1314

Scribed by Jari

Spring 1314AD

The new year began brightly with a fine winter’s day. As I looked out of my window, I could see a covering of fresh snow blanketing the ground in a comforting embrace while the stonework glittered with an early morning frost. There was a spring in my step as I skipped down the tower stairs to the council chamber. Sadly, such fine humour did not last long for I saw the tense faces on several of my sodales and remembered that this was the meeting at which we must elect the next Princeps. What joy.

While I am capable of breathtaking hypocrisy when it suits or amuses me, such a role is anathema to me and I wished no part of it. However, the Charter is set as such and at least the powers it imbues the holder with have been significantly neutered from the previous dictatorial absurdities of the Pontifex.

Pyrrhus of course declared that he would stand again and he was duly seconded by Theoclea. Naevius also announced his candidature and was duly seconded by Branwen. Thus was the scene set for a veritable clash of the latin titans.

Jari’s private journal

While Pyrrhus is frequently unpleasant and dull-witted, he does not attempt to regulate things too tightly at council. Of course, that may be by incompetence or a reluctance to be shown up rather than any liberal philosophy but that’s not the point. Better the devil you know, though that’s probably not a sentiment to express to him in person.

I confess I almost choked on my morning ale when Branwen seconded Naevius. I can only imagine that Pyrrhus’s constant rudeness must have annoyed her more than she’d let on!

They both gave speeches in which they very generously promised to allow everyone free speech at council. Pyrrhus made what I thought should have been a winning pitch by stating that he would undertake the covenant’s mundane and boring duties if elected. Terentius however followed that up by asking a very pointed question about how effective they thought the council was at making decisions. Pyrrhus said that we shouldn’t be hasty in making important decisions while Naevius expressed his distaste for what he termed as “agendas” and said that he wanted to give council more “direction” and to cut short discussions. This seemed somewhat at odds to his stated goal of allowing free discussion but hey ho. Hopefully he just said it to win Terentius’s vote but time will tell.

The vote was split, with Pyrrhus, Theoclea and yours truly voting for Pyrrhus while Terentius, Branwen and Naevius voted for Naevius. Disappointingly, for who doesn’t like a good spectacle, neither magus was prepared to let the arts decide the matter so the decision as to who would hold sway at council was decided by the drawing of lots. Naevius won and with a brazenness that even I might have blanched at, declared that this was a good omen. Unsurprisingly he promptly appointed Terentius was his deputy.

Led by our new glorious prince, we then returned to the matter of preventing a conflict between Monmouth and the Jack of the Green. Terentius reported that our man Wilfred has recruited six other fellows to join him in working Terentius’ seams. Interestingly, while in Monmouth, Terentius encountered the faerie minstrel Rhys and, as a casting of ‘Sense the Lingering Magic’ revealed, had his emotions affected by the faerie’s music. This confirms what I suspected of Rhys’s powerful nature but I do not think he is likely to be a threat to us of any kind other than making people enjoy his music more than they otherwise might have done.

After that interesting little interlude, we returned to the ongoing and by now quite tedious discussions of iron ore production. Branwen did her best to enliven things by talking up her sacrifice plan which seemed well worth considering to me given one person’s death would likely prevent many but of course put others’ backs up. A vote was held as to whether “In principle, should we proceed with discussion of sacrifice”. Branwen and I voted for it, Naevius and Terentius against, while Theoclea and Pyrrhus abstained. Naevius used his new powers to carry the vote in his favour. So what else was to be done? I won’t bore you with all the interminable back and forth other than Pyrrhus staying true to form despite his obvious disappointment at losing his position by suggesting we burn out the Jack of the Green! Eventually we came back full circle to using disease to scare off the miners once more.

Jari’s private journal

Happily, the early signs are that Naevius is as capable as Pyrrhus at cutting short discussion! I still wonder what deal Branwen cut to get that wooden finger of hers and with who or what. Clearly it’s bought her access to the Jack but beyond that who knows? She’s quite rightly suspicious that I’m trying to ferret out her magical secrets but while I would obviously dearly love to know, I’ve no desire to take sides and bind myself to one of the powers involved as I believe she must have. I should consider the possibility that much knowledge of such ancient powers and magics may be much harder to glean without tying yourself to one of them. On the bright side, if she can act as intermediary to the Jack then she is welcome to such a role. I still remember Erik’s screams of agony all too well so have little desire to deal with such a twisted entity.

