After a long pause, the Old fool is blogging again. But on a different hill. Please check out the new blog at ofohblog.wordpress.com.
Thanks for reading.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Conservative = Pro-Life?
Bill Post wrote this on FB recently:
The question: if life as in "pro life", more important politically than say "health care"? My argument will always be that one's stance on abortion tells me all that I need to know about one's heart. If it isn't THE most fundamental, important issue to your heart, I will then wonder about everything else. How can one be a "conservative" and not have "life" as one's most important political, spiritual and personal issue? www.billpost.us
As way of disclaimer, I've only met Bill once and I never listen to radio of any kind - too many commercials and finding good music is just too damn hard - I'm too young to listen to the oldies channel ;-)
I am always concerned when social conservatives start playing the Abortion card. I know it is a sine qua non issue for them and I try to respect that fact. It is also a guaranteed losing strategy inOregon
I am always concerned when social conservatives start playing the Abortion card. I know it is a sine qua non issue for them and I try to respect that fact. It is also a guaranteed losing strategy in
We must hold innocent life sacred.
But should we be handing the government the ability to decide deeply
moral issues on which we as a nation are still deeply uncertain and undecided
on it?
The question for me is not when does life
begin but rather when do we allow the government to decide that one moral
decision is superior to another. I have
trouble with the position that human life begins at conception for several
reasons. It treats human life the same as
every other form of life; for it could be said that all life whether frog, pine tree, dog, donkey, or
elephant starts at the moment of conception. It also ignores the high rate of human miscarriages. Numbers I have seen posted at ranging from 25%
to 50% of all human pregnancies terminate naturally, through no fault of the
mother. The question for me becomes when does
the soul enter into the body?
On that question we Americans remain divided and uncertain.
Some would say that it comes with the formation of the unique genetic code that may become a human if the pregnancy doesn't naturally terminate (i.e. at conception).
Others would say that it comes with the successful start of pregnancy
(implantation on the uterine wall medically speaking). Tradition going back at least to
Biblical times claimed it happened at the 'quickening' when the baby started to
move. Some claim it happens when the baby is capable of life outside the
womb. A very small number claim it only happens at birth.
Where to draw the line w/ such divided
opinions - some rooted in tradition that goes back thousands of years, others
rooted in modern science, and still others rooted in religious beliefs? One of the most fundamental flaws in progressive thinking is to equate the law with what is right and wrong. If it is wrong it must be against that law and if there is no law against it then it must be acceptable. This ignores that the vast majority of social regulation in a just and free society does not happen at the level of law and government but at the level of the family, the church, and other social groupings. The
law is not a guide for right and wrong; the law is that point at which the
individual's actions are so wrong that society as a whole has agreed that that
individual has given up some portion of his natural liberty. Law is the
point at which the society as a whole can punish the individual with whatever
amount of force is necessary to bring that individual back into compliance with
the will of the society. G. Washington recognized this by saying that
government is like a fire, a wonderful servant but a terrible master.
While we must protect innocent life, that
does not mean that we reach first to the progressive's favorite weapon of
government regulation. The libertarian republican answer would be that we start with teaching our youth right from wrong
(even when state run schools seeks to make it harder), then we live the life
our faith teaches us to lead (whatever faith that is), and in living that life we
serve as examples to others and help them to avoid making bad decisions. If
called upon, we minister as our faith teaches and council the parents against
the destruction of innocent life - but without the threat of punishment that
underlies every governmental regulation and rule.
Is my heart in the wrong place because I distrust the government to make moral decisions for the entire society when we as a society have not yet reached consensus on the issue? Do I care less about innocent life because I doubt the political effectiveness of a particular position based on a forty year history and advocate for alternative strategies (another posting) that can reach the same goal?
The answer to those questions depends on what do you mean by conservative....and that is another post for another time.
The answer to those questions depends on what do you mean by conservative....and that is another post for another time.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
T’was the night before Christmas,
He lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give,
And to see just who in this home did live.
I looked all about,
A strange sight did I see,
No tinsel, No presents, Not even a tree.
No stockings by mantle,
Just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.
With medals and badges,
Awards of all kinds,
A somber thought came to my mind.
For this house was different,
It was dark and dreary,
I found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.
The solider lay sleeping,
Silent, Alone,
Curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home.
The Face was so gentle,
The Room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States soldier.
Was this the Hero of whom I’d just read?
Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?
I realized the families that I saw this night,
Owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to
fight.
Soon round the world,
The children would play,
A grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas Day.
They all enjoyed Freedom each month of the year,
Because of the soldiers,
Like the one lying here.
I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone,
On a cold Christmas eve in a land far from home.
The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.
The Soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
“Santa, Don’t Cry, This life is my choice,
“I fight for Freedom,
I don’t ask for more,
My life is my God, my Country, my Corps.”
The solider rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I could not control,
I continued to weep.
I kept watch for hours,
So silent and still,
We both shivered the cold night’s chill.
Then the soldier rolled over,
With a voice soft and pure, whispered,
“Carry on Santa, It’s Christmas Day,
All is secure.”
One look at my watch,
And I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my Friend,
And to all a Good night.
I found this in a very small newspaper published in a town
few have ever heard of with the following added by the editor:
This poem was written by a Marine
stationed in Okinawa Japan . The following is his request; I think it is
reasonable….
“PLEASE…would you do me the favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas is coming soon and some credit it due.”
To this I add the following request, if my readers think it
wise, this Christmas as you gather w/ family and friend, set an empty place at
your table to represent all those who are away from their families and friends
protecting us. The news catching wars
may be over or winding down, but as of Dec. 2012, official US Dept of Defense
documents listed over 172,000 men and women standing guard over us in foreign
lands, not counting the troops deployed in Iraq
and Afghanistan . [1]
So this Christmas, please remember these unsung men and
women, far from home this Christmas.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The Summoning of the Order, pt. 2
[Author’s Note: Much of the material drawn for this chapter is based on the intellectual property of Atlas Games, in their game Ars Magica, 4th and 5th editions. All such property interests remain with Atlas Games. They have a lawful claim to a fair share, based on industry standards, of any financial profits that arise from my use of their property with the exact details to be worked out in future licensing negotiations.]
