1206

In this year all the new apprentices of the Alps were brought together for study of the liberal arts, Latin, and philosophy at the the Covenant of the Icy North. Their teacher was Profundus and they were served by Alys the Washer-Woman, one of the covenfolk there. The children were neither allowed in the covenant proper, nor out into the surrounding town, and were thus trapped in the school property, which consisted only of the school building, the dormitory, Profundus' cottage, Alys' quarters, a kitchen and many abandoned buildings dating from a more prosperous time.

After the first day, when all students were obliged to wear their togas, everyone settled into a routine of study. Having focused on the trivium last year, Profundus moves on to the quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry, music and astrology. The students read Boethius' De Arithmetica and the encyclopedia known as the Heptateuchon. They learn numerals from the Arabic, including the number 0. Music is studied as a branch of mathematics, in theory not in practice; Boethius is again the authority on the topic, and the children study from his De Institutione Musica. The only instrument they actually use is a monochord, which has only a single string. Theoretical, practical, and constructive geometry -- what we would call engineering and architecture today -- follow, with readings from Euclid's Elements. Finally, astronomy is introduced using Ptolomy's Almagest and the Commentary on the Dream of Scipio by Macrobius. Astronomy is a very complex topic and the Almagest is especially difficult to understand; most of the class has real difficulty with it.

Studies began in March; around the end of that month Braendan has a strange encounter. He sees and confronts a beautiful teenage girl who says her name is Mircalla. She says the apprentices are in terrible danger and she charges Braendan with bringing some of them whom he trusts together, whereupon she will share more information with him. When she vanishes around a corner, and there is no sign of her passage in the spring grass, his suspicion of her grows. He keeps the encounter to himself for a fortnight, waiting to see if she will reappear. When she does not, he waits for a moment in the classroom when Profundus is absent, and shares what he saw with all the other apprentices.

(Although he reveals this to no one, Akakios has in fact observed Mircalla in the school since early March, even watching her sit in on one of Profundus's lectures. However, he has been unable to confront her and speak to her because of the constant attentions of Juno of Bjornaer, another apprentice and one who has made Akakios her best and only friend. She follows him constantly.)

A few of the apprentices agree to meet this girl and, after dinner, they search through the abandoned buildings for sign of her. She appears, introduces herself, and repeats her warning that there is a terrible danger. She admits to being dead, but also claims she was an apprentice here. She tells the other apprentices they must reach the Portal Chamber in the basement of Icy North. Once there, she will lead them to their destination. Without revealing more, she vanishes.

The apprentices are deeply divided. While no one trusts Mircalla, Breandan and Gustov want to know more about this mystery. Rene is firmly opposed, and believes the whole matter should be turned over to Profundus or one of the magi. Eva is torn by both sides. They hatch a plan to learn more about Mircalla by forging a poppet with her name on it and then asking Alys who it belonged to. Alys, the Washer-Woman who does the chores for the children, tells the story of a young girl who was claimed as an apprentice by a maga of the covenant. But Mircalla's mother resented this, and she prayed for help. Mircalla suddenly died, and ever since she has haunted the covenant. But she has not been seen in a very long time, and everyone thought she had finally gone to her eternal rest. Alys gravely warns Eva never to speak to any girl of that name, threatening her with a visit from "The Man in Black with a Sack on His Back," should she disobey. The poppet is burned. Eva retreats.

Gustov insists that Cassandra, his Raven companion, will be able to give good advice if they can reach her. But she cannot enter the covenant's Aegis and is trapped in the town, where the students are forbidden to go. A plan is hatched for Breandan to distract one of the guards while the students make a break for it, running into town. The apprentices stage a game of tag called "Catch the Dragon" and run out the gate, Breandan's attempt to slow one of the guards by untying his belt so it falls down around his legs results in a botch, Rene and Gustov make it into town, Breandan is caught and sent to his room, and Eva refused to go into town in the first place, remaining behind.

