Scribed by Branwen
Spring 1328 AD
It has been five years since I last recorded the tale of our Covenant, a span of time that seems to have passed too swiftly, and yet one in which the world has changed beyond any prediction that I might legitimately have made at the time. My last musings in this journal were on the death of Theoclea, but as I once more set my quill upon these pages it is her own scribing that I follow, her restoration a testament that so much of what I thought I understood about the workings of the world must now be put aside. I can not state too firmly how glad I am of this, that her presence within Severn Temple has given me a new hope that, despite all of the dread warnings we have received of the great threat that comes ever closer to us, the future is not set, our fate not laid out so surely as I once believed. True we don’t know yet what path to follow, in fact we haven’t really determined what paths there may be beyond our belief that any hope must lie in the old magic of this land, but Terentius’ determination that Theoclea might be saved is a fine spur to us all that we must hold fast in our desire and efforts to find a solution, however obscure the route may be.
Such optimistic words must of course be tempered by the reality of where we stand. While I sense a renewed purpose amongst many of my sodales, the last few years have also opened new fractures between us and widened some that already existed. The fact that the Crown of Mabh now sits in my possession is clearly something that sits poorly with some of the council, despite Theoclea’s words when she relinquished her claim. She professes that she bears me no ill will for the manoeuvrings of my Prima, but I wonder whether she feels the loss of that artefact, even as she continues to search for how to unlock the knowledge that Myddyn once held. Terentius is moodier than ever, and it is no longer certain that he will respond to any particular threat with the vigour and certainty of purpose that he once did. The price that he has paid for his convictions may have been too great for him to bear and there are days when he seems a mere shadow of the man that I have known since I first came to Severn Temple, although tempered with others where he seems much as he was. Jari seems a little adrift, his new obsession with the stone circles of the land not entirely hiding how deeply the departure of the fae has affected him. Naevius chairs the council as effectively as ever but seems strangely detached from the challenge that faces us and Pyrrhus continues to be as fickle as the fire that he loves, save for his ever-growing hatred for me – as dependable as ever.
And yet, despite my musings, the first council of this new year passed swiftly enough and without any of the arguments that have become more common in recent years. The difficulty of the harvest last year has been previously noted in this journal, but it seems that our steward had successfully mitigated against any harmful impacts to this Covenant and despite spending a little extra coin over winter we are well set for the year to come. Theoclea announced her intention to return to the Crystal Caves in summer and there was some discussion about how best to try and focus in on those of Myddin’s memories that she is looking for. She asked Jari whether his growing ability to find mystical paths might work within Mynydd Myddyn, primarily to try and reduce the incertainty around the time that she spends within that place. He believed that if such paths existed he may well be able to find them and agreed to commit some time to do so in support of her plans. This season she said she would be travelling to court, as she wishes to let her brother know she will be travelling to the Crystal Caves later in the year and to reassure him as to her actions. The remainder of us announced activities that kept us within our laboratories. Beyond distribution of vis and coin there was nothing further discussed.
Branwen’s private Journal: I had another dream of the cat on the night of the spring equinox. Like the one before I could see it hunkered down by a woodpile with welsh voices in the background before some kind of scuffle between men unseen forced it to retreat back into hiding. It is clear to me that this is a vision, but one that I can as of yet make no greater sense of, beyond the obvious implication that a creature that might be suitable as a familiar lies somewhere out there. I do not recognise the ground and need more before I can set out to try and find it.
It is the last day of the season as I write this. I had considered leaving it until after the summer council on the morrow but the news we have received is gravely troubling and find that I cannot sleep. We were visited by a knight who called himself Sir Roland who had been sent by Theoclea with a message requesting aid. He reported to us that Queen Isabella, accompanied by a host made up of English rebels and French mercenaries, has laid siege to London. The rumours are that she has taken another knight, Sir John Mortimer, as a lover and that she has timed this rebellion just after the King has returned from signing a peace treaty with the Scots that has granted them independence from the English crown. While we are fairly sure that Theoclea has a Leap of Homecoming potion Terentius said that he would depart for London immediately, with Jari agreeing to carry a message to Blackthorn to alert the Order of Hermes that the King who we have invested so much into is facing a rebellion. I suppose it was too much to hope that this might be a peaceful year.
