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Scribed by Antonius

Spring 1129 AD


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

The meeting opened with Caelestis reporting on the results of his investigation into his sigil. Despite his requests for vis to pay someone else to perform the investigation and his protestation that any enchantments that his pater had placed within the item would be beyond his abilities to ascertain, it seems that his season was quite fruitful. Perhaps my young sodalis should learn to have more faith in his own abilities? The item contained two hermetic enchantments, a fourth magnitude Intellego Mentem and a sixth magnitude Muto Mentem, designed to read the bearer’s surface thoughts and to utterly change his mind. More interestingly it seems that there is also an extremely powerful non-hermetic effect, though Caelestis was unable to determine anything of its nature or effects. So the question remains, what has his pater put in his sigil and more importantly why? Caelestis will give the sigil to the Quaesitori for further investigation.

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

Later in the season maga Dialectica arrived to speak with us about the pre-tribunal meeting of our two allied covenants to discuss matters pertaining to the tribunal. Caelestis asked if he might be allowed to do an astrological reading on Blackthorn’s future using the attack of the dragon as a marker of a catastrophic event that he could use to test the accuracy of his foretelling. Dialectica said that she would raise the matter with her sodales but in truth I think it extremely unlikely that he will be allowed to do so. If Caisus does not object to such non-hermetic scrying, for I certainly see it as such, then Gyriania surely will. Dialectica also mentioned that Petrus will be journeying to Loch Laglaen to 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 passed without much of note to remark on, though it was a pleasant change to be here at this time of year when traditionally I have been abroad in the dean. A few days before the end of the season Turold returned having had an apparently successful venture. He seemed in good spirits when relating the tale of his journey to the council and I shall repeat his story here.

Turold set off with Cyrgyg and Owen, the grog who had accompanied him to Verdi. His passage through the lower levels of the regio was uneventful but as he journeyed through the deeper regio to Gofynnwy’s cave he came across a mountain fey, of the sort who had been seen fighting the Ruadan’s forces outside the covenant a few seasons ago, leading some of the Erechwydd’s ice goblins. The faerie approached him and told Turold that he was one of his new servants from the holding 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 his faerie band managed to reach Gofynnwy’s cave without incident and on entering he found the faerie smith looking tired and wounded. Gofynnwy spoke of his fight with the Ruadan; it seems that he lost an arm battling the serpent from the Cave of Snakes. After confronting the Ruadan herself she lost concentration and 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 saved only by the helm that Turold had crafted for him.

The Ruadan now seeks to destroy the Pybaw but as we feared even she is scared of its strength and so she is hiding from it. Turold thinks that he may be able to mend the stone in her wand using his stonesmithing craft and thus restore control over the Pybaw and 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 her wand and she will then use it to destroy the Pybaw. It is a bold plan but it will have to be an extremely carefully worded bargain. Gofynnwy said that the Pybaw has a taste for human blood now and when it is hungry it will attack human settlements as we have found. It is still quite a cowardly beast though and may be driven off by a large show of force and bright light, particularly if it has already fed.

Having found out what he needed to 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 (though whether they are connected to the Gofannon’s court I know not). Some of the rocks that he collected from the fey miners as his tithe contained terram vis, nine pawns in total and the holding has been officially declared a vis site.

For the final part of his expedition Turold decided to accept the Erechwydd’s invitation for her new "Wizard-Knight" to attend her at court. There was apparently some friction when Turold declared that he could not swear an oath of fealty to her as he had sworn a previous oath to the Order. The Erechwydd was angered by this refusal and threatened him with war but he was able to peacefully resolve the situation by offering men and resources from his holding in time of war though he personally will not be obliged to take sides. At the feast which then followed, Turold was able 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 and at the Cave of Snakes but the Erechwydd is definitely in the ascendant. The Tegid Foel is endeavouring to hunt down the Morfan who has a bounty on his head. Gofannon’s servants are not regarded as any threat and the Bwbachod are sleepy in the cold winter climate that now grips much of the regio and present no danger. As the feast ended the Tegid Foel repeated his invite for Turold to visit his holding and with the current good relations it seems that such a trip may not prove to be as hazardous as it had seemed when he first made the offer.

