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title: Annals of Elk's Run 1243
categories: Annals
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[1217]() [1218]() [1219]() [1220]() [1221]() [1222]()
[1223]() [1224]() [1225]() [1226]() [1227]()
[1228]() [1229]() [1230]() [1231]() [1232]()
[1233]() [1234]() [1235]() [1236]() [1237]() [1238]()
[1239-1241]() [1242]() **1243** [1244]() [1245]()
# Winter 1243
+ Cieran casts the Aegis L30 with Una and Maine in Communion.
+ Penetration +32
# Summer 1243
**Session** 8 March 2023
**Cast** Una, Regina, Ercc, Nemoy
+ Rider from Aislleen Drayton, the manager of the covenant's trade house
- Rider is called Bran
- he brings a ledger from the trade house; the business is going well
- part of it is encoded with a cipher
- he also brings stones which are arcane connections to Aislleen's backyard.
+ Ercc takes a quick trip to Limerick by *Leap of Homecoming*, to get more
information from Aislleen
- Limerick is flooded with silver, notably with coin from Novgorod
- They are plagued with inflation, presumably due to the foreign coin.
- Regina dates one coin to be 314 years old
- de Bursa is accusing Elk's Run for being the source of magically created silver.
- de Bursa appears to be the major culprit
- Originates from an English family, Berks (sp?), who have
married into a line of folk witches from Ulster, with Gifted matriarchs.
The folk witch family is know as the Dur Beghs (sp?).
- lord de Bursa V now has a manor on the South coast towards Cork,
with a castle on the river
- magister Connel de Bursa has studied in Cambridge and is now
managing affairs in Limerick
- Aislleen speaks impeccable Latin
- Aislleen's daughters have married well
- into the Baker's family
- Bridget married a magister
**Session** 15 March 2023
**Cast** Maine, Una, Regina, Ercc, Saiorse, Quinn Bothar, Conlae, Broin
+ The party goes to Limerick
+ Business proposal in An Scairbh; Maine offers a loan.
+ Ercc toys with the idea of building an inn offering magically boosted parties
+ The sailors on the river boat are in a good mood, planning their romantic (sort of)
endeavours away from home. Wide Arsed Mary seems to be a very popular lady.
- everybody talks about how everything is more expensive
+ New information gathered in Limerick.
- de Bursa and Drayton/Elk's Run dominate the market for rare ingredients between them.
+ There is a magister de Bursa educated in Oxford, who is brother to Lord de Bursa.
Easily confused with Connel
+ The find de Bursa's house, watched by ravens and rats.
- a man was looking curiously from the window; was this Connel or magister de Bursa.
- One of the two magisters is an apothecary
- Una interrogates a rat and challenges the magister
+ Aislleen's daughter Bridget (about 30) has studied with a Fransciscan friar Tennely
to become a learned magician
- 30 is too old; Aisleen was not quite old enough to have children when we met
her in 1217. At that time she came to the covenant to learn the letters.
Her children should not be older than about 23.
+ We invite magister de Bursa (?) to dinner at Aislleen's house
## Between Sessions
+ [Original at Google doc's](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xChajBRH_v5OrC6XzsAPs5Ggr3_sCTYh7oAfIaI7MsU/edit#gid=849088185)
### Dreams of a Great House - Portens of Great Danger
As the Widow quietly tells in good latin with only the occasional mistake: "As you have said, time is short. Now you will know something I swore my dear husband that I would not tell until the time was right, until the time after my own ability was exhausted. He was bound by oaths to one of your Order, a Maga and to honorable pledges to the ancient gods. Now that my daughter has shown for the seven by seventh time that she is in rightful command of our family I can say these things to you, dear friends."
"It all began with my old man, who was a bright eyed boy once. He grew up knowing a covenant of Jerbiton Magi in Dublin and came up as Journeyman under their covert pay. In the trade guild secretly run by those magi who were not be named... as a bright young man he helped the wizards in return for a better life. He took that secret to his grave, even I only know as much of the story as he felt it prudent to tell. All was not well in his life, however, as some of the Jerbiton were cruel as others were kind. A Merinitia, who was not be named anything but the Lady St. John's Crimson, or the Crimson Lady, took him under her wing and showed him the ways of the fair folk, the secrets of low magic, of nature such as we mortals can handle. It was too late, you see, for her to shape him or me. I was already her hand maiden and in her wisdom she knew he and I would fall in love. We were early steps in her dream made real - the dream of a change in society that would allow a more open Order of Hermes and one that would one day enlighten the clergy, banishing their fear of magic and faerie."
"He and I were well trained indeed, he became a philosopher in alchemy, rare herbs and exotic medicines. He could chart fragments of her dream. I was to be mother and wife so I was, though only one in three of my children survived. It was a great sorrow for me, but the Crimson Lady understood it was too much power too fast. Even three children as we all sought aged me before my time but my daughter was much stronger - in mind and body. We did not show our grand daughter to you all those years ago because we could not risk it. I was barren then and Ailsleen was our last hope. We could not show you Birgid or tell you of the Crimson Lady - I did decieve you but only to protect my family."
