the people, that's true.

You notice that everyone wears different equipment. Unlike the usual army.

Seguin speaks : Apparently we are allowed to use crossbows against the English, even though the church forbid it. What do you think about that ?

The players answer what they want :

Robert Rougecogne (very cunning look) : Technically, no French troops use crossbows, it is the Genovese who do it. Legally speaking, there is nothing wrong, only the Genovese are doing something wrong.

Eloi (looks at the fire, has a black cape a cut ear and holds a crossbow): Whatever works. As long as the guy in front is dead, it works for me.

Victorine (female fighter, long hair hiding half of her face): Propose some paté to the players. She starts drawing all the characters (which explains how they can recognise them later)

Seguin speaks : In your opinion, should the army focus on "Bourg-le-Roi et le château" which is better fortified but much more fragmented and very big. Or "Saint-Jean" island, whith less good walls, but surrounded by rivers, also it's smaller ?

The players answer what they want :

You are outside the fort right now, the drawbridges are up.

Flavio (black cothes, has a Falconry gauntlet) plays with his bird.

Artème (long blond hairs massive smile): Par ma foi. It does not matter, whichever they pick, enemy bandits always run in front of my greatness !

Eric (bald with blue eyes and a very cunning look, he is very well mannered, probably a noble background) : Don't speak too fast my dear Artème, it is said that some Royal soldiers will be in front of us. It might be a bit more than a small raid like everyone is saying.

Music : Dreams Berserk OST

Seguin speaks : For me, being a mercenary is the only way to achieve my dreams. I was born into a ruined noble house. Very few people have a chance to raise above their station, most are born serfs and will die serfs at the very same plot of land. That's what I want to avoid for all of us. Together we can achieve my dream and become famous and rich and bring glory to our names.

Seguin speaks : How about a little game of dice ? Eloi happened to have stolen an Arbalest, and I wanted to keep it for myself, but I'm in the mood to play !

Every player roll. If one of them roll 6 he wins the Arbalest.

The calm before the storm : 15 min

Music : The Order Witcher 1 then Z_Normal-Département Nécrologique

 26 Juin 1346. Caen
 Cela fait maintenant plusieurs semaines que nous suivons le Connétable de France lui meme depuis la Gascogne. Il a embauché nos services contre forte récompense. Sur mon ame nous ne le décevrons pas !
 Nous nous préparons à intercepter les troupes ennemies pour défendre l'isle Saint-Jean.
 Notre première vrai bataille !

 26 June 1346. Caen
 It's been several weeks now that we follow the Constable of France himself from Gascony. He has hired our services for a large reward. Sur mon ame we will not disappoint him !
 We are preparing to intercept the enemy troops to defend the isle Saint-Jean.
 Our first real battle !

They will try to defend the Saint-Jean island and in particular the Saint-Pierre bridge.

They know they are in good hands, because the Connétable of France (the main general of France) Raoul II de Brienne is with them.

On their side they have 3000 milicians and 300 Genoese archers.

They are a small group of about 30 mercenaries and they can decide what they want to do to help keep the bridge, few options and they chose one.

It's not a drawbridge, the river is almost empty.

They see a huge army and the crest of the king. It's not just a small raid.

Crisis : Coward Archers

A bunch of Genovese archers don't want to go. They saw a huge army coming.

Reward : One more iconic in their group : Mateo True Strike (ranged)

Ambiance

They see the Bishop Guillaume Bertrand who is one of the commanders, he has a huge armor with a mitre and a massive mace so he doesn't spill the blood of the enemy.

They bring a sacred object before the battle for everyone to kiss.

Some knights have a glove or handkerchief of their lady.

Soldiers kiss the medals of their saint protectors.

Choice : Where to be placed ?

Choice 1 : Be in the tower of the bridge

The commander is shocked of their answer. And puts them in the very very front. Lose 5 Mercenaries and 2 iconic mercenaries. (some martial Feats can soften this blow)

Choice 2 : Be on the bridge in the front

Lose 1 Mercenaries and 1 iconic mercenaries.

Choice 3 : Be on the bridge in the back

Lose 1 Mercenaries and 0 iconic mercenaries.

The defense of Saint-Peter Bridge : 15 min

Music : Defence Of Moscow Sabaton then Z_Baston-7eme Cercle

Bugle avant la bataille

The army in front is massive. 15 000 people with banners from all over England, including the King himself.

The Connetable lied about the number of enemies !!

