1226

At the end of spring, many magi of Cor Draconis received letters with news: a group of newly Gauntleted magi from Stonehenge, led by a more mature magus from the continent, had come to Hibernia to found a new covenant. They had settled at Ballynoe, in a stone circle with a useful Magic Aura, and were calling themselves the covenant of Mournemount. Pollices of Ashenrise wrote to Samson, Alfeva, and Lucien inviting them to come and help him defend Mournemount from the inevitable attack by Irish wizard's. Meanwhile, Einri of Vigil wrote to Cernunnos, Myrna, and Sander inviting them to participate in a coordinated effort to keep more English magi out of the tribunal. Both letters promised lavish rewards if their side was to prove victorious -- if Mournemount should, or should not, be recognized as a new covenant at the upcoming Regional Tribunal.

Reactions to the letters, and to the situation, were mixed. Samson immediately packed up Pie and left for Mournemount without a word to anyone, followed by Zut; when Polumeta found out, she called the Council and the matter was discussed. Since it was going to be impossible to get the Council to agree on a single policy, Victor urged everyone to "follow their conscience" and do as they thought best. Polumeta announced her plan to follow Samson, not so much to get involved in the fight, but to protect Samson and urge him to return home. Lucien agreed to go with her as a neutral non-combatant and healer. Sander, disappointed at Victor's lack of commitment to Hibernian ways, left in silence. Polumeta and Lucien loaded up the little blue wagon and departed the next day.

Cernunnos sought out Maedoc, an experienced cattle raider, and together with Colin the Factor a plan was hatched to steal Mournemount's cattle. Myrna decided to tag along. They left Cor Draconis with a small party made up of Colin's three bodyguards, Maedoc's herdsmen, and assorted hounds and shield grogs.

Soon, Sorcha of Lambaird arrived on horse, intent on persuading Sander to join her in the raiding of Mournemount. "The Triad must ride again!" she insisted, referring to she, Sander, and Nuala, who had raided Cor Draconis six years before. Sander, against his better judgement, and perhaps lured by Sorcha's vivacious personality and sexual attraction, begrudgingly agreed to go. They reached Qui Sonant and persuaded Nuala to join them, though she also insisted on coming along solely as a healer and non-combatant.

As the various groups made their way to Mournemount, three Irish magi had made a camp about a mile from the covenant. They were led by Einri of Vigil, a great hunter and Princeps of his covenant, and included Cosrach the Victorious from the Cliffheart and Bran of Jerbiton, a young magus of Praesis who knew the magi of Cor Draconis from 1220, when he successfully dueled Victor in Certamen, forcing the young Tremere out of his covenant for almost a full year. Bran tried to persuade Samson to join the Irish magi in upholding Hibernian ways, but Samson would have none of it and continued on to find the tower at Mournemount and the magi who dwelt there: Epicurus of Verditius was an expert in crafting of magical food and drink; Sabine ex Miscellanea was of the lineage of Pralix and had come to Hibernia to integrate the surviving Druids into the Order; Proteus Niger was an ex Miscellanea and shapeshifter; Octa of Criamon was a woman suffering under a curse that made her say everything backwards; and, finally, Glaucon was a Merinita illusionist. They had been joined by Pollices of Jerbiton, from Ashenrise, who had brought along Sir Lucan, an English knight, and five men-at-arms.

Samson and the other English magi were joined by Polumeta, Lucien, and their servants and guards. They too had passed by the Irish camp, and Polumeta tried almost at once to try to convince Samson to avoid politics -- since it was now clear that this was about more than a bunch of young magi trying to found a covenant. But Samson insisted that he was here to help reform the Hibernian peripheral code, and that could only be done with Mournemount's founding. In the meantime, Samson had already contributed to the defense of the new covenant by digging a trench around its perimeter. The magi saw Mournemount's cathach: the Stone Table, about 10' in diameter, brought from Wales. Around it were a dozen sleeping warriors, their long hair white with age. Atop the table was a small silver bell. Sabine told them all the story of how she had found the table and they had stolen it by shrinking it with an enchanted wand, keeping the warriors asleep with a magic ring that ensured the bell could not make a sound. The warriors had remained asleep all the way from Wales, and the magi had put up a pavilion around the table, outside the Aegis.

