Scribed by Terentius
Spring 1311AD
We assembled as a full council on the first day of spring. As is his habit, Princeps Pyrrhus began by asking for news from the previous season. We began with a discussion of the events in the north, where the king’s forces had broken the siege at Durham late last year and the Scottish armies had melted away into the wild borderlands. Whether the Scots remain a threat now that the weather has begun to turn for the better is still unknown. It may well depend on whether their current leader, Robert de Brus, is still able to unite the unstable coalition of clans that backed his previous invasion. On the one hand, his previous successes against the English – pushing them back as far as York at one point – will count in his favour, as he has shown that he can win victories against a numerically superior foe. On the other, the subsequent loss of all this hard-won territory may sow doubts in the minds of his followers and embolden his rivals. Shorn of the aid of the renegade magi from Loch Leglean, who no longer feel safe enough to march with the mundane army, his prospects appear much weaker than before given the vigilant watch by members of the covenants of Eurus Aquilae and Borri-Tor. If the Scots remain quiet, the rumour is that the king will march his forces south, for he has been forced to cede control of much of his land on the content to Philip of France.
Pyrrhus then suggested a characteristically subtle intervention: we should assassinate Robert de Brus. He gave no details of his plan – who should perform this assassination, how they would track de Brus down, or how such a direct interference in the highest level of mundane politics could be squared with the stipulations of the Code – but it was plain that he regarded this as a task for others, for he declared that the specialised focus of his arts meant that he would be “of no use” in such an endeavour. The council remained entirely unenthusiastic about taking up Pyrrhus’ suggestion, and instead agreed that Hypatia would travel to London to gather what news she could from the court about the king’s intentions.
Jari spoke next, telling the tale of his journey to the Morrigan’s hill to seek that dread spirit’s insight into how to contest Jack o’the Green’s mastery of the forest. In essence, her advice was not to do so. She noted that Jack did not own the site of the temple, and the wild forest would make it more difficult for our enemies to approach. Her watch over the covenant remained, and she would seek to bar passage to any foes who sought to travel the hidden paths that might circumvent our defences. If Jari hoped for a hint of how to restore the Morrigan’s sister-goddess, the Anu, to the Heart of the Forest, he was disappointed, for she expressed no such desire. With that, the audience was over, and Jari was able to find a secret route that took him swiftly back to the covenant. Pyrrhus expressed some scepticism about whether Jari had fully grasped the meaning of what he has been told, noting that it would not be the first time that he had made mistakes when dealing with the ancient powers. The two magi then exchanged a few barbed comments, but mercifully neither appeared inclined to prolong the matter further. After a few more administrative questions were addressed, Pyrrhus brought the meeting to a close.
Early in the season, Meliorax and I made the short journey to the ancient burial grounds to the north of the Dean. Nestled among low hills, a series of barrow tombs guarded by the spirits of long-dead warriors represent one of the covenant’s contested vis sources. In need of Mentem vis to further my studies, I resolved to excavate one of the mounds, though the tales of previous misadventure recorded in the journal prompted me to select one of the smaller barrows at the edge of the site. The matter proved more difficult than I had anticipated, as I lacked any clear way to locate the entrance to the tomb under the heavy layers of soil and grass. One my first attempt, an exhausting day’s digging unearthed a great stone that was evidently part of one of the sides of the tomb. Unwilling to see my efforts wasted, I attempted to crack the stone using a spontaneous Perdo Terram spell, hoping this would allow me to lever it out, but the stone resisted my arts, indicating that either the tomb or the spirit within had the power to contest such magics.
As dusk fell, I retreated a little way to the campsite, while Meliorax observed the site from the air. He reported later that he saw a ghostly figure emerge from the tomb and inspect the excavations. The figure then blew a horn, though Meliorax heard no sound. A few moments later, a large number of apparitions led by a figure wearing a crown made their way towards the barrow. One evidently spotted Meliorax, for he felt his Parma Magica tested on two occasions, though fortunately it held long enough for him to fly high enough to escape their reach. After he brought me news of these events, I decided to apport using the Leap of Homecoming, rather than take the risk of confronting the spectral king, though I resolved to return better prepared at some future date.
Later in the season, we received news from Vasily, our spymaster, that plague fires had been spotted near Penally, a small coastal settlement not so far from Kidwelly. We had asked Vasily and the captain of the Severn Star to keep an eye out for such fires, as they might be a sign that the black ship of the Unnamed House had visited the area. Jari and I agreed to break off our studies to investigate the area, though we failed to persuade Pyrrhus to accompany us.