They see a weird red banned in the distance, this banner is a bit strange, because it's a different shade of red, not like it's supposed to be.

How is it simply possible that so many people are so far from their home ? It is an entire city on the march.

The English soldiers rush mindlessly on the bridge, footmen rush on the bridge.

Arrows, bolts and rocks send by slings start flying.

Crisis : Save your friend

A random iconic is in danger, surrounded by enemies. How to come help him ?

Punishment : The Iconic in question dies.

Ambiance

The king rings retreat but nobody listens.

They see a group of knights in green and white who scream something in Latin "Custodes ! Flamae Sanctae" then charge the line of English soldiers.

There's a knight hospitaller in the French side, he kills people and then shouts prayers for their souls.

Archers and spearmen are in the mud of the river trying to go around. They seize some ships and go through the river.

Choice : They see some English crossed by boat in the distance and made a hole in the city walls.

Choice 1 : Go to the castle of the city

As they try to reatreat, they are in open ground and have to retreat. Lose 7 mercenaries and 3 iconic. (some martial Feats can soften this blow)

Choice 2 : Lock themselves in the tower of the bridge.

Lose 1 mercenaries and 0 iconic.

Choice 3 : Make two fronts

As the line collaspes they have to retreat to the tower and suffer losses. Lose 1 mercenaries and 0 iconic.

Choice 4 : Just hold the main line

As the line collaspes they have to retreat to the tower and suffer heavy losses. Lose 5 mercenaries and 2 iconic. (some martial Feats can soften this blow)

The Saint-Peter Bridge Massacre : 15 min

Music : Z_Baston-Belle Epreuve - Chute

Everyone on the bridge is massacred because they attack from both sides. Most people including the players retreats to the tower of the bridge, including the Connétable of France and lots of nobles. The only entry gate is on the neemy side now.

Crisis : A door is getting rammed

Solution : lots of soldiers hold the door. (in which case they will cut the door down with axes)

Punishment : 5 men and 2 iconic.

Ambiance

They see they try to start a smoke to smoke out the tower.

They feel their throat is very very dry because it is super super hot under the armor, they are drenched in sweat.

One of the soldiers opens a jar in the tower with bread soaked in wine and olive oil. He takes a portion of it then goes back to fight.

They notice that the walls litterally crumbled in spite of last minute repairs with furnitures.

Choice : The door breaks

Choice 1 : Attack out

Lose 7 mercenaries and 2 iconic. (some martial Feats can soften this blow)

Choice 2 : Try to condemn the staircase with stuff

Lose 3 mercenaries and 2 iconic. (some martial Feats can soften this blow)

Choice 3 : Wait in the staircase with a spear and arrows

Lose 2 mercenaries and 1 iconic. (some martial Feats can soften this blow)

To the Castle ! : 15 min

Music : Continue Z_Baston-Belle Epreuve - Chute then Z_Baston-Belle Epreuve

Impressed by their defence of the tower, A Noble Knight Comes to them, a message with the sceal of the Connetable. It is of utmost importance that it is delivered to the Castle of Caen. The Connetable is stuck in the top of the same tower as them. The Connétable will stay behind. They have to find a way to go to the castle of Caen no matter what. It has to be delivered in person, they cant risk using a falcon or a pigeon. Enemies have falcons to prevent flying pigeons from going out to other towns.

Crisis : How to go through the enemies lines

Solution : Follow a horse charge.

Music when they run away on horse (then resume current playlist): EpicScoreUntilTheLastMan

Punishment : 6 troops, 2 iconic. Even if success : 3 troops, 1 iconic (some martial Feats can soften this blow)

Ambiance

They see in the background that the bridge tower fell to the enemy. Lots of people taken hostage including the Connétable of France.

On the way, they see a group of people with red capes that have a weird shade. It's not the same shade as English red, it's different and weird.

They do something strange, they takes a lot of prisoners then lock them in a mobile cage. It doesn't make sense to take commoners with you.

His coat of arm is very strange also. You don't see it very well, but it doesn't seem like it follows the rules of heraldry.

A little group of genovese archers are remaining in a corner, they pushed back waves and waves of troops. They are out of arrows so they fight with tswords. In the back there's a French knight surrounded by his squires. They are full of bruises because the English use lots of slings on them.

Crisis : A Welsh Monster

Onthe way to the castle, the way forward passes through a tower a Huge English (Welsh) soldier is in the dark of this tower entrance. Tons of French corpses around the entrance of the tower, nobody wants to go there.

