Stranggore Events
This is a listing of important events in the Saga of Stranggore. It includes the activities of the player characters, especially stories, as well as major events in the Stonehenge Tribunal and England.
Note: This page is a timeline of fictional events for the fantasy role-playing game Ars Magica. The game is set in a fantastic version of medieval England. Events in the story line of the game have only slight relation to real-world history and should not be considered factual.
When editing this page, list seasons in reverse chronological order so the most recent events appear at the top of the list.
For each season, first list major historical events (wars, droughts, coronations) if there are any. Most years, there won't be. Next, add links to any stories that occurred. Finally add local and covenant events and, optionally, any major publicly-known activities of the player characters.
Anno Domini 1208
Autumn 1208
Summer 1208
Covenant Events
- Eustace's daughter, Rachel, was born
Spring 1208
News of the Realm
Pope Innocent III placed England under interdict for King John's continuing, armed opposition the investiture of Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Stories
Covenant Events
- The covenant suffered financial problems due to a royal tax and high local inflation
- The faerie hound Amadán died; it was killed in battle.
- Rhys and Randolph received lesser enchanted items from Alderic
Anno Domini 1207
Summer 1207
News of the Realm
Stephen Langton was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury by Pope Innocent III, but King John refused to acknowledge the new Archbishop or allow him to take office. In July, King John expelled the monks from Canterbury because they supported Cardinal Langton.
Covenant Events
A messenger from the Sheriff of Somerset visited Stranggore to announce a royal tax.
Spring 1207
Stories
Covenant Events
Anges passed her Wizard's Gauntlet. She moved into Ozerk's former sanctum.
Two senior grogs died this season. Junior finally died of old age; George the Bastard was killed in battle. The turb was re-organized as follows:
- Bloody Bill was promoted to turb captain. Sandre released him from duty as his shield grog.
- Eustace was given the keys to the armory. He was assigned as Sandre's new bodyguard.
- Rhys and Joseph were officially designated as guards of Stranggore (that is, fighting grogs) and moved into Junior's old quarters.
Anno Domini 1206
Autumn 1206
Stories
Covenant Events
- A magical owlet, nicknamed "Scruffy," came to the covenant to live with Agnes.
Spring 1206
Stories
Anno Domini 1205
Autumn 1205
Stories
Spring 1205
Covenant Events
- Argus visited Avebury to investigate mystical events there
- Sandre and Marie welcomed a daughter, Matilda
- Eustace's son, Stephen, was born
Anno Domini 1204
Winter 1204
News of the Realm
Word reaches England (and Stranggore) that the Fourth Crusade has sacked Constantinople!
Stories
Autumn 1204
News of the Realm
King John has issued a royal decree commanding every male over the age of 12 to join in a militia for the defense of the realm. He fears a French counter-invasion.
Summer 1204
News of the Realm
King's John's war against France has ended disastrously. Philip has captured the duchies of Normandy and Poitou, leaving John with Aquitaine as his only Continental possession.
Stories
Spring 1204
News of the Realm
King John's war in France is going poorly. Château Gaillard fell in March, and the King's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, died in April -- unraveling many of England's alliances.
Stories
Covenant Events
James spent much of the season summoning hounds, which caused some trouble in the forest.
Anno Domini 1203
Autumn 1203
Covenant Events
- Angus the Dragonslayer retired from active adventuring.
- John the Pedlar left Stranggore's service and became John the Merchant.
- Sandre and Godwyn searched Ozerk's sanctum and found the key to Settasper.
- Alderic left his apprentice, Mot, at Stranggore for the season.
- Aldiva of Caveam Khokhan visited Stranggore
Spring 1203
Stories
Covenant Events
- George the Bastard, with some unenthusiastic help from Junior, took inventory of the covenant's mundane arms and armor. He spent much of the season carting it around to area smiths to get it cleaned, repaired, sharpened, and generally fit for use.
- Joan of Barstow left the covenant to join the Fourth Crusade.
Anno Domini 1202
Winter 1202
Covenant Events
Merewen had an episode of Wizard's Twilight that lasted a Moon.
