Date - 4/20/97 (64th Session)
...The bawdy behavior of a spellbinding young girl leads to the death of a farmboy
During the winter of 1207, tranquility among the covenfolk was threatened by rising tensions among the socii over their most enthralling member, the bewitching young Slav Tatyana. Her flirtatious behavior throughout the autumn had attracted the attention of many of the Covenant's men, and when the cold weather arrived to coop everyone up inside the castle, a fistfight erupted between Wolfgang and Sean over her attentions. Efforts were made to soothe the situation, but it became clear the problem was going to be difficult to constrain when an even larger row occured during the Christmas feast (Wolfgang and Sean were each punished with extra sentry duty).
Fortunately the men were requisitioned to work in neighboring Frohnleiten where they could take their mind (and eyes) off of the young girl, so the situation improved with the new year. The men joined a dozen villagers near the Barrenschützklamm falls and began to quarry stone for construction of the bishop's new road toll (see story summary Banner of the Bishop). But many village women tended to their husbands and sons each day, giving them soup and knitting while they toiled (or perhaps simply gazing at the strong, handsome young men). When Tatyana joined the womenfolk, claiming to be Piotr's cousin, she turned her attentions to a young farmboy named Abel. Her spellbinding beauty soon enthralled the handsome lad, but helped Wolfgang and Sean to reconcile their dispute by allowing them to perceive her fickle, shameful manner (they even encouraged Abel to pursue the bewitching lass, giving him permission to court her). Their disparaging comments toward Tatyana strengthened their own friendship, but only pushed Tatyana closer to this new farmboy.
Several weeks later, the young couple walked to the waterfalls together and clambored up the great rocks, talking and gazing at each other as it grew late in the day. Changed by her sinful experiences at Oravsky Podzamok (where she had submitted to the pleasures of flesh), Tatyana slipped down to a shadowy ledge with Abel and consumated their newfound love to the thundering cascade of the falling water as the sun set. As they lay content in each others arms however, they were startled by the appearance of Hlavka gazing over them from the rock above (see mention of Hlavka in the previous story summaries King Samo, Master of Lepers and The Siege of Oravsky Podzamok, as this tale is really a sequel to her part in those stories). Hlavka slipped down to the rock with them, and when Abel was not receptive to her passionate kiss and would not be quiet, she effortlessly pushed him off the ledge to his death. Embracing Tatyana, the two women spoke until the shouts of men looking for Tatyana disturbed them and Hlavka clambored away on the rocks. Tatyana pretended to have been raped, ripping her frock, and when the men answered her pleas they were stunned to discover Abel's dead body dashed on the rocks below. They took her back to Rabenstein, and bore the lad's body back to Frohnleiten.
In an emergency Council, Tatyana explained that Hlavka had made good on her promise to follow her back to Rabenstein and begged them to dispel the frightening woman. Tatyana relayed her history with the mysterious Czech woman, explaining that Hlavka had touched her in sinful ways. Tatyana further confessed that Hlaka had taught her how to do magic, and produced a leather strap with nine knots tied in it which supposedly prevented her from becoming pregnant (Hlavka had also told Tatyana of another magic that would give her power over men who refused her womanly charms, which involved drinking a foul unction composed of the juice of a toad, hen's blood, and the seed of the man in question). The Magi debated the nature of Hlavka, unsure whether she was spirit, mortal witch, or demon (recall that she had supposedly been stabbed to death at Oravsky Podzamok by her jealous lover, though her body had disappeared and none was certain if she ever really died). Julian suggested that perhaps Hlavka had appeared because Tatyana had performed a sexual act (since her history with the woman was centered upon such behavior), and the girl agreed not to do so again (though how long this naive approach would persist remained in doubt considering her bewitching appearance). Despite her pleas, it seemed the Magi had no means of preventing Hlavka from following Tatyana since whatever connection existed between them was unknown and certainly non-Hermetic in nature.
