As Reported by The Avalon Press

The Host of Avalon found themselves in a tricky situation during the February gathering. During the December gathering, Cmdr. Avonne, leader of the Coventry Defense Force, formally requested Avalon’s aid: Decius, Demon Knight of Etrigant and leader of the evil Terrisian alchemical organization, the Maleficari, was planning something big. To make matters worse, Decius, using presumably a Doppelganger, came into the Five Lions Inn on Sunday of the December Gathering carrying a dying Follower of Light and had desecrated the Covenant of the Gold Blossom in Coventry City (a Coventry variant of the House of the Sun). Worse, the Void was appearing in ever increasing numbers in Coventry. However, while Decius and the Void needed to be stopped, there was one problem: Coventry had been embroiled in a revolution since mid-1125.

Heading into the February gathering, the revolution had roughly four different factions vying for power. There was the Coventry Defense Force, led by Cmdr. Avonne, trying to restore stability to Coventry, while also making several decisions that inflamed the revolution, such as closing the presses and arresting any suspected being an “insurgent.” Representing the Copper Quarter of Coventry City was the Red Daggers. They focused primarily on improving the conditions of those living in the Copper Quarter and fighting against the Maleficari. Representing the Silver Quarter was The Book Club, although their goals were less clear. Finally, based in the city of Olind, to the south of Coventry City, was the Dock Workers. The Dock Workers, responsible for the burning of the Olind docks several months prior, seemed to want the Gold Quarter of Coventry City dead, killing all the nobility and admirals within. These forces clashed, all while alchemical abominations created by the Maleficari, including animals horrifically experimented on, and the Void, menaced Coventry City. Not to mention the fact the Host also had to deal with the normal cutthroats and thieves of Coventry.

Once in Coventry, the Heroes also learned that pieces of the broken Crown of Hell had scattered across Midlantia. These pieces of the Crown do not look like pieces of a shattered crown however. These pieces can look like other objects and these pieces are evil in nature. One of the Host’s goals was to recover this piece of the crown. Much of Avalon’s time in Coventry was spent dealing with missions or fighting monsters. One mission on Friday evening focused on fighting the Void in the sewers of Coventry. There were several assassination attempts against not just Cmdr. Avonne, but several Avalonians including Baronet Ven, Lady Anabelle, and much of the group of younger Avalonians known as the Order of the Pyramid.

There were several reported instances of both alchemical abominations, appearing as horses that looked wrong, bears that moved with the speed of vampires, and warped hunting hounds, as well as animals that had been eviscerated.

On Saturday afternoon, there were reports of Decius’ death. However, upon his death, massive amounts of those alchemical abominations swarmed throughout Coventry, along with the remaining Maleficari. The Host fought against the hoard, but some parts of Coventry City, such as the Gold Quarter, were weakened as a result. The following day, reports began to come in: the Gold Quarter burned. Members of the Dock Workers faction had used the weakened defenses to their advantage, causing massive damage to the nobility and working folk of the quarter. In addition, flyers quickly appeared around Coventry City, announcing that Olind was declaring itself independent from Coventry.

The declaration was as follows: “The People of Coventry. There is a sickness at the heart of Coventry. It hides itself, ever fearing of the light, behind the Defense Force, behind the Admirals, behind the Gold Quarter. This sickness is Greed manifest, embodied, as if pulled from the Heart of Teera’al herself: The Syndicate. The True Rulers of Coventry. The Syndicate only cares for its own profit. It only cares that it continues, unendingly, growing fat from the labor and spoils of others. It would burn everything to the ground, sell out countries to Hierarchs, and stab everyone in the back for it. The common folk know little of the true rulers that bend their will. The Nobility do not speak their name. But the Dock Workers will speak the Syndicate’s name, for only when dragged out into the Light can the Syndicate be revealed for the Evil it is. As you read this, the Gold Quarter burns, fully illuminating that sickness into the burning light of justice. But it is not enough. The sickness runs too deep. It cannot be simply sweat out by fire. As Boss Nodaka of the Merchant’s Guild Gold and Glory, willing pawns of the Syndicate, so boldly told our agents, “We will sell to both sides and we will always win. When Avalon goes to war, we sell to both Avalon and the opposing party… As long as the freedom fighters don’t win, the Syndicate will thrive.” Then, the Dock Workers, the freedom fighters, will take steps to ensure we will win.

The immediate fight may be over, but history is long indeed. Today, Olind declares itself a True Free City! Olind declares itself free of Coventry’s Rule, free of the Syndicate’s rule, and declares itself as its own sovereign entity. We have already made sure the ruling nobles of Olind, the Olinds, have been removed, their manor burned, and assets seized. To those amongst the Heroes who have aided us, we will not forget you are Friends to the Cause. To the Nobility, uncaring of the people and dismissive of them, we condemn you. Tomorrow will come and a new dawn will light Olind. Someday, the other common folk of Coventry will see that and one day rise up again. We will fight and burn for a better future. The Dock Workers.”

In an unexpected twist, there were several reports of the various leaders of Coventry meeting on Sunday to discuss the future. While it is unclear what exactly was discussed at this time, changes are already beginning to spread throughout Coventry. Many of the citizens of Coventry began celebrating as the Host left Coventry, suggesting that the revolution has at long last ended. There were also reports of the Void reducing significantly.

While most of the Host expected to return back to Avalon, they were not expecting what can only be described as a massive whale in Coventry’s harbor. This alleged whale ferried a diplomat from the Lands of Ice and Snow to ask the Heroes of Avalon for aid. It appears the Heroes of Avalon will next be traveling to these far off lands to fight the hierarch Tivvanarius once and for all. 

As one final note, the spell Identify Curse is no longer castable.