Prospectus Logs #26: A Fox Amidst the Ducks +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Of evil angels, Jewish faeries, and traveling rabbis; also how these | | three may join together to form confusion. In addition, the results of | | missing lions, and the beginning of a new rivalry in the faerie | | realms. Finally: a cure for Drake? | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Dramatis Personae: Albus of Tytalus Magus (Shannon Appel) Berengarius the Bloodthirsty Magus of Criamon (Eric Rowe) Catorse of Quaesitor Magus (Kevin Wong) Fabricarious of Verditius Magus (Chris Van Horn) Frangere of Tremere Magus (Eric Fulton) Fraxima the Faerie Flambeau Maga (Donald Kubasak) Larissa of Mercere Maga (Kevin Wong) Risus of Criamon Magus (Dave Woo) Aubrin the Evil Elder Magus Drake the Liminal Elder Magus Tara Albus' Apprentice Aitor Grog Jean-Claude Grog Julian Grog Michelle Grog Roger-Tien Grog Torp Grog Vicent Grog Xavier Grog Benjamin the Fox Jewish Faerie Greenleaf Tree Lord Isaac of Badjoz Jewish Rabbi Monya of Matmata Jewish Sorceress Rurk Goblin Lord Lord Thom Faerie Lord The Vole Queen Faerie Lady Story Guides: Bill Filios & Shannon Appel - * - Albus' Dialogues November 14, 1217 Late Evening She wouldn't see reason. No. I've suspected as much for months now, since she refused to address my last letter. Now Monya of Matmata has tried once again to steal the Judas medallions. Tomorrow I shall wash my hands of this affair forever. Jews, Christians, and angels all be damned. For me, everything began at dawn this morning. I awoke to discover that I had been burgled in the night. Something had cast spells, putting myself, Tara, and all the grogs on duty to sleep. Then it snuck into the lab that Fabricarious and I share and stole my four amulets as well as a good amount of the silver that Fabricarious is minting into coins. There was much chaos last night. Frenzied rushings about when Fabricarious discovered what had happened. I could not be woken though. So, it began for me at dawn. This morning Torp was sent out to track at once. He discovered what appeared to be the footprints of a giant fox. Sometimes it walked on two legs. It seemed to be fleeing in a southernly direction. We decided that it might be heading toward the Vole Queen for sanctuary, and so began to put together an expedition at once. My sodales were somewhat confused as to why a faerie might be helping a Jewish sorceress. Fortunately I was able to put that question to rest. In my sporadic studies of the Jewish religion I have learned of a portion of Arcadia called the "Yenne Velt." It is a reflection of Judaism in the faerie realm. I was sure this was where the fox had come from. I wanted to beat our faerie fox thief to the Vole Queen's realm so I had Alifonso bring out six horses from our stables. I allocated them to myself, Risus, and the grog Vicent. By riding fast and changing horses halfway through I was sure we could recover the three or so hours that the fox had gained on us. Risus and Vicent had fresher horses and so were able to quickly gain on me. I waved them ahead. I said I would meet them at the Vole Queen's tree. Several hours later I was surprised to find Vicent waiting for me on the road. He indicated that Risus had rode on to the Vole Queen. Vicent had been left behind to await me and determine what I wished to do about a camp they had discovered near the side of the road. With Vicent at my side I openly approached the camp. A tall man was preparing a meal at the camp. My suspicions were raised at once when I saw the man had the tail of a fox! At my word Vicent attacked the man while I cast a spell at him. He resisted my magic and I knew at once he was a powerful magical entity. Vicent held the fox-man off. I began to rip through his packs. Unfortunately I was being rough and careless in my search. A mistake. I should have known better. Tearing through a pack I accidently ripped open a bag filled with a strange powder. The powder began to billow out. Vicent fell to the ground, unconscious. It was the same dust that had put us to sleep the night before. Fortunately, this time I was able to resist. The fox-man took the opportunity to back off. Then he abruptly turned invisible. I shouted at him for a bit, but he was gone. Afterward I finished my search much more carefully. I uncovered three more bags of sleeping dust. Then Fabricarious' stolen silver. Finally, my purloined amulets. Throwing Vicent atop a horse I completed the trek to the Vole Queen. Risus was waiting, as expected. The rest of the magi should be here very shortly. I can tell them the quest is done. I expect we'll rest the night, then return to Prospectus Locus. As for the amulets: This shall be the last time they cause me troubles. +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | "I let them know I have the biggest peck of all." | | -Berengarius, on the peck order | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - * - Albus' Dialogues November 15, 1217 Late Evening Fabricarious has begun to melt down the amulets. It will take a few weeks' time, but he will reforge