1180

YEAR 1180

Scribed by Medius

Spring 1180AD

It is an honour to scribe thejournal as the covenant of Severn temple reaches the centenary of its re-founding.As I look back upon the record of the past 100 years I find myself filledwith admiration for the way that so many of my sodales have dealt with thethreats and treachery that have often challenged them, and helped build afoundation on which I hope we can build even further. There is no doubt thatrecent events have been bitter, and I still mourn the death of Magus Aelfwinwho so ably steered us through such difficult times, but I am privileged tohold the position of Pontifex in a covenant that is finally enjoying the earlyyears of Summer. There will be many more dark days I am sure, but our councilnow holds a fine mix of magi and an important position within the tribunalof Stonehenge.

All were present as we gathered for our firstcouncil meeting of the year. Magus Cormoran began by telling us that he hadsuccessfully pulled 7 pawns of vim vis from the aura that surrounds us overthe winter. He also said that his consortis who have been operating the CrescentMoon for us have been conducting some business of their own and have madesufficient money that they seek to buy another barge, which is likely to meana sum of 50 pennies a year extra to swell our coffers. Magus Carwen spokenext and told us of a strange event that occurred as he cast the ritual tohelp our orchards to grow strong. It seems that as he wove the magic thathe saw a vision of a woman casting the same spell but speaking an ancientversion of Cymric, somewhat similar I believe to that spoken by the Celtswithin Mynydd Myrddin. We wondered whether the spell might have originatedin the age before the Order of Hermes was founded like so much of the ritualmagic that we practice in this modern age.

We turned our attention to the matter of MagusPetrus and the portal that we have decided to open to the higher level ofthe regio it seems that we inhabit. We agreed that the door should be placedwithin the Great Hall, within the wall set behind the high table. I suggestedthat we invest in a tapestry to cover it whilst it is not in use and we agreedthat it would be appropriate to commission one that celebrates the last 100years of the covenant. To that end a sum of up to 200 pennies has been allocatedfor this, and we further agreed to set aside 150 pennies to pay for the feastthat we are to hold on the Autumn equinox.

We discussed something of our activities forthe coming year and an allocation of vis was made for those who had done servicein the year just gone. With our supplies still low I could not grant a greatdeal, and knowing that I would be unable to undertake a service this yeardue to the need to reforge my longevity potion I made donation of the lastvis that I held in my own stores (save the vim that my potion shall need).For the season I declared I had need of extracting further vim vis for myself.My sodales all set themselves to service for the covenant in this season;Cormoran, Carwen and Astrius travelling to Mynydd Myrddin and Dialectica andGiraldus travelling to Gloucester where our newest member will, with the Earl'sagreement, take the position of steward of this landholding.

Shortly before my sodales travelled to MynyddMyrddyn the covenant was paid a visit by a former resident who has long residedaway from here. The faerie fox Eanfled, who I understand is the reason forour tavern being named 'The Fox and Chicken' returned from his journeys inArcadia, seemingly unaware of the great time that has passed since he left.Magus Carwen was happy to permit him entry and it is my understanding thatthe fox resides here still.

Once more the werewolves allowed passage throughto Mynydd Myrddin, and again the Merlin's Brood ambushed the party shortlyafter entering the regio. Preparations were more thorough this time than thelast and with the grogs protected by Cormoran's enchantments seven were slainwith little more than bruising on our own side. They were able to enter theawakened forest that lies within and there harvested 4 pawns of Herbam fromthe sap of the Great Oak before pressing on to the deeper levels of the regioand collecting 3 pawns of Intellego from the moss that grows upon the standingstones. They returned without mishap arriving back at the covenant some 2weeks before the end of the season.

Summer

On the morning of the council I was woken frommy slumber by a loud roaring and I as I attempted to rise I could feel thetower shaking as if the ground itself was seeking to shake itself free ofthe building. I swiftly made my way down to the great hall and there I sawMagus Petrus bathed in a bright magical light as he faced the wall whereinhad been set the portal. He was casting no magic but there was an intenseconcentration upon his face and it seemed that he was struggling to controlthe energies that surrounded him. After some time the light faded and themagus slumped to the floor unconscious. By this stage my sodales had all joinedme and despite our best attempts Petrus would not be roused and he was takento the infirmary.

