1213
Spring
As the apprentices return to Icy North in the spring, Scamandrius is waiting for them. "This will be your final season of instruction with me," he says solemnly. "It will be my responsibility to teach you all of the Parma Magica that the Code permits, leaving the final key for your domini to impart to you upon the completion of your Gauntlet." He seems more thoughtful and introspective than in previous years; at times, he is actually fond of his students, especially those few who ventured out to investigate the pueri the preceeding Autumn -- Breandan, Cassidy, Eva, Gustov, Garcette, and Rene. One evening, when he finds them dining together outside the dormitory, he confesses to them, "You have all sacrificed much for an Order of which you are not even yet a member. Your boldness shames us. It will not be forgotten."
Speaking of Garcette, she has grown so much over the last few months that she is hardly recognized. Rene and Gustov saw it the most, as they live in Icy North with her, but over last winter she has transformed from a spindly and weak little girl into a tall, charismatic, graceful young woman of strength and vigor. She has begun to draw admirers from among the apprentices and Grogs, but much of this attention is lustful and crude. (Curse of Venus strikes!) None of the people attracted to her find their interest returned; similarly, if she is attracted to anyone else, no one seems to know it.
In addition to the traditional Certamen tournament, Scamandrius teaches everyone how to perform the physical and verbal components of the ritual of Parma. It is clear from this much that there is a mental or imaginative component to the ritual which Scamandrius studiously avoids describing.
The last day of instruction ends early and Scamandrius does not say goodbye. Instead, that night, he dresses in warm clothing good for travel, takes an alpenstock, and departs the covenant on foot, bound south. The victims of the Lucifuge demon can see by the look in his eyes that he has resolved to go the ice caves of Werfen.
Advancement
Everyone gets 4 XP in Parma Magica (for a final total of 5) and 9 XP in any of the following:
Awareness
Concentration
Etiquette
Finesse
Guile
Intrigue
Penetration
The Frog and the Ox
In the fable by Aesop, a proud frog is talking to another frog. The normal frog complains that he saw a huge and terrible ox, but the proud frog bragged that he's probably bigger. He puffed himself full of air, but the other frog kept saying that the ox was bigger. Eventually, the second frog conceded that the proud frog was as big as the ox... then the proud frog burst.
It's a fable about hubris, which led to the downfall of Theodorus the Accomplished, magus Criamonis.
Archbishop Giustino of Milan was visiting Abbot Beniamino at the abbey of Paradiso. The abbey itself was located on the banks of Lake Lugano and sat next to the village of Calprino. Paradiso also had a separate nunnery next door which was subordinate to the abbey. Across the lake sat the twin village of Caprino, where Theodorus had a tower.
The Jerbiton of Valnastium did not know why the archbishop was visiting, so they anticipated the worst and wrote to the abbot and the archbishop's secretary, requesting permission to attend and participate in the Candlemas celebrations on February 2, 1213. In truth, the archbishop knew nothing of the isolated demons still running around. He was just overseeing a debate about theology between the Dominicans, Benedictines, and Franciscans. Really, the issue was that Dominic was still trying to get papal recognition for his order, while the archbishops and the Pope didn't know whether the sect was legitimate or heretical. This debate was intended to evaluate the Dominicans and hope to steer them toward acceptable theological positions on several points should they have discomforting views on any crucial matter.
While the masters met with the abbot, a Jerbiton magus named Caspar the Pious led the delegation, while a second Jerbiton named Nazario the Subtle coached the apprentices inside of the tavern. He told them that their job was to be good representatives of the Order and show off that they are among the faithful despite their aptitude with magic. The show was intended for the archbishop and the abbot, not for the benefit of the villagers, who presumably did not even know that their strange guests were magi.
When the apprentices looked around town, they noticed someone following them and sizing them up. Likewise, a second man patrolled the area around the nunnery. Since the first was an armed Italian man with interest in the visitors, they assumed that both were the Archbishop Giustino's men. The first, however, was Tiziano and the second was Ettore - both grogs of Theodorus. Tiziano was trying to evaluate whether the apprentices would be able to help him with avoiding the mess that the following night's business would entail. He left uncertain but his resolve to help his master broke when the plot was unfolding.