Inside it is a massive ginger Welsh soldier. "Dewch! Dewch yn fwy!"

Combat (duel) or just burn the building. or do nothing and go around it

Reward : They gain 5 soldiers.

Slaghters in the streets of Caen : 15 min

Music : continue the previous playlist e.g. Z_Baston-Belle Epreuve and Z_Baston-Belle Epreuve - Chute

The Bishop Guillaume Bertrand is in the Castle, he thanks and rewards the players for their service. He pays them handsomely and asks for another favour. A royal messenger is here, he has a message to deliver to the kingm of the utmost importance to let him know the situation. They have to escort him to outskirt of the city. There's a secret door to leave the castle.

Crisis : Rape and pillage

On their way, there's a group of women who came back from the wash-house (lavoir) and a big gang of English archers want to rape them. Combat (skirmish)

Punihsment if they dont have Combat skirmish and help anyway : 4 mercenaries 2 Iconic

If they simply let them be, they dont loose troops

Ambiance

Music : Epique entre-scenart gagant 12-Pista de audio 12 then Gwent Full Mix Witcher 3

An English gentleman "Sir Nigel Loring" come to stops them. He he very elegent and very gentle. Big contrast with the troops. He speaks French and talks to the players. He protects the players because they are kids for him. He explains how he is fascinated with the french architecture. he explains that Caen is such a huge city for him larger than any English town other than London.

His men take a lot of things as loot, like beds, sheets of cloth etc...

Unless he suspects the playrs to be cowards running from battle, he let them go.

As soon as he leaves, resume the main playlist : Music : continue the previous playlist e.g. Z_Baston-Belle Epreuve and Z_Baston-Belle Epreuve - Chute

Choice : How to save the population ?

Choice 1 : Barricade each house and throw stones and boiling water

One Iconic who was killed before is found defending a house. One Iconic returns.

Blood Orgies : 15 min

Music : Z_Baston-Safran Metroid

By trying to leave the city, they pass by the tomb of William/Guillaume the Conqueror, where the King Edward III came to kneel.

They see Royal guard all around and some traitor French knights. They also see some soldiers in the strange red.

One of the traitor french soldiers recognises the royal messenger and attacks the players.

Regardelss what the players do, they manage to escape, but Seguin is captured by the Black and Red knight ("The Devil") (he smashes his knee with a mace,). He is captured and put in a weird cage cahrriot.

They see the cage being escorted out. And Seguin is inside.

They try to follow the cage.

Night falls.

(at this point "The Devil" tortures their leader.)

After this skirmish, they finally reach the limits of the city and the Messenger is now safe.

Crisis : Free the prisoners

Music : Z_Flippant-Le diable est dans la boite

They pass by a mass grave, thousands of corpses thrown in. They never saw so many corpses, huge column of crows and flies. They see the city burning in the backgroudn as the pillage is going on. Only the castle is still fighting.

Lots of riders run around the city killing anyone trying to leave.

They see attached prisoners being inspected. Some are killed and thrown in the mass grave. Some are inspected by a red hooded figure and brought to a mobile cage. Some are kept for ransom. In the queue there is an iconic that they lost.

What to do ? They do what they want about it. Reward : The iconic in question.

Ambiance

Music : Z_Flippant - Dark World

Further down there's a drunken rape orgy. In "red"'s camp. Food : Roasted Peacock with added feathers, Roasted Boar, meat pate

Two prisoners have been hung upside down and their throat slit.

They see Seguin attached to a tree upside down, covered in cuts. There's a weird lady in a red robe when they see her hand, it has massive claws, she is naked under a cape, she has a huge mistletoe crown on her head (to conceal her horns).

Who get near him and slit his throat. Then covers her face in his blood. On her cape is embroided the emblem of red with a golden stripe and three frogs. They see it better from this distance : https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Satan-traditional-arms.svg/191px-Satan-traditional-arms.svg.png

They put all their efforts into saving their leader, now they lost it ! What should they do ? They fought in the battle, they should claim their money at least then go on their separate way.

