Alpha Storyguide: Chris Blake
At the beginning of the spring of 1220, the Austhwaites traveled to Ravenglass to attend a feast and to buy supplies. The town was all abuzz with the news of a theft. It seemed that Lord Pennington's prize lamb had been stolen, and a young lady was caught in the act. Upon hearing of this crime, Sir Richard went to see Lord Pennington and learn the truth behind the wild stories he had heard. Speaking to the lord, he learned that the girl Alba was to simply lose a hand for her crime, but had complicated matters when she bewitched one the guards and tried to escape, so she was to be burned at the stake as a witch. Richard sent his fastest rider to bring some of the magi to try and help this girl. Baelthornon and Eleanor came at once, and quickly learned that the girl was none other than Barloff's apprentice Dulcibella, and that she was to be burned that very night. Apparently she had journeyed into a faerie forest with her master, only to suffer the faerie's curse and be transformed into a lamb with magnificent white fleece, and then came into Pennington's possession. After a year in such a state, she was transformed back into her natural form, accounting for the disappearance of the lamb.
Attempts to convince Lord Pennington that the girl was the victim of faerie curse and not a witch failed and in fact caused the Lord to accuse Balethornon of planning the whole event. Now the magi could only watch as Alba was tied to stake, surrounded by an angry mob, and put to the torch. Unable to watch the horrid scene, Baelthornon cast a spell on himself and strode into the fiery blaze, finding naught but a gruesome leg, unattached to a body. Correctly guessing that Dulcibella had managed to escape the flames on her own and had used magic to create these ghastly 'remains,' Balethornon stepped out on the other side and, assuming wolf form, pursued her to the west.
The Bonisagus caught up with her the next morning and convinced her to return to Corona Montis while her wounds were tended to. The magi then decided that they would accompany her back to Dresca for her protection. There was no more trouble on the trip to Dresca, and once there the young magi met the rest of Dresca's strange magi. Strange as they were, the magi of Dresca were thankful of the young magi's help in returning Dulcibella to them, and they voted to turn over the vis at Mary's Garden to them. In fact, they agreed to return the original boundaries between the two covenants with regards to magical resources. Dulcibella had earned the respect of the magi of Corona Montis, in particular Roland and Baelthornon. The Bonisagus even went so far as to suggest to Barloff that the young woman had already passed her Gauntlet, seeing as how any test of her wit and talents that her master might devise would pale in comparison to the adventure she had just survived. The magi of Corona Montis returned home, glad to be on friendly terms with at least one other covenant.
Cast: Sir Roland (Ann), Prava and Sir Richard (Mike), Eleanor (Julie) and Baelthornon (Patrick).
Beta Storyguide: Mike Daumen
The map of the region between Eskdale and Lancaster left behind by the former covenant magi seemed to indicate that a powerful vis source existed at Sunderland Point, between Lancaster and the mouth of the river Lune. Roland and a handful of grogs set out to collect it in March of 1220, as John's nearly indecipherable notes indicated that vis could only be collected in Spring.
As they arrived at the narrow spit of land, they could see thousands of sea birds roosting on a rocky spit of land reaching out into Morecambe Bay, evidently resting for the long trip northward. However, the waves of the bay covered the only path, and the party waited several hours for the tide to recede. Roland and the men hurriedly gathered two pawns of Animál in the form of guano, realizing that far more would be washed away when high tide returned. On the trip home Roland vowed to send more men and other magi for next year's visit.
Cast: Sir Roland (Ann).
Beta Storyguide: Mike Daumen
One spring morning Richard was summoned by several landowners in the valley who asked him to look into the matter of some disappearing sheep. Richard sent out men to comb the hills for concrete evidence. Little was discovered, other than a mysterious collection of hairy pellets tucked into a crevice near one of the larger northern crags. In fact, the covenant discovered more rumors than anything; that it was a legionnaire's ghost, a wolf, Scots, a coven of witches, that the thief was stealing pies from an elderly matron's sill, or just a beggar taking food.
