Scribed by Jari
Spring
I approached the year’s first council with a spring in my step for the first time in many a year. I can now see a genuine route to success in our long and oft-thwarted efforts to rouse the power of the land to save both magic and our own livest. The ritual that I developed with Theoclea’s aid “Air for Awakening the Ancient Aegis” seems to work. The spell is a bit of a mongrel effort, incorporating: elements of hermetic magic, what I’ve learnt of Arcanus’s understandings; my own capabilities with the magic inherent in music; and, a combination of both Theoclea’s and my knowledge of ancient magics, the differences between which complement each other’s well. Plus of course the little bit of luck that any such powerful magics require, this spell being nominally a Rego Terram effect of the eight magnitude.
The test was performed on a minor standing stone, known locally as Arthur’s Stone, which stood in a remote patch of countryside a little to the North of Hereford. The aura about it was merely of the first magnitude, connected to animals and healing. Unsurprisingly, given the low magnitude of its aura, the stone was ‘sleepy’ when I attempted to speak with it. A ley led off it to the Northwest, linking it with a small group of stones, just over a league into Wales. That group, known as the “Lucky Seven”, had a similarly low magnitude. Their purported power being linked to leading those who touched the stones to find gold or silver.
Research dragged out as much as I could, I steeled myself to cast the ritual. As it neared completion, I felt a deep vibration in the earth that made it a little hard to concentrate, though fortunately I am somewhat less easily distracted than I was in my younger days and I was able to bring it to what felt like a successful completion. I let my vision drift into the magical realm and was delighted to see flames like pillars of starlight flickering into the air. Looking at the stones themselves there was a clear change in the vibrancy of the colours of the ancient magic flickering about the stone. This was confirmed when the ‘Keen Intuition of the Magical Veil’ revealed that the aura was now of the fifth magnitude!
I settled down to talk to the stone once more and was gratified to find that it was more awake and happy to converse at some length with me. It said that it felt something “sour in the soil” when asked about the coming plague. I asked about other nearby stones, interested in learning how such an awakened stone might in some way ‘link up’ with its neighhours. It said that it could sense seven stones to the Northwest and others beyond that, but those not so clearly. When I asked about its sense of centres of power in the land, it said that it could sense one very far from there to the South and that it was not the only one awake. Three days later, just before we needed to return home for the council, the aura at the stone was still of the fifth magnitude, so it does seem like the ritual should last long enough to allow for such castings needed to complete the wheel. Presumably moon duration or longer, though given all the non-hermetic elements within the ritual it is best not to rely on this and I determined to check as often as I could.
We discussed the matter at council. Is it Stonehenge that is awake already or is it Avebury? Branwen said that she will ask Morgana. I will spend Spring with my portable laboratory at Arthur’s Stone to more fully analyse what the results of the ritual have been, and hopefully gain a greater sense of the ritual itself.
Terentius reported that he has drawn a map of the boundary of the ‘wheel’ of stone circles with all centres and features included. He will spend Spring overlaying that map with the magical aurae that lie upon it. At my request, he will also identify a readily walkable route around it. I will also in future make an assay of the ley lines that travel through the area.
Naevius said he would continue with his study of personal vis to better cast ‘Conjure the Wizard’s Tower’. Theoclea then made the amusing suggestion that she develop the spell ‘Gift of Reason’ to cast on me so that she might better glean the precise cymric words I had dreamt at Stoney Littleton. After some mock outrage, I suggested that she might more simply just visit those stones herself.
Naevius noted that there will be much to discuss at the next council, the last before the tribunal. It is already clear that there will be disagreement on what we reveal to the tribunal and what we do not. For my part, I think that telling the tribunal what we are planning puts at risk everything. What if they decide that such a ritual is too dangerous for us to be allowed to do it? What politics are they at play that might predispose groups such as the Tremere to look for reasons to stop us? I see no real benefit in doing so but others, most clearly Terentius disagree.
Jari’s private journal
Given all that we have faced and the repeated instances of other hermetic magi opposing what we have needed to be done to overcome the various enemies we have faced, it seems incredible to me that my sodales could still be so naive. There is a bitter irony to the fact that while hermetic magic cannot avail us against the scale of the dark power that looms ever nearer, hermetic magi may yet be that which stops us from succeeding in our efforts against it. The witches might be selfish weasels who are quite content to let all save they perish but they at least have the great good sense to do so in secret.
With our discussion concluded, we moved onto more mundane matters such as vis distribution. All save Pyrrhus, who had not done any prior to his sudden departure deep into Africa, had done multiple seasons so we agreed to just claim one each.
By the turn of the season, the aura at Arthur’s Stone was still of the fifth magnitude. That stretched for some fifty paces before it dropped to the fourth magnitude and thence quickly down to the first magnitude. I think it likely that an injured animal brought here would be restored to health but I lack the time to find one such, as well as the inclination to injure one to test it. Races the Wind might have been able to give further insight into the animal aspect of the enhanced magic thereabouts were he not spending his time attempting to run fast enough to catch up with himself and picking fights with bushes which apparently vaguely resembled another hare. Some less mad wild animals did however approach the stone while I was there, I believe they sensed on some level that it was a good place to be.
On the last phase of the full moon, the magic declined precipitously, thus indicating quite clearly that the ritual was of moon duration. I remained there, keen to assess the change in ancient magics as best I could, as well as their impact on neighbouring stones, animals and so forth. Thus Spring passed quietly, although I found out when I returned home that Pyrrhus had returned just after the equinox.
Summer
We began the second meeting of the year, with Pyrrhus’s lengthy and colourful account of his “successful” exploits travelling to meet with the Ordo Ethiopicus. I can’t deny I was intrigued to hear details of these strange and far off lands, though a more cynical fellow than I might wonder just how much of a success it is travelling all that way just to share a ritual which almost certainly won’t help, not to mention having your Primus die there.
Naevius then brought up the potentially thorny matter of what of our plans were would reveal to the wider tribunal. The split in opinion was quickly evident, with Branwen speaking of the need for caution in who we invite to join our efforts, noting the warnings of both prophecy and the shade of Morgana. Terentius quickly put an opposing view, one which he clearly felt quite strongly about, that we should tell all that we are creating a haven using the henges and the power of the Land, and that we should invite any and all who wish to come. Branwen asked what we would then do if the tribunal were to forbid us to do such a thing. Naevius and Terentius countered saying that we would need more eyes, ears and martial magi to help us withstand the threat of the UnNamed house. I said that whatever we said, we needed to be clear about not expressing any ambiguity about the effects of our ritual on that of the Tremere. If the bits of the prophecy about strengthening one part of the land at the expense of making another weaker get out and are misinterpreted, then we will find ourselves in a tricky situation.
I added that I was sure that that was not what the prophecy was referring to in any event, it is clear to my mind, based on my years of research, that the warning refers only to such instances of drawing power into one part of the land to boost a harvest, such as Theoclea did, not the greater ritual of awakening the henges.
Jari’s private journal
Obviously this isn’t entirely true. I think it’s unlikely that it’ll negatively impact things elsewhere, but I can’t possibly be sure. So, given everything that’s at stake, twisting the truth here is very much the lesser of two evils. Plus, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve lied to my sodales and it’s what they all wanted to hear anyway.
The matter was called to a vote, which those in favour of making an announcement at tribunal won, 4 votes to 2, with just Branwen and I voting against. After a shortish discussion about what such a presentation would involve, we agreed that I’d talk about our plans on behalf of the council, covering just the material facts, not any prophecy or pagan aspects, talking instead about the area we plan to protect.
We discussed who it’d be useful to bring into our planning, apparently Luddwyn has been kept up to date and I suggested Phaedra too, as we’re relying on access to a vis site of Carrion Moor but also to keep them informed and well disposed towards our efforts. Of other covenants, Blackthorn have backed Eurus Aquilae, we’re less sure about Holy Isle, though it would be very handy to have Cyrillus and Severo to help ward off the threat of the UnNamed House. Other possible allies include Edenia and Valance in Trevalga and Berenger at Carrion moor.
More mundanely, we then discussed where exactly we plan to put the tower that Naevius has been learning to conjure. We agreed on a promising site to the South of Avebury, which sits in between two ranges of hills. Its location puts it in the centre of the circle, roughly equidistant from the two towns within it, Marlborough and Devizes.
The next practical ritual matter for debate was when to cast it. Should we do it as soon as we are able to do so or wait until closer to the time? Theoclea believes that we should do so as soon as possible so that if we fail, we can try again. She thinks that the effect will last years, if not a century. However, Branwen said that as we only likely get one stab at it, we should only try when we are in the best position to succeed.
Terentius, Branwen and I agreed that we would go and look again at the corrupted grove to see if there was anything else that we could glean from it. Spiritual tracks of the demon perhaps? Then Terentius and I would journey on to the Druid Stone to see if there was anything else that could be done to identify how to cleanse it of the taint that threatens to let in the UnNamed House.
We learnt some interesting news as we passed via Gloucester, Branwen’s entertainingly haughty familiar Gwyla refusing to fly or take boat across the Severn. The Earl of Gloucester was executed two weeks ago in the Tower of London. While he will certainly not be missed, it remains unclear exactly who will succeed him. Perhaps the King might hold onto it for now until a successful leader emerges from his armies in France? Perhaps he’ll simply sell it to raise much-needed funds? Something to keep an eye on but small beer compared to the other threats that face us.
