The Quest of the Sangreal Glastonbury Fayre The newly minted Servitors were sent to Glastonbury to volunteer at the festival to help out any mortals who got into trouble, watch out for demonic interventions, and generally be angelic. Marachael signed up for security work while Celoggiel took pictures in his Role as a paparazzi and Miniel worked as a steward.  It was a busy but rewarding few days, but on the final day as the sun was setting Marachael had just noticed several helicopters overflying the site, heading for the coast when suddenly the sky was lit by a bright light and a golden chalice appeared floating in the sky over the crowd. As the crowd exclaimed over the visual effect, the angels quickly realised this was no special effect but a vision of the Grail itself. The vision quickly faded and somewhat troubled, they returned to the task at hand. That night however they each received a message from their Superior to report to the Seneschal at the Tether of Glastonbury Abbey. Kelogiel, keen to get on, immediately left his tent and began walking down the road towards the town. Next morning, Marachael and Miniel hitched a lift into the town, seeing Kelogiel waiting patiently in the car park. The Seneschal of the Tether turned out to be Eric, the night watchmen, a wizened old man in dungarees and a flat cap, who apparently had been abbot of the abbey about 600 years ago! After feeding them sweet milky tea (or coffee in Marachael's case) and biscuits. He got down to business, turning on an ancient black and white tv set he put on the news which was full of headlines about an oil spill from an experimental drilling rig in Bridgewater Bay. The Seneschal told them that an appearance of the Grail mean that something very bad was happening and, as they were on the scene, they had been assigned to investigate. Apparently three more angels would be joining them, but in the meantime they had better get on with it. Feeling that the appearance of the grail may be related to the oil spill, Miniel hired a car and they made their way to the coast - or tried to! Almost immediately they got caught in a huge tailback of cars leaving the festival. Kelogiel quickly discover that things had been exacerbated as the police had shut the M5 and were busy evacuating the coastal towns and villages affected by the spill. This seemed a bit over the top to the angels, but  as they headed back into the town, a perusal of the headlines in the papers revealed the reason for the evacuation. Apparently the oil reserve had been sitting above an otherwise unknown deposit of radioactive ore, so now the authorities were dealing not just with a major oil spill, but a radioactive one! They decided they really had to get to the scene and after long and various discussions about how to get there past the police cordons, (interrupted by another appearance of the Grail in front of a busload of Japanese tourists) they suddenly remembered they were Celestials and could just fly there (more or less invisibly) in Celestial form! Well at least Miniel could -  both Marachael and Kelogiel seemed to have immense difficulty achieving their celestial form, burning much of their Essence attempting to do so. Miniel flew to the coast finding a scene of devastation as the authorities attempted to deal with the massive spillage. Men in protective clothing walked the shoreline vaguely waving Geiger counters, ships were taking up position in the Bristol Channel lowering a floating boom to try and contain the spill, helicopters buzzed about overhead, while police continued the evacuation of the surrounding area, all while the evacuated rig still burned and spewed out ever more barrels of contaminated crude! She headed back to the others and reported back the grim news while they returned to the town to consider their next move. The Chalice Well The Serviitors were sitting in a teashop on Glastonbury High Street enjoying coffee and donuts, when the doors crashed open and a leather clad figure strode into the room, startling a couple of old ladies and some Japanese tourists. He took of his helmet and talking and exclaiming excitedly,  made a beeline for them. Introducing himself as Arael, he paced up and down and around the table asking what the mission was and hadn’t they better get on with it! Marachael ,guessing their new friend was an ofanite, pointed languidly  at the TV screen displaying live pictures from Bridgewater Bay. This barely distracted Arael for a couple of minutes when they were joined a pony-tailed figure  who sat down and taking out a tablet from an inside pocket of his suit, introduced himself as Nathaniel. While they pondered their next move,  Nathaniel’s fingers dashed across his screen as he informed them that the  rig belonged to a company called Magnus Oil, who were based in Oslo and also had such a truly awful safety record that it was amazing they were still in business! After some debate Miniel suggested they