Masada shall not Fall
Part Two - The Roman Province of Iudea, 66-77AD
Vigilante
Once again, ordered by their superiors, the servitors arrived somewhat nervously at MIchael's tent in The Groves. Though it had been a hundred years since their last visit nothing seemed to have changed, the two malakim that stood outside the tent looked like they hadn’t moved an inch in the intervening time. Michael was his usual brusque self. He told them that after the battle in the desert. As the demon of Annihilation was as big a problem for Hell as Heaven, a deal had been struck with Asmodeus. Fana had been imprisoned under the mesa in the desert and Jacob had ordered Herod to build a fortress on the mesa to guard the prison. Although Hell had control of the prison Michael had arranged to keep an eye on the situation – using Nicodemus and his family. Nicodemus’ great-grandson Elazar ben Ya'ir, had reported last week that something had happened that required intervention.
After a brief detour
to the Library for Magda scope out some background on ben Ya’ir, discovering he
lived in Caesarea Maritima. The angels descended to the Temple in Jerusalem
finding the city much changed from their previous visit – the Roman presence on
the street was much more visible. Cartiel with Solo in tow headed straight for
the Garden of Gethsemane, and finding a gardener started pumping him for
information. Magda and Jude took a tour round the city concentration on civic
buildings and swinging past Herod’s palace. Yoshiel and Alisha went information
gathering and shopping - Alisha for horses and Yoshiel for other supplies at the
market. Reconvening outside the Temple they shared what intelligence they had
gathered. Things were tense in the city after recent trouble between Greeks and
Jews in Caesarea where what had started as a religious dispute had escalated to
riots and random killings on both sides. Late that afternoon the Servitors set off on the road to Caesarea. Arriving at sundown the following day, they notice a heavy troop presence on the streets and several burnt out buildings. Heading for the town square, they took rooms at the local inn. Across the square the Jewish temple and a temple to Artemis seemed to glower at each other in the twilight and a small squad of Roman soldiers stood guard outside them. Cartiel and Solo sauntered across to the Jewish Temple looking for information on Ben Ya’ir and were given directions to his house. Alisha and Yoshiel decided to take a walk round the town, while Jude and Magda began trying to squeeze information from the patrons at the inn. Somehow Jude managed to ascertain that ben Ya’ir was somehow connected to the sicarii who were heavily involved in the violence that erupted a couple of weeks previously.
That night as they slept Jude, Magda and Alisha were awoken by a disturbance in the Symphony – someone had been killed outside the inn. Taking celestial form Jude and Alisha followed the killers to a house near some tanning sheds on the outskirts of town. After making sure they could recognise the three killers, they returned to brief the others.
Early next morning, there was a commotion outside as an angry crowd gathered round when the corpse was discovered. Mingling with the crowd they quickly ascertained the body was that of Themistocles the son of a local Greek merchant. Things were on the point of turning ugly as a squad of Roma troops turned up, but Cartiel managed to clam things down using the Ethereal Song of Harmony. After the crowd had dispersed, the Servitors made their way to bet Ya’ir’s house only to be told by a servant that he had gone to visit relatives who ran a pottery in Hebron, three weeks ago!
After consulting with the others, Solo and Cartiel decided to head for Hebron via Heaven, Yoshiel deciding she needed to stretch her legs decided to run all the way! Jude said he’d be along later as he wanted to poke around the murder a bit more, Magda and Alisha deciding to help. Their investigations identified that the hose the killers had escaped to was owned by Isaac the Tanner and a brief visit confirmed that Isaac was one of the killers. They toured the town for a couple of hours till they managed to spot the others – two brothers, both shepherds, called James and Joseph.
The Great Disaster
Leaving Jude and Magda behind in Caesarea Maritime , Alisha used her ofanite attunements and made her way speedily to join the others in Hebron. She found them in the house of Simon the potter, having a pleasant evening meal with the potter and his cousin, the man they’d come to speak to , Elazar. Over dinner Elazar told them what had prompted his report to Heaven. Over the years since Herod the Great had died the fortress at Masada had gradually assumed less prominence, the staff there having been gradually run down. One thing had remained constant over the last sixty years though, a garrison of Jewish troops hand-picked from the royal guard. Suddenly, about a month ago, Roman troops had appeared, apparently replacing the normal guards. Simon and Elazar had felt this was sufficient, based on the instructions handed down through the family from Nicodemus, to report in.That night while Cartiel spent in the garden and Solo stood watch the two Ofanim decided to do a quick recce of the fortress. Travelling celestially, it took them about ten minutes to cover the 30-odd miles of desert terrain to the familiar mesa in the desert. The mesa had changed significantly with numerous building now perched atop. They could see lights in some of the windows, and cautiously made their way up the snake path. Their way at the top was barred by a gate, but fortunately it appeared to be unguarded. Peering through, they could make out various buildings in the moonlight, but nothing really significant, they did confirm however that the wards embedded within the mesa appeared to be intact, so they decided to make their way back to Hebron.