Finally, the death of young Abel was taken rather poorly in Frohnleiten. While Marshal Hammond and Sir Ladewig leapt to Tatyana's defense, the peasants seemed unconvinced that the lad's death was a simple accident. Rumors and challanges of rape or seduction persisted, and when one old man told a legend he had heard of a deadly creature in Germany that fit Tatyana's description, the villagers leapt upon the story. Thereafter the villagers insisted that the bewitching Tatyana was a Lorelei (a magical woman of a river which lures men to their deaths).
Historical Anecdote: The Lorelei was a nymph of the Rhine river at the Lurlei cliff near Bingen, whose singing supposedly lured sailors to shipwreck upon a rock. Her legend was made famous by the poetry of Clemens Bretano in the early 19th Century.
Cast: Tatyana (Ann Harper), Wolfgang and Erik (Chris Blake), Sean (Patrick Murphy), Piotr (Kendall Miles)
Date - 4/27/97 (65th Session)
...In which a potentially dangerous and contested vis source is discovered
For several years the Magi of Rabenstein harbored an interest in the mystical hot springs of Bad Gleichenberg. Long reputed for the healing properties of its waters, the Magi had learned that its waters had a magical luster, but due to the proximity of the dangerous Raubritter (the robber knights) who frequented the springs and made their home a scant 5 miles away, they had been unable to safely explore the site. In preparation for an expedition there, Magda of Bjornaer - guest of the Covenant of Rabenstein - scouted the region and the home of the Raubritter (castle Kapfenstein) in the form of a wolf during the summer of 1207.
During her many visits to the springs, she had a startling vision of a soldier being pulled under one of its pools and drowned. When she experienced a separate vision the following spring of the very same soldier back near the Covenant grounds, she discussed the matter with a quorum of the Covenant's Magi. From her description of the man, Merento of Bonisagus showed her artifacts of Romans which she verified resembled those of the soldiers in her visions. Clearly the man in her vision had belonged to the Roman garrison here at Grazerkgel (whose ruins the Covenant was built upon). Prodded by this new development related to the mysterious hot springs, an expedition was mounted to investigate.
A small entourage led by Magda and Merento arrived at the springs several days later, situated along the wine-road from Bad Radkersburg to Feldbach at the border with Hungary. At dawn the group clambored up to the rocky springs and began roaming about the many pools and ruins of the Roman baths. Magus Cynric of Ex Miscellanea utilized his spell Lungs of the Fish and began the painstaking task of exploring the narrow water-filled tunnels, finding bone fragments and coins within some crevices. Due to the hot temperature of the water (about 39 Celsius), Cynric had to take many lengthy rests from his pursuit. Late in the day, three riders approached the springs. Other peasants at the pools, who had come to seek the healing powers of its waters, slipped away in fear with the approach of these riders, but the soothing waters had calmed the expedition and its lone guard did not spy the mounted knights until they had reached the springs. Scrambling out of the pools to put their clothes on, the expedition was startled when one of the well-dressed knights dismounted and came to them, calling them the "wizards of the windswept ash," and demanding the annual 'token.' After a confusing parlay, in which Cynric had to prove his wizardly might with a display of flashy magics to the three robber-knights, it became clear that each year a group of wizards came to the pools in the early spring to bestill some manner of beast within the waters and bear away its egg. In return, these wizards granted a token to the robber-knights (who claimed ownership of the springs). Offering them his 'wizard-tempered-sword' as a token, which he claimed had slain the vampire Pisantes of Kalkstein in the distant Tirol (see the previous story The Lottery of Kalkstein), Cynric appeased the three robber-knights who departed contentedly.
