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Scribed by Idris

Spring 1089 AD


Ruaridh went into the faerie forest to look for Auram vis; luck was with him and he managed to find two of the multi-coloured birds. He then went into the higher level of the Regio to speak to the fey lady of that place. She told him that Jean's problems with the dark fey were over. Ruaridh then offered to perform a service for her and she asked him to find the Amaranth for her. This is a mythical plant of great power, but though Ruaridh was able to find the dell where it reputedly lies, he was unable to penetrate the thick brambles that jealously guard it. Indeed, at one point he was pulled underground by the briars, but one of the grogs managed to rescue him.

At council we agreed on an amendment to the covenant's charter after Jean in a fit of jealously or greed brought up the issue of personal vis. The amendment states that if a Magus collects contested vis in his own time, he may claim two thirds of that vis for himself, provided that the council has declared that it has no interest in collecting vis from the contested source that year. It seems that the Earl of Gloucester has bought out the Norman-claimed title to the land here.

Summer

I travelled to the cave where our Ignem vis is found to hunt down the small wyrm that now lives there. Eventually we managed to lure the creature out and, after we had wounded it with several arrows, Cadog felled the beast. In its belly were ten pawns of Ignem vis that it had consumed, presumably to fuel its fiery breath. There was an earth tremor while I was away, apparently felt across the whole land, the earth spirits are angry about something which caused the roof of the cathedral at Gloucester to collapse. It seems that even the christ god must respect the power of the land.

There is a large Welsh war band in the woods near Symond's Hill. I went to speak with their leaders and I met a priest of the Morrigan who predicted a bloody future for me. Indeed, he said specfically that I would be the strike the critical blow in the Welsh rebellion that is soon to come. The Welshmen wished to return back to Wales but they were unable to recross the river as the Normans held all the fording points. I spoke with Eadric, who arranged for a barge to ferry them back across the waters at night.

Autumn

The Morrigan priest arrived for the Autumn Equinox as arranged. To avoid trouble, I ordered our two Norman grogs to stay inside the Great Hall all night. Jean confronted me angrily about this. I asked him to avoid the spring that night, but he refused. I went to speak to the Morrigan priest, but I could see the lie in his eyes when he said he would not attack the Normans if they interfered with his dedications. I also saw Jean's face in the fire the priest used for divining the future while he spoke of battles to come and talked to his raven familiar. I grew worried and ordered Wulfstan and Bryhtnoth to man the walls overlooking the spring in case of trouble. They were ordered to shoot the priest and his followers should trouble break out.

I then went to speak to Jean again to ask with him to stay away from the spring that night, but he ignored my pleas and strode off there straight away. I ran past and tried to stop him by barring his way through the door, but he made to levitate over the wall so I ran through to speak with the priest to stop him causing trouble when Jean arrived. I stood between them, and the priest insulted Jean in Welsh, which I refused to translate. Jean shouted for Bryhtnoth to come down from the wall and translate the priest's words, but I told him to hold his position. Suddenly the priest and his two companions attacked without warning. I was thrown to one side as they cut down and killed Jean. I tried to stop them, but the spell I cast - The Treacherous Spear - backfired and the priest's axe came at me. I was just quick enough to destroy it with Perdo magics, and I pursued the now fleeing priest, his companions having already been brought down by arrows. The pursuit took over a day and a night, but he could not evade me in the woods I knew so well and eventually I was able to strike him blind. I then entrapped him in a tree as he slept and slew him. He did as he saw fit as a servant of the Morrigan and I did what I saw as right as the guardian of this sacred site.

Winter

I fear that the spilling of blood at the spring on the Morrigan's Equinox has shifted the balance of the place and possibly the land. Ravens, crows and similiar birds of ill omen line the trees around the covenant, Ceadwith's child miscarried and dark dreams were had by Pybba and others sensitive to such things.
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