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History The Reckoning
'Tis the Season
First Blood
Bad Moon Rising
The Reckoning, Part II
Betrayal Most Foul
Blinded by the Light
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Plot Thickens
Non-Confidence
Out of Control
Death Becomes Him
Remember, Remember...
Winter Solstice
Fight Club
Rest in Pieces
Spies Like Us?
Return of the King?
Don't Shoot the Messenger
City in Flames
Carnage
Blood Traitor
Jesus Wept
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November, 2005. The civitas has been overrun by newly-reckoned Fallen in the past few months, and the Kings have ordered all Fallen to attend a Census in order to try to account for all of these new members. The Knights have been ordered to find as many of the new Fallen as possible, especially Tilonas, the White Knight, who excels in the use of the True Voice. During the night, several new Fallen were located by Tilonas and brought to the Census, where they were quickly descended upon by the Infernal and Divine, looking for new recruits. Surprisingly, a number of these new Reckons have joined the Deistical Brood instead. Strange events then disrupted the gathering, as one of the new Fallen was killed, presumably by an Angel, before Tilonas could find her and bring her to the Census... and strangely, she seemed to have died of disease. A message was left by the Angel in the form of a broken-minded Affection with a note, indicating that her name was Seraphiel, and that she would be only the first to fall. The Census broke up, with the new recruits instructed to stay close to their new Congregations. But as Tilonas took his Choir to his Domus, he was attacked and struck down by a strange Angel, who left the others alive to bear the news to the Kings...
December, 2005. A second monthly Census was held, which doubled as a Christmas celebration, and still more new Fallen were discovered. At Court, it was indicated that Tandal, a Fallen of Fortitude, would be chosen as the new White Knight to replace Tilonas, once he completed a task set for him by the Black King. He was also made to apologize to the city for disobeying one of the Commandments... he had aided Tilonas against the Angel, despite being instructed by the Knight to run. Much of the evening's activity centered around the two new Fallen, one of whom, a Fallen of Temperance, caused a disturbance when he became strangely infatuated with Mahalia, the Deistical Prelate. Meanwhile, Satael and Vatusia, the two Regents, gathered a small strikeforce together to assail a group of mortals whom Satael suspected of being Affections or otherwise in league with the enemies of the Civitas. In battle, Sharru, the Black Knight, nearly fell when he toke on a large group of foes by himself, but he was saved from Hollow Death by Tandal. Vatusia allowed herself to give in to her Wrathful side and made short work of the remaining enemies, though she was much tormented about her actions when the group returned. By the end of the gathering the new recruits, shaken by their experiences, had still not chosen Convictions. They were allowed to remain undecided for the time being, though the Kings reminded them of their danger, and the gathering dispersed for the night.
January, 2006. Many of the Fallen of the city were absent from the Census this night, though a single new Reckon appeared, a Fallen of Pride named Dr. Don. Disquiet abounded when a Demon spy was discovered to have been secretly observing the gathering from the Firmament, but despite these difficulties, the Kings decided to act on the information brought to them by the White Bishop, who had located an Angel's Domus in the city. The Knights readied their Congregations, and the Black Regent crafted a plan of battle: they would storm the building, spread fire to contain any Affections, and destroy any Angels they found. The plan worked well enough, though the power of the Angel of Fortitude they discovered inside was almost too much for them to overcome, and several Fallen were greviously wounded. In the end, Tandal, the newly-minted White Knight, managed to incapacitate the creature almost single-handedly, thanks in part to the Blessings of the Deistical. He held the infuriated Angel while the Black Knight Desecrated its flesh and the White King delivered the killing blow, banishing it forever. After the battle, Court was convened briefly, and the only noteworthy occurance was a challenge issued by Grace of the Deistical against Sharru... who declined the Challenge, choosing instead to acquiesce to Grace's demands that he "leave the Deistical alone", declaring that they were no real concern to him anyway.