"But I am ahead of myself .... from the start of her life there were incantations and magic taught us by the Crimson Lady for my daughter. These matters I know little of, but Aisleen grew fit and gave birth to her first set of triplets - early enough and easily at the age of 14. Destiny brought us Bear with his magical blood and then the Mac Annas, both men good in spirit and breed so I had grand children and now great grand children ... almost three by three as the ancient verse promises. We have given all of them the same blessings of Danu and Dagda and eight grow fit. Brigid and Conner, my oldest grand children two now have three each - great gand children. Even with all the astronomy and calculation done, checked and checked again my beloved husband had not predicted such a degree of success. However, last year in codes and ciphers he taught to Aisleen we understoof a timed message left by him - a challenge would come when my great gand children approached marriage.
"Now we come to the crux of the matter, let me think..." (she is verbally remebering dats while lookiing at a family tree tapestry haning nearby). "Brigid and Conner are now to be 30 years old. They had their first children a little later, at 19 and 21, but they both had triplets. Now, in Aisleen's 44th year, my eldest great grand daughters are betrothed at 11. All of the numbers matched his cipher, as if he could see clearly. So we fear the challenge is now. Never have you, our saviours, our dearest friends and partners, been named as villians by our rivals. Then you tell us time is short and we must invite our rival into our midst. This too was foretold so I am telling you all of it now. All of our live, my beutiful family... everything depends on you."
"I am tired now, all of the children these last few days, now this is a weight lifted from me ... please excuse me for I must sleep. My health is poor. My daughter will tell you of the Coven, and of the Friar, of how we have done our best to gather allies against the De Burca. Please, blame me for the deception years ago but know we are your allies true and true." (The Widow is quite sincere and open, the emotion of letting such long held secrets go has visibly drained her.)
It all checks out: Aisleen will bring out the old inceptions, horoscopes and charts - for those who have an Artes Liberales of 1 she can walk you through it in about an hour. The mathematics is like accounting, debit must equal credit, both sides of the equations must balance. It does, the Old Man had predicted a great danger soon approaching and the star signs do look to be appropriate.
CHARACTERS WHO INQUIRE DEEPER - Aisleen will explain what she can in such a short time, but the key for her grandfather's startegy is the use of code to prevent knowledge of the future from influencing actions in the present. Shas has laid plans in the same way, and it is one reason to practice the use of secret code, ciphers, etc. She has also employed enriched Mistletoe of Virtue in the family, which allows porphecy.
Family Tree Tapestries: In the lost private areas of the house there are tapestries the diagram family trees with hundreds of branches. They go back 3 to 7 generations and even leave left a pattern of spaces for what might be. Draytin, Mac Anna, and Blackthorn tapestries that smell slightly pungent and of minerals. They have notations sufficient to do nativity horoscopes on their underside edges, concealed from view but easy to check with decorative brass finger tabs for flipping without finger grime.
Notable Persons: These are only the notable names that have come up in conversation or otherwise stand out to the Magi.
Katelin Draytin (the Widow, Born ????, oddly with all the accuracy this date and other details are nowhere to be found)
Tomas Draytin (the Old Man,Born ????, oddly with all the accuracy this date and other details are nowhere to be found)
Aisleen Draytin (the Factorum, Born 1199, Daughter of the Old Man and the Widow)
Éogan "Bear" Draytin (Born 1197, Called "Bear" by everyone in the family, his family name is unlisted except for "know as Bear" in Gaelic. His eight men along with two deceased have a tapestry of their own for their mercenary company who have been in Draytin employ full time for fifteen years.)
Brigid Draytin (Grand Daughter of the Widow, Married to Ronan, thee children, Born 1213)
Ronan Mac Anna (Magister in Medicina, Listed as married but Brigid did not take his name, three children together, Born 1215)
--- 3 Children, one set of triplets in 1233, they are 9 now. These are great grandchildren of the Widow.
Una Draytin (Granddaughter of the Widow, Unmarried, Born 1213)
Conner Draytin (Grandson of the Widow, brother of Brigid, has three children with his wife Olga who has a Dutch heritage, Dinant-Falmagne, Born 1213)
Olga Draytin (Wife of Conner, Dutch descent possibly from one or more merchant families, Born
--- 6 Children, two sets of triplets in 1232 (they are 11 now and two of the daughters are betrothed) and 1233. These are great grandchildren of the Widow.
