Plot Summary/The First Iteration

## *11 AM on November 6th, 7221*

Asphodel opens with **Matthew Hollis**, the seventeen year old Bonded to **Faidael**, a follower of Diligence and ex-bodyguard to **Asutiel**, the Archangel of Justice. **Matthew** has been raised his entire life to eventually be Bonded to some Elysian, and after nine-ish months of being Bonded to **Faidael**, he still isn't quite up to snuff. He trains with **Faidael** in his Diligence abilities in one of Zion's arenas.

After some time of this, an Elysian runner finds them and says they have to go to the High Tower to speak with **Jehudiel**, the Archangel of Faith and High Lord of Zion. Though they press as to why they're needed by such an important person -- especially after having done nothing wrong or illegal -- they are given no further information. They travel to the Keep and climb the High Tower, where they are let into **Jehudiel's** office. After some niceties, **Jehudiel** asks **Faidael** details about her break-off with **Asutiel**.

It is rather hush hush, but **Asutiel** had decided some three months prior to leave the Elysian cause at Zion to go her own way. In a later series of flashback posts, we see a disagreement unfold between **Jehudiel** and **Asutiel** ...

Following the Sundering, a moot had been called between the remaining seven Archangels to discuss what was to be done and how they should proceed. **Jehudiel** had tasked **Asutiel** with the dilemma of the Homini, and the great need the Elysian forces had for Homini to Bond with. She was supposed to convert Homini to the Elysian side, but as discovered in the flashback, she found their methods contradictory to **Elodi**, lacking in principle and failing to live to the standards Virtue called for. She had anticipated fallout or perhaps disgust, but instead **Jehudiel** agreed with her points. Due to the issue of survival, however, he could not give up on the war they had already invested so much in and the dirty methods they used to survive it. Instead, he told her to go and do what her Justice would lead her to do, and find the right path with the Homini, taking with her whoever would follow her.

**Jehudiel** wants to know what **Faidael** knows about **Asutiel's** leaving and any misgivings she may have about her choice. She has none, in classic **Faidael** style, feeling Diligently compelled to stick with the Elysians no matter what may come. Thus satisfied, **Jehudiel** informs her that within a few days she'll be given a new charge to bodyguard (bodyguarding is the classic Diligence profession.) There is an interruption as a man named **Ahsa** comes into the office for **Jehudiel**. **Faidael** and **Matthew** are thus dismissed, and they have a feelsy conversation out in the hallway alone as **Matthew** is in tears and very upset. As **Faidael** finds out, **Jehudiel** was Bonded to one of **Matthew's** brothers, **Conner**. **Conner** died in the Sundering while still Bonded to **Jehudiel**, something **Matthew** blames the Archangel for. After giving a little stiff comfort, **Faidael** takes **Matthew** back to their home, a flat they share in Zion.

Meanwhile in **Jehudiel's** office, **Ahsa** informs **Jehudiel** the outcome of an event previously scheduled for that morning. It should be noted that **Ahsa** leads a band of outcasts called the Forgotten. The Forgotten consist entirely of half-bloods (Elysian/Homini) and Virtueless Elysians, the discarded peoples that Elysian society refuses to accept. They work in subterfuge and skulduggery, and are generally disliked and not mentioned by any self-respecting Elysian. **Jehudiel**, who has already seized most of the power in Zion and typically disregards the opinions of the city's council, uses them as his personal spy network and assassins. All hush hush, of course. The Forgotten had been contacted by a Sheolfolk defector looking to make a deal with the authorities at Zion, and thus the Forgotten were sent to handle it by **Jehudiel**. What they didn't expect and had no way of knowing was that said Sheolfolk defector was in fact the General of Anarchy, **Leviathan** and his Bonded. The pair is looking for a ride to Elysium. Lacking the authority and not wanting to deal with it, **Ahsa** saddled them up and sent them to the Keep for **Jehudiel** to deal with.

**Jehudiel** gives **Ahsa** a few orders about how he wants **Levi** and his Bonded to be surrounded, then makes sure his Bonded, **Annalise**, is taken care of for the afternoon till he comes for her, then he falls out a window and flies down to the Keep, where he then has a very interesting conversation with **Levi**. **Jehudiel**, despite his insistence that he is straight, is very not and has a big crush on **Levi**. **Jehudiel** has also been wiping his memory for the past several centuries.