Just after dawn, a rider on a lathered horse, rode up to the house shouting that he needed to speak to Elazar. Solo ushered him into the house and Elazar and Simon came down and the man frantically told his story. He had ridden through the night from Caesarea to bring word that the Greeks had attacked the Jewish areas of the town and slaughtered and burned their way through – there were many, many fatalities. Fearing the worst for their families, Simon and Elazar made swift preparations to head northwards.
As the mortals left, Alisha and Yoshiel arrived back from Masada. Cartiel had a bad feeling about what would happen once news of the slaughter broke in Hebron and decided to head out and warn the local Greek citizens, He started with the merchant Aristophanes, who extremely grateful for the warning and immediately despatched servant to warn the others in the small Greek community telling them it was best they flee the city and assemble at the oasis. The servitors spent the next day in the town, observing as word of the atrocities spread. Fortunately, due to Cartiel’s intervention there were no Greeks around for them to take their anger out on.
Towards the afternoon, Cartiel decided they should take a run out to the oasis where he was greeted as a hero by the group of families there who were preparing to head north to Syria. While Cartiel was in conference with Aristophanes, Solo gave a few impromptu self-defence lessons to the refugees. Cartiel managed to find out that Aristophanes, who had the contract to supply the garrison at Masada was unaware of any change in command and in fact had dispatched a supply wagon only a couple of weeks before. If the Jewish troops had been replaced by Romans he would have expected his contact to be cancelled and the Roman army take on supply duties.
The information served to reinforce Cartiel’s fears that the arrival of Roman troops was suspicious. In conference with the others he made clear his suspicions that Masada had been taken by forces allied to Fana. If that proved the case they would have to take the fortress. It was doubtful that the angels alone could assault an impregnable fortress on their own, so he decided to head north to contact Elazar and see if the sicarii could supply some help. It was agreed that Solo would remain here and keep an eye on the fortress using his hawk vessel.
Next morning Cartiel Alisha and Yoshiel headed north on a difficult trip – the roads were clogged by refugees and troops as the trouble in the north spread. As they passed by Jerusalem they could see smoke rising from the city – the trouble had spread there! With the roads being clogged and constantly dodging troop movement, it took them nearly a week to get to Caesarea, during which time the news got worse and worse. The trouble seemed to be flaring up into a general insurrection and additional Roman troops had been sent into Galilee from Syria to support the local garrisons.
Solo meanwhile spent the time soaring over the mesa keeping an eye on things. He found the bodies of the former garrison where they’d been dumped in the desert at the southern end of the mesa; he also managed to ascertain that the roman troops seemed to be searching for something!
When the others arrived at Caesarea they found the army had arrived and re-introduced some semblance of Roman order – judging by the number of crucifixes on the road into the town. Yoshiel noticed that most of those on the crosses seemed to be Jews rather than Greeks, and as their vessels all had a distinctly Jewish appearance they decided not to risk the town. The only other contacts they had for Elazar was the Isaac tanner and the two shepherds James and Joseph. The tanner’s house was in the Jewish quarter and had been burned out - so that was a dead end. Cartiel sent a message to Solo in Hebron that they would be longer than expected.
Basing themselves in a small fishing village north of Caesarea they began combing the nearby hills questioning shepherds. Eventually after several days they finally located Joseph and through him arranged to meet Elazar in the fishing village in a couple of days.
