 Thaddeus, Elizabeth, Lucien, 920 GUE Kaine posing, age 24, 923 GUE Kaine with dog, age 24, 924 GUE Kaine Profile Plaque in Conservatory Baptism of Alexandria, 926 (A) / (B) / (C) / (D) Sophia & Kaine (A) / (B) / (C) / (D) The Painting of Alexandria, 944 (A) The Sword, 944 (A) / (B) / (C) / (D) / (E) / (F) The Wedding, 945 (A) / (B) / (C) / (D) The Sacrifice (A) / (B) / (C) / (D) / (E) (F) / (G) / (H) / (I) / (J) 949 GUE: Kaine in sarcophagi (A) / (B) Kaine implores the pilgrim (A) / (B) / (C) The Four vs. Lucien #1 (A) / (B) / (C) Tempting the pilgrim with poision (A) / (B) The Four vs. Lucien #2 (A) / (B) / (C) The Ceremony (lose game) (A) / (B) / (C) The Ceremony defeated (A) / (B) / (C) Ellron's men attack Irondune Plans for two unknown battles fought by Kaine: Battleplan 1 Battleplan 2 |
General of the Vice Regent's Royal Militia / Liege at Irondune
Thaddeus Kaine was born in Aragain on Jelly 06, 899 GUE. He was one of the chief cornerstones in the establishment of the curse of the Forbidden Lands which would completely devastate much of the Eastlands in the 940s. This secret circle of outwardly respectable citizens were in reality rogue alchemists—the pious Bishop Francois Malveaux, the military hero General Thaddeus Kaine, the music conservatory mistress Madame Sophia Hamilton and respected asylum chief Dr. Erasmus Sartorius. The cult was in search of the goal of alchemy: the fifth element of the quintessence, the elixir of life, the philosopher’s stone which would bring to each one immorality. But unlike traditional alchemy which teaches that it is through the distillation of metals, that the elixir can be found—this cult practiced a twisted, deviant belief. They believed that this elixir could be created, only when the final element—a drop of the most purified, rarefied blood was distilled and spilled. To achieve their goal, they would create a woman. In the process, these four would release a vengeful force known as the Nemesis which tormented innocents throughout the Eastlands.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Kaine was a military genius and scientist, creating countless numbers of military weapons and vehicles, all of which were significant enough to have a still-unmatched age of weaponry created specifically for him. He established Thaddium Enterprises, Thaddius Manufacturing, and at least two Thaddeus Research Facilities to invent and produce his technological endeavors, which included many war machines such as the TED-powered battle tank, Thaddium, and other murderous devices. (TRIVIA: Kaine programmed the shots of his pool table in a specific way as to remember the six digit numbers that started his machines.) Unfortunately, most of his war machines would be destroyed by 949 in his war against Ellron save the battle tank.
Kaine was one of the wealthiest noblemen ever to live, enabling him to become an avid collector of historical war relics and weapons of assassination. His hoarde included the rare Foo dog canon, and from the following letter, seemed to be close to acquiring Chloe, part of the same collection:
General,
I have found some items pertinent to your excellent collection—the most
remarkable weapons of assassinations—a sword that masks as a snake, and
a
clever cannon disguised as a cat. Lord Flathead himself commissioned
the
menagerie of arms to prove his compassion for animals runs as deep as
his
nature is violent. I will arrange a showing at your convenience.
Sincerely,
M.K. Frobbsworth
This also enabled him to make massive donations to his alchemical partners (the first to Malveaux, the second to Sartorius, and the third, a plea of forgiveness to Sophia Hamilton):
I
have enclosed a check for 500,000 zorkmids to be used in the pursuit of
religious ideals. I hope you and your chapter will find it valuable. I
would
like this to be considered an anonymous donation, although I would
appreciate a
receipt for tax purposes.
Sophia tells me you have been having some financial troubles as the medical establishment has sought to shut down your fine institution. In the spirit of supporting a medical and research facility, I hereby include a check for 500,000 zorkmids. Please be discreet in allowing information about this donation to be disseminated although I would appreciate a receipt for tax purposes.
Sophia,
I have enclosed a check for 750,000 Zorkmids for the improvement of the
stage. Please take this as a token for my plea for forgiveness.
General Kaine inspired a type of fervent fealty in all those who served under him, especially his loyal and fierce warrior, Lieutenant Ramsey, whom at one time Kaine considered making the keeper of his castle.
The Birth of Lucien Kaine (920-04-10 GUE)
A die-hard pragmatist and landed nobleman, Thaddeus Kaine was stalwart and militaristic, enrolled in the service of the armies of Syovar. He lived by the Warrior Code. Life was black and white, rich and poor, power and powerless. And so, when Thaddeus Kaine saw his family's wealth was not enough to afford him power, he married into it. He inherited, through Elizabeth Kaine, the castle of Irondune (once a frontier post in the great campaign of Pseudo-Duncanthrax in the seventh century and ancestral home of her family), which gave him rule over the provinces of both the Desert River and Famathria. His earthen Castle was a symbol of his lust for power.
Lucien Kaine was born to Thaddeus at the age of 20 to an unknown maiden at Castle Irondune. This woman died giving birth and Elizabeth raised the child as her own. The affair was concealed and most were ignorant of her not being the true mother. By 925, Lucien would be hospitalized on three occasions for Chronic Respiratory Stitial Virus. Kaine saw the birth of Lucien as the beginning of a great dynasty, but his son would grow to hate both war and his father.
"Revelation and Eternity" (922 GUE)
Francois Malveaux wrote his Zork-wide best-selling book, "Revelation and Eternity," which caused enough of a stir to get him elected Bishop in 922. That same year, Thaddeus Kaine, as well as Sophia Hamilton and Erasmus Sartorius all read the book.
The Battle of Flood Control Dam #3 (c. 920~922 GUE)
In the most famous battle of the time, the Battle of Flood Control Dam #3, the barbarian rebellion and uprising was put to an end. 2nd Lt. Colonel Thaddeus Kaine, using his enemy’s prime weakness against them, decided he needed a distraction to allow him to carry out his final solution plan. He sent a party of troops to a high mountain northeast of the dam where they made considerable noise, bewildering the barbarians as to the intent of the exercise. While the barbarians were conveniently enthralled with the noise, Kaine prepared for their destruction lining the inside of his forces with matchsticks he found in a lobby of the dam.
That night, when the barbarians attacked, Kaine ordered his center to fall back against his flanks. The barbarian army poured through the gap in his lines. Kaine then lit his prepared matches, illuminating the center of his horseshoe position. Too late, the barbarians tried to retreat, only to be trapped against the dam and destroyed by the light. From then on, Major Thaddeus Kaine’s fierce reputation in battle became renowned.
Kaine Meets Sophia (922 GUE)
A party was held in Kaine’s honor. Here Sophia Hamilton had the opportunity to meet the new Major and fell in love with him. She found solace there. And even though the stoic Kaine was bound by honor and wealth to his wife, Sophia knew he was for her. She was not the type of woman to be dissuaded from her goals and she pursued Kaine with vengeance. Her ultimate ambition with alchemy was to ensure that she and Kaine were both eternal—and therefore, eternally in love. Any dalliances with mortal women could be forgiven and forgotten. Lady Elizabeth Kaine would grow old and die, and Sophia would be waiting. With the determination and patience to experiment with it, and the motivation to achieve its goal of eternal life, she would become a proficient and capable alchemist. Henceforth, she continued her alchemical studies in secret with Malveaux.
Thaddeus Kaine Promoted to General (923-11-07 GUE)
Thaddeus Kaine of Desert River Province, famous for his battle against the barbarian hordes at Flood Control Dam #3, was granted Knighthood and promotion from Major to General at the age of 24. In an elaborate ceremony at Syovar’s palatial estate in Aragain, Syovar anointed Thaddeus Kaine to the applause of various well-wishers, including Sophia Hamilton of the Desert River Branch Conservatory and Francois Malveaux. In the “name of the rightful and unified Kingdom of Zork,” Syovar thanked General Kaine for his struggle to defeat the barbarian and trollish hordes that had been recently threatening the Kingdom. From thereon, Thaddeus would emerge in this period as one of Syovar’s strongest generals.
