1129

YEAR 1129

Scribed by Antonius

Spring 1129AD

So it falls to me to record thehistory of this covenant once more and whilst the number of magi remains atsuch a low number then I shall find myself scribing this tome with much greaterregularity than before. I am aware that certain past writers have criticisedthe habit of magi here to open their accounts with a commentary but for myselfI must confess that I enjoy such an opportunity. I find our current situation,though far from ideal, quite invigorating. With the Pybaw threatening andthe threat of Schism looming ever nearer in the future, times are most definitelyinteresting. Yet despite the fact that our council now numbers only threemagi and our magical stores are greatly reduced, the mood here is not as sombreas might be expected. We all know that we will have to work hard but remainconfident that we can overcome our present difficulties. Enough though fornow of my musings and on with the chronicle.

The meeting opened with Caelestisreporting on the results of his investigation into his sigil. Despite hisrequests for vis to pay someone else to perform the investigation and hisprotestation that any enchantments that his pater had placed within the itemwould be beyond his abilities to ascertain, it seems that his season was quitefruitful. Perhaps my young sodalis should learn to have more faith in hisown abilities? The item contained two hermetic enchantments, a fourth magnitudeIntellego Mentem and a sixth magnitude Muto Mentem, designed to read the bearer’ssurface thoughts and to utterly change his mind. More interestingly it seemsthat there is also an extremely powerful non-hermetic effect, though Caelestiswas unable to determine anything of its nature or effects. So the questionremains, what has his pater put in his sigil and more importantly why? Caelestiswill give the sigil to the Quaesitori for further investigation.

On other matters arising fromthe meeting, Turold will journey to the fey regio to see if he can find Gofynnwyand ascertain what occurred in his battle with the Ruadan. I hope for bothhis safety and indeed that of our covenant that the news is not as bad aswe fear. There was discussion on advertising for new magi to join our counciland we unanimously agreed that a magus specialising in arts of a martial naturewas our prime need, though a second recruit from the house of Merinita wouldalso be well received.

Later in the season maga Dialecticaarrived to speak with us about the pre-tribunal meeting of our two alliedcovenants to discuss matters pertaining to the tribunal. Caelestis asked ifhe might be allowed to do an astrological reading on Blackthorn’s futureusing the attack of the dragon as a marker of a catastrophic event that hecould use to test the accuracy of his foretelling. Dialectica said that shewould raise the matter with her sodales but in truth I think it extremelyunlikely that he will be allowed to do so. If Caisus does not object to suchnon-hermetic scrying, for I certainly see it as such, then Gyriania surelywill. Dialectica also mentioned that Petrus will be journeying to Loch Laglaento speak with Praeco Primus McGreine in his role as Primus Bonisagus’envoy. I wish Petrus luck in such a mission as he’ll certainly need it.

The rest of the season passedwithout much of note to remark on, though it was a pleasant change to be hereat this time of year when traditionally I have been abroad in the dean. Afew days before the end of the season Turold returned having had an apparentlysuccessful venture. He seemed in good spirits when relating the tale of hisjourney to the council and I shall repeat his story here.

Turold set off with Cyrgyg andOwen, the grog who had accompanied him to Verdi. His passage through the lowerlevels of the regio was uneventful but as he journeyed through the deeperregio to Gofynnwy’s cave he came across a mountain fey, of the sort whohad been seen fighting the Ruadan’s forces outside the covenant a fewseasons ago, leading some of the Erechwydd’s ice goblins. The faerieapproached him and told Turold that he was one of his new servants from theholding that the Tegid Foel had granted him in return for his stone horse.So Turold bade him accompany them as they sought Gofynnwy. Turold and hisfaerie band managed to reach Gofynnwy’s cave without incident and onentering he found the faerie smith looking tired and wounded. Gofynnwy spokeof his fight with the Ruadan; it seems that he lost an arm battling the serpentfrom the Cave of Snakes. After confronting the Ruadan herself she lost concentrationand the stone set in the wand that she used to control the Pybaw cracked.As Gofynnwy sought to withdraw he was attacked by the Pybaw and was savedonly by the helm that Turold had crafted for him.