Meanwhile, Cernunnos, Sander, Nuala, Sorcha, Myrna, Maedoc, Colin, and all their servants and guards had turned the small Irish camp into a party. Eventually Einri led all of them to the edge of Mournemount's Aegis, where he was met by the assembled English magi. Einri gave a brief speech in which he urged the young magi from Stonehenge to find another, more welcoming, tribunal for their new covenant. "Did you toil for fifteen years only to die here?" No one was persuaded. In fact, Samson taunted him, trying to provoke Certamen. Einri did, in fact, challenge Certamen, but not to Samson in specific; rather, he challenged the entire group of English to select one champion among them and he would duel that magus. The loser would be exiled from Hibernia until Tribunal in the spring. Cernunnos challenged Samson, knowing that, if he could force Samson off the field, all the other Cor Draconis magi with him would also depart. Epicurus asked until morning for his group to pick their champion, Einri agreed to this, and the two groups returned to their respective camps.

That evening a council was held in Mournemount and Epicurus insisted on taking the challenge from Einri. Samson had his own duel to fight, Pollices was not willing to take the job, and this is what Epicurus was for, as a more senior magus among the newly-Gauntleted folk from Stonehenge. At dawn, Epicurus passed out bread and wine, suggesting it be eaten before the magi all raise their Parma, but he did not reveal that what they had eaten was his Before-Battle Bread, making them immune to the effects of wounds and fatigue, and what they had drunk was his Beer of Bravery, giving them all Brave +3 for the day.

The two groups remet at the Aegis. Epicurus and Einri dueled first, but the battle was anticlimactic. Choosing Muto Aquam as their Arts, Einri was able to seize the initiative and, burning a handful of vis, got a lucky first strike and left Epicurus unconscious before he even got a chance to attack.

The second duel, between Samson and Cernunnos, took much longer. Much, much longer. Samson chose Ignem. Cernunnos chose Intellego, and they conjured a phantom flame from which shocking visions appeared. Samson, fighting in the style of the Hoplomachus, and buttressed by the Before Battle Bread, was able to withstand attacks that would otherwise have defeated him. After many rounds of combat, both magi were on the edge of defeat when Samson got the final blow. But even as Cernunnos collapsed, Pollices's Raven familiar let out a cry: the Irish were stealing the cattle!

While the duels had been going on, Myrna, Maedoc, Colin and their men had moved through the woods to the edge of Mournemount, crept down and up the trench Samson had dug, and Maedoc had charged the cattle pen and ripped one section off, allowing the other herdsmen to begin leading the cattle out the far side of the covenant. But two men-at-arms were on guard and charged him. Maedoc slipped on a cow patty (botching his defense roll) and was cut down by the soldiers. Colin's three guards, known to fans as Larry, Moe, and Curly, charged in and battled with the men-at-arms. Myrna moved into rescue Maedoc. This was when Cernunnos finally succumbed to Certamen and the raid was spotted.

The episode paused with a cliffhanger ending.

The Cattle Raid of Mournemount was a chaotic mass of magi, Black Cloaks, Irish cattle herders, English men-at-arms, and cattle. Without describing every ebb and flow of the action, it may be enough to say that Maedoc was rescued by Myrna, Lucien, and Nuala. Maedoc's men made off with the cattle, but three of them fell in battle: one struck down with apoplexy by Pollices, one eaten by Proteus Niger who turned into a giant lion, and one lifted high into the air and dropped by Octa of Criamon. Many of the cattle were kept inside the Aegis when Zut set trees in the escape route ablaze and Samson dug a trench to corral the animals in. Sir Lucan led the men-at-arms out to catch the cattle, allowing Larry, Moe and Curly to escape, wounded. Sander's Charge of the Angry Winds proved decisive in keeping everyone busy long enough for the raid to get away. Einri, Cosrach, and Bran had decided to let the young magi raid without interference from their elders, and had retreated with Cernunnos's body to their camp, where they were prepared to defend whatever cattle the raiders managed to take.

But the fighting was cut short when Mournemount received help from an unanticipated source: Cesaire of Bonisagus, Sander's parens and a magus of Praesis, flew onto the scene and immobilized his former apprentice with giant stony hands. By now about two thirds of the cattle herd was out in the woods somewhere. Lucien, Myrna, and Nuala were disgusted with the whole business, put Maedoc's body into the blue wagon, and promptly left, never to return. Sander and Sorcha eventually got back to camp, where the two surviving herdsmen arrived with about 100 head of cattle -- 1/3 of Mournemount's total herd. All the Mournemount grogs were out recapturing cattle, greatly assisted by Samson and Polumeta, Proteus and Pollices, all of whom had some skill at handling animals. Sander, Sorcha, and Colin returned to Cor Draconis with the cattle they had taken. Cernunnos awoke from his Certamen loss and, holding to the conditions of his duel, left for Cor Draconis.

