ACT 1

Scene 1:

Meanwhile it must be night out in the streets of Mainz because only a very dim light falls through the window on the wall on the cold stony ground of the prison cell anymore. Gabriel sits on the floor, squatted down, hardly paying attention to his cell-mate, who is pacing the floor impatiently, nevertheless they had spent some hours together in common imprisonment. All the time Gabriel puzzles his brain about what has happened during the past hours and the more questions he asks, the more questions come to his mind.

He tells his cellmate his whole story; why he – a monk – is in prison. And although the stranger obviously won’t be able to help him, Gabriel feels a lot better after talking about it all. In the conversation the stranger with a foreign accent says that somebody had waylaid him when he came to Mainz because he is the one, who once had signed the letter Gabriel has talked about.

Thereupon the two converse the whole night long. The stranger reveals that he is one of the last druids in the entire world, a member of an ancient secret clan of Celts in Ireland. And he corroborates that the investigations of the young novice have been nothing wrong at all (REACH OUT FOR THE LIGHT). And although the young novice doesn’t understand very much of what the old gray bearded guy has been talking about, the few things he can understand show him total new views of life… (SERPENTS IN PARADISE)

It is the conscience asking Gabriel again and again what kind of animals they must have been, torturing Else Vogler in such a hard way, because if Lugaid Vandroiy’s words feature the truth, she has been probably innocent. The little sleep Gabriel finds during the forthcoming nights is no relaxing rest; nightmares – sent by his conscience – haunt him every single moment he closes his eyes daring to try to sleep… the trial of her who has been treated like a beast (MALLEUS MALEFICARUM). Three days after common imprisonment Lugaid Vandroiy can make Gabriel agree that it doesn’t make any sense to give in to one’s fate and wait for an administration of justice or – as it seems to happen – injustice. And Gabriel realizes that Anna can’t be helped if he lies there in chains.

It is easy for Vandroiy to see that Gabriel is less afraid of death reaping him than of reaping Anna. Both know, that they have to flee, because in the eyes of law Vandroiy is a heretic… and Gabriel a renegade! So in the third morning of imprisonment they await the beadle to come as the one has done in the mornings before as well to bring them water and a humble meal for the day. Gabriel’s gaze isn’t able to follow Vandroiy’s felling the beadle from behind the door, that fast the old guy, who still bears his years well, acts. With effortless ease the druid take the key of the knocked out man (who stinks of wine which somehow might explain a lot) to open first his own foot cuffs, then Gabriel’s. Without knowing at all what happened Gabriel follows the hurrying cudgel-druid through the door. Breaking away from imprisonment… and from his hitherto existing view of life (BREAKING AWAY).

There’s nothing Gabriel rather would do than running straight to the witch tower where Anna is lying in chains but Vandroiy reminds him of the fact, that the novice is not one of those who have imprisoned Anna. He is not a cleric anymore, but a renegade! They would probably wait for already to lay him in chains again… and the chance to flee then would be next to nothing. In the end Gabriel heeds Vandroiy’s advice and agrees when the old druid demands to leave the town as fast as possible…

Gabriel doesn’t know how many paces they have gone during the day, but in the evening of their first day on the run he can hardly feel his feet at all. And he feels like a failure because Anna is still enchained. How he has hoped to meet her again through all the years; now he has met her again but – according to his constantly returning nightmare – like thoughts of Anna in chains – this reunion should rather never had happened… (FAREWELL)

Scene 2 (meanwhile):

Carriage wheels rumble across the pavement. Falk von Kronberg, bailiff of Mainz, takes a look out of the window and is very impressed by the facades of Rome and their unending beauty and splendor. He has the advantage of joining prince bishop Johann Adam von Bicken’s journey, because it has been no one but Falk who has conducted the trial of Else Vogler. The trial, during which they had confiscated the book, the cleric train is bringing to Rome now. Including beside, the bishop of Mainz, Falk the bailiff and a lot of mercenaries friar Jakob as well, one of the best friends of the bishop, who has been always thankful for any advice of the clever Dominican. Also Jakob seems to be impressed by Rome’s splendor, nevertheless his eyes don’t feature the flashing Falk’s eyes do. Von Bicken is just reading. It seems like he doesn’t care about anything but the bible in his hands and maybe his meeting with the pope, but why should he be surprised by the streets of Rome, he might have been there a couple of times before…

Later they all find themselves sitting at a splendid set table. The bailiff doesn’t understand anything of what the others talk about, but he doesn’t care. He just enjoys all the courtly events in the Vatican, while Clemens IIIV, the pope who has been a friend of the bishop of Mainz since long ago as it seems, leaves the rooms to receive what he has been looking for for such a long time by the bishop and his friend consultant Jakob:

The last book with the last seven parts of a seal. They need to bring complete seal to the center of the spiritual world. And as they have been foretold by “unbelievably old, secret and holy documents”, those who can bring the seal f the seven holy books of illumination to the center of the spiritual world will reach the ultimate wisdom, illumination and ultimate truth. And wisdom means power (THE GLORY OF ROME).

So the pope invites von Bicken and his friend Jakob, who are both afraid what they don’t show, to join him in a world “that people don’t even know about its existence” – a journey into another domain, in flesh and blood.

And so the train of Mainz leaves Rome without Jakob and von Bicken, wondering about why they don’t join the way home, but doing so.

