The Story So Far...

Our story begins in fair **Florence**, home to a great number of merchants, peasants, all faithful, God-fearing men and women. Huge white walls, encircle the city, their only defense against the demons that lay waste to any who venture outside the walls after dark. Here, magic is feared and hated. Those who practice it are immediately burned at the stake, for the church holds much sway. Our four unwitting and seemingly common characters have all fallen asleep at their place of work and lie in the midst of dreams brought on by the holiest of hands.

Three people share the dream and they appear, a boy and two girls. They stand on a boat in a storm. The waves toss and throw their boat about, they feel sick to their stomachs.  A figure walks toward them on the surface of the water. But they stumble and fall through, engulfed by the waves. The waves pound them, the boat about to capsize. The figure rises from the waves and slumps onto the deck, dead. It's a young boy, a large burn marring the left side of his face. The three feel piercing eyes on their backs. They turn to see a man in white, fire blazing in his eyes. In a booming voice he speaks, “you must protect him.”

Viridis (played by Egg), a frizzy haired girl with big brown eyes resting on a workbench in her father’s studio, jolts awake from her dream. Paints, brushes, palettes, canvases are floating around her. Her father comes in to see the various objects clatter to the floor. In a panic he runs to her asking if she is alright. Viridis begins to clean the mess, insisting she’s alright and trying very hard to pretend nothing happened.

Marco, (played by Bridget) a short boy with black hair, too, wakes suddenly. Things about his bedroom also floating around him. His brother stands in the doorway open-mouthed. Marco is frozen, before he gets the chance to say anything to his brother, Manuel books it. Knowing his brother’s strong allegiance to the church and not doubting for a moment he’d turn him in, Marco begins to pack some clothes and precious mementos then also runs from the house.

Ivetta, (played by Val) a beautiful young woman with long brown hair, asleep at the counter of her late father’s apothecary, wakes to yet more floating objects. This time, however, they are glass bottles. The crash of them falling brings her younger sister running in. She simply brushes it off, explaining she had a nightmare to her sister and was flailing in the dream. Beneath the counter she slices her hand to make her story more convincing. She shows the wound to her sister who gasps and helps her clean it. After the wound is dressed the pair begin sweeping up the glass. As she is doing so Marco bursts in through the door.

Yet one more still resides in the land of dreams, yet theirs is vastly different. Castor, (played by Celia) a wild haired young boy with a large burn on his left cheek dreams of a tranquil, peaceful time with clear skies. A bird drops a loaf of bread into his hands and he smiles. The bird flies away, the dream-scape shifts to a grassy hill where there sits a tree stump. A man sits there, wearing brown robes. Castor approaches him sensing no ill will. He seems a fatherly figure and speaks in a strange language that somehow, Castor can understand. He gestures for Castor to sit down. He goes up, hesitant, and doesn't sit down. “Castor, my child. Please sit.” He doesn't question how he knows him but feels that he should trust him. He sits.

He speaks, "Castor, you are special, my child. One in one hundred thousand. I and my father have been waiting."

Castor blushes, "but-but I'm not- I'm just a smelters apprentice."

He smiles again, "You won't know for a while why, but you *are* special."

"but-"

"Castor, I have a task for you. You are a prophet. For too long, too many men have swayed my message. It is time for a woman to take the mantel. You must journey to the edges of the world. Trust in friends, the people who try to stop you, do not hate them but do not let them hinder you."

Castor squirms under his gaze, how did he know her secret? "How did-- wait...are-are you...? You are Him! You are the Lord! Of course I will do what you ask, but- but my Lord, I don't have any friends..."

His smile turns sad, "you will know them when you meet. Trust in the Lord. You will find me in the center of all things."

"Yes, of course my Lord I-I will do my best to serve you."

"I know you will, but now I must go."

"I have so many questions..."

"I know, my child, but it is time for you to wake up." He smiles again, fading along with everything else in the dream.

Castor wakes up peacefully in the smelter’s workshop. Heavy implements float about him with a purple and orange hue surrounding them. His back burns. And they all thud to the ground. Master Fabbrio standing there, his mouth agape. He rushes Castor pulling out his sword. Castor grabs a shield from the wall and defends himself. He knocks the sword out of his master’s hand and pushes him to the ground. His master begs, "please don't hurt me."