Two hours later the Primi gathered again in a different
room. A large oaken simi-circle table
with a chair for each of the houses, marked with their symbol, faced a plain
chair. The chair sat in the middle of a
circle of arcane runes carved deeply into the floor. On each of the four walls of the room were
deeply incised arcane runes. The Primi
spoke softly among themselves for a few moments and then in turn began casting
spells. Different sets of runes glowed
briefly with each spell. A few of the
spells caused new runes to appear and then fade as the caster completed the
spell.
After casting all the desired spells, the Primi each took
their respective seats. When each was
seated Antonius snapped his fingers and a soft bell could be heard just outside
the door. Jonathon opened the door just
enough to peek around the door. “Please
show our visitor in Jonathon,” Antonius commanded firmly. Jonathon’s head disappeared and after a few
moments a very tall and slender person entered the room.
At first glance he appeared to be a finely dressed
nobleman. As he entered the room his
shape shimmered and shifted. He grew to
be of unnatural height and far too lithe to be a normal man. His hair was the color of raw gold. His eyes were a feline yellow and they
narrowed to mere cat-like slits when he realized that his disguise had
vanished. With very slight movements of
his head he took in the room, and then he smiled warmly and bowed, “Greetings
noble magi. I am Tuar Tel-Quessir and my
people seek your help.”
“Fey indeed.” Varia inhaled sharply as he rose from his
bow.
“Not quite but close enough for now dear Merinita.” His voice was almost an angelic song.
Antonius nodded and Julius rose from his chair. “If you would please take the Chair of Truth
we can begin master elf,” Julius stated flatly and motioned to the plain chair
in the center of the room.
The elf walked up to the edge of the circle of wards,
looked down and examined each of the runes with care. With a very feline smile he crossed the
circle and lounged in the chair.
In a deep booming voice, Julius began chanting and gesturing
a spell as several of the runes encircling the chair began to glow. The elf’s eyes watched Julius’ every gesture
with a mix of curiosity and indifference.
Upon completing his spell Julius sat down and Varia rose. Her voice also boomed as she gestured, this
time casting three small objects that disintegrated into dust as they flew
towards the elf. The elf’s eyes narrowed
again to mere slits, tracking the objects as they flew. Several more runes on the floor beneath the
elf started to glow. When she sat down,
Marcus rose. Likewise, his voice was
deep and booming as he gestured and cast three small objects in the direction
of the visitor. The objects likewise
disintegrated mid air and several more runes beneath the elf started to
glow. As he sat down, Rafael rose and
cast a fourth spell, his voice was deep and booming and he also cast three
small objects that disintegrated mid air.
“Powerful magics of containment I gather and probably
something to guarantee I am not lying.
Should I feel honored or is this the normal way you greet guests?” The elf seemed amused.
“Only when they appear without warning in the middle of one
of our sancta sanctorum,” Antonius’ smile had no warmth to it.
“Fair enough I suppose.
I would have thought that as magi you would expect visitors to enter in
a grand fashion but I do not know your customs.” The elf shrugged nonchalantly.
“It is rare to find one who can appear as you did unless
they are sent directly from the King or Queen of the fey. Since we can detect no sign that you are from
either court, we must assume the worst.”
Varia apologized.
“As I said, your description of me as fey is close enough
for now. I come not from either court
but from another,” the elf began.
“Which court?” Seneca interrupted.
The elf’s smile was almost predatory and his shape began to
shimmer. “Do you think I server this….” His smile vanished and his eyes widened as
his shape didn’t change.
“I guess you do not serve that force.” Seneca smirked.
The elf lounged back in his chair and smiled wickedly, “Deception
is the essential nature of that force after all.” Seneca’s smirk vanished as he tensed and
reached into a pouch at his waist.
Several of the Primi also reached for pouches on their waist.
“Instructive, unconstructive.” Talibah mutted.
“You say that you seek our help and yet you do not seem the
supplicant but rather a threat that we should deal with in a very harsh
manner.” Drucilla scowled as she pulled out several small crystals from her
pouch.
The elf’s smile softened and warmed, “Please forgive me
dear Mercere but I do so enjoy teasing and playing games with humans. I mean no harm but sometimes the jest is too
hard to resist.” He spread his arms,
palms upward and bowed at the waist.
Marcus chuckled, “There are some here who deserves such
jests.” Seneca gritted his teeth and
Julius frowned.
“Let us stick to business shall we?” Arnbjórn softly
growled.
“Yes let us.” Claudia nodded rapidly as the tension in the
room eased a bit as crystals and other small items were returned to pouches.
“Please tell us of your court.” Varia cooed softly.
“We have written songs to make Virgil weep, built buildings
that would cause your greatest cathedrals to appear as mere peasant’s huts, and
crafted art that the greatest of your artists would be hard to begin to
replicate but we have no defenses against the dark forces that Tremere so
rightly worries about. We seek knowledge
and, if a deal can be struck, allies in combating those forces.”
“Deals with fey often prove to be unwise.” Julia leaned to
her right rolling two small metal orbs around each other in her left hand.
“Only if you don’t keep your end of the agreement,” Varia
glanced at Julia before turning back to the elf.
“We avoid those forces as much as possible; they are a
crafty and dangerous enemy, often promising us what we most deeply crave in
trade for some small favor that eventually damns our immortal soul.” Marcus relaxed deeper into his chair.
“My people have no interest in your souls Tytalus. We seek a fair trade for your knowledge of
these dark forces and most importantly how you have managed to prevent them
from taking physical form. We also seek
your skills in battle magic for while ours is quite powerful, we fear that it
may not be enough against a new dark enemy that has been foretold. We know that we must seek the help of your
people to face this new enemy. And so, I
have been sent beyond the vale that separates our world from yours to seek
knowledge and allies.”
