Scribed by Lysimachus
Spring 1251 AD
The council met on a bitterly cold spring morning, as the snow and ice of winter continued to shroud most of the covenant. Although we had suffered many reverses over the past year, the mood was more determined than despairing, and Astrius lead a series of discussions that focussed on addressing each problem in turn. Some of the debates meandered more than I would have liked, and at least one was unnecessarily acrimonious, but overall I was impressed with the practical insight displayed by my sodales across a range of disparate topics.
The first item we discussed concerned the status of the covenant’s claims to its lands, including the villages of Blackney and Lydney. It quickly emerged that the current members of the council had no real knowledge of the legal situation, having previously relied on Aeddan and Urbanus to manage these affairs. Ominously, losing the rights to the mines at Lydney would place our finances in an extremely parlous position, for unless we could find an alternative source of iron ore, our forge and smithy would generate no income, which would mean the covenant’s financial reserves would be exhausted in little more than a year. After a lengthy debate about how best to both determine and secure our rights, I was unanimously appointed as magna ex parte with authority to resolve the situation, assisted by Maximus in his mundane guise as magistrate.
The next item we discussed was how best to pursue the investigation into Aeddan’s murder. We had few leads on this matter, knowing neither where nor how Aeddan died. Husam agreed to spend summer attempting to track Aeddan’s last movements through Powys, though he noted that we should not underestimate the difficulty of the task given that Aeddan had been travelling discretely. In addition, war between the Welsh and English is likely to further complicate the investigation, particularly as Husam knows enough of the language to get by, but not enough to pose as a native speaker. After a little prompting, Maximus agreed to accompany him, as his abilities to perceive ghosts and spirits may provide additional clues to the events of last year.
Astrius then raised a motion that the council should declare the Brothers In Christ to be enemies of the covenant. My initial reaction was that this was a superfluous act given that the Brothers In Christ had already been designated as enemies of the Tribunal, but it soon became clear that Astrius’ measure was aimed squarely at Maximus, for the Pontifex feared that he might choose to sidestep the restrictions imposed by the Tribunal by interacting with the Brothers In Christ outside its geographical boundaries. Maximus gave a somewhat rambling and unconvincing response when pressed on his likely response should his House, which had decided to send emissaries to the Brothers In Christ, require his assistance on this matter. However, despite his clear preference for a peaceful outcome, I did not believe that he would seek to thwart our attempts to avenge Aeddan and Urbanus, so I remained unconvinced of the need for the motion. The council as a whole disagreed, and the measure was carried by a vote of four to two, with only Maximus and I voting against.
We then moved on to the matter of our relations with the faerie courts. The discussion was fairly brief, largely because none of us knew very much about the implications of any decision by the recent faerie war council to blame the Order as a whole for Aeddan’s death. We decided to consult with members of House Merinita who might know more about the issue, while remaining even more cautious than usual about journeys that might bring us close to faerie areas.
Astrius raised the issue of the three dark spirits that were no longer bound by the strictures of the king’s peace following Aeddan’s death. He explained that Geddyn had discovered a way to stop the spirits moving almost instantaneously through the elements, though the process is not straightforward. I agreed to provide whatever assistance I could on this matter, though my conception of the nature of the elements differs significantly from Geddyn’s. In particular, I do not understand the interactions between the spirits – if that is even an accurate description of their nature – and the elemental forms. I can conceive that Mona, who was apparently a sorceress in life, might have retained some of her powers to manipulate the elements following her death, but this does not explain why the other two spirits should also have such abilities, if indeed they do. There is clearly more to this matter than we have understood so far, which makes any attempt to confront these entities fraught with peril.
With plans – however tenuous in some cases – in place for the major threats arrayed against us, we turned to our activities for this season. Maximus and I decided to spend the season investigating the covenant’s legal and financial situations, Daedalus agreed to complete the work he has started on investing Rend the Mystic Veil into the Sapphire Blade, Astrius and Husam both planned to teach their apprentices and Erla successfully petitioned to study from the Perdo text. The last item of business was the distribution of vis for services rendered in the previous year, though alas only a single pawn was available for each service given that so many of our vis sites had failed following Aeddan’s death.
As Maximus and I made our way towards Gloucester, we noticed smoke billowing from Blackney, which appeared to have been the result of a recent attack on the village. Suspecting the involvement of the Erechwydd, we investigated the scene more closely, and our suspicions were confirmed when I felt my Parma Magica resist some form of hostile magic from an unknown assailant hiding amongst the ice and snow. Maximus fled back along the road before asking Rufus to summon Astrius to help us secure the village. We discovered that Blackney’s gates had been ripped from their hinges, and several militiamen had been killed while defending the villagers. Not all of the inhabitants had been slain, for Astrius encountered a small group who had locked themselves in one of the houses. They had been forced to swear allegiance to the Erechwydd, who had declared that the war council had named the Order as enemies of the fae. She had spared their lives but warped them with her faerie magic so that their eyes now bore a black sheen. He also learned that some of the other villagers, including several children, had been captured and led back into the Erechwydd’s realm. Astrius left the survivors in no doubt that any attempts to act against us would be met with deadly force, but we decided to leave them be for the moment.
While we were away from the covenant, the Erechwydd appeared before the walls, asking to parley with the magi. She demanded that the covenant surrender and swear fealty to the fae. Husam, Daedalus and Erla debated whether to play for time by agreeing to do so, but in the end they wisely decided to rebuff her demands. At this, the Erechwydd cursed the covenant with “the black breath of winter,” declaring that nothing wholesome would grow here in future. Quite what the full implications of the curse are, we do not know, but we should at the very least prepare ourselves for further challenges in the coming winter.
Maximus and I continued to Gloucester. I based myself at the university while I pursued my studies into the legal status of the royal forests, whereas Maximus took up residence in a nearby inn. On arriving at the college, I was informed that I had received a private letter from the Queen of England. This turned out to be a polite but firm summons to attend her at court before the end of summer to discuss matters pertaining to the status and funding of the college. After discussing this with Philippe and Raymond, I decided to make the trip at the start of the next season. I also asked Raymond to prepare details of the works sponsored by the college as evidence that we had made good use of the royal funds. I spent the rest of the season consulting legal texts. I learned that the royal forest covers all of the land between the Severn and the Wye south of the road between Ross-on-Wye and Gloucester. This includes the settlements of Coleford, Clearwell, Woolaston, Blackney and the Briavel, all of which retain their customary farming rights. Extending any of the villages beyond their historical borders requires permission of the crown, as does any intention to cut down any trees from the forest. In a measure that might seem curious to some though that makes perfect sense given the charter’s author, even building churches within the Dean requires the direct permission of the crown.
