Aided by friends loyal to the Plantagenets, Geoffrey, son of Henry and Eleanor, has swept across England from the Channel and taken possession of Godstow Abbey. Despite grievous losses in the Channel to patriotic but misguided English forces, Geoffrey has declared himself Prince Regent on behalf of his mother Eleanor and declared his intent to rule until her return.

Geoffrey intends to keep up the new tradition of inviting peasants, outlaws, common traders, busybodies and some notable persons to Godstow Abbey every six months. His reasons for doing so are as of yet unclear.

The whereabouts of Fair Rosamund Clifford are unknown, though sources from the Abbey suggest she is under house arrest at Godstow.

Not content with pillaging the outlying towns and villages around Rome, Eleanor has now led the Crusade to take the great city of Byzantium, where it is said they have laid waste the great city in their desire to pillage and plumber. Thousands of relics are said to be missing and the value of the gold, silver and jewels looted is beyond measure. The Byzantines are shocked and angry at this betrayal by fellow Christians.

Even more surprising is that the Crusade appears to have changed course. They were expected to take the fleet down the Byzantine coast towards Jerusalem, or down over land. Instead, they were last seen setting sail over the Black Sea. No report has come yet of them reaching shore.

It seems that during the festival of the Gleaning after Harvest there was a peasant uprising in London, dedicated to the pagan god Dii Casses. The day began properly the night before, when the pagan witch Aelga the Ruinous swept through the streets murdering good Christians and tearing the Priory of St Helen down to earth with foul sorcery. At dawn the tower of London was likewise destroyed by a giant Scot’s Pine, higher than three normal specimens growing up through the roof. Awaiting the crowds were the ring leaders of the rebellion, Gregor Rivers and Wymond Payne. They publicly sacrificed the Queen of France upon the altar of their pagan gods, encouraging the uncannily effective lynch mobs to seek out and bring them any nobles or other oppressors. The sheriff was noticeably absent, apparently brought low by Dii Casses for his treatment of those beneath him.

Following a very bloody day, this leaves Gregor Rivers seemingly in control of London, give or take a few pockets of resistance.

After a year at war, it has finally been heard that the invasion force of Henry of Hohenstaufen, son of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, has been repelled. The siege of Benevento was broken by Queen Katrina of Sicily, Nicholas Summerfield Lord of Edinburgh, and Alyson Sheriff of Nottingham, and the forces of the Empire were forced into route and cut down to a head. Although the Imperial Prince was to be captured alive, he was killed by a stray arrow on the battlefield. Now that the armies of the Empire have been pushed back off of Sicilian soil, people are now at last claiming peace and that the reign of Katrina of Sicily has been solidified.

No word has as of yet come from Aachen on the Emperor's opinion on his son's death.

On the Iberian peninsula, there has been such an upheaval that both Castile and Aragon have made inroads on the Andalusian menace. The Andalusian in response have consolidated their many kingdoms into just a few. Who is the mysterious Englishman, self-effacing and quiet, who is now Don de Oviedo? Enquiring minds want to know.

Following the riots in London reports of fighting came from one of the smaller churches in the outlying regions around London. Once people from London were able to get there they found the church collapsed and the bodies of Aelga the Ruinous and Sheriff Lawbringer lying in the middle as well as numerous other of the Sheriff's soldiers dead in the surrounding area. Reports says that Aelga's body was covered with burn marks and blade cuts, and the Sheriff had a cold iron dagger plunged into his chest.

Mainland Scotland is now united under the banner of King Domnall. Though a valiant effort was made to call the wrath of the Saints down upon them, the heathen hordes of the Scottish Highlands have swept the country and wrested control from Margaret of Galloway. Margaret has retreated to Kirkcudbright with what little remains of the forces loyal to her. Druidism has been declared the national religion, and there is talk of an outlawing of Christianity. The people of the Kingdom of the Isles are outraged at the rise of Druidism right on their doorstep, and are looking to England and France for aid.

Of particular note during this fight for power was the Battle of Edinburgh. Witnesses report Goda Tirel standing atop the castle, calling on the power of the Saints to stop the invasion, while Lord of Edinburgh Nicholas Summerfield commanded the defending troops with great skill. Unfortunately the invaders, with the help of figures such as Braith verch Tangwystl, simply proved too powerful a force to stop, aided by armoured bears and heathen magics. King Domnall himself was seen fighting alongside his troops. He fought with far more strength than a mortal man, and some even claim that he single-handedly took on the Wild Hunt – and won. The battle for Edinburgh concluded with the castle itself burning to the ground.

Of King Domnall himself, however, there is little sign. Even though he survived the attack by the Wild Hunt, he has not been seen since.

“Dearest English,

It saddens me deeply to hear that you are having such difficulty with your crusade: I have been expecting them for many years now. If you would like some assistance in learning how to transport armies, I am a gracious man under Allah and would be sure to give you the proper instruction the Aquitaine sorely lacks.

But that is not why I write: I wish to celebrate that the seat of power in the East, Baghdad, has finally sworn fealty to me. As part of this celebration I offer up an invitation to the Merchants Guild, and to those of the group known as the Collegium Profanum - along with all those these groups deem trustworthy. My business with the guild is simple: trade benefits us both, and there is much that we could offer one another. It would be tiresome and wasteful to try to list all of them here: I am sure you can put your unlimited imagination to work here.

With regards to the opportunity we offer the Collegium Profanum, a messenger will soon be sent from my most gracious sister. Alas I can not say more, less this missive fall into the hands of barbarians or, Allah forbid, the Aquitaine. I tease, but this messenger will be able to explain all and I can promise that there is much learning to be gained from this endeavour.

Your humblest servant,

Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, Sultan of Egypt”

One of the two leaders of the Hunt was slain in single combat by Demetrius Khages and Lampo the Kelpie. Liad, the cat-like humanoid, was killed in fair fight.

There are a lot of rumours flying around as to who has taken her place, but they seem to agree that following her death a small portion of the Hunt has been known only to kill for food rather than sport.

Aldrich, now revealed to have been a heathen Inquisitor, was found dead in his home. Reports say it looked as though his body had been sliced apart by a hundred tiny burning invisible knives. The reasons for the death are not known.

Anyone with any sensible information is asked to please contact the Inquisition. A reward may be offered for the killer.

Thanks in part to the more gentle administration of Allyson and a number of others, Nottingham has comfortably survived the winter and is set for a particularly prosperous year. There are reports of its population increasing as people travel away from the upheaval in the South.

• The performance outside of London had a whole troupe of fae bards.
• They've rededicated the chapel in Aachen again.
• The king is dead. No, the other one.
• Did you hear? Prince John's back!
• Is Demetrius really just a layabout? He went on a bender just after getting the Guild stewardship in Paris.
• A body's weight of gold for just the head of Hector Mallory. Apply Malik al-Qurtubi.
• The Lady of the Shadows to return, to save England in its hour of need.
• The Wild Hunt have been banned from Scotland.