In the course of tracking these rumors down, several grogs did find out that one of the shepherds was sneaking off each week for a tryst with a local girl, but little of note happened until a few days later, when frightened parents reported that two boys were missing. Fearing that it could be witches after all, Baelthornon and Celer tracked the boys' movements and discovered them heading north towards the Royal forest, searching for the vandals who had smashed their lucky stones. Examining the stones, Baelthornon realized that they were actually large eggs, but was nonetheless surprised when an Intéllego spell revealed that a griffin had sprung forth from it not long ago.
Confronting one of the boys' fathers, a merchant who had brought the eggs from a trip to the northern islands, it was apparent that he did not know their true nature. As the covenant began to rethink their strategy, another of the valley problems was solved by Andrew, vigilantly watching the matron Millicent's sill. Despite their loud grumbling, they were able to spy young Sally Miller take a meat pie just before dawn and bring it to an old barn on her father's property. When the magi confronted her, having found more of the strange pellets, she explained that it was for the barn faerie. Ever suspicious, because it was Sally herself who had uttered the rumor about the beggar, the magi pried further until she revealed that it was two griffins, the black Sunbeam and the white Shadow, who were the beneficiaries of Sally's crimes.
The magi were able to speak with one griffin, who had been learning English by speaking with Sally and several of her young friends. He explained that since he was a runt, his brother was quite stronger and had staked out the valley as his hunting ground. Afraid to be seen, he was reduced to begging from children. However, he was able to show the magi the best way to calm the renegade to prepare him for the trip home - to the isle of Lewis, as Sunbeam was able to describe.
All that remained was to find the adolescent Shadow. Using the egg fragment, it was quickly evident that Hardknott was the perfect place for command of Eskdale. Hurrying there, they found the griffin within the ruined fortress and were able to hood him, despite his offers of compromise.
Finding a sea captain willing to make the perilous journey, the magi set off, skirting the west coast of Scotland and the fearsome maelstrom of Corryveckan. They were able to prevent the larger "horse," as they had called their mysterious cargo, from offering several sailors rewards for his freedom. Once they reached Lewis, one of the other inhabitants of the island saw through the hasty disguise, and Celer and Baelthornon were soon met by a majestic griffin after they disembarked onto the rocky shore.
The magi were thanked for returning the brothers home by an accomodation the beast proved very thankful to provide: a magical horn of carved bone, that was given with a warning to beware using magic when uninformed of its consequences. Happy with the gift, the magi returned to Austhwaite to examine the artifact.
Cast: Celer (Chris), Baelthornon (Patrick), and Andrew (Ann).
Beta Storyguide: Mike Daumen
As spring began to flourish throughout the valley, Richard was pleased to welcome Michael Merrick, who had come down from his holdings for a visit. However, it was quickly discovered that his arrival was far from a happy occasion. The news he brought concerned a band of Scots which had camped outside the abbey at Hexham, near Hadrian's Wall, to wait out a criminal that had claimed asylum there. This would not have normally troubled the Austhwaites, but Michael revealed that the fugitive had managed to smuggle out a request of help to the magi of Corona Montis.
Several magi and Brendan, dressed in pilgrim's garb, headed north to find out the man's identity. At the walls of the abbey, they were met by the Scots, but were able to convince them of their peaceful intentions, and the Scots let pass. Inside the walls, they were met by the nervous abbot, who was unsure how much longer the Scots would respect his authority. Asking to meet the fugitive, they were brought before the former castellan of Galloway, Thomas Anning, who had met the covenant the year before, on the other end of a vigilante's justice (see the story The Redemption of Argent).
Overjoyed to see the magi, Anning explained that he could no longer ignore the evil machinations of Wragg, who had once promised the ambitious castellan the power to usurp the lands of Galloway. He had fled, killing a guard in the process, with news that Wragg was seeking the Crown of Constantine, once worn by that noble Roman and perhaps, Celer mentioned, by Arthur himself. The Scots were providing cover for a contemporaneous search of the countryside for a faerie hill known as "Arthur's Seat." Although Celer knew of many places called such in Britian, he also mentioned that one was not too far from the abbey itself.
