Of the grand aural unification theory. When are divine, faerie, infernal, and magic the same? And, how does one truly tell the difference between a faerie and a demon? Also, dinners, manipulations, councils, and olympics. The master plans of Adric. Finally, a moment of silence for the dead.

Dramatis Personae

Gamemaster: Eric Rowe

Other Covenant Records
as recorded by Lucindia the Seneschal
January 18, 1214

Alifonso, a beast master, has been added to the covenant rolls. He brings with him a set of trained animals: Athena, an owl; Jose, a magical wolf; Otto, an otter; and Vivien, a fox. Alifonso's primary duty will be to see to the stables, but he will also be responsible for magi's pets, if they choose to leave them behind while they are away on missions.

Albus' Dialogues
January 27, 1214
Mid Afternoon

Risus is off again. He's to have dinner with Baron Zelipe. Again. And Zilia, of course. Very odd and surprising. A much higher grade of flora than Risus is used to. Perhaps he just likes their wine.

Albus' Dialogues
February 15, 1214
Late Evening

Changes. Annoyances. Confrontations. Without a doubt, a day. Much like many others.

My spell scribing is done. This morning I took a last look through the incantations I have carefully copied. I was pleased to find no more errors, but it is still obvious that my Scribe Latin skill could benefit from improvement. If only Lucindia's course had not been so poorly timed.

I have neglected my Hermetic studies somewhat and so I have decided upon Herbam as my next course of study. It is one of my poorest Arts, though several still need improvement to reach base competency.

The day took an odd turn when a council was called. The first since the Miracle matter. I offered up my suggestion for Hermetic olympics. There were several other irrelevent matters. Docilli continued to prove himself an annoyance at council. Today he derided magi who abstained from votes. He managed to turn several abstainers into voters against his proposal, as it happened. Docilli did bring up one matter of particular interest though. It was a amulet constructed by one Cuneus of Bonisagus.

The amulet has to do with some "aural unification theory" they are developing. The specifics do not terribly interest me, but the effect does. The amulet protects against the effects of auras, though it apparently has occasional side effects according to Docilli. He was looking for people to test it out and I was happy to volunteer. It gave me an excuse to visit the abbot in his divine aura and demonstrate our magic.

The Council Records
as recorded by Lucindia the Seneschal
Feburary 15, 1214

In attendence: Albus, Aubrin, Catorse, Docilli, Fabricarious, Incendium, Lorum, Risus, Viator, and Xanti; also myself, Lucindia the Seneschal.

Absent: Drake, away on personal business; Forticulus, currently visiting the covenants of northeastern Iberia.

Quorum was achieved and Aubrin called the meeting to order as elder.

Points of Information:

* ALBUS offered a new suggestion for topics to champion at the 1214 Tribunal. He suggested Hermetic olympics be held, which would allow magi to compete in a variety of events, from certamen to magic theory and lab work. The topic was added to the list of possibilities for full discussion prior to the 1214 Tribunal.

* ALBUS brought up the issue of Furfures, a magus who claims to have caused us problems last year. Albus wished to be sure that everyone was fully aware of Furfures' claims. After discussion it was decided that Catorse should determine if any further actions be taken against Furfures. Catorse declared the issue already resolved.

* LORUM queried who was responsible for determining what courses of training are made available to the covenfolk. He was told to speak with the seneschal.

* DOCILLI explained that he has been conversing with Cuneus of Bonisagus, a former member of Prospectus Locus (see Council Records, 1152-1158). Together they are working on a grand aural unification theory that hypothesizes that all four auras--divine, faerie, infernal, and magic--stem from the same source. Cuneus has created a medallion which cancels the effects of auras on the wearer--sometimes. He has forwarded it on to Docilli, who has asked the magi of the covenant to test it for him. Albus, Lorum, and Risus have each agreed to do so, as time allows.

Points of Debate:

* DOCILLI asked how distribution of vis won on covenant missions was determined. Aubrin explained that in the past it had been decided on a case-by-case basis. There was some debate about whether magi who go on covenant missions should be entitled to more vis or not. Finally Aubrin suggested that for now all vis won on covenant missions should go entirely to the covenant and that a further vote could be taken when the covenant's debt is paid off. There was no objection to this decision.