Next we discussed the matter of the UnNamed House and the fear that they have taken maga Eloise. There was in truth little we could do other than send letter to Trevalga to better coordinate our mundane spy networks and thereby improve our chances of spotting any suspicious activity on the Southwest coast of England. Terentius remains keen to press the investigation of Roxburgh but we need more information first from those who have been keeping an eye on that place recently and they are very busy currently.

We then talked about what should be done with the four treasures of Britain that currently sit within the covenant, namely the Crown of Madh, Excalibur and its scabbard, and the chalice. Naevius wanted us to take a more proactive role in what to do with them which was sensible but no one had any real suggestions other than crafting a magically protected chest in which to store them and he dismissed that one out of hand. Not that I’m bitter about that you understand. Theoclea, quite sensibly, did not want anything to do with any of them. Of course leaving such items unclaimed is merely storing up big trouble for the future and we can’t simply sit on them for too long without inviting disaster. But no one had any further ideas so that was that for Prince Naevius’s first meeting.

Jari’s private journal

The extent to which Pyrrhus was invested in his role of Princeps was made clearer after the meeting concluded when he approached me and asked if I needed any perdo vis and offered to trade any spare vis I might have at his house meeting. It was a kind gesture brought about I believe by his gratitude for my vote for him. I didn’t like to tell him that it was more of a vote against Naevius than for him but if he is going to treat with me as reasonably as this I should perhaps genuinely reciprocate for it may be helpful to keep him on my side with Naevius’s dictatorial side likely to come out before too long.

After the council was concluded, Pyrrhus set off for his House meeting with his shield grog, who has somehow carelessly lost his nose. He looked an ill-tempered and burly fellow though so I resisted the temptation to make any jokes about it.

Jari’s private journal

At least not to his big flat face anyway.

Terentius meanwhile set off on his mission to leave bloodied diarrhoea and sore-ridden dead bodies strewn across strategic pathways near Coleford and Clearwell. He found that two other groups of freeminers had entered the forest with predictably fatal results, though from the tales that he heard, those who huddled around a campfire were not taken while they did so. Branwen, with her mystical intuition for such things, suggested that this could mean that fire may protect against a god of the woods. A keen and useful insight to ponder.

Vassily was set to carefully monitor mundane reaction to both word of a “devil in the woods” and the disease-ridden bodies which survivors came across. Plague fires were quickly set at Coleford so with luck Terentius’s mission has been successful for now at least.

Meanwhile, Races and I had set off to find the Myrddin’s Stone once more. The air in the thicker parts of the wood that we crossed on the way was somewhat oppressive and brambles and branches constantly snagged at my clothing, though enough only to cause frustration not serious impediment. Just the Jack expressing his displeasure at me walking through the forest in human form I believe, for Races the Wind was not affected at all. As he constantly informed me.

We found the stone quite easily and the air on top of the small hill upon which it sits was a little fresher. I peered at the stone using the sight granted to me by my faerie blood and saw the subtle diffuse starlight that I have come to recognise as characteristic of ‘ancient’ magics. That is to say those which cannot readily be discerned as either ‘magic’ or ‘faerie’ but retain elements of both.

As my gaze wandered beyond the stone I noticed a figure appear. I bade it hello and it manifested in the form of a great deer. This was not the golden-eyed stag that I had met with previously as the influence of the Jack lay heavily upon it. There were vines snaking up its horns and moss lay heavy upon its coat. It told me that the forest was hale and when I asked if it was now under the sway of the Jack, as it had previously feared, it stated that “He is an ally of the forest and under the boughs of the wild wood he has considerable power.” Somewhat of an equivocation there then but in truth the answer was writ large in its appearance. I asked if I could help but it simply replied that the forest was hale and it did not think any could best it. I pressed it as to whether the wild wood sought to claim the temple. The spirit replied that not all the forest was part of the wild wood, including the covenant, but that the Green King claimed all in the wild wood. Races asked whether the spirit’s authority extended beyond the wild wood, and it said that deer were native to the forest and that the non-wild parts of the wood were still worthy of protection. Our protection as guardians would hold in the wild wood as long as the forest is healthy.

This was of course something of a relief to hear even if did mean that there will likely needs be more talk about iron ore and bloody diarrhoea before too long. The spirit added that there was no set boundary to which the forest must keep, an allusion no doubt to the great forest of old which once stretched from coast to coast across this land. As we left, it occurred to me that the spirit had shown no sign of deer-like timidity it had previously manifested. Another sign of the Jack’s influence no doubt.

