The Seer of Cad Gadu: Following the advice of Whitburh, Hygwald decides to pay a visit to Immanola, prima of House Ex Miscellanea, firstly to see if she had the dream, secondly because of her famed prophetic powers, and thirdly because a dream wizard called Euan is contactable through Cad Gadu. After long discussions, Hachim decides to accompany Hygwald, but the route is not altogether decided. Having agreed to make use of a Hermes Portal to Blackthorn, Hygwald is keen to head first to Seven Sisters, to purchase some horses (this covenant is famed for breeding horses that will accept Gifted riders). Hachim disagrees with the necessity for this, and decides instead to head straight for Cad Gadu. It is anticipated that Hygwald on horseback will be able to catch up with Hachim on foot.
Richard Caespuus takes them (along with Aelric) to a Hermes Portal from an inn in Edinburgh called the Red Rooster to Blackthorn. There they find they are trapped in a room, and they find they have to negotiate with Prelum (Hygwald's old adversary) to free themselves. They are forced to sign an agreement to pay Blackthorn a total of 9 pawns of vis for the privilege of using the Hermes Portal. They are put up for the night (in rather squalid quarters), and leave the covenant first thing in the morning.
Hygwald travels alone to Seven Sisters in the White Horse Vale. There he speaks with Sigebryht Ex Miscellanea, a very down-to-earth man who seems more like a farmer than a magus. They negotiate that, for two of their fine riding horses, in addition to the 10 pawns of Muto vis offered, Vidua Vasta will owe two seasons of work at light risk, but they will not request this until after the next tribunal. Hygwald comes away with a sedate dapple mare called Fluvia and a more sprightly roan gelding by the name of Caletos. He catches up with Hachim and Aelric about two days south from Cad Gadu.
The lake upon which Cad Gadu's island is found sits in a shallow bowl-shaped valley, filled with thick forest. Upon penetrating this forest, the mai are accosted by a band of wild-men, wearing animal skins and carrying clubs. They appear to speak no language, but eventually it is made clear that the group wants to go to Cad Gadu, and they are shown the way. A jetty sticks out onto the lake and a bell summons Owen, the guide. He refuses to let them onto the island - this is strictly by direct invitation of one of the magi there. After trying many things to attract the attention of Cad Gadu, Hachim eventually has the bright idea of writing a letter to one of the magi. Owen suggests Culhwch Priest-Baiter, and Hygwald writes a polite letter. Two days later, Owen returns to ferry them across. When they get to the island, Owen has difficulty getting the magi through the regio boundaries. He keeps disappearing into the next level, leaving them behind. After several tries (including one with all of the characters' clothing inside out), he gives up and suggests that they try again tomorrow. This they do, with success. The covenant consists of two long houses either side of a forked path. The path leads on up into higher levels of the regio, into which Owen travels to inform Culhwch that his 'guests' have arrived. The characters are left with Cad Gadu's strange covenfolk, and after five days of waiting, Hygwald is getting very impatient. He decides to follow Owen up the left hand path. Here he finds a narrow ridge, with many paths leading off it into caves. There seem to be hundreds of caves, some of which bearing a sanctum mark. Quickly realising he could get lost easily, Hygwald retreats and tries the other fork. Passing through the trilithion he finds himself in a bewildering series of locations - a tiny island, a deep pit, a grove in a forest, a flower meadow, etc. He spends a very uncomfortable night perched on a mountain ledge, and wanders for the rest of the following day before finally finding his way out.
Culhwch turns up two days later. He is a tall magus with one eye, and accepts that the magi need to talk with Immanola. He takes them though the right hand trilithion (Hygwald following with a certain trepidation), into a forest glade, in which sits a hut. Within the hut is what the characters first take to be a pile of rags; but in reality it is Immanola, wearing the Robes of Dusky Dawn. She mumbles some incomprehensible drivel once they pass her a pan of vis. Dissatisfied, Hygwald and Hachim leave her. However, they are followed out of the regio by Immanola's former apprentice Findabhair, an incredibly attractive young woman. She has been recording her mater's ramblings for the past three years, and is prepared to loan her book of prophecies to Hachim in return for a night alone with him - she wants to conceive a Gifted child. Hachim agrees, on the understanding that she comes to Vidua Vasta to conceive a second child, which will belong to him. After completing their transaction, the two magi leave Cad Gadu.
