This is to record the council meeting in Winter 1015
Elric shows up eagerly, with a stack of notes in his hands, and some smudges of ink on his fingers. Looking around and realizing he’s the first to arrive, he sits down in his seat, and waits patiently for the others to arrive.
I can't wait to share the news with the other about what I’ve discovered so far. Hopefully, this will show how useful I am to the covenant.
Thadeus arrives soon after Elric, a worried frown upon his face, with a folio containing some notes. Adhya is riding his left shoulder, her orange-and-gold striped shape a stark contrast on her magus’ dark robes.
The Praetor takes a moment to look around the new council chamber, set on the first floor of the new tower. It is much roomier and less crowded than the former chamber, which was sharing the space of a lab and the library in the old tower. There are now chairs for everyone around the table, instead of the assorted mismatched benches, chairs and even a few crates that were used last year. The room is still bare of decorations, and a few of the chairs are older ones, but it is far better than before.
Elric nods at Thadeus as he enters, noting the frown upon his brows. It can’t be easy to be thrust into the position of heading a new covenant, and one with two locations must be more so.”Greetings Thadeus, I’m looking forward to this meeting, and to give a report on my progress in sorting out the various lab texts we’ve uncovered.”
Angus arrives and takes a quick look around the room. He takes a chair from the table, carries it to the wall and sits down, smiling at the other two attendees.
A broad-winged vulture skims low over the steel-grey surface of Ennerdale Water, catching the wind as if showing off to the lake itself. It banks once in a wide, lazy arc over Ungulus, then tucks its wings. Feathers burst into drifting sparks of green and gold, and Thom lands on his feet at the new tower’s threshold, naked as the day he was born but looking very pleased with himself.
With what is becoming a practiced gesture, he casts a simple spontaneous spell to conjure onto his body a simple set of linen clothes (fatiguing spont CrHe L5 Base 1 +1 Touch +1 Complexity +2 Sun Roll: 19/2 = 9.) Sadly the spell fails to materialize. Standing there naked, Thom casts again but no luck. Finally on the 3rd attempt he succeeds!
With another even more practiced gesture, his travel-worn clothes shimmer in a sparkle of light, and he is wearing a many-colored cloak worthy of the Lady of Coniston Water’s court. (Image Phantom formulaic spell, magically generated species but not resisted by Parma. Second Sight and other magical means might see through the illusion.) With the bounce of someone who has absolutely enjoyed his journey more than anyone else, he strides into the council chamber.
Golden hair in artful disarray frames a face much too radiant for a place that still smells faintly of winter and damp stone. His eyes, bright as lake-light, flick around the room with delighted curiosity. The bounce in his step and the tapping of his six fingers on his leg suggests he might break into a tune if the meeting takes too long. Even among magi, Thom looks like someone a faerie sculpted in a moment of whimsy and then forgot to dull down for mortal company.
Thom sweeps into a courtly flourish for Thadeus, cloak swishing dramatically. “Praetor, your hall is a welcome hearth on a day that threatens to drown us all in gloom. I nearly stayed aloft just to avoid the mud at the door.”
Thom then pivots, beaming, and heads right to Elric, overwhelming him with a warm hug. “Elric, look at you! Not a single ink stain on your face. I am both proud and suspicious!"
A friendly nod follows for Angus, paired with the sort of smile that hints Thom is already planning to like him. “Angus, well met. The rest of the Oak Circle will be along shortly I believe. I may have flown a touch quickly. The wind was in an excellent mood.”
Thom scans the chamber, unable to hide his eagerness. “So then, what is on the agenda? Please say something exciting, or at least something that doesn't involve those nasty Diedne. But giants… I think giants would be fun.”
With a small, courtly bow, polished in the service of the Lady of Coniston Water, Thom slips into a seat beside Elric, still smiling like a man entirely certain the day will bring something wonderful.
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Elric smiles at Thom’s appearance, and returns the hug. He holds up his ink-stained fingers and says “I have managed to keep them off my face, but you and me both know that me being without an ink stain is just showing that I haven’t been in the lab writing something, and if I don’t do that, House Bonisagus might kick me out, after all, appearances must be kept.” And then he gestures at his neatly arrayed notes “I do have some news of what’s been in the lab texts we’ve uncovered, after clearing and catalouging them. What’s new from Oak Circle? I hope you are all settling down well there.”
Thom brightens at Elric’s question, sitting a little straighter.
“Oh, things are going pretty well at the Oak Circle. Better each week, really. The herds are settling, the land is responding, and the place feels more like a home than an outpost now. We have had a bit of trouble with a Glastig and her satyr servant. She has an appetite for our goats and the Nisse. We are working through it with as much patience and politeness as faeries allow.”
He gestures lightly, as if brushing away the memory and replacing it with something more pleasant.
“Our standing with the King of the Foam is quite good. He speaks plainly when he wishes to, and cryptically when he does not, but he has been friendly enough. I think he appreciates that we approach him with respect.”
A proud note touches his voice.
“I also managed to invent a spell in the autumn, a little third magnitude spell to help keep the herds doing what we need them to do. I want to try it on bees. Bees are wonderful creatures, and I would very much like to see hives thriving at the Oak Circle. Honey and mead! Wouldn't that be nice!”
He glances around the table, hopeful.
“If any of you know a beekeeper with a reliable apprentice who might like a place among us, I would be grateful for an introduction. A steady hand and a love of hives would go a long way back home.”
Nauvi strides in, “Apologies for lateness, I was checking on my son. I like to remind myself that we are keeping families safe with our covenant.”
