Major Plots
The Draining of Magic and the Demon
Magic is draining out of the main island of Britain south of Hadrian's Wall. Draining began in 1100, with the murder of William Rufus by his brother. The king's skull, still crowned, is at the centre of the diabolic ritual that is draining the magic, and has at any time a rook of every kind of vis in it, untainted. The other ritual items have more, but it is all diabolically tainted. All auras are drained by one point every twenty years, so that there will be no magic left by 1300. This also affects vis supplies. The demon was fought by a magus of the Tribunal, stymied in 1120 with the death of William Adelin, and almost defeated when Stephen became king of England, because he was not influenced by it. At the Battle of Winchester, 1141, the demon, which was supporting Matilda, was finally defeated and banished to Hell. The spells used prevented it from returning for 101 years, which means that in 1242 it will be back. If the PC magi do not break the ritual before 1242, the demon will have additional power when it returns, and breaks the ritual itself.
The Flow of Magic
Magic has found it impossible to gain new territory in England since the first century. This is because the Holy Grail is on Glastonbury, in a regio, which ought to be the fountainhead of magic. To restore it, the Tree and the Serpent must replace the Grail. The Grail is guarded by angels, so it can only be removed by someone with True Faith who believes that he is acting for the best. The seed of the Tree is being carried around by the wandering caravan, providing their aura, and will be recovered when the covenant falls. The Serpent will have to be created from a transformed magus who becomes the new Serpent.
Wight and the Red Dragon
Wight is a powerful white dragon who lives on the Isle of Wight. He came over with the Saxons, and is magically aligned. He hates faeries, and, with his subjects, he has been driving the fay out of England and Wales. The Red Dragon is a humanoid faerie lord in Wales, who bears a Red Dragon as his device, and who has managed to protect faeries in Wales.
Blackthorn and Civil War
Blackthorn has a lot of influence over the Royal Family, especially Henry III, and will attempt to use this to gain control of England in mundane politics. They are probably working on Church politics as well, but I don't know enough about those to say anything definite yet. The Moors covenant will oppose them, raising up Simon de Montfort to lead the baronial party. In non-intervention history, they lose, Blackthorn takes control with Edward I, takes over Wales, mopping up resistance, and tries to push into Scotland, but fails. They then go for France, but the covenants there retaliate, and ultimately they find themselves overstretched, and everything collapses into the anarchy of the War of the Roses. This one is the responsibility of Adam and Helen, though.
Rogan
Rogan is a very powerful spirit, and a dangerous one, with links to the covenant site. He will not take kindly to them setting up there, but will not be able to do anything at first. This is the mystery and horror one.
Fulmen Candidum
"White Lightning", the covenant that used to be in the Dales, on Great Shunner Fell. What happened to them, and what can be recovered.
The Enigma Deck
A deck of cards, enchanted by a Criamon, that is a powerful magical item, and a route to understanding Hermetic magic, and the Enigma. Scattered in the early years of the Saga with the Fall of Caligo.
Copyright David Chart 1995-1998
