Tools turned Adversaries, From Bishop Alfonse Marchand,
Formerly Servant of the Church of Rome, Sends Wishes with
his Greetings that they may find success Where he has failed.
Firstly, I would congratulate all of you on an astoundingly
successful series of purges of Infernal Agents from this region.
That you have, unknowingly, done so under the Patronage of
another such Agent does not diminish the feat. The
strengthening of the hold over my domain that your deeds
accomplished is now reversed.
The fact of your reading of this letter means that I have likely
died at the hands of you or another, likely the creature I
intend to release from bondage. In the unlikely event I have
survived to Flee Paris, do not be aggrieved. My Master will
not long tolerate my failure and will send appropriate
emissaries to finish what you began.
Before I recount to you that which I know concerning the
Tome and the Creature contained therein, I feel a perverse
need to explain to you the reason for my apostasy. I entered
into my Holy Orders a pious man. I was ambitious, but no
more than is needed to attain station in the Church. As I
gained prominence I was approached by those you know as the
Salubri and asked to join the ranks of their Order. I did so
gladly and immersed myself in the pursuit of knowledge and
the uncovering of Infernal Machinations. It was in my thirty
eighth year that I developed a sickness in my belly which grew
and swelled and poisoned my humours over several months
until I was near death. It was then, in extremis, that I used
wrongly the knowledge gained from the Order. I called out in
my Despair, and Despair answered my call. My new Master
healed the sickness in my body and gave meAA much else beside. It
is He, Lord Anoster of Despair, that I have served gladly since
that time.
Now, the Creature in the Tome. I have studied it intently in
the time I have possessed it. I have withheld pertinent sources
from the Order�s library so that you might not learn too
much about that which you carried. The more I studied and
researched, the more I realized that I did not at all understand
that which was contained in the Tome. It is an ancient evil,
not merely an imp or daemon as the Church would have it, but
a creature that defies all I have learned about the Host of
Lucifer. Yet there are similarities, enough so that I feel that I
may learn the means to bind it to my will eventually. My
initial certainty has been my undoing. I was confident that I
would have successfully bound the creature before you
returned from the East. That you returned at all is an
indication of my misestimation of either the Tremere�s or your
abilities. Regardless, due to your untimely return and your
persistent investigation into the Tome�s whereabouts, I have
not the time to properly prepare. Know that your actions
have driven me to attempt a bargain with this creature for the
power I need to deal with you, in place of a ritual of binding.
I am confident of success in this venture but this letter,
amongst other measures, is to account for the possibility of
failure. If I fare poorly with this creature and it is let loose
in the world once more, I must guarantee it�s eventual
recapture.
From within the vast incomprehensible nature of this being, I
have discerned from my study that it desires, more than
anything, to travel to some site, some dark temple, in the
desert north of the Sea of Galilee, near to the ruined city of
Chorazin. I intend to use this knowledge, and a few other
scraps I have gathered together, in order to effect a bargain.
If I fail, the creature will likely make its way to Chorazin,
though I cannot fathom the true interests of one such as this.
So, my worthy servants, I leave to you one final task. See to
the destruction or banishment of this creature. Know that
you are not the only Hounds on this Hunt. Farewell and may
the attentions of my Master pass you by until the task is
finished.