February, 2006. Two more Reckons were discovered this night, both by members of the Deistical. One, Xaide, immediately joined that Conviction, while the other, a confused young man calling himself Manson, spent much of the evening being regaled by Vatusia and Zachael about his options. At first, the night was calm. But then, once again, a Demon spy was discovered observing the gathering from afar, though this time the Fallen were able to find and kill the creature before it could escape. Further difficulties arose as well, when it became known that McBride, a new Reckon of the Infernal, in fact seemed to be a Demon as well, despite claims from the Black King that he had sensed her as Fallen when he first met her. After much emotional debate, it was decided that she must die the Hollow Death, which would prove that she was not, in fact, a Demon, but a Fallen instead. This sentence was carried out by her King, despite much anguish on the part of her friends in the Civitas. Finally, Court was held, and Tandal was acclaimed as the White Knight for his bravery in the fight with the Angel from the previous month, and began gathering his Choir. Lastly, the new Reckons were asked to choose their Convictions, and both Ruth and Manson chose the Divine, swelling their ranks at last.
April, 2006. The flood of new Fallen Reckoning within the city has not yet slowed, and another half-dozen new Reckons were counted at this month's Census. Their numbers included Kate, the twin sister of Sasha, the Fallen who died of disease only a month previous. The night began with tragedy, as the recently-Reckoned Dr. Don appeared to have been infected with the same disease which killed Sasha, and his condition quickly grew worse. In a desperate attempt to stave off the disease, he was put to the Hollow Death, although the Prudent Fallen of the city predicted that it would not help. Meanwhile, combat broke out as a handful of new Gluttonous Fallen goaded the White King into violence with a discussion of cannibalism. At the same time, an investigation by the Black Bishop into the whereabouts of the Demon, Kane, had made several of the Infernal suspicious of one of their new members, Sykes, a Fallen of Wrath. Taking him aside for a quiet talk, the Black King discovered that Sykes was lying about something, at which point Sykes fled the gathering. He returned unseen, and left a note for poor Sophie that removed all doubt... Sykes was indeed the Demon, Kane, using Inner Silence to disguise himself. The Black Bishop and Regent quickly discovered a number of Kane's minions nearby, keeping watch on the Census, and a large party of Fallen were sent to fight and capture any that they could, led by the Regents and Knights. Kane himself, terribly wounded, barely escaped the sortie... and several of his underlings were captured or killed. It remains to be seen just exactly how much this spy was able to learn...
May, 2006. Only one new Fallen was found this month, a Fallen of Envy called Spandarmad. This may indicate that the influx of new Reckons into Saskatoon is slowing, but no one is holding their breath just yet. The night began in quiet murmuring, with the Deistical discussing the results of Whitt's research, while McBride fumed about her disobediant Murder, and the others debated what to do with Kane's minion, an Affection, who had recently been captured. These discussions dissolved into shock and dismay, however, when the White Court arrived, and the Fallen of the Civitas learned that Manahem, the White King, had been blinded during an attack by an entire Choir of Angels. Further, Vatusia, the White Queen, had been infected with the terrible disease that killed both Sasha and Dr. Don in the previous months! However, there was some good news to balance the bad... Auriel, researching independently, had come up with a possible cure, involving the use of healing Techniques by a Hopeful Fallen on the victim. The trick to it is that the victim would have to be a mortal for the cure to work, meaning that a Fallen could only be cured while subject to a Crucifixion rite. This difficulty was compounded by the fact that the cure could take many hours, if not days. Much agonizing followed, but in the end, Vatusia volunteered to be Crucified, to have the cure tested upon her. The Kings took her away to another room, with Grace in tow, leaving the other Fallen to debate things further. Eventually, Zachael returned alone, telling the others that Manahem would not leave Vatusia's side, but that the cure seemed to be working. He held a reduced Court, where the Codex was read and Zachael conveyed a message from Manahem... that Tandal was to be made White Rook, to protect Manahem in his blindness, and that Thomas was to replace him as White Knight.