“I think some form of exchange of knowledge would be of
benefit if we truly are speaking of the same force.” Rafael leaned back into
his chair and stroked his goatee.
“If we are talking about providing him access to our
libraries on the subject we might be able to arrange a book for book
trade. We would have to examine the
knowledge you are offering, or at least some sample of it first.” Antonius agreed.
“Vale.
Enlighten.” Talibah muttered
softly.
“Easier to explain the Engima dear Criamon but I shall
try.” The elf sat strait up in his
chair. “Our magic allows us to see into
many different realms. Each of these
worlds is separated by a force of magic that we have learned to pierce. I do not know if it is akin to your theory of
the spheres or if it is something completely different. All I can say is that there are many realms
with many different peoples. We have
charted many of the realms and have learned much from each realm. Some of that knowledge could be what we share
with you.”
“If you have knowledge of many realms as you describe them,
why choose our people?” Aoife leaned forward in her chair.
“We have visited many of these realms seeking allies. None are as promising as your people. In most realms the peoples have some of the
traits we need in a prospective ally but most often they can not survive in our
realm for the length of time we need them.
Those that can survive often are either too barbaric or violent, or they
are too passive. Some of them reproduce
at such a rate that to allow them to settle in our realm would be to invite
disaster whereas some would be even slower than our people at replacing lost
warriors in a prolonged war. When the
dark forces come, we will draw upon them but we will need more than a few that
can come for one or two battles. We need
an ally that can live permanently in our realm and can grow into force that can
fight the war we expect to face. Your
people have the ability to survive and prosper in our realm, as you have in
this one. You also have a curious blend
of violence and civilization that we find intriguing.”
“You wish us to be mercenaries for your wars?” Arnbjórn frowned with an arched eyebrow.
“Not precisely. We
need allies for a very specific war that has been foretold by our greatest seer
and to enlist those allies we are willing to give up a lightly populated
section of our lands, an area roughly equal to this land your call Europe, from
the great ocean to the west to the deepest forests of Novgorod, from Thul to
the northern edges of the great southern desert. All that you do in those lands would be of
your concern and of those other groups of humans we are able to recruit. We only ask that in trade for such vast areas
you be willing to share your scholarship and ability to fight when the foretold
war does come.”
“What other humans?”
Rafael sat up strait in his chair.
“We are in the process of selecting them. We will select groups that have the necessary
numbers to build a viable nation. The
groups we select will be small at first but with time they will grow and build
a nation with a strong military and strong magical defense, with your help.”
“We will have to consider this request carefully. Our Code forbids us from getting overly
involved with mundane peoples. They can
be difficult to predict and demanding of attention. And when they do not get the attention they
seek, they often become destructive to our interests.” Julius looked over to Antonius.
“I would very much like to see some sample of the knowledge
that he proposes sharing in trade for our knowledge about demons as well as
have time to discuss with some in my House this idea.” Claudia adjusted her glasses.
“We also have a Grand Tribunal to attend to and those
matters need take precedence over some offer that may or may not be accepted.” Julia put the two metal balls back into her
pouch.
“Let us meet here after the Tribunal to discuss this
further. I would favor news of this
offer not reach others as yet. While it
is wise to seek counsel of our peers, I worry that some will urge jumping and
looking after the fact. Others will
instinctively reject such a vague offer and then become rather determined to
undermine any decision to accept it.” Antonius
looked to each of the other Primi. Arnbjórn,
Talibah, Drucilla, Julia, Julius, and Seneca nodded. Claudia, Varia, Aoife, Rafael, and Marcus
looked glum but also nodded.
“With the permission of all of you, I shall leave this
place and return in one week with a couple of books that will serve as a sample
of what knowledges we seek to offer in trade for your knowledge of dark forces.” The elf rose from his chair, took a step
forward and bumped into a wall that was not there. “Huh?” he stumbled backward.
“Forgive us master elf, we need a chance to lower the wards
that confine you.”
The elf muttered very softly but returned to his seat.
Antonius nodded to Rafael who began softly chanting and
several of the runs on the floor ceased to glow.
“Please only extend your arm and see if the wall is still
present.” Antonius instructed as the elf stood up. The elf extended his arm and his palm stopped
at an invisible wall matching the circle of ward. Antonius nodded to Varia who softly chanted a
few words. Several more runes stopped
glowing and the elf’s hand was able to push beyond the circle of wards carved
into the floor.
“Some form of test I presume?” the elf arched an eyebrow.
“Naturally,” Antonius stood up and eased his chair back,
just enough to step away from the table.
“Assuming you are not a specialist in deception, as some of
us have cause to fear, the last set of wards would have constrained even a very
powerful demon or devil. This is not
conclusive mind you but it will ease some concerns.” Julius followed Antonius’ example as did the
other Primi.
“These forces are certainly ones my people fear as well and
we hope that we can, at the minimum, learn from you. With luck, the lands we have to offer will
entice you to come and settle far from your current concerns.” The elf turned and walked towards the door.
“What current concerns do you mean?” Arnbjórn growled.
Looking over his shoulder, “Do you think we would pass
through the vale without examining the realm from our side and consider
carefully the many things we can see?”
“We will have to discuss what you can see when next we meet
in one week visitor.” Rafael put his
hand on Arnbjórn’s chest as the bear-man stepped forward.
“Gladly,” the elf’s faint smile held the promise of answers
to questions best not asked.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Summoning of the Order
[Author’s Note: Much
of the material drawn for this chapter is based on the intellectual property of
Atlas Games, in their game Ars Magica, 4th and 5th
editions. The Order of Hermes, the names
of the Houses of Hermes, and many other ideas are the intellectual property of
Atlas Games. All such property interests
remain with Atlas Games. They have a
lawful claim to a fair share, based on industry standards, of any financial
profits that arise from my use of their property with the exact details to be
worked out in future licensing negotiations.]
