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Scribed by Antonius

Spring 1120 AD


Following the traditional council meeting at the start of the New Year Ruaridh departed to try and seek the Heart of the Forest to see if there was indeed any corruption there. Meanwhile Petrus began the construction of a laboratory with the woods inside a separate magical aura from the one that encapsulates this covenant. There he can safely pursue his researches into the nature of magical auras without risking the integrity of the aura upon which we all depend. After an apparently erroneous casting of the Intuition of the Forest Ruaridh came across a cottage in the woods which was hidden from normal sight by some manner of illusion. When he entered the cottage he triggered a warding spell which released a malign Perdo Corporem spell upon him that caused him to age as he watched. Luckily he was able to shake off the effects of the spell before it caused him too much harm though his hair is noticeably greyer and his face more lined than before.

Believing the cottage to be that belonging to Deanne which Idris had spoken of Edith and Ruaridh made to return to the place to try and find out as much as they could about the place and its occupant. They met Petrus en route and learnt from him that the berries that provide us with our source of Muto vis had been harvested. Could this be by Deanne as well? With the aid of a substantial quantity of vim vis Petrus was able to cast the Sight of Active Magicks to determine that the ward that had been placed upon the door was spent and no longer a threat. He was also able to espy many magicks about the place inside. A Creo Ignem enchantment about the hearth and many potions. Ruaridh after entering cautiously found a wand hidden under the bed which contained a great many enchantments, the Curse of the Leprous Flesh, Bane of the Decrepit Body, spells to shapechange into the form of a wolf and a cat, illusions and spells to harm animals. Both of the malign Corporem spells were of higher than normal magnitude and seemingly not entirely of hermetic origin. Given what they had found it was decided that it would be safest to fetch a Hoplite and wait for her to return and then kill her given the obvious threat that she posed. Casus of Blackthorn came at once and after three days of waiting Deanne returned. She seemed to sense that something was amiss as she entered the clearing but was unable to save herself from Casus' fire magicks and so perished. Her remains and details of what had been found in the cottage were sent immediately to Holy Isle.

On my travels abroad I heard many disquieting rumours about merchants doing deals with the devil and more specifically tales about a jew and his brother who sold their souls and made lots of money for seven years before the devil claimed them for his own. There was also talk that the iron from Blackney was not of good quality and could not be trusted. On investigating the source of such tales I found that Isaac was indeed dead though not through any supernatural means, it seems that his heart simply gave out on him. His brother's ship was caught in a storm but I have no reason to suspect that the devil's hand was at work there. Someone skilled in the art of intrigue was definitely using the rumours to try and discredit my merchanteering operations, I suspect the involvement of some powerful merchant interests in Gloucester. No great damage was done though I shall have to keep a careful eye on the situation. The new Earl in Gloucester is also cracking down hard on crime, with luck this will make it harder for the Fells to regroup.

More interestingly though, to those who care not for mundane matters at least, I believe I may have found a gifted child. The boy is the son of a small farmer from the Rhondda Valley who came to Chepstow for the annual fair there. He was able to somehow perceive my gift and from speaking to his parents it seems that he is a bright child who claims to be able to speak to the dead and tells stories of meeting strange creatures. I have told his father who despairs of the child's future that I may be able to find a good apprenticeship for him. I think it should be possible to get the child to the covenant with the full consent of his parents. I was able to obtain a new steward and a librarian in Gloucester. The former took some hard bargaining and no little coin but it was money well spent for Colford's business activities will be hampered by the loss of this man.

Alarmingly Lucien did not meet me as arranged in Gloucester after he had gone about his own business in Gloucester enquiring about the activities of the Fells through the network of underworld contacts he has built up. Back at the covenant I tried to use Lucien's figurine on Turold's enchanted map but the figurine split and smoke poured forth from it. I called Ruaridh fearing some infernal presence but he saw nothing and the figurine appeared untouched to him. Then suddenly he cast the Demon's Eternal Oblivion saying that the figurine had turned and looked at him even though I had seen nothing. We decided to remove it from the bounds of the Aegis immediately though on the way out the figurine bit the grog who was carrying it. I fear that the Fells have Lucien and that he is lost to us.

