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For two days the magi, their fighting grogs, and coven folk fly above the clouds on a ghost ship commanded by Diana of Tremere. Each sunset and sunrise, the ship lands, everyone disembarks before the ship vanishes, and then it is recalled. Samson starts a new journal. Otto Rufus, newly joined to the coven folk as a learned scribe and physician, is enamored of Polumeta, but she is ignorant of his attentions. Wilhelm, Alfeva's servant, is frustrated by his mistress's lack of interest in his considerable sexual prowess. Victor tells him to "Get used to it," and that magi are not for the likes of him. As the servant retreats in a sullen mood, Victor gives him a sneezing fit.

Early on the second day, Diana brings the ship below the clouds so that everyone can see the crossing of the Channel and the white cliffs of Dover. Soon after, Alfeva gives Polumeta the three casting tablets she prepared for the covenant, tells everyone that she has made a vow to see her family again, and she will try to catch up to them at Uisneach within a month. With a few final farewells, she mounts her flying broom and leaves the vessel for the Saxon Shore.

That afternoon, the ship arrives in Hibernia. Victor is moved to tears by the sight of his beloved homeland, which is verdant and rich beyond all comparison to the lonely, snow-covered Alps. As the ship approaches and the passengers disembark, they are watched by a balding man and his young attendant. Samson commands the turb to secure the area, and Victor and the other magi approach the old man.

Initially speaking in Gaelic, the man identifies himself as the Druid MacRuder, accompanied by his young apprentice. Eogan. MacRuder explains that he brought Eoghan here to perform an ancient ceremony important to his people, and Victor volunteers that the magi have come here to settle. The druid makes them an offer: he will tell them the secrets of the Hill, if they will agree to restore an ancient ceremony previously performed here. Every Beltane, they must light the Eye of Balor, a fire so huge it can be seen from Tara. Men will come to this fire and take lit torches from it, and with these torches light their hearth fires. In this way every fire in Hibernia will be lit by the Eye.

Considerable debate ensues, with Polumeta unsure if they would be able to properly offer hospitality to visitors, considering the covenant's current humble state. Samson is unsettled by the prospect of performing a pagan ritual. Victor and Innocentius are in favor of the proposal and, eventually, it passes. MacRuder seems pleased by this and proceeds to instruct the magi on some of the hill's secrets, including three sources of vis which he appears to have already collected before they arrived. The magi, some grudgingly, agree to let him keep this vis. In the end, a few of the magi trade with him, offering vis of their own in exchange for some of that which he had gathered.

As they tour the Hill, Myrna and Innocentius see a Faerie Regio, one of three on the hill. It is the home to a Tuatha, a legendary faerie lord of Ireland. Within the hollow hill is a splendid palace of gold, the entrance to which is flanked by two towering silver pine trees and warded by two tall, fair-looking guards. Myrna decides not to approach the guards, however, and the magi continue inspecting the hill with MacRuder's guidance. Several kings of Ireland are said to be buried here, and grave mounds dot the hill, but MacRuder does not know which king is buried in which mound. Innocentius can see some of these dead lurking around their graves.

The magi find the remains of Saint Patrick's time dwelling on the hill, including the remains of his church and St. Patrick's Bed, which is said to have appeared after Patrick lay down to sleep, was assaulted by demons, and prayed to God for aid. The stone bed sealed the demons beneath it. The magi confirmed that beneath the bed lies an Infernal aura, but that the Divine aura placed on top of it smothers it.

That evening a humble feast is held as the grogs and coven folk gather round a few fires and everyone prepares to sleep in the open. MacRuder is invited to stay and he shares what he has, engaging the magi in conversation and trying to get a feel for their personalities. In the morning, he departs with Eoghan, promising to tell the other druids that there are generous, respectful, and hospitable Irish magi settling on the Hill.

Soon after, Alfeva arrives by broom. Everyone notes that her visit was much shorter than anticipated, but other than Innocentius's guess that her family were all dead, Alfeva does not seem too keen to discuss it, preferring to move on to business. There is a council meeting to hold and the covenant has nowhere to live.

In the first council meeting, held in the open under the morning sun, the magi volunteer for various offices, according to the charter. Polumeta is made Exchequer in charge of the mundane treasury. Samson is made Marshall, supervising the turb and the covenant's defenses. Innocentius is made Bursar, managing the vis stores and sources. Innocentius nominates Alfeva for Princeps, but she demurs, citing the precedent of Tribunal meetings when the senior quaestor is advisor to the praeco rather than praeco himself. She nominates Victor, who humbly accepts. Myrna is made Artificer. This leaves Cernunnos the only magus without an office, prompting an uncomfortable exchange in which everyone offers to give him their job if he wants it, and the youngest magus is reminded that he is, once again and always, the youngest magus in the room.

The magi have a casting tablet that will create a lavish castle, but they have no Creo Terram vis to cast it. Alfeva agrees to travel by broom to the nearest Mercer House, where she can buy Terram vis using her personal vis stock, which will be considered a loan from the covenant.

The covenant is desperately in need of long term provisioning, and so it is agreed that Jenny, their most experienced coven folk in merchant matters, shall travel to Delvin and arrange for such a contract. A group is selected to accompany her, led by Victor and including Marius his shield grog, Iovhar as translator, Yanick, and Otto.

The amount of a "portion of vis", according to the charter, is set at two pawns, the minimum amount. The covenant has no vis to speak of, so they cannot afford to make lavish awards.

Finally, there is debate over the donation of books to the covenant. The charter says that donations should be compensated with vis, but the covenant has no vis, so any such awards would have to be "on account." Cernunnos suggests putting off these donations, to avoid burdening the new covenant with debt. After all, none of the magi would refuse to loan their books to another magus anyway. Innocentius, however, is more in favor of making the donations now. In the end, the motion to accept the donations now passes, with Polumeta, Victor, Cassidy and Innocentius in favor, Cernunnos against, and Samson and Alfeva abstaining.

