The First Episode

Our story begins in fair Florence, home to a great number of merchants, peasants, and faithful men and women of God. 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 in the midst of dreams brought on by the holiest of hands.

Viridis, 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, 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 hurriedly and also runs from the house.

Ivetta, 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. She begins cleaning up the glass. As she is doing so Marco bursts in through the door.

Castor, a wild haired young boy with a large burn on his cheek, wakes up peacefully in the smelter’s workshop. Heavy implements floating about him with a purple and orange hue surrounding them. His back burns. Master Fabbrio standing there, his mouth agape and comes at him with a sword. Castor grabs a shield from the wall and defends himself. Knocking the sword out of his master’s hand and pushing him to the ground. His master begs him not to hurt him. Shaking, Castor tries to explain- “Master please! I-I don’t know what that was, it wasn’t me, I was asleep!” He shouts at him to leave and never come back. Castor drops the shield and runs home and hurriedly packs some clothes. He tells his mother he’s leaving. She tells him no he has to stay and take care of her. Castor says the church will now be caring for her and he’s going on a quest from God. He goes to the church.

Castor gets to the church and sees Maunel, Marco’s brother, a middle aged balding man, and father Marian. A group of people sitting down all have red hoods. Castor waits till they finish talking and leave. He talks to the father and says he can’t care for his mother anymore, it's too much. The father says he’ll send some people to help tomorrow. Castor asks about who the men were. The father replies by saying to stay away from Marco, that he's been practicing witchcraft.

Marco, panicking in Ivetta’s shop stresses that my brother is tattling on me, you were in the dream I had so I came here.” Ivetta offers he stay there to hide.

Viridis, investigating the studio, hears a loud knock at the door. “Good evening, is your father home?” Three young men clad in red, hooded robes with black priest vestments. “He’s asleep sorry, he’s been feeling ill.” “Do you know the whereabouts of Marco Fabrri?” Ever so convincingly Viridis replies with” Noppe 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.”

Virdis ascends the stairs heading to her parents’ room. She listens at the door and hears them talking about what father saw earlier. She knocks and tells her father of the men. He heads downstairs and tells her to go to her room. She goes into their room and talks to her mother instead. She’s crying and upset, “Your father knows the church has ways to find out about these things. People taken in the night, burned at the stake.” Viridis consoles her then listens in to her father’s conversation. He can't help them, they believe him. Goes to bed after searching the studio.

Ivetta makes a bed for Marco in their spare room. They see torches heading down the street out the window. Marco panics and hides under the bed. Ivetta hurries down and answers the door before her sister and lets the 3 men in. She offers for them to search the house. A tense few minutes 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. Ivetta calms her down, bringing her to the kitchen, and makes her favorite snack. The men leave and Marco is in the fetal position and crying.

Castor reluctantly heads home after several hours praying. Sleeps, then wakes early and heads back to church, praying until service starts.

Viridis has breakfast with her family 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 and leaves in a hurry.

Ivetta insists on Marco not going to church today, he firmly agrees. “I'm worried for Castor. 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’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.

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

Church service:

Father Miriam introduces a middle-aged balding man. “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.” 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.”

Church ends and everyone leaves, save Castor who continues to kneel and pray. Ivetta finds Viridis and they go off to a field to talk. Afterward they return to the church to find Castor. They ask him to go with them to another field so they can talk privately. Castor agrees.

Ivetta reveals she and Viridis had a strange experience earlier, they were told to find him. Castor, shy as ever, perks up, relieved he’s not crazy and tells them he had the same experience, that God came to him in a dream saying that he should find Him at the edge of the world. They say they were told to protect him on his quest. They go to Ivetta’s house and meet up with Marco. As they all met up they were all struck with a vision: a golden cross adorned with bleeding red rubies and a voice telling them to find it. They plan to leave Florence but Viridis needs to go back to her house to prepare before we plan to find the cross.

Castor asks Ivetta for some salve for his back; it felt as if it were burning. Ivetta finds some and hands it to him offering to put it on. He declined, blushing, asking for a different room. The only place was the closet. After some thuds and bumps he emerges, his face not showing any relief. 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 lifts up the back of his shirt halfway. Square between his shoulders is a slightly glowing orange triangle. Castor freaks tf out pulling his shirt back down and backing into the wall. Ivetta tries to calm him.

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 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 cathedral to install a painting Virdis’ father painted while simultaneously looking for the golden cross. While Ivetta and Marco are gonna work on his disguise to 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, 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 above. He 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 us, 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 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 in conversation and prayer with him.