From the parlay, it seemed clear that the mysterious "wizards of the windswept ash" were none other than Magi of the Covenant Valcum (refer to its description in the Other Covenants of the Order section for more information about this rival Covenant). Debating what to do next, Cynric decided to attempt to find this magical 'egg' in the waters at once. So under the light of the harvest moon he slipped under the hot water, and after a few minutes, returned with a glistening white egg containing 3 pawns of Creo vis from one of the nearby pools. While the expedition returned to Rabenstein at once, Magda of Bjornaer remained behind in hopes of spying upon the expected arrival of Magi from Valcum. In the shape of a wolf, she haunted the springs for nearly a week before they at last arrived, led by her nemesis Sibiu of Bjornaer. In disgust, Magda watched as the fiends set torches about the pools by night, and slit the throat of an old man they had brought with them. Pushing his body into the water, they waited patiently until a great frothing in the pool occured and dragged the dead body underneath. Magda perceived their growing frustration as the night progressed, speculating that their sacrifice should have been rewarded with the beasts egg. Wary of being seen spying upon them, Magda slipped away before dawn and returned home to Rabenstein to relay what she saw. Having profited by the egg, the Magi were disppointed to realize that in their confusion with the robber-knights, they had boldly announced that they came from Rabenstein, hence Valcum might easily discover their involvement at the springs in the future.
Historical Anecdote - The Robber Knights were a well-documented 13th-century menace to merchants traveling the wine-road from Vienna to southern Styria. Making their home in the castle Kapfenstein just east of Bad Gleichenberg, these unlanded German knights and rebellious former servants of the Duke of Steiermark happily relieved travelers of their possessions or their lives and were the bane of the Duke of Austria for years. They rose to prominence after Emperor Frederick Barbarosa dissolved the Duchy of Styria in 1192 with the death of its heirless lord, and incorporated the land into the possessions of the Babenbergs of Austria.
Cast: Merento (Jason Buss), Magda and Uri (Ann Harper), Cynric and Piotr (Patrick Murphy), Mudimbe and Matthias (by committee)
Date - 5/4/97 (66th Session)
...Mischevious spirits haunt a child and beckon him to an enchanted future
Several years ago, the Magi of Rabenstein journeyed to the Duchy of Carinthia and earned a reputation as holy mystics by unveiling the treacherous murder of a courtier (see the previous story The Picture of Castellan Demel). Consequently several nobles petitioned them for the counsel of their divinations, and in the summer of 1208 a ministeriales named Sir Utrecht von Hallein of the archbishop-prince of Salzburg arrived at the covenant requesting such a task. This aging knight explained that his son was touched by the devil, drawing pictures of satan and conversing with imaginary spirits, and that prayers and holy blessings had not cured the boy. As his only heir, Utrecht feared the archbishop would send the bewitched child off to a monestary rather than allow him to become a ministeriales and thereby end the proud reign of his family as servants of the bishop. Offering the gratitude of his family and tokens of wealth, Utrecht begged the mystics to divine what may be done to heal the boy of these mad afflictions.
Since the knight served the mighty Archbishop (also the master of their own vassal the bishop of Seckau), a small expedition was courteously sent to accompany Sir Utrecht back to his castle to have a look at the child. Arriving at his castle (Moosham in the Mur Valley), the Magi discovered that Sir Utrecht did not have the confidence of the Canon of the wealthy fortress, nor many of its denizens, and that their presence here as 'mystics' was not altogher welcome. In the ladies' chambers for example, Magda learned that many in the castle blamed Sir Utrecht himself for the childs bewitched manner (claiming that he was cursed for pushing his fragile wife too hard to bear him a son, as evidenced by her two miscarriages and her ultimate death during the delivery of his boy Gregor). Upon meeting the exuberant 10-year old child Gregor, they determined that his drawings and tales suggested the presence of Celtic deities. Gregor claimed that two creatures named Sulas and Akinos, only visible to himself, would often visit him at the castle, and that they had promised to take him to their master Nantosuelta who would teach him how to become a great warrior.