The Ruadan now seeks to destroythe Pybaw but as we feared even she is scared of its strength and so she ishiding from it. Turold thinks that he may be able to mend the stone in herwand using his stonesmithing craft and thus restore control over the Pybawand he has sent a message to the Ruadan to this effect via one of the Corrs.He seeks to speak with her to maybe strike a deal whereby he will repair herwand and she will then use it to destroy the Pybaw. It is a bold plan butit will have to be an extremely carefully worded bargain. Gofynnwy said thatthe Pybaw has a taste for human blood now and when it is hungry it will attackhuman settlements as we have found. It is still quite a cowardly beast thoughand may be driven off by a large show of force and bright light, particularlyif it has already fed.

Having found out what he neededto know Turold then proceeded to visit his new holding. It is a simple manor,with gold, silver and rock mines, which is populated by the mountain fey (thoughwhether they are connected to the Gofannon’s court I know not). Someof the rocks that he collected from the fey miners as his tithe containedterram vis, nine pawns in total and the holding has been officially declareda vis site.

For the final part of his expeditionTurold decided to accept the Erechwydd’s invitation for her new "Wizard-Knight"to attend her at court. There was apparently some friction when Turold declaredthat he could not swear an oath of fealty to her as he had sworn a previousoath to the Order. The Erechwydd was angered by this refusal and threatenedhim with war but he was able to peacefully resolve the situation by offeringmen and resources from his holding in time of war though he personally willnot be obliged to take sides. At the feast which then followed, Turold wasable to listen to the conversation between the Erechwydd and the Tegid Foel.It seems that the Ruadan is still powerful on the Morrigan’s Hill andat the Cave of Snakes but the Erechwydd is definitely in the ascendant. TheTegid Foel is endeavouring to hunt down the Morfan who has a bounty on hishead. Gofannon’s servants are not regarded as any threat and the Bwbachodare sleepy in the cold winter climate that now grips much of the regio andpresent no danger. As the feast ended the Tegid Foel repeated his invite forTurold to visit his holding and with the current good relations it seems thatsuch a trip may not prove to be as hazardous as it had seemed when he firstmade the offer.

Turold was able to return to thecovenant without further incident and it seems like his foray into the regiowas a great success though how willing our good Verditius will be to continueto play the Merinitan remains to be seen.

Summer

Turold began the council meetingat the start of summer with an intriguing proposition. He proposed that, withthe exception of vim vis, that all vis supplies above two rooks should bedistributed equally amongst all magi in good standing at the Spring meeting.Perhaps unsurprisingly such a motion was well received and passed as an amendmentto the charter. Petrus offered to scribe some spells for us before returningto Durenmar and we decided that ‘The Invisible Eye Revealed’ and‘Sight of Active Magicks’ would be useful additions to our library.He also spoke a little about the situation he had encountered in Loch Leglean.It seems that McGraine has been consolidating his position and making substantialmilitary preparations as he fears that there will be a pre-emptive attackon him before the Grand Tribunal. Petrus is worried that the more war is talkedabout, the more likely it becomes and has asked us to urge the Tribunal toplay down the talk of Schism as it is far from certain that such an eventwill come to pass.

Bearing these words in mind wediscussed what motions we would raise at the tribunal. Two immediately sprangto mind, a further invitation for new magi to join us, preferably a Flambeauand a Merinitan, and to try and build on what Petrus had been saying and tryto start a discussion on what the tribunal might do to help avoid Schism.After some discussion about what exactly we could do to bring about a peacewe agreed on these two motions as the one which we would raise. Later thatsame day a very tired looking Mathus arrived bearing letters from magi seekingto join the covenant in response to our previous request. Two were from Flambeau,one Tremere and a Bjornaer. It was quite clear from my sodalis that the magusof house Tremere was not going to be accepted and Caelestis took quite someconvincing to agree to even consider the Bjornaer. After a thorough discussionof the matter he was sufficiently persuaded for us to permit us to send himan invitation to interview along with ones to the two Flambeau. We did thoughattach a proviso to the invitation to Magnus, the younger of the two, thathe was competing for a place against a much older magus of his house.