Rather than go through each donated item one at a time, the council agreed to, in this instance, accept whatever the magi want to donate. With the meeting thus resolved, Alfeva departed for the Mercer House.

On market day, Iovhar leads Victor, Jenny and the others cross-country to Delvin, where they inspect the town for the first time. Delvin is small with few amenities, but there is a flourishing horse market and there is news that the Baroness is pregnant with the Baron's first child, so there is much rejoicing. Jenny eventually tracks down a master merchant who promises to handle all the arrangements with individual craftsmen and provisioners, in exchange for a fee. The evening is spent in his home hashing out the details. Marius's military bearing earns the admiration of the merchant's wife and children, while Jenny's fetching looks earn the eye of the merchant himself.

That night, Yanick sneaks out of the house to explore, and is tracked by Keira, the Magical Hound. He accidentally finds himself in a bad neighborhood and is nearly abducted by slavers before Keira throws them to the ground and startles them into a retreat, once they hear her speak. Yanick runs for it, Keira follows, and disaster is averted. The next morning, everyone returns to Uisneach.

Alfeva returns soon with 8 pawns of Terram vis, having paid the standard 2:1 exchange rate with 8 pawns of her own Muto. Innocentius complains bitterly about Mercer usury. Polumeta is chosen to cast the conjuration spell, and a picturesque spot is chosen on the shore of Lugh Lake. For two hours she incants, and a magnificent round vastle with eight towers, a massive gatehouse, and central keep slowly rises up out of the earth, accompanied by the overpowering sound of gears turning and the smell of oil. Exhausted but triumphant, Polumeta retires to rest. The magi now have a home: the most imposing stone castle in all of Ireland.

A few weeks later, a hundred tiny bone figurines brought by Cernunnos turn into live cattle, and the magi have their requisite herd. Meanwhile, the two Magic Lynx which Cernunnos brought from the Alps continue to create lyncanium every day, which is used to pay the merchant and his fortnightly provisioning trips, arriving by wagon. The castle is furnished with simple wooden chairs, benches and tables provided by Polumeta's Craft Magic.

By mid-Spring, Alfeva has dismissed Wilhelm from her personal service, earning his frustrated anger. He is replaced by Karolina, the plain-faced daughter of Dobbins, the turb sergeant. Dobbins's position of authority is actually entirely self-appointed; he has more or less taken charge of the regular Grogs (which is to say, all the fighting men who aren't Black Cloaks). He's been trying to get them to fight together, but so far it's slow going. Several of the Grogs need better arms and armor, and they are looked down upon by the Black Cloaks, who consider them misfits and bandits.

Late in the spring, a bard arrives at the castle. This is Coleman Cahir Mac Aland, and he learned of the magi from MacRuder. After a brief interview with Otto, he entertains the magi that evening with a command performance of music, poetry, and song. At dusk, one of the Black Cloaks bursts into the room, alerting the magi to something they "need to see." Everyone files outside and sees that, at the summit of the hill, the long-vanished covenant that was once built on Uisneach has returned, at least in some form. Its broad tower, great hall, and additional buildings appear as if a phantom illusion: pale white and swaying back and forth in the night.

The magi investigate. Within the gates of the great hall, the corpses of warriors can be seen, scattered about the stone floor. Inside the coven folk compound, skeletons are everywhere. Figures can be seen moving atop the wizard's tower, including a phantom bird which is circling the structure. It flies off, and Cernunnos immediately sets off to track it.

The magi consider their options, but it seems they should learn more before entering what they confirm is a Magic Regio. At midnight, the phantom covenant vanishes whence it came.

Summer (Episode 2.02: "Macgnimartha")

Cernunnos did not immediately return, and by morning it was time for Samson to walk the boundary of the covenant's claimed territory. Having practiced all spring, Samson knew what he was capable of and picked a starting point more than ten miles from the Cat-Stone. He walked at his best pace for nearly seventeen hours, except for near the end when, still some distance from his starting point, he had to run. The roughly circular boundary he had marked out had a circumference of 70 miles and a diameter of, on average, 22 miles, actually butting up against the outskirts of the town of Delvin. All the vis sources within this circle are the covenant's to claim... if they can survive long enough to present themselves at Tribunal in the spring.

At sunset, Victor lit the Eye of Balor, and the bonfire drew the attention of much of Ireland. Almost immediately, villagers and farmers came to investigate. The humble preparations Polumeta had begun, anticipating perhaps a few druids, were quickly overwhelmed by the hundreds of Irishmen who arrived with unlit torches. On the hill, they met friends and family who had also come from nearby, camps were made, more people arrived, and by midnight a full fledged festival and party was underway on the hill with visitors from many miles away. In the morning they slowly departed, bearing torches lit by the Eye, though not without some despoiling of the woods and fields atop the hill. But some of the new arrivals decided to stay...

• Aine the Midwife, who recently delivered the Baron Delvin's young son, has been hired by the Baron to spy on the magi. Prompted to investigate at last by the lit fires of the Eye, Aine offered her services as a chirurgeon and herbalist to Victor, who agreed to hire her.

• Maedoc, an Irishman with a magical secret and a cowherd by trade, came also to the hill on Beltane and there saw that the covenant's herd of cattle was untended. He was met by Coleman (one of the few covenfolk who know Gaelic), introduced to a weary Samson, who gave Maedoc the task of guarding the herd.

• And finally there was Sir Blane of Sumerled, a knight of two lineages -- for his father is King of Summer in Fairy land, and his mother's brother is a Scottish lord. Blane's handsome appearance threatened Coleman enough that the bard tried to label Sir Blane a bandit, but Samson warmed to the knight and welcomed him as a guest of the covenant's hospitality.

The ashes left behind by the Eye of Balor was also revealed to be a good source of Ignem vis.

