Fae means or Foul

In Nomine
Plot DocFae Means Or Foul
Old Gods struggle to free themselves from a diabolical Tithe…
Cast
The Group (The Angels, The Party)
The Tuatha de Danaan (The Ethereals, The Fae)
The Tsayadim (The Outcasts)
Georgina – Seraph of Dreams (The Dreamer)
Stephan – Seraph of the Sword (The Swordsman)
Jamie – Human (The Prophet)
Jophiel – Malakite of Fire (The Guard)
Sunshine – Cherub of Dreams (The Tracker)
Shaelfur – Shedim of Factions (The Liar)
Marcus – Mercurian of War (The Old Soldier)
Mackey – Ofanim of the Wind (The Youth)
Eli – Archangel of Creation
Yves – Archangel of Destiny
Synopsis
The Angels are assigned by Yves to investigate the theft of a copy of the Spear of Destiny from Vienna.
Beginning in London, the Angels run into the Tuatha, the Tsayadim, and a variety of contacts that eventually lead them to Lancaster. There, they finally uncover a plot by the Tuatha to retrieve the Four Treasures.
The Tuatha suffer under the Fae Tithe to Hell, imposed upon them by their ex-High King Bres. Bres and his Formori allies will oppose any attempt to break the Tithe, eventually leading to a climactic battle with Balor.
All through this the Tsayadim try to slay the Tuatha whilst the Demons play all sides off each other. Their perfect result would be Fallen Tsayadim, the Tuatha still under the Tithe, and the Party Outcast.
Part One
Destiny Speaks (Briefing by Yves)
Summoned to the British Library (a Tether for Yves).
Each Angel is asked by Yves or sent by their Superior after an agreement with Yves is made.
A copy of the Spear of Destiny, housed in the Hofburg Museum, Vienna, has been stolen. So far there has been no public announcement as the spear on display is a copy anyway. However InterPol is already investigating.
Dominic saw no value in Angelic interference in tracking down something that wasn’t even a Relic. That would have been that, except Yves has a feeling there is something more going on.
The trail from Vienna ended with a flight to London and a scrap of paper with a phone number on it.
Because this is not an official investigation the Party only have the resources they bring with them.
Black Cab (First Clues)
The telephone number rings through to Jeff Hodges, a cab driver who moonlights on the side as a tour guide of sorts. He’s supposed to put all his fares through the books, but for a little extra he will accept private fares and not ask too many questions. Usually he does this for tourists but yesterday he had a weird fare comprising three Irish men and a woman, also Irish. He took them to the Strand Hotel.
Jeff is not involved beyond being a cab driver. The Ethereals minimised their contact and told him no more than he needed to know.
Jeff has a wife (Maureen, Dinner lady) and daughter (Christine, School kid). His best mate and drinking buddy is Bob, a truck driver.
Casing the Joint (Fight in the Hotel)
The Strand is a three star hotel near Camden and the Thames. The hotel’s marble-clad lobby is furnished with tropical flora and leather sofas. At one end the Ethereals are checking out.
At the exact same moment the Party spots the Ethereals, Nuada spots them. He motions for the others to flee and draws his sword. “Run! I’ll hold them here!”
Before battle can be joined however the Tsayadim and their Soldiers arrive in a lift. Combat is inevitable.
Smarter characters will notice that although the Tsayadim are Angels they will show no remorse about cutting down humans. Indeed, their quarry is much more concerned with loss of life.
During the battle Nuada has his sword knocked from his hands. Using his silver hand (which he summons using a form of Numinous Corpus) he manages to break free and escape through a window.
At the same moment Eli arrives, using the Ethereal Song of Harmony to break up the fight. The Tsayadim and Soldiers retreat with haste, back into the lift, using the Celestial Song of Motion to escape.
Part Two
Speaking with Eli
Eli will greet the Party but remain distant. He has taken a tremendous risk appearing here and will advise that they leave immediately. The disturbance caused by the fight will be sure to attract attention, and right now that means Demons.
Eli will teleport the Party wherever they like, but if they take too long he will simply choose a small room in St. Pauls Cathedral. Eli will then take his leave, with little to no explanation.
Blade of Nuada (Old Stories)
A little research will allow the group to identify the blade. There might be many ways to achieve this, including a sword specialist, a historian, or something supernatural. The Blade of Nuada is a powerful but faded Relic. It is a very old Bronze Age sword with a new wooden handle. The edge is still very sharp and unlike other bronze weapons it shows no sign of bending.
Visiting Dublin (The Swordsman)
The Sword of Nuada was stolen a week ago from the National Museum in Dublin. It didn’t register any anyone’s radar except for Stephan, a Seraph of the Sword stationed in Dublin. He has a hobby interest in ancient weaponry, but always discounted it as a fake (hence never examining it). Being a servant of Lawrence he could not spare the time to look into the theft, but the disappearance of the sword irked him on a personal level.
Stephan knows little about the theft but he can get the Party into the museum. If he can be convinced it is necessary Stephan can summon a Reliever with the Corporeal Song of Memory to search the area.
Investigations through whatever means will reveal that three men and a woman entered the museum at night, bypassing all security. One of the men spoke a few simple words (in Proto-Gaelic) and the sword flew out of the case and into his hand. They then left as quietly as they came.
Stephan knows of the Tsayadim in general, but not the London group in specific. He advises the Party speak with Georgina, a Seraph of Dream, based out of a law firm in London (Barringer, Bradbeer & Brown). Stephan knows her only by reputation, but she was active during the time of Uriel’s purge and would know more.
Part Three
Warehouse on the Docks
With a dead-end on the Ethereals, the only way forward for the Party is the Tsayadim. A visit to Georgina’s office instead finds her out, apparently visiting a warehouse on the Docks due to be condemned.
The Tsayadim versus the Demons