* DOCILLI suggested that each magus be required to put in a season's worth of service "for the good of the order" in each five year period. There was some debate, and several votes, but the issue eventually failed. Aubrin suggested as elder that doing so might be a good idea.

Albus' Dialogues
February 15, 1214
Late Evening (continued)

Just a short time after the council meeting I was off. Or rather I should say we. For reasons of their own Risus, Catorse, Lorum, and Incendium decided to accompany me. I'm sure the Quaesitor just wished to view my interactions with the church. I can not say why my other fellows decided to join me though. Oddly enough Lorum refused to even come into the monastery, instead staying with our horses.

We talked with the abbot. We cast lots of spells. He was fairly unimpressed. We did affirm the power of Cuneus' amulet. Even in winter I can scarcely cast spells in the dominion under normal circumstances. While wearing the amulet I could do so with little trouble. Most of the time.

In turn Castello decided to show the power of the church. He called upon the power of his god--or perhaps just his angel--and turned Cuneus' amulet from lead to gold. It was impressive. Fortunately it did not destroy the amulet's power. When dusk fell we decided to head home.

Lorum was quite upset about the amulet's transformation. He seems to hold a fierce hatred for the church. In any case another confrontation with Castello seems to end at a draw.

Albus' Dialogues
February 18, 1214
Midday

The seneschal reports that an unusual amount of mud from upriver is beginning to clog the Ebro. Aubrin flew ten miles upstream, determined the problems are even further upstream, and returned. Five magi have been dispatched to investigate the problem. I sensed overkill and opted to remain behind, studying.

Alifonso's Stories
As Told to the Pretty Young Ladies of Bercula
On February 24, 1214

It's all right. I don't bite. Those stories told of me are pure fancy. A werewolf indeed! I'm sure they just saw Jose here. Show them how friendly you are Jose. Go ahead, roll over. Yes, I really mean it. Roll over. Please? Good wolf. See that, perfectly friendly. Go ahead and pet him. He has wonderfully soft fur, doesn't he? Like I said, neither one of us will bite. Gather around now and I'll tell you that story. All the honest truth, so help me God.

I've just been at the covenant for a little over a month now. I used to range up near Barcelona, but, you know, the rumors... It became time to move on. I heard about this place from a hunter. His father's half-brother's son's wife... something like that... came from here. It sounded like an ideal place, and I knew they wouldn't listen to the stories... false stories... so I came here.

Most of the time I care for the animals at the covenant. Horses mainly, but the covenant's leader... yes, Aubrin... he has a beautiful hawk named Sheba. There's a magic rabbit too, and a poor crazy weasel who has somehow managed to convince everyone he's a ferret. Honest.

Anyway, about a week ago I got called to go on a covenant mission. I was pleased because it meant that the lords had respect for my abilities. I prepared my rucksack and got all my friends ready to go, Jose here, and Athena, and Vivien, and Otto. It was explained to me that we were going to hike up the Ebro to find out what was causing mud and debris to clog the river's flow. That was last Tuesday. I'm sure you saw what the river looked like. There were eleven of us on the expedition: the lords Lorum, Risus, Incendium, Catorse, and Fabricarious; the warriors Federico, Hoofar, Julio, Marco, and Pancho; and myself. Oop! Jose insists there were twelve of us.

We hiked for thirty miles or so up the Ebro. We passed through Mantiun and continued on. The further we went, the more clogged the river became. Occasionally a huge tree would float downstream, and we wondered could cause so much wreckage. Finally, late last Wednesday, we found our answer.

I have learned much from Jose here. No, I mean that in a good way! I have never had a more loyal or honest friend, and these are traits he has taught me as well. I mention this for fear that you may doubt my words. There are no lies among wolves, and I offer you only truth today.