June, 2006. Again, only a single new Fallen was discovered this month, during McBride's little Infernal/Deistial party (no Divine allowed!). Riley, the new Reckon, made quite a splash by having the same affliction as McBride... a so-called "Demonic Aura". Given recent events, Riley spent much of the night undertain whether he would be executed or not (or at least be put to the Hollow Death). Other than teaching Riley the basics of being Fallen, however, things were quite low-key. Manahem gave those warriors present (of both the Divine and the Infernal) a rousing pep-talk that was well-received, and Mahalia raised some eyebrows by attending the gathering with terrible burns up her forearms (supposedly from rescuing a child from a burning building). Grace claimed not to be able to heal these wounds, but when it became clear that Mahalia did not wish to discuss the matter, it was dropped. There was much discussion about Chastity, her survival of the Angel attack, and her conspicuous absence ever since; McBride claimed that she had spoken to Chastity, and that she was no longer to be mistrusted. This reversal of opinion made several Fallen suspicious, but the Black King put an end to the debate by proclaiming that she be brought to speak with him as soon as possible. At the end of the evening, when things had more or less degenerated into small-talk, the Kings held Court, reminding new Reckons that they had to choose Convictions, and desiring that all Fallen find a Congretation to maintain safety in numbers in the wake of the attacks of the past months...
July, 2006. As in November and March, huge numbers of new Fallen were discovered this month, swelling the ranks of the local Divine and Infernal to the point that the Kings and their Knights have decided to divide their people into several different Congregations. Two Murders and two Choirs were formed, one of each led by the respective Knight. There was cause for celebration this day, not only because of the numerous new Fallen to support the cause, but also because the trap that was laid by McBride, Satael and Sharru, with help from the Divine, was a success! The "Book" Dominion was no more, having been incapacitated by Sharru, Hallowed by McBride and finished off by Satael, while the others dealt with the remaining Angels of his Choir. The so-called Book of Endings was captured by Satael, and it was confirmed that several names of unknown Fallen appeared after those of Seraphiel and Tilonas. The thrill of victory was overshadowed, however, by the feeling that things were not so rosy under the surface; the city-wide sensation of an Angel of great power revealing itself in the World of Clay was no doubt a contributing factor. Most of the evening was given over to sorting the new Reckons into Convictions and Congregations, and teaching them the basics of Fallen society. At the end of the night, several Fallen went back to Zachael's Domus for a bit of a party, while Thomas, the White Knight, went to meet with Jericho and Nathaniel, who were still spying on potential Plague victims in hopes of locating the second Dominion as well. Instead, he found them both killed by the mysterious Man in Black, who subsequently sent him to Purgatory with a message... to stay out of his business, or suffer the same fate.
August, 2006. Only a single new Fallen arrived in the city this month, the Deistical Kirihel, so perhaps the mass influx has finally begun to slow down... and Kirihel is not one of the newly-Reckoned, but rather a visitor from Vancouver. The evening began eventfully, as Sharru, the Black Rook, who has undergone a strange physical transformation in recent weeks, began slaughtering mortals outside the gathering, much to the dismay of Samuel and McBride, who were looking on. Sharru was subdued and brought inside, but later killed by an outraged Vinny of the Divine, sending him to Purgatory for the second time this month. Shortly thereafter, as Court was held, the Fallen of the Civitas were shocked to learn that Manahem, White King since the very adoption of the Codex, was no longer King. He had been challenged behind closed doors by Tandal, whom he had only just made the new White Knight so as to give Thomas the position of White Bishop. Zachael, the Black King, and Mahalia, the Deistical Prelate (plus a single additional witness from each of the three Convictions) reported the fight to be fair, and it was made official: Tandal, having defeated Manahem, would now appoint a new White King. To no one's surprise, he chose himself. This appointment could be overturned by the White Queen, given a decent reason, but Vatusia was not present. Court was therefore held with Zachael and Tandal presiding, while Manahem, now without position in the Court, joined Ruth's new Choir, The Advisory. The Kings announced primarily that no Fallen was to kill Sharru if it could be avoided at all, since it is believed that his trips to Purgatory are what has pushed him over the edge, and Vinny was therefore punished by being assigned to aid Satael in watching over Sharru when he returns.