Georgina detected the disturbance off the battle in the hotel and set out to investigate. Eli cloaked the presence of the Party well so it was the Tsayadim who proved easiest to track. So far she doesn’t know who they are, but will recognise them easily enough if they speak.
The warehouse is the current hideout for the Soldiers and their Tsayadim commanders. Unfortunately the last battle tipped their hand and the location has been compromised. A group of Demons split across two vans have arrived with hostages. They plan on confronting the Tsayadim with the express intention of forcing a battle in which the Outcasts slay the hostages.
Depending on how the Party approach the warehouse they will either witness the opening volleys between the Tsayadim and the Demons, or meet Georgina who will brief them as best they can.
Once the Demons notice the Party they will switch tactics. The Demons would rather the Tsayadim survive the battle and the Party not, so they will concentrate on the Angels and mostly ignore the Outcasts.
Answers Breed Questions (The Dreamer)
Once the battle is over Georgina will invite the Party back to her office. There she can explain more about Uriel, the purge, and the Fairies. She isn’t a specialist on the Tuatha in particular, so will generalise somewhat, though she does know about the Tithe.
Georgina cannot leave her current assignment but she can put the party in touch with two other contacts. The first is a prophet named Jaime, a Soldier of Fire, who lives in Camden. Jamie should be able to get a reading from the sword, giving the Angels a next step.
The second is a Cherubim of Dream named Sunshine. He spends most of his time in the Ethereal realm and is an expert tracker. If anyone could trace the Tsayadim in the Ethereal, it is him.
Part Four
Visions of a Rose (Leaving London)
Jamie lives in a small flat in Camden. She is guarded by Jophiel, a Malakim of Fire.
The Party will be ushered in to a nearly neat flat by Jamie, while Jophiel remains stoic by the door. Jamie will explain she is a favourite target of the local Demons, hence Jophiel, but so far she has always seen them coming. Jophiel is there for the day when they finally get passed her prescience.
Jamie can perform a reading on the sword, commenting on its age and power. She explains there is a lot more to the history of the sword than the Angels need to know, only that it is a Fae blade and that its owner, Nuada, is headed for the City of the Red Rose (Lancaster). Whilst he does wish the Party harm, Jamie cautions that this is not necessarily an Evil motivation. She sees a meeting between the Party and Nuada in the future, as he cannot go forward without the blade.
If they wish for a peaceable solution, Jamie advises that the Angels travel to Lancaster and investigate the Cathedral there. She warns them that there are at least three other interested parties at work here, and to place their trust carefully: at least one of those parties is Demonic.
Tsayadim Trap (Losing the Sword)
The journey to Lancaster is mostly uneventful. Depending on how they approach the city, the party will successfully make it to the Cathedral without incident. Unfortunately they are being tracked by the Tsayadim, who have homed in on the sword, and are attacked in the car park of the church. The Tsayadim and their soldiers are not there to kill the Party, they are there purely for the sword. All their tactics will involve targeting whoever has the blade, grabbing it, and then using the Song of Motion to escape. This is something of an emergency situation so the Soldiers have been given one-shot relics that allow them to teleport away, even after death. The sword will be stolen here.
A little investigation at the Cathedral reveals that it’s tower was up until recently being used as a safe house. It has been hurriedly cleaned out but there are telltale signs of occupation, enough to intimate the Tsayadim having stayed here a short while.
Lancastrian Welcome (Demons sell out the Tuatha)
Immediately after the fight the local Demons decide to make contact with the Party. Warned by the Demons from London, they have been doing their own research into the Fae. Correctly guessing that the Tuatha intend to lift the Tithe the Demons see an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
The contact preferably takes the form of a phone call on someone’s mobile, but if that is not available then a Shedim (Shaelfur) will approach the group outside the Cathedral.
The Demons make no claims, nor deny who they are. They also make no attempt to explain their actions. All they want is to stop the Tuatha performing the ritual. They will explain to the Angels that the Tuatha are rogue agents linked to Hell and that what they are doing will endanger human life. If the Angels want to know more they should make their way to Williamson Park at sunset, to visit the sundial.
Part Five
Ashton Memorial (Tuatha Ritual)
The Tuatha have the head of the Sunspear still in their possession. Though mistakenly identified as the Spear of Destiny many years ago, the Spear of Lugh still retains some of its power. In a ritual taking place on the sundial they invoke Luchtaine (the carpenter of the Tuatha) to reform the shaft of the spear while Lugh channels the power of the Sun into its tip, renewing the weapon.
Should the Party try to intervene, Nuada and the Dagda will step forward to hold them off whilst the ritual is completed. Nothing will go to plan however, as the Tsayadim also arrive.
Williamson Park (Close call for the Tuatha)
A three-way battle quickly breaks out, with the Tsayadim trying to slay the Tuatha, the Tuatha trying to fend everyone off, and the Party caught in the middle. The Tsayadim still have no great desire to destroy the Party (and so will do no Celestial damage, even when the opportunity presents itself), but neither do they particularly care about them. The Tuatha are their only target.
The battle ends suddenly. Either the Tuatha flee when it becomes apparent the ritual cannot be finished safely, or Lugh completes the spear and activates it, blinding everyone present. Both the Tsayadim and the Tuatha make their escape.
The Alex (New Leads, Old Friends)
With nightfall comes the arrival, paradoxically, of Sunshine. He has tracked the Tsayadim back as far as he dares to the Far Marches and then done a little digging of his own. He invites them to the Alex, a popular rock club in town, where he is meeting a contact they might find useful.
