The magi meet in Carcassonne and continue their travels to Bugarach where they hope to join the covenant of Fontis Niger. They find the covenant deserted and start to rebuild while exploring the area. The covenant's name is changed to Infractus Summus Redivivus.
Bugarach is attacked by wolves and the newly built curch is burned to the ground while a holy relic is stolen from the priory. Titus and Zola arrive to join the covenant. Books and vis sources are found and lab equipment ordered. The rebuilding continues and the new covenant charter is drafted.
The covenant and the magi find themselves in the iddle of a quaesitorial investigation. Sertorius discovers another vis source and discovered and the covenant is attacked by the west wind. Zeebebah refuses to leave her room, Titus is knocked unconscious, Sertorius flies headlong into the wind to do battle and Zola banishes the wind with multiple Terram spells.
The covenant is finally protected by an Aegis of the Hearth ritual. A Christmas feast at Montferrand takes an unexpected turn and the characters encounter the faerie king of the Pech de Bugarach. An expedition to Castlenaudary rescues several craftsmen and their families from the besieged city.
New evidence about the church burning is discovered and an attempt is made to harvest the healing berries. A Redcap brings Messages and Information about other covenants to Infractus Summus Redivivus.
The magi share a strange dream and a party heads to Pamiers in support of Magister Clement.
The covenant is visited by Julius scholae Jerbitonis of Bellaquin who proposes an alliance between the two covenants. Some of the magi and companions travel to Toulouse to visit Domus Liber and to continue the investigation of the church burning. The covenant is visited by Fahim of of Carvea Orbis and a new Vis source is discovered.
Visitors come from far and wide to attend the first annual story-telling festival. The event is a success, but not without some complications. The magi share another dream and the last riddle regarding Vis sources is solved.
Clement and Julius attempt to find a ruin, Arwa learns about her gift and a party of mages head to the forrest to gather Vis, harvest wood and meet with the Strange Wolf.
Spent in quiet study.
Zephyrus is defeated with the help of one of Titus' new Perdo Vim spells. Was he destroyed permanently?
The storytelling competition is won by Camilla of Mistridge.
Durand, Turb Captain at Bellaquin, visits to discuss plans with Sir Bertrand to retake castle Bellaquin.
Spent in quiet study.
No sign of Zephyrus or Bugh and Arach, much to the disappointment of Camilla who came to meet them.
This years Vis harvest from the Bath of Healing is reduced by one pawn. Some magi suspect a connection with the Templar activity in the area.
Spent in quiet study.
The Provencal Tribunal of 1363 gathers at Mistridge. In pre-session negotiations Sertorius and Zeebebah are found guilty of interfering with mundanes and accept a fine two rooks of vis each. Meanwhile, Bertrand leads an army alongside the turb of Bellaquin to retake the covenant's castle from a group of Crusaders. While Sertorius decides to leave the covenant and return to Spain, another magus, Anatole, arrives at Infractus Summus Redivivus to join the covenant. Fabien de Montferrand arrived with an army to retake his father's land. Fabien is detained at the covenant while Zeebebah convinces his army to go home.
Following a call from the forest spirit the magi set out to investigate an other appearance of the dark wolf. The trail of the wolves leads them to the village of Chateau Roquefort. They find the sheep sloughtered but the magi are unable to locate the wolves. During the following night their camp is attacked by wolves and a knight. The wolves are defeated and the knight is captured along with one of the wolves. While the knight identifies himself as Phillipe Roquefort the wolf turns out to be Wilfried of Bjornaer from Lupus Specus. Both seem confused and claim to know nothing about the attack.
Julius of Bellaquin returns with news about the Mithraeum near Bugarach. The magi follow him and investigate the old temple. The altar from the temple is missing and Julius askes for help in its recovery. The church of Rennes-le-Chateau is considered a good place to start the search. On the way to the Mithraeum the magi come across a cave in a magical regio that contains what appears to be a large stone sarcophagus. A dark red liquid is seeping from the stone. Four pawns of Corpus Vis are extracted from the liquid. There is no sign of the creatures that Arwa encountered here some time ago.
Father Clement wins the sorytelling competition.