Shaking, Castor tries to explain- “Master please! I-I don’t know what that was, it wasn’t me, I was asleep!”

Fabbrio shouts at him, "Leave! Leave and never come back!"

Castor drops the shield and runs home and rushes to his room to hurriedly packs some clothes. From the door at the top of the stairs, his mother's voice sounds, "Castor? Is that you? Why are you running about?" He goes to her, bag in hand and kneels at her bedside. He presses a damp cloth to her forehead.

"Mother--I have to go. Something has...happened. God has come to me in a dream and told me that I must find Him."

"Castor, no you must stay. Who will care for me?" Castor blanches, guilt and worry painted on his face.

"I--I will speak to the Father. The church will take care of you. I cannot defy His will Mother. Please-- I love you." He kisses her forehead and takes his leave, heading to the church.

Castor gets to the church and enters. He sees Maunel, Marco’s brother speaking in low tones to a middle aged balding man and Father Marian. A group of people sitting down in the mostly vacant pews all have red hoods pulled up. Castor sits at the back and prays on a kneeler waiting until they finish talking together and the group in red leaves. Father Marian sees him there and once he raises his head, Castor gets up and approaches. "Castor, what brings you here this evening?"

"Father, I am sorry we have missed the last few masses but-- my mother..." she sighs. "it pains me to say but I cannot care for his mother any longer, it is too much. I was hoping some members of the church might...help." Marian gives a sad look and nods slowly.

"Of course, I understand. I know times have been hard for you both. I will send some people to help tomorrow."

Castor bows her head, "Thank you Father, she is in good hands I can rest easier." He glances back at the door, "might I ask who those men were?"

The father's face grows troubled, "...it would be best to stay away from Marco Fabri. His brother informed us he has been practicing witchcraft." Castor's eyes grow wide, a prickling heat runs down his spine and his back burns.

Marco, shutting the door and drawing the curtains behind him panics in Ivetta’s shop stressing, "my brother is tattling on me! You were in the dream I had so I came here. I don't know what to do!”

Ivetta offers, "you were in my dream too..." She shakes her head, "you can stay here to hide. They won't look here for a while, we hardly know each other." She rushes him upstairs and out of sight.

Viridis, investigating her father's studio from the incident, finds no trace of what happened, hears a loud knock at the front door. She moves to answer it finding three young men clad in red, hooded robes beneath black priest vestments. “Good evening miss, is your father home?”

“He’s asleep sorry, he’s been feeling ill.” The lead man nods.

“Do you know the whereabouts of Marco Fabri?”

Ever so convincingly Viridis replies with, ”Noooope haven’t seen him.”

The man continues, “We’re afraid he’s in danger, you might be in danger as well. Wake your father, tell him matters of the church should interest him.” She agrees and closes the door. Virdis ascends the stairs heading to her parents’ room. She listens briefly at their door and hears them talking about what her father saw earlier. Fear tingles down her spine and before they speak further she knocks and tells her father of the men awaiting him downstairs. He gets up gingerly and moves to the stairwell. Before he heads downstairs he tells Viridis to go to her room.

She instead goes into her parents' room instead and speaks with her mother. She is tearful and upset, “Your father... he knows the church has ways to find out about these things... People taken in the night, burned at the stake....I can't lose you...” Viridis consoles her, hugging her.

"I don't know what happened but it's going to be alright." She gives her a last squeeze before hopping off the bed and eavesdropping at the top of the stairs. "I'm sorry, I can't help you gentlemen."

"Thank you Mr. della Torre, you have been of help. As you know, any information can help." She hears the door close once more and her father coming back up the stairs. She hides in her room while her parents settle back in. She sneaks back into the studio once again to search it a last time before bed.

Ivetta makes the bed for Marco in their spare room. "we can find the others from the dream tomorrow but for now you should be safe." Ivetta hears something at the window. She whirls around, her hearts jolts as she sees torches heading down the street out the window. Marco panics Ivetta instructs him to hide under the bed. Ivetta hurries down and answers the door before her sister and lets the 3 men in. "Evening, Miss. Is your mother in?"

"No, she's been gone for some time but that is normal. She's a midwife. Can I help you?"

"We are searching for one, Marco Fabri. Have you seen him or know of his whereabouts? Witnesses say he was seen running this direction."