Summer
Our council was delayed until late morning while we waited on the return of Terentius, who called for us before he had even slept. He reported that he had managed to get to see Theoclea within the Tower of London, as he holds a badge that identifies him as an agent of the Crown and thus able to access the court. He said that as he arrived at London he could see siege weapons being brought up the city walls and that Theoclea has confirmed that should the walls of the tower be threatened she will utilise the potion she has to swiftly return to Severn Temple. Terentius provided her with an additional two potions to ensure that she had sufficient to allow for mishaps. She suggested that if the King is forced to flee London he will make his way to Bristol as he has loyal vassals in this region. We agreed that we would commit the steward to buying in extra supplies for the Covenant and Lydney in the event that this rebellion comes closer to our home. Jari said that messages advising of the situation have been sent to the Praeco, the two Primi currently resident in Stonehenge and the Senior Quaesitor. All the magi agreed that they would pursue activities that would keep them within the Covenant this season in case further efforts were needed. The council swiftly ended with Jari and Terentius heading off to speak with our spymaster about the best way to maintain swift intelligence of events.
Branwen’s private Journal: There was a somewhat farcical moment when Pyrrhus started to suggest some plan involving the Morrigan and Jack of the Green in the event that a rebel army headed this way. Alas, for I would have been fascinated to hear more of the witless reasoning of my sodales, he was swiftly silenced.
About a week into the season we were visited by Quaesitor Romanus, who had been asked to attend by Praeco Voressio to speak with our council. Voressio is apparently concerned that magi should not become involved in any civil war within England and has asked that Romanus investigate Theoclea to determine whether any breach of the primary code has already occurred. Before there was any chance for those of us who are sickened by this typical response from the Praeco and his sycophants within the tribunal to raise our objections Terentius wisely offered to speak with Romanus. After a short while he reported back to us that Romanus did not appear to him to be impressed with Voressio’s request and had reiterated the right of a covenant to defend any direct assault against it however it may and to use subtle and indirect magic beyond that in defence of magi. Romanus requested that he might speak with others of the council but this was not a command and so I chose not to, although I believe that my sodales may each have spent some time with him.
About a fortnight later Theoclea returned to the Covenant and called an informal council meeting, at which all present attended. She reported that the rebel forces had entered London four day’s previously and that there had been heavy fighting within the city. The attacking forces had eventually overwhelmed the King’s men and reached the gates of the Tower when she decided to apport back to the covenant. The King himself, accompanied by his closest knights, had sallied forth from the Tower in an effort to break out of the capital and will attempt to make his way to Bristol to meet with a muster by Gloucester. Terentius advised her of the Praeco’s machinations, and she said that she did not fear any investigation and that she did not believe Isabella knew anything of substance about the Order of Hermes. The King’s heir has gone into hiding and Theoclea has sworn not to reveal his location.
Over the next few weeks we received information from our spy network that the King had successfully made his way to Bristol and met up with loyal forces in the region. After taking London Isabella’s army initially headed to Warwick and the Earl there surrendered the castle to her along with the King’s son and heir; clearly someone must have been persuaded to talk and we wondered whether it may have been the Earl of Warwick himself – such is the treachery of men. Another force of men raised in East Anglia then joined her army and the combined force headed south west. An advance force bypassed Bristol and secured supply lines in the region including taking Portishead and the ships that were anchored there. Terentius at one point took the form of an Eagle to make an assay of the region and observed that the river leading to Bristol had been blockaded with great chains and that Isabella’s army had commenced an encirclement of the city. Over the next two weeks siege engines were prepared, and units of cannon brought to bear. Terentius estimated that Isabella’s forces outnumbered the King’s by perhaps three to one. At Gloucester the gates had been closed and a small force had been left in defence but there was no sign of the rebels in the vicinity.