When Cernunnos returned, a brief council was held, and the young beast-magus revealed what he knew: he had tracked the flying bird as long as he could, but it was too fast to keep up with, so Cassandra followed it at a safe distance. They flew fifty miles northeast, over forests and rivers and passing a town, before the mysterious bird -- also a raven -- dipped low beneath the trees. Observed by Cassandra and, thus, by Cernunnos who saw through her eyes, the raven landed on the edge of a hidden spring and turned into the shape of a dark-haired man bearing a staff but otherwise naked. Without hesitation, he dove into the pool of water there and did not re-emerge for over an hour, at which point Cassandra, who could not communicate with Cernunnos, decided to withdraw. Samson brought in Sir Blane to ask his opinion of this, but Blane did not know Hibernia and it did not sound like anything he understood.

Victor introduced Colin McTavish, a merchant with experience dealing with the Order, whom Victor has hired to represent the covenant's financial interests. Acting as their factor, he is to answer to Polumeta. Colin expressed his respect and gratitude to the magi and immediately saw many ways in which he might work to improve the covenant's finances and better outfit the castle in a way more suited to the magi's lavish lifestyle.

Victor also announced that an embassy would arrive at midsummer from Circulus Ruber, the oldest and greatest covenant in Hibernia. This embassy would be led by Archmage Busiran, Victor's grandfather, and Victor recounted the story of how he had been destined to be Busiran's apprentice until fate separated them both and he fell in with the other Alpine Apprentices. Victor was suspicious of Busiran's intentions and warned everyone that he is a schemer and a manipulator of others, so not to be trusted.

The arrival of Sir Blane raised the possibility that the faerie knight might serve as a public face for the covenant in its dealings with William de Lacy, Lord of Meath. But Blane was as yet untested and had not given any reason to be trusted with such an important position. Samson therefore set out to begin that testing and, one day, finding Blane in the practice yard with some of the grogs, Samson challenged Blane to a friendly duel. Both men were highly skilled, and the grogs and covenfolk bet furiously on the outcome of the battle. But after a few passes, Sir Blane was able to slip past Samson's guard and strike him across the head with the flat of his blade. The blow was delivered with amazing, supernatural strength, and Samson was immediately knocked unconscious.

Midsummer: the Embassy from Circulus Ruber

Busiran did not come alone; he was accompanied by a younger magus, Bran of Jerbiton, as well as personal servants and grogs bearing gifts for the covenant. Victor, Samson, and Polumeta met the party at St Patrick's Bed, where Busiran gave a gift of honey from Circulus Ruber and explained the tradition (so that the magi would be prepared at Tribunal in the spring).

The visitors were given a tour of the covenant and, after considerable prompting, were shown the cathach, where it rested in Samson's personal chambers. Samson related the story of how Nemesis was killed ("with my bare hands...") and then the visitors retired to chambers before the planned feast.

But as night fell, Busiran's servant slipped out of the castle and rendezvoused in the forest with a small party of strangers: Sander, a Bonusagus apprentice from the nearby covenant of Praesis; Nualla of Ex Miscellanea, apprenticed at the Hermetic cemetary of Qui Sonant Pro Quieto, and Sorcha of Flambeau, a Lombaird apprentice. Together with three irish warriors to serve them as grogs, they were on their Macgnimartha -- a year of raiding to prove their worth. They had their eyes set on the cathach at Uisneach, and Busiran had agreed to provide them with both intelligence and a distraction. Having drawn them a map and written instructions, he had sent this map with his servant to them at their camp on the wooded slopes of the hill.

While the apprentices planned their raid, the feast began. Sir Blane attempted to flirt with Afleva but his effort was clumsy and awkward, immediately noticed by Coleman, who was prompted into the sudden invention of a satirical poem about the Worst Knight in the World, a bumbling fool whose every conquest was revealed to be an idiotic farce. When he spied a dragon and rushed to fight it, it turned out to be a giant pile of manure. When he won the hand of a beautiful maiden, she turned out to be a one-legged old hag, and so on. Coleman's reputation was greatly enhanced by this hilarious performance, which left everyone laughing except, of course, Sir Blane.

Outside, the apprentices made their move. It was child's play for Nualla, a Siren with magical music, to persuade one of the Black Cloaks to open the gate. Then she swiftly sent him to sleep and the group entered. Leaving two men to guard the way out, Sander and his grog, Nualla, and Sorcha went up the spiral stair from the gatehouse towards Samson's sanctum. But a wandering guard was on the stair ahead of them: Eustace, the covenant's handyman, pressed into emergency guard duty thanks to the increased security of the embassy visit. With permission from Sander, the Irish grog struck quickly and mercilessly with his axe, decapitating Eustace in a single blow.

The group emerged from the stair, facing Samson's chambers and a Black Cloak guarding the cathach. This time the fighting was much more intense. The Irishman's axe could not get past Cornelius's broad shield, but Sander sent the Black Cloak flying with Broom of the Winds. Cornelius hurled his spear at the apprentice, dealing him a heavy wound to the stomach. Regaining his feet, Cornelius was able to stab the Irishman in the neck before Nualla put him to sleep. Sorcha threw open the door to Samson's chambers only to be ravaged by Redwing, who clawed her cheeks to tatters before Sander used Broom of the Winds to disorient the bird. Seizing the cathach in its box, Nualla was barely able to get the large case down to the bottom of the stairs and hand it off to one of the other grogs.

In the feasting hall, Busiran presented gifts, five books brought from the library of Circulus Ruber, the most valuable of which was a beautiful and well-written summa on the Art of Intellego. After the gifts were presented, however, Bran reminded the covenant of its responsibility to defend itself against all challengers, and he declared Certamen against any magus of the covenant. His terms were very serious: if he lost, Bran would serve the winner until the next Tribunal, in the coming Spring. But if Bran won, the loser must leave Uisneach and not return until that same Tribunal. Victor, in his capacity as the leader of the covenant and as Tremere, accepted.

