The Normandy Tribunal — This Is All but Impossible

In much of Mythic Europe, magi build covenants in the remote wilderness to avoid contact with mundanes. In northern France — the Normandy Tribunal — this is all but impossible. The wildernesses have been tamed and plowed under, the Church plants monasteries in the wastes, noble lords build castles to enforce their rule, and great cities grow up where once was nothing but fen. The magi of the Order of Hermes have adapted to living closely with mundane society in Normandy, even distributing their limited magical resources by way of contests modeled on the chivalric tournaments of the nobility.

But while magic is under pressure in Normandy, it is far from dead. Ancient megaliths stud the landscape, faeries control many forests, and caves and burial mounds hide relics of the past. Demons and monsters imprisoned in ages past by saints and sorcerers stir uneasily in their confinement, and magi wield potent and spectacular magic throughout the land.

The Lion and the Lily provides full details for the

Normandy Tribunal, where magi must balance the AG0286 • ISBN 1-58978-100-7 demands of the nobility, cities, Church, and Tribunal.

AG0286 • ISBN 1-58978-100-7 • $29.95 52995

Authors: Timothy Ferguson, Richard Love, Christian Jensen Romer, last trip to the Normandy Tribunal ended in disaster after an unfortu- Mark Shirley, Andrew Smith, Paul Tevis, Sheila Thomas nate incident with a voracious hound, which resulted in his hospitali- Development, Editing, & Project Management: David Chart zation. Despite that he still loves France. He would like to dedicate Layout, Art Direction, & Proofreading: Michelle Nephew his efforts on this book to his parents, June and Gunnar. Publisher: John Nephew Mark Shirley grew up less than 40 miles from the Normandy Cover Illustration: Grey Thornberry Tribunal, and was a regular visitor in his childhood. Now all grown Interior Art: Grey Thornberry, Ross Bonilla, Alphonse de Neu- up, he is a zoologist, mathematician, ecologist, programmer, or epi- ville, Charles Steuben, Hugo Vogel, J. Scott Reeves demiologist, depending on the day of the week. When he has time Cartography: Andrew Smith, Alexander Bradley to himself, he enjoys woodcarving and teaching himself dead lan- Ars Magica Fifth Edition Trade Dress: J. Scott Reeves guages. He dedicates this book to the usual suspects — you know Publisher’s Special Thanks: To Jerry Corrick and the gang at who you are! the Source. Andrew P. Smith’s tenuous connection to the Normandy Tribu- First Round Playtesters: Donna Giltrap, Malcolm Harbrow, Aaron nal may be found in the murky depths of his family tree, consisting Hicks, Richard Love; Wendell “BSP” Joyner, Angus MacDonald, of some Norman ancestors by the name of Beaumains. The nobles Brian Watson, Quetta Watson; Matthew L. Seidl fell from grace when one chap decided it would be a good idea to Second Round Playtesters: Angus MacDonald, Brian Watson, Wen- ceremonially impale all of his serfs. He suspects that the same insan- dell “BSP” Joyner, Sarah MacDonald; Eric Menge, Ann Sasahara, ity may inflict him — at least, he can find no other explanation for Scott Benfield, Lynn Reed-Kendall, Chris Day; Nicholas Peterson, deciding to do a second Tribunal book — but don’t let that put you Jennifer McPherson, Michael Pisarsky, Kristi Pisarsky; Erik Tyrrell; off, he’s really an okay guy! Carlo Veltri, Chad Vincent, greg Palechek, Greg Rothwell Paul Tevis hails from lands yet undiscovered by explorers from Mythic Europe and makes his living working on contraptions not even dreamed of in the 13th century. During the writing of this book, Author Bios he visited the Normandy Tribunal for the first time (and hopefully not the last). He would like to thank all of his co-authors and his edi- Timothy Ferguson is a librarian on the Gold Coast, in Australia. tor for being so understanding with him and letting him contribute He is up to his eyeballs in wedding plans, so he doesn’t have time to to this wonderful project. write his biography. He’d like to dedicate this book to his family, and Sheila Thomas has made several exploratory visits to the rural to his soon-to-be in-laws, and to Linda. parts of the Normandy Tribunal, enjoying the food, wine, geology, Richard Love lives beyond the bounds of Mythic Europe, and has scenery, and history, but lives near Cambridge in the UK. Her work never actually been to the Normandy Tribunal. However, he would for an engineering institute takes her to Paris for a few days every like to visit one day. Hopefully the road signs haven’t changed too year to talk about welding. Thanks to Neil Taylor and his troupe, she much since the 13th century. Richard would like to thank his partner played for several years in the Saxum Caribetum Ars Magica saga, Paula for letting him out for Tuesday night geeking. He’d also like to set in Brittany; she is indebted to the troupe who inspired some of thank Donna, Malcolm, and Aaron for being the other Tuesday night the ideas presented here. She dedicates this book to her sisters, Val geeks, and especially for being geeks bearing chocolate. Gregory and Christine Gray, although it probably won’t aid their CJ Romer is a Dane who lives in the Stonehenge Tribunal. His holiday plans.

Ars Magica players participate in a thriving fan community by subscribing to email discussion lists (like the Berke- ley list), compiling archives of game material (such as Project Redcap), maintaining fan-created web sites, and running demos through Atlas Games’ Special Ops program. To learn more, visit www.atlas-games.com/ArM5. You can also participate in discussions of Ars Magica at the official Atlas Games forums located at forum.atlas-games.com. Copyright 2011 Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without written permission from the publisher, except short excerpts for the purpose of reviews, is expressly prohib- ited. Ars Magica, Mythic Europe, The Lion and the Lily, and Charting New Realms of Imagination are trademarks of Tri- dent, Inc. Order of Hermes, Termere, and Doissetep are trademarks of White Wolf, Inc. and are used with permission.

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The Lion and the Lily Contents

I. Introduction 5 Founding a New Covenant...... 27 The County of Bayeux...... 55 Liege and Vassal Covenants...... 28 The Town of Bayeux...... 55 France...... 5 Independent Covenants...... 30 Caen...... 55 The Normandy Tribunal...... 6 Eremites and Coenobites...... 30 Cotentin Peninsula...... 56 How to Use this Book...... 6 Tribunal Meetings...... 30 The Hague-Dicke...... 57 The Hermetic Tourney...... 31 Barfleur...... 57 II. History of Mythic France 7 Avranches...... 57 Mont St. Michael...... 57 Ancient Gaul...... 7 IV. Brittany 34 Montverte...... 58 St. Denis...... 8 County of Rennes...... 35 History...... 58 The Merovingian Franks...... 8 Emerald Coast...... 35 Setting and Physical Description.....58 The Quinotaur...... 8 Rennes and the Eastern Argoat.....36 Culture and Traditions...... 58 The Holy Oil of Consecration...... 8 Brocéliande...... 37 Magi...... 59 Scrofula...... 9 Lordship of Penthièvre...... 38 Covenfolk...... 61 The Carolingian Dynasty...... 9 Rose Coast...... 38 The Capetian Dynasty...... 9 Central Argoat...... 39 Viking Invasion...... 10 Lordship of Léon...... 39 VI. Anjou and Aquitaine 62 Viking Raiders and Pay de Léon...... 39 Anjou...... 62 the Hermetic Order...... 10 Abers...... 40 Angers...... 62 Romance and Rebellion...... 11 Brest and Crozon...... 40 Chinon...... 62 The Lions and the Lily...... 11 Arrée Mountains...... 40 Le Mans...... 63 King Philip Augustus...... 11 Fudarus...... 41 Tours...... 64 The Angevin Challenge...... 12 History...... 41 Samur...... 65 Bad King John?...... 12 Setting and Physical Description.....41 Vendôme...... 65 The Albigensian Crusade...... 13 Culture and Traditions...... 42 Aquitaine...... 65 Le Morte d’Arthur...... 13 Magi...... 43 Vendée...... 66 Covenfolk...... 44 La Rochelle...... 66 III. Hermetic History Exspectatio...... 45 Poitiers...... 66 County of Cornouaille...... 46 Lusignan...... 67 and Culture 14 Sein Island...... 46 Bougon Tumuli...... 67 The Shaping of the Tribunal...... 14 Noires Mountains and Angoulême...... 68 Drawn in Bloodshed...... 16 Western Argoat...... 46 Limoges...... 68 Contemporary Hermetic Culture... 17 Broërec...... 47 Saintes...... 68 Heroes of Christendom...... 17 Morbihan...... 47 St-Èmilion...... 68 Regionalism...... 17 Carnac...... 48 Le Cité...... 69 The Call to Adventure...... 18 Southern Argoat...... 49 Bergerac...... 69 Blood, Sacred and Mystical...... 18 County of Nantes...... 50 Vézère...... 69 The Hermetic Landscape...... 19 Grande Brière...... 50 Clermont...... 70 The Perthean Compact...... 19 Auvergne Mountains...... 70 Consequences of the Oleron...... 70 Perthean Compact...... 22 V. Normandy 51 History...... 71 The Library of the The Duke of Normandy...... 52 Setting and Physical Description.....71 Normandy Tribunal...... 22 Norman Bailliages...... 52 Culture and Traditions...... 71 Mundane Resources...... 23 The Archdiocese of Rouen...... 53 Magi...... 72 Urban Covenants Seine River Basin...... 54 Vassals...... 73 and the Town Senex...... 24 Rouen...... 54 Nidi...... 74 Mundane Interference...... 25 Jumieges...... 54 History...... 74

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Setting and Physical Description.....74 The Montagne de Reims...... 100 The Tradition of Kings...... 122 Culture and Traditions...... 74 Arras...... 100 Saints...... 123 Magi...... 75 Boulogne...... 100 The Noble Life...... 123 Atsingani...... 76 Amiens...... 100 Duties of the Knight...... 124 History...... 76 The Caves of Naours...... 101 Legal Issues...... 125 Setting and Physical Description.....76 Corbie...... 101 Possible Homes for Magi...... 126 Culture and Traditions...... 77 Laon...... 102 Magi and Landholders...... 127 Magi...... 77 Compiègne...... 102 The Advance of the Dominion..... 127 Covenfolk...... 78 The Forest of Cuise...... 102 The Growth of Towns...... 127 Prémontré...... 102 Paris...... 127 Requies Aeterna...... 102 The French Church...... 128 VII. Ile de France 79 History...... 102 Hermetic Culture...... 129 Paris...... 80 Setting and Physical Description...103 Tytalus Schemes...... 130 The History of Paris...... 82 Culture and Traditions...... 103 Cabal of the Laden Cart...... 131 Île de la Cité...... 82 Magi...... 103 Cabal of the Crushed Viper...... 131 The Left Bank...... 83 Covenfolk...... 103 The Primi Tytali...... 131 The Right Bank...... 83 Eboris...... 84 History...... 84 IX. Champagne XI. Confluensis 133 Setting and Physical Description.....85 and Burgundy 104 History...... 133 etting and hysical escription Culture and Traditions...... 85 Champagne...... 104 S P D .... 133 Magi...... 87 Châlons-en-Champagne...... 104 Buildings...... 134 Lands Surrounding Paris...... 88 Provins...... 104 Magical Resources...... 136 St. Denis...... 88 Troyes...... 105 Covenfolk...... 136 St. Cloud...... 88 Clairvaux...... 106 Culture and Traditions...... 136 Chartres...... 88 Cunfin...... 106 The Traitor...... 136 The Forest of Fontainebleau...... 89 History...... 107 Magi...... 137 Lapis Crudus...... 89 Setting and Physical Description...107 Vassals...... 138 History...... 89 Culture and Traditions...... 107 Dragon’s Rest...... 138 Setting and Physical Description.....90 Magi...... 109 Confluensis Sagas...... 139 Culture and Traditions...... 90 Covenfolk...... 111 The Praeco is Dead, Magi...... 90 Burgundy...... 111 Long Live The Praeco...... 139 Covenfolk...... 91 Auxerre...... 111 Riches and Vis...... 139 Southern Ile de France...... 91 Avallon...... 112 The Haunted Woods Sens...... 91 Vézelay...... 112 of Broceliande...... 139 Orléans...... 92 The Morvan...... 112 The Specter of Rome...... 139 Fleury...... 92 Mont Auxois...... 113 City of God...... 139 Bourges...... 92 Autun...... 113 The Strange Saint of Cotentin....140 Langres...... 113 The Chapter of Cherbourg...... 140 VIII. Flanders and Picardy 93 Dijon...... 113 Young and In Charge...... 140 Cîteaux...... 113 Flanders...... 93 Cluny...... 114 Bruges...... 93 Appendix A: Timeline 141 Atramentum Renatus...... 114 Ghent...... 94 Past Events...... 141 Antwerp...... 95 Future Events...... 143 Ypres...... 96 X. Normandy Sagas 115 Tournai...... 96 The Lotharingian Tribunal...... 115 Appendix B: Bavacum...... 96 The Normandy Covenants...... 116 Conventio Florum...... 96 The Rhine Covenants...... 116 Languages and Names 143 History...... 96 The Cabal of Frankish Gold...... 116 Languages in France...... 143 Setting and Physical Description.....97 A Romantic Saga...... 116 Lists of Names...... 143 Culture and Traditions...... 97 The Arthurian Cycle...... 117 Magi...... 97 The Matter of France...... 118 Vassals...... 98 The Romances and the Order....118 Appendix C: Bibliography 144 Spider’s Palace...... 98 Romantic Saga Structure...... 119 History...... 144 icardy P ...... 99 The Boar and The Dragon...... 119 Legend...... 144 Soissons...... 99 The Boar King...... 119 Travel Guides...... 144 Reims...... 99 The Children of Odin...... 120 Internet Sources...... 144

Chapter One Introduction

Welcome to Mythic France! This is French king’s influence extends to French- surely the most blessed and civilized realm speaking lands to the north and east, ruled in Europe — a temperate landscape of fertile France by lesser branches of his own family. The fields and venerable cities, where splendid Angevin dynasty, symbolized by a coat of centers of learning and awesome new cathe- What is France? The France described arms depicting three gold lions on a red drals are indisputable evidence of God’s fa- and referred to in this book is roughly the field, is the other great secular power in the vor. The ancient blood of the French kings, northern two-thirds of the country of the region; they are the rulers of Aquitaine and divine and magical, has endured through same name familiar to the modern reader. England. three legendary dynasties — the Merovin- It may broadly be defined as the extent of The northern half of France, which ac- gians, the Carolingians, and the Capetians the dominant langue d’oil dialect of French, counts for most of the Tribunal, is one of the — each of which has left its mark on the although it includes the Breton-speaking most populated regions in Mythic Europe. land. The French, who are among the most lands of Brittany and the Flemish-speak- There are many great cities, including Paris prosperous and numerous of all folk, are ing province of Flanders, but excludes the — deemed by the French to be the largest deemed the most cultured of peoples. Mon- French-speaking parts of Lorraine and and most splendid city in the world. Cit- asteries throughout Europe look to their Arelat that owe fealty to the Holy Roman ies depend on trade, so it is not surprising great mother houses here, and the renowned Emperor. In 1220 AD, the standard date of that the Normandy Tribunal also boasts trouvères of France wander the land, singing Ars Magica 5th Edition and the time pe- the preeminent trade fairs of Europe, those tales of romantic love and Arthurian legend. riod described in this book, “France” more of Champagne and Flanders. The swelling In other, less fortunate lands, Frenchness is commonly refers to a somewhat smaller cities and rivers of trade are supported and a fresh and virtuous quality to be admired kingdom, or sometimes merely to the Ile de fed by farms producing food and raw materi- and envied, with French customs and styles France at the center of this region — the als, such as flax and hemp, and by extensive widely copied, including dress, literature, personal demesne of the French king, Phil- vineyards. The Church is also the engine of and architecture. ip II “Augustus.” This is the heartland of much of French industry, as its great cathe- In ancient times, the French lands were French power and the Capetian dynasty, dral schools and monasteries thirst for eager dominated by primordial battles between symbolized by a coat of arms depicting a minds and riches alike. Pilgrims ply many elemental spirits of fire and water — these blue field scattered with gold lilies. The routes across the land and to the south, keep- beings have long since retreated underground, but still reveal their presence in many hot and cold springs. The giants who followed left megalithic structures throughout the land. Few such beings now remain, but faerie folk of a more normal size are by no means uncommon. Human tribes moved in as the giants dwindled — firstly Celts and Romans, and later Breton, Franks, and Vikings — accompanied by the angels and demons who fought over their souls. The theme of conflict continues, most obviously in the struggle for land and political supremacy between the great French and English noble families. This motif drew the attention of House Tytalus from the earliest days of the Order of Hermes and, by setting up their domus magna in this Tribunal, Tytalus magi have ensured that challenge and strife flourish.

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define your own magi. With a typical Tribunal A Note on History and Myth consisting of just over a hundred magi, there is not room in this book to describe them all. Although this book describes many historical events, most of them faithfully, it is not (and should not be considered to be) a history textbook. In Ars Magica, myth is as important as history; where the historical record conflicts with myth, history must often give way. In Mythic France as told here, megalith stones were borne by giants, French kings have the power to heal by their touch, and the colorful tales of magic and romance spun by trouvères are likely true. Many non-mythical historical details are included How to throughout, as part of the rich tapestry of France, but these are not intended to stifle the reader — you should feel free to change or make history as it best suits your story! Use this Book This book is primarily designed for ing holy sites and taverns in coin. France is the Provençal Tribunal. The border between troupes whose saga is based in the Normandy only moderately forested, and the more tame the Normandy and Provençal Tribunals has Tribunal, but sagas set in neighboring or even of the remaining woodlands are exploited for moved over the years, but for over a century distant Tribunals may be drawn here by any timber, fuel, and food, although the nobility the Normandy Tribunal has accepted that its of several story ideas and Hermetic customs reserve much of it for their own pleasure in southern boundary is marked by the River presented in these pages. If you have yet to the hunt. The southwestern reaches of the Dordogne. This leaves an area of uncertainty define the locale for your saga, hopefully this Tribunal, approaching the uplands of Au- in the Massif Central to the southeast, but book will inspire and persuade you that the vergne, are more sparsely populated, as they there is currently no dispute amongst the Normandy Tribunal is a rich and colorful set- are lands intermittently blighted by dynastic covenants closest to that area. ting, full of many story opportunities! squabbles and roaming brigands. Brittany, Life is not particularly easy for magi here. Much of this book provides background the westernmost realm, has a distinct char- In a densely populated land, firmly controlled information that most characters could be acter. It is a land of wild, rocky coasts, fa- by bishops and secular rulers, covenants expected to know about their home terri- erie forests, and megaliths, where magi have have had to adapt to survive, either hiding tory, and is generally suitable for players to historically been numerous, attracted to its away or reaching an accommodation with read. However, there are several suggestions plentiful sites of legend. their neighbors. Most have evolved a means offered for saga themes, as well as numerous to operate within the mundane world, if not story seeds and game statistics throughout, amicably, at least without major antagonism. which the storyguide may prefer players not The hierarchical structure of the Church and to read. Chapters 10 and 11 consist mostly feudal structures of the nobility are reflected of saga plans. in the way the covenants have organized Finally, as with all Ars Magica Tribunal The Normandy themselves, with weaker covenants pledging sourcebooks, nothing written here should be loyalty to the stronger ones as a matter of considered to be “set in stone.” Any elements Tribunal survival. Magi here have adopted rigorous — particularly Hermetic or story parts, but modes of contest and strife that other, more also historical or geographical details — may From west to east, the Normandy Tri- tremulous, Tribunals would consider exces- be adapted to suit your purposes or replaced bunal extends from the Atlantic Ocean over sively violent or outright forbid. As a result entirely, if it fits your plans. In no way should 400 miles to the edge of Lorraine and the of these factors, covenants in the Normandy this book restrict your ideas or the potential River Sâone, marking the border with the Tribunal are easy to found, but hard to main- of your stories, and it is for you to decide Rhine and Greater Alps Tribunals and the tain; they are great in number, but small in how closely you want to follow real history, Holy Roman Empire. The border here is well membership. By number of covenants, Nor- or the Tribunal as it is depicted here. Indeed, defined depending on whether the land owes mandy is very likely the largest in the Or- it is unlikely that any French saga will be its fealty to the French king or the German der of Hermes, but by number of magi, it is conceived without at least some measure of emperor. From the English Channel to the merely a somewhat large Tribunal of moder- customization of the Tribunal by the troupe. north, the Tribunal extends the same dis- ate history and importance. The various tides And now, onward to France! tance south, as far as the River Dordogne and of fortune and strife, Hermetic or otherwise, have caused many covenants to fail — the land is strewn with many such forgotten ruins. Nevertheless, ambitious young covenants frequently arise to take their place. There are 15 covenants described in this book, and it is intended that a complete Nor- mandy Tribunal typically consist of nearly twenty covenants. A handful of additional covenants have thus been left to the troupe to devise, one of which might be the player character covenant. Many of the described covenants have also been given space for you to

Chapter Two History of Mythic France

The mundane history of this region is remembered in songs and stories, and much is recorded in books, notably those by Julius Caesar and Gregory of Tours. Mostly it concerns the doings of kings. In most Tribunals, Hermetic historians are regarded with great esteem, yet here in Normandy many look askance at magi who pry into the past. The terrible secrets of the Schism War lie in the Tribunal’s history (see Chapter 3: Hermetic History and Culture, Drawn in Bloodshed), and the Quaesitores watch closely those who would inquire too deeply into the ancient conflicts.

Ancient Gaul

The lands that today comprise the Nor- mandy Tribunal were once home to the savage Gauls who made pagan sacrifices to the powerful spirits and faeries of the land. The Gauls held the boar, a symbol of their tribal kings, in particular reverence. The druids, who may have been precursors to House Diedne, led their faith. Between 58 and 50 BC Julius Caesar successfully fought the Gauls, defeating King Vercingetorix at the Battle of Alesia. Roman rule was to reach all the way to Brittany, and even to this day Roman ruins can be found scattered throughout the region. Many druids fled to the wilder areas, and continued to exert their influence. The Gauls never whole- heartedly adopted the Roman pantheon, and continued to worship their own deities also. A Gallo-Roman culture flourished, and the region knew prosperity under the great Ro- man capital at Lugdunum (Lyon, in the Pro- vençal Tribunal). In the fifth and sixth centuries, a wave of British Celts, fleeing the collapse of King Ar- thur’s kingdom and the incursions of Pictish, Irish and, above all, Saxon raiders, fled to the

The Lion and the Lily

Roman province of Armorica, which became Following the death of Clovis, the known as Brittany. From that time onwards, The Merovingian Frankish lands were divided among his four Brittany has had its own language (Breton) sons; further division and frequent civil wars and culture, and it has many times been in- marked the Merovingian period. The mayors dependent, though often owing fealty to the Franks of the palaces became increasingly impor- French king. tant, and while there were periods of military In the fifth century, Roman Gaul came glory such as the ascendancy of Dagobert I under a new threat. For many decades the (603-639), which saw unification and foreign Franks, a grouping of fierce Germanic tribes, conquests, these were soon lost again. The St. Denis had been settling in the region. They were period is well known in 1220 through the originally welcomed as foederati, that is bar- Decem Libri Historiarum of Gregory of Tours, In the middle of the third century, Chris- barians bound by treaty to the Empire. Their which outlines the story of the Frankish kings tian missionaries first reached Paris, headed king, Childeric, assisted the Roman defeat (see Chapter 6: Anjou and Aquitaine, Famous by one Denis, with his assistants Eleutherius of the Visigoths. His successor, King Clovis, Men of Tours for details of this book). and Rusticus. The three Romans entered the fought and defeated the Roman Governor In 732 a great Muslim army marched into pagan city and preached the gospel, to great Syagrius in battle in 486 and, having made Christendom from the Iberian peninsula. acclaim. The leading Roman citizens were, a peace treaty with the Ostrogoths, came to Charles Martel, a Frankish hero, led an army however, dismayed, and the Roman gover- rule a great empire, freed from Roman rule. to meet them at the Battle of Poitiers, where nor had the three chief missionaries thrown His dynasty flourished and fourteen great a great victory was won. In 754, Charles into a dark dungeon to rot. There they lan- Merovingian kings ruled over all the Franks. Martel’s son, Pépin, seized the throne from guished for many years, resolutely praising Clovis ruled from 481 to 511. He ex- a weak Merovingian heir, whose hair was God, and making converts by their steadfast tended his kingdom by war, treachery, and shaved off to strip him of his magic pow- faith, until finally they were taken out to the marriage. His wife, Clotilde of Burgundy, ers before he was forced into a monastery Hill of Martyrs, Montmartre. There they was a Christian and changed the course of (see insert: The Blood of Merovech). Leg- were beheaded in 275, and their bodies flung Clovis’s life. His first son died and the sec- ends persist, however, of other Merovingian into the River Seine. By their example they ond fell gravely ill as a baby, but Clovis saw heirs who carry the royal blood and escaped had brought the light of Christianity to the his wife’s prayers to her God cure the boy. Pépin’s usurpation of the throne. city, and the abbey church of Saint-Denis He was further swayed when, at the tomb was built to honor these saints and martyrs. of Saint Martin of Tours, he was witness to Their feast day is October 9th, and St. Denis a miracle when the bishop of Arras, Vedast, is today one of the patron saints of France, gave a blind man back his sight. In 496, when The Quinotaur especially invoked by the royal family. He is facing the Alemanni in battle, Clovis vowed personal patron to the king, but also patron that he would convert from his worship of The Quinotaur is a supernatural creature of Parisians and called upon by many others Mercury and Jupiter if the victory was his. with the fore parts of a bull and the hind parts in times of need. He defeated them soundly and was baptized of a great fish. Some maintain it is related to by Saint Rémi, archbishop of Reims (see the the bull-form in which Zeus carried off Eu- Holy Oil of Consecration). ropa, a Phoenician princess. It is said by some to be a form assumed by Poseidon and associated with Atlantis, and by others to be linked to Leviathan. The ancestor of the Merovin- The Blood of Merovech gians is also said to be a creature of the Magic realm that lives in the Atlantic. A quest to The line of kings of the Franks trac- quite often goes undetected. All of the discover the creature will probably settle the es its origins back to Duke Francio who Merovingians bear a curious birthmark in arguments concerning its nature. News of the fought alongside King Priam at Troy. The the form of a red cross. Philip II, like many sighting of a creature like this might reach the first of this line about whom anything is of the former kings of the Franks, has the covenant through seafarers, or a book may recorded is Merovech. He was born in the Royal Touch, which cures the King’s Evil turn up containing clues to its home. first half of the fifth century; the offspring (scrofula, see text). Many believe this is of the wife of King Clodio of the Franks a Purifying Touch Virtue inherited from and of a beast like the Quinotaur (see the Merovech despite the fact that Philip’s main text). blood links to Merovech are apparently The Holy Oil The early Merovingian kings were very tenuous. Another popular theory is sorcerers whose magical powers were said that the Royal Touch was a gift from Saint of Consecration to be vested in their long hair, which they Rémi to Clovis and his descendents. It is never cut. As a consequence of their an- a gift from God bestowed on all Frankish After the great battle, as King Clovis cestry, most of the descendants of Mer- kings by the anointing with the holy oil. knelt in humility before the archbishop. In ovech have a Supernatural Virtue. This is For saga story ideas based on this, see sight of thousands of his warlike followers, most commonly the Major Supernatural Chapter 10: Normandy Sagas, The Tradi- a pure white dove descended from Heaven Virtue Greater Immunity: Drowning, and tion of Kings. and placed an ampoule of oil on the altar.

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advanced cases and the growths swell so that The Capetian Blood sufferers acquire the Disfigured Flaw. The Capetian It requires a Stamina roll against an Ease Blessed by the Divine and strong Factor of 6 or 9 (depending upon the time supporters of the Dominion, if not al- of year) to avoid catching the disease, which Dynasty ways of the Church Militant, the Ca- inflicts a Medium wound. This heals as nor- petians are noted for their outstanding mal and may be treated by use of the Medi- Hugh Capet became King of the Franks piety. Some members of the bloodline cine Ability (ArM5, page 66, 179, 180) or in 987. He was a descendant of Robert the manifest this as the Virtue True Faith, by magic using suitable Creo Corpus spells Strong, a ninth-century King of Brittany, and and all show a proper reverence for (ArM5, page 130). It is entirely cured by the Hugh the Great, effective ruler of France un- things of the faith. The court demon- touch of the King of France. der the weak Carolingian kings Louis IV and strates strong piety, and eschews the Lothair. Hugh Capet received valuable aid etiquette and more genteel manners of See Chapter 10: Normandy Sagas, The from Gerbert of Aurilliac, whom he helped to the southern lords (including Aquita- Tradition of Kings for story seeds based on the position of archbishop of Reims in 991. ine) for piety, pragmatism, and strong the history of the Frankish kings. It seems certain that Gerbert, a renowned links with the clergy. scholar reputed to have some minor magical talent, was a significant factor in Hugh’s success. However, Pope Stephen’s ruling against Clovis had obviously earned divine favor. non-Carolingian monarchs was still in effect Saint Rémi used the holy oil to anoint the and excommunication seemed inevitable. king as part of the baptismal rite. From that The Carolingian Hugh won back divine favor by recovering time onwards, it has been used at the coro- the bodies of Saint Valéry and Saint Riquier. nation of every Frankish, and later French, Dynasty His reward was that his line would sit on the king, and the sacred ampoule of oil, France’s throne for seven generations. Philip Augustus holiest treasure, is kept in Reims Cathedral. The new rulers, known as the Carolingian is the seventh in line. It is therefore highly The oil never runs out. dynasty, made great efforts to bolster their le- probable that the Capetian dynasty will end The effects of coronation and anointing gitimacy, most particularly by seeking the sup- on Philip’s death, despite the healthy heir ap- are described in Realms of Power: The Divine, port of the Church. They used the name of parent, Prince Louis. Some tragedy doubtless pages 42-43, giving the king a Magic Resistance Louis, derived from Clovis, for their sons and awaits, and a change of dynasty is due. of 10, a Soak bonus of 2, and a Commanding claimed that princess Blitild, daughter of King Aura to Voice range with an effect equivalent Clothar, was their ancestor. The abbot of the to Aura of Rightful Authority with Penetration monastery of Saint Denis saw his opportunity 0. Any additional benefits deriving from the di- and supported the new kings. In 754, Pope vine origin of the holy oil are unclear because Stephen II pronounced that anyone who made no one has been able to investigate it. Some be- a king for the Franks from any line other than lieve, correctly, that it is the source of the Royal the Carolingians would be excommunicated. Touch (see insert The Blood of Merovech) and, (For details of excommunication, see Realms of The Carolingian Blood incorrectly, that it bestows a permanent en- Power: The Divine page 73). The Carolingian dy- chantment with the effect of Aura of Enobled nasty is named after Charlemagne, one of the There still remain nobles in Mythic Presence. If a maga could obtain some of the oil, outstanding mundane leaders in the history of Europe who are of the Carolingian she might be able to learn more of its powers. Western Europe. His adviser, the British priest blood or, like the Capetians, are relat- The ampoule is a 3-point relic, and kept very Alcuin, was an outstanding scholar, and un- ed by marriage. The strong claim they safely under lock and key, but if it were stolen der Charlemagne there was a great growth in have to the imperial title is why the and passed to a rival claimant to the throne of scholarship and a flowering of culture. Holy Roman Emperor treats the King France, such as the English boy King Henry III, Charlemagne ruled over a mighty em- of France to this day as an equal, not a this would have huge consequences for the na- pire, and was also the King of France. The vassal. It is entirely possible that a maga tion, and for Mythic Europe. minstrels and trouverts of 1220 sing tales may be descended from this noble dy- based on the Epic of Charlemagne, a col- nasty, and therefore be of potentially lection of stories of chivalry, romance, and great political importance, as the line passion analogous in their hold on the popu- has fragmented over the generations Scrofula lar imagination to those of King Arthur, and and many of the Carolingians are no including the famous tragic tale of Roland, longer great landholders. Some of those Scrofula, also known as the King’s Evil, slain at the Pass of Roncesvalles. From the who lay claim to the blood of Char- results from an excessive retention of phleg- humblest peasant to the king himself, all lemagne are doubtless false claimants, matic and melancholic humors caused by know the adventures of Charlemagne and his but Hermetic magic may well allow to bad air, particularly that found in densely- paladins, and his heroism and customs have the truth to be discerned, with poten- populated urban areas during hot weather. done much to shape contemporary culture. tially explosive repercussions. Those of The main symptom is growths on the neck, The Carolingian Empire did not long sur- Carolingian blood often have the Virtue which develop a bluish-purple coloration. vive the death of Charlemagne, as his grandsons Mythic Presence. Fever, chills, and malaise are evident in more split the inheritance, according to custom.

The Lion and the Lily Viking Invasion In 845, 120 Viking longships made their way up the Seine river to Paris, sacking monasteries and towns en route. By the winter, the raiders had extracted tributes and ransoms from the city of Paris totaling 7,000 pounds. This was no unique event: from the late 700s monasteries in Brittany were raided, and as early as 800 Charlemagne organized coastal defenses against pirates in the Seine estuary. Indeed, Aquitaine was almost devastated in the mid-ninth century by Vikings. Many raids may have been guided by the divine hand; certainly monastic historians record that those towns and monasteries raided had often previously sinned. For example, the 845 Parisian raid was divine retribution for the years of Frankish civil war following the death of Louis the Pious in 840 — a war created a fear in the young Order of Hermes in which Christian slew Christian, and the of a parallel, Scandinavian-based, “Order of Church shared in the spoils. Viking Raiders and Odin.” Little definitive evidence for the Or- By the mid-ninth century, the Vikings the Hermetic Order der of Odin exists, but the idea is still a cause had established semi-permanent bases of paranoia for some today. — winter encampments — in Neustria (the Hermetic covenants were raided too, and Baiocassium: This Diedne-dominated earlier Frankish name for the geographic many in the Order assume that the Vikings covenant, near the town of Bayeux, was area roughly corresponding to the duchy of mistook the covenants for vulnerable mon- raided several times, prompting some of the Normandy). These colonization attempts asteries. Sometimes, however, raids were led magi to establish a spring sanctuary in a re- forced the French king, Charles III, to reach by Gifted shape-changers who employed ru- gio within the town. The spring sanctuary an accord with a Viking leader, Rollo, in nic magic (see Ancient Magic, page 133). This became a covenant in its own right, but the 911. The king intended for Rollo to act as a buffer between the French heartland and his Scandinavian brethren, and as agreed, Rollo converted to Christianity, married the Story Seed: Story Seed: king’s daughter, and was granted the counties Sanctuary of Saints Lost Treasures of Rouen, Lisieux, and Evreux in the Seine basin. However, Rollo and his immediate In the ninth and 10th centuries, monks Last year a merchant arrived at Jumi- descendants — who called themselves the and townsmen housed near the coast or eges Abbey, in Normandy, carrying books earls of Ruda — encouraged immigration and along river courses lived in terror that the that were thought lost during Viking raids reinforcement from Scandinavia and over summer months would bring hordes of ra- more than 300 years ago. He claimed to the next decades they hungrily enlarged pacious, pagan, Scandinavian raiders, and have recovered the books from an ancient their territory, capturing several neighboring the on-going fear led many monasteries to Viking wreck. The monks were skeptical areas. The Franks began to refer to the area evacuate every spring. Relics, treasures, and of the books’ authenticity — surely books controlled by these dubious barbarians as books were all carried to an inland place could not survive such a wreck — but the Land of the Northmen, and by 1000 the of safety, to triumphantly return when the close inspection revealed that, miracu- Norman pirates were a permanent presence raiding season passed. However, such tac- lously, the books were genuine! News of in northern France. tics were not always successful, as the Vi- the abbey’s acquisitions reaches the cov- Rollo’s successors included William II, the kings often left their ships and traveled for enant and it may occur to the magi that bastard, who in 1066 conquered England. A long distances overland, frequently confus- there is a regio, in the English Channel, later heir, Henry II, controlled almost half of ing and outflanking defensive forces. Some filled with the magically preserved wrecks France — he was Duke of Normandy, Duke inland monastic sanctuaries have since be- of Viking raiding ships. The ships could of Aquitaine, and Count of Anjou — and come chapter houses or monasteries in their contain magical artifacts captured by raid- was King of England, too. Henry’s son, Rich- own right, but a forgotten cave complex ers or even relics of the Order of Odin. ard the Lion-heart, inherited this territory near the covenant was once such a sanctu- English and French military ships are a in 1189, which passed to Richard’s brother, ary. It still contains a powerful Divine aura, possible threat to expeditions exploring John, in 1199 (see below). The present Nor- engendered by the repeated presence of the the channel, though. man claimant to the duchy is Henry III. saintly relics, and some covenfolk claim to have seen the saint manifest in the caves.

10 The Lion and the Lily

Schism War claimed both covenants. like Amazons, and rode equipped for war. Dragon’s Rest: At the mouth of Seine The military defeat of the French during The Angevin Blood River, this site was raided a dozen times over the Second Crusade was blamed on Eleanor a hundred-year period, and the magi of the having countermanded Louis’ orders — her The lords of Anjou have a family time became adept at battle magic. Much of critics in France had long accused her of hav- legend that is well known throughout the Order’s early speculation about the Or- ing too much influence over the king, who Mythic Europe. Many centuries ago a der of Odin arose from contacts at Dragon’s was known to be passionately in love with lord of Anjou met a beautiful maiden Rest. At the time Dragon’s Rest was the site her. She was then accused of having had an called Melusine (a name shared by other of the Confluensis covenant. affair with her uncle, Raymond of Poitiers, supernatural maidens: see Chapter 6: An- Fudarus: Apart from the occasional skirmish ruler of Antioch. Whatever the truth, the jou and Aquitaine, Lusignan). He wooed with scouting parties, the island Tytalus domus marriage broke down, and Eleanor had to be and married her, and was happy in every magna did not suffer a significant Viking raid. abducted by her husband as he pressed on way with his wife, who bore him many Kerguntuil: This Diedne covenant on towards Jerusalem and ultimate failure. sons, the ancestors of the Angevin dynas- the Brittany coast was raided several times. On their return from the crusade, El- ty. But he noticed one fault in her — she Montverte: Not a raid site, but it was eanor sought a divorce on the grounds of would never stay through Mass, but al- established by Scandinavian converts to the consanguinity, and the lack of a male heir ways left before the elevation and bless- Order of Hermes. eventually forced Louis to agree to an annul- ing of the host. One day he asked four Pagus: Located near Cherbourg, this ment. Eleanor already had other plans how- of his knights to prevent her, and they covenant was heavily raided, and lost many ever, and on Whit Sunday she married again jumped on the hem of her gown as she vis sources. The covenant never really recov- — this time Henry of Anjou. Henry was the tried to leave. Screaming, she tore off her ered and was eventually destroyed by the descendant of Rollo, ruler of Normandy and dress and flew out of the window, and her magi of Baiocassium during the Schism War. Brittany, and heir to the throne of England. husband never saw her again. It became Rotomagus: This young covenant, near When, in 1154, Henry inherited the clear that she was a faerie, or some say a Rouen, was destroyed in Viking raids. English throne, the French kings faced a new demon, and that she could never face the Spider’s Palace: This covenant was raid- and terrible danger — the King of England, Body and Blood of Christ. This tainted ed several times; at the time it was the site of already Duke of Normandy, and later to in- blood runs in the Angevin veins till this the newly founded Florum covenant. herit Brittany, was now also the Duke of Aqui- day, and may manifest in unpredictable taine, and ruler of a huge area of France. The ways. Henry II and Richard often joked Angevin family now had an Empire with vast about it, and took pride in their suppos- possessions, which threatened to permanent- edly diabolical or faerie heritage, in a most ly eclipse French royal power. The very mar- disconcerting manner. The truth of their riage itself, without permission from Louis (as ancestry has yet to be settled — who or Romance the liege lord of both Eleanor and of Henry what was Melusine, and what Virtues did for his French possessions), was effectively an she grant to her descendants? and Rebellion act of rebellion, and the resulting struggle between the Angevins and the French kings has In the late 12th century a new problem shaped the last seven decades in the Tribunal. reduced the pressure on the French king, as arose for the kings of France. On Good Fri- they frequently turned to the French royal day, 1137, Duke William of Aquitaine died court for support against their father. This while on pilgrimage. His daughter, Eleanor was support Louis was glad to give. Also, as of Aquitaine, inherited a vast territory includ- The Lions and the Lily the royal advisers had warned, the vassals of ing Aquitaine, Gascony, and Poitou. She was Aquitaine proved almost unmanageable, fre- married swiftly to the sixteen-year-old heir The furious Louis was unable to respond quently rising in open revolt and playing the to the French throne. The French royal de- effectively to the new threat, and the years two warring factions off against each other. mesne suddenly became much larger. When that followed the wedding saw the Church the king, Louis VI, died later that year, the attempt to impose a series of truces. Henry young Louis VII became king. undertook a careful fortification of the bor- The marriage started out very well, but ders, and both sides entered in to political King Philip Augustus soon ran in to problems. Eleanor is widely alliances with the other European dynasties. believed to have been highly promiscuous, The Angevin Lion appeared ready to savage In 1180 Louis VII died, and Philip Au- and was accused of many affairs. The king the Capetian Lily, the fleur d’ lys. gustus (his son by his third marriage, to was said by contemporaries to be more like Luckily for Louis, the sons of Henry II of Adèle of Champagne) came to the French a monk than a knight, and may have been England proved to be just as rebellious and throne. Intelligent, belligerent, and able, he scandalized by the troubadours and the scheming as their father, and their revolts sought to consolidate French royal power more relaxed Aquitanian culture that his wife against their father’s rule, aided and abetted and to undermine the Angevins. brought to the court. When Louis set off on by their mother Eleanor, led to his being Philip’s own kingship clearly met with the Second Crusade, Eleanor and a group tied up in these struggles. Eleanor was im- divine approval. When Philip was four- of noble ladies accompanied the French prisoned, albeit in some comfort, for the rest teen years old, his father, Louis, suffered a knights, and scandalous rumors broke out. of Henry’s reign. The infighting and treach- stroke and decided it was time he had Philip Many say that Eleanor and her ladies dressed ery of the young lions, Henry’s sons, greatly crowned as his successor. Before the ceremo-

11 The Lion and the Lily ny was held, Philip fell seriously ill. Louis, also has a daughter, Mary, born in 1198, and This was by no means a clear succession. himself in ill health, made a pilgrimage to a son, Philip, born in 1200, both children of Richard on his deathbed decided in favor of the shrine of Saint Thomas at Canterbury to his third marriage, to Agnès of Méranie. Philip John, at the urging of Eleanor of Aquitaine, pray for his son’s recovery and his prayer was may be delaying the anointing under pressure who had rushed to her beloved son’s side. answered. Philip’s coronation took place in from enemies, perhaps supporters of the King During his life he had repeatedly stated his November 1179 and he assumed the throne of England, in which case the magi may have intention to leave the throne of England and when Louis VII died the following year. to take sides. Or he may be prompted to delay Angevin lands to Arthur of Brittany, the son There are those who claim that Philip’s by a demon, eager to break the link between of Geoffrey and strongest candidate to be the children are descended from the Carolingian the French throne and the Divine, and the magi rightful heir. However, three things conspired dynasty through their mother, Isabella of may be called upon to intervene. to prevent this. Arthur was still a child, and Hainault, while others claim a blood link to the unlikely to be able to hold the Empire togeth- Carolingians through Philip’s mother, Adèle of er, and Richard saw that a regency, even under Champagne, and Hugh Capet’s mother, Hed- his trusted friend William the Marshall, could wig, the sister of Emperor Otto of Germany. The Angevin Challenge be disastrous. Secondly, Eleanor of Aquitaine Hermetic resources can probably sort out the had a great dislike for Geoffrey’s widow and truth of these claims and magi may choose to The last thirty years have been turbulent Arthur’s mother, Constance of Brittany. Fi- exploit their findings to the benefit of them- times in the Tribunal. King Henry of Eng- nally, Arthur was under the influence of King selves and their mundane associates. land had his eldest son, also called Henry, Philip Augustus. Therefore on his deathbed, As a means of strengthening the succession, crowned during his lifetime. His refusal to Richard nominated John as his successor, and Capetian monarchs adopted the Carolingian cede any real power to him and his other he became King John. His reign was to prove and Byzantine practice of anointing the heir ap- sons, Richard, John, and Geoffrey, led to disastrous for the Angevin empire in France. parent as king early in their reign. In 1220 Philip rebellion, and the sons frequently came to has yet to anoint his heir, Louis, who was born King Philip for support. Henry the Young in 1187 of his first wife, Isabelle of Hainault. He King died in June 1183, and Geoffrey of Brittany died in 1186. This left Henry II’s Bad King John? two sons, Richard and John, to divide the Angevin inheritance. When Henry died in John, despite early promise, succeeded Philip Augustus, 1189, Richard was acclaimed King of Eng- only in losing much of his inheritance, and King of France land, and King Philip Augustus faced his greatly increasing the power of the kings of most dangerous opponent yet. France. He began by ignoring diplomatic ad- Philip lacks grace and charm, which King Richard had already made his mark vice and, enchanted by the beauty of Isabella for some people is sign enough that he in the brilliant campaigns that conquered and of Angouleme, seized her and married her. is not properly royal. He displays great subdued his rebellious Aquitanian vassals. A She was already betrothed to Hugh de Lusig- enthusiasm for diplomacy and adminis- brave yet ruthless knight, he was to enter nan, a major vassal and powerful supporter of tration, pushing aside some of the aristo- popular tales through his crusade against the Angevins. Many suspected Isabella of be- crats who have acted as aides and advisers Saladin, and his undoubted personal heroism. witching the king, and it was said he appeared to the monarchy for generations in favor He waged constant and brilliant war on the chained to her bed, ignoring all royal duties. of educated members of the lower orders. French king, building impressive castles, and His outraged vassals rebelled, and sided with By employing clerks and lawyers, he is swiftly gaining the upper hand by his military Philip Augustus, yet John seemed incapable building up an army of bureaucrats. Some genius. Philip was now under great pressure, of any meaningful action. Was a love philtre see this as a sign that he is not truly kingly but events played into his hands. used? Or witchcraft? No one knows. and he has gained a number of enemies While on crusade, Richard insulted Duke King Philip summoned John, as his vassal, among the old noble families. While he Leopold of Austria, striking down his banner to his court to answer charges against him. was keen enough to go to war when fight- when the duke had claimed some of the glory John declined to respond, and in 1202 war ing to expand his own wealth and power, of a successful siege. On his return from the broke out. Constance of Brittany had died, he has twice demonstrated reluctance to crusade, repeatedly shipwrecked, Richard was and Arthur, the Duke of Brittany, still with a fight for God. He set out on the Third forced to travel in disguise through the duke’s strong claim to the English throne, had fled Crusade in 1190 but returned home after lands, but was recognized and thrown into to the court of Philip Augustus taking many taking Acre, leaving King Richard of Eng- prison. He was then passed to the custody vassals with him. While John continued to land, and many others, to question wheth- of the emperor, who extorted a vast ransom, be entranced by Isabella, Arthur and Philip er it was the claimed ill health or coward- raised from the Angevin possessions. While marched against the English king. ice that drove him back. Then, in 1209, Richard was in prison, his brother John treach- Eleanor, who had resided at the famous he allowed his nobles to follow the pope’s erously plotted to seize the English throne. and fashionable convent of Fontevraud a command to mount a crusade against the When Richard was eventually released, he great deal since her release from imprison- Albigensian heretics in southern France, made peace with his brother, and returned to ment following Henry II’s death, reacted. She but did not personally participate. There his campaigns to secure the Angevin lands in marched with a small retinue towards Poitou, are many among the traditionally minded France. But tragedy cut his life short, and he planning to take up residence in Poitiers and nobility who consider that this is not the was killed by a crossbow bolt in 1199. discourage further revolt. Arthur, hearing behavior of a real king. With Richard’s death the succession she was at the small castle of Mirebeau, set passed to John, who became King of England. out immediately with Hugh de Lusignan to

12 The Lion and the Lily capture her, planning to use her as a pawn in the ongoing struggle. John heard of this and, The Golden Treasure finally roused from his lethargy, led a brilliant forced march with a relieving force, which In March 1199 a ploughman discov- The castle was taken, and all the defend- fell upon the besiegers, captured them, and ered a pot of golden coins at Chalus, near ers hanged save Bertram de Gurdun, who was rescued his mother. Arthur of Brittany was Limoges, in the Limousin. By the time brought before the king. “What have I done now John’s closely guarded prisoner. Richard heard of the treasure it had grown to you, that you have killed me?” Richard in- Despite this success, Philip Augustus’ mili- in the telling to a great golden statue of an quired, but the crossbowman stood firm and tary skill was clearly paying off. He drove deep emperor, and Richard set off to Chalus to answered “You slew my father and my two into Normandy, and even besieged the great seize it. While besieging the castle, Rich- brothers by your own hand, and would have Angevin castle of Chateau Galliard. Eleanor ard and companions went out one evening killed me if you could. Therefore, take any of Aquitaine finally died, and after her death to survey the walls and, as things were qui- revenge on me you see fit, for I will gladly en- many of John’s vassals, seeing clearly which et, he did not bother to don his armor, but dure any torments you can devise, so long as way things were going, had defected to Philip. merely picked up his shield and put on his you have met your end, having inflicted evils, In 1204 Chateau Galliard fell; one of the finest helm. As he stood looking at the walls, a so many and so great, on the world.” Richard fortifications in Mythic Europe had been cap- crossbowman, Bertram de Gurdun, loosed admired his courage, and had him released tured. Normandy was lost, and in 1205 Philip a bolt and struck Richard in his arm. with a sum of silver. However, that evening Augustus captured the county of Poitou. The king’s companion, the mercenary when Richard died, Mercadier had the man John was forced back to England, where a knight and trusted friend of the Angevins seized, flayed alive, and hanged anyway. dispute over ecclesiastical matters led the pope Mercadier, immediately helped Richard Of the treasure of Chalus there was to place the nation under interdict in 1214, back to the camp. Mercadier attempted to no sign. Those who are wise in the lore and John was eventually forced to do hom- remove the bolt, but his skill at chirurgy of the Infernal say it may well have been age to the pope to prevent the possibility of proved poor and instead he mangled the a diabolical treasure designed to lure men a French invasion. In 1214 he made common wound horribly. While he finally succeed- to a terrible fate. Some, however, suspect cause with the emperor to attack France, but ed in drawing out the metal tip, the wound Hermetic involvement in the whole mat- Philip Augustus decisively defeated the An- soon became infected, and it became clear ter — was the crossbow bolt magical? Did glo-imperial alliance at the Battle of Bouvines. Richard was dying of blood poisoning. a covenant engineer Richard’s demise? John’s constant attempts to raise revenues to try and recapture Normandy proved a major factor in the outbreak of the English barons’ struggle are taking place in the Provençal Tri- jailer, relinquished his duties, and the boy was revolt in 1215, which led to the humiliating bunal, many knights and mercenaries from the moved to Rouen. There, after Easter, the boy signing of the Magna Carta, restricting royal northern regions have served in the armies that simply vanished. Later accounts suggest John authority in England. When a baronial revolt have attempted to extirpate the heretics, and himself collected him from the castle, and broke out in 1216, Philip Augustus could not may have seen the great massacre at Beziers took him, pleading for mercy, out alone on the act, as he was unable to attack a papal fief, but or the siege of Carcassonne, just eleven years Seine. There he slew him with a sword, and he allowed his heir, Louis, to invade England. ago. It is entirely possible player characters weighted his body down with a stone; a body The death of John in 1216 ended the inva- may have seen action in this terrible conflict. believed to be Arthur’s was later found and bur- sion, as the English barons rallied behind the ied. The murder, if murder it was, had terrible current English king, Henry III, who is still a repercussions for John, as many vassals found minor. A regency council currently rules Eng- in this vile act a reason to desert the Angevin land, and the Angevins are not considered a Le Morte d’Arthur cause and go over to Philip Augustus. threat to France and the Capetians, who have Yet many rumors persist. While most of continued to greatly extend their royal au- Arthur of Brittany arguably had a stronger the discussion concerns who committed the thority over the realm. In 1220 the Normandy claim to the throne of England than John, and murder, and many suspects and assassins have Tribunal, while still split between Angevin and was a capable young man, happy to do hom- been named, the most popular rumor remains French lands, is once again at peace. age to Philip Augustus as a vassal if it allowed that John slew the boy with his own hand. him to take up the struggle for his rightful in- Yet, others wonder, could he still be alive? heritance against his uncle, King John. When John was a bookish man, and despite his ter- he was captured at Mirebeau in 1202, he was rible temper not personally sadistic. Could The Albigensian fifteen years old. The king could have had him Arthur have been forced into a monastery? Crusade executed for treason, but knew this would cause Or more intriguingly, what if he was instead a scandal, so instead he was imprisoned in a placed in an Hermetic apprenticeship? A number of castles held by loyal vassals. John strange and willful lad, did he display The In 1220, France is involved in another tried to win him over by promises and threats, Gift, and entering a late apprenticeship at great war. Parts of the neighboring Provençal but Arthur remained defiant. On one occasion, fifteen, was he instead placed somewhere in Tribunal have recently been wracked by a ter- John sent three knights to blind the boy and the Order of Hermes? If so, Arthur, his mind rible crusade, declared not against heathens in castrate him, but when the boy learnt his fate changed by Mentem magics, will have just a foreign land, but against the Cathar heretics he broke down and the knights were unable to undertaken his Gauntlet. Unaware of his true who are most prevalent in the Langue d’oc. bring themselves to do the deed. In April 1203, inheritance, may yet live on, and may one While the traumatic events of that ongoing William de Braose, who had acted as Arthur’s day come to understand who he once was …

