Nerius Log #4: The Middle Marches The Players Acer of House Jerbiton Magus (Ian) Anchises Tarquinius of House Ex Miscellanea Magus (John) Atratus of House Flambeu Magus (Dave) Bazurak the Large of House Quaesitoris Magus (Steve) Cleopatra Pleides of House Bonisagus Magus (Henry) Dedecus Magus (Chris) Dirnano of House Bonisagus Magus Lincoln of House Ex Miscellanea Magus (Don) Marbaid of House Flambeu Magus (Billy) Raike Magus (Jeff) Somnium Lupus Magus (Shannon) Stagnum Os Magus (Scott) Father Marcus Companion (Chris) Francois Depard Companion (Scott) Henry of Louten Companion (Shannon) Jean-Luke de Guermantes Companion (John) Reginald Fitzgene Companion (Doug) Francis Grog Girard Grog Marcel Grog Martin Grog Maurice Grog Michele Grog Robert Grog Stephan Grog Vicent Grog William Grog Don the Betrayer Evil Magus Draco Ianitor Dragon Father Pierre Abott Fafhrd Gray Cat The Hermit Hermit Jonathan de Cantere Dandy Peregrinus Lupus Werewolf Sir Edmond Wilfur Lord, Siuren ** From the Logs of the First Council of the Covenant of Saint Nerius ** Summer, 1198 Present at the first council of the Covenant of Saint Nerius were the seven senior members, Acer, Dedecus, Atratus, Dirnano, Anchises, Somnium and Stagnum. Notably absent was the redcap who journeyed with the founders when the Covenant was being set up. He has not been heard from since he was sent out with a message concerning the status of Don. Appropriate concern was expressed. Decisions were made on how the Covenant would actually be constructed. The old building shall be struck done, and a new, larger one, with underground areas, shall be built in it's place. The senior members shall be guaranteed space within the greater magical aura. If the size of the Covenant increases in the future, some magi may be required to live within the area of lesser magical aura. It was decided that four professional craftsmen would be hired to help construct the new Covenant. The charter of the Covenant was discussed. It is still under consideration. A quaesitor will need to attend our covenant to approve it. Notable comment of the discussion was by Dirnano, who suggested that all excess vis be given to him. Notable comment of the entire meeting also went to Dirnano, who opened the meeting, saying that they were having one because that is the sort of thing that Magi do. No new members petitioned for admittance during this quarter. ** ** From the Secret Diary of Somnium Lupus Back from the damned faerie forest, we were, and life soon returned to normal. A short three days after our Covenant was given it's aura, the first council of the Covenant of Saint Nerius, was held, and we came to many decisions concerning the future of our Covenant. It was quite dry, and I hold the bureacracy of it all in low regard, but I recognize it's necessity. Acer and Dedecus were pivotal in getting the approval of the Abbott for our plans. They forced him to accept them by bringing them up, in front of all the monks, at dinner. Thus, Dirnano's lab was destroyed and construction on our actual Covenant began. I helped for a bit, moving the earth to make space for our basement. When that was down, I left the job to the grogs, and retreated to the Library to study. For a season, things were quiet. My hopes once again rose for the Covenant as I saw the many new faces, people who had journeyed to our Covenant with hope of their own. There came Cleo, a Bonisagus magus who knows too little of self control, and Lincoln, a magus of Ex Miscellaneus who has revealed little of himself. Also there arrived Bazurak, a large Quaesitor who looks more the part of a warrior than a Magus, and Raike, a fine magus who was closely followed by a gray cat that he called Fafhrd, always with a wry grin on his face. During that season, we also attracted several non-magi. Henry, a young historian who is too enthusiastic to believe, and Francois Depard, son of Stagnum's filius journeyed to the Covenant and have remained here. Lastly, near the end of the season, Reginald Fitzgene arrived. He seems to be a good candidate for our grog captain, but I really care litle for the matter. Others shall decide it. During the season, our relations with the church stabilized and even improved a bit. Of note is Father Marcus, who has taken a notable interest in us. With luck, this means that we shall be able to continue on, unhindered by the monastery that we live within. As the season of Fall drew to an end, and the leaves of the trees fell to the ground, in the eternal cycle of life, I was forced to once again come together with the other magi, at the second council of our Covenant. As, we sat there, gathered, deep in our beaucratic discussion, an incident occured, which again set our Covenant into action. A man appeared, mother, seemingly out of nowhere. He was a dandy, like many of the nobles who plunder the land side, and he smiled, giving a low blow which nearly knocked his foppish hat from his brow, and told of how he needed our help. It seemed that a magi, with eyes of obsidian was plundering his town, Nort Sur Erdre, our northern neighbor, and he was requesting our help. Acer acceded at once, realizing that it was Don that he spoke of. And, within the hour, Acer was off, with Cleo, Lincoln, Bazurak, Raike, Stagnum and Atratus in tow. A number of grogs were also brought along, as was Reginald Fitzgene, our probable grog captain. And, at the last minute, Father Marcus also said that he wished to accompany them. And I, mother, remained at the Covenant, still shaken deeply from the trip into the fayland, and the faeries who had betrayed me once again. And, the large party of magi and companions went off with the fop, Jonathan de Cantere, to a destination that they did not realize was truly not Nort Sur Erdre. ** ** From the Chronicles of Jonathan de Cantere, dutifully recorded ** by his lowly scribe, Phillipe And thus, my brave master, Jonathan de Cantere, convinced these noble heroes to return with him to the Middle Marches to the town of Nort Sur Erdre, to destroy the evil that they had helped release upon that poor town. Thus, they set off, with fearless Jonathan leading twenty warriors from the Covenant of Saint Nerius, and the fog between the worlds began to close in upon them. And then, out of the