The Black Bile Part 1
An account of the "Event" as written by the Arch-Bishop Gelasius, Ambassador to the Emperor Charlemagne in the Village of Kobalt, Year 812.
Day 1
The horses ground to a halt outside the Village of Kobalt, they would go no further and were yelping. The withered man who drove my chariot asked for his pay and quickly moved out, as he leaved I saw him cross himself. The village was certainly deserted, coming up I hadnt seen anyone for miles around, as the locals tend to stay away from this place, they beleive it to be cursed. I shall begin by writing down what I know of this place, the Village of Kobalt is located on the borders of Asia in a harsh, mountainous region. The village was a centre of culture and economic prosperity and the population is estimated to have been around 4,000. The village served as a valuable pass for merchants seeking to repose after long treks through the mountains and the treacherous passes that lie around them. The village prospered and yet some tragic fate has befallen it, some horrible event has happened and now every man, woman and child has disappeared without a trace. An entire village wiped out without a trace, how could this happen? The Emperor's associates suspected that perhaps the people had been forced out by a Barbarian tribe. While this is certainly a possibility, there is no evidence to suggest this. No buldings were looted, no mangled bodies are spewn on the ground, and perhaps most strangely, nowehere is there any sign of a battle having taken place. This village is indeed cursed, I can feel it, there's some kind of cancer here which has sucked the village dry. Some kind of plague beyond my comprehending. I will set up my camp here and stay the night, then perhaps I shall find some answers.
Day 2
I was awoken from my sleep last night. A nightmare I'm afraid, perhaps the perculiarity of what happened here has affected me in some way. In any case, I have done a thorough search of the village and have found nothing. This place is an enigma to me. I found a massive well in the centre of the village. Why would a place perpetually covered in snow have a well? Why? In any case, this is a most perculiar well indeed. It appears to have a vast subteranean structure to it. I havent yet decided to explore its depths, but I beleive it is something to look into. My exploration of the village has led to some interesting discoveries. There are many religious artifacts here. Various Gods and Goddesses. It seems the people of Kobalt hadnt yet found the light of the Lord Jesus Christ and were worshipping false idols. Perhaps these Gods are of Islamic origin?
Day 3
The well is indeed fascinating, it appears to have a vast labrynthine structure to it. Perhaps the people of Kobalt ventured in here? However that seems highly unlikely as I have done a considerable amount of exploration down there and have found nothing...except, there was something down there. A mysterious fount which from which flowed an ichorous black substance. I have never seen anything like it. It flowed with an intensity that was almost life-like, as though it were a living organism. I have taken a sample of this Black Bile from the spring beneath the well. I shall be returning to the Frankish court with it. Although I will also be taking the false idols, I'm hoping to find out what kind of relgious significance they possess. Although I am unable to provide any answers as to what happened in this village, I hope that somehow the Lord will shed light on it. I have never felt such a cold presence surrounding a place before.
When Bishop Gelasius returned to the court of Charlemagne, he brought with him his findings. His entourage was indeed confused. The mystery of Kobalt was a vexing one indeed. They had been puzzling over it since Gelasius left for that wretched place. Their thoughts on Kobalt were temporarily diverted by the sight of the Black Bile which Gelasius showed them. They too were fascinated by it. It was something that writhed and seethed with what seemed to be a mind of its own. They were disturbed when Gelasius told them that Kobalt had been littered with false idols. They could have sworn that Kobalt had been converted to the Light of God 20 years ago. The missionaries must have mis-filed that fact. The flask containing the Black Bile was taken into the custody of the Royal Guards who employed some of the finest minds in the Frankish Court to study it. Everyone was amazed by Gelasius's account of how he found the mysterious substance. What kind of village keeps such a thing under a well? What kind of village builds a labyrinth in which such a thing resides? These questions plagued the court and the Emperor was consulted about what should be done. By now, Charlemagne was an old man, barely able to carry the weight of his own sceptre. He declared that the substance would remain locked away until its secrets could be divined. It was after this decree that Gelasius suddenly had a dramatic about-face. He became hysteric and began to demand that the substance should in fact be destroyed. The Court was not amused. Who did this man think he was? He had brought them a most remarkable wonder of the natural world and