The duel was with Perdo Corpus and the contestants were evenly matched; Victor's Corpus was a little higher, but his Perdo was poor. The two magi attempted to preternaturally age each other in the duelling circle; the battle lasted three rounds, and much Confidence was spent on both sides, but chance turned in Bran's favor and Victor, though he fought to the last, was defeated. Even as Victor collapsed, the alarm was raised by Sir Dobbins, who burst into the great hall to announce that thieves had stolen the cathach, that Eustace was dead, and that one prisoner had been taken, an Irish warrior with a neck wound, currently being tended by Aine the nurse.

The ire of the magi was very great. Samson, Polumeta, and Sir Blane armed themselves for battle, taking all seven of the Black Cloaks. Iovhair proved invaluable for, after locating Redwing and sampling the blood on the falcon's talons, announced he could track the thieves to the end of the earth if need be. They made off north, in hot pursuit.

Sander, Nualla, and Sorcha had a plan: if they could reach the Slighe Assail, north of Uisneach, they could bargain with the faerie guardian there and travel swiftly and safely into Connacht and, thus, beyond Hermetic justice. But the covenant forces were onto them and could not be shaken. Sander, whose injuries were kept in check with a spontaneous spell from Nualla, volunteered to stay behind and slow pursuit. The women took one grog with them to carry the cathach. As the pursuers grew close, Sander took cover in a copse of trees and attacked with Charge of the Angry Winds, unhorsing Samson and Blane and sending three of the Black Cloaks flying. But Polumeta kept her footing and used a low level spontaneous magic to drop a wagon load of dirt on top of Sander, disrupting his concentration. Samson ordered the thief taken alive, the Black Cloaks closed in, and Sander surrendered.

Samson, Blane, Iovhair and two of the Black Cloaks continued in pursuit, for Iovhair could still smell Sorcha's blood, though he did not know precisely who his quarry was. This time, it was the Irish grog who volunteered to stay behind. "All they want is the box," he said. "I'll stay and let them have it; you two keep running." This Nualla and the injured Sorcha agreed to, and together they made their way to the Faerie trod. When he was caught, the Irish grog surrendered without a fight and Samson secured the cathach, returning to the castle with the Black Cloaks and ordering Blane to continue on with Iovhair.

But Nualla, when she saw the knight and the huntsman coming, was able to keep him away with Siren Song, at least temporarily. Separated from Iovhair, Blane was thus lost in the darkness and the wild countryside. Eventually he found his way back to the covenant, where he found Sander being questioned by Alfeva and having his wounds tended by Aine.

Sander told the whole story, including Busiran's involvement, without hiding anything. When Alfeva told him that Polumeta was insisting the captured Irishman be hung for the killing of Eustace, Sander gave his permission for that execution to occur. Alfeva made a report to the other magi, praising Sander for being forthcoming and honest, and suggesting that this sort of thing is just how it is in Hibernia, and they'd better all start getting used to conflict of this sort. If they wanted a quiet life, they should have stayed in the Greater Alps (though, as Samson pointed out, that was a choice they never actually had). By morning, Sander's grog was dead.

Iovhair, however, did not return. After a few days, Caera arrived at the covenant to tell a strange story: her master had followed Nualla and Sorcha to the faerie trod and, thence, to its end in Connacht. Not being a Hermetic magus, Iovhair did not feel obliged to turn back from the Connacht border, and the road ended at Rathcrogan, the lair of the legendary fairy, Queen Meadbh. Rathcrogan was crawling with monsters, beasts, and faerie folk. Meadbh found them, and commanded Iovhair to become her huntsman. Strangely, for reasons Caera does not really understand, Iovhair felt obliged to obey this command. He released Caera from his service, asking her to return to Uisneach to tell everyone what happened and give his love to Myrna whom, he said, "No longer needed my guardianship."

It takes a while for Victor to recover from Certamen; by the time he does, Alfred has his belongings ready for travel. Colin meets briefly with him, and most of the magi meet him at the gate shortly before dawn. He assures Polumeta he is returning. Innocentius gives him a respectful nod and says, "Be careful out there, Victor." Alfeva takes him aside and they speak for a minute in quiet tones; she puts a hand on his arm. He walks away.

Samson approaches and suggests the positive side of Victor's "banishment." He will have a chance to reacquaint himself with his homeland. Samson speaks wistfully of Normandy and how a part of him longs to have the opportunity Victor has been given. He asks for any last words of advice.

"Don't worry about me," Victor replies. "When Bran forced me to leave, he deprived me of access to my laboratory, library, and vis, and thus my magical power. That violates the Code, which Certamen cannot do. Unless Bran wishes to be brought up on charges in the spring, he must ensure I do not suffer a loss of magical power, and that means Circulus Ruber will have to give me access to a laboratory, vis, and a library at least as good as I would have had here."

Shouldering his pack, his last words are, "You'll hear from me soon."

Over the next six weeks, Sander's stomach wound worsened. By the end of summer, he had in no way healed and Aine believed he might die.

Scenes from the Hill

• • The stone tower on the east side of the hill is refurbished with wooden floors, roof, and interior ladder. It is named Donall's Watch and the names of Donall and Eustace are inscribed on its cornerstone. One guard is stationed there at all times.

  • Jenny confides to Polumeta, one afternoon at luncheon, that the men of the covenant are competing for her attention. She has set her sights on Gregory, who among the grogs is the most well-spoken and also one of the distinguished fighters.

  • Profundus has begun a garden in the forested area around St Patrick's Church. He spends much time in conversation with Sander, the new Irish grogs, and with the teamsters who deliver the covenant's supplies from Devlin.

  • Henri and Constance have been seen spending their off-duty hours together, sitting by the stream and conversing in soft tones.

