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Scribed by Cormoran

Spring 1217 AD


Nothing I have ever seen
Is lovelier than silver rain Falling on gold daffodils In bloom along my orchard lane
The snow lay all around Severn Temple covering the ground in its pristine blanket.
Everyone was present at the spring council, including Archimagus Marius.
One of the first items of business was the vote on the Erechwyth’s deal. She had offered us a gift of vis for each magus in attendance at her winter feast in exchange for Gofinwe’s brand. We discussed the option but I think the prejudice of the Pontifex and Cynfellen meant that there was no chance of it passing. In the end only myself and Fabius voted for, with the rest voting against.
Next Marius told us how well the king's edict was going. This was the edict which allowed him to name vis sites as royal forests. Apparently it was very effective and he will go and talk to the Earl of Somerset about the matter with Frioc. He also told us that he was going to meet the papal legate to try and sort out the problems with between the crown and the church. He divulged that he would probably have to gift some coin to help pay for a crusade that might be called against Egypt, a country south of the Levant. It has apparently been providing the Saracen defenders of the holy land with lots of grain and the Pope sees it as an important chink in their armour. Lastly Marius said he hoped he would be back for Autumn council.
Faulk the spymaster has been installed in the Steward's old quarters and will be a useful person to have around as his skill with information gathering is excellent.

We then went on to discuss our actions for the season. Cynfellen trained his apprentice, Husam learned English, I invented a spell, Fabius learned Perdo, Marius went off to do his Regent duties and Tiarnan extracted Vim Vis.
Later in the season Alanus arrived with news both hermetic and mundane, but to be honest all he told us was the news that Marius had filled us in at the start of the season; I suppose its always best to get the news from the man making it than from the man reporting it. The one piece of information that we did receive was that there was to be a house meeting of house Ex-Miscellanea in the summer of 1217.
Summer
Summer sun beats down,
Drying the trees and crops The farmer looks skyward with a frown
Hoping for rain, that the drought will stop
We met on the first day of summer and all bar Marius were in attendance.
As the previous season was so peaceful we had little to discuss and so rapidly moved on to our season's activities. Cynfellen, Husam and myself went to Cad Gadu for the whole season to attend the house meeting and to peruse the libraries of the Domus Magnus as the Prima’s announcement made it free to do so. Fabius tried to further his understanding of the art of Vim by studying some vis of that form and Tiarnan created a longevity potion for Nyarl, our longstanding companion of the Novgorod adventures.
Our trip up to Cad Gadu was uneventful but we noticed the holy isle was shrouded in mist as we went past it on route to Chester where we disembarked and then walked to the covenant.
Amanita opened the meeting with an announcement of a plan to support magi living outside covenants to associate themselves with a local covenant to assist them in times of need. This seems a sensible option in these times of strife but I wonder why the Magi who live outside of covenants would want this association as that's why they live outside in the first place.
We at Severn Temple have been asked to assist if possible the Magi Tewdric, Kernow, Frioc and Renwick and were introduced to them. I already knew Renwick but it was nice to meet some of our neighbours. We went on to discuss the activities of the unnamed house and are informed of a diabolic ritual that enables an agent of the infernal to take on the guise of someone and because of the nature of the ritual it would be impossible to detect through infernal means. Also that they have a non hermetic ability to scry on people, an ability that can punch through a 9th magnitude Aegis.
Through these abilities and more it appears that they are probing our defences and abilities, seeing how fast we react to situations and adjusting their tactics accordingly. We should prepare for an attack across all fronts from within and without. With this in mind Amanita raided the resources of Cad Gadu and gave out to some of the magi present items of power for them to use in the upcoming struggle.
The meeting finished and we returned with foreboding to Severn temple covenant. The rest of the season passed without incident.

