Session 2
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Winter 1220 Season
With just a couple more weeks to go before the winter solstice, several other magi arrived to join the covenant.
Magni of House Flambeau, the covenant's only magus apprenticed in Stonehenge, arrived from the border covenant of Conventus Muri. He replaced Eos who apparently felt his wanderings were not yet completed.
Joshua Levi of House Verditius arrived with floating baggage and his family in tow, accompanied by two local knights returning from Crusade. His name and welcome to the village announced his jewish background.
Sister Adria of House Jerbiton came next, hailing from the Roman Tribunal. Recently Gauntleted, she travelled north from her native Venice in the company of another Venetian.
Finally, Aidan of House Merinita, a enigmatic and mercurial magus from the Wilds of England came last.
With the return of Aulus of Bonisagus, the magi ordered a council meeting and swore in the new magi all as Provisional Members. They were settled into the towers where space was available, or in the Great Hall's second floor where quarters and spare labs were located. They all participated in the casting of the Aegis of the Hearth, though spellcasting was primarily Neanne with Aulus supplementing with Wizard's Commune. Aulus followed with a casting of the Feast of the Bountiful Harvest to continue the village's surplusses in argriculture. Finally, a large feast (a village custom written into the Charter) was celebrated on the Village Green, giving the villagers the first chance to see and greet their new masters.
Spring 1221 Season
As the magi settled in, they began to pursue their studies and interests as well as begin fulfilling the requirements of full membership. They also met Fr. Thomas who returned successfully with a fragment of bone from Saint Catherine of Alexandria. It was placed beneath the altar at the chapel, which could now be properly sanctified as a place of worship for the minority of Christians who lived at the covenant. However, this could not yet be done because of the covenant's undeclared position of being English or Welsh which would affect which bishop needed to approve of the new chapel.
About a month into the season, the magi were sent to collect vis from Merlin's Well, a source of important Corpus vis for the covenant. They discovered that a team from another covenant was laying claim to the vis source. At first, the magi couldn't find the location but it was apparently due to an illusion as more experienced grogs pointed out that the path wasn't hard to find. Once they broke through the illusion, they had to deal with the small party "camping" the well. There were two magi from Voluntas as well as a handful of grogs. They were outnumbered, however, by the party from Nova Semitae.
The instigator was Phessalia of Merinita, an well-known and well-disliked maga in the Tribunal. The other magus, who came only to observe, was a well-known, and foul-smelling, necromancer, Desiderius of Verditius. Phessalia declared that all vis sources from Nova Semitae were up for grabs when they failed to maintain 4 members, which the Nova Semitae magi objected to. Numerous certamen challenges were offered with Phessalia defeating each one until Desiderius pointed out that while the magi were more junior, they were more numerous and would eventually defeat her with pure numbers -- and that he would not defend the vis source when she fell. Aidan provided a moment of diplomacy and made some vague promises to Phessalia, who left with no vis, but undefeated in Certamen. Several magi made a new contact with the far more congenial Desiderius.
Summer 1221 Season
The season began with a missive from the Hibernian Tribunal, requesting the magi's help in investigating the phenomenon of multiple meteors travelling down to Earth from the heavens. One by itself was an event, but having multiple meteors, all 3 of which landing on ground, was unusual. During a Council meeting, several magi volunteered to investigate the rumours. With several companions in tow, they crossed Wales and then the Irish Sea to land in Dublin, where it was said one of the meteors fell into a glassmaker's workshop. The party consisted of Sr. Adria, Magni, Aesa, Ritter (Sir) Sigmund, and Sir William, as well as several grogs.
What they found there was a meteor, still slightly warm, with a small alter and Church guards in the workshop. Sr. Adria's supernatural connection with the holy and unholy warned her that despite the Church's declaration that it was a 'Tear of the Virgin Mary', it was a source of evil. This was seconded by the glassblower's apprentice, who warned the magi of the same thing. Attempts to convince the local bishop of this were laughed off as nonsense and superstition.
Another visit to the meteor coincided with a large man striding into the shrine declaring that he was Cuchulain returned, and that the meteor was sent to free Ireland from occupation. Both Adria and the glassblower's apprentice knew the 'man' was anything but an ancient hero returned, but clearly a demon. When "Cuchulain" attempted to seize the tear, the magi and companions attacked. One of the knights accompanying them struck with his sword which bore a fragement of one of the nails used to crucify Jesus Christ and was therefore a blade of holy power. It shred the demon's defenses, causing him to scream in an unholy fashion. Rather than toy with the magi and the knight, he snatched the meteor and glassblower apprentice both, and flew up into the sky through the roof, quickly disappearing to the south.
Mid-Summer
Back at the covenant, both Magni and Obscurus Ignis receive missives from their respective paters reminding them that the Flambeau Gathering, held every 4 years at the Flambeau Domus Magna, is taking place mid-summer. And while neither can command their filii to show up, it would be a considerable source of shame for both them and their patres if they didn't.
The Flambeau Gathering lasts several days, but not enough to substantially disrupt any labwork. For the price of 1 pawn in each direction, the Redcaps will allow use of the Mercere Portals to reach Val Negra in the Provencal Tribunal (located in the Pyrenees)
Experience Point Awards
- All PC magi gain 5 Adventure xp for the Spring season
- Sr. Adria, Magni, Aesa, Ritter Sigmund (companion), Sir William (companion), and Franklin (grog) gain 2 Adventure xp for the Summer season played so far