I also investigated the legal rights of the college. It seems Aeddan and Urbanus gave some thought to how to protect the college from interference by other mundane authorities. The chancellor, rather than other secular authorities, would typically hear legal cases against masters, unless they concerned the most serious crimes. Similarly, as chancellor I have a degree of protection against false accusations in that I can appeal any matters directly to the crown. This is welcome news in principle, though I shall hold off celebrating too wildly until I have had the chance to take the measure of the new queen. Philippe, in contrast, declared it was the perfect excuse to drink even more than usual. A final piece of good news is that, if I claim the chancellor’s stipend rather than remitting it to the college as I have done in previous years, I should be able to ease the covenant’s financial difficulties.
Maximus was also able to ascertain the status of our landholdings from documents held at the sheriff’s office. The records for Blackney and the settlement on the Briavel were difficult to find, but Maximus eventually discovered that the king had granted them in perpetuity to the Order of Hermetic Scholars. Lydney, in contrast, is owned directly by the crown, though its mines are leased to the settlement on the Briavel in return for the annual payment that we had erroneously assumed represented taxes. The tavern in Lydney is now owned by Husam’s associate, Aiken, which means that we should be able to continue to exert control over its affairs. Altogether, this represents very good news, for as long as we retain the good graces of the crown, our legal and financial situation should be better than we first feared.
I returned to Severn Temple later in the season to discover the sad news that one of the covenant’s longest serving consors, Nyal, had been slain by one of the Erechwydd’s black knights. It seems that the knight, who had been placed in the covenant by the Erechwydd as either an ambassador or spy many years ago, had gone missing following the faerie war council. Astrius led a search for him, but he could not be found, leading some to suspect that he was using faerie glamour to hide amongst the snow and ice that still covered much of the covenant. While searching alone one evening, Nyal apparently announced a challenge of single combat, which caused the knight to appear. The two had evidently been fighting for some time when Husam heard sounds of the battle. He arrived just in time to see the knight standing over Nyal’s prone form, and he used the Incantation of the Milky Eyes on the knight to save the Orkney man from the coup de grace. The black knight once again disappeared at this intervention, and Husam discovered that Nyal was barely injured, his strength having been sapped by the knight’s icy blade, though he bore no serious wounds. The next day, Nyal was spied leaving the covenant and making his way into the woods. Some time later, the knight emerged from the trees, leaving Nyal’s axe in the snow by the temple gate. We surmised that Nyal had left to complete the duel that Husam had interrupted, but that he had once again fallen to the knight’s blade. There was, however, the trace of icy blue blood on his axe, and Erla was able to use this as an arcane connection that allowed her to track down the knight, who was once again hiding within the covenant. With Erla to guide him, Astrius managed to locate the faerie, and he promptly incinerated it with a series of Ignem spells. With Nyal’s death, we are now bereft of a mundane champion, and the tavern will seem much more subdued without his elegant poetry and storytelling. He will be much missed.
A couple of days before the end of the season, the redcap Zephyros arrived with news from across the Tribunal and beyond. He announced that the Welsh armies under Daffyd-ap-Gwynedd were mustering in the north, bolstered by Scottish and Irish mercenaries. They were expected to march into south Wales shortly to contest the area with a force of Marcher Lords under the Earl of Warwick. This could bring war close to the Dean, with both Monmouth and Chepstow being at risk of attack. Further afield, king Alexander of Scotland had married Margaret, daughter of king Louis of France, which heralds a potential alliance between the two countries against the English crown. King Louis himself has recently been ransomed from his Egyptian captors in exchange for a million dinars and the return of the city of Damietta. The ransom will have emptied Louis’ coffers, and the king may look elsewhere for rich lands and plunder to replenish his funds. The final item of mundane news was that the venerable Holy Roman Emperor and renegade, Frederick, had died.
In Hermetic news, Zephyros spoke of conflict between faeries and magi across Stonehenge. An emergency meeting of House Merinita would be convened to discuss the matter, but in the meantime, Archimaga Serentea advised all magi to be wary of faerie vis sites, noting cryptically that when travelling, the rivers may be safer than the roads. I presume this relates to the likelihood of attacks by various types of faerie. Separately, the covenant of Scarfell had been attacked by an army of 400 men led by a non-Hermetic sorcerer, who had come close to slaying Magnus with a single elemental spell. The covenant managed to drive off the mundane army and the sorcerer disappeared, though interrogation of the survivors revealed that he was known as Damhan-Allaidh. Whether this is truly the re-emergence of a legendary enemy from the early years of the Order, or whether the sorcerer is simply masquerading as him, his magical powers appear to be very significant. We also do not know whether the timing of his attack, which followed so shortly after the war council, is connected in any way with Aeddan’s death.
The last item of note from the season is the unwelcome news that many of our vis sites, including the boar tide, the spring and vervain, yielded no vis this season.
Summer
The first item discussed by the council concerned the Erechwydd’s curse. As preparation for a winter that may be even worse than usual, we determined that Astrius would construct an item that could be used to cast the Ward Against Cold and Ice on each member of the covenant. Daedalus also agreed to extract vim vis this season to give us sufficient stocks to erect the Aegis of the Hearth. The discussion then moved on to what we should do about the villagers in Blackney who had sworn allegiance to the Erechwydd. Opinions were divided: some advocated killing them, whereas others favoured either banishment or allowing them to remain in the village under supervision. In the end, the council voted to destroy the standing stones in Lydney and Blackney that Cormoran erected many years ago as foci for worship of the Erechwydd before making a decision on what to do about the villagers. All members of the council save Maximus voted in favour of this action. The final item of note discussed at the meeting was a formal vote that Erla should attempt to take a cutting from the vervain, which had suffered greatly from the recent weather, in an attempt to breed a second plant that could be kept warmer within the covenant itself; all members voted in favour of this action.
I left for Gloucester shortly after the meeting, where I met with Philippe and Raymond at the college. We then proceeded on towards London to attend the court. On the way, we encountered large numbers of troops under the banner of the Ear of Warwick heading west. The mood of the troops was largely optimistic, and several soldiers declared that the expedition would punish Daffyd-ap-Gwynedd for his perceived involvement in the death of Uren.