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 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 they should get back, her father needs her. 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. They walk out with the box in tow. As they reach the street the doors slam open and the priest shouts-

“Stop them!”

They book it. They manage to lose the few men chasing them, getting rid of the box in an alley, taking the cross out. Castor and VIridis split up and go to Ivetta’s through back alleys and doors.

Marco asks if anything happened when they touched it. Castor says “It uh s-shocked me? Maybe it'll happen for you too.” It does not. Nothing happens.

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

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

A priest bursts in and says that a lot of people have been coming in and out of here. He searches the house and finds the three all under the bed. He demands they come out brandishing his sword. Ivetta comes at him from behind with a knife. She misses and he grabs her arm aiming to cut it off. Viridis plows into his legs and throws his balance off. 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. And stabs the guy. This man is dead, his blood splattered on the walls and seeping into the floorboards. Castor, still hiding under the bed, holds the cross and prays fervently.

Ivetta is freakin and rushes to gather supplies, medicine, food, anything we could need while they flee.

Marco coaxes Castor from under the bed. He averts 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 and decide to go 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 cross the bridge and reach the entrance. Ivetta says we're healers here to help. Acting like she's in a rush to get in and help, flashes her pass to the guard and he lets us in.

Yeet on inside the plague zone.

Walking through we see people moaning on the streets, dead bodies piled high, and smell the pungent scent of disease. At the gate, 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 us out but insists on coming with us.

The group walks several miles away and then Marco draws his sword and pretending to rob Ivetta. She yells at the guard to help and 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 books it back to the city and Marco, Viridis, Ivetta, and Castor book it deeper into the forest.

After about 20 minutes of running they have to slow to a walk, out of breath.

Hoofbeats pound the ground behind and they climb trees to hide. Darkness is approaching.

Voices from below, “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 as spooky fog rolls in and they book it back to the city.

Castor and Ivetta in onne tree, Viridis and Marco in another, the fog stays away from them. No crickets, no rustlings of creatures, just dead silent.

Blood curdling screeches in the night. Hear voices can't really hear what they're saying. 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 rations along the way. A structure looms in the distance. 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 quick, Viridis says “Uh our ship sunk and our goods are at the bottom of the river.”

The guard is a lil sus and is like “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.” Inside is a beautiful renaissance villa with shrubs and fountains. 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 all Italy.

The guard returns with the horses and asks us to tell his father about our mishap. They agree and set off.

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.

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 us, all smiles and good will. Ivetta gets off her horse and speaks with him a moment. With an ashen face tells the others they’re going to go to his house and get a map he has. Marco pulls his sword and the man grabs Ivetta and brings the knife he had to her back to her throat.

He tells Marco, Viridis, and Castor to get off our horses. They comply. (Although Castor tries to get his horse to buck and kick the guys who came out of the trees behind them. Didn't work tho

( ) they are all thrown to the ground, their hands bound behind their backs. They walk their captives as well as their steeds into the forest and to a small encampment with a large pentacle dais.
More people chant in latin as they’re tied to stakes, kneeling. Marco tries to break his bonds but only gets a punch to the gut for his efforts. They were made to stay there for some hours, kneeling and bound. Some time later five men stand at the points of the star. In the center there's a tent. A man emerges, turns bows before the entrance.

From the tent a hand with red nails emerges. A slender, naked woman covered in blood. Goat horns adorned her head and a clean knife in her hand gleamed in the firelight.

Viridis audibly gasps, “Imilia?”

Smiling, Imilia 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?”

Nervous now, Viridis asks “Can we speak in private?” Imilia removes her bindings and brings her into the tent.

Close up her skin is cracked, hair matted, and she’s tired looking. In the tent there’s a Ouija board with a pentagram, furs hung all around, skulls, and candles. Viridis asks how she got here, that she was supposed to be in Rome, happily married.

“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 book it but thinks better of it and instead lunges at her sister holding her hostage. Imilia’s own knife at her throat. They leave the tent Viridis shouting at everyone to back up and let her 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!”

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. Castor then floats gently down, the glow fading from his eyes and promptly passes out. Face down, in the muck.

Marco and Ivetta, jaws on the ground realize their bindings have also fallen away. Marco rushes to Castor and tries to wake him to no avail.

Viridis checks her sister, finding her breathing she is relieved but still furious with Castor.

She shouts at Castor “What did you do?!” He does not reply, being unconscious.

She stomps over to him. Ivetta stands in the way from her doing anything to him.

