Session Date: 6/25/00
Gamma Storyguide: Patrick Murphy
After finishing Mass and seeing off his flock, Father Brendan Austhwaite spied an unusual owl one late July afternoon. Besides being present in the middle of the day, the snow-white creature transfixed the priest with his gaze for some time before flying off. Brendan’s vision was immediately fixed upon a man staggering down the road toward him. Rushing to assist the wounded man, he learned that the man’s settlement, just south of the Derwent Water, had been sacked by raiders.
Taking the tale to Sir Richard, it was learned that the raiders had numbered at least twenty, perhaps as many as twenty! Undaunted by their apparent numbers, the garrison’s soldiers were made ready for battle, and Roland, Celer, and the visiting Nicolaus of Arteman joined them. The local villagers watched and worried as the impressive force made its way east and then north towards the Derwent Water. Celer employed his Wings of the Falcon spell and flew north to do some aerial reconnaissance.
Seeing smoke, Celer set down at St.John’s-in-the-Vale and spoke with the brothers there. Their hospital had been sacked, and some of their number taken hostage or killed outright. While this band had apparently been smaller than that reported earlier, it was clear that the raiders were well-organized and ruthless in the extreme.
A strange sight greeted the advancing soldiers from Austhwaite Manor: a knight on the road challenged all the knights present to joust him, or he would not allow them to pass. Sir Bernard, of Gascony, seemed a hopeless romantic obsessed with recreating the deeds of Arthur’s knights. Upon hearing about the raiders, he promptly agreed to delay his challenge until he had helped root out this evil.
The next person encountered on the road was a hermit named Osbert. He took Roland, Bernard and Richard to his home on St. Herbert’s Island on the Derwent Water. There, the group met his charge, a young, elfin lass named Gwyna, and participated in a prayer vigil with them. Afterwards, Osbert told how the archangel Raphael had appeared to him and told him to aid them against Satan’s minions. The angel said that a minstrel had spoken a forbidden verse and raised a sleeping evil (Roland briefly was afraid he was the culprit!). Osbert pointed them to an ancient barrow near Threlkeld.
At Keswick, they found all-too-familiar destruction, and Kenneth came running up with news of an advancing army. Although Richard’s forces were outnumbered two to one, they had little choice to stand and fight. The enemy spoke not at all. The battle went poorly for the Austhwaites; Earl was killed, Phil, Kenric, Amalinze, Christopher and Richard were all wounded as ground was given to the enemy’s overwhelming numbers.
Fortunately, reinforcements arrived from the south. Martin Strickland brought a large force with him to the field to provide numerical superiority for the defenders. The opposing army was scattered and its numbers captured or put to the sword. Curiously, those captured seemed to just collapse; magic determined they had no minds!
The victors made their way to the "Barrow of Crom," as Osbert had told them it was called. Searching within, a secret door was easily spotted behind a fake sarcophagus, and beyond this aperture lay a nighttime outdoor scene, obviously a regio. Celer, Andrew, Christopher and Julius waited outside, while Roland, Bernard, Amalinze, Jeremy and Richard entered.
The group passed within a great hall, where assembled warriors were feasting at table arranged around a throne carved in the form of a dog. The King’s seneschal bid them welcome, and to sit and sup with them. The group refused, but their host answered none of the questions put to him. Finally, the King arrived, and again bid them eat. Jeremy and Richard succumbed to his Mentem magics and began eating. Nicolaus went to strike him but instead splayed himself on the floor; the King’s Perdo Mentem magic blanked his mind for the duration of the day. Amalinze and Bernard could not seem to strike the King, while Roland engaged the minstrel playing for the warriors. Roland was nearly killed by the minstrel before he escaped. Amalinze stopped a killing blow from the King only by sacrificing his left arm.
Fortunately, reinforcements once more arrived on the scene. Andrew and Julius directed more blows at the King, while Celer whittled away at its Might. Richard was awakened by Stephen and also joined the fray. Finally, the King was felled by a crushing blow from Julius, and the group found itself within a simple room with a sarcophagus.