The journey to Penally was straightforward enough, though the strong winds that whipped around the cliffs that surround the bay meant surveying the site was difficult from the air. As such, we approached the village on foot, though hidden from any prying eyes by the Veil of Invisibility. The only building of note within the village was a small manor house. I initially over-estimated my ability to scale the wall that surrounded the manor, but we were subsequently able to use Part the Yielding Boards to create a passage through the wooden gate. Within, we found evidence of the necromancer’s handiwork: bodies were lying where they had fallen, and several of the pitiful undead lurkers cowered in the dark cellar under the house. Using Sense the Lingering Magic, I was able to detect that a non-Hermetic divination spell had been cast on the manor. The precise target of the spell was unclear at that time, though the sigil matched that of the spell that had been cast in the church at Kidwelly: the sound of a whispering voice from behind.
On the first floor, we discovered what was evidently the bedroom of the lord of the manor. There was no sign of his corpse, though that of his wife was sitting slumped in a chair at the centre of the room. The room itself looked largely undisturbed, save for the fact that one of window shutters had been forced from the outside and a drawer from the lady’s dressing table was missing. Jari was able to converse with her spirit, learning that she had breathed her last on 13 January, just after sunset. Her husband had not been home, for he was travelling with the king’s armies in the north. A roiling mist had blown in from the sea, choking the life out of all it covered. Jari asked about the missing drawer, and the spirit told him that it had contained a simple knife in an ornate scabbard that had been in her family for many years. She had inherited it upon the death of her father, the former Baron of Aberystwyth, over a dozen years ago. Although the woman seemed to prize the scabbard more than the blade, Jari intuited that it was the knife that represented the Unnamed House’s goal, for the shade described it as being made of a strange metal.
Jari then used the ritual Eyes of the Past to review what had happened that night. As the lady had described, just after sunset, she had been engulfed in the mist and collapsed in her chair. Some time later, a figure with short black hair and a lean, hungry countenance broke into the room via the window. Jari got a good look at the man, noting that he wore a leather cuirass, carried two daggers and many vials at his belt, and had tattoos of black spirals about his arms and neck. The man went straight for the drawer at the dresser, removed it and departed swiftly via the window. After Jari had ended the ritual, we speculated whether the man might be another member of the Unnamed House or one of their consors, but we settled on the former after I detected a Rego Herbam spell had been used to force the wooden shutter. This bore a sigil that we had not encountered before: the sound of the wind whistling through a narrow opening.
Having gathered all the evidence we could, we departed for the covenant. Once again, we have arrived too late to thwart the actions of the Unnamed House, though at least we now have some more clues to work with. Returning to south Wales so shortly after the attack on Kidwelly suggests a surprising boldness, though they were clearly eager to depart before news of their actions could spread to nearby covenants. Their ultimate plan remains yet unclear, though the objects gathered to date – a sword connected to the unquiet spirit of a damned knight; bones from unconsecrated graves; and now a knife made from a strange metal – suggest some vile necromancy, I feel.
Summer
With Hypatia still away in London, the rest of the council met at the start of the season to discuss our plans for the coming months. It should have been a short meeting, since all save Branwen – who intended to travel to Cad Gadu for her House meeting – planned to devote their time to laboratory or library work, but we spent an inordinate amount of time discussing countless minor variations to our plans to investigate the lost Halls of the Forest covenant. The blame for the meandering and aimless nature of the debate must fall on all of us, but I feel we would have benefitted from a stronger hand to lead the discussion. I shall spare the reader from a blow-by-blow account of how we arrived at our destination, and instead simply report that we ultimately decided that we would postpone the mission until Autumn.
Early in the season, I agreed to accompany Jari as he sought to test a new spell – Tongue of the Dead – on which he had spent three seasons of experimentation. We needed the ghost of someone who spoke only foreign languages and had not received a church burial, so we travelled into Wales to a crossroads, since such sites are sometimes used as places of execution for criminals. I was able to inform Jari that the area was indeed haunted by a lost spirit, and I directed him to a spot under the branch of a stout tree from which the unfortunate soul had presumably once been hanged. From the Merinitan’s nervous countenance, I could tell he was not entire confident the spell would have its desired effect, but in practice, it proved more than suitable. Not only was Jari able to converse with the ghost, but the spell also appeared to attract the attention of two hitherto unseen spirits from the area, who also joined the conversation. Jari was able to ask questions of all three spirits; they were not compelled to provide helpful answers – indeed, the ghost of the hanged man mainly hurled base insults – but they did all remain engaged throughout the conversation. Satisfied with the result, we returned to the covenant.
The remainder of the season passed without major incident, though we heard via the spy network that English forces had crossed the channel to defend Calais, though whether the king was with them was yet unknown.