We reached the grove without much further event, finding that the plants there were sickly and notably, there was still no sign of birds or beasts within the woodland thereabouts. Branwen said that the corruption must be cut out or cured, and she readied herself to do it, seemingly by drawing on her connection with the ‘First Forest’. I cautioned her against paying too high a cost for something that may not have much of an impact. After a moment’s thought she decided that the blighted plants must burn. As she was unable to summon fire sufficient to the task, she decided, somewhat to my surprise, that she should cast ‘Treading the Ashen Path’ instead. Terentius stepped in and cast it for her, with Branwen following his footsteps enacting rites of purification.
We moved on to Bannerdown to if we’d had any effect on that subtle sense of wrongness but alas, I could still hear that its song was still very subtly out of key. The land itself was of course still hale, but something remained ‘wrong’ about the stones. We stayed there that night and experienced something of Bannerdown’s legend of being a place where ghosts of the past come to give warnings about the future. Branwen saw and spoke with the shade of Gavan, her shield grog who was drowned in the marshes near Glastonbury by the shade of Morgana.
Jari’s private journal
In the interests of hare and human relations, I’ll remain silent on why Morgana’s shade drowned him…
Gavan had a message for her, telling her that there was a “Crack in your wall and the defences you will place. A fell wind will be let in. Not the great plague but something that will add a touch of malice to this place. There is a traitor in the ranks, and your defences will be breached by something you don’t want to breach it.” Gavan’s shade said that was what he had seen and so he brought it to Branwen. Solemnly she thanked him, saying that even in death he served her well.
I wondered about these words that Branwen relayed. Could the triangle formed by the three desecrated stones not simply be one that overlaps with our circle but be more like the point of a spear designed to create a crack that would let devils and maybe evil wizards slip in? It seems plausible. The protection effect afforded by the ritual is not a shell like the Aegis of the Hearth but will cover everything within. Thus, at least the Great Plague or whatever demons bear it should still be kept at bay. But how to repair a smaller crack to prevent lesser evils getting in? Could the taint I’ve sensed be burnt off by a surge in power, such as that invoked by my new ritual? Might the UnNamed House seer also have foreseen this? Do I need to do more? Of course, thinking like this, while important to try and anticipate how the malign divinations we face could affect things, can also lead to paralysis or assuming that all efforts are futile.
I decided to cast first the ‘Air for the Awakening of the Ancient Aegis’ which seemed to work, boosting the aura from the 3rd to the 5th magnitude. I thought for a moment that had removed the discordance, but I caught still a faint hint of it as I listened carefully.
Terentius then saw the shade of Brannoch, which warned him that he faced a threat from someone that he knew, someone who will be by his side who bore a dagger, though he himself was not the target. I saw and spoke with my old childhood companion from Novgorod, Erik. He told me that he will not be by my side when battle comes, warning me of riddles, lies, a serpent’s tongue. He said he saw treachery ahead and that I should be wary of Loki and his tricks and conspiracies. Helpfully, he was unclear as to whether I am the target of these or not! He reminded me that Loki spends half his time helping, albeit often against a problem he’s created, while the other half of the time he works against the good of the gods. He said that even if I’m not a target, I may have to deal with the problem that Loki has created. With that he faded into whatever realm he now dwells.
I turned my attention back to the stone and cast the ritual “Astounding Amplification of the Ancient Aurae’s Affectation”. It was burning with Starfire but there was still the faintest sense of discordance, so subtle as to be no more than a single off note in a song. The crack in it has been drastically shrunk but it is not gone. What this will mean for those trying to exploit this as a way into the Wheel I do not know. I spent a few more weeks there studying matters with Branwen and Terentius before heading to the tribunal.
After a friendly enough welcome at Blackthorn, I tracked down Phaedra to tell her of all I’d learnt since last we spoke. She seemed quite impressed and offered to help in any way that she could, saying that the rest of her council were sympathetic to what we were doing. I tried to persuade her that she and the rest of her council should join us in the Wheel. Bodric, Berengar and loraticus all seemed encouragingly open to such a prospect. I’ll keep them updated.
Next, I caught up with Cyrillus who told me that the trail of the UnNamed House they’d been following had grown cold. Rowley was found dead in London with a crushed heart and the sigil of sweat and blood upon it. Was the coin to buy influence in the port area? I’ll check with Naevius and the spymaster. Cyrillus reminded me to keep in mind that their singular purpose is to escape the Great Plague. So, what are they doing with all that coin?
Regarding the circle of stones about the Wheel, Cyrillus wondered whether the UnNamed House are trying to bring in infernal tools they need. He doesn’t know how to remove the taint from the stones alas. Perhaps destroying the entity summoned? The crack is probably designed to let in that entity, though he said that it must have some host or housing to exist in this realm for such an extended period of time.
He also reminded me that the UnNamed House are not all of one purpose as they’ve not long ago found signs of interference with a stone circle in Loch Leglean. He thinks that the ‘green flame’ necromancer is likely their unofficial ‘primus’ and suggested that we mention the UnNamed House threat to our plans to persuade martial magi to join us. He also wondered aloud as to whether the disturbance at Stonehenge had been quite the failure that we thought it had. Have we missed something?
Next day, the tribunal proper started. Luddwyn asked Gaines and the covenants to share any news. Gaines spoke of the spread of the war twixt England and France, warning of how the French have attacked English ports on the South Coast, as recently as this Spring, destroying several merchant ships. We shall have to be very careful with our ship. Furthermore, rumours are that Phillipe VI of France has amassed 20,000 men to invade England either this year or the next.
Pyrrhus then gave account of his journeys to Ethiopia, details of which are recorded in a separate account in our library. You can read about his repeated use of ignem spells interspersed with occasional details of his trip of there; life’s too short to write about his escapades twice! Borrea Tor reported that they were still suffering from ongoing border attacks from small groups of Scots and rogue wizards. There is alas still no sense of any great unity of magi in Loch Leglean. Carrion Moor reported the burning of Portsmouth, Berenger warned all magi about the dangers of sailing in channel. He said that their covenant ship was chased by two French warships though it managed to outrun them. Holy Isle reported that they believe the UnNamed House are less focused on fighting the Order and instead are actively seeking ways to avoid the coming darkness, especially in the Southwest of the tribunal. They added that the necromancer with the green flame sigil is likely their leader though unclear if they’re acting to a broad common plan or are competing with one another. Suficius then stood and announced that Blackthorn has uncovered concerning evidence of activity at the Halls of the Forest site. He said that spies there have reported that Cad Gadu, under pretence of cleansing that place have…
At this point Luddwyn interrupted him, saying that there was no need to discuss this at tribunal. Suficius replied that it was a serious matter and said that the Praeca should be looking to the survival of all, just not her sisters. The Praeca replied by ordering him to be silent, saying that it was not for discussion. Argentius, looking suspiciously at her, asked if she’d made any inroads into protection against the shadow. Pyrrhus then stood up and called for a vote of no confidence in Luddwyn!
Jari’s personal journal
I knew what the witches had been up to at Halls of the Forest and had been doing my best to keep a straight face, but I almost fell off my chair when Pyrrhus pitched in!
With all the grace of her noble offices, Luddwyn called him a “little shit” and told him that he’d not been punished enough for his crimes, concluding her rant with a single word “perdo”. Pyrrhus then surprised me again by calling for a Secundus. As Luddwyn glared daggers at Romanus, he said that such was legal and that Pyrrhus had a day to meet her challenge. Pyrrhus promptly asked Argentius to be his Secundus, which Argentius was clearly no more expecting than the rest of us. Perhaps getting overconfident as he surveyed the shocked faces of magi around him, Pyrrus then replied “corporem” to Luddwyn. At which point she regained some of her good humour, a sly smile passing over her face before she adjourned the meeting until tomorrow.
I spoke with Pyrrhus as we left the hall asking him what he was doing. He said that Luddwyn has never forgiven him and that now with Guido, who had been protecting him, dead, she was inevitably going to make a move against him, so he saw an opportunity to get in first. He admitted that it probably wouldn’t save him. He said that he wanted to see some proper leadership of the tribunal, such as Argentius could offer. I asked whether he’d spoken to Argentius about it before, but he said no. I warned him that Luddwyn could well kill him in the certamen.
Meanwhile, Theoclea had gone to speak with Suficius and found me a little while later. Suficius had told her that Cad Gadu was building a sustainable shelter in Halls of the Forest to protect House Ex Miscellanea against the Shadow. They’d deliberately kept it secret from Blackthorn and it had only come to light because of accidental mundane contact with a servant of Cad Gadu. She said that it was clear that Luddwyn has lied to Blackthorn.
Jari’s private journal
Races and I caught up with Branwen later, Races agreeing with her that there was some sort of conspiracy behind Pyrrhus, he being too dumb to have come up with all of this on his own. Branwen wondered whether it might be Salustria as she is still angry about her sodales’ death and is independent and subtle. I said I wasn’t so sure. Where was it all going? The outing of Halls of the Forest seemed to be wholly independent of Pyrrhus.
Later still that evening, I sat speaking to Loraticus and the rest of Carrion Moor about what the UnNamed House were doing with the money. He wondered whether they were looking to buy a base of operations in the Wheel. He said that the sum of monies they’d raised could maybe buy a landholding but was not enough to buy much beyond the lowest level of nobility. He and Berengar will make investigation into mundane society with the Wheel.
Phaedra said that she thinks our plans are the best bet but that we need some martial support. Obviously, Tiberius is a key martial magus and though he has a long association with Eurus Aquilae he also has duties with Holy Isle which could offer us an angle. As to other options, she wondered about maybe Plautus, though questioned whether he’s yet powerful enough. We stayed up drinking and continuing such conversations until late in the night.