The following night, Tiziano was supposed to serve as a lookout while Ettore and Lucan kidnapped a nun, which Theodorus intended to use "as an arcane connection to God." Ettore used a lesser enchanted device (a wand) on a "poor sister" (a Franciscan nun) named Sister Renata. Tiziano, meanwhile, went for help from the magi he had seen. He was worried that the nun's absence would be noticed and eventually the truth would come out. Tiziano knew that he would not fare well when the chips fell. The visit of the other magi, he reasoned, might be seen as a distraction for the kidnapping, so the apprentices were natural allies for trying to stop his master's madness brought on by "an imbalance in the humours" of Theodorus following a recent Twilight episode. He introduced himself as a "vir gregis" (a "man of the band") for Theodorus, a phrase which underlined the immense pride of the magus.
When the magi crossed the river, they went inside of the wizard's tower and confronted Ettore and Lucan. Ettore tried his wand on several people but it always failed. Lucan fought with Iovar until Gustav disarmed him. Alfeva burnt Ettore several times. Cassidy rescued Sister Renata, first by turning the nun invisible and then by adopting Renata's appearance with The Tiro's Disguise. When Theodorus the Accomplished descended the stairs, Breandan and Gustov distracted him with an impromptu debate on Magic Theory, suggesting he simply use the Eucharist if he was so eager for an arcane connection to God, but the "nun" (Cassidy in disguise) began to flee and the Criamon realized that the apprentices were just trying to stall him. Unfortunately, Cassidy fled and she was the one with Second Sight, so no one saw the angel appear and hit the magus with some divine warping while he was casting. Instead, the apprentices just felt the magic aura recede and a divine aura replace it. Regardless, the divine intervention threw the Criamon into Wizard's Twilight.
Iovar took the magus's blood from Kira's teeth, giving it to Athena for future use against Theodorus, should it become necessary. Sister Renata was greatly impressed with Gustav on account of his gift with animals. Etorre's wand, enchanted with a sleeping spell, was confiscated and given to Quaesitores in trust should Theodorus emerge from Twilight.
The Rest of the Year
With half their apprenticeship behind them, the young men and women of the Alps begin looking forward to their future.
Breandan
Diana welcomes Breandan back with her usual demeanor of remote authority. She presents him with a silver ring, a casting token for Shadow of the Moon covenant. "Congratulations," she says. "You have done well." That evening she outlines her plans for the year, and where Breandan figures into them; the next step in her research is to use the 8th magnitude Creo Corpus ritual Breandan helped her invent last year to create a more powerful 12th magnitude version. Breandan will be necessary for this, but she has a few months of preparation on her own part. Therefore, Breandan is given a genuinely free season in the Summer. He may do anything with this time that he wishes. Diana's advice is to use the time to copy a book, spells, or casting tablets from the covenant library. However, if he chooses to use the time to study or to invent spells in a spare lab, he may do so. The choice is his. However, it is absolutely vital that he assist her in the laboratory in the Autumn. Then, in Winter, she will continue his instruction.
In Autumn, Breandan returns to Diana's laboratory, where he and she begin the new research project: a 12th-magnitude version of Alacrity of the Huntress. Breandan is perceptive enough to see that Diana's skill at Creo Corpus has improved, but even so after three months of work he estimates that another year of labor will probably be required.
In the Winter, Diana leaves the lab and instructs Breandan in the Art of Intellego, which she appears to have studied while he was away at school or adventuring in the Alps.
Advancement
Summer: Breandan uses his free season to copy a summa on Creo, with a resulting Level of 15 and Quality of 10. He takes 3 adventure XP in Corpus and 2 in Mastery of Touch of the Goose Feather.
Autumn: 2 Exposure XP in Creo.
Winter: 15 Teaching XP in Intellego.
Eva
When Eva returns to Sinews of Knowledge, Balbina is unexpectedly alone. For two years now, she has hired expert craftsmen to instruct Eva in their trade, but this time it is different. Using Creo Mentem magic to silently put words into Eva's mind, Balbina explains that it is time for her to begin learning the secrets of their House. "You are of a distinguished lineage, Eva, and many are the secret mysteries which Himinis and his filia have wielded across the centuries. And no apprentice of mine will fail to carry that legacy forward into a new generation."