Autumn
Our council meeting opened with Branwen’s tale of her journey to Cad Gadu for her House meeting. While travelling north aboard the Severn Star, having recently rounded the southwest tip of Wales, she spied a large ship further out to sea heading in the opposite direction. The vessel was too distant for her to get a good view, but the captain noted that its behaviour seemed odd, as it maintained full sail despite heavy fog banks making navigation treacherous. Fearing it might be the ship of the Unnamed House, Branwen ordered the captain to make for the nearest port, and it was with some relief that the vessel did not alter its course to follow, but rather continued southwards. There was no sign of the ship the next day, and Branwen was able to complete her journey to Cad Gadu.
The main event at the House meeting was the appointment of maga Luddwyn as the new Prima Ex Miscellanea. I must admit that I know relatively little about Luddwyn, for she has resided in the wilds of Wales for most of her life and the references to her in our journal are few and far between, but she shares a magical tradition with Branwen, who is the filia of her filia, Deanne. Branwen did not tell of any grand announcements from the new Prima, though she understood that Luddwyn intended to take up residence at Cad Gadu, as is traditional.
Branwen also provided an overview of other news picked up during the meeting. She had spoken with Lucrezia of Glenrisdell covenant, who revealed that the Templars had reoccupied their fortress at Roxburgh. Curiously, Glenrisdell’s spies reported that they were not the only ones watching the stronghold, and Lucrezia speculated that the other group might be connected to the Unnamed House. The council discussed what reasons they might have for spying on the Templars, particularly given that we believe all the key records and items that were once kept in the fortress had been removed when the Templars mounted their attack on Severn Temple, but we arrived at no firm conclusion. The Unnamed House’s actions suggested that they are not in direct alliance with the Templars, though they both serve infernal masters. Branwen noted that Lucrezia told her that another member of her covenant, Eloise, had journeyed to Eurus Aquilae to report to Primus Argentius, so I resolved to travel there in due course to see whether there was more to learn about the Unnamed House’s activities.
Branwen also reported rumours that Olaffson, the former Primus Ex Miscellanea who was mostly unjustly treated many years ago in an attempt to mollify traitorous members of the Iberian Tribunal, had been sighted in the far north. His precise whereabouts and activities are unknown. Finally, Branwen mentioned that she had returned with a new consors, Gwendolyn, who is apparently a bard of some skill.
With news of the House meeting complete, we moved on to a discussion of how best to investigate Halls of the Forest. If the discussion on this topic the previous season was characterised by confusion and indecision, this one was marked by disagreement and rancour. We initially determined that Jari was the only one of our number who had to be part of the investigation, since he now had the spell required to converse with ghosts, regardless of the language they spoke in life. We agreed that Branwen would accompany him, for she has some knowledge of the pagan practices previously performed by members of that covenant, though she cautioned us not to over-estimate her familiarity with their rites given her relative youth.
I had initially assumed that two magi would be sufficient to carry out the investigation, but Naevius suggested that either I or Pyrrhus should accompany them in case of difficulties on the road or within the regio. I offered Pyrrhus the choice of whether to go or stay, but he seemed convinced that both of us were required. This seemed overly cautious and a waste of time to me, so I told him that, if he went, then I would remain. He interpreted this as some sort of ploy to exclude him, declaring that, yet again, it was clear that he was not wanted on the investigation. Quite how he reached this conclusion is beyond me, so I once again reiterated that I was happy for him to decide on the composition of the party, though both of us were not required, in my view. This did not satisfy him, so I finally agreed that, if he really thought that four magi were absolutely required on the mission, I would be willing to accompany him. He confirmed that such was his view.
[Terentius’ private journal: What on earth is up with Pyrrhus? I had previously ascribed his reluctance to leave the covenant as either lethargy or a desire to advance his studies, but I now wonder whether it is a lack of confidence in his own abilities. What possible reason could there be to ask four magi to journey to an abandoned covenant where we have been before without incident? I pray that the discoveries we make are worth the investment of time.]
As it happens, the investigation of Halls of the Forest proved to be a disappointment, and we learned very little that we had not heard before. Jari tried to put it in a positive light by noting that what we found confirmed previous information, but that seems like scant reward for our time to me.
Jari travelled to the Clun ahead of the rest of us, and rather than wait for our arrival, he decided to investigate the area around the regio with his familiar, Races-the-Wind. As night fell, he spotted a spectral figure making its way through the trees. Using Tongue of the Dead, he was able to ascertain that the spirit was alive during the period before the Order came to Stonehenge, for he spoke of druids and the followers of Diedne, but had no knowledge of Hermetic wizards. The spirit’s attitude was initially rather dismissive and patronising, but it changed to concern and scepticism when Jari mentioned that he came from the temple on the Severn. Whether the spirit was once one of the druids of Halls of the Forest, or just one of their followers, remains unclear, but Jari learned little of interest to our quest.