13 Chapter Three Hermetic History and Culture

In the era of the Founders, the Order of Franks (today the Normandy Tribunal), the the ancient Lotharingian Tribunal. (See Hermes was not divided in to Tribunals as we Sanctuary of the Alps, and the Roman, the Chapter 10, Normandy Sagas, The Lothar- know them today. The second Grand Tribu- Theban, Britannian, and the Lotharingian ingian Tribunal). nal in 865 created the Tribunals. The great Tribunals. The Lotharingian Tribunal cov- The West Frankish Tribunal initially in- debate confirmed the right of the new Tri- ered roughly the kingdom of Lotharingia as cluded the county of Gascony, but did not bunals to pass Peripheral Code laws, which it had existed under King Lothair — exclud- include the regions of Flanders or Brittany. were binding only in their own Tribunal. ing the Italian area that was ruled by part of King Charles the Bald had been forced to The need for improved communications the Roman Tribunal, but including the area acknowledge the independence of Brittany between covenants helped form the basis for today known as Toulouse — but it did not in 846, and faced with the Celtic culture, the creation of the new Tribunals. The idea survive for very long. Breton language, and political independence was first brought forward by House Mercere, of the region, it was decided at the Second who argued the Redcap network should be Grand Tribunal that Brittany was properly based regionally. Redcaps should be trained situated in the Britannian Tribunal (which it- to work primarily within a small geographi- self was later to divide into the Stonehenge, cal grouping of covenants, so they grew to Loch Leglean, and Hibernian Tribunals). know the terrain, local magi, and prevailing The Shaping The association of Brittany with the British mundane culture. Those covenants distant Isles went beyond the cultural, linguistic, and from Durenmar were distinguished by their of the Tribunal political however, for it also shared a magi- own local customs and already dealt mainly cal heritage deeply influenced by the druids, with their neighbors. This sense of regional The Normandy Tribunal borders today House Diedne, and the stories of Merlin. identity formed much of the basis for the are not those of the original Tribunal. This The eastern part of what is today the new Tribunals. shaping of the Tribunal by subsequent events Normandy Tribunal was originally part of The Tribunal of 865 is remembered as is currently an important subject in Hermetic the Lotharingian Tribunal. The mundane one of the most controversial. Despite the circles. History is used as a powerful argu- kingdom of Lotharingia was split after the role of magical communications and Hermes ment in the hands of the Lotharingian Tribu- abdication and death of King Lothair in 855, Portals, it soon became clear that those who nal movement, who are a group of covenants his sons dividing the kingdom into three new favored decentralization would win. The who wish to secede from the Tribunal (and kingdoms — Italy, Provence, and Lotharin- original Tribunals were the Rhine, the West the neighboring Rhine Tribunal) and reform gia. Four years after the Second Grand Tri- bunal established the Lotharingian Tribunal, in 869, Lothair II died without heir. Charles the Bald, King of West Francia, attacked to The Lotharingian Movement seize the kingdom and was met with an army by Louis the German, King of East Francia. In the last few years the covenants in like those of Florum. The Lotharingians In 870, at the Treaty of Meersen, the two this region have recalled their heritage. see exciting new possibilities for com- kings divided the Lotharingian Kingdom. Some now seek not reunion with Proven- mercial and cultural development, yet This political move was met in Hermetic çal, but instead a new Lotharingian Tribu- feel stifled by the dead hand of tradition. culture by the Rhine and West Frankish Tri- nal. This would increase their presence at Sympathetic with the Apple Guild of the bunals likewise incorporating the covenants the Grand Tribunal, allow them to pursue Rhine Tribunal (see Guardians of the Forest, of Lotharingia. While greatly diminishing their own paths, and most importantly let page 29), they seek freedom by appealing the size of the Provençal Tribunal, it was a them restructure the Peripheral Code. The to the brief existence of their proposed move greatly appreciated by the covenants Normandy Tribunal, while sympathetic to Tribunal in the distant past. (See Chapter of that region, who had more in common the problems of living with mundanes, 10: Normandy Sagas, The Lotharingian with the covenants to their east and west is still too restrictive in its interpretation Movement for a full discussion.) and, being distant from the center of their of the Code for the liking of urban magi former Tribunal in Provence, lacked political influence therein. There was no reason

14 The Lion and the Lily

15 The Lion and the Lily why mundane events should have caused is quite possible that magi can inadvertently such a revision, but they formed a pretext stumble upon references and old texts that Story Seed: and in 898 at the Grand Tribunal the deci- lead them into forbidden mysteries with sion was upheld; the Lotharingian Tribunal dangerous implications for themselves and The Language of Vis ceased to exist, its southern region forming the Order. what is now called the Provençal Tribunal. Many of the ruined sites once frequented A magus of the Provençal Tribunal There are, however, those who are working by the Diedne are still well known. Terrible claims a bounteous vis source within to resurrect it. magical battles have left scars on the land- the southern reaches of Normandy, scape, and there are frequent whispers of the based on the fact that the villagers near ghosts of those slain in the conflict haunt- the source use “oc” rather than “oeil” to ing the living who trespass in these places. indicate affirmation. The characters are Drawn in Bloodshed When the great House Diedne covenant of asked to discover whether this is a true Branugurix was finally attacked, the entranc- language isolate, or whether the magus The Viking invasions of the nineth and es to the regio in which it lay were somehow is trying to pull a fast one. 10th centuries saw the sacking of several sealed, and some of the attacking force were early West Frankish covenants, and the be- never seen again. The recent experience of ginning of the fear of the Norse Order of Lapis Crudus, which reappeared after being some filled with magical traps and magical Odin. Many legends spread as to the power trapped for decades in a regio, has reminded riches, and some, it is said, with secrets that- of the Norse rune magi, though little is now the Tribunal that the Diedne may well wait might corrupt a maga’s very soul. known as to what their powers involved. For- there, plotting their return and revenge upon This wealth of magical resources cap- tunately, within a century Paris was safe, as the Order. Periodic scares have rocked the tured from House Diedne led to an immedi- the fierce Vikings settled and deterred further Tribunal, and many magi have over the years ate disagreement between the victors. Britta- raids from their kin. By 920 Robert, their been marched on suspicion of being secretly ny was relatively vis rich, and some Flambeau leader, had become Earl of Normandy, and Diedne sympathizers, or practitioners of and Tytalus magi squabbled over the spoils was a vassal of the French king. Their duchy, their outlawed magics. of victory. There were still deep wounds in known as the Terra Northmanorum (Land Brittany had been in political disorder the Hermetic community caused by the cor- of the Northmen), was eventually to give its throughout the 10th century, owing to Nor- ruption of House Tytalus in the late nineth name to the whole Tribunal, confirmed at man raids and a series of famines and crop century, and despite the fact that they had the 17th Tribunal in 983. In light of the pre- failures. Many Breton leaders fled to the Brit- fought alongside each other, the cessation of eminence of the Duke of Normandy in the ish Isles, and despite occasional victories the hostilities saw the Tribunal’s magi begin to territories claimed by the Tribunal, and the duchy was to take many centuries to recover. once again divide into Northern Tytali and decline of the Franks as a people, the Tribunal There can be no doubt this chaotic period Southern Flambeau. So great did the ten- supported the proposal of Adrianus of Mont- was caused to some extent by the magical sion become that by the early 11th century verte, and the Tribunal of the West Franks struggles of the Schism War. it was feared open warfare might break out was renamed the Normandy Tribunal. Immediately following the defeat of between the rival factions. The Quaesitores The Schism War saw violence through- House Diedne, Brittany was subsumed under were now forced to act. With their support out the Tribunal, with some of the most the authority of the Normandy Tribunal. The Pertheus of Tytalus proposed a set of Periph- terrible clashes occurring in the regions of reasons cited at Grand Tribunal were geo- eral Code rulings that now bear his name Normandy and Brittany. Fudarus was itself graphical, but there is no doubt House Tyta- (see The Perthean Compact). This granted assaulted, and for a long time the Diedne lus and House Flambeau wished to control all of the contested vis sources to the Tribu- held the upper hand. When the Diedne fi- the former covenant sites of their enemies. nal as a whole, and required magi to compete nally fell, their history and purported crimes Some of the Diedne sites are now forgotten, on a seven-year basis for the right to harvest were purged from Tribunal records. How- as the Quaesitores forbade the communica- from them. Many members of Flambeau ever, many references remain extant in older tion of their locations, while others were were disgusted at this, for it took from them books, personal memoirs, and the archives of swiftly claimed by the victors along with what they considered their rightful spoils of the older covenants. Documents often pos- their vis sources. The generation who fought the Schism War. sess peculiar gaps or erased pages, which are there has long since died or been lost to Twi- Denouncing the Perthean Compact as a believed to be excisions carried out by House light, but the ancient Diedne sites still exist, swindle placing power in the hands of the Guernicus censors. No attempt was made to Tytali, three Flambeau-dominated covenants purge the memories of those who fought, so in the south of France stopped attending a great deal can still be reconstructed from the Normandy Tribunal and allied with the their later writings. Provençal Tribunal instead. The matter was For over a century House Diedne had clarified at the next Grand Tribunal, divid- played an important role throughout the ing the territories of the two Tribunals along Normandy Tribunal, and the lack of a proper linguistic lines, the Langue d’oc region going understanding of the nature and role they to the Provençal Tribunal, and the Langue played prevents anyone fully understanding d’oeil to the Normandy Tribunal. the forces that shaped the Tribunal. History By 1050 the Normandy Tribunal had fi- has been to some extent forgotten here. It nally taken its modern borders.

16 The Lion and the Lily

most Normandy sagas. could come to befall magi and heretic alike. Contemporary The sensitivity of the local rulers to mili- Yet the romances have also some influence tary threats to their authority makes castles on the Hermetic community. Many House and fortifications hard to maintain without Flambeau magi love the tales of Roland and Hermetic a noble supporter, but while a “tame” noble El Cid, and the struggle against the Muslims companion may be the nominal holder of the of Iberia. It is probable the intolerant spirit of castle, what happens if inheritance, conquest, the muscular Christianity espoused by these Culture or royal decree removes him from a position heroic tales may have been a strong influence of power? What if a rival covenant manages on the decision of many magi to participate The empire of Charlemagne was not an to seduce him over to their side? The cove- in the Schism War against the avowedly empire in the same sense as that of the Ro- nants of the Tribunal are increasingly seeking pagan House Diedne. Denouncing rivals as mans; even the great Charlemagne did not new ways to deal with the mundane world, Infernalists, or Diedne, has a long tradition try to directly impose his authority on his and the tensions are leading to what many in the Tribunal. Hunting diabolist magi in vast territories. Instead he relied upon the magi see as dangerous compromises. the Order has become a dark yet significant vassal system, where subject rulers pledged Furthermore, the seeking of compan- fashion locally, following the Corruption, allegiance and fealty and ruled in his name. ions to act as landholders has led many magi or Betrayal, of House Tytalus. Many of the Vassalage, where the lesser swear oaths of fe- dangerously close to a position of vassalage darkest conflicts in Hermetic history took alty to the greater, is an important part of the to mundane overlords. What happens when place here, and they cast dark shadows. medieval mindset. the mundane overlord seeks the companion’s The Church is very strong in the area, Vassals owe loyalty to their overlord, support and feudal service, or even worse, and Christian virtues are also espoused very but can sometimes war among themselves. comes asking for support from his magician clearly by many knights. Even in the wilder- As their own power waxes they may become friends? The Oath denies the magi the right ness holy men live in hermitages, offering real threats to royal authority, as the dukes of to act as court wizards, and restricts the sell- counsel to the greatest in the land, and reput- Normandy did after 1066. Vassals may hold ing of powerful magic items, but when the edly working great miracles by their piety. It land in many different regions, and may well liege lord is leaning on his vassal this ten- is a potentially dangerous situation for the have conflicting loyalties. sion can become deadly. The romances have Order, and every covenant will eventually These ideas have impacted Hermetic many tales of knights who sought aid from have to seek compromise and some form of culture. The great covenants of the Tribunal magicians and faeries — will the magi dare accommodation with the Church, especially have adapted the idea of fealty, and vassals, deny aid, even if providing it means a gross in areas where the pious gaze of the French into Hermetic terms, and have founded a se- violation of the Code of Hermes? king falls. ries of daughter houses similar in some ways A central question is whether covert aid to those of the monastic orders (see Liege & may be given. If there are no witnesses, or Vassal & Covenants). the magic may be explained away as natural In the Tribunal there is little space away events, is it legitimate? Exactly how should Regionalism from the mundane population of the land. The “interfering with mundanes” be interpreted? power of the Dominion is made every year Rather than an academic question for House It has often been said nationalist loyal- more apparent as new abbeys, cathedrals and Guernicus to ponder, this is a real and press- ties lay behind the partitioning of the Order great churches, and powerful castles spring ing issue here in the Normandy Tribunal. in 865 with the creation of the Tribunals. In up across the landscape. Vis sources may be fact, this may well have had more to do with becoming rarer, or is it perhaps that the Her- House politics — some say the activities metic population is growing faster? Either slowed House Tremere and was part of the way, vis is quite scarce in the Normandy Tri- Heroes of Christendom Sundering, others claim it was part of their bunal, and despite the great age and cultured plan to take over the Order. Nonetheless, traditions of many of the covenants, the lack Another great issue facing magi in magi forced to live in close proximity to the of resources is leading to increased disputes the Normandy Tribunal is the shadow of kings and clergy of Mythic Europe may de- over vis rights. The Tribunal is aware of this Charlemagne. This mightiest of monarchs velop some sympathies for their homeland, problem, and has made a number of rules to is renowned as great Christian king. The and there is definitely a rivalry to this day be- deal with it. Scarcity of magical resources, romances celebrating his exploits tend to tween covenants from different regions of the and the problems of interacting with mun- make much of his role as a champion of Tribunal. Brittany and Normandy are historic dane society, are the key issues facing the Christendom, and a slayer and converter of enemies, while the Ile de France and Norman- magi here. There are few places to hide from heathens. The rising popular cult of knight- dy eye each other with suspicion. Aquitaine the mundane world — few untamed areas of hood derives much of its energy from the has a much more southern culture, and is seen wilderness in this civilized land of adventur- chivalric romances, tales which celebrate the as relaxed and frivolous by some northerners. ous knights, warring lords, influential ladies, crusading virtue of heroes who fight pagans, This does not apply so much to magi — the and great churchmen. How can the Order defeat Saracens, and trick Jews. The Cru- Order is a supranational organization, more cope with the power and demands of the sades have demonstrated already that those like the Church, although even the clergy mundane world as it encroaches upon their who do not observe conventional piety can can be divided by national issues, as has been studies, and their magical work? The com- easily become victims. The horrific pogroms shown repeatedly in the last century. Magi promises demanded when interacting with elsewhere and the Albigensian crusade to the may well rise above petty regional politics, the mundane world form a key theme in south have acted as a terrible warning of what and the affairs of dukes and kings, but a more

17 The Lion and the Lily serious threat lies in the partisan politics of manifest in the blood, despite other evidence his daughter or son) and often skips genera- grogs and companions that has even led to to suggest The Gift is not hereditary. Mythic tions, these theorists hold that all magi bear brawling at Tribunal. Magi at Tribunal should Blood is known throughout the Order, and Mythic Blood, but it is purer in some than in carefully watch their followers for signs of is so common as to not really provoke much others. In most magi it is latent, manifesting disruptive local loyalties, and expect to have comment or interest, though some famous as The Gift — but in those with the Virtue to deal with these prejudices whenever they bloodlines do exist — that of the Mercere Mythic Blood the bloodline runs pure, and travel far away from their home. lineage being the best-known example. to these theorists they represent a true magi- Yet some magi, in light of the impor- cal aristocracy, or a series of magical families, tance of the bloodline in their world, have bound by ties beyond even those of member- begun to try to trace the mythic bloodlines ship in the Order. Obviously, this is a highly The Call to Adventure of the magi of Mythic Europe, and to try to contentious theory, and very unpopular with use magic to uncover the genealogy back to those who happen to not be so blessed. One of the aspects of the Hermetic cul- their progenitors. While Mythic Blood man- The theory was originated in the 11th ture of the Tribunal is the tradition of the ifests slightly differently from generation to century by Metrodorus of Thebes, a Jerbiton magus errant. In knightly culture, the knight generation (the magical ability of a magus’ magus who became a Quaesitor, and who errant is a young, often newly knighted, man father may be slightly different to that of was obsessed with magical bloodlines and who seeks to establish himself politically by his heroic deeds, and win the attention of a powerful patron. An important part of this process is the romantic courting of fair maidens, yet even this disguises a political and temporal motive — the fair maiden is usually an heiress, and eventually the knight errant hopes to marry into wealth and stability, and to be able to hang up his spurs, manage his estates, and found a dynasty. The magus errant is similar; in an area where vis is a scarce resource, he (or she) seeks to demonstrate his usefulness, acquire vis or discover new sources by adventure, and make his name. While nominally allied to a covenant, such young magi travel to the furthest corners of Europe or beyond in search of adventure and magical wealth, then come home to retire to the covenants of Normandy to enjoy the fruits of their new-found magical power and reputation. Of course, the exact nature of the adventure sought by the young magus is determined by his House and personal interests, yet it is probably true to say Normandy magi travel further, and adventure more outside their home Tribunal, than many other members of the Order of Hermes.

Blood, Sacred and Mystical

The magi of Normandy are, as we have seen, forced to dwell extensively on the issues of living with the mundane world. They are also aware of how much that world is shaped by the great noble dynasties, and the bloodlines that often seem to be somehow connected with particular realms — the Capetians, Angevins, Carolingians, and Merovingians are the most renowned examples. There is a lingering belief that Hermetic magic might

18 The Lion and the Lily mundane politics. His theory held all of the researched by someone intent on learning Founders to be descended from potent magi- their exact genealogy, and who claim they The Perthean cal beings of antiquity, though subsequent may have some distant claim to a mundane theorists disagree on the origin of the blood, title. Worst of all, magi who indulge in this and the nature of their ancestral heritage. kind of research also often uncover unpleas- Compact While not of Mythic Blood himself, he ar- ant truths about powerful nobles and roy- gued both the greatest Hermetic magi and alty — bastardry, consanguineous marriage The Normandy Tribunal is home to over many great noble families shared common within the forbidden degrees, and other se- a hundred magi, but its expanding mundane ancestors, and felt that it was noble breeding crets such prestigious personages would do population and concomitant Dominion has which raised them above common men, not anything to conceal. resulted in a patchy distribution of its al- fortune, fate, free will, or even divine bless- With this in mind, the recent resurfac- ready-scarce supply of vis. The intense coming. Arguing that magi should always search ing of these ideas in the Normandy Tribunal petition for what few sources of vis remain initially for an apprentice among the great following the Angevin and Capetian clash has shaped the entire Tribunal, affecting families of Mythic Europe, where by his the- has led to some controversy, and while some both the size and number of covenants, and ory the mythic blood of heroes ran purest, magi say that the idea of “familia” of relat- the societal ties between them. The provi- Metrodorus was eventually marched after ed magi is merely analogous to the guilds sioning of vis is a matter of importance on attempting to take a younger son of a king of the Rhine Tribunal, there are many who the agenda of every one of the Tribunal’s from a monastery. While this was the overt feel these matters are simply too dangerous covenants, and more ink and parchment has cause of his failure to win over the Grand Tri- to be allowed to be openly discussed. Some been used detailing the disputes and laws re- bunal to his ideas, the divisions he created in say the resulting practices could endanger garding vis sources than any other section of the Order, and prejudices he briefly stirred the whole Order of Hermes. Yet the Order the Tribunal’s Peripheral Code. up against those with Mythic Blood, were thrives on research and ideas — can an idea Normandy’s rules regarding the provi- equally damning — the hereditary contro- be too dangerous? The whole issue is bound sioning of vis are collectively known as the versy of 1132 saw his books burned publicly, to divide some future Tribunal if these ideas Perthean Compact, after Pertheus, the magus and three of his most vociferous disciples continue to spread, and as it is a matter of who was responsible for drafting the first ver- Marched alongside him for their role in his individuals, not covenants, the outcome is sion of these Code rulings after the Schism crimes. While the advocates were Marched still unclear. War. The defeat of House Diedne left the vis for their actions, the Order made no ruling coffers of many covenants severely depleted, on the truth or otherwise of his ideas. and everyone sought to claim the resources As the Order of Hermes swiftly dealt left behind by the defeated House. The strife with the controversy, and most of those that resulted from the clash between Houses who carried Mythic Blood had no interest Tytalus and Flambeau (see History, above) in his theories, Metrodorus’ ideas largely The Hermetic left the Tribunal willing to accept a system died out, except in the Normandy Tribunal. that fairly distributed a dwindling resource There still remain a few magi who hold that Landscape and reduced quarrels over vis ownership. Metrodorus had stumbled on a valuable in- The Perthean Compact revolves around the sight. A few even believe that their Mythic The Normandy Tribunal has a number ruling that all vis sources, whether they are Blood demonstrates they are the rightful rul- of conventions which magi from other Tri- exclusive access in perpetuity or a fixed term ers of the Order, and hold that councils and bunals find unusual or downright confusing. lease, belong to covenants, not to individu- Tribunals should be replaced with a system Many of these revolve around vis: a rare als. It categorizes vis sources into four types: of autocratic rule. Profoundly interested in commodity in this Tribunal, known sources seisins, legacies, tropaea, and luctationes. tracing how the bloodlines are related, they for it are jealously guarded. The Schism War perform extensive research into genealogy, left the Tribunal squabbling over the magi- blood parentage, and family relationships. cal resources left behind by House Diedne Normandy Tribunal These researches are dangerous and diffi- (see History). So to avert further strife, all Ruling: Seisins cult, owing to the lack of mundane records, vis that does not originate from within the the secrecy with which magi guard their his- grounds of a covenant was declared to be The Tribunal of 1025 ruled that a vis tories to prevent powerful Arcane and Sym- the property of the Tribunal as a whole rath- source that is within a day’s return march of pathetic Connections falling in to enemy er than of any specific individual covenant. an established covenant of the Normandy hands, and the fact that magic exists that can This ruling of the Peripheral Code remains Tribunal is considered to belong to that cov- target an entire Bloodline, not to mention today, and every seven years the covenants enant automatically; such a source is called the obvious elitism and consequent unpopu- of Normandy compete in a tournament to a seisin. A seisin recognized by the Tribunal larity of the theory in the Order. Magi with secure the lease for harvesting vis sources for grants its owners exclusive right of harvest. Mythic Blood may be horrified at being ap- the period between Tribunal meetings. The The Tribunal of 1109AD ruled that if proached by Mystery Cults who claim they Tourney, as it is called, also offers oppor- a man can get from the covenant’s council are part of this great heritage, and who pre- tunities to secure other resources — princi- chamber to a vis source and back again, on sume to sneer at “lesser magi.” Magi not so pally books — and a new covenant can get a his own two feet and unaided by magic, be- gifted may be horrified to discover that their good head start in its life by winning prizes tween sunrise and sunset on a day which is mundane family history is being carefully in its first tournament. within a month of an equinox, then the vis

19 The Lion and the Lily

source is a seisin of that covenant. This rul- Barnabé ing superseded previous entries into the Pe- Tricks and Cheats ripheral Code which were unclear as to the Characteristics: Int –1, Per –1, Pre 0, Com definition of “a day’s return march”. All covenants have to have a legally –1, Str 0, Sta +3, Dex +1, Qik +3 Nearly every covenant in the Tribunal recognized council chamber (see be- Size: 0 has a specialist called a cursor, or “runner,” low), but this council chamber need not Age: 25 (Apparent age 25) usually a highly athletic grog, whose sole be at the same physical location as the Decrepitude: 0 purpose is to prove to the Quaesitores in a covenant itself. A covenant could de- Virtues and Flaws: Standard Grog; trial run that their vis source is within this cide that having their council chamber Enduring Constitution, Improved range. Cursors are prized members of any in a village five miles down the road is Characteristics, Puissant Athletics; covenant, and some trade them like cattle. strategically superior, allowing them to Covenant Upbringing, Proud (Mi- As a general rule, assume that a fit man can claim more vis sources. The Quaesitores nor), Social Handicap (arrogance) cover a number of miles in a day equal to occasionally check that the magi really Personality Traits: Self-Important +3, 10 + (2 x Athletics) cross country. Through do meet here, and that it is not a fake Loyal +2, Brave –2 untamed wilderness, the distance can be council chamber. Combat: reduced by five miles per day (or perhaps Some seisins are just assumed to be Fist: Init +3, Attack +4, Defense +6, more), whereas well-traveled roads might within the legal distance, but because of Damage 0 add five miles per day. difficult terrain they actually take more Dodge: Init +3, Attack n/a, Defense +7, than the requisite time to reach. How- Damage 0 ever, a claim that remains uncontested Soak: +3 Normandy Tribunal stays a seisin until challenged. Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, 0, –2, –4, Un- Ruling: Legacies Some vis sources have suspiciously conscious easily traversed terrain en route to the Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), The Tribunal of 1025 ruled that a vis covenant that claims them. Magi have –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), source which is too distant to be declared a financed the building of roads that al- Dead (21+) seisin can be made a legacy of the discoverer low their cursor to reach a source of Abilities: Area Lore 4 (roads), Athletics by a vote of the Tribunal. A legacy lease is- vis that would otherwise be ineligible 5+2 (day-long running), Carouse sued by the Tribunal offers a covenant ex- as a seisin; others have cut down for- 4 (relaxing), Awareness 2 (obsta- clusive rights to harvest from the source, but ests, drained marshes, and so forth; one cles), Brawl 3 (dodge), Folk Ken the terms of the lease last only seven years. Merinita magus even moved a hill two 3 (grogs), French 5 (covenfolk), The Tribunal of 1032 instituted the need for miles south! Guile 1 (avoiding work), Latin 3 holders of a legacy lease to acquire renewal Covenants have also done the re- (Hermetic), Order of Hermes Lore of that lease from the Tribunal every seven verse: influence the terrain between a 2 (seisins), Stealth 3 (woodland), years at the Tribunal meeting; if the Tribunal rival and its vis sources to invalidate a Survival 2 (woodland) votes against the renewal of the lease, the seisin. Such extremes are usually only Encumbrance: 0 (Burden 0) Tribunal takes possession of the legacy and it worthwhile if the covenant is able to Appearance: An athletic young man becomes a tropaeum instead (see below). claim the seisin for themselves, but spite in the prime of his life; he has dark Traditionally, any newly discovered vis can also be a powerful motivator. hair and a scant beard. source is a legacy of the covenant that found it, and it is very common for a new legacy Barnabé is a cursor. He was chosen lease to be granted without serious competi- spell, or password, which the discoverers for this position at the covenant when tion. The only exception is if the vis source refuse to relinquish. Alternatively, it might he showed promise as a child, and re- is close enough to another covenant to be be very close to a covenant, but take more ceived special training in athletics, both considered a seisin; the rulings regarding sei- than half a day to reach — it might be up a long-distance running and sprinting. sins take precedence over legacies. The re- mountain, at the bottom of a lake, or deep Because of the attention given to him as newal of an established lease is more difficult within caverns. a child he is now possessed of a remark- to achieve, and usually requires backing from While in possession of a legacy lease, a able arrogance, and has an over-inflated other covenants to be successful. Such back- covenant is guaranteed exclusive rights to view of his own importance. He consid- ing is often too expensive for young cove- harvest its vis. If proof can be offered at Tri- ers himself to be indispensable to the nants, and there is often too much rivalry be- bunal that a non-leaseholder has harvested magi, and treats others as if he were bet- tween the older covenants to achieve viable vis from a legacy, the offender is automatical- ter than them. Due to his facility with coalitions to keep legacies in their hands. At ly found guilty of the High Crime of depriv- Latin, he is often chosen to accompany each Tribunal meeting, less than half of those ing a magus of his magical power. Mitigating the magi as an interpreter. covenants trying to renew a legacy are suc- pleas for mercy are almost always granted cessful. Those that are not renewed become (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 59), so tropaea (see below). Occasionally, a vis the charge rarely ends in a Wizard’s March. source may remain a legacy for many lease The covenant that holds a lease is en- periods if there is a reason why the vis would titled to grant the harvest of the legacy to be very hard for another covenant to harvest. any magus or covenant it desires, including For example, it might require a unique item, magi who intend to set up a covenant within

20 The Lion and the Lily

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: Story Seed: Story Seed: Judge, Interim Leases and Plundering The Trial of Marathon Herald, or Crook? The Tribunal of 1025 determined the procedure for establishing a seisin or legacy. A vis source is claimed as seisin by two The player’s magi secure an interim lease Upon finding a vis source, the discoverer covenants, so the Quaesitores organize a on a vis source, but do not gain a single har- must report its location to a Quaesitor, who race to see which of the two cursores can vest since another covenant with an interim grants an interim lease on the vis until it get there soonest from their respective lease gets there first. This happens again and can be officially declared at the next Tribu- council chambers. All sorts of underhand again, with the same covenant contesting all nal meeting. An interim lease does not hold tricks might be surreptitiously employed of their new-found vis sources. The magi the same legal weight as a full lease; specifi- by either side to ensure that their grog may come to suspect the Quaesitor with cally it does not guarantee exclusivity due wins the race. whom they are securing the interim leases of to the difficulty of determining which lease selling this information to their rival. Prov- was granted first, and who has the stronger ing this allegation could be hard. claim. Should another covenant discover the same vis source, it may also obtain an interim lease. Multiple leaseholders must settle the a day’s march of the vis source (thus making it er becomes a luctatio (“contest”) rather than matter privately until a final ruling can be their seisin). This is how most new covenants a tropaeum. The list of all luctationes owned made at Tribunal. are founded (see below for more details). by the Tribunal is a matter of public record All seisins, legacies, tropaea, and lucta- and a copy is kept at Confluensis, although tiones are a matter of public record, but they the method of obtaining the vis need not be have the advantage of granting exclusivity of Normandy Tribunal detailed. Any magus can attempt to harvest harvest. A covenant which harvests a hith- Ruling: Tropaeum this vis if he is prepared for the effort or dan- erto unknown vis source but chooses not to ger that it poses, although succeeding in a secure an interim lease is guilty of plunder- The Tribunal of 1032 ruled that the luctatio does not confer any rights over that ing, a Low Crime under the Peripheral Code known vis sources that were not seisins of vis source in subsequent years. Like tropaea, of the Normandy Tribunal. Traditionally a covenant or currently held under a lega- the Tribunal’s permission must be sought be- the Tribunal has treated such cases harshly cy lease were tropaea (singular tropaeum, fore establishing a covenant in close proxim- (fines have been in excess of three times the meaning “trophy”) and owned in common ity to a luctatio, but it is usually marginally amount of vis plundered), and many magi by the Tribunal as a whole. Tropaea are to be easier to do so. consider that it is not worth the risk. At least distributed among the members of the Tribu- Luctationes do not cost Build Points to a legacy guarantees them seven years of har- nal on seven-year leases by being won in the acquire because they do not belong to a sin- vesting from a vis source. Nevertheless, giv- Tourney. A vis source becomes a tropaeum, gle covenant. If a covenant does have exclu- en that legacy leases are notoriously difficult and thus the property of the Tribunal, if it sive access to a luctatio for some reason, then to renew, there is a definite incentive for a does not qualify as a seisin, and a petition it is costed as a vis source with the Contested covenant to neglect to declare a vis source to for a legacy lease has been rejected by the Resource Hook. the Tribunal but to continue to harvest from Tribunal. Only vis sources that require mini- it clandestinely. mal effort to harvest are eligible to become tropaea; vis sources that require effort or skill to harvest are declared luctationes (see below) instead. Tropaeum leases, like legacy leases, last Example Tropaea Example Luctationes from one Tribunal meeting to the next, and the holder of the lease has the same rights • On St. Martin’s day, Aquam vis in the • A tree in a forest has a basilisk fam- of exclusive harvest as the holders of lega- form of sea foam is cast up onto a se- ily nesting in its roots; the fruit of the cy leases. However, a covenant that wishes cluded beach. tree, if the basilisks permit collection, to establish itself within a day’s march of a • Water from a secluded pool is worth is Perdo vis. tropaeum must seek the approval of the Tri- Intellego vis if collected when the • The mournful song of a ghostly maid- bunal before it does so, and if they win the image of the second full moon in a en is Mentem vis; first she must be vote the tropaeum becomes a seisin of the month is reflected in it (this occurs enticed to sing her lament, then the new covenant. about once every 3 years). magus must capture the song in physi- • If the weather atop a particular hill cal form. can be captured in a bottle of blue • There is a cliff ledge upon which a Normandy Tribunal glass on midwinter’s day, it becomes falcon nests every year. On the same Ruling: Luctatio Auram vis. day every year, a serpent tries to steal • The discarded bandages of a certain an egg; if prevented, the egg contains The Tribunal of 1039 ruled that a vis leper colony are Corpus vis. Animal vis. If successful, the serpent source owned by the Tribunal that relies contains Vim vis (if it can be caught). heavily on the abilities or skill of the harvest-

21 The Lion and the Lily Consequences of the Perthean Compact The Perthean Compact and New Covenants Due to the scarcity of vis in the Nor- ing. These are bought as normal vis sourc- The Perthean Compact was instituted mandy Tribunal, storyguides may wish es, accompanied by the Vis Lease Hook to clearly delineate the fair distribution of a to limit the number of Covenant Build (see below). dwindling resource of vis, and to free the Tri- Points that can be spent on vis sources bunal from its numerous squabbles over who and vis stocks. The limit depends very owns a vis source. Given that it has served much on the individual saga, but 3 to 5 Minor Resources Hook: to promote more quarrels, not to mention Build Points per magus to be spent on Vis Lease cheating and outright raiding, it is perhaps vis is reasonable. Note that a new cov- no surprise that its original author, Pertheus, enant has to have vis sources (typically One of the covenant’s vis sources is was a member of House Tytalus. seisins) which produce a pawn of vis per a legacy or a tropaeum rather than a sei- For example, a certain vis source is com- year for every magus in the covenant, sin. When the lease expires, the covenant mon knowledge to several covenants, but a although some or all of this vis may be must campaign at the Tribunal to retain political conspiracy keeps it from being for- given away due to the feudal obliga- the lease on a legacy; or else compete in mally registered. The covenants operate this tions of the covenant to its liege. Vis the Tourney to win the right to harvest a secret vis cartel to ensure that they always given away in this manner does not cost tropaeum. If taken for a legacy, this Hook receive its harvest rather than it being made Build Points. presupposes that there is a reason why the a tropaeum for the Tourney. Alternatively, a new covenant can be vis source is not a tropaeum (for example, For example, after a complaint from created with one or more legacies or tro- it might be newly discovered). This Hook the Primus of House Mercere, it was clari- paea, vis sources that will probably pass can be taken more than once, affecting a fied by the Tribunal that the various public from its hands at the next Tribunal meet- different vis source each time. operations of Redcaps involving the trading and lending of vis were not subject to the Perthean Compact, which only legislated The Library of the a consequence, the Tribunal has a fairly large the gathering of vis in Normandy, not its stock of books that are kept at the covenant subsequent fate once it becomes the prop- Normandy Tribunal of Confluensis, and they are distributed to erty of magi. However, the covenant of covenants as prizes at the Tourney. Praeda runs an auction where vis smuggled A century and a half ago, a famed Her- Contributing an original book to the Tri- in from the southern Tribunals is sold to the metic author, Perpauca Bonisagi, wrote sev- bunal’s library grants a magus an automatic highest bidder from among the covenants eral great books for her covenant’s library. prize at the next Tourney, the lease of a book who are members of a consortium. This is However, her covenant jealously prevented of similar quality to the one offered. In game contrary to the Perthean Compact because, most visitors from reading them, and Per- terms, a character may chose a book that is as a luctatio, it should be a free contest to pauca perceived that much of her effort was worth up to as many Covenant Build Points as all, not available to an exclusive clientele going to waste. Therefore, she initiated the the one he contributed. Books are assigned to who pay a fee to remain part of the con- practice of writing books and donating them contributors early on in the prize-giving pro- sortium. Ironically, the actual plundering to the Tribunal as a whole. She was widely cedure (see The Hermetic Tourney, below), of the vis from other Tribunals is not itself lauded for her efforts, and achieved some and if more than one contributing author a crime in Normandy; it is the manner in measure of prestige and an altruistic reputa- desires access to the same book, then certa- which it is distributed that contravenes the tion. Perpauca was able to convince several men is used to resolve this conflict. Over the Perthean Compact. other magi to follow her lead, and, since then, years, magi have left comments regarding this practice has been followed by others. As the quality and subject matter of each tome in a pamphlet attached to each spine; perus- ing these pamphlets allows a magus to gain an accurate measure of the Quality and Level The Perthean Compact and Personal Vis Sources (if applicable) of the book.

Players who wish to give their ma- could be a seisin of the covenant, with and gus this Hermetic Virtue should consider internal agreement between the magi of Normandy Tribunal Ruling: the Perthean Compact when they do so. that covenant that the vis belongs to the The Library of the Tribunal A Peripheral Code ruling of 1144 makes character, for whatever reason. Alterna- it clear that any vis that is generated by tively, the vis might derive from a source The Tribunal of 1081 ruled that the the person of a magus (in his hair, blood, outside the Normandy Tribunal, and thus books owned in common by the Tribunal are and so forth) is the sole possession of that not be subject to the Perthean Compact. available as prizes at the Tourney. Winning a magus, and not subject to the Perthean Combined with the Dark Secret Flaw, the book in the tournament grants exclusive ac- Compact. However, magi with an exter- Virtue could be as a result of plundering cess to that tome for a total of seven years; nal vis source must consider the implica- an undisclosed source, with serious conse- at which point it is returned to the Tribunal’s tions of their Virtue choice. The vis source quences should this be discovered. store. The book store is maintained at Con- fluensis, and a list of the books and their

22 The Lion and the Lily

covenant of Lapis Crudus, and stole a signifi- Normandy Tribunal Rulings: Story Seed: cant amount of food and luxuries (but oddly, Mundane Resources and Raiding left vis and glassware alone). This caused Lending Library Lapis Crudus considerable hardship, and The Tribunal of 1116 confirmed the earli- they complained to the Tribunal. However, er ruling of 1081 that the mundane resources The characters need a specific book when challenged, Lapis Crudus were unable of a covenant do not necessarily contribute (for whatever reason), which is current- to explain what part of the Code has been to the magical power of its members. Specifi- ly leased to another covenant. What violated by Koilios. Furthermore, Koilios cally, food, consumables, building supplies, must they concede to the current leasee was a skilled politician from House Tytalus, arms and armor, and luxury goods are not for them to lend the book to the char- and cited the ruling of 1088, indicating that part of a magus’s magical power. However, acters? Further, since the original cov- what had been taken from Lapis Crudus did enant is technically still the leasee, what not infringe the rights accorded them by happens when the book goes missing or the Code of Hermes. Koilios had picked is damaged? his target well; Lapis Crudus was not well- Books Held liked, and Koilios was able to defeat Lapis in Common Crudus and win exoneration for his theft. A authors is a matter of public record. These succession of weak Quaesitors at subsequent Below is just a sample of the books books cannot be consulted by any member Tribunals failed to put a stop to this quasi- owned by the Tribunal. Storyguides are of the Tribunal unless they have been won legal robbery, and the tradition that mun- encouraged to expand this list to cover at the Tourney. The leasee is responsible for dane raiding is not a Hermetic crime in and a wide range of subjects and Qualities. the book’s safety during the seven-year lease, of itself is now too deeply entrenched in the and it must be returned to Confluensis be- Peripheral Code of the Normandy Tribunal The Babble Within Thought, by Hicuccus of fore the next Tribunal in an acceptable state. to be easily excised. Criamon, Summa on Mentem, Level Books are leased under a Cow and Calf Oath In 1220, this practice seems outdated, 12, Quality 11. Build Points: 23 (Covenants, page 95) which states that copies and many covenants deliberately avoid such The Dismal Itch, by Azenis of Tytalus. made of a book belong to owner (that is, the tactics for fear of appearing barbaric to cov- Summa on Corpus, Level 10, Qual- Tribunal), not to the copyist. enants of other Tribunals. Not all covenants ity 11. Build Points: 21 in Normandy have such social compunction De Lapii, by Jeremias filius Guernicus. however. It has become a tactic used primar- Summa on Terram, Level 17, Qual- Mundane Resources ily to thwart rivals who have the temerity to ity 14 (this is one of the Branches establish a covenant near to a pre-existing of the Arts, see Covenants, page 93) one. Consistent and judicious tampering with Build Points: 31 In 1081, Florum Covenant was ordered a rival’s supplies and income may ultimately Insights from Twilight, by Perpauca Bonisa- by the Tribunal to dismantle its linen factory, cause the rival covenant to founder, and this gi. Summa on Magic Theory, Level which was equipped with blatantly magi- licensed thuggery has resulted in a relatively 6, Quality 11. Build Points: 28 cal devices for the production of cloth. It high extinction rate of new covenants in Mirrors of the Soul, by Perpauca Bonisagi, was ruled that the excessive amount of fine the Tribunal. The Covenant of Montverte Summa on Imaginem, Level 12, quality cloth produced was being used to derives most of its mundane resources from Quality 16. Build Points: 28 unduly influence the mundane population preying on the wealth of nearby covenants; The Mole’s Work, by Adanos Lutorum of of Ghent. At the next Tribunal, Florum ap- its victims are not allies and will not unite Tytalus. Lab Texts for Rock of Viscid pealed against the former ruling, citing that against the threat regardless of their com- Clay, Earth That Breaks No More, and they were now so poor that their access to mon plight. The Forgiving Earth. Build Points: 11 laboratory supplies was virtually non-exis- The consequences of conducting or The Peril of Phoebos, by Perpauca Bonisa- tent. They claimed that their magical power suffering a raid depend on the targets cho- gi, Tractatus on Ignem, Quality 11. was therefore being limited by the previous sen, the success of the raid, and the level to Build Points: 11 ruling of the Tribunal. The appeal was dis- which the saga measures the cash flow of the The Primal Power, by Peter of Uist. Sum- missed as spurious by Quaesitor Celestin, covenant. Raids should be primarily a source ma on Aquam, Level 9, Quality 17. who remarked that “the mundane resources of stories, but may result in the gain or loss of Build Points: 26 of a covenant cannot be considered to con- supplies. Being the repeated victims of a raid- Research Notes on Aegis of the Hearth, by No- tribute towards the magical power of its ing covenant can result in the Poverty Hook, tatus and others. Tractatus on Mas- members.” This ill-considered comment was but most raids lead to only a temporary tery in Aegis of the Hearth, Quality 11, enshrined in the Peripheral Code of the Nor- shortage. Likewise, being a raiding covenant plus a Lab Text of a 20th-level ver- mandy Tribunal, although the legal loophole could be a source of the covenant’s income, sion of the spell. Build Points: 15 that it created would not be exploited for but is more likely to lead to short-term luxu- Subtle Knives, by Jacinda of Flambeau. several decades. (Florum later reestablished ry. If employing the Wealth & Poverty rules Summa on Penetration, Level 5, its linen factories using more subtle means to of Covenants (Chapter 4), the storyguide may Quality 8. Build Points: 23 enhance the quality of their cloth.) wish to keep a precise track of which catego- Unveiling the Tempest, by Daniel Tonatris. In 1113, the magus Koilios staged a ries of yearly expenditure are increased or Summa on Auram, Level 8, Quality successful raid on the supply convoy of the mitigated as a result of a raid. 12. Build Points: 20

23 The Lion and the Lily completed or partially completed books, vis, Cross-Border Disputes Urban Covenants enchanted items, and laboratory supplies all are components of a magus’s magical power. Raiders from Rhine and Iberian cov- and the Town Senex Later rulings clarified that livestock and enants have both successfully conducted covenfolk were not afforded any especial im- raids on Normandy covenants in the past, Parts of the Normandy Tribunal are heav- munity, but clearly apprentices, familiars, and since when in Normandy they are under the ily populated with covenants and mundane magical beasts were. Further, a maga conduct- jurisdiction of the Normandy Peripheral towns, and frequently the Tribunal has adjudi- ing a raid cannot damage the physical buildings Code (Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, cated disputed interactions with towns. Once of the covenant itself, and must not break the page 56). All that the Normandy Tribunal towns were merely extensions of noble es- Code in any fashion during the course of a raid, can do in recourse to such cross-border raids tates, but recently many towns have become such as putting the life of another magus in dan- is to judge foreign magi extremely harshly more autonomous, leading to the possibility ger. The raiding maga must challenge any ac- if they break the Code during one of these of complex entanglements between town law companying magi to certamen; should she lose raids, hoping that it will be a deterrent to and the Code of Hermes. The ruling currently then she must abandon her raid. If she wins, others. Such raids have been rare up to now, regarded as precedent setting was made dur- then her opponent must retreat to a distance of and it is not considered an important issue ing the Tribunal of 1200 to resolve a dispute at least a mile, and cannot return until the sun to the Tribunal as a whole; however, those between Fudarus and its new vassal Atramen- rises. Junior magi are often assigned the duty of magi who live within striking distance of tum. Of course, the rulings of the Normandy accompanying supplies to the covenant; this another Tribunal disagree. Tribunal are not binding on other Tribunals, prevents the raiding party from scrying ahead and may be subject to reversal. and restricts the use of area-affecting magic that In the case of 1200, the magi of Fudarus might inadvertently affect the escorting magus. were claimed to have interfered in the mundane and thereby brought ruin upon the magi of Atramentum, by sending an agent to form an artificer guild in the town of Le Conquet. This, it was claimed, ruined the magi of Atra- mentum — as guild politics interrupted the work of artisans in the town whom they had commissioned to manufacture quality items for enchantment, which in turn delayed Atra- mentum’s ability to collect vis from a newly discovered source. The Tribunal ruled that there was no case to answer. The basis was that Le Conquet was closer to Fudarus than Atramentum, and therefore Fudarus’s activities in the town had precedence. Effectively, the Tribunal ruled, the magi of Atramentum had “ruined” themselves by relying on the work of mundane artificers, and not long af- terwards the magi of Atramentum were evicted by senior magi leaving Fudarus.

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: The Town Senex

The Tribunal of 1200 determined that the agents of the covenant closest to a town, referred to as the senex, have superior rights to those of the agents of other covenants op- erating in that town. In particular, this means that if the actions of the senex collaterally damage the interests of another covenant, then ruin has not been caused. The senex is judged to be the covenant in which the town’s church bells sound the loudest, as determined by a Quaesitor. Therefore, if a town’s church bells cannot be heard at all in a covenant that covenant is too distant from the town to claim senex rights, and for many towns therefore there is no extant senex.