fog, burst scores of dogs, once belonging to Sir Edmond Wilfur, Lord of Siuren and Nort Sur Erdre, but now corrupted by the dark mage who had possessed Sir Wilfur. And, Jonathan, brave Jonathan, led the warriors in driving back the dark beasts. ** ** From the Memoirs of Henry of Louten, Volume IX Thus Stagnum began to tell me a tale of foul deceit. For, the town, Nort Sur Erdre that Jonathan spoke of was not the one the Covenant knew of, but rather it existed in a devil-spawned land known as the Middle Marches. And Jonathan could freely travel between that realm and ours because he was one of the damned. And so, a large party set off, to confront Don. Upon the way to this fake Nort Sur Erdre, they were all set upon by a pack of dogs. Raike set to create a ward against them, but the demonic aura of the Marches exerted itself, and the ward fell, and the beasts closed in. While Jonathan begged the people of the Covenant not to hurt the beasts, for the belonged to his Lord, the magi and companions set out to defend themselves. Bazurak the Large proved himself a warrior, cutting many a beast in twain, as did Michele. Vicent, who had showed in the past that he knew how to damage dogs, continued this trend, and soon all of the beasts where routed. And Jonathan, an evil smile on his face, continued to lead the adventurers into the Middle Marches, to a Nort Sur Erdre, where, it was soon seen, Don had indeed been. For, of the town, the only place still standing was the small hut of a hermit, who had, it seemed been protected from this rampaging magi by his faith in God alone. And the adventurers spoke with this hermit, and learned that Don had headed South. >From here, it was soon seen that the only place to go was a town named Siuren, whose lord ruled this Nort Sur Erdre, for that was where Don had been heading. And, the magi began to realize that they had been tricked, for Siuren lay right where the Covenant of Saint Nerius did, in the world they knew as home. Upon this journey, to Siuren, while they where seemingly retracing their footsteps, the magi encountered a being they dubbed Pergrinus Lupus, the strange wolf. He was seemingly a man who could take the form of a beast, although he knew little of the human lands. Although hesitant, and afraid of the humans, it was soon evident that Peregrinus was a friend. As the walls of Siuren, much like those of the Covenant, came into view, the adventurers where approached by two more. They were Marbaid, a magus who had been trapped in these lands, and Jean-Luke de Guermantes, a brave knight. They had been sent by the hermit to aid the adventurers on their holy quest. Finally, the party of adventurers, now numbering over a score, entered the town of Siuren. And, after forcing their way in to see the Lord, a massive battle erupted, for Don was indeed there, and the Lord had many people guarding him. Flames were thrown about as if a volcano had erupted, and for a time, it seemed that none would leave alive. And then, Don was struck down by Atratus, with a cruel blow from his quarterstaff. And Jean-Luke, struck the dying Don once again, giving out a cruel stroke with his sword. But, Don, seemingly dead, disappeared as the final blow struck him, and the various adenturers from the Covenant screamed out in rage, but Don was gone. Also, the adventurers had their own to worry about, for the brave warrior Stephan had been critically wounded in this battle, and lay near death. The Lord Edmond looked up, and his eyes began to clear, as if he had been under a spell, and he thanked the adventurers for what they had done, for they had freed both him and his town from this dark influence. But then, Jonathan revealed his final trick. For although he, one of the damned, could move freely tween the twain worlds, the adventurers could not, and thus they would have to use one of the gateways between the two worlds, and in the Middle Marches, these gateways were guarded, usually by powerful mystic beings. The brave warriors of Nerius, knowing this, set out first to speak to the holy man in Nort Sur Erdre, hoping that by some miracle he could bring Stephan back from the fate that he lay so near. ** ** From a collection of papers found in a hermit's hut, in the ** Middle Marches Then, they returned to me, as I had known they would, for one of their number was critically wounded. And, I looked upon this man, and knew at once that he was one of the faithful. And I called upon my God, and said, Do not let this man die, for he is one of yours, My Lord. And, by a divine miracle, Stephan looked up, and his wounds began to close, and he was in health again, as if he had never been wounded. And Stephan looked at me, and I could see that he truly believed now, that were before his faith had been clouded by doubt, now it was true, and he smiled and said, God is good. And thus, I explained to these people how to leave the Marches, to go from this demon-spawned place to the true world. They would have to deal with Draco Ianitor, a dragon, but he was not a cruel being, and I had faith in these people, for the true believers were among their number. ** ** From the Memoirs of Henry of Louten, Volume IX And thus, the brave adventurers approached the gate to their own world, and it was guarded by a huge dragon, who lay looped around the hill which held the gate back to our world. And, this dragon named Draco Ianitor spoke, and he said, you may pass me, and enter my gate, but you shall be in my debt, and I may at some time call in my debt, but I shall be fair. And, the adventurers agreed, because the hermit too told them that the dragon was fair, and they had no reason to hurt this beast, and thus, they were returned to their own world. And, upon returning to the Covenant, they decided that they had accomplished much, for Don had been killed, seemingly, but they were disturbed by the fact that his bod had disappeared as the killing blow was struck, and there was doubt in their minds. However, the town of Nort Sur Erdre, in that other realm, was now protected from Don's influence, and the Lord had been freed from his mental shackles, and thus the adventurers could return to their studies, and the grogs returned to their work on the Covenant which was, by now, over half complete.