1096

YEAR 1096

Scribed by Ruaridh

Spring 1096AD

Petrus left for Durenmar earlyin the season. He will be away for most, if not all, of the year.Varsavia decided to spend a season in the faerie regio. In additionto looking for reasons why the unseelie fae have turned against us (if indeedthey have), she also intended to try to find out more about the Mountain Kingwho stole Idris' first born child. Idris agreed to seek out the paganpriest who frequents the forest to the west of the covenant to ask him whetherhe would consent to be questioned by the Magi of Holy Isle covenant.

Following the attempt on Bryghtwold'slife last season, I reasoned that we needed to strike out against the covenoperating in Gloucester, for the diabolists would surely only grow in confidenceif their actions went unavenged. Accompanied by Bryghtwold, Thurstanand several of the grogs, I travelled to Stent priory, planning to captureone of the diabolists, Francis, who was posing as a clergyman there.There was no sign of the man, and we were told that he had apparently drownedseveral months earlier. We quickly learned that this was untrue, andthat it was more likely that he had fled with two of his disciples when helearned that we knew of his identity.

While investigating the graveyardat the back of the priory, Bryghtwold and I discovered a small infernal regioclose to the riverbank. I was assailed by a demonic spirit, which Iwas unable to destroy, despite using every pawn of Perdo vis I had.Bryghtwold soon fell under the creature's influence, and he sought to slayme, a task for which he was more than capable. Gathering up all my energy,I was finally able to drive the dark spirit from Brygthwold's mind long enoughfor him to crush the skull that acted as the focus for its power. Wewere therefore able to escape, though I fear that the spirit was not destroyed.We told the priests of the evil that lurked in their midst, and I hope I convincedthem to seek out the services of an exorcist.

Talking with some of the localvillagers, it became clear that Francis and his acolytes had met up with anagent of the high diabolist, Guyere, and possibly travelled back to Stonewith him. The trail therefore seemed cold, and we journeyed back toGloucester, some of us spending a cold and miserable night out of doors.While staying in a inn in the city, Brygthwold, as a member of the 'nobility',was asked to adjudicate in a dispute between two townsfolk. One manclaimed that the other had kidnapped his invalid sister, carrying her awayinto the night. The man accused of this crime denied all knowledge ofit, and I did not detect that his words were anything but truthful.We therefore let him go, a mistake we soon came to regret.

The man who had lost his sisterpersisted in his claims that she had been stolen away, arguing that theremust have been some infernal influence at work since all the milk in his househad turned sour following the abduction. We were persuaded to inspectthe man's home, and we discovered that there were small scratches on the shuttersthat barred the room's windows. With a heavy heart, Bryghtwold saidthat the marks looked very similar to those caused by the demon that had attackedhim on Saint Beresford's night.... Using the woman's silver cross asan arcane connection, I was able to track her down to the house of Richardof Frampton, a wealthy merchant and one of the leaders of the coven.We journeyed there at once, hoping to rescue her before it was too late.

In Frampton, we met a strangeand disturbing clergyman by the name of Godwin who claimed he knew of andwas working against the diabolists. Bryghtwold, Godwin and I stole intothe merchant's house and managed to rescue the woman, though her injurieswere so terrible that it was unclear whether she would survive for very long.We took her to Simon the jew in Gloucester, who did his best to staunch herbleeding. Unfortunately, neither Simon nor Ceadwith were able to saveher, and she died later that night. It will be a long time before Iforget this.

Summer

The council meeting at the startof the season brought several pieces of important news. Varsavia toldus that she had managed to find a way to travel from the nearby faerie regioto the home of the Mountain King. She said she had visited Idris' son,who appeared well enough, but there appeared to be little prospect of thefaerie agreeing to give up the child. One possibility would be for Idristo wager something of equal 'value' to the child, but the stakes for thissort of gamble would be high indeed; losing could cost Idris his life.Idris reported that he had been unable to locate the pagan priest. Hecautioned that we should delay sending any message to Holy Isle until theend of the year, as it was possible that he would be able to catch up withthe priest by then. We agreed.