24 The Lion and the Lily

make any demands he likes of a covenant only after mundanes have carried out pain- The Order and Towns without a charter, and being forced to re- ful reprisals against Hermetic victims. To fuse such demands may create problems for prevent that targeting of Hermetic interests, The Order and Towns (Code of Hermes the magi. Of course, if the lord doesn’t ac- covenants often act through mundane al- Ability summa; Quality 8, Level 4) was tually know of the covenant’s existence (for lies who are called “masks”. If the mask of a written by the Quaesitor Fluvius, in example, it is hidden in a regio) this is not covenant is the target for reprisal, this does 1208, and is regarded in the Normandy a problem. not, under Tribunal custom, indicate ruin Tribunal as the preeminent authority on and therefore is not interpreted as a breach mundane interactions allowed under the of the Code. Code. The Tribunal rulings below are Implications of the Rulings It is vital for magi using this legal discussed in his book, along with a num- on the Town Senex and separation that their masks never identify ber of hypothetical case studies. It was Urban Covenants magi, either a single covenant or unnamed partly an attempt to resolve issues that members of the Order, as their sponsors. If arose during the French annexation of they do so, they cease to provide protec- the English lands in Northern France. The senex ruling has sometimes been used tion from charges of meddling with the to determine the ownership of unclaimed, mundanes. Masks provide no protection urban vis sources when competing claims are from charges of depriving other magi of Normandy Tribunal Ruling: presented simultaneously, although runners their power, so they cannot legally be used Urban Covenants are also used for determining vis source own- against the senex of a town. This traditional ership. One reason that runners are not used interpretation, which protects magi strin- The Tribunal of 1207 determined that a to determine the senex is that an attempt to gently and mundanes only when they strike covenant may be sited in a town (see Cove- resolve the original situation with runners at the Order, may be the result of centuries nants, page 11), and the normal interaction of was vetoed, with veiled threats of Wizard of Tytalan policy. covenant members with the townsfolk does War, by the powerful magi of the island cov- not thereby cause ruin to other members of enant of Fudarus. In addition, as the sound of the Order of Hermes. the town’s bells only carry a certain distance, Normandy Tribunal Ruling: Further, the Tribunal of 1207 determined a covenant can only claim senex rights in a Mundane Interference that a covenant may be granted a town char- town that is near. Of course, magic and the ter by a mundane lord (see City and Guild, page geography of the region could affect the dis- There have been no specific rulings, 8). However, the magi themselves cannot take tance sound can travel. which sets the Tribunal’s policy regarding advantage of any privileges under the charter, The rulings made in 1207 followed the the use of agencies and masks on unstable as to do so would be effectively the same as acceptance by several covenants of offers of ground. Magi who are new to the Tribunal swearing an oath of fealty. It is acceptable, charters made by King John, and his subse- may witness events that would be considered however, for a covenant to collectively pay quent demands for military assistance during violations of the Code of Hermes in other a tax, either in coin or mundane produce. It the French annexation of some parts of the Tribunals, and even by a strict interpretation is also noted that while the contents of grants Normandy Tribunal. Despite these rulings, of Normandy’s Peripheral Code. However, of charter are, of course, entirely at the dis- the Tribunal did affirm that the solicitation there are numerous precedents that give a de- cretion of a mundane lord, lords who propose of mundane grants of charter was acceptable, fendant legal standing when testing whether charters should be reminded that magi can- and indeed to be commended, as properly ruin was actually caused by his actions, and not be held accountable to such a document. implemented charters are an avenue by which the Tribunal rarely convicts in situations This may help avoid unnecessary future fric- the relationship between the covenant and where damage to a Hermetic magus cannot tion with the nobility. the lord can be formally limited — therefore be unequivocally demonstrated. Many towns are governed by officials ei- discouraging lords from making rash claims ther elected or appointed under their charter over covenants built on their land. (see City and Guild, page 13). The Tribunal of It should also be noted that exactly what 1207 also deemed it acceptable for eligible is allowed as “normal interaction” under these An Ear for members of a covenant to vote or hold office rulings is ambiguous. in a town. Whatever the town charter might Distant Bells state, a magus, however, is not eligible as under the Code of Hermes he cannot swear an InIm Level 15 oath of fealty to mundane authorities. Mundane Interference R: Personal, D: Concentration, T: Hearing

The Normandy Tribunal’s interpretation This spell allows the caster to precisely A Covenant Charter of the parts of the Code that concern med- determine the distance and direction from dling with the mundanes is looser than that their location to the source of a sound. Charters are granted to towns by lords. in many other Tribunals. A covenant is rarely This spell was invented in the Normandy It could be a good idea for a covenant to convicted of meddling with mundanes if the Tribunal by the Quaesitor Fluvius. have a grant of charter as the document for- covenant’s actions do not “bring ruin upon” mally limits the powers of mundane authori- other magi. Magi interpret this to mean that (Base 3, +1 Conc, +3 Hearing) ties over the covenant. A feudal lord could magi are guilty of the offense of meddling

25 The Lion and the Lily

Further Excerpts from the on linguistic grounds. Territory disputed cinth escaped a Wizard’s March, but suffered the loss of his familiar. Normandy Peripheral Code by the two Tribunals shall be henceforth decided by the language of the closest 1144 (40th meeting of the Normandy Tri- 871 (The inaugural meeting of the Tribunal settlement; if it is a langue d’oeil then it is bunal): Quaesitor Lothaire was publicly of the West Franks.): Present are the cov- Normandy, else it is Provençal. Despite accused of partisanship by Jacinth of enants of Confluensis, Pagus, Baiocassi- protests from Provençal at the Grand Tri- Oleron, who cited specific instances bunal in 1129, this decision is upheld. where the Quaesitor was a beneficiary um, Bibracte, and Sinapis (the covenants th of Fudarus and Branugurix both attend 1109 (35 meeting of the Normandy Tribu- of numerous raids conducted by the cov- the Britannian Tribunal meeting). nal): Quaesitor Muirgheal encounters a enants of Montverte, Fudarus, and their 885 (3rd meeting of the Tribunal of the West group of hedge wizards who are fight- allies. A subsequent Quaesitorial inves- Franks): Maga Adela of Jerbiton, a fre- ing a plague of restless dead, and inducts tigation exonerated Lothaire from any quent attendant at court, was accused of many of them into the Order as the Ex wrongdoing owing to lack of substance acting as “court wizard” to King Louis III Miscellanea tradition of the Donatores to Jacinth’s accusations. Nevertheless, between 879 and 881. She maintained Requietis Aeternae (see Houses of Hermes: Lothaire did not regain his status as chief Societates, House Ex Miscellanea). Quaesitor of Normandy, and was invited that the accusation was brought by a ma- th gus with whom she had a long-standing 1116 (36 meeting of the Normandy Tribu- to join Magvillus in recognition of his nal): Raiding of mundane resources is ex- long service to the Order. feud, and there was no evidence to sug- th gest any risk to the Order resulting from plicitly permitted by Quaesitor Lothaire 1172 (44 meeting of the Normandy Tri- her friendship with the king, who died in based on an earlier ruling (see Mundane bunal): Atlax of Tytalus was accused of Resources, above). stealing and reading the messages carried 882. The maga was acquitted. th 899 (5th meeting of the Tribunal of the West 1116 (36 meeting of the Normandy Tribu- by the Redcap Camille while the latter Franks): The Tribunal votes to support nal): Magus Praecepsus of Flambeau was was hosted at Fudarus. Quaesitor Whent the decision of the 7th meeting of the accused of using a sword enchanted with held the covenant responsible for their Grand Tribunal, subsumes some of the Perdo spells to cut down the enemies of magus’s crime, and stripped Fudarus of former territories of the Provençal Tri- the king during the raid on Paris by the the lease of a legacy, and granted it to count of Meulan in 1111. The Tribunal House Mercere instead. bunal and extends eastward to share a th border with the Rhine Tribunal. ruled that, since there was no evidence, 1179 (45 meeting of the Normandy Tri- 983 (17th meeting of the Tribunal of the to mundane eyes, that magic was in- bunal): Magus Pernix of Merinita was volved, there was no charge to answer. accused by Magus Visurgis of Tytalus of West Franks): In light of the preemi- th nence of the Duke of Normandy in the 1123 (37 meeting of the Normandy Tribu- interfering with mundanes when he used territories claimed by the Tribunal, and nal): Pandion of Flambeau was accused magic to heal a young nobleman who fell the decline of the Franks as a people, of depriving Antonin of Dragon’s Rest from his horse. The accused argued that the Tribunal supported the proposal of of his magical power by stealing twelve the only people who knew that magic Adrianus of Montverte, and the Tribu- valuable horses from the Redcap, one of was used were the injured man himself nal of the West Franks was renamed the which was a magical creature. Pandion and the abbot, prior, and infirmarian of Normandy Tribunal. was convicted, and ordered to return the monastery where he was taken to re- 1018 (22nd meeting of the Normandy Tribu- the magical horse, along with a fine of cover. All were friends of his covenant nal): The Tribunal welcomes Fudarus to its 10 pawns of vis, but was permitted to and so there was no scandal or “ruin.” nd retain the other eleven horses as spoils Magus Pernix was acquitted. 22 meeting; and since it is the only sur- th viving Breton covenant, the Tribunal claims from a lawful raid. The Tribunal noted 1179 (45 meeting of the Normandy Tri- Brittany and all its magical resources. that while livestock did not in general bunal): Camille of Mercere was accused 1025 – 1039 (23rd – 25th meetings of the contribute to a magus’s magical power, by Buliste of Tytalus of interfering with Normandy Tribunal): Pertheus of Tytalus enchanted creatures — even those that mundanes, in that he used a local knight proposes a series of rulings to end dis- were not familiars — certainly did. Af- to secure the vis from one of his legacies. putes over magical resources in the Tri- ter a request for clarification, Quaesitor The knight later admitted to his confes- bunal, later called the Perthean Compact. Lothaire extended this ruling to exclude sor that he had “done the work of devils,” covenfolk from a magus’s magical power. and it was only the swift action of Atlax (see the Perthean Compact, above). th 1095 (33rd meeting of the Normandy Tri- 1130 (38 meeting of the Normandy Tri- of Fudarus that prevented ruin from be- bunal): Covenant of Nauche-Fleur was bunal): Jacinth of Oleron was accused ing brought on the Order. The Tribunal accused at Tribunal of entering into a of deprivation in that, conducting a raid agreed; Camille was ordered to pay fifteen feudal obligation with their local baron. against the covenant of Infelicitas, he pawns of vis to Fudarus in damages, and The covenant protested that the oath caused the collapse of the upper story of the vis source in question was declared the covenant. Further, he was accused of off limits for at least three decades. was taken by an unGifted companion th who acted the role of Lord of the Manor attempting to slay a magus through the 1207 (49 meeting of the Normandy Tribu- physical destruction of the covenant. This nal): Pugnatis had been found guilty by on behalf of the magi. The Tribunal ruled th that the magi were innocent. second charge could not be proved, but the 48 Tribunal of mundane interference 1102 (34th meeting of the Normandy Tribu- Jacinth was convicted of the first, since in that she had used magic to control the nal): In response to a complaint from three two laboratories were destroyed. Quae- mayor of Laval to obtain access to a vis Flambeau magi of Provençal, the Tribunal sitor Lothaire ruled that raiding magi are source. She was ordered to create some rules that lacking a clear geographical forbidden from damaging the physical enchanted items by way of a fine. She and boundary between Provençal and Nor- structure of a covenant, and reminded the items failed to turn up at this Tribunal, mandy, the border should be determined the Tribunal that they cannot contravene and she was expelled from the Order. the Code in an otherwise legal raid. Ja-

26 The Lion and the Lily

least four pawns per year, if there are fewer distant from the magi’s sancta, as long as Founding a than four magi). Even given the scarcity of it is positively identified to the Tribunal. vis in the Normandy Tribunal, this seems This council chamber cannot be within a easier than, say, the stringent requirements day’s journey of another covenant’s coun- New Covenant of the neighboring Rhine Tribunal (see cil chamber, which by tradition has been Guardians of the Forests, page 16). The new established that it should be impossible to In principle it is simple to form a new covenant must have an official meeting reach one council chamber from another covenant in the Normandy Tribunal. The place, called (for want of a better term) the using the Seven League Stride spell. A provi- only legal requirement is that the nascent council chamber, although it need not be sion in the Peripheral Code specifically covenant has exclusive access to one or a room where the council (if there is one) prohibits a covenant from sidestepping more sources of vis that collectively sup- meets. Instead it could be the home of the the Perthean Compact through the estab- ply a minimum of one pawn of vis per year covenant’s leader, a cave where the magi lishment of chapter houses (see Guardians for every magus in the new covenant (or at regularly meet, or even a grove of trees of the Forests, pages 83 and 110), which are

Saga Seed: Feudal Duty

The player covenant begins as a vassal vassal, unless they can prove that it is Breaking Free of another covenant. They will probably harmful to themselves; eventually want to win their independence • The liege is obliged to answer one/two/ To gain independence from a liege, from their liege covenant; the trick is do- three requests for assistance from their a vassal covenant must either wait for its ing this without making any enemies (see vassal every seven years; this assistance liege to default on the oath of fealty, or de- Breaking Free, below). The terms of the can be refused if it would interrupt a liberately break it themselves, since either Oath of Fealty should be clearly recorded: season, or require the expenditure of party can cancel the oath following a suc- each contains one or more duties of service the liege’s vis; cessful prosecution. for the vassal covenant to perform, and one • The liege covenant will gift the vassal Example: A liege supports a vote at Tri- or more duties of protection owed by the covenant with a vis source that is legal- bunal that is detrimental to its vassal. The liege covenant. ly theirs to grant/a certain number of vassal now has a legal claim of a Low Crime books for the vassal covenant’s library/ against its liege. If it decides to prosecute a certain number of enchantments; this claim and wins, the liege will be forced Typical Duties of Service • The vassal covenant has the right to to pay damages to its vassal. The liege can spend one/two/three seasons every sev- retaliate by canceling the oath, but it would • At every Tribunal, one quarter/one en years copying books from the liege’s lose the duties of service that it gains from half/all the vassal magi must surrender library, and these copies are protected its vassal. Alternatively, the vassal can de- their sigils as free proxies to a represen- under a Cow and Calf agreement. cide to use this opportunity to escape from tative of the liege covenant; its oath, and cancel it. • At every Tribunal, all the vassal magi Depending on the terms of the Oath of Example: A vassal wishing to free itself must vote as directed by a represen- Fealty, the vassal and liege could acquire a from infeudation refuses one of its duties tative of the liege covenant for one/ number of Boons and Hooks. Terms that are of service, leaving itself open to an accusa- three/five of the votes; favorable to the vassal may give them the tion of a Low Crime. To cancel the oath • Every year/three years/seven years Powerful Ally Boon, but most oaths leave of fealty, the vassal must allow itself to be the vassal covenant must provide one/ the vassal with Hooks such as Beholden. convicted and pay the fine handed down three/seven pawns of vis (possibly of a The table below indicates the Boons and by the Quaesitores. If the liege does not specific type) to the liege covenant; Hooks that are particularly appropriate for wish to lose the vassal, it may decide not • Every year/three years/seven years the representing the Oath of Fealty between a to prosecute the case, but this would cause vassal covenant must spend one season liege and its vassals. it to lose face. It might instead be able to copying or writing books to contribute For descriptions of these Boons and persuade the Tribunal to hand down a par- to the library of the liege covenant; Hooks, see ArM5, Chapter 6, and Cov- ticularly harsh fine on its defaulting vas- • Every year the vassal covenant must col- enants, Chapter 2. sal, making the payment of the service the lect the vis from a legacy of their liege. preferable course of action.

Typical Duties of Protection Covenant major Boons minor Boons major Hooks minor Hooks Vassal Powerful Ally (none) Beholden, Beholden, Favors, • The liege must not support any action Indebted Indebted at Tribunal that is to the detriment of Liege Favors Owed, Promised Favors (none) Protector their vassal; Hidden Resources* • The liege must support any action at Tribunal that is to the benefit of their * Represents tithes of vis or other resources that are supplied at agreed intervals by the vassal.

27 The Lion and the Lily remote sites of a covenant and could po- sufficient vis supply when it is established. Liege & Vassal Covenants tentially be placed right on the doorstep Should it lose the vis source, or acquire of another covenant’s seisin so long as its new members, the covenant does not lose council chamber was legally placed. The recognition in the eyes of the Tribunal, so The difficulty in establishing a covenant Covenant of Fengheld in the Rhine Tribu- long as the source was genuine at the time of lies in obtaining exclusive access to vis sources nal has a chapter house in Cherbourg (see establishment. Vis extracted from the local of sufficient size. Because of the Tribunal’s strict Guardians of the Forests, page 83), but this is aura does not count as a vis supply but as vis rules regarding vis sources, by far the most com- considered a coenobium (see below) by the stocks, since its production is not guaranteed mon way for a covenant to form is through the Normandy Tribunal. and thus cannot contribute to meeting the support of an established covenant. A covenant Note that a covenant needs only to have requirement of foundation. that obtains a legacy lease over a vis source may

Past and Present Covenants

Because of the sparse distribution of vis 11: Confluensis. This covenant origi- near the center of France, this cove- in Normandy, and the way in which new nally occupied the site now inhabited nant was an important liege before the covenants tend to form, most covenants by the covenant of Dragon’s Rest. Schism War. Following the conflict be- are quite small, with an average of only Bibracte (822 – 969): Vassal of Fudarus, lo- tween House Tytalus and Flambeau, it four magi. This means there are about 15 cated on Mount Beauvray in Burgundy was abandoned as its members left for to 20 covenants in the Tribunal, of which (see Champagne and Burgundy: The Provence and Iberia. three quarters are either a liege or a vassal Morvan), consisting of a small number Rotomagus (875 – 892): Founded near (or both), and there are usually only one or of Diedne magi and a magus of House Rouen by the first generation of ap- two coenobia among the remainder. There Tytalus. The covenant resurrected a cult prentices from Sinapis, and destroyed are also about half a dozen or so eremites. worshipping the Gaulish hero Vercin- less than a quarter of a century later This is not intended to be an exhaus- getorix; however, the magi gradually be- when the Vikings sacked Rouen. The tive list of the covenants of the Normandy came obsessed with anti-Roman ideals, sole surviving member left House Tribunal, but indicates some of the most firstly outlawing Latin in favor of Bry- Flambeau in shame, and joined House noteworthy of the Tribunal’s covenants in- thonic, and ultimately refusing all deal- Ex Miscellanea. cluding all those mentioned in this book. ings with magi from “Roman” Houses. Florum (907 – present): See Flanders: Flo- The covenants are arranged in chronologi- This earned them many enemies, and, rum. This covenant originally occupied cal order, by the date of their founding. seizing on the weakness of Fudarus in the site now inhabited by the magi of the aftermath of the betrayal of House Spider’s Palace. Branugurix (791 – 1012): Domus magna of Tytalus, four Flambeau and Tremere Ligurio (913 – 1011): Vassal of Fudarus House Diedne, located in a regio close magi from Montverte simultaneously on the Aquitaine-Brittany border in to Mount Dol (see Brittany: County declared Wizard War on the magi of Bi- the Vendeé; it was destroyed by gi- of Rennes). Its name was actually bracte, accusing them of devil-worship. ants hurling huge boulders, presumed Bren Gwrac’h, but the Order adopted These actions resulted in the sacking to have been sent by the Diedne cov- a Gallic version of the name for ease and destruction of the covenant. enant of Kerguntuil. of use in Latin. The entrances to the Pagus (840 – 1008): Vassal of Confluensis. Kerguntuil (920 – 1007): Vassal of Branu- regio were somehow closed by the Pri- Founded at a ruined Roman outpost gurix. A coastal covenant situated on mus of the house during the climactic near the town of Cherbourg, it offered the Rose Coast (see Brittany: Mainland battle of the Schism War, and some a commanding strategic vista over the Armor and Argoat). The members of Flambeau and Tremere magi were lost, English Channel. The magi invested Kerguntuil were particularly interested trapped inside. The exact location and a large amount of vis, during the late in the many Breton tales regarding the former method of entering the re- eighth century and early nineth cen- giants, and many of their covenfolk gio is detailed in the records of House tury, restoring the Roman buildings, were larger than average humans. It Guernicus (and perhaps elsewhere), including a dock. Cruelly, the cov- is rumored that a Quaesitor suggested but is not widely known. There are enant then suffered enormous damage to the Templars that they built their rumors that some members of House during the Viking raids, from which it chapel at Lanleff to cleanse the region Diedne survived within the regio, and never recovered. It was destroyed in from the diabolic taint of the Diedne. that there are some who are working to the Schism War. Baiocassium Minor (936 – 1005): Vassal of free them from their centuries-long im- Baiocassium (851 – 1011): Vassal of Branu- Baiocassium located within the town of prisonment. House Guernicus takes a gurix, located in the forest near Bayeux. Bayeux. Destroyed in the Schism War. great interest in those who spend a lot The magi of Baiocassium, predominant- Montverte (941 – present): See Normandy: of time in the area around Mount Dol. ly of House Diedne, were the descen- Montverte. Fudarus (798 – present): See Brittany: dants of Gallic druids and had good Caput Capra (981 – 1005): Vassal of Branu- Fudarus. relationships with the local faeries. gurix, and the furthest east of Norman- Confluensis (810 – present): See Chapter Sinapis (855 – 1063): Located in Anjou, dy’s Diedne covenants, on the banks of

28 The Lion and the Lily choose to sponsor a new covenant, often con- feudal control over its vassals through oaths of Oaths of Fealty sisting of the former apprentices of the cove- fealty, and five great lines dominate the poli- nant. The vassal covenant is established within tics of the Normandy Tribunal through these When sponsoring a vassal covenant, a day’s march of the legacy, and ownership of oaths: Fudarus, Confluensis, Florum, Oleron, the liege covenant demands an oath of the vis source passes from the liege covenant to and Montverte. Two further lineages are now fealty from its vassal. Each liege covenant the vassal, which may then register it as a seisin extinct: one — dominated by House Diedne has a single oath sworn to by all of its vas- at the next Tribunal meeting. — was extinguished during the Schism War, sals, which details the rights and responsi- The liege-vassal lines of covenants are the and the line of Sinapis was abolished soon af- bilities of the vassal to the liege and vice mainstay of the Normandy Tribunal’s politics ter by the departure of House Flambeau from versa. These terms vary from liege to liege, and demography. The liege covenant exerts the Tribunal (see History, above). but the basic provisions are that the vas-

Past and Present covenants (con’t)

the Loire not far from Fleury (see Ile Oleron (1028 – present): See Aquitaine: see Aquitaine: Conventio Nidi. de France: Fleury). Caput Capra was Oleron. Spider’s Palace (1117 – present): Vassal of the youngest of Branugurix’s vassals, Vexatores (1048 – 1064): Vassal of Fudarus. Florum; see Flanders: Florum. and was founded to protect the ancient Founded specifically to provoke Sina- Requies Aeterna (1123 – present): Vassal of druidic site at Fleury from the lawless- pis during the conflict between Houses Florum; see Flanders & Picardy. ness of the late 10th century. Caput Flambeau and Tytalus, Vexatores was Alcuin’s Auberge (1124 – 1197): Vassal of Capra was the first casualty of the founded 21 miles north of the Flam- Florum; a small Mercer House in the Schism War in the Tribunal. Appren- beau covenant (the minimum legal city of Tours, founded by Redcaps from tices of Confluensis are brought to the distance), at the site of one of the vis Lixivia. It fell to unknown raiders. scant ruins of the covenant to receive sources claimed from House Diedne. Moles Magna (1136 – 1182): Vassal of their lessons in history. Vexatores was not intended to be a Oleron. Located on the edge of the Aedes Salii (998 – 1063): Vassal of Sinapis. long-term prospect, and it was aban- Morvan (see Champagne & Burgun- Established on Jersey (one of the Chan- doned when the conflict between the dy: The Morvan), this covenant was nel Islands), this covenant — named af- Houses ended. built actually within a dam of a minor ter the Salii, the priests of Mars — was Dragon’s Rest (1051 – present): Vassal of tributary of the River Yonne. The river founded to coordinate the Schism War Confluensis; founded when Confluen- formed a small lake at the covenant’s in Normandy and Stonehenge. After sis relocated to the Cotentin peninsula. back, and cascaded over the dam hid- the war, the Tremere members returned See Chapter 11: Confluensis for more ing them from view. It was eventually to their home Tribunals, leaving it in details. destroyed when the river burst the dam the hands of House Flambeau. It was Lapis Crudus (1063 – present): Considered after heavy rain; since the covenant had disbanded when House Flambeau with- to be part of the line of Sinapis. See Ile magically reinforced the dam against drew from the Normandy Tribunal; two de France: Lapis Crudus. such a fate, it is assumed that they had of its members joined Lapis Crudus. Nauche-Fleur (1072 – 1166): Vassal of angered a supernatural creature by re- Orchard of Sour Apples (1020 – 1051): Montverte, this covenant operated straining the river. Vassal of Confluensis, formed after the a school near to Niort in Aquitaine, Atsingani (1187 – present): Vassal of Mont- Schism War. It was later the site of the where instruction in both martial and verte; see Anjou: Atsingani. relocation of Confluensis, and its mem- academic subjects funded the opulent Cunfin (1192 – present): Vassal of Con- bers joined its liege covenant. lifestyle of the magi. The covenant’s fluensis; see Champagne & Burgundy: Lixivia (1021 – 1124): Vassal of Florum. Es- role in mundane politics was ever a Cunfin. tablished in the duchy of Champagne source of controversy in the Tribunal; Atramentum (1200 – 1201): Vassal of Fuda- just as the Champagne trade fairs were consequently none of the apprentices it rus; its founding was sponsored just established (see Champagne & Burgun- trained remained to continue its work. as the battle between the two Tytalan dy: Champagne) for the express purpose The covenant died when the last of its Primi began. Cynics would say that the of acting as an intermediary between founders entered Final Twilight. young magi were duped into preparing the Order and mundane merchants. Infelicitas (1099 – 1158): Vassal of Fudarus, the ground for the magi of Exspectatio, The covenant consisted of Redcaps and founded when Rancrax of Tytalus lost who now occupy the spot. The founders Gentle Gifted magi, and altruistically a wager with his rival, and was forced went on to form Atramentum Renatus. offered to source any material desired to leave Fudarus as per the terms of the Exspectatio (1201 – present): Vassal of by any covenant. However, magi were bet. The covenant foundered when Fudarus; see Brittany: Fudarus. suspicious of their motives, and they Rancrax was slain in Wizard’s War by Atramentum Renatus (1201 – present): soon became the popular prey of raid- a member of Moles Magna, and the re- Vassal of Exspectatio; see Champagne ing (see Demography of the Normandy maining two magi were not interested & Burgundy: Atramentum Renatus. Tribunal). Driven into poverty, the cov- in continuing at the site. Eboris (1204 – present): See Ile de France: enant disbanded. Nidi (1100 – present): Vassal of Oleron; Eboris.

29 The Lion and the Lily sal has a duty of support, and the liege has Nevertheless, covenants do die out, and as ing the formal vis requirements set out by a duty of protection. Support is usually in vassal covenants of the same liege have no the Peripheral Code. Such covenants are the form of a tithe of vis, and granting the obligation to each other, all are emancipated not recognized as valid by the Tribunal, liege a free proxy of the voting sigils of the by this event. but are instead considered as a commu- vassal’s members. Some oaths ask for only Independent covenants are free from feu- nity (coenobium) of independent magi rather a nominal amount of vis, or allow the vassal dal obligation, but also lack the political sup- than a true covenant. These coenobites, magi to use their own vote with direction port of their line. They often ally themselves like eremites, are not permitted to own from their liege. The duty of protection to one of the five great lines, or attempt to a seisin, and are hardly ever successful in usually enjoins the liege to use the proxy form one of their own, although these minor establishing a legacy. Further, they must votes wisely, and not to the detriment of lines have neither the weight of history nor compete in the Tourney as if they were its vassals; further, the conditions under the accumulation of resources to make them solitary magi rather than members of a which they may be asked for assistance are equal contenders to the great five. covenant. Whereas eremites may get some usually clearly laid out. Oaths of fealty measure of respect for choosing a solitary between vassal and liege covenants are lifestyle, coenobites are considered to be part of Normandy’s Peripheral Code and flagrantly disregarding the traditions of legally enforceable, although covenants the Normandy Tribunal, and are thought are still forbidden to take oaths of fealty of as vulgar and uncouth. to a mundane lord. The oath can be dis- solved by mutual agreement of both parties, or else following the successful prosecution of one party by the other for defaulting on the terms of the oath. An example oath of fealty is given in the de- Tribunal scription of the covenant of Confluensis (see Chapter 11: Confluensis). Meetings The moral obligation of a vassal to a liege is a strong one, and the protection In the period following the Schism offered to a young covenant of inexperi- War, the tradition has developed of ran- enced magi can determine whether the domly choosing a covenant by the drawing vassal persists or founders. Further, the so- of lots to host the next Tribunal meeting cietal implications of betraying an oath to a rather than it being at the Praeco’s home. covenant that has sheltered and protected This means that even a new Spring cov- another (or believes that it has) must not enant may find itself declared to be host- be underestimated; vassal covenants who ing the Tribunal, and the Hermetic Tour- break away from their line often find them- ney that invariably accompanies it. The selves with the bitterest of enemies — not covenant is expected to provide a secluded just their former sponsor, but also the vassal Eremites and Coenobites area for the tournament, an excellent Aegis covenants of that sponsor. of the Hearth, and lavish hospitality. On top of all this, Quaesitors arrive in great Not all magi in the Normandy Tribu- numbers, and always take the opportunity nal are members of covenants, although the and pretext of preparing the covenant, and Independent Covenants proportion of eremitic (or solitary) magi is ensuring its safety for the Tribunal, to con- much lower in the Normandy Tribunal than duct a series of lengthy though subtle in- Not all covenants come about through in many other Tribunals due to the scarcity vestigations into the affairs and allegiances the liege-vassal system. A very lucky magus of resources. An eremite is not the same as of the covenant. Hosting can bankrupt or might discover a new vis source, and estab- a covenant that consists of only one magus seriously deplete the resources of even a lish it as a seisin of a new covenant. Such an (perhaps due to attrition or accident). The Summer covenant, and often the only way eventuality is the dream of every young ma- latter has the capacity to grow, whereas an forward for a Spring covenant called upon gus raised in the Tribunal; in reality, finding a eremite has chosen a solitary existence for to host the Tribunal is to undertake loans new vis source in such a magic-poor Tribunal whatever reason. An eremite is forbidden by and debts of obligation to either its mother is no mean task, let alone finding one that the Peripheral Code from owning a seisin, covenant or another powerful covenant, has a suitable site for a covenant within a and he must rely upon tropaeum leases won and sometimes several. As so often hap- day’s return march. at the Tourney or attending luctatio for his pens, a gesture that on the surface seems Covenants may also become indepen- vis supply. There is one eremite who lives to empower the young and weak actually dent by severing the ties with their liege cov- near Laon who is so well respected that he serves to keep them securely in their place. enant. The same is true of covenants whose is always permitted to extend the lease on a Many covenants will, however, grant a lieges founder, leaving them free of any feu- legacy near to his home, because no one in pawn of vis, or a useful copy of a Lab Text, dal obligation. It is rare for a liege covenant the Tribunal votes against him, but this is an as a gesture to the hosting covenant from to fail, because having vassal covenants exceptional case. their own stores. strengthens its resources and political clout. Some covenants form without meet-

30 The Lion and the Lily The Hermetic Tourney Story Seed: Fixing the Tourney

The great influence of knightly culture The Cabal of the Golden Coin secret- to optimize the placement of their teams. on the Tribunal is reflected by the tradi- ly endeavors to engineer the outcome of Certain magi belonging to this cabal opt tion of Hermetic Tourneys. This idea was the Tourney so as to maximize the prizes not to enter with their covenant’s team, doubtless inspired by the magical tourna- obtained by its members. While initiated but instead enter a separate one, which ments of House Flambeau, and the fiercely by magi of House Tytalus, the cabal now often achieves a very “lucky” placement. competitive spirit of many Tytalus magi. The consists mostly of magi from a variety of A mysterious team of three young magi, contests have been in existence since the Houses. Many of the modifications to the all from different covenants and Houses, Perthean Compact, but only in the last few prize levels were proposed by members of has for the last three tournaments consis- decades have they come to be called tourna- this cabal, ostensibly as a point of tradi- tently achieved 14th place. A member of ments, aping mundane culture. The events tion, but with the real aim of introducing this team, or some other magus from the have grown and changed over the years, and disparities in the prize distribution which cabal, may surreptitiously approach the are still open to further refinement or change can be exploited. Magi of the cabal typi- player covenant during the latter stages of in the future. cally make secret agreements among them- the tournament, offering to fix one of the In recent years the Hermetic Tourney selves to fix certain of the contests, so as contests for a small bribe of vis. has become an accepted part of the Tribu- nal meeting, though the tournament occurs after the actual business of the Tribunal has been completed. It is the responsibility of the must involve magical skill, is something of an winner receives 23 points, the defeated final- hosting Covenant to find a location within a exercise in diplomacy. ist 12 points, and the other semifinalists six day’s travel where the tournament can take The traditional events that are held each points each. All teams that participate replace. Tradition demands the location should Tribunal are the hastiludium — a “mounted” ceive an additional one point. be secure from uninvited guests. Concealing melee fought with “spears” of magic — the The melee is generally considered to be the camp site, market, melee field, and other certamen tournament, the joust, the great a light-hearted contest. The winner nonethe- required amenities from mundane gaze is not melee in which the magi with grogs try to less receives six points, the second to fourth easy, though a casting tablet (see Covenants, rush their opponent team’s “castles,” and the castles standing two points, and the fifth p.89) for a ReMe35 Moon Duration version House Flambeau favorite, the dimicatio. castle a single point. No points are awarded of The Shrouded Glen can be made avail- for participation. able by the Tribunal. The actual design of The Hosting Covenant’s Choice event the tournament site is left to the hosting cov- Winning the Tourney provides the winner with 12 points, the sec- enant, guided of course by the ever-helpful ond-placed covenant eight, and the third Quaesitores. Each team that does not repre- All competitors in the Tourney are graded and fourth three points each. Participation sent one accepted Normandy covenant must according to the success they achieve. These in the event is worth an additional point to stake five pawns of vis per magi to enter; this points are tallied by the tournament hosts, all teams who enter. can discourage entrants from other Tribunals, and the Redcaps also keep tallies to ensure The Joust is more prestigious. The win- although the vis is used as part of the prizes. fairness. A team receives a starting tally equal ner receives 20 points, the second-placed Teams are limited to a maximum of five mem- to the number of members of their covenant, covenant eight, and the third and fourth bers, excluding grogs and companions. on the assumption larger covenants require three points each. Participation in the event The primary purpose of the Tourney is greater resources. This also puts members grants an additional point to all teams who to distribute the tropaeum for the next seven of a coenobium and visiting teams at a dis- enter. years, though many other prizes are on of- advantage, for they are given a starting tally Once the points have been totaled a rank fer as well. Some have argued the practice of one each. Further points to the tally are order is determined. The highest-scoring of distributing vis sources via the Tourney earned by competing in the various tourna- team is ranked first, and so forth in order. If has reduced the chance of a covenant being ment events. there are ties, rank is determined by senior- granted a legacy, as many magi enjoy seeing The scoring is as follows: ity, as determined by the date of foundation the excitement of the tournament contests. The team winning the hastiludium re- of the covenant or date of Gauntlet of an in- The contests are held to create an overall ceives 20 points, the defeated finalist 10 dividual magus. Special “prize pawns” made ranking for the team, and prizes are then dis- points, and the other semifinalists five points of gold, not of vis, are then awarded, which tributed as discussed below. each. All teams that participate receive an are then exchanged by the teams for prizes There are traditionally six events that additional one point. to be held for the next seven years. comprise the Tourney, usually fought over The certamen tournament is a tradition- Tradition has shaped the awarding of three days. One is always chosen by the al hermetic certamen contest, and has more prizes, as with so much else in Hermetic cul- hosting covenant — it is generally consid- prestige. The winner receives 25 points, the ture. The first place is known as the Siege of ered very bad form for the hosting covenant defeated finalist 15 points, and the other Normandy, and the second place the Siege to win this event, and even a suspicion the semifinalists eight points each. All teams that of Valor. Achieving either of these ranks is contest favored another covenant may result participate receive an additional one point. a matter of considerable prestige, and such in enmity from others and long-term politi- The dimicatio is a popular event with teams are richly rewarded. cal repercussions. Choosing a contest, which Flambeau magi, who excel in this area. The The seventh position is known as the

31 The Lion and the Lily Tourney Events

Tradition and the rules demand there older magus chooses the Technique, the while the defenders try to block or grapple must always be an even number of teams younger the Form. A single champion may them down. Physical combat is allowable, in the tournament. The Redcaps will go to be freely chosen for each round by the but teams whose grogs seriously injure an some lengths to attract visiting teams to en- team, allowing strategy in selection. opponent’s grog forfeit the contest, receive sure that this is so, and all teams must have no points, and are heavily fined in vis. This registered. The hosting covenant’s choice is a recent addition to the Tourney, and un- must also be declared by the summer sol- The Joust popular with conservative magi who detest stice of the year preceding the event, by a a non-magical event being allowed. Redcap-delivered message to Confluensis. The joust is a traditional contest of knightly warfare. Two magi, each armed and mounted, face off against one another The Dimicatio The Hastiludium in a field and charge together, each aiming to unhorse his opponent before he himself The dimicatio is an event common at The hastiludium begins with three mem- falls. The winner is the magus who prevails House Flambeau events. It is unrelated to bers of two teams facing each other across in a best of three match, and proceeds to standard certamen. Each side selects a sin- the field, one member balanced or sitting on compete against a new opponent. Some gle champion to participate. The competi- an object: wooden hurdles, pigs, iron caul- magi ride mundane horses, while oth- tors try to cast real spells at one another drons, washtubs, or other objects suiting their ers use magic to create or enhance their using the forceless casting option, which personal magics. Each team must choose an mounts. For example, one magus rides a is deliberately casting spells with penetra- item as a “mount” that can be found in any giant dog familiar, another uses a flying tion at zero. Each magus uses a fast-cast peasant village, and which is no longer than mount, another has a mount of shadowy defense (ArM5, page 83) to try to block a broom or wider than a beer barrel. nothingness, and so on. The use of magic the opposing spell. The first magus whose The two teams face each other across a is permitted, but only to affect one’s own spell reaches his opponent’s Parma is the field 120 paces long by 40 paces wide. Each person, mount, or weapons. The joust is winner. magus may cast a single spell before the the Tourney’s most dangerous event — it is Needless to say, this contest carries sub- contest begins in order to prepare, and may sometimes even deadly — and is taken very stantial dangers (though perhaps no great- then cast magic freely during the contest. seriously by the magi. Teams compete in a er than those a mundane knight faces when Each team tries to force the other ma- knockout tournament to establish a winner, jousting with a blunted lance). Aimed spells gus off his “mount” using magic, and propel with one single magi elected as champion that bypass Magic Resistance are strictly their own “mount” over their opponents’ to participate on behalf of their team. forbidden. The contest is always conduct- start line. Parma Magica may not be ex- ed under tightly controlled conditions in tended over the mounts, but both sides front of a referee and many spectators. The may freely cast magic on either mount. In- The Melee referee uses an Intellego Vim spell such as evitably, many magi are seriously injured, Sight of the Active Magics to determine the but tradition states that the magus respon- The melee is an unusual event, in that winner. If a magus’ spell actually penetrates sible for the inadvertent injury must pro- grogs or companions are the contestants. his opponent’s Parma Magica, this is taken vide the vis for the healing. The winning On foot, and using only blunt weapons as foul play and he is likely to be immedi- team is the one to first get their mount and (damage is fatigue unless botched) they ately charged with a Hermetic crime. The magi rider over their opponents’ start line. struggle for mastery of a mock battlefield. rules of the contest permit any spell that Any magus who touches the floor is out Each team creates a “castle” with a Ring/ directly targets one’s opponent – and the of the contest, and the “mount” must pass Circle Creo Imaginem spell, spacing them higher the level of the spell, the harder it over the central line of the playing area, so equally around the field. Three grog or is to defend against. Ball of Abysmal Flame simply using magic to appear on the other companion champions for each team at- is a real crowd pleaser. Some magi prefer to side is not allowable. Each team plays a tempt to charge across the field, and “cap- limit themselves to non-lethal spells in case randomly drawn opponent in a knockout ture” their opponent’s castle by breaking some mishap causes their spell to penetrate series of heats, until the final determines that team’s spell, damaging the ring drawn their opponent’s Parma Magica. the winner. on the floor in the dust. The last team with a surviving “castle” is the winner. No magic may be employed, and owing to the impor- The Hosting The Certamen Tournament tance of cursors (see Normandy Tribunal Covenant’s Choice Ruling: Seisins), rapid running and attempt- The certamen tournament works as a ed grappling is much more common than The Hosting Covenant’s Choice varies knockout certamen competition. Random violence. Fast grogs often try to slide past each time. It must be a true test of magical lots are drawn for who fights whom. The the defenders and bring down the spell, ability, but beyond that may take any form.

32 The Lion and the Lily

charges being brought and disqualification from the next tournament. Prize pawns may be traded at the following values: Tropaea: A vis source yielding a number of pawns may be acquired for the equivalent number of prize pawns. Books: Each book has been given a value in pawns by the Tribunal, according to perceived worth. (Calculate this as 1 prize pawn per 5 Build Points of the book. See ArM5, p. 71). Items:As books. Charged items and those of limited duration are never made available as prizes. Entrance Fees (vis):One prize pawn may be traded for an immediate once-only selection of 5 pawns of Form vis, or three pawns Siege of Notatus, after that magus’ well To prevent the Tourney from being seen as of Technique vis. known affinity for the number seven and its entirely a way of supporting the status quo, role in his magical innovations. As Notatus is and encourage entrants, a large prize was rumored to have sponsored a contest of mag- therefore voted for the 21st position. There ics in the early days of the Order, and he is is little honor in winning this prize, but the a popular figure in the Hermetic folklore of benefits to a new covenant are worth the the Tribunal with many tales of his activities gentle mockery of the more able teams. The Tourney Ranks and sayings still current, this position was team that achieves the Siege of Alms gets to granted a greater prize. While this explana- keep half of their prize (6 pawns), but by tra- & Prizes tion is generally accepted, in fact there may dition they donate the other half to any or all well have been a more pragmatic reason why of the lower-ranked teams as they see fit. Rank Pawns Rank Pawns it was originally introduced, hidden in the Any covenant achieving one of the 1 31 12 5 Tribunal records. named ranks in the Tourney has an appropri- 2 24 13 0 The Siege of Shame, the 13th position, ate Hermetic Reputation of level 2 for the 3 18 14 11 is traditionally awarded no prize, the rewards next seven years. 4 15 15 3 being conferred upon the 14th team. This 5 13 16 5 originated with a particularly competitive 6 11 17 4 team from the Iberian Tribunal who in 1151 Tourney Prizes 7 17 18 3 used a variety of then-legal tactics, immedi- 8 8 19 5 ately outlawed by Peripheral Code, which Prizes are selected immediately after the 9 7 20 1 were widely felt to have brought the Tour- results are announced, in strict rank order. In 10 6 21 6+6 ney into disrepute. They earned 13th posi- order to avoid the winning teams selecting 11 6 tion, and were surprised when the Quaesi- all the choice prizes, each team is initially al- tores declared that place the Siege of Shame. lowed to choose at most one single tropaeum The prizes listed in this table assume They stated that henceforth no prize would or lump sum of vis of one Art, plus one single at least 200 pawns worth of prizes are be awarded to the team that held that posi- book or item. These selections proceed in available in total, and 24 teams entering. tion, a tradition upheld by the next Tribunal rank order, until every team has taken some- You may wish to adjust these numbers if to remind everyone of the shameful episode. thing. Those teams with prize pawns yet un- your version of the Normandy Tribunal The 21st position, the Siege of Alms, is spent then get to pick again, in rank order, is especially poor or rich in resources, or a consolation prize. Around 24 teams usually until all teams have taken their allocation of if the number of covenants and teams in participate in the Tourney, and the last few prizes. They are held until the next Tourney. your saga is dramatically different. teams do not therefore receive any prize. Failure to return a prize invariably results in

33 Chapter Four Brittany

A rugged spur of crystalline rock juts powerful faeries, giants, magical creatures, out into the ocean from the western side of and a few pagan people who served them. the continent. The prevailing northwest- Civilization arrived with Roman invad- Brittany Covenants erly winds blow most days and often carry ers who ruled for four centuries. When the moisture in the form of fog, mist, and rain. Romans withdrew, the land was settled by Current Covenants: Exspectatio, Fudarus The precipitation is greater in the north, Celtic people from Britain. Numerous saints Ruined, Abandoned, or Lost Covenants: the south being drier, sunnier, and warmer. came over to bring the light of Christianity Branugurix, Kerguntuil Thanks to the ameliorating effect of the to the whole country, either traveling alone ocean, the region remains frost-free. The and settling as hermits, or bringing monks coastal Armor (“country near the sea”) is very with them to establish a monastery (see the lish crown was achieved fairly recently as a long and indented and there are numerous insert for details). Brittany was established consequence of the rumored murder by King offshore islands where a covenant might be by the Frankish King Louis I “the Pious”, son John of England of his nephew, Arthur of sited if reliable means of sustenance can be of Charlemagne, as a duchy under the lead- Brittany. Peter I of Dreux currently holds the found. Much of the coast comprises high, re- ership of Nominoé in the early ninth cen- duchy on the basis of his marriage to Alice, a silient cliffs cut by flooded river valleys. The tury, but the duke defeated Louis’s successor, direct descendant of the former ruling house; large tidal range, which affects all coastal ac- Charles II “the Bald” to gain independence he holds the post as regent for her son. tivities, exposes extensive mud flats and rock for Brittany. Nominoé’s son, Erispoë, assumed Most people in the eastern part of Britta- platforms at low tide. Inland, Brittany’s Ar- the title King of Brittany. The country grew ny speak a dialect not greatly different from goat (“country of the wood”) is a plateau bro- and prospered under Erispoë and then under that of their neighbors to north, south, and ken up by deeply incised river valleys. The his cousin Salomon, who took the throne by east. The majority of the population in the hills are mostly covered in forest or, where assassination. The monarchy survived, re- western half of the region speaks Breton, and the trees have been cut down long ago, by pelling repeated attacks by Norsemen, until in rural areas it can be hard to find anyone moorland. The rocks — granite, schist, and King Alain “Barbe-Torte” (Crookbeard) died who understands anything else. It is not of- gneiss — yield poor, thin soils and those who in 952. Tussles for power among the nobility ten written. See the Appendix on languages live here are among the poorest peasants in brought disorder that lasted a hundred years for details. the Tribunal. The river valleys have more fer- until Duke Alain IV “Fergent” gained the up- Music here is accompanied by the tile soils and are sheltered from the winds, per hand. Bonds of marriage and fealty be- Celtic harp or Breton pipes, and dances are so here agriculture is relatively productive tween Breton nobility and other noble fami- performed in lines and circles. Games and and the people live more comfortably. In the lies, particularly the ruling house of Anjou sports include lifting a heavy piece of wood sparsely populated upland areas, a covenant and the Norman kings of England, resulted in representing a chariot axle, throwing heavy might be able to avoid too much attention the addition of Brittany to his other property stones, and trying to make an opponent drop from mundane authorities. in France by Henry II of England between a stick about two feet in length while both At first, the country was occupied by 1158 and 1166. Independence from the Eng- players are seated on the ground facing each

Breton Saints and the Tro Briez

Regardless of the when and whence of St. Malo (commemorated at St. Malo) Bretons should visit each of these ca- history, popular Breton belief is that Chris- St. Broch (commemorated at St. Brieuc) thedrals at least once in their lifetime, tianity was brought to them from Wales by St. Guirec (commemorated at Perros Guirec) completing the Tro Briez (Tour of Brittany) saintly monks. The most important Welsh- St. Paul (commemorated at St. Pol de Léon) or else they will have to complete it after men honored as the founders of Breton St. Samson (commemorated at Dol) death, moving the length of their coffin ev- Christianity are as follows: St. Tugdual (commemorated at Tréguier) ery seven years. St. Corentine (commemorated at Quimper) St. Patern (commemorated at Vannes)

34 The Lion and the Lily

other, their feet flat against a fixed, inch-high, Emerald Coast ten-foot-long board. The most characteristic Siting a Covenant festivities are the pardons, religious processions preceded by prayers and followed by The northern coast, adjacent to the sand Brittany is the least-civilized, most feasting and fun. These take place at differ- and mud flats around Mont St. Michel at the sparsely populated part of the Tribunal, ent times of year all over Brittany, each of the Normandy border (see Chapter 5: Norman- with many unclaimed vis resources. It older parishes having its particular date, usu- dy), is low lying and often marshy. contains numerous potential covenant ally linked to the feast day of the local saint. sites — perhaps the PCs will find attractive one of the numerous small offshore Mount Dol islands, a patch of firmer ground in a deserted marsh, or a spot concealed within Mount Dol, a granite outcrop, dominates the forest. There are a great many more County of the area although only 210 feet in height. It menhirs, tumuli, and dolmens scattered was a sacred place to the Gallic druids. Bra- throughout its forests and along its nugurix, domus magna of House Diedne, coasts than mentioned here, many of Rennes was here, concealed in a regio (see Chapter which have a supernatural aura. All the 3: Hermetic Culture, Hermetic Landscape). land belongs to someone, so however The eastern part of the duchy is some- Most Christians keep away from the mount. remote the covenant, the player charac- what softer, drier, and more affluent than the They tell a story that St. Michael fought ters will at some time have to find a way rest. It is largely forested, but contains many the Devil here, casting him down with such to fit into, or evade, the feudal structure, strong fortresses used in defense against the strength that the indentation made by the im- and the enthusiasm of the Church to Normans and Franks not long ago. pact and the scars left by his claws are clearly minister to them. visible on the north side of the mount. Close

35 The Lion and the Lily

Viking invasions. When its Church of St. two annual fairs. It contains St. Stephen’s Dolmen, Menhir, Vincent became the seat of a bishop in 1144, Cathedral and St. Broch’s fountain, beside the new town at the point adopted the name which the saint lived. Once a week, when and Tumulus of St. Malo, while Aleth took on a dedication leaving the cathedral on a Sunday after at- to St. Servan. tending Mass, a character may dip his right These large stone features occur all At the base of the first rocky promontory hand into the fountain and devoutly make over the western side of the Tribunal, west of the mouth of the Rance is a cave in- the sign of the cross to gain a Blessing that but the landscape of Brittany is particu- habited by a siren. She guards a natural bridge gives a temporary change to a Personality larly rich in them. between the cliffs and Décollé Point but no Trait by one step, to a maximum of +3 or Dolmen: One or more fairly flat, one has yet discovered why she protects the –3. The trait affected by a negative step is horizontal rocks supported by several point. Along the coast, overlooking the estu- that most likely to lead to sin, and that af- vertical rocks. Many are giants’ tables or ary of the River Arguenon, are the Singing fected by a positive step is the trait most meeting places of the fae, while a few Stones. Imaginem vis may be harvested here likely to lead to goodness. The blessing are altars of the pagan past. from the metallic sound produced when the lasts until sunset. (See Realms of Power: The Menhir: A single standing stone pile of rocks is struck in the right way using a Divine, page 51.) placed vertically, with its base firmly stone of the same sort. planted deep in the earth. Origins vary: saints, angels, demons, giants, and faeries have all been responsible for erect- Dinan and Rennes and ing some of these. the River Rance the Eastern Argoat Tumulus: A rounded hillock. Ori- gins vary. Examples include a lump of Dinan, at the southern end of the River earth thrown by a giant and a mound Rance, is a small port. A crusading knight In the center of the region is Rennes, a raised by the fae to cover an entrance erected the Basilica of St. Savior here in the small city noted for its resistance to Norman- to their home. If the mound of earth 12th century, to fulfill a vow made concern- dy and currently the capital of the duchy. In- and stones is excavated, many contain ing his safe return from the Holy Land. The side the walls lies a church dedicated to St. a dolmen. building exhibits elements of eastern archi- Peter, founded in the sixth century on the tecture otherwise unknown in this part of the foundations of a Romano-Gallic temple, and world. A short distance upriver, at Léhon, is the Abbey of St. Mélaine. The town is sited by is the cleft made by the saint’s sword and a castle and the Benedictine monastery of St. on the River Vilaine, which flows southwest into which he thrust his opponent. But the Magloire, which was founded in 850 by King between red stone hills. Along the valley is Devil reappeared a moment later on the Nominoé. The original building was badly the village of Pléchâtel, close to which are isle of Mont St. Michel, taunting the saint, damaged by Vikings but was rebuilt soon af- some well hidden caves with a low-level and the indentation made by the saint’s foot terward, and has recently been extended by Magic aura and an ancient oak tree, which when he leapt from the top of Mount Dol in Geoffroy of Corseul in the new style. About yields vis in the form of a few unusually large pursuit is still there. In fact, what the story five miles to the west is Corseul itself, site of acorns. Further long the narrow valley, the recalls is an assault on Branugurix. a Roman settlement, where stand the remains village of Langon stands on terraces on the The small town of Dol stands on a cliff of a temple of Mars. The site has a Magic hillside. It has a church dedicated to St. Pe- on the southern edge of the marsh. Con- aura of 3. All that is visible are the walls of a ter and a chapel to St. Agatha. The structure struction of a fortified cathedral dedicated round building of thin Roman bricks, reach- of the chapel incorporates walls of what was to St. Samson is in progress here. South of ing higher than the surrounding treetops. in former times a Romano-Gallic temple to Dol is the menhir of Champ-Dolent (Field Inside the walls, if one can penetrate the re- Venus. The group of standing stones on the of Pain), 30 feet high with a roughly square gio boundary, the building is intact and has a moorland close by is related to the temple base and tapering towards a point; it marks Magic aura of level 6. site. It comprises some 30 standing stones the place where the final battle of the Schism known as the Young Ladies. The local leg- War took place. end is that the young women preferred danc- Lamballe and St. Brieuc ing on the moor to attending vespers and so were turned to stone by God. But the origin St. Malo Following the river inland leads deep of the stones is ancient, being associated into the forested hills of Hunaudaye, were with the fate of the women who served at The coast from the western edge of the streams run in deep ravines and granite boul- the temple. marshes to St. Brieuc Bay is rugged, rocky, ders lie scattered among the trees. The only and inhospitable. High cliffs shelter a few trade route through the forest runs between small beaches. St. Malo is a small port on the Rennes and St. Brieuc, passing through the Fougères eastern side of the point where the flooded town of Lamballe. Lamballe is the seat of valley of the River Rance flows into the sea. the Baron of Penthièvre and has a church The town of Fougères lies northeast of It is close to the settlement of Aleth, where to Our Lady and the Priory of Marmoutier. Rennes to the extreme east, at what was for the Welsh St. Maclou converted the local St. Brieuc lies close to the coast on a pla- so long the border between Brittany and Gauls in the sixth century. The town was ex- teau cut by the rivers Gouet and Gouëdic. France. A strong castle stands on a spit of tended toward the sea and fortified to defy It is a small port with a weekly market and land beside the winding River Nançon, be-

36 The Lion and the Lily tween two towering rock faces and over- The Fountain of Youth and end to his attentions, she put him into a looked by the town that clings to the steep the Stone of Merlin deep sleep. Many believe he is still there, slopes above it. It is the home of the local asleep, under the nearby pair of rock slabs baron. It was one of these, Raoul II, who led In the heart of the forest is the Foun- called the Stone of Merlin. It is said that if a band of rebellious Breton nobles against tain of Youth, a natural spring ringed with you let fall a drop of water from the foun- the takeover by Henry II of England. His stones. Washing one’s face in the water of tain onto the Stone of Merlin, the water castle was demolished in the three-month the spring itself can make the skin of an el- changes to vapor and the air becomes thick siege that brought the opposition to an end, derly person appear less marked and wrin- with shadows and the rumbling of thunder. but Raoul survived and started rebuilding at kled for a few hours, but as yet no one in This is probably the first step in the ritual once. A chapel in the town contains a statue the Order has discovered how to prolong necessary to gain access to the Faerie regio of Our Lady nursing the infant Jesus; some or otherwise take advantage of this prop- where Merlin may be sleeping still. The mothers who pray here receive miraculous erty, which is a faerie glamor effect. Here glade containing fountain and stones has a help. The forest surrounding the town con- the wizard Merlin came seeking solitude, Faerie aura of level 5. A magus on the Path tains an unusually large number of megaliths, but he met the fairy Viviane, known as the of Aging may drink from this fountain in even for Brittany. Lady of the Lake, and fell in love with her. the second quest (see Guardians of the Forests: Before long she tired of him and, to put an The Rhine Tribunal, page 38).