The following conversation is an elaborate dance wherein **Levi** tells **Jehudiel** he wants to go to Elysium to escape the Sheolfolk. **Jehudiel** doesn't believe him. They go back and forth for a while, **Levi** offers him information about a passage into Morgul. When **Jehudiel** asks him for something more, **Levi** tells him he remembers who killed **Vardael**. **Jehudiel** says he's being needlessly cruel by being dishonest. **Levi** says he intends to find the gods and fix the world. **Jehudiel's** world too, if he'd simply help **Levi**. **Jehudiel**, hurt, says **Levi** doesn't care about him or anyone, and that a follower of Chastity (**Belgael**) told him of **Levi's** coming before it happened, including who **Levi** meant to see and why. **Levi** gets up to leave. Jehudiel tells him it's fine, **Levi** will be going to Elysium (**Belgael** intends to meet him, after all), but it'll be only with **Jehudiel's** approval. He supplies and saddles **Levi** and **Elimi** before letting them fly to Elysium.

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A newly named follower of Faith, **Mauriel**, lives in what remains of Zion and reflects on the worth of her own Virtue while observing the world below. She decides that the only thing she really can do is help the Elysian cause however she is able, and from there she seeks out **Sariel**, the Archangel of Diligence and current manager of clean up and repair in Elysium. **Mauriel**tells **Sariel** that because she is so young, she's had little opportunity to train or learn and that she wants a mentor to help her catch up with everyone else. She asks **Sariel**to be her mentor, which surprises **Sariel** (she isn't used to taking on apprentices from outside her sect) but **Sariel** agrees nonetheless.

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At about the same time, **Lucifer** pays a visit to the Temple of Lust, the home of many an Asmodeus and the present abode of the only General of Lust. After **Lucifer** kicks the front door in, the two Generals greet each other. **Lucifer** informs **Asmodeus** that he intends to take Zion and wants soldiers from the Lust sect to join him, as well as the assistance of **Asmodeus** himself. **Lucifer** says he's moved his forces from the front at Jehiliath (**Belial** and the Pride sect hold the line instead) and has them marching onward to Zion. In the meantime, he's left his troops to recruit the aid of the other Generals. After **Asmodeus**, **Lucifer** intends to speak with **Mammon** and **Molech**. Again **Lucifer** asks how many **Asmodeus** will bring to the fight.

**Asmodeus** asks why **Lucifer** would attack Zion and now, to which **Lucifer** points out that the loss of Elysium puts Zion at a real loss in terms of defenses and that a good chunk of the Elysian army lives in Jehiliath. It'd be a nice target, one that could turn the tide of the war if taken. **Asmodeus** promises aid if he's given a percentage of Zion's loot and a no-betrayal contract. **Lucifer** believes the deal (and **Asmodeus**) is too good to be true, but they shake on it and **Lucifer** leaves.

On his way to meet the General of Greed at **Vulpes/Mammon's** fortress, **Lucifer** is compromised. Upon reaching the fortress, **Vulpes** kills him. As he lay dying, **Lucifer's** prayers to first **Ahriman** and then **Elodi** go unanswered. **Vulpes** giddily informs him that he would be acting as **Lucifer's** new god, and has a woman take the corpse out the back. The identity of this woman is not explained, though **Vulpes** assures her of his promise to help her find **Levi**. Privately, **Vulpes** affirms himself as both god and the new **Lucifer**.

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**Katya Faun**, a Homini recently escaped from her Bonded, has fled Morgul. She suspects she is being followed, and hastens her pace.

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Meanwhile in Spieti, **Artos Polemistis** and his three wards, **Odelle**, **Nereida**, and **Phoenix** are enjoying breakfast while also scheming. **Artos** is in charge of an Spieti's militia, he has the love of the people and more troops from any town should he call upon them. He's also very done with the state of the Homini peoples and intends to unite all the fiefs under one banner, get rid of the Elysian forces in would-have-been Homini fiefs, and eliminate the Sheolfolk enslavement camps.

**Artos** decides with his wards that just like the Elysians had **Elodi** and the Sheolfolk **Ahriman**, the Homini should likewise have a god over their invention: they decide upon Lae, the goddess of courage, as the new Homini god. **Odelle** is to be the bard singing Her praises in a way that inspires the people to follow them, **Artos** will call himself Dux (Homini military leader) and lead the armies, **Phoenix** will be his right hand man and **Nereida** their gladiator-champion. Together as a family they will retake their people's power.

All of this would have gone very well if not for the assassin that **Vulpes (Mammon)**, General of Greed, had sent his spy **Delilah** to hire. **Artos** gets a crossbow bolt through the head and everyone starts screaming. **Nereida** slaps his corpse onto a horse, rallies the men, and rides them back to the Keep to escape any more assassination attempts. There, she and **Odelle** have a little sister bonding time.