them into twenty silver coins. Even better: before Fabricarious melted the amulets I asked the innkeeper to bind himself to the amulet I was bound too. It worked! I can reenter the covenant. Out of Fabricarious' lab at last! Tara is a bit sad though. It was almost home to her. - * - Albus' Dialogues November 16, 1217 Early Morning The most awful dreams last night. Her doing, of course. She rages about my quest. I will give the twenty coins to the monastery to appease Her. It is what she wants: Judas' silver in the hands of her church. So be it. - * - Albus' Dialogues November 22, 1217 Evening A most unusual day, but the start of something new I think. A man named Isaac of Badajoz came to the covenant today. A rabbi. He introduced himself to me and then began proclaiming I had violated the Treaty of Barcelona. Some type of peace treaty between us and the Kabbalists, though one that is held in considerable question in the Order. I was angry at first. I told the rabbi I had melted down the coins--truth--and that I had given them to the local monastery--false, though I would have in about a week when Fabricarious finished his minting. Isaac hinted at threatened repercusions if I did not recover the silver. I told him he would do best to leave it all behind him lest I be forced to kill them all. Isaac also brought some type of letter from Monya, but I burned the correspondence without reading it. As far as I was concerned the whole issue was behind me--or at least would be once I disposed of the coins. But then Isaac offered me a simple truth. He called my spiritual guardian an "evil angel." He said she was one of those who never wished for us humans to be born upon the Earth. Despite my anger of a few minutes before I was enraptured. He went on to speak of how the Christian church did not comprehend evil angels, but assured me that they existed. He even talked of being able to bind angels. He spoke so musically, with such assurance and kindness in his voice, that I had no doubt of the truth of his words. I had an epiphany. It was fifteen years ago that She came to me. I did not understand her at first. Later I accepted her as just punishment for my pater's crimes. I endured. I did as she asked. I pretended to study her so I could defeat her. In truth I let her win the battles without even raising my sword. It was out of guilt. But when the rabbi spoke I realized there was another way. I saw that my perceptions could be wrong. That perhaps she was not a benevolent guardian sent by God to see after my personal moral welfare. Further, the rabbi offered a way that she might be defeated. It changed everything. I demanded of the rabbi that he spend a few seasons at the covenant teaching what he knew of Jewish lore. He agreed. Then I gave him the still-magical slag to which Monya's amulets had been reduced. He should be back in a week's time--when I am done teaching Tara for this year. We will begin lessons in Judaism. As for Her: I know She will be in my dreams tonight. So be it. The war begins today. - * - Albus' Dialogues November 25, 1217 Mid-day The Vole Queen sent word this morning that Benjamin the Fox--the thief I tracked down earlier this week--escaped through her realm yesterday. So be it. I hold no anger. However, Her anger still remains. She was again in my dreams last night. I knew little sleep. +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | "Do you want someone insane in your covenant?" | | -Berengarius, on glass houses | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ - * - The Council Records as recorded by Lucindia the Seneschal November 25, 1217 In attendence: Albus, Aubrin, Berengarius, Catorse, Drake, Fabricarious, Forticulus, Frangere, Fraxima, Larissa, Lorum, Risus, Viator, and Xanti; also myself, Lucindia the Seneschal. Points of Information: * AUBRIN brought it to everyone's attention that the aura of our covenant has halved. With work, it was determined that the fay-associated members--Aubrin, Fraxima, and Lorum--were not affected. There was much speculation upon the cause for this. It was finally determined that the most likely culprit was the stone lion we gave to Lord Thom recently. Fabricarious will lead an expedition into the Underworld via the river Lethe in order to recover the lion. * ALBUS stated that he could once more enter the covenant. * BERENGARIUS requested that something be done about Drake's altered state. It was suggested the he should be brought to river Lethe, in the hope that he drink. Catorse carefully disected the legalities of this issue for the magi. +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | "We can lead an insane duck to water, but we can't make it drink." | | -Fraxima, on the code of Hermes | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Points of Debate: * ALBUS asked for a vote to prevent magi from monopolizing books. The following resolution was passed: "After two seasons of using a book from the library another magus can elect to take that book, although the magus originally using the book may elect to complete the season of study he is currently