Disguising Anning as Brendan, and leaving the younger Austhwaite at the abbey (much to his consternation), the magi once again deceived the Scots and struck out through the wall towards Scotland, who were distracted by a Templar knight seeking entrance into the abbey. Finding the place Celer had noted, the party discovered a way in and, though the Crown was not there, encountered a trapped spirit seeking it as well. The ghost, a Saxon, revealed that he now knew the Crown was found near where the Ninth Legion had been decimated in Scotland, although Celer realized that the massacre had taken place long before Constantine had been born.
As the party left the spirit's chamber, they suddenly realized that there were armed men outside the hill. After learning the Crown was not there, the Templars (as they were shortly recognized) retreated and collapsed the tunnel in front of the party. However, the spells of the magi easily allowed escape, and the party set forth for Scotland, northeast of Edinburgh.
Since the party knew the general location of the battlefield, the magi quickly found themselves in an area beset by the spirits of dead Romans. Once the magi indicated that they had come from Hardknott, the spirits became friendly, explaining that they were ambushed from the bluffs overlooking the swampy field. The magi ascended the cliffs to confront the spirit of a powerful Pictish shaman within a tarn. The magi were able to convince the guardian that they were the ones foretold by Merlin (who had brought the Crown here to balance the powers of the various peoples inhabiting the island) to remove the Crown from the pool, but as they prepared to leave, a large force of Scots and Templars arrived at the battlefield.
Baelthornon thought he discerned Wragg amongst the newcomers, but the magi were unwilling to take any chances once they began destroy the Roman ghosts and ascend the cliffs. So the party escaped through a network of caves that led to the Tay beneath. On the way down they sensed the destruction of the shaman's spirit, but the delay allowed for the party's escape back to the safety of Enlgand.
Cast: Celer (Chris), Baelthornon (Patrick), and Andrew (Ann).
Alpha Storyguide: Chris Blake
After months of wondering about the covenant's Supreme, John Austhwaite of Jerbiton finally arrived at Austhwaite Manor to pay the magi a personal visit. The prupose of his his visit was twofold: to meet and assess the new magi, and to bring news of the promotion he arranged for Richard.
His interest in assessing the magi was due to the fact that he knew that lab space at the covenant was lacking. With his duties at court, John would not need his lab, so he wanted to give it to one of the younger magi that he felt had the most potential. After brief interviews, Baelthornon was the winner, obstensibly because of his magical talents and due to his keen interest in the covenant's and manor's political situations.
As for Richard's promotion, John has convinced the Regency to put a garrison in the Esk valley. With the growing threat from Scotland, the other Barons and Baronets were busy watching over their own lands, leaving the Esk Valley and surrounding area without patrols. With some political maneuvering by John, Richard was to be given command of a garrison in the name of the King. This also came with money to build a pele tower, and funding for the hire of 15 to 25 men.
It was decided to start with a wood tower at first, then to use the men from the garrison as labor to make a stone tower. But a stone foundation would be necessary now to hold a stone tower later. So it was decided to use stone from the old Roman fort at Hardknott to build such a foundation. The magi journeyed there to lighten the rock a little with their magics, so that transportation might be easier. While at Hardknott, the magi did a little looking around, and found some clues as to what happen at the old Roman keep. They also found some old Roman artifacts, the most impressive of which was a bronze statue of a bull which was buried in the collapsed bathhouse. Baelthornon took the statue to his room that night, and awoke to something moving within his chamber. The statue had come to life, and in its attempt to get out of the room it bit an unsuspecting Baelthornon in the posterior. Chasing it downstairs, upon Baelthornon's orders Walter was able to open the kitchen door and set it free. Once the statue was free it headed in what appeared to be straight line for Hardknott. Baelthornon attempted to follow it on horseback but had no success, so he rode to Hardknott and looked around, but still could not find the statue.