Again, Polumeta pleaded with Samson to abandon this fight and return with her to Cor Draconis. Again, he refused. This time, she left without him. As she walked through the woods with her guard and servants, she heard a woman's scream and turned to run towards it. As she ran into a small clearing, she saw a young woman -- about 18 -- clinging to a tree and screaming in terror. But she was not alone: Einri, Cosrach and Bran also heard the scream and came and, surprisingly, so had Sir Blane, who had been summoned to Mournemount by Nuala but arrived after the young maga had already left.

Together, the magi and Sir Blane heard the girl's story. She gave her name as Una discipula Oswald of Bonisagus; she was an apprentice at the covenant of Elk's Run. She had come with four other apprentices and their five shield grogs to steal the Mournemount cathach. They were: Bressal discipulus Dalton of Flambeau (their leader, from Lambaird), Mordach Mor discipulus Brian (a giant, also from Lambaird), Stendahl discipula Oswald (Oswald's slightly older and favored apprentice), and Seneca discipula Ballack (from Praesis).

The group had quietly slain the two men-at-arms guarding the cathach pavilion, and then snuck inside, seeing the stone table for the first time. They debated what to do before Stendahl uses spontaneous magic to silence the bell long enough to Una to remove it from the table and set it aside. Then they tried to shrink the table but, despite a heroic effort from Mordach, they ultimately failed. But what the apprentices did not know was the silver bell had a magical effect compelling those nearby to ring it; without Parma, the apprentices were subject to this effect and Seneca fell victim to it. Even he could not explain why he rang the bell, but when he did, one of the sleeping warriors rose his head and asked, "Is it time?"

"No, it's not time!" Stendahl replied, as quick as he could.

"Then we are woke too soon," was the reply. And the twelve sleeping warriors rose, and began to slay everyone in the pavilion. In seconds, Una saw the shield grogs and two of her companions struck down. She fled at once, and ran till she was exhausted. That was when Polumeta, Blaine, and the others had found her.

Meanwhile, back in Mournemount, the screaming had alerted the covenant of attack, they saw that the guards were not at the pavilion, and they rushed to the cathach. There they found nine corpses and twelve ancient warriors with bloody swords, standing to meet them. "We were woken too soon," their leader said, "but the power that sustained our sleep is broken. Now others must wait in our place." The twelve warriors collapsed to dust, and to the horrified eyes of all present, the corpses of the four dead apprentices and five shield grogs rose and shambled to take their seats at the stone table. They crossed their arms atop the table, lay their dead heads down, and went to sleep.

A furious debate was held. Sabine blamed herself: she had found the table, she thought she understood its powers, but she had no idea it would slay those who rung the beill and force their corpses into service. Without Epicurus (who had left Hibernia, according to the strictures of his duel), Sabine was the nominal leader of Mournemount, but the elder magi had a lot of influence. Cesaire suggested they stay and stick out the year. Yes, what happened to the apprentices was terrible, but now that it had happened, everyone would know the power of the table and no one else would dare to try and steal it.

Things began to move fast outside Mournemount. Einri was outraged at the murder of apprentices, and declared Wizard's War on "the magi of Mournemount and all who stand with them." Bran grimly followed suit, though Cosrach hesitated. Polumeta understood their rage, but chose to withdraw with Una and Blane, telling the Irish magi she would bring Una to a Quaesitor, where this could be investigated as a crime. Einri let her go unmolested.

Polumeta, Blane and Una stayed overnight at Qui Sonant, where Blane and Nuala were reunited. She decided to accompany them to Cor Draconis, and they arrived two days later. Alfeva learned everything Una knew with Penitent's Confession and packed up for a trip to Mournemount. Polumeta, desperate to bring Samson back alive, drafted a letter and gave it to the Quaesitor for delivery to Samson. Brogan and Alfeva met, and Alfeva pleaded with Brogan to spread the news of both the massacre of apprentices and the Wizard's War to every covenant of Hibernia. Brogan, worrying that her fellow Redcaps -- loyal Irish -- might not be neutral in this matter, persuaded Alfeva to have the message copied out on parchment for every covenant, so that Brogan could claim she was "only delivering mail" and not taking personal sides in the conflict.

