1178

YEAR 1178

Scribed by Carwyn

Spring 1178AD

The weather was clement, thoughsomewhat chilly, as we met a dawn for the first Council meeting of the year.Despite the presence of the other Magi, the Council chamber still seemed ratherempty in the wake of the deaths of Theo and Aelfwin in recent years, and muchof the conversation was stilted or perfunctory. Although not naturally inclinedto melancholia, I think it worth taking a moment to remember those who nolonger dwell here and what we have lost with their passing.

[Carwyn's private journal:As I surveyed the Council chamber, I was struck by how little wisdom remainshere. Indeed, I sense the only one with any insight or perception simply waitsfor the most appropriate time to leave.]

The first matter we discussedwas my journey to the Court of Water to learn more of Llyr's attitude towardsreturning the Crown of Mabh. In short, through my conversations with the LadiesNimue and Sionedd and the Master-of-Arms Cirdan, I learned that Llyr doubtsAeddan's ability and willingness to follow in his father's footsteps, andso he holds back the Crown to avoid the danger that an ineffective or uncommittedleader could drag the Court into a disastrous war. I suggested that one wayout of our predicament would be for Aeddan to dissolve the King's Council,for if Aeddan declared that the Council was no longer needed and chose notto press his claim to the Crown, at least at this time, then we might be sparedthe possibility of war. This venture is not without risk, for the Councilmight suspect the hand of Dialectica in this, and without the protection ofher membership of the Council, those who regard her has a malign influenceover her son might seize the opportunity to do her harm. Yet even so I feelit may be worth pursuing, and we may be able to mitigate the risk to Dialecticaby having Aeddan make it clear to all that she is under his direct protection.The Council of Severn Temple agreed that the plan was at least worth considering,and I stated that I would journey to Cad Gadu after the meeting to seek theopinions of Prima Fenriata and the two Archimagi of House Merinita.

[Carwyn's private journal:The only other matter of note discussed during the Council meeting was whetherthe season I spent learning the spell The Bountiful Feast from the librariesof Cad Gadu should count as a covenant service. I must admit that I was genuinelysurprised that my sodales did not regard it as such; although it is true thatit was not declared as a covenant service beforehand, I had assumed that itwas obvious that I had travelled north to learn it directly in response tothe Council's previous decision that we needed it to bolster the growth ofour orchards in the fields around Lydney. Since it is a powerful and expensiveritual, I doubt I shall ever cast it except at the behest of the Council,yet none of the others saw it this way, thereby deeming it rather an act ofpersonal advancement. Astrius was similarly treated, having spent severalseasons learning healing spells after Aelfwin's death. Quite extraordinary.]

At Cad Gadu, I met Prima Fenriataand recounted the tale of my trip to the Court of Water and my idea concerningthe King's Council. Perhaps surprisingly given their barely concealed hostility- actually, unconcealed hostility might be a better description - towardsme, neither of the Archimagi of House Merinita present, Pallaes and Radhaic,raised serious objections to my plan, though they both remained wary. PrimaFenriata told the Archimagi that she would not accede to Prima Merinita'srequest to force me to step down from the King's Council, though she did askfor Prima Merinita's thoughts on disbanding the Council. I spent the restof the season in the libraries of Cad Gadu learning more about pagan festivals.

Back at Severn Temple, Dialecticavisited Hugh, our spy in the village of Huntley. Hugh told her of severalrecent reports of banditry on the roads throughout the region. The mannerof the robberies raised concerns that they might be the work of the Fells,who have been quiet in recent years but might be using the opportunity toraise the finances needed to restore their malign influence. High even suggestedthat Edwin of Huntley, perhaps emboldened by the death of his rival Yvonne,might be behind the raids. Dialectica also learned that the Baron of Chepstow,far from giving up his designs on our landholdings around Lydney, had in factoffered the Earl a greater sum to purchase them. This is poor news, for wemay find ourselves in a costly bidding contest, for we cannot give up ourrights there, particularly given the suspicion that the Baron may be partof some secretive Christian cult.