  • Gero the Gnome has constructed a simple blacksmithy inside the bailey, up against the castle wall. His hammer can be heard ringing throughout the day.

  • Benedict has come under ridicule for crying while on sentry duty, atop the castle walls. "I couldn't help it," he exclaims. "It was just so beautiful, the sight of this green country, all laid out in every direction." After his confession, a few other covenfolk confessed that they, too, have looked out from the castle walls and cried at the sight.

  • Alfred has left the covenant with his master, Victor.

  • Cornelius, who fought off the raiding apprentices in front of Samson's door, is lauded by his fellow Black Cloaks and is made Darius's second in command. Lucius, however, who was put to sleep by Nuala's magic, is hazed for a week, punished with extra chores and humiliating tasks.

  • A monk, introducing himself as Brother Cormac, arrives from the nearby town of Clonmacnoise. He carries a letter from Polumeta asking the local bishop to send a priest to see to the spiritual needs of the new community, and a letter from said bishop empowering Cormac Ui Mael Sechlainn to be that priest. Cormac beds (along with many others) in the great hall until such a time as a church can be built.

  • Soon after his arrival, Cormac presides over the burial of both Eustace and Sander's shield grog, whose bodies have been preserved with magic; since there is no cemetery yet designated, they are buried adjacent to the ruined foundation of St Patrick's church.

  • Otto is looking for more soldiers to fill out the turb. Many Irishmen came to Uisneach on Beltane, and he has hired four of them as grogs. Their names are Eochu, Lugaid, Moenach and Niall.

  • Coleman, in his many trips to Trim Castle, hears the townsfolk and the court gossiping about all the wondrous things the wizards of Uisneach have done: slain a dragon, killed the king of the vampires, made bargains with the ghosts of six dead Irish kings, enlisted the support of a faerie knight, fought off an attack by druids, turned their soldiers into giants, and so on. Everyone seems to agree that interfering with the wizards would be poking a huge hornet's nest and, if the Lord of Meath were at all smart, he'd just leave them alone.

  • Everyone is looking forward to Tailten Fair, one of the great markets of Ireland, which takes place on the first day of Autumn (the feast of Lammas) a long day's ride from the covenant, to the northeast.

Autumn: Episode 2.03 "To the Dark Tower"

Two days before the onset of fall, Brogan Breen, the blind Recap, arrived with her dog Conan and a parcel of mail. Welcomed by the covenant, she had letters for Cernunnos (from his former master Kentigern), Polumeta (from Sander's master, Cesaire of Bonisagus), Samson (from his former tutor in Normandy, and from his father the Baron de la Croix), and for the Council. This last was from Victor, who had sent along a casting tablet of Aegis of the Hearth, written in his own hand. The magi briefly debated whether or not to use the tablet, and voted in favor, with Innocentius performing the ritual the following morning.

As all the magi walked the boundary of the castle, Innocentius invoked Balor of the Evil Eye, Cichol the Footless, Indech, Domnu and other Fomori, ancient magical beings who have fled most of Hibernia and now dwell solely on the Connacht coast or else in the Magic realm. Polumeta grew angry at these pagan invocations, and Coleman prophesied doom, but Innocentius was able to cast the Aegis with a reasonable -- though not ideal -- Penetration.

Aegis of the Hearth

The castle's outer wall is protected with a level 25 Aegis of the Hearth with Penetration of +17. This means that supernatural creatures with Might of 17 or less cannot enter. Anyone who enters, regardless of Might, has a -12 on die rolls for supernatural powers. The Aegis was cast on the last day of summer, or Lammas Eve.

Many covenfolk set out for Tailten Fair, including Colin and Maedoc, Aine, Brogan, and two magi, Cernunnos and Polumeta. The Fair was the largest they had seen since the Hermetic Fair in the Alps: there were horse races, wrestling events, and merchants from throughout the British Isles selling their wares. A temporary Mercer House had been set up, a magical pavilion where Redcaps made magi comfortable and helped them enjoy the fair. Several magi from other covenants were visiting, including Cesaire of Bonisagus from Praesis, Dalton Ballaugh from Lambaird, Styrbjorn from Cliffheart, and Oswald from Elk's Run.

Colin spent the Fair lining up a more profitable contract for the covenant's lyncanium supplies. Maedoc inspected the cattle herds for good animals to buy, while also recruiting some laborers to help him tend the animals. Aine met with the Baron at the horse racing yards, and was flustered when he asked her what she had learned about these wizards in their castle. The Baron urged her to "find something I can use against them," but Aine realized she had come to like these wizards and their folk, and was not too keen on actually helping the Baron any more. Nevertheless, she took his silver and used it to buy supplies for her burgeoning hospital back in the castle.

Cernunnos met with Dalton, who had come to the fair selling magical hounds, hawks, and horses, all neutered but with special traits (the horses and hawks were Unaffected by the Gift while the hounds could sniff out vis with Magic Sensitivity). Introducing himself as Kentigern's filius, Cernunnos got a warm welcome and was regaled with a few stories about Kentigern's time in Hibernia, two decades ago when Dalton was a newly-Gauntleted magus. He learned a little about the Beastmasters of Hibernia, including Dalton's father, now Kennel Master to the King of Briefne. Dalton suggested the magi of Cernunnos's new covenant could come to visit Lambaird, and an invitation would be extended at Tribunal in the spring, provided the young magi survived that long, Hibernia being Hibernia.

Polumeta talked shop with Styrbjorn, a scandinavian Verditius of the Confraternity of Roland who was at the fair looking for commissions.

Brogan, who was looking for a healer to aid the dying Sander, met with Oswald, keeper of the greatest Hermetic library in Hibernia, and introduced him to Polumeta. Oswald was especially keen to inspect the library of the new covenant when he heard they had come from the Alps, where they might have acquired books that were not yet in his collection. He suggested he would meet with their librarian, Alfeva, at Tribunal and arrange a time when he might come to their covenant and inspect the collection himself. If he found anything he could use, he would propose a trade.