September, 2006. Several new Fallen were discovered this month, indicating that the influx of new Reckons has not yet abated. The evening was dominated by the news from the Deistical that Sharru had attacked them at their Domus, along with a gang of Affections who seemed more like a cult than anything, killing Grace (who died the Hollow Death) and kidnapping Paige. The Deistical were furious, but the Kings were unable to do anything about it. In fact, the Kings seemed completely ineffectual throughout the evening, with Tandal committing numerous gaffs while Zachael floundered about, trying to maintain order. Taunts from the former White King, Manahem, and the angry Deistical did little to help. When Sharru himself finally arrived, having been located by Satael, he was uncontrolled... he openly ignored Zachael's orders, threatened several Fallen, and when confronted by McBride and Tandal when he tried to leave, he simply laughed and fell on his own sword in order to escape to Purgatory. Throughout the chaos a pair of Heralds from Vancouver, having come to assess the situation for the Kings of that Civitas, were not impressed with the instability of the local Courts. At Court, it was announced that a plan was being formulated to deal with Sharru, but in the midst of the proceedings, a Messenger Angel arrived at the Census, appearing in the Firmament, and delivered the message that the Host was now preparing to strike openly at the Fallen, and that those who surrendered would die quickly. The Census quickly ended, as the Fallen departed removed themselves to a more defensible position, to await an attack that would not yet come...
October, 2006. The Halloween Census began quietly, with many of the Fallen absent, especially the members of the Black Court. People were in relatively good cheer, and candy and masks were very much in evidence. A single new Reckon, a Fallen named Robert, was brought to the gathering by Manahem, who was behaving oddly and wearing sunglasses instead of his usual blindfold. The Riot then arrived, bearing the news that Sharru/Nergal, who was responsible for the attacks on many Domi across the city, had been brought to justice, although his kidnap victim, Paige, had not yet been located. The Black King and Regent entered a short time later, bearing a chained, beaten and unconscious Sharru, and the Kings announced that he was to be publically executed for his crimes. Zachael wasted no time in nailing Sharru to the cross, although this did not seem to do perturb the demonic Fallen, who laughed and spat blood at his tormentors. The cross was taken into an adjacent room, where Sharru was to be left to starve as a mortal, although rumour has it that he was killed prematurely by an over-zealous Fallen. Meanwhile, the animosity between Vinny and members of the Infernal came to a head as several minor scuffles broke out, ending as quickly as they began. At Court, Samuel was pronounced the new Black Rook, Sharru's replacement... but the big news was that Manahem had left the Divine Conviction, and had instead joined the Deistical! The Host had not yet begun the threatened attacks, but everyone was warned to stay together and stay alert, and with that the gathering dispersed for another month...
November, 2006. This Census began with the news that the Host offensive had begun; a group of Fallen had been attacked at Talia's Domus by a new Choir of Angels, and Vinny and Manson had been forced to flee from a similar attack on the streets of the west side. The chatter soon died away as the Deistical, led by Mahalia, began a memorial service on behalf of the Fallen who had died in the past year... including Paige, whose body had been discovered at last. After the ceremony, the Kings held Court, requiring all Fallen of the city to re-affirm their oaths to the Kings. They also took a headcount to try to determine which Fallen were truly missing and which were accounted for. A new Choir in town, led by a Divine called Hollow, was able to account for several Fallen thought missing, including Abdiel, Dr. Jonathan, and Razishta, who had joined their Congregation. Later, after Court was done with, things were quite laid back until Nautha, seemingly under the effect of a Technique of some kind, lost control and beat up McBride in the washroom. After she had been calmed by Grace, and order was restored, the Kings dropped a bombshell on everyone, with the news that Mahalia and Thomas, guilty of contributing to the True Death of a Fallen, were to be punished! Mahalia was sentenced to branding, while Thomas was given servitude to Baraqyal, at which announcement Thomas stormed out of the gathering, declaring that he would rather Excommunicate himself than submit...