Next morning, as I sat somewhat bleary eyed at breakfast, I learnt that there was no sign of Pyrrhus. I wondered whether reality had dawned and he’d made a hasty exit. When we assembled in the tribunal hall, Luddwyn seemed impatient and there was no sign of Romanus either so we could not proceed with matters. Then the senior Quaesitor appeared. He looked harried and spoke quietly to a puzzled-seeming Luddwyn who permitted him to speak more broadly. He announced that Pyrrhus had been found and that someone had tried to murder him. Romanus said that he needed to investigate urgently and matters were adjourned. Naevius went off to try and find out more about whether Pyrrhus yet lived. He returned a while later saying he had had a likely deadly herbalistic poison put into his drink and was very close to death. Pallas of Borrea Tor, a skilled herbalist, was working to try and save him. Branwen said that it was clearly not Luddwyn who did this.
The tribunal was soon recalled. Romanus said that Pyrrhus was poisoned by a herbalistic poison in his wine. However, a casting of ‘Eyes of the Past’ showed no sign of how any such poison was added to it. Pallas said that the poison was still in Pyrrhus’s system and had damaged his heart. Argentius stood and announced that he would now accept Pyrrhus’s request to be his Secundus, much to Luddwyn’s obvious unhappiness.
Jari’s private journal
Now that I can see a clear consequence of Pyrrhus’s extraordinary intervention, I too believe there’s some conspiracy afoot, though exactly what its endgame is and who is behind it I know not.
The two Primi faced off against each other in this perdo corporem certamen, each trying to make the body in front of them diseased. Argentius gained an initial narrow edge and then they both reached for their vis. Luddwyn perhaps gained the initiative then and they both grabbed larger handfuls of vis as they both committed everything to their battle. Argentius regained the edge then but did not press. As they sought to send the next blast of magical energies into the conflict, I saw Luddwyn lose control of her magic, it slipped from her control just as Argentius threw everything he had at her. A moment of panic crossed her face before it turned white and sloughed off her skull as she collapsed dead to the floor. There was a momentary silence as everyone, Argentius included, stared in shock at the scene before them.
A moment later, Romanus composed himself enough to adjourn the meeting, though he looked very flustered. I looked about me but could see no sign of any malicious satisfaction in the audience. Romanus quickly sent servants around warning that all magi must stay within the covenant.
It was early afternoon before he reconvened the tribunal. Romanus said that what had happened had been a tragic event, but he did not believe that there was any external force or impetus behind it. It was simply as it appeared, a magical accident by Luddwyn as Argentius pressed his advantage. He said that Pallas had managed to create an antidote for the poison still in Pyrrhus’s system which had purged it from his blood. Thus, Pyrrhus lives, albeit with likely permanent heart damage. He said that had he been undiscovered for another hour or so then he would have died.
Romanus ruled that the certamen result stands so tomorrow there would be an election for a new Praeco, with Argentius, Suficius, and Tiberius standing as candidates. He then adjourned the meeting until then. The covenant was subdued, with no one really knowing what to say.
The next day, we returned to the main hall to hear the candidates’ speeches. Argentius, after some meaningless platitudes about Luddwyn, spoke about how Eurus Aquilae will act as the shelter against the coming storm. Saying that all drawing together there would be his singular aim. He claimed that he would step down afterwards if we survive. He probably even believed that as he said it, though I have little doubt that he’ll find some other urgent matter that will mean he’ll need to stay on longer when that day comes. Not that I believe he or anyone else who chooses Eurus Aquilae as their shelter will survive, so it’s a moot point.
Suficius stated that there were multiple ways to weather the storm and said that he was open minded as to which shelter is the best. Tiberius, clearly standing simply to help Argentius get elected, said that magi should vote for Argentius and disparaged Luddwyn as “secretive and divisive”. Which of course she was but even I might have baulked at speaking ill of the dead immediately after telling people to vote for the person who’d just killed her.
I did my best to politic on Suficius’s behalf, but it was always likely to be a losing cause. I tried to persuade Ciaran of Trevalga and the magi at Carrion Moor to back him. To my surprise, Romanus inadvertently helped me a little by passing me Pyrrhus’s sigil ahead of the vote. Apparently, Pyrrhus felt I was the best choice. I can only imagine he was still desperately ill or angry at Argentius about something! Anyway, it was all irrelevant, for despite a rare display of Severn Temple unanimity in voting for Suficius, almost all of those relying on Eurus Aquilae for protection against the Great Plague voted for Argentius. Cad Gadu and the witches, unsurprisingly, along with Carrion Moor voted for Suficius but it was not enough and Argentius was elected by 2 votes.
Our superficially reasonable new tyrant Argentius stood up to state that there would be one single motion heard at the tribunal now, how to allocate our resources. I raised my hand, but he said that there would be no questions and adjourned matters for a quick recess.
After the recess, Argentius began by listing all the mundane things that he said the tribunal needed at Eurus Aquilae. He said he wanted to put a motion about a tribunal tithe to build essentially a small town with need not just for vis but grogs, farmers, and craftsmen. He thinks that within 3 years they could double the accommodation to fit about 40 magi but hopes for as many as 50! He then suggested that this might need as much as 1 season’s service per magus per year! Branwen questioned such apparent extension of what had been discussed, and I spoke up somewhat emotionally, saying how such a heavy burden on my time could make our own different efforts impossible. I pointed out that I had been spending essentially all my seasons working towards our efforts for some good number of years now. I asked whether it was fair to impose such a tax on magi who would not be taking up Eurus Aquilae. With a somewhat patronising manner, Argentius basically implied that he needed to tax everyone as we’d all come begging to be let in when the time comes. He also brought down my protests at saying we were being forced to pay for magi’s luxuries, not their essentials, but aware that most of his audience were planning on coming to Eurus Aquilae, he disdainfully put that line of attack down. Perhaps bored of the debate, he then called for another recess for people to consider things.
After the recess, he seemed a little more conciliatory. He said that he’d reflected on the debate and stated that he would propose instead that all magi would pay a season or magical or mundane equivalent thereof, as discussed in the debate, to be completed within 3 years. We all voted against it, as did the witches, a couple of Ex Miscellaneans, Phaedra and Loraticus, but that was essentially it so if was comfortably passed.
I was permitted to raise a second motion, which basically said that any magi who swore to forego access to Eurus Aquilae didn’t have to pay the tithe, but it was comfortably defeated. Argentius’s revised offer having expertly taken the wind out of my sails. Given the palpable fear of the coming plague now, magi would probably have been too concerned to dare vote against any of Argentius’s proposals even had they been as extortionate as originally proposed.
I probably didn’t help my arguments in front of the tribunal by failing to keep my emotions under control. It’s been a while since I’ve properly engaged in tribunal politics, so long in fact that the influence of the Court of Winter still flowed in veins when I last did so. Such icy disdain as I once had and a cooler head would probably have stood me in better stead, but Argentius is a master at such things and I’m quite sure he’s not forgotten my politicking against him on the previous occasions when he’s stood unsuccessfully to be Praeco, including against hilariously bad options like Voressio!
Anyway, Argentius didn’t hang around after the vote was counted, calling the meeting to a swift close. It all could have been a lot worse I suppose.
Jari’s private journal
It’s too impolitic a matter to be voiced to anyone else, save Branwen of course, but I think it’d be for the best if Argentius and all his coterie of followers, hangers-on and bullies die in the Great Plague. Some magi I like would also undoubtedly perish which is sad, but Argentius scares me. I’m pretty sure he believes he’s doing the right thing and that he’s acting for the good of magi but he’s just too sure that his own judgment is better than anyone else’s to be trustworthy with the power that he would have in a post great plague world. If he trusted his Tremere sodales he could let them own their sigils but its telling that he won’t. It would be an absolute dictatorship in all but name.
With that we returned to our various businesses, the season passing essentially peacefully. I returned to Bannerdown with Terentius, becoming convinced that my secondary hypothesis was correct. The aim of the infernal rituals was to create a chink in the ritual’s protection to serve only the specific occult entity summoned in the grove. The fact that it left behind an infernal aura at all means it must have been a very powerful infernal entity, at least the 16th magnitude. That would make it powerful enough that it would not have to go along with something it didn’t want to do, meaning that it is likely the devil that the ‘green fire’ necromancer serves. I need to be careful not to read too much into exactly what it is as the signs are too subtle to allow for much certainty, but this much I think is probable.
Branwen and Theoclea, with their familiars, travelled to the Heart of the Forest. There, to everyone’s relief and delight, they were able to successfully combine to call the Anu back to that glade, displacing Jack of the Green. The silver acorns were already apparent, growing on the trees once more, which will help our vis-needy situation. Either that or to provide future hope for a new ring of trees for a future sanctuary. The woods felt immediately calmer, with the echoes of Jack’s malign anger no longer resonating throughout them.
Autumn
With concern growing about having to share our sanctuary with the UnNamed House, some of whom are likely beyond our capability to defend against, we discussed who else we should target to shelter with us. Tiberius was an obvious target, even though he’s a close ally of our new Lord and Master Argentius, but he hates the UnNamed House and is loyal to the magi of Holy Isle, so if we could persuade them to join us, then he may well come too.
We then sought to follow up on the three clippings Terentius had taken from the coins that the ‘Brethren’ had collected. After attempting to scry on their location and using our somewhat limited collection of maps, we narrowed things down a little. One appears to be in a tavern near Abingdon, one in a market town or port on the Dorset coast, and the third sitting on the desk of a magistrate or crown official of some sort, more than 100 miles away.