My encounter with Queen Eleanor did not quite go how I imagined it would. We were housed in comfortable quarters in the white tower in London, though I could not help but notice that the room could also serve as a secure place to house important prisoners. I was eventually summoned to meet the queen, and after waiting a significant time, I was shown into a private audience chamber, where I was able to speak with her directly. An advisor and a bodyguard accompanied her, though she did not refer to either of them during the discussion. It was clear from the outset that Urbanus had discussed the Order and its activities in detail with her. Given the importance of the encounter, I chose to answer her questions straightforwardly, rather than seeking to dissemble, though I tried not to volunteer any more information that was absolutely necessary. It seemed to me that she was weighing up the Order; whether she should regard it as an ally, enemy or something else. I explained the strictures placed on us by the code in terms of mundane interactions, pointing out that this meant that her rivals would also not be able call on the members of the Order. I am not entirely sure that she was convinced of this, though I hope that I at least made a plausible case that she should not seek to withdraw any of the legal benefits that Aeddan and Urbanus had introduced in previous years. She made it clear that she suspected that members of the Order had helped the Brothers In Christ murder her husband and that she expected that we should bring his killers to justice. I assured her that we were as interested as she was in tracking down those who slew Urbanus, though I cautioned that it might take time to resolve. Overall, though the encounter began a little frostily, I believe that, by seeking neither to mislead nor manipulate her, I was able to assuage her immediate concerns about the Order, and I hope that she will now seek to focus on the many other challenges that face the crown. I also left the city with the college’s independence and financial position intact, which must be regarded as a positive sign.
[Lysimachus’ private journal: I chose to keep the council in the dark about one additional matter than I discussed with the queen, partly because I agreed that I would share it with no one, but also because I need to further consider all of its ramifications before I make a decision about what to do. Eleanor revealed that her daughter shows signs of bearing the Gift; if this is confirmed, she wishes her trained in the Hermetic Arts. I believe that this is mainly motivated by the desire for her daughter to realise her full potential in life, though it is clear that she also sees her daughter as a useful counsellor to her son when he becomes king. She told me that, before he died, Urbanus has told her that, should anything happen to him, there were two people in England she could trust absolutely: De Percy and me. I was hardly reassured by this given that De Percy’s head now graces the gate to the city, but it at least explains why she sought to confide in me on this matter. Whether I should take the young girl on as an apprentice is still uncertain, for it will entail all sorts of difficulties, but part of me wishes to do so, not least as I am sure that her late father would have wanted her to be properly trained. I will give the matter some more careful thought, for there are a few years yet before she reaches the required age.
On a separate matter, the queen also informed me that she had Roger Bacon arrested as he sought to leave for Paris, and he has been instructed to take up residence as a master of the King’s College, as she wishes his discoveries involving black powder to serve the English, rather than French, crown. I am sure he was overjoyed at this development, which should make for some interesting conversations at dinner in the future.]
Towards the end of the season, Zephyros the redcap once again visited the covenant, though his news was grim. It seems that House Merinita is racked by schism, with the Primus and several magi slain in fighting at Irencilia. Much of the House, including all of the members of this Tribunal, remain loyal to the Order, but others have sworn allegiance to the fae; it was members of this latter faction who slew Primus Palleaus. The faerie courts themselves are also said to be split: the unseelie courts are actively prosecuting the war against the Order, whereas the seelie courts remain undecided. In other news, all members of House Bjornaer disappeared into hiding over the spring and summer. It is unclear what prompted this action, though there are rumours of a secret House meeting. Beyond the Order, Louis of France’s ambassador to the Mongols returned without securing a peace deal, and he also spoke of another warlike people, the Tartars, to the east. Closer to home, the battles between the Welsh and English forces in southern Wales had been inconclusive, partly because the Marcher Lords have so far held off committing their full forces.
Autumn
At the council meeting, I learned that the mission to destroy the standing stones had ended in failure. Astrius and Husam made their way to Lydney at midsummer, while a feast at the inn entertained the villagers. There, Astrius cast a series of Incantations of Lightning at the stone, but it absorbed all of the bolts without cracking. As the magi debated what this meant, they heard a rumbling beneath the earth. Astrius apported to a safe location, but Husam was not so swift, and two stony hands emerged from the ground and caught him. A faerie creature composed of earth and rock appeared before him and announced that Gofannon’s magic protected the stone. It explained that the Mountain King had not yet decided whether to intervene in the conflict with the covenant, but further attacks on the stone would convince him to do so. The hands then released Husam, who swiftly made his way back to covenant. Given this development, the council decided to suspend all attempts to destroy the stones, since no one wished to spark a conflict with Gofannon.
The discussion then returned to what to do about the villagers in Blackney. Erla and Husam once again pushed for them to be killed, though others counselled more moderate action. An initial vote was held in which the council rejected allowing them to remain in the village without further sanction, with only Maximus and I voting in favour. The council then held a second vote in which it favoured exile rather than death, with Erla and Husam voting against. Astrius agreed to supervise the removal of the villagers from the Dean; he will make it clear that return will mean death.
Maximus then announced that he would be unable to accompany Husam on his expedition to Powys to investigate Aeddan’s death, as he had been instructed to conduct a quaesitorial investigation of some matter in Cornwall. This is most inconvenient timing, though he at least agreed to carry a message to Arcanus at Carrion Moor reminding him of our invitation to investigate the crystal caves in Mynydd Myddyn. He also agreed to attempt to divine any clues that might aid Husam’s mission. The following morning, he announced that he had had a prophetic dream in which he had seen a crowned man covered in blood at the edge of a forest near a river that ran from east to west; to the south, there was a cathedral with painted statues. Husam recognised the description of the cathedral, pointing out that Hereford had such a building. I noted that one of the sites that previously belonged to the Unnamed House was close to that area, and Astrius agreed to accompany Husam given the danger involved in pursuing the matter. With that, the council broke up and we went our separate ways.
Winter
All members of the council were present for the meeting on the first day of winter. Astrius began by recounting the tale of his journey into Powys, though not before he requested a vote that no member should speak of the tale to others outside the council. This motion was carried unanimously. Astrius then explained that he had encountered the spirit Candalo outside the regio in which the former Diedne covenant known as Hall of the Forest lies. The spirit told him that it knew the identities of those who had murdered Aeddan. Quite how it did so was not revealed, though Astrius said that the spirit claimed to be sensitive to the movements of the crown. Whether the spirit’s words are true or just mischief-making, I cannot say, for the journal paints an ambiguous picture of its past activities. Still, I shall record them here so that we can act on them should we choose to do so.