Colin's hopes to sign a lucrative trade deal were nearly dashed when his pouch of lyncanium stones, painstakingly assembled by Gero over the summer, was stolen by a mysterious man. He alerted Aine and Brogan to the theft and Conan took off in pursuit. They found the man inspecting the stones and Aine, fast as an eel, ran up and knocked all the loose stones out of his palm. The thief fled and escaped, but not before a glance over his shoulder revealed strangely florid purple eyes ... (long time watchers of the show will recognize Stargard the Amaranth addict). With the stones recovered, Colin was able to strike a deal which gave exclusive lyncanium rights to a Hibernian merchant for better rates than the covenant had previously enjoyed. Most of the lyncanium would, however, continue to go unsold. He exchanged Muto vis for Alfeva, as she requested, and picked up her order of forty mundane books for the library. Finally, he went looking for a cook and found Colette, the former chef to the King of France (or so she said), who had been exiled from the land and was now here, looking for work. Once Colin agreed to put up the 5£ required to outfit a kitchen in a manner Colette was accustomed to, she agreed to come work for the wizards.

Polumeta finished off the fair by buying a pair of simple enchanted items for sale at the Mercer House: a pair of silver divining rods which gave off a ringing tone when vis was near, and a stone swan figurine which heats water into which it is placed.

September: The de la Croix

Soon after, Josse de la Croix, Samson's elder and more handsome brother, arrived with a small party, twelve all told, including two vassal knights, pages, squires, a herald, messenger, and cook. They were met by Samson, Sir Blane (now officially Turb Captain), Sgt Dobbins, and a few of the Black Cloaks. Josse appeared ready to camp outside the castle but Samson invited him in instead, and the visitors were provided with simple accommodations. A feast was held, with Josse's chef suffering under the imperious command of Colette. (Josse suggested that Colette had, in fact, been accused of witchcraft and trying to assassinate the king with poison.) Seated at the high table with the magi and custos, Josse learned much about the magi, the Order, and their abilities, including this thing called "vis" which, apparently, they used as currency and to fuel their magic. The idea of creating a castle as strong as the one on Uisneach seemed very appealing to Josse, though Polumeta was not inclined to do it for him, whatever the price.

After the feast, Samson and his brother conferred in Samson's sanctum, where he showed off the skull of Nemesis and asked what Josse wanted of him. Josse explained that he was here to gather information on what the wizards needed and what they could provide, and he would take Rene's offer back to their father, for him to make the final decision. While Josse was often condescending and sarcastic, at times he was jovial and encouraging (in his way), suggesting Rene solve his financial woes by taking a wealthy heiress to wife. This, after all, had worked well for Josse himself. But the gulf of time was too great between the two brothers, and they were unable to really relate to each other in any real way. Josse and his party settled in for a long stay at the castle, and his eyes strayed often to Alfeva, the alluring Saxon maga.

In mid-September, Sander's injuries worsened to the point where he began to die. Alfeva revealed to the council her plan to use the covenant's casting table for Incantation of the Body Made Whole and 8 pawns of Corpus vis secured for her by Colin at Tailten Fair to heal Sander's wounds. Innocentius suggested the covenant bill him for the vis, as "we have bills to pay, and I'm sure he'd rather owe vis than be dead." Alfeva voted against this proposal, as it was her vis and she admired Sander, but Samson sided with Innocentius and the rest of the council abstained, so the motion passed. It took two hours for Alfeva to perform the ritual over Sander's bed, and Samson ensured that Josse was present to see it all. In the end, Sander was healed of all his wounds, fully recovered but now in debt to the covenant for 8 pawns of vis, which might be worked off in seasons of service.

October: To the Dark Tower

In October, the magi were dining when a horn announced a group of riders approaching. It was three knights and a squire, and the lead knight introduced himself as Sir Erwan, the second son of one of Walter de Lacy's chief vassals. From the castle gates, Erwan shouted up to the magi on the walls that he had received a vision that the wizards in their castle would prove the ruin of his father and all their lands, and he had come to slay them all in single combat. The magi enjoyed a hearty laugh, but were eventually forced to decide what to do about this knight, who had serious political connections.

Rather than allow Erwan into the castle, they agreed to parley with him on the road, and both groups met where the southern road off the Hill meets the Escir Riada. Samson, Cernunnos, Sir Blane, and Coleman were all present. Erwan would not elaborate on his vision and treated his mission to kill the wizards very seriously, though the magi found the whole thing more than a little ridiculous. When Cernunnos pointed out that the wizards included women, Erwan announced he had not come to murder defenseless women, and they would be permitted to choose a champion to fight on their behalf. He seemed perfectly willing to fight all the magi (or their champions) one at a time, until he was dead or they were.

After a brief conversation, during which Cernunnos pledged that the magi had no issue with he or his father, Erwan's squire, Andru, who seemed strangely eager to avoid a fight, suggested that perhaps the wizards could be exiled instead of killed. To this, Erwan relented. The magi presumed that he, too, thus agreed to be exiled if he lost, but to Erwan, the fight would end only in his death or victory. Samson took the first bout and, though both warriors were evenly matched, fortune was on Samson's side. He dealt Sir Erwan a moderate wound, breaking a rib with a heavy stroke from the Dawnsword, blunted by Sir Erwan's mail. Erwan fought on, managing a light wound on Samson, but at this point Andru tried to break up the fight and Sir Blane's soft heart began to feel for the wounded knight. Blane put himself in the way between the two fighters and Erwan's vassal knights supported their injured lord.

Erwan allowed himself to be pulled away, but he swore he would return with soldiers.

A few days later, Josse and his party left for Normandy. Before he left, Samson made his proposal: he would make a longevity ritual for his father, extending his life by decades. In exchange, the Baron de la Croix would lend material support to the new covenant. The exact details of that support, however, remained to be worked out. Josse took Rene's proposal -- and his own observations of the magi and their resources -- back to Normandy.