A little over two months into the season, we received word that a large ship had anchored in the Severn close to Lydney and armed men had come ashore. Jari used his enchantments to scry upon the settlement and saw that the men were dressed in the colours of those supporting Isabella and that a number of them were looting the contents of the tavern. Once more Terentius flew abroad, this time in the form of a raven, and he identified that there were perhaps two dozen soldiers and a dozen of the ship’s crew transporting goods stolen from the village back to the ship. He also saw that a gallows had been built in the centre of the village and as he entered under a veil of invisibility witnessed the headman being hanged and quartered in front of many of the villagers, his failure to reveal where Theoclea was hiding given as the reason for this barbaric act. The villagers were told that they would be taken to the tavern for questioning one after the other and Terentius reports that he saw a man mercilessly beaten for trying to defend his wife. Shortly afterwards he heard her screams from within the tavern and drawing close he heard her reveal the presence of the manor close by. Returning swiftly to the covenant he called for an emergency council and we resolved that our best plan was to fake the suicide of Theoclea. She and I travelled to the manor with Terentius, and after some time spent persuading her retainers to depart, in one case requiring Terentius to cast a spell to compel her personal manservant Raymond to do so, we staged a scene with a magically created body of a princess who had taken her own life rather than be captured. After departing Jari was able to scry upon the manor and he saw half the soldiers, led by their Captain, come to the place and discover the scene that we had set. It seems that it was sufficiently convincing and after another day or so the force left, having stripped Lydney of all that they could carry. We started the process of resupplying the village, the preparations that we had made meaning we had sufficient resources to do so.
Theoclea had to be dissuaded from trying to get to her brother in Bristol, with Isabella’s forces now trying to weaken a section of the wall around the city. Terentius returned to that city several times and reported that conditions there were poor, with supplies appearing to run low. A little over a week after the events at Lydney he returned from Bristol again and told us that he had witnessed the wall breached, with savage fighting ensuing in the streets. While the King’s forces reportedly put up a valiant effort they did not have the manpower to resist the greater forces and after an hour or two the castle itself was breached. Terentius did not see any sign of the King himself but reported that he had seen the corpses of men he knew as close companions to him. Returning the following morning he saw that a platform had been built within the courtyard of the castle and upon it he saw a headsman’s block with servants scrubbing a pool of blood around it. After he gave us this terrible news we tried to find Theoclea but her man Raymond, who she had named as a consors, reported that she had seemed distracted early that day and upon entering her sanctum discovered that her travelling clothes were missing. We spoke with Captain Merrick and his men had seen no sign of her departure save for one man who had seen a crow flying from the tower shortly after dawn. We know well enough from recent events that there is some mystical bond between her and her brother and it does not seem impossible that she sensed his death, for surely that is the meaning of what Terentius had seen at Bristol castle. We do not intend to go looking for her yet; for now we shall wait until her immediate grief has passed and she returns to us.
As the season drew to a close Terentius reported that a new flag flies over the city of Gloucester, although there does not appear to have been a change yet in the ruler at Chepstow. What this all means for the covenant and the wider Order of Hermes is I suspect likely to form much of our discussion at our next council, but for now we are focussed on ensuring that Lydney is adequately provisioned and that there are no immediate threats in our vicinity.
Autumn
To the surprise of no-one, Theoclea had not yet returned to the covenant as we met on the first day of Autumn. There was a short discussion as to whether any effort should be made to try and find her, but all seemed content to trust that she will return when she is ready and that there is no need for further action at present. Of more concern is what the change in temporal leadership of the country may mean to us. Our spy network is badly damaged, for it was closely tied in many places to the King’s own agents and we will need to cut away any uncertainty before we can start to rebuild it. There was also much discussion about the status of our Covenant and the villages of Blackney and Lydney. These lands are officially owned by the crown and with the proximity of the royal manor to Lydney it is unlikely that we will be left undisturbed by the new authorities. We resolved that the best course of action would be to try and isolate the covenant and Blackney from Lydney by once more spending time moving the forest, this time to cut off the road from that settlement. Terentius and Jari have the art to do so and agreed that they would spend the season set to this task, with myself learning the enchantment to do so in the event that they can not complete the endeavour in one season. As long as we are able to maintain the mines our financial situation will remain stable, but we will need to create a jetty close to Blackney to enable us to move goods still. Shortly after the council ended, there being no other matters that we deemed needed discussion at this time, Terentius spoke to the werewolves in Blackney and they have agreed that they will make some changes to how their settlement is laid out, removing the stockade and relocating some of their dwellings so that it does not appear to be a single village. In exchange for their aid we agreed that there will be no longer be any overnight stays in their settlement and that we and our grogs shall leave them undisturbed.