The Alex on a Saturday night is packed as always. “Betty” is DJ’ing, Sarah is on the door, and Leila is behind the bar. Sat in one corner is Marcus, a Mercurian of War, Sunshine’s contact. Marcus is mostly relaxing, having recently taken down a cabal of hellbound Soldiers in Manchester. He isn’t really a regular of the Alex, but has been here before and finds the music soothing.
Sunshine informs the party that the Outcasts are servitors of Uriel and that Marcus knows more. Marcus is approachable, but businesslike, currently his role is that of a biker so he is decked out in heavy leathers. He was active during the purge, refusing to take part after he saw what was being wrought. Michael backed his decision at the time, keeping Dominic from acting, but he has kept his head down since. He knows about the Tsayadim and will explain as best he can.
Both Sunshine and Marcus will admit to a deficit of knowledge about the Tuatha. However Marcus does know of a human authority on the subject, passing the party a business card for Jez Green, Daemon Books.
Part Six
Daemon Books (Pendle Witchcraft)
Jez is not a supernatural of any form. Rather he is a well read scholar of occult and mystical subjects. He is, however, a very good observer and though no threat to the Party, smart enough to play his cards close to his chest.
Jez knows most things about the legends of the Tuatha. He is also a practicing Chaos Magician and as such is quite able to make suppositions about what they might be up to in the present day.
Given enough information, either Jez or the party will eventually ask why the Tuatha are in Lancaster. Are they stopping here on the way to somewhere else, or is it a destination of itself?
Jez will discuss various possibilities, but the most likely one in his book is that Lancaster holds something here for them. He can theorise about the mystical signification of Lancaster, but if told about the Spear and the Sword will make one leap of inspired deduction. Lancaster had a disproportionate amount of trials during the witch hunts. There are a variety of reasons for this, but Jez makes the link with a few forgotten tales about a witch’s cauldron, passed from generation to generation until it vanished during the trial of the Pendle Witches. Of course, it’s a conceit that witches even used cauldrons, but his advice is that they pursue the cauldron as it is likely something to do with the Tuatha.
Lancaster Castle (Buried Treasure)
The starting point for any investigation into the Pendle Witches is Lancaster Castle, where they were tried and executed. The Party can investigate it in many ways, either through the tourist side or the prison itself. The castle has a few mystical secrets of its own, but the one of primary interest to the Party is the chamber beneath the old dungeon, now sealed off and forgotten. Within it is an ancient cauldron, in fact the Cauldron of the Dagda.
The chamber is not accessible at the moment, though the cauldron will be detectible by Angels who can get close enough to sense the Essence. The chamber roof collapsed years ago, burying everything inside.
Graveyard Battle (Tsayadim Tricked)
Outside the castle the Tsayadim once again appear. They are suspicious of the Party, wanting to know where their loyalties lie. To the Outcasts it seems that the Party might even be in collusion with the Ethereals, seeing as they appear every time one of the treasures show up.
This meeting could go either way. The Outcasts are unrepentant about their actions to date. They simply want to gauge the Party and find where their loyalties lie. If they think battle is required they will do so, otherwise they will warn the Party off the Ethereals and leave. Should it look like things are going to go badly for them they will retreat to the Priory (where no Angel would dare spill blood) and then teleport away.
Shaelfur is watching this meeting from afar. If he spots a chance to intervene and cause a conflict, he will take it.
Part Seven
The Waiting Game (Theft of the Stone)
With the disappearance of the Tsayadim and the Tuatha, the trail goes a little cold for the Angels. However the Tuatha are busy in Scotland, appropriating the Stone of Scone from Edinburgh Castle.
The Party will find out about the theft in a number of ways, most likely from a television broadcast or a phone call from Georgina. Jez can also be consulted and will provide the link between the Stone and the Lias Fail.
Two Faced (Edinburgh Ofanim)
A trip to Edinburgh will allow the Angels to investigate the theft. The local Angels will spare Mackey, a young Ofanim of Janus to show them around. He is investigating the theft itself and has already established the Ethereal link.
Edinburgh castle is open to the public, though the section with the Stone is currently sealed off for repairs. Apparently the thieves didn’t have as much time for subtlety this time around and damaged the walls whilst getting in.
Bres Revealed (Formor Attack)
The Angels are not the only ones interested in the theft however. The Formor have finally arrived on the scene, lead by Bres. At first Bres will approach the Party in a friendly manner to ascertain who they are. However the monstrous nature of his troops will soon become evident and a fight is inevitable. The Formor have no love for the Host, the purge hit them as hard as any Ethereal and they hold grudges for a long time. The Formor wield wicked spears, which they cast into the stomachs of their enemies before dragging them back to devour in their shark-like maws. They will fight until killed, escaping to the Ethereal plane only to avoid capture.
Part Eight
Meeting by the Pond (Tuatha Come Clean)
Back in Lancaster Sunshine tells the Party he has received a message from the Ethereals. They have asked to parlay with the Angels, suggesting a meeting at the duck pond on campus, near the Chaplaincy Centre.
Nuada, Lugh, The Dagda, and Brigid gather at the pond and await the Angels. None of them appear to be armed, but both Lugh and the Dagda can summon their respective weapons at will.