The culprit messing up the Ebro was a huge beaver. That's the honest truth, so help me God. It was an immense creature... it would have overshadowed a horse. As we came upon it, the beaver was building a huge dam, and so causing wood, mud, and occasional broken trees to float down the Ebro, making the whole river dangerous for boats and ships. Yes, really, by God's honest truth, it was a huge beaver. I think Lorum still has the poor thing's body. They're going to mount it in their trophy room or something.

Anyway, the beaver saw us and much to everyone's surprise it turns to Risus.... he's the kind of strange one that's always heading up to Mantiun to see the Duke... and asks him how he likes the dam. Even more, the beaver starts asking for pointers on where logs should go. I gotta say, Risus really knows how to keep his cool. He just calmly starts instructing the beaver how to build the dam while the rest of the lords look on all goggly-eyed. Jose, by the way, is having a ball. He starts ripping small limbs off dead trees and carrying them over to the dam.

After the beaver talks a bit, the other lords, they start wondering why the beaver knows Risus, so they ask him about it. The beaver says that it was Risus himself who asked the dam to be built, back a week ago Saturday. The fifteenth I think. None of the lords fall for that though, because they know where Risus was that Saturday. He was down at the monastery visiting the Abbot, with a bunch of the others. Yeah, the Christian monastery here. The lords seem really friendly with the Abbot, which surpRisus me from what I'd heard about them when I was up by Barcelona.

Anyway, Risus tries to tell the beaver to stop building the dam, and suddenly the beaver gets uppity. He says that Risus, and by that I mean the other Risus who was there a week ago Saturday, that Risus had said that someone looking like him might show up at the dam and try and get the beaver to stop building, and if he did, that was only a false Risus, not the real one. Clearly this other, fake Risus was setting up the covenant, so the lords started to get mad. They even started talking about demons... God protect us... and began worrying that the forces of Hell were working against them.

The lords had me and the warriors look around where this other, fake Risus was supposedly standing. I didn't find anything, but Julio managed to discover some tracks, right about where Risus would have been. And, here's the thing, the tracks were those of some cloven-hoofed beast, and I can tell you for sure it don't walk on four legs!

Sorry, didn't mean to frighten anyone. We got Jose here. And look, there's Athena up in that tree. Nothing can sneak up on us.

But those hooves, when I saw them I was pretty sure the lords were right and it was a demon who had set that giant beaver to building the dam. Just so that there could be no doubt, Lorum, he did some magic, and he managed to call up an image of what had been standing there. He showed us all a picture of a little rat-creature, and it definitely looked demonic. It was kind of weird, because it was much too small to fit the big hoof-tracks, but Satan is a lord of deception.

The lords were all really mad by that point. I did my best to save the poor beaver, but it was pointless. I tried to convince the beaver to leave, but he said he couldn't do so until the dam was complete. I tried to offer to find him a nice lake or something, but he was obsessed. I even tried to suggest to the lords that they help build the beaver's dam, then move him, then destroy the thing, but it was just too much work. I suppose they were right, and it would have caused lots of problems down the Ebro, but I'm still sorry for that beaver, who was just caught in between forces he didn't understand. See, Jose is still sad too.

Anyway, I told the lords I couldn't fight the beaver. It's my own personal code. They were very understanding. So I went down the river a bit, and Risus went with me, and we just waited for it to all be over. A few minutes later we heard shouts, then fighting.

All of a sudden I hear someone calling my name. They're shouting something about sending my owl after fish. I have no idea what's going on, but my lords have asked for my help, and I'm dutybound to respond. I go running up the river again, Jose, Vivien, and Otto bounding beside me, Athena flying just ahead. Risus, he's started running too, and he crests a bluff just ahead of me, and comes to an abrupt stop.

The fighting, it's stopped by the time I crest the bluff too. The poor beaver, he's dead. The warriors have clearly fought valiantly. But I feel light-headed when I see lying off to the side, one of the lords, and he's clearly dead too. I can't believe the cost of the battle has been so high...

