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Scribed by Medius

Spring 1163 AD


The first events of the season occurred even before Concilium met. During the early hours before dawn three of my sodales were awoken by the sense that the covenant's Aegis had been tested. The magi Astrius, Theodosius and Cormoran investigated the cause of this and discovered an owl perched in a tree. It seems that Magus Theodosius was able to communicate with it and he said that the bird, that named itself Emyr, had been sent by Gwydion to tutor my sodalis. Given that Gwydion was named as a son to the Anu it seems likely that Magus Theodosius' lessons will be something to do with the pagan faith. He invited the bird within the Aegis and it now resides at the covenant.

At Concilium all seven magi of the covenant were present and the events I have just laid down were revealed. The conversation moved on to the strange events involving the Morrigan and Bethwyn during winter and Magus Astrius was fully apprised of what little we knew. I stated that I would be visiting Zedekiah at the beginning of the season as in our conversation during his visit he revealed that he had some knowledge of augury as it might be practiced by one from the east.

The Pontifex granted two pawns of vis for each season's service carried out the previous year and moved the conversation on to the matter of what we would have Maga Crathia create for us in exchange for Corlear's notes. There was much discussion as to whether to have a single item or a mixture of items but finally a motion was brought before the Concilium that the Pontifex finalise any deal. This was passed by five votes to one, with my abstention and Magus Tiarnan the lone voice of opposition. The Pontifex is travelling to Durenmar to hear at first hand the decisions of the Grand Tribunal and will scribe some spells from the library whilst she is there.

Magus Astrius told us of his meeting with the Praefecta and revealed that the covenant's service had been performed by him at her request. It seems that my sodalis was most fortunate as he was tasked with learning a spell to create a wall of fire that he might better be able to act as a hoplite in the future.

With myself travelling to Chepstow and the Pontifex to Durenmar the activities of my sodales were discussed. Magus Astrius and Magus Theodosius revealed that they intended to travel to Mynydd Myrddin and were willing to treat this journey as a service to the covenant. The Pontifex readily agreed and gave permission for them to remain through Summer also given the nature of the regio there. The remaining magi were also tasked with services to the covenant during spring; Magus Tiarnan extracting vis from the aura, Magus Aelfwin creating Leap of Homecoming potions for our stores and our Imperator spending the season training the grogs.

In Chepstow Zedekiah revealed that he had cast an augury based around the information that I had granted to him for such a purpose. He said that a man who once resided at the covenant had returned from a great voyage having made a pact with the Deceiver. A man of law, quite possibly a reference to myself, was destined to play some part in his destruction with the secret to the mystery lying in the East, in the deserts beyond the Holy Land. Zedekiah also said that some part of my lineage or relationship with this diabolist may be relevant. Whilst it is not easy to decide how much credence to give to such techniques, for clearly divination of the future is beyond the hermetic arts, there was much that he said that made sense, and later events at the covenant would support a lot of it. I also spoke to Zedekiah regarding Edwin of Huntley and it seems that he has started to harbour unnatural desires for his sister Rachel. With him being Gloucester's man it is nigh on impossible for Magus Theodosius to get involved in his position as a noble and thus it becomes ever more urgent to gain greater knowledge of what events within the village. Pontifex Dialectica diverted to Hereford and there recruited a man named Hugh, a son of one of her former retainers, to act as a spymaster for the covenant. It was agreed that his first task must be to place himself within Huntley, giving us the information that we require to make decisions in future. It is clear that Zedekiah fears for Rachel's longer term safety and thus I must be prepared to travel to Huntley once more if it seems that she is in imminent peril. I remained in Chepstow that season to learn some more of the Kabbalah and there techniques for identifying the taint of the infernal upon a man.

