Not A Snark

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====== Twilight Saga: Chapter One ======

The saga begins at the Covenant of the Broken Crown.
At the time, none of the original players had played
Ars Magica before, so the main theme of this part of
the saga was introducing them to Mythic Europe and
the Order of Hermes. With Aelfric in charge at the
covenant, the younger magi had little say in how
things were run, but it was a chance to learn, both
about how the game worked, and about the background
of the saga.



The first part of the saga ends with the Broken Crown
no longer being quite as suitable as it once was. They
move to a new place, where they can have total say in
what happens, and what they do.


===== 1190 AD =====


==== Spring ====



Three new magi join the Covenant, Miriam of
Tremere, Fenaris of Tytalus and Belars of
Bonisagus. A Jezenky attacks some nearby villages,
stealing children, and the covenant is blamed. The
three magi, together with an older resident,
Burhes, and some grogs, investigate the
disappearances, rescue the children and slay the
Jezenky.



==== Summer ====



Life at the covenant is peaceful.



==== Autumn ====



Life at the covenant is peaceful.



==== Winter ====



One of the companions comes across a magical
glade whilst hunting, and returns to tell the
magi of it. A few investigate, and find a gateway
to a magical regio that, according to some local
fey, only opens during a solar eclipse. The next
is due early next year.




===== 1191 AD =====


==== Spring ====



The magi return to the glade during an eclipse,
and find their way to a tower of a long dead magus,
called Valina. Some artifacts and books are
recovered.



==== Summer ====



Uneventful.



==== Autumn ====



Uneventful.



==== Winter ====



Uneventful.




===== 1192 AD =====


==== Spring ====

The magus Miriam is overpowered by her magical experimentations while researching one of the items brought back from Valina's tomb, and has a vision, of a place not far from the Broken Crown. Filled with a desire to go there, she and Fenaris travel to some ruins near Guildford, where they discover that some magi used to live there. Fenaris uncovers a high quality sword buried with a warrior in the crypts of the place, and
[[./lore/aelflaeds_diary|fragments of a diary]] are found, which reveals information about the place's old inhabitants.



==== Summer ====



Aelfric and others journey to the Thames covenant to
arrange plans for the coming Tribunal next year, and to
trade for books. The nearby peasants discover a heavily
mutilated body of a young woman, and go to the magi for
aid. Miriam and Fenaris track the source of the body to
the village of St Lazare, where a confused priest who
has lost his way from God is performing diabolical
rituals. They uncover the goings on, and are forced
into a fight with a demon possessed man, which they
barely survive. Gerard de Nimes, of House Flambeau
joins the covenant.



==== Autumn ====



Uneventful.



==== Winter ====



Uneventful.




===== 1193 AD =====


==== Spring ====



Uneventful.



==== Summer ====



Caelwin prepares to leave the covenant, having
finished his studies here. Some of the magi travel
to London, to finish the book trade which Aelfric
begun the previous year. On the way there, they
witness the murder of a human messenger by a
couple of Sidhe knights.



They recover a 
[[lore/alfreena|letter]] - 
intended for a lady in London, bearing news of the
death of her daughter by a fey Lord Winterstoke,
on the Isle of Thanet. They take to the letter to
her, and as a favour, investigate what happened,
discovering that the daughter wasn't as good as
first seemed, and also that a human druid by the
name of Aelni, possibly of the long dead house
Diedne, works with Winterstoke. They take the news
to the Quaesitoris at Thames Covenant, and return
home.



The blind magus Felonious, a seer of House Criamon,
arrives at the covenant.



==== Autumn ====



Tax collectors under the authority of the
chancellor William Longchamp turn up at the
covenant, demanding taxes to pay the ransom for
King Richard. While there, the collectors are set
upon by bandits and murdered. The magi fight off
the bandits, and earn the respect of a local lord,
Sir Geoffrey of Leeds.



==== Winter ====



Uneventful.




===== 1194 AD =====


==== Spring ====


//
King Richard returns to England in February.
//


Life at the covenant is pretty uneventful.



==== Summer ====


//
King Richard puts down a rebellion by Prince John,
and has himself crowned king again in May.
//


Life at the covenant is uneventful.



==== Autumn ====



Uneventful.



==== Winter ====



One of the covenant vis sources comes from a faerie
pool guarded by a Kelpie named Bramman. The grog
who collects it each winter returns to report that
Bramman is missing, and some of the magi
investigate.