Culhwch told them that Euan Bonisagi, the specialist on dreams, could be found on Lundy Island. Fortunately for Hygwald and Hachim, this is not a major detour for them. Having purchased passage to the island, they find a deserted sanctum. Wisps of smoke rise from a gap in the floor, which turn out to be Imaginem vis. Hygwald decides to find out where this vis is coming from, and uses a large number of Perdo Terram spells to destroy the floor to the cave, creating a pit over 120' deep. In the process, he managed to destroy the vis source. Nothing was learned about the whereabouts of Euan.
At the beginning of the season, the reins of disceptator pass from Hygwald to Hachim, as per the charter. In addition, the magi must vote as to who will be assuming which executive posts on the council for the next seven years. Hygwald tries to pursuade Lucas and Julia to remove Hachim from control over the vis, as he secretly coverts this position himself; however, his politicking only serves to ensure that Hachim is re-elected as Magister Mortis. The posts of Magister Fratres and Magister Valetudinis are combined into the former following the loss of Eric Ribecus, and Lucas retains that position. Julia and Hygwald now swap positions, with Hygwald becoming in charge of the covenant's artifacts and library, and Julia taking over fiduciary control. At the same meeting, Julia announces her intent to travel to Durenmar in the Autumn, to attend a meeting of her House. She cannot anticipate how long she will be away, but will visit Harco on the way and speak to Pipio; to discover what he knows about dreams. Fortunately the covenant has a competant autocrat, Francis, and it will be in safe hands financially during her absence.
Richard arrives with 6 pawns of Creo vis from Lombard, and Hygwald asks him to get Mazain to take 9 pawns of Herbam vis to Blackthorn, as per their arrangement. Lucas declares his interest for Having Drusilla as his apprentice. Hygwald proposes that they fight a certamen over this. If Lucas wins, Drusilla will be his apprentice. If Hygwald wins, Drusilla is still Lucas's apprentice, but he has to pay 10 pawns of vis for the privilege. Lucas accepts, and loses.
The covenant council decides to spend some more of its silver reserves repairing the covenant. The roof of Hygwald's sanctum is made leak-proof once more, improving its quality, and the main barracks and courtyard are strengthened with good quality stone and arrow slits, increasing their defensibility.
Hygwald returns to Coquet island at midsuimmer armed with his new spell (Piercing the Faerie Veil), and Halfgrim, along with Grim to keep him under control. While Grim restrained his brother, Hygwald collected the vis, and then cast his spell to enter the faerie's realm and offer her surcease. Unfortunately Hygwald had experimented when he created the spell; and, overwhelmed by his desire to be with the woman, unwittingly introduced a fatal flaw into it. The regio turned inside out, depositing the faerie and her cottage onto the mundane hill. Her anger was mitigated somewhat by Hygwald's heartfelt plea to help her with whatever he could to allieviate her sorrow. Llawen (for that was her name) told him that the village priest had chopped down two trees (who were her sons) to make his church, and that was what caused her sorrow. Hygwald, Grim and Halfgrim went directly to the village. Disguising himself as a bishop, Hygwald declared to the villagers that this was an evil place, and that they must leave. The Danish brothers rounded up the twenty or so souls of the village, and helped thm on their way. When the priest protested, Hygwald killed him with his sword, and used Perdo Herbam magics to cause the church to collapse. They left the wreckage of the village as the sun rose.