visit the Chalice Well, where Joseph of Arimathea had allegedly hid the Grail in ancient times. With the lack of any better ideas they made they way there, the ever more impatient Arael stopping to pick up his Harley from where he’s abandoned it outside! Inside the garden, after paying their £4.30 (Gift Aid not being appropriate as none of them actually paid tax), Arael immediately made for the well. While Nathaniel passed on information from the web about the site,  Cellogiel faded into the background scanning for any potential threats. Miniel and Marachael headed for the gift shop, where Marachael seem disappointed that the True Grail wasn’t available – however there were some very nice replicas! Striding towards the well Arael went Celestial and dived down into the darkness. Cellogiel sighed at the ofanite's impetuousness and looked round warily hoping none of the tourists had spotted the biker’s disappearance! A few minutes later Arael reappeared announcing there was nothing down there, meanwhile in the shop Marachael and Miniel had found a small monograph entitled The True History of the Sangreal,  unlike most of the other books on the shelves this one, with scattered references to The War, Raphael’s Crusade and the Archangel Yves, seemed to have been written by someone who at least had some understanding of the Symphony. They bought a copy and taking it outside to the others, Nathaniel was able to identify that the author, a retired History professor called Michael Mallory, lived in a small cottage just outside Shepton Mallet. Deciding the Professor was someone worth speaking to, they decided to pay him a visit. Miniel adventurously accepted a lift from Arael while the others caught the number 669 bus outside the Town Hall. Needless to say, with the flashes of a more than a few speed cameras lighting their way, Arael and Miniel were first to arrive at the unmade road leading up to Rosebud Cottage. Leaping off the bike, Arael dropped it by the side of the road and, as the sun set, they made their way up the unmade track – tying to avoid the cowpats! As they made their way nearer the cottage in the gloom, they spotted two black range rovers parked outside. Arael used the Celestial Song of Tongues to send a warning to Nathaniel, and Marachael asked the bus driver to drop them off at the bottom of the lane. As they waited for the others to arrive, two men in dark suits came out of the cottage and got into the Range Rovers, starting the engines. Miniel dashed forward an unseen let the air out of one of the rear tires of one of the cars. Arael, preferring a more direct approach, dashed forward opening the rear passenger door and activate his Fiery Sword – only to come face to face with a HK45 automatic pointing directly at him! As two more men emerged form the cottage the others finally arrived. Marachael charged forward engaging one of the men before he could draw his gun. The man behind the wheel of the Range Rover hit the accelerator -  heading directly at Nathaniel, who dived into the nearby bushes. Celoggiel also headed into the undergrowth and began making his way round intent on reaching the back of the house. Miniel unwilling to engage in combat as they did not appear to be facing demons, dived for the front door, while the fight raged outside. Arael killed two of the men with his fiery sword while Marachael and Nathaniel knocked the two others down using their martial arts, enabling them to join the others in the cottage, where they found Miniel using the Corporeal Song of Healing on the bloodied form of the Professor, who appeared to have been beaten with baseball bats! Returning outside, Arael discovered, the two surviving bad guys had fled! He gathered up the two bodies and piled them into one of the Range Rovers drove it some way away before setting it on fire in a field. Leaving the others to call an ambulance for the Professor, Marachael requisitioned, Arael’s bike and headed off to Shepton Mallet to secure a B&B. The others took the other Range Rover and, after fixing the flat tire, followed the ambulance to the nearest hospital. Servitors of the Round Table About three hours later a doctor arrived in the waiting room to inform the professor’s “niece” that they had managed to stabilise him, although he was in a coma – although unusually also appeared to be in REM sleep. The doctor could not advise when the professor might wake, so Miniel decide that the only way they would get to speak to him in any reasonable timeframe would be to enter in to his dreams. Unfortunately none of the Servitors had that ability so Miniel decided to seek an audience with the Archangel of Dreams, Blandine. Taking  Nathaniel with her she headed for Minchinhampton Common, leaving Kelogiel and Arael to keep an eye on the hospital. Marachael incidentally was safely tucked up in bed in Mrs Kelly’s B&B across town. As a Servitor of Yves, Miniel was able to secure an audience with Blandine who