A party travelling to the magical forest for the annual vis harvest finds the forest spirit locked in a struggle with Irene of Val Negra. Irene apparently tries to merge herself with the forest. Irene is stopped and gravely wounded. She is transported back to the covenant where she begins a slow recovery. Anatol is send to inform the magi at Val Negra of the situation. There he soon realises that Irene is not welcome at her home. The hostile attitude towards Irene soon extends towards Anatole and his life is threatened by Ignatius should Irene return.
A large party sets out from the covenant to visit various sites around the region. Zeebebah and Anatole accompany Arwa to Cavea Orbus? where she comences her apprenticeship with Fahim. Together with Sir Bertrand and Father Clement they then visit several castles around the covenant to form an alliance between local lords. They meet Geoffrey and learn that the brother of one of the lords was abducted many years ago, apparently by a magus.
Zeebebah leads some soldiers to the small village in the Pyrenees near Sir Bruyant's castle. She intends to spy on the castle but instead there is an encounter with Sir Bruyant's men in the village. The villagers leave their homes and relocate to Bugarach.
There is a visitor to Bugarach, called the Dragonet. He makes a deal with Ali for an order of swords.
A crowd of peasants arrives at the Covenant with Camilla of Meronita from the Covenant of Mistridge to celebrate the Festival of Bugh and Arak.
Zebeebah captures her image in a mirror and goes to investigate Sir Bruyant’s castle. The castle is built across two peaks with a bridge in the middle. She can’t see anyone. She tries to travel across to the second peak but miscasts and starts travelling upwards instead. Turning a bad situation around, she manages to position herself to land on top of the main castle in the tower. There is a trapdoor leading to a storeroom and then some stairs. On the next level there is a large room with quality furniture and a man sleeping. She finds some hair on his pillow and puts in her pouch. Then the man is awakened but a presence in the corner. Zebeebah narrowly escapes capture by Sir Bruyant and his soldiers.
Margot goes to see Pascale the Charcoal Burner to acquire some coal for the Covenant. While she is there, Pascale sees a transluscent, large black wolf, with glowing red eyes. His axe passes straight through it. Pascale and Margot hide out in Pascale’s house until the wolf goes away.
The magi hold their Council meeting. They discuss: fixing an arcane connection to Sir Bruyant and spying on him; finding a permanent water and heating source; purchasing a L10, Q10 Creo book from Carvea Orbis; acquiring a rego book from Lupus Specus; need for a Magic Theory tractatus.
Henri returns with lots of labware. Both Irene and Henri have now been officially expelled from their former Covenant, Val Negra.
Sir Bruyant sends his troops/brigands to attack the village settled on the Peche with the people who were his former serfs. He captures his former serfs and burns the village. Sir Betrand sees the fire and sends out his troops to intercept, some of the magi also head down to assist. In the ensuring melee, a number of the villagers are killed. Some of Sir Bruyant’s forces are killed and the remainder retreat without the captured villagers.
Zola returns to the village over the next few days to rebuild the villager’s houses in stone. Zebeebah has the corpse of one of Sir Bruyant’s soldiers brought to the Covenant for questioning.
Zebeebah talks to one of the dead soldiers of Sir Bruyant. A group of brigands a caught assaulting a merchant on the road to Bugarach. One of the brigands is caught and questioned. His name is Enfants, 23 yo and recently recruited by Sir Bryant. He has not seen a wolf but likes to meet night and sleeps during the day. Enfants says that Sir Bruyant stripped the skin off the body of one of his men who disobeyed or failed him.
Zebeebah attempts to spy on Sir Bruyant but miscasts and spends two minutes in Twilight. Luckily she manages to comprehend her time spent there. She is not deterred from spying on Sir Bruyant. She finds out that he has sent someone to recruit more troops. He has a plan that he says should go ahead. He peels the skin off a man with approximately 20 soldiers in the audience.
Zola and Zebeebah head to Sir Bruyant’s castle in order to wreak some havoc and to try to stop his plan going ahead. They approach the castle under cover and Zola casts a spell to remove 1000 cubic feet of stone from under the first tower. Bruyants castle is built across two peaks with a bridge between. The first tower collapses presumably killing many. Zebeebah receives a light wound from shrapnel and the two magas return to their soldiers and head back to the Covenant.
Tibeau arrives to talk to Father Clement about the storytelling competition. He talks about the mysterious minstrel and why he ran away. He suspects the minstrel name is Bellforte and that he is a faerie that challenges minstrels/storytellers to compete with him, and if they don’t impress they aren’t heard from again. Tibaeu suggests that perhaps the magi could convince the Mountain King to take Bellforte permanently.