They find Bramman at the pool, and he tells them
that some Spriggan from nearby faerie woods have
taken all his vis sources, and are trying to drive
him from his pool. He offers a larger share of vis
each season if the magi deal with them.



Investigating, it turns out Bremman is actually
Ursal, a magical creature who is in league with the
Spriggan, and the magus Aelni who are setting a
trap for the magi. They defeat the unseelie fey,
free the real Bramman and try to make their way
back out of faerie.




===== 1195 AD =====


==== Spring ====



The magi are lost in faerie.



==== Summer ====



It takes a few days to find the mortal realm again,
but it is now summer, and also the Isle of Man
rather than Kent. As the magi leave faerie, a
couple of meteors streak across the sky, heading
west, and one is weaving about in a very unusual
manner. The magi estimate that the meteors probably
landed in, or close to, Ireland, and after much haggling find a boat to take them to Dublin.



In Dublin, they discover that one meteor fell to
the south, in the direction of the Wicklow
Mountains, which strangely enough is where a meteor
fell six months ago during the winter solstice (the
night of the two meteors was the summer solstice).
The other meteor landed in a glass blowers shop in
Dublin, where it is being revered as the tear of
the Virgin Mary.



Visiting the shop they meet Aed, an apprentice of
the glass blower, and several guards and many
pilgrims who believe it to be a sign from God.



Gerard starts a little distraction by setting fire
to a nearby house, which empties the shop of all
but the guards, allowing Felonious to get close
enough to try some magic on the meteor to ascertain
its properties. He fails, and is taken outside by
Aed, who asks to meet with him after dark to talk
about the meteor, but can't stop now because his
house, and half the street is burning itself down...



Later that night, Felonious and Fenaris meet with
Aed, who explains that he believes the meteor to be
the egg of a demon. A sign is sent by God - so
claims Aed - pointing the way to the Isle of Man,
where Aed explains, a holy smith can help them.
They go inside to examine the Tear closely, when
someone claiming to be Cu Chulain strides in, and
after much posturing attacks the guards, picks up
the egg (all one and a half tonnes) and Aed, and
flies off trailing fire and smoke. The magi decide
to quickly head south to the Wicklow Mountains,
where they believe the 'demon' has gone.



Meeting resistance from the city guards who refuse
to open the gates at this time of night, the gates
fall apart, and a small fight breaks out, in which
magic is used openly. The group hurries from
Dublin, and massacres a group of Norman knights
sent to pursue them.



Rumours about demon summoning sorcerers begin to
spread in Dublin...



The group find Lombard covenant, which has heard of
a gathering of many mercenaries within the
mountains, but have not bothered too much about
them, since they seem to be as anti-Norman as the
Lombard magi. The PC's return north to find the
sign of the cross, which is back on the Isle of Man
(where a cave containing remains of a dragon and
its hoard is found). The iron cross is taken to a
smith, and forged into a holy sword. While waiting
for the smith to finish his work, the smithy is
assaulted by a group of bandits, led by Aelni.



Aelni slays Gerard de Nimes with a bolt of
lightning, before being taken down himself by
Fenaris and the other grogs before he can make
his escape.



Returning to the Wicklows, and Lombard, the magi
discover that Caecus and the Quaesitor Sabh of
Ashenrise covenant have been tracking down stories
of some magi running amok in Dublin. Agreeing to
turn up for the next Tribunal to answer for any
crimes, they persuade the other magi to aid them
against Cu Chulain. His castle is discovered, and
they creep inside, to do battle with the demon and
his minions, while some of them remain outside to
cause mayhem amongst the mercenaries gathered
there. With the use of the holy sword, Cu Chulain
is destroyed by Fenaris, and Aed is rescued. The
library of Aelni is burnt, though not before
Caecus was found there looking through it.



The magi return to England.



==== Autumn ====



A new magus, Asling of House Merinita joins the
covenant.



==== Winter ====



A new magus, Magnus of House Bjornaer joins the
covenant. His heart shape is a wolf, and while out
hunting, he comes across some wolves of unusual
size in the woods outside the covenant. They do not
say why they are here, but seem to be patrolling
the area.




===== 1196 AD =====


==== Spring ====



Uneventful.