Part 2 Charnier at Crécy

• Normal before Crécy : Z_Normal-Département Nécrologique

Ambiance Track
5 min	Desolation : Black stains of the Burned farms. Bridges destoyred, doors destroyed, wall destroyed. Everything but churches. Survivors made nests in the trees.
15 min	They feel pain everwhere in all of their muscles and articulations. In particular at the neck because the mail presses very hard on the neck muscles. They have some old wounds and they apply geeze fat on them.
30 min	They notice some people hanged in the trees, it is a very dishonorable death because people shit themselves.
45 min	(if they reached Crécy already) Lines of people attached who were executed. The black prince executed all prisoners who couldn't pay a ransom. (if they didn't reach Crécy yet) They are attacked and need to retreat to Crécy, they lose one Iconic and 10% of their men, twice more if they don't have Combat (skirmish).
60 min	There's a crossbow with a broken rope on the ground, the water made them brittle.
75 min	They find a satchel full of ready to sign church "pardons". Those things sell well in times of war.
90 min	They are attacked by some English soldiers and they capture one who tells them to go to Calais. They lose one Iconic and 10% of their men, twice more if they don't have Combat (skirmish).

 1er August 1346 Caen
 Cela fait maintenant 1 mois que les troupes anglaises se sont retirés de Caen après 5 jours de pillages intenses.
 Monseigneur Guillaume Bertrand, évêque de Bayeux a repris la ville.
 Il nous a offert forte récompense si nous acceptions de suivre et d'espioner la troupe Anglaise.
 Par ma garde, nous aurons notre revanche !

 1 August 1346 Caen
 It is now 1 month since the English troops withdrew from Caen after 5 days of intense pillage.
 Monseigneur Guillaume Bertrand, bishop of Bayeux, has retaken the town.
 He has offered us a large reward if we agree to follow and spy on the English troops.
 Par ma garde, we will get our revenge !

On the Road

Everyone says that the army of the king of france is coming and they will crush the english troops.

The bishop pays them to go north and help the king crush them. once crushed, there will be lots of wealthy nobles to capture. The bishop gave them some flying pigeons. After their help, he gives them a very handesome reward, they can use the rich feat once.

How to follow them ?

Action : not very difficult, follow the smoke

Ambiance

Find and sing a walking song of the time (a little anachronisit cactually):

   Et cuidez vous que je me joue
   Et que je voulsisse aller
   En Engleterre demourer ?
   Ils ont une longue coue.
   Entre vous, gens de village
   Qui aymez le roy françoys
   Prenez chascun bon courage
   Pour combattre les Engloys !

Out of supplies

Out of supplies on the way. How to eat  when all nearby farms have been pillaged ?

Action : Survival ? Rich ? Up to them. If fail : One iconic and 10% of troops die of dysentry.

How to cross la Seine ?

Choice 1 : Follow and find a bridge or boats ?

There's none, the army destroyed it

Choice 2 : Use Ropes

One soldier dies.

Choice 3 : Just Swim

One iconic and 5% of the soldiers die.

Crécy Charnier

Music : Eternal Darkness - the Cathedral Insanity Ambient Noise then back to Z_Flippant - Dark World

As they approach, the see a wounded horse who ran away. It's a french horse. The horse has no armors !

They arrive at Crécy and are surprised by the defeat. This is a complete surprise, everyone assume the king's army would win. This breaks their resolve. It's a disaster. How is that possible ? The French army had 24 000 to 50 000 men ? And the English only 8 000 to 12 000.

"Par la croix, what is this madness ?" Description so fthe charnier. Wall of corpses at the bottom of the hill. The ground is wet with blood, piss and shit wet with rain also. Arrows peices the shields and armors. So many hroses with very long 4 metres spears. So many crows chanting.

They tried to charge up, but where shot.

Pits dug by the english on top of a small hill.

What report to write

Crows and desolation. What report should they write ?

Number of people on both side. Name of nobles dead. Location.

Big list of what they find. Countless dead nobles, usually nobles are not killed. They see dead knights, they fear to recognise some banners, very noble people like they have never seen. How is it possible that so many nobles are dead ? Normally they get captured.

1500 dead knights. 2000 Genovese Crossbowmen. 3000 footmen. Only feww hundred dead english.

Including They even see the corpse of Jean Ier de Luxembourg, who is blind but charged anyway surrounded by his knights and guided by them. On the armories they look for crescents because it's the only wayt to know if it the heir of the family or just a memebr.

Alençon, the brother of the king is dead under his horse at the top of the hill surrounded by dead English.