The French King Louis 8 is leading an army form the North and is currently besieging Avignon. The Lords of the local area assemble at the Peche to discuss forming an Alliance. The Lords (William, Robert, Simon, Nicola, Phillipe, Sir Beaumont (Templar), lord of Mt Ferrand) agree to the Alliance and agree to cooperate in policing the roads from brigands and improving the roads. Father Francis oversees the swearing of oaths by the lords in the Domincan Church in Bugarach.
Anatol travels to the Festival of Twelve Years. There he meets Tito (Owl) and Ottakar (the troublesome magpie). They help locate and return the five stolen apprentices that are to undergo the Guantlet. However, all but one of the apprentices fail and it is a bad day for House Bjournaer. The evil hedge magician escapes.
Titus returns from his travels. Zebeebah is pregnant, the child will be born in Summer 1227.
Jacques from Paris arrives to inform Sir Betrand that the Perfecti healed the French King of his disease and that there will be a meeting in Carcasonne in Spring with the King.
Camilla returns to host the festival of Bugh and Arak. Zola assists with the light show and Camilla requests an “Earth Giant”, as an earth giant apparently fought the West Wind in the tale. Camilla brings with her Christina of House Ex Misc, a storm/weather mage, recently arrived from the Rhine Tribunal to assist. Christina is from Mistridge and is not a hermetic mage, she sings!
The magi cast the Aegis of the Hearth and have a council meeting. Zebeebah agrees to find Sir Phillipe’s brother (Gerard, the child stolen by magi) and investigate having a permanent water source made. Titus will dedicate 2-3 seasons to improving the aegis of the hearth. Zola will work on her Talking to Rocks spell. A letter arrives from Sartorius. Zebeebah responds asking about Gerard.
Anatol walks along the stones to collect the Intellego vis. Past the 9th stone there is a new pillar and inscription: “Unlocking the veil of darkness you will find enlightenment”.
The Storytelling Festival is won by Rafi, who tells an Arabic tale. Contestants are down this year, as Jeffery and Tibeau do not arrive. Also the Mountain King does not arrive to act as judge. Zola, Anatol and Pascale du Bois (the smelly charcoal burner) go to investigate the whereabouts of the Mountain Fairy King. They cross the regio and find that all the snow is gone, the door to the Mountain King’s court is open and doesn’t talk and there is no-one inside. Zola shrinks the throne and takes it with her. Later, Titus removes 4 pawns of Perdo vis from the throne. In future, Zola will fix the arcane connection to the throne.
Fahim and Arwa arrive. Fahim informs the magi that Irene survived the Wizard’s War, but Henri did not. Fahim’s friend invites Titus to Iberia to study Titus’ dreams.
The season is unusually warm and the fountain yields no vis this year.
Sir Betrand and Zebeebah get married.
Miguel and Rafi decide to collaborate as apothecaries.
Reputations are discussed: • Zonobono – fabulous architect (local) – 7 • Clement – learned priest (local) – 6 • Sir Betrand – Lord of Bugarach (local) – 9 • Zebeebah – unconventional Guernicaus (hermetic) – 3 • Ali of Andulasia – swordsmith (local) – 3 • Rafi – doctor (local) - 3
Side Adventure – Crayfish negotiations and water sprites. The Covenant folk investigate a regio in a pond that leads to a crayfish kingdom and many large, intelligent, talking crayfish, including a crayfish King. They agree to stop harvesting the crayfish in the pond.
Sir Bertrand, Zebeebah, Zola (as Zonobono), Pacale and 8 soldiers travel to Carcassonne to meet the King of France. The French King has made a deal with Raymond 8, Count of Toulouse, so he can keep his lands as vasal. Raymond Roger 4, Viscount of Carcasonne, Bezier etc. Is stripped of his lands. Jacques, the Herald, is appointed Bailiff of Carcasonne by the King.
Zonobono wins the contract to build the new walls around Carcasonne. Demetrius, Zola’s parens arrives from Italy. The King declares that a Cathedral, a Dominican monastry, is to be built on the site where the Cathars (including Olivier!) healed the King. Demetrius and Zola combine their skills to make a stone model of the Cathedral with Roman and French influences. They meet with the Church and win the contract, however some local heavies threaten Zola, as they want local craftsmen to build the Cathedral. Zola ignores them.
