A seasonal activities journal is also available.
(Is something happening here?)
Adigius creates a Ring of Protection From Fae for use next time he visits Miningsby (or if the Fae attack the Covenant). There is some consternation when Jock admits to only doing one season of Covenant service, but he promises to make it up next year.
More study. Agnes learns the spell she translated from Ariane's notes. Bread and cheese are exchanged with the local dryads for gall nuts.
Most of the magi do their first season of Covenant service for the year (having voted in the recent council to do two for the purposes of developing the Covenant). Agnes translates a spell from Ariane's notes which she hopes will allow her to communicate with Ariane. The Grogs train, and Leofric ensures that several of the older and wiser among them have a grounding in leadership so that the Turb can be better disciplined and ordered.
At midsummer, the faerie dogs are again seen, and again pass through the stones, leaving behind Ignem vis
The letters sent out after the Winter Council have led to several useful exchanges. None of the local Covenants have a copy of Conjuring the Mystic Tower, Mason of Stonehenge admits that he prefers building towers by hand, and Choros of Blackthorne is typically uncooperative (thinking his filius should have studied harder). Negotiations for a copy of The Bountiful Feast are more promising, with Cryptic of Grimsby offering us a clear copy for either a spell of similar magnitude that he does not already have, or else three spells of similar magnitude that he does have, provided they be from different inventors. As Cryptic's library is quite extensive, we expect much copying of spells in the future. Still, it should help build our own collection, and encourage wider learning.
The sheep acquired from Seaborne all have twins, and the lambs are all ewes. This causes some consternation, until the sheperdesses explain that at Seaborne, the Ram wears a magic collar while tupping. Sadly, Agnes cannot create one for us yet.
The magi, sans Jock, troop off to the nearby town of Market Rasen for a shopping expedition and to escape the confines of the Covenant for a few days. While there they witness (and several participate in) a football game. Ethylred particularly approves, as do William's children; one overenthusiastic match disrupts his study of Imaginem vis, resulting in a wasted season. However, he does manage to finally brew the longevity potion he designed several seasons ago.
On the expedition the magi see or hear of several interesting locations. There is a field near West Ashby which was said to be used by the druids for their rituals, and to contain some stones they used when studying the sky. Someone's cow disappeared there once, so maybe there are faeries. There is also a long barrow at Burgh on Bain, visable from the road. But the most interesting story, overheard at a tavern in Market Rasen is of the "Fonaby Stone", near a village to the north:
St Paulinus was a missionary in the 7th century. One day he was riding his ass along the ancient trackway above Caistor. The ass was more obstinate than usual because it hadn't had any breakfast. St Paulinus saw a man up ahead who was sowing corn. Perhaps he would share some of the grain? He asked the man for some corn from the sack in the field. 'Oh that's not a sack,' replied the farmer. 'That's - a stone.'A stone, eh. 'Then stone it shall be' retorted St Paulinus. And so it was.
Farmers have apparantly tried moving the stone, but all attempts have been unsuccessful, and have bought misfortune on those who try.
Obviously a Divine Aura, and a place to be avoided. Besides, it's awfully close to Grimsby.
Agnes and William go off on a beaver hunt. This is made more difficult by the fact that they have only the vaguest idea of what a beaver looks like or where it lives. But they do know that beaver testicles are a potent source of Creo vis, and that is enough to get their attention.
While they are away, a group of armed men approaches the Covenant and demand that Jock be handed over to them for trial and execution. They are the men of Miningsby, and they blame Jock for the disappearance of some of their fellows after his visit there. Adigius volunteers to stand surety for Jock, and goes to Miningsby to investigate.
After his return, the Covenant holds a council to discuss the dire economic situation and how they can ensure that everyone has enough to eat next year.
The study continues. Adigius and Agnes write books. Ethylred invents a working version of the spell to concentrate vis from the well. William learns Gathering the Essence of Beast. Jock fossicks among the tailings piles at Miningsby, discovering some Terram vis in the form of strangely shaped stones (looking like tiny shells and sea creatures). he also reports finding a cave with some gold and iron there - a discovery which will cause us trouble later...
Everyone hits the lab. Aethelryd returns from Seaborne, accompanied by Marina of Merinata, who offers an excellent Intellego summa in exchange for the right to copy several of Ariane's books. The Council considers the offer for all of five seconds, then gleefully accepts. William translates one of Ariane's old spells. Agnes hunts for herbs and vis in the forest, encountering some brownies and a Satyr. Aethelryd and Jock study vis.
The Covenant emerges from winter slumber. Adigius accompanies master Jean back to Paris, and meets some academics. Aethelryd travels to Seaborne to copy books. Agnes and Jock study vis, this time without destroying the Covenant. William lays plans a beaver hunt, and begins working towards learning the spells he will need.
Everyone hides from the cold. Adigius teaches Master Jean some Magic Theory, in preperation for his return to Paris. Agnes creates a magic item for the Covenant to lease to Callista. William reads. Aethelryd works on a spell to concentrate Aquam vis from the water in the well, but something goes horribly wrong...
The grogs bring in the Covenant's first harvest. Aethelryd studies vis, Agnes reads one of Arianes books and rescues some grogs from the Fae, while William and Adigius establish political relations with the local covenants. William expands his commercial empire, and discovers that he has competition. Master Jean studies, while his copyist churns out another set of Blathazar's LQ and his commentary on it. We are beginning to feel the need for an illuminator, and shall have to acquire one at some stage.
Adigius and Jock continue establishing their laboratories, while Agnes and Aethelryd start putting theirs to good use. William works on his potion, and this drives home a pressing need for vis - we shall have to conduct a thorough search for vis sources at some stage. The turb uses the lazy summer days to train, Jean writes a book, while his copyist copies some mundane works for future trade.
Another quiet season. Jock scouts the local area, while the other magi work on setting up their laboratories. Master Jean writes a commentary on Balthazar's Artes Liberales LQ, while the grogs work the fields and continue tidying the place up.
A quiet season. The magi study various books, while Sister Hannah writes a tractatus on theology - the first addition to our library. The Covenant council meets at the solstice to cast the Aegis, and elects Adigius as Regent. Later in the evening, when everyone is drunk on a particularly strong batch of Jock's apple brandy, a pack of flaming dogs travelling along the faerie road penetrates the newly cast Aegis and causes some damage to the village gates. The next afternoon, Jock and Aethelryd follow the faerie road in their direction of travel, and discover a second set of stones. Unlike the first set, these ones are errect, and contain a small amount of ignem vis in a series of bowls. Are they collecting it, or is the vis powering some ward? This shall have to be investigated later.
The Magi try and put the Covenant on a secure footing. Adigius travels to Blackthorn to beg for the alliegence of his two borrowed servants, and for some assistance in building a library. The others stay and study what books they have - discovering that books by Merinita are difficult to read. Master Jean returns from his sojourn in the library at Stonehenge, and is suitably unimpressed with the rudimentry conditions. The housing problem sorts itself out, as several of the smaller buildings are claimed by grog families and made habitable. A work crew in the forest makes a mysterious discovery - a group of carved stones which appear to have once been standing and to have been deliberately moved. It seems that the Covenant is built on a faerie road, and that the previous inhabitants may have attempted to block it.
A variety of Magi gather for the traditional seven-yearly Tribunal - the first quorate one in some time. Among them are a motley assortment of newly gauntletted apprentices:
More later...
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Last updated: 31/07/2004.