Anno
Domini 1228 – Durenmar Covenant
Hidden deep in the Black
Forest , a strong fortress over looks a deep mountain stream. Here, four hundred and sixty-one years ago,
the Order of Hermes was founded. This
secretive society is made up of over a thousand of the most powerful wizards in
all of Europe .
Every thirty-three years the leaders of each of the twelve Houses that
make up the Order and a delegation from each of the thirteen regional tribunals
gather here in a Grand Tribunal to settle disputes between the tribunals, hand
down interpretations of the laws that bind the Order together, to share new
magical innovations, and to discuss other issues that affect the whole Order. The day before the Grand Tribunal officially
begins the leaders of the twelve Houses, the Primi, gather in a secret chamber
to reach a consensus on selected divisive issues so they can present a united
front and insure some measure of order in a society made up of very
individualistic and often quarrelsome individuals.
Late in the midmorning before the
Grand Tribunal was due to commence, an elderly man leaning on a boy of about
ten years made his way to the secret chamber.
As he slowly made his way to his seat, he looked around the room for
what he knew to be his last time. A
large circular oaken table dominated the room.
Twelve high backed chairs, almost miniature thrones ringed the
table. Several smaller serving tables
with pitchers of wine, and several platters of fine cheeses, meats, and fresh
bread were aligned around the room. On
the back of each chair, above where a person’s head would be was carved a
symbol of one of the twelve Houses. He
sat in the chair marked with a pair of crossed keys, standing on their bow with
their pins in the air, the symbol of House Bonisagus, those who learned their
arts from the Founder of the Order and creator of the Hermetic theory of
Magic.
“Jonathon, please invite the other
Primi to join me and then return to your studies,” he dismissed the boy.
“Yes Master.” The boy bowed and
hurried off.
A few moments later a short Spanish
woman with dark hair just starting to grey entered the room. “Greetings Primus of Bonisagus,” she greeted
him formally.
“Welcome Primus of Flambeau. Please be comfortable.” He returned her formality with a twinkle in
his eye as she made her way to the chair marked with a pair of equilateral
triangles forming an hour glass, the symbol for House Flambeau, the wizards of
destruction.
“How goes the Reconquestia?” he
asked as she pecked him on the cheek before sitting down.
“It goes well for the Christian
lords Antonius. Not so well for the
Moorish lords. We have been able to
avoid any open conflict with both sides.
Natural when a covenant comes under attack …” she spread her hands
helplessly, “but our Jerbiton siblings have been very busy keeping the local
lords to busy with each other to pester us too much. There are some impressive research being done
in Granada
“If they are sharing…” Antonius
raised his finger as a matronly woman entered.
He rose stiffly, “Greetings Primus of Mercere.”
“Sit down before you hurt your self you old
goat,” she snorted and smiled. Julia
chuckled as the woman took the chair marked with a messenger’s cap, the symbol
of House Mercere, the messengers that carried news from one covenant to
another, enabling the Order to remain vaguely united.
“It is good to see you again
Drucilla.” Julia reached out her hand.
“It is good to see both of you
again. I was half expecting some novice
to take Antonius’ seat this time and I am glad to be wrong.”
“This will be my last Grand Tribunal
as Primus of Bonisagus. While final
twilight is not something to look forward too, only the fool makes no
plans. I am considering my successor and
I am looking forward to finishing Jonathon’s training and wrapping up a few
projects.” Antonius leaned back into his
chair. Casting a tired eye at Julia,
“Please talk with Julius about taking at least one quaesitor and perhaps some
hoplites with you. Any Moorish sorcerer
who has learned Parma
Julia nodded as a brown haired man
of about thirty entered the room.
“Greetings Primus of Tytalus.” Antonius
sat up strait in his chair.
“Greetings, Primus of
Bonisagus. Do we have a wizard’s march
and no one told me?” He half smiled and fingered his dagger as he took the
chair marked with the spiral of House Tytalus, the House of growth through
conflict.
“Not yet Marcus,” Antonius shook his
head and then mumbled a few words while looking at one of the pitchers of wine
and a goblet. The pitcher filled the
goblet and it floated over to Antonius’ out reached hand.
A bald woman with Arabic features
and a host of arcane marks tattooed on her head, neck, and face entered the
room and took the chair marked with an infinity symbol within a circle within a
square; the symbol of House Criamon, the seekers of something they called the
Enigma, a concept they could not, or would not, explain to other wizards. She uttered no greeting and appeared to be
deep in thought.
“Greetings Primus of Criamon,” Antonius
raised his goblet in toast. She looked
at him as if seeing a point far beyond the wall behind him.
“Hmmm. Yes.
Greetings Antonius,” she paused and seemed to refocus her
attention. “It is good to be here.” She seemed to drift back into her thoughts.
“Talibah, I can not tell if you are
being rude or merely lost in your Enigma.”
Marcus smirked.
“Hmmm. Yes.
Rude Tytalus.” She pinned him with her gaze as if examining a strange
insect for the first time.
“Careful Marcus,” Drucilla put her
hand on his forearm with a worried look.
He frowned and sat back in his chair.
A thin scholarly man with a bald
palate and long stringy white hair entered next. “Greetings Primus of Bonisagus, fellow
Primi.” He smiled warmly as he took the
seat marked with the scales of justice, the symbol of House Guernicus, the
judges and investigators of matters that might violate the Code of Hermes, the
oath the bound the Order together.
“Welcome Julius, Antonius and I were
just discussing a matter in Iberia
“Moorish sorcerers I’ll wager,” he
made a couple gestures with his hands and another pitcher filled a goblet and
it floated over to his outstretched hand.
Julia nodded as a tall red haired
woman with streaks of grey in her hair entered.
“Greetings Primus of Bonisagus and my fellow Primi,” she intoned with a
strong Scottish accent.
Greetings Primus of Ex
Miscellanea.” Antonius nodded as she
took the seat marked with a staff shaped like a lightening bolt, the symbol of
House Ex Miscellanious, the House of those with no other home in the Order.
