Novgorod Log #16: Blind King's Mask +--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Of a map made of the blackest stone, and the quarry that it came | | from, long ago. The many tales and legends of Poland. Finally, a | | blind king, a hill, a mask and a prophecy. | +--------------------------------------------------------------------+ Agrippanilla of Jerbiton Maga (Chris van Horn) Carmen of Bjornaer Maga (Donald Kubasak) Andron of Bonisagus Seeker (Eric Rowe) Nova of Criamon Seeker (Dave Woo) Franz Ship Captain (Shannon Appel) Jenna Autocrat (Kevin Wong) Karena Hand Maiden (Matt Seidl) Turpis Merchant (Dave Pickering) Uniso German Grog Captain (Chris van Horn) Ado German Grog Apiumi German Grog Astalonzo German Grog Eric Nordic Grog (Matt Seidl) Corruto Seeker Emron Lemming Magus Rodom Bear Magus Rumisky Archaeologist Saint Olan Some Dead Guy Serivic Mercenary Captain Thamus Blind Shaman Thorin Lemming God +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | "Dejawoo -- When something confuses you more than once." | | -Woo's Unabridged Dictionary | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ From A Sailor's Story The Chronicles of Franz May 20, 1202 Although our adventure into the heart of Poland was a great one, of which many tales will told, our beginnings were quite humble. I remember it as if it were yesterday, for in the end, so much hinged upon such a small start. It was shortly after I had welcomed all aboard my fine ship that the enigmatic mage, Nova, began to talk. She spoke of the map that she had, which detailed a certain hill in Poland, and explained how it contained a chart of the stars, which told the way to an ancient magic treasure. However, even to Nova, not all of the mysteries had been revealed. She did not know where precisely the hill was located, and so a long search lay ahead. We all could not help but think what a large place Poland was. Fortunately, we have two clues to put us upon the right path. First there was the tablet itself, made of a strange black rock. Second, there was the name of our destination, the Hill of the Black Tower. Even from the start, we knew that it would be a place of ancient lore and arcana, which the skalds of Poland would still sing of. For a bit after our quest began, we meandered, travelling first to Visby, to negotiate with Turpis for maps of Poland. Only when we were done were we finally able to sail towards our true destination. - * - From A Sailor's Story The Chronicles of Franz May 26, 1202 For three days, we waited in the city of Torun, hoping to learn interesting stories and tales that might lead us to the Hill of the Black Tower. I must admit that in speaking to storytellers, cartographers and archaeologists, we learned much. It is amazing how rich Poland is in its folklore and its myth. It was Nova who stumbled upon the most interesting tidbit. She heard a tale of the great hero Ottar, of whom so much has been said, and how he once came to Poland, seeking vengeance against a vile sorcerer. The Mage of the Mask had hid in his ebony tower when Ottar sought him, but it was not enough. Ottar pushed straight through the sorcerer's guardians, killing the troll which controlled the night, the giant bird of ice and three hundred dead warriors who stood in his path, and thus he came to the Hill of the Black Tower. Without a thought, Ottar threw himself at the tower, tearing its walls apart with his bare hands until the tower fell, and thus was the Mage of the Mask destroyed. Another interesting piece of information came from a Teutonic Knight who Eric spoke with. When far into his cups, the Knight began to talk about some fellow named Olan, who the Christians were taking to Rome to make a God. Apparently, this fellow possessed a relic, which was a great gem, within which can be seen the face of the Christian God. The powers of the gem are said to be equally great. But, amazingly, St. Olan's Relic was not the only magical gem which the Knight knew of. It seems the things are as common as snow in these Northern lands! If only I had known of them when I was but a humble fisherman. After completing his tale of St. Olan's Relic, the Teutonic Knight then told of the Stone of Bol, which dwells far to the North, in the Great Cathedral of Iceland. It is said to be a magical rock, which once cried out whenever a king was crowned in Ireland, before the Northern savages took it away. In the center of that rock, is a magical gem, of course. The magi, of course, were quite excited over the news of the gems. Perhaps someday those mighty doors that they talk so much about will actually open. The other stories that we heard in Torun were quite varied. There were the rumors of werewolves to the East, and prophecies of the God Parun slaying the Teutonics, and many, many more, but there was too much to fully recount them all here. In the