1209

Akakios

Upon returning from Terragon Vale, Akakios is put to work affixing an arcane connection to one of the sanctums found there. This, he learns, used to be Tomas's job, as Sebastien brings arcane connections back from just about every job he performs. Sebastien himself is affixing a connection to a second sanctum from the Vale, meaning that Akakios is placed in one of the covenant's spare labs less deep in the catacombs. This is a rare pleasure for Akakios, as he has a seasonal activity during which, for about ten hours of the day, he is alone. Busy, and unable to leave, but alone and undisturbed. By allowing Kallisto to possess his own body, Akakios is able to smuggle his mother's spirit up into the lab for the season, and she comforts him for three months with hissed whispers of fated vengeance and the siren song of dark, ancient gods.

Also in the spring, a Redcap delivers mail to the covenant and Sebastien gives Akakios an amused expression while passing over a letter and saying, "It's for you."

Letter from Garcette

Ave, Akakios

Alfeva. That is my name. It means "Gift of the Elves". It was my grandmother's name. She was Saxon.

I am sorry I hurt you. You tried to be nice to me. I just miss my mother and my father so much. It has been years. By the time I get back to them, if I live, they will not recognize me. They could even be dead. I just get so angry -- at my domina, at the people who brought me here, at everyone who calls me by that stupid name. No one cares what I think or what I want. I don't know what to do, so I get mad.

I hope your dominus is treating you better. It's not right that Tytalus magi can do that kind of thing to their apprentices. I wish we were back in school, even though the others probably hate me.

Stay safe. Don't go out of the covenant. Grigori is still out there somewhere.

With the coming of Summer, Sebastien begins further instruction in the Arts. "Spirits appear to be drawn to you," he says gravely. "And that means that, unless you can control them, you will always be at their mercy. To change that, you must learn the Art of Mentem. With that, you can ward yourself against them, control them, and even destroy them." Sebastien's method of instruction involves a lot of practice against the ghost of a pagan Viking which was apparently employed as a security device by a magus long gone into Twilight. This spirit, whose name is Ragnar, has been bound to a human skull. When awoken, he emerges from the skull with a ghostly longaxe and a roar of berserk fury. Ragnar is a mere fragment of a human mind, incapable of speech or reason, only raging destruction. Sebastien protects Akakios from Ragnar while Akakios tries to use Mentem magic. These efforts are largely fruitless, but it's certainly an educational process.

Each practice session begins with Sebastien giving Akakios a casting token in the form of a brass finger ring, accompanied by a formal invitation. At the end of each practice session, the ring is taken back and the invitation rescinded.

Finally, in the Autumn, Akakios is tasked with copying a tractatus in the library. It appears to be on hydraulics and is illustrated with many elaborate designs of pipes. Akakios does a very poor rush job on it, and spends his time studying a tractatus on Magic Theory instead. Sebastien comes and goes during this period, leaving with no notice and returning unannounced, usually spending anywhere from two to seven days away from the covenant at a time.

Advancement

Spring: 3 XP in Magic Theory or Kallisto's skills.

Summer: 13 Teaching XP in Mentem

Autumn: 12 XP in Magic Theory.

Breandan

For the Spring and Summer, Breandan accompanies other Tremere apprentices in what can only be styled "Hermetic boot camp." By day they march, conduct patrols with the Grogs, and practice their Arts by means of repeated Certamen. By night, they carouse, test each other's strength both physically and with unsanctioned Certamen, and, whenever possible, sleep. For the Spring, the emphasis is on the physical skills of a soldier, but by Summer Breandan is spending some time in the field leading Grog patrols under Hylas' watchful eye.

Hylas knows all about Breandan's larcenous past, and nicknames him "Autolycus," after a legendary trickster of Greek myth. The other apprentices latch onto this and also call Breandan this name, especially if he does not like it. He also meets Monica Ierne, the House's Legate, or field commander. She, too, happens to be Irish, and exchanges a few pleasantries with Breandan, which earns him much good-natured ribbing from the other apprentices, since Monica is a pale-skinned, dark-haired beauty, albeit one old enough to be his grand-mater.

