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Scribed by Caelestis

Spring 1125 AD


I would just like to record what an honour it is to be allowed to scribe here following in the footsteps of Petrus. I know my style and demeanour may not be as good as his, but I pray that you forgive my efforts. The council began with a discussion about what to do about capturing Frances the diabolist who put a spying spirit in Blackney which killed a villager and thus revealed its presence. We decided to follow the plan aforementioned and then went on to discuss methods of interrogation which we decided that Edith with her skills of Chirurgy would be best equipped for. We could not use Intellego magicks as they are not always accurate when dealing with the infernal. We also decided to trade some of our little used Vis for Vim Vis, Antonius volunteered to go to and try to trade Ignem Vis for Vim Vis at Blackthorn covenant.

Antonius asked me to help him investigate Florence, wife of Red Morley, whom he suspects of being a diabolist because of Bledwins accusations. He thinks that (and I agree with him) my astronomy may be a better method of gaining an insight into the diabolists than Intellego magicks.

This season I helped Turold in his lab with the creation of his house item. It is an interesting creation, a stone bird with wings furled; he was very reluctant to discuss its properties and as we were only investing it (with two rooks of Vim Vis no less) it was impossible to divine its nature. Ruaridh developed a spell to discern the true gift in someone, useful I suppose when looking for an apprentice or testing someone as a Quaesitor. Antonius decided to venture abroad as his covenant service to discern the influence of the Fells. Edith decided to study from the Corporem text.

Frances of Stent arrived at Blackney and Sergeant Fulk ran to the barracks there to use the Leap of Homecoming potion that Idris made. He threw the dust over himself but nothing happened. He then had to decide whether to risk the Pybaw and run to the covenant or wait till morning. He waited by the gates and as he tried to make his mind up the patrol came in noticing how relieved he was at their arrival. He appraised Sergeant Bernard of the situation and they mutually decided to wait till morning and then send grog Horsta as a runner in the morning. Leaving a guard on the gate the rest of the grogs and sergeant Fulk retired to the barracks. Later that night there was a terrible scream from the barracks and the men came pouring out minus sergeant Fulk. It was later found out he was killed in a single bite by a green eyed demon with a snakes body and many little legs which dripped poison from its fangs. As the men ran out one of them ran into three henchmen of Frances' and was struck down without hesitation. Sergeant Bernard and Rufus advancing from the main gate met the charge or these three rogues and defeated them in less than a minute. Two of the rogues fled the fight and ran into a hut, Rufus being impetuous advanced into a certain ambush and was struck but not fatally and he then quickly finished off the men, in the process setting fire to the hut they were hidden in. Leaving them to burn he returned to Sergeant Bernard to hunt for Frances but nothing was seen. It later transpired that Frances turned himself invisible and left by the main gate. In the mean time Horsta decided to risk the woods and tried to run to the covenant. However he found that the woods were confusing in the dark and ended back where he had started, claiming to have met the Adder queen on his run and being scared out of his wits. The next dawn Horsta eventually made it to the covenant and alerted the Magi who investigated Blackney and the surrounds plus interrogated the spirits of the rogues but to no effect as it appeared that Frances made a clean escape.

Summer


At the Council Meeting Antonius reported on the fight at Blackney; he also stated that banditry was rife and we should mount a guard on the barges. This suggestion was taken up. We then went on to discuss the fells and whether to take an aggressive or defensive posture towards them. Turold and Edith expressed their view to defend the covenant and not stir them up in activity against us but myself, Antonius and Ruaridh decided that the best form of defence is offence. We decided that we will gather information prior to making a strike and this idea was agreed on by all as the most prudent. This season I decided to research the Vim texts as I am sadly lacking in this art and we need people who are good extractors of Vis. Ruaridh studied from the Corporem texts, Antonius decided to go and investigate the diabolists in his own time but wanted it noted in the journal that this was almost a second covenant service. Turold continued to enchant his house item and Edith went abroad searching the woods for the Pybaw.