The Tuatha are here to talk. It was possible that they could take on the Tsayadim alone. But the intervention of both the Demons and the Party has made success impossible. Their only hope to complete the ritual by Samhaim is to bargain with the Angels. They have little to loose, and even if their offer is rejected they might still find the location of the sword through guile. They explain about the Tithe and the Tuatha de Danaan as best they can, being careful never to refer to themselves as deities. In the end they can only beseech the Angels for aid, calling on their compassion and wisdom.
Guided Tour (Retrieving the Cauldron)
An alliance formed, the first order of business is to retrieve the Cauldron before the Demons can get it. There are probably many ways to access the Cauldron’s resting place, but the simplest is to make a foray into the castle after dark and then, through supernatural means, uncover the chamber. The Cauldron is intact after all these years.
Hidden Strength (The Dagda’s Distraction)
Escaping the castle will not be simple. The local Demons, clued in by Shaelfur, decide it is time to act. Utilizing the graveyard that adjoins the castle, they raise a group of Zombi’s and attack.
Rather than be caught the Dagda draws his enormous club and suggests the rest leave: he can easily hold off the attack and join the group later. A few practice swings through the Zombi ranks imply he might not be wrong.
Part Nine
Uriel’s Legacy (Tsayadim state their Case)
Fleeing through the streets of Lancaster, the Tuatha and the Angels make it to the train station before being stopped. The Tsayadim and their Soldiers stand in their way, weapons drawn.
Initially the Tsayadim will try reason. They are still Angels after all, even if Outcast. They will point out that Uriel was never punished for the purge; that the Tuatha set themselves up as deities; that the Fae have been working for Hell for centuries. The Tuatha, realising that their arguments are on rocky ground will speak carefully if at all. Asking where Uriel is now, or mentioning that it was the mortals who decided to worship them and that they never manifested after the Milesians arrived.
The Tsayadim will not take no for an answer. They want to slay the Tuatha and destroy the Four Treasures. If they are denied, they will attack.
Angelic War (Demonic Intervention)
It is here that Shaelfur makes a mistake. Having seen the Tsayadim and the Party at each other’s throats he assumes that a sufficiently large rift has been driven between them. The Dagda has held up the Demonic troops long enough before fleeing, and now Shaelfur feels it is time to take down these rebellious Ethereals.
With almost overwhelming might, Demons, Soldiers of Hell, and Undead arrive at the train station and attack. Their targets are clearly the remaining three Tuatha, but they are not picky.
Shaelfur’s mistake, of course, is that the Tsayadim have not yet Fallen. Though Outcasts, they still will not abide a Demon to live. Given the necessity to choose between slaying an Ethereal and slaying a Demon, they will take the Demon first.
The Symphony rings with the sound of battle as Angel, Outcast, and Ethereal take up arms together against the Forces of Hell. At first, the Soldiers on both sides take heavy casualties, but soon Celestials are falling as well. The Tuatha fare a little better as Brigid is quite the healer and Lugh has his Spear. Nuada fights bravely, but without his Sword he is not quite as effective.
As the final throws of the battle ring out the Demons are routed, taking their dead with them. The Tsayadim are slain to an Angel and only their dead Soldiers remain. One Soldier holds on however, long enough to give the location of the Sword: the Crook O’Lune, before passing on. If the Angels do not think to ask for this information then Nuada certainly will.
Race to the Lune (Recover the Sword)
Though the Demonic threat has abated for now there are still the Formori to worry about. The Tuatha are suspicious of Bres, particularly if the Party mention their encounter in Edinburgh, and will council finding the Sword as quickly as possible.
The Crook O’Lune is a popular woodland area northeast of Lancaster. It has many public footpaths and a large bridge that crosses the River Lune itself. The Sword is stashed beneath the bridge where one of the footpaths spurs off over a sty.
However the group are not alone. As Nuada grasps the Sword Bres and his troops arrive. The Formor drastically outnumber the Angels and all are armed with the barbed spears.
Part Ten
Soldiers of Danu (Reinforcements Arrive)
Bres doesn’t bother to demand anything of the Tuatha. He knows they will not submit to his rule again. Instead he orders the Formor to attack.
However the Angel’s luck continues to hold and the cavalry is called in. The Dagda, having escaped the Demons earlier, has tracked down a group of Grey Soldiers, troops dedicated to Danu herself. These Soldiers even the odds enough that the Angels have a chance of winning once more.
Balor’s Gaze (The Final Fight)
There is one final problem however. Bres does not act alone in this: Balor, King of the Formor, has taken an interest in the rebellion of the Tuatha. Choosing his moment carefully, he will manifest during the battle with his retinue who will proceed to pull open his terrible eye, slaying all who see it.
In order to win the Angels and the Tuatha must defeat both Balor and Bres.
Removing the Tithe (Return to the Otherworld)
It’s almost an anticlimax after the battle, but there is one final thing the Tuatha must do. In a quiet ritual on the sundial at Williamson Park, as the Sun rises on the 1st November, they draw on the power of the Four Treasures to break the Tithe and declare independence from Hell.
It is really up to the Angels to decide whether this ritual goes ahead. In order to stop it they would have to slay the remaining Tuatha themselves, a task that shouldn’t sit well with them by now. If they get any Superiors involved then matters will get more complicated as there will be decidedly mixed feelings from above.
In the end Dominic will want the Tuatha slain and Yves will want them free. The various Archangels will fall on either side of this debate, with the exception of Laurence who will keep quiet. He does not need to be dragged into Uriel’s legacy any more than he already is.
In the end the Party can swing the decision or simply decide the fate of theOld Gods struggle to free themselves from a diabolical Tithe…