Scenes from the Hill

• • Profundus continues his Latin instruction of the covenfolk and grogs. Newcomers to the covenant have Latin 2 (covenfolk), while veterans have at least 3 (covenfolk). Everyone can communicate with everyone else in Latin, though newcomers have many difficulties.

  • Sir Blane has taught Benedict the archer how to use a sword.

  • Thanks to the new Divining Rods, the covenant has figured out that the sudden tears which occasionally strike those taking in the view from atop the Hill actually contain Intellego vis.

  • Brother Cormac seems to be doing well with the bees; small amounts of delicious honey begin to appear in meals served at the high table.

  • Aine has outfitted an entire floor of one tower as a hospital. It is well stocked with herbs and other ingredients from nature.

  • Sander spends the last half of Autumn lingering around the covenant before returning to Praesis in time for his Gauntlet this coming Winter.

  • Alfeva brings in the magi and custos and shows them the library, which is contained in an Excellent quality armarius, a sturdy book cabinet with locking double doors. The armarius is housed in the council chamber. It is protected with a magic circle physically inscribed into the stone of the floor. The covenant's entire book collection fits inside this single cabinet. It includes a large number of authoritative texts on mundane topics. See the library page for details.

  • Brother Cormac asks the magi to build a church. He suggests it be constructed on the ruins of St Patrick's church. (This area is already a Divine aura.)

  • The new cook, whose name is Colette (she occasionally allows people she likes to call her Coco; unfortunately, she doesn't seem to like anyone) refuses to learn Latin ("I haven't the time and, besides, Latin is such an ugly language compared to French"), makes exorbitant demands from Colin to purchase rare delicacies from Europe and spices from the East, and creates without question the best meals any of you have ever tasted.

  • The cathach has been moved to Donall's Watch, where two Black Cloaks are stationed at all times. This leaves only 7 other grogs on duty at any one time, usually in the castle but occasionally guarding magi or on other tasks.

  • Various wooden buildings have been constructed inside the castle bailey, including a two-story silversmithy, blacksmithy, weaving shop, and a stonemason hall. Craftsmen live atop their workshops, a rare privacy in the covenant.

  • At the end of August, a journeyman carpenter arrives at the castle from Trim. There is no workshop for him yet, so he sleeps in the Great Hall.

  • A small cabin has been built adjoining the stockyard, where the laborers rest. Some of them sleep out there.

  • Most of the grogs and servants sleep in the Great Hall at night.

  • Alfeva reports to the council that she has begun surreptitiously screening all the laborers, servants, teamsters, and Irish fighting Grogs to determine their loyalty. Using Posing the Silent Question, she asks if they serve anyone other than the covenant. To her relief, she has found no spies.

Winter: Episode 2.04, "A Neglected Son of Genius"

In midwinter, the covenant came under attack by a horde of giant spiders, spiders which had previously been seen only singly on and around the hill. Although there was much violence, and many covenfolk were in peril, there were no fatalities and serious injuries were few. The attack has left many questions, however.

Early in the season, Coleman the Bard related to the magi the tale of the Third Battle of Moytirra, when an alliance of good wizards, aided by hedge magicians from Connacht, defeated a clan of evil wizards and their Fomori allies at a place called Lugh's Retreat. Coleman had determined, after conversation with Cassandra, that this is where the shapeshifted magus from the haunted covenant fled after Cernunnos followed him from Uisneach in the beginning of the year. The other magi instantly recognized this tale as somehow part of the Schism War, when the Order hunted down and destroyed House Diedne, but they were unsure what this might mean or how to proceed.

The first encounter with the spiders appears to have been when Sir Blane, Cernunnos, Brother Cormac and Profundus were attacked near the ruins of St Patrick's Church. Most of the attacking spiders were small, relative to what would be seen later, with bodies about the size of a human head (Siz -4). They were unable to cross Cernunnos's wards, but a larger variant, with a body about the size of a teenager (Siz -1) was. Cernunnos was bitten by one of the smallest spiders, but its venom -- which had a magical effect of some sort -- was resisted by his Parma and well-trained Art of Animal. After routing some of the spiders, Blane began to escort Profundus back towards the castle while Cernunnos and Brother Cormac made for Donal's Watch.

Meanwhile, Maedoc the Cowherd was alerted by his fellow ranchers that a spider had been seen feasting on a dead cow. The cows like to graze in a particular field where white flowers grow, and one got away to eat there, where it was apparently killed by a spider. The cowherders being armed only with knives, Maedoc went to investigate. But when he got there, he saw many spiders, not just one, and the creatures attacked in large groups, biting not just him but also the cowherders. Fighting for his life and the lives of others, Maedoc gave in to his battle frenzy and transformed into a terrifying monster as his herders fled for their lives. It was simple for Maedoc to kill the spiders, but they scattered and fled, leaving him to resume his mortal form, wearily pick up his discarded clothing, and walk back to the castle.

Atop the castle walls, Benedict spied Maedoc's giant, two-headed, monstrous form and shouted an alarm. From the parapets, monstrous spiders of various size could be seen all over the hill. Just outside the gates, the covenant's servant women were washing clothes in the stream, and Polumeta commanded Yanick to take Samson's horse and bring the women inside the gates. The turb rose to alert, and those who were off duty rushed to their arms and armor. Samson donned his mail as Alfeva, suspecting a distraction, took to her broom and flew towards Donal's Watch and the cathach. The covenfolk began an orderly retreat into the Great Hall.

