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Autumn 1220 |  |
| Calendar for 1220 | This is the Vilicus' personal view. |
Autumn Equinox, Tuesday September the 15th:
With the change in season comes a change in the Magi's activities. Now,
it seems, it must be that our Maga Iuris Perita must go in search of things to satisfy the
other Magi; and so, we must equip Grogs to accompany and protect her, which
is to say that I must organise them so.
Friday September the 18th:
Maga Iuris Perita has been researching, with what books the Covenant possesses,
and has announced that she will go forth and seek word of magical places from
the old and wise among the local peoples. They have gone to Quintin, to stay
with the Merchant Bertrand.
Tuesday September the 22nd:
The party returned from Quintin, merry, and with strange tales of Fairy Stones,
Hanged Men, local Saints, and a small pig.
As a result, Gilles Tregon has been sent to seek out the Coray family, who have
a smallholding in the woods, to talk to Granny Mai. I am not sure how the logic
follows from the small pig, to the old lady, but the Maga seemed sure of herself.
Thursday September the 24th:
Gilles returned with fanciful
stories of the Forest of Brocéliande, and the Magus Merlinus, and the Roi
Artur and Damosel du lac; of tales of St. Brieuc and that area; and of the Forêt
de Quénécan and its lake. Of these our Maga has selected the city of St. Brieuc
as an area to investigate: a choice I feel wise, as the others sounded too much
like places of the High Fae.
Monday September the 28th:
Iuris Perita has taken her shield Grog (I think this time Donal of the twins,
while Duncan remains, but I find it hard to tell them apart), Gilles Tregon
to interpret for them, and others to make battle, I presume, for they set out
to conquer and return with treasure.
Saturday October the 3rd:
Iuris Perita has returned late this afternoon, and retired to her quarters.
Gilles tells me that they met disaster, in the form of some hideous monster
in a Dark, Dank Tower, on a headland without St. Brieuc. Donal
McTavish has been killed: he died a hideous death, wrecked and tormented
by the monstrous spirit, so that his very flesh shrivelled away from his bones.
Caspar is sore wounded: Zacharias has been left to hire a cart in St. Brieuc
to bring Caspar and poor Donal back to the Covenant.
La Doctora Jimena is attending to wounded: she would set forth to meet Caspar and Zacharias, for Caspar is sore wounded and cannot walk, but she must needs tend those already here, and the cart will arrive two days hence, they say.
Sunday October the 4th
I again lost my temper with the newer Grogs. The useless child Margaret MacErc
will do no useful work, insisting she is better than the others. When Cook instructs
her that she must, and that there is no argument to it, that arrogant brother
of hers shows up again to insist that she is Noble, he says, and must be treated
properly. They are neither of them Noble, or I am a Magus!
Angus stormed off after I called him; and I heard later than the pair took themselves
off on the path North from the Covenant, and good riddance I say!
The Magi had to be told of course, and were concerned more about theft of Covenant property. But, it seems the pair left almost bare-handed, with nought but their own. Still, Magus Speculor was heard declaiming that they had stolen themselves: to wit, two Grogs, property of Saxum Caribetum, but fortunately the more level-headed of the Magi dissuaded him from pursuit.
Monday October the 5th:
Zacharias drove in, looking well himself, but Caspar pale and drawn. Donal will
be buried as soon as possible: Brother Joseph will say prayers for the dead
over him. Zacharias reports that they met Duncan McTavish on the road, and that
although he stopped to converse, he would not tarry, but continued on - they
thought heading to St. Brieuc and perhaps the Tower. He talked of Revenge.
Iuris Perita has ordered Elli, Frances and her maid Pernelle to pursue her Shield grog, and to return him. She is much more attached to him than to that dreadful Angus, and rightly so. Why the maid must go, I know not, but such are the ways of Magi that we do not question them.
Saturday October the 10th:
Iuris Perita is deemed healed by our lady Jimena, who is most strict: even the
Magi take heed when she confines them to rest and recovery. Her powers of persuasion
and logic defeat their Magic - for without the Magic they call Corpus Vís, they
cannot heal themselves by Magic alone, and must rely on her more Mundane magics.
Sunday October the 11th:
They will not let this cursed Tower defeat them.