Cassandra is greatly relieved to see Gustov and mothers over him, but eventually the two apprentices are able to glean some information from her. Cassandra believes that Mircalla sincerely wants to help Gustov, but -- as always -- she sees this ending in a dire fate for everyone. With a final assurance that he will write her once in a while, Gustov and Rene return to the school grounds, where they are sent to their rooms.

The four students decide to try and meet Mircalla in the Portal Chamber. To do this, they must get past the pair of guards at the covenant gate. After a search, Eva finds a privy channel in the side of the castle which, thanks to a loose grate, can be climbed up to get into the tower. Only she and Gustov are small enough to fit, and of course it is lined with piss and shit, not to mention vermin, but they bravely make the climb and find themselves in the sanctum of Hugh of Flambeau, who is snoring loudly from his nearby bed. They sneak out and, it being after midnight, there is little traffic in the castle. Gustov lives here and knows the way, so he leads Eva to the front gate and there are some attempts to distract the guards with a noise before Gustov resorts to calling a swarm of rats.

The rats swarming into the castle sets off a sequence of events which is very chaotic and cannot all be summarized here. All the children reached the Portal Chamber, but not without Rene getting into fist fights with various guards. By the time they reach the Portal Chamber, other guards are hot on their tail and they are forced to throw the bar to the room. Mircalla appears, activates the Portal, and leads them through into a dark room. Rene, Gustov, Eva and Breandan follow.

The four youths find themselves in an abandoned Wizard's Tower, with a plundered laboratory and ruined sanctum in the underground levels. The tower itself is now the home to the Kinderschrecker, a Giant who preys on disobedient children. Mircalla is gone. Reluctant to try to run past or, even worse, fight the giant, the apprentices try to return back through the Portal, but after many hours cannot get it to activate. Finally deciding they have no choice, Rene climbs the stairs to the main floor of the now-ruined Tower and attacks the giant with Rego Ignem magic, casting an improvised version of Tremulous Vault of the Torch's Flame. The fire misses the giant, but of course alerts him, and a desperate melee results.

Finding a convenient greatsword on the corpse of a previous victim of the Giant, Rene makes a heroic leap towards the giant and impales him through the shoulder, causing a grievous and bloody injury. Everyone else runs across the tower floor for the exit, beyond which they find the Alpine snows. Rene is hurtled across the room and breaks a couple of ribs. Gustov comes to his rescue with a spontaneous casting of Curse of the Rotted Wood, turning the giant's club to dust. Rene severs the giant's arm. Eva tries to improvise Bind Wounds on Rene but botches, causing the injury to erupt in fresh blood and serious pain. At the sight of this, she swoons. Breandan has fled outside and stays out of harm's way. With the giant now crippled, Rene is able to move in and finish it off with a thrust to the heart and then decapitation. The children have triumphed.

Breandan leads the effort to salvage vis from the giant's body. As the only apprentice with knowledge of Magic Theory, only he can perform the processes required to transfer vis. They retire to the magus's abandoned lab and spend a day resting and cleaning the place. It is a very, very poor laboratory, but moving vis from one thing to another is the simplest of procedures, and so Breandan can make do with this facility, and salvages three pawns of Corpus vis, which he places in a chess bishop he has on his person. Searching the magus's old sanctum, Eva finds two books, one in Hebrew and another in Latin, a copy of the sixth volume of the Historia Hermeticum. Among the giant's other victims, Rene finds the bones of a monk, who was carrying a saint's relic and a purse of 500 silver pennies, surely gifts meant for one of the Alpine monasteries.

Rene's injuries are serious, but he can walk and travel, if slowly. Fed with food brought to them by Gustov's friendly rabbits and birds, the children set out for home. Eventually they discover they have been transported to an abandoned chapter house of Icy North several days southwest of the motherhouse, not far from the town of Munich. They return to the covenant cold, hungry, and wounded, but alive. There is much relief at their return, and the magi -- especially Athena Alpina -- use magic to learn everything that happened. Rene is healed of his injuries through the use of Creo Corpus magic, and makes a full recovery within a single day.