This plot was originally written to be run with Steve Jackson Games’ In Nomine rpg system.

Cast

The Group (The Angels, The Party)

The Tuatha de Danaan (The Ethereals, The Fae)

The Tsayadim (The Outcasts)

Georgina – Seraph of Dreams (The Dreamer)

Stephan – Seraph of the Sword (The Swordsman)

Jamie – Human (The Prophet)

Jophiel – Malakite of Fire (The Guard)

Sunshine – Cherub of Dreams (The Tracker)

Shaelfur – Shedim of Factions (The Liar)

Marcus – Mercurian of War (The Old Soldier)

Mackey – Ofanim of the Wind (The Youth)

Eli – Archangel of Creation

Yves – Archangel of Destiny

Synopsis

The Angels are assigned by Yves to investigate the theft of a copy of the Spear of Destiny from Vienna.

Beginning in London, the Angels run into the Tuatha, the Tsayadim, and a variety of contacts that eventually lead them to Lancaster. There, they finally uncover a plot by the Tuatha to retrieve the Four Treasures.

The Tuatha suffer under the Fae Tithe to Hell, imposed upon them by their ex-High King Bres. Bres and his Formori allies will oppose any attempt to break the Tithe, eventually leading to a climactic battle with Balor.

All through this the Tsayadim try to slay the Tuatha whilst the Demons play all sides off each other. Their perfect result would be Fallen Tsayadim, the Tuatha still under the Tithe, and the Party Outcast.

Part One

Destiny Speaks (Briefing by Yves)

Summoned to the British Library (a Tether for Yves).

Each Angel is asked by Yves or sent by their Superior after an agreement with Yves is made.

A copy of the Spear of Destiny, housed in the Hofburg Museum, Vienna, has been stolen. So far there has been no public announcement as the spear on display is a copy anyway. However InterPol is already investigating.

Dominic saw no value in Angelic interference in tracking down something that wasn’t even a Relic. That would have been that, except Yves has a feeling there is something more going on.

The trail from Vienna ended with a flight to London and a scrap of paper with a phone number on it.

Because this is not an official investigation the Party only have the resources they bring with them.

Black Cab (First Clues)

The telephone number rings through to Jeff Hodges, a cab driver who moonlights on the side as a tour guide of sorts. He’s supposed to put all his fares through the books, but for a little extra he will accept private fares and not ask too many questions. Usually he does this for tourists but yesterday he had a weird fare comprising three Irish men and a woman, also Irish. He took them to the Strand Hotel.

Jeff is not involved beyond being a cab driver. The Ethereals minimised their contact and told him no more than he needed to know.

Jeff has a wife (Maureen, Dinner lady) and daughter (Christine, School kid). His best mate and drinking buddy is Bob, a truck driver.

Casing the Joint (Fight in the Hotel)

The Strand is a three star hotel near Camden and the Thames. The hotel’s marble-clad lobby is furnished with tropical flora and leather sofas. At one end the Ethereals are checking out.

At the exact same moment the Party spots the Ethereals, Nuada spots them. He motions for the others to flee and draws his sword. “Run! I’ll hold them here!”

Before battle can be joined however the Tsayadim and their Soldiers arrive in a lift. Combat is inevitable.

Smarter characters will notice that although the Tsayadim are Angels they will show no remorse about cutting down humans. Indeed, their quarry is much more concerned with loss of life.

During the battle Nuada has his sword knocked from his hands. Using his silver hand (which he summons using a form of Numinous Corpus) he manages to break free and escape through a window.

At the same moment Eli arrives, using the Ethereal Song of Harmony to break up the fight. The Tsayadim and Soldiers retreat with haste, back into the lift, using the Celestial Song of Motion to escape.

Part Two

Speaking with Eli

Eli will greet the Party but remain distant. He has taken a tremendous risk appearing here and will advise that they leave immediately. The disturbance caused by the fight will be sure to attract attention, and right now that means Demons.

Eli will teleport the Party wherever they like, but if they take too long he will simply choose a small room in St. Pauls Cathedral. Eli will then take his leave, with little to no explanation.

Blade of Nuada (Old Stories)

A little research will allow the group to identify the blade. There might be many ways to achieve this, including a sword specialist, a historian, or something supernatural. The Blade of Nuada is a powerful but faded Relic. It is a very old Bronze Age sword with a new wooden handle. The edge is still very sharp and unlike other bronze weapons it shows no sign of bending.

Visiting Dublin (The Swordsman)

The Sword of Nuada was stolen a week ago from the National Museum in Dublin. It didn’t register any anyone’s radar except for Stephan, a Seraph of the Sword stationed in Dublin. He has a hobby interest in ancient weaponry, but always discounted it as a fake (hence never examining it). Being a servant of Lawrence he could not spare the time to look into the theft, but the disappearance of the sword irked him on a personal level.

Stephan knows little about the theft but he can get the Party into the museum. If he can be convinced it is necessary Stephan can summon a Reliever with the Corporeal Song of Memory to search the area.

Investigations through whatever means will reveal that three men and a woman entered the museum at night, bypassing all security. One of the men spoke a few simple words (in Proto-Gaelic) and the sword flew out of the case and into his hand. They then left as quietly as they came.

Stephan knows of the Tsayadim in general, but not the London group in specific. He advises the Party speak with Georgina, a Seraph of Dream, based out of a law firm in London (Barringer, Bradbeer & Brown). Stephan knows her only by reputation, but she was active during the time of Uriel’s purge and would know more.

