Cleric Search 989
So there they were, hanging out in a graveyard in Denmark, their two highest-level fighters effectively out of commission and unable to be healed. Thence commenced CLERIC SEARCH 989.
OK, well, first Gershom has a chat with the headstone, asking about the last five people it encountered. In reverse chronological order: two soldiers who dug up the casket containing the Tanakh encountered in the court of Aalborg; a frightened fisherman with a small child, who sheltered beneath it for a night; a dark-skinned man who entered the cave beneath, came back out, and buried the aforementioned casket; and the Wandering Jew, somewhere around a thousand years previous (must have been 956 or less, yes?). The geniza guarded by the golem was last used 2500 years ago, before the tribe of Dan gave up YHWH or headed to Ireland.
Arben also checks in on Got To Get Gots the three Mira Sisters, who are apparently enjoying an internship of sorts at the North Pole, bakin' cookies and makin' toys. Which honestly sounds pretty awesome. Still, Arben decides to send a friendly letter to ol' St. Nick warning him that these followers might, in fact, be Naughty instead of Nice. Now all he has to do is find a Mason to mail it...
Arben having tried and failed to reach Snowflake, who disappeared precipitously in the middle of his Round Four match, Marcella chats with a local kitty, Rhubarb, who knows naught about his monarch's whereabouts. The DG request that he pass along their concern to the Cat Grapevine.
After buying the Tanakh from the king of Aalborg, they head back to Chrysopolis, hoping to get some healing done. Except the Patriarch is inconveniently absent. Racking their collective memories for another well-disposed high-ranking cleric, they head to the Dryad Queen's demesne: her efforts are in vain. Maybe it has to be a Jewish cleric? Uh...besides Gershom, there's David ben Boaz (AND THE ZEEZ), not that he's exactly palsies with the Danger Gang. Still, they call up the Angry Jews, who are currently on a mission in Abyssinia, where it is nervous-makingly dark during the day. They're too busy to provide an introduction, and also pretty sure Jewishness is not required.
The DG locates the Patriarch, who seems to be in a Muslim city but is in disguise, and promptly cuts off communication. The bishop of Ribe doesn't have the chops. So...London? Archbishop Dunstan's probably a Satanist, sure, but he's got some levels. And he proves surprisingly helpful. Though of insufficient healing abilities--and prone to asking for signatures on unread documents before divulging information--he knows that the cleric must be 17th level. Besides the Patriarch, and the off-on-a-crusade Pope, there's some dude named Mayul or something, highest-ranking in the Holy Roman Empire, and there's rumored to be a hierophant Druid hanging out near Tara, conveniently located in Ireland where they were headed anyway. Aces! And in exchange, all Dunstan requires is that Arben drown a priest named Wulfstan! (Cause D. promised a Danish giant, Gymir--father-in-law of Freyr, that he would.) Has Arben semantically wormed his way out of it? We'll see!
Anyways, off to Dublin--or as the locals call it, Baile Atha Cliath. The city's in a bit of a tumult, in that there's a riot going on. A woman in the crowd spots Kolya and calls to him in Russian; when he answers likewise, she attacks! And proves to be a most formidable snow hag, all freeze-ray-shooting staff and icy fists--with a face so hideous the sight drives Zombres and Al gibbering mad, and strikes Arben blind. She assures Kolya loudly that he'll never be King of Norway, which, granted? After a thorough pounding of the weakened fighters, she's fumbled and chained. She tries turning into a mouse and slipping her bonds when the spell wears off, but is finally whomped into snowy dust.
Back in Dub-town, Gaels and Vikings are duking it out--one imposing gentleman who wields two spears and two swords is endeavoring to defuse the situation, with violence. Kolya breaks out the wang-crown charm, which helps somewhat, and attracts Two Spears' attention; his name is Ali, and boy has he led an exciting life!
Rightful heir to the throne of Norway (a descendant of Harald Fairhair), he fled with his family as a child to escape the evil Jarl Hakon, but was sold into slavery in Novgorod, where his father perished. Later he moved to Poland and married a local girl, who died; he worked with Otto II in Germany; was converted to Christianity by a seer off the coast of England; and recently settled down with an Irish princess, making him king of some of the Emerald Isle. Not Dublin, though--that was until this very day ruled by King Gluniairn, murdered while drunk. This is the cause of the fighting in the city, and of the attack on the Danger Gang; twas rumored that the king was killed by strangers recently arrived, one of whom spoke Russian--an attempt to frame Ali that the DG got mixed up in all unawares. Oh, also Ali has an awesome big dog named Viga! WHO'S A GOOD DOG?!?
Ali also shares a mysterious prophecy of the Christian who converted him, that in about ten years, "either you or everybody will be underwater." Perhaps an indication that he's destined to be in vanguard that thwarts the octopus men?