==== Summer ====



A letter arrives for Gerard de Nimes, from someone
in London calling herself Aelflaed. She mentions
previous meetings, and offers a possible exchange
for some new books she has. Some of the magi head
to London to talk with her. She denies knowledge of
magic herself, but has a large library of mundane
works. An exchange of books is agreed.



==== Autumn ====



A few magi in the covenant, especially Asling and Miriam, find the place uncomfortable, though they cannot discern the reason why.



==== Winter ====



The magical aura of the covenant is engulfed by
the Dominion, making a lot of the magi very
uncomfortable. The source of the change is tracked
down to the holy sword which was brought back from
Hibernia. It is taken to the nearby village of
Wadhurst, and kept in the church there. The aura of
the covenant though does not recover.




===== 1197 AD =====


==== Spring ====



Uneventful.



==== Summer ====



Thieves are discovered raiding the covenants
library, and the sanctum of Asling. Asling is
seriously hurt by an iron dagger, but otherwise the
thieves are apprehended before they can cause any
serious harm. Felonious interrogates them, and
discovers that they are from the White Rocks
covenant, and have been sent here to obtain books or
magic of interest to the magi there. Since the Code
of Hermes was not broken, the Broken Crown has no
official recourse. They decide to do nothing, since
they lack any effective means of returning the
favour without breaking the Code themselves.



==== Autumn ====



Uneventful.



==== Winter ====



The magi are disturbed by lights and noises from
the nearby village of Wadhurst. Investigating they
discover the magus Silis and several knights
fighting giant wolves. Silis claims that the wolves
have been sent by a powerful faerie called
Winterstoke, who is starting a war against all
faeries and magi in the region.



Aelfric sends some of the magi to talk to
Winterstoke, to find out what he wants, and whether
he can be bargained with. With the help of Silis,
they enter his domain, and find their way to his
castle where they are met by Elwing, a fey knight
who seems friendly to Miriam, and claims to have
known her father. Asling prepares a song to try and
win the friendship of the Lord, while others explore
the faerie city. Meeting Winterstoke, Miriam angers
him, and gives Asling no chance to sing her song.



They are told that it is the fault of the Queen of
Winter, who has forced Winterstoke along this path,
and until she returns, the aggression will
continue.



Afterwards, Elwing informs them that the only
person who knows where the Queen is is the hag Yag Domig.



Visiting Yag Domig, she agrees to take them to the
Queen on the condition that one of the young magi
shows her love and kindness for a single night.
No-one is willing to take the ugly hag up on her
offer, and Asling tries to change Miriam into a man,
so that she can. Neglecting to get her permission
first, Miriam is very upset, and retaliates with a
spell that destroys Asling's mental abilities.



The magi return to the Covenant to find that
Aelfric has fallen into twilight during a fight
with some fey there.



Felonious sends his familiar, Archimedes, on a
scouting mission to Stonehenge, to look for
possible sites for a new covenant.



Miriam leaves the Broken Crown, hoping to take up
residence at White Rocks.




===== 1198 AD =====


==== Spring ====



With Aelfric still suffering side effects of
Twilight, the magi investigate an empty
underground complex near Stonehenge. The lower
levels have a high magical aura, and the place
seems to have been deserted for a thousand years.
Magnus moves in on a permanent basis.


//
Winter does not end in Kent.
//


==== Summer ====



Fenaris organises laboratory equipment and books
for the new place.


//
The severe winter continues.
//


==== Autumn ====



Work is performed on copying books out of the
Broken Crown library, ready for a move to the
new place.


//
King Richard returns to England, forced there by
the Church and the Barons, who are worried about
the state of things in Kent. Several nobles and
church officials are hung for diabolism around the
Isle of Thanet.
//

//
King Richard and a small army of knights rides to
Wadhurst near the Broken Crown where rumours say a
holy sword is being kept. The magi let them take
it, not wishing to interfere with the King of
England. Holy rites are performed in Thanet, hoping
to end the unholy winter.
//


==== Winter ====



More work is carried out in copying books.




===== 1199 AD =====


==== Spring ====



Much copying is done.



==== Summer ====



Much copying is done. A message is received for
Miriam, Felonious and Fenaris to attend the
Hibernian Tribunal in spring next year.



==== Autumn ====



Much copying is done.



==== Winter ====



Fenaris and Hareb move permanently into the new
covenant.






The first part of the saga ends with the Broken
Crown no longer being quite as suitable as it once was.
They move to a new place, where they can have total
say in what happens, and what they do.