Candalo claimed that the crown had been taken by three figures. The eldest was a woman who had the bearing of a leader. She took a ship to Lisbon shortly after Aeddan’s death. Astrius told us that he was reasonably sure that she was maga Prudentia of Duresca covenant, a member of his House, though it was not clear, to me at least, how he reached this conclusion. The second figure was a man who wore strange leather armour and carried a mace that resembled those often used by Irish warriors. Astrius said that he suspected that the man was magus Hadrianus of the Hibernian Tribunal, who was possibly a member of House Jerbiton. He left south Wales on a ship bound for Ireland. The final figure was a man who spoke French and travelled from London to Calais. Astrius believed that he was a diviner and that he might be a member of House Guernicus, though Maximus knew no one who fitted the description. Candalo claimed that the three figures met in Canterbury before they went their separate ways, which ties in somewhat with Maximus’ previous vision of the three blurred figures who discussed what to do with the crown following Aeddan’s death. Astrius also mentioned that he had encountered the pagan spirit known as Jack O’The Green in the regio, though he kept the discussion to himself, as it did not concern the matter at hand.
We debated what to do with this information for some time. The issue was complicated by various factors: concerns about the veracity of the tale given its dubious source; doubts about whether Aeddan’s murderers had committed any Hermetic crime; and the possibility that whoever now held the crown would simply hide or destroy it if legal case or even Wizard’s War was brought against them. In the end, we decided that we lacked sufficient evidence to take action at this time, and we agreed that Astrius would speak with the senior Quaesitor in spring to check that there were no legal obstacles to us pursuing an investigation that might gather more reliable proof.
Maximus then announced that he and Luvidicus intended to conduct an investigation in the spring that would also require Astrius’ services as Hoplite. Although this would delay us pursuing the matter of Aeddan’s death for a further season, at least it should mean that we have the opportunity to consult with Luvidicus about our options.
With the council meeting over, we prepared to renew the Aegis of the Hearth. Maximus had earlier warned us that the Erechwydd might view this as an opportune time to launch an attack, so we took various precautions, including arming ourselves with protective devices from the stores and employing numerous shield grogs. In the event, Maximus’ warning proved prescient, for a force of ice goblins, giants and wolves struck about a third of the way through the ritual. The battle hung in the balance for some time, as the magi were strung out along the line of the ritual path, which resulted in pockets of desperate fighting. At the head of the line, a force of giants and wolves managed to knock Daedalus down, ending the ritual. Astrius and Constantius were able to drive them off, though not before the latter was sorely injured in the wild melee. Towards the rear, Husam rushed forward to engage a force of ice goblins, but to his horror, our former consors, Nyal, emerged from the blizzard to do battle with him. The Orkneyman was clearly strongly faerie-touched, for his skin and beard both bore the signs of winter, and Husam was sorely pressed to defend himself. As the battle raged, the Erechwydd herself emerged, greatly injuring Husam with an incantation that seemed to freeze his heart. I was able to drive the winter queen off with a Ball of Abysmal Flame boosted by a full rook of Ignem vis, and her forces retreated into the snow to protect their injured mistress. The battle saw many other acts of bravery, including sergeant Michael’s daring rescue of Husam’s apprentice, William, who had been frozen solid by the ice goblins and was in grave danger of being dragged off.
In the end, we were fortunate that there were no fatalities, partly thanks to Blanche’s expertise and the use of various healing magics. We also learned what had happened to the villagers of Blackney, for the wolves transformed back into men and women when they were slain. At least that part of the Erechwydd’s plans has been revealed, though we should remain cautious for any future surprises. We successfully re-enacted the Aegis ritual a few days later without further incident, though it severely depleted our stocks of vis.
Later in the season, a deadly disease struck the covenant, killing several grogs and covenfolk. Some of the magi also succumbed to the infection, though they managed to shake it off through Blanche’s ministrations and Astrius’ use of the Gentle Touch of the Purified Body. The disease was almost certainly connected to the Erechwydd’s curse, and there seems little doubt that we will remain vulnerable to further episodes until the conflict with the faerie powers is brought to an end.
What had already proved to be a difficult winter took a further turn for the worse later in the season when one of the grogs spotted a strange blue light in the trees at the edge of the Aegis. Shortly thereafter, another of the grogs launched an unprovoked attack on Astrius, though he was unable to wound him. The grog, Seamus, had previously been of sound character, so his actions seemed most mysterious until Astrius confirmed through the use of Sense of the Lingering Magic that the grog’s mind had been affected by a Rego Mentem spell that bore the sigil of a blue spiral fire. Suspecting that we were under attack from a Hermetic magus, we assembled our defences. I spied a figure skulking in the shadows by the kitchens, and flying down invisible behind it, I used the Pit of the Gaping Earth to trap it. However, this proved to be a ruse, for my target was eventually revealed to be the carpenter, his mind affected by another Rego Mentem spell and his body disguised through Imagonem magic. While I investigated, I suddenly felt an urge to slay Astrius, though I was able to shake off the impulse while I sought refuge from my unseen assailant. In the meantime, Astrius suffered another attack at the hands of one of the grogs, who claimed he had come to exact revenge for the Order’s treachery against the fae. From this, we surmised that our enemy was most likely a former member of House Merinita who had sided with the fae. With the covenant on full alert, there were no more attacks, and we later felt the Aegis breached, presumably as the magus escaped into the forest.
The following day, Maximus revealed that he had used his divinatory powers to learn something of our assailant. He had seen a man wearing robes and leather armour who bore a sword with a bone handle. The man had pinched features and elongated ears that indicated he had faerie blood. As Maximus watched from afar, he saw the man kneel before the Erechwydd, pledging to act as her champion in the war against the Order. She referred to him as Dureth, an unusual name that may be Gaelic in origin. He revealed to her that he thought he would not be able to best Astrius in open combat, so he planned to harry the covenant at every turn to sap our strength. At our urging, Maximus conducted a second divination, asking when Dureth would attack next. This revealed a wintry scene in which a hooded figure paced around the covenant holding a large tome. Dureth emerged from the treeline to launch an attack, but the figure threw back his hood and summoned fire to his hands. If this indication proves true, we now have a time and place to lay a trap for our attacker. Let us hope that we get the chance to pay him back in full for his actions.
