Chapter 17 where the chapterhouse is established

Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica: Wake of the Schism
1

Thom returns home at the very end of Winter. The magæ have been packing and preparing in his absence and are ready to leave. Edwin is in charge of the mundane covenfolk. When this is settled, we can move to the story at Oak Circle.

The settling party² tentavily comprise the following, but confirm or adjust.

  • Magi: Betula, Cath'rinne, Thomas, Sionagh
  • Companions: Turold, Edwin (autocrat), Ruedi, Leofric (although Leofric plans to stay in the village)
  • Grogs:
    • Jack (turb captain) and Iago (lieutenant)
    • three ?? shield grogs
    • two ?? rangers
  • Minimal number of servants and teamsters
  • Peasant couple and nisse who will form the farm and income source¹, outside but near the chapterhouse itself
    • They also bring livestock.

The settlers bring provisions and silver to survive until harvest. I am not going to bookkeep this separately for now, and merely assume that the teamsters can fetch goods at Ungulus if required. However, you do need to tell me what other things you bring, especially books and enchantments.

¹ Income Source
² Crew overview

2

Thom packs fairly light, only assuring that the Stone Cutting Knife is with them, and he double and triple checks his vis stores and lab equipment that has been carefully packed. Thom also makes a point of checking in with the goatherds, nisse, and the goats and sheep.

He seems particularly lively and full of energy after his sojourn in the faerie court.

3

Since the first few seasons will probably be spent establishing labs and income sources, Thadeus advise the magi to only leave with those books, lab texts and casting tablets which have already been copied. If a priority list can be established for those books that would be most urgently needed at the Oak Circle, we can arrange for the scring team to work on those first in the following seasons.

He will ask to be informed about any of the enchanted items that the Oak Circle require beforehand, just so he can keep track of where the items are.

4

Finn will also settle at Oak Circle

5

Ruedi will be packed and ready to leave, and will do his best when they set up to help with the animals, and to hunt animals to supplement their diet, and to hunt down predators that might endanger their livestock.
In his spare time, he will offer Betula to assist in setting up her lab, being careful to follow her directions.

6

The morning hums with energy, the air crisp with the scent of damp earth and fresh beginnings. Around Thom, the caravan stirs—grogs adjusting their packs, herders coaxing stubborn goats and bewildered sheep into order, nisse darting between the animals, their sharp voices barely audible over the chatter of the covenfolk.

As Thom moves through the group, offering a word of encouragement here, a bit of humor there, his gaze lands on a new face. A man shorter than most of the grogs but built with quiet strength, standing at the edge of the group. His dark eyes move carefully over the chaos, taking it all in—not with the wide-eyed curiosity of the untested, but with the measured scrutiny of someone used to reading his surroundings.

That must be Ruedi.

Thom strides over, all bright energy and easy warmth, brushing a stray lock of blond hair from his face before offering his hand.

"You must be Ruedi, the new Kennel Master," he says, his grin broad and inviting. "Thom Myddleton, at your service—though I expect the nisse will rename me by the time we reach The Oak Circle. It’s only a matter of how ridiculous the name will be."

He lowers his voice conspiratorially, throwing a glance at the faerie goat-tenders.

"I suspect ‘Mud-Mage’ or ‘Goat-Tamer’ are the leading contenders, depending on how this journey goes."

Thom’s eyes flick briefly to the hounds gathered near Ruedi, if there are any, or simply to the way the man carries himself. Who is this new fellow, Thom thinks to himself.

But mysteries reveal themselves in their own time, and Thom has no intention of prying before the tale is ready to unfold.

"It’s good to have you with us. But—" he gestures toward the goats that have started chewing on the corner of a supply sack "—you may find your skills tested sooner than expected. If there’s anything you need, just ask."

With that, he claps Ruedi lightly on the shoulder—a gesture of welcome, not authority—before stepping back to let the conversation unfold as it will. The road ahead is long, and there will be plenty of time for stories to be told.

For now, the caravan is waiting. And Thom, ever curious, ever optimistic, is ready to get going.

7

Is Thom and the others happy with the crew as listed, or do they want two more rangers, or maybe a shield grog?

8

Ruedi sees the jovial, yet suspicious man winding through the group. After being around these Magi, he's aware that it might be his reaction to the Gift, but he can't help it, also, this man's features mark his as touched by fae, and Ruedi's recent "encounter" with the dryad has kind of left him distrustful of all things fae.
He tries to hide it, but it's not very successful.
As the Magus speaks, Ruedi, in his head mulls over Mud-Made as an interesting term for this one, but he keeps his mouth shut about it.
He does speak softly to the two hounds he has, to calm them to the presence of the Magi, as they also react to his Gift.
He does manage to speak one senence "Thank you, and I plan to put my skills to good use for the good of the Covenant."