Caisus agreed to swap 19 pawns of Vim Vis for a dozen pawns of Ignem Vis, which Antonius flew up to Blackthorn to exchange. Turold in need of some Corporem Vis swapped 4 pawns Aquam Vis for 4 pawns of Creo Vis, which he duly sent to Scarfell covenant in exchange for the Corporem Vis.

Later In the season Antonius checked the monies for debased coinage and discovered that 250D was debased and so not wanting to pass the bad coin with the penalties that ensued (having ones right hand and testicles removed) he destroyed it. We received a tax demand for 250D that was paid.

The meeting of House Ex-Miscellanea occurred at midsummer and from what I could gather from Ruaridh over the dinner table this is what occurred. Initially Ruaridh tested everyone he didn’t recognise at the door with a spell to detect the true gift. This action apparently infuriated McGreine as it was mainly his men who were checked (and turned away). Some Hibernians turned up which appeared to be some political manoeuvre by McGreine to turn the vote if there was one to his side. Ruaridh called the meeting to order and explained the precedents for selecting a Primus when they were both of the same age as Jordael and McGreine were. He cited a case of about a century before where the situation was solved by Certamen. No sooner had these words left his lips that Praeco McGreine shouted out "Muto". Jordael looked stunned and after a few minutes answered weakly "Imagonem". The Certamen followed and between the two protagonists appeared an image of the throne of House Ex-Miscellanea with a man wearing the Robes of Dusky Dawn but his face indistinct. The Certamen followed with both men trying to put his face on the figure but it was a fairly one-sided affair with McGreine clearly in the ascendant. Soon it was over and Jordael lay on the floor unconscious. A huge cheer went up from the loch Legaen tribunal and a stilled hush fell over those from Stonehenge tribunal as Primus McGreine took his throne and robes as victor. His inaugural speech talked of strength and not bowing to the will of other houses which in my opinion is probably going to alienate house Ex Miscellanea more than it already is. Harnol brought up the assassination issue and wanted to know if anything was going to be done to Darius as he was sure he was the man behind the attack. The big shock came as McGreine then declared that the Domus Magnus for House Ex Miscellanea was to be moved to Blackridge and all the lore was to be moved up to Blackridge as soon as possible. He put Jordael in charge of this I think as a punishment for standing against him for Primus. He also wanted a Redcap permanently positioned in Blackridge, a duty I’m sure House Mercere will loathe.

The house meeting broke up with a huge feast from which Ruaridh excused himself early to investigate where Edith was, as she hadn’t turned up to the meeting at all. Ruaridh met Meredith in one of the halls on his preparations to leave, who warned him that Edith was in danger. When asked how he knew this Meredith said that he had seen it in a dream. Ruaridh flew back to Severn Temple covenant with Meredith who changed shape into a falcon and raised the alarm. Ruaridh and myself and Meredith then flew over the woods and using one of Ruaridh's scrying spells discovered Edith's location. When we got there Edith was under attack by a Magus whose face was shadow, Piewackit lay dead at his feet and he was strangling Edith. When he saw us arrive he fled, taking Ediths staff of tree controlling with him, but not before striking Meredith who was in wolf cub form a blow that broke bones.

We carried the bodies back to the covenant and then I flew to Cad Gadu to get Blodwyn to heal Edith. She healed both Edith and Meredith for 12 pawns of Creo Vis.

The next day Ruaridh went to the site of the fight and cast Eyes of the Past using my Intellego Vis. He discovered that the unknown assailant had covered his tracks well with a spell that changed the sigil of a spell to make it look like Harnol had cast the spells. Turold flew to holy isle to report this in case it was a plot by the unnamed house and Ruaridh flew to Cad Gadu to report it to Serenia.

