The magi are now in control of their own lives, and what is more, they have a wondrous new covenant all of their very own. Having been able to copy most of the books from the Broken Crown - mostly due to Aelfric having been too preoccupied to stop them - they are not short on books, and neither are they short of mundane resources. The main problem will be the severe lack of vis.

The main theme is the survival of the new covenant in the vis poor Stonehenge, possibly coming into conflict with other covenants over rights to various resources. There is also the question of who the Keepers were, and what it is they locked behind the gate on the lowest level of the covenant.

The magi set out for the Hibernian Tribunal at Circulus Ruber. The Tribunal sees the trial of Caecus of Tytalus, who was overcome by demons when his covenant, Ashenrise, was almost destroyed by them.

No proof is found that he broke the code, but he declares his intention to leave Hibernia to get away from accusations and painful memories. The remaining members of Ashenrise are allowed to dedicate themselves to finding ways to combat the infernal. The magi of Stonehenge are fined 25 pawns of vis for causing trouble in Dublin, both amongst the common people and the Norman nobility.

Spent in quiet study at their new covenant.

Spent in quiet study.

Journey to the Stonehenge Tribunal, where the Covenant of the Smiths of the Keepers is declared an official covenant of Stonehenge. Miriam of Tremere is brought up on charges of destroying a magus' ability to work magic, in regard to her destruction of the mind of Asling. She is found guilty, and cast from the Order.

There are some problems with one of the resident spirits in the covenant, which causes some minor damage. Magnus investigates some goblins he found when they first moved in. He finds that they are tending small stone trees which produce terram vis. The goblins are convinced (via spells) to move to the covenant, and their trees are dug up and moved to the highest level aura of the covenant.

A couple (out of seven) goblins die, their trees dying with them. A couple of dead bodies turn up in the cave where the entrance to the covenant is located. They have signs of being ritually sacrificed, and it is first believed to be the work of Carreg Cennan, out to discredit the covenant. After some examination by Hareb, it is decided that the knife cuts occurred after death, and look more medical, than ritual. Magnus and Leri track back to a nearby village, and find Nimin, a magus of Ex Miscellanea who has been performing medical research. She is a self-styled Necromancer, who is convinced to join the covenant. She destroys some of the destructive spirits in the covenant.

Spent in quiet study.

Spent in quiet study. At the end of winter, Nimin is found to be a man, who had been under the effect of a Muto Corpus spell for the past year.

The year is spent in quiet study.

After Felonious peers into the mortal minds of the mundanes living in the covenant, he calls a council meeting to accuse Magnus of withholding important information about events in Leri's past, notably those concerning diabolic influence, and consorting with a magus previously marched for diabolism. After a long discussion, it is agreed that Leri can stay, but Magnus should have informed the council of what he knew.

Felonious travels to the Gates of Adamus, where he finds a woman called Dierdri, who has just given birth to a dead child. Investigating peasant rumour, he finds out that she has done so for the last four years, has never been with a man (mortal or otherwise), and that the body of the child has four pawns of Corpus vis within it. He promises to take her back to the covenant, away from the local Priest who accuses her of wrong deeds.

The old faerie pool of Ursal is investigated next, but it is stagnant with no signs of the Kelpie. The ruins of Broken Crown covenant are empty, with the old source of vis destroyed.

Next, is London, where Felonious talks to Aelflaed, and confronts her with the fact that he knows she is Scarabae, and wants to know more. She denies it at first, then resents his knowledge, and says that he cannot be trusted with the knowledge. He tries to give his own background, but is stopped when he mentions the Smiths of the Keepers. She seems to have knowledge of the Keepers, then uses magic to read his mind, though is thwarted by his familiar, Archimedes. Aelflaed calls upon a ghost to dispose of the owl and Andros. Andros is killed, but Archimedes escapes. Ignoring his pleas for friendship, she mind rapes him, and pulls out knowledge of the covenant and himself. When she has finished, she slays him with Perdo Corpus magic. Attempting to slay Archimedes, she fails, and collapses into Twilight.

The owl flees to Thames Covenant, and relates the events. The magi there send a message to the Smiths covenant to warn them, and three of them (Faron, Reila and Udaet) travel rapidly to Aelflaed's house to apprehend her. They are met by Aelflaed, who attacks them, slaying both Faron and Reila before Udaet is able to take her down.

Archimedes dies a few days later.

The Smiths of the Keepers hires some guards and servants for the covenant, as well as obtaining persuading Michael, a hedge wizard at Oxford University, to become their librarian.

Monks turn up at the covenant to request the presence of the magi at Amesbury Abbey, where the Abbot wishes to meet with them. The Abbot knows about them, though seems to believe that they are scholars of a sort. They are, however, on Church lands, and he demands a sum of five hundred pounds to be allowed to stay there. The money is to be used to build a chapel for some Templars.

The Templar Jacques de Bouillou and Hareb become friends, sharing a common interest in God.

The magus Ingrat of Blackthorn visits the covenant, saying she is about to leave for a long trip around Europe, and wanted to pay her respects to the new covenant first.

Fenaris and others visit an old magical site known as Wayland's Smithy, while trying to find out more about his sword Blood Fate. A regio is found, in which live many sleeping dwarfs, who say they await the return of the master smith Wayland. Apparently their women folk were taken by a dragon, that lives under Cadbury Hill. The group promise to try and free the dwarfen women, and manage to enter the regio under Cadbury Hill at mid summer's eve. A dragon is discovered there, and after a hard battle, is slain. The women folk are returned to their people, while some of them return with the magi to live with them.

The Red Cap Raymond joins the covenant, as does the new librarian, Michael, who is a Natural Magician.

Uneventful.