So with the first half of theseason passing without undue incident we journeyed to Blackthorn for the pre-tribunalmeeting with our allies at Blackthorn. Dialectica said that they were planningon raising motions on how Holy Isle’s investigations might be influencingthe progress of the tribunal towards war and also to query the contentiousissue of what constitutes quoracy.

To no one’s great surpriseno Ex-Miscellaneans attended the tribunal, indeed there were only 31 magipresent, less than half the magi of Stonehenge. The Tribunal itself openedwith the announcement by Praeco Eloria that she will be leaving Bly Wyddenand moving to Blackthorn. She also announced that there would be a tithe ofone pawn per magus to be paid by the next tribunal. Following this routineannouncement, much to the obvious surprise of Holy Isle, Eloria stated thatthe cases of Yavid, Lotho, Llandolwyn, Edith, Jordael and Llandoddwyn wouldbe heard at the tribunal. Obviously the cases could not be heard immediatelyas some of the accused had to be fetched from Holy Isle’s dungeons sothe meeting proceeded.

There was some mundane news ofinterest, apparently the Archbishop of Canterbury is to hold a great synodon the role of the church and it was thought that this meeting might discussthe sin of magic. Clearly any rulings arising form this synod could have far-reachingconsequences for Stonehenge and even the Order as a whole. Of further religiousnews, Pope Honorius has died and been replaced by not one but two popes, Peterin Rome and Gregory in Avignon. It seems that we magi of Hermes are not theonly organisation for whom a schism looms large.

Of news hermetic, we heard ofthe sad passing of Primus Porthenos of Verditius, he has been succeeded bymagus Horan. Primus Guernicus has issued an ultimatum to Primus McGraine,either allow the entire House of Miscellany to be investigated or he, andthe Primi of Flambeau and Tremere, will recommend a Wizard’s March againstEx-Miscellanea. To our great surprise, it seems that our former sodalis Petrushas been accused of claiming a gifted child as an apprentice when he was notcapable of training him. The matter relates to his claiming Idris’ giftedson when the child was held by Holy Isle, even though the boy was subsequentlytaken by the UnNamed House in the attack on that covenant.

The next matter was the electionof candidates to represent Stonehenge at the Grand Tribunal. I stood myself,hoping to bring a youthful but not unlearned perspective to the great meetingbut missed out by one vote as Dialectica, DuClerc and Dionysus were votedin.

So with the other issues out ofthe way the meeting moved on to consider the motions raised by individualcovenants. For Blackthorn Dialectica attempted to raise a motion questioningthe role of Holy Isle but was swiftly silenced by the Praeco who stated thatsuch a subject was a matter for the Grand Tribunal only. Quaesitor Sereniathen queried the current quirky rules but whilst Praeco Eloria said that shewould reconsider the matter there would be no change at present. Holy Isleannounced a tithe of five pawns per magus and requested that any informationconcerning the three missing Ex-Miscellaneans, Edith, Jordael and Llandoddwyn,must be passed on to them. The reward for their capture has now been increasedto five rooks of vis. Eloria noted that the issue of their guilt was a matterfor tribunal to decide. Cad Gadu had no motions to raise. Bore-Tor complainedabout magi from Loch Leglean raiding their vis sites across the border ofthe tribunals. Yania of Solis Castle then brought a subject of no little significancefor Severn Temple and my activities in particular as she noted that therewere problems brewing in the mundane world and there was strong evidence oforganisation between seemingly disparate groups of diabolists. Could diabolistsas far north as Solis Castle be somehow linked to the Fells who have plaguedus for so many years? An intriguing and alarming notion indeed. Moravius,clearly fearing for the safety of his alchemical Ex-Miscellanean friend, thensuggested that Ex-Miscellaneans living within covenants were not the onescausing the problems and could be safely excluded from investigations andsuspicion. Quaesitor Dionysus was quick to point out that the renegade magusIdris had resided within a covenant.