At the meeting with the King, the Bishop of Toulouse claims Bugarach as his own lands. He says he will come to Bugarach in Summer 1227 for a meeting. Jeffery of Mistridge is present and has a meeting with the Bishop of Toulouse. Zeebeebah goes invisible and listens through the walls. Jeffery tells the Bishop that “bad things” are happening in Bugarach e.g. walls going up overnight. Jeffery has a performance later at the Golden Key Tavern. Pascale and the invisible Zebeebah conspire to get a hair from Jeffery and escape back to their lodgings.
The Bishop of Tolouse arrives in Bugarach and claims the township, surrounding pastures and the peche belong to him, as the Bishop of Toulouse. Sir Phillipe (Bailiff of Carcasonne??) arrives in Bugarach for the negotiations after some issues with brigands on the road. Negotiations are heated and Father Clement weighs in with his knowledge of local history.
A Dominican, Martinus of Peruia, arrives in Bugarach. He’s been appointed by the new Pope Gregory 9, who is concerned to ensure that the heretics have been removed from Southern France. The Bishop insults Bertrand by claiming that he is involved in protecting heretics. The negotiations are postponed to allow Martinus to investigate the accusations made by the Bishop of heresy and dark magic at the Peche.
When Martinus arrives at the Peche, he reveals that he is not gifted, but is the son of a member of House Jerbiton and grew up in an Italian covenant. He says that if it goes to trial, Betrand would simply have to name Jeffery as having a grudge against him and the trial wouldn’t go ahead. He agrees to help Sir Bertrand to remain in charge. Martinus convinces the Bishop that nothing untoward is happening at the Peche. The Bishop hands over custodianship of the Priory to Martinus and agrees to make no further claim on the lands. The Priory will collect rent of the local tenants and provide a share to Sir Bertrand for protection.
Titus has a dream, in which he, Anatol and Zebeebah are surrounded by darkness and a huge eye is crying. Then, they are on the back of a dragon flying. On the land below they see another dragon fighting with a small army of upset people. The dream shifts again and the three mages are in the mountains near an ancient temple. A yellow-eyed man comes and takes a baby from Zebeebah’s arms. The covenfolk awake to the sounds of Zebeebah’s screams as she goes into labour. After a short delivery, a healthy boy is born. The child is named Hadrian after Zebeebah’s father and baptised by Father Clement at the Covenant using the water from the fountain.
Meanwhile, in Carcasonne, Zola is cutting stone in the quarry when the she hears some other people also cutting stone. She wakes Pascale to help her investigate. They discover Marcus, a priest of Mercury with a whip, supervising 12 peasants cutting stone. Maga Kristina and her grog show up on the scene, and observes a group of Gauls attacking Marcus. Marcus attempts to cast a spell, but is killed and the workers are freed and disperse. Kristina extracts vis from the stones and explains to Zola that this is a vis source of Mistridge’s.
Kristina then gives Zola a book, “The Strange Tales of Yuvatar” Volume 2, by Charles the Redcap. From an examination of the book, Zola deduces that the book is a tractatus on Magic Lore and that Yuvatar was a Trianoma and seeker who visited magical sites in the Provencale Tribunal. The book was written by Charles, her travelling companion. In Chapter 4 there is mention of the Peche de Bugarach and a strange regio. Apparently Yuvatar explored the regio by herself and came back quite disturbed.
Anatol hatches a plan and creates a spell to rid the town of Bugarach of it’s rat infestation. With the cover of Miguel waving smelly herbs around, Anatole casts a spell on each house, so that the rats flee the dwelling. The enthusiastic villagers await with their whacking implements and everyone has a grand time whacking rats. Unfortunately, swarms of birds arrive (supernaturally) and descend on the town until dusk, leaving the bodies of the rats picked clean.
Zola and Kristina arrive back at the Covenant and Camilla and her pagan followers arrive also. The re-enactment of the defeat of the West Wind begins and Kristina casts a spell to summon the West Wind using the arcane connection, under the watchful gaze of Titus. A cloud mass grows in front of Kristina and a faerie aura briefly establishes itself on the Peche and then fades as the cloud dissipates. Camilla, Kristina and Zola are excited and think that next year the West Wind should come back. Zola also discusses with them the issue of the missing Mountain King.