Tales of the Grogs of Prospectus Locus
as told by Rodrigo

And so it was determined that a fight was inevitable, and the grogs of Prospectus Locus stepped bravely up to meet the foe. Commanding Federico, stout Hoofar, watchful Julio, wary Marco, and loyal Pancho, they formed a wall of weapons between the magi and the beast that lay in the Ebro. It was brave Incendium who fired the first shot, sending fiery flames lancing into the furry beast.

It cried out in pain and backed away, but it did not attack as the warriors had expected. Instead it called upon its dark magics, and began to summon unnatural aid from beneath the corrupted waters. Silvery fish began to fly from the Ebro, each as big as a man's forearm, and they began to assault brave Incendium, doomed Incendium. First one, then two, then nearly a dozen, they flew through the air to attack the mage of fire. The loyal grogs struck them down, but not nearly fast enough. The mage of fire tried to flee, but the fish were quicker. In desperation brave Incendium threw fire at the dam, lighting it aflame like a huge pyre. The furry beast cried out in anger and charged at the shore, thoughts of summoning more silvery death gone. It was a brilliant move, but too late, for brave Incendium was doomed.

Stout Hoofar and watchful Julio stayed to meet the beast's charge, just Catorse and wise Fabricarious at their side. The furry beast closed but they were not moved.

Behind them a much more desperate battle continued, as the fish flew at brave Incendium, bruising and cutting and biting. He danced and dodged but it was not enough. Wary Marco flailed at the fish. Dextrous Federico netted them skillfully. As brave Incendium fell to the ground, unconscious at last, dextrous Federico made a great sweep of his net, and caught all... but one.

Sad to say Lady Luck was not with brave Incendium that day. The last flying fish dove at his face and plucked out the brave magus' eyes, and then, its energies spent, flopped to the ground. Fish and magus convulsed in death, proving that all are equal in the end. So did brave Incendium die, doomed Incendium. Slain by flying fish sent by furry beast grown by dark demon. He died fighting for his home, and what more can we ask for?

The fight against the furry beast from the Ebro was just as dire. Its sharp teeth, its deadly claws, its bludgeoning tail, they offered no room for mistake, and promised to reward ineptitude with death. Watchful Julio was smote twice and almost fell to the ground, his life bleeding from him, his own tributary flowing into the river. Not even stout Hoofar could hurt the furry beast and all seemed doomed. Fay Lorum prepared to call a retreat.

But, just as he did, commanding Federico and wary Marco joined the desperate battle. They had not been able to save the brave magus, but they would not allow their fellows to fall beneath the shining claws of the furry beast. It was stout Hoofar and skillful Marco who struck at the furry beast together, and this time flail and maul struck deep. The furry beast cried, as if all the pain of the world had becomes its own. And then it fell, dead.

Aubrin's Memoirs
February 21, 1214

There was a time when I could blame any loss at the covenant upon the May Queen, and so absolve myself of real responsibility, claiming that it was only the old curse. This is no longer the case, perhaps it truly never was, and now I do not know what to say.

a flicker of fire
against the darkening void
life's brief flame put out

Incendium is dead, and I do not know who to blame. Whose fault was it? What have I done wrong? Have I welcomed a new generation of magi to Prospectus Locus, only to see them die?

It is fortunate, I think, that the 1214 Tribunal beckons, that I can think of little more, else there would be nothing to offset this new weight upon my soul.

At the least we may console ourselves in the fact that the mission was a success, for the Ebro has begun to flow freely once more.

The slain beaver seems fay to me, although it is clear that demons are involved, due to the image of the rat-thing that Risus saw, and the false image of Risus that was seen by the beaver. If a demon has taken interest in us now, I forsee troubles ahead for our covenant.

Albus' Dialogues
February 21, 1214
Early Evening

I should have been with my sodales. But, how was I supposed to know? I did not. I could not have. Now I have only regrets. Incendium is dead. I remember how we first met, in the Holy Land. Almost exactly a year ago. If only I could have known.

Albus' Dialogues
March 1, 1214
Late Evening

Act in haste, repent at leisure. I can not count how may times I have heard that saying. It was my pater who tried to emphasize the importance of careful and logical consideration before action. Usually I am able to follow this philosophy. Today I nearly failed. It was the demon.