Faeries’ Rock

Southeast of Rennes, in the forest and half way to the Normandy border, is Faer- ies’ Rock, a structure of 42 massive stones of purple schist. A wide, low entrance, which is oriented directly towards the winter sol- stice sunrise, leads into a corridor and then into a large chamber subdivided into com- partments, which is high enough to stand up in. On the night before the winter sol- stice, a faerie court assembles here to try faeries, and sometimes mortals, whom it considers transgressors of its apparently arbitrary rules. Those summoned to appear are whisked from their beds and conveyed almost instantaneously to the chamber. There they are obliged to listen while anyone present who wishes to, including themselves, has a chance to speak briefly for or against the accusation. The faerie noble in charge of the proceedings decides the final verdict and sentence. Rewards and punishments are as unpredictable as the laws themselves. However long the proceedings appear to last, they end as the first shaft of morning light shines into the chamber. Any mortals still present have to make their own way home.

Brocéliande

To the west of Rennes and the Vilaine lies the extensive, mysterious, and dangerous Forest of Brocéliande. Most of the forest has a Faerie aura of level 2 and there are places where it is considerably higher. A small monastery has been established at Paimpont, within the forest, to counter the other influences at work here, but they are making little headway.

37 The Lion and the Lily Lake Comper and Rose Coast the Joyous Garden Lordship of Not far away, in the depths of the for- Pink granite forms the moor-topped cliffs est, is Viviane’s home, Lake Comper. This Penthièvre between St. Brieuc Bay and Morlaix Bay. is where Merlin conjured for her the Joyous Many oddly shaped rocks surround small, Garden and the Crystal Castle filled with This barony extends along the rugged sandy beaches and creeks. Many of the rock faerie knights, ladies, and maids. Legend central part of the northern coast, and reach- shapes resemble animals and people, and a tells that she raised Sir Lancelot here. It is es inland over the forested hills. Population few have supernatural origins. Offshore lie probable that Viviane still lives there, within is sparse. numerous islands; most are very small. the Faerie regio that hides her estate. Re- search has indicated that it may be possible to find and enter this regio during the night before Midsummer’s Day. However, con- sidering Viviane’s past treatment of suitors and powerful magicians, senior magi might Korrigan run the risk of being detained by her, and a character with Curse of Venus is heading Anyone attempting to collect vis or Combat: for trouble. The lake itself provides up to 5 investigate the mysteries of the forest Claws: Init +1, Attack 7, Defense +8, pawns of Aquam vis in normal years, but in will have to contend with the korrigan Damage +1 years of drought a local priest journeys here (singular: korred). A korred is a hunch- Club: Init +3, Attack +6, Defense +5, and dips a cross into the water to bring rain, backed manikin about three feet tall with Damage +2 which will prevent any vis being harvested cat’s claws on its hands and goat’s hooves Stone (thrown): Init +2, Attack +5, Defense that season. for feet; with the expenditure of Might, it +4, Damage +1 Around four miles south of Comper, may take on the form of a beautiful young Soak: +3 near the village of Beignon, is the Bridge of woman. They are known as dancers and Fatigue Levels: n/a Secrets where it is said that Sir Lancelot and magicians. Since their queen, Viviane, lost Wound Penalties: –1 (1–3), –3 (4–6), -5 Queen Guinevere first kissed. The conse- interest in the Brocéliande forest and them, (7–9), Incapacitated (10–12), Dead quences of this betrayal suggest that there the korrigan in this region have become (13+) may be Perdo vis available here on the an- very dangerous. Elsewhere, they may live Abilities: Area Lore 3 (paths), Athletics 5 niversary of the event, if the right way to in forests, caves, or dolmens, where they (dancing), Awareness 4 (gold, silver), harvest it can be discovered. collect valuable objects. They administer Brawl 2 (claws), Guile 1 (bargaining), severe punishments to those who annoy Speak Breton 4 (commands), Stealth them, but periodically give rewards from 4 (hiding), Single Weapon 2 (club), Barenton and the their treasures. In some places, they like to Thrown Weapon 2 (stones) Valley of No Return dance in a circle holding hands under the Powers (not all have this): moonlight at a crossroads and, if they are Human Form, 5 points, Init 2, Corpus: The The Fountain of Barenton is about four in a good mood, invite all who pass to join more powerful korrigan can assume miles west southwest of the Fountain of them. Those who accept may be given a the form of a beautiful young woman. Youth. Stories say that water from the foun- gift, but those who refuse are punished. The transformation lasts for one hour, tain, if splashed on a stone here known as These statistics apply to the korri- or until the same amount of Might is Merlin’s Step, summons wild storms and a gan of Brocéliande. Those encountered expended to reverse it. In human form, ferocious knight clad in black armor. The in other parts of Brittany are less danger- the following changes apply: fountain was sacred to the druids and is a ous; they are more interested in dancing Characteristics (human form): Int –2, Per source of Vim vis, treated as a tropaeum. and riches, though still unpredictable and +1, Pre +2, Com +1, Str –1, Sta 0, About four miles south of Barenton is a short-tempered. Dex 0, Qik –1; small lake used by faeries as a mirror. A little Size (human form): 0 Imaginem vis can be harvested here if the Faerie Might: Typically 5–10; rarely 15 Club: Init +0, Attack +2, Defense +0, mirror has not been used for a month. Just (Animal) Damage +2 beyond it is the Valley of No Return. It is a Characteristics: Int –2, Per +1, Pre -2, Com Stone (thrown): Init -1, Attack +3, Defense deep valley where Morgan Le Fay, half-sis- +1, Str –1, Sta +3, Dex +2, Qik +2 +1, Damage +1 ter to King Arthur, imprisoned her unfaith- Size: –2 Equipment: Usually none. ful lover Guyomart. He was trapped here at Age: n/a Natural Weapons: Claws: Init -1, Attack False Lover’s Rock. Legends say that no one Confidence Score: 0 +2, Defense +3, Damage +2. who has done wrong may leave the valley, Virtues and Flaws: None Encumberance: 0 (0) but in fact it is only those unfaithful in love Personality Traits: Avaricious +2, Capri- Vis: 1 pawn of Animal vis in hooves who are held. cious +2, Short-tempered +2 Appearance: A hunchbacked manikin Reputations: Dangerous 3 (local), Tireless about three feet tall with cat’s claws on dancers 1 (local), Magicians 1 (local) its hands and goat’s hooves for feet.

38 The Lion and the Lily

Bréhat and the Seven Isles the giant was founded here in 920 and was main church houses a statue of Our Lady of obliterated in 1007 (See Chapter 3: Her- Deliverance, where expectant mothers come The two Bréhat Isles lie off the east- metic Culture, Past, and Present Covenants to pray for her protection in childbirth. On a ernmost point. They have a Magic aura of of the Normandy Tribunal). The members hilltop close by stands the Long Rock menhir, level 4. They are each about a mile along of Kerguntuil were particularly interested in which has a temporary Faerie aura at unpre- and across, though the outline of both is the many Breton tales about giants, and many dictable intervals, and there is a small castle a very indented, and where they are closest to of their covenfolk were larger-than-average mile to the south, at Robien. each other, the gap is very small. They en- humans. It is rumored that a Quaesitor sug- There are a few religious foundations joy an unusually mild climate and little rain. gested to the Templars that they build along hidden away in the depth of the forest in- There are cliffs of pink rock on the north- this coast to cleanse the region of the dia- cluding Cistercian monasteries at Boquen, ern, more rugged isle, lower shores of pink bolic taint of the Diedne. They constructed Quenécan, and Gouarec, a Benedictine mon- and gray sand and shingle along the east, a round chapel at Lanleff in the 11th century astery in the Lorge Forest, and a chapel at and all around waters changing through and, in the 12th, built Brélévenez Church at Bourbriac, where St. Briac is petitioned on many shades of blue and green around pink Lannion, a small town on the River Léguer. behalf of those subject to fits. rocks that are only exposed at low tide. At Quellen Marsh, covering 55 acres, lies behind the furthest extremity from the mainland dunes to the north of the Léguer estuary. is a deep chasm in the cliff. Once a year, a maiden may toss a pebble down here. If it lands directly in the water without touching Yaudet either side of the chasm, she will be married Lordship within the year, otherwise she must wait for a Local people report that, on the south husband as many years as the stone bounced. side of the estuary, at a rounded hilltop over- of Léon There is Intellego vis in the thrift plants that looking the sea called Yaudet, they have cling to the side of the cleft here and up to sometimes caught sight of strangely dressed This northwestern extremity of Brittany 5 pawns a year may be gathered, but to take men and women. The hummocks and ditch- is a region of woodland and bleak moors, more than 3 ruins the predictions for several es mark the site of a Romano-Gallic settle- surrounded on three sides by a coastline of years to follow. ment and locals occasionally stumble into a muddy estuaries and exposed beaches, with a The Seven Isles is an archipelago off regio there. A little further round the coast, scattering of islands. Quite rightly, the west- the east side of Trégastel Head, toward the at Plestin-les Grèves, are the remains of a ern extremity is known as Finistere — that western end of this stretch of coast. It is far Romano-Gallic bathhouse. There is a more is, Land’s End. enough from the mainland to be disturbed reliable entrance to the Yaudet regio there, only by seabirds that nest on the high cliffs, in the alcove where, according to the in- and seals that live on the rocks below. The scription on the wall, a statue of Teutates, or clear waters are home to feathery weeds Mars, once stood. Pay de Léon and many colorful sessile creatures, which typically yield 6 pawns of Herbam vis and St-Pol-de-Léon, home of the count, is a 5 of Animal vis each year, plus eels, crabs, bishopric founded by St. Paul the Aurelian, lobsters, and crayfish. The archipelago has a Central Argoat to whom its 12th century cathedral is dedi- Magic aura: one isle with level 4, one with 3, cated. The saint established a monastery on two with 2 and three with 1. Inland, the hilly countryside is almost en- the nearby island of Batz after he subdued tirely forested, with a few small, scattered set- a dragon that was terrorizing the island. He tlements. The small market town of Loudéac, used his stole to capture it and led the now- Mainland Armor and Argoat situated centrally and at a crossroads, serves docile creature to a pit, which is now cov- as the commercial hub for a wide area. A fair ered by a low rock shelf known locally as the About half way along this north-facing for sale of animals is held here twice a year. Monster’s Hole. stretch of coast is Tréguier, set on terraces Moncontour is a market town overlooked by When St. Paul had Christianized the lo- along the sides of the River Jaudy and River a castle constructed on an outcrop where two cal area, he asked the ruler, Duke Mark, to Guindy, with its Church of St. Tugdual. Fur- valleys meet. Two miles southeastward is the let him have one of seven bells used in his ther on, the coast turns to form the north- chapel of Our Lady of Haut, where an unusual castle to summon attendance. The Duke re- ern-most part of Brittany, as a series of mas- number of saints are petitioned for healing: St. fused, but soon afterward a fisherman caught sive rocky headlands divided by deep clefts. Mamertus (colic), St. Livertin and St. Euge- a huge fish with a bell in its mouth and he A dolmen lies on the largest of the islands nia (headaches), St. Leobinus (eye diseases), gave the bell to St. Paul. This and the other close to this stretch of coast. The rocks there St. Méen (madness), St. Hubert (sores), St. bells have been lost. are blue rather than pink because a giant Houarniaule (fear). The chapel is decorated Across the estuary, to the east, is Barn- dragged the whole isle here from southwest with offerings, mainly in the form of wooden enez tumulus, an immense heap of stones, Wales long ago. carvings of the formerly afflicted body part, some greenish and others pink and gray. The Dolmen of Kerguntuil, believed to and has a Dominion aura of 5. In Quintin, No way inside is visible, but should char- be a petrified giant, stands on a hilltop over- another small market town, flax is grown in acters investigate they find entrances on the looking a west-facing stretch of the Trégastel the valley of the River Gouët and the build- southeastern side, each leading to a passage headland. A Diedne covenant named after ings occupy terraces on the valley sides. The some 20 to 40 feet in length and opening

39 The Lion and the Lily Brest and Crozon maret, where pilgrims disembark on their way Ankeu south to the shrine of Our Lady at Rocamadour (located close to the boundary between the Death may appear at night in any Brest is a port at the mouth of the estuary of Normandy and Provençal Tribunals). They can part of mainland Brittany in the form of the River Élorn, and lies on the northern shore give thanks for their safe sea passage at the tiny a skeleton in a white shroud, wielding of a largely enclosed bay, well protected from chapel. Close by is an array of 143 menhirs, a great scythe, and driving a spectral, the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. The Romans for- standing in a level 3 Magic aura. On the south creaking cart (Karrig an Ankeu) piled high tified the site and a castle was constructed in side of the peninsula, at Morgat, are numerous with the bodies of the dead. Around the the same spot during the 11th century. It has caves, many having vivid natural coloration on islands, he arrives in a boat (Bag Noz, been strengthened recently. At Daoulas, on the roofs and walls. One group of large caverns the night boat). To hear the creaking of the east coast of the bay, is an abbey founded includes a cave known as the Devil’s Chamber. his approach is a very bad omen, indicat- in 500 by followers of St. Columba, destroyed The other group of large caves includes one ing the imminent death of a loved one, by Viking raiders in the 10th century, and re- known as the Altar. Numerous small caves are and to meet him is almost certain death cently rebuilt. It is home to a few men living accessible only at low tide. as he cuts people down with the scythe according to the Rule of St. Augustine. and flings the bodies on the cart. The Crozon peninsula forms the southern side of the bay. Its cliffs are high and steep, bat- tered by the ocean waves and worn into pinna- Arrée Mountains into one of 11 chambers. Further west, on cles, arches, and offshore islets. At the eastern Pontusval Point, Men-Marz menhir stands, end is Landévennec, where St. Guénolé estab- The highest part of the duchy reaches in surmounted by a Celtic cross. From time to lished an abbey in the fifth century. Close to its an arc around the south and east of the County time, prayers are said here. The area has a western extremity lies the tiny village of Ca- of Léon. Mist and fog often shroud the hills. reputation for lingering pagan practices linked to the frequent shipwrecks along this stretch of coast. The Black Dog

If the spirit of a deceased family mem- Long-Winded, Sharp Ears, Reckless ber refuses to leave the house, a locally Qualities: Domesticated, Keen Sense of Abers known folk ritual can trap it inside the Smell, Pack Animal, Pursuit Predator, body of a black dog. This involves taking Vocal The coast of this region comprises flood- the dog inside the house, tying a favorite Personality Traits: Loyal +3, Reckless +3, ed river mouths and small sandy beaches article of clothing belonging to the dead Brave +2 with a great many islets and offshore rocks, person around the body of the dog, and Reputations: Terrifying +3 (local) many submerged at high tide. Strong west- making the dog eat a fist-sized gobbet of Combat: erly winds often sweep over the land, carry- meat stuffed with scraps of plants gath- Bite: Init +2, Attack +8, Defense +7, Dam- ing salt to poison the soil, so it is very hard ered in the cemetery. The dog is drowned age +1 to make a living in the west of the region and as quickly as possible, to release the spirit Soak: +2 population is sparse. The town of St. Renan, from its ties to the world of the living. The Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, –1, –3, –5, Un- set well inland, is where Ronan, an Irish her- Black Dog is only different to a normal conscious mit, settled for a while in the fifth century. dog between the completion of the folk Wound Penalties: –1 (1–4), –3 (5–8), –5 The most westerly of the north coast vil- ritual and the death of the dog. If the dog is (9–12), Incapacitated (13–16), Dead lages is Plougerneau, where the church was killed in any way other than drowning, the (17+) built directly over a pre-Christian cairn. The spirit remains tied to the world in the place Abilities: Athletics 3 (distance running), originally Romano-Gallic town of Tolente, the dog expired. Similar creatures with an Awareness 3 (keeping watch), Brawl 3 which once stood in this location, vanished Infernal Might can arise if the deceased (bite), Hunt 4 (track by scent) in 875 while under attack by Viking forces. person was a notable sinner, or even more Natural Weapons: It is highly likely that druids used magical rarely with a Magic Might if the deceased The weapon statistics for a dog’s bite are means to hide it in a regio. The Quaesitores was a pagan. The Might of the dog con- Init 0, Atk +3, Def +1, Dam +1. will investigate anyone known to be seek- taining the spirit is typically 5, but may be Powers: ing a way into this regio. There is now no as high as 10 if the deceased was especially Fearsome Bark: 1 point, Init 2, Animal or settlement on this stretch of coast until one holy or evil. Some rare black dogs are al- Mentem; as the spell Panic of the Trem- reaches the village that has grown up around most as large as a person (Size 0). bling Heart but with Range Voice. the abbey at St. Matthew’s Point. The Bene- Dreadful Howl: 3 points, Init 2, Animal or dictine monastery there, founded in the sixth Divine Might: 10 (Animal) Mentem; as the spell Weight of a Thou- century, once had the head of St. Matthew Characteristics: Cun 0, Per +2, Pre –4, sand Hells but with Duration Sun and but it has not been seen for hundreds of Com 0, Str 0, Sta +2, Dex +1, Qik +2 Range Voice. years. The relic has the power to quell storms Size: -1 Vis: 1 or 2 pawns in the tongue when the dog at sea. About 12 miles or so off the coast is Confidence Score: 0 dies by any means other than drowning. the island of Ushant, where the Covenant of Virtues and Flaws: Improved Characteristics, A drowned dog contains no vis. Fudarus is located.

40 The Lion and the Lily

The rounded summits reach to a little over nent members — Tytalus the Founder, his cal pressure, and yet the Quaesitores who en- 1200 feet in height at most, and are largely filia Pralix who was founder of House Ex tered the covenant found nothing suspect. forested. The deciduous forest, home to deer, Miscellanea, and the infamous Tasgillia who Fudarus has been attacked just once boar, and wolves, is particularly rich in mosses was corrupted by demons in the 10th cen- in its existence, during the Schism War. and ferns, which thrive in the damp air. Breaks tury. Few non-Tytalan members of the Order House Tytalus was considered to be a threat in the tree cover are provided by a few bare, have set foot within its halls, although many by House Diedne, and a force of magi ap- rocky summits worn into sawtoothed crests, have succeeded in landing on the island that proached Fudarus from the sea. The physical gorse and heather moors where trees have bears it. Fudarus has acquired a sinister repu- location and the magic of those trapped in- been cleared, and a few fields in sheltered tation thanks to this secrecy and the nefari- side proved sufficient to prevent the Diedne spots. Small, widely scattered communities ous schemes perpetrated by its members. ingress, so they besieged it instead. Primus mix Christian and pagan practices. A quarter of a century ago, Buliste, the Klynoites and his sodales were assailed for At Huelgoat there are piles of boulders then-Prima of House Tytalus, was declared to several months by three mighty spirits sum- that accumulated when the inhabitants of the have entered Final Twilight, and Harpax was moned by the Diedne, until the Primus was adjacent hamlets, Plouye to the south and chosen as her successor. However, Buliste re- able to wrest control over the spirits from the Berrien to the north, were at war and tossed turned from her Twilight a few years later, and Diedne and command them himself. Once the large stones at each other, only to have the two magi have battled for the leadership Klynoites had wiped out those who opposed them fall in the middle. Rock formations in of the House ever since. The majority of Tytali him, the spirits were bound into the walls the vicinity include the Devil’s Cave, the huge in Normandy have declared loyalty to either of the covenant and protect it to this day. Trembling Rock (which rocks when pushed Buliste or Harpax, but have allowed the Primi Prior to the Schism War, members of Fuda- in the right place) and the Virgin’s Kitchen. to settle the issue between themselves without rus attended meetings of the Stonehenge In the same area is a chasm where the River interference. As the two are equally matched Tribunal along with other covenants in Brit- Argent disappears underground, a pool fre- in power, it could be a long time before either tany. As the only Breton covenant to survive quented by the fae, and a cave where King is declared the sole Primus of House Tytalus. the Schism war, Fudarus’s defection to Nor- Arthur once slept. At Brennilis, an entrance to Until this day comes, both Primi are afforded mandy in 1018 effectively placed the rich Hell known as Youdig is reputed to lie in the equal respect and leadership of the House, resources of vis in its hands, and the domus Yeun Elez, a peat bog that extends eastward and the rulership of Fudarus. magna was treated favorably by the Tribunal from the foot of St. Michael’s Mount. The en- in the division of spoils. trance is only accessible in winter, when mists blanket the bog. Not far north is Mougau-Bi- han, a giant’s tomb in the form of a 45-foot- History long covered walkway of megaliths. Setting and Civilization is kept to the edges of this In 798 AD Tytalus was introduced to Physical Description region. There is a Cistercian monastery to Hariste, the apprentice of his former pu- the east, at Abbey du Relecq, a castle over- pil Pralix. He fell in love with Hariste and looking the Elorn river valley to the north- stole her away, building Fudarus as a de- The Isle of Ushant lies 10 miles off the west, and, on the southeastern fringe, a small fense against the vengeful Pralix. He trained westernmost tip of Brittany. The seas around church where King Salomon was martyred Hariste himself in record time, raising her to Ushant are treacherous, having swift cur- in the ninth century. Nearby is Landernaeu, a full maga in just five years. However, his rents arising from unexpected directions, the main port of this inland region, at the refusal to demonstrate his love for Hariste and reefs that mariners swear move about at head of the Élorn estuary. drove her away in frustration, and Tytalus random. The bleak, storm-wracked mainland occupied his magically-raised fortress alone. that faces Ushant has no inhabitants. Ushant When Tytalus disappeared, Hariste claimed is a small island, about four miles by two and Fudarus as her own, and became the first Pri- a half miles, but its almost vertical cliffs rise ma of House Tytalus. It has been the home of 180 feet out of the sea, and its top surface is the Primus ever since. virtually flat. There is a small fishing commu- Just under two hundred years later, Fuda- nity on the western side of the island where rus found itself at the center of a crisis. In 961 the cliffs are less steep, but it is otherwise de- AD House Guernicus had discovered that Pri- serted save for Fudarus. ma Tasgillia had been corrupted by Infernal Anyone approaching Ushant from either powers, and had captured her far from Fuda- the sea or the land is assailed by the magical rus along with a substantial fraction of House defenses of Fudarus: three mighty spirits (see Tytalus. When the Quaesitores and Flambeau insert) are bound into the walls of the cov- hoplites arrived at Fudarus aiming to search it enant, and take it in turns to protect Fudarus Fudarus for further evidence, the new Prima refused. from accidental discovery. Invited visitors All of the current membership of the cov- and Redcaps are told to stand facing the The domus magna of House Tytalus is enant had already been discovered to be free island, with feet together and hands raised; the westernmost of Normandy’s covenants, of diabolic taint, and Prima Kalliste insisted upon uttering a password (which changes but its influence spreads out like a web across that House Guernicus had no right to invade periodically) whichever spirit is currently the whole Tribunal. Fudarus is the former the privacy of magi who had been found in- protecting the covenant opens up a tunnel home of three of the Order’s most promi- nocent. She was forced to relent under politi- in its defenses in a straight line between the

41 The Lion and the Lily visitor and the covenant. From any direction, ways to seal the tower of Buliste and deny Culture and Traditions magic is essential to scale the cliffs, for there her entrance to her own sanctum. There are are no steps or ropes provided, and few are nine other towers, one for each of the eight capable of climbing such a height unaided. former Primi and one for Tytalus himself; all The Isle of Ushant belongs to the Heu- Fudarus is a sprawling fortress crouching are sealed and (apart from Tasgillia’s) no one saff family, who own the sole settlement on on the very edge of the landward-facing cliffs has entered them since the passing of their the island, a small fishing community on of the island, where there is a Magic aura of owners. Some are still believed to be inhabits south coast called Lampaul. The income 7. It is entirely enclosed by a high wall of ited by the ghosts or Twilight-transformed from this minor industry is the main source gray stone in a semi-circular sweep. Not con- remnants of the Primi. of Fudarus’ supplies. The fishermen are un- tent with its precarious placement on the cliff Immediately to the left of the gates of aware that Lord Heusaff is a magus, nor do edge, the covenant actually extends down Fudarus is a clear circle of grass, marked be- they know that his castle is a magical place, the face of the cliffs; its “towers” are upside- cause the area around it is blackened and for they have very little to do with the an- down, attached firmly to buttresses at the top blasted. This is the site of the martyrdom cient Breton family. of the cliff, but extending downwards like the of St Nerius (Realms of Power: The Divine, page Members of the Order who are not fol- petrified tendrils of an immense ivy. Most of 91), and has a Divine aura of 1. Every year on lowers of Tytalus have to earn the right to Fudarus’s inhabitants live in the fortress that the anniversary of that event, a single blue enter Fudarus, and if they fail or refuse they spills over the cliff edge, and only one of the flower of an unknown species blossoms in are housed in a dilapidated house just outside towers is usually occupied at any time, by the the permanently burnt sward. Several pious its walls. The challenge presented to visitors Primus. By tradition, upon the death of each magi come to witness this event every year, is set by the Primus, and is different for every Primus his tower is sealed by his successor, and they do not allow anyone to pick the magus; it typically involves conflict, in keep- and a new tower built for him. The tower of bloom, which lasts only one day. The magi ing with the philosophy of House Tytalus. Primus Harpax has been under construction of Fudarus do not prevent magi coming on Typical challenges are given in the nearby for the last two decades, and, thanks to Prima this pilgrimage, and do not interfere with the insert. By virtue of having passed the Ap- Buliste’s constant interference, it is not due to ceremony. Some have even joined them in prentice’s Gauntlet of the House, all Tytali be finished any time soon. Likewise, Harpax the past, taking part in the solemn devotions are considered to have already passed the re- has been devising more and more intricate with appropriate gravitas. quired challenge, and are free to enter. Unlike some domus magnae of other houses, there is no particular cachet for a The Three Great Spirits Tytalan magus in being a member of Fudarus. The philosophy of House Tytalus does not The three spirits of Ushant are called to mist and fog, at a cost of 1 Might allow for empty gestures of pre-eminence Mogidell (a spirit of mists and sea-fog), point per magnitude of the effect. and prestige; every magus is expected to Kerseenn (a spirit of misdirection), and Mastery of Misdirection, 1 – 8 points, Init 0, make others recognize his superiority based Arnev (a spirit of stormy weather). They Imaginem: Kerseenn can duplicate any on his actions. Consequentially, the mem- obey the bearer of the Circlet of the Primus non-Ritual spell of 40th level or lower bership of Fudarus is open to any member (see below), although this item itself does pertaining to misdirection and con- of House Tytalus that has sufficient reason not compel them; rather, the age-old pact cealment, at a cost of 1 Might point to join, and sufficient puissance to force the made with the spirits by Fudarus’s theur- per magnitude of the effect. current members to accept his right to join. gists has made them genii loci of Ushant. Mastery of Storms, 1 – 8 points, Init 0, Au- Fudarus is an autocracy; the Primus is the ram: Arnev can duplicate any non-Rit- leader of the covenant and makes all deci- Magic Might: 40 (Auram) ual spell of 40th level or lower pertain- sions on its behalf. Members are expected to Characteristics: Int +2, Per +4, Pre +5, Com ing to high winds, rain, and other bad act own their own initiative, but if the Primus +3, Str +3, Sta +2, Dex –2, Qik 0 weather, at a cost of 1 Might point per feels that his authority has been usurped he Personality Traits: Watchful +5, Capri- magnitude of the effect. can exact swift punishment using the en- cious +3, Playful +3 Vis: The presence of these spirits causes chanted Rod of the Primus. Virtues and Flaws: Ways of the Island 12 pawns of vis to manifest on Ushant Fudarus currently has two vassals, one Powers: each year, four each of Creo, Auram, of which is also found in Brittany. This cov- Incorporeal, 0 points, Init Constant, Men- and Imaginem. Only the inhabitants of enant, Exspectatio (see Finistere) has a vassal tem: All three spirits are both invisible Fudarus know what form this vis takes. of its own in Burgundy called Atramentum and intangible, and cannot be influ- Appearance: To those who can see them, Renatus. These vassals are currently bound enced by the physical world. Magic each of the three Great Spirits of Ushant into harsh contracts of obligation to Fudarus, may only directly target a spirit if the are immense, filling the sky. Mogidell and must compete hard at the Tourney to af- caster can sense its existence. appears as a huge gray bird; when she ford the feudal debt. Fudarus repays this loy- Presence, 0 points, constant, Mentem: The unfurls her wings the sea mist descends alty with generous political support. Fudarus spirits are aware of everything that oc- upon Ushant. Kerseenn is constantly has a long history of taking on vassals that curs on Ushant. shifting shape between weird amal- win their independence, many of whom Mastery of Mist, 1 – 8 points, Init 0, Auram: gams of human and beast. Arnev takes founder soon after they sever their ties. It Mogidell can duplicate any non-Ritual the appearance of an immense serpent shows no especial preference for vassals of spell of 40th level or lower pertaining with the head of a horse. House Tytalus.

42 The Lion and the Lily Challenges to Enter Fudarus

It is a matter of chance which Primus Bulliste’s Challenges Harpax’s Challenges is informed of the presence of visitors, and therefore which Primus sets the chal- Buliste’s challenges are most often of a Harpax’s challenges are usually of the lenge of passage. Challenges are assigned philosophical or overtly magical bent: physical kind: according to the abilities of the magus requesting entrance; to be set a task that • Present a convincing argument that the • Fight a magically created beast; is too easy is a subtle insult of the kind Code of Hermes is outdated and detri- • Achieve a pin in a wrestling match appreciated by Tytali, and indicates the mental to the Order; against one of Fudarus’ grogs; type of reception the visitor is likely to • Persuade one of Lampaul’s residents to do • Catch at least seven of a dozen receive. Conversely, a difficult challenge something he finds morally repugnant; spears cast at the character from the is a compliment, and a visitor who fails • Cast an unknown ritual spell from a cast- ramparts; the challenge but comports himself well ing tablet without falling unconscious; • Retrieve an item from Lampaul before in meeting it may still be invited into • Open the main gate of Fudarus without a water clock runs dry. Fudarus. moving a muscle.

Magi Prima Buliste Primus Harpax of House Tytalus of House Tytalus For the last twenty-five years, Harpax and Buliste have been the only magi who live at Age: 84 (Apparent age mid-60s) Age: 70 (Apparent age early 50s) Fudarus. When it became clear that the two Personality Traits: Personality Traits: Primi would not be capable of settling their Petty +3, Mercurial +3, dispute quickly, the other magi of Fudarus qui- Generous +2, Impulsive +1, etly left the covenant, leaving them to battle it Caring –1 Sincere +1 out undisturbed. They moved to a vassal covenant of Fudarus in Brittany that they renamed Buliste filia Bulcis was Prima of House Harpax filius Bulcis has forever felt lim- Exspectatio after ousting its former inhabitants. Tytalus for twenty years before she suffered ited by his elder “sister,” and fought her with The magi of Exspectatio are technically still a protracted Twilight episode that caused her great vigor for the leadership of House Tyta- members of Fudarus, and they return on a reg- to appear dead. She was wearing the Circlet lus, only to lose to her in the end. He barely ular basis to retrieve covenant resources such of the Primus at the onset of this Twilight, hesitated when she had seemed to pass on, as books, or conduct some laboratory activity and Harpax was unable to remove it from but burst into her sanctum and stole the in Fudarus’ superior aura. Kybella (see below) her body so she wears it still. She uses the Rod of the Primus and the identity of Lord casts the Aegis of the Hearth each year on behalf of invisible spirits commanded by the circlet Heusaff (see Houses of Hermes: Societates, House both Primi, as neither will trust the other to do to harry her rival; they remove stones from Tytalus for more on deep cover disguises). it. Harpax and Buliste have resorted to a pet- his uncompleted tower, add ground glass to Harpax uses the rod of his office to torture tiness that may be considered demeaning be- his food, sew up his clothing, and commit Buliste with distractions; one day her sanc- havior for a Primus; but this is merely how they hundreds of other petty annoyances that can tum may be so hot that her candles melt, the express their rivalry within Fudarus’ walls. The verge on the lethal. More importantly to the next she might have to break the ice on her feud they pursue on the stage of the Order is as House, Buliste controls Fudarus’ vast agency wash basin. vicious as any other pair of beloved rivals. For of spies, and can mentally communicate with Harpax has a better grasp of the poli- more details of these schemes, see Saga Ideas. several key players in that network due to her tics of the tribunal and the plots of his fel- puissance with the Art of Mentem and her low Tytalans than does Buliste. He governs collection of fixed Arcane Connections. This the wealth (in terms of both vis and coin) Story Seed: allows her to maintain respect and author- of the covenant as Lord Heusaff, and main- ity within the House, although she is largely tains the oaths of fealty of Fudarus’ two vas- Color Blind impotent in the Normandy Tribunal. sals. However, without access to the agents Buliste is a woman apparently in her of the covenant, he is limited to how much A covenant sponsored or favored by sixties, of regal mien and corpulent yet not of the House’s business he can control; he Fudarus may receive a “gift” of some of obese physique. She wears rich clothes of is more powerful than Buliste in Norman- its grogs. The Lesser Malediction that violet satin and white Breton lace. She has dy, but she has the edge in the Order as they suffer with regards to blindness very expressive features, and the most obvi- a whole. to certain colors can be an annoyance, ous of several Twilight scars is that her kind- When playing the role of Lord Heusaff, but anyone who knows their weakness ness and her anger are both palpable — one Harpax uses his magic to change his appear- (such as Fudarus itself) can exploit it to gentle, the other painful. ance to that of the young lord, a dashing lethal effect. nobleman. However, Harpax played this

43 The Lion and the Lily The Rod and Circlet of the Primus Story Seed:

Fudarus owns two magical items that or putrid. CrIm base 1, final level 25 Iasper’s Family are of particular note, for as well as con- • Create noises, either soothing or clam- trolling aspects of the covenant, they oring. CrIm base 1, final level 25 Iasper’s close relationship with his are also the symbols of the leadership of • Change textures of furnishings to feel mundane family is a potential cause for House Tytalus. They were crafted long as soft as down or as sharp as thorns. trouble. The Foutins are a large clan of lo- ago at the direction of Hariste. MuIm base 1, final level 25 cal roustabouts and ne’er-do-wells; who, The Rod of the Primus is used to • (variable base, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +3 while not actually criminal by nature, control the physical environment of Structure; +10 unlimited uses, +5 item have a knack of getting into trouble. One the covenant. It has a number of powers maintains concentration) of the player covenant’s grogs may be that are all tied to making any particular one of Iasper’s cousins, or end up on the room a pleasant or uncomfortable place The Circlet of the Primus commands wrong side of a fight with one of them. to be in. What is more insidious is that the spiritual servants of the covenant. Al- When Iasper is called upon to smooth the rod can cause these effects to trigger though they can rarely be detected, every over matters with the local authorities, at the presence of a particular person, so room has several invisible spirits within he manages to implicate the PC magi in a that every room that someone enters is it that perform the simple, menial tasks grandiose plot of mayhem to destabilize freezing cold or plunged into darkness. of the covenant. The servants normally the region. He then approaches the PCs The rod is owned currently by Primus perform whatever task to which they were in contrition, and tries to assist them in Harpax. last set, and the wearer of the circlet is the untangling the mess he has created with- only individual who can change the com- out revealing his own role. mands of a spirit. Prima Buliste currently Control Environment wears the circlet. of Fudarus command of the wearer of the Circlet of the Primus. These spirits do all the cleaning, Variable Technique, Form, and Level Control Spirit repairing, lifting, food preparation, and so Pen: 0, unlimited uses per day forth of the covenant, although there are a R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Structure Rego Vim 55 few human servants for performing skilled Pen: 20, unlimited uses per day tasks, such as a chef and craftsmen. Due to The rod has six similar enchantments R: Arc, D: Conc, T: Ind. these thronging spirits (it is never clear how that use the same spell parameters, but many there are, other than “just enough”), have varying Arts and final levels. The rod This power allows the wielder to com- Fudarus has little need for serving folk, la- can maintain any number of these effects mand a single task of any spirit in her borers, or teamsters. This makes the cov- simultaneously, but can only activate one presence, or to whom the wielder has an enant seem to be empty and silent most of per round. Arcane Connection. The commands are the time. issued mentally, and the circlet itself is in- Fudarus employs a small cadre of spe- • Vary light levels from total darkness scribed with the names of (that is, Arcane cialists: an alchemist and glassblower to to unbearable brightness. MuIg base Connections to) all of Fudarus’ servant maintain the laboratories; a barber-surgeon 1, final level 25 spirits. Any spirit whose Might is less than who governs the regimen of health of the • Vary temperature from below freezing to the Penetration Total of the circlet can be covenant; and two craftsmen. The covenant baking hot. MuIg base 1, final level 25 affected by this power. has a large turb of grogs, who have divided • Open archways or close portals be- equally into two camps based on their loy- tween rooms. MuTe base 1, +1 stone, (Base 5, +4 Arc, +1 Conc; +10 unlimited alty to either Harpax or Buliste. They wear final level 30 uses, +5 item maintains concentration, swatches of cloth indicating their allegiance, • Create intense smells, either pleasant +10 for Penetration Total of 20). and thanks to the Warping effect of the aura, do not even acknowledge the presence of anyone wearing a substantial amount of the opposing color (such as a hood, tunic, or role too well, and has had to develop some through Twilight scars; the style of his cloth- cloak). Thus, Harpax’s grogs cannot even see unpleasant personal habits to discourage the ing shifts gradually over the course of a day, Buliste, or anyone wearing any purple cloth- attentions of women of marriageable age. In while remaining the same signature color of ing, and vice versa. This is not just affecta- his role as tenth Primus of House Tytalus, forest green. tion; someone removing a green hood can Harpax is a distinguished man apparently in surprise one of Buliste’s grogs by seeming to his fifties, stick-thin and somewhat arthritic. appear out of nowhere, and someone wear- He maintains several other disguises, and it ing a green cloak could stab one in the chest is possible that he will be first met as a but- Covenfolk without resistance. Wearing both colors ler, or a sentry, or a tinker, or any number seems to nullify the effect; a grog of Fudarus of other roles. His obsession (and sigil) of Most of the menial tasks of the covenant does not ignore someone appareled in their plurality has expressed itself on his body are performed by invisible spirits under the own color.

44 The Lion and the Lily

Adanos Lutorum of House a crushing blow once she is exhausted. Tytalus

Age: 57 (Apparent age 41) Kybella of House Tytalus Personality Traits: Humorless +2, Age: 68 (Apparent age 48) Unswerving +3, Personality Traits: Loyal to Harpax +3 Loyal to Buliste +3, Suspicious +1 Adanos bears the blood of an earth spirit, and has a strong affinity for soil, stone, and clay. A leading member of the Titanoi, House Exspectatio He is over seven feet tall and totally hairless, Tytalus’s cult of theurgists (see Houses of Hermes: and his skin is the texture of rock. He is the Societates, House Tytalus). She is responsible for The rivalries pursued by Tytalan magi youngest of the founding magi of Exspectatio maintaining the enchantments that hold Fuda- are highly personal and private; when it be- and is a staunch supporter of Harpax since Bu- rus’s spirits in check, and is a close friend of Prima came clear that the feud between Harpax liste refused to take him as an apprentice. His Buliste. She specializes in genii loci, and carefully and Buliste at Fudarus was not going to be signature tactic in conflict of any type (physi- inspects every place she stays for evidence of resolved quickly, the other magi of Fudarus cal, verbal, or magical) is to allow his oppo- such spirits. Kybella’s current interests revolve looked around for somewhere else to stay. nent to expend her energies fruitlessly against around her involvement of the Cabal of the Lad- Their eyes fell upon the newly established his impenetrable defenses, then to strike with en Cart (see Sagas: Plots of House Tytalus). vassal covenant of Atramentum, sponsored just one year previously. It was a convenient distance from Fudarus, so the elder Tytali evicted the two founding magi and Iasper filius Adanos of House Tytalus took up residence. The new name means Characteristics: Int +3, Per –1, Pre +2, (Terram), Philosophiae 1 (debating) “waiting in hope or dread” — certainly a Com 0, Str 0, Sta +2, Dex –1, Qik –2 Arts: Cr4, In 2, Mu 2, Pe 2, Re 10; An 2, fitting name! Size: 0 Aq 6, Au 6, Co 3, He 0, Ig 3, Im 5, Exspectatio is found in a secluded valley Age: 26 Me 5, Te 6+3, Vi 4 in the Arrée Mountains of Brittany, about Decrepitude: 0 Spells Known: three days’ journey from Fudarus. There are Warping Score: 0 (4) Chaos of the Angry Waves (ReAq 30/+24) six magi living at Exspectatio, all members Confidence Score: 2 (6) Confusion of the Insane Vibrations (ReIm 30/+22) of House Tytalus, and all but one are at least Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Ma- Confusion of the Numbed Will (ReMe 15/+22) four decades from apprenticeship. Although gus; Flexible Formulaic Magic; Affinity Crest of the Earth’s Wave (ReTe 20/+21) legally a vassal of Fudarus, the Oath of Fe- with Rego, Clear Thinker, Harnessed Panic of the Trembling Heart (CrMe 15/+11) alty is very generous, having been drawn up Magic, Magical Focus (Turmoil), Puis- Prying Eyes (InIm 5/+9) in part by the magi of Exspectatio, and it is sant Concentration, Puissant Terram, The Earth’s Carbuncle (ReTe (Mu) 15/+13) not uncommon to find one or more of Ex- Self Confident*; Chaotic Magic, Med- Wielding the Invisible Sling (ReTe 10/+21) spectatio’s members absent at any one time, dler; Close Family Ties, Incomprehen- Appearance: A thin man with long shaggy visiting Fudarus to use the library or a spe- sible, Weird Magic. black hair and an unshaven face. In con- cialized laboratory. The two most prominent *House Virtue trast to his unkempt features, his cloth- members are Adanos and Kybella. Personality Traits: Argumentative +2, ing is always impeccably turned out. Self-Disciplined +2, Brave +1 Combat: Iasper is the youngest member of Ex- Story Seed: Fist: Init –2, Attack +1, Defense 0, Damage 0 spectatio, having passed his Gauntlet just Soak: +2 four years ago. He is a study in contrasts, Iasper’s Seeming Death Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, since his magic is simultaneously tightly har- Unconscious nessed and unpredictable. He prides himself Seeking membership of the Cabal Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 on his self-control, and yet has a natural af- of the Leaden Cart (see Sagas: Plots (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead finity for turmoil and chaos, and delights in of House Tytalus), Iasper attracts the (21+) its execution. Given his master’s interests in interest of a crossroads faerie who gov- Abilities: Artes Liberales 3 (literature), Brawl Terram, he is fairly competent with this Art erns the transition between life and 2 (fist), Breton 3 (arguments), Concen- as well. Iasper is interested in reined chaos, death. The faerie blurs the border be- tration 2+2 (Rego), Finesse 2 (Terram), which he believes is the route to self-un- tween the living and the dead, causing Etiquette 1 (politeness), French 5 (Nor- derstanding. Unlike many of his house, he corpses to walk again and the living to man), Latin 4 (Hermetic), Leadership 1 provokes conflict beyond his capacity to fall into a death-like pallor. The player (brow-beating), Magic Lore 1 (earth control, seeing the vagaries of chance as a characters happen across the affected spirits), Magic Theory 4 (Terram), learning experience. There is no malice in region, and must free Iasper from his Normandy Lore 1 (hostilities), Parma his actions, although he rarely considers the death-state to break the faerie’s spell. Magica 1 (Mentem), Penetration 1 implications of his actions for others.

45 The Lion and the Lily

Ronan. A Benedictine monastery close by 2 (Animal), may still be somewhere close by, County of provides accommodation for pilgrims. It is and might make itself available should any sited in a forest once held sacred by druids deserving person seek it. and is used as a place of retreat by brothers Cornouaille from other monasteries needing a change of scene. Quimper is the main town of Corn- Cornouaille covers a broad peninsula ouaille. King Gradlon founded it when he Sein Island with projecting points at both the south end lost his former capital (see the nearby in- and the north, and a landscape of wooded sert). Its first bishop, St. Corentine, lived The northern projection of the Corn- hills and valleys inland. Locronan is an un- off a magical fish that was caught daily from ouaille peninsula ends at Raz Point and Van usual pilgrimage site, where visitors retrace the river. He ate half of it and threw the rest Point. These two promontories lie on either the path up the hill that was the daily walk back. The next morning the fish was whole side of the feared Bay of Troubled Souls, made, while fasting and barefooted, by St. again. The fish, which had a Divine Might of where the bodies of those drowned in ship- wreck are most likely to be washed ashore. The bodies of druids who died on the mainland were put in boats here to be ferried over to Sein Island; its reputation as a druid burial site keeps local people away. This island is so low-lying that it is submerged at the very highest tides. There are two menhirs and a dolmen on Sein Island. The Roman histo- rian Pomponius Mela claims that nine virgin witches with the power to raise winds and storms lived on it. Between these rocky promontories and the cliffs of Penmarch, the southern extremity, the desolate coast is a twelve-mile-long shingle beach. Half way along it, an annual ceremony to bless the sea is held, involving a torchlight procession.

Noires Mountains and Western Argoat

The hills of the Black Mountains are softer and lower than the Arrée Mountains, which lie to the north on the other side of the broad valley of the River Aulne. Some of the early Christian missionaries lived as hermits in the woods that still cover the hills. Ménez-Hom, an outlying summit to the western end of the range, provides a view over a very wide area encompassing the coast from the Cornouaille peninsula, across Crozon, over the bay where Brest lies, and as far as St. Matthews Point, plus the inland view over the two ranges of hills and the intervening valley. Another summit, further east, is known as Karreg an Tan, meaning Fire Rock; Ignem vis is found in the rust-colored lichen that slowly forms on the rock. In the east of the Black Moun- tains, at Rostrenen, is a hawthorn bush dedicated to Our Lady which blooms all year round and is a source of Divinely tainted Herbam vis. Carhaix-Plouguer lies in the valley between the two ranges of hills, at

46 The Lion and the Lily

mouth of the gulf. It is a small hill about 20 The Town of Is Broërec feet in height made of stones piled over a covered passageway that leads to a cham- In the sixth century, Gradlon was Inland, this region comprises low, for- ber. Both passage and chamber are roofed King of Cornouaille and his court was ested plateaus broken by numerous rivers with huge slabs standing on large support- based in the beautiful town of Is. It was that open out into wide, drowned estuaries ing stones decorated with carvings of ser- protected from the sea by a dyke with when they meet the western coast. Crops pentine spirals, cup shapes, and rings. The huge gates. The king held the key to are cultivated in sheltered valleys but food chamber is constructed of eight huge slabs these floodgates. His daughter, Dahut, from the sea is very important too. There of a dark, fine-grained rock not native to the was seduced by the Devil, who disguised is a fountain at Ste. Hélene, beside the bay area. It has an evil reputation, with rumors himself as an attractive young man. He that forms the mouth of the River Étel, circulating of dark magic practiced in here persuaded her to steal the key for him which is renowned for its prophetic powers: in the past, but it has a Faerie aura of level 3 while her father slept. When he opened if a sailor’s wife throws a scrap of bread into and under the right circumstances acts as a the floodgates at high tide, King Grad- the fountain, she can tell by whether it sinks gateway to a dark Faerie realm. On the isle lon fled on horseback with his daughter. or floats if her husband will return safely. of Er Lanic, just to the south of Gavrinis, He soon realized the horse could not Also near this bay is the chapel of St. Cado stand stones in the shape of a figure eight, outrun the waves. A voice urged him where deaf petitioners may spend a night on one circle of which is submerged at high to throw off the wicked woman so, re- the stone bed, resting on a stone pillow, in tide; a Magic aura of level 5 covers the im- luctantly, he threw his daughter off into hopes of a cure. mediate area. the onrushing tide. At once, the waves retreated sufficiently to allow the citizens to escape to the mainland, but Is Rhuys’ Megaliths was submerged. As for Dahut, she was Morbihan transformed into an evil siren known Toward the end of the Rhuys peninsula, as Marie-Morgane. She still sings her The most striking coastal feature is the arm of land that forms the west side of deadly songs, drowning sailors and us- the almost land-locked Gulf of Morbihan, the Gulf of Morbihan, at Locmariaquer, is ing them to people her sunken city. It is fringed with mud and salt marsh and scat- an outstanding assemblage of ancient stone said that if Mass is celebrated in one of tered with a great many small, low islands. monuments. The greatest of them, origi- the drowned churches on a Good Fri- It is about 12 miles across and reaches nine nally over 60 feet in height, stands broken day, Marie-Morgane will be banished. miles inland. Peter Abélard, the renowned in two. The stones, known locally as the philosopher and theologian, retreated to St- Merchants’ Table, are decorated with carv- Gildas-de-Rhuys, a monastery founded by ings of crooks and one ox, so the place is their eastern end, and is the only sizable St. Gildas in the sixth century and situated likely associated with ancient animal mag- settlement for miles around. It grew up in on the southern arm protecting the Gulf of ic. Also in this vicinity, Er-Grah, Mané-er Roman times where seven roads meet, and Morbihan. He found it a wild place beset Hroech, Mané-Lud and Mané-Rethaul, was named Vorgium. Further east is Bulat- by dangerous animals, the language strange Kerlud, and Flat Stones are other dolmens Pestivien, where there are healing springs, and horrible, and the monastic community of immense dressed stones, many carved. and Burthulet, a desolate place said to be unruly (see insert in Chapter 7: Ile de France, Most take the form of a covered passage so frigid in winter that a demon died of Abélard and Héloïse). leading to a large chamber and were prob- cold there. ably the homes of giants.