Casting magic upon the portal we detected someform of non hermetic effect which was akin to a Rego Vim enchantment, butwith no discernible sigil. Magus Astrius used his power to view the hiddenworld and stated that the boundary seemed insubstantial, as if a breach hadbeen opened to the higher level of the regio, or to the lands of the deadfor those more disposed to a pagan interpretation. A grog named Harold hadbeen present during the period before we had been roused and he said thatPetrus was in the great hall taking his breakfast when an expression of surprisecrossed his face and the light encompassed him. He could recall no indicationthat Petrus had been involved in any ritual prior to the event beginning.

We decided to place the council in abeyanceso that Magus Carwen could speak with the Lladra and see whether she couldshed any light on what had occurred. He was able to tell us that she had saidthat the boundary between worlds had been weakened. After a few hours Petrusawoke and while still unsteady on his feet came to speak with the councilwhich we decided to hold in the great hall so that the portal not be unobserved.He told us that while he was breaking his fast he had a strange feeling thatsomething was awry with the archway. He felt that the boundary might in someway be moving and, while he does not know how he did it, attempted to controlit which is the last that he remembered. Following his telling of the storyPetrus then used his arts to investigate the archway and confirmed that hecould also see a non hermetic effect. He postulated that what had happenedmight be something to do with the sympathies of the aura, suggesting thatit might be that the inscriptions that he had placed around the arch had becomeentwined with a fluctuation of the aura that sometimes occurs without beingnoticed. Reminding us that we reside within an unstable regio he said thathe believed that the regio had begun to expand from the point where the portalwas to be established and that the tremors we had felt were caused by hisattempts to inhibit this expansion. He raised a previous event in this covenant'shistory when the regio had expanded following a magical accident that he suffered,one that had caused twilight but given him a greater intuitive understandingof the nature of regios.

We discussed the various options that lay beforeus for some time, drawing upon Petrus' expertise. It was felt that destroyingthe archway physically may well remove the effect but Petrus was concernedthat this would deny us and the order an opportunity for significant learning.Petrus felt that the best option would be to complete the ritual althoughhe acknowledged that he was now entering something of an unknown area withinmagical theory. The third option that we considered was to leave the areaas it was while we made further investigations although several of us feltthat this was a dangerous option due to the uncertainty regarding what mightyet happen around this potential breach. Petrus then left us so that we mightfurther consider as a council. Carwen related more of the tale that the Lladrahad told him. She claimed that the lands of the dead had protections in placeto prevent mortals entering. While I confess that over the years I have learnedto be more cautious about dismissing some of the pagan beliefs about thisplace I still believe that we deal with a regio here rather than some mythicafterlife and I did not find myself convinced by this. After several hoursof discussion we moved to a vote on whether to have the archway dismantled.Myself, Dialectica and Carwen favoured this option with Astrius and Cormoranvoting against.

Petrus was clearly disappointed by our decisionbut agreed to carry out our request. As he began to remove the archway howeverAstrius called on him to stop. Using his second sight he had observed a crackappear in the wall although we could see nothing in the physical plane. Petrusthought for a moment before suggesting that the law of contagion might bea factor here, with the effect upon a part being transferred to the whole.There was some more discussion and Carwen argues that we should seek furtheradvice, suggesting he speak with the Anu. There was sufficient concern asto what was happening that we agreed to his request and our council was suspendedonce more.

The following day we gathered again and Carwentold us that the Anu believed that there was a tear in the veil between usand the otherworld. She said that to press on with the ritual would be extremelydangerous as there was so much power in the otherworld that if it went awrywe would all be killed. She also said that to effect a repair in the breachwould be nigh impossible as the veil had been wrought at the beginning ofthe world with power that we could not comprehend. She said that she knewno more although her sister, the Morrigan, might be able to offer furtheradvice. There was a suggestion that Aeddan might be able to help effect arepair given his bloodline but Dialectica was clearly unhappy for such toeven be considered.

Again we moved to a vote to decide our nextcourse of action. Whilst I had cast my vote throughout against the ritualto create this portal I was concerned that we were once more possibly enteringinto a situation where we gave more credence to the words of the pagan entitiesthat seek influence over this place than those who make up this order andso I decided to permit Petrus to enact his ritual. With the votes of Astriusand Cormoran added to mine this was the decision that was reached and we madeimmediate arrangements to evacuate the covenant of all but Petrus accompaniedby Astrius and Cormoran in case any attack should be launched upon him duringthe enactment. With the covenant so emptied Petrus cast his ritual, seeminglyentirely successfully. We now have a portal within our great hall to the higherlevel of the regio that we reside within hopefully providing an extra meansof defence against any future attack from Ieuan. Nevertheless I can not butworry as to what we have done here and I hope that I will not rue my decision.It is clear at the very least that we can expect visits in the future fromother members of House Bonisagus as Petrus has clearly achieved somethingastonishing and he does not seem to be likely to do anything other than loudlyannounce his brilliance throughout the order.