Learning that the two creatures either climbed out of the castle well, visited him in the chancery, or down by the river at dawn, the Magi explored the chancery in the night and discovered much to their suprise a woodcarving by the illustrious late Basil (whose works often bore a magical luster, as described in the previous story The Picture of Castellan Demel). Wicked, ugly dwarfs (Sulas and Akinos) soon appeared in the chancery and spoke with Magda, demanding that they leave the boy alone for he belonged to them. Then the beasts climbed within the carving and vanished.
Uncertain that they could prevent the boys submission to the Celtic spirits, they met with the castle's Canon, Himmler, and recommened that the child be sent away from Moosham. Though they angered his father Utrecht by proposing his sons admission to a religious order, they pleased Canon Himmler since he had already decided to send the child to the monastery of Klosterneuberg to gain spiritual guidance. Brother Meshach in particular made a pleasing impression on the Canon, and pursued making arrangements to acquire the magical woodcarving in the future. After Utrecht cursed them for siding with the canon, the expedition ingeniously acquired a lock of the child's hair and departed for home, content to have befriended the Canon and glad to be rid of the affair. En route, they paused in the nearby village of Tamsweg to witness the parade of St. John, an ancient local custom whose practice predated the introduction of Christianity. Much to their surprise, they discovered numerous wooden bowls with Celtic designs among the townsfolk (just like those that kept turning up at Rabenstein). Further, Magda observed that a stuffed 'dummy' in the parade representing the Biblical Sampson was flanked by two grotesque stuffed dwarfs, whose faces resembled those of Sulas and Akinos. Clearly this region (the Lungau valley of Austria) had been the domain of the two spirits and their Celtic master (represented by the Sampson dummy bearing a spear) for a long time.
Historical Anecdote - Moosham Castle became notorious in the 16th and 17th centuries for its numerous trials of witches, sorcerers, beggars, and other miscreants. Most persons so-charged were summarily executed in the castles courtyard by order of the Archbishop (the site is a popular albeit morbid tourist spot today as a result).
Cast: Magda (Ann Harper), Brother Meshach (Patrick Murphy), Julian (Kendall Miles)
Date - 5/11/97 (67th Session)
...Political turmoil abroad disturbs the tranquility of the Covenant
In the summer of 1208 the German civil war came abruptly to an end with the treacherous assassination of the Imperial candidate Duke Philip of Swabia, leaving the Papist monarch Otto IV as the unchallanged ruler of the Empire. As news of Philip's murder spread across the land, pro-Imperialists (Waiblingen) lashed out in rage, burning Benedictine estates, murdering the Papal legate in Regensburg, and assailing many ecclesiastical leaders in a fit of vengeance. This story relays what transpired as the bitter news reached Rabenstein and the Duchy of Steiermark...
Late one afternoon in the summer of 1208 a simple beggar arrived at the Covenant demanding to be let inside and insisting that he was Canon Gesebert of Seckau (the effective liege of the Covenant Rabenstein in the absence of the Bishop of Seckau)! Despite the taunts of dubious sentries the nervous man spoke the truth, and once his identity was revealed he was quickly let inside the Covenant. In a panic Gesebert explained that he had barely escaped from Graz with his life, pursued by knights and having hidden in a nearby barn to save himself. Apparantly angry ministeriales of the Castellan of Graz had berated him for the death of Philip, and Gesebert had done little to quell their anger by insisting that Philip was damned to Hell and they should rejoice for the victory of the Pope. The nobles hurled blasphemous insults at the Canon, smashing furniture within the cathedral, and when tensions escalated Gesebert fled for Seckau with his knights. South of Rabenstein they were overtaken by knights of Graz and a melee ensued over the life of the Canon (the overzealous knights had defiantly called their own crusade against the canon to have their revenge). As they fought, Gesebert slipped away and hid until a farmer helped him escape to Rabenstein. The Canon's sanctuary within Rabenstein proved tenuous at best, as the Mmagus Julian of Jerbiton, Lady Enelle von Braunschweig (the Autocrat), and a host of guards were all staunch Waiblingen (Imperialists). They took news of Philip's assassination quite poorly. Hence when two knights from Graz arrived this night looking for the 'devil's agent' (Gesebert), there were many cries among the covenfolk to hand him over to the knights to satisfy their vengeance. Common sense finally prevailed, and the Ritter were sent away without their prize, earning the emnity of the Waiblingen of Graz.
