1232, Autumn 2

Do we want to burn down the building with a green eye? I think that would be a good idea. Maedbh wants to put it in a bag, Allistor wants to yeet it into the next country. What I want though is irrelevant, and it’s up to the two magi to decide.

Maedbh is able to gift us all with the ability to see at night, which gives us an advantage for sneaking in. We are currently sheltering behind a rock, out of sight of the strange green light. Which is nice and safe. Then Maedbh smiles at me in that way that she does, and I find it impossible to resist her request to allow her to magic me up into the air and onto the roof in order to steal the glowing eye.

Then it’s decided that it would be easier to just sneak and climb. I spot a small set of steps which could be used to help the climbing. Sometimes there are simpler options than magic. Then Allistor decides to just fly over there. He grabs it and puts it in a bag and brings it back to Maedbh, who wanders off to do some investigation of it. It turned out that magic was better after all.

After a while she comes back, and starts talking magic stuff to Allistor.

Then there’s a more understandable discussion about what to do about the village. I’m all in favour of just burning it down, but the magi seem to want to do something more complicated. Like wait until the morning. Since they’re in charge, it’s their responsibility when it all goes wrong. I get the grogs to set up some snares, just in case any rats come our way.

We move away to a safer place, and set a guard rota. Then get some sleep.

In the morning, we are woken just before dawn by the magi who do their twice-daily rituals. After that, we go and watch the village.

Villagers wake up and start leaving their houses. There is some confused chatter between the villagers, then a shriek followed by stamping. There seems to be lots of stamping. Possibly some squeaking.

Then one of the villagers, who is armed with a rake, goes marching towards one of the buildings with obvious intent to do harm. He is surprised when a bolt of fire flares down from the top of a house and engulfs him in fire. He falls over, shrieking, then goes quiet.

There is more shouting and running, and the villagers all take cover in their houses.

We head in the direction of the village, weapons and spells at the ready. It seems quiet, with the villagers all locked up in their houses. Then a rat runs across the road, spots us and turns to look at us. It vanishes in a burst of flame as Allistor points a finger at it.

Then there is a scurrying from the large house, as rats scamper along the drain pipes that have been arrayed around the walls of the house. There are about a dozen or so of them. They swarm down off the building and across the road towards us. They are just rats, but they are big rats. Really big rats. Knox and Blane loose their arrows at a couple, and Allistor blasts several with his bolts of fire. Fortunately, it takes long enough for them to reach us that Allistor burns most of them, and Knox shoots most of the rest.

Maedbh casts of circle of protection around us, but there are only burned and skewered rats left. The roof of the large house is on fire, but Allistor summons some water which falls on the house and extinguishes it. It is all quiet again, and we start making our way into the village. It is then that Knox spots something. Him and Blane charge over towards whatever else Knox spotted. The rest of us follow behind.

Knox suddenly stops running, looking puzzled. Lurking in the shadows of a low wall is a large dog sized shape. It has a large, nobbly and malformed ratty head. It is glaring at us over the wall. Allistor speaks some words and the rat is ripped away from the ground and launched skyward. It lands with a wet thud, and lays still.

Knox very calmly points out that there is a another set of rat tracks heading off away from the village. He seems very calm, but claims that he is okay.

The tracks lead to a small copse of trees at the side of the Loch. Knox and Blane lead the chase, and spot something cowering in the undergrowth. The rat speaks some words of its strange Latin, and fails badly. Knox stumbles and trips, and Blane steps forward and swings at it with his axe, chopping off a ratty leg.

As Knox is left kneeling on the ground and covering his eyes, Blane manages to finish off the squealing rat. Checking on Knox, he is covering his eyes and complaining that he can ‘see everything’.

With everything quiet (again), we head back towards the village. Maedbh and myself head into the village centre, and call out for the villagers. Eventually one of the villagers pops a head out. Maedbh tells them that we were attacked by rats, and that her men-at-arms had to kill them all. The villagers are surprised, but also possibly happy. Fortunately they didn’t see the magic.

They bring refreshments, which includes beer and food. They seem very confused about what has happened during the recent past. They think they had a rat problem, but it was stange. They remember that they had allowed rats to live in their homes, and that had to do what they said. They thank god that we were sent to deal with the problem, and are very happy. One of the young women is happy enough to wander off with Blane for a bit. Lucky chap.

After a few hours, we begin to outlive our welcome so head off. We head back to the covenant.

Examination of Knox shows that he can see clearly – somewhat too clearly. Whatever magic that the rat tried to use on it possible backfired. Instead of being blinded, Knox now has excellent vision. He can see in darkness, and also see great distances.

Most of the rest of this season I spend reading the now very nicely written and well illuminated book on Imagonem.

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During the last season of the year, I spend my time reading the book of Corpus. I am getting to the age where I will need to soon make a longevity potion, where my skills at Creo and Corpus will be definitely tested.

Towards the end of the year, the Redcaps come around with their usual set of stories, news and rumours about what has been happening in the outside world.

• The villages of Gartmore and Aberfoyle have suffered the loss of several men-folk over the winter season, and now the people of the area are refusing to go into the woods for fear of a great bear they blame for this. It is thought that the local nobility will have to act – probably with a hunt in the Summer. Redcaps report that the mage Ragnar ex Bjornaer whose heartbeast is know to be that of a bear, has not been seen at his sanctum near Balleich in many months.
• The expected new year’s earthquake was milder than most have been recently with only a mild trembling felt. Town criers have been swift to praise the King for his recent generous donations to the Church which have obviously inclined God more favourably toward his Kingdom. Many townsfolk are gossiping about what other actions the King could possibly take to win further favour from the Church and the Almighty.
• In further evidence of God’s favour, sightings of a sea monster off the western coast have stopped almost entirely. Those few that still occur are being put down to overactive imaginations and drunks.
• God’s blessing on the Kingdom is also being given as the official explanation for the miraculous recovery of several folk from the outskirts of Ayr from plague. Evidence for this is the appearance of “Angels” clad in strange robes who cured the sick in return for their confessions.
• The war in the north has diminished somewhat in ferocity. Unconfirmed reports tell of strange fiery lights being seen to the northwest of the Kings forces and scenes of torn earth and smashed and burned trees been found when investigated. The forces of the lidless have been seen in many fewer numbers and the King’s forces have pressed forward and captured the strategic village of Beauly where the new priory was being used by the madmen as a headquarters. Unsurprisingly and despite official proclamations to the contrary, not many folk believe the Church.