Tumiac Tumulus Corong and Quiberon Toul Goulic Gorges The decisive battle between Julius Cae- sar’s troops and the strongest tribe of Gauls, An elongated island, Quiberon, which At the Corong Gorge, a river disappears the Veniti, took place to the southeast of this is separated from the mainland only at high beneath a mass of rocks and flows out lower stretch of coast. Over two hundred Gallic tide, has dunes on the north end, a stretch down in a series of cascades. Toul Goulic sailing vessels and some great Roman galleys of rocks, cliffs, caves, and reefs where the Gorge, where another river disappears be- met as Caesar looked on from his vantage sea pounds savagely along the oceanward neath tumbled rocks, lies further east. Each point on the Tumiac Tumulus, on the arm of western side, and wide, gently curving sand is home to a temperamental genius loci (see land round the southern side of the gulf. It is beaches on the sheltered eastern side. A stone Realms of Power: Magic). The pair has been highly likely that interesting artifacts still lie called Roh-en-Aod, situated at the north end locked in a feud for so long that neither on the ocean bed. of the western cliffs, has five cup-shaped knows why it started. The river owned by indents, which, if tapped with hammers at the one with the upper hand flows above night by women, will ensure favorable winds ground. Both would be glad to end the Gavrinis Tumulus for their husbands’ boats. Auram vis can be fight and would reward anyone who can obtained here, but only by females. Almost accomplish this without either appearing A more interesting tumulus is that half way along the eastern side of Quiberon to back down. named Gavrinis, on an islet not far from the stand 22 menhirs in rows.

47 The Lion and the Lily

animals that live here display unusual intel- down and killed. Some say the blood of that Story Seed: ligence, strange powers, or sometimes the battle is what has led to the curse that haunts ability to converse with intruders. Once the area to this day, in the form of its strange Jean and Jeanne within the stones themselves and on the av- and hostile inhabitants. Other disquieting enues, the aura is generally 6 or even higher, legends hint at Diedne fleeing into the re- Two menhirs stand on a gorse-clad and many regiones are known to exist. Yet giones, or even suggest that the stones may moor towards the north of Belle-ile, one few would wish to come here at night. As have magical portals, not dissimilar to Mer- of pale granite and one of darker schist. the shadows lengthen the Magic aura fades cere Portals, which allow transportation to They are named Jean and Jeanne, and away, and at night an Infernal aura replaces other groups of far-distant standing stones. are the petrified forms of a young, be- the magic. Then the sinister cackling of the Will the Diedne who escaped return through trothed couple who could not wait hideous guardians of the stones ring out them one day, seeking revenge? until they were wed. A suitable Her- across the heath. It is for this reason that no The ignorant locals blame fairies for the metic ritual could free them from the covenant has ever been constructed here, construction, and some are so foolish as to enchantment. Once returned to flesh, and it is doubtful any ever will. use hedge magics and ancient charms to try the pair are keen to join the covenant The legends of the Order place the meet- to command them to build houses for them in since the world they knew is long gone. ing of Trianoma with Diedne the Founder a single night, for the faeries can not stand the The woman is pregnant and her child is here, on a bright summer’s afternoon. Some light of day. Others, more pious, claim that St. due three months after the petrification say that the Diedne knew the secrets of Cornelius was chased across the heath by the ends. The child is Gifted and has a close the place, but who can tell? Here a fleeing evil faeries, and as the ox cart he drove neared affinity with Terram magic. remnant of the pagan magicians was hunted the sea he finally turned and prayed fervently,

Belle-ile Nain The largest Breton island, Belle-ile, is five miles out to sea from Quiberon. It is a schist Infernal Might: 10 (Animal) Deadly Dance, 2 points, Init 3, Corpus. A plateau cut deeply by fast-flowing streams Characteristics: Int –2, Per +1, Pre -3, Com group of up to 10 victims is compelled that end in creeks or small beaches, and is fre- +1, Str –1, Sta +3, Dex +3, Qik +2 to dance wildly with the Nains until quently swept by strong winds and rain from Size: –2 sunrise. Each hour’s dancing requires a the west. Trees only grow in sheltered spots. Age: n/a Stamina stress roll against an Ease Fac- On the southwest coast at Port-Goulphar, in Confidence Score: 0 tor of 6, and failure results in the loss the clear waters in a deep, sheltered chasm, Virtues and Flaws: None of a long-term fatigue level until the brightly colored algae collects on the rocks; Personality Traits: Sadistic +2, Lustful +2, dancer falls unconscious, after which this is an unusual form of Herbam vis. A little Energetic +2 Light Wounds are taken. A botch re- further along the coast, at rocks called the Reputations: Demonic 5 (local), Tireless sults in two levels being lost per 0 on Needles, the turbulent waves generate a great Dancers 2 (local), Magicians 1 (local) the botch dice; if the victim is uncon- deal of foam that is a source of Aquam vis. Combat: scious, the Wound increases by one Claws: Init +1, Attack 7, Defense +8, Dam- level per 0. Many have danced them- age +1 selves to death before dawn comes. Stone (thrown): Init +2, Attack +5, Defense Magician’s Desire Denied, 1 point, Init 3, Vim. Carnac +4, Damage +1 Makes a pebble, leaf or other object Soak: +3 appear to radiate magic as vis would to One of the most powerful magical sites in Fatigue Levels: n/a an InVi spell. If Sense the Nature of Vis is Mythic Europe, Carnac haunts the imagina- Wound Penalties: –1 (1–3), –3 (4–6), cast upon it, or dawn breaks, the “vis” tion. Over a thousand menhirs, aligned in a –5 (7–9), Incapacitated (10–12), Dead collected simply vanishes. broken pattern of great avenues of stone, cov- (13+) Equipment: Usually none. er the heath near the village of the same name. Abilities: Area Lore 3 (Carnac), Athletics Natural Weapons: Claws: Init -1, Attack Constructed on a scale that dwarfs Stone- 5 (dancing), Brawl 2 (claws), Folk Ken +2, Defense +3, Damage +2 henge, the rough unworked stones completely 4 (temptation), Guile 1 (lying), Speak Encumbrance: 0 (0) dominate the landscape, and the feeling of an- Breton 2 (yelping), Stealth 4 (ambush- Vis: 1 pawn of Animal vis in hooves cient magic hangs heavy in the air here. es), Thrown Weapon 3 (stones) Appearance: Child-sized deformed hu- The stones, mute guardians to forgotten Powers: manoid creatures, with filthy heads secrets, range from the height of a child to Glittering Treasure, 2 points, Init 3, Terram. of long hair, goat-like bandy legs, and well over twenty feet. By day, a Magic aura Creates a number of silver coins that eyes of burning red fire. of strength 5 covers the heath, one of the shine in the moonlight and tempt the largest Magical auras known to the Order, greedy amid the stones. The coins Nains usually attack in untrained and in many places it is far higher. The lo- vanish at dawn, but are usually used groups of three per victim, relying on cation is vivid, brighter, and somehow more as a lure to bring the victim into an superior numbers to overwhelm their en- real than the surrounding heath; so strong is ambush. emies if their magic fails to defeat them. the magic that even the birds, flowers, and

48 The Lion and the Lily and God miraculously turned the pursuing fa- rocky hills. It was founded by St. Arthmael, eries into the stones. Yet most who live near who defeated a dragon here, and to whom the stones are sure of one thing: demons, not the main church is dedicated. Northeast of fairies, haunt this place at night. Ploëmel is the petrified Giant of Kerderf and What are the secrets of the stones? Inves- an isolated pillar named for St Cado, which tigation and a Hermetic Breakthrough may women wishing to conceive a child rub their perhaps allow some of the mysteries of the bodies against. It is a source of Creo vis, and stones to be decoded. Magi with an interest possibly also a link to a form of magic that in the mysteries of Hermetic Geometry and can overcome the sterility brought on by Hermetic Astrology often come here seeking longevity rituals. The pillar would be of in- new insights, while others are convinced the terest as a source of insight into fertility cult remains are associated with Fertility Magics, practice (see Ancient Magic, page 54). but no one is sure. Magi fear the region, and no covenant has been established here because of the The Statues of Josselin terrible denizens of the stones. The Nains and Castennac are small, deformed, imp-like creatures with filthy heads of long hair, goat-like bandy The castle of Josselin is to the west, on legs, and eyes of burning red fire. They are the banks of the River Oust. A wooden statue the guardians of the mysteries of the stones, Korrigan, faerie creatures, but their wicked- of the Virgin Mary was once discovered near and can read the strange magical characters ness corrupted them and today they are clearly Josselin, in a bramble bush. One day, a scruffy traced on the rocks, although these are only aligned with the Infernal realm. Nains attack beggar woman came to the village asking for visible by starlight on moonless nights. Their in large groups, and are often accompanied by water, but the local women drove her off, unholy night is the first Wednesday in May, even darker, more horrific demons. sending their dogs to chase her away. At once, and it is said to be suicide to enter the vicinity their cruel shouts turned to dog-like howls. It of the stones then, when they conduct blood was Our Lady in disguise, who had come to sacrifices and the Infernal aura rises to 6. test their charity and found it lacking. Ev- Jacques Vert of House Merinita once spec- Southern Argoat ery year, at the feast of Pentecost, the local ulated they are the dreams of the dead Diedne, women must beg forgiveness in front of the taken living form in faerie flesh. No one be- The largest urban settlement, Vannes, wooden statue or else the curse will return. lieved him, or if they did they did not care to stands on the River Marle, close to where it Close to the border with the county of investigate. He vanished amid the stones on flows into the Gulf of Morbihan. It was Nom- Cornouaille is Castennac, where a statue of a a moonless night some fifty years ago, while inoé’s capital of the kingdom of Brittany in very different sort was discovered. It is obvious- seeking the legendary treasure of Carnac — a the ninth century. The cathedral in Vannes is ly that of a woman and is known locally as their treasure the very nature of which is unknown. dedicated to St. Peter. Inland are the Lanvaux Venus, being used as the focus of pagan, sexu- Such treasures are dubious, however, as the Moors, a crescent of largely bare, hard, flak- ally charged rituals. It has been thrown into the Nains are know to have the power to create ing rock dotted with megaliths. The town of river on several occasions by the local church- magical silver in the shape of modern coins that Ploëmel lies beyond the inland side of these men, but so far has always turned up again. vanish in the light of day. More disquietingly, they can create fake vis that radiates magic to a simple Intellego Vim spell, but on further in- Folk Tales spection to ascertain the Form, simply melts away. The Nains love to tempt fools into their Tales now told across Brittany con- Lushly fertile land where emaciated horses clutches by playing on their victims’ greed. tain many memories handed down about or cattle graze, beside barren land sup- Malicious, cruel, and deceitful, the Nains the mysteries of the region, and may give porting plump, healthy animals. dance in orgiastic rituals among the stones, magi ideas of where to look for adventure A crust or loaf of bread that never dimin- yet always vanish into hidden regiones by and vis. The following crop up in folk ishes, though eaten. the dawn. Those who try to treat with them tales across the duchy, so there is probably A silver whistle that brings help from sometimes find themselves compelled to join truth in at least some of them. birds. their weird dances, and to dance long after A shirt which, when put on, keeps an im- fatigue has rendered them unconscious. If Two trees fighting; if spoken to in the right portunate would-be lover frozen im- the light of dawn does not arrive in time, the way, they turn back into an argumen- mobile through the night. ensorcelled victim dances himself to death. tative husband and wife. Apples that cause irresistible drowsiness. As well as the Nains, many magical spirits A stranded fish that is king of all fishes, a A honey cake that, when eaten, can make a haunt the ruins, and locals frequently report trapped bird who can command all girl give birth to a magical cat that will long processions of the ancient dead. They birds, and a bound demon king, each of help her win a good husband, despite take shelter in the Church of St. Cornelius, bar which, if saved, will give help in return. the shame of her pregnancy. the doors, and pray till dawn each Midsummer Three hermits, each of whom gives one piece A piece of cloth enchanted to serve food night, when the Infernal aura reaches 5 even of advice that builds into a solution. and drink when spread. in the churchyard. Long ago the Nains were

49 The Lion and the Lily Story Seed: Story Seed: Story Seed: Princess in the Tower Too Much Wind The White Fox

A young woman from the covenant is An air elemental decides to take an in- Characters from the covenant meet a stolen away to be a companion to a beautiful terest in the covenant — perhaps someone white fox, near a menhir or a dolmen with young lady, who gives herself the title Princess there has upset it. A strong wind blows a Magic aura. It is a Magic creature and, of the Shining Star. Her father, to prevent her round the covenant all the time, causing if they talk to it politely and promise to having any contact with other men, confines great inconvenience to all the inhabitants. do it a favor, it gives them an ivory ball. If the princess to a tower. Female servants wait Help may be available from a bearded old dropped, the ball rolls along the ground a on her, but cannot communicate, so the prin- woman with long teeth who tends her fire little way, always in the same direction. If cess is very happy to have a companion. The in a cottage in the forest. She is the Mother followed, it leads to a hermit dwelling in tower is part of a large castle of greenish, trans- of Winds and has four giant sons, whom the forest. lucent glass, held in the air by gold and silver she keeps in order by threatening to trap chains. The whole place is in a Magic regio. them in her sack.

A leper hospital is hidden not far away in Grande Brière County of the Gâvre Forest. The River Vilaine’s highest port accessible by sea-going craft is at Deep layers of peat, trapped behind Redon where the Abbey of St. Savior was coastal sands, form an immense expanse of Nantes marsh between the estuaries of the rivers Loire and Vilaine. Fish, eels, and wildfowl The city of Nantes and the immediately are abundant, but hardly anyone lives here surrounding area is, in some ways, hardly part although a few patches of firm ground rise of Brittany. There are few Bretons there and above the swamp. On one, Kerbourg, lo- the Frankish population feels an affinity with cated to the southwest, stands a covered Anjou and Poitou. Nantes, which stands on alley of megaliths with a low Magic aura. the River Loire, was an important location in The fortress of Ranrouët, which is under Roman times and before. Now it is a politi- construction, guards the area on the north cal and ecclesiastical center. The cathedral is side of the marsh. There is also a settle- a site of martyrdom, where pagan invaders ment overlooking the marsh on the south- massacred the bishop and his whole congre- western edge, at Guérande, where the gation in 843. King Alain Crookbeard estab- church of St. Aubin stands on the site of lished this as the capital of the duchy. a baptistery used during the conversion of The main road inland heads to Rennes, established in 832. Several rivers meet at the pagans here. In the crypt is a Merovin- through forest, with very little settlement. Redon, so it serves as a distribution point gian sarcophagus. A ridge of rock forms a At Blain, two minor trade routes cross. for trade over a wide area. On the higher peninsula on the seaward side of the salt That trending northeast to southwest was ground close to the village of St. Just, north marsh that lies between the village and important in Roman times, so is a much of Redon and to the west of the river valley, the ocean. Salt extraction takes place on a better road than might be expected. There are several groups of gray stones in a small small scale here. is a small castle here, and a busy market. Magic aura of level 3.

50 Chapter Five Normandy

The duchy of Normandy is bounded basin (in the east) has been partly cleared for Provincia Lugdunensis. When the Romans by the English Channel to the north and farmland and, as the duchy has been the site left, the region became part of the Caro- west, along a coastline that is a mixture of of much conflict over the centuries, there are lingian province of Neustria — but, during beaches and perilous, alabaster cliffs. Across many castles. the ninth and 10th centuries, Neustria was the waves squats misty England: a brooding Originally, Gallic tribes, who are fondly overrun by Scandinavian vikings. Eventually, presence on the horizon, and troublesome remembered by the many faerie creatures the Vikings colonized the region and their military foe of France. To the south are the they once worshiped, inhabited the region leader became the duke of Normandy (land duchies of Brittany and Maine, and the Royal that is now the duchy of Normandy. The of the north men). Since then, Normandy Demesne; east are the counties of Flanders. tribes were conquered by the Romans and, has been an occasional ally and frequent foe Normandy is heavily forested, but the Seine under imperial rule, the area became Secunda of the French crown until, in 1203-1204, the

51 The Lion and the Lily

Normandy and England, but King Philip has were granted charters in the frantic years Normandy Covenants been careful to keep strategic holdings to prior to 1204 by King John to gather rev- himself and several close allies. enue to ward off the French annexation, and Current Covenants: Confluensis, Drag- Under the Normans, the duchy was high- the French crown is less enthusiastic about on’s Rest, Montverte. ly militarized; even so, when planning large such small independent towns. Hermetic Ruined, Abandoned, or Lost Cov- military operations the duke hired mercenar- covenants near small communities may have enants: Aedes Salii, Baiocassium, ies — from Flanders, Scandinavia, or Germa- taken advantage of their neighbor’s charter Baiocassium Minor, Orchard of ny — whose leaders often become ducal vas- — for example, by acknowledging the ju- Sour Apples (current site of Conflu- sals. The duke’s existing vassals also provided risdiction of local (and easily manipulated) ensis), Pagus, Rotomagus. troops and fielded their own armies, too. This magistrates the magi may have avoided militarization has remained under Philip and dealing with bailli (see below) — and if lo- today, for example, the bishop of Bayeux has cal charters are subsequently revoked the French king, Philip II, annexed the duchy the service of 100 knights; 20 he owes to the covenant may need to create new arrange- from the English crown. England itself was ducal army, 10 to the royal army, and the re- ments. Some covenants, as small communi- conquered by the Normans in 1066, of maining 70 are for his own use. The Norman ties, may even have been granted charters in course. More detail about the history and dukes attempted to limit private wars between their own right by King John. annexation of Normandy is given in Chapter their vassals, preferring to settle disputes in 2: The History of Mythic France. the ducal court where the usual punishment was the confiscation of land, but internal war could not always be prevented. Even so, the Norman Bailliages duke imposed some rules: nominally, the defeated could not be ransomed or pillaged and Under Philip, Normandy is divided their houses and mills could not be burnt. into administrative units, called bailliages, The Duke of Philip also continues to enforce these rules. that correspond approximately to the his- A number of towns in the duchy have toric counties of Normandy. Each bailliage Normandy been granted charters, which allows the is administered by a professional, educated town burgesses to elect their own mayors bureaucrat who has the title bailli, and is The Normans considered themselves and councilors and to hold their own courts. appointed by the king. Bailli are wealthy, distinct from the other vassals of the French In return, the burgesses pay a collective ten- as they are paid personal salaries of several crown; they claimed Normandy was an allod ure to the king, or in some cases to a bishop hundred pounds per annum, and some have granted absolutely to the duke. The French or to another noble (see City and Guild page held office since the annexation. However, crown has not always agreed, and in 1220 8). Most large Normandy towns have char- if your saga follows history, from the 1220s Normandy is actually under the direct con- ters, and a number of small communities are onwards bailli typically hold office for only trol of the French king. Therefore, there is also chartered, including: Beauvoir, Laigle, three or four years. Bailli are intentionally no Duke of Normandy, but the Anglo-Nor- and Trun, all small forest communities; not drawn from either the ranks of the great man claimant is Henry III. Feudal relation- Conches, Lyre, and Saint-Evroult, each little noble families or the church, but some are ships within Normandy are more-or-less more than a village outside an abbey; and minor nobles or were once military officers. unchanged, however — the French crown Claville, in reality a large manor. The large Bailli are also generally honest and loyal to merely substitutes for the duke at the head town charters have been confirmed by Philip the king. In 1220 there are no native Nor- of the feudal table. Many minor Anglo-Nor- II since 1204, but the smaller towns are less man bailli, and important bailli include: man nobles have retained holdings in both assured. This is because many small towns Bailli of Rouen: Jean de la Porte, appointed in 1219. Bailli of Caen: Pierre du Thillai, appointed in 1205. Bailli of Bayeux: Renaud de Ville-Thierry, appointed in 1206. Bailli of Cotentin: Miles de Levis, appointed in 1215.

The bailli know that the Order of Hermes exists, and although they do not know any specific details, they are aware of the location of some covenants, so should a magical calamity befall the duchy, these covenants may receive delegations seeking aid or suspects. Otherwise, as long as the known covenants pay their taxes and do not upset the feudal structural, the bailli have no particular interest in the Order of Hermes.

52 The Lion and the Lily The Archdiocese Story Seed: The Vacant Castle Since the annexation in 1204, a castle on the investigators did find a strong Magic aura. of Rouen the Cotentin peninsula has lain vacant, and it They intend to propose, at the next Tribunal is now the lair of a terrible monster who end- meeting, that colonists are sent to the castle lessly patrols the dark, stone corridors seek- to establish a new covenant. If the site is re- The Archdiocese of Rouen was an impor- ing the flesh of men. She is related to Grendel populated, French officials may try to gain tant battleground in the conversion of pagan from the Beowulf saga and was released by a influence over the castle and reintegrate it France, and its borders are almost identical fleeing vassal of King John. An Hermetic ex- within the feudal system — some issues may to those of the Normandy duchy. The first pedition in 1218 did not definitely locate the be resolved in advance if the prospective col- bishop of Rouen, Nicaise, was hardly suc- monster, despite the loss of several grogs, but onists obtain a royal grant to occupy the site. cessful — he was martyred after his arrival from Rome in the mid-third century — but his replacement, St. Mellon, survived and established the diocese, which in 744 rose Lutin to become an archdiocese. The current arch- Faerie Might: 5 (Aquam) ing a “small stick.” The lutin can find bishop is Master Robert Poulain (a theolo- Characteristics: Int –2, Per +2, Pre 0, Com items that are disguised or hidden in gian, elected to office in 1208) who, if your –1, Str –1, Sta 0, Dex +3, Qik +2 the room by mundane means, but he saga follows history, is succeeded in 1222 by Size: –2 cannot discern items hidden by magic Thibaud d’Amiens. Age: n/a with a magnitude greater than one. In 1220, a notable number of the bishops Virtues and Flaws: None This power must also penetrate to answerable to the archbishop of Rouen are Personality Traits: Servile +3, Dreamer +2 find characters with Magic Resistance. (like the archbishop himself) academics edu- Reputations: Helpful spirit (local) +1 This power has no effect outdoors. cated at Jumieges. Master Robert des Ablèges Combat: Soap and Suds, 1 point, Init +1, Aquam: The (elected to Bayeux in 1206) is a theologian, Dodge: Init +2, Attack n/a, Defense +4, floor in the room that the lutin is in be- and Master Hugh Neret (elected to Cout- Damage n/a comes soapy and slippery. A character ances, in 1208) is a canonist as is Master Wil- Broom (improvised bludgeon): Init +2, At- moving quickly in the room (includ- liam du Pont-de-l’Arche (elected to Lisieux in tack +6, Defense +3, Damage –3 ing in combat), must make a Dexter- 1218). These academic bishops all know of Soak: +0 ity roll against an Ease Factor of 6 to Wound Penalties: –1 (1–3), –3 (4–6), –5 (7– avoid slipping each round. This power the Order of Hermes and have met Hermet- 9), Incapacitated (10–12), Dead (13+) has no effect outdoors. ic scholars before. The archbishop believes Abilities: Area Lore: Normandy 3 (villag- Equipment: Household items (broom, that the Order of Hermes is heretical, but he es), Athletics (jumping) 4, Awareness shovel, or cloth). has yet to do more than argue this point with (people) 3, Brawling (dodge) 1, Ca- Vis: 1 pawn of Aquam vis, concentrated the other bishops, who are not convinced. rouse (singing) 2, Etiquette (faeries) in the heart. Other bishops include William d’Ostilly (a 4, Faerie Lore (nobles) 1, Guile (supe- Appearance: Lutin are servile goblins. local dean, elected to Avranches in 1212), riors) 3, Living Language (eavesdrop- They look like small people, and Luke of Evreux (elected to Evreux in 1203, ping) 5, Profession: servant (cleaning) sometimes perform cleaning services also formerly a local dean), and Sylvester of 5, Stealth (indoors) 5, Swim (rivers) 3 for households in return for offer- Sées (elected to Sées in 1201, and formerly Powers: ings of offal or clean water. Lutin are the archdeacon). If your saga follows history, The Master’s Things, 0 points, Constant, Ter- quite common in the faerie courts the elderly bishops of Sées and Evreux both ram: The lutin is aware of exactly what of Normandy, and are also particu- die in 1220. Gervase of Chichester, a foreign is in the room that he is in, how many larly attracted to villages that have no candidate favored by the papacy, is elected of those things there are, and where church. However, they usually avoid to Sées, which is controversial as the bishops each item is. The lutin can only clas- actually meeting people, even those prior to Sylvester were foreigners who prof- sify things by their physical appear- that leave offerings for them. Lutin ligately spent the diocese’s treasury. In con- ance, and he will not necessarily know seem to universally dread a “goblin trast, Evreux elects another local dean Ralph the purpose of items; for example, un- duke of Normandy,” but the Order of de Cierrey. less he had seen it used previously, he Hermes has no information on who or Church officials in Normandy were would identify a magical wand as be- what this individual might be. granted discretion by the pope to choose sides during the French annexation, and they chose to accept Philip as king. Unlike the Normans, Philip II has not yet interfered Saints at Rouen in episcopal elections, but like the Normans A number of Rouen bishops have been torum: a Theology summae of Quality 11, he has made significant grants of money and canonized including St. Ouen (641-684), who Level 5; and Liber Regularum: a Civil and land to Normandy religious houses. On the converted or exterminated many pagans. Sev- Canon Law summae of Quality 10, Level 3. other hand, there are tensions: in 1218 Philip eral important theological writers worked in Hugh of Amiens (1130-74), Contra forced the archbishop to concede to the king Rouen, too, and original copies of their works Haereticos: a Divine Lore summae of Qual- the right to excommunicate royal officials. are stored at Rouen Cathedral, including: ity 10, Level 3, compiled with an Infernal St. Victricius (380-409), De Laude Sanc- Lore Ability tractatus of Quality 8.

53 The Lion and the Lily

Most have since been salvaged to build farm Seine River and town buildings, but some bridges have Story Seed: been maintained and are now used as toll- houses. Several are said to be haunted by the Gargouille Basin ghosts of Viking and Frankish warriors, who mutely re-enact their bloody deaths by the The Gargouille was a scaled, magi- The meandering Seine River is the main light of the waning moon. cal beast with large, pale, blue eyes that link between Paris and the coast; the river emerged from the Seine in the seventh basin includes the counties of Rouen, Li- century, projecting massive volumes of sieux, and Evreux, and at the mouth of the water and destroying crops. St. Roma- Seine is the covenant of Dragon’s Rest (see Rouen nus (archbishop of Rouen) called upon Chapter 11: Confluensis). The river basin the townsfolk to help defeat the crea- is the productive heart of Normandy, with Rouen, on the Seine River, was founded ture but, except for a prisoner awaiting many prosperous towns dotted along the riv- by the Romans near a small Gallic village. execution, they were all too afraid. Un- er or its tributaries, and upstream of Rouen The Romans named the town Rotomagus, daunted, St. Romanus and the prisoner the river thrusts its way through the land and it was the chief city of the province of confronted the Gargouille, which St. towards Paris. Centuries ago large areas of Secunda Provincia Lugdunensis. Rotomagus Romanus paralyzed by making the sign primordial forest were felled, but some for- was also the name of a covenant that was of the cross. The prisoner then dragged est fragments remain including the Forest of briefly sited near Rouen in the ninth century. the creature back to Rouen to be burned. Lyons, a favored hunting ground of Norman Today, Rouen is the capital of the duchy of In commemoration of this event, once nobles. The heart of the forest is occupied Normandy and was captured by Philip II in a year the clergy of Rouen elect a pris- by a castle, the construction of which elimi- 1203. Parisian shipping heading to the Bal- oner from among those condemned nated the spirit of the forest (see Guardians of tic passes through the town, and Rouen used for execution, and he is absolved of his the Forests, page 30) — although wild woods- to gather considerable revenues from cross- crimes in the presence of the relics of men say that the forest is not dead and will channel trade, but since the annexation it has St. Romanus. rise to reclaim its heart. undergone a recession. This forced Philip II, Several slain townsmen are discov- Farms speckle the cleared countryside in 1207, to try to gain support for his regime ered near the covenant, and the magi and many fields are divided by low stone walls by granting a very generous town charter. are blamed. In a heated town meeting, into small allotments. This practice, called There are a number of churches in Archbishop Robert declares that the bocage, distinguishes the fields of Norman- Rouen, and the seat of the archdiocese is a perverse, unholy magi are the Gar- dy from those near Paris, and the main food large cathedral. Romans first built a church gouilles of the 13th century, who must crops grown in the Seine basin are wheat at the cathedral site in the third century, and be defeated just as the seventh century and oats; both are milled to make bread. A successive generations of worshipers have monster was. The prisoners held by small amount of barley is also grown, mainly added to the edifice. Many Norman nobles the town — half a dozen thieves and to make beer, and some peasants pay rent are interred in the crypt, including Rollo, and murderers — are released and with the in barley. Unfortunately, barley is tempera- some magi speculate that the noble corpses archbishop they march on the covenant mental, and lost crops can indebt the peas- are potent sources of Rego vis — but no one carrying the shrine of St. Romanus (this ants. Wheat crops (sown in autumn) are also has dared to attempt their exhumation. has a Faith Point total of 5, see ArM5 frequently lost to winter frosts, but the land There was once a large community of page 189). If the magi are seen to harm can be re-sown in spring with dependable, Jewish money-lenders in Rouen, but dur- the archbishop and the prisoners, the fast-growing oats. Cattle are farmed in the ing the Third Crusade renegade knights situation may escalate into a broad cru- Seine basin too, largely because the climate murdered many in the town who would not sade against the Order of Hermes in is really better suited to growing grass rather convert. The surviving Jews prospered for a Normandy, and if the magi are innocent than bread crops. Finally, viticulture was in- time, secretly practicing their old faith, but they may have been framed. troduced by monasteries, and today many since Normandy came under French control, farms have an allotment for vines; the larg- their position has become even more pre- est vineyards are built on the banks of the carious as Philip II has made many anti-Jew- Seine. Normandy wine is sent in large vol- ish laws (see Realms of Power: The Divine, page Jumieges umes by barge to local urban centers, but it 123). Nonetheless, a few remaining Jews are is of poor quality and not normally exported involved in Rouen mercantile businesses, and The Benedictine abbey of Jumieges to other regions. Creo Herbam effects might although their influence is much less overt, a was founded in 634 by St. Philibert on the boost the productivity of farms, or produce magus who floods the Rouen markets with northern bank of the Seine, downstream of high-quality wine, but a covenant that magi- magically derived wealth will attract their Rouen, and over the last few centuries it has cally augments agriculture may find curious ire. On the other hand, the Jewish families been lavishly patronized by the Normans peasants knocking at the gate seeking similar in Rouen hold a large number of Arabic and — although they did burn it to the ground assistance. Hebrew texts, and if the persecution of the in the ninth century. Today, the abbey is an Also on the banks of the Seine are the ru- Jews becomes intolerable, they may seek to important center of scholarship and learn- ins of fortified bridges, especially at strategic swap texts for magical aid to flee into Iberia. ing, and its libraries hold many religious narrows. These were constructed to impede Of course, unscrupulous magi might join the and philosophical texts. The abbey is also the upstream progress of Viking raiders. persecution and seize the texts anyway. heavily involved in French politics — many

54 The Lion and the Lily

that housed a small Diedne vassal covenant Norman The County (Baiocassium Minor), although no living magus has admitted to knowing its precise loca- Histories tion. In the early years of the Norman duchy, of Bayeux Bayeux was a center for a rival group of Vi- There are many books, written king colonists, who occasionally rebelled by monks, on the mundane history of Bayeux is a forested county to the west against Rouen, but today it is an uncontro- Normandy. Most clergy in Normandy of the Seine basin, where isolated settle- versial part of the duchy. have read at least one of these books, ments, built in cleared valleys, are often cen- Important buildings in the town are the as have most nobles (or at least their tered on a monastery or manor house. There mills that service the surrounding country- officials have). Copies of these books is also a ruined Diedne covenant, Baiocas- side and Bayeux Cathedral. Stored in the can be found in typical cathedral or sium, in the forest. The population in Bayeux cathedral is the tapestry, commissioned by monastic libraries. has increased over the last century and will Odo, which is really an embroidery almost probably continue to do so for the foresee- 100 yards long and a yard wide. Its Latin- Historia rerum Anglicarum by William of able future, gradually destroying the expan- captioned images depict the life of Harold, Newburgh (1136-1198) includes sive forest. There are two large towns, near King of England, until he was killed by the an Area Lore: England summa of the coast: Caen and Bayeux. Normans. Magic was woven into the threads, Quality 7 and Level 5; and an Area Swine are the most numerous farm ani- and the tapestry forms a +2 Sympathetic Lore: Normandy tractatus of Qual- mals in Bayeux, although they are barely Connection to the Duke of Normandy and ity 8. farmed at all; rather, they are allowed to the King of England. The Ecclesiastical History, by Orderic Vi- roam in their natural woodland habitat. talis (1075-1141) includes an Area Most communities hold an autumnal culling Lore: Normandy summa of Quality of swine and salt their carcasses for the win- 8 and Level 4; an Area Lore: Eng- ter; a single boar carcass can provide up to Caen land summa of Quality 8 and Level one hundred servings of meat. Stewardship 3; and a Civil and Canon Law trac- over the swine is claimed by a number of Built on the River Orne, Caen was, dur- tatus of Quality 7. woodland faeries, and wise community leading the reign of William the Conqueror, ef- Historia Normannorum, by William of ers acknowledge the local faerie court (via a fectively the capital of Normandy — he pre- Jumieges (1025-1090) includes an festival, or a payment, etc.) prior to begin- ferred Caen’s remoteness from Paris — and Area Lore: Normandy summa of ning the cull. Church authorities, who are Quality 9 and Level 5; and an Area very skeptical of the orthodoxy and veracity Lore: England tractatus of Qual- of the practice, discourage these sacrifices. Story Seed: ity 7. Some copies include a final The Diocese of Bayeux was founded chapter (an Area Lore: Norman- by St. Exuperius in the first century, and is White Ladies dy tractatus of Quality 8) added therefore one of the oldest in Mythic Eu- anonymously after the author’s rope. Bishop St Vigor destroyed a function- The white ladies are a coterie of Sid- death, which updated the history ing pagan temple here in the early sixth he fay, reputedly the sisters of Arthur’s to 1137. century, and his desecration has not been Lady of the Lake, who rule a group of History of the Normans, by Dudo of St forgotten by the faeries of Bayeux, who have faerie regiones scattered near the town Quentin (960-1025) includes an plotted since to destroy the local influence of of Bayeux. The white ladies love danc- Area Lore: Normandy summa of the Divine. Another notable bishop was the ing and are constantly searching for Quality 8 and Level 4; and two Area brother of William the Conqueror, Odo of mortal partners. Their favorite tactic is Lore: Normandy tractatus each of Conteville (1050-1097); he built a fortified to wait at narrow defiles near their courts Quality 8. cathedral in Bayeux, and was present at the (bridges, fords, and gorges, for example) battle of Hastings, afterward commissioning and when a potential partner passes, the a tapestry to commemorate the battle. white lady, with her minstrels, accosts bishops in France are alumni of Jumieges — him seeking a dance. Men who refuse and the abbot of Jumieges is consequently to dance, and those that insult the lady an influential man. Over 1,000 monks cur- by treading on her toes, are thrown rently live at the monastery, and a consider- The Town of Bayeux from the road by jeering members of able town exists outside the walls to feed her court, but a particularly excellent the brothers. The town of Bayeux was once Baiocasses dancer is rewarded for his prowess. He A day’s travel further downstream is — the capital of the Gauls — captured by might even be invited to an extravagant another large Benedictine abbey: St. Wan- the Romans in the first century BC. Parts of ball, which is hosted every spring equi- drille, which was founded by a seventh-cen- a few Roman buildings still stand, and some nox by one of the white ladies for her tury Frankish count, who with his wife, re- current buildings are constructed from stone peers. Bringing the best dancing partner nounced all earthly pleasures on his wedding salvaged from Roman villas or administration is both a matter of pride and determines day. The two abbeys compete for patronage buildings. No Gallic structures remain, but which of the white ladies is paramount from nobles, but otherwise relationships be- the land remembers where they once stood, for the following year. tween them are good. and there are rumors of a regio in the town

55 The Lion and the Lily

the town was the staging point for many of his military operations including the 1066 conquest of England. Today, Caen’s military past is gloriously manifested in an enormous fortress that dominates the town. Construc- tion of Caen Castle began in 1060, and it now covers around 5 hectares, enveloped by a tall, stone crenellated wall, and a dry moat. A hall and keep were added in the 1120s, and recently Philip II built a number of new towers and a secondary, inner wall around the keep. In 1220, workmen are busily tearing down the original gatehouse and tower in the north wall and constructing new gates in the south and east walls. Extra laborers are always required, as are engineers and architects. William and his wife Matilda also each constructed a large, fortified abbey — the Men’s and Women’s Abbeys — in Caen. The buildings were the price they paid to reverse their excommunication by Pope Nicholas II. He had excommunicated the pair due to the unwholesome nature of their relationship: they were cousins.

Cotentin Peninsula The Cotentin peninsula is a very lightly settled and poor region. This is because much of the land is horrible swamps and marshes, but a few castles and towns huddle on the dry areas. Travelers passing through the forest of Brix (which lies to the south of Cherbourg) run the risk of ambush by packs of ferocious faerie wolves that haunt the forest, but villagers who live in the forest are

The Infernal Grave of William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror died at the age and fire, beneath the bleak solidity of Caen the rapid decay of William’s body. Unfor- of 60 in 1087 — at the priory of St Gervais, Castle, William’s funeral was conducted at tunately for the demon, the botched fu- in Rouen — from injuries he sustained by the Men’s Abbey. His bloated corpse burst neral rite trapped her in William’s decaying falling from his horse. William’s body stank free of the coffin during the ceremony, and corpse. The infernalist’s laboratory notes and rapidly decayed, it was defiled by ser- the stench was so foul that the presiding suggest he was attempting to free the de- vants, and abandoned by the sycophantic bishops botched the rite. mon. The magi in turn may try to free or nobles who had gathered to his deathbed. An infernal text is found by the magi destroy the trapped demon; either neces- This was a vile augury of Normandy’s fate when they search the belongings of an in- sitates an exhumation of William that may as the duchy fell into anarchy and revolt. fernalist (The Conquered Bastard; an Infernal draw the magi into conflict with the church Eventually, William was taken from the Lore Ability tractatus of Quality 6). It de- in Caen. It is, of course, possible that the priory to Caen, and as his body arrived a scribes how William’s corpse is inhabited text is a forgery designed either by infer- fire broke out that threatened the town. by a demon, who may have assisted his nal agents or Tribunal rivals to embroil the Against a backdrop of acrid black smoke military exploits and was responsible for magi in an infernal plot.

56 The Lion and the Lily able to safely negotiate the forest paths. tine monastery of Mont St. Michael. Perched There was once a covenant built near the on a rocky outcrop near the border of Nor- The Fen Ague town of Cherbourg called Pagus. The cov- mandy and Brittany, at the mouth of the enant was destroyed during the Schism War, Couesnon River, the monastery was founded Travelers foolish enough to risk the and today some of its vis sources are con- in the early eighth century by the archangel Cotentin swamps must make a Stamina troversially claimed by a Fengheld (a large Michael and draws many pilgrims. roll against an Ease Factor of 3. If the Rhine Tribunal covenant) chapterhouse that roll fails, the character contracts a dis- is built in Cherbourg. The large Quaesitorial ease called the fen ague, which causes covenant of Confluensis is also built on the a Heavy Wound and symptoms includ- peninsula (see Confluensis chapter). Mont St. Michael ing shaking, chills, and a continual fever. Hermetic magic is efficacious against the Once, the site of the monastery (known disease (see ArM5, pages 130 and 180). then as Mount Tombe) was used for dru- The Hague-Dicke idic rituals by precursors to House Diedne, but this ended in 708 when the archangel Ninth-century Norse invaders built a Michael appeared before Aubert, bishop fortified earthwork — the Hague-Dicke — of Avranches. The archangel ordered the A Foundation Record that separated the northwestern portion of desecration of pagan graves on the island, The foundation story of the monas- the Cotentin peninsula from the mainland. and the construction of a chapel. Although tery is well known and described in de- The fortifications were used as barracks for initially reluctant, Aubert completed his tail in the widely disseminated, anony- warriors who became stranded and unable to work in 709, dedicating the chapel to the mous Apparitio Sancti Michaelis Archangelis cross the perilous winter seas to Scandinavia. archangel. Hermetic scholars believe that in Monte Tumba (a Divine Lore tractatus; Crews were also staged here during the raid- Aubert destroyed a Magic aura on the is- Quality 11). ing season. Today, the fortress is unmanned, land, and that removing the saint’s relics overgrown, and ruined; its precise course might eventually revive that aura, but fear of is not even definitely known. Nonethe- the Divine and suspicion over the site’s early less, there are rumors of treasures that were connection to the Diedne have prevented looted from monasteries and buried along any magi from yet taking this action. The Story Seed: the earthwork by raiders already overloaded relics held in the monastery today include with booty. Aubert’s skull and right arm — his skull has a The Uncovered Crypt circular hole in it, made when the archangel Michael struck him out of frustration at his A covenant member dreams of the early reticence. archangel Michael pointing towards Barfleur In 966 Richard I, Duke of Normandy, Mont St. Michael. The dreams become sponsored the colonization of the Mont by increasingly insistent and urgent, and The harbor town of Barfleur was where Benedictine monks from St. Wandrille Ab- until the character travels to the mon- much of William the Conqueror’s invasion bey, led by Abbot Maynard. Abbot Hilde- astery, she wakes every morning with fleet was constructed. Since then, many mili- bert began additions to the monastery in a splitting headache — this halves her tary and mercantile vessels have been com- 1020, but in 1203 a fire, started by the Duke Study and Lab Totals, and she has a –3 missioned at the Barfleur shipyards. The har- of Brittany, destroyed many parts. In 1210, penalty to Concentration rolls. As she bor is not without its perils — William son of Abbot Jordan began an ambitious reconstruc- arrives at the monastery, construction Henry I (king of England) was drowned after tion program — if your saga follows history, laborers uncover a crypt beneath the his ship, while leaving Barfleur, hit a rock his works are completed in about 1230. foundations of a tower. Interred within in 1120. A number of maritime ghosts also During low tide, pilgrims can walk to are the fragile skeletal remains of a doz- haunt Barfleur, including a spectral fleet that the monastery over a sandy plain less than en individuals, and, among the bones, sails past the town during torrential winter a mile across, but this is a perilous journey an untitled book. The book is a Holy storms, futilely seeking a safe berth. — even William the Conqueror had to be Magic Theory summa of Source Qual- rescued from quicksand when he visited. ity 17 and Level 3 (see Realms of Power: During high tide, the sandy plain is covered The Divine page 66) and a magus who with over thirty feet of water, isolating the studies this book is visited by the arch- monastery. This has mystical significance angel Michael. Michael wants to sup- too, as during high tide the entire monas- plant Hermetic magic, which he views Avranches tery enters a Divine regio with an aura of 8. as pagan, with a Divine variant. No one may enter or leave the monastery at The small county of Avranches lies on this time, and even characters who can fly or Normandy’s southern border with Brittany. swim find they are unable to cross the regio occurring within the regio. During low tide, The town of Avranches, built on the Coues- boundary. An image of the monastery can characters may enter or leave the monastery non River, is the seat of the diocese, but the still be seen from shore, but this is only an as normal and the monastery has a Divine most important religious site is the Benedic- image and does not reflect events actually aura of only 4.