The next day, Gesebert asked to be escorted back to Seckau lest it fall under attack. Despite their protests that he remain in hiding there until tensions subsided, they submitted to his demand since he was their liege. So before dawn, the Miles Erik slipped away with the Canon and three socii to reach Seckau. On the road west of Leoben, they were confronted by three knights. When they refused to surrender the Canon to them, a battle ensued. Though Erik, Ouén, and Bjorin were severely wounded by the mounted knights, their cruel crossbows felled two of the knights (killing one of them) and driving away the third (the knight that escaped called them all cowards for shooting both his horse and his comrade in the back with their bows). When the Canon tried to tend to the wounds of Bjorin the socius' weak heart gave out, and Bjorin died as Gesebert gave him the last rites. Too wounded to continue, Ouén remained in the field as Sean went to the nearby monastery of Goss for help and blood-stained Erik escorted the Canon on foot to sanctuary within the Abbey of Seckau. Though the hostile climate subsided in the coming months, the death of Bjorin left a bitter taste among the folk of Rabenstein, and the death of the knight created new enemies. Indeed, several weeks later Knights from Ehrenhausen and Graz arrived to petition for the forfeit of those responsible for the murder and maiming of their comrade.
Historical Anecdote - Waiblingen are also referred to as 'Ghibelines,' and refer to those nobles who support the claims of the German emperors against the Papacy, a faction led by the Hohenstaufens of Bavaria. The Pope and those who supported his sovereignty were known as Gwelfs (or 'Guelph').
Cast: Sean and Cynric (Patrick Murphy), Bjorin (Ann Harper), Julian and Ouén (Kendall Miles), Erik von Malmö (Chris Blake)
Date - 5/18/97 (68th Session)
...A search for missing village children leads to a mighty giant in the Alps
Late in the summer Marshall Hammond arrived at the Covenant and explained that Rabenstein's reputation had been suffering of late among the villagers of Frohnleiten. In particular, two village children were missing. Coupled with the disappearance of another child the previous year (see the story summary Menan the Witch) and the Cvenant's harboring of the bewitched Tatyana (see the story summary Lorelei of the Schützklamm Falls), the villagers were quick to suspect the involvement of the sorcerers of Rabenstein in the absence of their kinder. Attempting to display some compassion and perhaps solve the enigma of the childrens disappearance (with the purpose of changing the villagers view of Rabenstein), Lady Enelle led a band of coven-members to Frohnleiten to unravel the mystery. After hearing tales of strange tracks in the sheep field and other half-cocked rumors, Cynric gleaned from an arcane connection that the children were alive and somewhere to the west across the Stubalpen. Determined to retrieve the children and restore the good name of Rabenstein among their neighbors in Frohnleiten, an expedition was immediately mounted to find them.
Several days later and high in the Stubalpen, the band of socii (led by Magda of Bjornaer and Lassitor of Criamon) were startled by the appearance of a talking hare. Claiming to be an ambassador from His Excellency the King of the Moon, the rabbit explained that with their heavy boots they had caused harm to many of his kin and their underground homes. As humble servants of the King of the Moon, the hare (named 'Long-ears') demanded that the good mountain folk should pay him tribute so as to placate the King. Wary of creating enemies, they offered the rabbit some ale, and ultimately agreed to deliver 8 casks of vegetables and oats.
