A cryer is proclaiming "Tournament!" In an alley nearby, another man, obviously crazed, proclaiming "The End is Near" on the streets of Paris. The papalenvoys who are investigating the stone masons pass him by and tries to roust him, and the cryer attacks him and leaves him a bloody husk. Another of the envoy's guards flees.
The Company's investigation of the Raven Knight leads them to the Raven Knight's wife, Alix. She has some of her husband's private papers, hidden in a vault in the old Roman catacombs of Lutetia, Roman Paris. She has been largely estranged from her husband for years, and the house is being watched by the Lord Constable's men.
Alix is uncertain of the crypt's location, but the Raven Knight's mistress, a gypsy dancer, knows more. The Company makes its way into the crypts and discovers them guarded by spectres. The Dragon Romany calls upon holy powers to safeguard them, and after a long journey, they come to the vault and discover it's been burned out, and the treasures taken. However the Raven was careless in one regard, his journal is there. He neglected to take it, and had forgotten he'd used a fireproof leather binding that magically protected it.
The journal details his entry into an Arab secret society. He was introduced by Ibn Al-Katib, a Perrsian sorcerer whom he'd taken as a prisoner while travelling in the Holy Land. I describes his fascination with the Dragons of the Dark, and how he learned to draw power from sin "Sin has the devil's power in it. If one hears enough sin and gives into that power, one can become a devil. The grester the sin, the greater the sinner, the greater the power. Thus without shedding a drop of blood, I have become a devil." The last entry is "France must be prepared. Anarchy must sit on the throne of France."
The Company rests for the Knight. Durn and her husband frequent a tavern and hear someone proclaim the end is near. They ignore the apocalyptic message, until one of the tavernworkers sees something and scream. Durn goes out to investigate and finds herself in battle against a terrifying creature that's possessed the prophet. With help from a mysterious man from the shadows
The troubere, Clemens of Paris, has been writing satire about our heroes. The Dragon Romany slept with dragons, Alton sleeps with his manservant, Quentin sleeps with his horse, and Durn sleeps alone. Quentin overhears this, but aside from a few barbed comments, largely ignores him.
Sir Robert of Britanny, influence 20, attempts to bar the PCs from tournament, due to their association with the Raven Knight. The tournament is largely represented by Rouge Knights, his favorites. One of them, Henry of Langudoc wins the tournament. The Company doesn't seem to care much.
At the presentation of the tournament prizes, the papal envoy begins to get ill. Hives break out over his skin, and he explodes, bursting into a swarm of giant wasps.
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