Vardian Log #36: The Mercurian Temple -- "I've always wanted to do that." --Verdan [after blowing up his lab] -- Season: Summer, 1209 Dramatis Personae: Angus of Bonisagus Magus (Don) Christophono Grog Creoses of Verditius Magus Dominick Warrior (Billy) Father Pietro Priest Flamma of Tremere Maga (Eric) Geraldo Warrior (DougL) Larfal of Verditius Magus Luke of Jerbiton Magus Muris Infestus of Verditius Magus (Donald) Servola Autocrat (Eric) Tractare of Tremere Magus Valoren of Flambeau Magus Verdan of Bonisagus Magus (Shannon) ** ** From the Lab Notes of Verdan of Bonisagus ** Late Winter, 1208 In lab in Winter, 1208, I had the most wonderous experience. For the season, I had been working busily on a Charm Against Magic. Suddenly, just as I was putting the finishing touches upon my amulet (a bit of green paint), there was a huge explosion. Waves of destructive magic radiated throughout the room, destroying my lab equipment, and caving in some of the walls. It was only my newly created amulet which protected me from the destruction. When I came to, my lab was filled with green smoke and debris, and several of the elders had come to see what had happened. I explained happily that I had blown up my lab, and looked around, amazed with what I had done. In the end, it looks as if my lab will not be salvageable. Certus has promised to allocate me a new one at the upcoming council meeting. My Charm, however, is fine. For a bit, it sparked and emitted green smoke, but now even that has ended. However, Mundanes around my amulet do seem to take on a light green hue, which is a bit strange. I shall have to investigate that phenomenon at some time. Originally, I had planned to give this first charm away, and make a second, better one, and keep that for myself. Now, I find that I can not part with my first charm, for it did save my life. I think I shall create another one next season however, to refine my techniques, and make a friend in the Covenant of whomever I give it to. ** ** From the Chronicles of Salvadore ** Spring, 1209 The Council Meeting of Spring, 1209 was begun with a discussion of Verdan of Bonisagus. After input from several magi, it was decided that a new lab would be created for him exactly one mile out from the Council Room. All of the younger magi will give time to create this new lab. Afterwards, a new magus was admitted to the Covenant. His name is Muris Infestus, and he is of House Verditius. A Certamen was fought while Muris was being accepted between Chavin of Tytalus and Flamma of Tremere. ** ** From the Lab Notes of Verdan of Bonisagus ** Late Spring, 1209 Tried to make a Charm against Magic for Flamma's daughter, and it didn't work very well. Darned thing keeps magic in instead of out. I tried to give it to Flamma anyways, but she didn't want it. Back to the drawing board, I suppose. ** ** From the Diary of Verdan of Bonisagus Late in the season, while working on a Charm for Flamma, I was surprised to hear shouts in the Caverns near my lab. Since I've moved to my new location, visitors have been relatively rare, and so it was quite strange to hear someone nearby; thus, I jogged out to see what was going on. Nearby, I found a priest named Father Pietro. He had been wandering the Caverns looking for our Covenant. When I heard that he bore dire warnings for Luke, I at once began to bring him towards that elder's lab. When we arrived at Luke's lab, Father Pietro, who had revealed that he had been sent by Cardinal Alfonso, gave a grave warning. He said that the Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia had returned from Germany recently, and once again had spoken with the Pope. Any day now, a Papal Bull is to be issued against sorcery of all type, and our Order, specifically. Luke seemed quite distressed at the news. Father Pietro also gave Luke a letter, but Luke would not let me see what it said. Since then, I have worried about what could have been written upon that parchment. ** ** From the Chronicles of Salvadore ** Summer, 1209 The Council Meeting of Summer, 1209 was begun when Luke of Jerbiton came forward to speak. He brought ominous tidings from the world of Rome above. Just recently, he said, an Order had been issued against the Order of Hermes, and all that served it. Additionally, an inquisition is being prepared by the pope against magi in his city. Even worse is the fact that one of our grogs has already been taken. Christophono is said to have been captured and forced to confess. According to sources, he has been imprisoned for life in a remote location. After much discussion upon the importance of this decision, Valoren of Flambeau came forward to speak about other matters. First, he mentioned that Flambeau now had a new Primus, and that their Domus Magnus had been moved to Barcelona. After the news had been given, he began to speak of why he had come to the Tomb. Apparently, he and several associates wished to found a new Covenant in Sicily. He, and the others, were going to the Covenants of Rome, looking to gain approval for this foundation. When several asked Valoren to clarify the location of the Covenant, he said that it was to be on the side of a Volcano. Apparently, there was a high aura in that place, and when the Flambeau had been exploring it, they had found several interesting Mercurian items. Valoren produced half of an obsidian sphere, and explained that it was one of the items that they had discovered. For a time, Valoren was asked to leave the Council Room while the magi of the Tomb spoke of the issue. They finally came to the conclusion that they would need to know the exact location of the site, and so Tractare shall go