After the rest of us arrived, we used the Light of Myddyn to traverse the boundary into the lowest level of the regio. There, we found the long-decayed ruins of the covenant outbuildings. Jari was able to converse with another spirit, who evidently hailed from a later period than the first, since the time of her death coincided with the attack on the covenant, assumably during the Schism War. More ominously, as we separated to search the area, we lost sight of Branwen, and there was still no sign of her when we regrouped. Jari was able to ask one of the trees whether there were any hidden paths within the area, and it indicated the arch of overgrown trees that we knew led to the higher levels of the regio. It seemed unlikely that Branwen had travelled that way inadvertently, but without other clear options, we decided to make our way through two regio boundaries to the grove at the highest level of the site. There we found a solitary oak tree wreathed in mistletoe, and both the sun and the moon were visible in the sky above.
Jari spoke with the ancient oak, asking about Jack o’the Green and hidden pathways through the forest, but the oak seemed sceptical of his intentions and revealed little new. In characteristic fashion, Jari expressed an interest in learning more of the lore of the place in exchange for doing favours for the oak, but he quickly lost interest when the tree made it clear that it would not part with its hidden knowledge unless Jari was willing to spend years venerating the place. With no sign of Branwen, we resolved to make our way out to search elsewhere, but we saw she had made a sign upon the ground within the ruins of the old covenant indicating that she had left the regio. Back in the mundane realm, we reunited with our sodalis at the site of our camp. She explained that she had been led from the regio by a spirit, though she refused to say anything more about her destination or what happened there, save that it had nothing to do with our reason for investigating the regio. We did not press her further to reveal her secrets, though we noted that she had received some form of wound, for one of her hands was wreathed in bandages and leaking blood.
Winter
At the council meeting, we provided a brief summary of last season’s investigation to Naevius. His initial response was to query whether the mistletoe that entwined the oak tree on the highest level of the regio might have contained vis, and if so, whether we should attempt to register it as a vis site. Unfortunately, we were able to confirm neither this nor whether the site had already been registered by others, though we agreed that it would be worth checking on its status the next time one of us travelled to Blackthorn.
There followed a debate on whether our actions last season should count as service to the covenant. I must admit that I had assumed not, since the journey of so many had not been necessary and we had learned almost nothing, but others felt the opposite, deeming the expenditure of time was sufficient to deserve a reward, even if the covenant itself had not benefitted. Before a vote was taken, Naevius questioned whether Branwen’s refusal to divulge the reasons for, or results of, her disappearance meant that her activities should not be counted as service. I initially argued that this was unfair, since she declared that her absence had not been planned and the information she had learned did not relate to the investigation, but Branwen agreed not to press any claim to count her season as a covenant service. With that, a vote was taken, and all save I cast our sigils in favour.
The only other matter of note reported at council concerned events of mundane politics. It seems Robert de Brus retains sufficient support in Scotland to hold onto his position and lands, but not enough to advance into England. The king had, therefore, left some forces in the north to guard the border, while sending the rest south. He and Hypatia had travelled to Calais to defend his remaining continental possessions. The balance of opinion was that Philip would be unable to take the city, but it would be equally difficult for Aeddan to recapture any of his former lands in the south.
Later in the season, we received a visit from the Recap Nitoria. She confirmed what we had already heard concerning the defence of Calais, but she added that Philip had mounted an assault but been repulsed. The French king’s coffers are said to be full, and the rumour is that, with the support of the Pope, he now turns his greedy eyes to the rich lowlands of Flanders. In terms of Hermetic news, Nitoria reported that members of Eurus Aquilae and Borri-Tor had slain the magi from Pitfichie Forest who had once aided the Scottish armies: Owun, Geira, and Sulia. The three had apparently believed themselves safe once the English armies moved south, but they had been lured into a trap and killed. As such, the Wizard’s March declared by the Tribunal had now been fully executed. Nitoria also confirmed the news Branwen had already brought us regarding the appointed of Luddwyn as Prima Ex Miscellanea and Glenrisdell’s suspicions about the Unnamed House spying on Roxburgh. The only other piece of news concerned a challenge to Primus Guido of Flambeau made by Aloisius of Cliffheart covenant. I am not entirely familiar with the traditions of the House and how such a challenge will play out, but Aloisius has invited all of his supporters to attend a meeting at Cliffheart next summer.
Towards the end of the season, we heard that a strange visitor had arrived at the inn at Lydney late in the evening, swindled the grogs at a game of knucklebones, and paid for his lodging with gold coins that disappeared at dawn. Jari believes that the man, who called himself Rhys, was a faerie playing the role of a bard, much in the same way as Sir Maurice adopts the guise of a noble knight. Those who witnessed Rhys’ behaviour all said that he appeared to be a naïve and most otherworldly fellow, suggesting that the faerie is as poor at acting as Sir Maurice. His ultimate goal – if indeed he has one – remains unclear at this stage, though I would wager we have not seen the last of him.
So, as the winter chill begins to fade with the coming of the new year, I shall rest my quill awhile and turn this journal over to another.
