1228, Winter
We left the previous session of Druids’ Dale in Autumn 1228 in the north of Scotland. We head south back to the covenant, and gained 6 XP from the adventure. So Pisciculus spent Autumn inventing spells so that she could take the adventuring points.
Pisciculus is wanting to begin her initiation into some of the mysteries of House Criamon. Her first step, hopefully in the following year, will be to find some quiet caves where she can spend her time in meditation.
Pisciculus ex Criamon, Autumn 1228
We are up North, and now want to get down south. Our normal boatsman, Blane, is staying here with Nanna Bella for the rest of the reason. So we need to hope that Malcolm has picked up enough boating skills from having watched Blane.
The weather is a bit changeable at the moment, so the trip back might be risky. However, we are feeling brave and are willing to risk it. Allistair provides us with a following wind, and Malcolm manages to get us home. The passage had been rougher than previously, but it’s not too bad. I congratulate him on a job well done.
We decide to let him spend the winter working with the local fishermen to solidify his training.
Most of the rest of us spend the winter in the covenant. I take the time to invent some new spells – Eyes of the Cat and Curse of the Unruly Tongue.
Pisciculus ex Criamon, Winter 1228
As winter falls, I continue to spend my time in the covenant, studying our book on Rego in order to improve my ability to control the body and mind of those that are threatening myself and my sodalis. My preference is always to disable or disarm people without killing them.
I also make a plan to begin down the Path of Seeming. I have not spent much time studying the mysteries of my House since I have arrived here, and I need to change that. In the coming year, I hope to begin unlocking secret mysteries that will allow me to give up the physical constraints of this world.
Jack, Winter 1228
I head down to the border regions to see what is happening with Lord Goulis. He has been cracking down on preachers who have been branding him as evil. There could be something odd happening there, and it could be dangerous to the covenant. Greysen joins me.
We head to the local bars, and I flirt with some of the local women. Greysen helps with some background music. Mentioning Lord Goulis though seems to kill the mood. He isn’t popular at all, in fact everyone is terrified of him. There are lots of stories of dark things involving him, most of which are probably untrue.
He has a well defended castle, with a lot of well paid soldiers. Many of them are of a similar mentality to himself, so the common folk don’t like working up at the castle. For the last year, he has been away dealing with the affairs of the court up north.
The Irish mad priest is still locked up in Jedburgh Castle down in the borders, waiting for Lord Goulis to return. <Gets 32 on an awareness check> There are press gangers looking to induct people into military service, but fortunately I spot them before they spot us.
Wandering down to Jedburgh castle, we find that it is a Motte and Bailey design, with half a dozen or guards. They are outnumbered by the workers, who don’t seem to like the guards. The priest is being held in one of the houses in the bailey.
There will be a major recruitment drive in the spring, so after then might be a good time to visit and try and break the priest out. He might know a lot more about what Lord Goulis is up to.
Spring, 1229
The rumours we hear
- Insurrection has occurred in the north of Scotland. The King’s lands have been despoiled and Inverness itself burned. The King has commanded that Lord David Goulis, Seneschal of Scotland lead an army to put an end to the rebels, who describe themselves as ‘the lidless’, for their habit of cutting away their eyelids.
- The winter equinox of 1228 was rocked by an earthquake in the vicinity of Edinburgh where houses and the castle itself were all damaged by the shaking earth.
- Persistent rumours from the vicinity of Oban speak of a flock of flying sheep. On its own this might be considered strange, but the stories also speak of a flying sheepdog who herds them through the sky.
- A number of drunken conversations have been recently overheard in the Library. Apparently a group of bandits has started preying on the roads leading north from Dumbarton. Stories have it that these bandits raid outlying farms for food, but only bother the better-off merchants on the road. Not surprising in itself, but the bandits are described as short with sharp teeth and green skin! Furthermore, they demand a toll of ‘magic items’ from those they harass! The stories are growing in number and soon the mundane authorities might take interest.
- One of the covenfolk insists that the local squirrels are ‘looking at him funny’. However, he is known for going off drinking alone so it’s probably nothing. Probably.
Blane returns from the North. He survived his time with Nanna, and seems somewhat less interested in the young women of the villages around the covenant now.
Maedbh has been talking to Euan and Sid in the regio, where the spider shape of the stones is more pronounced. From their studies, there are quite a few things that are proto-Hermetic in their Pictish library, as well as some writings which went along a different path. Possibly Druidic. The Gruagach’s library seems related to Damhan-Allaidh.
There is a general discussion about what to go and do next. Probably, we need to deal with the goblins first. We could also head down to Jedburgh castle. Pisciculus has a spell that can change the appearance of a person, which will probably help us get inside without being noticed. We might even be able to use it on the priest, to disguise him on the way out. Exactly who goes and stays though has yet to be fully decided.
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