Autumn 1202
News of the Realm
King Philip of France summoned King John of England to court to settle a dispute between John and the Count of Eu (in northern France). King Philip claimed authority over John because of John's several French titles, including Duke of Poitou. John refused to answer the summons, so Philip stripped John of all his French titles and granted most of them to John's nephew Arthur. Thus began the second war between John and Philip.
Stories
- The Witching Tree
Summer 1202
Covenant Events
Valera, the wife of George, gave birth to a girl with favorable stars and there is much rejoicing.
Spring 1202
Stories
Anno Domini 1201
Winter 1201
Covenant Events
A New Tradition is started where every year a lock of hair is cut from all covenfolk who directly serve the magi and kept in the Armory.
Autumn 1201
News of the Realm
His Holiness Pope Innocent III has declared a Fourth Crusade to recapture Jerusalem from the Mohammadeans. The Crusading army will depart from Venice, probably within the year. All Christian men of Britain are enjoined to take up arms. This was announced at the Tribunal of 1201 but the Order of Hermes is not formally involved. No magi announced plans to participate. Neither, apparently, is King John planning to led the English knights and sergeants after the glorious example of his brother Richard.
Stories
Summer 1201
Stories
Spring 1201
Stories
Covenant Events
- At the end of the season, Sandre eloped with Marie LaMont and she moved to the covenant.
- Joan of Barstow hired village girls to plant a pear orchard.
- James brought the giants' sheep from the story Ozerk's Revenge to Stranggore, along with their ram, Barnabus.
- Harry the Shepherd and some other refugees came to Barstow.
- Randolph completed the kennel and acquired two bitches to breed to Amadán
Anno Domini 1200
Winter 1200
Stories
Covenant Events
- Godwyn moved into the covenant, taking Peregrine's old sanctum.
- Paul became the covenant librarian.
- Renovation of the stable and kennel were completed. The covenant bought hounds to start breeding as a source of income.
Autumn 1200
Covenant Events
- Godwyn, Paul, and Thomas the Poacher returned from their pilgrimage to Rome.
- The covenant acquired four horses, captured in battle from the outlaw Osric the Black. The grogs renovated the stable building to house three of them, and the fourth is at Angus's house in Barstow.
- Joan of Barstow hired five local girls from the village to clean the covenant for a whole season. The appearance of the place is much improved, and many old pieces of junk were patched up to usable condition or discarded.
Summer 1200
Covenant Events
Fredegisa the Quaesitor visited Stranggore for the season to teach the Code of Hermes Ability to Caballus and Sandre.
Spring 1200
News of the Realm
King John has made peace with King Philip of France after months of conflict with little actual fighting. The terms of the peace recognize John as undisputed King of England; his nephew Arthur has relinquished his claim. John made major concessions to Philip in return, abandoning his Continental alliances that contained French power. This has earned the new King the nickname "John Softsword" among the nobles of England.
Covenant Events
- Godwyn embarked with Paul and Thomas the Poacher on a pilgrimage to Rome.
- Peregrine left the covenant of Stranggore and moved to Manar House.
Anno Domini 1199
Winter 1199
Stories
Spring 1199
News of the Realm
A great calamity has struck! Good King Richard has been killed in battle in France, laid low by a commoner with a crossbow. The succession is disputed between Prince John and John's nephew, Arthur of Brittany. War is certain, and the future of the Angevin "empire" hangs in the balance.
Stories
Anno Domini 1198
Summer 1198
Stories
Spring 1198
Stories
Covenant Events
Anno Domini 1197
Winter 1197
Covenant Events
Agnes set up the guest laboratory.
Autumn 1197
Stories
Covenant Events
- With great difficulty, Hywel used the spell Freeing the Striding Tree to walk the covenant's enchanted pear tree halfway across Somerset, from the Weld to Stranggore. The tree now stands on the covenant grounds.
- George the Bastard married Valera.
- Eustace finished his apprenticeship. He is now both a journeyman stonemason and a grog of Stranggore.
Anno Domini 1196
Winter 1196
Stories
Autumn 1196
Stories
Frightened Villagers - introduced Paul
Covenant Events
The covenant repaired the third-floor laboratory in the northwest tower. They also constructed a wooden gate across the opening to the rampart around the covenant.