Returning the next morning with Prava, Roland and some grogs, the magi found another bull statue within the bathhouse. This one, however, was adorned with a necklace, a simple chain with a single stone in the center. Jeremy tried to remove the stone, and the statue tried to bite him for his efforts. The statue then backed away, and responded to Baelthornon's Intéllego magics and his suggestion that they leave the statue alone. They magi then turned their attention to the middle bath. It had collapsed in on itself and they sought to drain it. While looking for the drain holes in the pool, they found the other bull statue, and placed it by its partner.
When the magi finally got the bath to drain, they made another gruesome discovery: a partially decayed body. Using Mentem magics, they found that there was a spirit present, and it soon took an interest in them. The spirit claimed to be the shade of Dennis of Tytalus, former magus of Corona Montis covenant! Moreover he claimed to have been murdered by one of the other missing magi of the covenant, though he knew not or would say not which one. The magi left the Roman fort with a load of stone and many questions about the magi that used to reside at Austhwaite Manor.
Cast: Prava and Jeremy (Mike), Baelthornon (Patrick), Roland and Andrew (Ann).
Game Sessions: 1/17, 1/31 and 2/8/99
Gamma Storyguide: Patrick Murphy
Not long after John had once again departed Austhwaite Manor, in the summer of 1220, things began to return to a routine. Workers were hard at work carting stone from Hardknott and busied themselves laying the foundations of the pele tower that was to be added to the house. The servants set about cleaning the house, and the magi returned to their studies. But another adventure loomed within sight, portended by a wondrous spider web spied by Celer one morning on the way to his lab. The spider building it was unusually destroying some links in his web and then building them again in different places. In addition to the strange formations, it contained 1 pawn of Imáginem vis.
The manor was soon abuzz over the arrival of Edwina Austhwaite and her servant Madeline. Returning from unspecified business from the north, Edwina was anxious to speak to Richard about some recent developments at the Porter estate, located near the village of Wythburn, on the south end of Thirlmere. Always politically-minded, Edwina was concerned about losing the Porters (or their successors) as political allies. It seemed that William Porter, the lord, had died some two months ago after collapsing of chest pains. Given his age, this was not surprising. However, William's son John, who had inherited the estate, disappeared just over a week ago and was found several days later, his body broken and mangled at the bottom of a small cliff. Apparently William's will now left the lands to his trusted servant, Donald. Edwina was doubtful that the Baroness of Allerdale would allow these lands to be passed on to a peasant, but nevertheless she implored Richard to use "his wizards" to keep Donald from handing over his lands to the Church, which he apparently was prepared to do.
Journeying to Wythburn, Richard, Brendan, Roland and Celer were greeted by David, the butler, and Donald's wife Mary. They also spoke briefly with Robert de Veteripont, the Sheriff of Cumbria, who was convinced there had been no foul play involved. They also had the displeasure of meeting Brother Jerome, who claimed to be a representative of the Bishop of Carlisle, Walter Mauclerk. He had apparently convinced Donald to assure his place in Heaven by giving his lands over to the Bishop. Although at the edge of the lands overseen by the Bishop, Furness Abbey was closer, and in fact the Baroness Alice II de Rumelli had sold them some of her land the previous year, so the characters were suspicious of the Bishop's agent's motives from the start. Casting spells upon him, Celer was shocked to find his spells resisted; moreover, Brother Brendan smelled brimstone when this happened!
Investigating the circumstances surrounding John's disappearance, the group learned that John had been obsessed with Melissa, fetching young daughter of prominent merchant Peter Allgood, but she had spurned his advances. Still, he had ridden to Grasmere every day, apparently to follow her. In Grasmere the lad had struck up a friendship with some mysterious stranger, a merchant with a strange accent, and some acquaintance of his named "Sorcha" or somesuch had visited the landmarks in the area. Investigating the body, which could not be buried because of rain-saturated ground, Celer was surprised to find that he could not contact the boy's spirit, although no Christian burial had taken place to place the shade beyond the reach of Hermetic magic. More importantly, he detected the body was missing important organs and bones: for instance, the boy's right arm contained no bones at all, without any open wounds.