Founding of the Frigid River Branch Conservatory (c. 923~4 GUE)
In the intervening two months, General Thaddeus Kaine became the principal founder of Zork’s first private musical conservatory: the Zork Musical Academy for Girls at the Frigid River Branch Conservatory on behalf of Sophia Hamilton, a talented violinist. Constructed at the base of Flood Control Dam #3, this was where the women would attend before being enrolled in the Frobozz Philharmonic school. Sophia became the esteemed headmistress of the Frigid River Branch Conservatory. Under her able management it quickly became Zork’s finest academy.
Syovar’s Campaign Against the Enchanters Guild
The records in regards to Syovar’s campaign against the Enchanter’s Guild is shrouded in much mystery and darkness, abounding in questions and speculations. The foremost problem lies in the dating of the start of the war and who was the original instigator. The Enchanters would join Ellron against Thaddeus Kaine in 924, and by 925 a coalition formed against Syovar and he was losing control of the Westlands. A scattered fragment tells us that when Syovar’s armies invaded the Westlands in the early tenth century, that no one in the local Westlands population defected to him. But it is not known if this invasion occurred before or after the events listed here.
Dispute Turns to War (924-05-19 GUE)
Despite the Conference of Quendor which merged almost all of the nations under the one banner of Syovar’s Kingdom of Zork, some remnants still could not come to peace with each other. Lord Ellron and Sir Thaddeus Kaine fell to bickering over control of the border regions lying between the former Aragain and Desert River provinces. Their relationship quickly turned terribly sour. An undated letter provides some insight into the nature of this dispute:
General
Kaine,
Your
refusal to acknowledge the persistent inquiries from myself and my
attorneys
leave me little choice but to appeal to the authority of King Syovar. I
believe
that I have the evidence that will allow me to resume my rightful claim
to the
border regions between the former Aragain and Desert River Provinces
and that I
will carry the day in all other matters. The time for compromise had
ended.
Ellron
The long unsolvable ordeal kindled ever-increasing tensions between the two, over farmlands near the Desert River, that finally reached their height on the evening of Arch 19, 924 when Lord Ellron declared war on General Kaine. There are no records on the results of Ellron’s appeal to Syovar, but it may be reasonable to assume that either Ellron did not have enough evidence to his claims, or that Syovar’s campaign against the Enchanters had already begun and Ellron refused to wait until the king had returned to the Eastlands. Whatever the reason, this fight between Ellron and Kaine was more critical than many others in the Empire at the time due to Kaine’s rumored creation of Thaddium, the lethal zirradiated ore. Many feared that if this weapon of mass destruction were to be unleashed, the very world beneath them might be totally destroyed.
It is here that we enter into another mystery. For by the next day, Ellron aligned with the powerful and political Enchanters Guild of the Westlands against Thaddeus Kaine, and was rumored to have purchased a lethal scroll from Wizard Bilboz. In an undated letter found in Castle Irondune, Ellron threatens Kaine and remarks on his alliance with the Guild:
Kaine—
Your
pathetic
attempts to harness the lethal magic of Thaddium were futile. The Guild
is now
supporting my cause and we have something far more powerful than
Thaddium. In
five years, your precious Irondune will be nothing more than dust
blowing in a
wasteland, and your men as weak and womanish as your own Lucien.
—Ellron
Why did this happen? All we can note is that from future correspondences between Syovar and Kaine, that Syovar did not realize the General for the wicked man he was. Perhaps Kaine’s treachery against Ellron was so devastating that he had no choice but to have it urgently dealt with, and without Syovar’s support, the only ones willing to support his cause were the Enchanters despite that they were at animosity with the Kingdom of Zork. One can however, only speculate.
The results of the never-ending feud between Ellron and Kaine would have major impact on Syovar’s ability to expand and unite the entire Zork lands. For the next two decades the endless war would drag on unceasingly without solution. During Syovar’s absence on campaign to the Westlands, the two petty lords would march their armies up and down the Aragain and Desert River regions. Ellron at times would obey Syovar’s wishes and order that the violence be stopped, but each time, Kaine’s treachery would begin the conflict again. Their mortal hatred for each other would parade through the pages of history in several epic campaigns throughout the Desert River Province. Many claimed that they knew of no two men that despised each other more.
General Kaine Joins the Alchemists (924 GUE)
As the year went on, the neighboring barons encroached on Kaine’s territory and his power was continually threatened by Lord Ellron and the Enchanters. Still, Kaine refused to give up his ambitions. He vowed that the Kaines would become a name in the world, to be held in respect and honor for all time. But he was uncertain how to achieve ultimate power. He found his answer when that same year, when his lover Sophia introduced him to Malveaux and Sartorius.
Kaine was skeptical at first. He saw it as impractical and foolish, an overly spiritual belief for the weak. These fundamentals are clearly demonstrated from the following letter which he composed to Sophia at the Frigid River Branch Conservatory (924-11-20):
Sophia,
Dr.
Sartorius is a strange but fascinating man. I agree he has ideas what
while almost
fanatical, could be the final solution. As you know I am not prone to
dabbling
into strange, self-indulgent philosophies or womanish New Age
experiments—but
there is something to the man, of that there can be no doubt. And still
I
wonder—might the Doctor’s way be the only way of securing power in this
perpetually unstable world? I could have great use for him—and his
philosopher’s stone—in my campaign against the Enchanters. I cannot
hold them
back much longer.
Say
nothing—I will write you of this further.
Kaine.
When Kaine realized the reward for the practice of alchemy could mean eternal life, riches, and power, his attitude towards the art changed. He also realized that he could not bequeath his kingdom to his weakling son. It belonged to him. He won it. He grew it. He earned it. Eternal life would enable him to keep it forver. The practice of alchemy was unconventional and potentially treasonous, but Kaine was independent and driven. So he preserved and became an alchemist. When Sartorius was informed of the General’s decision to join the alchemical Circle, he wrote this undated reply to him:
I
am pleased that you have joined us in our quest for the meaning of all
life. In
answer to your inquiry, the process of distillation of alchemy is
essential to
its success. All alchemical processes must involve the presence of
earth, air,
water and fire which are used to distill the essence of the metal or
substance.
This is important. The order of the processes, the colors that result
are part
of the mystery revealed through experimentation.
By the end of that year, the four alchemists delved deep into the power of dark alchemy. They learned that to finish their work and gain eternal life—the ultimate transformation—they had to conceive and sacrifice a virgin during an eclipse. She had to be born under the perfect alignment of the spheres, raised and have her soul purified through the power of music. A short undated journal entry of Sartorius’ details his thoughts regarding this process:
The quintessence can only be obtained
through blood.
Pure blood. This person must be pure of heart, pure of spirit,
conceived in
purity, conceived when the sun and moon are aligned as one.
In turn, each of the four took responsibility for one of the elements and began to study it intensively. In addition, each had a mystical sign, indicating planet, and took upon themselves a certain metal. Kaine's element was earth, his metal was iron, his planet Murz, and his zodiac surmin.
Sartorius Finds a Host (925 GUE)
At the beginning of 925 GUE, Sartorius, in his quest for creating the pure spirit, sought a host for the birth of their virgin from amongst his own patients at the Gray Mountains Asylum, Zoe Wolfe. He quickly contacted the others with his decision. One such correspondence, an undated letter to Malveaux, has come down to us:
I
have found the perfect specimen. On the day of the solar eclipse we
will be
ready. Kaine has volunteered to assist in the conception.
Zoe was taken into the Surgical Theater on the 20th Level of the Asylum where Sartorius performed a syringe injected upon Zoe. It is uncertain if he had sexual relations with Zoe Wolfe and impregnated her prior to the syringe injection, or if it was the medical techniques alone that injected some sort of purified sperm into an unfertilized egg already present. Regardless, Sartorius used a special technique to ensure that this child would be the perfect specimen for their alchemical ritual.