Summer

At the Council meeting at thestart of the season, Medius announced that he had decided to appoint Astriusto the position of Ministrator and Cormoran to the position of Imperator.[Carwyn's private journal: What madness is this?! Quite what Medius wasthinking remains a mystery to me. I do not mind Astrius being appointed Ministrator,but why on earth would he choose to appoint Cormoran as Imperator? I do notsee why Medius could not have left the position vacant, for Cormoran now standsonly one accident away from running and ruining the covenant! Medius compoundedhis astoundingly poor judgment by declaring that he and Astrius would shortlyjourney to the infernal regio at Snig's End, risking at once the mishap thatcould effectively end the covenant as we know it. Perhaps the Quaesitor workson some subtle plan of which I am not aware, but given his track record, itseems more likely that he is lapsing into premature senility. Either thator he has suffered an unannounced magical accident and remains addled withTwilight.]

We then discussed the status ofour landholdings at Lydney, and Dialectica declared that she thought thatour offer to pay increased taxes to the Earl should be enough to see off theBaron of Chepstow's plan to deprive us of the title to the lands. The Earlis apparently firm in his belief that we should retain the lands, and nothingshort of his death or an appeal directly to the King is likely to change thecurrent situation. Given the rumours about the Baron's association with theChristian cult being investigated by Arcturus, this is very good news.

The discussion then turned tothe forthcoming Tribunal meeting. First, we debated what offer to set beforeArchimaga Gyriania concerning our desire to have a Redcap stationed at thecovenant. Medius made a note of the geographical advantages offered by ourcovenant, and we also determined that we would consider any seasons spenton Tribunal business as services to the covenant with the attendant rightto share in any vis distributed at the end of the year. Furthermore, we agreedthat, should the Redcap subsequently wish to convert his or her vis into magicalitems, the Council would regard the creation of such devices as services tothe covenant. We agreed that, considered together, the various aspects ofour proposal represented a tempting offer that should, hopefully, stand usin good stead against the likely bids from Carrion Moor and other potentialcandidates. This all assumes, of course, that the Archimaga does not considerSevern Temple too unstable an environment for a young Magus given this covenant'sdreadful history of accident and misadventure.

The final matters we consideredwere the two motions we planned to raise at the Tribunal meeting. After somediscussion, we decided to present a report on the possible re-emergence ofthe Fells, including an offer to coordinate further information sharing onthis matter, and a declaration that we would be holding a celebration at theAutumn Equinox next year to celebrate the passing of one hundred years sincethe covenant of Severn Temple was refounded. The latter event is certainlya milestone worthy of commemoration, particularly given the unpromising calibreof the Magi, with the honourable exception of Petrus, who refounded the place.Indeed, given the dark histories of these first characters, it seems remarkablethat the place is still standing here at all.

As magi from all over the StonehengeTribunal gathered at Blackthorn for the meeting at midsummer, there was anopportunity to seek out friends and acquaintances and engage in some mildtrading. After conveying to Erin my condolences at the loss of his filius,Aelfwin, I asked whether he would be willing to brew a longevity potion forme, as my current potion nears the limit of its effectiveness. He readilyagreed to do so, though the demand for his services meant that he would notbe able to start before the spring of 1181, so I shall have to make sure towrap up warmly for a couple of winters. I agreed to consult with ArchimagusJolyon regarding payment for the potion, for Erin's services are now consideredas a service to Lear Valley covenant. I also mentioned the popularity of Erin'sservices to Medius, for I knew that he was also considering how to securea more powerful longevity potion, and he quickly scurried off to speak withthe alchemist to secure his place in the queue. I was also able to speak withMarissa, and we agreed that I would travel to Narwold covenant to visit herin the summer of next year.

The first matter of business debatedat the Tribunal proper concerned the election of a new Prima following thedisappearance of Eloria into Final Twilight. The three eldest Magi in theTribunal - and, therefore, the eligible candidates for the position - wereQuaesitor Yania, Archimaga Gyriania and Prima Fenriata. However, ArchimagaGyriania declined to step forward, so her place in the contest was offeredfirst to Kara, who also declined, and then to Archimaga Sylvania, who accepted.The three candidates each gave a short speech outlining their priorities shouldthey be selected. Archimaga Sylvania spoke of her concern over the threatof the Dominion to magical and faerie places and the need to conduct a surveyof vulnerable sites in order to inform decisions on how best to ensure theirsurvival. Prima Fenriata set out the injustices meted out to members of herHouse in recent years and declared that she would press for a full investigationof the activities of the dedicated covenant of Holy Isle. Quaesitor Yaniaalso noted the divisions between the various factions within the Tribunal,and she stated that she would seek to bridge their positions by promotingcooperation and understanding.