Word spread throughout the tribunal. Seeing that Sander had no interest in returning to Mournemount, Sorcha left him at Cor Draconis and went without him. When Dalton and Brian of Flambeau, both at Lambaird, learned of the deaths of their apprentices, they rode out to join Einri, Bran, and Cosrach, persuading the latter to join the War. The forces arrayed against Mournemount now seemed overwhelming -- especially since Sorcha had already demonstrated her ability to knock down the Mournemount Aegis. Alfeva arrived at the covenant, met the magi, saw the table, and met with Samson. Reluctantly, she came to the conclusion that while the death of the apprentices was against the spirit of the Hibernian peripheral code, it was not against the letter. No Irish magi would intentionally try to kill an apprentice on Macgnimartha, but the sleeping warriors had cared nothing of such niceties and, strictly speaking, the apprentices were on their own.

This time it was Alfeva who implored with Samson to get out of this mess. Gesturing to the stone table with its dead guardians, she asked, "Is this the hill you want to die on?" But again, he refused to go, and she left with a final wish that, "I hope you know what you're doing."

Samson opened Polumeta's letter, which revealed that she was pregnant with his child. She asked him to come home and be a father.

Samson withdrew to Sabine's sanctum, where the two had a long talk. Sabine accepted full responsibility for the massacre, and also now realized that she and her sodales were part of a political strategy masterminded by Helles of Ashenrise. The Ashenrise magi sought to reform the peripheral code of Hibernia, but so long as they were outnumbered by Irish magi, hedge wizards, faeries and magical creatures who could all vote at tribunal, this would never be possible. So Helles hatched a new plan: it takes 4 covenants to form a new tribunal. If four covenants loyal to the traditional Code could be made to ally, they could petition to form a new tribunal inside Hibernia: a Tribunal of the Pale, based around Dublin and the eastern coast, including Ashenrise and reaching as far as Praesis, including Mimisbrunir (the covenant Ashenrise had sponsored seven years ago), Mournemount, and, potentially, Cor Draconis. Sabine had not known about this plan when she came out here, but she suspected Epicurus did and agreed with the cause.

Sabine felt that, as long as Samson was with them, Mournemount stood a chance. Samson, for this part, was unwilling to leave if that would cause the others to leave. In this game of chicken, no one flinched. The conversation ended, with Samson deciding to stay and face death in Wizard's War, in spite of the revelation that he was soon to be a father.

Weeks passed as the Wizard's War drew closer. The Mournemount magi built more defenses, including a stone wall around the entire covenant raised by Cesaire. But the night before the War broke, Octa of Criamon took matters into her own hands: stealing into Epicurus's sanctum, she took one of his enchantments: a bottle of water. That night, she poured water for everyone and, as sun set, suggested they drink before raising their Parma. Presuming the effect would be similar to Epicurus's Battle Bread and Bravery Beer, they drank, only to be struck with The Curse of the Desert.

Octa had poisoned all the magi, including her sodales and Cesaire, Pollices, and Samson, and all the grogs she did not trust. Cowing the remaining grogs and covenfolk, she had all the Stonehenge magi loaded onto a boat she had prepared. Samson, Cesaire, and Pollices were put into separate small rowboats with their grogs. With her poisoned sodales, she sailed away from Hibernia, never to return.

In the morning, Einri led the Ordo Hibernia in righteous Wizard's War on an empty covenant. Cosrach turned the wizard's tower to dust with a single spell.

Scenes from the Hill

• • In late summer, there's another arrival at Cor Draconis: one of Maedoc's herdsmen, thought dead in the raid! He was caught by Octa's magic, lifted high into the air, and dropped to break both his legs. After the raid he was seen to by Octa and spent a month in bed rest. He awoke on the day of the War to find everyone gone. When the Irish magi arrived, they found him and gave him a horse. He relates his story, and Octa's final words to him on the night all the magi left: "Sum summus mus." A Latin palindrome: "I am the mightiest mouse."

  • Victor calls a brief council meeting to note that several valuable covenfolk are, or soon will, suffer the effects of age. When considering your covenant service, think on the value of Decanus Marius (leader of the Black Cloaks, age 34), Standing Elk (36), Sir Robert the Fat (drill sergeant, 46), or even Sgt Dobbins (38) or Tobin the Bookbinder (40).