Vicious Companions
The servitors spent the next couple of days hiding in a cave in the Galilean hills, sallying out from time to time to try and help the waves of refugees heading north as the Roman army under Cestius pushed southwards towards Jerusalem. Yoshiel made a brief detour to Heaven, but was unable to secure an interview with Michael - however he did leave a message for th earchangel informind him of potential demonic influence on the events at Masada. On the day of the meeting with Elazar the headed out in the small hours, making their way down to the coast and the small fishing village north of Caesarea Maritime, they sat by the fishing boats pulled up on the beach and waited.About ten in the morning, Elazar accompanied by James and Isaac arrived. At first the leader of the Sicarii seemed reluctant to help, faced as he was with a war with the mightiest military power of the age, but after an impassioned plea by Cartiel not to abandon the sacred duty his family had faithfully carried out for the last four generations, he relented. He ordered James to take a squad of twenty men and place them under Cartiel’s orders. Cartiel instructed James to have the men meet them at the oasis near Hebron two days hence. Before they left, Magda used her resonance on all three of the Sicarii, finding that all three were sealed to their dark fate – two would die by their own hand, one would die on a Roman cross.
Once the Sicarii left, the angels ascended to Heaven and descended once more to the Cave of Abraham. They ventured briefly into the city to buy horses, weapons and supplies and to get the latest intelligence – which proved thin on the ground concerning Masada as the people were more focused on the Roman army marching on Jerusalem. Gathering their gear, the servitors headed on out to the oasis to for wait the Sicarii. Once there, Magda sent a message to Solo to join them. After the Sicarii arrived they set down to plan their assault on the impregnable fortress - aided by Yoshiel drawing maps and iagrammes of the fortres sin the desert sands. Solo was able to tell them that there were 20-30 Roman legionaries, presumably Soldiers of Hell, under the command of a centurion – who was probably a Servitor of Fana . Over the course of the day, a plan was hatched, they would leave the horses in a defile nearby, and the servitors would take the watchtowers by the gate (telling their allies they would climb the cliff face) , while the Sicarii sneaked up the snake path. As the final plan was agreed, Cartiel implored everyone to keep the violence to a minimum.
The plan was executed flawlessly – expect for the part around keeping violence to a minimum! All taking celestial form, Cartiel made for the gate; Jude and Alisha flew into one watchtower and Yoshiel and Magda to the other. In the first tower, Jude dealt with the two soldiers of Hell in the guard room – using the Song of Entropy to disable them before slitting their throats. Alisha took the two on the roof, the first dropping to a lightning-fast strike, the second proving more tenacious.
In the second tower Magda went low while Yoshiel went high. The servitor of War made short work of the two guards on the roof and went to help his companion below, and finally the last of the legionaries was despatched.
Cartel, reeling as the disturbance from the slaughter of mortals racked his spirit, found it difficult to lift the huge bar that sealed the gates, and called to Jude for help. As Jude arrived, with a Herculean effort the servitor of Novalis finally shifted it, opening the way for their Sicarii allies to enter the complex.
So Cold the Night
The sicarii disappeared into the depths of the fortress - some heading for the Western Palace, others for the low complex of buildings on the eastern wall. Solo continued circling overhead, looking for signs of trouble, that might require his intervention. Yoshiel decided to head off by himself and check out the Northern Palace while Alisha, Jude and Magda followed after the sicarii. Cartiel too followed, desperately pleading that violence be kept to a minimum.His pleas obviously fell on deaf ears shouts and screams filed the night, as the sicarii went through the sleeping garrison, their curved daggers striking viciously. Some of the troops managed to put up a brief resistance, but many of them were slaughtered in their beds!
Ignoring the bodies strewn in the courtyard, Jude headed for the western wing of the palace, checking out what was obviously a lavishly appointed Triclinium decked out in the roman rather than Jewish fashion with reclining couches.
Magda, in the courtyard, checked out the Symphony for any signs of disturbance. Detecting disturbance at the far end of the building, she headed there, but only discovered James, wild-eyed, coming out of the officer’s quarters – his dagger dripping. Inside she found a scene of horror – James had not just killed the officers there, he had mutilated them beyond all recognition. More than a little disturbed, she went to speak to Cartiel about it. Outside, meanwhile Alisha had a run-in with a Roman relief force coming from the Western Gate, firing off a couple of arrows before seeking the relative cover of the courtyard entrance.
Cartiel meanwhile had in own problems. In despair at the violence, he used the Ethereal Song of Harmony to stop the slaughter, saving two of the Roman garrison. He then called on Jude and Magda to heal them of their wounds so he could question them. The legionaries knew little, only that someone thy referred to as “the legate” was searching for something in the fortress. Magda headed back to the officer’s quarters to see what more she could find out about the Legate in the paperwork there, but other than that the legate and his barbarian bodyguards had arrived before the rest of the Roman troops, there wasn’t really much more details.
