1211

Spring

When the thaw comes, the apprentices gather in Icy North for a second season of instruction under Scamandrius filius Barbaros of Tremere. Scamandrius at once drills everyone on the fashioning of Certamen circles, divides the class of 17 into two "leagues", and constructs a double-elimination tournament. In contrast to last Spring, when Scamandrius spent much of his time lecturing on matters of theory, history, and custom, this season is spent in hands-on Certamen, duelling your fellow apprentices. Throughout the competition, Scamandrius illustrates the use of the three arcane combat skills: Finesse allows you to strike first (and is used in many spells requiring fine control, especially to target an enemy with a projectile or to craft objects out of magic), Penetration allows you to get past your target's magical defenses, and Concentration allows you to continue to work magic when you are injured or distracted.

Penthisilia, Scamandrius's enormous wolf familiar, has made Profundus's old garden into her den and sleeps there whenever she is not prowling the grounds. The garden is now all but obliterated.

Saddened at this loss, Rene beseeches an audience with Scamandrius to discuss an alternative sleeping arrangement for Penthisilia. He waits until his instructor is alone—so as not to deliver his own insult by approaching him in front of the other students. In due deference to the Tremere’s standing as his superior, he drops to one knee, keeping his gaze low, and pleads his case for his former master’s garden. Rene’s sole armor, the tutelage he received when he was his patron’s page back home in Normandy.

Scamandrius is a bit confused that Rene is concerned over something which, to the magus, is so trivial. But Rene's deferential attitude is precisely the way to approach a Tremere, and after a nod and a grunt of acknowledgement, Rene is dismissed. Once dismissed, Rene leaves. He is delighted with the results. He returns to his room where he takes quill to parchment, penning a missive to his dear Master Profundus. While the penmanship is surely questionable, the lad’s enthusiasm is naught.

In short order, he extols the most recent goings-on of his fellows one at a time. Rene cannot help but mention Gustov’s growth both as a man and a mage first, admitting that he will far out pace him in the latter and, perhaps, even the former one day. He gives voice to his own anger over Akakios’ betrayal, all the while holding out hope that no soul is beyond forgiveness in the eyes of the Lord. He comments on Cassidy’s recklessness during their impromptu excursion to goblin town, which he admits he only heard of secondhand, but sounds par for the course where that one is concerned. He voices concern for Breandan; “He has taken a dark road,” Rene writes, “I pray that him strong enough to see it through to journey’s end.” Eva is absent from his writings, save a passing reference here and a mention there. Lastly, he comments that he thinks he might have seen Garcette, that he thinks that he might have seen Alfeva smile… once—though he freely admits that this might have been no more than a trick of light.

Finally, he remarks on the state of his master’s garden. He tells that Master Scamandrius, while never pretending to be a kind man, is at least a fair one. That much Rene can respect, even admire given time. Rene vows that he will tend to the grounds himself until Master Profondus’ return—Hugh willing. Finishing the letter, Rene turns it over to a redcap and returns to the garden. He muses that perhaps some cistus—rock roses—might be to someone’s liking and sets in fulfilling his vow.

Later that night, Penthisilia can be found prowling around for a new home, which she decides to place atop the male student's dormitory. It is easy for her to leap atop the building, and for the rest of the spring, Rene, Gustov, Breandan and all the other young men can hear her prowling around up there, the roof creaking as if it were about to cave in at any moment. It never does.

Every apprentice specializes in a particular Certamen school, based on their instructor. You have three choices:

• The School of the Gladiator is the default Certamen rules out of the Ars Magica book. It is balanced in offense and defense and has no weaknesses but no special strengths. Most magi use this style.

• The School of Retiarus (the Fisherman) is an offensive style designed to win by striking first, not necessarily by striking hard. A magus using this school gains a bonus on his Initiative equal to his Finesse, but subtracts this same modifier from his attack on the first three rounds. A Fisherman who does not have the initiative in the duel can seize it by hitting and refusing to inflict damage.

• The School of Hoplomachus (the Hoplite) is a highly defensive style. A magus dueling in Hoplomachus always loses initiative and subtracts his Finesse from his attack totals, but adds twice his Finesse to defense. If he chooses not to attack at all, he adds three times his Finesse to defense.

As the tournament progresses, Breandan is of course a heavy favorite. But his private arsenal of Tremere tricks is only useful if he has skill in the Arts used in the Certamen match; if he is challenged on Arts he does not know -- which is usually the case -- he has no special advantage. Over the season, everyone learns what each of the other apprentices have been trained in and which Arts are still at 0. This, more than any other factor, determines who wins and loses a match.

Meanwhile, in March, Hugh of Flambeau declares Wizard's War on Sebastien of Tytalus. The Provincial Code of the Alps requires that declarations of Wizard's War be delivered by a trio of Redcaps; the declaration must have some rationale or cause, and the instigator of the War must dictate terms by which the War can be avoided. Hugh stipulates that, if Akakios discipula Sebastien is given up to Quaesitors for placement with a new master, the War will end. When asked for a cause for the War, Hugh says, "Being an idiot."