end, we were somewhat discouraged, for though all we had learned was interesting, we were not much closer to finding the source of the black rock, or the Hill of the Black Tower. It was Carmen who finally discovered a crucial piece of the puzzle. In the market, Andron purchased for her a most beautiful earring, made of a black rock. It was clearly the same rock that our map was made of. Carmen was quick to query the jeweler, and soon learned that the rock had come from a merchant in Gneizo, to the South. But, Carmen was not ready to travel to Gneizo yet, for she had also learned, from an archaeologist named Rumisky, of a place of magi to the North, called Lectica. She hoped to journey there, and talk with a mage named Emron, who was reputed to know much about rock. Only then would she be prepared to travel to the heart of Poland. - * - From Rumisky's Report to the Seeker Corruto May 25, 1202 Sir, thank you for coming so quickly. I believe that you will find most valuable the information that I have gleaned. Two days ago, I was approached in the Bloody Goat by a strange looking group. They had apparently heard of my reputation as an archaeologist, and thus had come to me, seeking advice. They had with them a black tablet, upon which was carved an odd map, and they wished to know the origin of the rock. At first, I thought little of their questions, for they seemed beyond my knowledge. Then, looking carefully across the group that stood before me, my eyes came to rest upon one of them, and I recognised him! It was Andron, of whom you have spoken to me before, apprentice to Triptine, who has caused you so much trouble in the past. At once, I realized that the map would be very valuable to you, so I began to pretend knowledge of the rock that the group sought. Thus, I asked the magi, for it had become clear that that was what they were, if I could borrow the stone tablet, to ease my research. Unfortunately, the magi were wary, and only willing to leave the tablet with me after I had given them a strand of my hair. I must say, they were quite successful in intimidating me, and thus I returned the tablet to them the next day, rather than absconding with it as I had originally planned. Still, I think you will be pleased with the results, sir, for I made this etching of the map before i returned it, and thus you now know all that they do. Even better, I have sent them on a wild goose chase, running to the covenant of Lectica to ask the fool Emron for help. If Andron does indeed seek something valuable, sir, I believe that you will now have a tremendous advantage. - * - From A Report on the Covenants of Novgorod by Volumen Volubilis of House Bonisagus March 17, 1192 The lands of Novgorod are strangely empty ones. Unlike the Levant and Loch Legleann Tribunals, each so full of magi that they seem near to bursting, Novgorod is a beautifully spacious place. In all, there are but five covenants that have survived in the frozen Northern lands. The three covenants in Poland are the oldest of the Tribunal, and these are the ones that I shall write of first. Far to the South is the covenant of Teritos. It is the most varied of the Covenants of Novgorod, for it contains magi from many houses. Teritos, and the Tremere who came before him, has molded these magi into a powerful force, taking advantage of the individual powers of all of his members. Teritos would surely be the central force in the Tribunal of Novgorod, if its members did not look solely towards the politics of Transylvania. Rumors, which I will not try and validate here, say that the founding members of Teritos were once driven from Transylvania by Coeris itself. To the east of Poland, utterly removed from civilized lands, is the covenant of Urs. It is a place that has very limited contact with the rest of the Order. Officially, its members are all Ex Miscellanea, although I have heard odd tales of Russian magic being taught within Urs' halls. The final covenant in Poland is Lectica. Located in a small woods, just South of the Baltic, Lectica is home to magi of Bjornaer and Merinita. If anything, they are even more unfriendly than the magi of Urs, doing all that they can to discourage visitors. North of Poland, in lands that most sane magi would cede to the Order of Odin, two more Hermetic covenants are located. The first of these is the covenant of Flambeau Marinus, which may be found upon the North coast of Denmark. It is a most violent place, inhabited by Flambeau, Tytalus and mad Criamon who wish nothing less than the utter destruction of the Order of Odin. Recently, I have heard many disheartening rumors from Denmark. Perhaps the vengeance of Odin has finally been turned upon these magi. The final covenant in Novgorod is Brosis. It can be found in Norway, and thus is at least as remote as the Covenant of Urs. Truly, I can say little of