Pyrrhus announced that he had created 6 alchemical potions of ‘Transcendental Awareness’ which helped put the imbiber into an altered state of consciousness. I must find time to try one!
After the council had concluded, I took a letter from Branwen and one from me on my latest findings on the corruption and near Bannerdown to Blackthorn to be delivered to Cyrillus. That done, I returned to the corrupted grove with Branwen and Terentius. Although my hypothesis that whatever infernal entity that left there might have left tracks visible to those whose eyes can detect spiritual taint proved incorrect, we did find that the place had a 2nd magnitude infernal aura at night, further confirming my theory that whatever was summoned here must have been powerful indeed.
That done, we walked round to Stonehenge via Stoney Littleton to check whether that was free from the discordance afflicting Bannerdown. As I cast my sight into the magical realm, I was almost blinded by the bright, swirling starfire there, with its song a deafening roar, making it impossible to sense any hint of discordance. I think however that it would be very hard to introduce any lingering taint, so immediate and immense is its power. Also, it reminded me that there will be no need to cast any ritual here to awaken these stones. Such would not only be pointless but also extremely dangerous!
Neither Branwen nor Gwyla saw anything that gave them any cause for concern. While there, Terentius was able to determine via spontaneous scrying magics that that coin was in London. I cast ‘Summon the Distant Images’ and was rewarded with the sight of a man dressed in formal robes. I think he was someone senior in the port authority for I could see that his seal was of the dockmaster at Southwark. I could just about make out a signature too, one Thomas Snaith.
We agreed to go our separate ways. Branwen returned to the covenant; I would walk around the whole route of the ‘wheel’ to ensure that I could find my way and to check for any further sign of disturbance. Terentius was to travel to Southwark to see what he could learn from Master Snaith.
Of my efforts, I was able to find a straightforward route around the stones which took around a week in all. I took care to collect arcane connections for each of them. One close enough for me to scry on the stones themselves, and a second place that would be a safe and concealed apportation point. I was only able to sense discordance at Bannerdown and to confirm that none of the stone circles connect directly with any of the others.
While at Bannerdown I decided to ‘speak’ with the stones there. It was a bit of a slow conversation, but I learnt that it had felt an ache in the roots of the ground thereabouts not so many moons ago. It was struck by something, a “hand it could not see. Not man, nor beast, nor fae”. The stone thought that the blow perhaps left a mark, subtle but present still, “an ache which does not interfere with the purpose for which I was set”. Encouragingly, it said that the ache diminished recently. The last time I was here, I sang to it, so who knows? Maybe that eased the ache a bit. I asked further questions, but it said that it had had no sense of the thing since it scarred it and didn’t know how to help fix it. It did say that long ago stones tended by druids so could they help? Might pagan rituals thus aid in the more magical rituals I’ve been investigating?
Jari’s private journal
I then had a weird, slightly unsettling conversation with Races who asked if we had the moral right to enact the ritual if it is what saves the UnNamed House? I argued if we do not so and let all magic be destroyed, then the loss of fae will be as nothing to what will befall this isle and its inhabitants.
Meanwhile, Terentius was able to find out where Thomas Snaith lived and silently inveigle his way into his bedchambers one night. I like to think that it’s a measure of how I’ve grown that I’ve not made any puerile references here, but I digress. Using his magics to ensure Snaith and his wife stayed fast asleep, Terentius was able to delve into his mind. It seems that, early in Spring, one “John West”, a well-dressed Irishman in his mid-thirties, always an ominous age when investigating possible magi, made petition to him. He said that he owned several vessels which traded wool between English and Ireland, and lived in Dublin. He said he needed Southwark documents of registration for his large trading cog, “The Wavedancer”, almost certainly a false name. Something about him unsettled Snaith, notably West’s slender but muscular hands, unnervingly reminding Snaith of a strangler’s hands.
Snaith was minded to refuse him but West insisted and produced a large sum of gold, going up to 600d without any haggling. A casting of ‘Sense the Lingering Magic’ on Snaith revealed a muto mentem spell of the 4th magnitude, designed to inspire greed, with the sigil of sweat mixed with blood.
Next, Terentius tried to track down the other coins. He traced one to a dockside inn in Weymouth, “The Wanderers Inn”, but was unable to glean any usable intelligence from there as too many similar cogs had passed through that port. There was no sign of any sigil upon the innkeeper there either.
Back at the covenant, Theoclea and Branwen returned to the Heart of the Forest and gathered some 2 dozen acorns! They will be kept as such and not broken down until council has decided what to best do with them. Towards the end of autumn, Gaines arrived at the covenant to tell us that Quaesitor Romanus will visit Severn Temple at the start of Winter to continue his investigations in Pyrrhus’s poisoning. He also brought letters for Branwen and I.
My letter was a reply from Cyrillus. He warned us all to be very careful when attempting to scry, even indirectly, the entity that had been summoned to the grove near Bannerdown for it was likely a powerful enough entity that it could look back and even strike back at those looking at it. A timely warning. However, he noted that such entities can’t act freely in this world, they are too inimicable to our world to be able to move about freely. He added, not very encouragingly, that without the name of such an entity it was likely too powerful even for the likes of Tiberius to be able to best.
Winter
Naevius reported on his conversations with the magi at Carrion Moor. He said that they had agreed that they would investigate the South and Eastern part of the Wheel, and we the North and West parts. A more formal agreement on materials and so forth was also agreed.
We then discussed our concerns about the UnNamed House activities. How much do they know of our preparations? Why are they so keen to use the Southern ports? Is that why they cashed in all their income from the Brethren? Is it simply about amassing supplies and men in the South of England? I’m not sure. It feels like there’s more to it but I have no evidence for that.
There was then a bit of a debate about the precise order of events for the ritual, though it all seemed clear to me. It was noted that the hazardous ritual to displace the Horned One from the grove is best done in Summer. I discussed how best to cleanse Bannerdown. Rather then invent a new ritual, which I had been considering, though to no great success it probably should be said, I realised that if I were to cast my large ritual to awaken the stones there and then to amplify them, that could ‘burn off’ any taint by channelling the raw power of the land through them. Although it will mean casting two large rituals, one of the 8th and one of the 6th magnitude, I think it is worth both the risk and the investment of vis. With the heavy cost in vim vis, there was some discussion about whether or not to use the silver acorns. Branwen was vehemently opposed to it, and we agreed that it was best to save them for now.
After council, I journeyed back once again to Bannerdown with Terentius. While we were away, Romanus arrived to speak with Pyrrhus though he stayed just for one day, departing ere it grew dark.
Terentius and I went first to one of the neighbouring stones in the infernal triangle, the “Hunters’ Stone” whose purpose is linked to giving blessings to hunters. It was quiescent but I could sense a distinct discordant note in its song. Taking a large gulp from my wineskin, I cast first the ‘Air for the Awakening of the Ancient Aegis’ then, after a short pause for more wine, the “Astounding Amplification of the Ancient Aurae’s Affectation”. Both rituals went smoothly and as I completed the second ritual, which is designed to amplify the power of a stone, both Terentius and I became aware of being able to sense many trails of animals thereabouts.
After another short pause for more wine, I listened as best I could to the stone’s song but could hear no sign of discordance. I settled down to speak with the stone and found it awake and bright. It said “Greetings hunter. What quarry do you hunt?” Thinking quickly, and I confess dismissing the urge to make up something juvenile, I replied “those who did you injury”. It replied that “no beast, nor man caused my injury” but said that while the entity that had hurt it had left no trail to follow, there was old man with that fell entity and it could grant me sight of his trail. It said that it still felt wounded, but the pain was much reduced. As I ended the spell and opened my eyes, I could see a subtle but sharply defined trail heading off to the South.
I was able to quickly communicate what had happened to Terentius and we set off. A few miles South of the stone, we came upon a campsite. There, Terentius found a green flame sigil, potentially a hermetic intellego vim spell to check for signs of scrying. An hour and a half further on, as we were nearing Bath the trail diverted round the city. We paused to take an arcane connection and then pressed on over the Mendips. By twilight, we could see Cheddar up ahead, but once more the trail went round it. Night fell, but I dared not stop to reweave my parma for fear of losing the trail. We began to head Southwest, passing by the village of Wedmore in the middle of the night, heading towards Bridgwater while continuing to avoid towns and settlements.
Terentius believed that the necromancer was travelling with a group, not on his own. I managed to keep it the trail in sight come dawn, though both my eyes and legs were very weary. The trail led into Bridgewater, but I was jostled as I entered the town and lost sight of it. However, Terentius, with that uncannily sharp sight of his managed to follow it to the docks where the trail ended at the riverside, from where barges can sail out into the Bristol channel.
After some much needed rest at a nice tavern in Bridgewater, we retraced our steps back to the Wheel region. At one of the camp sites, Terentius found signs of a spell with the sigil of motes of burning ash, the younger protector of the necromancer? We then went to the Wedding Stones, where once more I could hear discordant notes in their song. I was able to cast the two rituals again and afterwards spoke with the stone. I could hear music, a bit of a cacophony, with multiple overlapping sounds, but above that I could make out the voice of the stone. It offered me a blessing “May your music and song stir the hearts of your fellows”. Once again, the stone said that it had suffered an injury and that while it felt better a scar remained.
I headed back to the covenant to work with Branwen on how to help heal the lingering scar left on the stone, especially Bannerdown. After some thought, discussion and study of the books, I believe that a ritual to call on the pagan powers to cleanse the stone, using perhaps a rook of spring water imbued with vis which has been thrice blessed by the moon may do the trick. We shall see in Spring!