Breandan gives the three pawns of Corpus vis to Rene, who earned them with blood. Eva gives the book in Hebrew to Profundus, hoping he can translate it as a gift to Hugh, as apology for invading his sanctum. She gives the Historia Hermeticum to her domina, Balbina, by way of apology for disobedience. Rene gives the relic of the saint to Profundus, who accepts it with strange reluctance. No one does anything with the 500 silver pennies, which are presumably sitting in the monk's satchel somewhere in the student dormitory.

Athena knows more about Mircalla, but not everything, and this is passed on to the students. Mircalla was claimed by a maga long ago, but for an unknown reason the maga ordered the child to be killed and this was done. She has haunted the covenant ever since, trying to lure apprentices away from the covenant, which she sees as incredibly dangerous. She is apparently immune to Hermetic magic and the Aegis. No one knows why this is so, and the magi have avoided taking apprentices because of her interference. Because she has not been seen for decades, everyone presumed she was gone, but it's clear she is not. Everyone is warned about her, and the magi consider taking their apprentices off-site.

There is much fallout from the actions of the four children. Eva and Gustov intruded on Hugh's sanctum, and because they are apprentices, this is the responsibility of their masters, Balbina and Kentigern respectively. Rene assaulted various grogs, and although none were seriously hurt, this kind of physical violence cannot be condoned. All four of the children disobeyed clear instructions not to leave the school grounds. The healing of Rene cost 5 pawns of Corpus vis which, while a relatively minor matter, Hugh is responsible for.

Studies have continued for the other apprentices while the four children were missing; and with their return, things eventually get back to normal. May is spent in study of metaphysics, natural, and moral philosophy. An introduction to metaphysics is the study of the Platonic forms, of the nature of matter, and the elements, of the cosmological spheres which make up the universe, and of causality and change. The children study geography, meteorology, and the properties of plants, animals, and the human mind. Finally, the last week of the season is spent in theoretical debate on the question of ethics -- how to be good and the definition of evil. There doesn't seem to be a book on this topic; most of the students probably find this a great relief.

A Note on Ceremonial Magic

By this time, all the apprentices have learned the basics of Ceremonial Magic, by which spells can be made more effective by attuning them to astrological or mathematical correspondences, and invoking the powers found in plants, animals, and gemstones. Ceremonial Magic allows you to add your Liberal Arts and Philosophy scores to the casting of Spontaneous magic, but it takes time -- 15 minutes for a spell of level 5 or lower, and half an hour for a spell of level 10. It is unlikely you would be able to cast any spell higher than level 10, but with your current scores in Liberal Arts and Philosophy, a 10 is within reach.

At the end of May, Profundus announced summer recess and seems completely sincere when he says he looks forward to seeing everyone again in the Fall.

Advancement

All the PCs gain 10 points in Artes Liberales and 10 points in Philosophiae. Students also gain 2 XP to spend in any Ability which Profundus has at level 2 or more. Students cannot raise any Ability higher than Profundus' own level.

Students with Apt Student gain an additional 7 XP instead of 2 XP for this purpose.

Summer

The apprentices are recalled to their magi for the summer.

Breandan at Shadow of the Moon

Breandan returns to Mont Blanc with a letter detailing the events of the spring. Diana reads it silently, and when she is done informs Breandan that, "Since you have so ably demonstrated your readiness for the laboratory, we shall have to find you more such work in the future." If Breandan is hopeful at the sound of this idea, he may be disappointed when Diana cuts a lock of his hair off with small shears and instructs him to make this Arcane Connection to himself permanent. "The next time you are lured into danger, I'll know where to find you," she says.

