My most gracious lord.

As per your request I departed from Milan few minutes after the six chariots, those that carried away the reliquary and the documents. It’s with great sorrow that I have to inform that many items have been stolen.

On the second day of travel, and a short time before sunset the convoy stopped, they signaled a blockade with their horns, I sneaked through the top of the trees and watched as Cipriano and Lotario descended to remove from the road the trunk of a fallen tree; astonished I noticed a particular lack of efficiency in their movements, and a remarkably different way of bearing themselves.

Then, all hell broke lose… The musketeers caught on fire without apparent cause, and without the telling of a heretic spell; also the drivers fell down by arrows of Varangians, as my later recollection would show.

By then the alert was nigh, the second and fourth chariots spitted fire with their weapons, but also were engulfed by fire that laid waste to their gunpowder reserves, too natural for a warlock spell and also when the sun still haven’t set. These fires made the two chariots explode, which in turn killed all the horses.

In that moment, contrary to the orders given to them, the Red Order knights descended from the berserker’s chariot, deploying all the four Barghests and the black smoke curtain, whom also fell down to the arrows of the Varangians; the three knights found their death by the hands of awoken Athanatoi. Yes my lord, I’m using the term correctly for my blessing allowed me to witness the proper telling.

Only the knight from my order ran to the third chariot, surely with the purpose of destroying the reliquary but he didn’t reach his target, apparently he was also poisoned by the arts of the attackers. All the other members of the entourage fell down to unknown magic, that didn’t left a trace that I’d be familiar with.

The Varangians and a group of animated golems then proceeded to sack the convoy and took away the reliquary and the less valuable documents, you were correct as they didn’t check the hiding places of the most valuable documents.

They ran away to the nearest river where a Drakkar with latin sails awaited them, sadly even your horse was unable to pursue them and they left me far behind, reaching the coast I interrogated some peasants and got an accurate description of a bigger ship they rendezvoused with, of which I’m including a drawing according to the witnesses description.

With this letter I included two of the arrows, and shards of glass I recollected from the windows and lanterns, as per your usual request. I left the documents for safekeeping by the order in Ferrara, and I’m now on my way north, looking for the ship, eager to report its port of destination.

Devotionally yours,

Paride.