Spring
I approached the year’s first council with a spring in my step for the first time in many a year. I can now see a genuine route to success in our long and oft-thwarted efforts to rouse the power of the land to save both magic and our own livest. The ritual that I developed with Theoclea’s aid “Air for Awakening the Ancient Aegis” seems to work. The spell is a bit of a mongrel effort, incorporating: elements of hermetic magic, what I’ve learnt of Arcanus’s understandings; my own capabilities with the magic inherent in music; and, a combination of both Theoclea’s and my knowledge of ancient magics, the differences between which complement each other’s well. Plus of course the little bit of luck that any such powerful magics require, this spell being nominally a Rego Terram effect of the eight magnitude.
The test was performed on a minor standing stone, known locally as Arthur’s Stone, which stood in a remote patch of countryside a little to the North of Hereford. The aura about it was merely of the first magnitude, connected to animals and healing. Unsurprisingly, given the low magnitude of its aura, the stone was ‘sleepy’ when I attempted to speak with it. A ley led off it to the Northwest, linking it with a small group of stones, just over a league into Wales. That group, known as the “Lucky Seven”, had a similarly low magnitude. Their purported power being linked to leading those who touched the stones to find gold or silver.
Research dragged out as much as I could, I steeled myself to cast the ritual. As it neared completion, I felt a deep vibration in the earth that made it a little hard to concentrate, though fortunately I am somewhat less easily distracted than I was in my younger days and I was able to bring it to what felt like a successful completion. I let my vision drift into the magical realm and was delighted to see flames like pillars of starlight flickering into the air. Looking at the stones themselves there was a clear change in the vibrancy of the colours of the ancient magic flickering about the stone. This was confirmed when the ‘Keen Intuition of the Magical Veil’ revealed that the aura was now of the fifth magnitude!
I settled down to talk to the stone once more and was gratified to find that it was more awake and happy to converse at some length with me. It said that it felt something “sour in the soil” when asked about the coming plague. I asked about other nearby stones, interested in learning how such an awakened stone might in some way ‘link up’ with its neighhours. It said that it could sense seven stones to the Northwest and others beyond that, but those not so clearly. When I asked about its sense of centres of power in the land, it said that it could sense one very far from there to the South and that it was not the only one awake. Three days later, just before we needed to return home for the council, the aura at the stone was still of the fifth magnitude, so it does seem like the ritual should last long enough to allow for such castings needed to complete the wheel. Presumably moon duration or longer, though given all the non-hermetic elements within the ritual it is best not to rely on this and I determined to check as often as I could.
We discussed the matter at council. Is it Stonehenge that is awake already or is it Avebury? Branwen said that she will ask Morgana. I will spend Spring with my portable laboratory at Arthur’s Stone to more fully analyse what the results of the ritual have been, and hopefully gain a greater sense of the ritual itself.
Terentius reported that he has drawn a map of the boundary of the ‘wheel’ of stone circles with all centres and features included. He will spend Spring overlaying that map with the magical aurae that lie upon it. At my request, he will also identify a readily walkable route around it. I will also in future make an assay of the ley lines that travel through the area.
Naevius said he would continue with his study of personal vis to better cast ‘Conjure the Wizard’s Tower’. Theoclea then made the amusing suggestion that she develop the spell ‘Gift of Reason’ to cast on me so that she might better glean the precise cymric words I had dreamt at Stoney Littleton. After some mock outrage, I suggested that she might more simply just visit those stones herself.
Naevius noted that there will be much to discuss at the next council, the last before the tribunal. It is already clear that there will be disagreement on what we reveal to the tribunal and what we do not. For my part, I think that telling the tribunal what we are planning puts at risk everything. What if they decide that such a ritual is too dangerous for us to be allowed to do it? What politics are they at play that might predispose groups such as the Tremere to look for reasons to stop us? I see no real benefit in doing so but others, most clearly Terentius disagree.
Jari’s private journal
Given all that we have faced and the repeated instances of other hermetic magi opposing what we have needed to be done to overcome the various enemies we have faced, it seems incredible to me that my sodales could still be so naive. There is a bitter irony to the fact that while hermetic magic cannot avail us against the scale of the dark power that looms ever nearer, hermetic magi may yet be that which stops us from succeeding in our efforts against it. The witches might be selfish weasels who are quite content to let all save they perish but they at least have the great good sense to do so in secret.
With our discussion concluded, we moved onto more mundane matters such as vis distribution. All save Pyrrhus, who had not done any prior to his sudden departure deep into Africa, had done multiple seasons so we agreed to just claim one each.
By the turn of the season, the aura at Arthur’s Stone was still of the fifth magnitude. That stretched for some fifty paces before it dropped to the fourth magnitude and thence quickly down to the first magnitude. I think it likely that an injured animal brought here would be restored to health but I lack the time to find one such, as well as the inclination to injure one to test it. Races the Wind might have been able to give further insight into the animal aspect of the enhanced magic thereabouts were he not spending his time attempting to run fast enough to catch up with himself and picking fights with bushes which apparently vaguely resembled another hare. Some less mad wild animals did however approach the stone while I was there, I believe they sensed on some level that it was a good place to be.
On the last phase of the full moon, the magic declined precipitously, thus indicating quite clearly that the ritual was of moon duration. I remained there, keen to assess the change in ancient magics as best I could, as well as their impact on neighbouring stones, animals and so forth. Thus Spring passed quietly, although I found out when I returned home that Pyrrhus had returned just after the equinox.
Summer
We began the second meeting of the year, with Pyrrhus’s lengthy and colourful account of his “successful” exploits travelling to meet with the Ordo Ethiopicus. I can’t deny I was intrigued to hear details of these strange and far off lands, though a more cynical fellow than I might wonder just how much of a success it is travelling all that way just to share a ritual which almost certainly won’t help, not to mention having your Primus die there.
Naevius then brought up the potentially thorny matter of what of our plans were would reveal to the wider tribunal. The split in opinion was quickly evident, with Branwen speaking of the need for caution in who we invite to join our efforts, noting the warnings of both prophecy and the shade of Morgana. Terentius quickly put an opposing view, one which he clearly felt quite strongly about, that we should tell all that we are creating a haven using the henges and the power of the Land, and that we should invite any and all who wish to come. Branwen asked what we would then do if the tribunal were to forbid us to do such a thing. Naevius and Terentius countered saying that we would need more eyes, ears and martial magi to help us withstand the threat of the UnNamed house. I said that whatever we said, we needed to be clear about not expressing any ambiguity about the effects of our ritual on that of the Tremere. If the bits of the prophecy about strengthening one part of the land at the expense of making another weaker get out and are misinterpreted, then we will find ourselves in a tricky situation.
I added that I was sure that that was not what the prophecy was referring to in any event, it is clear to my mind, based on my years of research, that the warning refers only to such instances of drawing power into one part of the land to boost a harvest, such as Theoclea did, not the greater ritual of awakening the henges.
Jari’s private journal
Obviously this isn’t entirely true. I think it’s unlikely that it’ll negatively impact things elsewhere, but I can’t possibly be sure. So, given everything that’s at stake, twisting the truth here is very much the lesser of two evils. Plus, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve lied to my sodales and it’s what they all wanted to hear anyway.
The matter was called to a vote, which those in favour of making an announcement at tribunal won, 4 votes to 2, with just Branwen and I voting against. After a shortish discussion about what such a presentation would involve, we agreed that I’d talk about our plans on behalf of the council, covering just the material facts, not any prophecy or pagan aspects, talking instead about the area we plan to protect.
We discussed who it’d be useful to bring into our planning, apparently Luddwyn has been kept up to date and I suggested Phaedra too, as we’re relying on access to a vis site of Carrion Moor but also to keep them informed and well disposed towards our efforts. Of other covenants, Blackthorn have backed Eurus Aquilae, we’re less sure about Holy Isle, though it would be very handy to have Cyrillus and Severo to help ward off the threat of the UnNamed House. Other possible allies include Edenia and Valance in Trevalga and Berenger at Carrion moor.
More mundanely, we then discussed where exactly we plan to put the tower that Naevius has been learning to conjure. We agreed on a promising site to the South of Avebury, which sits in between two ranges of hills. Its location puts it in the centre of the circle, roughly equidistant from the two towns within it, Marlborough and Devizes.
The next practical ritual matter for debate was when to cast it. Should we do it as soon as we are able to do so or wait until closer to the time? Theoclea believes that we should do so as soon as possible so that if we fail, we can try again. She thinks that the effect will last years, if not a century. However, Branwen said that as we only likely get one stab at it, we should only try when we are in the best position to succeed.
Terentius, Branwen and I agreed that we would go and look again at the corrupted grove to see if there was anything else that we could glean from it. Spiritual tracks of the demon perhaps? Then Terentius and I would journey on to the Druid Stone to see if there was anything else that could be done to identify how to cleanse it of the taint that threatens to let in the UnNamed House.
We learnt some interesting news as we passed via Gloucester, Branwen’s entertainingly haughty familiar Gwyla refusing to fly or take boat across the Severn. The Earl of Gloucester was executed two weeks ago in the Tower of London. While he will certainly not be missed, it remains unclear exactly who will succeed him. Perhaps the King might hold onto it for now until a successful leader emerges from his armies in France? Perhaps he’ll simply sell it to raise much-needed funds? Something to keep an eye on but small beer compared to the other threats that face us.