Spring 1251 AD
The council met on a bitterly cold spring morning, as the snow and ice of winter continued to shroud most of the covenant. Although we had suffered many reverses over the past year, the mood was more determined than despairing, and Astrius lead a series of discussions that focussed on addressing each problem in turn. Some of the debates meandered more than I would have liked, and at least one was unnecessarily acrimonious, but overall I was impressed with the practical insight displayed by my sodales across a range of disparate topics.
The first item we discussed concerned the status of the covenant’s claims to its lands, including the villages of Blackney and Lydney. It quickly emerged that the current members of the council had no real knowledge of the legal situation, having previously relied on Aeddan and Urbanus to manage these affairs. Ominously, losing the rights to the mines at Lydney would place our finances in an extremely parlous position, for unless we could find an alternative source of iron ore, our forge and smithy would generate no income, which would mean the covenant’s financial reserves would be exhausted in little more than a year. After a lengthy debate about how best to both determine and secure our rights, I was unanimously appointed as magna ex parte with authority to resolve the situation, assisted by Maximus in his mundane guise as magistrate.
The next item we discussed was how best to pursue the investigation into Aeddan’s murder. We had few leads on this matter, knowing neither where nor how Aeddan died. Husam agreed to spend summer attempting to track Aeddan’s last movements through Powys, though he noted that we should not underestimate the difficulty of the task given that Aeddan had been travelling discretely. In addition, war between the Welsh and English is likely to further complicate the investigation, particularly as Husam knows enough of the language to get by, but not enough to pose as a native speaker. After a little prompting, Maximus agreed to accompany him, as his abilities to perceive ghosts and spirits may provide additional clues to the events of last year.
Astrius then raised a motion that the council should declare the Brothers In Christ to be enemies of the covenant. My initial reaction was that this was a superfluous act given that the Brothers In Christ had already been designated as enemies of the Tribunal, but it soon became clear that Astrius’ measure was aimed squarely at Maximus, for the Pontifex feared that he might choose to sidestep the restrictions imposed by the Tribunal by interacting with the Brothers In Christ outside its geographical boundaries. Maximus gave a somewhat rambling and unconvincing response when pressed on his likely response should his House, which had decided to send emissaries to the Brothers In Christ, require his assistance on this matter. However, despite his clear preference for a peaceful outcome, I did not believe that he would seek to thwart our attempts to avenge Aeddan and Urbanus, so I remained unconvinced of the need for the motion. The council as a whole disagreed, and the measure was carried by a vote of four to two, with only Maximus and I voting against.
We then moved on to the matter of our relations with the faerie courts. The discussion was fairly brief, largely because none of us knew very much about the implications of any decision by the recent faerie war council to blame the Order as a whole for Aeddan’s death. We decided to consult with members of House Merinita who might know more about the issue, while remaining even more cautious than usual about journeys that might bring us close to faerie areas.
Astrius raised the issue of the three dark spirits that were no longer bound by the strictures of the king’s peace following Aeddan’s death. He explained that Geddyn had discovered a way to stop the spirits moving almost instantaneously through the elements, though the process is not straightforward. I agreed to provide whatever assistance I could on this matter, though my conception of the nature of the elements differs significantly from Geddyn’s. In particular, I do not understand the interactions between the spirits – if that is even an accurate description of their nature – and the elemental forms. I can conceive that Mona, who was apparently a sorceress in life, might have retained some of her powers to manipulate the elements following her death, but this does not explain why the other two spirits should also have such abilities, if indeed they do. There is clearly more to this matter than we have understood so far, which makes any attempt to confront these entities fraught with peril.
With plans – however tenuous in some cases – in place for the major threats arrayed against us, we turned to our activities for this season. Maximus and I decided to spend the season investigating the covenant’s legal and financial situations, Daedalus agreed to complete the work he has started on investing Rend the Mystic Veil into the Sapphire Blade, Astrius and Husam both planned to teach their apprentices and Erla successfully petitioned to study from the Perdo text. The last item of business was the distribution of vis for services rendered in the previous year, though alas only a single pawn was available for each service given that so many of our vis sites had failed following Aeddan’s death.
As Maximus and I made our way towards Gloucester, we noticed smoke billowing from Blackney, which appeared to have been the result of a recent attack on the village. Suspecting the involvement of the Erechwydd, we investigated the scene more closely, and our suspicions were confirmed when I felt my Parma Magica resist some form of hostile magic from an unknown assailant hiding amongst the ice and snow. Maximus fled back along the road before asking Rufus to summon Astrius to help us secure the village. We discovered that Blackney’s gates had been ripped from their hinges, and several militiamen had been killed while defending the villagers. Not all of the inhabitants had been slain, for Astrius encountered a small group who had locked themselves in one of the houses. They had been forced to swear allegiance to the Erechwydd, who had declared that the war council had named the Order as enemies of the fae. She had spared their lives but warped them with her faerie magic so that their eyes now bore a black sheen. He also learned that some of the other villagers, including several children, had been captured and led back into the Erechwydd’s realm. Astrius left the survivors in no doubt that any attempts to act against us would be met with deadly force, but we decided to leave them be for the moment.
While we were away from the covenant, the Erechwydd appeared before the walls, asking to parley with the magi. She demanded that the covenant surrender and swear fealty to the fae. Husam, Daedalus and Erla debated whether to play for time by agreeing to do so, but in the end they wisely decided to rebuff her demands. At this, the Erechwydd cursed the covenant with “the black breath of winter,” declaring that nothing wholesome would grow here in future. Quite what the full implications of the curse are, we do not know, but we should at the very least prepare ourselves for further challenges in the coming winter.
Maximus and I continued to Gloucester. I based myself at the university while I pursued my studies into the legal status of the royal forests, whereas Maximus took up residence in a nearby inn. On arriving at the college, I was informed that I had received a private letter from the Queen of England. This turned out to be a polite but firm summons to attend her at court before the end of summer to discuss matters pertaining to the status and funding of the college. After discussing this with Philippe and Raymond, I decided to make the trip at the start of the next season. I also asked Raymond to prepare details of the works sponsored by the college as evidence that we had made good use of the royal funds. I spent the rest of the season consulting legal texts. I learned that the royal forest covers all of the land between the Severn and the Wye south of the road between Ross-on-Wye and Gloucester. This includes the settlements of Coleford, Clearwell, Woolaston, Blackney and the Briavel, all of which retain their customary farming rights. Extending any of the villages beyond their historical borders requires permission of the crown, as does any intention to cut down any trees from the forest. In a measure that might seem curious to some though that makes perfect sense given the charter’s author, even building churches within the Dean requires the direct permission of the crown.