11 high nobles died

Jean Ier de Luxembourg, roi de Bohême et comte de Luxembourg ; Raoul de Lorraine, duc de Lorraine ; Louis de Dampierre, comte de Nevers et de Flandre ; Henri IV de Vaudémont, comte de Vaudémont. Simon de Salm, comte de Salm Charles II de Valois, frère du Roi, comte d'Alençon, de Chartres et du Perche ; Louis de Châtillon, comte de Blois ; Enguerrand VI de Coucy, sire de Coucy, de Marle, de la Fère, d'Oisy, d'Havrincourt ; Hugues d'Amboise, seigneur de Chaumont et son fils Jean ; Jean II d'Auxy, seigneur d'Auxy-le-Château et de Fontaines, chevalier, sénéchal de Ponthieunote 1 ; et son fils Jean d'Auxy (arbres généalogiques Myhéritage) Jean IV d'Harcourt, comte d'Harcourt, vicomte de Chatellerault ; Guillaume Kadot, écuyer, seigneur de Douville, maître d'hôtel du roi ; Mathieu de Lamezan, seigneur de Lamezan et d'Ambax ; Antonio Doria, amiral de France Jean V de Pierrepont, comte de Roucy, comte de Braine ; Louis II de Sancerre, comte de Sancerre ; Robert de Rambures, seigneur de Rambures ; Gilles Ier de Soyécourt, seigneur de Soyécourt note 2 ; Jean Ier Tyrel, seigneur de Poix et son fils Bernard Tyrel ;

Where is the king ? Where is the Oriflamme ?

The King's brother is dead ! Where is the king ? Also tell them about the Oriflamme. They see signs of the king's banner, he was here, is he safe ? He had the Orfilamme with him. They need to try to find it. The Biship needs to know. The king, is the king safe ? The Oriflamme, they know that it was supposed to be in this battle, with a bit of luck it is still there.

Whatever they do, they won't find either.

They do find the next information :

Finding the altar

Some corpses have lots of maggots, some none. That's very strange. Action : Check the pattern or Follow the maggots on the ground It leads to a specific pile of corpses.

Devienne

Below this pile of corpeses, there's a weird pile, almost like an altar.

Music : Eternal Darkness - Insanity Ambient Noise 'The Mansion' then back to Z_Flippant - Dark World

For some reasons, it's full of larvas, more than eslwhere. It's covered in a weird liquid that seems to attract larvas. Insist there are both English and French corpses that have been defiled. All the corpses have a weird bite mark on the neck and they are drained of blood. There's a dagger planted vertically on the altar, the handle is red. A very weird red. It looks like it's shaking a little bit. (because it's planted on the wounded but alive soldier) When they take the dagger out, the altar bleeds a little and shakes. On the dagger's blade : The devil's motto "Lasciate Ogni Speranza" and they see the same weird crest.

When they remove the dagger, one of the corpses wakes up, his eyes injected red. One of the NPC asks : They need to know where the army is going, they can't just follow, they need to discover their destination.

He gives them a hint to where they went : He grabs them and while looking at them says : "devienne" and then puke bloods. (he tried to say "Warn Jean de Vienne that they are coming") "devienne" is the French word for "to become" and also the name of "Jean de Vienne" the one who defended Calais.

In english the clue can be "Were" (strange that the French soldier speaks in english, tell them that) For "Pépin de Were" another knight based in calais

Action : Either they figure out the riddle (e.g. ask the Game Master if that's the name of a person) or they "Heal" the guy

Part 3 In the guts of Calais

• Normal : Eternal Darkness - the Cathedral Insanity Ambient Noise then Z_Flippant - Quake