[Hachim, Lucas, Scrob off to Loch Lomond to examine the stones]
Julia sets out for Durenmar, taking Luc-Paul with her. She is accompanied for at least some of the way by Hygwald and Lucas, who are on their way to Lapis Crudus in the Normandy Tribunal, along with the Griffin, who has decided to come with them. They head for Orleans, spend the night there, then plan to leave the next morning to reach Lapis Crudus before sunset. Orleans is in an uproar at the moment, apparently the Duke has been murdered and rumours are flying about the identity of his killer. Keen not to get involved, the caterva leave Orleans early in the morning. Lapis Crudus is located amongst some immense boulders of red sandstone which rise from the surrounding forest. The covenant itself is a small fort cunningly hidden amongst the boulders, and the well-trained grogs greet the magi politely and admit them to the covenant. Unfortunately, Dormitor of Jerbiton is missing from the covenant. He disappeared about a year ago, and has not been seen since, but according to his sodales, this is not an unusual occurance, and they have no reason to fear for his safety. Frustrated at being unable to find yet another dream wizard, Hygwald returns to Northumbria in disgust.
Eric's Return: Near to the end of the autumn, Vidua Vasta gets a visitor from Clan MacKar. She is interested to know what their attitudes towards Eric are; when they declare that they are still his friends, the exiled magus himself puts in an appearance. A problem has cropped up in Glascarnoch that only Vidua Vasta can help him with. The infant son of Kate Beogart and Dhugal MacKar has been stolen, and each clan is accusing the other of the kidnap. Eric suspects it was actually the fae that live in The Bleaks, but can't investigate on his own, because he turns partially into a goose everytime he enters a faerie aura (a consequence of Summer 1230). Hygwald, Lucas and Aethelbald accompany him back to Glascarnoch, where they take the wooden similacrum that the faeries left in Aonghus MacKar's bed into the Bleaks, then into a faerie regio. They find themselves in a swamp haunted by huge spiders, and encounter an old woman with a fox-head who tells them a prophecy regarding the fate of the child; that he will be Lord Helvennian returned, but will overthrow the Boar-King of this realm. The old woman convinces Lucas to bed her, and her beauty is restored (although this proves to be an illusion). From the witch's hut they travel into the autumn-realm of Helvennian. Here they find a sarcophagus of the dead faerie lord, and his sole remaining servant, who utters a similar prophecy about the missing child, but about how he will kill Prince Lofanneth who has usurped the Boar-king's authority. The servitor is convinced that the Wolf-Prince Lofanneth has captured the child to prevent this. While in this realm, the log which had been placed in the child's bed as a changeling comes to life and tries to escape from its 'captors'.
The caterva decide to press on to the Summer-realm of the Boar King Garambar. This is overrun with the beastmen (who they now know to be Lofanneth's servants). Despite being outnumbered, Aethelbald orders an attack, and in the ensuring melee, Aelric is killed and the characters are forced to retreat. Knowing their peenchant for human flesh, Aethelbald is insistant that Aelric's body is retrieved, but instead Lucas destroys it with a spell. The characters manage to release a captive of the beastmen, who turns out to be the oracle of the Boar King. He also knows a version of the prophecy, which says that the child must spend time in Helvennian's tomb.
The characters now have three prophecies, each with mutually contradictory information. They decide to act upon the one that they haven't investigated - the winter-realm of Prince Lofanneth. They chose correctly - Lofanneth and his fox-faced wife are preparing to kill the child in a ritual manner. As the characters rush in, Lofanneth splits into two, then four, then eight beings, all of whom attack. Meanwhile Lucas tries to rescue Aonghus MacKar, but finds himself bewitched by the fox-wife. Each time that one of Lofanneth's bodies is killed, it recombines with its former partner, and becomes stronger. Hygwald has managed to botch his Wizard's Sidestep, and is seeing everything as a mirror image of what it really is; making him pretty useless. Lucas has managed to shake off the compusion, and he and Eric manage to to a good job of preventing the fox-wife from killing Aonghus. Eventually, Aethelbald and Lofanneth face off against each other in a duel - they are both faerie princes, and the matter is to be decided by this fight. Lofanneth recombines into a single being for this duel; which is long and hard, but Aethelbald eventually prevails, showing mercy to his opponent. At this point Garambar shows up and asks for the life of his brother in return for Aonghus MacKar. Aethelbald also wins Lofanneth's magical golden spear. Then, taking the animated faerie log (who has managed to wriggle free) in one hand, and putting Lofanneth over the other shoulder, Garambar disappears into the wood.