Summer

All save Pyrrhus were present at the Summer meeting. Theoclea gave update of goings on in the English court. It seems that England will be invading Hibernia on some legally dubious pretext involving reclaiming ancient titles. The fleet is marshalling at Portsmouth and she thought it likely that, as a senior noble, the Baron of Monmouth will be on one of those ships headed to war.

Terentius then relayed what he had learnt of the situation to our West. The freemining settlement on Symonds Hill, led by the surprisingly competent former grog Wilfrid appears to be thriving with a dozen men working there now. One might wish that such competence could be more apparent in those grogs who man the gate and ‘welcome’ visiting magi to our covenant but it would be a great shame not to hear any more tales of the hilariously uncivil conversations they’ve had with quite senior magi.

Anyway, Vassily, and his apprentice Kenneth, a man with a natural charm that should stand him in good stead, have reported that word has reached Monmouth of rumours of “devils in the woods” who take the form of trees and tear apart men. Fortunately, with the Baron away, it is unlikely that the Sheriff will take any drastic action. In any event, Vassily’s agents reported that the Sheriff is apparently a much relieved man now that some iron ore has started to flow from the Dean into Monmouth. There was also talk there that a plague had broken out again near Coleford so hopefully the combination of the two should be enough to at least keep things from getting worse for now. Terentius says that Monmouth is receiving about one third of the ore that it used to so it will not be enough in the long term. Theoclea agreed to use her influence to secure Kenneth a position as a clerk in the Sheriff’s office to further our intelligence gathering there. With luck, there will not be any freeminers bold enough to venture back into the forest until at least Autumn.

After more debate about how best we might locate further sources of ore that could be mined, Terentius agreed that he will venture out into the forest and use the gift granted him by the Shining One to cast spontaneous magics of sufficient magnitude to be able to locate seams of iron within a large enough radius to make such a search practical. As opposed to the proverbial needle in a haystack effort which would result should any of the rest of us try.

Lastly, Branwen reported she has made half a dozen bloody stool potions for the covenant to further our efforts to spread talk of disease hereabouts. How noble is our art!

My service was to take the ship and venture down to Trevalga and Carrion Moor to the South and then North to Holy Isle and hopefully Eurus Aquilae and Borrea Tor. With the authority to trade spells and make other such deals burning a hole in my pouch, I set off with the two trusty thugs, Jessop and Rauf, who had saved me from a lynching in Mitcheldean.

I confess I quite enjoyed the journey along the Southwest coast of England. After all the time I’ve spent within the forest and my laboratory recently, it was invigorating to be somewhere with wide horizons and bracingly fresh air. I leant on the rails of the Severn Star’s port side and studied the coast as it slid by. After a half a dozen visits or so, I know the Southern coast of Wales fairly well and understand how easy it would be for a ship to hide in the myriad of coves that lie along it. However, the coast of Devon and Cornwall is if anything even worse in that regard.

My first stop was Trevalga, which while it appeared extremely defensible on a clifftop overlooking a small harbour, I couldn’t help but think how closely its set-up matched the description of Glenrisdell. I was greeted warmly by Maga Edenia of Verditius and Plautus of Flambeau. They said that the best person to speak to about mundane intelligences would be Magus Valence but he was out of the covenant in the nearby town of Bodmin investigating some sort of diabolist or pagan sect. Edenia returned to whatever commission she was crafting so I sat and chatted with Plautus who seemed like a pleasant fellow. He said that it was very hard to keep track of what goes on along the coast past Camelford castle to the Southwest and there were few settlements of any note until you’ve rounded Land’s End. Plautus said that there have a network of beacons in the surrounding lands to try to warn of any sighting of the Black Ship but he professed that he was not optimistic they would give much warning.

Their network is better to the Northeast, with good sources as far as Barnstaple and then patchier intelligence for the lands from there to Dunster castle. From the conversations I’d had with Vassily before setting out, it seems there is a clear gap between us stretching from Bristol to Bridgewater and I said that we’d look to fill that. Plautus was grateful and said that Valence was concerned that with so few Jerbiton in the tribunal, mundane infiltration by our enemies could be an issue. Indeed, it sounded like Valence was concerned it could already be happening.