Selene Blackthorn (Mater not mother of Alastar - she was the wife of Trismergon and apprenticed Alastar as a folk witch, but is not related by mundane blood, Born 1159)
Trismergon ex Bonisagus (Not the true "Father" of Alastar, llisted as his Hermetic Pater... his lineage in the order rather than a heredity, Born 1131)
Alastar Blackthorn (The marriage patches are sewn on to the tapestries but have no name yet Born 1217)
### A Tale of Two Covens - Plans within Plans
The Draytins Effectively Control a Coven of Folk Witches: With their resources, contacts, Brigids vote in the Coven and the goodwill of Alastar Blackthorn House Draytin effective controls the Clonfert Coven of Folk Witches. Connor Mac Anna, Brigid's father in law also tends to vote with the Draytins. As promised by the Widow, it is explained to the Magi in as much detail as possible. Of course the De Burca mercantile rivalry extends to the magical and the consensus is that the De Burca are more Mercantile rivals than magical - with the De Burca (possibly the De Burgh and Burke) nobles having multiple covens working together across the Isles and possibly into Normandy.
Marguerite Draytin (DECEASED - Cousin to Selene, Sister of Old Man Draytin - Born 1138, Passed away on May 22nd, 1242 at the ripe old age of 104 "Auntie Margie" was an incomprehensible but talented healer and generally gifted witch who had joint control of the Coven from her Cottage just outside Limerick. Brigid was named an honorary witch by her Auntie in 1233 and inhereted the Cottage... even though voting and Coven status doesn't really work like that from the perspective of most other folk witches such was the goodwill towards Margie. Margie, Selene, Trismergon, the Widow, and the Old Man worked closely together to lay the foundations for House Draytin today.
Selene Blackthorn (DECEASED - First Cousin to Margie and Old Man Draytin) - Born 1159, Wife to Trismergon ex Bonisagus, passed away peacefully on March 16th, 1240 in her sleep at age 81 as the witch moon ended a life of trials and redemption (warping). Selene was Alastar's adoptive magical mother and raised him after the wizards war that killed her husband Trismergon and robbed Alastar of his gift. Fortunately her son still had enough innate magic to easily train in her Folk with tradition though he did not initiate healing or Cursing as she feared it would mar him too much. He also declined to intative flight, as arthritis would cripple him in his riding and fighting. Margie, Selene, Trismergon, the Widow, and the Old Man worked closely together to lay the foundations for House Draytin today.
Alastar Blackthorn (COUNTY GALWAY - Alexander ex Trismergon, Failed Apprentice, Ungifted Companion Folk Witch, Swordsmith) - Born March 3rd, 1217 (Age 26 as of Summer 1243) A fairly talented member of the Coven, Alastar was the apprentice of Trismergon ex Bonisagus until a wizard's war killed his Pater and the resulting lab accident stripped him his gift. Though he is actually a boy from the docks of Dublin, his Mater loved him very much and taught him the folk craft to salvage what magical ability they could. He is known to be excellent with animals and has strange powers for witch, magic in his blood that remained from the gift. He lives in the countryside of County Galway but is a skilled rider and semi-regularly travels to Limerick. He is also an expert swordsmith and his buisness is doing very well via Draytin connections - he is on the verge of becoming quite wealthy. There is serious talk of betrothal into the family and he is content with waiting for a daughter of the House to come of age. He knows them all well enough, having grown up in the coven. He also understands the idea of marriage for power, and has expressed the notion of seeking a young Maga of the order as a wife. This is also intriguing to the Draytin women as this might bring a great deal of magic into the family.
Mary O'Connell (COUNTY GALWAY - Close Friend to the Blackthorns, Gifted Folk Witch) - Born October 1st,1202 (Age 41 as of Summer 1243) Mary was never very close to the Draytins because she rarely travelled far from County Galway, paranoid of discovery by "enemies of the Coven". She also dislikes towns or cities, avoiding them if possible. Technically she shares authority in the coven with Alastar and Brigid but doesn't fully consider Brigid a proper witch... they are on good terms and Mary respects the Learned arts and ability to craft magical items but it is a point of tradition for her. So, on the occaisions of votes she will sometimes oppose Brigid simply for the sake of being contrary.
Astrid the Dusk Witch (COUNTY GALWAY - Ungifted Folk Witch, Grog) - Born December 5th, 1218 (Age 25 as of Summer 1243) Limited in her power and illiterate - she is however, well liked by all in the Coven and quite resourceful. She is skilled at Animal Ken, Dowsing, and Flight (in fact she learned the De Burca method of flight with a ball of twine instead of a bucket). She is also an expert in Magic Lore and has enriched many items of virtue. Acquiring these objects has often been a matter of thievery - which she is also skilled at.
Brigid Draytin (LIMERICK - Unigted Companion Learned Magician, Honorary Witch) - Born 1213 (Age 30 as of Summer 1243) Brigid Draytin kept her own name,as is her nature. She has been too busy to initiate as a witch and is focused both on her silversmithing and on the arts of the Mathematici. She has also seen how the ordeals of initiation can scar a person without the gift and is genuinely concerned about what effect it might have on her hard-won magics. Some of the scripts are impossible for her and even though she is now formally graduated from Friar Tonelli's tutelage she still visits him as a friend and colleague - having become acclimated to his gift after so many years. The Learned Friar also agrees that some of the initations are impossible using the scripts possessed by the coven. This, and her ability to harness the same or greater powers in many cases, has cemented her status as an honorary witch with full votings rights. The only one who occaisionally opposes her is Mary.