Suspecting that the boy was not dead, the group visited the most prominent feature of the Porter lands: Dunmail Raise, where King Dunmail, last King of Cumbria, was buried by his troops under a pile of boulders. In 945, Dunmail and his forces had been crushed by the combined forces of Edmund, King of the Saxons, and Malcolm, King of the Scots. Edmund himself slew Dunmail; Dunmail's two sons were blinded, his crown thrown into nearby Grisedale Tarn, and his troops forced to bury him beneath the boulders of the Raise. Detecting a regio situated on the Raise, Brendan, Celer, Richard, Jeremy and Sir Roland returned the next day for the anniversary of the battle: June 4th.
Entering the outer level of the regio, the group was overcome with an overwhelming feeling of despair. Cumbrian soldiers, their spirits crushed, pile stones upon their dead King, as Saxons and Scots kicked and berated them. Jeremy was unable to move, overcome with despair, but the others entered another level of the regio, in which the battle still raged on in the distance, and the campsite of Dunmail was just over the hill on which they stood. Meeting the King's advisor, Peithan, he told the wizards that "before his time comes again, they must prove their worth" by "besting the beast, the best of beasts." With his words, an ominous howl echoed across the fells, and a ferocious barguest bounded to attack the group.
Roland botched an Imáginem spell and knocked himself out of the combat, leaving Brendan to try to help him and Richard and Celer to fight the beast. Reluctant to strike the beast due to childhood tales in which the barguest would curse those who harmed them, Richard did hit it once, but took the wound instead! Celer overcame its might and incapacitated it repeatedly with Weaver's Trap of Webs and Lungs of Water and Death. Finally, the beast ran away, and Peithan granted the group a massive iron mace, telling them the time would come when they would be called upon to defend Cumbria.
Returned to the mundane world and reunited with Jeremy, the group tried to locate John with The Inexorable Search but failed to locate him within Cumbria. Returning to Corona Montis and gathering Prava, they returned to Porter Hall and confronted Brother Jerome. Scaring off the peasants, the group put him to sleep after a heated exchange. Taking him back to Austhwaite Manor, the wizards pried into his mind, then used Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie to interrogate him when he awoke. He confessed that the Bishop wanted the lands to sell to two wizards from Ireland, Fulgurator and Socha, and that the boy was alive and well, with them in Ireland. More convinced now that Brother Jerome may not have been the demon they thought him earlier, but rather a pawn of some as-yet-undetermined plot, they released the monk. However, reluctant to trespass on the lands of the Hibernian Tribunal, the group decided to settle for contesting the ownership of the lands and taking up the alien wizards' actions with the Quaesitoris.
Cast: Sir Richard, Andrew and Celer (Chris), Sir Roland (Ann), Brendan and Prava (Mike), Jeremy (Chris, Ann, and Mike), and Brother Jerome (Patrick).
Game Sessions: 2/8, 2/18/99
Delta Storyguide: Ann Harper
Returning to Austhwaite Manor, the magi discovered that Eleanor had been missing for some days, and that she had been accomapnied by Gladys Austhwaite, who was also missing. The magi traced them to a wooded area north of the Sca Fell, in the general vicinity of where Eleanor was thought to study in nature. Finding a mysterious circle of oak trees, Roland, Baelthornon, Jeremy and Christopher found a box which contained a single long, silvery hair. Finding little else, they decided to return the next day, it being a pagan holiday.
Upon their return, they were surprised to see four women within the circle. The first to catch their eye was Dominique, a tall woman of striking beauty, wearing a dress seemingly covered with diamonds. Beside her, a small woman with pointed ears named Kerianna stood, flanked by a woman wearing pants and looking every bit a highwayman named Tobin. Finally, a woman named Alivia stood nearby, wearing all the accoutrements of a warrior, including some sort of armor made of metal plates.