“Greetings Aoife. How are things in England
“Still too cold for your Norman
blood I’ll wager but we are at peace save for some of the tribes in the hills
of Caledonia and Cambria .” She smiled sweetly as Marcus winced. Drucilla and Julia chuckled while Antonius
smiled ruefully.
“You still blame us for William I
see.” Marcus shook his head.
“He did upset things a bit but his
brats and their children are usually more concerned with France and the Holy Land
to be too much of a nuisance.” Aoife
warmed her smile a bit.
Marcus started to speak as a young
woman in her late twenties entered.
“Greetings Primus of Bonisagus, fellow Primi. It is good to see most of you.” Her voice was almost that of a song.
Julia stiffened and almost rose when Antonius rested his
hand on her forearm. “Greetings Primus of Merinita.” She took the seat next to Aoife, the one
marked with a tree in full bloom, the symbol of House Merinita, the explorers
of all things Fey.
“Still using glamour I see Varia.” Julia sniped.
Varia smiled, her
eyes cold as winter as a giant of a man in his late thirties entered the
room. His full beard, long hair, and
northern fur dressings make him almost look like a bear on hind legs. “Greetings Primus of Bonisagus.” He rumbled as he sat down next to Varia. His chair was marked with a simple cone, the
symbol of House Bjornaer, the house of magi who could assume the form of animal
ancestors and sought to understand their animal nature.
“Greetings Primus Bjornaer.
All goes well in the Baltic areas I hope Arnbjórn.” Antonius leaned forward a bit.
“The Teutonic crusaders pillage the lands and we have had
to deal harshly with some who have threatened our coven folk but let us discuss
that a bit later,” he rumbled and looked over at a serving tray. Several slices of cheeses and meats flew on
to a small plate and it floated over to him.
“Be careful to not to draw the attention of the Church
Arnbjórn.” Julius started.
“Let us discuss that later Julius.” Antonius cut him with a
raised hand as a stocky man in his late forties entered the room.
“Greetings Primus of Bonisagus,” he respectfully bowed his
tonsured head.
“Greetings Primus of Tremere.” Antonius forced himself to rise and returned
the bow. “Is all well up north Seneca?” Antonius
sat back down.
“It is well. The
Emperor has just launched his second expedition to the Holy
Land and with luck it will be more successful than the last.” Seneca looked around the room and his eyes
narrowed a bit when he saw Marcus.
Marcus offered a thin wary smile as Senaca made his way to
the chair marked with the astrological sign for man within a square, the symbol
of House Tremere, followers of the belief that hierarchy and discipline were
the only rational answer to an inherently dangerous and chaotic world.
“Salve Bonisage!” boomed from a portly man in the finest
cut of the most current fashions from Venice who entered the room with arms
outstretched as if to hug everyone in the room at the same time.
“Salve Jerbiton.” Antonius
smiled warmly while several of the other primi cast skeptical looks at the man
as he almost danced to the chair marked with a castle tower, the symbol of
House Jerbiton, the custodians of art, culture, and diplomacy.
“I see you are keeping up with Venice
cuts this year Rafael, last year it was Roman or was it Milan
“I came here from Venice so
I dress as Venice
“Any news of Italy
“Just the usually political maneuverings of mundane
politics good friend. Gregory and
Fredrick are arguing over Fredrick’s excommunication and I suspect Fredrick
will leave for the Holy Land with out having
it lifted.”
“To bad he is not taking those cursed Teutonic knights with
him.” Arnbjórn grumbled.
“Their efforts would be better focused on the Turks rather
than some harmless pagans in eastern Europe.” Senaca nodded.
“I know of a few French knights who should be convinced to
head that way as well.” Rafael muttered
softly as he sat down.
“The Cathars are not our concern Rafael.” Julia chided him.
“The Cathars are worse than the Moors and Turks, they
distort the teachings…” Seneca began as a gaunt woman in her late sixties
entered the room.
“Greetings Primus of Bonasagus,” she peered through very
thick glasses.
“Greetings Primus of Verditus.” Antonius nodded as she fumbled with one of
the dozens of small talismans hanging in various places on her dress. A goblet and plate of cheeses and breads flew
ahead of her as she walked to the last chair.
It was marked with a hand with five rings on it, the symbol of House
Verditus, the artificers and crafters of magical items. “I hope all is well in southern Italy
Claudia.”
“It is well and now that I have finished these lenses and
their frame, I can see as I did thirty years ago. I may even enchant them.”
For about an hour the twelve primi of the Order of Hermes
chatted about minor things, sharing titbits of gossip, and otherwise caught up
with as friends long separated.
Eventually the conversation wound down and after a few moments of
silence Rafael spoke first. “Antonius, I
am worried about all the expeditions that have been launched in the name of the
Church in recent years.”
“We cannot endanger the Order by challenging the Church,
even a small portion of one of those armies could destroy many of the covenants
in the Order.” Julius shook his head.
“My point exactly noble Guernicus. What happens when they are done with the
Moors or the pagans in the east?”
“While the Christian lords have made gains in Iberia
“Not to mention the various expeditions to the Holy Land have been less than successful.” Drucilla
agreed. “Ever since Saladin shattered
them at Hatin and the second expedition failed to take Damascus ,
they have been mostly been driven back to a few cities along the coast and Cyprus
“You forget Richard’s campaign.” Seneca placed his goblet
on the table and a pitcher floated over to refill it.
“No, I don’t dear Seneca.
Yes he took Acre and a few coastal towns but he failed to even lay siege
to Jerusalem
“Why
should we be concerning ourselves with the Church’s Levantine campaigns?” Claudia fumbled with a small bird’s claw and
a pitcher floated over and refilled her goblet.
“While the campaigns in the Levant
are of little interest to any of us who do not have covenants over there,”
Rafael nodded to Talibah and the Aoife, “The campaigns against the Cathars have
unsettled an area where we have serious interests and most of our successes in
building alliances with sensible church leaders. I fear that if the northern knights and their
allied clergy are successful over a hundred years of careful alliance building
will be undone.”