The next stop was Carrion Moor. As Plautus had said, the coast around the tip of the peninsula on either side was extremely rough terrain with dozens of tiny coves and few signs of life. Closer to Plymouth the lands became more settled but there is clearly a wild and unhabited area of some size there. As I walked up the long and slightly unnerving road across the moor to the covenant, I couldn’t help but think of Marissa who was a source of much good advice and help when I was younger. In the covenant, I spoke with Loraticus of Tytalus and completed the spell exchange deal we had agreed at the last tribunal. I must get studying for I remember how exhilarating it felt to power through the waves in the form of a dolphin. Loraticus said that they had good coverage of the major settlements of Plymouth and Exeter and of ships up to Totnes. Their influence extends as far East as Lyme Regis.

Loraticus told me of a fascinating sounding cult that they have been investigating. The same one I believe that Valence was off looking for. They know it as the “Broken Mirror” cult on account of a symbol of theirs being a small hand mirror with inlaid cracked glass, though that is apparently not the name they call it themselves. Berenger thinks they are pagans but Loraticus believes it to be more of an occult nature. They’ve found members among local merchants and minor nobility, and suspect there may be some in universities. Currently they’ve no indication they’re a threat but they clearly lack any firm intelligence about them.

Jari’s private journal

Terentius is going to love trying to chase them down. On the times we’ve been out together hunting various enemies in the mundane world, there’s a gleam in his eyes and a spring in his step that is noticeably absent in council or around the covenant where he’s all-too often either drunk or grumpy, sometimes both.

I said my goodbyes to Loraticus and returned to the ship for the journey back North and around Wales to Holy Isle. On arriving there and walking up the steep stone steps that lead to the fortress that houses the covenant, I was once again denied entry by the gate sergeant as none of the magi were present. The sergeant didn’t appear to recognise me from before despite my greeting him cheerily by his name and somewhat gruffly took the message I left for them. As I left it occurred to me on reflection that he hadn’t in fact told me his name last time. Obviously dismissing the notion that I simply hadn’t been paying enough attention, I began to wonder whether there could be some malign influence seeking to cloud men’s minds around Holy Isle. I stopped and made to turn back, thinking to scribe another letter to alert the magi there to this possibility but on seeing the sergeant’s expression as I did so, decided that perhaps I would let it lie for now given how busy they are.

My next stop was Eurus Aquilae, lair, sorry Domus Magnus, of the Tremere. I was glad of the excellent directions given to me by Terentius as it is quite the trek inland, through rough terrain. There was much moaning about this from my bodyguards for it seems they are much happier dishing out violence than walking for more than a couple of hours.

I was met by Pravia who was polite but not overly friendly. I’m not sure if that’s just her guarded nature or whether some bitterness lingers about my efforts to get someone other than their lord and master elected. I couldn’t blame her if she did, Voressio is clearly a dreadful individual and an even worse Praeco. Whenever we hear news at council of whatever he’s done or failed to do I can feel Terentius’s baleful glare upon me. I’ve no regrets though if that’s what you’re thinking. Efficient and powerful autocrats are much more dangerous than selfish and weak idiots, even if they believe they’re acting for all the right reasons.

Anyway, most of the other magi were away helping Holy Isle at Glenrisdell or were at Winchester with the King. Pravia did however inform me that the UnNamed House’s scouts previously seen around Roxburgh had gone. There were no reports of alarm or attack from the castle there and no investigation has yet been made inside there. She also said that they believe the UnNamed House use illusions to change the appearance of the Black Ship as well as more mundane means, though the latter could not disguise the fact that it is a single masted ship. I relayed Terentius’s enthusiastic offer of help and she said that she would be happy to have help with regard to Roxburgh.

With that we made the return journey to the ship and thence back to Chepstow and the covenant, just in time for the start of Autumn.

Jari’s private journal

Although the inspiration for such a venture was more about avoiding being stuck with another tedious season of extracting vim vis, it proved to be an interesting and genuinely useful one. When I make an effort not to be too annoying, I believe I can deal more easily with other magi than most of the rest of the council, talking being a favourite occupation of mine rather than the chore it seems to be for several others here. Getting stuck with vis extraction should be a wake-up call to me that I’ve become a little too passive and need to be more proactive. There should always be interesting and useful things that I can propose, especially when a couple of the magi here seem content to remain within the covenant walls by default.

On which note I must stop bleating about being too scared of Jago to go into the faerie regio again. I just need to develop some magics to be able to deal with him. A ward against arrows and a spell to snap the bastard’s legs if he gets overly aggressive should be a good start.