1205 Spring - The First Wave (Story)

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: The Heir of Laimunt Valley
54

The company rode into the village slowly and stopped. They looked strange, but not too threatening.

The first rider was the most martial one, a knight in full mail armor on a warhorse. The colors of his shield, a dancette of grey below orange, had never been seen in this village before, which meant that the knight had come from afar. He held up both hands in a calming motion and then patted his horse to calm it. He was in charge of three soldiers armed with spears, each leading a packhorse in addition to their own.

The second traveler of note was an elderly man, who was sharing his horse with a three-year-old boy that was sitting in front of him. The similarity of their features was striking: Clearly, they were closely related. The boy waved at the villagers and yelled: “Grüezi, mitenand!”

But the leader of the group was clearly the woman in an elegant mourning dress with an exquisite lace veil that covered her long golden braid. In her saddlebag, she had a tamed fox, testament to her wealth and her noble status. She got off her horse without any help.

In Burgundian, she greeted those assembled and asked about the covenant of Tugurium. At a nod of her head, the knight translated into German. When she learned that it was close, she held up a letter, promising fair payment for its delivery.

Two hours later, the company rode up the path to the gate from the north.

58

April 3rd, 1205

There are not many people gathered in the center of the village at midday, mostly older people and a few mothers watching over the gaggle of playing children as they perform some of the daily chores. Still, one of the women tasks an older boy with the task of bringing the noblewoman's letter into the valley beyond the village.

The child is obviously excited to be allowed to go there, taking off at a run on the dirt path leading south along the stream and into the mountains. He soon disappears between the many oak trees that grow around the village, many of which have tortuous branches and many knobs along their trunk.

The boy is back before an hour has passed, confirming that he has delivered the letter to "one of the guards". The woman who sent him pockets the coin given in payment, while the boy is quickly the center of attention of the other children as he tells of what he glimpsed in the valley.

Later, when the company rides the path into the valley, the first thing they notice is an enormous oak tree, all twisted and lumpy, its mossy branches just starting to show the green of budding leaves. It towers above the surrounding trees, its branches covering an area over twenty paces in diameter and its trunk wide enough that five grown men probably cannot encircle it with their arms. (It looks a bit like this oak tree.)

The stream that runs out of the valley gurgles a dozen yards to the right and below the path. The ground is still muddy, and the group may notice the tracks left by a cart which recently navigated the path, drawn by a donkey or a smallish horse.

As the company follows the path around a tight curve around a steep rocky cliff, they finally catch sight of the first buildings. The path itself splits up in three, with the center path leading towards the buildings, while the right goes down in the direction of the oak tree and left one snakes up the mountain face. As only the center path seems to have been used recently, as well as being much wider than the other two, the company continues ahead.

As they continue, a choatic assemblage of towers, halls and structures is revealed to their gaze, growing up along the mountain face. Some parts of the structure appear to be in disrepair, dark and their windows gaping, while other pristine with stained glass windows. No wall surrounds the compound, with a number of secondary buildings scattered before and below the main structure.

A welcoming committee has been assembled in the open courtyard, a few grogs with smaller number of unarmored figures. One of them advances as Eikona comes to a stop and dismounts.

"Welcome to Tugurium," he says in Latin. The man appears to be in his early thirties, with longish light brown hair and unremarkable eyes. His clothing are decent but rather common, except for a good woolen cloak which wards him from the still-chill spring breeze flowing down the mountains. "My name is Quintus Clusius."

(I'm leaving the exact number of people with him purposefully vague. Any of the magi who have already arrived may have joined him when the letters annoucing Eikona's arrival was received. Players get to decide wether their magus is present of not.)

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59

April 3rd, 1205

"Salvete, Sodales", Eikona replies, unsure if there are other magi among those present.

"I am Eikona ex Jerbiton. I've come to thank you for your invitation and with great hopes of making this covenant my home for as long as it pleases the Lord. Permit me to give you this mirror image of Valnastium in winter, our beloved Domus Magnus, as a token of my appreciation. Your description of the way was excellent, by the way."