Ivetta, trying to seem like she has nothing to hide offers, "You can search the house for him if you care to." Ivetta backs up, incredulous as they take her up on the offer. The three of them spread out. A tense few minutes tick by for Marco as they enter the room in which he hides. But they only search the closet and not below the bed. There's a screech from Ivetta’s sister’s room and she runs out when the strange man opens her door. She runs downstairs to her sister. Ivetta calms her down explaining what's happening then bringing her to the kitchen, and making her favorite snack. She leaves briefly to show the men out. Marco stays hidden under the bed in the fetal position and crying.

Castor spends the night in the church. She falls asleep praying despite the hard pew and wakes just before the people start filling in to Sunday service.

Viridis has breakfast with her family, dressed in her Sunday best, then goes into the studio. In candle wax on the desk words spell out: *you need to find him.* The wax turns to ash, she sweeps it away with her hand, tying to swipe it from her mind as well as she leaves in a hurry.

Ivetta, already ready for church goes to speak with Marco before she and her sister leave. "Marco I don't think you should go to church today. Just stay hidden here." He firmly agrees, nodding vigorously, Ivetta continues, “I'm worried for Castor. The dream said to protect him but...He comes into the shop to buy medicines for his mother but I don't know him that well or where to find him."

"I don't know much about him either. I know he's the smelter's apprentice, he might be there but not today, obviously."

Ivetta nods, "I’ll go and find Viridis after church, she was in the dream too. First, I'll bring you some food. Stay here.” She brings him bread then heads out.

Viradis returns home, mixes paint for her father, puts a note in a hole the wall of her backyard then goes to church.

The people gather in the church to hear the sermon. Father Miriam finishes his readings and finally introduces a middle-aged balding man. “This is Cardinal Blaze. He comes from the cathedral and you all should listen to what he has to say."

The bald man speaks “We here are a very close-knit community. Which makes the person absent today very noticeable. It was made apparent to us last night that one of you was practicing magic and demonic sorcery. Marco Fabri.” Gasps in the congregation. “If anyone has any information you must come forward. If anyone of you has helped or harbored him, you will be dealt the same punishment. May God drive out the demons.”

Service ends and people exit slowly, save Castor who stays continuing to kneel and pray. Ivetta finds Viridis and they go off to a field to talk and verifying their linked dreams. Afterward they return to the church finding Castor, his head still bowed. Ivetta tentatively touches his shoulder. He startles up, he looks at them both, dark rings under his eyes. "You're Castor right?" He gives a slight nod. "would you mind if we talked? Somewhere private?" He gives another nod and rises on shakey legs. They head to another field. Castor is twitchy and nervous but he follows them.

Ivetta begins, "we had a strange dream yesterday, Viridis, Marco, and myself. When we woke up, objects were floating around us. In the dream, we were told to find you."

Castor perks up, relief evident on his face. "I had the same experience! God came to me in a dream saying, I should find Him at the edge of the world. I'm just glad I'm not crazy! You saw Him too."

Ivetta and Viridis look at each other. Ivetta says, "well, we didn't quite see that. But we were told to protect you on this quest. and that's what we'll do." They go to Ivetta’s house and meet up with Marco. As they all meet up in the same room, they're all struck with a vision: a golden cross adorned with bleeding red rubies and an echoing voice telling them to find it. They hypothesize for a time on where such a glorious object would be found landing on the likely place of the newly built cathedral. They realize that once they get this object, they will have to leave Florence.

As that reality sinks in Castor shifts uncomfortably and tentatively asks, "Ivetta, do you have some salve I could use? I think...My back it feels like its burning." Ivetta nods and goes down to the apothecary to find some.

She returns and hands him a jar, offering, "I can help you put it on if you like."

His face burns red in a blush, "n-no its alright. Could I maybe use a different room perhaps?" Ivetta offers the closet of the room. Castor nods gratefully and closes the door behind him. After some thuds and bumps, he emerges, his face not showing any relief. Viridis returns to her house to prepare before they plan to infiltrate the cathedral to find the cross. After Viridis leaves, Castor pulls Ivetta aside and asks her to look at his back, the salve didn’t really help and he doesn’t remember hurting it. He pulls her to the corner of the room and pulls down the neck of his shirt halfway. Ivetta gasps slightly finding squarely between his shoulders is a slightly glowing orange triangle. Castor prompts her, "what? what is it?"