For the first time, Balbina actually teaches Eva herself, using mental speech to avoid her stuttering. But she remains a very difficult teacher, alternating at times between self-effacing reluctance to speak and extended rants against all those who have mistreated her or failed to appreciate her art. Nevertheless, by the end of Autumn, Eva has come to learn much about House Verditius, the legends of their Founder, and its deep ties to Weyland, Hephaestus, and more.
In Winter, Eva finds a book on Perdo for Eva from the covenant's library.
Advancement
Over the course of Summer and Autumn, Eva earns a combined 22 XP in Verditius Cult Lore, for a final score of 2 (7).
In Winter, she gets 18 Study XP in Perdo.
Cassidy
When Cassidy returns from Icy North in the first days of Summer, she finds that, contrary to expectations, Kynthia is not preparing to travel. Instead, she sits Cassidy in her laboratory and tells her:
"Your magic and mine are destined to be very different. I am a wizard of the road, and the secret path, and you are a wizard of illusion and glamour. But we both have this one thing in common: When our enemies threaten us, we vanish. If you want to stay alive, you must perfect How to Be Invisible."
The season is spent practicing the Art of Perdo. Cassidy is kept pretty busy with her lessons, so Iovhar has the season free and spends it hunting for magical beasts in the mountains, returning once in a while with animal corpses from which Kynthia pulls pawns of vis.
When Summer ends, so does instruction. Cassidy is told to pack and the next morning, with Iovhar and his loyal hound as company, Kynthia produces her arcane connection to Castle Gold. With a gust of wind, everyone is transported into the middle of a raging battle, going on inside the great hall of Lord Gold, whose corpse is being fought over by his three sons. With Iovhar running interference and the two women both going invisible, the small company of travelers flee the castle, out the gates and around three besieging armies, till they reach the road heading west. "That," says Kynthia, appearing at last, "is our way."
The next three months are spent walking along the road, flanked first by enormous oaks in the early days of Autumn. But the leaves turn orange, then red, then brown, and at last fall from their branches. Wind turns to rain, which turns to sleet and then, at last, to snow. There are almost no other travelers on the road -- poor families struggling to haul their belongings in a damaged cart, soldiers wounded in battle and camped along the side of the road -- and Iovhar is pressed into service, foraging for prey along the march.
Finally, when the trees are towering skeletons of wood and the days are short, a massive, sprawling, castle comes into view. It is the largest structure Cassidy has ever seen, not just tall (though it is taller than giants), but rambling and so haphazard in its design that it is impossible to tell which tower, bailey, wall or gate was the original keep and which were added as generation after generation passed. In some places the walls have tumbled down and entire towers have collapsed into piles of ruin, but black-clad servants, hunched and misshaped, can nevertheless be seen picking their way from shadowed doorway to crumbling arch. One of them, apparently mute, leads the three travelers and their dog inside, to the great hall, where they meet Lord Snow.
Snow is an ancient and withered man barely visible beneath his white beard, which is two feet wide and flows for two yards. Kynthia introduces herself as a humble traveler in need of shelter and what food might be had. With a barely discernible wave of a hand, Snow welcomes her into the castle and then ignores her. It is days before you even hear him speak.
Life in Castle Snow is monotonous but strange. The inhabitants appear human but suffer from idiosyncratic deformations that range from hunch backs and claw hands to empty eye sockets or a mouth in the middle of the stomach. They speak in a weird accent using occasional words which Cassidy has never heard before and which, when they try to explain them, make no sense. Each night food is prepared for the Lord, all of it bizarre, rare, and vaguely unpalatable. Kynthia spends her time stargazing with the help of the Court Astronomer, and Cassidy notes that the moon is enormous here, even bigger than it appears at her covenant atop Mount Blanc. Occasionally Kynthia and the Astrologer retreat behind closed doors, and once they meet in private with Lord Snow.