She then proceeds to introduce her family and Henricus and says that they are her domus at the moment. With a glance at the three extra men, she explains: "Those three won't be staying. Andru was good enough to lend me a few extra hands. You know know what they say about ladies and traveling. We are quite the menagerie I'm afraid."

She smiles apologetically and bows her head respectfully.

60

April 3rd, 1205

Marcus will certainly be in attendance for a new maga arriving. He is a small, spindly man with dark eyes, and a drawn, narrow face. Smiling to meet a new hermetic mage, he's standing a step behind Quintus, but obviously a little eager to speak to the new person.

As is his usual want, there is a large spider sitting at his feet, and reaching up to his shins. He idly strokes the creature while looking at the new group.

61

April 3rd, 1205

A small man, under five feet in height and slightly built, with red eyes, and hair and skin both the color of bleached parchment, takes a few steps forward, from where he was standing next to an armored blond woman who towers over many of the men present. He is wearing a simple robe of thick, undyed linen, and the toes of heavy leather boots peek out from underneath the hem.

He gives the newcomer a friendly smile, but his presence seems to cause a stir of discomfort among the mundanes present, on both sides of the group. His voice is soft, and a little hoarse, as he says, "Greetings, sodalis. I am Wolfgang Weisse, of House Flambeau."

62

March 24th, 1205

The next day, Julius joins Clusius and Wolfgang to give them a tour of the caves. Wolfgang notices that the steward has a strange gait, his strides stiff though swift, and his movements a little too sharp. His features, when he lowers his hood are without emotions no matter how his voice becomes animated when he describes the various features of the covenant and caves.

After leading them generally southeastward through the compound, taking several corridors and flights of stairs, he stops before a thick wooden door reinforced with two bands of black iron. Selecting a large key from a ring with several others, he unlocks the door, which makes a loud screech when he pushes it open. He waits for the magi and Clusius, forewarned about what was coming, lights a lantern to light the way.

The somewhat flickering light reveals a tunnel into the mountainside, which was probably a crack into the cliff before the building was put up. The passage is fairly narrow, but not so much that a man cannot pass without brushing the sides. as you pass the door, you hear the faint sound of water flowing nearby. You remember that one of the smaller stream cascades down from the mountain right beside the covenant. This must be the source of this sound.

Julius takes point, while Clusius closes the march. The passage soon meets another, of a completely different appearance. Where the first was a sharp crack filled in with sand and gravel underfoot, this one is much smoother and the ground is mostly bare. Wider than it was high, it's cross-section shaped like a flattened tube. There is a bit of moisture on the rock and the air is cool. The two magi can now easily walk side by side, Clusius joining Wolfgang to share the light from his lantern.

Julius speaks, "When Master Leonardus first discovered the caves, he was exploring the aura in the valley, because of the villagers' stories about the oak. He found it strange that the aura wasn't at its strongest near the oak, but rather here near the mountain. The entrance was hidden behind brush trees and small rocks, so none of them at the village were aware of its existence."

They turn left and follow the wandering tunnel for some time. It splits a few times to side caves, one of which is barred by a masonry wall with a door. "We have configured this cave to be used as a sanctum," explains Julius, "as requested by master Clusius. We could do the same with a number of others, should other magi wish undergroung laboratories. One could certainly be used by your serpentine companion as a lair. There are a few tunnels that end back within the covenant as well."

"Note that some of the tunnels wander off into dead ends, while others are prone to simply disappearing or forming anew." They show Wolfgang what work as been done in his potential sanctum. (OCC: Leaving the details to be determined later.)

After this, they show Wolfgang the main cave, with its incongruous vis source -- a Roman galley, broken in half. Wrapped around it is a petrified sea serpent, its body as thick as a man is tall and its head raised in a soundless roar.

(OOC: Note that I will not repeat this description with the other magi, but they will all each be given a similar tour of the caves except for Wolfgang's sanctum.)

63

April 3rd, 1205

"Thank you, sodalis! I have never had the chance to visit our Domus Magnus," explains Clusius with a somewhat boyish grin, "so this will give me an actual idea of what it looks like. Did you know that my mater was recently offered membership there?"

