1238, Autumn

It is Autumn, 1238. I spend most of the remaining months of the year inventing a spell to calm animals, and reading the book on advanced magic theory, which teaches me more about the technique of Rego.

Next year, I want to start studying the elemental forms. My skill in the elements is very lacking, and it would be useful to learn a bit more of the basics for when I need to be able to use more general magic.

By the end of the year, we hear the yearly report from the Redcaps:

• The snows came early. For many days before the end of the year the snow descended and a sharp wind drained the heat from any who braved its bite. Rivers froze and the land was covered in a thick white shroud.
• The now familiar rocking of the earth marks the turning of the years, yet this time there is a difference. While previous quakes have varied in strength or to some extent in length, this one goes on, and on, and on. The earth shakes and trembles, it grinds and vibrates. There is almost a feeling of it stretching and bending and flowing, and then it ends.
• Messengers have been few in this difficult time for travel, but news has reached you of a mysterious shining palace that has appeared atop Ben Nevis. It is mostly obscured by the snow that still falls in the area and those foolhardy enough to attempt its approach have not returned.
• Stories are being told that the woods to the South of the Bannockburn are significantly more extensive than has been the case in previous years. This could be because woodcutting in this area has been reduced over the last few years (due to unfortunate disappearances of woodcutters), But it may just be that more folks have visited the woods this season, as for some reason they seem to be immune from the deep snow drifts covering everything else in the area.
• Commoners in Stirling and Falkirk are in unusually good cheer as a series of mysterious gifts of silver and luxury items have been left for the poor and needy. Unfortunately this has resulted in local merchant prices rising and a dip in the availability of ‘quality’ goods for the aristocracy.
• While the rest of the country is shrouded in snow, Edinburgh is sweltering in unseasonal heat. Most believe this to have to do with the fire and smoke belching from the top of Arthur’s seat which appears to have awoken as a volcano immediately after the yearly earthquake.
• Flooding has been reported in areas to the west of Edinburgh as rapid snow and ice melts have led to rivers and streams bursting their banks. Great mists have also been thrown up as strangely warm winds blow from the East meeting the snow and chilled floodwaters.
• There is a strange smell in the lab area under the Covenant.

Pisciculus ex Criamon – Winter, 1239

Investigating the smell, we identify it as coming from the tunnels down below. It smells of sulphur, and there is a warm breeze coming from up the tunnel. Our Trow, Timofy (we has named himself), says that the smell and warmth started shortly after the earthquake.

Maedbh, Allistor and myself prepare to head down into the tunnels. Allistor casts a spell upon himself and me to protect us from noxious air. Maedbh is able to cast it upon herself. This is where having learned elemental magic would have helped. We prepare some food and water to last us a few days.

We head into the passage, which twists and turns down under the ground. Eventually we reach a branching point, where a small narrow tunnel heads left, but the main one carries on. It’s a bit warmer at this point, though not unpleasantly so. At least not yet.

After much walking, we are beginning to feel a bit tired, though Maedbh is tired enough to want to rest. We have a sit down and a bite to eat. After a while, I start to get tired. I get the feeling we’ve been walking for a lot longer than we think.

It’s just bare, featureless rock, with the odd plant. There is some light, though we can see with our magical vision. We settle down to get some sleep, with Alistor on watch first. I’m woken for third watch, and I pass the time by shuffling bits of chalk.

Our Parma Magica hasn’t gone down, so we’re some place where the sun doesn’t set.

Travelling further on, the tunnel opens up, into a huge cavern. The light is now a bit stronger. It is more rocky, with rough soil and the occasional pool of liquid from which comes strong smells of sulphur. We can just about see a roof, but the walls stretch out beyond sight.

In the distance, we can see some hills rising up, and there is a reddish glow coming from behind them. The walls of the cavern are beginning to close in again, and the roof is coming down. There are fissures and cracks in the ground, most of which run along in the direction we are travelling. Almost as if something has been dragged through the earth.

Our water is running low, but we eventually reach the base of the hills. We decide to fly at this point. From our new vantage point, we can see a large structure which is lit by a moat of lava which surrounds it.

It is a castle, there is a bridge across the moat. As we approach, the roof opens up and there is now sky. The ‘moat’ is more like a sea of lava. I fly up into the opening to see what is outside. 

Flying up and out, I find myself above a hill. Nearby is a large town, with a castle above it on another hill. I’m pretty sure this is Edinburgh. So the caves under our covenant leads to the volcano in Edinburgh.

We locate Alistor, who has landed next to a bridge over the lava sea. There were guards up on the castle walls, so he didn’t approach that too closely. What we do next, I’m not sure.