Summer 1196
News of the Realm
- Pestilence and Famine strike England. Merewen works tirelessly to alleviate the famine and attendant sickness.
Stories
Covenant Events
- Peregrine departed for Scotland to search for his love, Ellen. He took Edgar the Good with him.
Spring 1196
Stories
Anno Domini 1195
Winter 1195
Covenant Events
- Junior suffered his third Aging Crisis and was forced to retire as "doorman" (chief grog). He assumed the new ceremonial post of Master of the Armory.
- The turb selected George the Bastard to replace Junior as leader of the turb. George proclaimed Bloody Bill as Champion of Stranggore.
Autumn 1195
Stories
Covenant Events
Summer 1195
Stories
Anno Domini 1194
Autumn 1194
Stories
- The Butcher of Blackbury
- The Stonehenge Tribunal of 1194 was held at Stonehenge itself on Salisbury Plain.
Covenant Events
Eustace received tutoring from Valera, the foreign scholar living in Barstow. She began teaching him Latin. This was Brian the Mad's idea; he noticed Eustace was smart and wanted to learn to read, so he started educating the lad.
Summer 1194
News of the Realm
Spontaneous celebrations broke out across England as good King Richard returned from Crusade, putting an end to five years of misrule by his rebellious brother John.
Covenant Events
Three young magi were invited to the covenant of Stranggore. They will remain guests of the covenant for one year, after which the current members of the covenant will vote whether to admit them permanently. Exceptional service to the covenant may prompt the council to admit a member earlier than that. Each newcomer is provided with lab space and equipment.
- Hywel Mawr passed his Gauntlet and moved to Stranggore and arrived mid-season, too late to do anything else.
- James (Caballus) joined Stranggore at Argus's invitation. He arrived early in the season and spent the rest of the time studying the tractatus, Parma Magica.
- Peregrine also joined Stranggore at Argus's invitation.
And, the new magi came with grogs.
- Caballus brought Angus and Randolph
- Peregrine brought Edgar the Good and George the Bastard
Spring 1194
Stories
Anno Domini 1193
Winter 1193
Stories
Covenant Events
- Edgar the Good received two Medium wounds in the story, Highland Holiday. He recovered but not in time for the Hermetic tournament at Stormwatch early the following season.
- Eustace got caught doing repair work at the covenant in violation of Stonemason's Guild rules -- apprentices are not allowed to work on their own. However Eustace's father decided to take over the job and Eustace is allowed to work alongside him.
Autumn 1193
Stories
Caballus passed his Wizards' Gauntlet.
Covenant Events
Sandre Paen joined the covenant.
Summer 1193
Stories
Spring 1193
Stories
Agnes and Eustace met the enchanted owl, Tobias.
Covenant Events
- Eustace, an apprentice stonemason from Barstow, began working on maintenance and light repairs of the covenant's main building.
- A severe thunderstorm pounded the covenant with wind, rain, and hail. The northwest tower suffered some slight damage.
- Peregrine passed his gauntlet
Anno Domini 1192
Winter 1192
News of the Realm
Good King Richard was captured by Duke Leopold of Austria while returning from Crusade in the Holy Land. This is a great calamity for England because wicked Prince John rules as regent, and now the people despair that his tyranny will ever end.
Covenant Events
- Junior suffered his first aging crisis and was bedridden for a month.
Anno Domini 1191
Winter 1191
Stories
Autumn 1191
Stories
Covenant Events
Summer 1191
Stories
Spring 1191
Local Events
The bodies of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were reportedly found and exhumed at Glastonbury Abbey. Some dispute the claim on the belief that Arthur was transported to Avalon and will one day return, so he could not possibly be buried in England.
Anno Domini 1190
Winter 1190
Stories
Autumn 1190
Stories
Summer 1190
Stories
Spring 1190
Nothing happened. Godwyn was still finishing up his apprenticeship, Torkel was still a prisoner in Faerie, and the covenant of Stranggore was still slowly and stoically crumbling to pieces.
Before A.D. 1190
For events that occurred before the player characters joined the story line, the Stranggore History and Stonehenge Tribunal History pages.
- Spring 1184 - Story: Torkel's Failure