Upon returning to Helvennian's realm, the characters are surprised to find it thronging with life. Prince Helvennian has apparently returned. By some strange twist of faerie logic, by swapping the changeling log for Aonghus, the prophecy was transferred to the log. When it was brought into Helvennian's realm, it was the stag-prince's reborn spirit which animated it. Leaving the regio in a confused state, the caterva head back for Vidua Vasta after saying goodbye to Eric.
Falconshand: Richard Caespuus reminds the magi that Whitburh and Caitlin were particularly keen that they should try to pay a visit on Prophory Criamonis, a member of Rupres Vitri. Unfortunately, ever since a bungled deal with a faerie lord soon after the founding of this covenant, they have been encased in smooth green glass, and unable to escape. Richard believes that he might know a way into the covenant after doing a bit of research in his House, and Hachim, Hygwald, Maynard and Scrob accompany him to Galloway to examine the covenant from the outside.
To first appearances, the covenant site appears to be a hill, allbeit a strangely symmetrical hill. Closer inspection shows that it is just covered in a dense layer of moss, beneath which is a smooth dark green glass. The characters clamber around on the hillside, and twice Hygwald thinks that he has found a way into the regio, only to slip on the galss and fall down again. Eventually, Richard reveals his way into the covenant, but first swears the magi to secrecy. It seems that there is a Hermes Portal into Rupres Vitri. It hasn't been used for a long time; the redcaps don't use it because a member of Rupres Vitri once slew a redcap in a Wizard's War, and House Mercere refuses to have anything to do with them. The covenant obviously have forgotten about it, as no magus has come out of the covenant for nearly a hundred years. The outside end of the Portal is located at Loch Maben, but it has now been incorporated into the castle.
Negotiating the castle guards by waiting until market day, Hygwald located the Portal and passed through it. Hachim, dispondant at his failure to get into Rupres Vitri the other way, refused to use the portal and returned to Vidua Vasta with Richard. The scene on the other side was very odd. Rupres Vitri seemed to be a large sprawling castle built and extended at many different times. It now occupies a small islet, with a long causeway leading up to it. The sky appeared to be green because of the bubble of glass enclosing the covenant, and the highest spire of the covenant just touched the top of the bubble, which encloses a small amount of coastline as well.
The magi make their way down to the covenant and across the causeway. The grog on guard is surprised to see them, as there have been only a handful of new faces in his entire lifetime. The grog refuses to leave his post to show them to the magi, however; but finds them a guide, Adam. Adam appears to be the only child in the whole place, and he guides the group through the maze of streets, passageways and tunnels up to the summit of the covenant. Here they find a chapel, long abandoned. Through the chapel on one side are the rooms of the covenant's leader, Vergis; and on the other side is the covenant's library.
Vergis of Tremere was clearly insane. He is a tiny man with a huge beard and a hot temper. He mistakes the magi for members of the covenant, and tells them that the covenant is in crisis because the architrave has been stolen. This seems of vital importance to him, but as he won't believe their story that they are from outside, he sends them away. Left stranded they decide to try to get into the library; hopefully the will find a map or something to help them locate Porphory. They spend a long time trying to open the door to the library - they know there is someone there, but he won't let them in. Nearly giving up in disgust, they come across a very helpful (and young) magus, Thibaut of Tytalus. He explains to them that the librarian is mute, and that they wouldn't be allowed in without a magus present. He helps them get into the library. This isn't much help, as the librarian won't let them touch any of the books, rapping them sharply on the knuckles with a cane everytime they try to touch one.