Holding the mirror in his hands, as if a bit unsure what to do with it at the moment, Clusius turns to a tall hooded figure. "This is our steward, Julius. He will take care of finding lodging for your grogs, as well as Andru's, while we show you to guest quarters. These will be assigned to you -- and your family members, of course -- until you decide where you would like to set up your sanctum. For now, I am sure you would like to refresh yourself from your travel. Then perhaps after lunch we can all," he gestures at the other magi, "sit down and start discussing covenant business."

64

March 24th, 1205

Wolfgang enjoys the tour, seeming very comfortable underground. "That's a very interesting vis source. I wonder what Kief will think of it. That serpent is even bigger than his mother was. And I'd like to explore the tunnels in their entirety, particularly as they connect to the covenant. Julius, the safety of the covenant is important to me, Leonardus and you and the others have been so welcoming, keeping you safe is the best way I can repay your hospitality, and contribute to the communal welfare. Are all the passages barred and locked, with you having the only keys?"

[Note: I'm not asking for everything to be fully defined right now, just that Wolfgang becomes familiar with the tunnel/cave complex, in its partially undefined state.]

65

March 24th, 1205

"All the known ones leading into the covenant are barred with a door," answers Julius, "but the tunnels themselves are prone to change. Leonardus often speculated that the nature of the magical event that led the serpent and its nautical prey here, in this state, was so powerful that it formed a second pole to the magical aura within the valley. It's relationship with transformation -- probably what petrified the serpent in the first place -- affected the very fabric of magic inside the caves and tipped it towards the Art of Muto. This causes the caves themselves to change and you will also notice the same effect in many areas of the covenant."

Despite Julius' animated tone, he face remains emotionless throughout the explanation. Wolfgang also notes that the steward's mastery of Latin greatly surpasses both his and Clusius, both in vocabulary and grammar.

66

April 3rd, 1205

Maybe it was being left out of the introduction, or the sight of the other magus' spider familiar, but this is the moment Renardine chooses to make her entrance. She slides out of the saddlebags, and, changes into the shape of a red-haired woman with a thin, yet attractive face with speakling eyes, even as she slides down the horse's flank, barely avoiding a fall as she lands next to it.

"And I am Renardine, the Queen of France who has been turned into a fox." After the smallest pause she adds: "Just kidding. The maga Eikona is my familiar."

Eikona tries not to notice the unfortunate sign this man's Gift causes, and says: "It is good to see you. Where the noble house of Flambeau stands watch, the rest of us are safe."

"Then she must be a woman of competence, for these honors are not bestowed easily in the Alps."

Turning to the steward, she adds, still using: "Are you, good Sir Julius, more comfortable to speak Latin or do you prefer the Burgundian tongue?"

And returning her attention to the magi present, she confirms with speakling eyes: "I am looking forward to discussing the matters at hand over lunch. This is soooo exciting!"

67

April 3rd, 1205

Marcus pipes up, belatedly after his more confident covenantm mate began speaking

"Hello and welcome, I am Marcus of house Verditious. It is always a pleasure to meet my sodales."

He does seem to be genuinely pleased to welcome her to the covenant.

"Oh, and this is Spindra, Weaver of the spider courts. She is my familiar."

68

April 3rd, 1205

"Whichever is more comfortable for them, lady Eikona," says the tall steward from beneath his hood. His voice is cultured and his Latin impeccable. After a stiff bow, he gestures the grogs to follow him, along with their mounts.

Jehan and Guiscard follow Eikona when they are led by an old servant woman to their guest quarters. The woman, whose name is Jutte, has a surprisingly young voice at odds with her wrinkled face and grey hair.

The rest of the day is spent settling in and being given a tour of the new covenant's strange installations.

Clusius proposes that the magi reconvene the next day to start discussing covenant business.

(Opening the floor to any in-character questions the magi may have had during their tour.)