Part Three

Warehouse on the Docks

With a dead-end on the Ethereals, the only way forward for the Party is the Tsayadim. A visit to Georgina’s office instead finds her out, apparently visiting a warehouse on the Docks due to be condemned.

The Tsayadim versus the Demons

Georgina detected the disturbance off the battle in the hotel and set out to investigate. Eli cloaked the presence of the Party well so it was the Tsayadim who proved easiest to track. So far she doesn’t know who they are, but will recognise them easily enough if they speak.

The warehouse is the current hideout for the Soldiers and their Tsayadim commanders. Unfortunately the last battle tipped their hand and the location has been compromised. A group of Demons split across two vans have arrived with hostages. They plan on confronting the Tsayadim with the express intention of forcing a battle in which the Outcasts slay the hostages.

Depending on how the Party approach the warehouse they will either witness the opening volleys between the Tsayadim and the Demons, or meet Georgina who will brief them as best they can.

Once the Demons notice the Party they will switch tactics. The Demons would rather the Tsayadim survive the battle and the Party not, so they will concentrate on the Angels and mostly ignore the Outcasts.

Answers Breed Questions (The Dreamer)

Once the battle is over Georgina will invite the Party back to her office. There she can explain more about Uriel, the purge, and the Fairies. She isn’t a specialist on the Tuatha in particular, so will generalise somewhat, though she does know about the Tithe.

Georgina cannot leave her current assignment but she can put the party in touch with two other contacts. The first is a prophet named Jaime, a Soldier of Fire, who lives in Camden. Jamie should be able to get a reading from the sword, giving the Angels a next step.

The second is a Cherubim of Dream named Sunshine. He spends most of his time in the Ethereal realm and is an expert tracker. If anyone could trace the Tsayadim in the Ethereal, it is him.

Part Four

Visions of a Rose (Leaving London)

Jamie lives in a small flat in Camden. She is guarded by Jophiel, a Malakim of Fire.

The Party will be ushered in to a nearly neat flat by Jamie, while Jophiel remains stoic by the door. Jamie will explain she is a favourite target of the local Demons, hence Jophiel, but so far she has always seen them coming. Jophiel is there for the day when they finally get passed her prescience.

Jamie can perform a reading on the sword, commenting on its age and power. She explains there is a lot more to the history of the sword than the Angels need to know, only that it is a Fae blade and that its owner, Nuada, is headed for the City of the Red Rose (Lancaster). Whilst he does wish the Party harm, Jamie cautions that this is not necessarily an Evil motivation. She sees a meeting between the Party and Nuada in the future, as he cannot go forward without the blade.

If they wish for a peaceable solution, Jamie advises that the Angels travel to Lancaster and investigate the Cathedral there. She warns them that there are at least three other interested parties at work here, and to place their trust carefully: at least one of those parties is Demonic.

Tsayadim Trap (Losing the Sword)

The journey to Lancaster is mostly uneventful. Depending on how they approach the city, the party will successfully make it to the Cathedral without incident. Unfortunately they are being tracked by the Tsayadim, who have homed in on the sword, and are attacked in the car park of the church. The Tsayadim and their soldiers are not there to kill the Party, they are there purely for the sword. All their tactics will involve targeting whoever has the blade, grabbing it, and then using the Song of Motion to escape. This is something of an emergency situation so the Soldiers have been given one-shot relics that allow them to teleport away, even after death. The sword will be stolen here.

A little investigation at the Cathedral reveals that it’s tower was up until recently being used as a safe house. It has been hurriedly cleaned out but there are telltale signs of occupation, enough to intimate the Tsayadim having stayed here a short while.

Lancastrian Welcome (Demons sell out the Tuatha)

Immediately after the fight the local Demons decide to make contact with the Party. Warned by the Demons from London, they have been doing their own research into the Fae. Correctly guessing that the Tuatha intend to lift the Tithe the Demons see an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

The contact preferably takes the form of a phone call on someone’s mobile, but if that is not available then a Shedim (Shaelfur) will approach the group outside the Cathedral.

The Demons make no claims, nor deny who they are. They also make no attempt to explain their actions. All they want is to stop the Tuatha performing the ritual. They will explain to the Angels that the Tuatha are rogue agents linked to Hell and that what they are doing will endanger human life. If the Angels want to know more they should make their way to Williamson Park at sunset, to visit the sundial.

Part Five

Ashton Memorial (Tuatha Ritual)

The Tuatha have the head of the Sunspear still in their possession. Though mistakenly identified as the Spear of Destiny many years ago, the Spear of Lugh still retains some of its power. In a ritual taking place on the sundial in Williamson Park they invoke Luchtaine (the carpenter of the Tuatha) to reform the shaft of the spear while Lugh channels the power of the Sun into its tip, renewing the weapon.

Should the Party try to intervene, Nuada and the Dagda will step forward to hold them off whilst the ritual is completed. Nothing will go to plan however, as the Tsayadim also arrive.

Williamson Park (Close call for the Tuatha)

A three-way battle quickly breaks out, with the Tsayadim trying to slay the Tuatha, the Tuatha trying to fend everyone off, and the Party caught in the middle. The Tsayadim still have no great desire to destroy the Party (and so will do no Celestial damage, even when the opportunity presents itself), but neither do they particularly care about them. The Tuatha are their only target.

The battle ends suddenly. Either the Tuatha flee when it becomes apparent the ritual cannot be finished safely, or Lugh completes the spear and activates it, blinding everyone present. Both the Tsayadim and the Tuatha make their escape.