There were, perhaps unsurprisingly,no motions from Morstow. Lear Valley, with their strong Ex-Miscellanean complementtried to plead with magi of Merinita and Bjornaer to beware lest the fingerof accusation fall upon them next but were speedily halted by the Praeco.Bly Wydden proposed that the tribunal should petition Primus Guernicus tonominate more hoplites with the troubled times ahead but, once again, PraecoEloria pointed out that this was a matter for the Grand Tribunal to decide.It was Scafell, whose turn it was next, who came up with perhaps the mostshocking motion of the tribunal as they announced that they were secedingfrom Stonehenge and would join Loch Leglean. Eloria stated that although itwas a great shame there was precedent for such a move so they could go ahead.Dionysus then warned somewhat menacingly that Praeco McGraine’s actionscould lead to a tribunal versus tribunal conflict but was stopped before hecould finish what looked like a rather unsubtle attempt to intimidate theminto staying a part of Stonehenge.

Then it was the turn of SevernTemple! Turold stood to make a plea for calm and understanding between Latinand non-Latin magi. After a lengthy speech I could see many Magi nodding withwhat I only hope was general agreement. Caelestis then followed with a talkabout the forum he had been asked to organise. To summarise the results ofthe discussion, Caelestis is to arrange the location of the forum as wellas a coherent programme and a selection of speakers for the next tribunal.Carrion Moor, the last of the covenants, were next with Kira of my house speakingfor them. It seems that they have had problems with some hedge wizards andwonder if there may be some link to the diabolists of which Solis Castle spokeearlier. DuClerc was apparently attacked and vis has been stolen from someof their sites which seems a most troubling development. They warn that theroads leading to the covenant may not be safe. With no motions from the Northof England or Wales, Cornelius spoke for the magi outside of covenants inSouthern England. He requested a working group be set up to try and co-ordinateinvestigations into the extent of diabolists within the tribunal. Praeco Eloriawhilst unwillingly to set up a formal committee was happy for an informalgroup of interested magi to arrange to meet and maga Yania will report backon the results of this at the next tribunal.

The next item for considerationafter a night’s rest and consideration were the trials of the six accusedEx-Miscellaneans. First up was Yavid who was accused of consorting with Stephenthe bard, a known associate of House Diedne. There was fierce debate aboutthis case, with the crux of the matter being whether or not Stephen couldbe considered a member of the UnNamed House or not. In the end the tribunalreturned a tied vote, as did the Concilium Quaesitori after a lengthy debate.Praeco Eloria, left with the deciding vote, ruled in favour of the patronusand so Yavid was released on condition that he spend five years in the serviceof the tribunal. Lotho was next, having had contact with Ederyn of House Diedne,though before it was known that he was a member of that renounced house. Hepractised something of the magic of the druids and a knife was produced whichturned out to have been made by Ederyn. Again his guilt or innocence was fiercelyargued, with some claiming that he was being persecuted for working a non-Latintradition of magic not any association with enemies of the Order. In the endthough he was found guilty by a single vote and executed. Llandolwyn, thelast of the three who were actually present was then brought forward. As aspirit magician with a fetch, some sort of spirit familiar, he was accusedof following a magical tradition which could only have come from Diedne. Thecase against him was very strong, with clear evidence to point to the sourceof the magic that he practised but he refused to accept that he was in anyway at fault. He was found guilty by a large majority, though there were afair number of abstentions as the arguments about his magical heritage andthe legal points concerning it had grown quite complex.