57 The Lion and the Lily Montverte’s magi were responsible for slaying Culture and Traditions many of the Normandy Diedne, and the covenant gained significant prestige as Houses Tre- mere and Flambeau prevailed. In the decades The cornerstone of the comfortable of reconciliation following the Schism War, and unchallenged residence of the magi in however, Montverte’s raiding continued. Their the castle of a mundane lord — a somewhat deeds caused significant discontent among unusual situation for a covenant — is the several other covenants until a magus of Mont- manner in which they completely dominate verte, Koilios, deliberately brought matters to the will of its ruler, the Baron of Montverte. a head with a calculated and brazen raid on Although the founding magi began with an the covenant of Lapis Crudus (see Chapter 3: alliance with the lord, for many generations Montverte Hermetic History and Customs, Mundane Re- the noble family has been completely but sources), ensuring tacit permission for the prac- unwittingly subordinate to the whims of the he Autumn covenant of Montverte, one tice of raiding by precedent of Tribunal ruling. magi. The magi are an invisible hand, guid- of the five great lieges, is among the most In all, the Hermetic history of Montverte ing the noble family with a mixture of crafty venerable in the Normandy Tribunal and is has been marred by various controversies persuasion and, where necessary, subtle mag- shrouded in mystery due to its highly secre- and sanctions, and they are widely held to ics. The status of the magi is seldom ques- tive inner council. Oft-vilified, it is feared have been responsible for the demise of sev- tioned; they are referred to by various vague and hated by many due to its aggressive and eral past covenants. Nevertheless, they have euphemisms such as “the resident scholars” warlike tendencies. Magi of Montverte were endured and prospered, becoming one of the or “our valued guests.” The dealings of the largely responsible for establishing the tradi- major powers in the Tribunal. covenant with the mundane world are mostly tion of Hermetic raiding, and it is only be- exercised through this pet baron — this has cause of their followers’ considerable martial caused him problems with his peers on sev- and political strength, exercised ruthlessly, Setting and eral occasions, although the strength of his that this shady practice endures. defenses has always prevailed in any number Physical Description of armed conflicts through the years. Other magi have frequently questioned the Her- History The covenant occupies a sprawling and metic legality of this arrangement. The magi formidable Norman keep perched atop a of Montverte claim (rightly) that they have The Viking invaders of the region that rocky outcropping amid the uplands of south- no oath of allegiance to this mundane lord, would come to be known as Normandy, in ern Normandy. In appearance it resembles and (somewhat less honestly) that they leave the nineth and 10th centuries, were accom- a miniature version of the mount of Laon in him to run his mundane affairs by himself. panied by sorcerers, some of whom gained Picardy (see Chapter 8: Flanders and Picardy, The covenant is ruled by an inner coun- acceptance in the Order of Hermes. There Laon), which inspired its construction. An ex- cil of five elder magi, of which the Archmaga were two particularly warlike brothers, Ha- tensive set of concentric fortifications extends Geirlaug is the unquestioned leader. Each land and Harivald, who were distant relatives down the hillside, and a series of lush and ex- member of this council has a different role of the Viking chieftan Rollo. Harivald, the otic hanging gardens are arrayed among the (described below), and only they are permit- younger, was a master of elemental magics — walls and turrets. A spring rises near the top ted to participate in council meetings. The he was inducted into House Ex Miscellanea of the hill — it was supposedly summoned number of magi in this council is always five but later joined House Flambeau and founded forth by the ritual magic of one of the early — whenever an existing member passes on, a lineage of Flambeau magi that exists to this magi of Montverte, who was responsible for a replacement is promoted as needed, usu- day. The elder, Haland, was not Gifted, but the gardens. It descends in an intricate net- ally from the junior ranks, but sometimes the two together captured an old Carolingian work of diminutive streams, flowing through instead from outside the covenant, such as fort in a prime defensible spot and settled and feeding the various gardens. In all, the hill a prominent magus from a loyal vassal. The there, erecting a Norman keep. The early somehow manages to combine the appear- arcane working of the secretive inner coun- history of the covenant, whose founding was ance of idyllic beauty with stern oppression; cil is unknown to the ignorant junior magi, announced at Tribunal in 941, is intermingled it has a Magic aura of 5. A large village, part but is a subject of considerable speculation. with that of the descendants of Haland, the of the domain of the lords of Montverte, lies It is in fact largely dysfunctional — each lords of Montverte (“green mount”), who beneath the hill in the valley below. of its members exercises his role with great took their name from their hilltop castle. The large inner curtain wall at the top of individual competence, but with little coor- The magi of Montverte grew to dominate the mount has the shape of an irregular pen- dination. Council meetings have a veneer of and control the lords with whom they cohab- tagon, with five square towers at its corners, politeness, with the magi appearing to be ited, and co-opted their warriors into their each of which houses one of the five magi submissive to the rule of Geirlaug, but there schemes, which involved dubious acts of raid- of the inner council. The bulky central keep is a subtle battle of wills underneath. ing and racketeering. They began to rob from contains important communal buildings such Throughout its history, Montverte has other covenants, surreptitiously at first, but with as the covenant’s library, and its meeting and usually had between one and three vassal cov- increasing bravado. These acts grew into out- guest chambers. The top floor of the keep enants, which are subordinate to its will to a right aggression during the Schism War, during consists of the council chamber — a spacious greater or lesser extent. Its vassals are often which the covenant served as a rallying point hall, gloomy and dark, which is empty apart instruments of Montverte’s troublemaking, for many martial Tremere and Flambeau magi. from the ancient council table in its center. but benefit from the protection of a strong

58 The Lion and the Lily liege. Due largely to the raiding undertaken of Oleron, resulting from an ancient insult by itself and its vassals, Montverte is one of hurled by its former leader many decades Story Seed: the wealthiest covenants in the Tribunal, and ago, and an antipathy towards the other its magi live in considerable luxury. lieges. The covenant’s dealings and enemies Through a Mirror, reflect these prejudices. Darkly

The face of Geirlaug in the coun- Magi Thormod of House Flambeau cil mirror begins to adopt two alternate personalities, which privately struggle There are five elder magi who constitute Age: 87 (Apparent age 48) against one other. What is causing this, the inner council. Traditionally, and currently, Personality Traits: and will the other magi (apart from Thor- it is dominated by magi of Houses Flambeau Scheming +2, mod, who seems totally unconcerned) and Tremere. The number and composition Tidy +2, notice, and take action? One possible of the junior magi is left for the storyguide Emotional –3 explanation is that a powerful demon has to determine, but it is suggested that they usurped the Flambeau Archmaga and is number between four and six; the covenant is Thormod, filius Geirlaug, is in many attempting to rule the covenant in her especially suited to magi of Houses Tremere, ways the complete opposite of his mater. He stead, for its own nefarious ends. Flambeau, Bonisagus, Verditius, and Jerbiton. is a scrupulously neat man who almost always There is likely a resident Redcap. keeps his emotions and plans hidden well away. He is widely believed to be a specialist Story Seed: in the Art of Perdo, although no one really Geirlaug of House Flambeau knows anything at all about his preferences, Odin’s Magus magical or otherwise. Given that Thormod Age: 150? (Apparent age mid-60s) almost freakishly never exhibits any signs of The secretive magus Thormod is Personality Traits: weakness or doubt, he is secretly the most in fact a prominent member of a Mys- Unpredictable +4, despised and feared of Montverte’s magi. His tery Cult named the Children of Odin Reclusive +3, role is to act as the Hermetic ambassador of (see Chapter 10: Normandy Sagas, The Vengeful +2 Montverte, a job that he conducts with cold Boar and the Dragon). He has learned efficiency, and he is also responsible for di- to practice Viking magic, and uses his An ancient Flambeau Archmaga from the recting the covenant’s vassals. considerable political influence to fur- lineage of the covenant’s founder, Harivald, Unlike the other council members, Thor- ther the goals of the cult. Perhaps he is Geirlaug is an erratic, Twilight-ridden wom- mod appears to be utterly untroubled by the related to its hierophant, Queen Skuld, an who has been the leader of Montverte for erratic behaviour of Geirlaug, and demon- either through blood or tryst. more than half a century, and who is very strates absolute confidence in her leadership. obviously a supreme master of Ignem mag- If anyone knows her true state of mind, then ics. For many years now, she has hardly ever it is her filius. But if he does know, he’s cer- Story Seed: been seen in person but remains in her tower, tainly not saying anything. an extreme recluse. Certainly she has spent The Pirate Covenant many years in Twilight, although no one The inner council of Montverte has is exactly sure when, or for how long. It is Eduardus of House Tytalus cultivated an alliance with the pirate magi widely rumored that her body has somehow of Waddenzee, in the Rhine Tribunal (see become dependent on fire — often great Age: 67 (Apparent age 43) Guardians of the Forests: The Rhine Tribunal, flames may be seen within her tower. Personality Traits (persona of Edward): page 66), who reside on an island to the Geirlaug does not attend council in per- Persuasive +3, north of Flanders. Montverte is aware of son; instead she appears in a great mirror at Charming +2, the plan of certain Normandy covenants the head of the council table. She has the Lecherous +2 to secede and found a “Lotharingian Tri- seeming of an elegant but elderly woman bunal” (see Chapter 10, Normandy Sagas, with stern, blazing eyes. Her mood is un- Eduardus joined House Tytalus several The Lotharingian Tribunal). In cahoots predictable; sometimes she is coherent, at decades ago. He was apprenticed in House with the pirate covenant, Montverte aims other times cryptic, and her frame of mind Jerbiton and possesses many of the talents to thwart it. Waddenzee would initially is often reflected by the dance of flames one would expect of a Jerbiton magus — he join the secession but then suddenly de- in the background of the mirror’s image. is artistically cultured and has the Gentle clare allegiance to the Normandy Tribu- Sometimes she is silent but watchful, at oth- Gift, for example. He serves the council nal instead, as a vassal of Montverte. This er times she is completely absent. The ec- as the steward of the castle, a job which would likely cripple the nascent Tribunal centric nature of her countenance has lead in most covenants would be considered and partially encircle them in a trap of most of the others to question her sanity beneath a magus, but which in the case of predatory Normandy covenants. For their (although never openly). Geirlaug brooks Montverte has a special importance. The part, Waddenzee would welcome mem- no insubordination in the council and it acts steward is actually a persona he adopts, with bership of a Tribunal that tacitly admits largely according to her design. She bears the name of Edward. However, the magus is their pirate raiding as legal. an almost irrational hatred for the covenant so often in this persona that to everyone else

59 The Lion and the Lily Rotgiers de Gerberoy of House Tremere

Characteristics: Int +2, Per –1 (1), Pre +1 old wounds bleed anew whenever his The Earth Split Asunder (ReTe 30/+40) (1), Com +1, Str +2 (2), Sta +2, Dex magic strongly fatigues him, objects Demon’s Eternal Oblivion (PeVi 20/+26) +1, Qik –1 of metal worn by him never rust, he is Wind of Mundane Silence (PeVi 25/+28), Mas- Size: +1 deaf to compliments. tery 2 (Penetration, Quiet Casting) Age: 78 (52) Equipment: Full chain mail, mace, heater Maintaining the Demanding Spell (ReVi 30/+33) Decrepitude: 0 (4) shield, lance. His ornate mace is en- New Spells: Warping Score: 6 (25) chanted as his talisman and his armor Piercing Lance of Bone; CrAn 20, R: Touch, Confidence Score: 2 (10) is imbued with protective effects. (The D: Diam, T: Ind: Creates a sharpened Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic listed combat totals do not include the lance of hardened animal bone in the Magus; Gentle Gift; Affinity with bonuses from these items.) caster’s hand; this weapon has the same Rego, Affinity with Terram, Cautious Encumbrance: 2 (4) statistics as a normal lance. (Base 10, Sorcerer, Improved Characteristics, Spells Known: +1 Touch, +1 Diam) Large, Minor Magical Focus (certa- Piercing Lance of Bone (CrAn 20/+25), Mas- Stance of the Firm-Buttocked Knight; ReCo 20, men)*, Puissant Single Weapon, Subtle tery 2 (Penetration, Fast Casting) R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Ind: Prevents Magic; Feud, Proud; Deficient Form Soothe Pains of the Beast (CrAn 20/+23) the caster from falling off a seat or sad- (Imaginem), Driven, Poor Hearing, The Wizard’s Mount (CrAn 20/+24), Mastery dle, even when vigorously disturbed. Susceptibility to Faerie Power 1 (Multiple Casting) (Base 10, +2 Sun) Personality Traits: Blunt +3, Honorable Beast of Outlandish Size (MuAn 15/+20) The Unerring Lance; ReTe 20, R: Touch, D: +2, Violent +1 Agony of the Beast (PeAn 15/+30) Diam, T: Ind: Cast upon a thrusting Reputations: Tourney Champion 4 (Her- Commanding the Harnessed Beast (ReAn 30/+37) weapon such as a lance or spear, this metic), Overbearing and Violent 2 Purification of the Festering Wounds(CrCo 20/+25) spell will allow it to move in precisely (Local) Preternatural Growth and Shrinking (MuCo one direction only, directly forward, Combat: 15/+22) without any perpendicular deviation. Mace and heater shield (mounted): Init –2, At- Gift of the Bear’s Fortitude (MuCo 25/+22) A Rego Terram spell of higher level is tack +15, Defense +13, Damage +10 Grip of the Choking Hand (PeCo 25/+32) needed to deflect it, otherwise it can Mace and heater shield (on foot): Init –2, Attack Stance of the Firm-Buttocked Knight (ReCo only be dodged, not parried. (Base 5, +12, Defense +10, Damage +10 20/+39) +1 Touch, +1 Diam, +1 complexity) Lance and heater shield (mounted): Init –1, At- The Leap of Homecoming (ReCo 30/+39) Appearance: Rotgiers is a very large and tack +16, Defense +13, Damage +7 Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20/+18), burly middle-aged man, stern and gruff, Soak: +11 Mastery 1 (Quiet Casting) with iron-grey hair and beard. When Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Uncon- Aura of Rightful Authority (ReMe 20/+35), travelling, he usually adopts the trap- scious Mastery 1 (Quiet Casting) pings of a knight dressed in chain mail, Wound Penalties: –1 (1–6), –3 (7–12), –5 Wall of Protecting Stone (CrTe 25/+26) carrying an ornate bejewelled mace and (13–18), Incapacitated (19–24) Edge of the Razor (MuTe 20/+25), Mastery 2 a giant shield bearing the arms of Mont- Abilities: Animal Handling 1 (horses), Artes (Multiple Casting, Quiet Casting) verte. Otherwise he wears his charcoal- Liberales 3 (music), Code of Hermes Crest of the Earth Wave (ReTe 20/+40) grey Tremere robes over ostentatious 1 (acts of aggression), Concentration The Unerring Lance (ReTe 20/+40) clothes befitting a nobleman. 3 (Rego), Craft Figurines 2 (of magi), Etiquette 2 (nobility), Finesse 5 (certamen), French 5 (Norman), Hunt 1 (mounted), Intrigue 2 (Hermetic), Lat- in 4 (Hermetic), Leadership 3 (battle), Magic Theory 5 (Rego), Normandy Lore 2 (nobility), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (Tourney), Parma Magica 5 (Corpus), Penetration 5 (Terram), Phi- losophiae 1 (Ritual magic), Profession: Scribe 2 (about Rego), Ride 3 (battle), Single Weapon 5+2 (heater shield), Teaching 2 (apprentices) Arts: Cr 10, In 7, Mu 7, Pe 17, Re 24; An 11, Aq 5, Au 5, Co 13, He 4, Ig 5, Im 5, Me 8, Te 14, Vi 7 Twilight Scars: Rotgiers instills an un- natural fear in weak-willed people, his

60 The Lion and the Lily Rotgiers de Gerberoy of House Tremere (con’t)

Rotgiers, the senior Tremere magus of sigils of the majority of the Tribunal’s Tre- jured lance of animal bone, which is Montverte, takes great interest in and is re- mere magi, which is not many since his immune to such magical defenses. He sponsible for the covenant’s martial affairs, House has a weak presence here. is not above employing some slight- organizing its defenses (mundane and other- Rotgiers is renowned as a fear- ly underhand tactics to improve his wise) and its raiding activities. A formidable some competitor in the Tribunal’s chances if needed; his servants may warrior, he has adopted the mannerisms and Tourney, especially in the joust and surreptitiously gather an Arcane Con- trappings of a knight — indeed the baron of certamen contests. In the joust, two nection to his likely opponent, which Montverte considers him as such. The ag- of his signature moves are a calculated he secretly uses in conjunction with a gressive raiding conducted by his covenant lance strike that typically hits home prepared figurine to increase the pen- is sometimes a bloody business, which he with devastating effect despite the etration of the latter attack, or he will conducts ruthlessly, but he is known to treat commonly employed Rego Terram covertly assault his opponent’s magi- his victims fairly. His familiar is an ancient defensive spells of his opponents, and cal defenses with a silently cast Wind warhorse named Simo. Rotgiers holds the a surprise attack with a suddenly con- of Mundane Silence. he is indistinguishable from the real Eduar- the Hippian school of thought (see Houses of black cat from the lineage of Jerbiton’s famil- dus, about whom very little is known. His Hermes: Societates). iar, and she associates with all of Montverte’s primary function is to oversee the baron, numerous cats. and through him the mundane dealings of the covenant and castle. He is a trusted ad- Runild of House Tremere visor to the noble family, often to be seen sitting by the baron’s side — the high chair Age: 64 (Apparent age 43) Covenfolk of the baron is a centuries-old artifact that Personality Traits: was enchanted by one of Montverte’s early Oblivious to Mundanes +3, The covenfolk of Montverte are syn- magi with a subtle Mentem effect, so as Catlike +2, onymous with the household staff of the to ensure its occupant’s compliance. (The Inquisitive +1 baron — the large retinue of servants and drawback of continued use of this item has lackeys that one would expect of a landed historically been a series of slightly Warped The youngest member of the inner noble. The grogs of Montverte, however, barons.) His secondary function is to ensure council, Runild, is quite unlike the domi- are rather too numerous, and too well the smooth everyday running of the castle. neering and larger-than-life personalities of trained and equipped for a typical baron. Edward is a sociable and silver-tongued fel- the other four. She is a quiet and unassum- All but a trusted and select few of the low, a womanizer who has entranced several ing woman who is responsible for oversee- serving folk and soldiers simply consider of the female covenfolk, who provide him ing the magical resources of the covenant: themselves part of the baronial household, with valuable gossip that allows him to keep its library, its vis stores, and the labwork of and are largely ignorant of the truer and his finger on the pulse of the community. the junior magi who are required to donate more arcane inner nature of the castle — Eduardus is one of the few members of seasons of work. Runild has just finished they are unaware of the existence of the the purple Fideli, backing Buliste as the true training her first apprentice, but has not yet Order of Hermes and the fact that they Prima of House Tytalus. He is a proponent of gained her own voting sigil. Her familiar is a live in a covenant.

61 Chapter Six Anjou and Aquitaine

Anjou and Aquitaine are united in that other than the church and mundane nobility. England, Count of Anjou, and it was he who both were until recently ruled by the An- These buildings are concentrated in the river founded Angers’ Hospital of St. John. gevin Dynasty and in conflict with France valleys, leaving the uplands between clad in Southwest of Angers, on Béhuard Island (see Chapter 2: The Mythic History of forest (pine to the north, deciduous to the in the Loire, is a small Christian oratory built France, Romance and Rebellion). south) as the hunting territory of the nobil- over an ancient shrine dedicated to a god- ity. Many menhirs and dolmens from earlier dess of the sea. Local people come here to times remain among the trees. pray for those who work on the river; their The most important river is the Loire, attentions have raised a Dominion aura to which flows from east to west through the swamp the level-2 Magic aura of the old pa- southern part of Anjou. In summer, it is re- gan shrine. To the north of Angers, the River Anjou duced to a few braided streams flowing Mayenne flows through a valley unsuitable around islets and sand banks, and in spring for habitable caves and too steep for con- Anjou currently encompasses the counties and autumn it is prone to flooding, but it is struction, and so is one of the few places in of Anjou, Touraine, and Maine. The region the chief route for trade and travel where flat- this vicinity free of a Dominion aura. has seen many great struggles for power. The bottomed boats with square sails ply. Chan- earliest inhabitants, backed by their druids, nels of stagnant water along the sides of the strongly resisted Roman conquest, but the cit- river are refreshed when the river bursts its ies of Anjou all contain traces of their Roman banks. Fish, eels, and waterfowl are caught Chinon origins. The Norsemen’s attempts to invade in here. Tributaries of the Loire cut down the ninth and 10th centuries saw major cities through the soft white tufa of the plateaus to Chinon, on the banks of the River Vi- sacked, and many fortresses were consequent- expose coarse sands and gravels, which make enne, was a favorite residence of Count Hen- ly constructed for defense. Weakness in the up many of the valley sides and are excellent ry, the first Angevin King of England, and he Carolingian dynastic rule allowed local bar- for growing vines. These tributaries then flow had the great castle built here. The fortress ons to build up their power, and great rivalries over fertile alluvial plains. Along many of the extends along the top of the wooded north developed in this part of the kingdom. Fulk tributary river valleys, where there are caves bank of the River Vienne, about a quarter of Nerra (The Black Falcon), who was the Count in the white limestone cliffs, up to half the a mile from one end to the other. The build- of Anjou from 987 to 1040, and Count Henry, local people live in homes built into the sides ings of the town below line the narrow streets who became King Henry II of England, are of the cliffs, using caves as rooms. that run parallel to the river at the foot of the most significant of these rulers. Under the slope. Wine is the most common local Henry, Anjou became part of a kingdom that trade commodity handled at the quay. The reached from the Scottish border to the Pyr- church is dedicated to St. Maurice. Caves in enees. Under King John I of England, Anjou Angers the cliffs to the east are inhabited, and one of was acquired by the French king, Philip II, but these has been expanded to form the Chapel he was obliged to fight for many of its strong- Angers, capital of the county of Anjou of St. Radegonde. Beyond the town bound- holds individually. There has been no count and for long the center of Plantagenet power, of Anjou since 1203, and all of the historic lies on the River Maine. Its buildings com- rights, powers, and duties of the count are bine the pale tufa of “White Anjou” with the claimed by the French crown. As in the duchy dark schist and locally quarried slate of “Black Anjou and Aquitaine of Normandy (see Chapter 5: Normandy), Anjou.” The cathedral, dedicated to St. Mau- Covenants Philip delegates his authority to professional rice, is reached from the quay by a long flight bureaucrats called bailli, who each administer of steps; pilgrims come to pray for relief from Current Covenants: Atsingani, Nidi, a region of Anjou in his name. gout and cramp. Among the monastic build- Oleron The center of power in the once-great ings of the city are the abbey of Ronceray, Ruined, Abandoned, or Lost Covenants: Angevin lands, Anjou retains a plethora founded by Fulk Nerra, the Abbey of St. Alcuin’s Auberge , Ligurio, Nauche- of castles, monasteries and churches, such Serge and the Abbey of St. Aubin. The for- Fleur, Sinapis, Vexatores that there is little evidence of any powers tress was a favorite abode of King Henry II of

62 The Lion and the Lily aries lies the Forest of Chinon. It was at Chi- obviously religious. The people depicted members left for Provençal and Iberia. Ig- non that Henry died in 1189, and John, his to either side of the crypt entrance hold norant of its past, a parish that was too poor son, married Isabelle of Angoulême here in lilies. The church is also decorated with to build a stone church took advantage of 1200. The Treaty of Chinon, signed in 1214, fine carving, including griffins, sirens, a the existing structure. The residual Magic gave the city to Philip II. monster with two bodies, and a tree with aura can only reassert itself when the Do- a serpent. This building is all that remains minion aura is at its weakest. of what was once the powerful covenant of Tavant Sinapis. Founded in 855, it spawned several vassals including Aedes Salii, Lapis Crudus, Six miles upstream, at Tavant, vivid and Rothomagus (See Chapter 3: Hermetic Le Mans paintings of astonishingly life-like fig- Culture, Past and Present Covenants of the ures decorate the inside of a small church. Normandy Tribunal). Following the con- The capital of Maine stands beside the Christ in Majesty adorns the ceiling of the flict between House Tytalus and House River Sarthe and is encircled by the origi- apse, but the paintings in the crypt are less Flambeau, it was abandoned in 1063 as its nal Gallo-Roman city wall. It contains a

63 The Lion and the Lily Tours through the city. Alcuin’s Auberge prospered Story Seed: Leftovers but, like its predecessor, drew unwanted attention and fell to raiders in 1197. Some be- The menhir was the ritual center This city lies on the south bank of the lieve Fudarus sent the ruffians, but nothing of a fertility cult. Folk memory has be- Loire, where it is well placed to draw in trade. has been proven. come somewhat confused (it was not The fortress and major ecclesiastic buildings To the west of Tours, on a ridge above fingers that were put in the holes) and stand within the repaired Roman walls. The the north bank of the Loire, is a Gallo-Ro- the primary ritual has been forgotten, major buildings of interest in the old part of man brick tower, 16 feet square and about in which the blood of a sacrificed sheep the city are the Basilica of St. Martin, an im- 100 feet tall, without openings. Its purpose was poured over the stone at the equi- portant place of pilgrimage where the saint is unknown locally. Roman soldiers con- nox. If the blood is left to dry, it may be is interred, and the Abbey of St. Julien. An structed it as a vantage point for a Mercurian scraped off as several pawns of Creo vis. extension to the city was built beyond the magician during the conquest of Gaul. The The early Christians wished to plant old walls to the west following Viking raids bottom of the tower is in a level-1 Magic their church on the same site to quell in the nineth and 10th centuries. King Philip aura, but the top is in a level-5 aura. the cult, but a nasty accident befell any- took the city from the Angevins in 1205. Southwest of Tours, on the banks of one who attempted to move the stone, As a center of learning, well placed for the River Indre and around the village of so in the end they incorporated it. The roads and river transport, with pilgrims com- Azay-le-Rideau, are several small settlements menhir used to generate a small Magic ing and going from all parts, Tours seemed a where the people live in caves in the cliffs aura in its immediate vicinity of level 6, good place for a Mercer House. When the of soft white tufa. An enclosed valley about but as the cult died this faded; now it covenant at Lixivia disbanded in poverty in four miles to the south, where the many would give a level 4 aura if it were not 1124, the Redcaps moved to Tours and a damp caves are currently unoccupied, has a for the cathedral. About a year ago, pilgrim hostel was extended below ground Magic aura of level 4 and a steady source of some drunk, local lads rediscovered the to provide accommodation for two resident a little Aquam vis, so it might be made into a old use for the stone’s holes, and their Redcaps and for Redcaps and magi passing suitable covenant location. wives and sweethearts produced strong, healthy babies nine months later. The tale spread and others have been trying their luck. The church wants it stopped. Famous Men of Tours Their own attempts to deal with the problem have failed. They do not want Saint Martin Lore: France (Level 3, Quality 14); to ask for help from other clergy, since Summa, Magic Lore (Level 3, Qual- rivalry is rampant, or to say anything in For details of this saint, see Realms ity 12); Summa, Divine Lore (Level 2, public that might only encourage the of Power: The Divine, pages 79 and 90. In Quality 14); Summa, Intrigue (Level practice to spread; so, through a con- 371, Martin was living as a hermit near 2, Quality 10). Contains details of the tact, they ask the magi to find a discreet Poitiers but was tricked into visiting Merovingian rulers, who were known way to remove the stone. Tours. As he neared the city, he heard to have supernatural powers. The menhir might be investigated the shouts of a great crowd assembled Lives of the Fathers: Tractatus, Church Lore by a Seeker, as a source of insight into to welcome him as their new bishop. (Quality 10) fertility cult practice (see Ancient Magic, He did not want this honor so hid, but a Books on the Miracles of St. Martin (in four vol- page 54). flock of geese honked so loudly that he umes, the last incomplete): Tractatus, was quickly found. He then accepted the Dominion Lore (Quality 8). role and served as bishop for 26 years, al- On the Courses of the Stars: Tractatus, Artes cathedral dedicated to St. Julien, the sculp- though he chose to live simply in a mon- Liberales (Astronomy) (Quality 6); tural decoration of which is rivaled only astery by the city gate, at Marmoutier, Tractatus, Church Lore (Quality 12). by that of Chartres. At the south corner during this time. A commentary on the psalms with de- of the west front of the building stands a tails of how to use the position of the striped, pinkish-hued menhir with a few stars to determine the time when the indentations. When seen from the side in Gregory of Tours night office should be sung. a certain light, it looks like a cowled figure. The menhir is left from the days when this In 563, Gregory was miraculously site was sacred to pagans, and the belief cured when praying at St. Martin’s tomb. Alcuin of York continues that it is good luck to put one’s He stayed in the city and became the fingers into the holes; see the nearby insert bishop there in 573. He wrote books on When he retired from his post as ad- for details. history and theology including: viser on education at the court of Char- The Abbey of St. Peter at Solesmes, lemagne in 769, Alcuin became abbot at to the southwest of the city, owns a Holy Decem Libri Historiarum (History of the St. Martin’s Abbey in Tours. There he es- Thorn from Jesus’ crown of thorns, brought Franks, in ten volumes): Summa, Or- tablished a school teaching Artes Liberales from the Holy Land by the Lord of Sablé. ganization Lore: Frankish Royalty and developed a highly productive scrip- The relic has a Faith score of 2 (see Realms of (Level 4, Quality 14); Summa, Area torium, which still flourishes. Power: The Divine, page 45).

64 The Lion and the Lily

About six miles northwest of Tours, deep where pilgrims arrive. South of here is the in the forest, is the Faeries’ Cave, a dolmen Abbey of Fontevraud, where the Planta- Story Seed: of eight large stones supporting three enor- genêt family tombs are. It was founded in mous slabs to form a covered chamber 12 1100 by an ascetic hermit who lived in the Three Spears feet long and 4 feet high. A horizontal stone woods and gathered about him both men cuts off one end of the chamber to form a and women. He insisted that the founda- One spear is on the wall in the castle small private space. The structure normally tion should continue to house both sexes of Vendôme, where Count John IV of has a Faerie aura of level 3, but this rises to and be under the rule of an abbess. The Montoire lives. It looks unusual, having 5 when the fae are present; they hold a feast post is usually held by a member of an An- a surprisingly short, dark wooden shaft here at least once a year. gevin noble family. The abbess guides six and a plain, dark iron head of a very communities that live close together but out-dated shape. It is useless as a thrown independently, for priests, lay brothers, weapon, having no lift and always land- contemplative nuns, lepers, invalids, and ing flat. There are two elderly people in Samur lay sisters. Eleanor of Aquitaine spent the the castle who believe that this is one of last ten years of her life here and was buried the spears in the legend. It should not A fortified monastery was built here in here in 1204. be too difficult to swap it for a new one, the 9th century for the relics of St. Florent, but safer to do so by negotiation than and a town grew up around it. It was fought theft. One of the others lies forgotten over by the counts of Blois and Anjou and, Doué-la-Fontaine in the bottom of an old chest in a dark perhaps in memory of the conflict, tourna- corner of the oldest part of the abbey ments are held here during the last week in Southwest of Samur, at Doué-la-Fon- crypt. A farmer’s wife who lives a few July. The castle has been damaged and re- taine, is an exposure of rock that contains miles from the city treasures the third as built repeatedly, most recently following Creo vis and has the power to preserve flesh. a family heirloom. conquest of the town by Philip II in 1203. During the Merovingian dynasty, thousands Each spear acts as an Arcane Con- of stone sarcophagi were carved out here, nection to the other two. Once re- but the properties of the stone have been united, a drop of red flame containing a Gennes forgotten. To the south, at Le Puy-Notre- pawn of Divine-tainted Ignem vis drips Dame, is a church much larger than needed from the point of each on the first Sun- Downstream of Samur, at Gennes, is for the local population, but which is a stop- day after Pentecost. a Roman amphitheatre. There is a small ping point on the pilgrim route to Santiago Magic regio close beside this, where several de Compostela. It houses the Girdle of the nymphs live in a Gallo-Roman shrine. They Virgin, an aid in childbirth, brought here will happily talk to visitors about the water from Jerusalem not long ago. This relic has Aquitaine cult that gave them honor in Roman times, a Faith score of 1. and may give gifts of Aquam vis to those The duchy of Aquitaine is the largest in who amuse, honor, or serve them. However, France. It extends over 240 miles from the male visitors might have trouble leaving Bay of Biscay on the west coast to the upper the regio since the attractive and attentive Vendôme reaches of the River Loire, and the north- nymphs are very persuasive and loathe to ern boundary lies 100 to 150 miles from part with male company. Vendôme is criss-crossed by streams, its southern border. The west is limestone because the River Loir splits into several plateau covered in deciduous woodland and braids as it flows through the town. Geof- carved deeply by rivers, which flow north Dolmen of Bagneux froy Martel, Count of Anjou, founded the into the Loire or south into the Dordogne. Abbey of the Trinity in 1032 when he saw Both of these two great rivers rise in the The forests covering the hills around three flaming spears fall from the sky and Central Massif, a rugged area of hard vol- the town hide many menhirs and dolmens. pierce the ground near a spring. He donated canic rock punctuated by mountain peaks The Dolmen of Bagneux, the largest in the to the abbey the arm of St. George (Faith known as puys, which makes up the eastern region, is a chamber 66 feet long and 23 feet score of 2) and a tear of Christ, shed at the part of the duchy. The mountain climate is wide, formed by 16 vertical slabs supporting tomb of Lazarus (Faith score of 3). It is one harsh, supporting little agriculture but suit- a roof of four flat rocks, with one central rock of the most powerful religious foundations in ing sheep and goats. The south-facing slopes pillar. This has a low Magic aura, as do many France. The castle overlooks the town from in the limestone country are perfect for vi- of the other megaliths that are far enough an outcrop on the south side. ticulture. The primary special trade goods away from Dominion influence. Many of those who live in the valley of carried away from here along the great riv- the River Loir dwell in caves. The greatest ers are wine, truffles (see insert), and wal- concentration is at Trôo, where the damp nut oil. Along the coast, extensive marshes Fontevraud caves of the poorer homes are at the foot of lie behind sand dunes. Castles stand guard the cliff, and steps carved into the rock lead over every road and river route, and there are Upstream, at Candes-St-Martin, a cha- to the homes of the more wealthy on the monasteries, churches and chapels almost pel marks where the saint died. It has its higher level. everywhere, leaving little space outside the porch on the north side, towards the river direct influence of the mundane authorities

65 The Lion and the Lily

Nidi, predates the 1103 ruling of the Grand Noirmoutier Vis Sources Tribunal (see Chapter 3: Hermetic Culture, The Shaping of the Normandy Tribunal). The island of Noirmoutier lies off the Under Threat However, any new covenants founded that coast just south of the Loire estuary. It is low far south belong by rights to Provençal, not lying and marshy in the center, while the Drainage of the marsh by five ab- Normandy. southern part is elongated toward the main- beys wishing to increase their agricul- land. A dangerous current limits crossings at tural land, and hence their wealth, will this point. The isle has a Magic aura of level damage or destroy several vis sources in 3. A sheltered beach on the northwest coast, the vicinity. These include: Vendée where the aura rises to 5, was sacred to Gal- lic druidesses and still has a reputation that Animal: Molted tail feathers from pin- The northwest corner of Aquitaine is keeps most people away. A covenant on this tail ducks over-wintering at a cer- largely thinly populated forest, moor, and island would benefit from the wealth of sea- tain pool. Yield 4 pawns per year. marsh. There are no cities in the region and food available and could gather and sell salt Auram: The leaves of a particular aspen so the Breton city of Nantes (see Chapter from the marshes. tree that quiver as if in a breeze 4: Brittany, County of Nantes) is the cen- even when in still air. Yield 3 pawns ter of trade. The highest point in the area per year. is Mount Mercury with its village of St. Mi- Creo: Unusually large seed cones from chael, where the church stands on the site of La Rochelle a certain alder tree. Yield 3 pawns a former shrine to Mercury, patron of travel- per year. ers. Since a maga with a particular interest in The port of La Rochelle was granted a Imaginem: Plume feathers from some seeking out such places identified the former charter of independence in 1199, and has of the egrets that nest in a particu- dedication, this has been viewed as a place strong trade links with England and Flan- lar grove of trees. Yield 2 pawns of pilgrimage by Redcaps, who come to pay ders. Stout stone walls protect it, because per year. their respects to Mercury or the saint and ownership of this important port has been Rego: The bark of a certain white pop- take in the excellent view over the forest out disputed between France and England. lar tree on which the usual pattern to the ocean. Currently it belongs to England (although of black diamond-shaped marks is The most extensive of the Vendée if your saga follows history, a siege in particularly regular. Yield 4 pawns marshes covers over 80 square miles. The 1224 ends in its transfer to France). There per year. covenant of Ligurio, a vassal of Fudarus, en- is a castle, a mint, a church belonging to dured here for about one hundred years (see the Templars, and a nunnery dedicated to Chapter 3: Heremtic Culture, Past and Pres- St. Catherine. and the Dominion. ent Covenants of the Normandy Tribunal). North of the town is an extensive area This area was civilized when Gaul was Very little remains of its buildings as they of marshland around the rivers Vendée and part of the Roman Empire, and the cities have sunk into the marsh. A few people live Sévre Niortaise. Five local abbeys have re- all contain traces, at least, of former Ro- here by fishing and wild fowling. There is a cently begun a project together to drain the man occupation. The kingdom of Aquitaine priory of monks from Marmoutier built on northern part of the marsh, in order to cre- was founded by Charlemagne in 778. By a higher patch of land at Sallertaine, and a ate more land suitable for cultivation. Un- the tenth century, powerful barons in their Benedictine abbey at Chauvet. The local known to them, this threatens several minor strongly fortified castles were locked into ruler, lord of Montaigu-en-Vendée, lives on vis sources (see the insert for details). A for- feuds with each other, largely ignoring any the northeast fringe of his watery lands, in a tress at Niort, to the east beyond the marsh, central authority. When Eleanor of Aquitaine castle at La Garnache. guards the region. The extensive Argenson married Louis, heir to the Frankish throne, in The coast to the south of the pine-for- Forest of oak and beech covers the hills to 1137, their united territory included Poitou, ested dunes, which hold the sea back from east and south. Limousin, Périgord, Saintougeb and the Au- the marsh, is rocky and rugged. A demon is vergne, which currently make up the duchy trapped in a cave, well below sea level, in of Aquitaine. Following Eleanor’s divorce the cleft at the far end of one of the rocky from Louis and marriage to Henry, Duke of promontories. As the waves break and the Poitiers Anjou, in 1154, Aquitaine has been central sea surges up the cleft, his frustrated wail- to the ongoing political struggles between ing can be heard and, at high tide when the The city stands on a promontory be- the King of France and the King of England. wind blows strongly, he bellows loudly and tween the River Boivre and the River Clain. Henry, the present Duke of Aquitaine and shows his anger by sending great explosions The earliest Christians of the region con- second to bear that name, is also King of En- of spray up over the cliffs. Longer ago than gregated here, and it has remained an im- gand (Henry III). anyone living here can recall, the sea surged portant ecclesiastic center. Until the last The northern part of Aquitaine, north over the low-lying land. The desperate century, baptisms in Poitiers were only ever of the River Dordogne, is generally consid- people prayed and St. Hilary came to their celebrated in the fourth-century Baptistery ered to be part of the Normandy Tribunal, aid. He found that a demon was causing the of St.John; the Dominion aura there has even though the people in its southern re- floods, captured him, and drove him down faded to level 4. Other church buildings in gions speak Dordonha, which is one of the beneath the waves. the city include the magnificent Church of langues d’oc. The only covenant in the region, Our Lady the Great, St. Peter’s Cathedral

66 The Lion and the Lily

(still under construction), the Cluniac Ab- bey of Montierneuf, the Abbey of the Holy Story Seed: Story Seed: Cross, and the Church of St. Hilary, the most famous of the bishops of Poitiers. The Mélusine’s Warning Mélusine’s Legacy relics of this doctor of the Church are venerated here. Mélusine is seen on the ramparts of The eldest child of Mélusine and Ray- Just south of Poitiers is the Abbey of the castle for several days on end, al- mond had drooping ears and eyes of differing Ligugé, the oldest monastery in the west. though the count is known to be in fine colors. The second had a red face. The third It was founded by St. Martin in the year health and his wife is not expecting. A had one eye higher than the other. The fourth 361, when he came here to learn the Chris- maga is asked to make contact with the had claw-like nails. The fifth was missing an tian faith from St. Hilary and lived here for sprite and find out what she knows or eye. The sixth had two protruding teeth like ten years. A small and very ancient basilica what she wants, while the count is kept little tusks in his lower jaw. Several people stands on the ruins of the Gallo-Roman villa as far from hazard as possible. Mélusine displaying one or other of these character- where St. Martin lived; it has a Dominion seeks help to protect her spring, which istics turn up at the covenant. They all have aura of 5. is being turned into a well for a new Undine Blood and might make useful recruits. Just north of the city is the site of the convent. One has the same curse as his ancestor and battle of Poitiers, where Charles Martel de- seeks help from the magi to remove it. feated the Moors and turned back their advance through France (see Chapter 2: The Mythic History of France). Bougon Tumuli The largest of these is circular, covering a chamber 27 feet across with a domed roof built up with carefully placed small stones. Bougon lies about half way between A smaller slab, tipped on edge, divides this Lusignan Niort and Poitiers. Six grass-covered mounds chamber into two sections. Close by is an built of stones and earth are hidden in the elongated barrow containing two burial The castle at Lusignan was built by fa- forest. It is believed to be haunted, and lo- places at each end. The smaller of the two erie magic. A family related to the Counts cal people avoid the place. This is an undis- circular mounds in this group is 17 feet in of Poitiers owns it, and whenever a count covered pagan necropolis, which could be height and covers a chamber containing a is about to die or a new one is about to be of great interest to some magi. It was con- rectangular platform. Three more mounds born, a female water sprite appears on the structed by a tribe who lived here long ago are separated from the former three by a castle ramparts. She is named Mélusine, a as the burial place for a tribal leader, his fam- low earth wall, and similar walls surround name taken more than once by supernatural ily, and a retinue to guard and serve them. a rectangular enclosure about 260 feet long females. Long ago, the Count of Poitiers and Three mounds are grouped close together. in which there are two small oval mounds, his adopted son, Raymond, were tracking a boar through the forest. Cornered, it attacked the count, and while trying to defend his father Raymond accidentally slew the count. Raymond fled away through the forest in panic and did not stop until he entered a glade where three beautiful women stood around a bubbling spring. One of them, Mélusine, agreed to become his wife on condition that she be allowed to spend the Sabbath alone. The couple had many children, all fine people but each with some odd defect. The second son took up residence at Parthenay, where his mother conjured a castle for him, and his descendants live there today. Raymond eventually learned why his wife required a day in solitude: she was under a curse that meant that she spent that day with the lower half of her body in the form of a serpent. He loved her so kept silent on the matter until one day, under stress because one of their children had been murdered during a raid by the Norsemen on the monastery where he was a monk, he let on that he knew her secret. On learning this, she fled the castle forever.

67 The Lion and the Lily

contains Creo vis, but its flow is now weak associated with this are still frequented: in What the Tumuli and intermittent. The pagan statues in the woodland to the west of the town, a small, temples and shrines were torn down and elliptical, grass-covered bowl that covers the Might Contain thrown into the gutters and sewers when amphitheatre is known for the spring named Christianity reached here, then buried when for St. Eustelle, and, to the northwest, the It is possible that wild animals invaders demolished the buildings The water ruins of the Roman baths still house a warm or darkness-loving fae have taken up flow will become stronger and predictable if spring, now dedicated to St. Saloine. The home in one of the mounds. Another the statue of the right god can be retrieved warm spring yields a little Ignem vis and the suggestion is that they are entirely un- from the rubble in the ancient drains under other a little Aquam vis. disturbed. In the largest are meager the Roman bath complex, and restored to its remains of about 20 skeletons amid a rightful place in the ruins of the temple. scattering of stones; these were hunters and warriors. The elongated barrow is St-Èmilion empty. The smaller of the two circular mounds contains decayed pieces of Limoges St-Èmilion stands on a south-facing hill- one disassembled skeleton in a filled- side on the north bank of the River Dordo- in pit beside the platform; this was a Limoges is divided into two rival settle- gne. Èmilion, a monk from Brittany who set tribal shaman. In each of the two small ments. The ecclesiastic center, known as the up a hermitage here, founded it in the 8th mounds beyond the earth wall lie frag- Cité, surrounds the Cathedral of St. Stephen, century. The town is surrounded by a wall, ments of a female skeleton, each with a and close by a bridge of the same name was beyond which lie extensive vineyards that couple of jet bracelets; these were the built over the River Vienne in 1210. The produce the best red wine in the country. chief’s daughters, or perhaps his concu- foundations of a temple to Jupiter lie below Export of this to England is so important bines. In the two chambers in the last the cathedral. The commercial center has that Richard I of England granted the town mound are the remains of a man and a developed away from the river, on the slopes a charter giving it the status of a self-gov- woman; these were the chieftain and his around the castle and the Abbey of St. Mar- erning commune, and it is still ruled by the wife. One or more of the mounds prob- tial, which stands on the site of a necropolis Jurade, an assembly of citizens that oversees ably holds a ghost. where St. Martial was buried. He converted justice, tax, defense, and the quality of the the people of this region to Christianity, and wine. In the town center adjacent to the his relics are held in the abbey. The scriptori- marketplace is an underground church exca- each of which has a passage leading to a um here is particularly noted for the splendid vated around the hermit’s cave. The church rectangular chamber. An entrance at the east quality of its work. Three other churches are is about 130 feet long, 65 feet wide, and up end of the sixth mound leads down a low grouped around the site of the saint’s tomb, passage to two chambers. to accommodate the great number of pilgrims. The abbey, too, has a new bridge, put up in 1215 and named after its saint. Lanterns of the Dead To the south of the city, at Solignac, is a Angoulême major monastery set up in 632 by St. Eligius, One night, a novice at the monas- who was first a goldsmith in Limoges then tery at Charlieu was visited by his de- Angoulême occupies a promontory over- adviser to King Dagobert I in Paris. To the ceased uncle, who guided him outside looking the River Charente. Stone walls sur- west, at Noblat, is the Monastery of St. Léo- to stand in the cemetery. There he saw a round the city, which has a cathedral that was nard, a godson of Clovis who lived as a her- vision of a stone tower with a lamp shin- built last century and dedicated to St. Peter. mit in the forest there. ing from the top of it. The dead man The castle is home to the beautiful Isabella, urged his nephew to light a lamp every Countess of Angoulême and widow of King night in honor of the holy men who John of England. She is currently betrothed rested there. Since then numerous stone to Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche. Saintes towers have been put up in cemeteries Outside the walls, houses and business prem- across Berry, Limousin, and Dordogne. ises cluster around the small port. Saintes is a regional capital on the River The height of each is six or eight times To the west, at Chassenon, are the re- Charente where the Romans built a bridge, the diameter. In the largest, steps lead mains of a Roman city built around heal- on which stands the Arch of Germanicus, a up to a small platform large enough for ing springs. A short section of the city wall Roman votive arch. There is an almost con- two or three people, and there is a place still stands, and overgrown remnants of the stant stream of traffic crossing here, including to stand a lantern so its light shines out temple and theatre can be found by search- many pilgrims on the Way of St James. Pil- across the graves. In smaller ones the ing. The only Roman building that is easy to grims rest at the Monastery of St. Eutrope on lantern is raised from inside by pul- locate is the baths. The roofs fell long ago the west bank or the “Ladies’ Abbey,” a con- leys. If a covenant has its own cemetery, but much of the walls, pools, hypocausts, vent dedicated to St. Mary, on the east bank. tradition-minded grogs request such a and tunnels remain, and the traditional series The town clusters around the Cathedral of tower, but if those buried there are not of changing room, warm room, hot room, St. Peter on the western side of the river. worthy an angel takes action to have it steam room, cold room, plunge pools, and The hillside to the east of the river was the pulled down. exercise room is visible. The healing water site of a Roman settlement. Only two places

68 The Lion and the Lily to 35 feet high, carved to form three aisles latest manifestation of this, Le Puy-St-Front divided by square pillars. Many catacombs sided with King Philip II while Le Cité, un- Truffles have also been dug into the soft limestone der the Count of Perigord, remained loyal to under the town. King John as Duke of Aquitaine. A nodular fungus grows around the Northwest of St-Èmilion, on the bank North of Le Cité is Brantôme, on an roots of certain oak trees growing on of the Gironde at Blaye, is Rudel castle. The island in the River Dronne. The rich Bene- the limestone plateaus around Le Cité troubadour Geoffroy of Rudel was born here dictine abbey just outside the town, below and as far south as the Dordogne. It is about a century ago. He composed some of the cliffs on the north bank, was founded by valued as an aphrodisiac and some of the greatest songs of courtly love and fol- Charlemagne in 769. Charlemagne donated a the nodules contain Herbam vis. Each lowed its ideals in his own life, being de- relic of St. Sicaire. The formerly pagan Foun- nodule has a purplish-black skin, while voted to the far-distant Countess Hodierna tain of the Rock, in caves in the cliffs here, the inside is paler and finely veined in of Tripoli. has been taken over by the monks. Pilgrims white. Fresh ones smell earthy, but overcome to bathe sickly infants in the water. ripe ones smell horrible. They are har- Downstream, the town of Aubeterre- vested from December to March with sur-Dronne clusters around the Church of the aid of pigs or dogs. While the fun- Le Cité St. Jacques, its western door decorated with gus is common, the potent and vis-con- carved zodiacal signs. Beside the river, monks taining truffles are rare. Le Cité is situated in fertile, wooded are nearing completion of a church carved countryside by the River Isle and is the capi- from a single block of rock. Unlike a tradi- tal of the county of Périgord. A spring, called tional church, this has a gallery, a baptismal Vésone and located on the south side of the pool, and side-chapels with tombs. A hexag- is possible that the fires act as a warning re- Isle, was sacred before Christianity arrived. onal structure, carved out of the same block, minder to keep other dragons from taking up The site is known to some local people, and is said to contain relics brought back from residence in the cave. is a source of Aquam vis. St Front converted the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem by Pierre Further still upstream, beyond where the the area and established St. Stephen’s Cathe- de Castillon, the crusader whose family owns Dordogne forms two great loops, near the dral over a temple to Mars, part of the exten- the castle that stands on the cliff above the village of Limeuil, is a small chapel dedicated sive remains of the Roman city of Vesunna. monolithic church. A steep passage connects to St. Martin that was completed in 1194. A He was buried outside the city, on a hilltop the castle to the gallery in the church. foundation stone set into the wall of the nave close by, where pilgrims and trade have built East of Le Cité is Hautefort. The castle here reports that it was built at the expense of up the town of Le Puy-St-Front. The basilica belongs to the de Born family. Not long ago, King Henry II of England in penance for the over the saint’s tomb is in the Byzantine style. Bertrand de Born, a well-known troubadour, murder of Thomas à Becket and completed There is great rivalry between the citizens of fought over the castle with his jealous brother, by his son, Richard I. Le Cité and those of Le Puy-St-Front. In the Constantine. Bertrand was a favorite of Henry II of England, who gave him the castle in 1185. Constantine, supported by Henry’s son Rich- ard, ruined it the following year. Bertrand’s Vézère The Way of supernatural gift with music was matched by St. James something darker and more destructive in his The River Vézère flows southwestwards brother, and it is probable that magic was used to join the Dordogne close to Limeuil, wind- After Jerusalem and Rome, Santiago to bring down the fortress. ing between high limestone cliffs. There are de Compostela in northwest Spain is very few settlements in the valley, the only one of the great places of pilgrimage. one of any size being against the cliffs at St. The main overland route traverses Anjou Christopher’s Rock, about half way along the and Aquitaine, taking in Tours, Poitiers, Bergerac valley. Here, people live at five levels up the Melle, and Saintes, to a crossing over cliff face, in homes that are partly caves; these the Dordogne at Libourne near St- Bergerac is on the north bank of the are built on ledges and reached by staircases. Èmilion. Alternative popular routes are Dordogne, where the broad river flows into a An extensive Magic aura lies under much via Angers and Niort, and from Poitiers wide valley. It is an important crossing point of the lower part of the valley and stretches to Angoulême and Aubeterre. Pilgrims and a port, where wine is the chief commod- tongues out to Rouffignac on the west side from England, Normandy, and Brittany ity. The riverbank behind the town is cov- and along the Beune valley to the east. The are likely to travel by sea and join the ered in vineyards. aura reaches the surface in a few places at lev- route at one of the ports on the Gironde Upstream is the village of Lalinde, where el 1. Below ground, and as yet undiscovered, estuary. Hostels and hospices along the the river flows through rapids. A dragon, La lie numerous caves and passages. The walls way accommodate the travelers. They Coloubre, lived in a cave on the south bank and ceilings of many of these are decorated call at a great many shrines, chapels, of the river, making it hazardous for anyone with carved or painted images of creatures and churches along the way. Joining skirting the rapids on foot. St. Front (see Le — deer, horses, powerful bulls, and massive such a group is a good way for magi to Cité above) defeated the dragon and burnt beasts with great curved tusks. Places with the travel without exciting too many ques- its body in a great bonfire on the hill above most vivid depictions have a Magic aura of 5 tions, as long as they are careful. the cave mouth. A chapel marks the spot and or 6, aligned with Animal (see Realms of Power: commemorative fires are lit here annually. It Magic). Members of Clan Ilfetu in House

69 The Lion and the Lily

trated by a mineral-rich spring. Some mem- was the scene of a great struggle between pow- Story Seed: bers of House Diedne knew of this place and erful magical creatures of air, water, earth, and discovered a way into a regio containing a fire (for details of such creatures, see Realms of The Rivals healthy grove of trees with a Magic aura of Power: Magic). Their battles left the dramatic level 3. Inside the regio, a spring yields Ter- mountain scenery. There are numerous places The rivalry between the bishop of ram vis. The way in and out is only acces- with a low-level Magic aura, usually where Clermont and the Count in Montfer- sible when the moon is full. there is a particularly lovely lake or water- rand (see the section on Clermont), and The Lord Bishop of Clermont rules the city. fall, or a distinctive rock formation; some of that of the bishop of Le Cité and the The buildings, largely of the local black stone, these yield vis. For example: a rock at Tuillière Count of Perigord with the bishop of include a basilica and cathedral, both dedicated looks like gigantic sheaves of wheat and con- St. Front (see the section on Le Cité), to Our Lady, and over thirty churches and cha- tains Creo vis; throwing a piece of polished are both potential traps for the Order. pels. The adjacent town of Montferrand devel- black basalt into Lake Pavin on the darkest Both sides in each dispute want the oped around the Count of Auvergne’s castle. night of the year summons up a great storm, higher prestige nationally, the greater There is great rivalry between the two rulers from which several pawns of Auram vis can respect and influence in the surround- and the fortifications of Montferrand are being be gathered; Rego vis is contained in certain ing area, and the maximum opportunity strengthened at present. pebbles, reminiscent of foodstuffs in shape, to gain income from taxes. A road leads south from Clermont between caught periodically in the hollows known as A covenant, or an individual magus, two vast areas of upland forest, where popula- giants’ cauldrons at Bort-les-Orgues, and Bort comes to the attention of one of the tion is sparse and confined to the valleys, and is also a source of Imaginem vis, contained in protagonists, in circumstances where it winters are harsh. The forest to the east covers the echo off the gray columnar rock there, is not easy to escape. Someone has been the lower slopes of the Livradois uplands and, when the right sound is made. seen using magic, perhaps, or has been beyond, the slopes of the granite mountains A powerful fire elemental has dwelt deep discovered flouting the law of church or of Forez. The summits are moorland, and of- underground here for eons. Its presence has state. The incident will be forgotten, if ten shrouded in mist. In summer, women and given rise to the hot springs and heated gases only the magus, or the whole covenant, children tend livestock here while the men till found at Royat, le Mont-Dore, and la Bour- will use their abilities to aid one side the valleys where the villages are located; the boule. Both the water and the gas can aid heal- against the other. What if both sides are moors are deserted the rest of the year. The ing — the water for skin complaints and ach- trying to use members of the Order to area of Forez is ruled from Couzan Castle. The ing joints, the gases for respiratory ailments. help their cause? most powerful ruler on the southern part of Treat half an hour spent immersed in the water the plateau is the abbot of the monastery of St. or breathing in the gas as giving a +3 to the Robert at La Chaise-Dieu, who is responsible recovery roll (see ArM5, pages 179 and 180). Bjornaer know of a cave in this vicinity that is directly to the pope and whose monastery of Prolonging the exposure is counter-productive an ancestor site, suitable for House rituals (see around 300 monks heads a network of over and will cause injury, due to the temperature Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, page 25). There 200 priories in France, Spain, and Italy. and noxious composition of the water and gas. are also other caves adorned with the natural Aquam, Auram, Creo, and Ignem vis can be sculptures of colored rock, stalactites, stalag- gathered in these places as tropaea. mites, and crystals. The most spectacular have the highest aura, up to level 6, and one or two Auvergne Mountains of these are aligned with Imaginem. A series of linked small caves and low passages leads On the west of the road south from Cl- into a regio. At the lowest level, with a Magic ermont lie the ancient volcanoes of Puy de aura of 3, there is enough light to see unaided Dôme, Puy de Sancy, and the Cantal Moun- and the pictures on the walls look fresher. tains. On top of the Puy de Dôme is a shrine, The higher level has an aura of 5. Within it, dedicated originally to Lug and then to Mer- a wide landscape opens up of rolling hills, cury, and finally to St. Barnabas. Local belief grassy plains, dense forests, and broad rivers is that the sorcerers of the Auvergne meet populated by a wide range of animals, some here at the dead of night, but this is a mem- very familiar and others only recognizable ory passed down from the days of the Mer- from the pictures on the cave walls. curian magicians of Rome. The remains of a Oleron Roman road lead up to the summit through the forest that covers the steep sides of the The covenant of Oleron is descended Puy de Dôme. If one ascends on foot, staying from a faerie court of the Arthurian Age. Its Clermont exactly on the road, the route leads through members are Merinita magi who enjoy sto- a regio boundary into a small regio with a ries of feats of arms, passionate wooing, and The site now occupied by Clermont was level-3 Magic aura where the temple of Mer- tragic deaths. For members of their House, formerly a sacred wood used by druids when cury stands abandoned and roofless. As yet, they display an unusual interest in certa- the Romans ruled here. There is nothing left no one has found the higher regio level here, men and in the lives of the peasantry. The of this now except a clump of stunted trees where the temple is intact, nor a pre-Roman covenant is linked to the mortal world at an on a site to the southwest of the cathedral, route up the puy to the shrine of Lug. orchard, called the Apple Mile, where the adjacent to a market, where the soil is infil- Long before people lived here, this region leadership of the covenant is contested.

