City of Sinister Angles

The Fairies of Sugar Island

The Unnecessary Extravagance docked at Port Rum, bearing the Priestess Cecily Pechvogel and her entourage. The governor, his seneschal, and an uncomfortable number of soldiers were waiting for her as she disembarked.

The heat hit her with a thickness she was unprepared for. Cecily was pleased to note that the governor was wearing his ceremonial uniform even in the sweltering heat. This included a heavy ornate black jacket and a peaked cap. He was visibly sweating. If she had to be uncomfortable so did everyone else.

Cecily wore the bright, layered, puffy, robes of a Thulian priestess. Her long trail was held up off the filthy dock by silent child slaves. She was also accompanied by her four eunuch slaves and a small number of initiates with which she intended to populate the island's new clergy.

There were ten soldiers with the governor, House Baal Penal Legion by the looks of them, which Cecily didn't think was particularly welcoming. The soldiers were at least allowed a tropical uniform, which consisted of a light khaki tunic with an open collar and lapel, similar trousers and a pith helmet instead of the usual metal morion. They seemed to be a mix of peoples from Lemuria, Hyzephria, Zerzura and the islands between Cathay and Mu. All carried rifles and wore swords.

"Welcome to Sugar Island, High Priestess," said the governor "Allow me the liberty of introducing myself. I am Governor Guilhem Felrick. You may call me Guilhem. I hope you will permit me the familiarity of calling you Cecily?"

"High Priestess will do just fine," said Cecily "As you seem to be aware I am High Priestess Cecily Pechvogel."

"High Priestess it is then," said the governor, then motioning to his companion "This is my seneschal Mr. Zugzwang, if you have any needs whatsoever he will see to them with all speed. Shall I show you to the governor's manor? I have had a room prepared for you until you can make other arrangements. You may use it as long as you need."

"How very pious of you," said Cecily.

Cecily turned her head suddenly, as though reacting to a distant sound, but she quickly shrugged it off.

She, the governor and their entourages began to take the winding road through the glorified hamlet that passed for a port town on Sugar Island. The only nice buildings were the taverns and the brothels.

"You brought a lot of soldiers with you, Guilhem," said Cecily, smiling "Were you worried I was here to kill you?"

"I'm afraid that's symptomatic of a problem that greatly vexed your predecessor," said Guilhem "We seem to have something of a rebel suicide cult on our hands, and they relish in attacking at the most inopportune times. It would have been incredibly embarrassing for both of us if you had been killed just after embarking."

"Indeed," agreed Cecily "A cult you say? Some sort of local pagan religion?"

"It's the damnedest thing," said Guilhem "Back when the island was owned by House Ghulzhan they used the indigenous tribe of fairy-folk to work their plantations. I'm led to understand that there was a slave uprising of some description, House Baal captured the island and, long story short, the fairy-folk were mostly exterminated or exported."

"We don't even use much slave labor anymore," continued Guilhem "It's not cost-effective. The mortality rate is just far too high on the sugar plantations; it's a waste of expensive slaves. Instead we use indentured servants with 10-year contracts. Only a small fraction of them survive long enough to get paid."

"So these cultists who keep attacking you, they're virtually free men and women?" asked Cecily.

"They only stand to lose all the money they're owed if House Baal is overthrown. That's why, I reiterate, it is the damnedest thing. But that's not even the damnedest part. The cultists always yell mad nothings, and they often revolve around a figure called Mab or Queen Mab. I looked through the journals of some of the old governors and found references to that name. It was the chief goddess of the fairy-folk."