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

Summer

Turold began the council meeting at the start of summer with an intriguing proposition. He proposed that, with the exception of vim vis, that all vis supplies above two rooks should be distributed equally amongst all magi in good standing at the Spring meeting. Perhaps unsurprisingly such a motion was well received and passed as an amendment to the charter. Petrus offered to scribe some spells for us before returning to 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 substantial military preparations as he fears that there will be a pre-emptive attack on him before the Grand Tribunal. Petrus is worried that the more war is talked about, the more likely it becomes and has asked us to urge the Tribunal to play down the talk of Schism as it is far from certain that such an event will come to pass.

Bearing these words in mind we discussed what motions we would raise at the tribunal. Two immediately sprang to mind, a further invitation for new magi to join us, preferably a Flambeau and a Merinitan, and to try and build on what Petrus had been saying and try to 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 peace we agreed on these two motions as the one which we would raise. Later that same day a very tired looking Mathus arrived bearing letters from magi seeking to 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 magus of house Tremere was not going to be accepted and Caelestis took quite some convincing to agree to even consider the Bjornaer. After a thorough discussion of the matter he was sufficiently persuaded for us to permit us to send him an invitation to interview along with ones to the two Flambeau. We did though attach a proviso to the invitation to Magnus, the younger of the two, that he was competing for a place against a much older magus of his house.

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

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

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

Of news hermetic, we heard of the sad passing of Primus Porthenos of Verditius, he has been succeeded by magus Horan. Primus Guernicus has issued an ultimatum to Primus McGraine, either allow the entire House of Miscellany to be investigated or he, and the Primi of Flambeau and Tremere, will recommend a Wizard’s March against Ex-Miscellanea. To our great surprise, it seems that our former sodalis Petrus has been accused of claiming a gifted child as an apprentice when he was not capable of training him. The matter relates to his claiming Idris’ gifted son when the child was held by Holy Isle, even though the boy was subsequently taken by the UnNamed House in the attack on that covenant.

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

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

There were, perhaps unsurprisingly, no motions from Morstow. Lear Valley, with their strong Ex-Miscellanean complement tried to plead with magi of Merinita and Bjornaer to beware lest the finger of accusation fall upon them next but were speedily halted by the Praeco. Bly Wydden proposed that the tribunal should petition Primus Guernicus to nominate more hoplites with the troubled times ahead but, once again, Praeco Eloria 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 most shocking motion of the tribunal as they announced that they were seceding from Stonehenge and would join Loch Leglean. Eloria stated that although it was a great shame there was precedent for such a move so they could go ahead. Dionysus then warned somewhat menacingly that Praeco McGraine’s actions could lead to a tribunal versus tribunal conflict but was stopped before he could finish what looked like a rather unsubtle attempt to intimidate them into staying a part of Stonehenge.

Then it was the turn of Severn Temple! Turold stood to make a plea for calm and understanding between Latin and non-Latin magi. After a lengthy speech I could see many Magi nodding with what I only hope was general agreement. Caelestis then followed with a talk about the forum he had been asked to organise. To summarise the results of the discussion, Caelestis is to arrange the location of the forum as well as 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 speaking for them. It seems that they have had problems with some hedge wizards and wonder if there may be some link to the diabolists of which Solis Castle spoke earlier. DuClerc was apparently attacked and vis has been stolen from some of their sites which seems a most troubling development. They warn that the roads leading to the covenant may not be safe. With no motions from the North of England or Wales, Cornelius spoke for the magi outside of covenants in Southern England. He requested a working group be set up to try and co-ordinate investigations into the extent of diabolists within the tribunal. Praeco Eloria whilst unwillingly to set up a formal committee was happy for an informal group of interested magi to arrange to meet and maga Yania will report back on the results of this at the next tribunal.

