Disclaimer: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel" and all characters from the shows are the property of Joss Whedon and Fox. The Cthulhu Mythos material is loosely based on the "Call of Cthulhu" role-playing game (copyright Chaosium Inc.) and the book "Encyclopedia Cthulhiana" by Daniel Harms. SAVE is based on the organization in the Chill Roleplaying game (copyright Mayfair Games Inc.) and the earlier version of the game (copyright Pacesetter, Ltd.). My main source for information on Arthurian legends was "The Arthurian Companion" by Phyllis Ann Karr. The character of Melissa Johnson is my own invention. Any similarities between the organization called the "Order of the Grail" and any organization of a similar name in anyone else's stories are purely coincidental (apart from constraints due to basic Arthurian Mythology).
Saturday May 24, 2003, Afternoon: Melissa Johnson's Residence Melissa and Tara are in Melissa's workroom. Tara is trying to focus on a crystal. Melissa: You're not concentrating. (pause) You seem distracted. Want to talk about it? Tara: S-Sorry. I just talked to Willow. She's going to be in England for at least a few weeks. (pause) First it was Cleveland to close the proto-Hellmouth, then it was New York City, now it's England. (pause) Willow said there were some meetings she needed to attend. And she's studying with the coven. Melissa: Very important meetings from what I've heard. And the coven should be helpful for both her and Lisa. (pause) Getting back to business. Has there been any change in the link? Tara (shakes her head): No change that I can tell. When I concentrate I can still almost feel her. (pause) You said once that you expected it to weaken with time. Melissa: It usually does. If it doesn't bother you, I'm hoping it doesn't weaken. It could be very useful. Tara (smiles): It doesn't bother me. It's kind of comforting. Saturday May 24, Night: Near Downtown Amanda and Annabelle are patrolling. They see what appears to be a tall, thin man with chalky-gray skin. The man is flanked by two vampires. One of them has a sword at his belt. The man stares at Annabelle and she is frozen in place. The next moment, Amanda is frozen as well. Amanda and Annabelle watch, unable to move, as the man and the two vampires approach. A long tentacle extends from the man's abdomen and slices into Annabelle's chest, draining her blood as one of the vampires drinks from her neck. Meanwhile, the sword-bearing vampire bites Amanda's neck and drinks until she passes out. Saturday May 24, Night: Near Downtown Buffy and Faith are patrolling. They stop and wait for a few moments. Buffy: Amanda and Annabelle should be here by now. Faith: Maybe they're just slow. Buffy and Faith go looking for Amanda and Annabelle. They find them a few blocks away. Faith checks Annabelle while Buffy checks Amanda. Faith: She's dead. There's a vampire bite on her neck. And it looks like something else just drilled into her and drained her. Buffy: Amanda's been bitten too, but she's still alive. Buffy sees a card lying on Amanda's body. She examines the card while Faith calls an ambulance. The card has a symbol that looks like a dish with a sword to the right. Sunday May 25, Morning: Summers' Residence Melissa, Buffy, Faith, Xander, Tara, and Amanda are meeting in Buffy's room. Amanda has just finished relating the events of the previous night. Melissa: The description sounds familiar. (pause) Summanus, I think. He has some association with vampires. (pause) I can call Giles and Willow in England. They may be in a better position to research this. Buffy shows the card to them. Melissa examines it, says a few words, and the symbol glows silver and seems to turn three-dimensional. Melissa: It's a symbol of the Order of the Grail. They're supposed to be our allies. (pause) There may be a rogue loose. Or worse. Sunday May 25, Afternoon: Magic Box Melissa, Tara, Buffy, and Faith are in the back room when Lynette and Gawaine enter. Melissa shows them the card. Lynette: One of our cards. (pause) Arthur extended the truce in perpetuity. We haven't broken it. Gawaine: Summanus is in town. He calls to vampires, even us. One of us could have answered to his call. Lynette: Summanus grows stronger. We know where he is. We can sense his underground temple. We have rituals to drive him off, but they will take time. We dare not confront him yet but Gawaine can help. Caliburn will shield him. Sunday May 25, Night: Summers' Residence