RPGAndrew: Dark*Matter #11–Millennium Knights: Chasing the Ordo Octostium

With the data gleaned from the laptops passed onto the Millenium Knights, Supervisor Gordon-Yancy informs the agents that they have several leads. However, with Peter Bergson having escaped, the Ordo - whoever they may be - now knows that they are actively being pursed.

The Knights have intercepted a message on an encrypted channel that indicates the Ordo is interested in the works of Roger Bacon, an alchemist that was a contemporary of Michael Scot.

Bacon was purported to have discovered the secret of the Philosopher's Stone - an object that according to various legends, either turns lead into gold, or grants immortality.
Bacon was also a Franciscan friar - a disturbing connection to Nostradamus' first resting place.
Bacon was a young man when Scot left Britain for a post in Paris; a few years later, Bacon followed and took up a position in Paris as well, serving at the University of Paris.
Although the University is now split into 3 autonomous schools many of the original buildings remain, with the majority of the "old documents" remaining in the Sorbonne.

There is also mentioned in the computers that a Prince Wolfgang of Bavaria had recently acquired a stone tablet in a very private closed auction. It originated in Salon-de-Provence and is believed to be inscribed with the "Etoile d'Hesperia".

The prince is currently ninth in the line of succession for the House of Wittelsbach, the traditional rules of Bavaria. They don't have much political importance anymore, but are still a prominent family.
The prince resides at the family castle of Schloss Hohenschwangau, Germany. He is known to frequently have social events, and is likely to soon host a party to show off his new-found prize.

The identities of the gunmen traveling with Peter Bergson, as well as Bergson himself are found to have visited Barcelona several times over the past few years. In particular, files in the computer highlight the Church of Sant Pau del Camp.

Maverick learns that the church is at the site of an old monastery which was built in the eighth century, but scholars believe the site was used well before then. There are hints at a crypt beneath the building that is said to sit on a convergence of ley lines, a nexus of mystical energies.

The agents determine that the best lead is to investigate the Church of Sant Pau del Camp in Barcelona.

Markov, Lester and Maverick are joined by Agent Molenator - a former Delta force soldier on loan from MI-6.

The agents arrive in Barcelona on train, and proceed to surveil the building. This is aided by the locale - it is now surrounded by a struggling neighborhood, leading to few visitors during the day, and sparse streets after sundown. During the evening, they don night-vision goggles and conceal themselves in some boarded up flats.

Shortly after 1:00 am, a pair purposefully make their way to a side door of the building. And an hour after that, another trio.

The agents proceed to the door, and after a moment of picking open the locks of what turns out to be cellar doors, descend the steep stairs to a pair of oil lamps flickering down below. But even from the top of the stairs, they can just make out the faint sounds - that of mumbling, or quiet conversation. Or yes, it could be chanting.
The bottom of the stairs open up to a simple passage, with a heavy, metal-bound door way at the end, and an opening half-way down on the left and the right.
On the left, set back from the passage is an old metal gate. Oiling the hinges, they proceed through to a small room acting as a storage closet. On shelves site candles, incense, clean bedding, dried and canned food, bottles of wine, and jars of what appear to be parts of animals. There are also some grey hooded robes, which they don.
Opposite the gate, a new wooden door that stands in stark contrast to the rest of the ancient stonework making up these underground passages. Carefully opening it again, the room beyond is likewise small and filled with several cots and a desk, sitting at which, is a figured wearing a gray robe and hunched over.

Molenator moves to subdue, when his rifle clinks on the low doorway.
Before the startled figure can turn around, Lester pushes in and brings his pistol down onto the back of her head, knocking her quite unconscious.
Taking a better look around the door, there are a handful of books on shelves, detailing rituals for meditation and "transcendence"

The group then approaches the last door; upon closer inspection, they can see inscriptions on the archway that suggests it was originally a mausoleum of some sort. Cracking open the door, they are able to see a small chamber inside that is dominated by a stone sarcophagus. A robed man is leading the chanting while wielding a brush to paint blood onto the top of the sarcophagus. A few other figures surrounding him are chanting in response.

Deciding not to take any chances, they throw three grenades into the room, instantly killing all four men.
Entering, they see the lid of the sarcophagus has runes drawn in blood, and an circle etched into the stone floor around the sarcophagus has runes filled with blood. The blood comes from a pair of goats, whose bodies lie crumpled in a corner.
Lifting the lid of the sarcophagus, the realize that it is entirely filled with blood. Reaching in, they begin pulling out pieces of a long-decayed body. But soon, they pull out the body of a boy of some 4 or 5 years.

Questioning the woman, Markov convinces her to tell her story. Her name is Sophia Trujillo, and her ardent hope is that the ritual going on in the other room will heal her son, who is suffering from a "tumore" of the brain.

She studies in the hopes that her devotion to Alejandro Rivera and his miracles will prove their worth. She met him at the Church of Sant Pau del Camp upstairs during her most desperate times of prayer. He promised her that he could help her son in exchange for her loyalty.
Maverick is able to confirm that a Spanish woman by her name has been in the news in the recent weeks for absconding with her ill son in search of a cure for a brain tumor. He further learns that Alejandro Rivera is a wealth property developer in Barcelona that had purchased the building and the land to allow the church to continuing its worship services.
Further questioning reveals that she has heard of an Esther West - who Alejandro referred to as "the conduit", but has not seen any American girl there. She's also heard that it had something to do with "El convergencia del aquaria".

Supervisor Gordon-Yancy request that they bring Sophia Trujillo back to London for questioning.

RPGAndrew