In Autumn, Breandan is given into the custody of Patroclus of Tremere, a mature magus with short red hair and a well-trimmed beard. Patroclus explains that his own apprentice has been sent to Diana for instruction, while Patroclus will teach the Arts to Breandan. This is a common practice in the House, and it allows Tremere apprentices visiting Coeris to remain for a full year while another apprentice learns what it is like to be outside of Transylvania, where magi fight each other all the time, wasting their efforts in petty and inefficient ways.

Patroclus acknowledges that Breandan is already modestly skilled in Mentem, but to succeed at Certamen a magus must have two strong Forms. Breandan is being trained as a Signaler, and communications often fall into the realm of Imaginem, so that is the topic of study.

Advancement

Spring: 13 Teaching XP allocated as follows -- 5 XP in Brawl, 3 XP in Survival, 5 XP in Swim.

Summer: 13 Teaching XP allocated as: 8 XP Leadership, 5 XP Intrigue.

Autumn: 13 Teaching XP in Imaginem.

Cassidy

If there's one thing Cassidy has figured out about her domina, it is that Kynthia cannot stay in the same place for long. With the thaw, she makes ready for travel and tells Cassidy to take little, but take the important things, because "We won't be coming back for a while." Kynthia leads Cassidy out of the covenant atop Mount Blanc and into one of the many regios which circle and dot the slopes. Cassidy can see these barriers with her Second Sight -- they appear as shimmering blue curtains made of moonlight. Striding boldly with her traveling staff before her, Kynthia walks right through one, bringing Cassidy with her.

Over the next few months, domina and discipula walk on foot through the outer reaches of Faerie, where winter has ended and spring is in bloom. They pass many picaresque adventures on their travels; there seem to be mortal children falling in and out of Faerie every day, young Faerie knights waiting to challenge travelers to a joust at every bridge, and Faerie maidens desperate for a champion at every crossroads. Most of these adventures, Kynthia avoids, though she is happy to accept hospitality at the various pavilions or Faerie castles which spring up in the dense forest.

At the end of the spring, the pair arrive at the largest of these castles yet seen, Castle Hartwell. Hartwell is the home of a young Faerie lord and his court, and Kynthia and Cassidy settle in here for an extended stay. Lord Hartwell is seeking a bride, and it is the talk of his court. His advisors and courtiers propose various candidates, some for political gain or for their wealth, but he will have none of it until, suddenly, one of his knights returns with a mortal damsel whom he has apparently kidnapped from a Norman court. Naturally, Lord Hartwell falls instantly in love with her and, over the next few months, courts her with lavish gifts, fabulous feasts, and magical entertainments. Cassidy, in particular, has much opportunity to observe Hartwell's minstrels and troubadors as they compose and perform elaborate love lyrics for the blushing maid. In July, a young man arrives, a knight from the mortal realm here to rescue the Lord's paramour. Lord Hartwell announces a tournament and "secretly" enters himself, in a disguise which strangely fools all the Faeries in the castle, but not Kynthia or Cassidy. The mortal knight is victorious and the lady departs with him, expressing her joy and gratitude with a delirious kiss.

Within minutes of their departure, Kynthia takes a lump of rock from her satchel and says, "Time to go!" One spell later, both women are back at Shadow of the Moon, in Kynthia's sanctum. Cassidy had plenty of opportunity to pilfer shiny items from Castle Hartwell, and Kynthia gives her instructions to affix one of them as an arcane connection to the castle. This is a laboratory activity which takes the entire Autumn and which requires one pawn of raw vis, which Kynthia provides. At the end of the season, Cassidy presents the arcane connection to her domina, and Kynthia places it in a special little curio cabinet set on the wall of the sanctum. The cabinet is otherwise empty. Kynthia will not explain what this whole business is about, but hints that, in time, Cassidy will come to understand.