70 The Lion and the Lily History Each Stone Couch commemorates a particu- from a multitude of cultures and times. Faeries lar hero. Over time, the cenotaph creates a have been spiriting people away to the Apple skeletal corpse as its inhabitant. This faerie Isle for thousands of years. Human abduct- In the time of King Arthur, a young duplicate of the commemorated hero gains ees, faerie versions of these humans, and the knight named Lanval won the heart of Tri- flesh over the years, until after many decades descendants of these humans, mix under the amour, the Faerie Queen of Oleron. After an it begins the slow, steady breath of a sleeper. distorting influence of the ascending queens, adventure of love, loss, and reunion, he was The Sleepers are roused during crises, but maintaining an eclectic, colorful culture. taken there to live forever. Knights of Arthur’s otherwise await a prophesied day when they court were invited to challenge him at the will awaken to wage war against evil. entrance to the regio any Midsummer’s Day, The Queen’s Champion to prove their manliness. None who fought and the Challenges him prevailed. In time, memory of the challenge site’s location was lost, retained only The consort of the faerie queen, who em- in folksongs. The challenge site, an orchard bodies the realm, rules the Apple Mile. The whose trees produce small, sour apples, was right to act as consort is won by defeating shunned as unlucky. the previous champion in a contest of arms In 1028, Kherion of Merintia found the at the entrance to the regio on Midsummer’s challenge site and defeated Lanval. He mar- Day. The challenger drives an axe into one ried Lanval’s daughter, who had become the of the apple trees that surround the site, a Faerie Queen of the Court of the Apple Mile. desecration of which the faerie queen is im- The covenant’s isolated location, and the mediately aware. The champion must con- enormous defensive capabilities provided by front the challenger before sunset on the fol- the Sleepers on Stone Couches, described lowing day, or the link between the mortal below, has allowed the covenant to take part realm and the Apple Mile will fail, a detail in the Order’s crises without suffering repri- known only to magi within the covenant and sals. The covenant is now ruled by Caprican a handful of outsiders. of Merinita, the consort of Triamour’s great The confrontation must be a demonstra- granddaughter. The covenant has five mem- tion of arms, although it need not be fatal: bers, three of whom are Merinita magi. in recent decades, certamen has sufficed. If the challenger flees or is defeated, he must apologize and make restitution to the faerie queen. This takes the form of a difficult task, Setting and set by her and enforced by the mystical tra- Physical Description ditions of the site. This may be resisted as a ReMe effect with a Penetration of 75 (due to the mystical connection forged by the The Apple Mile is a regio on a small process of the challenge), that forces the ma- island in the Bay of Biscay, named Oleron. gus to complete the task. The queen cannot The island is famous for its fisher folk and Culture and Traditions set suicidal tasks, but challengers tend to be traders. The regio corresponds to a portion magi skilled in combat, and tasks that such of the north of the island, and some of the challengers merely find extremely difficult surrounding sea. The people of Oleron know This covenant’s traditions are a curious are acceptable. that the Apple Mile exists, and generally mixture of historical chivalry and contempo- If the challenger is victorious, he must avoid its inhabitants. rary romanticizations of the past. The cove- marry the daughter of the current faerie Within the regio, which has a Faerie aura nant changes slowly, so that its buildings and queen, who takes her mother’s role once the of 5, it is always summer. The magi and their inhabitants seem suited for historical stories ceremony is complete. If the current queen chief servants live in a splendid castle, sur- of courage and love. Magi interested in his- has no daughter, one appears the evening rounded by a town that houses their lesser tory will notice many discrepancies. The following the challenge, already an adult and servants. The town has a harbor, and is sur- three most significant examples are the castle with a lifetime of memories. The faerie resi- rounded on the landward side by cropping in which the magi live, which could not have dents of the regio, and the humans without fields that peter out into an endless orchard been built in Roman times, Lanval’s coat of Magic Resistance, also remember the prin- filed with sweet apples. Roads appear to lead arms on many ancient items, when knights cess’ life. If the challenger refuses to marry to other places, but after long detours come of his period did not use coats of arms, and the princess and take the role of champion, back to meet each other, so that the covenant Lanval’s armor in the dining hall, which is he is considered defeated and must apolo- lies isolated. Only two roads, one leading to too modern and too shiny. gize, as detailed above. When a new queen the mortal world and the other to the Stone The covenant is ruled by a faerie queen, embodies the land, it often changes slightly Couches, lead to anywhere of significance. her magus consort, and his council of advisers, to suit her personality. The Stone Couches are tumuli: cenotaphs which includes most of the covenant’s magi. The defeated consort and his emeri- built from great slabs of stone that have been The inhabitants of the covenant are a mix- tus queen generally continue to live in covered with earth to produce artificial hills. ture of humans and faeries, gathered together the Apple Mile. Some ex-queens take the

71 The Lion and the Lily opportunity to travel the mortal world, visiting major faerie courts and Merinita Oberon covenants. Some defeated consorts allow their Magic Resistance to fail at an appro- An example of the construction of fa- many magical powers and a cup of plenty. priate time, so that they can recall the life erie heroes is Oberon, who was a Sleeper After the story became popular, the they are believed to have led with their but is now active in the Apple Mile. Sev- Faerie Queen of Avalon permanently woke new daughter. eral centuries ago, the magi here began to Oberon. He is sufficiently powerful and grow a faerie version of Alberich, the ma- cunning to be able to work as a servant of gician brother of Merovech, the founder the covenant in the mortal world, but he Spreading Stories of the Merovingian Dynasty. Recently, looks like the most beautiful three-year- and Creating Heroes they decided he would not be as useful old boy ever born, and his appearance as they had hoped. The rise of the Cape- limits his usefulness in towns. He is said to The Stone Couches, described above, tians had eclipsed his usefulness, and some be the son of Julius Caesar and Morgana are like kilns used to craft faeries that dupli- Merinita magi had claimed to have met a Le Fay, which might indicate the abilities cate folk heroes. The creation of new tumuli similar creature already, in Arcadia. They that he uses on behalf of the covenant. He is one of the powers of the Faerie Queen of decided to change his character, and have has a horn that banishes hunger and thirst, Oleron, so Stone Couches are not known to been spreading a song called “Les Prouess- cures sickness, draws people to the horn be found elsewhere. The power of the faerie es et faitz du noble Huon de Bordeaux” regardless of their will, and lifts heaviness that the Couch creates is strongly tied to the ever since. from the heart. It is a simple roll on Faerie Reputation of the original folk hero among This tale is based very loosely on fact Lore to recall that he has a power that cap- the common people of the lands touching and set in the 9th century. The wicked son tures the will of those who speak to him. the Atlantic. of the Emperor Charlemagne ambushes He is skilled in illusions, and either owns A tumulus will build a skeleton for its Huon of Bordeaux, who kills him in self- many other magic items, or creates their hero after three years, and grow his flesh defense. Huon is banished from the impe- semblances using his powers. over the next eighteen. At this point, the rial court until he can visit the palace of the Now that the childlike Oberon is hero begins to breathe and is called a Sleep- Amir of Babylon, steal a hank of his hair permanently active, a second Oberon is er. Sleepers continue to gain power: even and four of his back teeth, kill the amir’s growing on his Stone Couch. This one is the oldest Sleepers are continuing to do so, finest knight, and kiss the amir’s daughter surprisingly tall — larger than human size. although the rate at which their Might in- three times. Huon does this with the aid The magi of the covenant do not know creases slows dramatically after the first one of a dwarf-king named Oberon, who has why the new version appears so strange. hundred and fifty years. The powers, abilities, and Might of Sleepers conform to what they are believed able to do in the folklore tery of Becoming detailed in Houses of Hermes: Caprican of Merinita of the communities that border the eastern Mystery Cults. Atlantic Ocean. Age: 92 (Apparent age 55) The Sleepers wake only when the cove- Personality Traits: nant itself is endangered, when awakened by Looking for Other Exits Loves Wife and Family +4, the faerie queen, or when roused by a partic- Proud +3, ular incident suited to their story. After this Magi from this covenant worry that their Suspicious of Tytalus Magi +2 disruption is complete, many return to their link to the mortal world might be severed by Stone Couches to wait for a time when, the failing to meet a challenger. Those skilled in The covenant’s leader and champion is an covenfolk say, all the Sleepers will wake, for Arcadian travel often explore the roads lead- older magus who spent his early years fight- a final battle against an unnamed evil. This ing from the covenant, or voyage on the cov- ing as a mercenary in wars between the faerie belief may itself be a story designed to wake enant’s sea, hoping to find links either to the courts. He became leader of the covenant at all of the Sleepers at the covenant’s most des- mortal world or to Arcadia. None of these the request of the previous champion, who perate need. Some Sleepers remain awake, voyagers has yet been successful. feared he would die without being bested living in the Apple Mile or other places. The by a challenger, which would have unknown Couch of such a Sleeper begins growing a results. Caprican’s wife is called Lysette, and duplicate of him, which, if roused, has all of he has an infant daughter named Columbine. his memories. Magi Caprican sees Columbine’s birth as an indi- Real humans, not aligned to another cator that he is likely to lose the right to rule realm, may be buried in a Stone Couch. The covenant’s magi embrace its culture the covenant in the next few decades. They become faerie versions of the previ- of romantic feudalism, so they are more inter- Caprican follows the careers of other ous human and suffer the lassitude of most ested in warfare than is usual for members of magi, and the gossip that surrounds them, Sleepers. They are generally not famous House Merinita. They also have an ideal of with a great deal of interest, attempting to enough with the common people to be the obligations required of nobility, so they determine the identity of his heir. Lacking more than minor faeries, unable to safely patronize their common people to an unusual any promising challengers, he may begin to venture from the Apple Mile. Faerie magi degree. The three magi most likely to inter- cultivate a character that catches his interest. consider this style of life as a minor faerie act with outsiders are described below. He dislikes Tytalus magi, and is willing to use far less than their due, and prefer the Mys- Wizard’s War, even war between covenants,

72 The Lion and the Lily to prevent his heir coming from that House. that stories live on in Arcadia. The see the Quintinus of Verditius His history of rivalry with Tytalus magi Couches as fixing stories to a single place, aside, he knows that his daughter will neces- and a single version. Age: 40 (Apparent age 35) sarily love his heir, regardless of his qualities Personality Traits: as a man, and cannot see how a woman could Self-effacing +2, be happily married to a creature dedicated to Amelie of Merinita Enthusiastic +2 strife and subjugation. Caprican’s dislike of Tytalus magi has Age: 33 (Apparent age 33) Quintinus is an odd Verditius magus been fruitful in recent years. Fudarus is all Personality Traits: who came to this covenant because he was but empty, its leaders busy with their internal Curious +3, interested in magical brewing, particularly struggle and its members decamped to Brit- Meddlesome +2 using cider. When an earlier member of tany. During this time of weakness, Capri- the covenant who was skilled in similar can has assisted other covenants in claiming Amelie is the maga most likely to act as things passed away, Quintinus asked for the resources of his rivals. He has increased spokeswoman for the covenant, and to travel membership and access to the laboratory the number of vassals his covenant has, and on the covenant’s behalf. She is shorter and of his predecessor, which was granted. fortified them. He knows that if the Tytalus slighter than average, and uses illusions to Quintinus is now the magus charged with magi discover his role, he will suffer repri- give herself blonde hair. She has the blood the construction of new Stone Couches for sals when the House coheres behind a new of a river nymph in her ancestry, which in the queen. He sees his current work, help- leader. This does not trouble Caprican: given her particular case causes her to be naturally ing the queen make faeries by construct- the persistent desire to inflict strife on others bald. She also has webbing between her toes ing their incubators to her design, as far found in House Tytalus, and the proximity and fingers, so she always wears mittens and more rewarding than his House’s culture of Oleron to Ushant, periodic attack seems shoes in public. of magic item creation, and he might soon almost inevitable anyway. Amelie is not a particularly skilled nego- request to change Houses. Caprican has Strong Faun Blood, and tiator, but she knows this and so she is will- He refused to participate in the games his magic is focused on controlling the emo- ing to allow deals to fail, or to ask potential of status played by Verditius magi, which tions of people and animals. He is an active partners to make their case to Caprican. She has allowed him to avoid the antagonism member the Keepers of a Thousand Tales, uses her role as spokesperson and negotia- of his Housemates in the Tribunal. His re- but his role is controversial. He does not tor for her covenant as an excuse to travel fusal to discuss his work with the Stone share that group’s focus on Arabic stories. and visit interesting places and people. Her Couches does, however, make it appear Some members of the group, who are aware magic is focused on the art of Aquam, and that he is lazy or incompetent, so his of the Stone Couches, see them as directly she is particularly skilled at creating unnatu- reputation and status within his House is opposed to the group’s goal of making sure ral liquids. very poor.

Vassals Ogier the Dane This covenant prefers vassals who have One of Charlemagne’s paladins was a potential to colonize it. The assistance of strong defensive features, and arranges vas- Danish prince named Ogier. Folklore says a mythical hero might make this simpler. salage as an economic relationship in which he was carried off by Morgana le Fay, to The problem is that Ogier, if the myths surplus vis harvested in the regio of Oleron the Isle of Avalon. She gave Ogier a magic of his French adventures refer to this fa- is exchanged for mundane resources that the ring that rejuvenated him, and she kept erie, is very difficult to control. One of his vassals procure. This supplements supplies him as a lover for two hundred years. Af- first actions would be to seek service with purchased through House Mercere. The ter this, Ogier accidentally dislodged the Phillip II, which would almost certainly covenant has traditionally refused to take crown of forgetfulness she had placed on bring unwanted attention. Ogier has vassals lacking strong defensive features, but his head, and he escaped Avalon. He trav- awakened and escaped the regio at least has accepted unusual vassals to exploit Fuda- eled to the court of one of the Capetian once already, so he might spontaneously rus’ present weakness. kings, marshaled the French forces against do so again if something terrible happens Oleron usually limits its acquisition a Norse invasion, and was about to marry in Denmark. of vassals for fear of harassment by House the widowed Queen of France when Mor- The Sleeper is wearing a ring that Tytalus. The faerie regio itself is likely unas- gana recaptured him. Myths in Denmark seems similar to Ogier’s rejuvenating ring. sailable — any invader would face the com- say he will return when his homeland A person who puts it on dies instantly: his bined power of the magi and all of the Sleep- needs him. Some of the Sleepers predate soul flees his body. In his place is a faerie ers, including a few designed specifically Hermetic colonization of this regio, and that believes it is, and might even actually for home defense in the covenant’s earliest there is one Sleeper who might be a pow- be, the person’s spirit. These faeries are years. The easiest way for Fudarus to harass erful faerie version of Ogier the Dane. rarely powerful, and Merinita magi who its rivals, then, is by attacking their interests Denmark is of interest to select follow their House Mysteries become fa- outside the regio. Weak vassals are perfect Rhineland and Norman magi, who see the eries that are far more significant. targets, and have been the foci of battles between Autumn covenants.

73 The Lion and the Lily

far from mundane settlements. As the cities of The manor that Henri now governs was the tribunal grew in the twelfth century, this originally the covenant’s main building, and area was transformed into cropland. The thriv- the forest to the south and east has been ing port of Bergerac lies barely an hour away by cleared for farmland. The land to the west is foot. Most of the Merinita magi of the covenant used as “waste:” forested land where peasants left for wilder places. The two remaining magi, can leave their animals to forage and collect Regulus of Merinta and Micropedus of Bjorn- wood. To the north of the covenant is the aer, decided to embrace urbanization. They chase — a piece of land kept exclusively for were recently joined by Luna of Bjornaer. This the lord to hunt in. covenant changes its name each time a new ma- The chase hides the rich vis source that gus becomes its leader – its current name refers justified the covenant’s foundation. It isa to the starling heartshape of Micropedus. grove of oaks, possibly druidic, overgrown by enormous lilac bushes that are perpetually in flower. These flowers produce Herbam vis. Regulus has found a way of converting the Nidi Setting and vis in the flowers into honey that contains Physical Description Animal vis, but one third of the vis is lost in Bjornaer and Merinita magi usually see this process. The areas around the grove are urban spaces as wasteland, but the magi of scattered with wax statues of classical heroes, Conventio Nidi are exceptions. They see The magi live, and have their coun- created by Regulus and his bees. that as towns grow into cities, and the com- cil chamber, in a small castle belonging to The entrance to the covenant’s laborato- munities within them fragment, wildness Lord Henri, a minor nobleman of Aquita- ries is hidden within a clay riverbank half a creeps back into urban spaces. They seek ine. Henri’s father was recruited as nominal mile north of the castle. To enter the labora- niches in towns that they can exploit. Their overlord of the covenant once deforestation tories it is useful to be of smaller than human symbol is the badge of Henri, the nobleman made the covenant’s discovery by mundanes size. The one human-accessible entrance is who serves this covenant. Nidi has no dis- inevitable. Henri knows that his “guests” are through a hollowed tree that is infested with tinctive mark of its own. wizards, and that in exchange for acting as bees. The stings of these tiny soldiers encour- their host and providing other services, he age local people to leave the significant por- will be granted a healthy and extended old tion of the riverbank alone. This part of the age. Henri retains his pride, and so the magi river was once the home of a water nymph, History never give him orders, but instead make re- and has a weak Faerie aura. quests of him. Henri has never actually de- This covenant was founded as a vassal of clined a request, but it would rankle him to Oleron in 1100. Its site was lightly forested and be treated like a grog. Culture and Traditions

Starlings are wild birds, but they make Story Seed: Deliberate Weakness their nests in the eaves of human houses. This allows them to use humans as protec- Nidi is relatively feeble: it has few bunal. Oleron is a powerful covenant, and tors, because mundanes are unwilling to al- magi, relatively few magical resources, and therefore a suitable challenge for them, low predators to survive near them. The star- is very close to mundane settlements. Its but so self-reliant and well defended that lings also consume any overlooked resources, apparent weakness is a deliberate ploy on only trivial troublemaking is possible. Nidi, like spilled food or water. Micropedus of the part of the Oleron, its liege. Nidi has which is the weakest vassal of Oleron, has Bjornaer convinced his colleagues that this many magical items that it never uses, and been designed to appear as a suitable proxy. philosophy might serve magi just as well. the Covenant of Oleron has rapid travel Nidi has been subtly reinforced so that A small group of magi can, they believe, magic that will enable it re-enforce Nidi the Tytalus magi involved in any serious survive in the spaces ignored by mundanes. when it faces particular challenges. The challenge underestimate it, are repelled, It can draw unconscious protection from magi of Nidi are forbidden to use these and can be revealed to the Tribunal. Its nearby people, and live as a parasite on their extra resources except with the permission hidden resources include many small magic communities. They have adopted the family of their liege, or when threatened by magi items, copies of a very impressive Aegis of the of a minor knight as their nobleman, arrang- from Fudarus. Hearth, and servants trained by awakened ing for him to have mundane title to the lands Oleron’s leadership believes that even- Sleepers. Nidi also makes a show of pay- and buildings that comprised their covenant. tually the magi of Tytalus will resolve their ing its tithes, by Redcap and at Tribunal, This hides their presence from other land- civil war, or the lieutenants of each side will but has had this vis reimbursed or traded owners, and provides them with shield grogs. tire of it and leave to seek their own chal- at favorable terms for other types for over They have declared their key sites a chase: an lenges. When this occurs, the Oleronese thirty years. Nidi’s magi have been prom- area which people expect the knight’s men to believe the Tytalus magi will return to their ised membership of Oleron, or one of its patrol, to dissuade trespass and prevent set- historical pattern of provocation in the Tri- other vassals, should their covenant fail. tlement. This should prevent the Dominion from spreading to them.

74 The Lion and the Lily Magi Bee King Virtue

The magi of this covenant are from Bee Kingship is a variety of the Strong commands of a sentence or less long can Houses whose members traditionally favor Faerie Blood Virtue. It grants the following be given orally. living in wilderness. They see themselves advantages: Bee Kings may communicate complex as pioneers of a new future for magi, and as Bee Kings do not appear to age, but messages to bees by having a single bee trailblazers into new, urban territories. They every Bee King not killed by circumstanc- land on the Bee King’s tongue. This bee are aware that Micropedus is near the end es dies of a rapid illness precisely a century then acts as the king’s representative to the of his life, so they wish to recruit more cov- after birth. hive. Bee Kings can understand the speech enant members. Any Bee King may command any of hives, and can read the minds of bees group of bees to perform any action of that they are touching. which they are physically capable, even Bee Kings are never stung by any va- Regulus of Merinita: if it will lead to their deaths. Usual in- riety of biting insect. An attacking bee The Bee King structions like attacking people, increas- swarm is treated as an environmental ef- ing the population of the hive, or con- fect, rather than an opposing mêlée group. Age: 72 (Apparent age 21) structing objects from wax continue The swarm does +10 damage automati- Personality Traits: to be performed until the instruction is cally each round. This damage may be Joyful +3, countermanded (Penetration 50). Simple Soaked normally. Fierce +2

Regulus has blond hair, amber eyes, and golden skin. He smells pleasantly of candles. Personality Traits: dus was able to draw out her heartbeast and His unusual and attractive appearance is a re- Sly +3, have her accepted, if not respected, as a sult of his Strong Faerie Blood. Regulus is a Shy +1 member of his House. Heartbeasts are sup- Bee King. posed to be wild and noble, but Luna’s is a Bee Kings are extremely rare. Some Born in Sicily, Luna has the dark hair rodent. She feels that rats are noble crea- Merinita believe they are created when and eyes common to people of mixed Ital- tures: sneaky, tenacious, and durable. They a young woman accidentally swallows a ian and Arabic ancestry. She is far shorter are also perfectly suited to life alongside drone from a faerie hive. Such creatures and slighter than average, just under five humans, who are messy and wasteful, but are the steeds of the tiny knights who feet tall. Luna is in her twenties, and pre- skilled at making small, dark, dry spaces serve a queen of the diminutive sprites. fers clothing with a minimal number of lay- near food. Her court progresses through Mythic Eu- ers, so that she can slip into and out of her Luna has developed a psychologi- rope, and so Bee Kings appear, rarely, in heartbeast more easily. She does not have cal quirk. She spends at least an hour per many kingdoms. a talisman yet, and is looking for a suitable week sitting, in her heartbeast form, on a object to enchant. rafter near the roof of the granary that feeds Luna lives at Conventio Nidi because the covenant. She stares down at all of the Luna: A Noble Rat her Housemates consider her a freak. She food, more than a rat could eat in a century, trained, initially, in the Beast Master tradi- as the impulses in her rat brain tell her that Age: 26 (Apparent age 26) tion within House Ex Miscellanea. Micrope- life cannot be better, or more surprising,

Story Seed: Child in the Hive Blood of the

Peasants a few days south of the directly, because Bee Kings can never Bee King covenant found a wild hive of bees, and meet. Just as bees cannot accept two This Minor Supernatural Virtue when they domesticated it, they found monarchs in a hive, if Regulus comes provides the following advantages: a baby inside. The girl is unharmed, but within scent of the child, he will en- The children of Bee Kings age more there is something strange and repulsive ter a homicidal rage and be forced to slowly than other humans, reducing about her. A Redcap reports the child kill her. He wishes to see that she is their Aging total by 1. to the covenant, knowing she will be of raised happily, but far away. Characters The children of Bee Kings may give interest to Regulus. Regulus can do little may aid by transporting or fostering simple instructions to bees they touch, for the child, but may seek the aid of the her. Regulus is interested in her prog- and may understand the thoughts dom- player characters. ress partially due to his sense of kin- inating hives of bees. They are unable Regulus feels for the child, because ship, and partially because he has never to give bees instructions that will kill she is either the child of similar faer- heard of a human Bee Queen before, them, except to command warrior bees ies to him, or his child by a forgotten and he wishes to see how her powers to attack, since warrior bees are so will- sexual adventure. He cannot aid her manifest themselves. ing to die. (Penetration 25)

75 The Lion and the Lily Story Seed: Faeries Return

Nidi thinks of itself as inhabiting ag- the forces of Faerie adapt, and generate ricultural space, but seen from another hardier forms. The two sites most vul- perspective, it inhabits those spaces that nerable to repossession are the riverbank faeries have abandoned in the face of the laboratories, and the vis-harvesting site in encroaching Dominion. In many areas, af- the chase. The loss of either might prove a ter the initial appearance of the Dominion fatal blow for the covenant. than this. Luna also does this whenever she he takes human form, and he is finding the Atsingani feels stressed. process slower and more painful as his Warp- Luna’s strongest Art is Animal, although ing score increases. The small Spring covenant of Atsingani, her studies have not been as focused as His name, which means “small feet,” re- a vassal of Montverte, is mobile, consisting those of other magi. She has learned the fers to a scar suffered in Twilight, so that his largely of soldiers of questionable repute, Arts she requires to study certain tricks heartbeast looks more like a starling from with wagons and tents. They make a living she finds useful. She has mastered a spell folklore than from a forest. Many people of sorts either by brigandage or by serv- that allows her to tunnel through stone or think starlings lack feet entirely. Macropedi- ing as mercenaries. Once they have stirred wood while in rat shape. Her combat spells us’s feet have become progressively smaller up enough trouble and resentment in their are poor, but she has retained her original as he has aged. They are now child-sized, current resting place, they flee, only to set tradition’s ability to call and command ani- and he suspects that they will fall off entirely themselves up somewhere else where they mals, so she can defend herself with hordes when he enters Final Twilight. will attract less attention. of rats. Micropedus was the magus who had the idea that small covenants could exploit the uncharted spaces within towns. Micropedus of Bjornaer: He has written extensively on his philoso- History The Starling phy, and trained a few apprentices, but many of his Bjornaer sodales reject it. He The covenant’s founding maga, Au- Age: 93 (Apparent age 60) is grooming Luna as his heir, although he reliana, was from a Byzantine tradition of Personality Traits: was not her teacher. wandering sorcerers named Atsingani, from Determined +3, Micropedus is an Auram magus, skilled which the covenant takes its name. These Fidgety +1 particularly in control of the weather. The itinerant seers served the Latin Emperor covenant will miss him when he enters Fi- Constantine IX for a time in the middle of The covenant’s name, which means star- nal Twilight, because he sometimes uses his the 11th century, protecting his lands from ling, refers to Micropedus. He spends a great spells to break drought with rain and kill wild beasts and rebellious peasants. Howev- deal of time in his bird shape, and has dif- grain fungi with frost. His meddling, and the er, these wizards later fell out of favor among ficulty transforming back into a human. A prosperity it bought to the area, is arguably the Byzantines. Aureliana left the Theban Twilight Scar has left him unable to change responsible for the founding of a town so Tribunal as the Byzantine Empire was de- patches of his feathers into scalp hair when close to the covenant. clining in the 12th century, with one other magus and her apprentice Viviana, wandering westward in search of a Tribunal that would accept them. They were hounded out Story Seed: A Suitable Boy of the Transylvanian Tribunal, and the Rhine Tribunal refused to recognize them as a cov- Nidi’s members pretend to be the low Lila to select a husband. Or characters enant, and so they finally ended up in the guests of Henri, the local nobleman. A from another covenant might instead trav- Normandy Tribunal, where a covenant may difficulty is that Henri has only one child, el to Nidi, to present a servant as suitable. establish itself with considerably less diffi- a daughter, and will soon desire to take a After he takes his longevity potion, culty. As a practical matter of survival they longevity potion. For the covenant’s long- Henri will age far too slowly to remain needed to pledge allegiance to a liege, and term welfare, it is vital that Lila, Henri’s inconspicuous. For a few decades, simple chose Montverte as that liege most closely daughter, marry a man suited to manipula- cosmetics will allow him to seem to age. aligned with their philosophy. tion. There are several covenants that hide After that he will require illusions to main- Since their arrival a few decades ago, the behind mortal families, and a son from any tain his role as an elderly man. In his true magi of Atsingani have moved about mostly of them would be ideal, but there is the old age, he will need to be hidden away in the southern reaches of the Tribunal, and difficulty of assuring Lila’s happiness, on from public view. There are several other have begun to make a nuisance of them- which Henri insists. Young magi, newly people like Henri in Mythic Europe, and selves by raiding some of the weaker cov- made members of this covenant, might be the covenant may be asked to find a place enants. Their acts have attracted few friends sent on a tour of similar covenants to al- for a similar man who is inconvenient. and gained them considerable mistrust in the Tribunal.

76 The Lion and the Lily Culture and Traditions

The wandering nature of the covenant is highly suitable for a community that consists largely of Brabançons (see insert), brigands of questionable legal status, and which has a habit of whipping up trouble. They have been known to move entirely several times. On the other hand, the lack of a permanent base presents several hardships. The covenant is unable to establish any permanent, stable source of income, and instead the magi live from year to year; they are lucky when their mercenaries have wealthy masters to serve, and when not, they subsist on robbery, either from isolated villages and monasteries, traveling merchants and pilgrims, or Setting and aura, although the magi usually set themselves from weak covenants. Atsingani has no stone up in a Magic aura if they can find one. buildings or fortifications, and can only es- Physical Description The permanent council chamber of Atsin- tablish rather poor temporary laboratories gani is a ruined and windswept hilltop tower, (apart from the one belonging to Viviana) The covenant is currently located in a which was originally gifted to them by their in tents, which they share. They have only sparsely populated region in the uplands of Au- liege, Montverte. It is a couple of days travel one permanent source of vis, harvested at vergne, in the east of Aquitaine. It consists of a from their current camp; the magi travel here their neglected and uninhabitable “council large semi-mobile camp, hidden a short way in- every summer to hold council and gather vis. chamber.” The remainder comes from what side a forest: a semicircle of wagons, numerous The Tribunal’s customs forbid them from mov- they can find or win at Tourney. Adversity tents including some that are sturdy and opu- ing their council chamber, which is a matter of does, however, draw the magi and covenfolk lent and others in a poorer state of, a temporary some inconvenience. On more than one occa- together — they are a close-knit and loyal barracks, and a corral for the horses. Moving sion, Quaesitors have checked that the magi community, and the magi are not at all aloof from place to place the covenant has no native do indeed hold council at the tower. from their valued servants.

Story Seed: The Brabançons and Capuchonnes

The Covenant of Brigandage is widespread in the south of Noialle and made off with its wealth. of the Normandy Tribunal, with organized When they met up with the younger Hen- Atsingani Attacks troupes of highly trained but disaffected ry, they were welcomed until they discov- The covenant of Atsingani settles soldiers roaming and blighting the land. ered that the rebel could not afford to pay down not too far away from the player The Brabançons, also known as Bra- them, at which point they cut loose and characters’ covenant. They soon no- banters for the duchy of Brabant to the started pillaging monasteries. tice the weakness of the covenant and east of Flanders where they originate, are In the 1180s, a freeman named Du- begin to prey upon their supply con- active in Aquitaine. In 1179, Pope Alexan- rand started a movement specifically to voys. As they get more confident, the der III included freebooting soldiers in a eradicate the brigands and bring peace; Brabançon mercenaries begin to stage ban against heretics, mentioning the Bra- they were called the Capuchonnes, and more daring and crippling attacks. banters specifically by name, and order- were exhorted to wear a particular style of Fighting them off may be a viable ing the excommunication of anyone who dress, to live honest and moderate lives, approach, but will surely anger their attempted to hire, retain, or encourage and not to gamble or frequent taverns. liege, Montverte. them. However, few took any notice. Phil- They spread from Le Puy through the Alternatively, the magi of Atsin- ip, the King of France, recruited a troupe southern part of France (including south- gani may offer their services to the of Brabançons to harry the lands of sev- ern Aquitaine), and attracted noblemen, covenant of the players. They will eral of his troublesome vassals, including abbots, and bishops, as well as freemen. likely appreciate being pointed in the count of Sancerre. When they were They massacred 3000 brigands in Au- the direction of any juicy targets and done, he sent them to Aquitaine to assist vergne in 1183. Things being what they are not afraid of dirty work, provided the son of Henry II of England (also called are, however, the Capuchonnes soon be- they are ensured a generous share of Henry) to make war on his father. On the came brigands themselves, robbing from the spoils. way to Limoges, they massacred the town the rich and keeping the spoils.

77 The Lion and the Lily Magi Baudouin

Two of the magi of Atsingani are detailed Characteristics: Int –2, Per 0, Pre 0, Com centration 1 (ambush), French 5 (Wal- below. It is a small covenant, but it may possi- –1, Str +1, Sta +1, Dex +3, Qik +2 loon), Hunt 3 (rabbits), Profession: bly count one or two additional magi among Size: 0 Carpenter 2 (wagons), Ride 4 (long its members, should you so wish. Age: 32 (32) distance), Single Weapon 6 (axe), Decrepitude: 0 Stealth 3 (ambush), Survival 2 (forest) Virtues and Flaws: Branded Criminal; Equipment: Partial leather scale armor, Viviana of House Ex Puissant Bows, Tough; Weakness axe, round shield, crossbow, grog Miscellanea (loose women), Depressed pack containing carpenters’ tools and Personality Traits: Surly +2, Brave +1, his lucky dice. Age: 54 (Apparent age 41) Bored +1 Encumbrance: 2 (3) Personality Traits: Combat: Appearance: A shifty-looking man with Restless +2, Dagger: Init 0, Attack +9, Defense +6, an unkempt beard and fierce blue eyes, Passionate +1, Damage +4 whose face is somewhat marred by his Thoughtful +1 Axe and round shield (mounted): Init +1, Attack criminal brand. He carries his weap- Viviana, the spiritual leader and guide of +17, Defense +14, Damage +7 ons expertly. the covenant, is a fading beauty of Mediter- Axe and round shield (on foot): Init +1, Attack ranean descent. She is the filia of the eldest +14, Defense +11, Damage +7 Baudouin is one of the more expe- founding maga of Atsingani, Aureliana, and Crossbow: Init +5, Attack +16, Defense rienced Brabanters and has been in the is a soothsayer and healer from the same +10, Damage +8 service of Atsingani since his youth, Byzantine tradition. She owns a grand wag- Soak: +7 when he received his criminal brand on of faerie origin, which is the covenant’s Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Uncon- for thievery. Banditry has become sec- most valued possession. The interior of the scious ond nature to him, although he is not wagon is far larger than it appears from out- Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 particularly satisfied with the wandering side and is opulently decorated; it has room (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20) life of the covenant, intermittent pov- for a laboratory as well as a bedchamber, and Abilities: Animal Handling 3 (horses), erty, and lack of available womenfolk. it provides fresh supplies of clothing and lin- Aquitaine Lore 2 (wilderness), Athlet- He is usually selected for the vanguard ens for its owner that are never exhausted. ics 2 (running), Awareness 3 (keeping whenever a raiding party is assembled, The wagon has an unnaturally smooth ride; watch), Brawl 3 (dagger), Bows 5+2 since he is reliably violent although not its contents are thus undisturbed by what (crossbow), Carouse 1 (dice), Con- a natural leader. would normally be jolting travel along uneven roads. Covenfolk Jacques of House Flambeau The covenant consists of about fifty Age: 44 (Apparent age 39) persons, among which are a troupe of three Personality Traits: dozen Brabançon mercenaries, and nearly Disciplined +2, as many horses. They are a mixture of Byz- Questionable Ethics +2, antine and Brabant origin, mostly young Greedy +1 and middle-aged adults — the covenant can hardly support the infirm, and women Jacques leads the mercenary contingent who have children often choose to leave of the covenant. He began his apprenticeship the covenant and settle down. The Bra- under the tutelage of an Ex Miscellanea ere- he immediately left the covenant where his bançons are coarse, crude men, but they are mite at the relatively late age of 18, by which pater had settled to rejoin his kinfolk. Soon expert soldiers and horsemen, skilled with time he was already an accomplished Braban- after, he joined House Flambeau. One of his the crossbow. çon warrior; thus he is only about ten years burning goals is to exact revenge on the Ca- past his Gauntlet. Upon becoming a magus, puchonnes who murdered his father in 1183.

78 Chapter Seven Ile de France

The rich lands known as the Ile de France are located at the geographical center of the Normandy Tribunal; correspondingly, they are the center of power of the French kingdom. All roads lead to Paris, the greatest city in northern Europe and the seat of the French monarchy, whose influence extends across the whole region, and beyond. Most of the lands here consist of the historical domain of the royal Capetian house, which rose to prominence when Hugh Capet was elected king in 987, in Senlis. The kingdom is now sufficiently prosperous that the royal court no longer travels, but has settled permanently in Paris. The current king, Philip II, rules completely over numerous loyal baronies, from which much of the royal army is drawn. These petty nobles also constitute the bulk of his advisers and provide many of the provosts and bailiffs that manage his estates in his absence. There are numerous ancient and wealthy royal abbeys here, since the Merovingian kings donated many lands to the Church. The monks performed the dual function of cultivating the wild lands they were given, and praying for the souls of their generous benefactors. When the pilgrims here gape at the majesty of the newly- completed cathedrals of the Ile de France, those of St. Denis, Sens, and Chartres, it is clear that these prayers were not in vain. Without doubt, this land is blessed by God. These churches have established a miraculous new style that is beginning to be copied widely in French lands. Much of the Ile de France is gently rolling farmland, some of the richest agricultural land to be found anywhere in Europe, the generous harvests of which support a density of population surpassed only by Flanders. Two great rivers, the Seine and the Loire, flow through the province from the southeast to the northwest. The northeastern edge is bordered by the great forest of Cuise (see Chapter 8: Flanders and Picardy, The Forest of Cuise). There are a few other sizable forests, including Yvelines and Fontainebleau to the south of Paris in the center of the realm, and the Sologne, a marshy heath- land forest south of Orléans bordering Anjou.

79 The Lion and the Lily Ile de France Abélard and Héloïse

Covenants Peter Abélard was renowned as a bril- he had Abélard castrated, and both Abé- liant but controversial philosopher and lard and Héloïse took vows as a monk Current Covenants: Lapis Crudus, theologian. Born at Le Pallet in Brittany and nun. Eboris in 1079, he studied at Chartres and came After the affair was discovered, Abé- Ruined, Abandoned, or Lost Covenants: to Paris in 1118. He was employed to tu- lard retreated to St-Gildas-de-Rhuys, a Caput Capra tor a young maiden named Héloïse, the monastery founded by St. Gildas in the niece of a local canon, Fulbert. The pair 6th century on the southern arm protect- immediately fell in love, Héloïse soon ing the Gulf of Morbihan (see Chapter 4: gave birth to a son, Astralabe, and they Brittany, Morbihan). He found it a wild Paris wed in secret. Héloïse’s life of secrecy place beset by dangerous animals, the lan- became so difficult that Abélard urged guage strange and horrible, and the mo- her to move out of Paris and to go to nastic community unruly. The monks tried The stupendous city of Paris, the largest the nearby nunnery of Argenteuil. When to poison him, but he escaped through a in northern Europe and home to more than Fulbert discovered the marriage and her secret passage in 1132. Abélard later be- fifty thousand souls, is strategically located departure, he was enraged, believing that came a monk at St. Denis, and later, at the at a crossing point of the River Seine, with Abélard had abandoned her. In his fury, end of his life, at Cluny. an island in the river as its center. It serves several functions: it is a royal capital, an ecclesiastical and scholarly center, and a cen- gateways and bridges. The various churches in the seediest parts of the city. On the whole, ter of trade. The city has grown to spread and chapels of Paris are nearly too numerous the place is a melting pot of avarice, heresy, from the central island, the Île de la Cité, to count — from afar the horizon of Paris petty crime, vice, and disease. All kinds of en- onto both banks. The right bank is the new- appears as a forest of spires. Smoke and stale tertainments (of various degrees of lewdness, est and most populous part, and perhaps half air wafts from the city, day and night. which may easily either horrify or seduce in- of the inhabitants live here; the remaining All kinds of folk may be found in Paris, but nocent visitors) and luxuries are available, for half is split between the Île de la Cité and many Parisians are serfs — they lead a curious the right price, of course. One of the larg- the left bank. The stern city walls of Paris mixture of urban and rural life, working the est and most populous heretical cults is the encompass the settlements on both banks extensive and rich farmland that extends for Brethren of the Free Spirit (see also Guard- in two semicircles; the area spanned by the many miles around the city on behalf of their ians of the Forests: The Rhine Tribunal, page 46), walls is 3 miles from north to south, and two king. Paris is thus not a city that is dominated whose members believe themselves heralds miles from east to west. Perhaps a third of by industry or commerce, such as Ghent or of a new age of the Holy Spirit and consider the population of each bank lies outside the the other huge cities of Flanders, although it themselves immune to sin, enjoying pleasures city walls, in clusters of a few large villages certainly has a vast commercial district and wantonly and without remorse. The Brethren and towns. The city thus resembles about a just about any kind of craft may be found originated from theologians in the schools of dozen towns and villages that have partially within. While Paris has much to recommend Paris, but has found favor with many of the morphed into one city, interrupted by walls, it, and some areas have a high Divine aura, common folk. Secret meetings and masses moats, and river channels, and connected by there are without doubt Infernal auras hidden are held regularly all over the city. Writers

The Templar Treasury Story Seed:

The Knights Templar have a great tem- and the coded receipt is adjusted accord- A Dangerous Loan ple in Paris, whose fabulously wealthy trea- ingly. A similarly large “bank” exists in Jeru- A covenant in need of funds may sury is an early form of bank. The financial salem, where funds may be withdrawn. be able to secure an extremely large services offered by this Order arose from Such services are by no means re- loan from the Knights Templar. How- the need of pilgrims to the Holy Land to stricted to pilgrims; the Templars accept ever, the magi should take care to at- have access to their funds without wishing deposits and arrange transfers of money tend to their repayments promptly to carry large amounts of coin with them, for merchants, nobles, kings, and the and keep their magical activities se- for fear of robbery and destitution. A pil- Church. Money can also be borrowed cret from the holy order, otherwise grim may thus deposit suitable monies at a — the restriction on usury (the charging they will find themselves with a very local commandery, sufficient for the costs of interest) is sidestepped by the charging powerful enemy. Should the Knights of the whole pilgrimage (which are con- of “rents” which are payable when funds discover that a group of questionable siderable, typically including outward and are borrowed. The treasury in Paris has ac- or heretical magicians seem reticent to return travel, accommodation, and money cumulated a vast fortune from these prac- pay their dues, they are not likely to for gifts and alms) in exchange for a receipt tices. The Order of the Knights Templar delay in kicking up a storm, either po- in the form of a coded parchment. Credit is finances wars, crusades, trading enterpris- litically or militarily. issued by Templar establishments en route, es, and grand building projects.

80 The Lion and the Lily

81 The Lion and the Lily condemn the idolatry and sorcery practiced tia; the settlement spread and was centered many miracles were subsequently attribut- by Parisians, although this is mostly nonsense on the left bank of the river. From the end ed to her. She is buried at the Benedictine — the majority of the inhabitants are pious, of the 3rd century, the city declined with Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, founded to a greater or lesser degree. the waning of Roman power, and endured by Clovis. repeated disasters and troubles during the The city burned to the ground at the end Dark Ages. In 451, Attila the Hun arrived at of the sixth century, and Viking raids were the city. The prayers of a pious peasant girl, the bane of Paris in the nineth century. The The History of Paris Geneviève, kept his army from the gates, first attack in 845, by savage raiders sailing and the Huns moved on to Orléans instead. up the Seine in shallow-bottomed ships, re- Paris takes its name from the Parisii, a She later thwarted a Frankish siege of the sulted in the sack of the city; the invaders fishing tribe who first settled on the island city undertaken by Childeric, by smuggling had to be paid off with a huge ransom. In in the Seine. Under the Romans, it was a food into the city by boat. Geneviève died 885 Paris faced an even greater invasion, an town of moderate importance named Lute- in 512 and became the patron saint of Paris; army of tens of thousands on many hundreds of ships. Odo, Count of Paris, courageously led the defenses of the city and successfully ended the siege after ten months. The year 911 saw peace with the Vikings, now Nor- mans, and in 987 Hugh Capet was elected King of France and made Paris his capital. Ever since, the city has flourished. The appearance of the city in 1220 owes much to the current king, Philip II. It was he who erected the walls with their moats, and his giant castle, the Louvre. Under his direction, the cathedral of Notre-Dame has begun construction, a huge covered market has appeared, and many streets have been paved.

Île de la Cité

The mile-long island in the middle of the city, the site of the pre-Roman settlement, is the ecclesiastical and administrative center of Paris, with the grandest churches. This, the oldest part of the city, is a crowded and suffocating labyrinth of ancient timber houses. The giant cathedral of Notre-Dame, in the new French style, is located at the upstream end of the island atop the ruins of a Gallo-Roman temple. Con- struction work on this ambitious project began in 1163; the chancel was consecrated in 1182, and the nave is just about complete. Much work remains to be done, but when finished it will surely be the greatest church in western Europe. The Petit Pont, a short stone bridge built in 1186 to replace an older wooden construct, connects the Île de la Cité to the left bank. Two longer stone bridges cross the wider channel to the right bank. There are no great docks in Paris — the Seine is too shallow to allow ocean- going ships — although there is a bustle of river traffic consisting of smaller vessels. Most of the wares to and from distant lands are transported along a well-traveled road leading from the north of Paris to the harbor city of Rouen, in Normandy.

82 The Lion and the Lily

The King of the Beggars Story Seeds:

This “monarch” controls a large gang Marcandiers pretend to be merchants who Beggar King Exploits of beggars, filchers, and burglars in the Pa- have been robbed; Two of Anacrôn’s Hermetic ances- risian underworld, and sometimes goes by Francs-mitoux pretend to have fainting tors (his great grand-parens, and that the title of “the Grand Coësre.” The king fits in public places; Malingreux use fat mixed with ashes on individual’s own mater) still live among claims taxes from his subjects, in the form their face to give the appearance of a his unwashed hordes, bound into their of a share of their spoil. It is suspected, but dreadful disease; moribund bodies and riddled with De- not proved, that the king pays the mun- Piètres hobble around on crutches feign- crepitude and Warping by the lineage’s dane authorities of Paris to keep them out ing lameness; Death Prophecy. They long for death to of his affairs. The king’s edicts are enforced Sabouleux daub themselves with blood end their plight, but Anacrôn will not al- by the cagoux (master-thieves), who look and use soap to make themselves froth low it, for each death brings him closer after his interests and who are treated as at the mouth; to his own extinction. An enemy who his chief nobles. The cagoux collect the Polissons go about naked begging for clothes; wishes to strike at Anacrôn (and he has king’s taxes, and drive out beggars who im- Courtauds-de-boutanche carry the tools several) might start with his enfeebled pose on his territory, which encompasses of various trades and pretend to be out and helpless ancestors. all the best spots in Paris. Beneath the ca- of work; A grog who has demonstrated his goux are the archisuppôts (arch-thieves), Hutins pretend to have been bitten by prowess in Paris is kidnapped by beggars; who are usually recruited from the dregs mad dogs; Anacrôn intends to make him into one of of the clergy and who teach the king’s law Coquillards carry forged pilgrim certifi- his cagoux in the coming year. and train apprentice beggars. In return, the cates and ask for alms; Calots sit slack-jawed, apparently dotards A group of characters passing cagoux and archisuppôts have the right to lacking in wits; through (or based in) Paris get involved beg in any manner they please, and are Capons trick their marks from their coins in a “turf war” between Anacrôn and a free from the taxes owed to the King of in card games; pretender to his throne. the Beggars. Narquois are pensioned soldiers and ex- Anyone making an enemy of Anacrôn Those beggars who work for the tort money with threats of violence; has to deal with his Hermetic allies, as king are taught a slang or argot, from Millards travel into the countryside in well. He knows many dirty secrets about whence they get the name of argotiers. groups and practice racketeering the members of the Normandy tribunal, The argotiers are licensed by the King among the peasants; Orphelines slit the money pouches of the as well as having some genuine allies who to beg in a specific way, and the num- rich to steal their wealth. recognize his worth as a source of infor- ber of beggars in each court is regulated mation. He might also claim support from so not to glut the market of potential Not all the criminals of Paris are sub- unlikely allies through a cabal or Mystery dupes. The principle courts of argotiers jects of the Grand Coësre, but it is fair to say Cult, or be acting as a double agent for the are as follows: that he dominates the Parisian underworld. Quaesitores to uncover any High Crimes orchestrated by his apparent allies.