Yoshiel meanwhile had found the upper level of the Northern Palace to be deserted. The richly appointed rooms there had been completely ransacked – in places the mosaic floors had even been dug up! Heading down to the middle level he was confronted by a Roman office, accompanied by two hulking barbarian bodyguards. The Roman taunted him, saying he was too late as they had “found the keys, and his master would be free”. As the two barbarians drew swords, Yoshiel sang the Corporeal Song of Thunder at them only to see it bounce off - the legate’s Ethereal Song of Shields.
Elsewhere, Solo intervened to stop the sicarii slaughtering the servants living in the housing at the eastern wall while near the Western Palace the battle was still raging, the sicarii as the Romans from the Western Gate laid into one another - despite Cartiel’s best efforts to defuse the situation. Cartiel even managed to get himself badly injured trying to interpose himself between James, who appear to being some kind of berserk fury and a legionary, but Solo managed to pull him out off the melee to safety. As he did so, they all heard the thunderous crash of the Song of Thunder from the Northern Palace. Realising that Yoshiel must have run into trouble, Alisha Jude and Magda reacted immediately – heading towards the other Palace. Solo, after hoisting Cartiel over his shoulder, followed suit. - leaving the few remaining legonaries to the tender mercies of the sicarii.
Yoshiel was managing to hold his own against the barbarians until the legate sang the Ethereal Song of Entropy, stunning her. Fortunately, Alisha, invoking her ofanite resonance, arrived at breakneck speed, swiftly followed by Magda and Jude. Magda slipped past the two barbarians and charged towards the legate. Ignoring the inky pools of shadow that writhed around him - swathing him in darkness – she launched an attack with her broadsword! The legate drew a gladius and defended himself.
As the battle with the bodyguards raged, Jude, launched a furious attack on one of the barbarians only to watch in horror as his sword shattered on his opponent’s armour and causing a huge steel splinter to rebound, hitting him in the chest. The cherub fell to the ground, sorely wounded. Fortunately Solo and Cartiel arrived, the first snatching up a sword and attacking the barbarian, the other stooping to deal with the sulphurous smoking wound – obviously the product of infernal intervention.
Alisha managed to kill the barbarian she had been fighting. Magda had the legate sorely pressed until the legate the used the Ethereal Song of Entropy to stun her. Seeing this, Alisha dashed across the courtyard and thrust her sword into him. Solo meanwhile drove the last of the barbarians back, tipping him over a balustrade. The Barbarian fled down the slope with Solo pursuing until, somewhat surprisingly, he threw himself off the cliff!
Once things had settled, the servitors searched the legate’s rooms from which she recovered 5 silver t-bars engraved with Angelic script. Curiously, none of the servitors could touch the artefacts, however James had no problem. On their instructions James placed the keys in a leather bag and handed it to Yoshiel.
Over the next few days and weeks more and more sicarii, including Eleazar, their families began moving in to the fortress, claiming it as their base for their ongoing struggle aginst the Roman occupiers. After clearing it with Michael, Cartiel hid one of the keys in the cesspit, and gave the other four to Eleazar to secure.
Invasion
Over the next months and years the servitors went about their various ways. Solo made his way to the Cave of Abraham and settled down to look after it - in place of it’s mysteriously absent seneschal. Magda and Yoshiel meanwhile, retuned to Heaven where Magda resumed her studies in the Library, and Yoshiel returned to her duties with Michael’s forces. Cartiel, his soul scarred by the violence he had inadvertently helped cause, spent much time working with the sicarii, helping them settle and gently trying to turn them from the way of violence - before eventually returning to seek solace in the gardens of Novalis. Alisha spent her time, as the Ofanite are wont to, flitting ceaselessly between Heaven and Masada. Jude decided to stick around and observe events unfolding in the Holy Land. Getting himself a place in the entourage of Josephus (the former Jewish governor of Galilee) he had an ideal vantage point to watch events unfurl as the Jewish revolt plunged into factional infighting.Jude, courtesy of hi sposition, was in the thick of things as Vespasian besieged Jerusalem, and also (when Vespasian went off to claim the Empire for his own) when Simonson of Gioras and his Idumaeans allies besieged and took the city.
Cartiel decided to visit Masada at this time to see how things were going and, descending to the Great Temple, made his way through the chaos of the city. Unfortunately he was spotted and had to give an impromptu concert to the crowds before he was allowed to leave the city.