This time two Magi, no less: Iuris Perita and Speranda, have set off with Julio,
Ignatio and brave Zacharias. They would take more, but the Centurion stood up
for the men, and stated boldly that we had too few Grogs left to keep watch
if they took more!
Monday October the 12th:
Lady Marta has sent word that she has been approached by Angus MacErc, who seeks
to enter her service: can we provide references for him?
Friday October the 16th:
Victory!
The Magi returned with news that they had defeated the Evil Spirit, and with
Treasures (or so they assured me). They brought several sacks of ancient bones, each
skeleton placed into its own sack, distinct from the others; and the rusty traces
of an old sword, so far
gone that it must be wrapped in linen and supported on a board.
And, too, they brought some real treasure: gems and gold from chests they found
buried, and pewter vessels (though they are good for nought but their scrap
value).
The Grogs told tales of the Magical battle against the Ghost, and how they bravely rushed into the Pit, while the Magi threw spells at the Fiend: thus so they deprived it of its power, and its magics, and it faded to nothing, defeated by Right.
Saturday October the 17th:
Lady Marta has accepted Angus MacErc, and has sent us one Alain, called "le Guerrier",
who is assured as having a fearsome reputation as a killer of Bandits and Wild beats.
Lady Marta tells us she is certain he will "fit in perfectly" at the Covenant.
Thursday October the 22nd:
I had thought peace might settle since they had what they sought, but: oh, no!
They must needs make another expedition soonest, lest Iuris Perita be thought
a slacker in her season of service.
Saturday October the 24th:
I am told that on this day, Mme Pernelle, acting on behalf of Maga Iuris Perita,
found some long-sought Masons for the Covenant. The spice Merchant Julien, of
St. Brieuc, had good contacts, and introduced her to the Ruan family, originally from
across the sea, from Cornwall, but who for some years have been working on the
Cathédrale de Chartres, so they have a good background. Their experience should
particularly suit our Magus Joach.
Tuesday November the 3rd:
The Maga's party have returned home with Stone Masons.
The Ruan family showed their ability to fit in, by working with Iuris Perita
and her magics, to repair the damage to the Tour de Cesson. I am given to understand
that, while Maga Speranda had cast powerful magics to sustain and hold the stonework
despite the tunnel through the walls, her spells would not last long term. The
Ruans were expected to work with Mutated stone, and with magical portation:
they appear to have accepted this and seem to be settling in.
Wednesday November the 4th:
Having rested overnight, the Maga and her party immediately departed, leaving
me to worry over her health, rushing off so in this weather.
The Masons are to settle in then start work on our badly needed stonework. I am now given to understand that the Magi have decided that they are become wealthy: the rusting "treasure" they dug out from the Tower is to be used to pay cash wages to the Masons - who expect real rewards, more than the privilege of living with Magi.
Saturday November the 14th:
They have returned to the Covenant, bringing rain with them... very peculiar rain,
which stops at the boundary of the Ægis. I understand from Gilles Tregon, that
Zane described the rain cloud as if it were an animate creature, though he used
colourful euphemisms for the creation of rain.
Monday November the 30th:
The rain has not let up, falling continuously all day and night since it arrived.
The ditch dug by the Grogs is holding up, and channelling the rain downslope,
and around our dwellings. Patrols report that it extends some quarter to half
a mile from the Covenant centre, stopping almost as abruptly as it begins at
our local boundary. It is fortunate that the locals rarely come this way, or
they would surely observe this and bring untoward attention upon us.
The Magi have been out to study the phenomenon, but not even their magics can dispel it, although fortunately for my old bones, it still remains outside our Ægis. The Magi, having conferred, have pronounced that the rain will continue until the next Full Moon, predicted for December the 11th. They speak of Elemental Magics and other strangenesses: it seems the rain is but a spell, left by the animate creature seen by Zane (who was quite accurate in his description, after all).
Friday December the 11th:
Full Moon, and the rain has ceased.
It is cold and damp, and it will be many weeks before the Forest dries out. We can also expect Mundane rain to visit us, and so further delay the drying.
Midwinter's Day, Monday December the 14th:
The Magi have been anticipating this day with some excitement, so I will begin start the new volume of my journal with today's entry.
Up to the diary link page, back to Summer, or on to Winter.
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