now he was suddenly suggesting that they destroy it? His long journey's had obviously abraded his mind. The Court ordered him to return to his monastery where he was to remain in prayer, when he continued to lash out, he was taken by force and imprisoned. By now the study of the substance was well underway. The plight of Kobalt was all but forgotten. The nobles of the court, seeing that this Black Bile was becoming all the rave, invested considerable wealth into the right hands politically, to ensure that they would have a say in the future course of the substance. In spite of this, Gelasius would not be ignored. From his monastic cell, he wrote dozens of letters to the Emperor and the court claiming that they were tampering with a most unholy entity. He claimed that he had been struck with the realization that this "Bile of the Devil" had in fact been the cause of the Kobalt debacle. He claimed that the court was digging their own grave and that all would be lost. He raved with the intensity of a madman. And he was taken as such. Gelasius's letters were ignored and his writing priveleges where revoked. The study of the Black Bile continued unabated. Over the course of a few weeks, those studying the substance became increasingly isolated and withdrawn. They became obsessed with their work. The nobles too, began to take a delight in the substance and regularly joined the researchers in its examination for hours at a time. The Emperor was becoming alarmed that his court was no longer in the courtroom but in the basement, joining in the enthusiasm. By now the idols discovered in Kobalt were found to be little more than pagan idols and were put to the flames. It was after this happened that something disturbing occured. One of the court members claimed that after drinking from a cup, he found residue of what appeared to be the Black Bile. He claime that someone as part of a malicious game, had placed it there. This sent shockwaves throught the court as only someone within it could have done such a thing. Suspicion reigned as everyone began to look at everyone else. The man who drank the cup experienced no side effects from drinking the Bile, and indeed he claimed later that it wasnt such a big deal and the matter should be dropped altogether. When the Emperor passed away suddenly, leaving no apparent heir, the court took over his office. By now everyone in the court had become completely enthralled with the Black Bile. Indeed some of the citizens couldnt figure out why the ruling class had disappeared from the public eye. It wouldnt be until the mass disappearances, the confusion and the madness that everyone would see that the court and the nobles had become the twisted puppets of a shadowy hand.
Day 1
The horses ground to a halt outside the Village of Kobalt, they would go no further and were yelping. The withered man who drove my chariot asked for his pay and quickly moved out, as he leaved I saw him cross himself. The village was certainly deserted, coming up I hadnt seen anyone for miles around, as the locals tend to stay away from this place, they beleive it to be cursed. I shall begin by writing down what I know of this place, the Village of Kobalt is located on the borders of Asia in a harsh, mountainous region. The village was a centre of culture and economic prosperity and the population is estimated to have been around 4,000. The village served as a valuable pass for merchants seeking to repose after long treks through the mountains and the treacherous passes that lie around them. The village prospered and yet some tragic fate has befallen it, some horrible event has happened and now every man, woman and child has disappeared without a trace. An entire village wiped out without a trace, how could this happen? The Emperor's associates suspected that perhaps the people had been forced out by a Barbarian tribe. While this is certainly a possibility, there is no evidence to suggest this. No buldings were looted, no mangled bodies are spewn on the ground, and perhaps most strangely, nowehere is there any sign of a battle having taken place. This village is indeed cursed, I can feel it, there's some kind of cancer here which has sucked the village dry. Some kind of plague beyond my comprehending. I will set up my camp here and stay the night, then perhaps I shall find some answers.
Day 2
I was awoken from my sleep last night. A nightmare I'm afraid, perhaps the perculiarity of what happened here has affected me in some way. In any case, I have done a thorough search of the village and have found nothing. This place is an enigma to me. I found a massive well in the centre of the village. Why would a place perpetually covered in snow have a well? Why? In any case, this is a most perculiar well indeed. It appears to have a vast subteranean structure to it. I havent yet decided to explore its depths, but I beleive it is something to look into. My exploration of the village has led to some interesting discoveries. There are many religious artifacts here. Various Gods and Goddesses. It seems the people of Kobalt hadnt yet found the light of the Lord Jesus Christ and were worshipping false idols. Perhaps these Gods are of Islamic origin?