December, 2006. A single new Fallen was discovered this month, one Lilah Morrion, a doctor at City Hospital who had Reckoned very recently. The gathering was quiet for the most part, although the news slowly spread amongst the Fallen that Hollow's Choir, only recently learned of by the Civitas, had been attacked by a Choir of Angels. Two Fallen had been killed (Abdiel and Razishta), with others missing or injured. This was the second major attack against a Fallen Domus since the Host offensive began in September. There were also rumours circulating that earlier in the month The Clash and Tandal had encountered a group of Angels AND Demons, including the Plague Angel and the infamous Kane! These happenings sparked plenty of quiet discussion and plan-making, up until Court was held. At Court, the Kings confirmed the rumours, letting people know that plans were being made to deal with the situation. Then, to the surprise of seemingly few Fallen, changes to the Courts were announced: Malphas was removed as Black Bishop, and replaced by Auriel, while Teliahm was added to the White Court, as Rook. Things turned somewhat more light-hearted after Court was finished, with arm-wrestling contests and plenty of laughing and joking. At the very end of the night, a number of Infernal left to go to a party, and it was suddenly revealed that Hazhayarya, the White Knight, had contracted the Plague and was to be Crucified and healed shortly after the gathering. With that shocking bit of news, the Census was ended.
January, 2007. The night began with whispered rumours about a powerful Angel that has recently moved into the Civitas, which everyone can sense throughout the entire city. At the same time, Auriel was attacked by the Man in Black and died the Hollow Death, while Gapan had become sick with the Plague (thankfully still in early stages). What will these attacks mean for the war effort? The visiting White Herald of Chicago, Pymander, had much to say about the dangers posed by such a powerful Angel, but it seems that little help can be expected from the cities to the East. In the meantime, two new Fallen were located this month... a Fallen of Faith called Paul, and a Fallen of Charity called Ananga. Time was idled away explaining the basics of Fallen life to these new Reckons, until things got a lot more interesting with the arrival of Manahem, sporting a pair of actual wings and apparently no longer blind! The gathering was abuzz with rumours and speculation about Manahem's "condition", until finally Satael and his Affection announced the opening of the Tournament. Eight participants squared off in an elimination round, leaving Vinnie, McBride, Tandal and Pymander to face each other in the semi-finals. Unsurprisingly, it came down to Tandal and McBride... but during their match, Tandal suddenly collapsed, dizzy and coughing up blood! It seems he had been fighting off the Plague for months, and it had finally caught up with him. Tandal was taken outside and the crucifix set up immediately, while Zachael and Vatusia held an ultra-brief Court session. The gathering then slowly drifted apart, since nearly the entire Court had left to deal with Tandal.
February, 2007. This Census began on a dire note, with the news from Teliahm that Tandal, the White King, had been killed in combat with the Dominion Alatariel earlier in the week. The Dominion had apparently been destroyed as well. The news was shocking, but many of the Fallen gathered did not believe it, thinking that Tandal must have died the Hollow Death (as Teliahm himself had done), and would be along soon. An investigation was called for, led by the Prudent, who would try to Foretell the moment of Tandal's return. In the meantime, there were plenty of other things going on! Three new Fallen were located this month, one of whom was seemingly a mortal relative of the White Bishop. Additionally, a second-tier Fallen named Ozarael, who had been mentor to both Manahem and Zachael in the distant past, returned to the city for the first time since the 1920's. As a member of the Remnant, he was not particularly trusted by any of the local Fallen except Manahem. Kirihel of the Deistical had recently stabbed and injured Sophie, one of the most well-loved Fallen in the city, and many Fallen were up in arms about the situation. McBride, the Black Knight, went so far as to challenge Kirihel to single combat, a challenge he readily accepted. Everyone was rooting for McBride but Kirihel dominated the fight, apparently with ease, using powers of Slumber and Nimbus on her to leave her dazed, then beating her unconscious with his Chosen Weapon (a shovel). At the end of the night, the investigation into Tandal's death had resulted in chilling news... Foretelling predicted that he would NOT be returning, and an Augery at the site of his death revealed that he had been cut completely in half and his body desecrated by Alatariel's Archangel minion. With this sobering information, the White Queen selected Ruth, prelate of The Advisors, as the new White King.