We reached the grove without much further event, finding that the plants there were sickly and notably, there was still no sign of birds or beasts within the woodland thereabouts. Branwen said that the corruption must be cut out or cured, and she readied herself to do it, seemingly by drawing on her connection with the ‘First Forest’. I cautioned her against paying too high a cost for something that may not have much of an impact. After a moment’s thought she decided that the blighted plants must burn. As she was unable to summon fire sufficient to the task, she decided, somewhat to my surprise, that she should cast ‘Treading the Ashen Path’ instead. Terentius stepped in and cast it for her, with Branwen following his footsteps enacting rites of purification.
We moved on to Bannerdown to if we’d had any effect on that subtle sense of wrongness but alas, I could still hear that its song was still very subtly out of key. The land itself was of course still hale, but something remained ‘wrong’ about the stones. We stayed there that night and experienced something of Bannerdown’s legend of being a place where ghosts of the past come to give warnings about the future. Branwen saw and spoke with the shade of Gavan, her shield grog who was drowned in the marshes near Glastonbury by the shade of Morgana.
Jari’s private journal
In the interests of hare and human relations, I’ll remain silent on why Morgana’s shade drowned him…
Gavan had a message for her, telling her that there was a “Crack in your wall and the defences you will place. A fell wind will be let in. Not the great plague but something that will add a touch of malice to this place. There is a traitor in the ranks, and your defences will be breached by something you don’t want to breach it.” Gavan’s shade said that was what he had seen and so he brought it to Branwen. Solemnly she thanked him, saying that even in death he served her well.
I wondered about these words that Branwen relayed. Could the triangle formed by the three desecrated stones not simply be one that overlaps with our circle but be more like the point of a spear designed to create a crack that would let devils and maybe evil wizards slip in? It seems plausible. The protection effect afforded by the ritual is not a shell like the Aegis of the Hearth but will cover everything within. Thus, at least the Great Plague or whatever demons bear it should still be kept at bay. But how to repair a smaller crack to prevent lesser evils getting in? Could the taint I’ve sensed be burnt off by a surge in power, such as that invoked by my new ritual? Might the UnNamed House seer also have foreseen this? Do I need to do more? Of course, thinking like this, while important to try and anticipate how the malign divinations we face could affect things, can also lead to paralysis or assuming that all efforts are futile.
I decided to cast first the ‘Air for the Awakening of the Ancient Aegis’ which seemed to work, boosting the aura from the 3rd to the 5th magnitude. I thought for a moment that had removed the discordance, but I caught still a faint hint of it as I listened carefully.
Terentius then saw the shade of Brannoch, which warned him that he faced a threat from someone that he knew, someone who will be by his side who bore a dagger, though he himself was not the target. I saw and spoke with my old childhood companion from Novgorod, Erik. He told me that he will not be by my side when battle comes, warning me of riddles, lies, a serpent’s tongue. He said he saw treachery ahead and that I should be wary of Loki and his tricks and conspiracies. Helpfully, he was unclear as to whether I am the target of these or not! He reminded me that Loki spends half his time helping, albeit often against a problem he’s created, while the other half of the time he works against the good of the gods. He said that even if I’m not a target, I may have to deal with the problem that Loki has created. With that he faded into whatever realm he now dwells.
I turned my attention back to the stone and cast the ritual “Astounding Amplification of the Ancient Aurae’s Affectation”. It was burning with Starfire but there was still the faintest sense of discordance, so subtle as to be no more than a single off note in a song. The crack in it has been drastically shrunk but it is not gone. What this will mean for those trying to exploit this as a way into the Wheel I do not know. I spent a few more weeks there studying matters with Branwen and Terentius before heading to the tribunal.
After a friendly enough welcome at Blackthorn, I tracked down Phaedra to tell her of all I’d learnt since last we spoke. She seemed quite impressed and offered to help in any way that she could, saying that the rest of her council were sympathetic to what we were doing. I tried to persuade her that she and the rest of her council should join us in the Wheel. Bodric, Berengar and loraticus all seemed encouragingly open to such a prospect. I’ll keep them updated.
Next, I caught up with Cyrillus who told me that the trail of the UnNamed House they’d been following had grown cold. Rowley was found dead in London with a crushed heart and the sigil of sweat and blood upon it. Was the coin to buy influence in the port area? I’ll check with Naevius and the spymaster. Cyrillus reminded me to keep in mind that their singular purpose is to escape the Great Plague. So, what are they doing with all that coin?
Regarding the circle of stones about the Wheel, Cyrillus wondered whether the UnNamed House are trying to bring in infernal tools they need. He doesn’t know how to remove the taint from the stones alas. Perhaps destroying the entity summoned? The crack is probably designed to let in that entity, though he said that it must have some host or housing to exist in this realm for such an extended period of time.
He also reminded me that the UnNamed House are not all of one purpose as they’ve not long ago found signs of interference with a stone circle in Loch Leglean. He thinks that the ‘green flame’ necromancer is likely their unofficial ‘primus’ and suggested that we mention the UnNamed House threat to our plans to persuade martial magi to join us. He also wondered aloud as to whether the disturbance at Stonehenge had been quite the failure that we thought it had. Have we missed something?
Next day, the tribunal proper started. Luddwyn asked Gaines and the covenants to share any news. Gaines spoke of the spread of the war twixt England and France, warning of how the French have attacked English ports on the South Coast, as recently as this Spring, destroying several merchant ships. We shall have to be very careful with our ship. Furthermore, rumours are that Phillipe VI of France has amassed 20,000 men to invade England either this year or the next.
Pyrrhus then gave account of his journeys to Ethiopia, details of which are recorded in a separate account in our library. You can read about his repeated use of ignem spells interspersed with occasional details of his trip of there; life’s too short to write about his escapades twice! Borrea Tor reported that they were still suffering from ongoing border attacks from small groups of Scots and rogue wizards. There is alas still no sense of any great unity of magi in Loch Leglean. Carrion Moor reported the burning of Portsmouth, Berenger warned all magi about the dangers of sailing in channel. He said that their covenant ship was chased by two French warships though it managed to outrun them. Holy Isle reported that they believe the UnNamed House are less focused on fighting the Order and instead are actively seeking ways to avoid the coming darkness, especially in the Southwest of the tribunal. They added that the necromancer with the green flame sigil is likely their leader though unclear if they’re acting to a broad common plan or are competing with one another. Suficius then stood and announced that Blackthorn has uncovered concerning evidence of activity at the Halls of the Forest site. He said that spies there have reported that Cad Gadu, under pretence of cleansing that place have…
At this point Luddwyn interrupted him, saying that there was no need to discuss this at tribunal. Suficius replied that it was a serious matter and said that the Praeca should be looking to the survival of all, just not her sisters. The Praeca replied by ordering him to be silent, saying that it was not for discussion. Argentius, looking suspiciously at her, asked if she’d made any inroads into protection against the shadow. Pyrrhus then stood up and called for a vote of no confidence in Luddwyn!
Jari’s personal journal
I knew what the witches had been up to at Halls of the Forest and had been doing my best to keep a straight face, but I almost fell off my chair when Pyrrhus pitched in!
With all the grace of her noble offices, Luddwyn called him a “little shit” and told him that he’d not been punished enough for his crimes, concluding her rant with a single word “perdo”. Pyrrhus then surprised me again by calling for a Secundus. As Luddwyn glared daggers at Romanus, he said that such was legal and that Pyrrhus had a day to meet her challenge. Pyrrhus promptly asked Argentius to be his Secundus, which Argentius was clearly no more expecting than the rest of us. Perhaps getting overconfident as he surveyed the shocked faces of magi around him, Pyrrus then replied “corporem” to Luddwyn. At which point she regained some of her good humour, a sly smile passing over her face before she adjourned the meeting until tomorrow.
I spoke with Pyrrhus as we left the hall asking him what he was doing. He said that Luddwyn has never forgiven him and that now with Guido, who had been protecting him, dead, she was inevitably going to make a move against him, so he saw an opportunity to get in first. He admitted that it probably wouldn’t save him. He said that he wanted to see some proper leadership of the tribunal, such as Argentius could offer. I asked whether he’d spoken to Argentius about it before, but he said no. I warned him that Luddwyn could well kill him in the certamen.
Meanwhile, Theoclea had gone to speak with Suficius and found me a little while later. Suficius had told her that Cad Gadu was building a sustainable shelter in Halls of the Forest to protect House Ex Miscellanea against the Shadow. They’d deliberately kept it secret from Blackthorn and it had only come to light because of accidental mundane contact with a servant of Cad Gadu. She said that it was clear that Luddwyn has lied to Blackthorn.
Jari’s private journal
Races and I caught up with Branwen later, Races agreeing with her that there was some sort of conspiracy behind Pyrrhus, he being too dumb to have come up with all of this on his own. Branwen wondered whether it might be Salustria as she is still angry about her sodales’ death and is independent and subtle. I said I wasn’t so sure. Where was it all going? The outing of Halls of the Forest seemed to be wholly independent of Pyrrhus.
Later still that evening, I sat speaking to Loraticus and the rest of Carrion Moor about what the UnNamed House were doing with the money. He wondered whether they were looking to buy a base of operations in the Wheel. He said that the sum of monies they’d raised could maybe buy a landholding but was not enough to buy much beyond the lowest level of nobility. He and Berengar will make investigation into mundane society with the Wheel.
Phaedra said that she thinks our plans are the best bet but that we need some martial support. Obviously, Tiberius is a key martial magus and though he has a long association with Eurus Aquilae he also has duties with Holy Isle which could offer us an angle. As to other options, she wondered about maybe Plautus, though questioned whether he’s yet powerful enough. We stayed up drinking and continuing such conversations until late in the night.