A month later, leaving Rene with the other apprentices in school, Hugh takes a few Grogs and makes camp outside Sinews of Knowledge. He plants a banner bearing the symbol of House Flambeau and basically dares Sebastien to come out and face him. The magi of Sinews of Knowledge do not respond to this provocation, nor do they offer any comforts to Hugh and his men. The month passes, Sebastien does not appear, and in May Hugh packs up his camp, mounts his horse, and rides home.

Advancement

Everyone learns 4 XP in Penetration and Finesse (raising most apprentices to a score of 1) and 5 points in Concentration (for a score of 1). Don't forget to pick a specialization.

Everyone picks a Certamen school: the Gladiator, Retiarus, or Hiplomachus.

The Remainder of the Year

Icy North

Gustov spends the summer and autumn in the lab with Kentigern. As Gustov has grown, his usefulness in the lab has also increased and his dominus seems pleased with his progress. Kentigern's spear is now enchanted with a simple ReHe effect which returns it to his hand, but what remains to be done is the lengthy work of an InMe linked trigger so that the talisman can sense Kentigern's mental command.

In the winter, Kentigern teaches Gustov the basics of Terram, a Form which he judges to be frequently used in the capture of beasts. At the end of the season, he takes Gustov aside and explains what he can expect in future seasons of instruction. "We have now spent time on every Art which I intend to teach you. From now on, we will focus on advancing your skills in the Arts you know, so that you may learn more advanced spells."

Meanwhile, Rene is reunited with Hugh after the Hoplite's Wizard War; he relates his experience dueling Certamen with his fellow apprentices and bemoans his lack of training in any of the Techniques. Moreover, he tells Hugh how he has found a spell to repair weapons and armor, but he is unfamiliar with even the basics of Creo magic. Thus pressed, Hugh walks Rene into the library introduces him to Sophia, the Master Librarian, who in turn shows him to Master Oakenwood, the enchanted doors which permit or deny entry. At Hugh's request, Rene is provided with a seat at the scribing table and the covenant's copy of De Novo, one of the Roots of the Arts, the same book Gustov studied Creo from a few years before.

In the Autumn, Hugh takes a small band of Grogs and departs for Occitania. It is not a large enough force to take the Shadow Magi by storm, so presumably it is a scouting mission. Regardless, he leaves Rene in the hands of Icy North's Master of Horse, who drills Rene on riding and the Airs Above the Ground, advanced techniques for fighting from horseback. By Winter, Hugh has returned; Rene implores his master for more training in Creo, but Hugh does not practice that Art and cannot teach Rene anything he has not already learned in Balthasar's famous book. Instead, he teaches him Rego. Hugh has a short temper and he swiftly tires of extending and then withdrawing the power of the Aegis in daily lessons with Rene. Instead, he simply gives Rene a casting token, which in Icy North takes the form of a silver ring marked with the symbol of the covenant, a snowflake design which also resembles a spider's web. "Don't lose it," he advises.

Garcette spends the summer touring with another Quaesitor of the Alps, where she sees more of the Code put into practice. She uses the opportunity to read the charters of each covenant she visits, and she begins to find this particular aspect of Hermetic law to be interesting. But the business of trading contracts, treaties, vis source negotiation, and other such matters, she continues to find both petty and boring. In the autumn, she is allowed to finish reading the book on the Art of Memory she secured the previous year. Athena finds her in the Winter and completes her basic training in the Elemental Forms, teaching her Terram.

Sinews of Knowledge

Eva returns to her home covenant and is immediately introduced to Rupert of Cologne, former armorer to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, King of Germany, Italy, and Burgundy. Rupert is a retired perfectionist in the classical German mode, small of stature with wire-gray hair and an impressive mustache. He and Balbina do not appear to get along well, and he must have cost a singificant fortune to be hired as a tutor.

Over the spring and summer, Rupert instructs Eva in the foundational skills of making armor. He is ridiculously over-qualified for this task and takes occasional opportunity to point this out; he maintains, however, a relentless pace of instruction, working for long hours through the day and night and imparting countless small secrets which have helped to make him a legend in his craft. Eva's personal stamina help her to keep up with Rupert's grueling schedule but, even with this, she finds herself tiring before he does. This inevitably, elicits accusations of laziness from him, but he is German. What do you expect?

On the last day of autumn, Rupert's bags are packed and he departs with a nod of grudging approval for his pupil. "You have proved," he says, "not entirely hopeless." The next day, Balbina provides Eva with a copy of a book on Muto, which she studies for the rest of the season.