Continuing their quest for the children, the windswept expedition spied distant smoke from a nearby peak and determined to make their way there. Passing through a field of silvery-white mountain poppies, they came upon a cottage of stone beyond a lush green field of grazing sheep. As they approached the hut, they began to realize its magnificent size, with a grand door over 12 feet tall! Indeed they had stumbled upon the home of the giant Gilbert (a local legend known to a few of the folk from Rabenstein). Peering within the window Piotr spied the missing children inside, but slipped from the window and disturbed the hulking Gilbert from his dinner, causing the giant to rush outside, certain that thieves were at hand. Although Lassitor was able to convince Gilbert that they were not thieves, he steadily angered the giant as they spoke. Lassitor refused to accept Gilbert's claim that the missing children were now his (to serve as shepherds), and when Piotr dashed off with the children Gilbert's temper flared and a fierce melee ensued. The mighty Gilbert was miraculously slain by Erik, Lassitor, and Sean, but not before Vaclav was killed and the Miles Erik was banished to the moon by one of Gilbert's rhymes during the battle.
Whilst the battle raged, Magda captured a decrepit falcon within the cottage, and they learned of Eriks fate from the magical fowl, who begged to be freed. In exchange for the birds promise to fly to the moon to beseech its King for Erik's release. they freed the falcon. From the bird they also learned that Gilbert was the son of the Man in the Moon, and that one of Gilbert's rhymes had ensnared them within this regio until the waxing of the moon. Staying within the cottage as they awaited the new moon, the Magi gathered some of Gilbert's cabbages and magical kindling (which harbored Creo vis). When they arrived home, they discovered that Piotr had already returned with the children and safely delivered them to their parents in Frohnleiten. Though some villagers still suspected that Rabenstein had kidnapped them all along, Piotr's tale of the giant was shown to be true when the returning Magi displayed Gilbert's giant, severed hands to the peasants.
Cultural Anecdote - Medieval Christian folk tales often describe how sabbath-breakers are banished to the moon for eternity as punishment for their sin. The most common myth involves a husband gathering faggots and a wife churning butter, who are exiled to the moon for toiling upon Sunday. The sad pair are visible as dark spots upon the moon.
Cast: Sean and Cynric (Patrick Murphy), Magda and Vaclav (Ann Harper), Piotr and Lady Enelle (Blythe Newton), Erik von Malmö and Lassitor (Chris Blake)
Date - 6/1/97 (70th Session)
...A visiting Magus alludes to a sinister plot within the Order of Hermes
In the autumn of 1208 news came to the Covenant that Marshall Hammond of Frohnleiten had been absent for several weeks, apparantly having traveled eastward in the company of a lovely noble lady named Piroska and a mysterious man named Imré. During his absence, the Magus Stefanaeus of Tytalus (from Valcum Covenant) arrived with an expedition to negotiate tranquility among their two Covenants. As the Magi drank wine, Stefanaeus spoke at length of future consternation within the Order, and when the Magi of Rabenstein asked if he knew anything of Imré or Piroska, he went on to imply that the two were agents of the Quaesitori. Though he refused to explain the source of his information, Stefanaeus insinuated that they belonged to a faction within House Guernicus that sought to dominate the Order and would attempt to reshape it according to their own vision within their lifetime. He elaborated that Piroska was known to him, and had probably abducted Hammond due to his ties to the Rabenstein (and due to the Covenant's rapid growth), and that Imré would use magic to probe his mind and discern the secrets of the Covenant (he further projected that Hammond would be returned unharmed if the Covenant had nothing to hide). Stefanaeus warned the Magi not to go to the Quaesitori or other Magi with this knowledge, lest they imperil their safety, but rather to carefully watch for the sinister machinations of these powerful agents of the Order in the coming years. Though Cynric and Julian were somewhat receptive to the Magus, despite their concensus that he not be trusted, Merento was less agreeable and was defeated in Certámen by the Tytalus over trading vis.
As Stefanaeus had predicted, Sir Hammond returned unmolested several days later. When he proved unable to adequately describe his absence in detail (other than to claim he had escorted the lady Piroska to the castle Lockenhaus in the Burgenland), the Magi utilized a spell within their library to probe his mind (Sense of the Lingering Magic with a Mentem casting requisite). This revealed that active magics were affecting the Marshal's mind, probably Hermetic in nature and affecting his memory of recent events (and seeming to support the claims of Stefanaeus).
