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Demon tainted porridge, that is one I haven’t heard before, thought Arduin. Something to tell the Covenant’s gourmet thaumaturgist Wolfgang Puck.

Arduin leaned forward in his chair in rapt attention as Julie’s story literally got juicier. Womanly parts indeed! The magus glanced at Gertrude for a moment; the mature noblewoman’s face was tightly impassive.

“Thank you Julia, you have been most helpful.”

Julia departs, leaving the pair to their reflections.

Gertrude exhales. "Arduin, does this sound like the work of the fey to you? I may doubt their conclusions, but not the veracity of their accounts."

Arduin puffed on his long pipe and walked over to the window, looking out upon the brambles crowding the back.

“The clues point toward fey,” the magus said with more confidence than he believed. “The unnatural plant growth, the antler mask, the characteristics of the cottage stove strangeness, the lascivious influence as opposed to physical harm or death. There are trickster fey who can influence or put hexes upon man.”

The cottage nestled among the vines and plants. Was the Luminous Codex within?

“I believe if the source were infernal, there would be violence and death,” surmised Arduin. “The books in the cottage - if magical tomes, even the Luminous Codex, they typically require intensive study. One does not simply open a book and out springs a demon. The mask seems a more likely candidate.”

Arduin drew in a large breath, and exhaled a sinuous smoke ring.

“The dark fey’s choice of a priest, if not coincidence, is particularly ironic morally and religiously. Showing that the holy representative of mankind’s god is nothing more than a fallible man. A dark fey would delight that a consequence of its trickery could be the hanging of the priest.”

The sun was setting low in the sky. Arduin pondered the cleric’s hanging tomorrow at sunrise. For a moment, the magus felt an obligation to help the man. That assumed Arduin’s theories were correct, a large assumption. And proving to superstitious townfolk that the influence or possession had passed would be difficult. The priest could even be a fey doppleganger for all he knew.

“What think you?” Arduin asked Gertrude.

“Our journey and day has been long. Perhaps Simon can provide dinner and drink as we discuss further.”

Simon is happy to have dinner brought for his guests (but would like to join them for it, in that case), unless they plan to leave the property immediately instead.

Gertrude nods along as Arduin shares his thoughts. "Your reasoning is sound, and you are the expert when it comes to the fey. I have no reason to doubt your judgement, and many to trust it."

The thought of food and drink appeal to Gertrude after their journey.

"Yes, let's discuss over dinner. Simon is known for his fine wines...much needed after our arduous travel."

She makes ready to depart the room, then stops. "Those barbarians we performed for today...they may be expecting us at the inn. We may also find a way to speak with the priest. But we risk my discovery. I suggest we let the priest meet his fate. If the cook was able to resist this fey influence, so should have the priest. I do hope those soldiers do not some looking for us."

“Aye, the priest’s fate seems set,” agreed Arduin.

The magus departed the room with Gertrude.

“Sir Simon, we have completed our interviews. They were very illuminating. Our day has been long. Let us all eat and discuss next steps.”

Simon has the cook prepare a dinner for the trio and, once it has all been served (a modest but well-prepared spread of roast mutton, bread, vegetables, a rump of cheese and a regional wine), the servants depart to give them privacy. After they have all had a chance to tuck in a bit, Simon asks, tentatively, "So, did you uncover--?"

Gertrude finishes her bite of food, takes a sip of the wine, then dabs the corner of her mouth with her napkin. "Yes, Simon, the interviews were illuminating. We are both fortunate to have Arduin's expertise at hand. I would not pretend to be able to articulate his findings and reasoning better than he, so I will let him give the debrief."

Arduin enjoyed a bold Cabernet Sauvignon, and its bouquet of black currants, dark chocolate, and a touch of vanilla. It held a rich, full-bodied presence, delivering a symphony of flavors: ripe blackberries, espresso, and a hint of leather, all framed by firm tannins and a lingering, satisfying finish.

"A fine wine, Sir Simon. From your own vineyards? It reflects your terroir, tradition, and craftsmanship.” Arduin knew something of wines; he once had a three month affair with a sommelier.

“I believe you are plagued by a dark fey spirit brought forth by an item of ancient power,” said Arduin, getting to the matter at hand. The magus explained the indicators of fey magicks and source. “Possibly the mask with antler horns. What do you know of it? From whence it came, and what is its provenance?”

Simon frowns. "Well, a fey infestation is better than infernal corruption plaguing my house...right?" He looks a bit concerned, unsure of himself, but he continues. "I was told the mask was a representation of some pagan deity called Mabon, used in one of those people's festivities to commemorate the battle between celestial light and darkness. I thought the mask would be a beautiful thing, having heard about it, but when I saw it first in the flesh it seemed a dark and hideous thing to me. I stuffed it away out of sight immediately, thinking if I were lucky I might one day find a rube like myself I could pass it along to."

He takes a few slow puffs on his pipe.

"The man who brought it to me is beyond suspicion in this matter. He's faithfully sought out artifacts of all kinds for me for almost two decades and never shown a sign of ill intent. I'm sure whatever this is--if it's connected to the mask--is purely accidental."

"I have no experience in these matters, so this question may be naive. But if this mask is the source of our issues, would we not just destroy it?" Gertrude looks to Arduin for his perspective, and Simon to see how he reacts to suggesting destruction of his property.

Gertrude dabbles not in the occult.

Mabon check, bonus for folk ken (2) and intelligence (2) [1d10+4]=4+4=8

Arduin, despite his authoritative tone where things fey are concerned, realizes when faced with this specific information that he has spent scant time actually studying the fey, and only possesses what knowledge is available to most magi. In this situation, coupled with what he knows from other realms, that proves to be substantial--or at least useful.

From what he recalls, Mabon is a gaulish pagan deity who represents the primordial forces of darkness in the context of the annual cycle of light and dark reflected in the seasons. Order of Hermes wisdom (relying on Arduin's Order of Hermes Lore 2 for this connection) suggests that this kind of duality in the supernal realm is typically a peasant's understanding of the two bodies of fey, the Light Fey and the Dark Fey, who are for some unknown reason fundamentally at odds with one another. Dark Fey are often hostile to mortals and seek to injure or kill them when they encounter them, unlike Light Fey who often disrupt the lives of mortals through mischance or lack of care.

The season of Mabon's ascendance begins with the challenge of the Autumnal Equinox (that falls alongside the contemporary Michaelmas holiday) and extends through the Spring Equinox.

The iconography of Mabon is unknown to Arduin, but stag horns or the like would be in line with his understanding of gaulish traditions, and certainly a mask would have more affinity for fey of any kind than something like a book would.