There is something being held back in conversation about Brigid.
Conner Mac Anna (LIMERICK - Ungifted Companion Witch, Father of Ronan) - Born 1193 (Age 50 as of Summer 1243)He is the guildmaster of the Limerick Bakers Guild. Not an especially talented witch but his meager skills have helped him greatly. Though he has a full vote he is simply too busy to exercise a great deal of control in Coven matters. He is known as an excellent healer and dowser, which he uses in exchange for political favors within the guild. He also values education, so he sent Ronan to Cambridge. This did have the unintended side effect of alienating Magister Connel De Burca since the Oxford man seems to have some sort of grudge against Cambridge. He also wants Ronan to develop a different set of capabilities as "witchcraft is not everything". It is also known he dislikes animals, finding them unclean and unsuitable for bakeries. Brigid and Ronan grew up together until they both pursued their educations and he considered her a daughter even before the formal bettrothal - though he knew could easily see Old Man Dratins plan. He also felt the loss of his old friend almost as much as the Widow Draytin did.
There is something being held back in conversation about Conner.
Aisleen Draytin (LIMERICK - Factorum of House Draytin, Social Contacts with many Hedge Wizards, of service to the Magi of Elks Run, Known to the Redcaps of House Mercere as a generous trader) The Factor is no witch, not a magician, but is an expert astrologer and a keen student of the arcane. Her wealth, social ability, and contact with a wide network of hedge wizards plus the magical power of her family gives her a non-voting place at any Coven meeting and an open invite to Sabbat. Though she correctly states that she has no magical arts her array of enriched objects of virtue gives her some level of power - at least relative to hedge wizards like the witches. House Draytin has also been training its clerks in experimental philosophy and magic lore in order to provide ligatures, formulae and enrich items of virtue when they are available (as they are often rare). This cadre of educated low-magicians is of obvious benefit to the coven and a key to the wealth the house can bring to bear in times of need.
Limerick Townhouse Row - The Library Chamber located off the ground level shares an exterior wall with one of the courtyards through two heavy locked doors. It is smallish, but comfortable for a teacher and two students and well lit for a room with no windows and little ventilation. There are 38 volumes ... impressive for a family collection were it not that the bindings are of only above average quality and the works are either common school texts or vanity works. Some even stand out as overly well bound, obvious gifts. Many of these books actually belong to various tutors that teach children in the family.
Limerick Townhouse Row - The Hidden "Second Library" is slightly larger, but irregular in shape and has a more interesting and valuable collection. It has no exterior walls, no windows, but has a large hollow shaft going up inside a wall for a measure of ventilation. The shaft is sealed, but it still allows candle smoke to rise and a little draught to be drawn in through cracks in the hidden entry from the first library. Though the shape is awkward there is comfortable seating for ten in a rather foreign, informal, Levantine style.
"On expensive swords: with shapes and materials for hilt components", Drohan ex Verditius, son of the Rhineland, Latin and diagrams. Craft Manual +3, and/or readable as a Tracatus Q11 on Philsophae (metalwork)
"On Divers Arts, about painters, glass makers, and metalworkers",Theophius, Craft Manual +4, Latin and diagrams (a famous work)
Set of Formularies: There are also three different Formularies (of the type used by Learned Magicians) in a set named "Crimson, Green, Violet" also in latin. They are filled with thousands of simple spell formulae organized according to a somewhat bewildering system of correspondences that suggest but don't exactly follow hermetic forms, Latin
"Sweet Dannan Herbs of Munster" Marguerite Draytin, Q8 Tracatus on Healing, Latin
"Obelisks and the Skies of Giza" Q10 Tracatus on Succuro in antiquated but readable scholarly Greek
"Mercantile Exercises in Rhetoric" Aileen Draytin, Q11 Tracatus on Bargain (Expensive Goods), Latin
"Accounts of Traditional Forest Magics" Selene Blackthorn, Q10 Tractatus on Folk Witch Magic Theory (Potions), Latin
"Philosophies for Health and Longevity", Magister in Medicina Rónán Mac Anna, Q11 Tracatus on Medicine (Aging), Latin
"Fundamental Cambridge Methods in Medicina", Magister in Medicina Rónán Mac Anna, L3 Q11 Summa on Medicine, Latin (Cambridge has a nascent school of medicine, Oxford does not. Magister De Burca is incpeted at Oxford. SOme at both schools resent each other's actions in the chaos of previous decades so there is a minor rivalry between certain faculties.)