Next morning, as I sat somewhat bleary eyed at breakfast, I learnt that there was no sign of Pyrrhus. I wondered whether reality had dawned and he’d made a hasty exit. When we assembled in the tribunal hall, Luddwyn seemed impatient and there was no sign of Romanus either so we could not proceed with matters. Then the senior Quaesitor appeared. He looked harried and spoke quietly to a puzzled-seeming Luddwyn who permitted him to speak more broadly. He announced that Pyrrhus had been found and that someone had tried to murder him. Romanus said that he needed to investigate urgently and matters were adjourned. Naevius went off to try and find out more about whether Pyrrhus yet lived. He returned a while later saying he had had a likely deadly herbalistic poison put into his drink and was very close to death. Pallas of Borrea Tor, a skilled herbalist, was working to try and save him. Branwen said that it was clearly not Luddwyn who did this.
The tribunal was soon recalled. Romanus said that Pyrrhus was poisoned by a herbalistic poison in his wine. However, a casting of ‘Eyes of the Past’ showed no sign of how any such poison was added to it. Pallas said that the poison was still in Pyrrhus’s system and had damaged his heart. Argentius stood and announced that he would now accept Pyrrhus’s request to be his Secundus, much to Luddwyn’s obvious unhappiness.
Jari’s private journal
Now that I can see a clear consequence of Pyrrhus’s extraordinary intervention, I too believe there’s some conspiracy afoot, though exactly what its endgame is and who is behind it I know not.
The two Primi faced off against each other in this perdo corporem certamen, each trying to make the body in front of them diseased. Argentius gained an initial narrow edge and then they both reached for their vis. Luddwyn perhaps gained the initiative then and they both grabbed larger handfuls of vis as they both committed everything to their battle. Argentius regained the edge then but did not press. As they sought to send the next blast of magical energies into the conflict, I saw Luddwyn lose control of her magic, it slipped from her control just as Argentius threw everything he had at her. A moment of panic crossed her face before it turned white and sloughed off her skull as she collapsed dead to the floor. There was a momentary silence as everyone, Argentius included, stared in shock at the scene before them.
A moment later, Romanus composed himself enough to adjourn the meeting, though he looked very flustered. I looked about me but could see no sign of any malicious satisfaction in the audience. Romanus quickly sent servants around warning that all magi must stay within the covenant.
It was early afternoon before he reconvened the tribunal. Romanus said that what had happened had been a tragic event, but he did not believe that there was any external force or impetus behind it. It was simply as it appeared, a magical accident by Luddwyn as Argentius pressed his advantage. He said that Pallas had managed to create an antidote for the poison still in Pyrrhus’s system which had purged it from his blood. Thus, Pyrrhus lives, albeit with likely permanent heart damage. He said that had he been undiscovered for another hour or so then he would have died.
Romanus ruled that the certamen result stands so tomorrow there would be an election for a new Praeco, with Argentius, Suficius, and Tiberius standing as candidates. He then adjourned the meeting until then. The covenant was subdued, with no one really knowing what to say.
The next day, we returned to the main hall to hear the candidates’ speeches. Argentius, after some meaningless platitudes about Luddwyn, spoke about how Eurus Aquilae will act as the shelter against the coming storm. Saying that all drawing together there would be his singular aim. He claimed that he would step down afterwards if we survive. He probably even believed that as he said it, though I have little doubt that he’ll find some other urgent matter that will mean he’ll need to stay on longer when that day comes. Not that I believe he or anyone else who chooses Eurus Aquilae as their shelter will survive, so it’s a moot point.
Suficius stated that there were multiple ways to weather the storm and said that he was open minded as to which shelter is the best. Tiberius, clearly standing simply to help Argentius get elected, said that magi should vote for Argentius and disparaged Luddwyn as “secretive and divisive”. Which of course she was but even I might have baulked at speaking ill of the dead immediately after telling people to vote for the person who’d just killed her.
I did my best to politic on Suficius’s behalf, but it was always likely to be a losing cause. I tried to persuade Ciaran of Trevalga and the magi at Carrion Moor to back him. To my surprise, Romanus inadvertently helped me a little by passing me Pyrrhus’s sigil ahead of the vote. Apparently, Pyrrhus felt I was the best choice. I can only imagine he was still desperately ill or angry at Argentius about something! Anyway, it was all irrelevant, for despite a rare display of Severn Temple unanimity in voting for Suficius, almost all of those relying on Eurus Aquilae for protection against the Great Plague voted for Argentius. Cad Gadu and the witches, unsurprisingly, along with Carrion Moor voted for Suficius but it was not enough and Argentius was elected by 2 votes.
Our superficially reasonable new tyrant Argentius stood up to state that there would be one single motion heard at the tribunal now, how to allocate our resources. I raised my hand, but he said that there would be no questions and adjourned matters for a quick recess.
After the recess, Argentius began by listing all the mundane things that he said the tribunal needed at Eurus Aquilae. He said he wanted to put a motion about a tribunal tithe to build essentially a small town with need not just for vis but grogs, farmers, and craftsmen. He thinks that within 3 years they could double the accommodation to fit about 40 magi but hopes for as many as 50! He then suggested that this might need as much as 1 season’s service per magus per year! Branwen questioned such apparent extension of what had been discussed, and I spoke up somewhat emotionally, saying how such a heavy burden on my time could make our own different efforts impossible. I pointed out that I had been spending essentially all my seasons working towards our efforts for some good number of years now. I asked whether it was fair to impose such a tax on magi who would not be taking up Eurus Aquilae. With a somewhat patronising manner, Argentius basically implied that he needed to tax everyone as we’d all come begging to be let in when the time comes. He also brought down my protests at saying we were being forced to pay for magi’s luxuries, not their essentials, but aware that most of his audience were planning on coming to Eurus Aquilae, he disdainfully put that line of attack down. Perhaps bored of the debate, he then called for another recess for people to consider things.
After the recess, he seemed a little more conciliatory. He said that he’d reflected on the debate and stated that he would propose instead that all magi would pay a season or magical or mundane equivalent thereof, as discussed in the debate, to be completed within 3 years. We all voted against it, as did the witches, a couple of Ex Miscellaneans, Phaedra and Loraticus, but that was essentially it so if was comfortably passed.
I was permitted to raise a second motion, which basically said that any magi who swore to forego access to Eurus Aquilae didn’t have to pay the tithe, but it was comfortably defeated. Argentius’s revised offer having expertly taken the wind out of my sails. Given the palpable fear of the coming plague now, magi would probably have been too concerned to dare vote against any of Argentius’s proposals even had they been as extortionate as originally proposed.
I probably didn’t help my arguments in front of the tribunal by failing to keep my emotions under control. It’s been a while since I’ve properly engaged in tribunal politics, so long in fact that the influence of the Court of Winter still flowed in veins when I last did so. Such icy disdain as I once had and a cooler head would probably have stood me in better stead, but Argentius is a master at such things and I’m quite sure he’s not forgotten my politicking against him on the previous occasions when he’s stood unsuccessfully to be Praeco, including against hilariously bad options like Voressio!
Anyway, Argentius didn’t hang around after the vote was counted, calling the meeting to a swift close. It all could have been a lot worse I suppose.
Jari’s private journal
It’s too impolitic a matter to be voiced to anyone else, save Branwen of course, but I think it’d be for the best if Argentius and all his coterie of followers, hangers-on and bullies die in the Great Plague. Some magi I like would also undoubtedly perish which is sad, but Argentius scares me. I’m pretty sure he believes he’s doing the right thing and that he’s acting for the good of magi but he’s just too sure that his own judgment is better than anyone else’s to be trustworthy with the power that he would have in a post great plague world. If he trusted his Tremere sodales he could let them own their sigils but its telling that he won’t. It would be an absolute dictatorship in all but name.
With that we returned to our various businesses, the season passing essentially peacefully. I returned to Bannerdown with Terentius, becoming convinced that my secondary hypothesis was correct. The aim of the infernal rituals was to create a chink in the ritual’s protection to serve only the specific occult entity summoned in the grove. The fact that it left behind an infernal aura at all means it must have been a very powerful infernal entity, at least the 16th magnitude. That would make it powerful enough that it would not have to go along with something it didn’t want to do, meaning that it is likely the devil that the ‘green fire’ necromancer serves. I need to be careful not to read too much into exactly what it is as the signs are too subtle to allow for much certainty, but this much I think is probable.
Branwen and Theoclea, with their familiars, travelled to the Heart of the Forest. There, to everyone’s relief and delight, they were able to successfully combine to call the Anu back to that glade, displacing Jack of the Green. The silver acorns were already apparent, growing on the trees once more, which will help our vis-needy situation. Either that or to provide future hope for a new ring of trees for a future sanctuary. The woods felt immediately calmer, with the echoes of Jack’s malign anger no longer resonating throughout them.
Autumn
With concern growing about having to share our sanctuary with the UnNamed House, some of whom are likely beyond our capability to defend against, we discussed who else we should target to shelter with us. Tiberius was an obvious target, even though he’s a close ally of our new Lord and Master Argentius, but he hates the UnNamed House and is loyal to the magi of Holy Isle, so if we could persuade them to join us, then he may well come too.
We then sought to follow up on the three clippings Terentius had taken from the coins that the ‘Brethren’ had collected. After attempting to scry on their location and using our somewhat limited collection of maps, we narrowed things down a little. One appears to be in a tavern near Abingdon, one in a market town or port on the Dorset coast, and the third sitting on the desk of a magistrate or crown official of some sort, more than 100 miles away.
