Date - 4/23/95 (20th Session)
... In which the Bogomile Katalin leads the Magi to Katerloch cave
Early in the summer, the Bogomile heretic Katalin (whom Merento had befriended in his travels to join Rabenstein) visited the Covenant. She spoke of a legendary cavern of spirits along the Raab river in the Styrian foothills, and agreed to lead Rabenstein there if they would lend aid to a nearby village she had struggled to found along the Hungarian border. In the dark cavern, a magical lake was discovered, in which blind fish containing Intellego vis were found to swim. Some indiscernible spirit seemed to dwell in the cave, and Axel was plagued by ghostly visions after smashing a stalactite in the lake. Deep within the ancient cavern, Capra was beseiged by a horrific, mindless corpse with a tangled mat of hair. Discerning that the body was that of a Roman soldier (and reckoning its age at about 900 years!), the expedition took pity upon the poor creature and left it to wander the caves, though they cut off its hair, which harbored valuable Corpus vis (perhaps the hair will grow back, and provide more such vis in the future).
Cast: Capra (Dallas Perry), Axel (Christian Young), Gelvin (Clint Buss), Lassitor (Chris Blake)
Date - 4/30/95 (21st Session)
... In which Marshall John of Bruck duels with Chancellor Henry
Late in the summer (1204), news came to Rabenstein by way of John's wife of an impending disaster in Bruck-an-der-Mür. Apparantly, Chancellor Henry of Landskron had dishonored the virtue of a young maiden in Bruck, and challenged her foolhardy beau to a duel to settle the matter when he insulted Henry. Kindly Sir John the Marshall of Bruck (an accomplished English Crusader) defended the honor of the maid by accepting the challenge himself, and when Henry suddenly grew feint (feigning illness to avoid being killed by the formidible Sir John), the matter was delayed long enough for Henry to employ political machinations to evade the duel. Henry journeyed to Salzburg and petitioned the Archbishop for assisstance. The Archbishop of Salzburg agreed to declare the Lord of Landskron (Sir Wolfram) dead at long last, after having failed to return from the Third Crusade. Further, Henry was then engaged to Wolfram's widow Imagina (making him the new Lord of Landskron), and ministeriales of the Archbishop were sent to ensure that this meddlesome English knight did not interfere (the Archbishop had long desired to extend his grip to the upper Mur Valley, and doubtless believed whatever bed of lies Henry weaved about Sir John and perhaps the Magi of Rabenstein). Journeying to Bruck to assist Sir John, the noble knight refused any help from Rabenstein, ready to embrace battle with Henry's new defenders - the ministeriales of the Archbishop - that he may uphold the honour of both the maiden and himself. After tense political discussions and a diplomatic confrontation with Sir Henry at his fortress Landskron (from which he refused to leave until John's death), Merento thought to turn to the acolyte priest Hans (of the Weisskirche in Bruck) for assistance. The young acolyte agreed to acquire a lock of hair from Sir Henry, and Lassitor used it deep in the night as an arcane connection to inspire Henry's lust for the maiden whom he had defiled at the story's beginning. Henry snuck out of Landskron in the dead of night to rape the maiden again, only to meet Sir John, whom Merento had warned moments before of a premonition he had had of danger at the maid's bedside. Sir John killed Henry in the duel, and the Archbishop's ministeriales trudged off empty-handed the next day. Landskron subsequently passed to Sir Gozwin (who had married Imagina's daughter). The acolyte Hans was allowed to witness Lassitor's hex as part of his bargain, and as a result became more deeply embroiled in Rabenstein's mystical secrets.
Cast: Lassitor (Chris Blake), Merento (Clint Buss), Lady Enellé Hallinger (Dallas Perry), Gustav (Christian Young)
Date - 5/14/95 (23rd Session)
...where the sentry Polu is bewitched at Leoben's market
At the monthly market of Leoben, the grog Polu was chastized by both sergeant Hammond and Angelo for misbehaving (he was convinced to throw stones at a particularly ugly young girl named Katherine by two cruel mining lads he had met on an earlier visit to market). Weeks later when on sentry duty, Polu noticed that he had become plagued with boils and corns on his palms and feet. Avoiding the matter until his disability became obvious, the grog was brought terrified before the council of Magi who took an interest in his hex and his story. The Magus Gustav investigated the matter, and discovered that perhaps the midwife Inge of Bruck had inspired the hex (a strange black dog was also seen frequenting Inge's hut). Polu was sent to plead with Inge for help, and heeding Inge's advice, at the next market, he spent all his pennies on a dress for the poor 'chicken-legged' girl, Katherine, which he thereafter dropped at her feet and ran away. The boils soon receeded.
Cast: Angelo (Mike Provenzano), Polu (Clint Buss), Gustav and Sir Hammond (Christian Young), Gelvin (Dallas Perry)
This page last modified on 11/5/97.
Comments to madirishman@mad-irishman.net
Return to the Rabenstein home page