“The Church and mundane nobles are tied up in many campaigns,
not all of which go well for them. Most
of those campaigns will continue for a long time to come. So long as we do not draw attention to
ourselves I don’t think we need to worry overly much about the Church as a
whole.” Antonius sighed and sunk deeply
into his chair.
“I do not share that belief Noble Antonius.” Arnbjórn rumbled. “The Teutonic Order and its allies have been
very troublesome for several of our covenants in the Novgorod Tribunal. The fighting between them and the pagans has
made collecting Vis and mundane supplies very
dangerous. Last harvest, I had to
personally lead an attack to kill an entire group of them when they tried to
destroy a village that the covenant I was visiting depends on for food. The conflict has ceased for now but it will
resume in the near future.”
“Arnbjórn, do you expect the covenants in the Baltic region
to have to openly take sides?” Julius leaned forward, his brow furled and his
voice heavy with concern.
“I do not know Julius.
We have had very good relations with the Estonian nobles, some of them
even welcome the covenants near them.
The villages tend to welcome us when we are in the area. When we do have to fight we are as careful as
we can be to leave no traces as to what happened. While I hope that we don’t have to get drawn
in, we have to defend ourselves and those we depend on.” Arnbjórn again glanced over at a pitcher of
wine and it floated over to refill his goblet.
“Dragons.” Talibah
traced one of the tattoos on her cheek.
“Aye, no easy answers.
Best we try to avoid entanglements in mundane fights. We must defend ourselves but taking sides
must be avoided.” Aoife nodded in agreement.
“Sometimes war does not give us the choice.” Arnbjórn
shrugged.
“Even if we try to keep a low profile, we have to defend
ourselves when they come raping the lands that our covenants depend on for food
and other basic supplies.” Marcus made a come hither motion with his left hand
and the pitcher of wine that had just refilled Arnbjórn’s goblet floated over
and refilled his goblet. “Which means at
some point the Church will notice that we are organized and that we are not
just a handful of odd nobles.”
“The mundanes would be better off if they had a single
strong leader as they did with the early Caesars or with Charlemagne.” Seneca tugged at a thread in his robe.
“Order creates chaos; short mundane lives.” Talibah traced the largest tattoo on her
forehead.
Julia muttered something very softly as she too a
drink. Antonius threw a sharp glance at
her as Talibah looked at her as if noticing an insect for the first time.
“New supplies of Vis are
becoming harder to find, especially as fairy forests retreat in the face of
more and more mundane villages.” Varia
mused softly.
“It is becoming very hard to find places to locate new
covenants without getting drawn into mundane politics.” Claudia nodded.
“Provencal is being cleared of many villages as we speak.”
Rafael grumbled.
“Rafael, you have long advocated for closer ties with the
Church and that we shouldn’t fear them.”
Julia’s smile took any sting from the words.
“Have you considered taking a lover Julia?” Rafael winked back.
“Perhaps a few noble?”
Varia smirked.
Julia’s face flushed darkly but before she could respond,
Arnbjórn’s fist slammed into the table, “ENOUGH!” We are here to decide what to do about all
the Christian expeditions that threaten to draw us in. Every magi and every covenant is split over
this. We need to present a unified
answer that is more than ‘avoid if possible.’”
“Arnbjórn is right,” Julius frowned. “We have only a short time and we have other
issues to …” A soft knock on the door
interrupted him.
Antonius glanced around the room and after several Primi
nodded he made an opening motion with his hand and muttered softly. The heavy bolt holding the door shut slid to
one side and the door opened just enough for Jonathon to slip in.
“This had better be very important Jonathon.” Antonius warned as the boy approached as if
caught red handed in some serious misdeed and sent to the headmaster’s
office.
“Please forgive me Primi.
Master, I was studying in your library when a strange fog started coming
out of the fireplace. I quickly checked
and there was no fire and the flute was open.
As the fog started to fill the room I reached out to see if I could
determine if magic was at work and a man stepped out of the fog.”
“In your personal library?!!??” Julia blurted out. The other Primi seemed equally stunned and
after a moment of silence began all talking at once.
“Silence.” Antonius
rapped the table with his knuckles and the sound of a gavel echoed through the
room loud enough to silence all the Primi.
As they fell silent, Antonius looked again at his apprentice. “Please continue Jonathon.”
Swollowing hard, “He claimed to be an elf lord and that he
asked to speak with you by full name and title.” Jonathon looked around the room, “each of
you.”
Again Antonius had to gavel the Primi into silence with
repeated rapping of his knuckles onto the table. Turing to Jonathon, Antonius smiled warmly, “You have done
nothing wrong Jonathon, but are you absolutely sure he actually walked out of
the fog and not through the door while it was obscured by the fog?” Antonius peered deeply into the boy’s eyes.
Jonathon closed his eyes for a moment and mumbled a few
quick words. “I had to unlock the door
when I left the chamber to come here. I
am certain that my back was to the door when he appeared but the fog was very
thick at the time and I might have gotten turned around.”
Compressing his lips tightly together Antonius looked at
the other Primi one at a time, “Thoughts?”
“Perhaps we should hear what this person has to say.” Aiofe spoke first.
“If he can pass through the wards on this covenant and into
your sanctum he must be exceptionally powerful and we need to take precaution
before meeting with him.” Claudia pulled
out a handkerchief and began cleaning her glasses.
“We should use the Judgment Chamber. Its wards against demons, fey, and divine are
the strongest in the Order and the ward against lying was laid in a ritual lead
by my parens, who specialized in detecting such things,” Julius nodded in
agreement.
“I agree that we should use the Judgment Chamber but we
need to erect additional protective wards, as strong as we can make them.” Seneca drained his goblet.
“If he can pass through the Aegis protecting this covenant,
no spell we can cast as individuals will touch him.” Marcus scoffed. “We should alert the rest of the magi here
for the Tribunal and prepare to deal with this intruder harshly,” he gripped
his dagger and seemed almost eager.