Thibaut expressed his desire to get free of the covenant. He knew the rite for activating the Hermes Portal from his researches in the library, however he had been unable to find the Portal itself. Hygwald decided it would be best to pool their information, and they retreated from the covenant to a spot close to the Portal. Thibaut asked Hygwald if he could borrow a grog for a small task, but woudn't elaborate as to its nature. Hygwald offered him Maynard, and tried to follow them, but soon became lost. Thibaut's 'small task' for Maynard was to become a sacrifice to some sea-faeries in exchange for vis, but Maynard was too good a warrior, and managed to escape them. He attacked Thibaut in revenge and wounded him deeply, but as he was already wounded himself, Thibaut managed to escape. Thibaut demanded that Hygwald dealt with the 'treacherous' Maynard, but the Tremere vacillated. Thibaut then went on ahead through the Hermes Portal, and in attempting to follow, Hygwald realised that Thibaut had lied to him about the activation rite.
The caterva returned to the covenant and took up residence in an unused room close to the entrance while Scrob attempted to deal with Maynard's injuries. Meanwhile, Hygwald returned to the library to discover the true rite of passage for the Hermes Portal. At the end of his tether for waiting, Hygwald forces a grog to take him to Porphory's sanctum, something that they are very reluctant to do. Nevertheless, they showed him the entrance to the caverns, and warned him to stay on the main passage, and he'll find Master Porphory, which he does. The sanctum is marked with a massive gorgon's head in bas-relief on the doors, and when Hygwald persists at knocking, the gorgon animates. not heeding the warning, Hygwald is turned to stone. Eventually the door opens and the incredibly tall and stocky Porphory dispels his defence and lets the magus in. Hygwald explains why he is here, and Porphory admits to having had the dream. Building on Hygwald's other facts, he works out what he thinks has been going on. Over a glass of brandy, the reclusive magus lectures Hygwald on Hermetic history - particularly that part relating to the warlock Damhan-allaidh. [click here for a transcript].
Armed with this knowledge, Hygwald returned to the portal; however, disappointed as he was with Maynard's conduct, Hygwald gave him a mundane object in place of a pawn of vis, stranding the hapless grog in Rupres Vitri.
The Search for Semele: After two failed attempts to find a dream-wizard, Hachim decides to try for the third. He heads for his native Iberia in search of Semele Merinitae, a reclusive maga who can only be contacted through the Covenant of Jaferiya. With Fariq and the Brothers Grimm he embarks the Golden Ship, having first stopped off in Calais to pick up a navigator. They reach Lisbon, but before they head north to Jaferiya, Hachim wants to do a bit of shopping. There is a commotion in the market-place - a scared sahir (Islamic sorcerer), separated from his travelling companions and unable to speak the language, has let forth his guardian djinn. Meanwhile, Metron of Flambeau has waded forth to do battle with the demon. Hachim manages to stop Metron from doing too much damage, and manages to get Adin (the sahir) to safety. It turns out that Metron is from Jaferiya, and he grudgingly allows Hachim to come with him to his covenant. Before they set off, Hachim talks with Adin - his brother-in-law is a gem-merchant, and between them they strike a deal. Hachim purchases two paired sapphires and an opal for £6.
Hachim has been told that Rasus of Jaferiya has the contact details for Semele. However, Archmagus Rasus is not at the covenant, and Metron indicates a nearby village with a guesthouse, telling them to come up to the covenant in five days time. The villagers are hostile and the guesthouse has been ransacked, but the grogs manage to make it habitable. On the first night the PCs encounter a German-speaking gentleman in search for his daughter. She shows up the next day at the guesthouse, decorating it with flowers while the characters are exploring the nearby moor. Anna (the daughter) invites them to dinner - her father (Albrech) has a manor just on the other side of the moor. Hachim agrees to attend.
