Elizabeth Mardel's notes
Elizabeth Mardel's notes: Spells
Elizabeth Mardel was an eighth-level classical sorceror, so she didn’t have spellbooks. But her spell notes describe several spells she learned and researched, including Lost Corner and Demonic Clarity.
Research 1881-1891
First Level: Ghost Lights, Ghost Walkers, Understand Languages
Third Level: Hide Item, Levitate, Locate Origin
Fourth Level: Glue, Lost Corner (Discerning the hidden pockets of extra angles and forming them into temporary refuge)
Fifth Level: Fighting Prowess
Seventh Level: Dampen Magic
Research 1892-
Sixth Level: Demonic Clarity (A spell for dispossession of spiritual entrancements)
Also includes her demonology notes.
General Magic
She is aware of Aaron Courlander’s attempts at creating a magic ring, and that his diary contains more information about it. She gave some advice to him about creating it.
Her notes on Lost Corner go in depth into making spells truly permanent. Magic isn’t enough; permanence requires rituals, and rituals require places of power. How does one make something permanent if it is permanently attached to a non-place of power? Great acts can sometimes create temporary influxes of power, as can great losses of life. Three or more ghosts can make a spirit circle, and the ritual performed within it. But there are more benign sources of power that can be attracted, predicted, or simply waited on randomly. Such places will leave power in their wake, and they can be attracted, or “hooked” by ritual in a true place of power. Part of her journey north was to bring such power to Lisport in order to create her secret rooms. She called it “drawing down the moon”.
Because the corner room is an extra-dimensional space, there is no teleportation or other extra-dimensional travel into or out of the corner.
General Demonology
Her notes on demons are in her Research 1892- notebook. Because her information is from the True Family (her notes call it “the true family in Fork”), much of what she knows was originally in anagram. Common anagrams include “a spider” and “aspired” for despair and “use spider air” and “sure I aspired” for despair Erisu. There are a lot of guesses about what the Erisu ritual’s anagrams really mean covering several pages.
As she becomes more worried about the plot to call a demon onto her family, she becomes more frantic to find a way to perform a ritual at will. She called down the moon onto the manor grounds to make her secret rooms, but that takes months of planning. When she discovers the demon, she won’t have months of planning.
She never did solve this problem.
She has created a “Demonic Clarity” spell to temporarily block a possessing demon. This is how Melody regained control long enough to enter the vault.
Her notes on emotional demons, imps that feed on fear, despair, lust, and such, will include such information as that they can “hear” magic spells being cast. Demons can sense “etheric fluctuations”, for example, spell-casting, drawing spells from the ether.
Perhaps a drawing of an inert guardian: a Death’s Head.
She wants a spell to exorcise a demon (spells wouldn’t require a place of power) but “the only way to send these creatures home to shadow is by ritual.”
Ritual requires a ley node. Summoning and banishing a demon both require special markers for the ritual, and it must be at a place of power. Lisport Manor is not on a place of power; the nearest places of power are Brigit’s Springs and the Weaving Wood.
She originally considered Eliazu as the imp haunting her family, because her sources in “the family” said they wanted to summon him “to bring down a great and learned warrior clan”. See Illustrious Castle for more about Eliazu.
She visited the oracle at Bridget’s springs. Her notes also describe a trip to Brigit’s springs in the north, and mention Ebeorie in Red Jack’s. See Helter Skelter for more about Ebeorie.
Ebbeorieh. Temet Fiti? Fpiti? Feeds on argument, dissension. His name means discord.
She knows little about any of the demons, but her notes mention Eliazu, Erisu, and Ebeorie:
Eliazu: His sigil is some sort of closed door with something visible behind its edges. He gains power from fear. She thought at first that Eliazu was going to be summoned to attack her family, but now thinks it’s Erisu. The Night Priests definitely have plans for Eliazu, but she’s pretty certain he’s being summoned by someone to attack the Stigmas di Cristo. “Redstar?”
Characters who have read the war notes of the Illustrators might remember that name. “Wendell Redstar” was a captive that the Illustrators brought back after fighting the Stigmas di Cristo.
Erisu: His sigil is a cracked egg, with a spider coming out of it. He gains power from despair. She’s pretty certain that this is the demon that she needs to be worried about. That’s why she’s been working hard at cracking the ritual to send him back. The Night Priests aren’t the ones summoning Erisu. It is the goblin mage, or someone working for him. “The man in the hollowed log.”
Ebeorie: His sigil is a pair of deuces. He gains power from chaos, or conflict. He may be out of reach of the Family. He can be found through some sort of magic door in Fork. Very dangerous, and she’s fairly certain that Ebeorie was not going to be controlled by either the Family or the other goblin mage.
The Ritual of Dispelling
Her notes contain a Latin rite for dispelling demons. Her instructions say to draw the circle with the demon’s sigils, carry the cross and sanctified water, confront the demon, and speak confidently and faithfully.
If anyone speaks the ancient tongue, the rite says:
Father protect us, deliver us from evil.
Mother protect us, deliver us from evil.
Mother of our Lord protect us, deliver us from evil.
Holy Ghost protect us, deliver us from evil.
Redeemer of the world, deliver us from evil.Glory belongs to god on high; peace belongs to men on earth. Be not afraid.
I exorcise you, every unclean spirit, in the name of God the Almighty Father, and in the name of Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord and Judge, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be not afraid.
But you, devil, begone, the judgment of God is at hand!
Almighty Father, grant us that which though we pray we do not deserve to obtain; Thou who didst create men of nothing, that they might pray to Thee. Through Christ our Lord, demon, depart.
Lord Father crucified protect us.