69

April 3rd 1205

During the tour, Marcus will be a combination of thoughtful and excited. About half way through he will finally pipe up

"So, the shifts in space and buildings. Do we know why? How does it seem to know where is lived in? It's not a hermetic effect, I assume?"

He seems poised to swing into magical theory discussion of anyone is willing to take the bait

70

Julius explains a little, "Master Leonardus often speculated that the nature of the magical event that happened in the caves was so powerful that it formed a second pole to the magical aura within the valley. It's relationship with transformation -- probably what petrified the serpent in the first place -- affected the very fabric of magic and tipped it towards the Art of Muto. This causes the caves to change and this spills over into the main compound. This may also have been amplified by a Twilight episode that Master Leonardus experienced while here."

"As to why this doesn't happen as much in the parts of the covenant where people live, that is unclear. Perhaps the presence of living beings somehow serves as an anchor. Or perhaps the structure is shy and doesn't want to act when people are present." For the first time since you have met Julius, his mouth forms a smile. It looks quite weird and deliberate.

71

April 3rd 1205

Marcus gets that enthused smile that is well known to anyone who is talking to a nerd about their area of interest

"That sounds like it would be fascinating to look in to! I wonder if the muto changes can be brought out to make muto magics simpler? Or the aspected magic aura will cause people to warp to a pattern? The answer to either might have worthwhile implications for research. Mean the constant rearranging is a potent effect which seems to be powered by the aura itself. Imagine if you could stabalise how it happens to power such and large ongoing effects from a magical aura...."

Spindra pokes him offhand a with one of and her long chitenous legs and he pauses, chagrined but smiling

"Appologies. I am sure I will discuss this with the theoretically inclined at some length, but I should let some others get a word in edgewise"

72

April 3rd, 1205

As the group pauses in a large and unfurnished hall while Marcus and Julius talk briefly, footsteps will begin to echo from some other hallway leading to the large room. After a few moments, the footsteps become a hairy young man of above average height. He looks generally unremarkable except for his vivid green eyes.

He walks towards the group exclaiming: “Ah! There you all are! Heard you from down the hallway there. I’m still trying to find my way about this place. And what was that you meant by shy, Julius? Do you mean the phenomena has some sort of intelligence behind it?” Perion (for it is he) moves directly into asking a question without taking the time to introduce himself.

73

April 3rd, 1205

The smile remains frozen on Julius' face for a moment, then simply disappears as he answers, "I was attempting a joke, master Perion. I have had no successful communication with the structure so far."

74

Marcus notices Perion and waves to him as he approaches. The two men are nearly comical when they stand near each other, with Marcus barely clearing the taller man's chest.

"Perion! This is Eikona of house Jerbiton. Eikona, this is Perion of house Tytalus."

75

Eikona inclines her head and addresses the Tytalus first: "I am still trying to find my way around here. You are from Brittany, right? Is it too bold to ask where your magical interests lie?"

Turning to Marcus, she adds: "And I take it you are the Verditius magus. It's always good to have a Master Craftsman at the covenant. There is one of your house members at Fengheld, a wine maker, and he has never failed to impress me. I may have a business offer for you, Marcus. My late husband, " a cloud crosses her face and her voice sounds a bit raw, "used to own a flying cloak, elegant and practical, and speedy, with a pouch big enough for me to take my familiar with me. It was steered by concentration and finesse. He always said I was an elegant and a safe flier. Anyway, I'm looking for someone who could fashion me such a cloak. I daresay that I can pay handsomely for it. As a man of the cloth, you may be the perfect person to turn to. We would have to talk about fabric and color, and maybe about opening it a bit more, so I could make it water-proof, self-cleaning and warm, tiny hexes that I can easily add myself."

76

"oh dear, did I introduce my sodale, but not myself? Y-yes, I am Marcus of house Verditious. But I have made a flying cloak before for the redcaps, I can make a faster one for yourself, happily. I am more than happy to consult on style and colour, which I suspect is an issue more pressing to me as a weaver than many of my house who work in more rigid materials. "

he thinks

"I shall be making an offer about enchantments, as soon as we have our first council meeting, I suspect"