I also investigated the legal rights of the college. It seems Aeddan and Urbanus gave some thought to how to protect the college from interference by other mundane authorities. The chancellor, rather than other secular authorities, would typically hear legal cases against masters, unless they concerned the most serious crimes. Similarly, as chancellor I have a degree of protection against false accusations in that I can appeal any matters directly to the crown. This is welcome news in principle, though I shall hold off celebrating too wildly until I have had the chance to take the measure of the new queen. Philippe, in contrast, declared it was the perfect excuse to drink even more than usual. A final piece of good news is that, if I claim the chancellor’s stipend rather than remitting it to the college as I have done in previous years, I should be able to ease the covenant’s financial difficulties.
Maximus was also able to ascertain the status of our landholdings from documents held at the sheriff’s office. The records for Blackney and the settlement on the Briavel were difficult to find, but Maximus eventually discovered that the king had granted them in perpetuity to the Order of Hermetic Scholars. Lydney, in contrast, is owned directly by the crown, though its mines are leased to the settlement on the Briavel in return for the annual payment that we had erroneously assumed represented taxes. The tavern in Lydney is now owned by Husam’s associate, Aiken, which means that we should be able to continue to exert control over its affairs. Altogether, this represents very good news, for as long as we retain the good graces of the crown, our legal and financial situation should be better than we first feared.
I returned to Severn Temple later in the season to discover the sad news that one of the covenant’s longest serving consors, Nyal, had been slain by one of the Erechwydd’s black knights. It seems that the knight, who had been placed in the covenant by the Erechwydd as either an ambassador or spy many years ago, had gone missing following the faerie war council. Astrius led a search for him, but he could not be found, leading some to suspect that he was using faerie glamour to hide amongst the snow and ice that still covered much of the covenant. While searching alone one evening, Nyal apparently announced a challenge of single combat, which caused the knight to appear. The two had evidently been fighting for some time when Husam heard sounds of the battle. He arrived just in time to see the knight standing over Nyal’s prone form, and he used the Incantation of the Milky Eyes on the knight to save the Orkney man from the coup de grace. The black knight once again disappeared at this intervention, and Husam discovered that Nyal was barely injured, his strength having been sapped by the knight’s icy blade, though he bore no serious wounds. The next day, Nyal was spied leaving the covenant and making his way into the woods. Some time later, the knight emerged from the trees, leaving Nyal’s axe in the snow by the temple gate. We surmised that Nyal had left to complete the duel that Husam had interrupted, but that he had once again fallen to the knight’s blade. There was, however, the trace of icy blue blood on his axe, and Erla was able to use this as an arcane connection that allowed her to track down the knight, who was once again hiding within the covenant. With Erla to guide him, Astrius managed to locate the faerie, and he promptly incinerated it with a series of Ignem spells. With Nyal’s death, we are now bereft of a mundane champion, and the tavern will seem much more subdued without his elegant poetry and storytelling. He will be much missed.
A couple of days before the end of the season, the redcap Zephyros arrived with news from across the Tribunal and beyond. He announced that the Welsh armies under Daffyd-ap-Gwynedd were mustering in the north, bolstered by Scottish and Irish mercenaries. They were expected to march into south Wales shortly to contest the area with a force of Marcher Lords under the Earl of Warwick. This could bring war close to the Dean, with both Monmouth and Chepstow being at risk of attack. Further afield, king Alexander of Scotland had married Margaret, daughter of king Louis of France, which heralds a potential alliance between the two countries against the English crown. King Louis himself has recently been ransomed from his Egyptian captors in exchange for a million dinars and the return of the city of Damietta. The ransom will have emptied Louis’ coffers, and the king may look elsewhere for rich lands and plunder to replenish his funds. The final item of mundane news was that the venerable Holy Roman Emperor and renegade, Frederick, had died.
In Hermetic news, Zephyros spoke of conflict between faeries and magi across Stonehenge. An emergency meeting of House Merinita would be convened to discuss the matter, but in the meantime, Archimaga Serentea advised all magi to be wary of faerie vis sites, noting cryptically that when travelling, the rivers may be safer than the roads. I presume this relates to the likelihood of attacks by various types of faerie. Separately, the covenant of Scarfell had been attacked by an army of 400 men led by a non-Hermetic sorcerer, who had come close to slaying Magnus with a single elemental spell. The covenant managed to drive off the mundane army and the sorcerer disappeared, though interrogation of the survivors revealed that he was known as Damhan-Allaidh. Whether this is truly the re-emergence of a legendary enemy from the early years of the Order, or whether the sorcerer is simply masquerading as him, his magical powers appear to be very significant. We also do not know whether the timing of his attack, which followed so shortly after the war council, is connected in any way with Aeddan’s death.
The last item of note from the season is the unwelcome news that many of our vis sites, including the boar tide, the spring and vervain, yielded no vis this season.
Summer
The first item discussed by the council concerned the Erechwydd’s curse. As preparation for a winter that may be even worse than usual, we determined that Astrius would construct an item that could be used to cast the Ward Against Cold and Ice on each member of the covenant. Daedalus also agreed to extract vim vis this season to give us sufficient stocks to erect the Aegis of the Hearth. The discussion then moved on to what we should do about the villagers in Blackney who had sworn allegiance to the Erechwydd. Opinions were divided: some advocated killing them, whereas others favoured either banishment or allowing them to remain in the village under supervision. In the end, the council voted to destroy the standing stones in Lydney and Blackney that Cormoran erected many years ago as foci for worship of the Erechwydd before making a decision on what to do about the villagers. All members of the council save Maximus voted in favour of this action. The final item of note discussed at the meeting was a formal vote that Erla should attempt to take a cutting from the vervain, which had suffered greatly from the recent weather, in an attempt to breed a second plant that could be kept warmer within the covenant itself; all members voted in favour of this action.
I left for Gloucester shortly after the meeting, where I met with Philippe and Raymond at the college. We then proceeded on towards London to attend the court. On the way, we encountered large numbers of troops under the banner of the Ear of Warwick heading west. The mood of the troops was largely optimistic, and several soldiers declared that the expedition would punish Daffyd-ap-Gwynedd for his perceived involvement in the death of Uren.