9

Thom encourages the taking of 4 rangers (per Cath’rinne’s recommendation) and an additional shield grog on the ground that “that Wulfric troublemaker might move into the area and cause trouble.”

10

The party forms with everyone¹ who plans to settle in Oak Circle or the village, except for Finn who is still training faeries. The shortest way cuts through the Pennines to come down the Ure valley. The journey is uneventful. When you approach the hamlet of Ayesgarth, you meet shepherds with a flock of sheep heading upriver. They are happy enough to talk to the unGifted.

You find Ayesgarth largely as it was last year. Fresh coal and iron ingots seem to have been stocked at the smithy, even if there is no activity there at the moment. The villagers are busy ploughing and sowing.

The Oak Circle stands as it did, but the glade within is full of Spring flowers. Betula needs a night's rest after the journey. but casts the manor house ritual the following day.

The peasant couple finds a nice location by the river 200 paces or so above Cauldron Falls. There is enough open space for pasture, and the ground is solid enough to build cottages and sheds.

We do not need to elaborate every scene and encounter, but please feel free to interact with anything you think deserves attention.

¹ See other threads for people and resources they bring.

11

3 posts were split to a new topic: Chapter 17-A where Leofric goes to the village

14

[In time, this post occurs shortly after Betula's ritual completes.]

As the final echoes of Betula’s magic fade, Thom does not move right away. He stands at the edge of the Circle, his breath caught between reverence and exhilaration, eyes dancing over the newly formed wooden dwelling nestled beneath the ancient oaks.

The trees loom tall, their branches arching overhead like the vault of a great cathedral, and for a moment, Thom can almost hear them whisper in the language of the wood.

"They have seen many things," he murmurs to himself, tilting his head as if listening. "And now, they shall see us."

His fingers find his stretch of parchment and charcoal, and without thinking, he begins to compose, words pouring out like spring water, playful, bright, and touched with the wild rhythm of Faerie itself.

Where the Oaks Keep Watch

"The Grandfathers stand, so patient, so wise,
Watching the world with their slow, knowing eyes.
They whisper in rustle, they stretch and they creak,
Their voices are deep, but their roots never speak.

Yet here comes a house, so bold and so bright,
Born not of time, but of whisper and might.
It grows in a day, with no axe, with no blade,
A song in the wood, by a magus well-made.

"Who comes?" ask the oaks, "to settle and stay?"
"To walk in our shadows and dream in our sway?"
"Who dares to build where the wild things roam?"
"Who dares to name this place their home?"

Then step forth the wanderers, seeking retreat,
With ink-stained hands and a thirst for the deep.
With minds full of study, with wisdom untamed,
With laughter like rivers and stories unclaimed.

"We do!" they cry, "with wonder and cheer!"
"With knowledge in hand and no space left for fear!"
"We come with bright hearts, with magic and lore,"
"And we will be yours, if you’ll let us be more."

The oaks stand silent, then whisper anew,
"Stay if you must, but be wise in what’s true."
"The land has its voice, the river its king,"
"Tread light, little dreamers, and learn as you sing."

And so here we stand, in shade and in light,
A home newly woven, a hearth burning bright.
Not stone, nor brick, but magic-grown beams,
A house built of will, of study, of dreams."

Thom grins as he reads the final words aloud gesturing grandly at the new hall. His voice is light and quick, full of energy and mischief, but there’s something sincere beneath it, something that binds the words to the place itself.

He claps his hands together, turning back to the others, his blue eyes shining.

"I hope they approve," he says, throwing a glance toward the towering grandfather oaks, his tone somewhere between teasing and deeply, profoundly certain.

Then he laughs, bright and full, spinning once in place before spreading his arms wide.

"Now, my friends, this demands a celebration! We have built a home where the trees themselves watch over us! Someone tell me we have ale, or must I compose a tragic ballad about a dry cup?"

And just like that, Thom steps fully into this new life, his words and laughter wrapping around the place like roots sinking deep, tying him to The Oak Circle in the only way he knows how—with story, with wonder, and with joy.

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15

Ruedi goes to help the farmers set up some shelter and fence for the animals, and then off to hunt some animals, so they can have fresh meat to eat.
He wanted to be there to watch Betula cast the spell, but he knew that they had bigger concerns for now.

16

The first night is lovely. Quiet and starlit, but cold, since it is still the first days of Spring. In the morning, just after breakfast, Betula conjures your new home¹.

Ruedi's help is much appreciated, but one pair of hands is not much when a farm is to be cleared and cottages built. The more land we can clear in the next two weeks, the more we can sow, and the greater will be the harvest, they explain.