Brosis. Tremere, Tytalus and Bonisagus all number among its members, but that is nearly the full extent of my knowledge. Like many others in Novgorod, the magi of Brosis enjoy their privacy. I must admit, that I fear for Novgorod, for as the magic slowly dwindles in the rest of the Order, more and more turn towards the North. In ten years time, who can say how many might inhabit that land. - * - From the Notes of Emron of Bjornaer May 25, 1202 Today, I received the most delightful visitor, one Carmen, a Bjornaer of course. She had come because she had heard of my studies of rocks. I must admit, I was most flattered by the visit. Unfortunately, I could do little to help Carmen in her task. She asked if I knew the origin of a strange black rock that she had. I consulted my books, and tried my best to a find an answer for her, but eventually had to concede defeat. Thankfully, Carmen was not upset by my failure, and has even agreed to allow me to accompany her on her quest. It should be an enjoyable search. - * - From A Sailor's Story The Chronicles of Franz May 27, 1202 It was two full days after her departure that Carmen returned, a lemming-mage in tow. As expected, she had learned little in her trip North. So, we turned Gneizo, hoping that there we would find the source of the black rock. - * - From A Sailor's Story The Chronicles of Franz May 28, 1202 The night after we left Torun, while we still travelled upon the road to Gneizo, we were foully attacked. It was an act most treacherous. We had all bedded down for the night, secure in the safety of our camp. Apiumi and my good friend, Eric, were on watch. It seems that we had just fallen asleep when we were awoken by their shouting. Coming towards us was a group of warriors, clearly devilish Slavics. There must have been a dozen of them. As I looked wildly about, searching for my spear, I was sure we were done for. Fortunately, bloodshed was not upon the warrior's mind. These merceneries had been hired by a man named Corruto, and all they wanted was the map that Nova carried. Andron had been bravely guarding Jenna from the scores of merceneries that besieged us, but when he heard the name Corruto, he suddenly turned his full attention to the conversation, a keen intelligence in his eyes. Within seconds, Andron was in the middle of our group, adroitly bargaining with the slavic merceneries. I don't think they even knew what hit them. Very soon, the merceneries had agreed to betray Corruto, guard our group for many days and even give their first born to us. But, Andron's cunning did not end there. When the Slavic Army had fallen asleep, Andron gestured to Agrippanilla. Stepping into the shadows, she cast two great spells, and soon the slavic guards had joined their companions in slumber. Afterwards, we moved through their ranks, binding the merceneries and removing their gear. That was how we left our unfortunate attackers. As we journeyed South, wishing to remove ourselves from the site of the battle before our opponents awoke, Andron told us many interesting things. We learned that Corruto, the one who had hired the merceneries, was an old enemy of both Andron and his master. In addition, Andron stated that the archaeologist, Rumisky, had clearly betrayed us, for the merceneries possessed a freshly drawn copy of Nova's tablet, one that could only have come from him. - * - From A Sailor's Story The Chronicles of Franz May 29, 1202 The magi had been quite insightful, in choosing Gneizo as our second stop in Poland, for there we discovered the answers that we had been looking for. Shortly after we arrived in Gneizo, Andron set out to find the merchant Stanislouse, the man who had sold the strange black rock to the jeweler in Torun. Discovering him was easy enough, for Stanislouse was quite well known in Gneizo. It was after that discovery that the true adventure began. Andron approached Stanislouse subtly, trying at first to trick the source of the black stone out of the merchant, but Stanislouse was clever, and he deftly avoided Andron's first stumbling queries. By then, each man had taken the measure of the other, and thus, putting pretences aside, they began to bargain whole-heartedly. I swear, I do not lie when I say that half the entire town came out to see the spectacle. Never again shall such a sight be seen in Gneizo, for all the greed and all the avarice has been forever removed from that town, by that one afternoon of bargaining. In the end, Andron handed a bag of coins over to the merchant, and left, richer for the information that he had gained. We had learned of a quarry of black rock, to the south, the place where the merchant mined his valuable stone, and also of a great hill, which once had been surmounted by a huge tower, made of that same stone. Now, only the blind lived in that place. Finally, we learned that we had not been the first