Ambiance Track
5 min	(Ambiance in the past) They see an orphan covered in blood with a knife. He has been paid to kill dogs and rats so people don't eat them. he is covered in bite marks and very pale (Ambiance in the present in the streets) Bloods marks on the walls. They lead to a dead french who coughed blood. He cough red, not pink. The streets are empty and the sky is getting orange because it is dusk.
15 min	(Ambiance in the past) They feel massive pain in their muscles, their muscles are sour. They pull up their shirt to see that their ribs are clearly showing. One of them was wounded few days back and the wound didn't heal yet. One of their camerade give him a piece of boiled rope and leather. (Ambiance in the present in the streets) They hear someone screaming "Run ! Run ! It has begun ! It has begun !" They hear a horse rushing through the streets adjacent. If they really want to find the source, it is some French citizens running away.
30 min	(Ambiance in the past) They hear a thunder of noise. And there's a rain of fire. The English are shooting the head of dead French with canons for fun. And for a split of second, they smell the burned flesh and produce a bit of saliva. (Ambiance in the present in the streets) It's dusk and the sky is pure red. There's a white corpse on a wall, around his head there's the drawing of a weird crest. As the players get near him, he stabs one of them and says "You're late, it has already begun". Actually no, he was just dead, no player has been stabbed just a halluciantion.
45 min	(Ambiance in the past) If the players haven't yet reached the present. They hear the weird noise of flute. And they are attracted towards the palace. (Ambiance in the present in the streets) They see lots of red eyes looking at them inside a house. They open and there's a huge flight of bats. They screams feel like human screams.
60 min	(Ambiance in the present in the streets) The sky is completely red. With the red sky, it seems that the gutter is filled with blood. Now there's some blood rain on them. They realise that it's due to some emptied corpses attached to a building above them. All of them are mostly emptied of their blood.
75 min	(Ambiance in the present in the streets) If the players haven't reached the Red Hell yet, they hear the flute starting. Anyone who doesn't have Courage needs to roll 5 or 6 or they just run away. The sound of flute gives them the location.
90 min	If they haven't reached the last chamber of the Red Hell yet. The flute plays stronger and lots of corpses wake up. Stabbing two player. They move to the last room and the players follow.

There are big parts of the book that speaks about the siege of Calais, but the players decide to skip to the last chapter directly.

 10 Juin 1347 Calais assiégé
 Calais est affamée par un siège depuis plus d'un an.
 Le port est rempli d'épaves et l’horizon est couvert de navires anglais, il n'y a plus aucun espoir de ravitaillement maritime.
 Le roi nous a oublié au fond du piège, dans la guele de l'enfer.
 Le désespoir est un vampire qui nous draine tous.
 La faim, la faim, tourne la tête.
 L'argent que nous paye la milice n'a plus de valeur depuis longtemps.

 10th of June 1347 Calais under siege
 Calais has been starved by a siege for over a year.
 The harbour is full of wrecks, and the horrizon full of English ships, there is no hope of maritime supplies.
 The king has forgotten us at the bottom of the trap, in the jaws of hell.
 Despair is a vampire that drains us all.
 Hunger, hunger, my head spins.
 The little money that the militia pays us has long lost it's value.

They are paid by the militia to try to keep a semblant of order in Calais. Right now their task is to dismantle a food black market. They do it not for the money, who lost all value, but because they believe they can steal some food as the market is being dismantled.

Calais under siege (past June 1347)

How to find the food black market ?

They lose 30% of soldiers starving snd 1 Iconic of their choice no matter what.

Action : see if some people are not starving. Action if they have Rich it works as well or any other good ideas

Food Black Market

In the food black market, horse is the most expensive meat. Cheaper than that is rats, boiled leather, boiled ropes, spiders, boiled wood, the cheapest is called "special pig". But for some reason nobody likes special pig.

They found the location of the food black market. How to capture as many resellers as possible ?

Too many exits to attack from all sides.

Action : Remember the faces of the merchants or follow them one by one to their homes

Trail of the Vampire

As they arrest all mechants, they realised that one of them what buying corpses that died of starvation (he refuses if they had wounds. Because blood stays fresh in a corpse if there's no wound, otherwise it dries out quickly)

Music : Nine Inch Nail-itisraped then continue on Z_Flippant - Quake

As they open his shop, they see traces of lots of blood. There's one last corpse that has been bled.

The city council is horrified and pay them to investigate.

Action : Search an area of the city with no more beggars, use Outlaw wisdom, or anything else that makes sense

The Blood Palace (fast forward to today)

Final pages of the journal

 Nous avons enfin trouvé le Palais Rouge.
 Très isolé, je tremble. La faim. Le sang.
 Beaucoup de constructions à l'intérieur.
 Salle étrange, bassin au milieu, toit en pente incurvé.
 Le mur beaucoup de visages, un océan de visages qui crient.
 Demain nous allons (the text ends here)
 (All the texts after that is gibberish)

 We finally found the Red Palace.
 Very isolated, I'm trembling. The hunger. The blood.
 Many constructions inside.
 Strange hall, pool in the middle, curved roof.
 The wall many faces, an ocean of screaming faces.
 Tomorrow we will (the text ends here)
 (All the texts after that is gibberish)

Fast foward to today, 10th of March 1348.