Autumn
With the turning comes rest
As the evening of the year draws in.
The apples are all pressed
Waiting for the Erechwyth’s whim
We started the council meeting with news of the previous season. The edicts that Marius suggested that prevented vis site interference by mundanes was passed into law and the papal legate was met and England will support the crusade to appease the church.
As little other news was passed on we went on to discuss our activities for the coming year. Cynfellen was going to extract vim vis, Tiarnan learned from the library and Fabius created a device of Tide of Eternal Oblivion.
Early in the season, Tewdric turned up to learn from our library and to learn Latin as well. Myself and Husam along with Constantine and Dicken went to Mynneth Myrthnn. We took iron goods as payment for trespassing in the wolves' forest but there was no sound nor track for them being present in the woods and I think it is probable that they have now become minions of IIyan. We entered the magical regio and rapidly ascended the cliff. It was daylight inside and a pleasant grey day for a walk. We headed towards the stone tower keeping an eye out for attacks from Merthyn's brood but as we were out in the open it was quite safe. I had been foolish though and forgotten what attacked myself and Cynfellen last time it was daylight in the regio. With a screech and a thump I was hit from above and behind a blow that would have slain any lesser mortal instantly as a Wyvern crashed down on top of me. The rest of the party scattered and tried to put some distance between themselves and the demi dragon. It gripped my shoulders and started to take flight. I felt the pain in my shoulder and was dazed from the blow and before I could react I was five feet in the air. Husam bravely grabbed my feet in an attempt to hold me on the ground but to no avail. I was now 20 feet in the air and attempted to strike the Wyvern in the stomach but its scales deflected my blows. The I remembered the gift the Erechwyth had given me, a potion that would transform me into a blizzard. With my strength fading fast I gulped sown the strangely cool liquid and felt the Fae magic change my form. I became as snow and then realising my wounds needed attention I started to drift towards the exit of the regio with the intention of apporting home and getting Cynfellen to heal me back at the covenant. In the mean time the Wyvern, cheated of his lunch, dinner and tea turned on the rest of the party. Husam turned himself into a bird and flew away, Constantine turned himself invisible and was then ignored, which left poor Dicken. He ran, dodged left dodged right and evaded like a hare running from a hound. But eventually the Wyvern got hold of his cuirass and started to lift him up. With one last effort he severed the buckles on his armour and fell the 20 ft to ground, and with cat like grace rolled to safety. He then leaped up and sprinted the last 20 paces to the safety of the tower, where Husam pulled him in as the Wyvern screeched in frustration, and flew away. The party then made there way out of the regio, on the way encountering some of the brood but between Husam's magics and Constantius’ magic sword they were no match for the Severn Temple men, and Dicken with just a dagger kept one occupied long enough to prevent the others being overwhelmed. They exited the regio just as I returned from being healed and we returned to the covenant together to carry on our studies and prepare for an assault on the wyvern.

Winter

Full knee-deep lies the winter snow,
And the winter winds are wearily sighing:
Toll ye the covenant-bell sad and slow,
And tread softly and speak low,
For the old year lies a-dying.
Old year, you must not die;
You came to us so readily,
You lived with us so steadily,
Old year, you shall not die.

(Heard from a travelling troubadour in Lydney)

The council met on a cold day, the wind already chill with winter's promise. We were blessed with Archimagus Marius’ presence and he brought us news that the mundane crusade to Egypt had been sent off to lay waste to the Saracen grain fields. With little else to discuss, we decided our duties. I volunteered to scribe two spells that I had researched to enrich the covenant's libraries. Pontifex Tiarnan learnt from Vis in the warmth of his lab, Husam learnt some welsh to help him with interactions with the men from that country. Cynfellan, like Pontifex Tiarnan, decided to stay in the warmth of his lab and learnt from personal vis. Fabius worked in the library and read from the Animal book. Marius declared that he would venture out and talk to the Earl of Somerset about his actions concerning my apprentice Frioc. Marius asked me that when I went to see the Erechwyth that I inform her of his regency and ask for her thoughts on the matter.

Nothing happened in the cold season until midwinter when I went off to the traditional feast of celebration of the Erechwyth’s might. It was a fine party and the food was excellent. When I asked the Erechwyth about her thoughts on the Archimagus’ regency she offered no advice but obviously was pleased as now she felt she could influence someone with more mundane power. She also offered, and I accepted, the opportunity to go to Arcadia escorted by herself and I plan to make this amazing trip next midwinter. I gathered my vis from the tower and returned and placed it in the covenant's stores.

Later in the season, Alanus the redcap arrived and brought us news both hermetic and mundane. He told us that the crusade had sailed and that there had been fierce fighting on the shores of Egypt. I looked over at Cynfellen and saw in his eyes how he would have longed to be there fighting an obvious foe who he could smite with blade and his mighty Creo magics. Alanus also brought us information that House Flambeau had called a meeting to be held at Bearclaw covenant in Novgorod, this was obviously going to be an attack on the Order of Odin, it was also an open invitation to Magi from all houses to assist in this valiant effort. Finally, Alanus passed some mail to Hussam, who pocketed it to read later.

The year finished peacefully, and I hope that next year will prove more pleasant than this one has been.
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