Advancement

Spring -- 5 Practice XP in Survival

Summer -- 5 Practice XP in Music

Autumn -- 2 Exposure XP in Magic Theory

Eva

Eva spends the Spring, Summer, and Autumn in the lab with Balbina. By the time Winter comes, the enchantment of the Twilight Gaze is complete. Balbina is triumphant. In words that come silently to Eva's mind, she says, "Let's see them laugh at me NOW."

She promises that, with her lab work complete, she can resume not only teaching Eva the Arts, but getting her training in the various crafts that Verditius magic requires. She has hired the greatest masters of Europe to come and teach their skills to Eva. They should arrive in the Spring.

Advancement

Spring, Summer and Autumn: 2 Exposure XP each season, in Creo, Vim, or Magic Theory.

Gustov

Kentigern spends the summer hunting, but for a few months both before and after he begins a new laboratory project. Now that Gustov has gotten old enough and well enough trained to be of at least some help in the laboratory, it is time for Kentigern to properly enchant his Talisman. For Kentigern, this is his spear. It has already been prepared for enchantment, but he spends the Spring attuning it to himself. When he returns to the laboratory in the Autumn, he spends 12 vis opening it to enchantment. Gustov is an assistant throughout this process and he has many opportunities to ask questions of his master or Tobias, who seems to be enjoying his vacation from hunting, curled up by the fire and gnawing on his favorite bone.

Advancement

Spring: 2 Exposure XP in Magic Theory.

Summer: 5 Practice XP in Hunt.

Autumn: 2 Exposure XP in Magic Theory.

Rene

As soon as he has finished teaching Rene all he knows about the Form of Ignem (a process which takes substantially less time than Rene hoped it would), Hugh secures a fast courser for his apprentice and the two of them make for the mountain passes. They are bound south, for the Roman Tribunal. This, Rene soon learns, is what his master's life has been like for the last fifty years. As a Hoplite of the Order, he is charged with hunting down and destroying the enemies of the Order wherever they appear. He confesses that, sometimes, he has been told to kill men and women who, as far as he can see, posed no threat. But he did as he was told. This, thankfully, is not one of those cases. Grigori and the other Shadow Magi are not reclusive hedge wizards hiding out on the fringes of the Order. They are a known cancer, growing in our heart.

Throughout the Spring, Hugh and Rene travel through Lombardy, Italy, and Sicily. They visit Roman covenants, looking for sign of Grigori and beating the war drums. Several young magi eagerly equip themselves for the March; some add themselves to Hugh's company, while others set out in pairs and small groups to try to track Grigori down themselves. After all, whoever finds and destroys Grigori will get all his vis, books, and magical gear. That is a great lure. The magi traveling with Hugh are surprised to learn Rene is an apprentice, because they presumed he was Hugh's shield Grog. They treat him well, as a rule, probably because Hugh demands such respect.

In the Summer, the March takes ship to Marseilles and the magi travel through the Provencal Tribunal, spreading the word and looking for signs of Grigori's passage. This is made much more difficult by the fact that Crusaders have invaded the area of the Tribunal in a war against the heretical Cathars, a Gnostic sect who believes all material things are evil, and the world in which we live is created by the Devil. Hugh avoids the Crusading armies when possible, but this forces him to make long detours, hole up in remote locales, and avoid certain mountain fortresses which would be perfect hiding places for the Shadow Magi. The Code forbids interference in mundane affairs, but the magi of Provence are struggling for their own survival when the Crusaders invade, and there is strong evidence that the Crusade has, in fact, been corrupted by the Infernal. Hugh's troop finds some demons, there is one pitched battle with Crusaders which is quickly covered up to avoid drawing attention to the Order, and the magi of Provence are too busy to pay much attention to the March.