The players have rushed as fast as they could to Calais to investigate.

The city now belongs to the English but of course the English major of calais doesn't want any problems with the inquisition so they are welcome.

How to find this palace ?

Action : They have to understand that it's an Atrium and search for ancient roman villas. There are few and they find the one. Unless they find another smart way. For example they can use Clairvoyance or find districts with more rats. Or follow the trail of people bying corpses, interrogation or the Trail feat are possible as well.

Red Hell

Music : Loop : Eternal Darkness - Insanity Ambient Noise 'The Mansion'

Red Atrium

In the middle of the room is a red pool that smells like wine. In front of it there's a wall of faces. All the faces have been deformed to look like they are screaming, especially with the lights changing of the candles.

It's an actual roman Atrium.

The floor is littered with drunken people, some are dead some are just sleeping.

They all have bite marks. Some people floating face up in the bath, some face down.

There are lots of toads on the ground eating black triangular oesties.

Someone naked enters the room with an Arbalest. It's One of the previous iconics. For some reason he is screaming and putting his hand on his neck (where he was bitten) Action : What to do against an Arbalest ? Reflexes can work. Otherwise one player is shot.

Red Shrine

From now on There are runes written everywhere in bright red. Especially on people.

Another of the previous iconic is attached upside down on a cross.

His belly is open and his guts are showing, but he is still alive.

There's a succubus sitting on the shrine. She has horns (actually they are fake), she is naked and super sexy, her body covered in tatoos. But there is something very disturbing about her, her cheeks have been cut, making her jaws very very wide and monstruous.

She has one weird gauntlet. Is has sharp claws and a spike in the middle. The spike is attached to a syringe and a long tube.

She threatens to kill the guy. She says if you move I kill him. She has sharp claws at his neck. She is drinking blood from the chalice. Sitting on the altar. Each vitrailles have been broken. The ground is covered in crosses.

Up to them to kill her in any way they want. If they can or not save the person, (or Heal him) it's better if they do. He tell them a useful information. He explains about the pump and the flute.

If they waste too much time, she jumps by the window and run away.

Red Banquet Hall

Army of the dead

In the banquet hall, there is a huge satanic statue of Lucifer Playing the flute. The room is very very dark. And we can see hundreds of bats. Some Lucifer crests everywhere more red runes than ever. Huge banquet organised with blood sausages (boudin) everywhere. All the guests are "dead"or dunk with bite marks and red runes.

They hear some pump noises (they have to search to find the people activating the pumps in the sides of the room) Two people, with blindfold activate the pump. It turns the statue into a fountain of blood coming out of the flute, it also make a weird music and the room fills with black smoke. The blood has a very weird smell of alcohol and alchemical ingrediends, it has clearly been mixed with anti coagulants or something.

It takes a bit of time before the people start raising.

Music : Ave Satanas Venom Inc then Z_Baston-Safran

When the pump is activated, all the "dead" people raise and attack the players. The players are split between two Skirmishs at the same time.

Action : Stopping the people pumping blood will stop the "zombie armies"

Satan

Music : Z_Epique-Babel

As soon as the music stops, the altar is smashed and bleeds like crazy through the cracks. A huge person will smash the altar from behind.

Behind the altar is a room compeltely red filled with blood. In the shape of an egg. (it is the blood reservoir) In a torrent of blood, a huge person with a goat head masks Combat (monster) arises. (it's also an iconic, but they don't know that) He has a massive trident. So much blood is pouring out of it that the room fills with blood gradually and the blood level reaches the knees.

Courage to fight it or the player runs away.

A turn later, from the flow of blood also comes out. "Knight" in a red armor with a Rondel (Tassette in French) made of Bones his helmet has a big mouth with lots of teeth and some fangs Combat (duel).

Both to be fought at the same time.

As they fight him, he looses his helmet and they recognise him (by the description) but he is seriously wounded. his throat was slit etc...

"Knight" is wearing a red armor and he has fangs (they broke some of his teeth, so it appears this way)

The room is very dark partly because of the smoke, he appears and attack players then disappear. Combat (duel) at each of his appearances.

Action : Open the windows or use Clairvoyance Feat

Now he cannot hide in the shadows. Some bats run away from the light.

Now they can Combat (duel) him.

They kill him. But somehow he survives and his mercenary troop too. On him they find the Bone Rondel (Tassette in French).