Pyrrhus agreed to travel to Gloucester to see how things fared in the city. He had the names of three of our agents and suitable papers to enable him access to the city but alas the papers he had were not in the same name as he has previously used at the King’s College and the city guard, clearly on edge for any attempts to resist the new leadership, quickly discovered that he was known by a different name by the scholars. He was arrested but was able to apport back to the covenant from the cell in which he had been placed before any further harm was done, save for the news that our barge has been impounded by the authorities.
There is little else to report from the season. Terentius and Jari worked many hours and were able to place a new forest boundary between Lydney and Blackney, with efforts made to obscure any sign of the former path. The villagers at Lydney, appreciative of the aid that we had provided them, will continue to have close dealings with us but will no longer acknowledge our existence to outsiders.
I am glad to report that Theoclea returned at the end of the season, but I have not yet had a chance to speak with her so her tale will have to wait until we have next met as a council.
Winter
I was glad of the fireplace within the council chamber for it was a bitter morning that heralded the start of winter. Theoclea apologised for her absence last season and confirmed that as we had surmised she detected the moment of her brother’s death. It was clear from her tale that when she had departed London earlier in the year she had tried to convince him to come with her and that his refusal to do so had led to some harsh words between them, words which she regrets. She travelled to the Grey Hill and she believes that she spoke with the spirit of her brother there. She had not intended to be absent for so long but the regio there is deep.
There was a little further discussion about mundane politics but we have little information save that it seems that Isabella’s rebellion has been successful, and the presumption is that she is holds England at present. It seems that the harvest was a poor one again and with armise having been abroad for much of the year it is likely that we will see an increase in our costs once again. None of the magi planned to be abroad this season and were largely about personal study, although I agreed as a service that I would enchant the Trap of Entwining Vines into the Forester’s Wand. Theoclea plans to meditate on the memories that she hopes to find when next she visits the Crystal Caves, a journey she indicated she would pursue in spring if possible.
The winter passed peacefully with the only event worth recording being a visit from Gaines, who arrived early in the season. He was able to tell us that Isabella’s rebellion has indeed been successful and there are no banners raised against her claim, although it is believed that she intends to act as regent in her son’s name until such time as he is old enough to claim the throne for himself. Her allies have maintained the mobilisation of their forces and those who remained loyal to the former King have had their lands occupied or confiscated. It has been announced that a parliament will be called next year and at that her allies will no doubt reap the spoils of their treachery. Voressio has issued a message to the tribunal advising that covenants should be subtle in their dealings and avoid any non-essential dealings with the mundane population. Gaines confirmed the news of a poor harvest across the country and it seems that some regions are expected to encounter severe hardships over winter and into next year. He also told us that there had been a report of a theft at Oxford during the fighting, a manuscript with designs for some advanced from of cannon has been taken. There was news from Verdi who have said that, due to naval conflicts between city states and an increase in piracy, travel in the region has become very difficult. There has also been a request for aid from the Order of the East. It seems that something called the Ottoman Turks has been attacking and that Constantinople covenant was sacked during an assault. Quite what aid they wanted wasn’t entirely clear. Gaines also had letters for myself and Jari and I am glad to report that mine was from Cad Gadu who have confirmed that they do have a copy of the spell to Call the Council of Trees that I may learn from. I will be glad after this difficult year of mundane events to once more turn my attention to the grave matter that threatens us all and will travel there at the earliest opportunity.
Branwen’s private Journal: At midwinter I had another dream of the cat but this one seemed fainter than before. If I cannot think of a way that I might narrow where it may be found soon, I fear that this vision will have been for nought.