Over the course of the following three months, Breandan observes that Diana is not at all angry, upset, or disappointed with his decision to pursue Mircalla and break the rules of the school. He did not physically harm any of Icy North's grogs, nor did he trespass on Hugh's sanctum, but he was the ringleader of the entire adventure and if this has earned Diana some dishonor among other magi, she seems prepared to ignore it. "Tremere often break the rules," she confides. "But always in the best interests of the Order." However, she is gravely concerned about his behavior during the fight with Kinderschrecker. "We are soldier magi," she stresses, calmly but firmly. "We help our brothers when they are in danger. And I will not allow our House to be upstaged by some reckless Flambeau who wants to die a martyr with a prayer on his lips."

Breandan replies, "That is true enough, domina. Perhaps then I need to be educated in that regard. My arms are puny, though, and will likely never be a match for Rene, nor do I feel I have the aptitude for such physical combat. Is it wrong to leave physical combat to one's betters while I stand and watch? Does a general not lead and fight only as a last resort?"

At this, Diana nods her understanding. "Yes, very good. When I say soldiers, I do not mean with mundane weapons, nor was I urging you to enter hand-to-hand combat. We leave that to the Grogs. This is our weapon," she says, drawing her wand from a sheath built into the sleeve of her coat. "And the next time the de la Croix boy leaps into danger, I expect you to show him how a magi handles problems... not with a sword, but with a spell."

Most of Breandan's summer is spent in a spare but serviceable laboratory on the summit of Mont Blanc, affixing the Arcane Connection with the help of a single pawn of Vim vis. It must feel good to be doing the work of a magi, even if this particular task is one of the most dull and monotonous.

Gustov and Rene at Icy North

The apprentices at Icy North, by contrast, are secure in the knowledge that they have gravely disappointed their masters. As a Quaesitor responsible for upholding the rules of the Order, Kentigern cannot turn a blind eye to disobedience. At the same time, Gustov is too little for serious discipline. Kentigern contents himself with sentencing Gustov to three months of kitchen chores, during which time he is not allowed to leave the castle, talk to the dogs or the horses, or any of the other things he enjoys. It is a miserable three months, made all the worse by the knowledge that the MidSummer Fair is being held, and Cassandra must be worried sick.

In August, when the punishment is finally lifted, Kentigern sits Gustov down and tells him that, while he is proud of his apprentice's resourcefulness and his desire to learn the truth behind a mystery, Kentigern's orders are to be obeyed. The world is a dangerous place, filled with threats visible and invisible. Gustov is too young, too unskilled, and far too small to be running towards danger.

Hugh's angry, and very loud, dressing down of his apprentice is audible throughout the covenant, and anyone lucky enough to be out of doors at the time soon learns of it anyway. A soldier of many decades, Hugh's command of withering invective should perhaps be classified as a Supernatural Ability. Rene, he says, is in training not just to be Flambeau, but to be a Hoplite, and Hoplites do what they're told. It's not pleasant, it's not fun or exciting. And sometimes it's painful -- you get the sense Rene is speaking from personal experience on this score -- but it is the life of a soldier. Nevertheless, Rene can see that things could be much worse; while fighting with the covenant's grogs is serious, there were no lasting injuries and Hugh can write this off as a "soldier's fight." And while fleeing the covenant with Mircalla was foolhardy and reckless (as Hugh sees it), Rene did protect everyone and kill a giant while he was at it. He is even allowed to keep the rusted and pitted greatsword he found in the Wizard's Tower and used to kill the giant.

So although Hugh inflicts a season of back-breaking manual labor on Rene, there is no whipping or other corporal punishment, otherwise quite common among militant organizations. The grogs harass Rene for a week or two, and then everything is back to normal. If there's one thing they understand, it's punishment, and one night when Rene is coming back from his work, Otto the grog confesses that, if you've served as a soldier and never been disciplined, you're really just being lazy.

For what it's worth, Garcette is not quite as acerbic and sullen in her treatment of Gustov and Rene after this whole adventure. In fact, you are eventually able to determine she's envious.