"Health and Longevity Benefits of Hearty Soups", Rónán Mac Anna, Craft Manual for Cooking +3, Latin
"Health and Longevity Benefits of Gruit Glazed Breads" Connor Mac Anna, Craft Manual for Baking +3, Latin
" Explorations of Divine Provenance" Friar Leonardo Tonelli, Q11 Tracatus on Fortanum and/or readable as a Q11 Tracatus on Theology (Realm Interaction), Latin
"Entreating Aid from the Shining City" Friar Leonardo Tonelli, Q11 Tracatus on Succurro and/or readable as a Q11 Tracatus on Dominion Lore (Realm Interaction), Latin
"Alchemical Treatments regarding Metals, Heat and Flame" Selene Blackthorn, Q10 Tractatus on Philsophae (Metals), Latin
"Vitality of the Mystic Blood", Selene Blackthorn, Initation Script for the Healing virtue granting the Magical Air flaw, Latin
"Rhyme of the Beast", Selene Blackthorn, Initation Script for the Animal Ken virtue granting Incomprehensible flaw, Latin
"The Devil’s Eye", Selene Blackthorn, Initation Script for the Second Sight virtue granting Missing Eye flaw, Latin
"Feeling to Find a Prize", Selene Blackthorn, Initation Script for the Dowsing virtue granting Driven minor flaw (the specifics of this are a personal development by the character over the course of the season), Latin
"Tour the Realm of Night", Selene Blackthorn, Initation Script for the equivalent of the Half-Taltos virtue granting the weird magic minor flaw, this tradition has this capability instead of Shape Shifting, The witches of this tradition know this ability as Night-Striking. Latin
"Unbound by Land", Selene Blackthorn, Initation Script for the equivalent of the Flight virtue granting the arthritis minor flaw, this tradition uses a large bucket which they ride with one foot in and a posture that otherwise suits the individual witch, Latin
The Two Books on Witches by Aunt Marguerite, are partly genealogical and historical, tracking heredity and origins from their arrival in both towns in 1108 until 1156, with some more recent information up to the 1210s but no specific information (pre 1156 there are baptismal records, exact birth dates and places even going back to some ancestors of Clonfert Coven members who migrated from Scotland to the town and then found their individual homes in Galway County).
"Good Witches of Gort", Marguerite Draytin, Tracatus Q9 Organization Lore: Folk Witches (Clonfert Covenant), Latin
"Good Witches of the Clonfert-Tomnadashan Lineage", Marguerite Draytin, Tracatus Q9 Organization Lore: Folk Witches (Clonfert Coven), Latin
Old Man Draytin's Books, authored by the Widow's only husband, are written under his pen name "Albertus Caerulus ex Ordo Praedicatorum" deceptively suggests the author is a Dominican (OP) who are often mystics after their founder. (AC ex OP)
"Hibernian veneration of Danu and Dagda in a Christian World", (AC ex OP), Tracatus Q11 Faerie Lore, Latin
"Fundamentals of Experimental Alchemy", (AC ex OP), Summa L3 Q11 Philosophae, Latin
"Abacai and Astronomical Calculation", (AC ex OP), Tracatus Q14 Artes Liberales, Latin
"Astrolabes for Astronomy and Navigation", (AC ex OP), Tracatus Q11 Artes Liberales, Latin
"Hermetic Usage of Latin", (AC ex OP), Tracatus Q11 Latin
"Theology on Wizards and the Fair Folk", (AC ex OP), Tracatus Q11 Theology (Realm Interaction), Latin
"Historical Magical Traditions of the Levant", (AC ex OP), Tracatus Q10 Magic Lore (Vis), Latin
"Ptolemaic Magical Traditions", (AC ex OP),Tracatus Q11 Magic Lore (Vis), Latin
"Fair Folk of Hibernia towards Clergy", (AC ex OP), Tracatus Q11 Faerie Lore (Religion), Latin
"Hibernian Clergy towards the Fair Folk", (AC ex OP), Tracatus Q11 Church Lore (Faeries), Latin
Library Build Points
Vis Sources:
The House Well (In the center root cellar, the well has warm exceptionally clear mineral water of great quantity that evaporates to form a crust of minerals - 1 pawn Aquam per year, 1 pawn Ignem per year)
The Cellar Mushrooms (they just grow, 1 pawn Creo per year)
Vis Source Build Points
Total Coven Build Points (Note this is technically "high powered" at 300 - 599 for a Coven, but extremely vis poor and only having a few actual witches and most live in County Galway with Alastar staying in Limerick or at the cottage once in a while and three of the ungifted young children about to enter their coven apprenticeship ... as a build it is mostly library. On the other hand, Brigid is a competent ungifted Mathematici of Bologna, numerous family members are experimental philosophers and mystics able to enrich objects of virtue with Magic Lore. They also have ample money, though it comes from the characters rather than some general vast wealth of the collective coven (as is typical of covens). On the whole they present themselves as a trade house with high education and do not compete for persistent vis sources with other covens or covenants in the area. Why are there many references to the Clonfert Coven? Clearly there are other locations so this may present as a "high power" coven in County Galway, Connacht. Of course, the Coven scale doesn't match the Hermetic covenant scale in any way.