Spring 1328 AD
It has been five years since I last recorded the tale of our Covenant, a span of time that seems to have passed too swiftly, and yet one in which the world has changed beyond any prediction that I might legitimately have made at the time. My last musings in this journal were on the death of Theoclea, but as I once more set my quill upon these pages it is her own scribing that I follow, her restoration a testament that so much of what I thought I understood about the workings of the world must now be put aside. I can not state too firmly how glad I am of this, that her presence within Severn Temple has given me a new hope that, despite all of the dread warnings we have received of the great threat that comes ever closer to us, the future is not set, our fate not laid out so surely as I once believed. True we don’t know yet what path to follow, in fact we haven’t really determined what paths there may be beyond our belief that any hope must lie in the old magic of this land, but Terentius’ determination that Theoclea might be saved is a fine spur to us all that we must hold fast in our desire and efforts to find a solution, however obscure the route may be.
Such optimistic words must of course be tempered by the reality of where we stand. While I sense a renewed purpose amongst many of my sodales, the last few years have also opened new fractures between us and widened some that already existed. The fact that the Crown of Mabh now sits in my possession is clearly something that sits poorly with some of the council, despite Theoclea’s words when she relinquished her claim. She professes that she bears me no ill will for the manoeuvrings of my Prima, but I wonder whether she feels the loss of that artefact, even as she continues to search for how to unlock the knowledge that Myddyn once held. Terentius is moodier than ever, and it is no longer certain that he will respond to any particular threat with the vigour and certainty of purpose that he once did. The price that he has paid for his convictions may have been too great for him to bear and there are days when he seems a mere shadow of the man that I have known since I first came to Severn Temple, although tempered with others where he seems much as he was. Jari seems a little adrift, his new obsession with the stone circles of the land not entirely hiding how deeply the departure of the fae has affected him. Naevius chairs the council as effectively as ever but seems strangely detached from the challenge that faces us and Pyrrhus continues to be as fickle as the fire that he loves, save for his ever-growing hatred for me – as dependable as ever.
And yet, despite my musings, the first council of this new year passed swiftly enough and without any of the arguments that have become more common in recent years. The difficulty of the harvest last year has been previously noted in this journal, but it seems that our steward had successfully mitigated against any harmful impacts to this Covenant and despite spending a little extra coin over winter we are well set for the year to come. Theoclea announced her intention to return to the Crystal Caves in summer and there was some discussion about how best to try and focus in on those of Myddin’s memories that she is looking for. She asked Jari whether his growing ability to find mystical paths might work within Mynydd Myddyn, primarily to try and reduce the incertainty around the time that she spends within that place. He believed that if such paths existed he may well be able to find them and agreed to commit some time to do so in support of her plans. This season she said she would be travelling to court, as she wishes to let her brother know she will be travelling to the Crystal Caves later in the year and to reassure him as to her actions. The remainder of us announced activities that kept us within our laboratories. Beyond distribution of vis and coin there was nothing further discussed.
Branwen’s private Journal: I had another dream of the cat on the night of the spring equinox. Like the one before I could see it hunkered down by a woodpile with welsh voices in the background before some kind of scuffle between men unseen forced it to retreat back into hiding. It is clear to me that this is a vision, but one that I can as of yet make no greater sense of, beyond the obvious implication that a creature that might be suitable as a familiar lies somewhere out there. I do not recognise the ground and need more before I can set out to try and find it.
It is the last day of the season as I write this. I had considered leaving it until after the summer council on the morrow but the news we have received is gravely troubling and find that I cannot sleep. We were visited by a knight who called himself Sir Roland who had been sent by Theoclea with a message requesting aid. He reported to us that Queen Isabella, accompanied by a host made up of English rebels and French mercenaries, has laid siege to London. The rumours are that she has taken another knight, Sir John Mortimer, as a lover and that she has timed this rebellion just after the King has returned from signing a peace treaty with the Scots that has granted them independence from the English crown. While we are fairly sure that Theoclea has a Leap of Homecoming potion Terentius said that he would depart for London immediately, with Jari agreeing to carry a message to Blackthorn to alert the Order of Hermes that the King who we have invested so much into is facing a rebellion. I suppose it was too much to hope that this might be a peaceful year.