Eva, Tomas, and Akakios at Sinews of Knowledge

Tomas and Akakios didn't break any rules, punch any grogs, invade the sanctums of any Hoplites, or do anything else illegal or illicit, and for this Sebastien praises them with a wide, fulsome smile. "I'm so, so very proud of you both," he says, "for being good little children, obedient in all things. Why, Tremere himself could not have asked for more loyal cubs. And, of course, I mean that as the highest of compliments, because Tremere treated his wolf cubs very well indeed. Why, sometimes he even let them fight over the scraps from his table! Or lap the dew from his boot!"

Sebastien spends the rest of the summer largely ignoring both apprentices, except when he is assigning them the most tiresome and mind-numbing of boring chores. He skips out for a few days at Mid-Summer to attend the Fair, during which time Tomas and Akakios are locked in his sanctum. Both before and after this, however, Akakios sneaks down to the caverns deep below the covenant, where Kallisto now resides. In a quiet voice, with only the faint sound of underground waters for company, she teaches him more of Hekate, the dark titan-goddess of the underworld.

Balbina's response to the report of Eva's activities is muted. She seems most intent on ensuring that Eva is all right and not hurt or traumatized. She accepts the gift of the book and shows Eva where it goes in the library -- the Historia Hermeticum is a complete chronicle of the Order of Hermes, each volume corresponding to the 33 years between Grand Tribunals. Communicating by mental speech, Balbina explains that, as the sixth volume, this particular record details events immediately following the Corruption of House Tytalus, leading up to the Schism War. Sinews of Knowledge has only a few scattered volumes of this 16-book set, so she adds this one to the shelf.

Eva is then given her first task in a laboratory: affixing an Arcane Connection. This is, in fact, one of her own poppets. Balbina gives her a pawn of Vim vis and occasionally monitors her progress, but generally leaves her to find her own way through the task.

Advancement

Rene, Gustov, Breandan, and Eva can reflect on their recent adventure and spend 5 XP on any Ability or Art which they might have practiced or learned from during the adventure. Alternately, take 8 XP in German or 2 XP in exposure to anything they have reasonable access to.

Tomas and Akakios have a choice of 8 XP in German, 5 XP in Covenant Lore, or 2 XP in exposure to anything they have access to.

Autumn

In the fall of 1206, the apprentices return to Icy North for school. It is early August and Athena Alpina gives a brief lecture on the danger posed by Mircalla. She warns everyone to avoid the Ghost of the Motherhouse (as Mircalla is known) and never to go anywhere with her. In light of events from earlier in the year, one magus will always be on duty to respond to emergencies at the school. This fall, she is that maga. Athena introduces all of you to Sophia, her owl familiar. Sophia will keep a watch on everyone during class times and can communicate with Athena herself. So if any of you are in danger, and you don't see Athena or another adult near, tell Sophia.

With that out of the way, Profundus begins a long few months of Latin instruction. This is almost entirely done by reading the classics, particularly Caesar's History of the Gallic Wars. You spend three months transcribing and translating. It's easily the least interesting season you have spent in school. However, by the end of the October, you are all reading Caesar's complicated prose quite well.

Mircalla does not seem to return, but Athena, Profundus, Alys, and even Sophia are clearly skeptical. The subject of Mircalla actually comes up once or twice over the course of the season, with Garcette actually defending the Ghost, saying Mircalla must not have even known about the giant, since her only desire is to protect the apprentices from harm. "She's probably hiding," Garcette says, "embarrassed about what happened, and almost getting the four of you killed." None of the adults buy this argument for a second, but some of the other girl students wonder.

Advancement

Everyone gets 20 XP in Latin. At Latin 4, you can now study and get XP from books. However, you cannot write books without Latin 5.

Everyone also gets the traditional 2 Profundus XP, raised to 7 for Apt Students. You can only put these points in Abilities Profundus has at 2 or more, and you cannot put points into an Ability once it is equal to Profundus's own score.