After a few months, during which absolutely nothing interesting seems to happen, Kynthia pries an icicle loose from the parapet of Castle Snow and transports Cassidy, Iovhar, his loyal hound and Kynthia herself back to her sanctum in the Alps.
It is Spring here, and time for instruction to resume.
Advancement
Summer: 13 Teaching XP in Perdo
Autumn: 5 Practice XP in Athletics, Hunt, or Survival.
Winter: 5 Practice XP in Artes Liberales (astronomy), Awareness, or Survival.
Garcette
After returning from the religious debate held between the Dominican, Franciscan and Benedictine Orders, Athena appears to have a new appreciation for the fine points of courtroom debate. "Here in the Greater Alps," she explains to her domina, "our interests are primarily in trade and contracts. There are few occasions to debate the Code before Tribunal. But when you leave here for some border region, you are sure to find yourself in front of your sodales, arguing for clarifications or even," and here her reluctance manifests in a frown of disapproval, "changes to your provincial Peripheral Code. In short, you need experience in debate. And I have contracted with a man to provide you that experience."
She re-introduces Garcette to Father Bernardo, a Dominican who was present at the recent debate. Athena appears to have invited the man to Icy North with a large donation to his order and the opportunity to learn a little about Hermetic magic. Over the summer, he makes Garcette his constant companion, wandering the covenant and the surrounding town, engaging in constant intellectual debates over any number of subjects. He is usually the interrogator, and Garcette is forced to defend various points of view. By the end of the season, however, it has become clear to Garcette that Bernardo has less interest in Magic Theory or the Order of Hermes, and more interest in long private talks with his young and beautiful student. He is summarily dismissed but leaves in good spirits, having brought home a lucrative purse of silver.
In Autumn, Garcette manages to persuade Athena to allow to her to read one of the Roots of the Arts. (She spends her Fan point.) Athena leads her to the Hermetic Library, where she is introduced to the librarian and the enchanted door. Assigned a seat at the scribing tables, she is allowed to read a book on Mentem.
That Winter, Athena teaches her apprentice the Art of Rego.
Advancement
Summer: Using the rules for debating in Houses of Hermes: Societas, defending oneself in a debate uses Charm, Guile or Leadership. Garcette gets 13+5 Teaching XP in any combination of these skills. She takes Charm 1 and Leadership 1 (8).
Autumn: Garcette gets 21+3 Study XP in Mentem.
Winter: Garcette gains 14+5 Teaching XP in Rego.
Gustov
After completing his education under Scamandrius, Gustov is given a pair of gold rings by Kentigern, casting token for the Covenant of Icy North. One of the rings is designed to loop around Cassandra's leg, allowing her to enter the Covenant's Aegis. Kentigern maintains an authoritative air with animals when he speaks to them, in contrast to Gustov's friendly demeanor, but he acknowledges Cassandra's patience over these many years, and thanks her for helping to keep his young tiro alive.
Kentigern has completed the essential enchantments in his Talisman, with Gustov's help, and he is anxious to test it. So he leaves Icy North for an extended bout of hunting, leaving Gustov with two genuinely free seasons. Kentigern advises Gustov to use this time to copy books or spells which will be of use to him when he leaves the Alps. However, if Gustov insists on using the time to study, Kentigern will not be there to stop him. The decision is his.
Before Kentigern leaves for his two seasons of hunting, Gustov approaches with a question. It's worth noting that Gustov has taken to wearing the sword he took from the Criamon's grog.
"Master, I know that there is a plan for my education. But I have a question, when will I learn to fight? Renee has been the protector among the Tiri, but he isn't always around. And well, magic can be a powerful tool, but it isn't always the best tool." Gustov pauses a moment and looks meaningfully at Kentigern's spear, his eyes lingering on the unenchanted tip. "I trust your wisdom for when I should learn what, but this is important enough that I wanted to ask."
Kentigern grunts thoughtfully. "You are a man now, and strong enough to wield a sword. If you wish it, I will speak to the drill sergeant before I leave. If you have other work ahead of you already this year, then next will serve just as well." And he looks back at Gustov expectantly for his decision.