agreed that the situation was important enough for her to help, she suggested Miniel gather her colleagues and return. Miniel descended to the corporeal plane and gathered her friends, though Marachael was a bit annoyed be woken up only to tell him he needed to go to sleep again and dream, consequently it took him some considerable time to drop off and join his friends on the Ethereal plane! When they eventually all assembled at Blandine’s tower, they were met by one of her servitors, Pathiuel. The servitor of dreams led them though the fields behind the tower where uncountable numbers of what looked like watery spheres floated serenely fading out into the far distance. There he explained were the manifestations of mortal’s dreams. As he led them towards the Mallory’s dreamscape he explained a few ground rules to them. Firstly when they entered they dreamscape they must act consistently within the dreamer’s paradigm, or the dreamer might simple dream them out again ; and secondly that they would be subject to real damage were they exposed to any danger in the dream. With that he stopped next to one of the spheres and  asked whether there were any further questions. As there weren’t he gestured towards Mallory's dreamscape and began singing softly. Entering the dreamscape they found themselves standing on a paved road on a warm summer’s day. In the far distance they could see the road led to a great castle gleaming on a hill, in the fields around them peasants worked using oxen to till the soil. A sit seemed a pretty obvious destination they decided to head towards the castle which was bustling with activity. Arael asked if anyone knew of Sir Mallory but the name drew little response, eventually he asked for  whoever was in change and was directed to   Sir Kay, the seneschal. Sir Kay greeted them warmly, as if he knew them, but when asked if he knew a Sir Mallory of Down Yonder, said he did not and recommended that,in the king’s absence, they should seek out Merlin in the Great Hall. Heading for the Great Hall they met Merlin – who looked exactly like Professor Mallory and greeted them warmly, and gesturing at the great round table that domiinated the Hall, bid them take their seats. As they sat each of the servitors felt the air shift and vibrate around them as they took the place of one of the fabled Knights of the Round Table. Mallory or Merlin addressed Kelogiel as Sir Brunor; then Miniel as Sir Tristan; Marachael as Sir Gawain; Nathaniel as Sir Bedivere and finally Arael as Sir Lancelot. As refreshments were brought, Mallory asked them first how the king’s campaign against the Picts was going ("Well" according to a quick thinking Arael) and then asked why they had returned to Camelot. After the Servitor’s explained that they were seeking the Holy Grail, Mallory seemed enthused and after pondering for a while advised them that according to legend the Grail might be found in the care of Fisher King though none knew where his lands might be found, save that they were thought to be somewhere in the West.  The Trial of Sloth Next morning, though none of the Servitors actually remembered sleeping, they set out - fully armed and armoured as knights. Some of the Servitors had considerable difficulty managing their destriers, but eventually they found themselves on the road going through a narrow gorge. Suddenly Kelogiel at the rear of the party tumbled from his horse onto the stony ground. Arael dismounted and going over discovered that he appeared to be in a deep slumber, he started trying to shake him awake when suddenly he too found himself slumping into unconsciousness. One by one the other servitors found themselves overcome by sleep, save Miniel who managed to shake off the effects and drag the sleeping knights one by one from the Gorge of Sloth whereupon they eventually awoke. The Trial of Greed The Servitors found themselves in a small glade where what appeared to be extravagant gifts had been laid out alongside the roadside for them, each gife emblazoned with the coat of arms of thir chosen knight.  Kelogiel and Miniel refused the gifts rode out of the glade into the countryside, a small village ahead of them. Suddenly they noticed the rest of their friends did not appear to have followed them! The others too rode out of the glade, but they found temselves riding into a blasted Wasteland filled with sulphurous fumes. The Servitors spent a thoroughly unpleasant week wandering without food or water until they eventually tired, sore and strangely hungry, they eventually found their way out of  the Wasteland and arrived at a small village. They headed straight to the inn, where they found Miniel and Kelogiel breaking fast after a good night’s sleep. The Trial of Pride ( which goeth before a fall...) Setting out later than morning, they found themselves traversing a dangerous and narrow mountain path with barely room for them to lead the horses single file. Nathaniel and Marachael