Spring 1311AD
We assembled as a full council on the first day of spring. As is his habit, Princeps Pyrrhus began by asking for news from the previous season. We began with a discussion of the events in the north, where the king’s forces had broken the siege at Durham late last year and the Scottish armies had melted away into the wild borderlands. Whether the Scots remain a threat now that the weather has begun to turn for the better is still unknown. It may well depend on whether their current leader, Robert de Brus, is still able to unite the unstable coalition of clans that backed his previous invasion. On the one hand, his previous successes against the English – pushing them back as far as York at one point – will count in his favour, as he has shown that he can win victories against a numerically superior foe. On the other, the subsequent loss of all this hard-won territory may sow doubts in the minds of his followers and embolden his rivals. Shorn of the aid of the renegade magi from Loch Leglean, who no longer feel safe enough to march with the mundane army, his prospects appear much weaker than before given the vigilant watch by members of the covenants of Eurus Aquilae and Borri-Tor. If the Scots remain quiet, the rumour is that the king will march his forces south, for he has been forced to cede control of much of his land on the content to Philip of France.
Pyrrhus then suggested a characteristically subtle intervention: we should assassinate Robert de Brus. He gave no details of his plan – who should perform this assassination, how they would track de Brus down, or how such a direct interference in the highest level of mundane politics could be squared with the stipulations of the Code – but it was plain that he regarded this as a task for others, for he declared that the specialised focus of his arts meant that he would be “of no use” in such an endeavour. The council remained entirely unenthusiastic about taking up Pyrrhus’ suggestion, and instead agreed that Hypatia would travel to London to gather what news she could from the court about the king’s intentions.
Jari spoke next, telling the tale of his journey to the Morrigan’s hill to seek that dread spirit’s insight into how to contest Jack o’the Green’s mastery of the forest. In essence, her advice was not to do so. She noted that Jack did not own the site of the temple, and the wild forest would make it more difficult for our enemies to approach. Her watch over the covenant remained, and she would seek to bar passage to any foes who sought to travel the hidden paths that might circumvent our defences. If Jari hoped for a hint of how to restore the Morrigan’s sister-goddess, the Anu, to the Heart of the Forest, he was disappointed, for she expressed no such desire. With that, the audience was over, and Jari was able to find a secret route that took him swiftly back to the covenant. Pyrrhus expressed some scepticism about whether Jari had fully grasped the meaning of what he has been told, noting that it would not be the first time that he had made mistakes when dealing with the ancient powers. The two magi then exchanged a few barbed comments, but mercifully neither appeared inclined to prolong the matter further. After a few more administrative questions were addressed, Pyrrhus brought the meeting to a close.
Early in the season, Meliorax and I made the short journey to the ancient burial grounds to the north of the Dean. Nestled among low hills, a series of barrow tombs guarded by the spirits of long-dead warriors represent one of the covenant’s contested vis sources. In need of Mentem vis to further my studies, I resolved to excavate one of the mounds, though the tales of previous misadventure recorded in the journal prompted me to select one of the smaller barrows at the edge of the site. The matter proved more difficult than I had anticipated, as I lacked any clear way to locate the entrance to the tomb under the heavy layers of soil and grass. One my first attempt, an exhausting day’s digging unearthed a great stone that was evidently part of one of the sides of the tomb. Unwilling to see my efforts wasted, I attempted to crack the stone using a spontaneous Perdo Terram spell, hoping this would allow me to lever it out, but the stone resisted my arts, indicating that either the tomb or the spirit within had the power to contest such magics.
As dusk fell, I retreated a little way to the campsite, while Meliorax observed the site from the air. He reported later that he saw a ghostly figure emerge from the tomb and inspect the excavations. The figure then blew a horn, though Meliorax heard no sound. A few moments later, a large number of apparitions led by a figure wearing a crown made their way towards the barrow. One evidently spotted Meliorax, for he felt his Parma Magica tested on two occasions, though fortunately it held long enough for him to fly high enough to escape their reach. After he brought me news of these events, I decided to apport using the Leap of Homecoming, rather than take the risk of confronting the spectral king, though I resolved to return better prepared at some future date.
Later in the season, we received news from Vasily, our spymaster, that plague fires had been spotted near Penally, a small coastal settlement not so far from Kidwelly. We had asked Vasily and the captain of the Severn Star to keep an eye out for such fires, as they might be a sign that the black ship of the Unnamed House had visited the area. Jari and I agreed to break off our studies to investigate the area, though we failed to persuade Pyrrhus to accompany us.