to seek this knowledge. Just, a day before, another had tricked the location of the hill and the quarry out of Stanislouse. A man named Corruto. - * - From the Notes of Emron of Bjornaer May 30, 1202 This morning, we all awoke quite early, and set out, almost at once, for the Hill of the Blind King. We knew that that the man named Corruto was ahead of us, and we worried that he might steal from us the treasures that we sought. Approaching the hill, we found it to be all that we had heard. Perched atop the hill was a small community, made entirely of the blind. And, directly under them, there was the stuff of myth, the strange black rock which had led us to this hill. Clearly, it had once been the foundation of a magnificent tower. Now, all that is left are widely scattered stones, deeply embedded in the ground. I was ecstatic, running back and forth between the black stones that lay all around. The rest, the magi of Nature's Teeth, were likewise pleased. However, it was not to last. As we looked about, one blind man detached himself from the crowd, and slowly began to walk our way, his eyeless sockets staring straight into the center of the group. "I am Thamus," he said, in a surprisingly strong voice, and we all turned, and looked towards him, and listened. When Thamus had our attention, he began to recite a tale. It was a vision that had come to him several nights ago. My memory is poor, but I have done my best to transcribe it here: "I have seen a vision," he began, "and at the center of that vision was my hill. From all about the hill, people approached, but these people were not men. Shrouds lay over their faces, but still an unearthly glow showed through. Slowly, the people who were not people gathered about the center of the hill, and there they began to dig, and, quite rapidly, they unearthed a box, a box of the purest iron, seemingly untouched by time, and from that box, they took a mask of bronze, and carried it away with them, as they left the hill behind. But, where they had come alone, when they left, the men who were not were followed by scores of the sightless, and the community of the hill was destroyed, leaving me alone with my dreams." Sadness filled my heart as Thamus finished his story, for I knew at once that the mask was what Carmen and the others had come seeking. I looked at them imploringly, but saw that they would not be moved. Thanking Thamus, we left the hill behind. Now, I am at the quarry of black stone, and I am most pleased with the beautiful rock that I have found here. Carmen is with me, as are several grogs. I expect the coming weeks shall be most pleasant. The magi of Nature's Teeth must do some ritual upon the blind king's hill in three weeks time, at the summer solistice. Until then, we may all be idle, and revel in the beauty of Poland, and in the great rock that we have found here. - * - From A Sailor's Story The Chronicles of Franz June 20, 1202 It was on the twentieth of June that disaster struck us. For nearly three weeks before, we had rested, enjoying the countryside. I journeyed between Gneizo and the quarry during that time, for those were the places that the magi were lodged. They were good and pleasant weeks, but by enjoying them, we let down our guard, and thus came the disaster of the night of June 20th. It was still one day before the equinox, but we had already moved back to the Black King's Hill, wishing to be sure that all was ready. After a few minor mishaps, the blind community stayed away from us, and thus there seemed to be no great danger. And then came the night, the dark, dreadful night. I was standing upon watch, as vigilant as ever, when suddenly I noticed a small bit of shadow detach itself from the rest. I had only been around the magi of Nature's Teeth for a year, but still I recognised the sibilant syllables and the entrancing hand movements of the dark shape. At once I began to yell, for clearly we were under magical attack. Ever alert, the rest of the grogs were upon their feets in seconds. Quite quickly, they were chasing after the mage, weaving inbetween the chaotic huts that sat upon the hill. My good friend, Eric, was in the lead. The mage tried to escape into a hut, and hide, but it was not enough, for Eric was a great hunter and a great tracker both. He burst into the hut of the mage, spear in hand. Seven times, lightning struck down from the heavens, smashing again and again into my poor friend. Before anyone could react, nothing but a charred corpse remained. May the gods in Valhalla smile upon Eric. He was a great warrior, and a brave one. - * - From the Notes of Emron of Bjornaer June 20, 1202 When Corruto struck down that poor grog with a single sizzling bolt of lightning, I was certain that we were all dead. Surely, I thought, one who thinks so little of human life can not care for something as nebulous as the