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effectively to save the Lineage of Tharsis. This is the scheme of the situation: from Spain, only
you two and the Vraya have survived; here are two nuns, who are my nieces Vrunalda and
Valentina; and two Initiates, one in Paris and the other in Bologna: to them I have already sent
messengers requesting them to come urgently to Tolosa. Gentlemen: we must sustain a
Familiar Council!
Fifteen days later the seven of them were gathered in a secret crypt, under the Church of
the Monastery of Rodolfo of Tharsis. In reality, there was not too much to discuss, because the
six remaining would accept all what proposed Rodolfo, by far the Wisest of the Lords of
Tharsis. And they were not wrong in their plan, simple and effective, which resulted rather
efficient against the Enemy Strategy, and permitted to save the Lineage of Tharsis. Thus he
exposed:
–First of all, I must confirm you that the House of Tharsis is debated as never before in
front of the alternative of the extinction; and that the possibilities of continuation of the
Lineage are minimum: specifically, they are based in the two present Ladies here. It is not
unknown for Us that in the whole History of our lineage the Men of Stone have always
proceeded from the matrilineal heritage: the message of the Pure Blood is transmitted from
daughter to daughter, and only from the Ladies of Tharsis born the Men of Stone and the
Kâlibur Ladies. Thence, the main priority of the Strategy to follow consists in bind these Ladies
in convenient marriages for our purposes. This means that such marriages must be rigorously
under our control: all must be sacrificeable in favor of the familiar mission, even an infertile
husband!
Vrunalda and Valentina assented with a gesture.
Rodofo continued speaking:

–The Circulus Domini Canis will give to all of you new identities, naturally, because you
will not return where you were hitherto. The Golem must never suspect that we are alive
neither that no one of us belong to the lineage of Tharsis. We will just retake your names the
day when we will achieve to break the Power of the Golem, either destroying their satanic
Orders, either strengthening the Circulus Domini Canis. Meanwhile, we'll work in secret inside
of the Order of Preachers and we will be occupied to assure that the marriages of Vrunalda and
Valentina give fruits.
We can't go back to Spain while the possibility of being discovered or recognized exists.
We have to maintain the fiction that the House of Tharsis is effectively extinct. I know that it
means to leave the Vraya abandoned to her luck, but that is preferable before the risk of a new
siege of the Immortals in the Secret Cavern. Remember that many have died to preserve the
Wise Sword and that the Vraya will be only one more of those who will give their lives for such
noble mission. However, one day we'll have to return to the Secret Cavern to restore the Guard.
We will have to foresee the manner to recover the patrimony of the House of Tharsis.
For it nothing seems better than to carry out the next: exists an Initiate in the Circulus Domini
Canis, a young Catalan Earl, who would be willing to give the rights of his rich Mediterranean
Seigniory, in favor a son of Alfonso III, in turn of the County of Tarseval. I am sure that the
King of Portugal will grant that will, considering the obtained advantages, in prestige and rents,
for the beneficiary of the Catalan County. All shall be arranged by the Order, but there is
something else: I have thought that this Earl is the ideal consort for Vrunalda.

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