Cultural Anecdote - Hungarian Bulls Blood wine (see previous tale The Path of St. Michael) was presented as a gift from Stefanaeus to the magi of Rabenstein. Patrick was kind enough to purchase in imported bottle of 1992 vintage Bulls Blood that we all shared throughout the evening.
Cast: Cynric and Piotr (Patrick Murphy), Julian and Matthias (Kendall Miles), Merento (Jason Buss)
Date - 6/8, 6/15/97 (71st and 72nd Sessions)
...A thirst for vengeance and a heroic rescue attempt lures an expedition into the land of spirits
While walking down the forest path to Frohnleiten for Sunday Mass, a group of socii from Rabenstein was startled to come across a group of flittering butterflies (quite strange since it was late November). When told of the news the Magi speculated about their associations with faeries (particularly cupids and pixies). But Lassitor of Criamon speculated that their appearance was symbolic of the stages of human life, and perhaps an omen of passage into the otherworld.
Several days later, the soldier Lazsló had a mysterious encounter along the same trail (a bit closer to the Covenant), nearly trampling a gnarled old man who spoke to him in strange riddles. Lazsló gleaned that the man was the shaman of an ancient tribe, but when he tried to follow him into the woods the old man vanished. Though covenfolk scoured the trail for signs of the man or magical effects, they could find none. Then a few days later, Lazsló had a vivid dream in which the same old man strode up and sat stoicly before the Covenant, ignoring his pleas to speak. After hearing his tales, Lassitor argued that coupled with the appearance of the butterflies they foreboded the return of the spiritual warrior Celts from Gosseck mountain (see the previous story Mist of the Ancients, since this tale is entirely based upon that previous event).
On the anniversary of the sinister mist's appearance at Rabenstein (December 1st), rumors swept through the fortress about evil ghosts, and the covenfolk rested in anticipation of the mist's possible return that night. As the sun set, a flock of honking geese flew overhead heading south, suggesting even more evidence of an impending calamity (Merento explained that when the Gauls had tried to storm Rome, vigilant geese sounded the alarm, warning of the approaching army). After dark the sentries nervously awaited as the forest trees began to sway and clatter in the breeze, and soon the ominous sounds of galloping horses were heard in the night air. A thick mist boiled and spun through the woods and into the Covenant, and as the alarm was raised the ghostly forms of mounted barbarians began to congeal within the courtyard (Lazsló the Hun recognized the warriors as the fierce Boii clan from the ancient past). Panic-stricken, some of the socii were struck down by the naked warriors as they ran for shelter. Several Magi dispersed the mist as best they could with violent winds, but 'ere the covenfolk could retreat to safety many of them were cut down. In horror the survivors watched as the decapitated heads of their comrades sergeant Bertoul, Gelvin, Hans the cook, Willibrond, and Peter were born away on hoisted sticks with the receding fog. The magnitude of this massacre became clear with first light, and an emergency Council was conveened to discuss the dilemna (note that the spirits had not physically slain anyone in the battle; rather the Celtic ghosts had forcibly torn the spirits of their victims from their corporal bodies, leaving mindless husks behind).