Thadeus greets each magus as he comes into the council chamber. He is warm but looks distracted. The worry lines on his face are just a bit deeper than usual.
Adhya was sleeping on the shoulder of his magi. When they enter in the council room, the salamander straightens up on her front paws. She’s trying to look serious. His magi is the praetor, the knowledge associated with the feeling conveyed by the bond says her to respect a certain etiquette. She is clearly not sure about what etiquette, but she needs to try.
Sionag comes a little after other members of the Oak Circle. Her first consideration is to go to the infimary. She wants to know if all was good during his absence, if they don’t have any issue. She really takes the time to discuss with covenfolk about it. She wants to be their voice about healthcare and health in both places.
The infirmary staff report very little activity for their services and no real problems at this time.
A vulture lands. Once inside, Cath’rinne switches back after stepping into a suspended robe she left behind for such usage. She will walk into the council chambers, nodding at the assembled magi.
“Well… Let’s get started! What’s first up on the agenda? Did those Roots ever come in?” asks Thom, leg bouncing a little with his usual impatience.
Elric clears his throat “Let our Praetor Thadeus speak, and I’m sure we will also get to the news on the Roots.”
“I am sorry to be late,” Betula says as she hurries into the council chamber looking haggard, “I could just not put Yew down for a nap and the wet nurse was busy. She truly has such a good way with Yew. She would probably prefer her as a mother. Have we gotten started? Am I interrupting?”
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Thadeus smiles as he gestures everyone to take a seat. “We were just about to start, no worry.”
Once everyone is sitting, he calls the council to order. “First, I’d like to say that it is good to see everyone assembled once more. The last year has been busy for everyone, I am sure, and we need to catch up on what happened at both locations, since we did have many not exchange during the year. That is also something that we’ll need to address in the near future, I believe.”
“Now, I will start by summarizing what has happened at Ungulus over the last few months. I’d like you, Cath’rinne, to do the same about the Oak Circle. Once we are all informed of what went on, we can start planning for the coming year. Are we all in agreement on that?”
Once everyone has expressed their approval (I’m assuming that they do), the praetor continues.
“Let’s answer Thom’s question and speak of the library. The roots have indeed arrived and are stored in the library. The text we promised have also been copied and sent off. Our scribes have also worked digilently over the summer and autumn and completed a copy of the Creo summa, which was transported to the Oak Circle. Copy of Rego summa has also begun. And copies of the Conversations with Pralix has been performed, with one of the copies sent off to Cad Gadu as a gift. The training of our fourth scribe, the girl Alice, is also proceeding. She still has much to learn before she can contribute to our copying capabilities.”
“Also regarding the library, I recently received a letter from our former Praetor, Janus of Flambeau. In this letter, he asked for the summae he contributed to the library to be given back, on Creo and Terram, and also offering to purchase a number of lab texts in exchange for six pawns of Vim vis. He would visit us to retrive the books and lab text at the beginning of next summer.”
“I have checked with the scribes, and it is possible for us to complete the copy of the lab texts on time, as well as a good copy of the Terram summa. This will mean some extra work for them, with a corresponding expenditure of silver, but would leave us with an undiminished library. We may have to bring back the recent copy of the Creo summa from the Oak Circle in order to make another one for Ungulus, but perhaps not right away.”
“Are there any objection to this?” He takes a pause to let the others chime in, looking around the table.
Thom settles back in his chair, the restless bounce of his leg slowing as the weight of the Praetor’s words sinks in. The colors of his illusory cloak still shift softly, but his attention sharpens, blue eyes steady on Thadeus as the talk turns from greetings to obligations, silver, and the careful stewardship of books. For once, he looks less like a creature poised to leap into motion and more like a magus listening, measuring what is being said and what it will cost.
“Master Janus,” Thom says, gently, after the pause is offered, his tone respectful rather than playful. “Do we know where he has settled, or what path he has taken since leaving us? I ask out of more than idle curiosity. He carried much of the war on his shoulders, and I would be glad to know he has found a place that suits him. If he is within reach, I would not object to visiting him myself, if only to see how he fares.”
Thom inclines his head slightly, then continues, more firmly.
“As for the plan you propose, I have no objection. The books matter, and honoring our obligations matters more. If the Creo summa must return from the Oak Circle for a time, we will manage, and I trust we will coordinate the timing so neither place is left wanting. Thank you, Praetor, for handling this with such care.”
Sionag laughs hearing about the demand of Janus.
“Seriously ? He now considers that a book left here by a magi still belongs to the magi. Sometimes, leaving helps to think, I guess. May I remember to the council that, last time I saw him, he refused that my lab text, useful to create our building left Ungulus to the chapter ? That he refused to let me take my enchanted chest that I use to stock my precious potions, because all items belongs now to the covenant ?”
Thom lifts one shoulder in a small, almost affectionate shrug, the corners of his mouth soft rather than amused. He spreads his six fingers lightly on the table, as if smoothing ripples on water, and glances briefly around the table, then back toward Sionag, his tone easy but sincere, as if trying to let a little air out of a tight room.
“War leaves us all holding strange contradictions, I think. Janus more than most. He gave much, lost much, and sometimes that sort of weight twists the way one thinks about ownership and duty. I do not say this to excuse him, only to remember that none of us came through those years unchanged.
Thom tips his head toward Sionag, expression brightening.
“The chest, though, feels like an easier matter. It belongs where it is most useful, and Sionag’s work keeps us alive in ways that rarely make songs though honestly they should. I would happily see it returned to her, with our thanks, and trust that what strengthens her hands strengthens the covenant as a whole.”