Demons. They are my bane. Just as they were the bane of Avitus and Olennius and Ludwig. My lineage has been cursed. Perhaps by their own actions, perhaps by the demon's spite. I do not know. But, a dark shadow has loomed over us. I have tried my best to work against the demons. To smite them whenever I may. To show my loyalty to the Quaesitors and the order. To show my hatred for the infernal. This is what I did today. But in doing so I broke my own rules--Avitus' rules--and in doing so I came perilously close to falling into a demonic trap.

It began at council. What does not? There were all manner of inconsequential discussions. Finally we arrived at the reason for the council's calling. We had been summoned at Risus' request, and he bore dire word of recent happenings. For, Risus had been visited by a demon.

The Council Records
as recorded by Lucindia the Seneschal
March 1, 1213

In attendence: Albus, Aubrin, Catorse, Docilli, Drake, Fabricarious, Lorum, Risus, Viator, and Xanti; also myself, Lucindia the Seneschal.

Absent: Forticulus, currently visiting the covenants of northeastern Iberia.

Due to the death of Incendium the seating arrangement in the council chamber was changed.

Quorum was achieved and Aubrin called the meeting to order as elder.

Points of Information:

* The meeting was called at the request of Risus who detailed an important point of information. A demon by the name of Adric approached him in the bath house and requested that he slay another demon, named Atherik. It was deemed imprudent for Risus to do so, but Albus, Catorse, and Fabricarious will be leading an expedition to seek out and destroy Atherik. There was some continued discussion about demons being able to openly enter our convenant and an affirmation that work continues to find a new Aegis of the Hearth (see the December 21, 1213 Council Records).

Points of Debate:

* LORUM proposed that the tail of the beaver recently be slain be added to the greater trophy room. There was no second.

* FABRICARIOUS proposed that the head of the beaver be added to the greater trophy room. This issue was seconded, but the second was withdrawn after Aubrin expressed distaste at the heads of faerie creatures being mounted.

* FABRICARIOUS complained about the trophies. Docilli agreed that some people might not like them, but once again the issue was not brought to vote.

Albus' Dialogues
March 1, 1214
Late Evening (continued)

Poor Risus has been as beset by the infernal as I. Most strongly I remember that event in Nurnberg, when the old money-lender raised up a demon. But, there have been other occurrences as well. The infernal seems to take much too great of an interest in Risus.

This demon who visited Risus named himself Adric. He offered Risus a proposition. He told of another demon, named Atherik, and said Atherik was causing him problems. He claimed they had been plaguing his family, though what that means to a demon I can not say. He explained precisely where Atherik lived, on a small tributary of the Ebro, and then asked Risus to slay the demon.

Risus tried. To slay Adric that is. He lashed out with his Demon's Eternal Oblivion. It was not enough. Adric simply grinned. "You'll do this task for me, won't you?" he said. And then he was gone. This was the story Risus brought to our council meeting.

We were all disconcerted, to say the least. But very quickly we reached a resolution. This demon Atherik must be dealt with. But, Risus should not be the one to do so, for that might force him into an unsightly alliance with the infernal. I at once took command of the expedition. Fabricarious and Catorse joined me. We took a selection of grogs and we were off.

Atherik's lair was easy to find. It was a small hole on the bank of a river, just as described. We started to wade across the river to confront the demon, and as we did Atherik emerged. A small rat-like creature. It was the very being Risus saw scant weeks ago, that day Incendium died. Its red eyes seemed to bore into me. My heart skipped. I fealt the joy of facing down the infernal. Logic left me. The fury of winter filled me fully. The Quaesitor shouted for the grogs to attack as I gathered the might of Hermes close to me. This was my moment of victory. My moment of near defeat.

Suddenly the water in front of me was full of warriors. Our grogs had charged up, and with them Fabricarious. I succeeded at summoning up a Crystal Dart but was forced to throw it wide, lest I chance hitting my Hermetic brother. The Quaesitor watched carefully.

Given an opportunity to escape, the rat-thing took it. At the time I felt regret, for my dart would have skewered Atherik through. Now I feel relief.