with Valoren, to make sure that it does not infringe upon the rights of the Ex. Misc. in Sicily. With this matter dealt with, the Council Meeting of Summer, 1209 was brought to an end. ** ** From the Diary of Verdan of Bonisagus After Valoren had left the room we all began to talk about the Mercurian magic items that he had spoke of. Tractare was the one who first suggested an interesting plan. He proposed that we delay them for a time, so that they could not return to their site, then vote against them at the Tribunal, and descend upon their volcano and loot it for magic items. I was a bit uncertain about the ethics of this at first, but finally decided that we really did not need more Flambeau around our Tribunal. Even more, it was clear that we could do better with ancient Mercurian magic items than they, and that sealed my decision for me. So, it was decided that Tractare would go off with Valoren, alledgedly to visit the Mercurian site, but really to delay Valoren, wasting time that could have been spent politicking or looting the volcanic site. And then, lady fate showered us with unexpected luck. Within a day, Tractare sent word back that he had learned the exact location of the site in Sicily. So, we made quick preparations, and set off for Sicily at once, determined to loot the Flambeau's site of Mercurian magic while Tractare distracted Valoren. Angus and Muris were both as interested as I in this expedtion, and so they went with me. Additionally, we took the warriors Dominck, Geraldo and Guido. Wanting to see Sicily, Servola also decided to go with us. Thus, as we walked up to Rome, we numbered seven. We were soon glad that we had brought Servola along, for she was thoughtful enough to buy some books on Sicily before we left Rome. Thus, we would be prepared. >From Ostia, we took a boat to Polermo, and before we knew it, we had set foot upon the shore of Sicily. As we started hiking towards the volcano, we saw two magi in front of us, and we quickly realized that they were of House Verditius. Clearly, we were not the only magi to have this idea. Thinking quickly, we decided that we would Certamen them into leaving, and thus have the site entirely to ourselves. Using his power of Creo Auram, Angus amplified his voice to shout a challenge, and the Verditius were forced to stop and meet us in duel. Angus dropped Larfel, the first Verditius, with no problems. However, as he prepared to face Croesus, Dominick started to create troubles. Always, Dominick had seemed a bit unbalanced, but I had grown somewhat fond of him, and definitely did not want to see him hurt. So, when he started angering the magus, I ran forward. When I heard Croesus casting a spell of fire, I tried to spont a Vim spell to lower the damage, but it was not enough. Angus also cast a spell to weaken the fire, however, and thus Dominick survived the attack, although he was badly damaged. As I spirited Dominick away, Angus certamened the remaining Verditius. However, this one was greater in power, and Angus was felled. Forunately, the Verditius was still angered by Dominick, and he had only asked that Angus give him Dominick's magical hat. So, Angus would not be forced to leave the island as Larfel was. Seeing that Angus had fallen, I next marched forward. However, my powers of Certamen are little, and thus I was defeated. Even worse was the fact that the Verditius had recovered his senses, and thus he asked that I leave the island, not give away some ugly hat. When I next woke, I found that a great tragedy had occured. Angus had come to before I, and he had made a great nuisance of himself, angering the Verditius that had defeated him in Certamen. Thus, Croesus had challenged him to a second Certamen, determined to drive him from the island once and for all. But, Angus had prepared for this, and there were several pawns of Corporem vis strapped to his arm, hidden from sight. With the aid of this, he was able to defeat Croesus, just barely. That should have ended the whole affair, for both Verditius magi would have been required to leave the island, by conditions of their Certamens. However, Dominick had been in hiding since the earlier Certamen, not wishing in the least to give up his hat to Angus. When he saw that the Certamen had been completed, he leapt forward, and killed Croesus before anyone could stop him. Without flinching, Angus turned and killed Dominick, and within seconds, the whole sad story was completed. I can not help but wonder if the whole thing could have been some divine punishment, to show that we were doing wrong in taking from the Flambeau. I continued to ask this question, as I left the island, along with Muris who had also lost a Certamen and was forced to leave Sicily. Angus returned to the Tomb a few days after we did. He said that below the site where the Flambeau had found the items, there was a buried temple. It was dedicated to Mithris, and Angus thought that it might have been the home of several members of the Cult of Mercury. In his excavations, Angus had found several magic items, including a bronze statue of Mercury, a small silver rod and two clay jars. Angus said that there was also a huge magical marble floor, covered with a beautiful mosaic. Unfortunately, he was not able to bring it back. So now, we have several new magic items, just as we had wished. Hopefully, they will bring new knowledge to our Covenant. It is sad that we can not bring the beautiful mosaic that Angus described back. I am tempted to go and view it, but I fear that certain Flambeau may be very angry when they learn what we have done, and I do not want to be near Sicily when they make that discovery.