Pyrrhus announced that he had created 6 alchemical potions of ‘Transcendental Awareness’ which helped put the imbiber into an altered state of consciousness. I must find time to try one!
After the council had concluded, I took a letter from Branwen and one from me on my latest findings on the corruption and near Bannerdown to Blackthorn to be delivered to Cyrillus. That done, I returned to the corrupted grove with Branwen and Terentius. Although my hypothesis that whatever infernal entity that left there might have left tracks visible to those whose eyes can detect spiritual taint proved incorrect, we did find that the place had a 2nd magnitude infernal aura at night, further confirming my theory that whatever was summoned here must have been powerful indeed.
That done, we walked round to Stonehenge via Stoney Littleton to check whether that was free from the discordance afflicting Bannerdown. As I cast my sight into the magical realm, I was almost blinded by the bright, swirling starfire there, with its song a deafening roar, making it impossible to sense any hint of discordance. I think however that it would be very hard to introduce any lingering taint, so immediate and immense is its power. Also, it reminded me that there will be no need to cast any ritual here to awaken these stones. Such would not only be pointless but also extremely dangerous!
Neither Branwen nor Gwyla saw anything that gave them any cause for concern. While there, Terentius was able to determine via spontaneous scrying magics that that coin was in London. I cast ‘Summon the Distant Images’ and was rewarded with the sight of a man dressed in formal robes. I think he was someone senior in the port authority for I could see that his seal was of the dockmaster at Southwark. I could just about make out a signature too, one Thomas Snaith.
We agreed to go our separate ways. Branwen returned to the covenant; I would walk around the whole route of the ‘wheel’ to ensure that I could find my way and to check for any further sign of disturbance. Terentius was to travel to Southwark to see what he could learn from Master Snaith.
Of my efforts, I was able to find a straightforward route around the stones which took around a week in all. I took care to collect arcane connections for each of them. One close enough for me to scry on the stones themselves, and a second place that would be a safe and concealed apportation point. I was only able to sense discordance at Bannerdown and to confirm that none of the stone circles connect directly with any of the others.
While at Bannerdown I decided to ‘speak’ with the stones there. It was a bit of a slow conversation, but I learnt that it had felt an ache in the roots of the ground thereabouts not so many moons ago. It was struck by something, a “hand it could not see. Not man, nor beast, nor fae”. The stone thought that the blow perhaps left a mark, subtle but present still, “an ache which does not interfere with the purpose for which I was set”. Encouragingly, it said that the ache diminished recently. The last time I was here, I sang to it, so who knows? Maybe that eased the ache a bit. I asked further questions, but it said that it had had no sense of the thing since it scarred it and didn’t know how to help fix it. It did say that long ago stones tended by druids so could they help? Might pagan rituals thus aid in the more magical rituals I’ve been investigating?
Jari’s private journal
I then had a weird, slightly unsettling conversation with Races who asked if we had the moral right to enact the ritual if it is what saves the UnNamed House? I argued if we do not so and let all magic be destroyed, then the loss of fae will be as nothing to what will befall this isle and its inhabitants.
Meanwhile, Terentius was able to find out where Thomas Snaith lived and silently inveigle his way into his bedchambers one night. I like to think that it’s a measure of how I’ve grown that I’ve not made any puerile references here, but I digress. Using his magics to ensure Snaith and his wife stayed fast asleep, Terentius was able to delve into his mind. It seems that, early in Spring, one “John West”, a well-dressed Irishman in his mid-thirties, always an ominous age when investigating possible magi, made petition to him. He said that he owned several vessels which traded wool between English and Ireland, and lived in Dublin. He said he needed Southwark documents of registration for his large trading cog, “The Wavedancer”, almost certainly a false name. Something about him unsettled Snaith, notably West’s slender but muscular hands, unnervingly reminding Snaith of a strangler’s hands.
Snaith was minded to refuse him but West insisted and produced a large sum of gold, going up to 600d without any haggling. A casting of ‘Sense the Lingering Magic’ on Snaith revealed a muto mentem spell of the 4th magnitude, designed to inspire greed, with the sigil of sweat mixed with blood.
Next, Terentius tried to track down the other coins. He traced one to a dockside inn in Weymouth, “The Wanderers Inn”, but was unable to glean any usable intelligence from there as too many similar cogs had passed through that port. There was no sign of any sigil upon the innkeeper there either.
Back at the covenant, Theoclea and Branwen returned to the Heart of the Forest and gathered some 2 dozen acorns! They will be kept as such and not broken down until council has decided what to best do with them. Towards the end of autumn, Gaines arrived at the covenant to tell us that Quaesitor Romanus will visit Severn Temple at the start of Winter to continue his investigations in Pyrrhus’s poisoning. He also brought letters for Branwen and I.
My letter was a reply from Cyrillus. He warned us all to be very careful when attempting to scry, even indirectly, the entity that had been summoned to the grove near Bannerdown for it was likely a powerful enough entity that it could look back and even strike back at those looking at it. A timely warning. However, he noted that such entities can’t act freely in this world, they are too inimicable to our world to be able to move about freely. He added, not very encouragingly, that without the name of such an entity it was likely too powerful even for the likes of Tiberius to be able to best.
Winter
Naevius reported on his conversations with the magi at Carrion Moor. He said that they had agreed that they would investigate the South and Eastern part of the Wheel, and we the North and West parts. A more formal agreement on materials and so forth was also agreed.
We then discussed our concerns about the UnNamed House activities. How much do they know of our preparations? Why are they so keen to use the Southern ports? Is that why they cashed in all their income from the Brethren? Is it simply about amassing supplies and men in the South of England? I’m not sure. It feels like there’s more to it but I have no evidence for that.
There was then a bit of a debate about the precise order of events for the ritual, though it all seemed clear to me. It was noted that the hazardous ritual to displace the Horned One from the grove is best done in Summer. I discussed how best to cleanse Bannerdown. Rather then invent a new ritual, which I had been considering, though to no great success it probably should be said, I realised that if I were to cast my large ritual to awaken the stones there and then to amplify them, that could ‘burn off’ any taint by channelling the raw power of the land through them. Although it will mean casting two large rituals, one of the 8th and one of the 6th magnitude, I think it is worth both the risk and the investment of vis. With the heavy cost in vim vis, there was some discussion about whether or not to use the silver acorns. Branwen was vehemently opposed to it, and we agreed that it was best to save them for now.
After council, I journeyed back once again to Bannerdown with Terentius. While we were away, Romanus arrived to speak with Pyrrhus though he stayed just for one day, departing ere it grew dark.
Terentius and I went first to one of the neighbouring stones in the infernal triangle, the “Hunters’ Stone” whose purpose is linked to giving blessings to hunters. It was quiescent but I could sense a distinct discordant note in its song. Taking a large gulp from my wineskin, I cast first the ‘Air for the Awakening of the Ancient Aegis’ then, after a short pause for more wine, the “Astounding Amplification of the Ancient Aurae’s Affectation”. Both rituals went smoothly and as I completed the second ritual, which is designed to amplify the power of a stone, both Terentius and I became aware of being able to sense many trails of animals thereabouts.
After another short pause for more wine, I listened as best I could to the stone’s song but could hear no sign of discordance. I settled down to speak with the stone and found it awake and bright. It said “Greetings hunter. What quarry do you hunt?” Thinking quickly, and I confess dismissing the urge to make up something juvenile, I replied “those who did you injury”. It replied that “no beast, nor man caused my injury” but said that while the entity that had hurt it had left no trail to follow, there was old man with that fell entity and it could grant me sight of his trail. It said that it still felt wounded, but the pain was much reduced. As I ended the spell and opened my eyes, I could see a subtle but sharply defined trail heading off to the South.
I was able to quickly communicate what had happened to Terentius and we set off. A few miles South of the stone, we came upon a campsite. There, Terentius found a green flame sigil, potentially a hermetic intellego vim spell to check for signs of scrying. An hour and a half further on, as we were nearing Bath the trail diverted round the city. We paused to take an arcane connection and then pressed on over the Mendips. By twilight, we could see Cheddar up ahead, but once more the trail went round it. Night fell, but I dared not stop to reweave my parma for fear of losing the trail. We began to head Southwest, passing by the village of Wedmore in the middle of the night, heading towards Bridgwater while continuing to avoid towns and settlements.
Terentius believed that the necromancer was travelling with a group, not on his own. I managed to keep it the trail in sight come dawn, though both my eyes and legs were very weary. The trail led into Bridgewater, but I was jostled as I entered the town and lost sight of it. However, Terentius, with that uncannily sharp sight of his managed to follow it to the docks where the trail ended at the riverside, from where barges can sail out into the Bristol channel.
After some much needed rest at a nice tavern in Bridgewater, we retraced our steps back to the Wheel region. At one of the camp sites, Terentius found signs of a spell with the sigil of motes of burning ash, the younger protector of the necromancer? We then went to the Wedding Stones, where once more I could hear discordant notes in their song. I was able to cast the two rituals again and afterwards spoke with the stone. I could hear music, a bit of a cacophony, with multiple overlapping sounds, but above that I could make out the voice of the stone. It offered me a blessing “May your music and song stir the hearts of your fellows”. Once again, the stone said that it had suffered an injury and that while it felt better a scar remained.
I headed back to the covenant to work with Branwen on how to help heal the lingering scar left on the stone, especially Bannerdown. After some thought, discussion and study of the books, I believe that a ritual to call on the pagan powers to cleanse the stone, using perhaps a rook of spring water imbued with vis which has been thrice blessed by the moon may do the trick. We shall see in Spring!