"It-um you have a mark here and its...glowing."

"WHAT?! I have a mark? What kind of mark? What does it mean!?" He lets his shirt go and it covers it once more. He spins around and backs into the wall, hyperventilating. Ivetta calms him and helps him regain control of his breathing. "Its alright, Castor. We'll figure this out." After a time Castor cools off and they turn their attentions to more pressing matters. Finding that cross. They think about disguising Marco so that he can go look for the cross with them. They pull a top hat and large overcoat from the closet but decide it's not quite up to snuff and recommend he stay there while Castor and Ivetta go to Viridis’ to discuss their plan.

In Viridis’ backyard, they plan for Viridis and Castor to go to the new cathedral that's being built under the guise of installing a new painting Virdis’ father was commissioned to do. Simultaneously they are going to search for the golden cross. Meanwhile Ivetta and Marco are going work on Marco's disguise so they may all flee the city.

Viradis and Castor head to the cathedral with the painting all boxed up.

Priests stand in front of the door and stop them from entering. Viridis says “we’re here to deliver a commission.” They grumble about waiting for confirmation. “Oh I'll go back and get the paperwork.” but as she turns to go ‘get the paperwork’ a middle-aged man recognizes her. “Ms. Della Torre are these men not letting you in? Come with me, men, I’ll vouch for them.” They enter the cathedral. Huge, towering ceiling, paintings everywhere. Small, what look to be tents, litter the atrium. A huge cross is embedded in the floor illuminated by an oculus from above. The man watches Castor and Virids install the painting then Viridis asks if she can look at all the magnificent art around the hall. He agrees and leaves the two, wandering up to the altar. They mill about looking around until Viridis spots the cross on the altar in the center of 4 other crosses, a drip of blood falling from its encrusted rubies. She and Castor head up to the altar and the priest goes over to a small alcove on the right of the altar. Viridis leaves Castor at the altar and joins the priest, engaging him in conversation and prayer.

Castor makes sure they're busy and looks at the cross. His vision tunnels and everything, aside from the cross, fades to black. As he reaches to touch it, orange sparks and a jolt of tingles go up his arm. In his grasp at last, his vision returns and although his heart pounds, he makes his calm and even-stepped walk back to the box that held the painting and places the cross inside. He calls to Viridis, saying, "we should get back, your father needs you." Viridis finishes the rosary with the priest and heads toward Castor and the box. A man emerges from one of the tents and looks to be heading toward the altar but turns and speaks to the priest in the alcove instead. Castor and Viridis walk out with the box in tow.

As they reach the street the doors slam open and the priest shouts, “Stop them! They've stolen from the Church!”

They book it. They duck and weave, running as fast as they can. Managing to lose the few men chasing them in the maze of back allies, they ditch the box in an alley after taking the cross out. Viridis shoves it in her bag before Castor and Viridis split up. They return to Ivetta’s through back alleys and doors. Sweating and shaking they both make it inside.

Marco asks, "did anything happen when you touched it?"

Castor says “It, uh, s-shocked me? Maybe it'll happen for you too.” He hands it to him. The hefty weight of gold drops into his hand and nothing happens.

Completely unrelated, a chill shoots down their spines and nausea wells up in their stomachs. Then, for a split second, it feels like they’re being watched. “Did you all feel that?” Ivetta asks.

A knock comes at the door a moment later and Ivetta goes to answer. Marco, Viridis, and Castor all yeet under the bed.

Ivetta just barely arrives at the door before a priest bursts in and says, "a lot of people have been seen coming in and out of here." He pushes past her and begins searching the house. Ivetta doesn't protest, instead moving to the kitchen. He ascends the stairs and looks in the room in which the three cower under the bed. one of them must have hidden poorly as he finds the three all under the bed. He demands, "come out from under there!" as he brandishes his sword. Ivetta returns coming at him from behind with a knife. She slashes down at his shoulder but misses and he grabs her arm. he rears back his arm, aiming to cut hers off. Viridis jumps out and up from under the bed charging him and plows into his legs. She throws his balance off, he drops his sword. Marco gets out from under the bed as well and grabs Viridis’ legs and pulls. She, still holding onto the priest, pulls him down. Marco then grabs the sword the priest dropped, pulls back his arm, and slashes at him. Blood sprays across him and into the room. Marco kills him, the priest's body drops to the ground, a pool of blood spilling into the floorboards. Cowering still under the bed, Castor, watches the blood seep closer before he squeezes his eyes shut, holds the cross tightly, and prays fervently for deliverance.