All three candidates spoke well,put forward cogent arguments and dealt effectively with questions from thefloor, some of which were more impertinent than others. After some consideration,I decided to vote for Archimaga Sylvania, as she seemed the most consideredand forward thinking of the trio. To my mind, the other two would also havemade good Primi, though I had slight reservations about each of them. In PrimaFenriata's case, I had no doubt that she would prosecute her legitimate claimsagainst Holy Isle with vigour and determination, but I was concerned thatshe would be a divisive figure, even in the eyes of those Latin members ofthe Tribunal without close links to Holy Isle. In Quaesitor Yania's case,I found her position overly cautious and a little bland - having identifiedthe division between Magi of different traditions as the major challenge facingthe Tribunal, she declared that she would try to promote understanding throughjoint trade ventures in rare goods and the like. Although I really wish ourproblems could be solved through a simple bout of shopping, in truth I cannotsee this approach making much progress. Still, it was a pleasant experienceto have to choose between three able candidates rather than having to weighmy vote carefully in an effort to stop a disastrous candidate winning. Theother members of Severn Temple also faced a difficult decision in placingtheir votes. In the end, Dialectica voted for Prima Fenriata and Astrius (andCormoran, given that Astrius held his sigil) voted for Quaesitor Yania, thoughI know that Astrius mulled over for some time the implications for the ConciliumQuaesitori should Yania win and stand down from that body.

The contest was a close affair,with Yania prevailing in the end over Fenriata by just two votes. The newPraeca assumed her position at the centre of the Tribunal table and, as shehad indicated earlier, her first action was to stand down as Quaesitor. Iunderstand from those who have dealt with her in the past that she is a fairminded sort, in which case the Tribunal's gain is the Concilium Quaesitori'sloss. Praeca Yania also announced that she intended to move from Solis Castleto Blackthorn, the traditional seat of the Praeca of this Tribunal.

With the new Praeca installed,the next item of business was to try three legal cases. The first case concernedthe reappearance of Dionysus and his subsequent attacks on members of SevernTemple. Medius and Astrius recounted the tale of their meeting with Dionysusand, to his credit, Medius did not shy away from giving a full account ofhis role in the affair. Several members of the Tribunal gasped audibly whenthey learned just how badly Medius' decisions had been during the encounter,yet his bravery in admitting his failings before his peers must have impressedothers. Once the evidence had been given, virtually no one spoke up in Dionysus'defence, though Ursula of Holy Isle questioned just how sure Medius and Astriuswere that they had truly encountered Dionysus, rather than some infernal apparitionmasquerading as him. Astrius declared that he had seen Dionysus' sigil, thoughI am not sure quite why this would convince anyone given the involvement ofinfernal magic, but the matter proved moot, as the Tribunal voted overwhelminglyto renounce Dionysus. Henceforth, all member of the Tribunal encounteringhim are required to bring an end to his existence or to carry word to thosewho can do so. Reviewing our journal, it is clear that Dionysus has been reviledby the Magi of Severn Temple for many years, so good riddance to him, sayI!

The second trial concerned a casebrought by Tostig, a reclusive alchemist, against the Magi of Scarfell covenant.Tostig accused Scarfell of deliberately sending a pious friar to one of hisvis sites. The friar subsequently blessed the site in the name of the accursedSaint Patrick, ruining it as a vis source. He, therefore, demanded, a fineof two pawns of vis per year in recognition of his loss. For their part, Scarfellacknowledged that they had had problems with the friar in the past and admittedthat one of their mundane agents may have encouraged the friar to move onby telling him tales of nearby magical places. They denied, however, doingso with the intention that the friar would visit Tostig's vis site. Thoughthey declared they were not to blame, Scarfell offered a one off payment ofthree pawns of vis for their role in the affair. In the end, the Tribunal,including all of us at Severn Temple, voted in favour of Scarfell, as theydid not seem to have acted maliciously or with knowledge of Tostig's vis site.