Warring on Two Fronts (925 GUE)
Syovar the Strong wrote to Kaine (925-01-29) concerning the Enchanter’s Guild and Ellron:
The
Enchanters’ Guild is gaining strength in their power and magic. They
have
formed a unified coalition and I am losing control of the Westlands. I
believe Lord
Ellron is now under their control. I can no longer rely on the magic of
the
scroll.
-Syovar
Contemporaneously, the barbarian hordes north of Aragain resumed their attacks upon the civilized regions; having been crushed several years prior by Thaddeus Kaine at the battle of Flood Control Dam #3. In the following letter found at Castle Irondune, Syovar again requested the assistance of General Kaine, willing even to use his invention of Thaddium as a means to maintain control (925-03-07):
General
Kaine:
Since
the destruction of the GUE, the barbarians have begun their massive
invasions
in the north. The Quendoran military force is suffering under their
attacks. I
have been made aware of the presence of Thaddium in your vicinity and
of a
particular invention which may assist me in my battles. Whatever you
require to
fund your experiment, I will gladly provide.
-Syovar,
Vice Regent and General of the Royal Quendoran Army
As the birth of the child of purity grew near, Sartorius contacted Malveaux reminding him of his task involving her upbringing (925-05-15):
Dear
Malveaux,
As
we discussed, I will bring her to you one week after birth, with a
nurse who
will raise her through her early years. In this way her education in
purity and
religion will be insured. Do not underestimate the importance of your
task. Her
spiritual progress and the purification of her soul is essential to the
process. She will be a gift to all mankind.
Dr.
Sartorius
Soon after, the four alchemists stood together in the patient ward of the Gray Mountains Asylum:
Zoe
Wolfe lay on her side in a fetal position,
gazing with pure love at her newborn infant, who was on the bed in the
tiny
circle of space between her mother’s bent knees and arms. It was a
lovely
moment of bonding. Sartorius had a pair of bloody forceps in his hands.
Both he
and Sophia, in doctor’s garb, looked exhausted, but were really
gratified, for
they had obviously assisted in the birth. Kaine and Malveaux were
visitors/well-wishers.
“This
is the Genesis moment.” The pumped up
Sartorius made a giddy laugh. “Now I know how God felt.”
Sophia
laughed. She teased him, but with less of an
edge than usual. They had bonded through birthing this baby.
“Who’d
have dreamed Sartorius—the great man of
science—would get so excited over…” she finished dryly, “…a little
bitty
wrinkly baby.”
“Baby?
That’s not a baby. That’s a formula. The key
to unlocking the most hidden knowledge in the universe.”
And thus, Alexandria Wolfe was born under the perfect connection of stars and moon. Her mother, Zoe Wolfe, died in the asylum soon afterward under mysterious circumstances; it was later confirmed that Sartorius had murdered her.
The Baptism of Alexandria (926 GUE)
Malveaux was given the authority to house Alexandria at the Steppinthrax Monastery where her purity and progress could be carefully monitored and controlled. In order to gain the Grand Inquisitor's permission for her to live amongst the acestic order, Malveaux fabricated a plausible tale that, as a baby, she had been left on the local monastery’s doorstep, the illegitimate daughter of a peasant. He invited the remainder of the cabal to participate in the infant’s baptism ceremony. On 926, the four alchemists gathered at the Steppinthrax Monastery for Alexandria's baptism ceremony:
The
four alchemists, dressed in their
priestly gear, surrounded a stone basin in a semi-circle. Malveaux held
the
baby Alexandria, who was wrapped in a silver cloth, in the air above
the basin.
Malveaux rose the wrapped infant into the beam of light coming down
from above.
He whispered a line from a magical text and tossed a small bit of
powder into
the bowl. The flames briefly flared up. He then lowered the baby into
the flame
for a second.
In
turn, each of them spoke a line from the following demonic chant:
“Endless fire which passeth through all
things.
Cleanse soul through flame.
Protect the innocent and perfect the healing
stone.
Let this spirit be washed and whitened by the
Philosophic Fire.
Alexandria was then carefully raised by Malveaux as an orphan, with a focus on ensuring her purity, singing music of the spheres to ensure that Alexandria would be cleansed.
Barbarian Hordes Defeated (929 GUE)
A letter from Sophia to Kaine, detailing Kaine’s victory over the barbarian hordes and her fear of Ellron and the Enchanter’s Guild (929-06-16):
Darling
Thaddeus,
Crushed
the barbarian hordes and even the grand Syovar seems content!
Congratulations
on your recent victories; but take heed upon your return. The battle is
far
from over. In your absence, Ellron has discovered a powerful scroll and
I am
scared. We are deep into the Great Work. If they learn of our secrets,
the
Enchanters’ Guild, and others, will surely kill us.
Sophia
And in an undated letter, Sophia possibly references the same event:
Dear
Thaddeus,
Though
you were far away, all the Eastern provinces are proud of your recent
successes. I only wish that the rebellion will end soon and you are in
my arms
once again.
Sophia.
Ellron and Kaine Continue to War (930-10-16 GUE)
In a letter from Sophia to Kaine, glimpses of the continued conflict between Kaine and Ellron are evident:
Dearest
Thaddeus—
I
lie here in my bed and listen to the Poetics and I miss you. Damn
Ellron. I
know you are fighting for what you believe in. I hate him for what he’s
done to
you, and I hate him even more for keeping you from me. But still, there
are
those I hate more.
I’m so jealous, Thaddeus; you can
pick up a
sword and gore your enemy in the name of all you love. My enemy is
bosomy and
soft-spoken—and she wears a dress and sleeps in your bed, my heart.
Would that
I could be your wife, that we could have a family… something more than
stolen
moments, this lost life of mine.
I cling to your dear Mad Doctor
and his
dreams of oblivion. For an eternity with you, I will endure all his
pretentious, alchemical trumpeting—and fifty Lady Kaines—and a hundred
Ellrons!
As ever,
Sophia
Decision to Bring Alexandria to the Frigid River Branch Conservatory (c. 935 GUE)
In 935, at the age of 10, Francois Malveaux was forced by the Grand Inquisitor to have Alexandria removed from the Monastery as she would seen as a possibly temptress to the ascestic order. Sophia and Malveaux made arrangements to send Alexandria to the Frigid River Branch Conservatory. But it was approximately two years before it would be her new home.
Battle at Flood Control Dam #678 (c. 935 GUE)
Ellron and General Kaine’s forces clashed at Flood Control Dam #678. Kaine summarized the battle to Sophia (935-08-14):
Sophia,
It is
rainy and
grim here. The fields are muddy and littered with corpses. I am tired
of all
this. All I want in the world is to return to my castle and back to
you. The
battle at Flood Control Dam number 678 was more brutal than I expected.
Ellron
and his hordes somehow had found out about my strategy. Backed by the
Enchanters, he has discovered some magical scroll which causes weapons
to turn
to fudge. It is disheartening and sticky. Our surprise attack was
foiled and I
lost half my men. Ellron is becoming more and more powerful. Unless I
do
something, he may gain control of the entire terrain. Morale is low.
The worst
are the damn night attacks of grues. We barely have enough torches to
light a
fourth of our camp for more than a few more nights.
Liz wrote that she is considering
spending
the fall at her mother’s villa in Antharia. Say the word and I will
further
convince her to make the retreat to the restorative island clime. For
her
health, you know—and for mine.
Kaine
Having received news of the battle, the desperate Sophia composed a reply:
Darling
Thaddeus,
Damn
those filthy dark-loving Grues for keeping you away from me! I hate all
of
them. I know you have little time to read, so I will keep my letters
short. I
love you I love you I love you!
Sophia.