Kerianna explained that they were from a magical realm, the entrance to which lay within the circle. Eleanor and Gladys had passed into their realm and had spent two years there, time passing differently there. In addition, she told them that when one passed through the portal from our world to theirs, one forgot about one's previous existence, explaining why Eleanor and Gladys had not returned to Austhwaite Manor. Her husband had passed through the portal into our world, and she sought the group's help in returning him to his rightful place. Gladys apparently would return to her family, for though she had married in the other realm and was with child (!), she felt a strong pull to return home to a family she no longer remembered. Her husband, Marcellus, agreed to accompany her, though he would forget his home and his time with her when he passed through the portal.
Dominique was quite taken with Baelthornon when she found out he was a wizard. Baelthornon was shocked to learn that she was in fact a dragon! She briefly assumed her true form, then went back to her human shape. She asked the magus to stay for a while as the others left...this he did, but when he returned to the others, he had a mysterious silver streak in his hair.
Kerianna had given the group a sword, a sister weapon to that borne by her husband, with which they might track her husband, and a headband of her hair, that might allow her husband to remember something of his former life. Using it to guide them, the group stumbled into a small hamlet in the mountains, where they claimed to be victims of a Scottish raider. That night, the group was surrounded by Scots, and a battle ensued. With the band placed on his head, Kerianna's husband remembered who he was, and the group led him back to the portal and his world. Kerianna rewarded the group for their troubles, and although Eleanor opted to stay in Kerianna's realm to learn more magic, Gladys and Marcellus remained behind, uncomfortable to say the least. Clothilde's twin sister was now two years older than her, pregnant though unmarried in Christian ceremony, and with her was a husband from another world who knew her not.
Cast: Sir Roland (Chris), Kenneth (Mike), Baelthornon (Patrick), and Marcellus (Greg).
Game Session: 2/28/99
Alpha Storyguide: Chris Blake
As he had said he would, John Austhwaite sent a letter to the other magi of Corona Montis detailing how to gather Aquam vis from the nearby Wast Water. John never promised that the directions would be good, since Phædra had always been the one to go and deal with its collection.
Although the directions where indeed quit vague, Baelthornon, Roland and Prava had little trouble finding the way into the regio. Once there they met Theldry, who at first mistook them to be Phædra. He was upset when he learned that they where not Phædra, but he was pleased when the magi agreed to bring them Japhet's story. It would seem that Phædra had made some sort of bargain with Theldry in return for harvesting his vis.
Thus the magi set out in search of Japhet. Japhet was not hard to find; his skill at making toys was quite renowned throughout the valley. The magi asked him if he knew what story Theldry spoke of, and if he could help them. Japhet replied that he knew Theldry and of the story about which he spoke, but before he could help he would ask a promise of the magi, the same promise that he asked of Phædra, before she disappeared. The magi agreed to help the old toy maker when the time comes, though that is all they learn of the promise.
Japhet then recounted the story of how good King Ida lost his wife and came under the spell of the evil witch Behoc. Behoc became jealous of Ida's daughter, so she turned her into a loathsome dragon. The story then went on to tell how Ida's son Childe Wynde, upon hearing of his sister's disappearance and of the terrible dragon that was terrorizing the nearby villages, immediately returned home to slay the dragon and find his sister.
After a great battle, Childe Wynde had the dragon at his mercy, but before he killed the dragon it pleaded in his sister's voice for a kiss. Unable to resist his sister's voice, he kissed the dragon, and this freed his sister from Behoc's curse. Then together they set off to confront Behoc.
The whole time Japhet told his story he was painting an intricately carved dragon, which he gave to the magi. Upon their return to the regio, Theldry called out all of his kin. The magi where quickly surrounded by all kinds of faerie folk, who wanted to hear the story, but not before they had a little fun with the visitors, playing tag and challenging the magi to contests of magic. As the story was being told, the carved dragon came to life and begun to act out the story. When the dragon in the story was changed back into Margaret, the toy dragon's skin peeled off to reveal beautiful young lady. All the faerie folk surrounded Margaret and greeted her like long lost family, and carried her off into the valley. Theldry stopped to tell the magi that what they sought was at the entrance of the tunnel.