Buffy, Faith, Tara, Xander, Anya, Melissa, Dawn, Kennedy, Amanda, and Rona are meeting in Willow and Tara's room. Buffy: We know where Summanus lives. What do we know about him? Melissa: He's a minor deity. (pause) Like Glorificus. (pause) He's sometimes called the Monarch of the Night. His most notable power is the ability to place victims into a trance where they are unable to move. We know that he's often served by vampires and his Holy Day is June 20. We haven't learned much else that's useful. The book "Tuscan Rituals" is supposed to have more information. I'm trying to track down a copy. Buffy: I'm not waiting for us to be picked off. We should attack his temple now. I have the Sword of Abraham, Faith has the scythe, and Gawaine has Caliburn. He can't freeze all of us at once. Melissa: We don't know what he can do. We could wait a few days to see if anything turns up. Or whether the Order's ritual is effective. Buffy: Lynette said Summanus is growing stronger. We can't afford to wait. Melissa hesitates. She looks around the room and then back toward Buffy. Melissa: All right. But we'll need every advantage we can get. I know of a ritual that will let Tara borrow power from Willow. Tara: What if she needs it herself? Melissa (smiles): Don't worry, we'll ask her first. Buffy: So. Me, Faith, Gawaine, Tara, Melissa. (pause) Plus six of the new Slayers. Xander: And me, of course. Buffy hesitates a moment, then nods. Melissa: I'd also include Anya. (pause) Tara can do the ritual tomorrow morning. We can attack shortly afterwards. Monday May 26, Morning: Underground Temple Buffy, Faith, Gawaine, Anya, Kennedy, Amanda, Rona, Caridad, Kelly, Tara, Xander, Melissa, and Shannon enter the altar room of Summanus' temple. They see Summanus in front of the altar with four vampires on each side of him. They cautiously advance, Buffy in the center, Gawaine near the right flank, Faith near the left. Tara, Xander, and Melissa are behind the front line, and Shannon is rear guard. As they approach, Summanus gestures and the Slayers in the front line are entranced, although Buffy and Faith are partially protected by their weapons. Shannon turns around, as do Melissa and Xander and they see three vampires. Melissa tries to send an explosion at them, but is unable to. Xander dusts one of the vampires with a crossbow bolt and the other two advance. Shannon moves (unusually slowly) to engage them. Melissa places one hand on an amber pendant and concentrates. She sends one vampire flying backwards, then flashing lights appear over her free hand and the vampire turns and runs. The other vampire knocks Shannon down and kicks her in the ribs but Xander dusts him with a crossbow bolt. Meanwhile, Buffy and Faith gesture threateningly with their weapons while Summanus shifts his attention between Gawaine, Buffy, and Faith. Gawaine appears to be in a mental struggle. He goes into and out of vamp-face. Tara edges to the left flank as Summanus advances and extends his tentacle. Tara places one hand on an amber pendant then sends an explosion at Summanus, knocking him backwards. This breaks the entrancement and the Slayers charge, as does Gawaine. Gawaine attacks the one sword-bearing vampire and beheads him. Buffy, Faith, Kennedy, and Amanda also each behead a vampire. One vampire circles around the flank and heads toward Tara but Anya intercepts him and stakes him. The remaining two vampires flee, as does Summanus. Melissa: We have to destroy the altar. Buffy, Faith, and Gawaine chop at the altar. There is a flash of light as the altar is destroyed. Buffy: We won. (pause) I think. Melissa: We were lucky. We were very lucky. Tuesday May 27, Night (London Time): Giles' Room, London Giles is talking on the phone to Buffy. Giles: Glad to hear that Shannon is out of the hospital. (listens) The meeting went reasonably well. Except that idiot Rutherford Sirk wanted to pull the Council out of the alliance. He also said Quentin was too untraditional. And he talked about sending the new Slayers through the Cruciamentum. (listens) That was roughly my reaction. Quentin just said it would be impractical. (listens) Don't worry, even the Council can see that Rutherford's strategy is suicidal. Tuesday May 27, Night: Summers' Residence Melissa, Faith, Tara, Buffy, Xander, Anya, and Dawn are meeting in Buffy's room. Melissa: We haven't found any sign of Summanus. He may have left town. Dawn: What if he comes back? Buffy: Then we'll deal with him.