March, 2007. Things were buzzing from the very beginning of the night, with the news of attacks on the Divine Manor and the Riot's Domus. At least one Fallen was destroyed, and others were badly injured. Bad blood between Dove and Kirihel just heightened the tensions, and everyone was on edge. To make matters worse, the arrival of a new Fallen from Edmonton with news about a powerful Angel called Armaros caused the Kings to spend most of the night in private deliberations. The new arrivals, Eloriel and Zale, both seemed to get along with the locals, but many Fallen were emotionally over-wrought, behaving abnormally. Some blamed these emotional outbursts on Chastity, who had returned to the Census after a long absence. By later in the evening, the emotional outbursts were reaching a fevered pitch, when the Kings came out of their private deliberations and ordered their Knights to subdue Manahem, who was accused of spying for the Host! The elder Fallen was quickly taken into custody, hauled to a side room, and put up on the cross, leaving the gathered Fallen shaken and confused. It seems that Manahem had been witnessed having dealings with the mysterious Armaros by the Black King's spies. To make matters worse, during the crucifixion, a second-tier Angel appeared, none other than Armaros himself! Fearing to attack such a powerful creature without adequate preparations, the Kings carefully spoke with Armaros, who asked them why they sought to destroy Manahem. Armaros informed them that he was NOT a member of the Host, but rather a Fallen Grigori like them, who had escaped the bonds of Clay. He left, and the Kings, apparently satisfied for the moment, released Manahem, who left the gathering immediately. During the astonished buzz that followed, the emotional outbursts got entirely out of hand, as Fallen began attacking one another left and right. It was then determined by the Kings that not only was Chastity responsible for turning the Fallen against one another all evening, but she also seemed to be working for the Horde! Placed upon the cross, she suddenly broke down, raving that she had been forced to work for them, that there were other spies, warning to trust no one, begging to be killed. She was put to death for her crimes, perhaps mercifully, and with her dying breath cursed the name "Samnaroth". In the aftermath, the Kings held Court, explaining what they could, warning everyone to be cautious, and a short candlelight vigil was held for Tandal. In silence, the gathering was ended.
April, 2007. Many unexpected things occurred at this Census, beginning with the news from Satael that several Fallen had been killed in combat with the two rampaging Angels of Justice, including the Black Knight herself, McBride. The Angels had been destroyed in turn, but the night began on a very somber mood, since McBride was one of the strongest warriors in the city, and was well liked. Then came the news from the Deistical that Mahalia was no longer their Prelate, having stepped down in favour of Xaide! Further, Mahalia announced that Tandal, former White King of the city, was not dead as had been previously thought, but was instead incarcerated at a local insane asylum. Once several of the Divine had arrived, a rescue party was sent to secure his release... but not before Sophie showed up with none other than the Demon Kane! The Kings quickly sequestered themselves with this villain, while the assembled Fallen speculated on his fate. When Mahalia and The Clash returned with Tandal, they also brought along a new Fallen of Justice, called Josie, who had Reckoned that very night at the hospital. Tandal was much the worse for wear, and was clearly suffering an emotional breakdown. Leaving him in the care of Grace, the Kings announced that Kane (or Sykes as he has come to be known) was a defector from the Horde, and that he was being given a trial period to prove his worth, during which time he would be guarded by Sophie and her new Choir. This did not go over well, and Dove went so far as to throw Sophie out of his house, breaking off their relationship. After all of these sudden revelations, the evening began to wind down, despite emotional outbursts from Mahalia and Auriel later in the night. Finally, after a brief Court session, the Census was over.