Day 3
The well is indeed fascinating, it appears to have a vast labrynthine structure to it. Perhaps the people of Kobalt ventured in here? However that seems highly unlikely as I have done a considerable amount of exploration down there and have found nothing...except, there was something down there. A mysterious fount which from which flowed an ichorous black substance. I have never seen anything like it. It flowed with an intensity that was almost life-like, as though it were a living organism. I have taken a sample of this Black Bile from the spring beneath the well. I shall be returning to the Frankish court with it. Although I will also be taking the false idols, I'm hoping to find out what kind of relgious significance they possess. Although I am unable to provide any answers as to what happened in this village, I hope that somehow the Lord will shed light on it. I have never felt such a cold presence surrounding a place before.
When Bishop Gelasius returned to the court of Charlemagne, he brought with him his findings. His entourage was indeed confused. The mystery of Kobalt was a vexing one indeed. They had been puzzling over it since Gelasius left for that wretched place. Their thoughts on Kobalt were temporarily diverted by the sight of the Black Bile which Gelasius showed them. They too were fascinated by it. It was something that writhed and seethed with what seemed to be a mind of its own. They were disturbed when Gelasius told them that Kobalt had been littered with false idols. They could have sworn that Kobalt had been converted to the Light of God 20 years ago. The missionaries must have mis-filed that fact. The flask containing the Black Bile was taken into the custody of the Royal Guards who employed some of the finest minds in the Frankish Court to study it. Everyone was amazed by Gelasius's account of how he found the mysterious substance. What kind of village keeps such a thing under a well? What kind of village builds a labyrinth in which such a thing resides? These questions plagued the court and the Emperor was consulted about what should be done. By now, Charlemagne was an old man, barely able to carry the weight of his own sceptre. He declared that the substance would remain locked away until its secrets could be divined. It was after this decree that Gelasius suddenly had a dramatic about-face. He became hysteric and began to demand that the substance should in fact be destroyed. The Court was not amused. Who did this man think he was? He had brought them a most remarkable wonder of the natural world and now he was suddenly suggesting that they destroy it? His long journey's had obviously abraded his mind. The Court ordered him to return to his monastery where he was to remain in prayer, when he continued to lash out, he was taken by force and imprisoned. By now the study of the substance was well underway. The plight of Kobalt was all but forgotten. The nobles of the court, seeing that this Black Bile was becoming all the rave, invested considerable wealth into the right hands politically, to ensure that they would have a say in the future course of the substance. In spite of this, Gelasius would not be ignored. From his monastic cell, he wrote dozens of letters to the Emperor and the court claiming that they were tampering with a most unholy entity. He claimed that he had been struck with the realization that this "Bile of the Devil" had in fact been the cause of the Kobalt debacle. He claimed that the court was digging their own grave and that all would be lost. He raved with the intensity of a madman. And he was taken as such. Gelasius's letters were ignored and his writing priveleges where revoked. The study of the Black Bile continued unabated. Over the course of a few weeks, those studying the substance became increasingly isolated and withdrawn. They became obsessed with their work. The nobles too, began to take a delight in the substance and regularly joined the researchers in its examination for hours at a time. The Emperor was becoming alarmed that his court was no longer in the courtroom but in the basement, joining in the enthusiasm. By now the idols discovered in Kobalt were found to be little more than pagan idols and were put to the flames. It was after this happened that something disturbing occured. One of the court members claimed that after drinking from a cup, he found residue of what appeared to be the Black Bile. He claime that someone as part of a malicious game, had placed it there. This sent shockwaves throught the court as only someone within it could have done such a thing. Suspicion reigned as everyone began to look at everyone else. The man who drank the cup experienced no side effects from drinking the Bile, and indeed he claimed later that it wasnt such a big deal and the matter should be dropped altogether. When the Emperor passed away suddenly, leaving no apparent heir, the court took over his office. By now everyone in the court had become completely enthralled with the Black Bile. Indeed some of the citizens couldnt figure out why the ruling class had disappeared from the public eye. It wouldnt be until the mass disappearances, the confusion and the madness that everyone would see that the court and the nobles had become the twisted puppets of a shadowy hand.
posted by david at 9:54 AM
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