Last night, patrons gathered at the Sea Witch Tavern to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the eve when the native peoples of De’Lucia overcame the Empire of Khal Ankur and gained their independence. But what began as a night of celebration, became something more.

Weeks ago, Nicholas Tarrant defeated (or murdered) a Privateer associated with the Seaport of New Magincia. The man, who some referred to as “the Hook,” was a reclusive figure who was obsessed with the occult and various cursed artifacts he had found in his travels, including the ornate weapon he had mounted on the ruined stump of his right hand. Amongst his papers and notes, the Hunter discovered maps leading to some of these artifacts, buried throughout Southern Trammel.

Tarrant delivered these maps to a Delfan Peregryn of Dawn. The Archaeologist and Treasure Hunter owed Nicholas a favor, and it was time to collect. In exchange for finding the buried treasure, Delfan would be allowed to keep whatever treasure he found, so long as all notes and grimoires were delivered to Tarrant.

Delfan returned to Dawn a week later, and delivered what he found to Tarrant. Amongst the collection were several notes written in Enochian, the ancient script some associated with Angelic and Daemonic powers. Delfan also noted that all these treasures seemed to be buried around Trinsic, which was strange considering the danger a Pirate would be placing himself in to so much as visit the region.

Last night, Delfan and Tarrant were both at the Sea Witch Tavern, the Hunter sponsoring the bacchanalia, when Delfan revealed something else was amiss. Since investigating the treasure and artifacts, he had been pursued. His pursuers appeared to be associated with a Black Order, a group associated with Minax, and in his investigation he had discovered connections to Blackthorne as well.

Tarrant glanced amongst the listeners. Lance Marshal and Beldin of Kraggen-Cor had remained late into the evening. Rising, he revealed what he knew. It’s no surprise that Minax would be stirring. Exodus, the common thread between the Dark Enchantress and the Philosopher of Chaos, was stirring, and the Machines desire to become a God and the “Guardian of this world,” as recorded during the Third War, would put her in danger.

Blackthorne might be dead, but his followers were still active in the world. Trubo Saius (EM) had been part of an inner circle during the Third War, a secret order that had survived their master and hoped to toppled Britannia. Zephera the Dispossessed was still bounded in Castle Britannia, but the rest of the Order continues to survive, acting in secret to eliminate Britannia once and for all.

And then there was the matter of the Black Order. The Black Order, Tarrant revealed, was another name for the Black Hand, a secret organization of assassins and spies that had once served the Crown of the Kingdom of Dawn in Felucca. The semi-mythical organization was no more than an urban legend for some, but, as Tarrant revealed, the tale has a grain of truth. Dark amusement flashes across his features, as he glanced to Peregryn, and told him he would leave it at that.

Determined to continue his quest and see this investigation through, Delfan promised to continue searching for the Enochian runes in Trinsic. Meanwhile, questions are raised as to the nature of this Black Order, it’s connection to the Duchess of Dawn, and what the interest in Enochian was for the now deceased Pirate.