This is the second time I have run this saga, but as I am tweaking the start I assume that within a few sessions it will diverge wildly. If it does not go too badly I have an idea to properly format it as a free pdf for Anno Magica.
This is set in the Stonehenge tribunal using a modified version of Orphans of Merlin, which I cannot recommend enough.
My tweak is to remove the Covenant at Oxford, and I will probably introduce some more in the south west, almost certainly Sabrina's Rest, as it gives Blackthorn something to concentrate on.
The site is here:
Which is a reskin of when I ran it last time (and I still need to update some of the graphics)
The First Session went like this:
Session One: Autumn Equinox of 1209.
Four Magi assemble at the Mercer House in Lunt fort, just south of Coventry in the great forest of Arden. Lunt fort is located in a magic regio (Aura level one) populated by a mix of (ghostly) roman legionaries and (mundane) redcaps. The Mercer House is run by Marie of House Mercere.
One Maga, Yamato, also of House Mercere is already present. She is lounging around in her cat form, continually irked by the universe not letting her lie in the sun all day, as the the shadows keep moving...
The other three Magi are greeted by Marcus Sextus as they emerge from the Mercere Portal. Two have travelled from the Normandy Tribunal, these are Joscelin of House Jerbiton and Elphine of House Verditius. They are joined by Azzura of House Bonisagus who hails from Venice.
The Magi have been recruited to set up a new Covenant in Grantabridge, and Maria is to escort them there. She is very tight-lipped about the whole affair, pointing out that Lunt Fort does not currently have an Aegis, and that the air has ears....
They travel overland by cart for four days first up to High Cross, then along the Fosse way to Lincoln, and thence along Ermine way before brabching off to get to Grantabridge. The gentle gifted Joscelin declines to go with Marie to local inns to acquire victuals, and stays with the rest of the party in a mercere tent.
On the fourth day they are accosted by what they assume is a Fae Knight asking them if they "Swear Allegience to the Empress Maud, or are supporters of the vile traitor Stephen'. None of the magia have a clue what that means as three of them are not from England, and the fourth (Yamato) wasn't really paying attention during her life so far. Marie volunteers that the Civil war between Maud and Stephen was bout 70 years ago, but while the talking is going on the knight charges!
Joscelin tries to hold the knight rigid but fails to penetrate his magic resistance. Yamato however manages to put him to sleep, This causes the hourse underneath him to vanish.
Aware that the spell used was only of momentary duration and that he could re-awaken at any time they discuss what to do next. Eventually they hit upon a plan. Yamato will physically change Elphine to look more regal (Elphine doubts that this is necessary) and Elphine herself (using her Minor Magical Focus in Fashion) transforms her clothes into imperial grab, with goodly amount of purple festooned about.
They then awaken the knight and Elphine (claiming to be Maud) thanks him for his leal service, declaring his service to be over, and giving him a coin as thanks. He prostrates himself, takes the coin and rides off.
Marie grudgingly admits that she knew about tales of Fae knights roaming the countryside, but again keeps her counsel.
Upon arriving at Homerton Monastary they are greeted by another redcap (Guido) and a monk (Osbert). They are taken in and fussed over by the monks.... and it is noticed that none of the monks are fazed by the magi's gifts. The horses however do react negatively to Osbert and he stays away from them.
They are conducted to the refectory, and Marie, Guido and Osbert come clean.
A few years ago Guido was travelling in the nearby region and accosted by Fae knights. He was accompanied by his magical friend Tom, a cat. Guido was left bleeding by the wayside, but Tom escaped and managed to find his way to Homerton where Osbert found him. Osbert took Guido in and the monks healed him. While he was there Guido discovered that
Osbert was Gifted (and not gentle gifted)
All of the monks knew this
None of the Monks noticed the bad effect of the gift (Guido did but due to many many years training he could ignore it)
Asking around he discovered that Osbert cast every so often an amulet that rendered the recipients Unnafected by the Gift. Osbert himself was overjoyed to discover that there were other magical traditions (Out of Character: This is a tradition of Learned Magicians). His tradition had been in the monstary for a long time, but his Master (Egbert) had gone missing whilst trying to deal with the Fae knights and he (Osbert) did not know what to do. Osbert is uncertian if he could join the Order of Hermes and still stay true to his vows as a monk. Guido worried about the Join or Die order and what would happen if a militant member of the Order got wind of someone who could not join.
A Plan was Hatched.
Talking to people in Houses Jerbiton and Mercere, it was agreed to set up a Covenant at Grantabridge at the site of the White Stone (A shapeless bone-white stone in the middle of a swampy field. It had a strength four Aura as far as Guido could tell). This was for the purpose of researching/adapting/co-opting this magical tradition. As a cover story it was agreed that some scholars from Oxford (currently on retainers from House Mercere for copying mundane texts) would come and act as a buffer between the Magi and the wider world. To ....persuade... them to come certain false rumours about these scholars have been planted, and their flight to Grantabridge should happen before the season is out.
Joscelin asked about the Hermetic Landscape. Yamato(being a native of the stonehenge tribunal) hadn't realy bothered herself with all that, so Marie (sighing) pointed out that the last three tribunals had been inquorate, and that the next (due in 1215) probably won't be quorate either. The Presiding Quaesitor, Iudicium, resides at Blackthorn (a Covenant in Southern Wales), as coincidently is the presumed Praeco (Talion of House Tremere).
Turning now to the Knights, they have been plaguing the whole of East Anglia for some time now, but in a minor way. Homerton Monastary seems to have it bad though.. Every 2 years the knights invest the White Stone for the Summer Season. This has just passed, and the Magi have until the Summer of 1211 to be prepared for thier return. The Monks will set up physical Laboratories on the site which will be ready in the Lent Term of 1210. The Magi can then set up their labs (I house rule it only takes one season), and so they will have 5 subsequent seasons to prepare to meet the knights! The mundane rent has been agreed at 900 eels per year paid annually on the Saints Day of St Micheal and all Angels.