  • Tales are still being told of the wild spirits -- ghosts of the O'Brien dead -- who are wandering Munster. This appears to be fallout from the necromancer slain by Samson and Nuala in the spring.

  • Polumeta has completed a great forge in her laboratory. The heat is noticeable throughout the tower, and supplying it with fuel is just one more of Colin's many financial concerns.

  • Apparently Blane is in the market for expensive jewelry. He's made a trip to Dublin, and Karolina heard he was talking to a diamond merchant!

  • The English lords of Ireland are trying to put down a rebellion. Hugh de Lacy, a powerful English lord, has invaded Ireland in an effort to reclaim lands in Ulster which used to belong to him, but which were forcibly taken from him when he got into a quarrel with King John. Hugh has recruited his brother Walter de Lacy -- who has been Lord of Meath at nearby Trim Castle for as long as the magi have been in Ireland -- as well as Irish allies. In response, King Henry has sent William Marshall the Younger to put down the rebellion. Armies are moving around Uisneach and across Ireland, especially Meath (where Cor Draconis is located), Ulster (to the north) and Connacht (to the west). Alfeva has placed the turb on alert, and watches have been increased.

Tournament

Round 2: Innocentius vs Alfeva (Autumn 1226)

On the first night of autumn, Innocentius and Alfeva meet in the ceremonial casting chamber of Cor Draconis, adjacent to the council chamber. Victor is there to act as referee. After hearing about the certamen duels fought at Mournemount, he reminds the two duelists of tournament rules: No vis can be spent, and no one may have any active magics going during the duel. He asks if he can use Intellego magic to verify they have no such magic and, after the two remove a few enchanted items, they are ready to compete.

Victor flips a coin and Alfeva wins the toss and chooses the form of Ignem. Innocentius chooses Rego.

The two withdraw to opposite ends of the casting circle and begin to conjure up raging flames. Alfeva, fighting in the style of fisherman, strikes first with Ignem, throwing a simple but effective blast of flame (16) at Innocentius, who deflects it with Rego (20). He counterattacks with a circle of fire around Alfeva, but it only flickers along the ground (3) and doesn't threaten her.

Alfeva pulls the fire into a whip and lashes at Innocentius (18), who severs the whip in half (23). This time he is able to bring the fire around Alfeva higher (10), but she continues to ignore it (15).

Hoping to overwhelm her opponent, Alfeva conjures three rings of fire and hurls them at Innocentius (21), who this time struggles to deflect them (16) and is struck by two (damage +8) and catches on fire. Sensing weakness, Alfeva stokes the fire on Innocentius (Confidence), who takes 3 levels of fatigue. Innocentius, for his part, does not care about this duel enough to take advantage of his superior confidence.

Innocentius senses he is about to lose, and wishes he could attack with Rego, but it is too late now and he must attack with Ignem instead. The circle of flame he has been fueling around Alfeva has fallen to around her calves (6), and with a casual gesture she completely extinguishes them (19).

Since the beginning of the fight, Alfeva has been relying on speed over power (her style gave her an Initiative bonus, but subtracted 2 from her attacks for the first 3 rounds). By now, however, the fires she has been stoking are burning hotter than before. She shapes the fire into a massive two-handed sword some twenty feet long and swings it across the room with both hands (20); Innocentius is forced to defend with Rego again, and with both hands conjures a shield to parry the sword. The sword shatters (20), but Alfeva flings the shards onto Innocentius anyway (Confidence again), burning him (damage 6). This proves the final blow, and Innocentius staggers back, trying valiantly to remain conscious but ultimately collapsing to the floor.

He has sustained exactly enough damage to fall unconscious, and awakens fairly quickly. He and Alfeva congratulate each other on a battle well fought, and part ways.

Alfeva will duel Samson or Cernunnos.

Tournament

Round 2: Samson vs Cernunnos

During the waning hours of summer 1226, letters depart from the Tower of Flame. Though not addressed to a singular magus, each magus of Cor Draconis receives their own, courtesy of the Blind Redcap.

The letter reads thusly:

I, Samson filius Hugh of House Flambaeu, being of sound mind and judgement, concede certamen against Cernunnos filius Kentigern ex Miscellanea.

In so doing, I fully acknowledge that I have forfeited all claims to continue onward in both the upcoming Regional and Grand Tournaments, including though not limited to representing Cor Draconis at either Tribunal or Grand Tribunal as champion.