The Alex (New Leads, Old Friends)

With nightfall comes the arrival, paradoxically, of Sunshine. He has tracked the Tsayadim back as far as he dares to the Far Marches and then done a little digging of his own. He invites them to the Alex, a popular rock club in town, where he is meeting a contact they might find useful.

The Alex on a Saturday night is packed as always. “Betty” is DJ’ing, Sarah is on the door, and Leila is behind the bar. Sat in one corner is Marcus, a Mercurian of War, Sunshine’s contact. Marcus is mostly relaxing, having recently taken down a cabal of hellbound Soldiers in Manchester. He isn’t really a regular of the Alex, but has been here before and finds the music soothing.

Sunshine informs the party that the Outcasts are servitors of Uriel and that Marcus knows more. Marcus is approachable, but businesslike, currently his role is that of a biker so he is decked out in heavy leathers. He was active during the purge, refusing to take part after he saw what was being wrought. Michael backed his decision at the time, keeping Dominic from acting, but he has kept his head down since. He knows about the Tsayadim and will explain as best he can.

Both Sunshine and Marcus will admit to a deficit of knowledge about the Tuatha. However Marcus does know of a human authority on the subject, passing the party a business card for Jez Green, Daemon Books.

Part Six

Daemon Books (Pendle Witchcraft)

Jez is not a supernatural of any form. Rather he is a well read scholar of occult and mystical subjects. He is, however, a very good observer and though no threat to the Party, smart enough to play his cards close to his chest.

Jez knows most things about the legends of the Tuatha. He is also a practicing Chaos Magician and as such is quite able to make suppositions about what they might be up to in the present day.

Given enough information, either Jez or the party will eventually ask why the Tuatha are in Lancaster. Are they stopping here on the way to somewhere else, or is it a destination of itself?

Jez will discuss various possibilities, but the most likely one in his book is that Lancaster holds something here for them. He can theorise about the mystical signification of Lancaster, but if told about the Spear and the Sword will make one leap of inspired deduction. Lancaster had a disproportionate amount of trials during the witch hunts. There are a variety of reasons for this, but Jez makes the link with a few forgotten tales about a witch’s cauldron, passed from generation to generation until it vanished during the trial of the Pendle Witches. Of course, it’s a conceit that witches even used cauldrons, but his advice is that they pursue the cauldron as it is likely something to do with the Tuatha.

Lancaster Castle (Buried Treasure)

The starting point for any investigation into the Pendle Witches is Lancaster Castle, where they were tried and executed. The Party can investigate it in many ways, either through the tourist side or the prison itself. The castle has a few mystical secrets of its own, but the one of primary interest to the Party is the chamber beneath the old dungeon, now sealed off and forgotten. Within it is an ancient cauldron, in fact the Cauldron of the Dagda.

The chamber is not accessible at the moment, though the cauldron will be detectible by Angels who can get close enough to sense the Essence. The chamber roof collapsed years ago, burying everything inside.

Graveyard Battle (Tsayadim Tricked)

Outside the castle the Tsayadim once again appear. They are suspicious of the Party, wanting to know where their loyalties lie. To the Outcasts it seems that the Party might even be in collusion with the Ethereals, seeing as they appear every time one of the treasures show up.

This meeting could go either way. The Outcasts are unrepentant about their actions to date. They simply want to gauge the Party and find where their loyalties lie. If they think battle is required they will do so, otherwise they will warn the Party off the Ethereals and leave. Should it look like things are going to go badly for them they will retreat to the Priory (where no Angel would dare spill blood) and then teleport away.

Shaelfur is watching this meeting from afar. If he spots a chance to intervene and cause a conflict, he will take it.

Part Seven

The Waiting Game (Theft of the Stone)

With the disappearance of the Tsayadim and the Tuatha, the trail goes a little cold for the Angels. However the Tuatha are busy in Scotland, appropriating the Stone of Scone from Edinburgh Castle.

The Party will find out about the theft in a number of ways, most likely from a television broadcast or a phone call from Georgina. Jez can also be consulted and will provide the link between the Stone and the Lias Fail.

Two Faced (Edinburgh Ofanim)

A trip to Edinburgh will allow the Angels to investigate the theft. The local Angels will spare Mackey, a young Ofanim of Janus to show them around. He is investigating the theft itself and has already established the Ethereal link.

Edinburgh castle is open to the public, though the section with the Stone is currently sealed off for repairs. Apparently the thieves didn’t have as much time for subtlety this time around and damaged the walls whilst getting in.

Bres Revealed (Formor Attack)

The Angels are not the only ones interested in the theft however. The Formor have finally arrived on the scene, lead by Bres. At first Bres will approach the Party in a friendly manner to ascertain who they are. However the monstrous nature of his troops will soon become evident and a fight is inevitable. The Formor have no love for the Host, the purge hit them as hard as any Ethereal and they hold grudges for a long time. The Formor wield wicked spears, which they cast into the stomachs of their enemies before dragging them back to devour in their shark-like maws. They will fight until killed, escaping to the Ethereal plane only to avoid capture.

Part Eight

Meeting by the Pond (Tuatha Come Clean)

Back in Lancaster Sunshine tells the Party he has received a message from the Ethereals. They have asked to parlay with the Angels, suggesting a meeting at the duck pond on the university campus, near the Chaplaincy Centre.

Nuada, Lugh, The Dagda, and Brigid gather at the pond and await the Angels. None of them appear to be armed, but both Lugh and the Dagda can summon their respective weapons at will.