As the war drudged on, and Kaine remained absent from his castle, he asked for Sophia to check on Lucien in this undated letter:
Sophia,
the battle against Ellron continues and I believe we are winning.
Lieutenant
Ramsey is a loyal and fierce warrior and has proved an effective
leader; I will
make him the keeper of my castle if we escape this war alive. I miss
you and I
think about you constantly. We must finally be together. Sophia, will
you
please check in on Lucien. I know that you are uncomfortable around
him, but I
have not heard from him, and I am concerned. He is going through a
strange
phase.
Shortly after, in an undated letter, Sophia wrote to Kaine after hearing about his victory over Ellron:
Thad
my love,
I
hear that you have crushed the rebellion and are coming home soon. We
are
preparing to ring the monastery bells for you as soon as we see your
wagon
train on the road to the south. Bring back a Grue ear for my charm
bracelet!
Sophia.
Alexandria Enrolled at the Frigid River Branch Conservatory (937~940)
Having kept Alexandria at the Monastery for two years after the Grand Inquisitor demanded that she depart, the time finally arrived for Malveaux to send her away. Thus in 939, at the age of 13, Alexandria was brought to the Frigid River Branch Conservatory.
Love Triangle (940 GUE)
There are many undated events that have been revealed in various undated letters and accounts of the affair between Thaddeus Kaine and Sophia. And it is evident that Thaddeus’ wife, Elizabeth was not unaware either. The first of these letters between the adulterers (940-11-14):
S-
And
so the holidays pass, and still, we are nowhere near each other. Liz
and I are
fighting again, which does dampen the festivities somewhat. It’s not
that she
questions my formal loyalties to her and my family—she knows I will
never leave
her—but I suppose I can hardly blame her if she feels my heart is no
better
than any. How I hate to discuss these matters—as if I were a gossiping
girl. I
live where I live, and I love whom I love. Praise Yoruk—that is all
there is to
say on the subject—
K
Elizabeth took it into her own hands to confront Sophia. Her detest is evidence in the letter, although she seemed to have false assurance in Kaine that unfortunately did not exist:
Dear
Madame Sophia,
While
we have never been formally introduced, I feel as if I’ve known you for
years
now. At least, I know many things about you. I know you sleep with my
husband.
I know you’re only one of his many mistresses. Or did you think that he
loved
only you? Has he been teasing you with talk of your future, of
marriage? Did
you imagine he would leave me for you, and you would rule Irondune as
the next
lady Kaine? Let me assure you, madam, that you have no future with my
husband.
He needs me, my family, and our lovely money. Without me, there is no
Irondune.
And there is nothing and no one he loves more than that.
-Elizabeth
Kaine
There is also documentation of a breakout of unknown offense that occurred at some point in their affair:
Sophia
please forgive me. I made a mistake. I know it would be a cliché to say
that it
meant nothing to me—but it is true. I know that I am not communicative
in the
way you want me to be. I love you. Please forgive me. I will do
anything for
your forgiveness.
And again:
Sophia,
I
have enclosed a check for 750,000 Zorkmids for the improvement of the
stage.
Please take this as a token for my plea for forgiveness.
Sophia finally replied:
Do
you think that money will buy me? Do you think that is the way for
forgiveness
and apologies? This is the worse insult you could cast my way. Save it
for
another woman.
Apart from their frequent acts of adultery, on one occurrence, Kaine gifted Sophia with a silver tuning fork engraved, “With love, -K”.
Alexandria Meets Lucien Kaine (943 GUE)
Following her Oracle 15, 943 GUE performance of "Harmony of the Spheres," Alexandria Wolfe met Lucien Kaine. As a the child of Thaddeus, he enjoyed opulent wealth, numerous servants, plus any toy—and later, any woman—he desired. In contrast to his hoarding father, material wealth lacked morals and meaning. Lucien was independent, eccentric, and arrogant—looking down on Thaddeus and his friends for their hypocrisy and shallow ambitions. He was not even present at any of the Regional Councils on War, Governance or Taxation that, as heir to Irondune, he would have been overwhelmingly likely to attend. Lucien was content to live in relative isolation and loneliness until he met Alexandria. Together they were complete.
But not all as well. The infuriated Sophia saw that Lucien was an intervention into their smooth plan. She had to keep them apart, because if they came together, all the alchemists’ years of possessive preservation of Alexandria’s purity would disappear in an instant. She quickly composed a letter to Kaine at Irondune:
I
saw him at Alexandria’s performance. What was he doing there? I know
that you
have done all that you can, but your son is a dangerous influence. I
know of
his reputation. Keep him away from her. I have this feeling about him
and my
feeling tells me he will be the ruin of all of us and all our dreams.
And in another undated letter, Sophia wrote to Kaine:
I
have seen him outside the school. I know something is going on. She has
become
increasingly defiant and rebellious.
Thaddeus Kaine forcibly forbade that his son have any contact with Alexandria, though he knew that Lucien would not be swayed. When he was unable to rein Lucien, he requested the help of Dr. Erasmus Sartorius, addressing him in a fictitious manner that defied their cordial relationship:
Dr.
I am writing concerning an uncomfortable matter. My son, Lucien, has
been
behaving strangely. It appears he is infatuated with Alexandria and
nothing I
say or do can deter him. He is close to fanatical about the
subject—spends days
in a room painting her image over and over. He is obsessed. We have
never had
any such behavior in the Kaine family and I am unclear how to handle
him. If
his mother were still alive, she would know how to handle matters of
the heart.
As for myself, I have no solution. Please I ask for your help and
recommendations.
Soon after Sartorius received Kaine’s complaints of rebelliousness and cowardice, Lucien was hospitalized at the Gray Mountains Asylum where he was examined and treated. He was diagnosed as having obsessive disorder and prescribed Prozork. After being released, his behavior was to be closely monitored. His father was to be prescribed mild sedative.
An undated letter from Sartorius to Kaine:
I
conducted a careful examination of Lucien and have found that he is a
deeply
troubled man who most likely should be institutionalized and subject to
my
ecstatic-shock therapy. The sooner you bring him, the more likely we
will be
able to stop his deviant obsessions.
Sartorius.
By
the way, thank you for your generous donation. Finally I meet someone
from the
community who understands true brilliance.
Lucien refused to take the medication, crumpling up the Prozork prescription and tossing it a corner in his room. Kaine related his resentment to Sophia in a letter (943-06-02):
Sophia,
You
say I seem wrathful—Aye, that and far beyond—I am close to giving up on
my son.
I have tried to control him. I talked to Dr. Sartorius who prescribed
Prozork
for him but he refuses to take it. Lately, Lucien has become
suspicious—nearly
paranoid—searching my room, pilfering my private papers. I have been
forced to
lock my room. I am at a loss. He is in love with that girl—your
precious
“prodigy,” I know—and nothing I say or do will stop him. You say to be
forceful—and I try—but he is my only son. It is hard for me to deny him
that
which he wants most. I know it is a phase and that it is best for him,
still it
is hard. So what then?
K.
The Alchemists Continue Their Work
Although the four alchemists feared that the untamed Lucien would despoil their virgin of purity, they delved even deeper into their dark arts. The battles against Ellron and the Enchanters Guild kept Kaine considerably occupied. In a letter found at Castle Irondune, Sophia reassured him that they need not worry, but only persist in their work (943-11-03):
Kaine,
I
read about Ellron and his alliance with the Enchanters Guild, and I
wept for
you. These are dangerous times, and I will not sleep until all those
who mean
you harm are put to eternal rest.
But I take heart, knowing that we
are
growing stronger, deciphering more secrets of this magical science with
each
new day. Soon, love, we will not worry about power…
Sophia
An undated correspondence from Sartorius to Kaine:
Dear
Kaine,
I
have long dwelt on the power of air, but not considered it as a source
of
Purification. At such velocities as your blueprints describe, I feel
sure it
would tear impurities from even the very core of evil. I am certain
none but
the purest metal could withstand it. Destruction of purity. A perfect
solution.