“I think we are dealing with a very powerful few, maybe
even a personal servant of Oberon or Tatiana.
It would be prudent for us to be very polite.” Varia frowned at Marcus.
“There are two other forces that this individual might
represent, one that we would be powerless against – thus explaining how he
penetrated the Aegis, and one that will require us to use our wits and good
judgment rather than try to break his deceptions.” Drucilla shook her head.
“Enigma requires knowledge; premature judgment foolish.”
Talibah traced a tattoo on the back of her wrist.
“Let us take every precaution we can without alerting the
other magi … for now.” Julia raised her finger.
“We should expect some ruse or deception, especially if we are dealing
with fey or diabolic forces.”
Looking around the table again, Antonius spoke with closed
eyes. “We shall reconvene in the Judgment chamber in two hours having made what
personal preparations we each deem necessary but not to alert the rest of the
magi for the moment. I don’t want
someone to take action prematurely.”
Each of the Primi nodded in turn and rose to leave the room one by one
in the order in which they came in.
Turning to his apprentice, “Please so the man to a guest
room and tell him we will meet him in three hours. Then in two hours time meet us outside of the
Judgment Chamber and I will summon you when it is time to bring him to us.”
“Yes Master,” Jonathon helped his master to his feet.
“Off with you. I can
still walk unaided and I don’t want him to be in my sanctum when I
arrive.” Antonius shooed the boy off.
“What if he insists on waiting to meet you?”
“Tell him that we will meet him as a group so we can all
hear what he has to say and that we would like him to be comfortable while we
get ready to meet such an honored visitor.
If he still refuses, then I will just have to encounter him.” Antonius frowned deeply.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Journal of P. Licinius Crassus (pt. 3)
6 Aprilis 705 AUC
I have not seen Tuar Tel-Quessir for
over a month. He left shortly after our
dinner saying that he would tend to getting us permission to leave and work for
his people. I received a letter today
from one of the King’s ministers in Ctesiphon
15 Maius 705 AUC
Spring is drawing to a close and summer
will soon be upon us. We have gathered a
solid supply of grain and could march tomorrow if we felt the need. The local notables have noticed our building
of many carts and acquiring additional grain and have begun asking questions,
answers of which will probably be sent to the King and his ministers. Calvus placates them with plans for an
eventual campaign to the north against the Dahae, a tribe of nomads north of
the desert, assuming the king agrees to the plan of course. Many of them have pledged additional troops
and cavalry as well as funds expecting to share in the spoils. I do not know how well that will work with
the idea of a permanent relocation, or if they will insist on honoring their
promises when we do leave. They can be
somewhat temperamental at times.
4 Iunius 705 AUC
Another letter from Ctesiphon
2 Sextilus 705 AUC
We informed the centurions today of the
plan to take up a new commission as free mercenaries. The reaction was surprisingly mixed. While they welcomed the idea of their own
villa and surrounding lands, the idea of leaving everything they had built for
the last five years gives them pause.
Most of us have young children and a trek through the harsh lands to the
north, while a challenge to a man may be lethal to women and children. In the end they agreed with the plan. I think the promise of triple wages and booty
was more of an incentive than the promise of better farm land when they
retire.
9 Sextilus 705 AUC
I have been inundated with local
notables asking for more details. They
have of course withdrawn any promises of sending troops with us after learning
that we are not coming back. They have
also been rather insistent that we return all the funds they have advanced us
for grain and wagons. They are uniformly
opposed to the idea of us taking our wives and children with us. I fear I have had to be rather firm in
denying their demands, at least until I can discuss it with Calvus and the new
governor. I suspect they will just have
to live with a bit of disappointment.
The
merchant lords are most concerned about whether our patrols of the trade routes
will continue. I have assured them that
the new governor would not be eager to see a return of banditry, that he is
bringing a large replacement force so that the patrols will continue, and that
we will not leave until he arrives so the patrols will not be interrupted.
I have my informants looking into the
moral of the legionaries, and over all, the mood seems to be anticipation of
the coming journey and the promise of new conquests. I am certain that we will loose some
legionaries who refuse to come. They
should only be the ones that we wouldn’t be able to rely on in the first
place.
14 Septembris 705
AUC
The new governor and his army was
sighted a few days ago. Calvus has sent
out orders to all the troops to assemble as soon as possible. I have been in contact with my counterparts
among the Khwarezm and they are open to the idea of us moving through their
lands and may even provide us with additional cavalry against the nomads.
We
have had several messages over the last month or so as the governor has made
his way here so there was no alarm when a force of nearly ten thousand troops
appeared in the hills to the south and west of the town. They are marching on the same road that
brought us here almost five years ago.
Jupiter’s stones, has it really been five years since we arrived,
survivors of a massacre and completely at the mercy of our captors? We have built something very special here and
I am starting to realize that I will miss this place. I guess it is time to pack and to make final
arrangements for the house and other property that my family can not take with
us. In all total, my wife, my two
daughters and new born son, her brother, his wife, and their four children will
comprise seed of the future Lucinii clan; a stronger beginning than the Trojans
who founded our people in Italia, who had to acquire wives from the Sabines.
16 Septembris 705
AUC
There will be a few days while we finish
gathering the outer patrols and the new troops take up their positions. We are doing the final checking of supplies
and provisions as well as a head count for those who are traveling. We had to limit who could come with us as
just about every family of locals has several members of their family willing
to strike out for new lands. In total we
have eight thousand legionaries, their wives and children, sixteen thousand
civilians and their families. Most of
the civilians are the youngest sons of farmers and their wives and
children. We have a good number of
artisans and craftsmen and their families.
In all total we have at least fifty thousand people, with all their
animals, carts, and so forth. I have
sent letters to the Khwarezm of our numbers and plans to move further north and
not just stop with a campaign against the Dahae.
19 Sepembris 705
AUC
The new governor is not pleased that so
many people are leaving. He had expected
the legion and perhaps some camp followers, certainly not one in ten of the
entire population for this province. He
is demanding a lot of gold in trade for us to take ‘his people’ from him. I am not privy to the discussions between him
and Calvus but I have heard him yelling at Calvus over the matter.