The journey to Penally was straightforward enough, though the strong winds that whipped around the cliffs that surround the bay meant surveying the site was difficult from the air. As such, we approached the village on foot, though hidden from any prying eyes by the Veil of Invisibility. The only building of note within the village was a small manor house. I initially over-estimated my ability to scale the wall that surrounded the manor, but we were subsequently able to use Part the Yielding Boards to create a passage through the wooden gate. Within, we found evidence of the necromancer’s handiwork: bodies were lying where they had fallen, and several of the pitiful undead lurkers cowered in the dark cellar under the house. Using Sense the Lingering Magic, I was able to detect that a non-Hermetic divination spell had been cast on the manor. The precise target of the spell was unclear at that time, though the sigil matched that of the spell that had been cast in the church at Kidwelly: the sound of a whispering voice from behind.
On the first floor, we discovered what was evidently the bedroom of the lord of the manor. There was no sign of his corpse, though that of his wife was sitting slumped in a chair at the centre of the room. The room itself looked largely undisturbed, save for the fact that one of window shutters had been forced from the outside and a drawer from the lady’s dressing table was missing. Jari was able to converse with her spirit, learning that she had breathed her last on 13 January, just after sunset. Her husband had not been home, for he was travelling with the king’s armies in the north. A roiling mist had blown in from the sea, choking the life out of all it covered. Jari asked about the missing drawer, and the spirit told him that it had contained a simple knife in an ornate scabbard that had been in her family for many years. She had inherited it upon the death of her father, the former Baron of Aberystwyth, over a dozen years ago. Although the woman seemed to prize the scabbard more than the blade, Jari intuited that it was the knife that represented the Unnamed House’s goal, for the shade described it as being made of a strange metal.
Jari then used the ritual Eyes of the Past to review what had happened that night. As the lady had described, just after sunset, she had been engulfed in the mist and collapsed in her chair. Some time later, a figure with short black hair and a lean, hungry countenance broke into the room via the window. Jari got a good look at the man, noting that he wore a leather cuirass, carried two daggers and many vials at his belt, and had tattoos of black spirals about his arms and neck. The man went straight for the drawer at the dresser, removed it and departed swiftly via the window. After Jari had ended the ritual, we speculated whether the man might be another member of the Unnamed House or one of their consors, but we settled on the former after I detected a Rego Herbam spell had been used to force the wooden shutter. This bore a sigil that we had not encountered before: the sound of the wind whistling through a narrow opening.
Having gathered all the evidence we could, we departed for the covenant. Once again, we have arrived too late to thwart the actions of the Unnamed House, though at least we now have some more clues to work with. Returning to south Wales so shortly after the attack on Kidwelly suggests a surprising boldness, though they were clearly eager to depart before news of their actions could spread to nearby covenants. Their ultimate plan remains yet unclear, though the objects gathered to date – a sword connected to the unquiet spirit of a damned knight; bones from unconsecrated graves; and now a knife made from a strange metal – suggest some vile necromancy, I feel.
Summer
With Hypatia still away in London, the rest of the council met at the start of the season to discuss our plans for the coming months. It should have been a short meeting, since all save Branwen – who intended to travel to Cad Gadu for her House meeting – planned to devote their time to laboratory or library work, but we spent an inordinate amount of time discussing countless minor variations to our plans to investigate the lost Halls of the Forest covenant. The blame for the meandering and aimless nature of the debate must fall on all of us, but I feel we would have benefitted from a stronger hand to lead the discussion. I shall spare the reader from a blow-by-blow account of how we arrived at our destination, and instead simply report that we ultimately decided that we would postpone the mission until Autumn.
Early in the season, I agreed to accompany Jari as he sought to test a new spell – Tongue of the Dead – on which he had spent three seasons of experimentation. We needed the ghost of someone who spoke only foreign languages and had not received a church burial, so we travelled into Wales to a crossroads, since such sites are sometimes used as places of execution for criminals. I was able to inform Jari that the area was indeed haunted by a lost spirit, and I directed him to a spot under the branch of a stout tree from which the unfortunate soul had presumably once been hanged. From the Merinitan’s nervous countenance, I could tell he was not entire confident the spell would have its desired effect, but in practice, it proved more than suitable. Not only was Jari able to converse with the ghost, but the spell also appeared to attract the attention of two hitherto unseen spirits from the area, who also joined the conversation. Jari was able to ask questions of all three spirits; they were not compelled to provide helpful answers – indeed, the ghost of the hanged man mainly hurled base insults – but they did all remain engaged throughout the conversation. Satisfied with the result, we returned to the covenant.
The remainder of the season passed without major incident, though we heard via the spy network that English forces had crossed the channel to defend Calais, though whether the king was with them was yet unknown.
Autumn
Our council meeting opened with Branwen’s tale of her journey to Cad Gadu for her House meeting. While travelling north aboard the Severn Star, having recently rounded the southwest tip of Wales, she spied a large ship further out to sea heading in the opposite direction. The vessel was too distant for her to get a good view, but the captain noted that its behaviour seemed odd, as it maintained full sail despite heavy fog banks making navigation treacherous. Fearing it might be the ship of the Unnamed House, Branwen ordered the captain to make for the nearest port, and it was with some relief that the vessel did not alter its course to follow, but rather continued southwards. There was no sign of the ship the next day, and Branwen was able to complete her journey to Cad Gadu.