The minstrel Quentin had been struck severely by Christopher outside, and after interrogating him it was learned that a merchant named Simon had led him to the arcane verse which had awakened the King. Nicholas took the minstrel aside, and told him how he had promised to Morrigan to take lives like his in her name. The Arteman brutally hacked the minstrel to death within one of the ancient barrows. Celer noticed a raven fly off as he screamed, seemingly satisfied by Nicolaus’ actions.
Note: John Porter, in the story Our Mutual Friend, told how a merchant named Simon had befriended him, leading to his involvement with Fulgurator of Tytalus and Socha O’Conner of Ex Miscellanea.
Cast: Nicolaus of Arteman, Father Brendan and Sir Bernard (Mike), Roland and Jeremy (Ann), Richard and Celer (Chris), Osbert, Quentin and the King (Patrick).
Session Date: 7/3/00
Beta Storyguide: Mike Daumen
No sooner had the weary covenant returned from the Dog Throne was it time to form a patrol back through the same lands. First, Nicolaus, Celer and Brendan returned to the barrow to destroy it with a large portion of Terram vis. Though they succeeded, locals began to attest this feat to Michael Scot. Within a few days Julius, the only knight not wounded from the last week's battle, struck north with four men.
At the northernmost point of the route, they came upon fresh tracks left by a group of about 25 or so men, heading south on the very trail leading back to Austhwaite manor. The patrol realized that they could overtake this band if they traveled through the night, which they did. An hour before dawn, the weary band came upon a rear picket, who had made no effort to conceal themselves. Julius bravely stepped forth to challenge these men, and after a few tense moments was identified as a "Man of Corona Montis" by a gruff voice. The leader of the interlopers met him and produced a scroll for the magi before striking camp and heading back north. Relieved, the patrol hurried home.
The patrol hurried home to present the scroll to the magi, who were shocked at its contents: a declaration of Wizard's War against their recent acquaintance, Superbus of Epebolus. Baelthornon was particularly worried, since its broad terms seemed to implicate Corona Montis in a long list of grievances. Hastily the magi composed a general denial and pressed Clothilde to return it to Scotland. She was accompanied by Richard, and secretly by Celer and Baelthornon.
Before reaching the covenant proper, the party was met by Scottish border reivers, members of the Nixon clan. Clothilde convinced the guards of her mission, and was brought into a receiving chamber. Within a few minutes Edwin of Hexham entered. After accepting the covenant's answer, he stated that Corona Montis would need to reply to the charges in person, since several members of Horsingas were convinced that they still harbored Superbus. Clothilde then returned and the magi waited until the eve of the next moon before returning.
The three magi again traveled north, and met several of Horsingas' members. They found out that Superbus had apparently come in the name of the covenant, but at some point attacked Giuseppe del Mato of Flambeau and stolen his mastiff familiar. Despite their pleas, it was obvious that Horsingas was willing to declare war on all of Corona Montis.
The impasse was ended by the arrival of a new magus, a member of MacGruagach covenant. Epileus of Bjornaer offered to mediate between the hostile parties and after lengthy negotiations, the crisis was defused. Both covenants agreed to inform the other when planning expeditions across the border, and all present voted to march Superbus for his crimes.
Before returning home, the magi were again surprised that Superbus had been to MacGruagach as well! This time he had offered the highlanders study privileges in exchange for a season at their library. While there, the miscreant had stolen a manuscript and left abruptly. To their alarm, this manuscript had contained a ritual to create an infernal hound that could pass any barrier. Anxious to salvage their reputation, the magi offered the newcomer the chance to accompany them back to Corona Montis to fulfill their part of the "bargain."
While discussing these events back at the covenant, Baelthornon hurriedly realized that the target of Superbus' machinations could only be Michael Scot's tower, which was protected by magic. But when they rushed to the scene, they found the tower damaged and the remaining imps destroyed. Since the contents of the tower were never fully examined, there was no way to tell if anything was taken.
Epileus stated his desire to join Corona Montis, and was thus welcomed for a probationary period.
Cast: Roland and Clothilde (Ann), Richard and Celer (Chris), Christopher, Julius and Baelthornon (Patrick).
This page last modified August 26, 2011 10:55 PM
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