The Tuatha are here to talk. It was possible that they could take on the Tsayadim alone. But the intervention of both the Demons and the Party has made success impossible. Their only hope to complete the ritual by Samhaim is to bargain with the Angels. They have little to loose, and even if their offer is rejected they might still find the location of the sword through guile. They explain about the Tithe and the Tuatha de Danaan as best they can, being careful never to refer to themselves as deities. In the end they can only beseech the Angels for aid, calling on their compassion and wisdom.

Guided Tour (Retrieving the Cauldron)

An alliance formed, the first order of business is to retrieve the Cauldron before the Demons can get it. There are probably many ways to access the Cauldron’s resting place, but the simplest is to make a foray into the castle after dark and then, through supernatural means, uncover the chamber. The Cauldron is intact after all these years.

Hidden Strength (The Dagda’s Distraction)

Escaping the castle will not be simple. The local Demons, clued in by Shaelfur, decide it is time to act. Utilizing the graveyard that adjoins the castle, they raise a group of Zombi’s and attack.

Rather than be caught the Dagda draws his enormous club and suggests the rest leave: he can easily hold off the attack and join the group later. A few practice swings through the Zombi ranks imply he might not be wrong.

Part Nine

Uriel’s Legacy (Tsayadim state their Case)

Fleeing through the streets of Lancaster, the Tuatha and the Angels make it to the train station before being stopped. The Tsayadim and their Soldiers stand in their way, weapons drawn.

Initially the Tsayadim will try reason. They are still Angels after all, even if Outcast. They will point out that Uriel was never punished for the purge; that the Tuatha set themselves up as deities; that the Fae have been working for Hell for centuries. The Tuatha, realising that their arguments are on rocky ground will speak carefully if at all. Asking where Uriel is now, or mentioning that it was the mortals who decided to worship them and that they never manifested after the Milesians arrived.

The Tsayadim will not take no for an answer. They want to slay the Tuatha and destroy the Four Treasures. If they are denied, they will attack.

Angelic War (Demonic Intervention)

It is here that Shaelfur makes a mistake. Having seen the Tsayadim and the Party at each other’s throats he assumes that a sufficiently large rift has been driven between them. The Dagda has held up the Demonic troops long enough before fleeing, and now Shaelfur feels it is time to take down these rebellious Ethereals.

With almost overwhelming might, Demons, Soldiers of Hell, and Undead arrive at the train station and attack. Their targets are clearly the remaining three Tuatha, but they are not picky.

Shaelfur’s mistake, of course, is that the Tsayadim have not yet Fallen. Though Outcasts, they still will not abide a Demon to live. Given the necessity to choose between slaying an Ethereal and slaying a Demon, they will take the Demon first.

The Symphony rings with the sound of battle as Angel, Outcast, and Ethereal take up arms together against the Forces of Hell. At first, the Soldiers on both sides take heavy casualties, but soon Celestials are falling as well. The Tuatha fare a little better as Brigid is quite the healer and Lugh has his Spear. Nuada fights bravely, but without his Sword he is not quite as effective.

As the final throws of the battle ring out the Demons are routed, taking their dead with them. The Tsayadim are slain to an Angel and only their dead Soldiers remain. One Soldier holds on however, long enough to give the location of the Sword: the Crook O’Lune, before passing on. If the Angels do not think to ask for this information then Nuada certainly will.

Race to the Lune (Recover the Sword)

Though the Demonic threat has abated for now there are still the Formori to worry about. The Tuatha are suspicious of Bres, particularly if the Party mention their encounter in Edinburgh, and will council finding the Sword as quickly as possible.

The Crook O’Lune is a popular woodland area northeast of Lancaster. It has many public footpaths and a large bridge that crosses the River Lune itself. The Sword is stashed beneath the bridge where one of the footpaths spurs off over a sty.

However the group are not alone. As Nuada grasps the Sword Bres and his troops arrive. The Formor drastically outnumber the Angels and all are armed with the barbed spears.

Part Ten

Soldiers of Danu (Reinforcements Arrive)

Bres doesn’t bother to demand anything of the Tuatha. He knows they will not submit to his rule again. Instead he orders the Formor to attack.

However the Angel’s luck continues to hold and the cavalry is called in. The Dagda, having escaped the Demons earlier, has tracked down a group of Grey Soldiers, troops dedicated to Danu herself. These Soldiers even the odds enough that the Angels have a chance of winning once more.

Balor’s Gaze (The Final Fight)

There is one final problem however. Bres does not act alone in this: Balor, King of the Formor, has taken an interest in the rebellion of the Tuatha. Choosing his moment carefully, he will manifest during the battle with his retinue who will proceed to pull open his terrible eye, slaying all who see it.

In order to win the Angels and the Tuatha must defeat both Balor and Bres.

Removing the Tithe (Return to the Otherworld)

It’s almost an anticlimax after the battle, but there is one final thing the Tuatha must do. In a quiet ritual on the sundial at Williamson Park, as the Sun rises on the 1st November, they draw on the power of the Four Treasures to break the Tithe and declare independence from Hell.

It is really up to the Angels to decide whether this ritual goes ahead. In order to stop it they would have to slay the remaining Tuatha themselves, a task that shouldn’t sit well with them by now. If they get any Superiors involved then matters will get more complicated as there will be decidedly mixed feelings from above.

In the end Dominic will want the Tuatha slain and Yves will want them free. The various Archangels will fall on either side of this debate, with the exception of Laurence who will keep quiet. He does not need to be dragged into Uriel’s legacy any more than he already is.

In the end the Party can swing the decision or simply decide the fate of the Tuatha themselves.