The factional in-fighting amongst theJews - Zealot’s; Simon’s men; and the orthodox followers mled by John - continued to tear Jerusalem apart. The infighting continued right up to the point another Roman army, this time under Titus, beseiged the city. At this point Jude, seeing that the city was doomed, escaped over the walls - rejoining Josephus who had defected to the Roman camp after his capture by Vespasian.
Cartiel went south to Hebron, visiting for a while with Solo , before heading to check on the sicarii at Masada. The population had now grown to nearly 1000, but soon word reached him that Jerusalem had fallen and the Temple (and most of the city) had been razed to the ground. Over the next year Jude accompanied the Roman army as the began the mopping up operation, securing the surrounding countryside and taking the fortress of Machaerus from the zealots occupying it. This left the final point of resistance to Roman rule as the fortress of Masada.
That autumn, the new Roman governor of Iudea Silva, assembled the X Legion and marched south.
In Heaven, Yoshiel was summoned to see Michael. She was tasked with discovering whether this assault on Masada was purely an affair of mortals or whether there was some demonic motivation - potentially aimed at capturing the fortress to free Fana. Gathering up the old team, they met up with Solo at the Cave of Abraham. Magda contacted Jude, and discovering he was actually with the Roman army besieging Masada, they decided to head there to join him.
They hatched a plan to pose as a bar-owner as cover and join the camp-followers. Fundedby Cartiel's resources, they bought some carts, a tent and many barrels of wine and beer and joining the Roman encampment, set up operations. Once they arrived word soon got out that Cartiel was present and this (along with a judicious offers of free drinks) ensured that the opening of “Magda’s Place” was a roaring success.
Perceiving the symphony in the camp did not reveal any major disturbances, however the more perceptive of the angels sensed a faint hum of discord which appeared to be emanating from the plateau. Jude made contact with them shortly after their arrival and shared what intelligence he’d gathered. The main message from Jude was that he’d not detected any demonic activity; however he did have some suspicions about Silva’s pet soothsayer – a Persian called Cyaxeres.
Jude later returned to meet Josephus who informed him that the ramp was nearly completed and the assault would begin in three days. Later that night Cartiel, Alisha, Sola and Yoshiel took celestial form and went up to Masada, making contact with Elazar warning him of the immanent assault and ensuring that the keys were safe. The angels did find themselves somewhat disquieted by the uncanny air of fatalism in the sicarii camp., and they noted that the unquiet note in the symphony was much stronger here atop the plateau.
Next morning, back in the camp Magda received a visit from one of Silva’s servants who informed her that his master requested Cartiel attend him at a dinner party that evening to entertain his guests. Magda sent a message to Cartiel, who after spending a day trying to sow some small seeds of hope among the doom-laden sicarii, took celestial form and returned to the Roman camp.
The Face of an Enemy
Cartiel, after consulting with Magda, cleaned himself up and presented himself at Silva’s tent. Within, laying about on couches and drinking wine from silver goblets, the Roman general was entertaining some of his officers, the only other attendee was a tall skinny man with a slickly oiled beard, ostentatious purple robes and had a small monkey perched on his shoulder; this was obviously the soothsayer Cyaxeres. After a brief consultation with the musicians, Cartiel began his performance, which was well received by the audience.After he had finished, Silva gestured him forward, offering him a purse full of coin and bade his sit at the table. The general then began asking a series of questions about the history of Masada, asking why Herod had built such a fortress out in the middle of nowhere, and speculating that it must have been built to protect a “great treasure”! Cartiel was even more perturbed when Silva made a reference to “finding the keys to unlock the secrets of Masada”. Throughout the interview, Cartiel noticed that Cyaxeres watched him intently, and when he was dismissed he spotted the soothsayer lean across and whisper in Silva’s ear! Meeting up with Magda, who had been waiting patiently outside the tent, they headed back to Magda’s Place.
Up in Masada Solo and Alisha began trying to track down the source of the mysterious counterpoint to the symphony they’d all felt. They discovered that it appeared strongest near the south eastern corner of the Western Palace, the sense of despair becoming overwhelming – Solo being particularly affected. Yoshiel meanwhile, spoke to Elazar emphasising the need to keep the keys secure – the sicarii leader seemed more resigned than ever to their eventual defeat, but he readily agreed to seek volunteers from among his men to try and sneak the keys out of the fortress so they wouldn’t fall into Silva’s hands. Later that night, Alisha and Yoshiel returned to the Roman camp meeting up with the others at Magda’s Place where they hatched a plan to secure they keys. Solo maintained a lonely vigil on the walls of Masada.