Following the magnitude of this event the remainderof our council was concluded swiftly. Astrius, Cormoran, Carwen and Dialecticaall chose to attend the symposium at Blackthorn, and from their reports thiswas significantly more successful than previous attempts to hold such in theStonehenge tribunal. With Giraldus abroad on his house duties I remained withinthe covenant and studied from the Corporem texts.

Autumn

The autumn council began with news from Giraldus.While he was at Narwold he learned that Magus Arcturus is overdue in returningfrom a trip to London in spring. Given that he has been appointed investigativehoplite on the matter of the Christian cult this must be cause for some slightconcern, although he is a very able magus and has been abroad for extendedperiods in the past.He also told us that Maga Visula of Holy Isle has reportedthat another wizard from the un-named house has been slain in North Walesand Sharrisel, Prima Merinita, has passed into final twilight.

I was able to report that the tapestries forthe great hall had been completed and they are truly magnificent to behold,telling as they do much of the history of this covenant. We have vast amountsof food laid in for the feast at the equinox with Giraldus having arrangedfor entertainers to visit. We agreed that there would be a twin focus to thecelebrations with a formal feast inside the great hall and Carwen arrangingfor a celebration at the spring more appropriate to any supernatural visitorswho might choose to honour the occasion.

Magus Astrius asked for a ruling to be madeon the use of the portal and it was agreed by the entire council that it mayonly be used following a specific decision of the council unless the covenantis under attack. Our activities during the season were also determined. Ispent my time training my apprentice and Astrius agreed to extract vim visas a covenant service. Cormoran was learning a spell, Carwen studying frompersonal vis and Giraldus was reading the covenant journal. Maga Dialecticaannounced that she was once more travelling to the court of the Prince ofPowys with Aeddan, although she said that she would return for the feast.

The season was a peaceful one with the onlysignificant event being the centenary celebration. We were joined by severalmembers of the order. Petrus was of course present and he was joined by Sereniaand Theophilus of Blackthor, Sylvania and Geddyn of Cad Gadu, Myra and Arcanusfrom Carrion Moor, Erin, Edith and Helena from Lear Valley, Augustus, Alyssyaand Liberata from Trevalga and finally Qwellior and Marissa. On the day andinto the evening there were many more visitors. Yago and the spirits of Varsaviaand Lothar accompanied by several Bwbwachod and Golwyg Haffydd came from thecourt of wood with a gift of three large silver acorns that will apparentlygrow strongly wherever they are planted, dropping further acorns in time.Turold, Gofynwy, Cyrgig and a number of denizens from Stonevale and the Undermountainrepresented the court of stone and brought with them a gift from Gofannonof a large gemstone that glows with a warm, bright light that we were toldcould be extinguished by no wizard. At the spring we were also visited byBethwyn and a number of Cors, the shades of many former magi of the covenant(although I am glad to report there was no sign of Caelestis or Jean) anda number of other spirits of those who have resided here in the past. Thecelebrations went on long into the night and passed peacefully.

Winter

Maga Dialectica spoke first at the last councilof the year, reporting that Aeddan had been knighted by the Prince of Powys.He does not hold any land but the Prince intends to name him as his heir.It is a small principality so it is unlikely that that he will have such mundaneinfluence as to bring him in conflict with his oath when he joins the order.Dialectica announced that his gauntlet will be set towards the direction ofher apprentice joining House Jerbiton and I am sure that they will be happyto receive him. We discussed the three acorns that we had been gifted on theautumn equinox and agreed to plant them between the spring and the Severn,a task that Carwen said he would fulfil. Cormoran asked whether the councilintended to spend the vis to improve our harvest again and we decided thatwe could not afford to spend such vis every year. Cormoran however state thathe would grant sufficient from his own personal vis and Carwen agreed thathe would cast the ritual on this basis.

We determined our activities for the seasonwith Cormoran brewing more cider, Astrius studying from Creo vis, Dialecticafrom Vim vis, Carwen crafting an item and Giraldus studying from the workson fantastic Beasts. I spent the season creating a new longevity potion withthe assistance of Ezekiel, who is proving to be a good student despite thelate age at which he has come to hermetic magic.

The season passed uneventfully and our 100thyear drew to a close with this covenant at peace.