**Phoenix** had been left behind in their tent outside the city, unknowingly poisoned and now dead. Though they knew only of their guardian **Artos'** death, in truth **Odelle** and **Nereida** were the only surviving family members They make a quick plan: **Nereida** would name herself Dux in **Artos'** stead, and **Odelle** would carry on as Lae's high priestess. They ride back out to the people, **Nereida** gives a speech, **Odelle** asserts her claim to Lae, and from the crowd comes **Conrad Curse**, the Lord of Balum Fief, who seconds their claim to such gregarious power. The people of Spieti fall in line behind their new leaders.

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**Standartenführer Alphonse Landa**, leader of **Vulpes'** Frumentarii (a Homini run anti-Elysian elimination force), explains to an underling that the Elysians are like rats and deserve to be purged. The Frumentarii, he says, is a noble cause because purging Elysian blood from a Homini land ensures a perfect transfer of power back into Homini hands.

Arriving at a Homini village, one of the village leaders stops **Alphonse** and says he's already paid **Alphonse**, so what more food could **Alphonse** be needing? **Alphonse** says he's looking into a halfblooded Elysian family for which he hasn't completed records. Three families of that kind had previously lived in the village but only two had been successfully captured. The village leader's unconcerned reply does not please **Alphonse**, who takes him aside and reminds him that Homini who hide Elysians get punished. It'd be a shame if anything happened to this man's beautiful daughter ...

Taking the hint, the man points to the stable, and **Alphonse** deploys a small collection of soldiers to investigate. They exit the building with bloody swords. **Alphonse** thanks him and leaves the village, saying he has more leads to follow. While on the road, a messenger gives **Alphonse** a letter from **Vulpes** that says, "*The pieces are set, Zion will fall. Marshal your cohorts and march for our designated location on our designated date. Don't forget **Standartenführer**, the experiential Homini technology mustn't be found out,"* from which **Alphonse** surmises that **Artos** and **Lucifer** must be dead. He looks forward to the assault of Zion, given his nickname "The Elysian Butcher" and the high quantity of Elysians to be present at the battle.

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**Calista Lovelock** is an escaped Homini slave from Morgul, the prison/death camp for Homini captured or bred by the Sheolfolk. She's an ex-cage fighter, weak but still desperate to escape. She stops to kill a Sheolfolk trailing her, then proceeds to an inn where she inadvertently runs across **Asmodeus** and his Bonded, **Atara**. **Asmodeus** is on his way to see **Vulpes** after concluding a deal with **Lucifer** concerning the upcoming siege on the city of Zion.

Unbeknownst to **Asmodeus**, **Lucifer** is already dead -- murdered by **Vulpes**. As the General and his Bonded stop at this inn, **Asmodeus** selects a few women to toy with for the night, an easy chance to take advantage of his own power. **Calista**, having swiped the money bag of her previous kill, pays for a night at the same inn and the innkeeper's silence about her presence.

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A week before present events, **Delilah Ashwell** pleaded with her ex **Claudia** to join her in the murder of **Artos Polimestis**. The General of Greed is planning something terrible, **Delilah** insisted, and **Polimestis** is involved, killing **Polimestis** stops **Vulpes**. **Claudia** disagreed: killing **Artos** would be an act of war against the Homini, a bad move for the Elysian cause. But **Artos** is a blasphemer, **Delilah** returns, allowing him to live means allowing him to lead Homini away from **Elodi**.

**Claudia**, knowing that **Delilah** forsook Faith long ago and has since joined **Vulpes** as his Bonded, asks **Delilah** why she'd even care. **Delilah**is vague, but talks about turning around, of changing her ways. **Vulpes** was good to her at first, and then he ... **Delilah** trails off, and **Claudia** assumes **Vulpes** has been doing something terrible to **Delilah**. **Delilah** continues, saying that she's turned around and she knows now how terrible **Vulpes** is, and while she doesn't imagine that **Elodi** will accept her again (a lie, **Elodi** would still, but moving on), she believes the least she can do for the Elysians is help them defeat **Vulpes** with the inside intelligence she has on him.

After being asked if **Delilah** knows everything **Vulpes** is planning, she says no, sorry, but if you can keep my cover, I can keep reporting my findings to you. **Claudia**, still buying into the story of abuse, is concerned about **Delilah** being with him. This talk of abuse prompts **Claudia**, who apologizes for abandoning **Delilah** to die in the desert all those years ago. **Delilah**, who is still understandably hurt over this, tells **Claudia** it's fine and that **Claudia's** current girlfriend, **Jael**, was right for abandoning **Delilah** and leaving her to die. It helped me find my Faith, **Delilah** says sweetly. **Claudia** cries a little and hugs **Delilah**. **Delilah** thinks about taking a knife and stabbing **Claudia** in the back, but decides not to, brooding instead over killing **Artos**.