Each post in this thread should be a letter, sent by redcap or otherwise.
Please be careful to give date, location, sender, and recipient.
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Date: near end of Summer 1013
Location: Sent from Ungulus with Benedict when he left
Sender: Ealhstan
Recipient: Quaesitor Iustina of Guernicus1, Magvillus, Domus Magnus of House Guernicus, Roman Tribunal
Mistress Iustina,
I hope this missive finds you well. I have some dire news. Earlier in the season I arrived in Chester, where I am from, near Gwynnedd but in Mercia, and made my way north to Ungulus where I met up with Quaesitor Luciu of Guernicus. He found Pontius Arbiter's body and buried it. Luciu was wounded from a battle with brigands who seemed to want to steal some goats on his way to Ungulus. He appeared to be healing well before his wound was infected and it took him quickly, a poisoning of the blood they say.
I spoke to Brother Æthelred in Chester, if you remember he is the one who sent me to you all those years ago. We spoke in hushed tones of a self declared witch hunter, Wulfric, who has the ear of the Alderman of Mercia. Wulfric drives fear into the hearts of those who might council restraint against The Order in any response to the damage caused by the war with the Diedne. Life is hard here on this Isle, starvation in some places and this seems to make for easy convincing by Wulfric and his people of the danger of any who practice magic. I believe he may be a danger to The Order but I can not say. At the very least he has succeeded in making Mercia inhospitable at best to The Order, or so it seems.
Ungulus was devoid of magi when I arrived. The three here left on campaign and have not returned or sent word for three seasons. One of their apprentices, Caelha, apprentice to Tacitus of Tremere, is in charge, she does not like me but she seems confident enough and I feel no sense of the infernal about her or anywhere here despite one of the missing magi being a member of House Tytalus. There was talk of tryin to find them, at least that is what Caelha wants the reinforcements, as she calls the other magi, to do.
Along with Luciu, who you know, a couple other magi arrived.
Thomas Myddleton of Merinita - It seems he hid from the War with his master and recently was gauntleted. He does not have The Stink of hell.
Janus of Flambeau - Speaks of burning and smells of smoke, constantly, but does not smell of brimstone. He seems older than the other magi here but I am not sure exactly how long he has been a magus.
Betula of Criamon - Returned to England from The Cave of Twisting Shadows, she is rather strange and I do not have a good read of her though I do not sense anything infernal about her.
Cath'rinne of Bjornaer - She is dark and has an untrustworthy eye but, again, no stink of the infernal.
It seems most covenants of this Tribunal have fallen or are in a state such as this, perhaps Ungulus is salvagable. Castrum Antiquum seems down to a single or few magi in hiding elsewhere. Perhaps Thomas' Parens is the only one left of Castrum Antiquum.
I am unsure where I am off to. Likely I will help Luciu and the others rebuild, perhaps help look for these missing magi of Ungulus. I will send another letter when I have more to share.
Your servant,
Ealhstan
1 Quaesitor Iustina of Guernicus is a pious, middle-aged maga who made her name for herself during The Corruption (of House Tytalus) and views infernalists and demonic influence as the bane of The Order. Since The Corruption she has made it her mission to help arm the Quaesitors against infernal threats, both with knowledge and with looking for and training children who display a propensity to Sense Holiness & Unholiness, which she is able to do herself. She has extensive church contacts which reach even even to England and the churchman who sent Ealhstan to her at Magvillus though many of the more distant contacts she has never met and only has a relationship of correspondence with them.
I don't think Nauvi has arrived and introduced himself as of sending this letter so I didn't mention him.
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Date: Beginning of Autumn 1013
Location: Left at Ungulus for the next Redcap to pass through
Sender: Betula
Recipient: Vineus of Criamon, The Cave of Twisting Shadows, Tribunal of the Greater Alps
Beloved Pater,
This path winds in ways I never would have seen. Unapt ways. Necessary ways. A soul grows within. These lands are dangerous. The Troubles are not over. We must bring safety to these lands. Repair the lands, heal the people. Our old home was destroyed. Replaced by faeries. I seek the final transmission of Cassandra. I have found Janus and others. We will create a new home. It is a mystery. There is much here. I have much to learn.
I will leave instructions here at Ungulus for the Redcaps and write again when I can.
In the light of The Spharios,
Betula
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