The next item for consideration after a night’s rest and consideration were the trials of the six accused Ex-Miscellaneans. First up was Yavid who was accused of consorting with Stephen the bard, a known associate of House Diedne. There was fierce debate about this case, with the crux of the matter being whether or not Stephen could be considered a member of the UnNamed House or not. In the end the tribunal returned a tied vote, as did the Concilium Quaesitori after a lengthy debate. Praeco Eloria, left with the deciding vote, ruled in favour of the patronus and so Yavid was released on condition that he spend five years in the service of 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. He practised something of the magic of the druids and a knife was produced which turned out to have been made by Ederyn. Again his guilt or innocence was fiercely argued, with some claiming that he was being persecuted for working a non-Latin tradition of magic not any association with enemies of the Order. In the end though he was found guilty by a single vote and executed. Llandolwyn, the last of the three who were actually present was then brought forward. As a spirit magician with a fetch, some sort of spirit familiar, he was accused of following a magical tradition which could only have come from Diedne. The case against him was very strong, with clear evidence to point to the source of the magic that he practised but he refused to accept that he was in any way at fault. He was found guilty by a large majority, though there were a fair number of abstentions as the arguments about his magical heritage and the legal points concerning it had grown quite complex.

The trials then moved to those being held with the accused in absentia. Edith’s trial was the first to be heard. To the great surprise of the Severn Temple magi part of Holy Isle’s case involved a "diabolic laboratory" which they had found in the woods not far from the covenant. Questioning Dionysus about this we were able to confirm that the place he was speaking about was in fact the one which Petrus had set up to conduct his experiments away from our aura. Perhaps this rather embarrassing episode will encourage our sodales at Holy Isle to discuss such things with their fellow magi more. Edith was acquitted by a narrow margin though she must make full reparation for the items which she 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 diabolic texts which were apparently found in his sanctum. Garius swore that they must have been planted and with all the magi prepared to stand up for Jordael’s character it was no great surprise that he was found innocent of all charges by a two to one majority. Finally and most contentiously it was the former Primus of Ex-Miscellania, Llandoddwyn whose case was to be heard as he was accused of having made a diabolic pact. However, when questions were asked about the assassination attempt on his life it was pointed out that Primus Guernicus 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 patronus needed to have certain critical evidence.

The final act of the tribunal was to discuss the motions which would be raised by Stonehenge’s representatives at the Grand Tribunal. Praeco Eloria was quite decisive about these and exercised her right to determine them herself. The first will be the question of whether covenants should be allowed to choose their own tribunals or should it be decided based on their geographical location. The second concerns vis raiding and suggests that tribunals should only be able to gather vis from sites within their own boundaries.

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

Autumn

With the first fall of leaves from the trees in woods about the covenant we had a visitor arrive at the covenant, seeking to join the council; Ospectus, a young Bjornaer with the heartshape of a Falcon. As with previous magi who have come here we suggested that he reside with us here for a season so that we might get to know something of him and him of us before any decision was reached. At the council beginning the season Caelestis expressed fears that we might yet be being scryed upon and 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 at least the council’s time and resources could best be utilised elsewhere. Turold made a most generous proposition to the council, putting forward the idea that, in return for the many years in which I have spent two or more seasons in service to the covenant in the mundane lands hereabouts, council should construct a magical item enchanted with the Ring of Warding against Demons. A fine gift and one which I fear will prove all too useful in the years to come as the Fells continue their moves against us.