The final case was a dispute betweenMoravius and Quellior. The former accused the latter of giving him glamouredvis as part of a deal. A few days after the deal had been completed, the visallegedly disappeared and Moravius' sanctum was filled with a swarm of bitingblack flies. Quellior claimed he had done no such thing, and he suggestedthat Moravius may have angered a local Unseelie faerie, who might have takenhis revenge by transforming the vis into flies. Upon questioning by the Quaesitori,it became evident that Solis Castle had indeed annoyed a local faerie by destroyingsome local woodlands, though Moravius declared that there was no evidencethat this had anything to do with his vis. Moravius asked the Tribunal toaward him his Rook of vis back, whereas Quellior stated that there shouldbe no punishment, as he had done nothing wrong. After some debate, Astrius(and Cormoran) and Dialectica voted in favour of Moravius, whereas I votedfor Quellior. The former proved victorious and claimed his prize.

The three cases had taken allday to resolve, so Praeca Yania called proceedings to a halt for the evening.This gave us the opportunity to speak with the Tribunal's two new Redcaps,Giraldus and Alanus, to determine which of them would fit in best at SevernTemple should we be selected by Archimaga Gyriania. Of the two, Giraldus struckme as the better candidate, for he had an easy manner and an uncanny abilityto ferret out information from people without raising suspicions. Alanus,in contrast, had a more military bearing, though Dialectica noted that hewas surprisingly stealthy for one of his size. We debated the merits of thetwo, and I was somewhat surprised to learn that all save Dialectica favouredGiraldus, for I had expected opinion to be split more evenly. Medius had earlierdelivered the covenant's offer to Archimaga Gyriania, and we retired for thenight hopeful that we would prove successful.

The next morning, the Tribunalresumed its business, with each of the covenants raising up to two motionsin turn. First, Theopholis of Blackthorn announced that his covenant plannedto hold a symposium in the summer of 1180, where Magi could come togetherto discuss magical research. Such ventures have not always proved successfulin the past, though I shall certainly try to attend to encourage Theopholisin his efforts. For Blackthorn's second motion, Archimaga Gyriania declaredthat she had decided to place Giraldus at Severn Temple and Alanus at Blackthornitself. A fine outcome indeed!

Next, Maia of Blywyddan askedwhy no Redcaps ever visited her covenant. Archimaga Gyriania stated that Blywyddanwas currently on a blacklist maintained by House Mercere following its illtreatment of Lauretius in the past. She noted that Blywyddan's status wouldbe reconsidered at the next meeting of her House.

For Cad Gadu, Archimaga Sylvaniaproposed that the Tribunal should undertake a survey of all magical and faeriesites under threat from the Dominion. The Tribunal voted in favour by a healthymajority, and it was resolved that each covenant would provide a list of threatenedsites by the time of the next Tribunal meeting. Next, Prima Fenriata announcedthat House Ex Miscellanea planned to ask the Grand Tribunal to authorise acomprehensive investigation into Holy Isle covenant, and she asked that theTribunal also vote in favour of such an investigation. This motion was passedby a significant majority.

For Carrion Moor, Arcanus statedthat he had observed a ghostly ship sailing off the south Cornish coast. Hehad investigated local rumours surrounding the ship, which suggested thatit might be connected with a magical or faerie island said to be lost of thecoast of Cornwall. He asked for assistance in finding out more from any withthe ability to traverse the waves or connections with the faerie folk. ThenKira spoke of Carrion Moor's expanding trade links through the port of Southamptonand invited other covenants to engage in trade.

Quaesitor Galfredus of Holy Islereported that his covenant had investigated sightings of members of the UnnamedHouse in South Wales, and Motus had slain two members of that organisation.Questioning their spirits led Holy Isle to believe that there continued tobe a sect of the Unnamed House operating in the area. Ursula then stated thatHoly Isle would levy a tithe of three pawns of vis per Magus to support itsactivities, an announcement that was greeted with an audible groan from manymembers of the Tribunal.