My encounter with Queen Eleanor did not quite go how I imagined it would. We were housed in comfortable quarters in the white tower in London, though I could not help but notice that the room could also serve as a secure place to house important prisoners. I was eventually summoned to meet the queen, and after waiting a significant time, I was shown into a private audience chamber, where I was able to speak with her directly. An advisor and a bodyguard accompanied her, though she did not refer to either of them during the discussion. It was clear from the outset that Urbanus had discussed the Order and its activities in detail with her. Given the importance of the encounter, I chose to answer her questions straightforwardly, rather than seeking to dissemble, though I tried not to volunteer any more information that was absolutely necessary. It seemed to me that she was weighing up the Order; whether she should regard it as an ally, enemy or something else. I explained the strictures placed on us by the code in terms of mundane interactions, pointing out that this meant that her rivals would also not be able call on the members of the Order. I am not entirely sure that she was convinced of this, though I hope that I at least made a plausible case that she should not seek to withdraw any of the legal benefits that Aeddan and Urbanus had introduced in previous years. She made it clear that she suspected that members of the Order had helped the Brothers In Christ murder her husband and that she expected that we should bring his killers to justice. I assured her that we were as interested as she was in tracking down those who slew Urbanus, though I cautioned that it might take time to resolve. Overall, though the encounter began a little frostily, I believe that, by seeking neither to mislead nor manipulate her, I was able to assuage her immediate concerns about the Order, and I hope that she will now seek to focus on the many other challenges that face the crown. I also left the city with the college’s independence and financial position intact, which must be regarded as a positive sign.
[Lysimachus’ private journal: I chose to keep the council in the dark about one additional matter than I discussed with the queen, partly because I agreed that I would share it with no one, but also because I need to further consider all of its ramifications before I make a decision about what to do. Eleanor revealed that her daughter shows signs of bearing the Gift; if this is confirmed, she wishes her trained in the Hermetic Arts. I believe that this is mainly motivated by the desire for her daughter to realise her full potential in life, though it is clear that she also sees her daughter as a useful counsellor to her son when he becomes king. She told me that, before he died, Urbanus has told her that, should anything happen to him, there were two people in England she could trust absolutely: De Percy and me. I was hardly reassured by this given that De Percy’s head now graces the gate to the city, but it at least explains why she sought to confide in me on this matter. Whether I should take the young girl on as an apprentice is still uncertain, for it will entail all sorts of difficulties, but part of me wishes to do so, not least as I am sure that her late father would have wanted her to be properly trained. I will give the matter some more careful thought, for there are a few years yet before she reaches the required age.
On a separate matter, the queen also informed me that she had Roger Bacon arrested as he sought to leave for Paris, and he has been instructed to take up residence as a master of the King’s College, as she wishes his discoveries involving black powder to serve the English, rather than French, crown. I am sure he was overjoyed at this development, which should make for some interesting conversations at dinner in the future.]
Towards the end of the season, Zephyros the redcap once again visited the covenant, though his news was grim. It seems that House Merinita is racked by schism, with the Primus and several magi slain in fighting at Irencilia. Much of the House, including all of the members of this Tribunal, remain loyal to the Order, but others have sworn allegiance to the fae; it was members of this latter faction who slew Primus Palleaus. The faerie courts themselves are also said to be split: the unseelie courts are actively prosecuting the war against the Order, whereas the seelie courts remain undecided. In other news, all members of House Bjornaer disappeared into hiding over the spring and summer. It is unclear what prompted this action, though there are rumours of a secret House meeting. Beyond the Order, Louis of France’s ambassador to the Mongols returned without securing a peace deal, and he also spoke of another warlike people, the Tartars, to the east. Closer to home, the battles between the Welsh and English forces in southern Wales had been inconclusive, partly because the Marcher Lords have so far held off committing their full forces.
Autumn
At the council meeting, I learned that the mission to destroy the standing stones had ended in failure. Astrius and Husam made their way to Lydney at midsummer, while a feast at the inn entertained the villagers. There, Astrius cast a series of Incantations of Lightning at the stone, but it absorbed all of the bolts without cracking. As the magi debated what this meant, they heard a rumbling beneath the earth. Astrius apported to a safe location, but Husam was not so swift, and two stony hands emerged from the ground and caught him. A faerie creature composed of earth and rock appeared before him and announced that Gofannon’s magic protected the stone. It explained that the Mountain King had not yet decided whether to intervene in the conflict with the covenant, but further attacks on the stone would convince him to do so. The hands then released Husam, who swiftly made his way back to covenant. Given this development, the council decided to suspend all attempts to destroy the stones, since no one wished to spark a conflict with Gofannon.
The discussion then returned to what to do about the villagers in Blackney. Erla and Husam once again pushed for them to be killed, though others counselled more moderate action. An initial vote was held in which the council rejected allowing them to remain in the village without further sanction, with only Maximus and I voting in favour. The council then held a second vote in which it favoured exile rather than death, with Erla and Husam voting against. Astrius agreed to supervise the removal of the villagers from the Dean; he will make it clear that return will mean death.
Maximus then announced that he would be unable to accompany Husam on his expedition to Powys to investigate Aeddan’s death, as he had been instructed to conduct a quaesitorial investigation of some matter in Cornwall. This is most inconvenient timing, though he at least agreed to carry a message to Arcanus at Carrion Moor reminding him of our invitation to investigate the crystal caves in Mynydd Myddyn. He also agreed to attempt to divine any clues that might aid Husam’s mission. The following morning, he announced that he had had a prophetic dream in which he had seen a crowned man covered in blood at the edge of a forest near a river that ran from east to west; to the south, there was a cathedral with painted statues. Husam recognised the description of the cathedral, pointing out that Hereford had such a building. I noted that one of the sites that previously belonged to the Unnamed House was close to that area, and Astrius agreed to accompany Husam given the danger involved in pursuing the matter. With that, the council broke up and we went our separate ways.
Winter
All members of the council were present for the meeting on the first day of winter. Astrius began by recounting the tale of his journey into Powys, though not before he requested a vote that no member should speak of the tale to others outside the council. This motion was carried unanimously. Astrius then explained that he had encountered the spirit Candalo outside the regio in which the former Diedne covenant known as Hall of the Forest lies. The spirit told him that it knew the identities of those who had murdered Aeddan. Quite how it did so was not revealed, though Astrius said that the spirit claimed to be sensitive to the movements of the crown. Whether the spirit’s words are true or just mischief-making, I cannot say, for the journal paints an ambiguous picture of its past activities. Still, I shall record them here so that we can act on them should we choose to do so.