Summer
Our council was delayed until late morning while we waited on the return of Terentius, who called for us before he had even slept. He reported that he had managed to get to see Theoclea within the Tower of London, as he holds a badge that identifies him as an agent of the Crown and thus able to access the court. He said that as he arrived at London he could see siege weapons being brought up the city walls and that Theoclea has confirmed that should the walls of the tower be threatened she will utilise the potion she has to swiftly return to Severn Temple. Terentius provided her with an additional two potions to ensure that she had sufficient to allow for mishaps. She suggested that if the King is forced to flee London he will make his way to Bristol as he has loyal vassals in this region. We agreed that we would commit the steward to buying in extra supplies for the Covenant and Lydney in the event that this rebellion comes closer to our home. Jari said that messages advising of the situation have been sent to the Praeco, the two Primi currently resident in Stonehenge and the Senior Quaesitor. All the magi agreed that they would pursue activities that would keep them within the Covenant this season in case further efforts were needed. The council swiftly ended with Jari and Terentius heading off to speak with our spymaster about the best way to maintain swift intelligence of events.
Branwen’s private Journal: There was a somewhat farcical moment when Pyrrhus started to suggest some plan involving the Morrigan and Jack of the Green in the event that a rebel army headed this way. Alas, for I would have been fascinated to hear more of the witless reasoning of my sodales, he was swiftly silenced.
About a week into the season we were visited by Quaesitor Romanus, who had been asked to attend by Praeco Voressio to speak with our council. Voressio is apparently concerned that magi should not become involved in any civil war within England and has asked that Romanus investigate Theoclea to determine whether any breach of the primary code has already occurred. Before there was any chance for those of us who are sickened by this typical response from the Praeco and his sycophants within the tribunal to raise our objections Terentius wisely offered to speak with Romanus. After a short while he reported back to us that Romanus did not appear to him to be impressed with Voressio’s request and had reiterated the right of a covenant to defend any direct assault against it however it may and to use subtle and indirect magic beyond that in defence of magi. Romanus requested that he might speak with others of the council but this was not a command and so I chose not to, although I believe that my sodales may each have spent some time with him.
About a fortnight later Theoclea returned to the Covenant and called an informal council meeting, at which all present attended. She reported that the rebel forces had entered London four day’s previously and that there had been heavy fighting within the city. The attacking forces had eventually overwhelmed the King’s men and reached the gates of the Tower when she decided to apport back to the covenant. The King himself, accompanied by his closest knights, had sallied forth from the Tower in an effort to break out of the capital and will attempt to make his way to Bristol to meet with a muster by Gloucester. Terentius advised her of the Praeco’s machinations, and she said that she did not fear any investigation and that she did not believe Isabella knew anything of substance about the Order of Hermes. The King’s heir has gone into hiding and Theoclea has sworn not to reveal his location.
Over the next few weeks we received information from our spy network that the King had successfully made his way to Bristol and met up with loyal forces in the region. After taking London Isabella’s army initially headed to Warwick and the Earl there surrendered the castle to her along with the King’s son and heir; clearly someone must have been persuaded to talk and we wondered whether it may have been the Earl of Warwick himself – such is the treachery of men. Another force of men raised in East Anglia then joined her army and the combined force headed south west. An advance force bypassed Bristol and secured supply lines in the region including taking Portishead and the ships that were anchored there. Terentius at one point took the form of an Eagle to make an assay of the region and observed that the river leading to Bristol had been blockaded with great chains and that Isabella’s army had commenced an encirclement of the city. Over the next two weeks siege engines were prepared, and units of cannon brought to bear. Terentius estimated that Isabella’s forces outnumbered the King’s by perhaps three to one. At Gloucester the gates had been closed and a small force had been left in defence but there was no sign of the rebels in the vicinity.