The main event at the House meeting was the appointment of maga Luddwyn as the new Prima Ex Miscellanea. I must admit that I know relatively little about Luddwyn, for she has resided in the wilds of Wales for most of her life and the references to her in our journal are few and far between, but she shares a magical tradition with Branwen, who is the filia of her filia, Deanne. Branwen did not tell of any grand announcements from the new Prima, though she understood that Luddwyn intended to take up residence at Cad Gadu, as is traditional.
Branwen also provided an overview of other news picked up during the meeting. She had spoken with Lucrezia of Glenrisdell covenant, who revealed that the Templars had reoccupied their fortress at Roxburgh. Curiously, Glenrisdell’s spies reported that they were not the only ones watching the stronghold, and Lucrezia speculated that the other group might be connected to the Unnamed House. The council discussed what reasons they might have for spying on the Templars, particularly given that we believe all the key records and items that were once kept in the fortress had been removed when the Templars mounted their attack on Severn Temple, but we arrived at no firm conclusion. The Unnamed House’s actions suggested that they are not in direct alliance with the Templars, though they both serve infernal masters. Branwen noted that Lucrezia told her that another member of her covenant, Eloise, had journeyed to Eurus Aquilae to report to Primus Argentius, so I resolved to travel there in due course to see whether there was more to learn about the Unnamed House’s activities.
Branwen also reported rumours that Olaffson, the former Primus Ex Miscellanea who was mostly unjustly treated many years ago in an attempt to mollify traitorous members of the Iberian Tribunal, had been sighted in the far north. His precise whereabouts and activities are unknown. Finally, Branwen mentioned that she had returned with a new consors, Gwendolyn, who is apparently a bard of some skill.
With news of the House meeting complete, we moved on to a discussion of how best to investigate Halls of the Forest. If the discussion on this topic the previous season was characterised by confusion and indecision, this one was marked by disagreement and rancour. We initially determined that Jari was the only one of our number who had to be part of the investigation, since he now had the spell required to converse with ghosts, regardless of the language they spoke in life. We agreed that Branwen would accompany him, for she has some knowledge of the pagan practices previously performed by members of that covenant, though she cautioned us not to over-estimate her familiarity with their rites given her relative youth.
I had initially assumed that two magi would be sufficient to carry out the investigation, but Naevius suggested that either I or Pyrrhus should accompany them in case of difficulties on the road or within the regio. I offered Pyrrhus the choice of whether to go or stay, but he seemed convinced that both of us were required. This seemed overly cautious and a waste of time to me, so I told him that, if he went, then I would remain. He interpreted this as some sort of ploy to exclude him, declaring that, yet again, it was clear that he was not wanted on the investigation. Quite how he reached this conclusion is beyond me, so I once again reiterated that I was happy for him to decide on the composition of the party, though both of us were not required, in my view. This did not satisfy him, so I finally agreed that, if he really thought that four magi were absolutely required on the mission, I would be willing to accompany him. He confirmed that such was his view.
[Terentius’ private journal: What on earth is up with Pyrrhus? I had previously ascribed his reluctance to leave the covenant as either lethargy or a desire to advance his studies, but I now wonder whether it is a lack of confidence in his own abilities. What possible reason could there be to ask four magi to journey to an abandoned covenant where we have been before without incident? I pray that the discoveries we make are worth the investment of time.]
As it happens, the investigation of Halls of the Forest proved to be a disappointment, and we learned very little that we had not heard before. Jari tried to put it in a positive light by noting that what we found confirmed previous information, but that seems like scant reward for our time to me.
Jari travelled to the Clun ahead of the rest of us, and rather than wait for our arrival, he decided to investigate the area around the regio with his familiar, Races-the-Wind. As night fell, he spotted a spectral figure making its way through the trees. Using Tongue of the Dead, he was able to ascertain that the spirit was alive during the period before the Order came to Stonehenge, for he spoke of druids and the followers of Diedne, but had no knowledge of Hermetic wizards. The spirit’s attitude was initially rather dismissive and patronising, but it changed to concern and scepticism when Jari mentioned that he came from the temple on the Severn. Whether the spirit was once one of the druids of Halls of the Forest, or just one of their followers, remains unclear, but Jari learned little of interest to our quest.