stumbled and fell from the path. Fortunately Kelogiel and Miniel managed to grab Nathaniel and stop him falling, but when Arael attempted the same for Marachael he found himself dragged down the mountainside. The two Servitors found themselves once more in the blasted wasteland, and again it took them a week of wandering the blasted landscape to find themselves back to their friends. The Trial of Wrath After they eventually found their friends, to whom only a couple of hours had passed it seemed, they found the road ahead cut  by a large crevasse. Standing on the far side where two of the Men in Black they had defeated at the professor’s cottage. They stopped and regarded them across the crack whereupon the two begged their forgiveness for their actions. Marachael, Miniel and Nathaniel freely gave theirs though Kelogiel and Arael  denied the two, who promptly vanished. As each of their servitors then tried to jump their horses across the crevasse, Kelogiel and Arael fell, finding themselves once more in the blasted wasteland – Arael for the third time! When they finally (after another week of wandering) managed to re-join their friends they were on a narrow track winding through the mountains and ahead of them they could see the track passed in front of the mouth of a large cave. The Castle of Joy The Trial of Lust  As they approached the cave the Servitors were met by an old crone. She asked them each what their greatest desire was, to which each in various ways replied “The Grail”. She seemed happy with their answers and inviting them in to the cave to share her meal, told them that if they continued to follow the Narrow Path it would lead to a Manor house where the lord was a vassal of the Fisher King. After eating their meal, the knights departed. The Trial of Gluttony Arriving at the manor house, which seemed to have been constructed round the remains of a Roman villa, Kelogiel noticed many beggars and lepers outside the gates. Riding in they were greeted by Sir Thomas, a corpulent figure who invited them in. Within the great hall was a long table , the top of the table was groaning with rich foods while the nearest  end was simple bread and water. A large dish of salt in the centre of the table seemed to serve as some kind of demarcation. Marachael sat near Sir Thomas but ate sparingly of the rich fare while the lord gorged himself. Miniel sat at the nearest end and partook only of bread and water. Kelogiel and Nathaniel sat in the middle, but where the cherub also ate sparingly, Nathaniel found himself being compelled to join their host on gorging on the rich foods nearby. Between stuffing his face Sir Thomas gave them directions to the Castle of Joy ands the lands of the Fisher King, and the Servitors departed. As they rode out they noticed that Nathaniel was no longer with them, presumably having failed the test. Sure enough the Elohim eventually caught up, via a trip to the Wasteland. The Trial of Envy As they rode through the farmlands, the angels suddenly realised that they were being tested, and only Miniel among them had been pure enough to pass all the tests. This led to some uncharitable thought about the Mercurian, which the others, to their credit, managed to suppress. Riding over a crest, the rich farmland was replaced by burned fields and a burned village where the villagers had been slaughtered  and some of the corpses strung up. The servitors spent some time trying to clear up the site and restore dignity to some of the bodies, before riding on. They rapidly came on field of battle where many knights and men-at-arms bearing the crest of the Fisher King on their surcoats lay slain, they also found evidence that their slayers had not been human but foul beastmen! Beyond the battlefield they discovered a camp of beastmen surrounding what they presumed was the Castle of Joy. Marachael, (typical Malakim), spurred his horse forward and battle was rapidly joined with the beastmen guarding the path to the Castle of Joy. The Sangreal Having cleared the road to the castle, the Servitors spurred their horses forward, pursued by and angry mob of beastmen, behind them the rest of the beastmen troops were being beaten into some semblance of military order by a huge figure that towered over the rest of them. Nathaniel was the best rider and made it to the castle first shouting at the defenders urgently to lower the drawbridge. As the drawbridge was lower he dismounted and stood, drawing his sword to defend the gate as his friends ride past with varying degrees of competence. Once Kelogiel and Miniel, who were bringing up  the rear, were safely in,  the drawbridge was raised again. One of the knights of the castle then took them to the Great Hall where they were received by the Fisher King. Nathaniel was explaining their Quest when the Fisher King was summoned to the battlements. The Servitors accompanied him where they could see below a column of black armoured  