Coven Hooks: 9
Beholden: Elk's Run (House Draytin is beholden to the Magi and without the resources of the House the Coven would crumble into chaos as everyone would need to find new customers and all major expenses would need to stop, All the witches understand this situation and are comfortable enough with it. Major Hook) 3
Contested Resource: Rare Item Trade is Shared with the De Burca Trade House (Minor Hook) 1
Urban (City): Limerick (Major Hook) 3
Road: Limerick Trade Routes (Minor Hook) 1
Faerie Court in another part of the forest near the cottage (Minor Hook) 1
Coven Boons: 9
Impressive Stone Structure: Townhouse Row 1
The townhouse row is a heavily rennovated row of three townhouses with walled back courtyards and cellars. The house row has three small wells, one for each house. On the ground level the center house has been turned into a large hall. On each side there are a number of rooms and stairwell access off to either side. Each back courtyard has its own detached structure worked into the stone wall. It is a stone structure with a slate roof - timbers are not exposed have been treated against rot and fire. It is impeccably clean, with tile or mosaic floors, many secure cabinets, close fitting doors, well plastered and often tiled walls. There is never anything left in such a way that vermin can hide in or behind - the Draytins have long suspected that their rivals De Burca employ animal spies and possibly some form of scrying. Honored family members and friends who work hard or are getting on in age are provided with healthy meals at the Row, but this is not a feature of the location itself.
Prestige (The Draytins are well regarded, as are the other Coven members in their own circles) Minor x 1
Magic Aura (Central Root Cellar - This is set up as a laboratory for Brigid, outfitted for Learned Magics and Enrichment but unsuited to experimental philosophy or for use as a witch's kitchen.) Minor x 1
Auntie's Rambling Cottage in the Wood (1/2 day travel from Limerick - Manor House) Free
Magic Aura 3 (Cottage in the Woods) Minor x 3
Fortified Structure (Cottage - Traditional Palisade) Minor x 1
Local Ally (Friar Leonardo Tonelli, Head of Hospital Preceptory, Gifted Mathematici of Bologna) Minor 1
The old Friar is a gifted learned magician who has learned to use social skills, connections, and a monastic lifestyle to manage the overall negative impact of his gift. He sees few people, but the Draytins number among them. He was a well paid and well supplied tutor to Brigid for many years and still advises the family. He is a founding member of the little Friary and his word carries authority there. He maintains a high level correspondence with important people in the clergy, the nobility, and in Italy, specifically in the Bologna region where he came from. His amulets and chartae are in great demand amongst the wealthy and though he does not accumulate wealth per-se he employs the Draytins as intermediaries. House Draytin is then empowered to retain profits which can indirectly benefit him in his pursuits and aid the Friary in times of need. He does not manage this closely and the merchants get the far better end of the deal by his own design - for they are among the few people somewhat acclimated to his gift and he treasures their friendship. Notably, the Friar has a diet consisting of the healthy foods provided by Magister in Medicina Mac Anna - just like one of the family.
Unknown (Perhaps attached to a location in County Galway, Connacht) Minor x 1
Free Magic Aura of 3 (Perhaps somewhere in County Galway, Connacht) Free
COUNTY GALWAY LOCATIONS - Those are considered up to those witches to reveal, the Draytins who know have made promises not to tell. The whole point of living in that place is privacy and a measure of distance from the Order of Hermes if required... and given most of the witches aren't gifted they simply cannot join the Order. The consensus also seems to be they don't think much of the Coill Tri.
THE WAREHOUSE & DOCK SLIPS - The Draytins make a scrupulous effort to keep an arm's length between the Coven and Mercantile affairs. Technically no one in the business is a witch, not that the status of Folk Witch is negative in this time period but it would complicate matters. Thus the Draytins stick to Learned Magics and Lore under the umbrella of Experimental Philosophy.
The Coill Trí - The Coven has little to do with the politics of the Coill Trí or the Order, save for their involvement with Elk's Run. Their intent is to keep a low profile in the wider magical community, though the Order assumes all hedge wizards of Hibernia are members. Thus current their strategy as a Coven is just to avoid formal involvement - though this was not always the case with the Blackthorns.
## Session 5 April 2023
### The supper party (Ercc's Notes)
The magi and Ercc have a long chat with magister de Bursa. It appears that
he is not at the heart of decisions, and much of the information and background
is held only by his brother the lord of Adere.
+ Lord de Bursa the father has a strong grip on the family.
+ and so does his wife and some of the aunts, that is the infamous
cumbeg (sp?) women
+ He confirms that he and his apprentices train animals, rats and raven.
+ not an awful lot, because it tkes time, and not all of them ar
equal, he says, whatever that means.
+ He admits he was startled by the magi appearing outside his window
The magister raises suspicion about the Italias Medicus, who is also
spending foreign silver in bulk. There is a seeming implication that he
be affiliated with the covenant, but neither the Draytins nor the magi
know anything at all.
+ The Italian is an experimental philosopher.