Gustov starts to beam, both at the permission granted, but even more at the implicit respect underlying the grant. Not wishing to overwhelm the moment in a burst of youthful exuberance, Gustov instead clears his throat while he masters his expression. Then he says, "I had thought to copy texts while you were away, as you recommended, but the dangers out in the world remain, and I doubt the alps will be quiet in your absence. For now, I shall study arms."
Kentigern nods. 'As you choose.' Later, the covenant's drill sergeant approaches Gustov and asks him to appear before him the next morning. There is a brief experimentation period as Gustov tries various weapons, but Gustov insists on keeping the long sword he claimed from Lucan. It is too heavy for him, and the sergeant says as much, but with a sigh of resignation and something about how "magi, they are all the same," Gustov is put with the other grogs of the Turb and receives six months of training. During that time, he fills out physically and by October he is managing well enough with the long sword, having grown into it.
At the onset of Winter, Kentigern returns to teach Gustov further in the Art of Herbam.
Advancement
Summer and Autumn: 12 Xp each season, for a total of 24 XP in Single Weapon (long sword). Gustov also acquires Improved Characteristics (Str 0 and Qik +1) and the Hedge Wizard flaw.
Winter: 13 Teaching XP in Herbam.
Rene
Hugh departed Icy North in February, after a brief farewell to his apprentice. "Take this," he said, giving Rene a gold ring. "With it, you will be able to work magic inside the covenant. I have a matter I must see to, and I don't know when I'll return. But if I am not back by the first day of November, open the letter on my desk with your name on it." Clapping Rene on the shoulder, and with a look of grim regret, he mounts his legendary steed and rides down the Alpine slopes.
Rene is left with summer and autumn genuinely free. This is an opportunity he has long awaited. Moving into an unused laboratory, he spends the summer inventing the spell he purchased at Midsummer Fair long ago. It is a challenging but invigorating process; never has he felt so much like a magus. Compared to the others, Rene may be of limited magical skill, but here he is inventing a spell for himself, a trick none of the other apprentices have done!
It takes all season, but by the end of April, Rene has invented the ritual Creo Terram spell that will at long last repair his greatsword. Hugh has set aside the four pawns of Terram vis needed to cast the spell (Fan Point). Spending an hour in deep concentration with the intricate words and gestures of the spell, Rene succeeds in casting it, and when complete, he sees that his old greatsword, salvaged from the Tower of Solomon of Jerbiton, is better even than new. It is gleaming in the light and perfect in its proportions. The sword is of Excellent Quality (+1 on die rolls). This was not a property of the sword before the spell; it appears the experimental nature of the spell is such that, when it repairs an item, it makes that item Exceptional Quality. In theory, it could be used in this way on any item, provided Rene had the pawns of vis to spare.
Rene has the Autumn genuinely free. The days tick by, and there is no sign of Hugh's return. Athena, Kentigern and the other magi begin to look concerned, because if Hugh does not return by Winter, he will have failed to provide a season of instruction to his student, and will be guilty of a Hermetic crime. Rene spends the time in martial practice, using Wizard's Parry to defend himself from the Grogs. By the end of the season, he's able to block a sword stroke more often than not.
November comes. Hugh has not returned, and there has been no word. Rene reads the letter, but even as he finishes, he is summoned to the Council Chamber, where Athena awaits. "Your master is not available, de la Croix. However, another member of your House has graciously agreed to foster you. This is a temporary solution, but one which I hope is to your satisfaction." She gestures, and Carmine filia Susannah emerges from the shadows. Carmine is the wife of Primus Andru of House Jerbiton, and the most beautiful woman Rene has ever seen. She smiles gently (men have died for less) and says, "With your permission, we shall return to Valnastium and begin at once."
Carmine is a specialist in highly destructive spells of molten metal. Terram and Ignem are her primary Arts. Since Hugh is not especially good at Ignem, and this is a field Rene is interested in, this is what she teaches. She's an excellent teacher, thanks to her extraordinary personal charisma (let's face it, you can't take your eyes off her) and her experience teaching her several sons and daughters.
Advancement
Summer: 1 XP Terram and 1 XP Creo.
Autumn: 5 practice XP in Mastery of Wizard's Parry.
Winter: 19 Teaching XP in Ignem.