From Lear Valley, Archimagus Jolyonasked the Tribunal to support the creation of an infirmary at his covenantspecialising in the healing of Magi, familiars, magical diseases and poisons.Praeca Yania announced that the Tribunal would be able to fund the infirmary,at least for the immediate future, for Eloria had stockpiled a large amountof vis from previous tribunal tithes. This allayed the fears of many concerningthe resources needed to establish and maintain the infirmary, and the motionwas carried by a small majority. Erin then declared that his services as apotion maker would be considered as services to the infirmary, and he invitedany Magi seeking longevity or other healing potions to contact him.

For Narwold, Arcturus reportedon his investigation into the secretive Christian sect, which he mentionedhad operations in London, Gloucester, York and Durham and perhaps even beyond.He noted his suspicion that pious Magi might be involved, though as yet hehad no direct evidence of this.

For Scarfell, Magnus declaredthat the covenant had experienced problems with a group of hedge wizards thathe suspected of originating in the Loch Leglean Tribunal. The hedge wizardshad disrupted several of the covenant's vis sites. Magnus had managed to slayone of them, a shape shifter, but three others, a witch, herbalist and diviner,remained. Perhaps due to the arcane talents of the last of the three, thehedge wizards had managed to evade further attempts to track them down, andScarfell therefore sought the aid of any who might be able to thwart the magicsof the diviner.

At last it was Severn Temple'sturn. Medius first recounted our recent encounters with the Fells, and oursuspicions that they were attempting rebuild their finances and influencefollowing the death of the leader. He then announced the covenant's centenarycelebrations to be held at the Autumn Equinox next year, and invited "allfriends and other Magi", which I must admit I found to be an awkward turnof phrase, to attend.

Moravius of Solis Castle thendeclared that, following the completion of work on his item for his forthcomingHouse meeting, he would be ready to take on commissions for items startingnext year. He noted that items requiring extensive experimentation would attractreduced costs, as this gave him the opportunity to try out new and unusualenchantments. Praeca Yania then announced that Solis Castle had obtained copiesof several manuscripts from the monks of Lyndesfarne, which they were willingto trade with other covenants. She noted that the tomes contained considerablenotes on legends, fantastic beasts and the Church and its rituals.

For Trevalga, Ildanach echoedMoravius announcement that he would be open to commissions from next year.Alesia then mentioned that the covenant had purchased several trading ships,two of which were capable of travelling to the continent and Hibernia. Shesaid that the covenant would be willing to allow Magi to travel aboard theships for a nominal fee.

With all of the covenants havingraised their allotted motions, we turned to the Magi who reside in the wilds.From the North, Gilda announced that she was looking for a rare form of rockcrystal shot through with lines of bloodstone. In return for a fist sizedamount of this stone, she would be willing to pay vis or conduct three divinations.From the South, Oscar said that he had been appointed Knight Magistrate ofOxfordshire, which meant he could intercede on behalf of Magi who got caughtup in mundane difficulties in the county. He noted, however, that Magi shouldbe careful about travelling openly through the city, as he would find it moredifficult to do so if they were accused of witchcraft or similar crimes. Finally,Tudric of Wales noted that he had created a batch of magical powders thataid sleep, memory and the regeneration of wounds. He offered to sell the powdersfor a suitable price or trade them for items of equivalent value.

With that, the Tribunal meetingcame to a close, and we departed for Severn Temple. Astrius was not with us,for he had received news that his Primus had convened an emergency meetingof his House in Iberia.

I spent the rest of the seasonexploring the Wye Valley as a covenant service. After several weeks of searching,I managed to locate the magical site of Gray Hill, which consists of a largestanding stone in a clearing upon a deeply forested hill. The site shouldhave been much easier to find, yet I had great trouble, and it seemed as thoughthe forest itself sought to hide the clearing from me. Yet perseverance paidoff in the end, and I was able to overcome the misdirection. I detected amagical aura of the third magnitude about the site, though I could not ascertainwhether it was the central stone or the clearing itself that was the sourceof the power. I spoke with a large sweet chestnut tree at the edge of theclearing and asked whether any other men had come to this place in recenttimes. It replied that one who wore a great crown - an obvious reference toTheo - had visited several years ago; in earlier times, when the tree wasrelatively young, more people came to the site to make offerings to localspirits by leaving items of value around the central stone. This referenceto spirits aroused my curiosity, and I attempted to make any thereabouts becomevisible, though with no success.