We learned from Gloucester thatKing Robert had decided to take part in what has been termed a 'pilgrimagewith sword' to the Levant. In Robert's absence, Henry of Normandy hasbeen appointed to rule as regent.

Autumn

Stassius of Mercere visited usat the start of the season, bringing news both hermetic and mundane (as usual).Pope Urban, claiming to have received a letter from God himself, has calledfor a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and many knights from all over Europe haveresponded. There has been much bloody slaughter in the Rhineland as an armyled by the Emperor attacked jewish settlements; thankfully, those travellingto and from Durenmar were not caught up in the war. In England, twonobles took advantage of King Robert's absence, and raised armies againstthe regent Henry. The revolts were quickly put down and the perpetratorsexecuted. The Earl of Hereford launched a raid into Wales, but therehave thankfully yet to be any reprisals.

The Grand Tribunal has formallybeen called for Midsummer 1097. It will consider three main issues:(1) the recent increase in activity in the dominion; (2)the possible sightings of spies from the Unnamed House and the official dedicationof Holy Isle covenant; and (3) how the Order should respond tothe gradual loss of magical auras and resources experienced in recent years.We also learned that Eloria of Tytalus, formerly of Blackthorn covenant, hastaken up residence at Blywyddan.

On the night of the Autumn Equinox,Turold, Idris and a few of the older grogs disappeared as though magicallytransported to another land. We do not know how or why this happened,and I would be tempted to dismiss their stories as the product of overactiveimaginations and too much wine were it not for the fact that all of theirmemories of the events that followed coincide exactly. They met a welshdruid who challenged Idris' right to call himself the 'Guardian of the Spring'.Idris and the druid faced off at longbow range and proceeded to shoot at oneanother (quite why the matter should have prompted such violence is beyondme). The arrows passed through each of the combatants, and, a few momentslater, the Magi and grogs were returned to the covenant proper.

We discussed what could have happenedwell into the night, but we were unable to reach any firm conclusions.One possibility is that there is another magical aura above this one, implyingthat the covenant is situated at the lowest level of a magical aura.This seems theoretically possible if somewhat implausible, but Turold saidthat he was able to determine that the magical aura in the place he was transportedto was of the sixth magnitude. Given that the 'normal' aura of thisplace is also of the sixth magnitude, this seems to rule out the regio hypothesis.I fear we will have to wait for Petrus to return before we make any real progresson this matter.

Winter

The cruel sickness that so oftenaccompanies the onset of winter took its toll on the covenant and Gloucester.Idris' young wife, Maneddwe, died in her sleep, as did one of the grog sergeants,Aelfric.

Later in the season, Jolyon ofLear Valley covenant arrived. In return for two rooks of vis, he conducteda ritual that raised tall stone walls around the covenant. Althoughthe cost was relatively high - three full rooks when the cost of actuallypowering the ritual is taken into account - I am sure it will prove very worthwhile.Once we have constructed gatehouses to guard the three entrances, we willbe in a strong position should we ever be attacked in the future.

The ritual also had an unexpectedside effect. Unlike the rest of us who stopped work to watch Jolyon'smagics, Turold continued to press forward with his research into Imagonem,eager to finish some project or other. The vibration caused by the wallsrising from the ground evidently caused havoc in Turold's laboratory, as therewas a mighty explosion, and a stream of multicoloured lights burst from hisopen window. The lights struck the walls, giving them a bizarre huethat has since proved impossible to remove. I think the effect is ratherstriking, though it will make it rather difficult for us to continue to claimto be simply mundane scholars should we need to do so in the future;this place is now clearly inhabited by magi.

Turold's eyebrows suffered thesame effect as the walls, though I am sure the colour will grow out in time.Or perhaps not.