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

At the end they realise the monster with a goat head was one of the iconics. They understand why the Rubedo wasn't done before : Because it cannot start before the end of albedo also you need to infuse the blood for a long long time with some alchemical components.

What to do with the Bone Rondel ? (Tassette)

-The Connétable of France was executed when he comes back. -La Margot became an infamous mercenary company : He will fight at the battle of poitier on the English's side, he will pillage and rasom countless cities, including Nîmes, Alès, Montbrun etc.. And will even ransom the pope himself in Avignon. -But reassure the players that they eventually find him and poison him but that's years in the future.

-The Black prince reassure the pope that he has actually no idea of what was happening in the city and he was in no way associated wiht it. He asks for dsicretion because he doesn't want to be accused. The pope accepts, but in exchange he asks him to sign the treaty of Bretigny https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trait%C3%A9_de_Br%C3%A9tigny The pope has his own reasons for signing this, he is neither supporting the king of france nor the english king, he has his own plot.

-The English king guarantees that he will investigate this matter very seriously and at the next scenario he brings critical information to the players.

Post Game Bonus

More information about the Siege of Caen, which happened exactly as I described it, step by step, including the charge to the castle by horse and the drunken orgy afterward : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si%C3%A8ge_de_Caen_(1346) (the french article has more details than the english one)

Drawing of the Saint Jean bridge : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si%C3%A8ge_de_Caen_(1346)#/media/Fichier:Chatelet_caen.JPG

More information about the battle of Crecy : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cr%C3%A9cy

More information about the Siege of Calais : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Calais_(1346%E2%80%931347)

Seguin III de Badefol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seguin_de_Badefol and http://espritdepays.com/dordogne/histoire/seguin-iii-de-badefol-lenfant-terrible-dune-fratrie

Name of his mercenary company : La Margot

His nickname : Le boiteux, Chopi / Chopin

He was the son of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnaud_de_Cervole known as the archpriest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_company

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Company

Satan's Crest : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoiries_imaginaires#/media/Fichier:Blason_imaginaire_Satan.svg

AI Generated Image of the Bone Rondel : http://prima.wiki/images/2/2c/The_Bone_Rondel_-_DALL%C2%B7E_2022-08-06_13.16.45_-_the_highly_detailed_carving_of_a_frog_with_red_glowing_eyes.png

AI Generated Image of the Red Knight : http://prima.wiki/images/6/69/The_Red_Knight_-_Taiko3615_a_satanic_knight_in_red_armor_with_nightmares_carved_8feedf2f-a726-437c-bd39-1f905c4c0d6d_%281%29.png

AI Generated Image of the final battle against the Red Knight : http://prima.wiki/images/e/e5/Final._Fight_against_the._Red_Knight_-_Taiko3615_a_vampire_in_red_armor_fighting_in_a_grandiose_dark_b_98478b57-3b69-400f-96f6-5319f7ccb2c7_%281%29.png

AI Generated portrait of Seguin III : http://prima.wiki/images/1/19/Seguin_III_-_DALL%C2%B7E_2022-08-06_17.23.15_-_a_handsome_teenage_medieval_soldier_with_long_curved_blond_hairs_and_blue_eyes_wearing_a_red_armor.png

AI Generated Image of the Neuberg Abbey burried under the snow :http://prima.wiki/images/d/d7/Neuberg_Abbey_-_DALL%C2%B7E_2022-08-06_18.25.19_-_the_ruins_of_a_monastery_crushed_buried_in_snow_by_an_avalanche_in_a_snow_storm%2C_digital_art.png

AI Generated Image of the Albedo runes (in the white egg near the abbey) : http://prima.wiki/images/d/d3/The_Albedo_Runes_-_DALL%C2%B7E_2022-08-06_17.02.24_-_a_white_prehistoric_cave_painting_of_very_complicated_glowing_white_runes_on_a_white_stone%2C_digital_art.png

AI Generated Image of the Satanic Statue playing the flute : http://prima.wiki/images/7/78/Lucifer_Statue_-_DALL%C2%B7E_2022-08-06_14.15.27_-_a_massive_and_highly_detailed_statue_of_the_devil_paying_flute_in_a_dark_gigantic_banquet_hall%2C_digital_art.png

AI Generated Image of the Red Atrium : http://prima.wiki/images/e/e1/Red_Atrium_-_DALL%C2%B7E_2022-08-06_14.05.21_-_a_roman_atrium_covered_in_glowing_red_runes%2C_digital_art.png