Candalo claimed that the crown had been taken by three figures. The eldest was a woman who had the bearing of a leader. She took a ship to Lisbon shortly after Aeddan’s death. Astrius told us that he was reasonably sure that she was maga Prudentia of Duresca covenant, a member of his House, though it was not clear, to me at least, how he reached this conclusion. The second figure was a man who wore strange leather armour and carried a mace that resembled those often used by Irish warriors. Astrius said that he suspected that the man was magus Hadrianus of the Hibernian Tribunal, who was possibly a member of House Jerbiton. He left south Wales on a ship bound for Ireland. The final figure was a man who spoke French and travelled from London to Calais. Astrius believed that he was a diviner and that he might be a member of House Guernicus, though Maximus knew no one who fitted the description. Candalo claimed that the three figures met in Canterbury before they went their separate ways, which ties in somewhat with Maximus’ previous vision of the three blurred figures who discussed what to do with the crown following Aeddan’s death. Astrius also mentioned that he had encountered the pagan spirit known as Jack O’The Green in the regio, though he kept the discussion to himself, as it did not concern the matter at hand.
We debated what to do with this information for some time. The issue was complicated by various factors: concerns about the veracity of the tale given its dubious source; doubts about whether Aeddan’s murderers had committed any Hermetic crime; and the possibility that whoever now held the crown would simply hide or destroy it if legal case or even Wizard’s War was brought against them. In the end, we decided that we lacked sufficient evidence to take action at this time, and we agreed that Astrius would speak with the senior Quaesitor in spring to check that there were no legal obstacles to us pursuing an investigation that might gather more reliable proof.
Maximus then announced that he and Luvidicus intended to conduct an investigation in the spring that would also require Astrius’ services as Hoplite. Although this would delay us pursuing the matter of Aeddan’s death for a further season, at least it should mean that we have the opportunity to consult with Luvidicus about our options.
With the council meeting over, we prepared to renew the Aegis of the Hearth. Maximus had earlier warned us that the Erechwydd might view this as an opportune time to launch an attack, so we took various precautions, including arming ourselves with protective devices from the stores and employing numerous shield grogs. In the event, Maximus’ warning proved prescient, for a force of ice goblins, giants and wolves struck about a third of the way through the ritual. The battle hung in the balance for some time, as the magi were strung out along the line of the ritual path, which resulted in pockets of desperate fighting. At the head of the line, a force of giants and wolves managed to knock Daedalus down, ending the ritual. Astrius and Constantius were able to drive them off, though not before the latter was sorely injured in the wild melee. Towards the rear, Husam rushed forward to engage a force of ice goblins, but to his horror, our former consors, Nyal, emerged from the blizzard to do battle with him. The Orkneyman was clearly strongly faerie-touched, for his skin and beard both bore the signs of winter, and Husam was sorely pressed to defend himself. As the battle raged, the Erechwydd herself emerged, greatly injuring Husam with an incantation that seemed to freeze his heart. I was able to drive the winter queen off with a Ball of Abysmal Flame boosted by a full rook of Ignem vis, and her forces retreated into the snow to protect their injured mistress. The battle saw many other acts of bravery, including sergeant Michael’s daring rescue of Husam’s apprentice, William, who had been frozen solid by the ice goblins and was in grave danger of being dragged off.
In the end, we were fortunate that there were no fatalities, partly thanks to Blanche’s expertise and the use of various healing magics. We also learned what had happened to the villagers of Blackney, for the wolves transformed back into men and women when they were slain. At least that part of the Erechwydd’s plans has been revealed, though we should remain cautious for any future surprises. We successfully re-enacted the Aegis ritual a few days later without further incident, though it severely depleted our stocks of vis.
Later in the season, a deadly disease struck the covenant, killing several grogs and covenfolk. Some of the magi also succumbed to the infection, though they managed to shake it off through Blanche’s ministrations and Astrius’ use of the Gentle Touch of the Purified Body. The disease was almost certainly connected to the Erechwydd’s curse, and there seems little doubt that we will remain vulnerable to further episodes until the conflict with the faerie powers is brought to an end.
What had already proved to be a difficult winter took a further turn for the worse later in the season when one of the grogs spotted a strange blue light in the trees at the edge of the Aegis. Shortly thereafter, another of the grogs launched an unprovoked attack on Astrius, though he was unable to wound him. The grog, Seamus, had previously been of sound character, so his actions seemed most mysterious until Astrius confirmed through the use of Sense of the Lingering Magic that the grog’s mind had been affected by a Rego Mentem spell that bore the sigil of a blue spiral fire. Suspecting that we were under attack from a Hermetic magus, we assembled our defences. I spied a figure skulking in the shadows by the kitchens, and flying down invisible behind it, I used the Pit of the Gaping Earth to trap it. However, this proved to be a ruse, for my target was eventually revealed to be the carpenter, his mind affected by another Rego Mentem spell and his body disguised through Imagonem magic. While I investigated, I suddenly felt an urge to slay Astrius, though I was able to shake off the impulse while I sought refuge from my unseen assailant. In the meantime, Astrius suffered another attack at the hands of one of the grogs, who claimed he had come to exact revenge for the Order’s treachery against the fae. From this, we surmised that our enemy was most likely a former member of House Merinita who had sided with the fae. With the covenant on full alert, there were no more attacks, and we later felt the Aegis breached, presumably as the magus escaped into the forest.
The following day, Maximus revealed that he had used his divinatory powers to learn something of our assailant. He had seen a man wearing robes and leather armour who bore a sword with a bone handle. The man had pinched features and elongated ears that indicated he had faerie blood. As Maximus watched from afar, he saw the man kneel before the Erechwydd, pledging to act as her champion in the war against the Order. She referred to him as Dureth, an unusual name that may be Gaelic in origin. He revealed to her that he thought he would not be able to best Astrius in open combat, so he planned to harry the covenant at every turn to sap our strength. At our urging, Maximus conducted a second divination, asking when Dureth would attack next. This revealed a wintry scene in which a hooded figure paced around the covenant holding a large tome. Dureth emerged from the treeline to launch an attack, but the figure threw back his hood and summoned fire to his hands. If this indication proves true, we now have a time and place to lay a trap for our attacker. Let us hope that we get the chance to pay him back in full for his actions.