Fortunately,
he saw our legion drawn up in parade formation and he knows that his troops are
no match for us if blows came to be struck.
I am worried that if he has second thoughts about letting us leave, and
if he decides to give chase, we would be very vulnerable to raiding parties
while marching. We have some cavalry,
enough to detect any serious force moving in pursuit but not enough to
adequately guard against raids. Perhaps our alliance with the Khwarezm will
help. If it holds; a mass migration of
this type can strain or even break relations. I do not expect any answer to my letters
before we are on the march.
20 Sepembris 705
AUC
A deal has been struck between Calvus
and the governor. We will leave on 3
Octobris, the fifth anniversary of when we arrived. Apparently, Tuar Tel-Quessir has been with
the governor and made promises for golden compensation sufficient to ease the
governor’s concerns. His people must
either be exceptionally rich or exceptionally desperate to spend so much gold
on a tribe of mercenaries.
Where
he came from and when he arrived no one seems to know. He wasn’t with the governor originally but
now he is here. I am very glad that I
still have that amulet I purchased for the dinner. He is not alone either. He has twelve companions, each could be his
brother so closely do they look alike.
They will be our guides on our journey.
They
are checking our supplies for the journey and speaking in their own
language. Communication with them is
difficult as they only speak fragments of the local language or our own. They actually suggested that we tie all our
people together in a single rope line so we wouldn’t get lost on the
journey. I am not sure if they are
joking or they are really believed that we would get lost. As if it would be possible to tie fifty
thousand people together in the first place.
They
were surprised by our numbers.
Apparently they were only expecting the actual legion and a few camp
followers, much as the governor seemed to have in mind. I do not know if they are pleased or
displeased at our numbers, only that they had a sharp discussion among
themselves. They would not speak about the
subject after that sharp conversation.
25 Sepembris 705
AUC
Most of the good byes and fair wells
have been said; now it is just the mustering of the troops and getting everyone
moving. With a mass of civilians with
us, we will move very slowly. I wonder
how long it will actually take us to get to these new lands. The Iastae are about the same distance as
where we were captured if my sources are to be trusted. There is little information on Iastae because
there is little reason to trade with nomads that far north. A force used to marching could probably cover
the distance in a couple of months but with all these civilians and we will be
heading into winter once we get beyond the Dahae lands.
I
have not been able to find out much about Tuar Tel-Quessir’s people. His companions have taken over Biashim’S and
strictly keep to themselves; they do not speak beyond bare necessities with the
servants and answer no questions. I can
not shake a suspicion that something much stranger than I can imagine is a
foot. While I have reported this to
Calvus and he has told me to keep probing for information, he doesn’t seem too
concerned with it. He did mention that
Tuar Tel-Quessir has a much greater amount of money with which to buy our
services than he had previously believed but wouldn’t say how he came to
believe this. Such concerns are going to
have to wait.
3 Octobris 705 AUC
We started out today. At first light the horns sounded and we began
to march. We barely covered five miles
today and it doesn’t look like we will ever cover much more than that if we are
to keep everyone together. I’ve dusted
off the old writing desk that I purchased before leaving Roma. I am surprised that it is still in good
condition.
We are planning on following the trade
routes to the Onyx and then move north along it until it reaches the Onyx Sea Onyx Sea
5 Octobris 705 AUC
We were met by the merchants carrying a
reply to my letters to the Khwarezm today.
My counterparts tell me that their king will allow us to travel through
their lands but we must move as quickly as possible lest we cause concern. A force of several thousand heavy cavalry
will accompany us to the north end of the Onyx Sea
Each night as we camp, his companions
pitch their tents in a perfect circle and study the stars with strange
instruments. Being very interested in
the stars, Legate Nigidius Figulus has tried to make conversation with them
about their doings. I do not know if it
was the insult he gave to Tuar Tel-Quessir at the dinner, the companion’s lack
of skill in our language, or Figulus’ somewhat brusk manner at time but they
refused to explain any more than that they were too busy to speak with
him. After I tried, Tuar Tel-Quessir asked Calvus
to instruct us to stop bothering them and that they were charting our course to
their land. I know that mariners often
navigate by the stars but to do that while traveling by land is novel. Usually land features make such navigation
unreliable. Maybe their strange tools
have a way of compensating for those problems.
21 Octobris 705 AUC
The last couple weeks have been hard
travel. We have been joined by the heavy
cavalry of the Khwarezm. Two thousand
warriors with a like number of camp followers now flank our long column on the
march. We reached the Onxy River
During today’s travel a heavy set of
clouds, dark with rain appeared on the western horizon and have moved quickly
towards us. Even now the late rain
pounds upon our tent and I fear that we won’t be able to make much distance
over the next few days.
22 Octobris 705 AUC
I have written this passage a dozen
times and still I can not believe it. I
have managed to omit most of my panic and terror at the events of today but I
am still terrified to my very core. I
have managed to put on a strong face for my wife and children but inside, the
terror I felt as a boy who had invoked his father’s greatest wrath by childish
deeds is but a shadow of what I feel.
There
can be no doubt that Tuar Tel-Quessir and all of his companions are venēficus
and very powerful ones at that. Today
when we awoke to the morning horns, we found ourselves not where we
expected. Rather than find ourselves in
the lands of the Khwarezm and closing on the Onyx Sea
Most of today was spent mastering our
terror at the sudden change. Horatus’
discipline and that of his centurions was probably the only thing that kept us
together. Upon discovering the change,
he sent for Calvus and quickly issued orders.
They quickly brought the legionaries into order with a bit of sharp
discipline and calmed their fears with quick orders to make a fortified
camp. Seeing our troops moving to make a
more permanent structure, the civilians have started to calm themselves. We will have to calm our own inner fears in
the days to come and figure out where we are and where we go from here. By Juno’s landīca, I am terrified. What sort of infernal pact have we made?
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