The naked truth.

The classy British manor was looking especially sinister to John today. Having once again survived Moira's driving, in itself a good excuse to hug her tight on the way there, John got off the bike and walked to the door like a man going to the gallows.

Reginald, the household butler, was waiting for them and after some dispassionate greetings led them inside. John followed him, Moira walking behind him, down some stairs in a part of the manor that he had not seen before. Here, the elegance and style of the top floors made room for spartan austerity, with only a few golden rose emblems visible on the stone walls. On their way down and along a corridor, they came across a few men, wearing training clothes or suits of armor. John barely took a glance at them before being led into a small room. The presence of two large pin boards covered in pictures and pieces of paper was the only thing distracting John from the tenacious feeling that he had just entered an interrogation room (the half ring on the table was a dead giveaway, yet knowing part of the Order's origins, he was glad to be brought in one devoid of any visible **** instruments).

John could recognize Lorelei and Cornelius, the Order's sage, busy over what looked like a library cart full of books and scrolls. At the table, three men were seated facing the door. In the center was the impressive figure of Lord Brighton, wearing an impeccable suit that failed to hide the muscular body shape of a former champion of the Order, who served as Warden during Moira's infancy. Next to him were two other men: a bald man, grim looking, wearing a white hooded robe with a dark red surplice harboring the golden rose symbol on his chest and a knight, young looking, with short cropped black hair and blue eyes, wearing a suit of armor under a dark red tabard with a golden trim and the symbol of the Order on it. The trio didn't look very welcoming nor happy to see John there.

Lord William Brighton
Level 65 Duelist
<Lord-Protector of the Golden Rose>
HP: 28,760/28,760
MP: 2,041/2,041
RP: -50

Leander Strazz
Level 14 Confessor
<Order of the Golden Rose>
HP: 210/210
MP: 390/390
RP: -70

Daniel Krieg
Level 13 Knight
<Order of the Golden Rose>
HP: 310/310
MP: 90/90
RP: -80

A closer look made John realize why he had instinctively been terrified by this man since their first meeting (beyond playing dangerously close to some limits with his daughter). John sat down on one of the chairs facing him, Moira taking the chair to his right.

"Mr Newman, would you care to explain further what has been reported to me?" asked the imposing lord protector.

"Hmm, to be honest, I can't. I don't know what has been reported to you. I can explain further what I've been brought here to talk about, but I don't know how it has been presented to you," explained John. He could feel the two acolytes tense up at his reply, the confessor scribbling something on a piece of paper.

"This seems like an evasive answer. Are you trying to hide your implication in this depraved machination? Debasing one blessed by the Lady herself with the gift of true sight? Parading her like a piece of meat to the lascivious gazes and wiles of a bunch of reprobates. Have you no shame?" barked the bald robed man on his left.

"And this tall tale, besmirching the honor of our Order, an unholy cult, operating under our very eyes without any sign. Preposterous!" added the knight.

"It is not evasive. I can only talk of what I know. And I don't know how it has been presented. I guess, not on the best terms given your reactions. I came to discover the existence of an entity or organization operating a number of activities related to... well, sex. I tried to discover if this group had further motives and might harm the people involved with it or if it was just some secret hedonistic club with access to magic. Asking the order for more details, I only received as answer that they had no information about it. And my own powers are limited in regards to what I can learn about it myself. I then decided to investigate it, and after it was revealed that some sort of vision I received in a state of shock might have been genuine... I bought an entry to what seems to be their main resort in this town... " explained John, before being interrupted abruptly by Lord Brighton.

"How in the Lady's name is it related with your insane plan? And why do you care so much about this group?" he interjected. John looked to Moira, and she nodded to him, putting her hand on his on the table, which made the two acolytes twitch once again.

"I was coming to this. First, I know two people who have had contact with this group, either completely unknowingly or without knowledge of any magical aspects to it. I just wanted to know if they were safe. Then, this club that Lorelei failed to scry from the outside, requested that new members come to it with, in my case, a woman, but I guess the standard might be a member of the opposite sex or of your preferred sex for partners, naked and blindfolded. I just saw an opportunity, one that I would have never dared to push without the consent of the party involved. Being both blind yet possessing true sight, your seer would be unimpeded by a blindfold and, under cover of just being a mere plaything, could reveal the secrets of this place from the inside," he exposed.