Ivetta is freaking out and rushes to gather supplies, medicine, food, anything they could need while they flee. Marco coaxes Castor from under the bed, "we need to go, we're not safe here." Castor reluctantly comes out, averting his eyes as much as possible from the gigantic pool of blood and the dead man. He grabs a shirt and wraps it around the cross, holding it to his chest like a lifeline. Those with blood on their clothes change out of them and within a few minutes are ready to escape.

They debate some but at the last, they decide toleave through the plague zone and out that gate, the men chasing them would be crazy to enter there. With the logic: If we’re truly on a divine quest, we should be fineeee. They leave Ivetta's home, sticking to the edges of the streets and keeping their heads down. They cross the bridge over the river and reach the cordoned off area. Ivetta speaks to the guards keeping people out. "we're healers here to help." She acts like she's in a rush to get in and help, flashes her pass to the guard and he lets the four in, no questions asked.

Walking through they hear people moaning on the streets, they see dead bodies piled high, and smell the pungent scent of disease. Castor's heart aches for these people, wishing she could help. At the far gate leading outside, Ivetta asks them to open it, but the guard insists no one can leave. Viridis steps up and says, ”We are on a mission from God. We need to get outside and gather herbs before dark, would you stand in the way of our holy mission to relieve the suffering here?”

Reluctantly he agrees to let them out but he insists on coming with, for their protection. The gates open. The group walks several miles away. In a flash, Marco draws his sword and pretends to rob Ivetta. She yells at the guard to help her. He's about 15 feet away so he yeets his spear at Marco. Castor tackles Marco out of the way of the spear.

The guard turns and books it back toward the city and then Marco, Viridis, Ivetta, and Castor run deeper into the forest. Ivetta grabbing the spear he'd tossed on the way. After going full tilt for twenty minutes, have to slow to a walk, out of breath. They walk on a bit longer, trying to put as much length between them and the city as possible.

Hoofbeats pound the ground behind them, scaring them into climbing trees to hide. Darkness is approaching. They hear the riders below who have slowed as their shadows grow longer. A clearly terrified man speaks up, “Cardinal we need to go back, it's getting dark.”

“They'll die out here anyway, we’ll find the cross in the morning, with whatever remains of them. Tell the others-” he stops suddenly as spooky fog rolls in. "Let us return." they rear up their horses and gallop back to the city.

Castor and Ivetta sit in one tree, Viridis and Marco in another, the fog stays away from them. No crickets, no rustlings of creatures, just dead silent. The fog hides all below.

Blood curdling screeches shatter the silence in the night. Voices they can't really understand, whisper from below sending shivers up their spines. The group spends a sleepless night in the trees. Castor, Marco, and Ivetta are scared out of their minds, yet Viridis manages to catch some sleep.

As dawn approaches, the fog fades. They all climb down and walk for a few hours, eating a few rations along the way. around noon, they spot a structure looming in the distance. some kind of fort with high wooden walls. They decide to go up to it and check it out. Viridis tries to pick the lock but without much luck. Marco knocks instead and a guard in armor opens the door saying “we weren’t expecting a shipment today wait- where is your boat?”

Thinking quickly, Viridis says “Uh, our ship sunk and our goods are at the bottom of the river.”

The guard is a lil sus and says, “Your clothes are dry, as is your hair.”

“Yes, I carry a spare pair in my bag and my hair is naturally buoyant.”

The gullible guard believes this and says “I can give you horses to return to Florence but that is all. Come inside and wait if you desire.” He stands back and lets they inside. then closes the door and goes off to secure their mounts. Inside is a beautiful renaissance villa with shrubs and fountains on either side of a promenade. Big boxes line the walkway, and when the guard is gone, Ivetta looks through some of the crates. She finds Parchment, bits of metal, some spices, and a compass. The parchment is a map of Italy.

The guard returns with the horses and asks them to inform his father about their mishap. They agree and set off in the opposite direction from town.