I have written that events at the covenant supported some of what Zedekiah said and I shall now record those happenings. Magus Cormoran was visited at the covenant by three servants of the Erechwydd, a Giant and a brace of ice Goblins. They told him that they had been involved in a battle within the forest, fighting a group of strangers who had been spying upon the covenant. This party numbered two Moors who had used sorcery during the melee and were now summoning dark spirits to their aid. I am told that there was some argument between the Imperator and Magus Tiarnan but eventually the fae were granted sanctuary within the covenant and an emergency council was called. It seems that the Imperator proposed that a state of Trepidus would be in order but both Magus Tiarnan and Magus Aelfwin refused to support such with Magus Cormoran unable to state the benefit that this state of affairs would provide during the threat. The Imperator ended the meeting and was soon called to the gates once more as the faerie Queen of the Snows herself visited the covenant with a large retinue. She stated that it was her intention to attack the diabolists and wanted to enlist Magus Cormoran's aid. He then called another emergency council and informed his sodales that he intended to accompany her on her mission. They were both reluctant given their own limited talents in the martial arts should the covenant be attacked and reminded him of the obligations of his role. The Imperator once more proposed Trepidus and was again rebuffed. The council ended and Magus Cormoran made the decision that he would sally forth with Erechwydd anyway. The battle was entered into and Cormoran's report made it clear that he was instrumental in the success of the attack and the death of the two Moors. Indeed, calling a third emergency council he deposited the heads of these individuals onto the council room table.

An exchange of comments was then made between the Imperator and Magus Tiarnan, although I can say with no certainty who began such an unseemly row. The result was that Magus Tiarnan goaded the Imperator into a challenge of Certamen, a duel that matched the arts of Muto and Animal. Clearly these are our Merinitan's strongest technique and form and he won the battle in a handsome time, his phantasmal snake quickly being augmented in such a way that the bear it faced was vanquished.

Alas, within a few minutes of the Imperator being reduced to a state of unconsciousness the Aegis was felt to resist a challenge once more and shortly afterwards was breached. From later reports it is clear that a sorcerer, who in truth we believe to be the fallen magus Caelestis, managed to compel a grog to open the gates for him, with the use of vis enabling him to raise a spell of sufficient magnitude to breach our powerful Aegis. He then entered the covenant and cast the Incantation of Lightning at any who approached him before flying up to the top of the tower and entering the building. He made his way to the mundane library where he took our copy of the Almagest, a map of the tribunal and some notes regarding the lost covenant of Morestow. In the process three of our covenfolk were slain although mercifully he did not attack any of my sodales. With his raid complete he disappeared, undoubtedly through the use of magic. When the Imperator was finally roused another council was called, where tempers again became heated. In the end it was decided that Aelfwin would attend Blackthorn to pass on word of what happened to Senior Quaesitor Serenia and Archimaga Gyriania. Alas neither was present and he eventually made his report to Praeca Eloria.

Summer

In my position as Ministrator, acting on behalf of our absent Pontifex, I chaired a most fractious Concilium, one that lacked the Pontifex and the two magi who had travelled to Mynydd Myrddin. The events of spring were relayed and despite having been given the initial opportunity to present his version of the story without interruption Magus Cormoran was apparently unable to extend the same courtesy to Magus Tiarnan. Such were the continued interjections that I felt obliged to call Magus Cormoran to silence on more than one occasion. It was clearly stated that Magus Tiarnan intended to raise a charge against him when the Pontifex had returned and so I did not raise one myself. I did however ask Magus Cormoran for an assurance that if left alone in the covenant whilst Imperator he would not again abandon his post. He felt unable to give such an undertaking and thus I informed him that he was relieved of the duty. He asked who I intended to appoint in his place and I stated that I had no intention of appointing any present to the post. He was greatly unhappy about my decision and challenged me to Certamen with Rego. I responded with the form of Vim and the fight was joined. It seems that the arts were with me for I struck him fully down in but a moment and thus the remainder of the council continued without his presence. There was little more to discuss save for our activities. I extracted vis for my personal use with Magus Aelfwin again creating potions, although this time as a private commission for myself. Tiarnan agreed to a second covenant service to enter the faerie regio and attempt to discover if our source of Terram vis was lost to us with recent changes in the faerie politics. When I asked him the following day Magus Cormoran would only state that he would be working on an unspecified project within his laboratory.