Determined to rescue their friends before the separation of their minds and bodies became permanent, the mightiest expedition the Covenant could muster rallied forth in search of the Celt warrior's camp to bargain for the return of their friend's spirits (if this was possible cautioned Julian). Postulating that the camp of the spirit warriors lay within either a faerie regio or the spirit realm, Lassitor led the expedition to nearby Gosseck mountain north of Leoben (for here Lassitor had once discovered what he believed to be an entrance to the realm of the Celts at a yew tree on this mountainside). But the group had difficulty finding the tree, and when they finally discerned its location it did not possess the hexenschlinge Lassitor distinctly recalled. Unable to force their way within the regio, the frustrated troupe took Lazsló's advice and decided to attempt to invoke the appearance of the Celts by finding one of their sacred stones and performing a shamanistic ritual. Setting off in search of such a sacred stone, they learned from peasants in nearby Hafning of an evil stone called the Devil's Arrow not far from Gosseck. Following Lazsló's instructions, they set camp by the stone, sacrificing a pig and boiling its flesh within a cauldron by moonlight. Not long thereafter, the old man from Lazsló's visions strode up the trail to their camp and greeted them. Introducing himself as Carnethen, the man accepted their food and drink and then asked to hear their words. Scoffing at their suggestion of a combat between the champions of their tribes, Carnethen boasted that his warriors were celebrating their great victory, and would not rest until their vengeance was satisfied and the heads of the entire clan at Rabenstein were taken in battle. However, the man seemed appeased by their honorable request to find a means to end the feud between their two clans, and offered for them to be welcomed at the camp of his tribe to discuss it further. Instructing them to follow the signs to his encampment, the old man departed. The next day, a sad old stag was spied within the forest, and the troupe followed its movements back towards Gosseck where they discovered a footpath towards the summit. Climbing the peak as the sun set, the troupe smelled smoke and burnt roast, ascending to a wooden hilltop fort where they were honored by a host of many dozen Celtic warriors with a bountious feast of pork and wine.
After the feast, Carnethen revealed that the warriors were impressed with the mighty conjurations of the Magi of Rabenstein. Hearing the demands of the Magi for the return of their friend's severed heads, the Celts offered to grant this request if they would agree to lend their magical powers to assist them in hunting the elusive King of Boars. Although they had no wish to earn a new enemy (potentially a faerie lord of some kind), the Magi saw little promise in winning a direct challenge to the tribe, so they decided to accept the offer and join the hunt. The next day they awoke and joined 8 Boii warriors in their quest to slay the mighty White Tusk, King of the Boars. Dipping their weapons in yew seeds to coat them with poison, the group hiked westward down the mountain and used their sorcery to hide their scents and improve the vision of the Boii leader Llewellyn. Down in the valley they discovered boar tracks by the riverbank and Magda of Bjornaer picked up their scent, leading them to one of White Tusk's servants, Silver Bristle. Pursuing Silver Bristle, the hunting party encountered two mighty boar in the woods and slew them in a vociferous combat (though two celts were also felled). A heavy snowfall slowed the party's progress the next day, but utilizing magic to clear a path through the snow-laden bog the Magi led the group over a mountain ridge into a wonderous land of summer, with strange purple-leaved oak trees and hazel trees bearing mysterious yellow nuts. Falling upon the grazing orcs in this bountiful valley, they slew all but three of the beasts, which fled by swimming across a lake to an island. The hunting party then swam across the blue lake and trapped the beasts on the island, where they fought a terrific battle. In the fray, Uri and all but one of the Celts were slain by the boar king, while both Lazsló and Ewald lay near death (further, two of the Magi sustained injuries). Returning to the Boii camp with their severely wounded comrades, the hunters delivered the body of White Tusk the boar king to the celts and were praised with song and feast for their deeds. Seizing the comb and shears of White Tusk, Carnethen proclaimed that they were to be used to give their king a haircut and shave as they had promised long ago. Keeping their word, the Celts bestowed them with the severed heads of their comrades, and placing them within separate sacks the group departed the mountain regio (following the directions of Carnethen) for their mortal home.
Cultural Anecdote - A boar hunt is common to many Celtic traditional tales. The Celtic word for boar, orc, was later appropriated by the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien. Needless to say, use of the term 'orc' in this story startled many of the players, who had grown accustomed to the historically accurate ambience of the saga.
Cast: Magda (Ann Harper), Cynric (Patrick Murphy), Lazsló, Bertoul, and Julian (Kendall Miles), Lassitor and Uri (Chris Blake), Host of Covenfolk (everyone)
This page last modified on 11/5/97.
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