Still, I have some misgivings.
Before Air,
your plans suggest the simultaneous combination of forces of Fire,
Water and
Earth. This must necessarily be an explosive combination, but not an
impossible
problem. I have long experimented with injection unmolding for limb
replacement. As long as the mold is inserted into the case holding
before
applying heat, my experiments have been successful.
Sartorius
It appears that Sophia and Kaine tried to restrain Lucien and Alexandria’s relationship without informing the other alchemists (at least Malveaux). When their interactions were discovered by him, the disturbed Malveaux contacted Sophia. In the meantime, the romance between the two lovers intensified.
Thaddeus Research Facility #2 Destroyed (944-03-07 GUE)
In a blast of heat and fury, Thaddeus Research Facility #2 disappeared that morning, taking much of the idyllic village of Stonehead with it. Hundreds were killed in the mysterious explosion. Company officials continued to deny any connection between the company and the blast, saying, “as you know, it’s been several centuries since we sacrificed a virgin to the fire-gods. We were due for this one.” Critics on the other hand, pointed to the smoking remnants of Facility #1 and the strange mineral thaddium, which eyewitnesses claimed to have seen smuggled in under the cover of night. General Kaine wrote about the possible cause for the destruction of at least one of the facilities:
…temperature
at
which you attempt to cast metal. Casting at too cool of a temperature
is
useless. Casting with too intense of heat and have fatal results, of
which
proof is my recently destroyed laboratory in Fenshire.
Conflicts Between Father and Son (944 GUE)
Thaddeus Kaine diligently and ferociously tried numerous ventures to force his son Lucien away from Alexandria. Hoping that his son would grew up to be as fierce and ambitious on the battlefield as himself, his attempts centered around either provoking Lucien to rage or to persuade him into joining in his battles against Ellron. In an undated letter found at the Frigid River Branch Conservatory, Lucien shares his feelings with Alexandria, how Thaddeus had tried to keep them apart:
Alexandria,
I
paint, I write, I draw and I miss you. My father wants me to join his
army in
their fight against the Enchanter’s Guild and Ellron. He’s been our
nemesis for
so long, I feel I know him intimately. Magic, powers and politics, When
did
they get so complicated and corrupt? My father says he fights in the
name of
honor and truth. No truth I know of. Medicine, Education, Law and
Religion:
they mean nothing to me. My only trust is you and your music.
Lucien
Although Lucien had perpetrated no deed that robbed Alexandria of her virginity, Thaddeus sought to invoke his son’s rage with slanderous accusations. On that certain day, Lucien was in his bedroom in the process of painting a beautiful and erotically charged portrait of Alexandria.
Kaine
entered, approaching his son and examined the
painting. Lucien sat, jaw clenched, daring for his father to speak.
“Is
this your imagination or your memory?” Kaine
inquiring of the painting.
Lucien
hesitated. Kaine figured he had made the
right conclusion. He “hemmed.”
“The
archbishop would take a very dim view of your
bedding his daughter.”
“I
want to marry her,” Lucien returned.
Kaine
had amused indifference. “An orphan, without a
name?”
“She
can have mine.”
Though
speaking in a tone of camaraderie, Kaine knew
he was being ugly in the subtext. “Let me ask you something. It was
easy, am I
right? She gave herself to you? It was even her idea, perhaps?”
The
slur his father put on her character angered
Lucien. If this had been anyone but his father… His voice was menacing.
“Don’t
talk about her like that.”
“Go
ahead, amuse yourself, if you must. For Godsakes,
be discreet.”
He
turned passionate, threatening.
“But
remember this,” Kaine added. “She will never
have your name.”
Lucien proceeded to finish the painting. This was just one of the many he would paint of Alexandria. One of them, an erotic and blazing sketch of himself and her with their naked bodies entwined, he sent to her once it was completed. In the meantime, Lucien would also attempt to sabotage his father’s campaign against Ellron. One of these acts included the theft of gunpowder.
Kaine was not originally aware that his missing supplies were due the defiance of his own son, as can be seen in this undated letter:
Captain,
I
am missing twenty sacks of gunpowder. How can I defeat my enemies
abroad when
Irondune itself is not secure? Look into it.
Kaine
On Oracle 5, of most likely the same year, Kaine, having realized that his son was behind the disappearance of the gunpowder, recorded his frustration in a journal entry:
I
don’t know what to make of Lucien’s odd behavior—painting pictures of
naked
women and then hiding them on his own easel.
He’s becoming a man, with a
man’s
freewill. But what of my missing gunpowder and supplies? Am I to
tolerate
insurrection in the name of my son’s independence?
It seems as if he wants
nothing better
than to irritate me. Much more of this and I will be forced to send him
to his
mother in Antharia.
When Lucien was unyielding to his father’s demands to join with him against Ellron and the Enchanters, the angered Thaddeus scorned his son. While the following event is not dated more precisely than the year, it may have been in response to Lucien’s failure to obey the draft notice which had been issued on Mage 5, 944:
DRAFT
NOTICE
This
is to certify that:
Lucien
Kaine
By
the powers vested by the Authority of Syovar, General of the Royal
Quendoran
Army, you are hereby drafted into the ranks of the Military forces of
the
Desert River Regiment.
General
Thaddeus Kaine,
Desert
River Regiment
His father again confronted him:
Lucien
sat in a corner near the fireplace of the
Irondune ballroom sketching a violent scene. Thaddeus, dressed in
battle gear,
approached his son. In one scabbard on Kaine’s waist was a sword, in
another
short scabbard also hung a dagger. He pulled the sword from the
scabbard and
offered it to Lucien.
“Take
it.”
Lucien
continued to paint without even glancing at
his father, faintly indicating “no”.
In
disgust, Kaine threw Lucien’s sword to the
ground. “You should be with me. You belong by my side.”
Lucien
painted calmly, eyes still intently pinned
away from his father.
“Children
draw pictures. Men fight.”
There
was still no response from Lucien.
With
greater disgust, Kaine spoke outright, “If you
didn’t sleep with the archbishop’s daughter, I wouldn’t even know you
were a
man.”
Lucien
was riled. He raised his eyes to his
father’s. “I don’t want you to talk about her.”
Kaine
was amused at the anger that had ignited in
his son. He sought to fan it further, “Who? Your whore? Maybe I’ll try
her
myself.”
Unable
to contain his rage in spite of his father’s
heavy insults, Lucien leapt to his feet, knocking over his easel. He
grabbed
the dagger from Kaine’s belt as he knocked him to the floor. He forced
the
blade to his father’s throat, pinning him down.
“Finish,”
Kaine demanded, in a commingling of anger
and fear.
“Father,
I’m…” The shocked Lucien could barely force
the words through his mouth.
Ashamed
at himself, he relaxed the weapon, but Kaine
put his hand to the dagger tip, keeping it held in place. The father
showed his
teeth in a wolfish smile.
“I
said, finish it!”
Kaine
pressed the dagger into his own flesh, drawing
blood. But Lucien, fighting against the desire to lash out as his
father,
withdrew the dagger from his throat, got up and walked away. Kaine was
left on
the floor, panting for breath, still gripping the sword at his side.
Sometime after this engagement, Kaine’s sword was sundered in two. It is this same sword that is referenced in this undated letter, which is but another attempt to tame his son:
Lucien,
I
have decided that you will be joining me on the hunt next week. I think
you
will come to appreciate the art of the sport. We don’t have much time
to
prepare. You don’t seem to have any kind of knife of your own, so I
thought you
might make something of my old broken one. There’s no scabbard for
it—any empty
one will do.
Kaine
The concerned Alexandria, obviously having heard firsthand from Lucien in regards to the theft of the gunpowder and the other conflicts with his father, contacted him. This is her undated letter:
…it’s
just that I don’t understand your relationship with your father. If you
don’t
believe in Kaine’s wars, if you won’t fight his battles, just tell him.