Adopting the shape of a bat, Myrna flew to assist Yanick, but when she tried to land on the back of his horse, the lad and his horse panicked. Yanick fell hard to the ground, sustaining a head wound, while Myrna struggled to control the frenzied horse. Samson arrived and adopted giant size to stand between the washer women and the horde of spiders who were floating across the lake to attack them. Polumeta slowed them by summoning copious amounts of dirt which, although it did not penetrate their Magic Resistance, did sink the brush and driftwood upon which they were riding, buying everyone some time. The women fled, led by Karolina, Dobbins daughter and a former bandit. Myrna's servant girl, the young Maria, was too small to stay with the others and Samson rescued her. Myrna was able to flee, the women took the injured Yanick with them, and everyone retreated into the castle, but Samson's horse was eaten by spiders.

The spiders evidenced strange behavior. One had apparently chewed on the rocks near St Patrick's Church, while a large one was perched atop the Stone of Division and appeared to be trying to eat it as well. Since the Stone is the tether for the hill's magical aura, the magi were alarmed and began to muster a sortie out of the castle to defend the stone.

Meanwhile, at Donal's Watch, the largest spiders yet seen (Size +1) led groups of their fellows in an attack on the tower. Marius and Titus were on duty, and took up their spears at the door to the tower as the largest spider used its bulk to break the door down. They fought it off, killing it with repeated spear-thrusts, as Alfeva arrived and blew most of the spiders off the tower using Auram magic. She fought her way to the Black Cloaks with Pilum of Fire and helped the pair rout the other attacking spiders.

Before a sortie from the castle could set out, Sir Blane and Profundus came across the Stone of Division, and Blane bravely stepped forth to defeat the spiders himself. Their claws and fangs were no match for his sturdy armor, and with his superior skill he easily slaughtered them, even the largest, while Profundus hid in the woods.

But the mass of spiders had now gathered around the covenant, where the Aegis kept most of them at bay. Most, but not all. A half-dozen of the large ones (Size +1), led now by a truly monstrous creature bigger than the biggest horse (Siz +4) were able to cross the Aegis. Crawling up the back side of the castle, the swarm made for Innocentius's Tower while the largest abomination made a frontal attack on the Great Hall.

The turb rallied and, under Sgt Dobbins command, the grogs made a concerted charge on the swarm of spiders probing the tower. With courage and skill they pinned the spiders with their shields and quickly incapacitated them with axe and sword. Maedoc helped to finish them off. At the Great Hall, Samson adopted giant size again and hewed the spider repeatedly, eventually killing it with help from Polumeta, who used Herbam magic to hurl spears and axes from afar.

When all was over, dozens of spiders were dead, though most of the small ones fled. All the vis which had gathered at the Stone of Division, at Eire's burial place, in the crumbling stones and in the gorse plants around the hill, was gone, consumed by the spiders. This, however, did not turn out to be much vis, since Innocentius had been collecting all this vis and storing it in his sanctum. More than 60 pawns of Animal vis was recovered from the eyes of the spiders, a task Innocentius completed over the week that followed. Yanick's head wound was the most serious injury but, with supervision from Aine, the boy was fully recovered by the year's end.

Word spread of Maedoc's battle fury, sure sign of Fir Bolg descent. Most of the Irish at the covenant saw this as a blessing, albeit a mixed one, but those who had come with the magi from the Alps thought Maedoc dangerous and deserving of exile from the covenant. Cernunnos and Blane both spent considerable time on the hill searching for clues to the spider's nature, but they have vanished. No sign of their lair was to be found. The council voted to use the treasure of Animal vis to repay most of the debt owed to various magi who had donated books to the library.

Having successfully defended the cathach for a year, the magi began making plans for the Hibernian Tribunal of 1221, to take place at the nearby Hill of Tara.

Scenes from the Hill

• • By the end of winter, five Irishmen have arrived and volunteered to serve the covenant as hunters, driven solely by a desire to be in the company of "Maedoc the Mighty." Others, however, call him "Maedoc the Monstrous."

  • Four more Irish warriors are recruited by Otto and join the turb. The Irish warriors are armed with axes, wear partial leather armor, and carry simple wooden shields, so they are poorly armed compared to the rest of the turb.

  • The castle is still very empty, but those portions of it which are used are now becoming more decorated and less bare. Tapestries begin to be seen on the walls and carpets on the floor.

  • Yanick completely recovers from his head wound by the end of the season.

  • Lightning and thunder storms are seen around Myrna's tower. These storms seem to coincide with visits by Alfeva.

  • After the attack of the spiders, Gero begins work on an iron ring to encircle the Stone of Division. Because the Stone is almost twenty feet high and broad, the ring is made in four pieces, each about eight feet long, six inches wide, and very heavy. At the end of winter, Gero, Polumeta, and Cernunnos carry these four pieces out to the Stone, where they are assembled into a metal circle around the Stone. Cernunnos then casts a ward to keep out magical beasts.

  • Cernunnos (with his hounds) and Blane (on horseback) are seen patrolling the Hill and its environs in the weeks after the spider attack. No more spiders are seen, and no trace of their lair is discovered.

  • Cernunnos draws wards into the stone and wooden floors of Donal's Watch, protecting both floors against magical and mundane animals.

  • One evening, as everyone is dining, Decimus Marius rises and toasts "the brave Sergeant and his skilled fighting men," lifting his mug of wine to the Alpine grogs who fought so successfully in the spider attack. This is, by far, the nicest thing Marius has ever said about any of the turb, and a new understanding seems to exist between the factions. The Black Cloaks continue to consider themselves better than everyone, but they acknowledge at least that Dobbins and his men are good for something other than drinking and stealing.

  • At the end of winter, brass braziers are installed in the castle yard and on the second floor of Donal's Watch. On Christmas morning, as the covenfolk gather for song led by Brother Cormac, the brazier in the yard bursts spontaneously into flame. This is a new signal fire created by Samson; it allows guards at Donal's Watch to signal the castle at any sign of danger. It is ordered that the brazier in the castle yard must be kept filled with dry brush at all times, so that any signal fire will catch.