"Cornelius? We really know nothing of this?" asked Moira's father.

"My lord... Well... No. I looked at the drawings of the idols, and they match nothing that our archives have recorded; I even took the liberty to consult sages from the other chapters of the Order with the same result. Rumors of depraved cults are legions in our annals, but nothing that seems to match this. These mysterious idols, the lack of dead people or disappearances linked to it, resistance to scrying... I don't find a source. We know that there have been cults of fertility or luxury related to various pagan gods and goddesses that have had no nefarious goals in the past, but I understand the young mage's caution and inquisitive mind," exposed the old sage, before returning to his pile of book, as if the missing hint he didn't find in days of research was here under his nose, ready to be discovered.

"And you would go along with this folly, seer?" asked the confessor.

"The Lady is not always clear in the signs that she sends us; differentiating true visions from our dreams or nightmares takes time and experience. A few days ago, I had such a vision, that for its content I would have discarded as one such feverish dreams that come to us to test our resolve. Yet it had this gloom, this inner warmth feeling that comes with a true vision, despite making absolutely no sense. In it, I was walking in a street with a man, at night. My head was covered by a leather hood, and I was wearing a long cloak, and upon reaching a door, my cloak fell down to the ground, revealing that I was naked under it. I have tried to discover the hidden symbolism behind it, to find what the Lady might want to show me by sending me this dream. Until he came here and exposed his plan to me," said the blind blonde, blushing profusely during a few parts of her explanation.

"Are you saying that since you saw it, it is too late? That nothing can prevent it from happening?" asked the young knight.

"Far from the contrary. You and your brothers have countless times countered horrific visions of the future. But I see no reason why I should advert it. While mysterious, they have not been shown to do any harm to anyone for now. Sending a strike team in a place that has some civilians, unaware of the Abyss, would create a lot of issues. If it is what can be feared, the time for retribution will come swiftly, but for now with how little we know, a soft approach would make more sense. John has been accepted as a prospective member, and their site has an aura reader spell. Nothing tells us that one of our operatives would be able to enter, and like he pointed it out, anyone else would be unable to do any investigation inside due to being blindfolded. I'm the most logical choice to accompany him in there."

"Father, he does not ask this out of self interest or to gain anything through it; he does it out of concern for people he cares about and fears might be at risk. If this group is harmless, we will at least know about it from now. If it is a threat, he will have helped us to purge it from this town. I agree that this approach is unconventional and not in line with the practices of the Order, but given the nature of what is being investigated, it remains our best shot. He has ways to communicate across barriers, so we will stand by ready with a strike team in case of emergency. And John is able to defend himself and Lorelei long enough for us to intervene if needed. We need information on this group, and once he figured out how to obtain some, he came to me, to the Order, to report what he found," pleaded Moira.

"If you think this is the best choice... You will be in charge of this operation; you can take sir Krieg's strike team as support. It's important for you to take decision as Warden and to assume the consequences of these choices. I see the merit of your arguments, but I disapprove of the method. You will then engage in this under your personal authority. Yes, Brother Strazz?" replied her father, interrupting himself as his robed acolyte tried to get his attention.

"The mage is lying to us. Well, not lying... He's hiding something. He's not telling us everything," accused the confessor.

"Of course he is. He didn't tell us who the people are he is trying to protect nor his relationship with them. He has secrets, everyone does. But he didn't lie to us. Our seer has seen him; she knows more about this than we do or would ask to know. Yet she still wants to go along with this. Do you have any objections or arguments to give us against this plan? This young man is an ally; he's not in custody; it's his right to retain information he doesn't judge relevant to this case. Something that we cannot detect is worrying enough and warrants investigation. Moira, you will prepare the two of them for this mission. This meeting is closed, unless you have anything to add, Strazz?" he said sternly. The confessor became as red as his surplice from the embarrassment of being scolded like this.

"It will be done, Father. You can count on me to bring this mission to its term. I have a lot to prepare, if you’d excuse me?" she said, getting up and pointing John and Lorelei out of the room. She had led troops already, but she was glad to be able to organize such a critical operation from start to finish, as unconventional as it was.