May, 2007. This was one of the smallest gatherings in quite some time, and the result was a rather peaceful night of conversation. Under the veneer of pleasantness, however, there was considerable tension. The Census began with the uncomfortable news that the rioting Demons in the south part of the city had sent Zachael and Nautha to Purgatory only a week earlier, and the absence of Sophie and her pet Demon Kane meant that no answers were to be had. There was also some kind of quiet argument brewing between the Infernal and the Deistical, as it came to light that the Deistical had been interfering with Satael's recent activities due to some kind of conflict with Whitt and Mahalia. The relative tranquility was shattered, however, with the arrival of a Messenger Angel. The creature delivered a message to the Kings, saying that Armaros wished to discuss a cessation of hostilities and possible alliance against the new foe... the army of Demons. His message delivered, the Angel left, quickly disappearing and leaving the gathering in a buzz of excitement. The Kings then held Court, saying that they would consider this offer, but would not trust Armaros. The Kings then surprised everyone when Zachael named Nautha as his new Rook, and Ruth announced that Tandal, much more stable after his month of therapy, would serve as her new White Regent. Vatusia was not present, but there was much speculation as to how she will react when she finds out. Shortly afterward, the Census was ended.
June, 2007. The Fallen began to gather early, and the biggest topic of conversation were the rioting Demons rampaging through the City. Another big news item that quickly spread throughout the gathering was the rumour of a "cease-fire" agreement recently made with the Host, who are said to be concerned about the Demons as well. It is unclear just how far the Kings are willing to trust the Angels on this matter, and many Fallen wonder why they would risk such an alliance at all. These pieces of news greatly alarmed the members of a recently-arrived new Murder from Chicago, as were the other new arrivals, a Divine called Dey and an Infernal called Steve. There was no sign of the Kings for most of the night, and the Regents frequently disappeared as well... presumably, the Court was very busy discussing what was to be done about these problems. Early in the evening, the talk was interrupted by the arrival of Vinny, who bodily dragged the White Rook from the hall for a "discussion" of some kind, and later by the arrival of Vatusia, who was incredibly traumatized and raving about Manahem. Things became even more interesting at Court, where the Kings announced the plans to deal with the Demons, and then punished several Divine for past transgressions: Thomas was forced to apologize to Vinny (apparently for sending the Police after him), but Vinny was required to cease his vigilante activities in punishment for his antagonism towards Satael. This last punishment was deemed insufficient by Vinny's own Choir-mate, Arah, who then challenged Vinny to single combat! Arah dominated the fight, and Vinny was quickly reduced to unconsciousness and left lying on the floor. The Fallen then began to file out, and Census was at and end.
July, 2007. As the Fallen began to arrive, the news quickly spread that Tandal, Hazhayarya and Kirihel had each led successful forays against the rioting Demons, slaughtering dozens of them and halting their advance into other parts of the city. Additionally, a large group of Divine and Infernal had successfully destroyed the Nephilim Cult, Fimbulwinter, almost to the last man. Several Fallen met with the Hollow Death over the past month, but the enemies of the city were falling one by one, and the so-called armistice with the Angels had not yet been broken. The Council and the Kings therefore began making plans in earnest for rooting out the source of the Horde infestation and destroying the Devils behind it all, while the remaining Fallen quietly amused themselves. Rumours abounded that Manahem was at large once again, gone crazy and attacking Fallen. Several unusual outbursts occured throughout the night, and certain Fallen became seemingly obsessed with the Deistical Prelate, Xaide. These antics culminated with normally-prudish Whitt actually HISSING at people for getting too close to him! The evening also marked one of the rare appearances of Zachael's Nephilim child, Sapphire, whose unusual physique caused quite a stir. Just before Court was to be held, the much-traumatized Vatusia had a major breakdown, losing all control and fleeing into the night, screaming. When the uproar had died down, the Kings announced that a concerted effort was to be made against the Devil, Kalabrax, in order to prevent another Demon Harvest. They also meted out additional punishments to Vinny, who had apparently been trying to get around their ban on his vigilante activities and even landed himself in jail... but before they could even finish speaking, Vinny stormed out of the room. It was unclear whether the Kings would consider this an act of self-Excommunication, or simply deal with Vinny when he returned. In any case, after Court the assembled Fallen began to disperse and Census was at an end. Later that same night, however, as Mahalia tried to comfort the sobbing Vatusia in a nearby park, Manahem himself appeared! He confronted Mahalia and forced her to flee his presence, then cut down Vatusia where she stood. When Mahalia returned, she found the body lying bloody in the grass, and was quick to spread the word to the other Fallen that Vatusia had met with the True Death...