Recent events have shown that my efforts are best spent elsewhere.

I wish both Cernunnos and Alfeva filia Athena Alpina of House Guernicus well in their upcoming match together. Cor Draconis could not ask for more worthier contenders to represent our covenant.

Amicalement,

Samson filius Hugh of House Flambeau

Hebrews 13:1

For those who read French, the valediction simply reads: "In Friendship."

Cernunnos will duel Alfeva for the covenant championship.

Autumn: Episode 2.22, "Home to Roost"

There is turmoil at Qui Sonant; Finn filius Cantarus, heir apparent to the office of Princeps, was pressured to come through on various political promises he had made to mundane rulers in the area, and he broke into the crypts of three dead magi in order to acquire magical weapons. He also assembled a list of Connacht's druids. All of this was turned over to mundane agents of English and Irish lords who, together, are rebelling against King Henry. Finn was observed handing the plunder over by Brogan Breen, who informed Nuala and Sir Blane (who happened to be visiting his beloved). They in turn told Cantarus, who arose and personally inspected the cairns to find out whose had been plundered and to confirm that Finn -- the only other person who knows the secret passwords -- was guilty. Confronted with his guilt, Finn insisted he could handle the situation, but he was stripped of his position as heir to the office of Princeps. He is, however, still a magus of Qui Sonant.

Back at Cor Draconis, several individuals (Coleman, Klara, and Peter the Gravedigger) had evidence of missing memory. Innocentius was suspected, but could not be found. It was eventually discovered that Innocentius had somehow bound the spirit of his dead mother Kallisto as his familiar, but because that spirit had been previously destroyed, it was concluded that she must now be a demon.

Oblivious to such dark dealings, Sir Blane finally presented Nuala ex Miscellanea with the ring he had purchased months ago and asked her to marry him. She said yes. Much celebration ensued, most of it in the field of Lover's Violets.

Alfeva returned from a journey abroad but, upon entering her sanctum, was set upon by her old nemesis, Mircalla, a 175 year old vampiric spirit who was also dispelled years ago but had returned and so must also be, presumably, a demon. Alfeva was saved by Sir Blane and others, but was near death. Mircalla escaped, pursued by Cernunnos. Alfeva related that she had been investigating Innocentius for months, had questioned various covenfolk and erased the memory of her interrogation (explaining the memory loss), and had conclusive proof that Innocentius had framed the necromancer, Muirgen, who Samson had killed earlier this year. The spirits who apparently answered to Muirgen were, in fact, answering to Innocentius. This was all an attempt to cover up Innocentius's multiple-direction effort to kill his former master, Sebastien, which had also involved Caterina, a diabolist, and Coleman, an unwitting dupe. Innocentius was guilty of multiple high crimes and knew Alfeva knew; he used Mircalla's caul (which he had recovered from her grave in 1218) to summon her, gave her a casting token and left her in Alfeva's chambers to kill her, then fled with a large supply of vis and silver.

No one knows where he is. Theories include: Tailten Faire (where he might spend his vis), Dublin (where he might spend his silver), or somewhere else.

Sander, with Cernunnos as back-up, investigated Innocentius's lab over Klara's protests. They found among Innocentius's many papers some journals in Greek, which neither man could read. They took them to a servant of Polumeta's, who explained that they were Innocentius's personal thoughts, and while they were voluminous and detailed, they suggested that Innocentius had been convinced to kill Alfeva by his mother, Kallisto the ghost and that, his plan having failed, Innocentius would have no choice but to flee the Order by ship, specifically by commandeering the Mad Duchess.

Colin confirmed that the Duchess was returning from a trade mission and was expected in Dublin in two days.

A war party was formed to intercept Innocentius. Led by Samson, it included Nuala, Sir Blane, Maedoc the Monstrous, Coleman, a Black Cloak, and a Red Shirt. Riding hard but expertly, they arrived without fatigue or incident in Dublin by dusk, found lodgings at a merchant house near the docks, and inquired about strange goings-on, without useful result.

Coleman had deduced from Caterina's letters -- and with a little help from Brother Cormac -- that Caterina was probably residing with the Archbishop Henry of London, head of the English church in Ireland, in his cathedral in Dublin. Giving a cover story that he would be listening on the streets for information, Coleman left the merchant house, went to the cathedral, and boldly informed the guards that he was a servant of the Lady Caterina. This was enough to secure him entrance; he was taken to a library where he waited and was fed, before Caterina arrived and welcomed her devoted servant.