After the rest of us arrived, we used the Light of Myddyn to traverse the boundary into the lowest level of the regio. There, we found the long-decayed ruins of the covenant outbuildings. Jari was able to converse with another spirit, who evidently hailed from a later period than the first, since the time of her death coincided with the attack on the covenant, assumably during the Schism War. More ominously, as we separated to search the area, we lost sight of Branwen, and there was still no sign of her when we regrouped. Jari was able to ask one of the trees whether there were any hidden paths within the area, and it indicated the arch of overgrown trees that we knew led to the higher levels of the regio. It seemed unlikely that Branwen had travelled that way inadvertently, but without other clear options, we decided to make our way through two regio boundaries to the grove at the highest level of the site. There we found a solitary oak tree wreathed in mistletoe, and both the sun and the moon were visible in the sky above.
Jari spoke with the ancient oak, asking about Jack o’the Green and hidden pathways through the forest, but the oak seemed sceptical of his intentions and revealed little new. In characteristic fashion, Jari expressed an interest in learning more of the lore of the place in exchange for doing favours for the oak, but he quickly lost interest when the tree made it clear that it would not part with its hidden knowledge unless Jari was willing to spend years venerating the place. With no sign of Branwen, we resolved to make our way out to search elsewhere, but we saw she had made a sign upon the ground within the ruins of the old covenant indicating that she had left the regio. Back in the mundane realm, we reunited with our sodalis at the site of our camp. She explained that she had been led from the regio by a spirit, though she refused to say anything more about her destination or what happened there, save that it had nothing to do with our reason for investigating the regio. We did not press her further to reveal her secrets, though we noted that she had received some form of wound, for one of her hands was wreathed in bandages and leaking blood.
Winter
At the council meeting, we provided a brief summary of last season’s investigation to Naevius. His initial response was to query whether the mistletoe that entwined the oak tree on the highest level of the regio might have contained vis, and if so, whether we should attempt to register it as a vis site. Unfortunately, we were able to confirm neither this nor whether the site had already been registered by others, though we agreed that it would be worth checking on its status the next time one of us travelled to Blackthorn.
There followed a debate on whether our actions last season should count as service to the covenant. I must admit that I had assumed not, since the journey of so many had not been necessary and we had learned almost nothing, but others felt the opposite, deeming the expenditure of time was sufficient to deserve a reward, even if the covenant itself had not benefitted. Before a vote was taken, Naevius questioned whether Branwen’s refusal to divulge the reasons for, or results of, her disappearance meant that her activities should not be counted as service. I initially argued that this was unfair, since she declared that her absence had not been planned and the information she had learned did not relate to the investigation, but Branwen agreed not to press any claim to count her season as a covenant service. With that, a vote was taken, and all save I cast our sigils in favour.
The only other matter of note reported at council concerned events of mundane politics. It seems Robert de Brus retains sufficient support in Scotland to hold onto his position and lands, but not enough to advance into England. The king had, therefore, left some forces in the north to guard the border, while sending the rest south. He and Hypatia had travelled to Calais to defend his remaining continental possessions. The balance of opinion was that Philip would be unable to take the city, but it would be equally difficult for Aeddan to recapture any of his former lands in the south.
Later in the season, we received a visit from the Recap Nitoria. She confirmed what we had already heard concerning the defence of Calais, but she added that Philip had mounted an assault but been repulsed. The French king’s coffers are said to be full, and the rumour is that, with the support of the Pope, he now turns his greedy eyes to the rich lowlands of Flanders. In terms of Hermetic news, Nitoria reported that members of Eurus Aquilae and Borri-Tor had slain the magi from Pitfichie Forest who had once aided the Scottish armies: Owun, Geira, and Sulia. The three had apparently believed themselves safe once the English armies moved south, but they had been lured into a trap and killed. As such, the Wizard’s March declared by the Tribunal had now been fully executed. Nitoria also confirmed the news Branwen had already brought us regarding the appointed of Luddwyn as Prima Ex Miscellanea and Glenrisdell’s suspicions about the Unnamed House spying on Roxburgh. The only other piece of news concerned a challenge to Primus Guido of Flambeau made by Aloisius of Cliffheart covenant. I am not entirely familiar with the traditions of the House and how such a challenge will play out, but Aloisius has invited all of his supporters to attend a meeting at Cliffheart next summer.
Towards the end of the season, we heard that a strange visitor had arrived at the inn at Lydney late in the evening, swindled the grogs at a game of knucklebones, and paid for his lodging with gold coins that disappeared at dawn. Jari believes that the man, who called himself Rhys, was a faerie playing the role of a bard, much in the same way as Sir Maurice adopts the guise of a noble knight. Those who witnessed Rhys’ behaviour all said that he appeared to be a naïve and most otherworldly fellow, suggesting that the faerie is as poor at acting as Sir Maurice. His ultimate goal – if indeed he has one – remains unclear at this stage, though I would wager we have not seen the last of him.
So, as the winter chill begins to fade with the coming of the new year, I shall rest my quill awhile and turn this journal over to another.