By Autumn, Hugh has been forced to retreat from Provence with only Rene and a trio of stubborn Marchers at his side. They head north into Normandy, where Rene is well known and the Houses Tytalus and Flambeau hold sway. Word of the March has preceeded the group, carried by Redcaps, and there are already small groups of magi combing the large Tribunal searching for Grigori and his allies. This is partly motivated by an extreme shortage of vis in Normandy. Magi here are starved for resources and Grigori would be a lucrative prize. The Tytali and Flambeau magi who dwell here are itching for a fight. But everything is very disorganized and magi are competing with each other instead of cooperating. They are easily distracted by the Hermetic Tournaments which are held throughout the year, and covenants even raid each other in Normandy, by permission of their own Code. Hugh says trying to organize a Wizard's March in Normandy is like trying to herd a pack of rabid monkeys. He visits all the covenants in the Tribunal, makes sure everyone knows how dangerous the Shadow Magi are, and then turns his horse back towards the Alps. The winter, he says, will be spent in study of the Arts.

Advancement

Spring: 8 Training XP in Italian

Summer: 5 Training XP in Infernal Lore

Autumn: 5 Training XP in Order of Hermes Lore

Winter

Several magi from throughout the Alps were summoned to Icy North in order to plan security for the upcoming Decennial Games. They brought their apprentices, and Akakios, Eva, Garcette and Breandan found themselves more or less at liberty, though confined to the covenant, for about a fortnight.

It was while Akakios and Garcette were debating how to best escape the covenant that Alys the Washer-Woman arrived with a note for Eva. The letter, written by Alys's swain, Samuel the Butcher, detailed how Gero the Gnome was involved in a murder case; apparently the town cobbler, whom Gero had been assisting in his gnomish way, was now in jail under suspicion of having killed his son. Eva, afraid for Gero's safety, immediately began to plan an escape from the covenant into the town. Garcette and Akakios snuck into the covenant's supply room to pilfer a rope, fire-lighting tools, and a wineskin.

Garcette was able to lead the others to a damaged section of the covenant walls. Eva was able to use one of her casting tools -- a small pick -- as a grapple, affixing it to the rope and throwing it over the wall. Eva climbed up easily, but Garcette proved too clumsy and weak. Eva finally pulled her up just as a guard came by. Akakios hid, then followed, and finally Breandan. Finding themselves outside both the covenant and the town, the group traveled around and re-entered the town through the front gates, making for Samuel's butcher shop.

Eva was the only one in the group who could speak fluent German, so she would continue to do most of the talking. Samuel told the story of the cobbler and his missing son, who had been gone for several days. The cobbler was now locked up in the jail, guarded by the constable. The group decided to investigate the cobbler's home first.

It was guarded, but Eva's Hypnotic Gaze made short work of this problem, and keys from his belt secured the apprentices' entry. On the second floor, Akakios found the ghost of the cobbler's wife, who had apparently slit her own wrists in the bedroom. She was not completely coherent, but admitted that she was suffering from intense shame, and from this Garcette was able to deduce that Gero had caught her cuckolding her husband when he came home at an unexpected time. The cobbler and his wife had two sons: the younger Edward and the elder Lucas, and it was Lucas himself who had been involved in the affair. The shame of incest had been so great, the cobbler's wife had taken her own life. Investigating their bedroom, Edward's bed was unused, but Lucas's was covered in birch splinters. Eva remembered an old story which suddenly revealed much about the problem: the faerie known as Crampus, who punished bad children, wielded a branch of birch, and he ventured out to capture bad children in the first week of December, precisely during the time Edward and Lucas vanished. Lucas, the "bad child", might have been taken by the Crampus. Could Edward have followed after them both? Regardless, he would be a witness to everything and could get his father out of prison. The apprentices resolved to find him.

After leaving the house, the apprentices investigated the cobbler's shop and the jail to little result, though Breandan did befriend a dog which was roaming the streets and Gero, who was working in the shop, confirmed what he had seen when he intruded on Lucas and his mother. Eva tried to get information from the constable, but he was alarmed by her knowledge of Lucas and tried to capture her, forcing her to use Hypnotic Gaze upon him and flee. A girl who was friends with Edward offered what aid she could before returning to her work, cleaning out the back room of the Meat Pie shop, which it was revealed used stray dogs as the primary source of meat. Garcette, who had eagerly wolfed down one of these pies earlier in the evening, spent some time retching in the alley.