+ Hard to make an appointment with him
+ He is a night owl and frequents brothels
+ good and bad brothels, presumably he has remedies for any diseases
Magister de Bursa also raises concern about a weapon master who killed
several of their best men-at-arms, and disappeared by transforming into
vapour, leaving any Herbam and Terram artifacts behind, including expensive
weapons, an Hermetic dagger with no remaining magic effects, and about
ten pounds of foreign coin.
### The supper party (SG Notes)
Dinner with a Rival Trade House
In the interest of not angering the Order and continuing a good working relationship Magister De Burca readily accepted the Draytin invitation to dinner, even bringing his wife. Some key items discovered by the PCs over dinner:
- Magister DeBurca has and continues to establish himself in his own right, rather than living as the borther of a powerful Lord - even though he is that. His brother, Lord "Fergus" Be DeBurca the 5th and his father Lord DeBurca the 4th both don't share information or power easily. He is known as the "Sage of Adare" and the "Sage of Limerick", and the recent acitivty of two Magisters in Medici in his own backyard have not only cut into his business, but also generated some resentment. The Itallian Magister arrived in early 1240 and Magister MacAnna, husband of Bridgid Draytin, retuned from inception and teaching at Caimbridge in 1239, thus changing the local situation radically.
- The DeBurca Trade House is backed by a large and varied noble family, two or more branches of the DeBurges (DeBurca, Burke) plus an ancient line of Irish withces, the Drombegs.
- At the mention of crafting wondrous items (specifically items able to mainpulate two forms of magic with great effect according to various ancient craft practices), Bridgid became somewhat more guarded against Magister DeBurca.
- Magister DeBurca beleives Friar Tonelli and the Italian Doctor are in leauge. He presented no evidence and Bridgid scoffed, dismissing this, but it was clear that the Magister found the Italian connection suspcious.
- The DeBurcas are clearly interested in connections to the order, and have good customers at Ashenrise. Lord DeBurca counts them as advisors, but Magister DeBurca clearly stated that his borther would be very open to a relationship with the Magi of Elk's Run. This could simply be a general strategy on the part of a family that is an extremely organized set of Covens, or it could be a sign that the relationship with Ashenrise may not be ideal. The Magister, uncovincingly, claimed to have little knowledge of the Ashenrise Magi - which may be true on a personal basis but on the other hand he evidenced some depth of knowledge about the order, even describing very plausible interactions with the Mercere Houses.
- The DeBurcas have scouted the new river and lake trade as far south as Ashenrise and as far North as Kilaeloe. In doing so they have noted great similarities in both river and lake camps, which all tend to have new stone construction with new camps still cropping up. These do not seem to be one group, rather it seems a number of wealthy traders are copying each other and "marking territories". All of the camps seem to have some sort of central stone cottage or even a large house, with the rest of the outbuildings and waterfront pallisades being of more traditional irish construction. Some are clearly existing camps bought up with ammenties added.
- There is a Weapon Master, a fearsome warrior able to fight five trained fighters, withstand tremendous attacks, and when pressed escape by trnasforming into a cloud of vapor that flew away with great speed. In the escape, all items of Terram and Herbam were dropped (see items below). A team of DeBurca scouts looking for Vis in some of their family lands was ambushed by this individual, three of them were killed. The family would be very appreciative if this meance were brought to justice. He was equipped with some sort of exotic scale armor and a variety of fine leather goods, including a flail round shield, that transformed with him. Magister DeBurca reasoned that the powerful magical effect of transforming to vapor covered at least three forms (Corpus, Animal, Auram) so it was beyond the capabilities of similar hedge magic he knew of, which covers only two forms - this was likely magic of the order and since the weapon master cast no spells it was possibly an item.
- Weapon Master Items left behind in his escape: A spent but still rechangable magical dagger or great age, a large sail canvas coin purse (of the kind that might be used by traders, quartermasters) with 10 pounds of the ancient silver coin, assorted valuables, a non-magical sword of exceptional quality and some spoiled rations. The magister had rubbings of the engraved handle of the dagger (both sides) and a good copy of the inscriptions on the coin purse. Approximately two thirds of the coin was of the rarer Novgordian variety.
- The Italian Doctor had made some large purchases from the DeBurca trade house, using a signficant quantity (approximately 25%) of the suspect silver coin normally but \almost entirely paying for large imported items, fine tabelware, and labroartory equipment in that coin.
- Magister DeBurca knew of the Clonfert Coven, though not mentioning any names he accurately described their general location as "spread across lower Coonught and visiting Limerick rather rarely". This was a casual comment and did not evoke much response from the Draytins. He also knew of the rambling cottage, mentioning the lavender fields.
- Magister DeBurca, largely through employees, manages the training of certain anmials - having developed specific (non-magical) techniques involving special food but made much easier via the use of Animal Ken. He mentioned, the way to an animal's heart is the same as a mans - through the palette and stomach.