Magus Tiarnan travelled to the faerie regio with his consors Ciaran and his familiar Kai. Within the lowest level they discovered the laboratory that had been created within a tree severely damaged, with traces of ice giving an indication of the likely culprit. There was also no sign of the Palug save for his bow found at the foot of the tree. The ground was hard and frosted and of the glade where the mushrooms that provide our Imagonem vis there was no sign at all. Whilst they made their examination they espied the Stonevale cart proceeding through the forest accompanied by Giants and Ice Goblins and with the Erechwydd sitting upon it. They quickly hid and the procession passed by without their discovery.

This faerie party continued their journey to the covenant. When they arrived Magus Cormoran was called to discussion with the Erechwydd. From what he has told us she has named him as the new Knight of Stonevale, a position once held by the former Magus Turold, and that the tithe shall now pass to him. It seems however that there shall be a greater proportion granted to the covenant with there being no need for Stonevale to pay tribute to the faerie court of stone. We received two rooks of Terram vis in the form of rocks, 2 pawns of Creo in small gold nuggets and a small quantity of a maerial that investigation later in the season revealed to be faerie silver.

Back within the fae realm Magus Tiarnan and his companions pressed on with their investigation into the deeper levels of the regio. They made their way unmolested through the snow, presumably as the court of ice was largely beyond the regio, and came to the summer glade. There it was once again midsummer and the ritual of gift giving to Nyniaw proceeded as usual, although I did not ask what manner of gifts they offered. Magus Tiarnan described the atmosphere as subdued and had some conversation with the faerie Lord of the Oaks. He was told that the Palug was no more and had now taken some other form as a servant of the Erechwydd. He was also granted a vision in which he saw Stonevale held by her icy minions and with the faerie Cyrgig shackled.

Magus Tiarnan then made his way to the cave of Gofynwy and there found the faerie knight Turold. He told my sodalis that Gofynwy had fled into the deep caves beneath the mountain as Erechwydd had gained some hold over him. Turold himself was attempting to craft a sword although it sounds like the work was not going well. He agreed to take my sodalis to speak with Gofannon the faerie king of the undermountain. There he learned that Erechwydd had possession of Gofynwy's blade which gives her a hold on him that is only warded by staying close to Gofannon. Turold has been held responsible for this and has been tasked to make amends. If the faerie knight does not prevail then the doors to the undermountain from the forest will be closed, and this in turn is likely to result in Erechwydd turning her eyes against Nyniaw's realm. Having learned all of this they returned to the covenant, aided through the snows by a coal that Turold gave them from his forge.

Autumn

Magus Astrius and Magus Theodosius returned for the opening council and first told us of their travels within Mynydd Myrddin. They had made their way there easily enough but on arrival at the Celts village it was apparent that the brood have grown strong and their boldness was leading them to hunt the Celts down, even having attempted to breach the stockade. Many of the Celt warriors had died and travel beyond the walls was very dangerous, which in turn meant that hunting was sparse and the people were going hungry. The headman and the druid told this to them and Magus Astrius told them that he intended to hunt some of the brood himself. The Celts granted his party a scout and they entered the forest in search of the creatures. With the aid of the tracker and the nose of Magus Astrius' familiar Drudhuil they were able to avoid the traps that the brood had lain and locate a gbroup of five of the creatures. Four of the beasts were swiftly slain with one escaping from the melee. Magus Astrius and his familiar set off in pursuit and were able to kill the remaining creature although Drudhuil suffered some minor injury in the process. They were able to successfully remove some of the creatures' hearts intact. Back at the Celts village there was much celebration and they remained there whilst those who were injured recovered from their wounds, although none had been grievously hurt.

Next they travelled successfully through the awakened forest, taking care to harm none of the wildlife lest the Great Bear attack and recovered some sap from the oak tree at its heart. They also made their way to the stones and passing through the magical veil recovered some of the moss. They then made their way to a black pool that they had heard tale of where lies a great serpent that breathes poisonous fumes, has an exceptional sense of smell and is invariably lethal if any disturb it. Using stealth and magic Magus Astrius was able to recover some of the dark liquid, and that proved to be a new source of Perdo vis. On their return to the Celts encampment Drudhuil smelt a large number of the brood and rather than divert a large distance around them it seems that Magus Theodosius commanded these beasts to let them pass unmolested and return to their caves, an order that they complied with. On learning of this the Celts asked my sodalis, to whom it seems they had already paid some especial honour, to parley with the brood on their behalf. This he did, speaking with the chieftain of these savage creatures with Magus Astrius present in case there should be any ambush. There was some bargaining with the chieftain wanting a tribute of one Celt child a year but in the end it seems that Magus Theodosius was able to force through an agreement regarding where in Mynydd Myrddin each group could travel unmolested and where was considered contested. With that my sodales left the regio and returned to the covenant.

