Winter, 1224

Letter to the Quaesitors of the Order of Hermes, from Einar ex Miscellanea

My Sodalis,

For many years there has been talk of an Order of Odin that dwells in Ultima Thule - the frigid lands of the far North. It is said to be like our own Order, a group of like minded magi who have banded together for strength and stability. Unlike our Order, it is said to be guided by the Pagan religions of the North rather than on Christian values.

Those of us who have studied Ultima Thule however know that these rumours are false. There is no Order of Odin. It is true that the wizards of the North are many, and some are very powerful, but they have never banded together into a single unifying Order. They suffer the effects of the Gift just as we do, and they lack the benefits of the Parma Magica to shield themselves from its effects. It is only when one is able to dominate a few others that they are able to form a group, and such bands have rarely lasted for more than a few years.

It is with some concern then that I write now to say that there does appear to be some order forming out of the Pagan lands of the North. There is a Power at work, possibly several, that is organising those of magical talent or nature. The most obvious is that of the Snow Queen of Iceland. She calls herself Sonja, and has set herself up as a Warrior Queen. She controls the Magical powers that defend Iceland and has recently extended her reach to Norway. I do not believe that she is a mortal Wizard, but instead a creature of Faerie or Magical power. The ships of her Queendom are beginning to probe other nations, and I do not know how far she intends to push things.

My concern is that she could be a threat to the Order, but we in Loch Leglean, though we are on the border of her domain, do not wish to take actions which may taint her relationship with the rest of the Order. To this end, we seek advice from the Quaesitors and other learned sodalis on how to proceed.

Of lesser interest to Loch Leglean are events proceeding in Finland. There are rumours of another Power arising there. The name that has been used is Mestari Talvi - the Lords of Winter. There has been extensive activity in these parts over the last year, especially concerning the rise of undead. It is almost certainly Pagan in origin, and whatever forces are behind it may be associated with the Faerie power the Pagans name Hel.

It is this group that may be behind the incursions into Novgorod by supernatural forces. More worryingly, there is circumstantial evidence that this Power may also be related to certain Infernal activities that have occurred over the last few years. This evidence is circumstantial however, and the details are few and may require further investigation. I fear investigating these leads myself however since it could upset the Faerie powers of these parts and I believe that those of us who look to the North should gain explicit permission from the Order before doing so.

I hope that this matter can be raised for discussion at the Grand Tribunal of 1228.

Einar ex Miscellanea Nordsjoen Covenant, Loch Leglean MCCXXIV