They each get on horses. Ivetta, Marco, and Viridis all rein in their steeds with no problem but Castor's just kinda follows the others, very accurate to his character. They ride next to the river between it and the treeline. For several hours they ride, going further and further from their home into the unknown. They start getting a bit saddle-sore just as Viridis spots some people in the forest. And, as they debate whether to stop and ask for help, a man emerges and offers to help them, all smiles and good will. Ivetta gets off her horse and speaks with him a moment. She turns back to the others with a way too big smile and tells them, "we’re going to go back to his house and get a map he has."

Knowing Ivetta the best, Marco senses she's acting strangely and pulls his sword. The man grabs Ivetta and brings the knife he had to her back to her throat.

He yells at Marco, Viridis, and Castor, "get off your horses and drop your weapons!" They comply, although Castor tries to get his horse to buck and kick the guys who came out of the trees behind them but he can't handle his horse very well so the horse moves back a bit. He gets off and joins the others.

They are all shoved to the ground, their hands pulled roughly together and bound behind their backs. The few men gather the reigns of the horses and prod them to their feet again. They're made to walk in front of the strange robed men. The four walk as their captives into the forest and to a small encampment with a dais. it is round and large. only slightly raised from the forest floor with a tent in the center of a large, painted star. A pentacle.

Several dozen tents fill the clearing around the dais from which people emerge. They follow them as the group is led to the dais and made to kneel before wooden stakes set into the plinth. One of the captors goes into the tent on the dais, others chant in Latin as Ivetta, Viridis, Marco, and Castor are tied to the stakes. Marco tries to break his bonds but only gets a punch to the gut for his efforts. They stay there for some hours, kneeling and bound. More men and women coming out of tents making arrangements. Some time later, five men go to stand at each of the the points of the star. A man emerges from the tent in the center then turns bows before the entrance.

From the tent a hand with red nails emerges, curling around the flap before pulling back the curtain. A slender, naked woman covered in blood stands in the entrance. Goat horns adorn her head and a clean knife in her hand gleams in the firelight.

Viridis audibly gasps, “Imilia?”

The woman cocks her head, smiling, and says “Sister. What are you doing here?”

“What am *I* doing here? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Rome!”

“Isn't it obvious? We worship the true Lord here- Satan. You will join us, won’t you dear sister?”

Quite nervous now, Viridis asks “Can we speak in private?” Imilia bids a man to remove her sister's bindings and brings her into the tent.

Close up Viridis sees how unwell she looks. Her skin is cracked, hair matted, and she’s tired looking. In the tent there’s a board with letters, several pentagrams, furs hung all around, various skulls, and lit candles. Viridis asks, "how did you get here? You're supposed to be in Rome, happily married to Salvius!"

“The Lord elevated me to this status."

“So Salvius brought you here?”

“In a way. My life in Florence had no meaning. It is here that my true Lord speaks to me.”

Viridis tries to run it but thinks better of it and instead lunges at her sister, grabbing her and holding her hostage. Imilia’s own knife at her throat. They leave the tent, Viridis shouting at everyone, "back up! Let my friends go."

The man bowing at the entrance, Imilia’s husband, hesitates but the threat does not work on the congregation. As Imilia shouts at them “My life matters not, kill them now! Slit their throats!”

Ivetta gasps, Marco lets out a sob, and tears roll down Castor's cheeks as he squeezes his eyes shut. The men behind Marco, Ivetta, and Castor step forward, the cold of their sharpened knives biting at each of their throats when—

A beam of light shoots up into the sky, enveloping Castor. His bindings fall away and he rises in the air. His eyes glow, all the satanists are surrounded by an orange glow, also begin to float, frozen in time. Castor raises his hands, open at first, but then his fingers curl and he yanks his hands apart in a tearing motion. All of the unnamed guards are eviscerated. Their bodies torn apart, blood and gore fly everywhere. Amelia’s husband, still on his knees begs for his life. Castor passes his hand over his face, knocking him out. Open-mouthed and furious, Imilia tries to get out of Viridis’ hold but the same happens to her as her husband and she crumples. Castor then floats gently down, the glow fading from his eyes. A hint of brown shows before his eyes roll up in his head and promptly passes out. Face down, in the muck.

TBC

Episode Two Journey to the Edge of the World