Marco goes to look for weapons in the carnage. Ivetta goes to look about the camp. She finds cells with skeletons, a meeting hall, a grain hall- finds spices that make meat last longer. Marco tries first aid on Castor but doesn’t know how to revive him.

Ivetta searches tents and finds more eviscerated bodies as well as a small fire that is starting to burn a tent.

Ivetta doesn't want to travel in the middle of the night with demons. Viridis is wary and untrusting of Castor. They decide to camp out there, among the blood and mangled corpses. Marco and Ivetta go check out the basement of one of the halls but see the fire spreading among the tents and decide to leave. Viridis goes to get the horses, Marco and Ivetta go search the basement and set the door with no handles on fire to open it. The fire instead spreads to the cellar stairs. Oop can't that explore now.

Marco looks though the center tent and thinks he sees some gold but needs people to get it down. He gets Ivetta and she sees nothing. They decide that yeah the camp is on fire and they need to gtfo

Marco pulls Castor on his horse with him. On the way out, Castor almost slips off but Marco manages to catch him. Viridis brings her sister on her horse. They leave the burning camp hearing moos and and baas as the barn burns a bunch of poor animals alive. Imilia’s husband is left behind the burn to death as well.

As they ride a bubble surrounds the group keeping the fog and whatever lurks within, at bay.

Marco and Viridis find their way, through the stars, to the river. They follow it and eventually come upon another structure: an old water mill, decrepit and old as well as a farmhouse.

In the farmhouse it is simple and sparse with considerable structural damage. A bed, empty fireplace, small kitchen with cabinets open. Viridis props up her unconscious sister against the wall and settles in to sleep. Marco puts Castor on the bed and finds a spot for himself on the floor. Ivetta finds a spot as well and tries to sleep.

Marco has a pleasant dream about a giant cloud made of bread.

While asleep Castor has a dream:

Flashes of a lifetime ago stories, he will never know. A huge cathedral with no dome. A man toiling over books and scrolls. Suddenly an idea hits him and he rushes to the open cathedral- 10 or so officials stand around him under the open sky. Takes item from his pocket. He breaks the egg carefully and sets it upon a table, the top of the egg forming a dome.

After a few hours of sleep Castor wakes up gasping. Everyone is woken up. Frantic, Castor asks “What?! Where are we? Are we dead?!” He grasps at his throat. Marco tries to calm him. “It’s okay, no we’re fine, you, uh, got us out of there. We’re all fine.”

“What? I don’t even remember! What happened?”

“You should rest.” he tries to push him back down onto the bed. Castor pushes him away.

“I’m not tired, please tell me what happened!”

Marco starts, “Well, You, uh, floated and glowed—”

Viridis chimes in “and you killed everybody.” Castor looked at her like she opened a door to hell and introduced her to the devil himself. “I did WHAT?! I killed them all?! How? There were so many!”

“Well I think it was magic based on the glowing…”

“Magic!? But I— I don’t. I can’t— That’s—” He gets up. His legs wobbly and makes his way to the door. Ivetta and Marco follow him out the door. Castor makes his way to his horse. Ivetta talks to him trying to get him to stay. Saying that his eyes glowed like the mark on his back, maybe it's that. Castor remarks that the triangle didn’t kill anybody, he did. Marco offers water but Castor is sitting on his horse looking at his shaking, blood covered hands. In a Bro Moment™ Marco pours water on his hands and washes off some blood. “Where you going to go in the middle of the night? And what about finding God? He’s waiting for you.”

“Anywhere I don't care, I killed all those people. God doesn’t want to see me.” Tears flow down his face washing blood and mud away. “I- I broke one of the ten commandments—the big ones. THOU SHALT NOT KILL!! I AM GOING TO HELL! He’s crying vehemently when Ivetta pipes up with “Maybe what you did was with the power of God.”

“What? I’m not God.”

“I mean he gave you the power to save us, you did save us Castor, you saved all our lives.”

“You think- God shone His light through me?” He sniffs, “That I— He smited those sinners through me? I—” his face brightens a bit, he crosses himself and kisses his cross necklace. “God is with us, he guides our holy quest.” He gets down off his horse and looks down at himself. His tunic is covered in dried mud and blood. “I should wash.” Ivetta agrees and says she’ll do the same heading down to the river immediately. Marco and Castor reenter the house. Viridis is still on the floor holding her sister. Castor starts at the sight of Imilia and gives a tentative look to Viridis, who is glaring at him. He grabs his bag and swiftly exits. Marco stays behind and talks to VIridis.