Albrech turns out to be a theologian, who has come to Iberia to study Islam. He seems somewhat versed on the religious sects of the Mediterranean, and the conversation turns out to be more pleasant than the meal - at least for Fariq. Every plate of food brought for him is spoiled - maggots crawling over the meat, stagnant water in the soup, mouldy fruit. Albrech berates Rashid (his huge mute Moorish manservant), but he seems as confused as everyone else. Anna is conspicuous by her absence during the meal; her father explains that she is being punished. However, he does ask her to join them to play some music after the meal; which she does on a strange stringed instrument with a large barreled body and a long neck. Her music is strangely exciting, and clearly has an effect on her father. He is enraptured, then passionately weeping, then furious - snatching the instrument from her, he smashes it and Anna runs crying from the room. Hachim, in his usual whimiscal way tries to recreate the music with a Creo Imaginem spell, just to see what it will do. It summons Anna, but a hideously-transformed Anna - her hair is drawn back, ber eyes are red, her teeth extended. She attacks Hachim, but in a mammoth effort, he manages to keep control of his spell. While the Grims try to wrestle her away from the magus, Fariq tries to fetch his weapon, only to be stopped by Rashid. The manservant is clearly not human - his skin has turned a smokey purple in colour, and as he prepares to strike Fariq, a second djinn appears. The two start to fight about who has the right to attack Fariq - in the meantime he is able to escape and reach for his weapons. While Halfgrim has managed to get Anna away from Hachim, the magus is still being drained from her vampiric bite. Eventually Hachim is so weak he loses concentration of his spell, and the music stops. Anna becomes Anna again, but Halfgrim kills her nevertheless. Rashid vanishes in a scream of rage and a cloud of fire, and the second djinn also disappears, but a little quieter. Albrech, how has been incoherent throughout the battle, explains that Rashid had been keeping him enslaved, and was using Anna to drain the energy from many people. What the djinn was planning to do with that energy remains unknown. The encounter has left Hachim heavily wounded, and they retreat to the guesthouse to recover (but not before 'borrowing' some of the books from Albrech).
Once the five days are up, Hachim patches himself up with non-instantaneous magical healing and heads for Jaferiya. He doesn't even get inside the covenant - the flashy Archmagus meets with them outside of the fortress's walls, appearing in a cloud of smoke. After casting derogatory comments about Semele and her magics, he directs them to the city of Ebora on the coast - they are to go to the well and ask for her by name.
The characters have a bit of difficulty finding Ebora - none of the locals have heard of it. This is because it is a ruin, an old Roman city. When the name of Semele Merinitae is mentioned, a young girl in a hunter;'s outfit comes out of hiding (she is later revealed to be a nymph who once served at the Temple of Diana in Ebora). She tells the characters how to find Semele. While following her instructions, the characters are set upon by a group of wild women accompanied by bears, panthers and lynx. They do their best to get away, but with Hachim being both lame and badely injured, they didn't stand much of a chance. Fortunately, Semele is the leader of this band, and once the misunderstanding is cleared up, they settle down to talk about dreams. Semele remembers having the dream on the 20th day after the equinox, but there was no strong emotion to it, and she didn't give it much attention. She offers to recall the dream and allow Hachim and his companions to enter it. They can then explore it in detail. They are warned however that they will enter through her current dream, from where they must find her imagination, where past dreams are stored. From there, they should be able to recall individual things from her memory. Semele casts a 50th level ritual spell called Morphean Gate to enable the caterva to enter her dream. Hachim finds her current dream to be filled with Greek imagery, which he finds very frustrating. He eventually finds the dream of the Scottish island, and the various people in the dream represented by small inscribed stones. Just as he is about to give up, another dream-wanderer - who turns out to be Euan Bonisagi - introduces himslef, and shows Hachim how to summon up images from the stones with a Creo Imaginem spell. Hachim is able to find seven victims and 12 'demons', all lead by a monstrous man in black-spiked armour. He decides to take the stone representing the man in armour with him, and Euan casts a spell on it to turn it into matter rather than dream-stuff. Euan then shows them the way out - but they leave through his Morphean Gate, rather than Semele's, and find themselves in the Orkneys! Fortunately Euan seems prepared for them, and has clothing suitable for Scottish winters for four people. The sacrificial altar on the island has a large knife piercing the heads of three serpents - a clear threat. Hachim has a fit trying to discover whether there is an aura here - it is obviously very strong and very malicious. At least the knife has 7 pawns of Vim vis in it...