The trials then moved to thosebeing held with the accused in absentia. Edith’s trial was the firstto be heard. To the great surprise of the Severn Temple magi part of HolyIsle’s case involved a "diabolic laboratory" which they hadfound in the woods not far from the covenant. Questioning Dionysus about thiswe were able to confirm that the place he was speaking about was in fact theone which Petrus had set up to conduct his experiments away from our aura.Perhaps this rather embarrassing episode will encourage our sodales at HolyIsle to discuss such things with their fellow magi more. Edith was acquittedby a narrow margin though she must make full reparation for the items whichshe stole from us if she ever returns. The former Praeco of this tribunal,Jordael was next to be accused. The evidence here rested mainly on some diabolictexts which were apparently found in his sanctum. Garius swore that they musthave been planted and with all the magi prepared to stand up for Jordael’scharacter it was no great surprise that he was found innocent of all chargesby a two to one majority. Finally and most contentiously it was the formerPrimus of Ex-Miscellania, Llandoddwyn whose case was to be heard as he wasaccused of having made a diabolic pact. However, when questions were askedabout the assassination attempt on his life it was pointed out that PrimusGuernicus had stated that details of that were secret and could not be revealed.Eloria thus ruled that the trial must wait until his capture as the patronusneeded to have certain critical evidence.

The final act of the tribunalwas to discuss the motions which would be raised by Stonehenge’s representativesat the Grand Tribunal. Praeco Eloria was quite decisive about these and exercisedher right to determine them herself. The first will be the question of whethercovenants should be allowed to choose their own tribunals or should it bedecided based on their geographical location. The second concerns vis raidingand suggests that tribunals should only be able to gather vis from sites withintheir own boundaries.

So it was after an intense andcontentious meeting that we left Blackthorn and returned the short distanceto Severn Temple to muse over what had gone on.

Autumn

With the first fall of leavesfrom the trees in woods about the covenant we had a visitor arrive at thecovenant, seeking to join the council; Ospectus, a young Bjornaer with theheartshape of a Falcon. As with previous magi who have come here we suggestedthat he reside with us here for a season so that we might get to know somethingof him and him of us before any decision was reached. At the council beginningthe season Caelestis expressed fears that we might yet be being scryed uponand proposed that the council should construct an item to detect such intrusions.It was decided after a brief debate that it was a good idea but for now atleast the council’s time and resources could best be utilised elsewhere.Turold made a most generous proposition to the council, putting forward theidea that, in return for the many years in which I have spent two or moreseasons in service to the covenant in the mundane lands hereabouts, councilshould construct a magical item enchanted with the Ring of Warding againstDemons. A fine gift and one which I fear will prove all too useful in theyears to come as the Fells continue their moves against us.

With the council over I set forthonce more into the Dean to continue my investigations into the political situationat Monmouth, the Baron there being the backer of Sir Kenneth, one of the mainthorns in our side. The news is somewhat troubling as it seems that therehas been something of a witch hunt called in Monmouth with the Archbishopof Hereford and the zealous Baroness of Eastnor in the town. There are talesof devil worshippers loose in the woods and this has all been connected tothe old stories of wizards, which have never quiet gone away. There is tobe an investigation and I fear unless something is done we shall have an inquisitionat our gates. Brother Gerald, the Abbot of Tintern has been summoned beforethe Archbishop to report on what he knows of the woods and in particular,I assume, our settlement. I have done what intriguing I can to try and divertattention away from us but I believe ultimately much will depend on how theallies that I have been assiduously cultivating speak of us. Evidently thingswent passingly well at least as although the Bishop of Gloucester’s Episcopalaide is to remain in Monmouth but there is no immediate threat of a visitto Severn Temple. Of other news mundane, one of my spies near Ashleworth hasturned up drowned in the river and whilst accidents do happen I suspect thehand of the Fells in his death.

As the season drew to an end theRuadan arrived at the covenant to parley with Turold about his offer to fixher wand. She gave the wand to him to see if he could repair it and will returnnext winter. No firm deal was set as Turold could not be certain as to whetherhe could repair it or not which perhaps is a fair enough reason but I wonderwhether the Ruadan will try and take the wand back by force if he is successfulin its repair.