Don’t
sabotage his campaign against Ellron, and don’t steal from him. He is a
good
man, who has raised a good son. You must know he loves you, as do I,
your
devoted.
Alexandria.
Beginning of the Revelation (944~5 GUE)
Lucien began to suspect that there was something greater going on with his father than he first thought. In this letter, found at the Frigid River Branch Conservatory, he proposed secretly leaving the Eastlands with Alexandria (944-12-12):
Alexandria—
There
is something going on with my father. I thought it was something to do
with
Thaddium and his battles with Ellron. Now I suspect it is far more
dangerous
than that. He says little of his latest invention, only that it
involves pure
lead—and it is very dangerous. My father would not harm us, but I fear
he
cannot save us either. You once said you wanted to explore the Empire,
voyage
across the Great Sea. Come with me.
Lucien
Judging from the nature of a few correspondences between Alexandria and Lucien, the two lovers began to understand that some sort of conspiracy or scheme was going on behind their backs that was deeper than either of them would have anticipated.
This likely unsent letter, was found crumpled on the floor of Thaddeus Kaine’s bedroom in Irondune:
Alexandria,
we must get out of here. I don’t know what is going on but I believe my
father
is involved. I don’t know what they want…
The two did manage to secretly meet one night behind the stage at the Frigid River Branch Conservatory in 945. Sophia later wrote an undated letter to Kaine regarding this event:
I caught the two together on the stage of the conservatory. Imagine the nerve of the girl! Does she think I am an idiot? She brazenly disregards all rules of the school and certainly all rules of decency. Do something about your son. He is poison to her and to us.
Decision to Marry (945 GUE)
Alexandria contacted her father regarding her decision to marry Lucien (945-05-22). Kaine, hearing of the news, wrote to Malveaux:
While
there is no cause to be alarmed, I do believe that Lucien may be
planning to
elope with Alexandria. He left me a note alluding to his leaving and he
has
been suspicious as of late.
Sartorius, Kaine and Sophia gathered with Malveaux in his office at the Steppinthrax Monastery:
The
Bishop stood between the others who occupied three of the four chairs.
He took
a letter from the copious sleeve of his robe and laid it on the table.
“Our
worst fears have come true,” Malveaux stated. “They’ve asked me to
marry them.
They intend to leave.”
There
was an exchange of alarmed looks from the others.
“No,
she cannot leave,” Sartorius protested, “absolutely not.”
Sophia
had angry concern. “Leave? What are you talking about?”
Kaine
directed his words to her, “Don’t act so surprised. It’s all taking
place under
your roof. You can’t pretend you didn’t know about it.”
She
spoke through gritted teeth, “I tried to guide her, Kaine. I can’t run
her
life. If she wants to spend time with Lucien, let her. But marriage,
Malveaux?
Surely you didn’t encourage them.”
Malveaux
spoke as though he had a dark secret, “But I did.” Despair creased over
his
face even further. Once Kaine had left, Malveaux continued, “I tell you
he’s
watching everything we do. I can sense it. He’s dangerous – and he’ll
do
anything he can to get what he wants. Our only hope of survival is to
give him
our secret.”
Sartorius
was wrathful, “Have you gone mad?!”
“I
don’t want to die,” Malveaux replied, remorseful.
“We
can’t give in to him,” Sophia stated.
Malveaux
shouted back, content, “He’s insane!”
“We
must be strong,” Sophia comforted. “We can’t give in to this, this Nemesis.”
It appears from both the above conference and the following letter, that Lucien took his own initiative to investigate more of the scheme that was transpiring around him. While the precise date of Lucien’s “haunting the asylum” and “threaten[ing]” of Sartorius is not known, it may have happened during one of his scheduled treatments. This letter was discovered at the Gray Mountains Asylum (945-06-17):
Dr.
Sartorius,
I
understand you are still perfecting the science of the ritual, but we
must act
now; if we do not, the quintessence will slip through our fingers. I
know he
has threatened even you, haunting the asylum. Patience has its place
and so does
action. During the next solar eclipse we must make our move. Our work
must be
completed at the Temple of the Ancients. Write and I will arrange to
meet you
there.
Soon,
Doctor.
Sophia
A letter discovered at the Frigid River Branch Conservatory, in response to the above:
Madame
Sophia,
I
have much to prepare. I don’t think you understand the intricacies of
this
philosophy. This is not cooking, this is science. This is the true
mystery of
life. Nonetheless, you are right—we cannot wait any longer. We must
take a
risk. Meet me at the Temple of Agrippa. I will summon the others. What
has
begun must take its course. It is our only chance—before we are
destroyed—
Sartorius
Thus fearing that they would not be able to keep Lucien from sullying Alexandria, the Circle of four met at the Temple of Agrippa to accelerate the schedule for Alexandria’s sacrifice to coincide with an upcoming partial eclipse.
The Wedding of Lucien and Alexandria (945 GUE)
Adamantly refusing to heed the warnings of Sophia, Alexandria travelled to the Steppinthrax Monastery to elope with Lucien. An anonymous letter was hastily written and delivered to Thaddeus Kaine, hoping that it would do something to prevent the anticipated union:
Your
son will try to elope with A tonight. Come to St. Yoruk’s at once!
Leaving the note in his bedroom, Kaine hasted for the Monastery with two of his armed soldiers while Alexandria and Lucien gathered in the cathedral, unaware of the conspiracy transpiring around them.
Besides
the three, the room was bare of occupants. The couple’s beaming faces
glistened
with love for one another. Neither was dressed in anything expensive
for the
wedding—both suits proclaimed casual formality and nothing of glamour.
Lucien was
in his normal garments, while the black dress and flowers of Alexandria
reflected the haste with which their plans were made, as well as her
strange
imagination. Malveaux gripped a holy book in one hand.
Alexandria
had a moment of intimacy with Malveaux, while Lucien waited at the
altar. She
teased him, much like when she was but a young girl. “Today you’re my
father
and my priest. You have to give me away, and then you have to marry me.”
Malveaux
seemed distracted as though his mind was possessed by other things and
that she
was a little annoying. “Alexandria, your mind is always working…”
She
kissed his cheek and then joined Lucien. He grasped her left hand with
both of
his.
“This
is an extraordinary day,” Alexandria spoke, radiantly jubilant.
“As
befits my extraordinary child.” Malveaux took his place before the two
at the
front of the cathedral. Then, opening his book, he continued, “Now…
It’s time
for us to begin. Under the fire of Yoruk...”
Suddenly
the doors burst open. The shout of Thaddeus Kaine reverberated
throughout the
vast cathedral. “No, I think actually it’s time for all this to finally
end.”
Turning,
the couple spied Lucien’s father marching into the room, flanked by two
Irondune soldiers. They walked briskly towards the front. Kaine
gestured and
the two soldiers apprehended the befuddled Lucien, who could only reply
almost
stunned, “What are you doing?”
“You’re
being arrested,” Kaine returned coldly, and disturbingly placid.
“For
what?”
As
the two soldiers dragged Lucien before his father, wide-eyed Alexandria
protested hysterical, “Leave him alone!”
Without
much of a struggle, Lucien broke free from the soldiers and adamantly
stated,
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Kaine
wordlessly retaliated with a strong slap across Lucien’s face. The two
soldiers
again restrained Lucien and ushered him forcibly towards the doorway.
Alexandria
shouted, “Please, stop!! Leave him alone. Lucien!!” Dauntless, she
tried to run
after Lucien, but Kaine blocked her with his big body. She stared
directly into
the eyes of the stringent, ill-tempered man and straightforwardly
asked, “Why
are you doing this?”
Countering
with an icy, unsympathetic stare that pierced the depths of her soul,
Kaine set
his back to her and tromped down the hallway without explanation.
Turning
around, Alexandria yelled, “Father, help me!” But Malveaux had
vanished.
Desperately she looked around the room. Confused and betrayed, she
could barely
force the words past her numbing lips, “Father!?”