During the Season Antonius had been out and about scouring the land for signs of "The Fells" and in his travels had gone to Bristol and determined that the city was virtually owned by them and nothing escaped there notice for more than a few days. He then went to Red Morley to spy on Florence wife of the knight there. He decided to obtain an arcane connection from her bedroom so he could scry on her there (a dubious practice if I do say so myself). As he was doing so with the spell "Veil of Invisibility" upon himself he awakened her. Then to his shock she called on a demon in the room to discover if anyone was present he felt his Parma resist a scrying spell of some kind and then heard the demon reply from just behind him that no presence was detected. She then called out to speak to the invisible intruder thinking it was Silus who obviously had a cloak of invisibility saying that if he was going to try to assassinate her then he would have to try harder than that. Antonius stood stock still through all this hardly daring to breath but when midnight arrived Florence rose and went out riding (probably to do some unholy rite) so Antonius fled safely back to the covenant to report this.

Autumn

At the council meeting Antonius informed us of his seasons activities and we also discussed the events surrounding Edith's assault. I came to the conclusion that the motive was the theft of Edith's staff that could control trees and although this idea was initially dismissed my consortis eventually saw the light of my wisdom. I believe that the reason for this theft was that in some way it was connected to Llandoddwyn’s assassination as he specialised in Herbam and almost looked like a tree himself; maybe the staff could be used against him in some way. Turold informed us that he would continue to enchant his house item, I do not envy him the time and effort he must put in for these competitions. Ruaridh amazed me by declaring that he was taking Meredith as an apprentice when I was sure that the reason that Turold gave up training him was that his gift was fixed and could not train him in Hermetic ways. Antonius declared he was going to learn the "Gift of Achilles" a spell that protects the user from physical harm. I decided to improve my magical theory by studying from 3 pawns of Vim Vis. Edith did not come down to the council meeting and was still recovering from the mental shock of losing her familiar in her sanctum.

It was a quiet season with just two incidents of note.

I espied from my sanctum window that Harnol came to Severn Temple and discovered off a grog it was for a chat with Ruaridh and he later left looking most unhappy.

The barge we has put a guard upon was apparently attacked by bandits and although the grogs were slain the cargo was saved, I hope the bandits will have learned their lesson as they also took severe losses at the hands of our grogs.

Winter

The Council meeting convened and it was with trepidation when we saw that Edith had returned to our meetings. We discussed the previous season’s events, which were minimal and discussed what our actions would be in the upcoming season. I, as my covenant service, stated that I would scribe the Aquam texts. Ruaridh stated he would study from the Corporem texts, Antonius studied from the Mentem texts, Turold made several "Leap of Homecoming" potions so in an emergency we could return to the covenant. Edith stated that she would study from the Perdo texts and there was a nervous look around the table when she stated this.

Later in the season Mathus the Redcap arrived bearing news both hermetic and mundane. He reported that the moniers that had been in operation had mainly been caught or had desisted from their trade after much punishment. He also said that a Cardinal from Rome had arrived to speak with the Archbishops of York and Canterbury and had then returned to Rome with them. There was also a report that Coleford's militia was building up and there were a few nervous looks around the table at that remark. The hermetic news that Mathus brought was interesting as in an effort to quell the disturbances in this tribunal Primus Bonisagus had decided to send a mediator from House Bonisagus (probably of the Trianoma faction) to Cad Gadu to assist in any way he could. Primus McGreine declared that all members of House Ex Miscellanea must pay 3 pawns of vis to be delivered to Black Ridge covenant as tithe.

Edith reacted angrily to this announcement stating that she would not pay this ridiculous tax.

Late in the Season the Fae knight known as Tegid Foel arrived at the covenant demanding hospitality. We arranged for a feast to be thrown in his honour and during this he declared that he needed the stone horse that Turold owns to fight the Pybaw as his own horse was too scared to close with the monster. He proposed a gamble the Horse for some of his landholdings in the Fae regio but Turold would have none of it and refused the gamble. For his hospitality as he left Tegid Foel gave us a bronze helm that Turold quickly determined contained 5 pawns of Terram Vis.
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