A little over two months into the season, we received word that a large ship had anchored in the Severn close to Lydney and armed men had come ashore. Jari used his enchantments to scry upon the settlement and saw that the men were dressed in the colours of those supporting Isabella and that a number of them were looting the contents of the tavern. Once more Terentius flew abroad, this time in the form of a raven, and he identified that there were perhaps two dozen soldiers and a dozen of the ship’s crew transporting goods stolen from the village back to the ship. He also saw that a gallows had been built in the centre of the village and as he entered under a veil of invisibility witnessed the headman being hanged and quartered in front of many of the villagers, his failure to reveal where Theoclea was hiding given as the reason for this barbaric act. The villagers were told that they would be taken to the tavern for questioning one after the other and Terentius reports that he saw a man mercilessly beaten for trying to defend his wife. Shortly afterwards he heard her screams from within the tavern and drawing close he heard her reveal the presence of the manor close by. Returning swiftly to the covenant he called for an emergency council and we resolved that our best plan was to fake the suicide of Theoclea. She and I travelled to the manor with Terentius, and after some time spent persuading her retainers to depart, in one case requiring Terentius to cast a spell to compel her personal manservant Raymond to do so, we staged a scene with a magically created body of a princess who had taken her own life rather than be captured. After departing Jari was able to scry upon the manor and he saw half the soldiers, led by their Captain, come to the place and discover the scene that we had set. It seems that it was sufficiently convincing and after another day or so the force left, having stripped Lydney of all that they could carry. We started the process of resupplying the village, the preparations that we had made meaning we had sufficient resources to do so.
Theoclea had to be dissuaded from trying to get to her brother in Bristol, with Isabella’s forces now trying to weaken a section of the wall around the city. Terentius returned to that city several times and reported that conditions there were poor, with supplies appearing to run low. A little over a week after the events at Lydney he returned from Bristol again and told us that he had witnessed the wall breached, with savage fighting ensuing in the streets. While the King’s forces reportedly put up a valiant effort they did not have the manpower to resist the greater forces and after an hour or two the castle itself was breached. Terentius did not see any sign of the King himself but reported that he had seen the corpses of men he knew as close companions to him. Returning the following morning he saw that a platform had been built within the courtyard of the castle and upon it he saw a headsman’s block with servants scrubbing a pool of blood around it. After he gave us this terrible news we tried to find Theoclea but her man Raymond, who she had named as a consors, reported that she had seemed distracted early that day and upon entering her sanctum discovered that her travelling clothes were missing. We spoke with Captain Merrick and his men had seen no sign of her departure save for one man who had seen a crow flying from the tower shortly after dawn. We know well enough from recent events that there is some mystical bond between her and her brother and it does not seem impossible that she sensed his death, for surely that is the meaning of what Terentius had seen at Bristol castle. We do not intend to go looking for her yet; for now we shall wait until her immediate grief has passed and she returns to us.
As the season drew to a close Terentius reported that a new flag flies over the city of Gloucester, although there does not appear to have been a change yet in the ruler at Chepstow. What this all means for the covenant and the wider Order of Hermes is I suspect likely to form much of our discussion at our next council, but for now we are focussed on ensuring that Lydney is adequately provisioned and that there are no immediate threats in our vicinity.
Autumn
To the surprise of no-one, Theoclea had not yet returned to the covenant as we met on the first day of Autumn. There was a short discussion as to whether any effort should be made to try and find her, but all seemed content to trust that she will return when she is ready and that there is no need for further action at present. Of more concern is what the change in temporal leadership of the country may mean to us. Our spy network is badly damaged, for it was closely tied in many places to the King’s own agents and we will need to cut away any uncertainty before we can start to rebuild it. There was also much discussion about the status of our Covenant and the villages of Blackney and Lydney. These lands are officially owned by the crown and with the proximity of the royal manor to Lydney it is unlikely that we will be left undisturbed by the new authorities. We resolved that the best course of action would be to try and isolate the covenant and Blackney from Lydney by once more spending time moving the forest, this time to cut off the road from that settlement. Terentius and Jari have the art to do so and agreed that they would spend the season set to this task, with myself learning the enchantment to do so in the event that they can not complete the endeavour in one season. As long as we are able to maintain the mines our financial situation will remain stable, but we will need to create a jetty close to Blackney to enable us to move goods still. Shortly after the council ended, there being no other matters that we deemed needed discussion at this time, Terentius spoke to the werewolves in Blackney and they have agreed that they will make some changes to how their settlement is laid out, removing the stockade and relocating some of their dwellings so that it does not appear to be a single village. In exchange for their aid we agreed that there will be no longer be any overnight stays in their settlement and that we and our grogs shall leave them undisturbed.