Final Preparations (945 GUE)
With Lucien firmly out of the way, imprisoned within the Irondune dungeon, the four alchemists hastily finalized their plans for Alexandria’s sacrifice. Sophia composed letters to at least two of the alchemists urging them to come to the Temple of Agrippa. One of these was to Kaine:
I
think there is only one solution to this mess. We must expedite the
process. It
cannot wait. The next eclipse will be in three day’s time. This is our
only
chance. Do what you must. It cannot wait.
–S
Kaine’s favorable reply to Sophia:
Ellron
is at my gates, threatening to destroy the little power I have left.
You are
right—we must act now.
THE SACRIFICE (945 GUE)
The
alchemists, dressed in their ceremonial attire, gathered in the dome
room of
the Temple of Agrippa to invoke the Great Eclipse. Sophia restrained
Alexandria, who violently struggled to gain her freedom. Sartorius
forced a
bowl to her lips, steam swirling out of the liquid. She drank and her
eyes
instantly began to droop.
The
four alchemists placed Alexandria upon the altar in the center of the
temple;
an altar which they had personally constructed. She was sitting up, but
only
with the help of Sartorius and Kaine. Sophia made a last brush stroke
through
her dark hair, then set down the brush to take a white veil, which she
placed
over the head of their virgin sacrifice.
Alexandria’s
cloth-covered body was lowered upon the altar. She was sleeping
peacefully. Kaine
held the alchemy book. All gathered around the altar, with their hands
outstretched over her body, except for Malveaux, who raised a
sacrificial
dagger into the air. He began to chant,
“No
generation without corruption.
No
life without death.
The
blackness of putrefaction
Must
precede the whiteness,
As
night precedes day.”
Then
the four alchemists in unison chanted, “Natura, Anima, Spirit of
Perfection.
Purify, Cleanse, Transmute these metals into the Philosopher’s Stone.”
Sophia
closed her eyes, swaying to the sound. The intensity increased.
Sartorius waved
his hands above the altar symbols. The symbols began to spin. The knife
of
Malveaux lifted higher. It hovered for a beat above Alexandria.
Beyond
them, at the top of the stairs leading to the altar, Lucien suddenly
rushed
into the room, crying out, “No!”
But
was too late, for Malveaux drove the dagger into Alexandria, taking the
life of
the young woman. She convulsed. The culmination of their dark ritual
was
finished, and they knew they would soon become immortal creatures.
Just
at the moment when they were becoming empowered, the rage of the
warrior came
to the fore. The chagrinned Lucien, entangled by blind rage ran up to
the altar
and rushed for Malveaux. Easily overtaking the frail monk, he pushed
him
backward. The momentum threw Malveaux back toward the railing that
surrounded
the altar. He fell and was impaled on the shard finial of the banister.
Malveaux
gagged and gasped with the metal piercing entirely through his body.
Sartorius
tried to get away, but quickly spinning around, Lucien picked up a
candle and
flung it at him. Sartorius’ robe caught on fire, engulfing him in
flames. As he
burned, Lucien looked to the altar where Sophia was trying to complete
the
ceremony with Alexandria’s body. He approached her.
In
despair, Sophia muttered with fear, “No, please don’t! No.”
But
Lucien was not sedated. He reached both hands around her neck and
strangled her
beneath her punitive whining, “Noooooo!” Dead, he tossed her to the
floor.
Lucien
looked in anguish at Alexandria, who lay dead with the sacrificial
knife deep
in her chest. Then he looked up across the altar and saw his father
glowering
at him. Yanking the bloody dagger out of Alexandria’s chest, Lucien
turned to
face his father, who contemptuously stood his ground fearlessly placid.
Had
Lucien not been consumed by his terrible bombastic rage, he would have
noticed
that his father was eerily calm. They stared into each other’s eyes,
until Lucien
placed the knife upon his father’s throat for a moment, just as
Thaddeus Kaine
had dared him to do in their previous encounter. But his father did not
wince. He simply lifted his hands in the
air as if in
a state of worship, a martyr pleased to accept his death. And unlike
before,
Lucien stabbed deeply into the throat of his own father and he fell
dead.
Dropping
the knife, Lucien leapt upon the altar, crawling over the lifeless body
of his
beloved Alexandria, and sat over her. His eyes were glued to her and
already
filled with the haunted, hunted look of the Nemesis. He touched her
face, the
lifted up his hands to shield his own as though an invisible entity
were coming
down upon him. And he screamed, “NOOOO!” in a voice that was not his
own, but
hideously demonic—the primal yell of anguished filled the entire temple.
As a result of
the conflict, Lucien, initially a young innocent, was
transformed into the embittered, tortured dark force known as the
Nemesis at the moment he watched all those whom he had trusted plunge a
dagger into his lover’s heart. Though the ceremony was incomplete,
Alexandria’s spirit was dispersed throughout the temple and remained
trapped within.
Four huge glass
sarcophagi beneath the temple dome were created the
moment Lucien murdered the cabal. Because they had been in the midst of
a powerful alchemical ritual, when Lucien plunged the knife into each
of their hearts, their elements (fire, water, earth, air) consumed
them. The Nemesis, realizing that these elements might be important
instruments, ripped their elements essences out of their souls by
unknown magic and placed their souls in the four sarcophagi. Although
Lucien did not know at this time the significance of these substances,
he knew that they were powerful and held the key to some form of
eternal life. He knew they could prove useful in the future. Thus he
kept these elements alive and vibrant, but hidden throughout the temple
where he presumed no one could find them. Lucien was able to keep the
souls of the four alive in their bodies, while maintaining intense
torture for them in an “eternal hell.” Lucien also smashed the four’s
alchemical device and placed the different colored fragments of their
metals in another room of the temple to be studied. Lucien could
implement only two powers—keeping the body of his lover in stasis, and
trapped the souls of the dead cabal in their sarcophagi. Still, he was
unable to find the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone or the Elixir of
Life.
Several entries in Lucien's journal detail his workings with the
alchemists and their elements:
Last day of the Year of the Misuse, I’ve hidden the sources of their powers away from their control. Without them, they are unable to hold back the very elements they used to keep dominion over. (945-12-31)
I
live every day with the reminder of the horror I have inflicted on the
others.
Their crimes were great, and I had to be judge, jury and executioner.
Yet, they
do not succumb to my torture. Sartorius seems the weakest, but even
that
bastard will not break his silence. (undated)
Lucien was
killed by the Second Dungeon Master in 948. Confined as a spirit within the
Temple of Agrippa, the Nemesis did not
cease to expand his knowledge of alchemy in order to resurrect both
himself and his beloved. He continued to inflict grievous tortures upon
the four.
From
their sarcophagi, they will tell me nothing: I have all but ripped
their
throats out, so that is to be expected. How many threats can you use
upon the
dead? It sickens me to live here, a Daemon trapped in a temple. But I
must
finish their work, and fuel my hate with the power of the Quintessence.
(948-11-06)
Now
that I have stolen the four elements—Earth, Air, Fire, and Water—I have
hidden
them in this unholy temple, where they will never be found. I cannot
risk their
discovery, and have employed a great number of deadly lively
machinations to assure their seclusion. (949-02-22)
Some
small progress. I can now link each of my rotting alchemists with their
respective signs. Malveaux has mastered the element of fire—and has
made a
lucrative career of fire-worship along the way. Sartorius, my mad
Doctor, is
Air—precisely because it is largely this element that fills his pompous
brain.
Kaine must have chosen earth, because his head is filled with sod and
his soul
is consumed with earthly things. And Sophia, mistress of the Frigid
River
Conservatory is water—as befits the cold hag.