Castor heads to the river to wash himself and his clothes, he brings his horse, Azur, along. Ivetta also washes but down stream. When she’s done she heads back seeing an angry Marco sitting amongst the horses. Then enters the house and speaks to Viridis. When she exits again she gives Marco a thumbs up, Viridis coming out behind her.

They search for food for a while then discuss the plan. Ivetta takes out the map. Castor points to the heel of the boot of Italy- “this looks like the edge of the world to me, maybe God is there.” Eventually, They decide to head to Rome, thinking it's one of the holiest places, perhaps they’ll find some answers there. Ivetta writes in her journal and a magical response appears saying to follow our hearts.

They decide on fake names and roles. From Sienna on pilgrimage to Rome. Ivetta explains the magical journal belonged to her father. Who didn’t actually die of the plague as was said about town, but was killed by the church because of his heresy. She insists the church is corrupt, getting fat on its riches and succumbing to Indulgences that do not benefit the people. She believes that is why God needs to be found- to reform the corrupted church. Castor doesn’t quite believe her on that one.

They follow the river for a while then go off into the forest on Marco’s direction. Viridis facts checks him and says he’s going the wrong way. Course corrected, they notice that as they ride further away from Florence the fog becomes less dense in the nights. Out there there is more wildlife.

After a few days Imilia hasn’t awoken. Ivetta says she needs medical attention. Viridis asks if Castor can do anything about this since he’s the one who did this to her. Castor says he can try. They stop and he gets off Azur. For about 20 minutes he prays and hopes and pours all his thoughts into healing her. Nothing happens. He’s sweating and shaking but eventually shakes his head adding, “I guess my power is limited to killing.” Viridis says snidely “yeah that's all you're good for.” This cuts Castor to his core. He gets up and back on his horse, more melancholy than ever.

Eventually they reach the base of a grassy hill. At the top of this there's a bush. The only foliage around. Heading toward it, about a mile and a half up, the bush catches fire. Blue, purple flames. Castor crosses himself and feels a rush of adrenaline. They all approach. Ivetta reaches to touch the flames which don’t burn with any heat. Castor takes out the cross and it grows hotter as they approach. The light from the bush streams like sun through water.

Suddenly on a precipice— the edge of the world. Nothing but empty sky down and as far as the eye can see, save the other floating islands. Omg they were on one of the islands the whole time.

The cross burns Castor’s hand and he drops it. It rises into the air and floats.

A bright light — An angel with wings, curly hair, leather armor, short sword, and sandals—holds his hand out— just out of reach. Castor reaches for him but misses. He jumps off the island, enraptured by the holy being holding out his hand. He doesn’t fall but lands on some invisible surface. Walking further Castor reaches his hand and takes it. The Angel gives him a warm smile and beckons the others.

Ivetta bravely walks out onto the nothing as she saw Castor do. Marco watches warily. Viridis is backing away slowly. Castor calls to them “come on guys— this was the whole point of our quest!” For once, he’s smiling, a cute crooked smile. Ivetta calls to Viridis, “it's safe. I’m standing on the nothing and I’m fine, Castor too.” The horses walking toward them, totally chill. Marco says to Viridis “you has to come with, what are you going to go back to?” Viridis grabs her horse’s reins, he’s carrying her sleeping sister and inches forward. At last they all join Castor next to the angel, horses next to their masters.

The angel turns and walks they follow. The void below feels like grass. After a few minutes walking, the angel disappears. Shocked, Castor starts praying and something flies toward them. The golden cross Castor dropped It floats in front of them. The cross is bleeding. Just out of reach. The cross falls and Castor leaps for it but misses and the invisible walkway well, disappears. They all fall, screaming. Castors hand burns and the cross is near his head. He grabs it. As soon as he does, a purple bubble surrounds the group and slows their descent. The bubble becomes opaque then pops and they find they’re in a completely different place:

They’re atop a large mountain. Desert sprawls out before them, an ominous cloud of dust on the horizon. A medium sized city built of sandstone sits peacefully, lit by torches.

They all kinda stand there, shocked for a minute. Marco pipes up and says “we should head to that town before that storm breaks.”

Castor looks at him like he’s insane. “We just saw an angel and you want to take shelter?! We witnessed a miracle! And now we’re in a completely different place!” Marco seems not to have processed everything. Viridis checks her sister’s pulse, afraid she died during the excitement. Castor looks guilty as fuck and his giddiness fades as he says they should seek medical treatment for her in the town.

As they set foot on the road their visions black out and hear a different voice tell them to find a golden necklace with a strange 'w' symbol.

Castor exclaims “What? More thievery?!” He sighs, “The lord works in mysterious ways.”

TBC