After learning what had brought the magi to Dublin, Caterina offered to give Innocentius over to them in exchange for the Staff of Igneous Drake. Coleman asked for a document signed by the Archbishop, to lend credence to the story he was about to fabricate. Caterina acquired such a document and swiftly returned to the merchant house where he met with Samson and explained that the Archbishop was willing to give over Innocentius in exchange for his staff. It was not clear what use Henry of London had for a wizard's staff, but Coleman said he "did not ask." Samson agreed to this deal. Coleman returned to the cathedral and met with Caterina, who informed him that Innocentius was holed up in the cathedral crypt. She agreed to lure the archbishop's men away and leave a side door to the cathedral unlocked, giving the magi an opening.

Coleman returned to the others and a general council was held. It was explained that the archbishop had Innocentius in the crypt, but that no one could know he was cooperating with wizards, so the magi would need to go in and get their quarry. Meanwhile, a freak storm had arisen on the west end of town and lightning had set several builds aflame. There was a general alarm in Dublin, with the archbishop's men-at-arms and many citizens of the town rallying to the fire in an attempt to put it out. This made it easy for Samson and his allies to reach the cathedral unchallenged. Coleman found the side door and they all descended into the dark and labyrinthine crypt.

Almost at once, the five Irish kings attacked them, at Innocentius's command. They were immune to weapons, but when they attacked their blows could be parried. The group was largely powerless against them; even Nuala was able to affect only the weakest. The ghost of Art the Lonely cursed Blane with supernatural terror, and the bold knight turned and fled the crypt, abandoning his betrothed. Coleman took a spear to the belly. Maedoc was injured twice before he was unable to control his warp spasm -- but under the effect of his magical blood, Maedoc was far too large to fit in the narrow archways of the crypt. With berserk strength he began to shatter the stone columns, threatening to collapse the entire crypt.

Meanwhile, Samson pushed past the ghost of Conn of a Hundred Battles to confront Innocentius. There was clearly something wrong with Innocentius; he was seeing and conversing with things no one present could see. He cursed Samson with a fear spell, but Samson proved strong enough to persevere. He stripped Innocentius of the staff of Igneous Drake using Disarm the Warrior. An evil whisper was in his ear, trying to get him to attack his brother, but Samson's confidence allowed him to refuse this command. A final plea to Innocentius to relent and give himself up proved successful; Innocentius threw himself on Samson's mercy.

The group fled the crypt even as Maedoc was bringing down a section of the roof. The Red Shirt, who had been incapacitated by a blow from one of the spectres, died in the collapse. Nuala put Maedoc to sleep before he destroyed the entire cathedral. Outside, the group was met by Cantarus, the Princeps of Qui Sonant -- or, at least, his image, projected from Qui Sonant through a spell. Cantarus asked that Innocentius be brought to Qui Sonant and put into his care; he would train Innocentius to take over the role of Princeps. Samson agreed to this outcome.

Eventually, everyone returned to Cor Draconis. Alfeva was outraged when she learned Innocentius had escaped Hermetic justice. Qui Sonant is sacred ground; no covenant in Hibernia would dare invade it to get Innocentius. But Innocentius would never be able to leave, for the rest of his life. Samson defended his decision, but Alfeva -- a personal victim of Innocentius's infernal dealings, in addition to a passionate Quaesitor -- was unconvinced.

Nuala was offered Innocentius's tower. Since she had no desire to work under Innocentius at Qui Sonant, and had recently engaged to be married to Sir Blane, she accepted this offer.

By the end of Autumn, Walter de Lacy, who has been besieged in Trim Castle for seven weeks, surrenders to William Marshall the Younger. William invests Trim as his new home base, from there to finish putting down the rebellion of Hugh de Lacy and his Irish allies. Trim Castle is a day's march from Cor Draconis, about twenty miles.

In Ulster, Hugh enjoys unexpected successes. He single-handedly infiltrated the castle of his English rival and executed him in his bedchamber. No one outside the Order knows how this was accomplished, but the magi of Cor Draconis and Qui Sonant know that among the items given to Hugh's ambassadors was a helm of invisibility, various magic swords, and a magic shield. If Hugh had been locked into a long struggle in Ulster, he would have been easy prey for William Marshall's army. But now, having defeated his enemy in one stroke, he can now consolidate his forces in Ulster castles and battle William on more-or-less even terms.