Winter

As you all know by now, winter in the Alps is especially cold and miserable, leading everyone to stay indoors. However, Profundus appears to have given you all homework. Early in November, all the apprentices are entrusted with a single book from their covenant library and led through the Portal Arches to the covenant of Valnastium, Domus Magna of House Jerbiton.

This is the most beautiful place in the Alps, and almost certainly the most beautiful place any of you have ever seen -- with the notable exception of Tomas' experience at the Faerie Court in Arcadia. It is a valley decorated with palaces, each housing one or more magi and their staff. Among these palaces resides the Library of Valnastium, the Order's greatest collection on mundane matters. A river flows through the valley and the islands there are magnificently cultivated gardens decorated with statuary and exotic plants from around the world. Near the river is a Roman villa -- the home of the Founder Jerbiton, now the ancestral heart of the House he founded. The entire valley is protected with weather magic so it is always pleasant, a cool breeze just right for walking barefoot through the grass.

You are all welcomed by Andru, a handsome and friendly man who makes no mention of the fact he is Primus of House Jerbiton. (You recognize him from your presentation to the magi in 1205.) He introduces you to his wife, Carmine filia Susanna of House Flambeau. Carmine is one of the most beautiful women alive, with a Spanish complexion and lustrous dark hair. Like her husband, she is kind, charming, and clever.

Andru and Carmine tell all of you that, with so many apprentices in the Tribunal, a decision has made to put you to useful work. But because work can also be pleasant, and even feed the spirit, Andru has ensured that this work will be done in the best environment possible: this valley. A scriptorium has been created in which all of you will serve, copying the book entrusted to you by your master. "Winter can be a hard time in this land," admits Andru gently. "Why not pass it surrounded by friends both old and yet-to-be-made, working -- if work we must -- in comfort, and taking our well deserved rests with music, poetry, and light."

You are spread out among the various palaces, one apprentice here, another two there, where there is room. Each morning you walk along the river to the scriptorium, which has been set up in the Jerbiton villa. There, under the watchful eye of a master scribe named Tiberius, you use quills, knives, and ink galls to copy pages from your book, which remains chained to the copying table throughout. You write while the sun lasts, but at dusk you take your ease in the gardens, riding small boats to the islands. Musicians entertain you while you feast on the most amazing banquets you have ever tasted. Everyone seems more handsome and beautiful than they did back home; everyone is a little bit better behaved, a bit more considerate and courteous, more respectful of others and more sympathetic to their pain and needs. Full on food, wine, and song, you are boated back to your palaces for a blissful sleep, only to do it all again the next day.

Profundus is here; it seems Valnastium is his home, and when he is not tending his garden here, he is availing himself of the legendary library. It is strange to see him outside of a classroom environment, and he is a bit more casual than you have before known him, occasionally indulging himself in a fine wine. Among the singers is Beatrice, your fellow apprentice. Now almost fourteen and blossoming into a woman, her voice is Enchanting Music, singing magical songs devised and composed by her domina, Bronwyn filia Astrolabe.

Not everyone is affected by the magic of Valnastium, however. Akakios is singled out by Tiberius for his slow and inaccurate penmanship. Over the course of the winter, the quiet Greek lad grows even more withdrawn, sullen, and unhealthy-looking than normal. He is never seen at the garden banquets -- because he is secretly sneaking back into the Scriptorium late at night to study for hours by candlelight from the book he has been assigned to copy: De Magia Sympatheticum, a famous tractatus on Magic Theory by Elaine of Flambeau, one of the Founders three apprentices.

Advancement

Everyone gains 5 XP in Profession: Scribe.

Everyone ages one year.

Akakios and Garcette: Your Characteristic Modifier rises to -2.

Eva: Your Characteristic and Size Modifier rise to -1.

Gustov: Your Characteristic Modifier rises to -3.