Winter

The first issue to be discussedat the winter meeting of council was whether or not Ospectus should be invitedto join the covenant. Although we had been hoping for a Merinitan in additionto a Flambeau or similar it was felt unanimously that Ospectus would be anexcellent addition to the council and so he was invited to join, an invitationwhich he duly accepted. The issue of Edith’s still technically beinga member of covenant was raised as with the recruitment of Ospectus it meantthat should she return we would have no laboratory to offer any prospectivemagus. This issue was however easily solved by a simple vote to remove thatmaga’s good standing, given her actions the outcome of such a vote wasnever in any real doubt. Ospectus will take up the laboratory on the firstfloor of the building so that we might be able to offer one of the tower laboratories,with the extensive laboratory equipment that they contain, to a more seniormagus whom we hope to attract. Whilst he could quite legitimately have askedfor such a laboratory and we would have been quite happy for him to do so,he could see the wisdom in such an arrangement.

Once again I journeyed forth intothe Dean for the situation remained precariously balanced with the threatof investigation by the church still a distinct possibility. As I called byLydney I heard that Sir Gerald was sorely afflicted by a fever, indeed ithad such a hold of him that his nephew and heir, Sir Martin, feared that hewould not last out the winter. I was able to speak with Sir Martin, a sharp-mindedman, with whom I feel that I can deal well with on the covenant’s behalf.I agreed that we would send a mining engineer down from Blackney to help establishthe quarry that Lydney will be setting up on the hill outside the woods. Travellingon from Lydney I made my way to Tintern Abbey to speak with the Abbot to seewhat was happening with the investigations. Happily it seems that both theAbbot and the Baron of Monmouth spoke on our behalf, vouchsafing for us asboth loyal servants of the crown and devout men of God. Wishing to reinforcethis opinion of the Abbot’s I arranged for services to be restarted atthe chapel and for the villagers at Blackney and our grogs, when on patrol,to attend mass at St. Mary’s in Lydney. Our soldiers might not be overlyreligious, but orders are orders so they’ll be pretending they are ifnothing else. Sir Gerald passed away just before Christmas as expected andwas succeeded by Sir Martin.

We had visitors to the covenantlater on in the season as two Flambeau arrived, travelling together, seekingto join our council. Audacia and Magnus were both interviewed and breakingslightly with tradition, we decided to invite Audacia to join without requestingthat she stay for a season to allow both sides get somewhat of a measure ofthe other. Magnus took his rejection quite well, saying that if he had beenin our position he would have chosen the more senior magus as well. We werehappy to point him in the direction of some other covenants which might haveneed of his talents and for my part I hope he finds a place within this tribunal,for we may need all the warriors we can get if schism occurs.

At midwinter Mathus arrived bringingnews. Of news mundane he spoke first with news from the great Synod whichhad been held. Apparently the Synod ruled that priests are not permitted tohave wives but this was overruled by the King. DuClerc thinks that there mayhave been some discussion of magic and wizards and will endeavour to investigate.More troubling local news as Kenneth of Coleford has been granted the rightto mine ore in Clearwell and is to try to build a road through the forestonce more. Mathus too had heard something of the rumours of devil worshippersand wizards in the woods but was able to confirm that the Abbot and Baronhad backed us. Of hermetic news, it seems that our former sodalis Petrus hasreturned from his tour of Stonehenge to make his report only to find himselfaccused of bias by the Houses of Guernicus and Tremere. As a result of which,although no action is to be taken against Petrus himself, his report willnot be presented to the Grand Tribunal, which if one were being cynical wasprobably the intent behind the accusation all along.

At the brief meeting held afterMathus had left us to our own deliberations we discussed what should be doneabout Kenneth’s latest venture as we clearly could not let him buildthe road for fear of what it might do to the aura here. We decided that Audacia,accompanied by Ospectus and myself, would travel down and collapse the mineusing her Perdo magicks. The plan worked perfectly and she was able to causethe timber supports to rot thus bringing down the roof. This had the addedbonus that it made it look like Kenneth had been trying to save money by buyingsubstandard wood, a rumour which I was only to happy to help propagate. Soit was that the year came to a successful conclusion and with the new maginow sitting round the council table we are once more firmly back in Summer.