At about this time, the apprentices came face to face with the Crampus himself, who had taken on the shape of the town blacksmith. The Crampus admitted he had Edward, but he had taken the wrong child because Edward had been sleeping in Lucas' bed. He agreed to a trade: Edward for Lucas. The apprentices had no qualms about capturing and delivering Lucas, guilty of incest with his own mother, to the faerie, and they agreed.

The apprentices snuck out the front gate of town and traveled to a lodge in the woods which Garcette had identified as a potential hideout for Lucas. Breandan made good use of Prying Eyes to spy Lucas asleep inside. Akakios and Garcette drew their daggers and the four apprentices -- with the rescued dog -- burst in and surprised the young man, who was briefly blinded by Garcette's Many-Hued Conflagration. Tied and gagged, Lucas was soon ready to be drug back to town, but Eva knew she could summon the Crampus by breaking one of his birch branches and calling his name. This was done, and although the Crampus threatened the group many times, calling them "bad children," he ultimately gave them Edward and claimed Lucas.

The apprentices -- now with Edward -- returned to the lodge to pass the night, but were awoken in the early morning hours by Hugh of Flambeau, who had come looking for them after their disappearance was discovered. Akakios hid behind the front door to the lodge and, when Hugh entered, tried to stab him with his dagger, but the knife was harmlessly deflected by Hugh's armor. Akakios, who had adopted the appearance of Tomas earlier in the evening using Tiro's Disguise, managed to persuade the hoplite that he had not recognized him until too late, and was only defending himself.

Hugh chewed out the apprentices and herded them back to Icy North. Although he confiscated Akakios's dagger, Breandan was able to steal it back without Hugh's knowledge, and return it. After reaching Icy North, all the apprentices were further scolded and debriefed, though Athena seemed proud of Garcette's involvement solving a murder case. Edward testified about everything he had seen, and his father was released from prison.

Back in their covenants, all the apprentices spend the cold Winter being instructed in the Arts by their masters.

Akakios returns to his Mentem lessons with Sebastian and the ghost of old Ragnar.
Breandan is escorted back to the Greater Alps by a severe Tremere magus named Scamandrius, who off-handedly presents him to Diana before continuing on to Icy North. Diana greets Breandan with formality, asks nothing about his time in Transylvania, and immediately begins instruction in the Art of Muto.
Cassidy is taught by Kynthia, who recognizes that Cassidy's specialty in Illusion means that forms beyond Imaginem are less useful to her, but all the Techniques are necessary. She begins with Muto.
Eva spends the season reading a summa on Terram, chosen for her from the library. Balbina selected this text because she anticipates Eva doing much work with metal and stone.
Garcette is taught by Athena, who appears to be working through the four Elemental Forms one at a time. This year, it is Aquam.
Gustov is taught the Arts by Kentigern. Recognizing that Gustov's Magical Focus will lead him to capture and trap animals, Kentigern begins with a Form which is commonly used for just this purpose: Herbam.
Finally, Rene is taught the Arts by Hugh. Aware that Rene has purchased a Creo Terram Ritual spell, the subject is Terram. Hugh obviously knows much more about this Art than he did Ignem.

Advancement

In addition to being taught the Arts, everyone ages one year. The only character who is mechanically affected by this is Cassidy, who gains 1 in all her Characteristics and her Size.

Akakios gets 13 Teaching XP in Mentem.

Breandan gets 15 Teaching XP in Muto.

Cassidy gets 13 Teaching XP in Muto.

Eva gets 18 XP in Terram.

Garcette gets 14+5 Teaching XP in Aquam.

Gustov gets 13 Teaching XP in Herbam.

Rene gets 13+5 Teaching XP in Terram.