After this tale we discussed what Magus Tiarnan had learned within the faerie regio. It became apparent that one reason why the Imagonem site was lost was that Magus Tiarnan had previously sworn an oath to defend it from the servants of the Erechwydd and that when Magus Cormoran harvested it while the Merinitan was in Irencillia the oath was broken. In truth it is a concern that Magus Cormoran could so be considered a servant of this malignant faerie and none sought to raise any charge against Magus Tiarnan.

With his return I decided to appoint Magus Astrius as Imperator once more. He said that he would be extracting vis from the aura with magus Aelfwin training his apprentice and Magus Theodosius studying within the mundane library. Both myself and Magus Tiarnan took the opportunity to study from the Intellego vis that had been recovered from Mynydd Myrddin and magus Cormoran said that he would be travelling abroad although he expected to return before the end of the season.

Early in the season we were visited by the Redcap who brought letters for myself, the Imperator, Magus Cormoran and one addressed to the Pontifex. I read this one myself as it was not specifically addressed to Maga Dialectica and discovered that it was from Trevalga covenant, seeking to trade Imagonem and Animal vis for some of the texts within our library. The news from the mundane realm predominantly regarded the expected invasion by Henry of Anjou. His army is currently in Normandy having taken several ports and two English castles. France has also granted him some men and six ships to aid him in his task. The muster throughout this country is said to be very large and covenant recruitment will be very difficult for some time to come. The Hermetic news all concerned the Grand Tribunal. The motion of House Tremere that those who practice the pagan faith be questioned was narrowly passed, although with an amendment from House Merinita that it be the Senior Quaesitor of each tribunal that carry such out. Of course should any suspicion of involvement in the Un-named house be suspected then Holy Isle must be immediately informed. There has also been a change in the etiquette of Certamen, with magi now allowed to challenge one they have previously challenged, albeit on a different matter, after a years wait. The form rather than the technique shall lead such a second challenge. This change has been introduced in an attempt to reduce the recent spate of wizard's war that has surfaced throughout the order. There will also be a meeting of the Concilium Quaesitorii at the next Stonehenge tribunal where new legal precedents will be discussed.

Once again the covenant received a visitor from the faerie regio, this time the knight Turold. He sought to trade for Gofynwy's sword offering a large quantity of gemstones in return. After some probing it was apparent that he might well raise it against our sodalis Magus Cormoran in his efforts to bring war to the Erechwydd and thus I called an emergency council. Magus Aelfwin did not attend, being content to maintain an observation over the faerie whilst he resided in our great hall. A vote was called on whether to accede to this trade offer with myself and the Imperator against, Magus Tiarnan for and Magus Theodosius abstaining. Thus magus Astrius and Magus Tiarnan went to tell the faerie of our decision. It seems that he was greatly unhappy by our decision and informed my sodales that unless he was given the sword within a year and a day he was bidden to state on behalf of Gofannon that a state of war would exist between us and the court of stone. He also said that from what he recalled of our laws it is an offence to molest the fae if this should bring their wrath down upon us, a clear reference to Magus Cormoran and a possible breach of the primary code. Magus Astrius was greatly concerned about this improvement in the faerie's memories although I remain content that Quaesitor Linaris' judgement about his being fully fae remains correct. We decided to send message to that Quaesitor and also to Senior Quaesitor Serenia seeking their advice for my studies in the Rome tribunal mean it is perhaps the weakest area of my knowledge of Hermetic law. Magus Astrius travelled to Blackthorn and ended up in discussion with the Praeca, a discussion that once more revealed her passion for challenging the actions of members of the order.