Edwin takes charge of the servants, moving into the manor house. There is a constant demand for more beds, chairs, tables, and whatnot. They are able to make a little, but there is a constant demand for more.

The magi get help to carry the crates with lab equipment into their respective sanctums, but still there is no worktable. Some shelving may have been incorporated in the conjured design, but they miss a bed at the end of the day.

The four rangers need little supervision. They get started on the foraging, as they also explore the woods, with or without Ruedi's support. The food they can gather is much appreciated to make the provisions last.

The grogs, under Jack's leadership, familiarise themselves with the immediate surroundings, and make themselves comfortable in the rooms dedicated to barracks.

¹ can someone recover and post the floorplan please?

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17

The river is alive, its voice deep and ceaseless, a song that never ends and never repeats the same verse twice. Thom knows this place well now, almost a feeling of home. The air tastes of mist and the cool breath of water, and he smiles as he nears the pool beneath the falls.

It likely doesn't take long for the man-sized otters, sleek-furred and ever-watchful, to approach near the river’s edge, their dark eyes reflecting the silver churn of the falls. Thom grins broadly, spreading his arms wide as they approach, his tone already brimming with warmth, and a hint of the more eloquent speech of the Day Queen's Court making its way into Thom's greeting.

"Ah, my most esteemed and most handsome friends! It is a joy to see you both again, still as swift and sharp-eyed as ever."

He bows dramatically, though there’s a playful glint in his violet eyes.

"Tell me, are the fish still cowering at the mere thought of your prowess? Or have they grown foolish in my absence?"

Still smiling, Thom places a hand to his heart, shifting his tone just slightly, letting respect flow through his usual charm.

"I have come not just to delight in your company—though that alone would be worth the journey—but to seek an audience with the King of the Foam. My sodales and I have made our home at the Oak Circle, and I would offer proper courtesies to the Lord of these Waters, that we may walk as neighbors in good standing."

He tilts his head slightly, eyes keen.

"Would you grant me the honor of calling upon him, or must I first prove that my otter form has not grown clumsy in my time away?"

18

Assuming that the King of the Foam grants Thom an audience, when he comes before the King, Thom bows low, but not in the way one bows to a mortal king. This is a bow of acknowledgment, of respect given to an equal force of nature.

"Great King of the Foam, Lord of the Falls, Keeper of the River’s Deepest Secrets," Thom begins, his voice carrying the rhythm of Faerie courts, neither hurried nor hesitant.

"I come not as a trespasser, but as one who knows the weight of proper introductions. I, Thom Myddleton, have taken up residence at the Oak Circle with my sodales, where the oaks stand watch and the land breathes old power. It is right that I should come to you first, that we may speak as neighbors should—with words before deeds, and with goodwill before request."

He pauses just long enough to let his words settle, before continuing.

"You may recall my absence, or perhaps the river has carried whispers of where I have been. I have spent a season in the court of the Day Queen of Coniston Water, serving as her councillor, learning the ways of light and diplomacy among the fae. Though I am but a traveler between worlds, I have listened well, and I seek to carry that understanding forward in all I do."

His cerulean eyes glimmer with sincerity as he spreads his hands lightly.

"If it pleases you, great King, I would hear your will. If there are matters to be known, if there is accord to be reached, I would rather it be spoken here, with the river as witness, than left to misstep and misjudgment. We have no desire to disturb the waters, only to walk the land beside them."

Then, with the smallest tilt of his head, his smile returning just slightly, he adds, a note of wry charm beneath the formality:

"And should you require a tale in trade for your time, I have no shortage of those, and even better, I am friends with a bard of great renown who has fulfilled a pact with the Day Queen to grant her great stories in exchange for vis."

19

Ruedi spends a few days helping set up the pens for the animals, and then goes out to explore the area.
He makes sure to note any dangerous animals, chat with the various animals of the region to learn more about any happenings.
He will also look for natural resources, like edible plants, and any game animals that can supplement their diet, and see if he can form a rapport with some animals to form some kind of primitive alert system, even if he's the only one that can undertsand them.
And last, but not least, he will make note of wolf packs in the region, and determine who leads which pack, and their relations.

20

The Hearth of the Covenant is coming along. So are 4 single charge Wand of Blunting the Charge - the rest of the charges are staying at Ungulus. I believe Sionag stated the Chest of Preservation was coming too.

Priorities for Cath'rinne are Mentem and Intellego, in that order.

Turold reaches Ungulus at the end of the winter, and will make the trip with the group to the Oak Circle when they leave. He will scout with Ruedi the first few days, if he's welcome.

21

As long as he keeps the distance when Ruedi goes to talk to the various animals, that'd be fine. He'll enjoy some human company.

22

Intellego is already copied and noted in the Oak Circle post so Mentem is noted as a priority for copying

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