Shadow of the Moon

Breandan is with Diana in the lab through the summer and autumn, working to invent a potent Creo Corpus ritual. With new dedication to his task, Breandan perceives much about Diana's laboratory he did not previously understand, in particular the way in which the lab creates a kind of sacred space which is almost mystical in its use of lunar symbolism. Diana never pushes or tries to force her personal inclination onto her student but, instead, uses the season to point out the importance of an idiosyncratic lab, a work space perfectly suited to its user and a projection of his personal interests and talents. Breandan's new understanding of the lab as an extension of the magus allows him to make a break through in his own work by the end of the summer. In autumn, his contributions to the project are much greater than before and the spell Alacrity of the Huntress is completed. Diana is pleased, but this spell was always only a means to a greater end. Next year, she explains, they will begin inventing a 12th magnitude version of this spell that can raise Dexterity to the maximum human potential.

When winter comes, Diana briefly tests what she considers Breandan's four key Arts (In, Mu, Im, and Me) and, finding Imaginem to be the most rudimentary, conducts a three month course of instruction in it.

Cassidy returns to Shadow of the Moon to find Kynthia not at home; according to the covenfolk servants, she was expected back the day before. Cassidy has a day to be concerned before her domina arrives late at night with pack on her back sewn out of reeds; within it is an infant child. "Ah," Kynthia says when she sees her discipula. "You're here. Very good. Off we go." Taking out the arcane connection to Castle Swordpoint, she casts the spell and master and apprentice are both whisked off to Faerie.

It is night, and Kynthia sneaks quietly into Lady Swordpoint's chambers, where she reveals herself. Lady Swordpoint dismisses all her servants and handmaids, and in tears receives the child which Kynthia has brought her. "He's beautiful," she says. "And now," Kynthia replies, "You must give me my price." The faerie lady nods, distracted, as she coos over her new baby. "Yes, yes, of course. It's over there." She gestures to a hook on the wall, from which hangs a silver bell on a large leather belt. Kynthia gestures for Cassidy to take the bell, and the two of them withdraw. They slip out of the castle and begin traveling by star and moonlight down the road. When questioned, Kynthia explains that the bell belongs to a cat, "A very special cat." But she will not say anything more.

The two women travel through the summer, and as usual Kynthia tries to avoid confrontations but is occasionally forced to talk her way out of incidents or beat a hasty retreat. In the early days of Autumn she leads Cassidy to Castle Gold, a magnificent and opulent palace which stretches impossibly tall and has so many wings and extensions that it seems endless. Lord Gold, it is revealed, is fabulously wealthy and father of three scheming sons, not to mention a willful and beautiful wife, all of whom conspire against him. Lord Gold is surrounded by lands he has conquered and, beyond them, the lands of those he has tried to conquer and who now make violent war upon him. But his armies are as endless as his wealth, and he spends his days hunting in the woods and staying one step ahead of his patricidal sons. The evenings are filled with elaborate court entertainments, morality plays with fantastic costumes, scenery, and special effects provided by court magicians and foreign dilettantes. Advisors and courtiers speak every language on Earth, the menagerie is filled with animals Cassidy has never even heard of, let alone seen, and it's all just absolutely fabulous but, somehow, all a bit too overblown.

Kynthia keeps Cassidy at Castle Gold for the duration of Autumn, taking on a position as a court magician to Lord Gold. In this, she is often forced to compete with various Faerie magi, but she holds her own. Those magi whom she cannot humiliate in contests of magic (and those are few) are, instead, humbled through mundane means when Kynthia gives Cassidy very specific instructions on sabotaging their clothing, magical tools, or own assistants. One particularly memorable example involves a wizard of Prester John, whose robes Cassidy infests with fleas, leading to a spectacular mis-casting of magic when he tries to summon an angel, cannot stop scratching and twisting as he is bitten all over, and accidentally summons Beelzebub instead. Ah, the laughter of Lord Gold was like the rolling of thunder that day, let me tell you.

At the end of Autumn, Kynthia produces her arcane connection to her own sanctum, and whisks Cassidy and herself home. She spends the winter in the safety and security of her sanctum, teaching Cassidy the Art of Creo.

Advancement

Breandan: Summer -- 5 Adventure XP and acquires Inventive Genius; Autumn -- 2 Exposure XP; Winter -- 15 Teaching XP in Imaginem.

Cassidy: Summer -- 5 Practice XP in Athletics, Survival, or Faerie Lore; Autumn -- 5 Practice XP in Faerie Magic, Guile, or Legerdemain; Winter -- 13 Teaching XP in Creo.

Eva: Summer and Autumn -- 30 Teaching XP in Craft: Armorsmith; Winter -- 18 Study XP in Muto.

Garcette: Summer -- 5 Adventure XP in Muto; Autumn -- 12+3 Study XP in Art of Memory; Winter -- 14+5 Teaching XP in Terram.

Gustov: Summer -- 5 Adventure XP; Autumn -- 2 Exposure XP; Winter -- 13 Teaching XP in Terram.

Rene: Summer -- 21 Study XP in Creo; Autumn -- 15+5 Teaching XP in Ride; Winter -- 13+5 Teaching XP in Rego.

Akakios: ...