The magi took the dragon skin, which contained 2 pawns of Vim vis, and then gathered moss containing 8 pawns of Aquam vis at the entrance of the tunnel.
Cast: Baelthornon (Patrick) and Roland (Mike).
Game Sessions: 3/7, 3/14/99
Alpha Storyguide: Chris Blake
Late in the summer of 1220, a messager arrived with an invitation for the nobles residing at Austhwaite Manor: Baron Strickland of Kendale was to host a feast and hunt at his estate at Burnside. In October, with the fall firmly grasping Cumbria, the party from Austhwaite Manor set out for Burnside. Sir Richard could not go, being needed to oversee the completion of the barracks. In his place, he sent his wife Lady Gwendolyn, to be accompanied by her brother Sir Christopher, the magi Sir Roland and Sir Aeddan, as well as Sir Thomas Anning and Sir Marcellus, and Richard's squire Andrew.
Arriving at Burnside, they met the groom Dolmus, and although they did not speak with him, observed Lord Strickland's son Troth abuse of Dolmus. Ushered inside and offered rooms and refreshments, the group dined that night with the Strickland family: Baron Strickland, his lady Cleo, Sir Troth and his younger brother Albin. Complimenting their hosts on their home and hospitality, the group learned that they would be joined tomorrow by the Baron of Lancaster and his family.
True to their word, before the hunt arrived Lancaster and his lovely wife Leena, quite a few years his junior, and only several years older than Lancaster's son Frey. The men set off in pairs in search of the largest stag. Sir Christopher and Baron Strickland brought back a small deer. Sir Aeddan and Sir Anning returned with a boar and a fairly large deer. The two also broke up an altercation between Troth and Frey, who practically drew swords on each other. But the day went to Sir Roland, who killed a small stag. While Sir Aeddan and Sir Anning's deer was larger, it was not a stag, so Roland was named the guest of honor at the feast that night.
After many fine foods and plenty of toasts, the revelry began in earnest, with Lancaster getting drunk and his lovely wife Leena getting this attention of most of the young nobles present. Though Christopher was quite charming, and Troth also tried to gain her affection, she sought out Roland to dance with, and made bold advances toward the hapless magus. He rebuffed her suggestion that they meet later that evening...
Getting up to relieve himself in the wee hours of the night, Sir Thomas was stunned to trip over a body in the dining hall. He was even more shocked to find that the dead man at his feet was none other than Strickland's son Troth, his head smashed in by repeated candlestick blows. The whole of the manor was roused, and tempers flared.
The blood on the table and a quill in his hand indicated that Troth had been writing something when he was killed. Using the quill as an arcane connection, Baelthornon and Roland sought the parchment in the stables along with two of Strickland's knights. Searching the vault entrance below the stables, the group was attacked by six Scots. One knight was killed and another incapacitated, with Roland and Baelthornon surrendering.
Growing worried about their companions, Anning, Christopher and Marcellus journeyed out with another of Strickland's men, making the grisly discovery of the knight's body. Sounding the alarm, it was discovered that the Scots had fled the castle, heading to the northeast. Strickland and his men set out on horseback at once after the Scots, accompanied by Sir Thomas, Sir Marcellus and Sir Christopher. After hours of pursuit, the group finally descended upon a first group of Scots, after Marcellus and one of Strickland's men rode ahead to slow them down. Sir Chistopher charges into battle, skewering his first opponent with his lance, and swung around to imaple two more Scots before riding ahead with Strickland to chase down a second group of Scots. At least one Scot escaped, but Christopher felled the last remaining Scot, and the group recovered the bound Roland and Baelthornon. Roland summoned the spirit of one of the Scottish fallen, and Baelthornon used Mentem magics to ascertain for whom they acted against Strickland. The chilling answer: Galloway.
Richard joined the group for Troth's funeral, and Chistopher was granted the Scots' horses for his valor in battle. After pledges of mutual suppot against any Scottish incursions between the Austhwaites, Stricklands and Lancaster, the group returned home.