Code. I made my prayers to the Lemming God, Thorin, and prepared myself for my fate. Thankfully, I did not have to meet it that day, for as the rest of us gazed about the scene of the murder, Andron rushed forward, and began to speak. He spoke strongly again Corruto, mocking him as he did so. I thought that it would be all of our doom, but, Andron knew the black mage better than us, and clearly he took the correct tact, for soon Corruto was walking away, leaving the hill behind. A man had been murdered that night, but there was nothing that we could do. - * - From A Sailor's Story The Chronicles of Franz June 20, 1202 As the night wore on, we were all on edge. Corruto had left us behind, but we were sure that he would return, to attack us when were again unaware. I tossed and turned for hours, remembering my friend and the man who had slain him, but finally, even I fell into a deeply disturbed sleep. All of us were, by then, sleeping, except Uniso and Ado, our two guards. It was then that Corruto again approached us, just as we feared he would. Quickly, Corruto cast spells to beguile the weak-willed Southerners, and then he set out to do the ritual of the solistice. It was still a day early, but his knowledge of the stars was great, and thus he believed that he could find the treasure hidden below the hill. Corruto and our grogs walked into the darkness until they came upon a hut, the home of a blind man. It stood firmly in their path, and so Corruto struck out with flames, determined to remove the obstacle once and for all. Seeing the danger to innocent lives, Ado was abruptly returned to his senses. He threw himself at the flames, determined to save the villagers if it cost him his life. And, it nearly did, for Corruto was not amused. Again, lightning struck down from the heavens, sending Ado flying from the hill. Uniso screamed out, calling for vengeance, and he struck Corruto a mighty blow. And then, Corruto was gone, for he had realized that the battle was lost, and had thus used his mighty magics to carry himself to safety. The rest of us rushed to Ado's side, and miraculously he lived, protected by his magical upbringing in faraway Germany. - * - From the Notes of Emron of Bjornaer June 21, 1202 When I first awoke this morning, I was quite nervous. The atrocities of yesterday were still with me, the stink of death still strong. After I awoke, I spent the morning looking worriedly about me, sure that a new attack was coming. It was Andron who finally set my nerves to rest by announcing that Corruto had fled all the way to Gneizo. Clearly, Uniso had wounded him gravely in his brave attack of the previous night. Gradually, the day passed, and night descended upon us, and then Nova gathered us all about her. Slowly, we began walking through the village of the blind, following the stars overhead. After many turnings and twistings, we finally came to the hut of Thamus himself. Nova announced that the treasure hinted at by the ancient map lay below. When we knocked upon Thamus' door, he let us in quickly. He did not even try and stop us when we began to dig. However, I am quite sure that I saw tears dripping from his blind eyes. Finally, he turned away, wanting to watch the destruction of his village no more. Before he disappeared into the darkness, he turned back, and left us with a final prophecy. "Beware the man behind the mask," he said, and then he was gone. Below the hut, there was a wall, clearly part of some dungeon which had once lay below the black tower, and in that wall, embedded in a wide crack, was an iron box. Taking it, Nova smiled, and announced her quest successful. - * - From the Notes of Emron of Bjornaer June 23, 1202 Today, I left my newfound friends, as they continued North, while I returned home. Our farewell was a melancholy one; I shall miss Carmen especially. I am quite grateful for what they have helped me discover. These beautiful black rocks shall do much to aid my studies of Terram, and their source is so wonderfully close. - * - From A Sailor's Story The Chronicles of Franz June 24, 1202 Our final evening in Poland was spent in a pleasant little inn in Danzig. It was there that we met the girl Karena. She is rather plain, and quite obedient, and thus the maga Agrippanilla took a liking to her at once. Agrippanilla announced that Karena would be returning with us to the North, as her handmaiden. I remember pitying the girl her new role. - * - From A Sailor's Story The Chronicles of Franz June 29, 1202 On our return to Nature's Teeth, the seas were rough, especially about the island itself. Even I was afraid to come to shore until the winds had calmed for nearly a day. Finally, though, we docked, and we were home, after nearly a month abroad. Already, the others had returned, their own tasks complete. Ahead, lay a pleasant reunion that we all looked forward to.