knights, accompanied by a dragon! The Fisher King told them that they should leave this to him and instructed them to head to the chapel where they would find they way to complete their Quest. The Grail Chapel, though small was incredibly ornately decorated. In front of the alter was a mosaic that depicted the grail hovering over a cross. There was a scroll depicted at the head of the cross that was blank, and surrounding the mosaic were the 23 letters of the roman alphabet. Nathaniel suggested that they try pressing the letters. They tried various combinations until,. by the simple expedient of looking at the paintings on the walls, worked out the correct sequence, INRI. Pressing the correct sequence opened a secret door behind the altar where a stone stair led down. Snaffling a couple of candles the Servitors descended down. At the base were tow passages – a wide one and a very narrow one. Miniel noted that a mosaic on the floor depicted a merchant leading a heavily laden camel towards a city on a  hill, and recalling the biblical parable of the eye off the needle, chose the narrow path. They managed to get through the gap with some difficulty, even after taking their armour off! Noting that they might need to cut down on the donuts, ahead of them was an archway with the inscription “ARCVM MISERICORDIAE DEI AD CAAPVT” eventually the Servitors worked out this said something vaguely like “bow your head before God’s mercy”, so they passed through they archway on their knees – as a huge blade swung over them at head-height! Beyond the archway was a replica of the Grail Chapel above, the difference this time was the Grail sat on the altar and three angels with fiery sword guarded it. Fortunately the angels stepped aside, but only Miniel was permitted to touch the Grail. Having retrieved the Grail they were somewhat at a loss what to do next when someone thought of consulting the strange angels. The angels instructed them to “fill the chalice, with the water blessed by the Holy Blood and pour it over the wound in the Land.” This confused them for some time until Kelogiel remembered their trip to the Chalice Well! Waking back in the corporeal, they were somewhat relived to find the Grail still with them, although when Miniel went Celestial, the Grail did not accompany her! They piled into the Land Rover and picking up Marachael from Mrs Kelly’s and Kelogiel from the Hospital, they headed to Glastonbury. Filling the Grail proved relatively straightforward (once they’d paid their entry fee) and a trip to the Co-Op to buy some cling film (and some nice sandwiches for lunch) gave them a means of securing the precious contents. They then prevaricated for some time about how to get through the police cordon around Bridgewater Bay. Kelogiel found the nearest boat hire place down the coast and as they headed there, the cling film-wrapped Holy Grail secured in a Co-Op plastic carrier bag! On the way Nathaniel hacked a satellite and began running an analysis of the Royal Navy destroyer’s patrol pattern along the boom blocking the bay. They hired a boat and tender for a couple of days – along with some Sou’westers and fishing gear and then headed  up the coast. They anchored just north of Hinckley Point and waited for nightfall. Approaching the boom that was holding back the oil spill, they manhandled the tender over it, and leaving Marachael and Arael to mind the boat, headed for the oil rig. Oil was still spilling out freely as due to the radiation it had not yet been cleared for anyone to work there to contain the spill, despite that, Kelogiel spotted a helicopter o the landing pad, and lights moving about on the decks. The clambered up a steel ladder, at the top of which Miniel noticed an explosive device had been rigged. As they headed across the rig , making their way to the drilling floor and dodging bad guys, they found several other explosive devices. There was a guard near the entrance to the drilling floor, but the Corporeal Song of Charm from Miniel soon took him out of the equation. Entering the drilling room, there were two men fixing explosives to the well-head. Kelogiel and Nathaniel quickly took them out while Miniel unwrapped the Grail. She then poured its contents over the gushing well-head. As the Holy Blood hit the oil, it transformed it into crystal clear water. As the water flowed out across the floor, it transformed the oil there as well, the effect spreading outwards. The Servitors stopped for a moment to congratulate themselves when suddenly Nathaniel noticed that the times on the explosives he was holding had stated counting down, And Kelogiel head the sound of a chopper starting up outside! The Grail, it’s work done vanished, and the angels quickly took Celestial form and began flying out. Behind them the explosives detonated , mangling the rig into twisted wreckage – but as this only served to spread the cleansing water even more quickly, the Servitor’s weren’t too bothered!