Ruaridh's investigations into the assassination attempt on Primus Ex-Miscellania were setback as the spirit of the would-be assassin seemed to have disappeared from the body. He summoned the shade of Idris and found out that Idris had banished the spirit from the place in his role of guardian of the spring. Idris also claimed that the dragon raised by the UnNamed House had attacked again. Caelestis and Turold flew off at once to try and ascertain the veracity of this statement.

Summer

At the council meeting it was decided that we will move the mundane library into the former guest laboratory, this will alleviate the growing problem of lack of space for and should make it safer to allow mundanes to use our mundane tomes. Turold reported news from Blackthorn that a dragon had indeed attacked Holy Isle but had been repulsed without serious loss.

Soon after this meeting Mathus arrived along with Magus Moravius who had come to speak to Turold. Mathus was able to give us further details on the attack. It seems that the dragon was able to penetrate a twelfth magnitude Aegis of the Hearth and destroyed the gatehouse and surrounding walls. However Maga Fenriata, using a large quantity of vis, was able to wound the creature with conjured lightning. The dragon then withdrew having left ten grogs and one consortis dead. Mathus said that they had requested a tithe of one pawn of vis per magus to repair the damage that was done save for the ourselves and the other Welsh covenants who remain likely targets of further attacks.

Of news mundane taxes were light this year, back down to two hundred pennies as the war is over. My business is now fully established and should provide a hundred pennies a year for the covenant funds. I made a few tentative steps to track Lucien but there is realistically little that I can do.

Autumn

After speaking with my sodalis at council I agreed to journey into Wales to fetch the boy whom I had seen in Spring. I told his father that I knew of the scholars on Briavels hill who would take in the boy and give him a trade as a scribe. Happily I was able to come to good agreement and I left with the child and the good will of the father. The boy has a definite feeling of the gift about him and curiously he seems somehow familiar, something about him reminds me of the feel of the aura here. On our return Petrus confirmed that the boy does indeed have the true gift. It is as yet unclear who will take the child as their apprentice but for now he is being taught his letters in the library.

The season passed largely uneventfully until the arrival of Mathus a few days before the winter council meeting. The King has returned to England though a great storm in the Channel claimed many lives including the Earl of Chester. Archbishop Thurstan has been reconciled with the King thanks to the intercession of the Pope. Mathus also reported that some of the local knights seem to have formed some alliance. Alan of Red Morley is allied with Coleford and there are almost certainly others. Mathus thinks this curious and will spend a couple of weeks investigating this winter.Grave news from Loch Laglaen as it seems that a wizards war sanctioned by Ruaridh against Praeco Magrane has started a mass conflict which threatens to engulf the entire tribunal. Primus Ex-Miscellania is journeying North to try and resolve matters.

Winter

I travelled to Lydney to speak with Sir Gerald and inform him of the possible alliance between those of the North and West of the woods. He was rightly concerned by this and will speak with the new Norman noble de Facon with a view to allying. I agreed to take a gift from him to the Bishop in Gloucester to help curry favour there. A month later we heard reports of wolves near Blackney though no one was attacked. Two weeks later though, after a villager from Coleford was attacked, Sir Kenneth organised a big hunting party. We watched carefully fearing it might be cover for another attack on Lydney. The Baron of Monmouth and several other local knights took part which speaks volumes for Coleford's growing influence but nothing untoward happened. However Mathus returned with worrying news from his investigations. The alliance spreads to Bromsash as well, the knights are being lent money by a merchant in return for granting him freedom of movement and they communicate through messengers. It seems that despite being very discreet whilst trying to follow one of these messengers he was pursued by three mounted men at arms. He followed the messenger as far as Eppney before being chased off. Is it possible that the infernally-tainted merchant from Stone could be re-establishing himself? News also from Castellan Gareth that one of our iron ore barge skippers has been murdered in Bristol. I suspect that having lain low for a while following the death of Black Hugh and Earl Benoir the infernal agents are once more seeking paths to power. We shall have to take great care in the future.
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