August, 2007. The Fallen were victorious. Tandal and Satael arrived at the gathering to inform the assembled Fallen that their efforts had been successful: the Devil, Kalabrax, was no more, and the Demon riots had finally been quelled. Kalabrax and his minions had fallen easily... almost TOO easily, as some pointed out. In any case, the victory over the Horde was not the main topic of discussion... of far greater interest to the Civitas was the news of Manahem's return. Apparently now working with the Host, Manahem had destroyed Vatusia and made an attempt against the Black King, Zachael. Zachael survived, losing his Nephilim daughter Crystal in the attack, but the news has spread that Manahem seems to be capable of causing the True Death without resorting to the Crucifixion Rite. Between these reports of Manahem's treachery, and the strange buzzing in the Symphony causing headaches, stress levels were running high. Not everyone was affected in the same way, however... for example, Grace was behaving most unlike her usual self, dressed in revealing clothes and spending most of her time with the Infernal, Lelahel. At Court, there were no surprises when the Fallen were ordered to aid in a hunt against Manahem. Afterwards, a personal dispute between Kirihel and Whitt resulted in a rather spectacular violent outburst, as Whitt knocked the Wrathful Fallen across the room. Xaide then announced that Kirihel was being forced out of the Deistical, for repeated assaults upon his brethren (apparently, no other Deistical was willing to speak for him). The gathered Fallen then began to drift away into the night, and the Census was over.
September, 2007. This night began in total confusion. Some Fallen were absent, others were rumoured to be dead, accusations had been leveled at suspected traitors, and there was little to say except in hushed whispers. The noise in the Symphony was worse than ever, and everyone was on edge, making idle small talk and keeping mainly to themselves. This relative calm was soon shattered irrevocably, when the entire Court left the Census en masse, returning shortly bearing Manahem nailed to a cross. Unrepentant to the last, Manahem was put to death in front of the crowd for his crimes against the city. The news quickly spread that Vinny had been destroyed during Manahem's capture and that Tandal had barely escaped with his life. This event was merely the beginning of the chaos, however... shortly thereafter, several of the Deistical became progressively unstable. Nautha, who had been acting oddly for weeks, completely lost control and assaulted Sophie in the washroom, fleeing the Census immediately afterwards! She was pursued by Kane, who reported her death at the hands of a group of Angels who were battling with Shrouds just outside the city. After a group of Fallen had confirmed this story, Xaide lost his mind completely and was relieved of his position as Prelate. Mahalia was not much better, spending most of the evening in a daze... and so Whitt was named temporary Prelate, as one of the only stable Deistical remaining. After a period of discussion in which the Fallen tried to sort out what's going on in the city, Court was called. Orders were given to the Fallen for dealing with the Angels and their strange mystical Barrier in the downtown area. The night was to be ended with the resolution of a personal Challenge between Kirihel and Whitt... but at the end of the fight, as Kirihel shocked everyone by taking his own life just after defeating Whitt, a shout rose from behind the assembled Court! "For Samnaroth!" came the bellowing voice, as Kane appeared from nowhere and ran Ruth through with Manahem's sword!! Ruth died the True Death, and several Fallen immediate took up pursuit of Kane, who fled the room. The stunned Fallen muttered fearfully to themselves, as the reluctant Tandal once again took the throne, naming Tao his Regent. Some Fallen returned to announce that Kane had escaped, although others remained absent. On that extremely nervous note, the Census was ended.