During the following night, pope Clemens, the bishop and Jakob sneak through the obviously never ending hallways under Rome, going for the mission. A secret mission, as Clemens tells both no to talk to anyone about it, since it’s a very special privilege from Mainz to join him. God usually doesn’t want people to see what will probably see tonight and he doesn’t want the people to know about everything. Wisdom should not illuminate the wrong one’s minds because on earth there are too many people who don’t have the strength to face the whole truth. And as commanded by secret holy scripts, as Clemens says, they must lock the world of ultimate wisdom forever after having received it.

After having walked down endless hallways and unlocked countries doors, they arrive at the wooden gate they’ve been looking for. Deposing the heavy sack he has carried the pope takes out a triangular plaque, as Jakob can recognize looking very similar to the triangular plaque he has seem on the cover of the book they have confiscated from Else Vogler once. God’s satrap on earth, Clemens, takes the plaque in his hands and with both hands he holds it against another plaque fixed on the heavy door. And without using a key or pressing any door-handle it opens. Heavy winds blow into their faces and although the pope tries to look very relaxed, the other two – which are scared to death – can see that Clemens too doesn’t feel comfortable at all. With mixed feelings they enter the room behind the door; a step into the unknown… (IN NOMINE PATRIS).

Meanwhile…

Gabriel wakes up, headache pounding in his head and his body covered with abrasions. But where is Vandroiy? Gabriel tries to remember:

Together they have been escaping from the prison in Mainz and from those who are interested in having them arrested. Vandroiy and him have been and the way to Rome (well, to von Bicken’s train on the way to Rome, because Gabriel has known that there was a train about to leave Mainz to go to Rome around that time, and Vandroiy had guessed to know why…), when strangers – probably a gang of brigands – assaulted them to leave them back alive for any reasons. Vandroiy had wanted that book under any circumstances before it had disappeared behind the Vatican’s walls, because – as he had explained – one must not allow that the leaders of one mighty organization could decide who should have access to the spiritual world. During their escape, the druid had told Gabriel a lot about he book. There existed six more of their kind and every single one was the key to a gate, through each one could pass into the spiritual world in flesh and blood, although the access to that world should actually be a privilege of the spirit. The entry with the body through these gates with were spread all over the earth should be possible every time, for Avantasia – as Vandroiy used to call the spiritual world – shouldn’t become forgotten by any generation. Well, Avantasia has been open all the time for everyone’s spirit, but every single day more and more people forget about that world. And to prevent from that, the books shall be there to go to Avantasia with the body – to remember what is it about, and how to go there with the spirit and without the gates and books…

Somehow Vandroiy must have felt that all the books were nearly in one hand and a scary vision had caused their hurry on their way to Rome. Human beings can be that egoistic when it comes to power and influence, that they are even willing to do harm to whole peoples and races. And if the seals are brought to a certain ominous tower, the darkest place in the center of Avantasia, the spiritual world will be locked forever, so Vandroiy has said. Although it made no sense to Gabriel first, he begins to realize that it is a fact: People are interested in killing the quest for truth in their contemporaries’ minds to get a bigger influence on them. And more power over them, to make them be spineless marionettes. Acting so the “controllers” totally ignore the point that even their own leaders’ followers would forget about Avantasia some generations later. But if they are conscious of that or not, Gabriel slowly realizes why Vandroiy needs to get back the book…

Well, Vandroiy… Has he been abducted? Right when Gabriel wants to look for him, the druid appears with a lot of herbs in his hands to tend theirs wounds with them. Vandroiy explains what Gabriel has guessed: They had been abducted by a gang of brigands and miraculously they just had been knocked out and not killed by them. Vandroiy look sad since he seems to know there is no chance to catch-up with von Bicken’s carriage train to Rome anymore, as long as the train has left Mainz punctually. If the book would be handed by the pope, he would immediately go to Avantasia and the scary vision that Vandroiy once had would come true. There is just once chance to prevent from that as Gabriel will come to know soon…

But before he can ask him a question, the old druid reveals Gabriel another plan:

An inner voice tells the druid that somewhere not far there is a glade in the forest, an old spiritual place where they can continue their mission in a different way. And while they walk through the woods he tells Gabriel about his intentions:

At the spiritual place they look for, where ancient powers and forces of the earth come together at a point of intersection, Vandroiy wants to try to make Gabriel’s spirit transcend to Avantasia… a dangerous act for Gabriel. HE explains that he can’t go by himself because he will watch over Gabriel’s spiritless body (for sure, soldiers from Mainz must search for the two escapists and although there is just a little risk they could find them – if that would happen he had to call Gabriel back immediately). But he will stay in contact with Gabriel’s soul over there in Avantasia and communicate with him. And although everything sounds very strange and unbelievable for Gabriel, somehow he trusts in the old guy’s words (well, somehow he has no chance to do anything else because… yes… oh, Anna).

A few minutes later they are standing at a glade in the woods in the center of a circle of large stones, as Lugaid tells Gabriel that old friends of the druid over there, creatures of Avantasia, will give him a new body for his visit in the other domain. He just wants to see his stepsister – now he’s so far away from her and now about to leave this world!? Godfather, who can ask that much from a little novice? WHO?

And then Gabriel falls asleep – and transcends…

(AVANTASIA)