I have secreted their alchemical
elements
away in the temple, employing, as security, a complicated series of
machinations—the solutions to which I alone know. They will never be
able to
reclaim their powers, or their secret science. They will never be able
to
surpass the nefarious obstacle of the star field. They will rot;
unavenged IN
HELL…
Still, I find myself spending
endless hours
in the lab, with the shades drawn. My work with air has been
frustrating thus
far. I accept the irrefutable precept; that air has no color. I will
keep
working, alone in the dark until I find the best method of
purification. But
make no doubt I will possess the four elements and then the four
metals. I will
find the Quintessence, and forge the Eclipse. There is no hatred
stronger, no
power greater, than that which will be mine. (undated)
It
is more difficult to forge the four alchemical metals than I first
thought. I
have learned, through a painful process of trial and error, that it is
not safe
to keep the elements in their purified form. The four are not so stupid
as they
look; gaining access to their secret laboratories has been a labored
process. I
will go drag a hot poker down Malveaux’s rotting belly and see if he
cries out
something helpful. (949-05-15)
I
am tired of this game. I ransacked Sartorius’ laboratory today, and
while blood
flowed down the halls, I made little progress in my quest for his tin.
I am as
impatient as that stupid spy who thought any fistful of dirt, any drop
of water
– a spark from his fine Accardian cigar, or a mouthful of his foul
breath –
would constitute an element. I must return to my work with elemental
Air. As I
rise up to my lab and pass the twinkling star field, the blue reminds
me of
blue skies, a more peaceable time. But I can remember little of my life
before
the evil descended. Before my bloody rebirth. (949-08-25)
I
ransacked the Doctor’s Asylum today and while I was letting the blood
flow in
his halls, I found a revealing notebook. Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Tin, Lead,
Copper and Iron. Four are hidden in the Temple. For are not. If I can
recover
them all, I can summon the Quintessence.
But finally it will be wasted
effort if I
cannot discover the fifth element. I have searched many books—but
philosophers
disagree as to the nature of that element. The strongest power in my
universe
is hatred and wrath. There is nothing that cannot be tortured into
existence,
of that, I am certain. (949-08-25)
A lone female pilgrim made their way to the Temple of Agrippa in 949, where the spirits of the fourl alchemists, Alexandria and Lucien were still trapped within the temple environment. Their interactions were limited. They were able to react to the pilgrim’s stimulation, but went off on their own dialogue course. The trapped spirits worked in this fashion because they were imprisoned in another dimension. Certain enchanted objects were able to invoke them, but they were not completely free. With horror, she learned that the souls of the four alchemists were entrapped in grotesque stone crypts in the temple dome room. When she first encountered the alchemists, they had almost no powers. They were trapped and tortured souls whose very spirits were being drained and sapped by Lucien. They claimed to have been entombed by a vengeful half-human creature they called the Nemesis. The four said that without her help, they would perish. She was their only chance of salvation. The pilgrim also learned that if she did not assist these trapped souls, she would suffer the same miserable fate. Each made enigmatic request in turn to search the temple for their alchemical element that would restore their strength so they could be freed from their suffering. Fire belonged to Malveaux, air to Sartorius, earth to Thaddeus Kaine, and water to Sophia. Afterward, the souls could only speak in gasps unless their life elements were brought to them.
To retrieve these elements, the pilgrim solved a series of puzzles within the Temple of Agrippa, enabling her to retrieve each of the four elements. As the each of the four elements was unearthed from their hiding places deep inside the dark recesses of the temple, each one was placed upon the temple alter where they became fused to it and could not be removed. In turn, the souls of the alchemists were temporarily revived. Each related a corrupted version of their story, donning the role of an innocent and staging the Nemesis to have been evil from the start. They also wore facades of regret and shed false tears of repentance for their acts of involving Lucien and Alexandria, which resulted in their murders at the hands of the Nemesis. Once all four were helped, the Nemesis awakened.
Dressed in a hooded robe that obscured, but did not hide his face, the Nemesis strangled Sartorius’ soul with a bolt of lighting before preparing to murder the pilgrim with a ball of fire from his fingertips. The alchemists marshaled their meager elemental powers and drove him away at the last minute, but he promised that he would return. The four captives told more of their distorted tale and implored her to travel to each of their homelands to forge the four powerful alchemical metals which would bring each of their souls to life and allow her to escape from the Nemesis’ clutches.
Their powers were still weak, and the souls of the alchemists dematerialized, leaving behind a sphere of pure gold. She use it to operate the temple orrery and transport herself to each of the four alchemists' "worlds." These were Steppinthrax Monastery, Gray Mountains Asylum, Castle Irondune, and the Frigid River Branch Conservatory. Each of the alchemists hid their practice of alchemical magic, Lucien and Alexandria’s forbidden love affair, and their larger conspiracy in a quest for eternal life. The metals were hidden from the Nemesis, and thus it took much effort for the pilgrim to discover and forge each character’s metal (a purified object that represented each of their contributions to the alchemical table).
In the process, she learned of the narrative that occurred in each of the abandoned environments through flashbacks and hallucinations. The spaces were surreal and strange, haunted by the still smoldering souls of the dead inhabitants and vibrant with memories of past events. When she touched certain powerful objects in each of the buildings, she released the energy and memories they contained. Sometimes these memories were forthright, but most were strange and disjointed, providing snippets of events she had to put together. She also heard audio hallucinations or fragments of conversations and events that took place long ago. Through these mechanisms, she was able to put together the past relationship of Alexandria and Lucien and the evil cabal.
After returning each metal, the alchemists felt as though they had been freed from debilitating torture of their earlier state. It was only after the pilgrim had found and transmuted each of the four purified metals and correctly arranged them on the temple altar, that the alchemists became enfleshed creatures will full alchemical powers. When she placed the fourth and final metal object upon the altar, she was flung backward as if she had been blown into the closest behind the altar. The doors slammed shut. When she opened the doors, she saw the four alchemists standing by the altar with their sarcophagi splintered and cracked apart.
Before her, hovering in space was a strangely luminescent liquid in a crystal vial. The four urged the pilgrim to quickly drink the so-called Elixir of Life, else they would all perish. Having experienced enough of the hallucinations within their homelands, and having unraveled the mysteries of the alchemical schemes, she already did not trust the four. When she refused to swallow the poison, they realized that she was not as stupid as they thought.
Hoping to repay Lucien with an even greater extreme of torture than he had permitted them to suffer, they summoned the Nemesis. He appeared, trapped in a glowing, alchemical force field. Lucien was enraged at what the pilgrim had done by resurrecting the four alchemists. Hoping that she may in fact be able to redeem herself, Lucien tossed a golden ring from his finger to her. As he did so, the pilgrim was thrown backward out of the temple dome room and into the cloister.
When she touched the ring, she received a hallucination of the death of Alexandria. All suspicions were thoroughly confirmed. The four souls that she thought were allies were really her enemies. Lucien, the Nemesis, was truly anguished. Dead was only a physical state, and like all metal in alchemy, may be transformed. The Circle had used this pilgrim in a last ditch effort to complete the ceremony Lucien interrupted so many years ago and made another try at eternal life. The eclipse that would be perfect for the sun and moon to join and their eternity to open drew near.
In the final confrontation between the evil alchemists, the pilgrim had to use everything she had learned about alchemy. Descending into an enormous subterranean world beneath the temple, she searched for Lucien’s and Alexandria’s metals of gold and silver. Using the proper techniques in unison with the mystical and archaic devices in the inner sanctum below, she forged the two metals into one—into the quintessence.
When she returned to the temple dome room, the alchemists were standing around the altar, chanting. The translucent, shimmering soul of Alexandria levitated above the altar’s center. As the eclipse drew towards its completion, the ceiling rent asunder and its shadowy form appeared in the sky above the altar space. At the moment that the eclipse formed, she tossed the quintessence towards the altar. In midair, a blast of light from above struck the infinity symbol and reflected into the four sarcophagi. The alchemists, realizing too late what she had done, screamed as they and their sarcophagi exploded in a blast of wind, fire, water, and earth. The process, with its permanent destruction of the four alchemists, in turn fully restored both Lucien and Alexandria to the flesh.
OTHER TRIVIAL INFORMATION:
- The Kaine coat of arms was a prominent emblem of sweeping colors of yellow, orange and red