From his lair Atherik screamed that he was a faerie, not a demon. He tried to convince us to go away in exchange for information on a demon that plagued him--Adric of course. I was not moved. I would not deal with the infernal. I shouted for Marco to go in after the rat-thing--the being I thought to be the slayer of Incendium. I told Marco to enter the creature's lair, and slay it.

But, the small creature had powers disproportionate to its size. Marco began yelling and flailing and we were forced to drag him out. He fell into the river, desperately scratching himself. I tried next, then Fabricarious. We were both unsuccessful. Within a few minutes three of us sat in the stream, all trying to scratch away magical itches.

By then my anger cooled just a bit. I was able to look at the situation once more with the rationality I should have used from the start. I considered my facts and they began to smell. The foul stench of brimstone.

First. Risus had seen the image of the rat-thing Atherik at the river where Incendium had died.

Second. There were large hoof-prints at the very place Atherik seemed to stand.

Third. The beaver had claimed to see Risus standing there.

We should have been warned already that truth was being manipulated, but we were blind. Three additional facts did not show us the truth, though they should have.

Fourth. Adric claimed to hate Atherik.

Fifth. Adric was clearly a demon.

Sixth. Atherik claimed not to be a demon.

There was still one disturbing enigma. A missing piece to our puzzle.

Seventh. There was definitely an infernal aura in Atherik's lair. A fact I had realized as I failed to fend off his magic.

One conclusion seemed clear to me. Adric had been the culprit behind the fearie beaver and his dam. He had used deceptive magics to make it appear that was Atherik's work. But, his illusions had been inconsistent. Now he was trying to follow up on that deception. He was trying to convince us to kill the rat-thing Atherik for whatever reason of his own.

I offered this possibility to my fellows as I sat there itching. Catorse decided to go into Atherik's lair and talk to the being on his own.

He took tea with Atherik. The small being continued to protest its innocence. It told a story of diabolists who came every full moon and slaughtered livestock. That seemed a possible source of the infernal aura, and everything clicked together. An hour later we three had ceased to itch. We took our leave and began to head back home. We arrived back at the covenant very late.

Demons are creatures of deception. It is hard to tell what is truth and what is lie. I believe we have discerned the facts in this case, but I can not be sure. The full moon comes in fourteen days. Then we shall feturn to Atherik's lair and see if there are truly diabolists there.

Albus' Dialogues
March 15, 1214
Late Evening

Our friend Atherik did tell truth in at least one matter. There were diabolists who practiced demonic rituals near his lair upon the full moon. Two of them. Jewish bankers named Hector and Manuel. Fairly incompetent diabolists to be honest. They surrendered when our grogs closed on them.

The diabolists have been left with our friend Castello. He shall see that the appropriate justice is done.

Albus' Dialogues
March 19, 1214
Late Evening

Word back from Zelipe proclaims that an "Atherik" has indeed been given permission to fish upon a tributary of the Ebro. This seems to increase the likelyhood that Atherik is not a demon, but it is hard to tell when dealing with masters of deception.

Aubrin's Memoirs
March 23, 1214

Forticulus has returned from his travels to the northeast. Besides his planned visits to Interritus and Barcelona, he also made a detour to Hamus Acerbus, the enigmatic enclave upon the islands to our east. He seems pleased with his journeys, and I have every reason to believe that the upcoming Tribunal will be a beneficial one for our covenant. My worries of a year ago are gone, but again I think of Incendium, and wonder if I am not dooming these individuals for the good of the covenant.

Albus' Dialogues
May 1, 1214
Late Evening

The Quaesitor has returned from a trip to Atherik's lair. He says the infernal aura has decreased since we captured the diabolists. It seems we were right to doubt the demon Adric's word and to think for ourselves. Once more I must berate myself for allowing my hatred for demons to ever cloud my common sense.

Things have ended well, except for the matter of Adric himself. There is still a powerful demon lurking in the area. Not only has he tried to manipulate us, but he is ultimately responsible for the death of my friend Incendium. That is a deed that I fully intend to repay.

Go to Log #6