Next morning as the Roman army went through it’s final preparations fro the assault, the servitors slit and wandered the Roman circumvallation, looking for a potential way through, and timing the roving patrols in the area. The eventually settled on the southern end of the where the Roman’s hadn’t built a rampart due to the buttes to the south. There was a likely-looking dried-up riverbed that they felt had possibilities. However the Romans had rather inconveniently placed one of their camps right next to it – so they would need a distraction! Cartiel and Magda hatched a plan to relocate Magda’s Place to the Roman camp for the night and for Cartiel to entertain the troops!
That night after sundown, the servitor’s plans swung into action. Magda and Cartiel, after securing permission from the appropriate military authorities, had loaded up the wagon and heeded across to the other camp and set up operations there. Using the cover of darkness, Jude and Alisha sneaked, to the base of the cliff face, while Yoshiel headed up to Masada, meeting up with Solo and the four sicarii volunteers – John, Paul, James and Joseph. The sicarii were all clad in dark clothing and wearing black cloaks – each one with a key secured in their clothing!
Solo and Yoshiel helped the sicarii down the treacherous climb, using roped they’d pilfered from the Roman camp, while Jude and Alisha stood ready to help from below. Once all were safely down they began sneaking across the desert heading for the dried-up riverbed. In the camp the concert was in full swing – the appreciative audience well on the way courtesy of the free wine being dished out by the two “ladies” Cartiel had hired from the brothel near the main camp. Magda meanwhile, avoiding the attention of the Roman centurions, was touring the sentry posts on the walls carrying a wineskin!
As she was nearing the sentry post of young Lucius, the guard suddenly started, obviously having heard something below the walls. In an attempt to distract the young legionary she threw her arms around him and began snogging him! Below her, at the base of the wall she could see Jude, bringing up the rear of the escape party staring up guiltily as he’d just managed to kick a stone against the wall. About 10 yards away his friend Marcus looked on enviously, before he too suddenly started and peered over the wall into the darkness. Jude, was ready this time and immediately sang the Ethereal song of Entropy on the unfortunate legionary.
Cartiel suddenly noticed a small figurer running around the feeet of his audience – Cyaxeres’s monkey! Fearing the soothsayer had sent his familiar as som ekind of spy, he called an intermission. His suspicions confirmed as the monkey suddenly stopped and looked directly at the wall – apparently sensing the disturbance in the symphony caused by Jude’s Song. As the monkey began scampering to the walls, Cartiel calld out a warning to Magda, skillfuly weaving it into his final song.
Magda seeing the monkey scampering towards the walls, called for her new paramour to stop it – caliming a fear of the beasts! The young legionary ran forward only to drop pole-axed as the money scamperd up his bodys and swung at him with its paw. The monkey scampered over Lucius and ran up Marcus, using the stunned legionary as a vantage point. Magda grabbed Lucius’s gladius from it’s scabbard and stabbed the monkey which howled and swung at her. Jude seeing the altercation from below began singing songs targeted on the monkey as Magda, stabbed at it with e gladius. The monkey howed out songs of it’s own in retalation. Fiinally Cartiel arrived, singing the Ethereal song of Harmony. That seemed to work on the monkey and it howled in frustration, leaped over the wall and disappeared into the desert! Cartiel and Magda quickly joined the others and they fled into the night.
Just before dawn, the servitors spilt up each taking one of the sicarii to a place of safety. Alisha took Paul to the shores of the Dead Sea, leaving him with an Essene community living in some caves. Yoshiel, took Jospeh to Caesera Maritime and then overseas to Cyprus. Solo and John began the long trek toward the safety of Egypt. Jude and James headed off into the desert to the south - where the murderer would no doubt meet the Justice he had evaded so long!
Cartiel seeing all the others safely away, followed his conscience and, assuming Celestial form, headed back to Masada to do what he could. He arrived just as the sun rose and the final Roman assault began. A massive siege towe had been haul;ed laboriously up the ramp and from it a mighty battering ram sswung at the walls smashing them to rubble. As Cartiel alighted on the walls and assumed Corporeal form he began, somewhat forlonely, to sing the Ethereal song of Harmony. As he sang, he noticed with surprise that there were no sicarii defending the walls. Suddenly, there was a massive disturbance in the Symphony - as if a hundred souls cried out in terror! The servitor of Novalis staggered as the force of the disturbance ripped his celestial forces to tattered shreds! As he faded into unconsciousness his last memory was of Roman legionaries flooding through the breach in the wall in front of him!