Queen Mary trinity protect us.
Holy water protect us.No pestilent spirit nor corruption remain, and may the schemes of the hidden enemy be dispelled.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen
See The Adventure Guide’s Handbook for ritual guidelines.
Elizabeth Mardel's notes:
“Who is Lord Thew?”
She has infiltrated the lower echelons of the True Family. Her name among the Night Priests is Clayblood.
She’s learned that the enemy is going to summon a demon to attack the Courlanders. She thinks the demon will take her brother-in-law or her sister.
While infiltrating the True Family, Elizabeth heard of a rusted watch, circled by red ants, that when used can “turn back the world”. It was also called the timepiece of second chances. The Goblin Mage wants it.
Elizabeth Mardel's notes: Erisu
Remember that because this is not a place of power, the ritual is useless; Mardel’s notes say this, too.
Elizabeth Mardel's notes: The Vault
Elizabeth’s notes also describe the magics and rituals behind the Lisport vault.
1. It can only be entered by playing a melody on the piano while bearing the Lisport family seal.
2. It can only be exited by playing a melody on the piano.
3. The piano will return to the front if it is left unused.
4. There is an emergency means of bringing the piano back if a person is trapped inside but the piano is not inside.
This information can be found by reading the notes over an evening, or with a Learning roll if quickly scanning them.
A close reading might give a clue as to what songs Elizabeth would choose. Her most quoted songs in her notes are Sweet By and By (204), I am Coming to the Cross (59), We’re Marching to Zion (250), There is a fountain (91). This is a difficult Learning roll (the numbers are for the Adventure Guide’s reference, not the players).
The Lisport Family Missal
There are three known copies of the Lisport Family Missal remaining. Meril has two copies in the Inn, and Arn Gallade has one beat-up copy that he carries with him most of the time.
The missal includes Biblical remembrances, prayers, rituals, and songs.
The Lisport Family Missal is inspired by the various Gospel Hymns collections from John Church/Biglow & Main published throughout the late 1800s. They’re very inexpensive despite their age. I used the 1879 No. 1, 2 and 3 as a stand-in for Arn Gallade’s copy of the Missal. It is beautifully ancient-looking and the right age!
Melody's diary
Meril will bring Melody’s diary (that Arn brought with him from the manor) because, if Eldred was using it for clues, it might help him find Eldred. The diary was originally taken from the manor the morning after the murders by John Alegar. It was found in the drawing room, and has been kept by the Alegars in Fork ever since. Most of what Meril knows about his family at the time of the murders comes from the diary, though he knows it isn’t necessarily reliable, especially after Melody starts to become paranoid.
The diary can (and should) be used as a means of passing clues to the player characters. Some clues in the diary include:
1. Melody became sickly right about the time that Alan would have died, despite her not knowing about it.
2. The name “robin” should, if they find Elizabeth Mardel’s notes, ring a bell when they read about Erisu’s sigils.
3. A very close reading will indicate that the family’s money is “all from a heavenly march”. This is a Very Difficult clue to catch.
4. Somebody else has been writing in it recently.
The strangest entry in the diary is the very last question, “why, Melody?” Anyone with the skill can realize that it was written in the last few weeks, not a hundred years ago. Meril swears that it wasn’t there when he last looked at the diary several years ago. “Eldred has started talking to dead people.” It wasn’t Eldred, of course. It was Melissa’s ghost, writing on it in the drawing room after Eldred entered the vault.
Melody’s diary also contains clues on how to get into the vault. Melody was always trying to figure out how to get in and out. She knew that the way out was not the same as the way in, but didn’t know the way out.
“I’m so happy,” reads her diary, “I figured out how to play the piano! I need to keep the missal with me—that’s the secret, and keep it open. But I’m not ready yet. I must learn the right songs. Father says I’m not ready yet and won’t tell me. But Aunt Liz knows, too. Someone who doesn’t know the music would be lost in darkness. This is so much fun, I’m so glad we learned to play!
Someone looking for information about Aunt Elizabeth might also notice this non-sequitur on a successful Perception roll:
“I wonder if Aunt Liz has a piano in her bedroom? I know she wasn’t there when I looked and then she comes down the stairs like she’d always been there.”
Melody had looked in Elizabeth’s bedroom while Elizabeth was in her lost corner, assumed that her aunt wasn’t in her room, and then was surprised to see her aunt come down the stairs later.
At some point, Meril will notice that he no longer has Melody’s diary. When they find it again, in Melody’s room, it will have an extra entry: dated the day after Melody died.
Aaron Courlander's letters
Aaron Courlander was Elroy Courlander’s younger brother. His letters mention clues about how the Elvish rune sword was found and what it does, and also clues about their creation of the Moonstone Ring.
Aaron signs his letters with a symbol of Pisces, his symbol in the Order.
Aaron’s letter are the letters of an ambitious young man who recognizes the world of magic and ritual, and who wishes to learn the secrets of ritual use of places of power and ley lines.
Aaron suggested the exit song to Elizabeth, and a close or lucky reading will find this reference in one of his letters of 1886.
“Remember, the old two-fifty. If ritual requires significance, what could be more significant?”
Aaron is referring to hymn 250 in the Lisport family missal, “We’re Marching to Zion”. Those words are also engraved above the entrance to the Lisport Manor chapel.
Aaron Courlander’s notes
These are not part of this adventure, but if the characters have gone through The Lost Castle of the Astronomers and have Aaron’s notes, his notes include summaries of letters from Elizabeth. These summaries have references to the family treasure vault, and that the piano was somehow connected to it. There’s also a reference to “nobody backs you into a corner but yourself” in odd relation to her studies.