At Kai's suggestion, we each buriedfive silver pennies on the hill as an offering to the spirits, and we thendeparted for the cave where we found the shield of Dylan-eil-ton a coupleof years ago. On the way there, we encountered a couple of rough sorts arguingin a rowing boat. It was clear from their conversation that they had beenup to no good, though they had lost their plunder overboard. With Kai's assistance,I was able to recover the chest from the depths of the river, depriving thetwo men of their plunder. It contained 80 silver pennies. Curiously, backat our riverside camp, I noticed a strange rustling in the trees that remindedme of a sound I heard back at Gray Hill, I do wonder whether a spirit of somekind followed us from that place, or perhaps it even led us to the chest inreturn for our offering. We spent the rest of the season fishing for eelsat the cave. It was a tricky business, for my line kept getting tangled upin the weeds. Somewhat exasperated, I spoke with the waters of the pool tofind out what was happening, and it told me that it was the work of the spiritsof those who had tried to recover the shield in the past, since they remainedenvious of the living. Despite the interference of these malign ghosts, Iwas at last able to hook one of the eels, which contained three pawns of Animalvis, and I returned to the covenant in a fine mood.

Autumn

At the Council meeting, our firstact was to invite Giraldus to join the covenant. He agreed to do so, and heformally swore the oath and signed the charter. Given the likelihood thathe will spend at least part of each year on the roads carrying messages andinvestigating mundane affairs, Medius allocated him a Leap of Homecoming potionand the Saddle of the Steed Created to aid his travels.

The next matter we discussed concernedAelfwin's former laboratory, which contained a set of fine, if rather esoteric,equipment. Dialectica indicated that she was keen to take possession of theequipment, and Cormoran also mulled over the possibility for some time beforewithdrawing on the grounds that he could not spare the time to learn how touse the equipment.

I found this to be a most curiousdecision, for the advantages conferred by the equipment far outweigh any short-termdifficulties, but the reasons for Cormoran's hesitation perhaps became clearerwhen he recounted the tale of an encounter he had had earlier in the season.He had been summoned to the wall by one of the grogs on watch, who had noticedthe movement of a large creature amongst the trees. Though Cormoran saw nosign of the creature, he heard a loud knocking on the gate. Whatever it wasdid not respond to his challenge, so he opened the gate to get a closer look.There, the ghostly figure of a half-giant appeared. The newcomer declareditself to be the shade of Pendaran, a great champion of the grogs many yearsago. He told a tale of a war amongst the giant kind, and he demanded thatCormoran venture north at some unspecified time in the future to sort outthe problem. With that, the shade disappeared, claiming that Cormoran wouldknow when the time was to leave. Our sodales said that he was minded to agreeto take on this quest, for he was concerned that his bloodline might be destroyedby a rival clan of giants. I was quite surprised at his eagerness, for I recallthat Cormoran himself had in the past been responsible for thinning out hisbloodline by murdering his uncle, but it was clear that he was keen to go.He invited the rest of us to accompany him to "the Land of Snows", thoughno one immediately stepped forth to do so.

The rest of the season passedwithout any incidents of note.

Winter

Ah, a quiet season at Severn Temple!It has not always been so, and we should count our blessings that we can pursueour studies in peace. The only matter worth recording was that the Heart ofthe Forest produced two additional acorns this year, almost certainly in responseto Giraldus' decision to join the covenant. He debated for some time whetherhe should plant the acorns, for he was reluctant to get involved with thepagan spirits, so we referred him to the journal, where he could learn more.Cormoran also offered to buy Medius' acorns, for it seems the giant is keento plant as many as possible. Whether he seeks to curry favour with the Anu,or whether his involvement with the cider making venture at Lydney has promptedan interest in the health of our orchards (though I doubt he has suddenlybecome a great champion of the natural environment given the terrible messhe made of the landscape several years ago during his efforts to expand ourmines) I cannot say, though I agree that it is better that the acorns areused to strengthen the forest than used in magical research.

I shall now hand the task of writingthe journal to another. May the events of the next year be long, pleasantand rewarding for all here at Severn Temple.