With the council over I set forth once more into the Dean to continue my investigations into the political situation at Monmouth, the Baron there being the backer of Sir Kenneth, one of the main thorns in our side. The news is somewhat troubling as it seems that there has been something of a witch hunt called in Monmouth with the Archbishop of Hereford and the zealous Baroness of Eastnor in the town. There are tales of devil worshippers loose in the woods and this has all been connected to the old stories of wizards, which have never quiet gone away. There is to be an investigation and I fear unless something is done we shall have an inquisition at our gates. Brother Gerald, the Abbot of Tintern has been summoned before the 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 divert attention away from us but I believe ultimately much will depend on how the allies that I have been assiduously cultivating speak of us. Evidently things went passingly well at least as although the Bishop of Gloucester’s Episcopal aide is to remain in Monmouth but there is no immediate threat of a visit to Severn Temple. Of other news mundane, one of my spies near Ashleworth has turned up drowned in the river and whilst accidents do happen I suspect the hand of the Fells in his death.

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

Winter

The first issue to be discussed at the winter meeting of council was whether or not Ospectus should be invited to join the covenant. Although we had been hoping for a Merinitan in addition to a Flambeau or similar it was felt unanimously that Ospectus would be an excellent addition to the council and so he was invited to join, an invitation which he duly accepted. The issue of Edith’s still technically being a member of covenant was raised as with the recruitment of Ospectus it meant that should she return we would have no laboratory to offer any prospective magus. This issue was however easily solved by a simple vote to remove that maga’s good standing, given her actions the outcome of such a vote was never in any real doubt. Ospectus will take up the laboratory on the first floor 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 senior magus whom we hope to attract. Whilst he could quite legitimately have asked for 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 into the Dean for the situation remained precariously balanced with the threat of investigation by the church still a distinct possibility. As I called by Lydney I heard that Sir Gerald was sorely afflicted by a fever, indeed it had such a hold of him that his nephew and heir, Sir Martin, feared that he would not last out the winter. I was able to speak with Sir Martin, a sharp-minded man, 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 establish the quarry that Lydney will be setting up on the hill outside the woods. Travelling on from Lydney I made my way to Tintern Abbey to speak with the Abbot to see what was happening with the investigations. Happily it seems that both the Abbot and the Baron of Monmouth spoke on our behalf, vouchsafing for us as both loyal servants of the crown and devout men of God. Wishing to reinforce this opinion of the Abbot’s I arranged for services to be restarted at the 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 overly religious, but orders are orders so they’ll be pretending they are if nothing else. Sir Gerald passed away just before Christmas as expected and was succeeded by Sir Martin.

We had visitors to the covenant later on in the season as two Flambeau arrived, travelling together, seeking to join our council. Audacia and Magnus were both interviewed and breaking slightly with tradition, we decided to invite Audacia to join without requesting that she stay for a season to allow both sides get somewhat of a measure of the other. Magnus took his rejection quite well, saying that if he had been in our position he would have chosen the more senior magus as well. We were happy to point him in the direction of some other covenants which might have need 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 bringing news. Of news mundane he spoke first with news from the great Synod which had been held. Apparently the Synod ruled that priests are not permitted to have wives but this was overruled by the King. DuClerc thinks that there may have been some discussion of magic and wizards and will endeavour to investigate. More troubling local news as Kenneth of Coleford has been granted the right to mine ore in Clearwell and is to try to build a road through the forest once more. Mathus too had heard something of the rumours of devil worshippers and wizards in the woods but was able to confirm that the Abbot and Baron had backed us. Of hermetic news, it seems that our former sodalis Petrus has returned from his tour of Stonehenge to make his report only to find himself accused 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 will not be presented to the Grand Tribunal, which if one were being cynical was probably the intent behind the accusation all along.

At the brief meeting held after Mathus had left us to our own deliberations we discussed what should be done about Kenneth’s latest venture as we clearly could not let him build the 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 mine using her Perdo magicks. The plan worked perfectly and she was able to cause the timber supports to rot thus bringing down the roof. This had the added bonus that it made it look like Kenneth had been trying to save money by buying substandard wood, a rumour which I was only to happy to help propagate. So it was that the year came to a successful conclusion and with the new magi now sitting round the council table we are once more firmly back in Summer.
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