Winter

In truth I was gladdened by the return of the Pontifex to our concilium, for whilst I will never shirk my duty as Ministrator it is clear that her greater experience helps our meetings to proceed more calmly than under my own stewardship. She was able to add a little detail to our knowledge of the Grand Tribunal and also brought the news that she had copied the spells Haunt the Living Ghost and a seventh magnitude version of Free the Accursed Body.

Magus Cormoran spoke next and said that he wished to declare finding a vis source within the faerie regio. It seems that the Erechwydd has granted ownership of the tower that once belonged to Tegid Foel. Within it are many, many rooms that are filled with vast quantities of ever replenishing junk. A few items found over the course of a season have contained vis however, of a variety of forms. There are also creatures on the land of this holding that when hunted contain vis, again of a variety of forms. Magus Cormoran informed the council that he had not realised that these sources were renewable until his second visit to the tower and after some discussion of his reticence to tell us of his initial discovery it was agreed that he would keep all the vis save one pawn from his first trip. The entirety of that collected from the most recent visit would pass to the covenant, with that season being counted as a service.

The conversation then turned to the ultimatum passed by Turold. After much discussion, some of which became quite heated even with the Pontifex's best efforts, it was proposed that Magus Cormoran return the sword as requested with him being in full understanding of the consequences that might befall him. This motion was passed unanimously. The Pontifex then stated that she was concerned about the dealings within the faerie realm and proposed the introduction of a Legationis to the fae. Only Magus Tiarnan stood for this position and he was thus duly appointed. The Pontifex then proposed an additional stipulation for all magi entering the faerie realm or dealing with it's denizens. There would be a requirement that the Legationis be informed in advance of all intentions and afterwards of all actions taken. The Legationis would have the right to call an emergency council if he felt any matter required it. Magus Tiarnan stated that he would support such and hold himself fully bound by it and the motion was passed unopposed. Finally the Pontifex asked that all agreements, gifts and obligations currently held by members of the concilum and the fae be revealed. Magus Cormoran declared his two holdings, a suit of armour, Turold's sword and three boons from the Erechwydd. Magus Theodosius owes a favour to Turold in exchange for some armour that he had made, and is also seeking an agreement with Nyniaw to be allowed to walk hidden forest paths. Finally Magus Tiarnan declared that he held an allegiance to the faerie King of the Sea as a member of the court of the water, and his now failed obligation to the Palug. The hope was expressed that both Magus Tiarnan and Magus Cormoran make some effort to ensure that their opposition within this realm was contained in the future.

Next the Pontifex turned to the events of Spring and the actions of the then Imperator Magus Cormoran. She stated that it was her belief that he was in clear breach of the duties laid down for that post within our charter. She said that she felt that withdrawal of the role was a sufficient punishment but called for a formal vote of delictum anyway. This was passed with Magus Cormoran the only opposing viewpoint. That is now twice that my sodalis has been found guilty of delictum and I hope that it will cause him to pause for thought in his future actions.

Finally concilium discussed the proposal from Trevalga covenant. It was agreed that they be granted three season's access to our libraries to make such copies as they will, in exchange for a rook each of the Imagonem and Animal vis. I will speak with them at the tribunal if they do not visit beforehand. For the season I was permitted to once again extract vis for my personal use. Magus Tiarnan would be creating his longevity potion with the assistance of Magus Theodosius while Magus Cormoran would be attuning his talisman. The Pontifex intended training her apprentice, the Imperator studying from Creo vis and Magus Aelfwin developing a spell to rejoin a severed limb.

The season passed with little event although a messenger from the Baron of Monmouth did arrive early in the season to ask for Lord Theo to attend the Baron during Michaelmas. Magus Theodosius did just that and learned that both the Baron and earl of Gloucester were attending the muster in London next year and thus a treaty with the Welsh had been formulated. This granted them a number of concessions in exchange for their pledge not to invade and the baron wished for my sodalis to conclude these negotiations. He was asked to travel to the Prince of Powys' castle at the beginning of Spring and ensure that the final document was satisfactory.
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