Pyrrhus agreed to travel to Gloucester to see how things fared in the city. He had the names of three of our agents and suitable papers to enable him access to the city but alas the papers he had were not in the same name as he has previously used at the King’s College and the city guard, clearly on edge for any attempts to resist the new leadership, quickly discovered that he was known by a different name by the scholars. He was arrested but was able to apport back to the covenant from the cell in which he had been placed before any further harm was done, save for the news that our barge has been impounded by the authorities.
There is little else to report from the season. Terentius and Jari worked many hours and were able to place a new forest boundary between Lydney and Blackney, with efforts made to obscure any sign of the former path. The villagers at Lydney, appreciative of the aid that we had provided them, will continue to have close dealings with us but will no longer acknowledge our existence to outsiders.
I am glad to report that Theoclea returned at the end of the season, but I have not yet had a chance to speak with her so her tale will have to wait until we have next met as a council.
Winter
I was glad of the fireplace within the council chamber for it was a bitter morning that heralded the start of winter. Theoclea apologised for her absence last season and confirmed that as we had surmised she detected the moment of her brother’s death. It was clear from her tale that when she had departed London earlier in the year she had tried to convince him to come with her and that his refusal to do so had led to some harsh words between them, words which she regrets. She travelled to the Grey Hill and she believes that she spoke with the spirit of her brother there. She had not intended to be absent for so long but the regio there is deep.
There was a little further discussion about mundane politics but we have little information save that it seems that Isabella’s rebellion has been successful, and the presumption is that she is holds England at present. It seems that the harvest was a poor one again and with armise having been abroad for much of the year it is likely that we will see an increase in our costs once again. None of the magi planned to be abroad this season and were largely about personal study, although I agreed as a service that I would enchant the Trap of Entwining Vines into the Forester’s Wand. Theoclea plans to meditate on the memories that she hopes to find when next she visits the Crystal Caves, a journey she indicated she would pursue in spring if possible.
The winter passed peacefully with the only event worth recording being a visit from Gaines, who arrived early in the season. He was able to tell us that Isabella’s rebellion has indeed been successful and there are no banners raised against her claim, although it is believed that she intends to act as regent in her son’s name until such time as he is old enough to claim the throne for himself. Her allies have maintained the mobilisation of their forces and those who remained loyal to the former King have had their lands occupied or confiscated. It has been announced that a parliament will be called next year and at that her allies will no doubt reap the spoils of their treachery. Voressio has issued a message to the tribunal advising that covenants should be subtle in their dealings and avoid any non-essential dealings with the mundane population. Gaines confirmed the news of a poor harvest across the country and it seems that some regions are expected to encounter severe hardships over winter and into next year. He also told us that there had been a report of a theft at Oxford during the fighting, a manuscript with designs for some advanced from of cannon has been taken. There was news from Verdi who have said that, due to naval conflicts between city states and an increase in piracy, travel in the region has become very difficult. There has also been a request for aid from the Order of the East. It seems that something called the Ottoman Turks has been attacking and that Constantinople covenant was sacked during an assault. Quite what aid they wanted wasn’t entirely clear. Gaines also had letters for myself and Jari and I am glad to report that mine was from Cad Gadu who have confirmed that they do have a copy of the spell to Call the Council of Trees that I may learn from. I will be glad after this difficult year of mundane events to once more turn my attention to the grave matter that threatens us all and will travel there at the earliest opportunity.
Branwen’s private Journal: At midwinter I had another dream of the cat but this one seemed fainter than before. If I cannot think of a way that I might narrow where it may be found soon, I fear that this vision will have been for nought.