### Ercc's nightly excursion
Ercc sneaked out of the party to break into the Italian's house,
bringing an arcane connection to his bed.
Having stopped briefly to cast Veil of Invisibility and Eyes of the Cat, he
finds an open window on the floor above. He enters by Lifting the Dangling
Puppet.
He finds the first floor of the sidewing to be empty with construction work
still going on, even if it is mostly complete. He finds a flight of stairs
which leads down into the central section of the house, where he finds a
candle-lit room with three women drugged and sprawling over the divans, with
enough clothes between them to clothe maybe one of them. The table has been
set for four, and he finds a vellum pouch with a strange white powder which
he closes and pockets.
The building is strange is strange in many ways. Except for the three women,
the only other person was a lone guard outside the front door. There is no
passage into the ground floor of the sidewing, neither from the centre section
nor from the floor above, and Ercc never investigated it. The centre section
looks as follows.
```
---------------------------------------------
| |
| Strongroom |
| w/living quarters in basement under it |
----------------------L----------------------
| | | |
| Larder L Atrium L Laundry |
| | | |
--------------------curtain------------------
| | | |
| Kitchens lab Stairs |
| | | &Divan |
| | | |
------ ------------------------- ------
| |
| Foyer |
| |
---------------------- ---------------------
G G
L Locked door
G Guard box
```
Except for the partial basement, there is only a single floor.
Three of the rooms can only be accessed from the open atrium,
and in particular, there is no access between the kitchens and
the larder. Other notable features,
+ The lab and the stores are those of an apothecary and medicus, including
experimental philosophy. There is nothing to break that image.
+ There is a library of twenty tomes, mainly related to his profession,
but some area lore too.
+ There is no evidence of any history before his arrival in Ireland three
years prior; neither letters, items of affection, or anything else.
+ All the letters concerns his profession, with an impressive network of
clients and trade partners.
+ He seems to have cleaned out any arcane connections to himself. The bed in
the lab is unused and the one in the basement is clean, in spite of having
been used. Ercc pockets a well-worn lab tool which might be an arcane connection.
+ The food in the larder is very expensive.
Ercc leaves by Leap of Homecoming from the atrium to his bed at Aisleen's.
## Session 12 April 2023
Ercc reports on his adventure. He shows the powder to friar Tonelly who thinks it
is a sedative; it might be lead sugar which is used to sweaten wine.
Brigid tells about her troubles; she is unable to work as a whitesmith in Limerick
because of the guild, and she believes that the de Bursas are behind it.
She has an unusual ability to make wondrous items.
She is training with the friar and at the same time training an assistant at the
aunt's cottage.
Una used the tool that Ercc collected with the Inexorable Search, and find the
target almost at the Atlantic coast, far to far away for any mundane travel,
and the Italian was known to have been in town the evening before.
The location may fit with some of the trade camps that the sailors talked about.
They are popping up as if somebody is investing an awful lot of foreign coin.
+ Wexford is a frequent destination for the Italian.
+ Brigid can use the forms of Corpus and Terram in her crafts.
+ the friar is Gifted
The characters travel to Adere.
They have to pay toll to the Red Queen, a faerie, and Una pays
a compliment.
They explore a little bit before the meeting with the lord.
There is a magic aura of five in the forest and in the castle.
Ercc picks up arcane connections to this locations.
Oddly, there is no pasture around the castle.
## Meantime at home (Session 19 April 2023)
**Cast** Tim and Raymond
Raymond meets Lorcan near the orchard. Lorcan is an aging man in a black robe,
belonging to House Bonisagus. Lorcan tells about the hidden library in the basement
and encourages Tim to grab the opportunities for power.
Lorcan recommended the Blue Cockerel as a suitable cult for Tim. This cult is rather
secretive, but Lorcan has contacts.
## Session 26 April 2023
They meet lord Fergus and get a lot of information.
+ Fergus was driven away from Lough Gur about three years ago.
+ All of Fergus' holdings are short on vis.
+ Both Fergus and his councillor wear illusions; the councillor is even a woman
masquerading as a man.
+ The Queen of the Silver Chain reside in the same area.
## Session 3 May 2023
Ercc wants to pick up the Silver Chain from the river bed, but
is adviced against it, and is told the story of the Red Queen
and her domain.
+ The Red Queen is the Queen of the Silver Chain
+ The Silver Chain binds the ancient giant
+ Her domain, certainly a regio, is an archipelago in an unending sea
- the Silver Chain Islands
+ Around Desmond Castle
Lord Fenric, hypocondriac, decadent English Lord.
## Session 10 May 2023
Wrap-up.oThey talk to the Italian who is in fact the faerie shadow of
a long-lost magus from an expedition 200 years prior.
Other expedition members have turned into five vampires who now haunt the land,
and who are behind the tradeposts.
The silver stems from the expedition.
The whores in the Italians home were his servants, presented to the vampires
as hospitality.
Following the interference, the vampires seem to scatter, and are not to be found.
The matter will have to be resumed later.