engaged in." - * - Jean-Claude's Report to Michelle November 30, 1217 Sir! We are the pure. We are the untainted in a tainted world. We are the untempted in a world of temptations. We are the pure! As instructed, I joined the expedition that left homebase Prospectus Locus on twenty-six November twelve seventeen, our third year of exile. Ten of us were members of the expedition: the lords Catorse, Drake, Fabricarious, Frangere, Fraxima, Larissa, and Risus; myself; and my fellow _cathari_, Julian and Roger-Tien. We left in a south-eastern-easternly direction and traveled without fail for two days until we arrived at the swamp lands surrounding the demon Thom's castle on twenty-eight November. Twice we were tempted while we circled the demon's castle. First the risen shade of the goblin Rurk accosted Fraxima beside an animate tree named Greenleaf. They tried to encourage her to join in a rebellion against the demon lord, but we wisely steered clear of this infernal entanglement. Next a troop of zombies approached us and asked that we commit our souls to Thom. They even offered to take partial payments. Again, we wisely refused. Circling around Thom's castle we came to the cavern system that leads to the river Lethe. There the lord Frangere called upon his power to protect us from marauding ghosts. We were able to travel down to the river and reassemble our raft without further problem. +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | "No one else get captured or I'll have to burn half your face off." | | -Fraxima, on brand marks | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ At this point the lord Drake collected Lethe water, mixing it with pomegranate juice that he had brought for this unfathomable reason. He did not drink it at the time, and we followed the river down to its end, where it pooled into a large lake upon a barren plain. The whole time some fierce creature followed us, but it never attacked us. At this point the lord Catorse convinced the lord Drake to drink the Lethe water by drinking some himself. They each seemed to forget what had happened during the last few months. Drake proceeded to drinkd his entire vial of Lethe water and pomegranate juice, but still remembered whatever traumatic experience he had seen several years ago. The other lords seemed unwilling to give him more Lethe water due to some legalistic issue raised by their secret society. Fortunately Roger-Tien comprehended the problem and so refilled Drake's vial three times. When it was all done, Drake had lost several years of memory but seemed considerably restored. Catorse drank of the Lethe water once more as well, when all was done, apparently so that he would not have to report that he had broken his secret society's gaeses. After that we proceeded to the foot of the stairs where the lords had deposited the lion last month. They found it blocking the entrance to the cavern which those stairs lead into. The cavern was filled with spirits of the dead unable to pass. We recovered the stone lion and the spirits swarmed out onto the barren plains. It was as if a dam had broken. We hauled the lion back to our raft, lofted it aboard, and then poled back up the river. Again something followed us, but did not attack. We were able to make our way back to homebase Prospectus Locus without problem. The lion is returned to its watery prison, somewhat the worse for wear--dinged and scratched--but otherwise unhurt. We have done your will, sir. We are the pure. We are the untainted in a tainted world. We are the untempted in a world of temptations. We are the pure! - * - The Memoirs of Aubrin the Evil November 28, 1217 With the other magi questing in the Underworld, Forticulus and I took the opportunity this day to search the covenant for the two missing stone lions, using the two we hold as arcane connections. Our search was somewhat feeble for not having the right spells, and we did not turn up lions, but we did find some stones scattered throughout the tower which were from the same source, and a vase too. I am fairly certain that the stones form the archway which once existed on the ground floor and which I saw when I viewed the faerie regio four years ago now. I will have the stones reassembled, and that archway opened back up, and we shall see what shall be. It should be done by year's end. - * - The Memoirs of Aubrin the Evil December 1, 1217 More minor deaths last night, this time a dozen or more ducks and a pair of pigs. Aitor was on guard and glimpsed their assailant, but it was dark and so he saw little. He could say that it was large, black, and moving very fast, and, most importantly, it was too big to be one of the lions. Strangely enough all of the lions seem to in fine shape this morning, even the one brought back from the Underworld, so there can be no doubt there is a connection, I just do not know what. - * - The Memoirs of Aubrin the Evil December 2, 1217 Our aura has been restored. Only Fraxima seems disappointed that we have once more submerged our faerie aura, and she even chides me, saying that I should have reveled in it. Perhaps.