Cast: Roland, Andrew and Thomas Anning (Mike), Marcellus (Greg), Gwendolyn (Chris), Christopher and Aeddan/Baelthornon (Patrick).
Game Session: 3/21/99
Beta Storyguide: Mike Daumen
One bright morning work on the tower was abruptly halted when several masons stopped to gawk at a huge man coming up from the valley. The affable red-haired giant soon introduced himself as Volstagg, a magus from Odin's Rood covenant near York. After meeting the magi, he revealed that John had asked him to stop on the way back from Ireland and Man. John had evidently told his colleague of the strange horn obtained from the inhabitants of Lewis (see Shadow and Sunbeam), with the hopes that the master of Rune Magic could decipher the message on it. Volstagg's cheerful face turned grave as he peered at the runes, explaining that the runes spoke of a curse on any who sought the treasure hidden on the Isle of Puffins. Although several magi believed that the message contained more detail that that, Volstagg was soon on his way home. Wondering whether the Dane coveted the horn, Bealthornon returned it to his sanctum for the evening.
Sure enough, Baelthornon awoke that night sensing someone in his chamber, but even he was surprised to identify the would-be thief as Stephen Austhwaite, the younger brother of Richard and Brendan. In the presence of all the magi, he admitted overhearing Volstagg's tale. Also, he revealed that a friend, who boasted being from the Isle of Puffins, would tell him its location. It was obvious from the magi's questions, however, that he paid little heed to the curse or even to the power of the magi. In part to match the rogue's bluster, and in part to act lest Voltagg mount his own search, Prava, Baelthornon and Celer decided to accompany Stephen.
Meeting at Muncaster the next morning, Stephen booked passage to the Isle of Puffins - Lundy, in the Bristol Channel north of Cornwall. Arriving there, the party found that it was little more than a pirate haven, suspicious of newcomers. Hastily the magi found the man Stephen indicated would know more: the keeper of a lighthouse on the north side of the island. He told them of the first Viking raid on the island, and how the villagers prayed to Mannanan when they realized that the Lord hadn't spared the blessed isle of Iona. The horn, made with his instructions, summoned a thick bank of fog; but it was only used once, for the villagers disappeared that night, and the church fell to ruin. Apparently later waves of Vikings found the horn and placed the warning on it, fearing that any who used it would invite disaster.
The party set out the next morning to search the island: a Celtic stone said to mark the grave of a giant, the narrow spine of rock called Rat Island by the locals, and a long abandoned beach. The church they sought was now little more than four flimsy walls and a caved-in roof. However, spells indicated that it sat in a regio nearby, and when no entrance was found, the party sounded the horn as the villagers had once done centuries ago. As they blew three notes a spectral reenactment of the raid enfolded before their eyes. The spirits of frightened villagers rushed to the church again, as the first wisps of fog reached the door. In the gloom the calls of a Viking crew neared the church, but the yells turned to terrified cries as the sound of massacre became eerily clear through the fog. When the party reenterd the church, they now spied a passage leading to caves below. Coming to a lagoon, they were met by a hideous, goat-faced creature who addressed them as villagers of Lundy.
The beast explained that he had come once again to fufill the pact the villagers had made, to serve his kind for a new invasion of Ireland. Hearing this, Baelthornon realized that this was a Formorian, whose race had once occupied dry land until the Tuatha de Danann drove them away. Not wishing to bow to the creature, it disappeared in the waist-high mist, rising only to attack the group. Although it was soon helped by two rat-like servants, the party managed to kill the beast and drive the others away. During the fight, Baelthornon stumbled over a hole in which sat a locked iron box. Eagerly Stephen opened it, to find the most treasured possessions of the first islanders: a silver-plated chalice, cross and plate from the church. While this was not what Stephen had hoped, the magi did discover that they were magical, imbued with the holy power of the Celtic Church.
Cast: Baelthornon (Patrick), Celer (Chris), Prava (Mike) and Jeremy (Ann).
This page last modified August 26, 2011 10:55 PM
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