A couple of smaller, mostly uninhabited ous cathedral and abbey schools are located since a couple of centuries ago it was noth- islands are located a stone’s throw upstream. here; they have recently achieved the status ing but swamp. The Capetian kings oversaw These are overgrown with large copses of of a university. (A forthcoming supplement, the draining of this land and claimed much of trees and are places of ill repute. Art and Academe, will describe the university it for themselves. The great central market, of Paris in more detail.) The outer reaches of Les Halles, was expanded and covered over this part of Paris, at least, are less crowded; in 1183 by Philip II so as to shelter the mer- the area resembles a contiguous group of vil- chants; it attracts traders from far afield. The The Left Bank lages, with some green spaces in between. Hanse Parisienne is the name of the principal The abbey church dedicated to St. Geneviève league of merchants in Paris, and they have The south bank of the Seine was the cen- is located on a prominent hill. A short way to great influence in the city. Just outside the city ter of the Roman city of Lutetia. Some Ro- the west is the Abbey Church of St. Germa- walls to the west is the Louvre, the monolithic man remains may be found, but the majority nus, burial place of most of the Merovingian fortress of Philip II, erected in 1190. This tall, have long since disappeared. The forum and kings (except, notably, Clovis). square giant of a castle is home to his resi- bath houses of Lutetia are now built over, dence, treasury, and arsenal. Grand royal gar- and an ancient Roman necropolis a short dis- dens and estates stretch off into the distance. tance to the south of the city walls is long Just over a mile to the north of the city walls overgrown and buried. The most visible Ro- The Right Bank is the Montmartre (martyr’s mount), a hill named man ruin is the amphitheater of Lutetia, just after the martyrdom of St. Denis. Formerly to the southeast of the city. The bustling right bank is the largest known as Mons Mercurius (mount of Mercury), Nowadays, the left bank is the intellec- city district, home to its commercial heart. it used to shoulder a Roman temple, but a new tual and scholarly district of the city. Numer- It is also known as Le Marais (the marsh), abbey is now to be found on its slopes.

83 The Lion and the Lily Anacrôn, King of the Beggars, Magus Ex Miscellanea

Characteristics: Int +3, Per 0, Pre +2, Com gotiers Lore 4 (Cagoux), Artes Libera- Agony of the Uncharitable Stranger +2, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex –2, Qik –2 les 2 (rhetoric), Awareness 2 (potential PeCo 30 Size: 0 marks), Brawl 1 (self defense), Chirurgy R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind Age: 56 (Apparent age 40) 2 (bruises), Civil and Canon Law 2 (beg- Pen: 20, 24 uses/day Decrepitude: 0 ging), Code of Hermes 1 (regarding The target is riddled with stabbing pains. Warping Score: 4 (2) mundanes), Concentration 2 (when in (Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 Conc; +10 for Pene- Confidence Score: 1 (3 points) pain), Finesse 2 (Corpus), Folk Ken 2 tration Total of 20, +5 24 uses per day) Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic (potential marks), French 5 (Parisian), Hobble the Foul-Mouthed Wretch Magus; Death Prophecy*, Life-Linked Guile 4 (to the charitable), Ile de France PeCo 40 Spontaneous Magic; Affinity with Cor- Lore 3 (criminals), Intrigue 4 (Hermetic), R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind pus, Minor Magical Focus (infirmity), Kingdom of France Lore 2 (beggars), Pen: 20, 24 uses/day Personal Vis Source*, Piercing Gaze, Latin 3 (coarse), Leadership 5+2 (beg- The target is lamed for the duration Puissant Leadership, Quiet Magic, So- gars), Legerdemain 3 (slitting purses), of the spell. cial Contacts; Crippled, Envious, Pain- Magic Theory 6 (studying from vis), (Base 5, +2 Voice, +2 Sun; +10 for Penetra- ful Magic*; Deficient Form (Imaginem), Paris Lore 4 (underworld), Parma Magica tion Total of 20, +5 24 uses per day) Infamous, Magical Animal Companion 4 (Corpus), Penetration 3 (Corpus), Or- (Boiteux, a mastiff). der of Hermes Lore 3 (rivalries), Single Spells Known: *House Virtues and Flaw Weapon 1 (club), Stealth 3 (sitting still) Agony of the Beast (PeAn 15/+19) Personality Traits: Jealous +3, Spiteful +3, Arts: Cr 13, In 6, Mu 8, Pe 10, Re 8; An 8, Arm of the Infant (MuCo 20/+24) Bitter +3 Aq 5, Au 5, Co 15, He 4, Ig 5, Im 3, Me Aura of Rightful Authority (ReMe 20/+31) Reputations: King of the Beggars 3 (Local) 14, Te 5, Vi 8 Bane of the Decrepit Body (PeCo 25/+40) Combat: Twilight Scars: His Gift attracts rather Circle of Beast Warding (ReCo 5/+28) Club: Init –2, Attack +2, Defense +1, than repels vermin, his breath smells of Cripple the Howling Wolf (PeAn 25/+23) Damage +3 violets, his shadow is blood red rather Disguise of the New Visage (MuCo 15/+24) Dodge: Init –3, Attack 0, Defense 0, than gray. Gift of Frog’s Legs (ReCo 15/+32) Damage 0 Equipment: A wooden trolley with rickety Loss of But a Moment’s Memory (PeMe 15/+25) Soak: +1 wheels. His talisman is a wand crudely Panic of the Trembling Heart (CrMe 15/+28) Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Uncon- carved from a human leg bone, and Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20/+21) Prison of Flames (MuIg 20/+14) scious inlaid with three small bloodstones. It Stench of Twenty Corpses (CrAu 10/+19) Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 grants him the following bonuses: +4 The Irresistible Pressgang (CrMe 40/+28) destroy human body, +4 blood and (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead The Twisted Spine (MuCo 25/+24) (21+) wounds. The talisman currently has The Wound that Weeps (PeCo 15/+26) Abilities: Argot 4 (Parisian beggars), Ar- two enchantments: Trust of Childlike Faith (PeMe 10/+35)

History the harbor. His family was dead, and his covenant was destroyed, so he commanded his servant to sail to Marseilles. From there they Constantinople, the new Rome, was the traveled overland to Paris. The reasons be- center of civilization. It was the tool of God. hind his choice remain unclear, but he seems Its civilization was meant to usher in an age to have desired to leave the Latin Empire. of peace and stability, in preparation for the Mathieus is the scion of an aristocratic return of Christ. In 1204, foreigners mur- family in Constantinople, and plays the role dered the city and scraped off its skin. For of exiled nobleman. For the first two years, Archmagus Mathieus, as his city died, the he did not have a covenant: he was legally autumn of the world ended. a wandering magus. His political role was Eboris Mathieus once had a covenant, sodales, insignificant, so he did not annoy the Quae- family, servants. He had plans, ambitions, sitores. He seemed to content to provide pa- A covenant is a home, but it is also a tool. and dreams. When the crusaders marched on tronage to artists and scholars in the vibrant Many covenants look similar, because most the City, he returned from Valnastium, where community gathering around the court. But magi desire to study in comfort. Conven- he was consulting the library. He was able Mathieus has been slowly drawn back into tio Eboris is not a tool for study. Its leader, to cross the besiegers’ lines using his magi- Hermetic circles by his Primus. the most prominent witness to the death of cal abilities, but was unable to avert the sack At the Primus’ request, Mathieus has history, has not recovered from his loss. He of the City. Afterward, Mathieus was able to acted as host or guide for the Itinerarium on designed this covenant as a commemoration, gather some of his covenfolk and smuggle a several occasions. The Itinerarium is a great but it is really a mechanism for his grief. few of his covenant’s resources to a ship in tour of artistic cities designed to acculturate

84 The Lion and the Lily Anacrôn, King of the Beggars, Magus Ex Miscellanea (con’t)

New Spell: The Irresistible Pressgang Anacrôn is an eremite magus of House first time the Tribunal ruled that his activi- CrMe 35 Ex Miscellanea who lives in the streets of ties had not brought ruin. The second time R: Touch, D: Year, T: Group, Ritual Paris. He is a deeply unpleasant character, did not even make it that far; a declaration of A group of men are granted a Loyal +4 embittered with the world and possessing a Wizard’s War against his accuser by Harpax Personality Trait, with the object of this fa- general loathing for all of humankind. Ana- (see Chapter 4: Brittany, Fudarus) resulted in natical loyalty being the caster. This spell crôn has no legs, and is pulled around on a no charges being filed. Suffice it to say that is both a powerful and a continuing mysti- wooden cart by two huge dogs, one of which Anacrôn has powerful allies; and many won- cal effect, and the targets will accumulate a is his familiar and the other his Magical der why he is so strongly supported. total of 5 Warping Points by its end. Animal Companion. His master cut off his Eboris is the senex of Paris, but this cov- (Base 4, +1 Touch, +4 Year, +2 Group) lower limbs when opening him to the Arts, enant is new to the city, having existed only for the magic of his tradition is one founded sixteen years. Anacrôn and his family have New Spell: The Twisted Spine on pain, hatred, and infirmity. The lineage been here for over a century, and he and Ma- Mu(Pe)Co 20 shares a Death Prophecy, which states that thieus are still negotiating the terms of their R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind one can only be killed when he is the eldest relationship through their actions within the The target is crippled as his backbone of his tradition alive. When Anacrôn became city. If it comes to war (something which both warps and twists. He will be in agony every of sufficient power to take over the gang of seek to avoid), Anacrôn has the advantage of time he tries to move. criminals in which he was raised, his pater numbers on his side, as well as an intimate (Base 3, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +1 requisite) invested him as the new King of the Beg- knowledge of Paris and the instinct of a killer. gars (see insert) and left Paris, just as his own Every year, assuming he can find the vis, Vis: Anacrôn’s Personal Vis Source is in the pater had done to him. Where they went, Anacrôn rounds up at least ten capable fight- skin he scrapes from his leg-stumps. and what they are doing now is a mystery to ing men, casts The Irresistible Pressgang, and pro- This yields Corpus vis, but is also very Anacrôn, who greatly enjoys the power he motes them to the rank of cagoux. When this painful for him. currently commands. Through his position spell expires after a year, the Warping incurred Appearance: Anacrôn’s legs were removed as King of the Beggars, Anacrôn has access often leaves the cagoux mentally deficient above the knees when he was just a to individuals who are prepared to perform (Simple-Minded, Short Attention Span, and boy, and since then he has propelled any task for the right coin, and hears all sorts so forth); so they join the ranks of the calots himself on a two-wheeled cart, some- of gossip and news that is of interest to the and Anacrôn searches for more victims. times pulled by two mastiffs. His Order. He sells access to his resources for vis Anacrôn’s familiar is a brindled mastiff ragged clothes mark him as a beggar, and enchantments, and his most common called Affreux, and Affreux’s son Boiteux is but nevertheless he is possessed of a clients are Eboris (see below) and Fudarus. Anacrôn’s Magical Animal Companion; the remarkable personal charm, and under- He is never involved directly in the crimes he two dogs pull his trolley. Affreux has been neath the layers of filth and seething orchestrates, which are committed through invested with the power to create a ward hatred is a handsome man. the agency of his gang. He has twice been that repels people, and the ability to grow accused of interfering with mundanes. The to the size of a bear.

Jerbiton apprentices. Following graduation, of culture and learning. The foundation of the fools at the university. The lacuna (space lack- some of these apprentices have returned to court and university has changed the character ing any Aura, including the Dominion) in the Paris, to explore its culture more fully, and of the city. It is filled with wealthy young men basement also likely influenced his choice. A they often stay with Mathieus. His home is who need have little fear of mundane author- few of Mathieus’s sodales do not live in his now a small covenant whose members do ity due to their social connections. At night, house, but are scattered through the city. not perform magical research. A Redcap also the city seethes with sex and violence, turn- Mathieus has a lot of informal influence in lives at Mathieus’ home. He acts as Mathieus’ ing at daybreak into a center of commerce and this part of town. He does not officially own chief household servant (his majordomo). philosophy. Other magi are interested in the a brewery, a public house, or a brothel, but he opportunities the city provides by day, but Ma- has silent shares in at least thirty businesses thieus’ guests revel in the city’s nocturnal life. in the quarter. He has some contacts within Mathieus’ house is on the Rue de la Tablet- the criminal class, and most of the local thugs Setting and terie, and is the office for an ivory-carving busi- have been warned that his guests are never as Physical Description ness. It was once a pilgrims’ hostelry, and is im- unlucky as those who harm them. pressively large for this part of town. The house is three stories high, with many levels of base- Paris is the greatest city in Europe. Late ment. It has been refaced in a style that local last century the King of France established a aristocrats see as belonging to the new money. Culture and Traditions permanent home here. This has led the major Mathieus explains that he chose to live nobles of France, and some small surrounding well, but in a poorer part of town, so that he Magi of House Jerbiton believe that states, to build palaces in the city also. This in- would not seem to be threatening the local magic tempts them to waste their lives, and flux of wealthy patrons has made Paris a center nobility. It also allowed him to ignore the that places like Mathieus’ house act as a pre-

85 The Lion and the Lily ventative by engrossing the young. Old magi could develop the rudiments of taste and polish magi about whom he has heard amusing sto- need less protection from the temptation to their manners. After Constantinople fell, this ries. This is a way of inviting them into his do laboratory work, because senior magi re- tourism needed a new focus. In most years, it circle of acquaintances. ceive less additional power for every season travels from Paris through the Alps to Valnas- of a diminishing lifetime. Young magi are at tium, then down into Italy. Conventio Eboris the greatest risk of disappearing into a labora- serves as host for the initial stage. The young, Assisting the Quaesitores tory for a few decades, emerging with skills rich almost-magi are expected to get into trou- that are in no way novel, viewed historically. ble, and to do the stupid things that are forbid- Mathieus is the Warden of Paris. That Sending senior apprentices, or young magi, to den the dignity of a magus. Mathieus ensures is, members of House Jerbiton accept that a vibrant city provides them with enough ex- that his guests remain on the right side of the he has dedicated himself to its preservation, perience of a properly lived life that they can line between foolish and asinine, or finds ways and usually inform him of their activities. Lo- resist the addiction to laboratory fumes that of hiding their mistakes. Under Hermetic law, cal Jerbiton magi are expected to give him so many other magi seem to develop. Further the masters of the apprentices remain respon- some assistance if he requests it, when Paris detail on the House’s philosophies and goals sible for their behavior, so some accompany is endangered. Mathieus is also a convenient may be found in Houses of Hermes: Societates. their charges. Mathieus is handsomely repaid injured party for the Quaesitores. for his hospitality in favors and social contacts. That is, Mathieus is willing to assist the Quaesitores by claiming that the activities of Political Neutrality other magi have caused him difficulty with Revels the mundanes. An injured sodalis makes an Conventio Eboris owes no feudal dues, undesired activity a breach of the Code. and seeks none. The advantage of their life- Mathieus attracts magi from other houses Paris, as the home of many important mun- style, which precludes Hermetic study, is to his home with celebrations that eulogize danes, is considered a particularly sensitive that they do not want most of the resources great magi. These celebrations are feasts and site by members of this Tribunal, so even over which other magi feud. This makes them games played through the Parisian night. minor infractions are punished if a sodalis wealthy, because even their modest vis in- Some magi have noted that if Mathieus de- demonstrates that he has been harmed by come provides a surplus for trade. The House signs an interesting entertainment, his revel meddling with Parisian potentates. of the Ivory Carvers is increasingly a neutral might eulogize an obscure magus from hun- Mathieus is not a hoplite, but is willing site for negotiations between covenants in dreds of years ago. At least one of the magi to enforce the Code in Paris. His skill with conflict. Mathieus’ neutrality aside, magical he has eulogized never existed at all. illusions, experience in urban spellcasting, warfare under the nose of the King of France Mathieus always claims to eulogize real knowledge of the resources available within and bishop of St. Denis is a crime that few individuals, for real accomplishments. He Paris, and band of young allies make him magi would be foolish enough to engage in. claims that an unnamed Tytalus magus tricked a formidable opponent for a covenant of him with a false biography. The participants young player characters. His political con- remember it as a particularly amusing event. nections make him a dangerous opponent in The Intinerarium Some suggest that if the maga commemorated extended conflicts. did not exist, then surely she should have. It was traditional, before the fall of Con- Mathieus collects items for his revels stantinople, for Jerbiton magi to send their ap- from all over Europe. He often sends letters Intelligence Services prentices there for a few seasons, so that they offering payment for strange items to young Marcus of Paris, Mathieus’ chief servant, is a Redcap who can be hired to provide informa- Story Seed: Story Seed: tion about life in Paris to other covenants. He haggles the details of each contract, so they can Rescuing Treasure in be as simple as a weekly letter, or as complicat- ed as the recovery of private documents. Mar- Constantinopolitans Constantinople cus sometimes passes work on to the younger Venetians enslaved many of the peo- Mathieus was able to remove only a magi of the covenant. When nobles disperse ple of Constantinople after the invasion. small portion of the wealth of his fallen back to their regional seats of power, he hires One slave, sold to a covenant in the Ro- covenant when he fled Constantinople. To the servants of local magi to keep him informed man Tribunal, overhears Mathieus’ name keep the treasures of his friends from theft of their activities, on behalf of his clients. while his masters converse over dinner, by the scum who had murdered them, he Marcus also finds skilled people willing and arranges for a Redcap to carry a mes- sealed them away. Now that sufficient time to enter the service of covenants, in exchange sage. He asks for rescue for himself and has passed, he feels it might be possible to for a fee from either party. Many characters, some other members of the fallen cov- extract these items. He will not travel to with all kinds of unlikely backgrounds, drift enant. Mathieus fears this is a snare set the East himself; he does not want to see to Paris. Marcus recruits the best of them, by Venetian magi, who know how much the parasites feeding on the corpse of his trains some in a little Latin, and sends them he loathes them. He asks young magi to city. A band of trustworthy young magi, to covenants throughout the tribunal. A scout the situation for him, and to smug- of sterner constitution than his usual com- young covenant using Marcus’ services will gle away anyone they can. panions, might find aiding him lucrative. gain a complete complement of servants, but they are likely to have colorful histories.

86 The Lion and the Lily Magi Story Seed: Story Seed: Succession

Folk Magicians This covenant is dependant on a single Archmagus Mathieus magus, who is elderly and has no surviving The Gift is rare, but Paris is the larg- of Constantinople, apprentices. Many magi would find it conve- est city in Western Europe. Hidden in its filius of aria of nient to be designated as Mathieus’ heir. He M population are many people who Hermet- Constantinople, claims not to want anything that they could ic magi did not discover before their Gifts provide for him. Currently his designate is follower of Jerbiton manifested. The Order is blamed for the Constantina fillia Andru of Jerbiton, a young failings of these people, so Parisian magi firebrand trained by the Primus, but he select- Age: 104 (Apparent age 65) need to police these urban hedge magi- ed her mostly to annoy people badgering him Personality Traits: cians. Some can be bought into the service to choose an heir. He could be convinced to Brave +3, of the Order. Some can be warned to avoid select the player characters if they can offer Genteel +2, attention. Some are executed. an event or experience sufficiently novel. Debauched +1, Sad +1

Mathieus follows the Jerbiton phi- sees as a counterbalance to Venetian membership of this band is in constant flux. losophy of sufficiency. He believes he has influence on the pope. He also dislikes The name refers to coins that have been learned enough magic to allow him to do as and distrusts the many covenants in the shaken in a bag so that some of their silver he likes for the rest of his life. Further study Roman Tribunal that have chapter hous- is broken off. They often repay Mathieus’ would allow him to fool larger crowds, and es in Venice. hospitality with a crisis that they flee, leav- perform better in certamen, but this fails to ing him to fix. He is repaid in “bad coin.” recompense him for his effort. Further study Magi from other covenants often find it simply isn’t worth the time. Sweated Shillings hard to keep track of who Mathieus’ fol- For a long while, Mathieus knew that lowers are: they seem as interchangeable increasing his ability to perform magic was Young Magi: Usually Fun-loving +1 and as coins with the details rubbed off. There not fulfilling, but did not know what he slightly manic in their attempt to fit a are always at least three magi here with Ma- wished to do instead. He spent those years whole lifetime into a year. thieus. During the Tour this number rises indulging in many of the vices of the rich. sharply, as magi volunteer to keep an eye He now has a series of goals, although he The Sweated Shillings are the gaggle of on the apprentices. does not believe he will fulfill any of them. young magi who live with Mathieus. The They include:

• Support of the French Crown, because its strength is redesigning Paris into a Story Seed: city with the potential to sponsor great acts of beauty. This may cause conflict Tremors at the End with the agents of significant French of the World dukes, agents of the English Crown, and the minions of Italian princes. The supply of ivory that comes to • Support for the rising generation of Jer- Paris enters Europe through a tiny king- biton magi, called Antigones. Mathieus dom called Trebizond, at the edge of supports the Order as the best tool for the Hermetic World. This means that peace currently available, but simultane- disruptions in the trade routes through ously believes it is a poor and weak tool, Asia are reflected very accurately in this which he hopes the Antigones will re- covenant’s ivory supply. If the supply pair. He hosts part of the Intinerarium, suddenly stops, Mathieus may warn his which provides leading Antigones with Primus that something odd is happen- an opportunity to meet almost every ing out in Asia. Andru knows that the aspiring Jerbiton magus, and evangelize last time this happened the Huns were antigonic philosophy. This may provoke coming, so he will arrange for a group concern from more traditional magi of magi to investigate. A glut of inex- when the Antigones begin to make po- plicable ivory also attracts Mathieus’ litical demands of the Order. attention. If a huge consignment of wal- • Revulsion for Venice, and for those cov- rus ivory finds its way to Paris, Mathieus enants he blames for the success of the will want to know who harvested these Fourth Crusade. This includes support animals, how they managed it, and what of the French Church, which Mathieus they plan to do with that much money.

87 The Lion and the Lily

Suger — he became a firm friend of Louis VII parchment in bulk. Several Normandy cov- Lands while they were both studying at the abbey as enants have noticed this trade, and send their boys. He was later elected abbot in 1122 and representatives to source their parchments, remained a close confidante of Louis when he quills, inks, and related paraphernalia here. Surrounding became king. When the king departed on the Second Crusade, he nominated Suger as his regent, and his loyal and just stewardship of Paris the kingdom won him great acclaim and the St. Cloud moniker “father of the land.” The lands around Paris, the heart of the The Basilica of St. Denis, dating from the In the sixth century, Clodoald, a grand- French kingdom, are rich fields dotted with 1130s, is a miraculous and groundbreaking son of the great Merovingian king Clovis, numerous ancient monasteries and densely structure — the first ever church in the new fled to this spot by the banks of the River populated with prosperous villages. About “French style” (the modern reader may know Seine, six miles downstream from Paris. His a day’s travel out from Paris, a ring of large this as “Gothic,” although this term is not used father, Clodomir, had perished in battle and towns may be found on the roads radiating in the 13th century). Abbot Suger received a his brothers had been murdered. To avoid the out from the city, or up and down the River divinely inspired vision of the heavenly Beth- same fate, he cut off his hair; something the Seine. Just beyond, to the south, southwest, lehem, and resolved to build the church in Merovingian kings never did, since their locks and northeast, the expansive forests of cen- this image. It has a graceful, airy nave with granted them mystical powers. The young man tral France begin. pointed arches and slender columns that took refuge in the small settlement of Nogent seem almost impossibly tall, allowing the use and founded a monastery there, becoming its of stained glass windows to an extent never abbot. He died in 560 and was buried here; before seen, and giving an astonishing dis- his tomb soon became a site of pilgrimage and St. Denis play of color and light. These innovations the town was named after him. St. Cloud now are beginning to be copied, although the belongs to the bishops of Paris. The great royal abbey and famous Basil- new style has yet to spread widely outside of ica of St. Denis enjoys the patronage of the northern France. Recently, a huge spire was French kings, whose predecessors are buried added to one of the towers. The richly deco- The Bridge of St. Cloud in its crypt. The wealthy royal town is located rated royal tombs are the resting place of the a half-dozen miles north of Paris, downstream first Christian Frankish king, Clovis, and his A centuries-old wooden bridge crosses the on the Seine (although the distance along the son Childebert, as well as most of the French River Seine at St. Cloud. It has been patched river is at least twice as long), at the site of an kings since the seventh century. up several times, and bears a tall wooden old Roman town where the road from Paris to The Lendit fair is held annually in the tower at each end. This is the place at which Beauvais passes by a wide bend in the Seine. month of October, in fields just outside St. Clodoald tore off his hair, symbol of his king- The martyr and patron saint of France, St. De- Denis. It was started by the abbey in 1109 as ly blood, and swam the river. A legend relates nis (see Chapter 2: History of Mythic France, a means to raise funds, and it has grown rap- that any king who sets foot on the bridge will St. Denis) was buried here, and pilgrims soon idly since, even attracting international mer- be struck down dead. No one knows if this is followed. The monastery was founded by chants. Many hundreds of traders’ stalls may true, although, mindful of this curse, French Dagobert I in the seventh century and further be seen. Parchments and writing materials rulers take care to always cross the river here expanded by Pepin the Short in the follow- are a particular specialty of the fair, as buyers in a boat. Even a faerie king may be subject to ing century. Its most famous abbot was named from the university in Paris arrive to purchase this fate. The bridge has a Magic aura of 2.

The Oriflamme Chartres

The greatest treasure of the Abbey The Oriflamme certainly has great Chartres, named after the ancient tribe of of St. Denis is a sacred banner known as powers; it may bolster the morale and the Carnutes, lies beside the River Eure in the the Oriflamme, the royal standard of the physical stamina of the king’s troops, and rich Beauce plain, lands owned by the Counts King of France. The name stems from the it seems to override any other supernatural of Champagne. Atop a gentle hill near the Latin Aurea Flamma, meaning “flame of effect that may be present. It was most re- river is an ancient well, which has been a site gold;” indeed the banner is the color of cently deployed at the Battle of Bouvines of worship in various ways down through flame. It is unfurled and flown from a lance in 1214 in Flanders, where King Philip won the ages. First it was a druidic sanctuary, and at the head of the king’s forces in battle, a great victory and captured the Count of then a Roman temple to the mother goddess. although it may only be displayed in the Flanders, Ferdinand, as a hostage. Magi Christian missionaries conveniently inter- king’s presence. The Oriflamme was taken have taken an interest in the artifact, but preted the latter as a representation of the by Clovis from the Roman king Syragius are unable to ascertain whether the relic is Virgin Mary, and the site has been dedicated at the Battle of Soissons (see Chapter 8: Divine or Magical in origin — no magus is to the veneration of the saint ever since. This Flanders and Picardy, Soissons) and was willing to admit to having tested his magi- explains Charlemagne’s gift to Chartres of the possessed by Charlemagne. cal powers against the banner. Sainte-Chemise, the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary when giving birth to Jesus. Chartres

88 The Lion and the Lily was sacked by Vikings in 858, and the bodies appearance, with strangely shaped boulders mation was sponsored in 1064 by the Grand of martyrs were thrown down the well. scattered all around, several of which seem to Tribunal in an attempt to heal the rift which The Cathedral of Chartres now stands resemble animals, or even people. had formed between the Houses of Flam- proudly at the summit of the hill, next to the beau and Tytalus (see Chapter 3: Hermetic old well. Disaster struck in 1194 when lightning Culture, History of the Normandy Tribunal), caused the Great Fire of Chartres, destroying The Fountain of Fair Waters and consisted of two members of each, plus much of the city and nearly all of the church. a follower of Jerbiton and a Bonisagus of Tri- (There were two earlier serious fires, in 1020 In the middle of the forest of Fontaineb- anoma’s line. Many of the modern followers and 1134, each destroying much of the town.) leau is a Faerie regio, at the center of which is a of Flambeau in Normandy can trace their de- One of the giant steeples survived the fire and spring named Fontaine-Belle-Eau, from which scent back to the members of Lapis Crudus; remains. The good folk of Chartres feared the the forest takes its name. It has a Faerie aura for a while they were the only two Flambeau worst, that the Sainte-Chemise, their treasured of 6. A beautiful nymph, whom the ancients in the tribunal. Over time, the membership relic, had been destroyed. Three days after the believed to be an embodiment of the goddess became more cosmopolitan as the covenant fire, however, a group of priests were found Diana, dwells by the waters and is accompa- grew, and the covenant sponsored two vas- huddled and locked in the treasury with the nied by a placid white stag. All kinds of tame sals, both of which were short-lived. relic. A visiting papal legate declared the relic’s forest creatures, often boars, may be found An unfortunate incident in 1118 revealed survival to be a miracle; this was interpreted as within her domain. Seldom does a person the location of the covenant and the nature a sign that a greater cathedral should be built, stumble into the regio, but keen-nosed hunt- of its inhabitants to several prominent noble and precisely this was undertaken. Monies for ing hounds occasionally find it by accident. families, who all sought to use the magi for this project were donated generously from far Any dogs (and their owners) who act with hu- their own ends. Lapis Crudus was forced to afield, and the city folk took to the task with mility may be tolerated, or even rewarded, but retaliate with a combination of subtle threats fervor, voluntarily hauling the stones from the those who persist with their hunt will likely and blackmail, but neither were sustainable in nearest quarry. The construction proceeded at be cursed, and may never return. This may the long term. Seeking a way to free the cov- an incredible pace, and in 1220 the new giant explain the anthropomorphic shapes of the enant from this political mire, Aries of House nave, modeled after St. Denis in the French boulders in the nearby forest, which may be Flambeau tricked a powerful faerie called Can- style, has just been finished. Plans are afoot to harvested for Animal and Corpus vis. didus (see insert) into providing protection add yet further to the cathedral and build a and concealment for the covenant, keeping it greater steeple. The crypt of the church is the safe from harm. Candidus fulfilled the pact by largest in France. moving the covenant into a faerie regio; but, Chartres prospers from and is largely de- resenting the manner in which he had been pendent on its fairs for pilgrims. On each of dealt with, he also sealed the borders of the the four feast days of the Virgin Mary (the regio, trapping everyone within. Fortunately, Purification, the Annunciation, the Assump- some of the covenant’s sources of vis were lo- tion, and the Nativity), the streets and mar- cated within the regio, but the magi needed kets surrounding the cathedral are converted to consume the output of these seisins to into a bustling fair, visited by hordes of pil- provide themselves with food and tools. That grims who have come to view the holy relic. is, until one of their number devised a way to transfer non-living goods into the regio, and the magi got their first taste of meat and wine for nearly seven decades. The trapped The Forest of Lapis Crudus magi were forced to rely on their fortunately Fontainebleau large vis stocks for their study, and between Once one of the great covenants of the them exhausted the library’s capacity to teach Normandy Tribunal, Lapis Crudus is a shad- them. There were some attempts to free the About 30 miles south of Paris, on the left ow of its former self following a number of trapped magi, but Lapis Crudus’s vassals, see- bank of the Seine, is the forest of Fontaineb- severe setbacks, the most serious of which ing a chance for independence, were not suf- leau. This is a rocky and diverse wilderness, trapped the magi within their regio for over ficiently motivated to achieve this goal, and about 20 miles across in each direction, con- eighty years. The magi of Lapis Crudus have the covenant was quickly forgotten. sisting broadly of parallel sandstone ridges in- recently discovered a way in which they can Five years ago Aries succumbed to Final terspersed with limestone — a dry landscape circumvent their faerie-wrought trap, and are Twilight. With his demise, Candidus was of hillocks, ancient druidic groves, and small now trying to rebuild their former reputation. prepared to renegotiate the pact. Since this gorges. The majority is a woodland rich in time, members of the covenant have been game, but it is not thickly forested; occasional able to leave the regio, but only if they are hunts are held, and there are a few hunting simultaneously replaced by someone from lodges. Apart from these, the only settlement History the outside entering the covenant. Further, of note is a tiny hermitage, although it is ru- the transfer must be between people of the mored that Parisian criminals often come here Lapis Crudus was founded on the spoils of same social standing, thus if a magus wants to hide. The wettest part of the forest resem- the Schism War, and was an important player to leave, a magus must replace him. How- bles a moorland dotted with ponds and crev- in the politics and culture of the Normandy ever, the person entering the covenant can ices. Another part is barren and desert-like in Tribunal for the century that followed. Its for- bring with him whatever he is able to carry.

89 The Lion and the Lily but no living thing could make the passage. Magi Candidus Now, this room is the gate to the regio — if two persons each walk towards the mirror Candidus is a powerful faerie who (and each other) from opposite sides of the Lapis Crudus has three magi, two of whom dwells in the forest of Fontainebleau. He regio boundary, then they change places. The are detailed below. All are ancient, and all are seems to accumulate power by making persons must have comparable (but not neces- unusually specialized due to the restricted bargains with mortals; simply making a sarily identical) Social Status Virtues or Flaws resources they have had access to for the last pact with a human grants him the abil- to effect the passage to or from the regio — a eighty years. Each magus has accrued one ity to fulfill its terms. It is possible that magus must swap with a magus, a churchman Warping Point a year for the last eighty years of he does not actually possess the seem- with another churchman or academic, an out- entrapment from the aura alone, and more from ingly limitless power to grant wishes, cast with another social pariah, and so forth. their Longevity Rituals. The opening of the re- but instead acquires them from other This is the only manner by which people gio might be just in time to rescue them from a faeries or humans through other pacts. may cross the regio, and grogs heavily laden descent into Final Twilight. Somnifer’s filius, a He always requests unusual things in with supplies regularly swap places with those magus by the name of Languidus, has been rep- return, such as the breath of a stone, or trapped inside. resenting the covenant’s interests at Tribunal for a person’s reflection, or the lament of a Within the regio, the covenant sits in a the past decade, but has refused formal mem- dying dragon; with a magnitude of diffi- Faerie aura of 7. It is a collection of a dozen bership of the covenant. Lapis Crudus has not culty commensurate with the task being or so buildings made of the same sandstone as participated in the Tourney since its sealing-off, asked from him. the surrounding rocks. It only receives direct and all its legacies are deemed to have lapsed. Candidus appears to be a short man daylight when the sun is at its zenith because with skin the color and texture of chalk, of the height of the rocks surrounding the re- which is where he acquired the name gion. Each arm of the star-shaped valley con- Somnifer of Merinita (which means “chalky white” in Latin) tains the sanctum of a different magus, with given to him by Lapis Crudus; they the central area containing the living quar- Age: 113 (Apparent age 30) do not know his real name. He has no ters of the grogs and servants. The Bleeding Personality Traits: eyes, not even any eye-sockets, just skin Stone — from which the covenant gets both Sleepy +5, where his eyes should be, although he its name and its Corpus and Terram vis — is Thoughtful +2, does not appear to be blind. His hair is located in a cavern below the council cham- Attentive –2 also white, and he affects clothing of ber at the center of the central valley. The dark blue. vines that grow down the sandstone cliffs to A master of magic pertaining to dreams, the valley floor are a source of Herbam vis. Somnifer kept the rest of the covenant ap- The covenant has numerous minor magical praised of the outside world during their Setting and enchantments employing the arts of Herbam captivity thanks to his ability to cast his mind and Terram, created by the magi during their forth in spiritual form and enter the dreams of Physical Description captivity. Thus, doors open up inside walls as those he encounters. He managed to find his persons approach them; all of the roofs can apprentice through his dreams, and entice him Lapis Crudus is situated in the forest of be commanded to become transparent to let to Lapis Crudus to receive training through the Fontainebleau in the Ile de France. At the the light in, and even the lowliest cook has enchanted mirror. Somnifer has difficulty dis- western end of the forest is a barren sandstone a magical chopping knife. The covenant also tinguishing dreams from reality, thanks to his massif called Les Trois Pignons, with deep dry has a large magical library, including several Warping, and it is often difficult to determine valleys forming star-like patterns between the rare tomes of high quality, and many tractatus whether he is awake, or just sleepwalking. bouldered rock. At the middle of one of these written by the trapped magi until their sup- stars is the covenant of Lapis Crudus. Because plies of ink and parchment were exhausted. of the regio in which the covenant is trapped, Mnemon of Tytalus the only visible sign of the covenant is a few rough shacks that house what appears to be a Age: 97 (Apparent age 60) band of outlaws, but who are actually some of Culture and Traditions Personality Traits: the covenant’s grogs. One of the huts straddles Impatient +3, the regio boundary, and anyone within the Lapis Crudus has been separated from Sly +2, hut can see and converse with anyone in the the rest of the world for nearly eight decades. Apparently Trustworthy +1 same hut on the other side of the regio using a While the scrying magics of Somnifer (see magical mirror placed there for this purpose. below) have allowed the covenant to keep Mnemon was just one year from his For many years this hut was the schoolroom abreast of the major events of this time, the Gauntlet when the covenant was trapped in and scriptorium of Somnifer, who actually magi have a strange disconnection regarding the regio, and has never fully partaken in the managed to train an apprentice from the other the Order, and seem unusually naïve. They culture of conflict within his House. He is a side of the regio. He also copied books held are keen to leave the covenant and experi- master of Rego magics, and has become adept up to the mirror, then used magic to rearrange ence the world anew, but their perceptions at creating spells of transportation while try- the ink from its mirrored form. Before the re- have been warped by the strong Faerie aura ing to find a way to escape Candidus’s trap. He cent change in circumstances, the magi used and they have a twisted view of the world created the mirror that now forms the gate- magic to transfer supplies placed in this room, beyond their bounds. way to the covenant, and was the architect

90 The Lion and the Lily of the renegotiation that relaxed the walls of the covenant’s prison, although no one is sure Story Seed: Though the Looking Glass what he was forced to promise Candidus in return. Mnemon is frustrated by slow modes Now capable of leaving their regio, a player covenant. He might destroy a vis of movement — like walking, or running the magi of Lapis Crudus must entice other source that was dependent on the local — and has a disconcerting habit of instantly magi to take their place within the regio fae, or kill a magical guardian, or interfere transporting himself over short distances, or should they wish to rove abroad. They with mundane politics in an attempt to summoning items instantly to his hands. may offer seasons of study in the vast li- have the covenant disbanded. brary of the covenant as an exchange, but Before becoming trapped, Lapis Cru- once out of their prison, they are reluctant dus was one of the liege covenants of the to return. tribunal, but without the ability to enforce Covenfolk Assuming he can get someone to take its Oath of Fealty, its vassals have become his place at the covenant, Mnemon has to independent. Now Lapis Crudus is able to Although new blood has entered the fulfil his agreement with Candidus. Sens- partake once again in politics, it will try covenant in the last few years, most of the ing his desperation to leave, Candidus to reassert its former control. The player covenfolk were born here, and some are bound him into a fearsome task, which characters may be members of a covenant members of the second or third generation could impact the site or the resources of that Lapis Crudus claims as a vassal. within the regio. Consequentially, most of the covenfolk are heavily Warped; acquiring a Warping Score of 3 by the time the reach puberty, and a Score of 5 in their late forties (ArM5, page 167). They are used to employing magical items to assist their tasks, and express surprise if they discover that this is not the norm in the Order.

Southern Ile de France Beyond the forests of Yvelines and Fon- tainebleau lie the southernmost holdings of the French king. The wide valley of the River Loire emerges from Burgundy and stretches around in a huge, gentle loop, before passing into Anjou. The Church has an extremely powerful presence in these lands, with the seats of two archbishoprics, and a handful of ancient scholarly centers.

Sens

Sens takes its name from a Gaulish tribe, the Senones. Under the Romans, the city was the capital of the province of Senonia. Nowa- days, Sens is noteworthy for its status as the seat of an archbishopric, which oversees most of the bishoprics of the Ile de France, including Paris, and several in Champagne and Bur- gundy. The splendid Cathedral of St. Étienne is the second-earliest church in the new French style, after St. Denis. Work on it began in the 1130s, and the majority is now complete; its construction has been copied by several other

91 The Lion and the Lily cathedral architects, for example William of sacred grove where an annual assembly of all Bourges Sens, who worked on the Cathedral of Can- the druids in Gaul took place. Soon thereaf- terbury in England. Sens is also home to a rich ter, the remains of St. Benedict, the founder episcopal palace and treasury holding numer- of western monasticism, were relocated here A sturdily fortified city at the southern ous relics, including the alb (a large outer vest- from Monte Cassino in Italy. Numerous mi- end of the Ile de France, Bourges is the seat ment) of St. Thomas Becket. Much of the city raculous healings were attributed to this relic, of an archbishopric which has primacy over is on the right bank of the River Yonne, adja- and pilgrims soon began to arrive in the thou- much of Aquitaine. In 1100, the Count of cent to an island in the river and surrounded sands. The exquisite Basilica of St. Benedict, Bourges sold his lands to the French king, by ancient ramparts and a moat. a lofty structure in the old style built of white Philip I, to finance his crusading, and they stone, was recently finished in 1218 after a have been in royal hands ever since. After century and half of work. It houses the shrine the marriage of the Plantagenet Henry II of St. Benedict in its crypt. and Eleanor of Aquitaine in the middle of Orléans the 12th century, however, Bourges was left in the somewhat precarious position of be- Orléans, by the River Loire, sits at a spot ing the only royal domain belonging to the that was once the center of Gaul, and home French crown south of the Loire. As a result, to the Carnutes tribe. A great annual assembly the French kings massively strengthened the of druids was held nearby (see Fleury, below). defenses of Bourges, a project lasting three The Romans named the settlement Aurelia- decades and completed under the current num, after the emperor Aurelius; it narrowly king, Philip II, in 1190. A giant stone wall, avoided destruction in 451 when an army of replete with extensive earthworks and sur- Visigoths and Romans relieved the siege of rounded by a moat, encompasses the whole Attila the Hun at the last minute. In the early city. The southern wall is interrupted by the sixth century, Orléans became the capital of Great Tower, a prototype of the fortress of the Merovingian kingdom of Burgundy under the Louvre in Paris and a mighty keep in Clodomir, the second son of Clovis, whose One of the most famous figures in the his- its own right, with its own moat and tow- territory was split among his four sons. tory of the monastery is the Goth Theodulf, a ers. Even the bridges of Bourges are fortified. Orléans is most famed for its venerable brilliant poet-scholar from Charlemagne’s in- The end result is that Bourges is an unmis- cathedral school. The sixth-century Burgun- ner circle, who became bishop of Orléans. He takable symbol of the strength of the French dian kings commonly sent their sons here for founded the monastic school, which soon be- crown to the duke of Aquitaine, the English education, and it was developed by the re- came a source of great manuscripts. However, king Henry III. nowned bishop Theodulf in the eighth cen- Theodulf fell out of favour after the death of The half-built Cathedral of Bourges is in tury. The eldest sons of both Charlemagne Charlemagne, and the abbey later suffered the new French style, started in 1195 under and Hugh Capet were educated here, and Viking raids. The fortunes of Fleury were re- the direction of the then-archbishop, Henry it has attracted students from many of the stored in the latter half of the 10th century de Sully, and is also a project partly designed Christian kingdoms of western Europe. A under Abbo, a close confidante of Robert II, to convey the power and prestige of the Ca- recent ban on the teaching of law in Paris, and an influential and famous scholar. Under petian line and of the archbishops. The suc- handed down by Pope Honorius III in 1219, his leadership, the library was expanded and cessor of Henry de Sully, William de Don- has resulted in a new influx of students into attracted greater fame. A tome entitled History jon, oversaw the project with great diligence the city. If your saga follows real history, the of the Franks was written here at this time by a and industry, but he died in 1209, causing pope will bestow the status of university on monk named Aimon, which has since become the work to mostly cease for a number of the school of Orléans in 1235. adopted as the semi-mythical official chroni- years. However, this was a blessing in dis- cle of the royal Capetian house. (This should guise for the cathedral, since William was not be confused with the more famous and canonised in 1218 — ever since, pilgrims ancient work penned by Gregory of Tours; have flocked to the city, and many generous Fleury see Chapter 6: Anjou and Aquitaine, Tours.) donations have funded the project, such that The book has the following statistics: construction has resumed at an eager pace. Fleury lies 20 miles upriver of Orléans With the steady flow of pilgrims and monies on the Loire; its famous abbey is the resting Summa, Organization Lore: French Royalty into such a well-fortified city, the population place of St. Benedict and is a significant site (Level 3, Quality 9); of Bourges is expanding rapidly. of pilgrimage. The establishment was found- Summa, Area Lore: Ile de France (Level 2, ed by Benedictine monks from Orléans in the Quality 9); middle of the seventh century, by an ancient Summa, Divine Lore (Level 3, Quality 9).

92 Chapter Eight Flanders and Picardy

Flanders and Picardy are the two north- seventh century onward their monks gradu- France. Her father and predecessor, Baldwin ernmost realms of the Normandy Tribunal, ally began to reclaim the land from the sea, IX, was elected Emperor of Constantinople with the North Sea and the English Channel constructing ditches to drain the land, and in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, but died to their west, and the lands of the Rhine Tri- dykes to protect and enclose grazing fields. in captivity a year later. Her husband, Ferdi- bunal to their east. Flanders is a great indus- Flanders came into being as an administrative nand, a scion of the King of Portugal, cur- trial center, densely populated, with many entity in 866, when it was granted to Bald- rently languishes in a prison in Paris, where he large and wealthy cities. Picardy, a more win Ironarm, son-in-law of Charles the Bald. has been held for ransom for the last six years. spacious land to its south, consists of more Successive counts have continued efforts to Joan, who has little love for Ferdinand, refuses typical rolling farmland dotted with a hand- reclaim marshland by organizing societies of to pay her uncle the ransom of ten thousand ful of venerable Carolingian cities, in several landowners (called Wateringues), and have pounds, and runs the county by herself, which of which grand cathedrals in the new French built fortifications that protected the north Philip does not appear to mind. style are at various stages of completion. of France against Viking raids. As far as the Order of Hermes is con- After the threat of raiders vanished in cerned, this area is a bit of a backwater — the the 11th and 12th centuries, Flanders grew few covenants here are dominated by the liege rapidly and achieved great prosperity. The Bruges of Florum; it and its vassals isolate themselves clothmaking industry and the wool trade somewhat from the rest of the Tribunal, who with England were established, towns were Bruges (Brugge) was founded in the ninth have little interest or influence here. Sites of chartered, churches and belfries were erect- century when Baldwin Ironarm, the first interest to magi — such as vis sources — are ed, and the counts built several castles to Count of Flanders, built a castle to protect relatively few, apart from the somewhat tame maintain order in the new cities. The main against Viking attacks. It was an early port, wildernesses of the Boulonnais coast, the val- castle and palace of the Counts of Flanders is accessible from the sea until the channel ley of the River Somme, the Forest of Cuise, in Lille, but they have castles in all the major gradually silted up, causing growth to stag- and the Montagne de Reims. cities. Among the grandest is the great keep nate. In 1093, Robert the Frisian made Bruges in Douai; it is surrounded by giant ramparts the capital of his county. In 1134, a great tidal and has walls twelve feet thick. wave struck the North Sea coast, reshaping Unlike the rest of the Normandy Tribu- much of the Flemish coastline and causing a nal, serfdom is waning rapidly in Flanders. deep channel to appear in the Zwin estuary The burgeoning population cannot nearly — a new navigable link to the sea. A harbor Flanders be fed from its own lands, and so it is reliant was thus built on this estuary at Damme, five on imports of grain, which is traded for wool miles away, which has since been linked to Flanders is a small, flat lowland province cloth and linen. Powerful merchant gilds and Bruges by canal. Thus the city prospered bounded by the North Sea, and the River patrician families control most of the cities, once more, growing to become Flanders’ Scheldt to its east. Despite its modest ge- who have gradually extorted power from the greatest port, and one of the most important ography, it has an importance far outstrip- counts, and who control the lucrative wool centers of the wool and weaving industries. ping its size, for it boasts a great density of trade. The rival craft gilds (weavers, spin- Some merchants in rival cities appealed to population with numerous sprawling cities. ners, and dyers) are more sympathetic to the Uniquely in Mythic Europe, it is primarily an counts, who often ally with them to coun- industrial, not an agricultural region. Flanders teract the power of the merchants. With this is renowned for its production of fine woolen rivalry, and the lurking resentment of the Flanders and Picardy cloth, based largely on raw wool imported hordes of grimy workers who make barely from England, and nearly all the major cities enough to survive, there is currently consid- Covenants are centers of textile production. erable tension in all strata of Flemish society. Current Covenants: Florum, Spider’s Many centuries ago, this land was large- The majority of the folk here speak Flemish, Palace, Requies Aeterna ly deserted and consisted of nothing but a dialect of Low German. Ruined, Abandoned, or Lost Covenants: coastal marshlands and creeks. The first firm The current ruler of Flanders since 1205 Infelicitas settlements were monasteries, and from the is Joan of Hainault, niece of King Philip of

93 The Lion and the Lily the Church to investigate the tidal wave cluster of other churches is the Basilica of the — the more fanciful claims held that it was Holy Blood, which houses a reliquary con- The Flemish conjured by some sorcery in conspiracy with taining the Blood of Christ, brought from patricians of Bruges. Quite separately, this in- the Holy Land after the Second Crusade by Cloth Fairs cident attracted the suspicion of several magi Thierry of Alsace, a former Count of Flan- who thought that either the covenant of Flo- ders. As with many Flemish cities, there is a The cycle of trade fairs in Flanders rum or Infelicitas might be to blame, but suf- large cloth market. The council of patricians runs from February to November, and is ficient evidence was never presented for the that governs the city has granted a number of held successively in the towns of Lille, Quaesitores to mount a full investigation. tax immunities and trading privileges. They Mesen, Ypres, Torhout, and Bruges. Un- The castle is at the center of the city, sur- allow foreign merchants, unlike local crafts- like other trade fairs in Mythic Europe, rounded by brick ramparts that also enclose men, to purchase property — these traders these fairs are dominated by the trade a spacious market square and the church of have established a number of enclaves out- in fine woollen and linen cloth. The St. Donatius, the city’s largest. Amongst a side the city walls. Counts of Flanders ensure the security of these fairs, keeping the roads and wa- terways (along which most of the goods pass) safe. For more information on trade fairs, see City & Guild, page 97.

For the legend of Bruges’ founding and a possible explanation of the channel of the Zwin, see City & Guild, page 33.

Ghent

St. Amand, an apostle of Flanders, founded two monasteries, those of St. Bavo and St. Peter, in the seventh century. The settlement that grew up around them, at the confluence of the rivers Schelde and Lys, was named Ghent (Gent). In the ninth century, Ghent was plundered twice by Vikings; in the following century Baldwin II erected a stone castle and the settlement thus recovered. The abbeys now stand in the center of a great city that has grown to become not only the largest in Flanders, but the biggest in northern Europe after Paris. With perhaps forty thousand inhabitants, Ghent is easily bigger than either London or Cologne, and many merchant routes meet here at this wealthy center of trade for northern Europe. As with all the great Flemish cities, trade is dominated by wool and cloth, but just about any goods imaginable may be bought and sold in Ghent’s huge markets. Many kinds of luxuries from the Mediterranean and Orient arrive here via the trade fairs in Champagne. A nascent banking industry is run by Italians, Jews, and the Knights Templar. Among numerous guilds in the city, the wool workers’ guild is becoming increasingly powerful. Many of the wealthy merchants of Gh- ent have built themselves stenen, grand fortified stone townhouses. Responding to this perceived threat to his rule, in 1180 the then-count, Philip of Alsace, responded by rebuilding and enlarging his castle in an ef-

94 The Lion and the Lily fort to assert his authority over an increasingly rebellious mercantile class. The con- Cat Hurling Story Seed: struction was inspired by the crusader castles of the Holy Land, and consists of a sturdy Ypres is home to a sizable population Magical Cats keep with an elaborate curtain ring of watch of cats, many of which live in the city’s turrets, surrounded by a moat formed from central Cloth Hall. During the winter, the An odd-looking and sinister fellow in the adjacent River Lys. The huge Church cats are tolerated since they help to keep motley garb is the principal agitator of the of St. Nicholas stands half-complete, with a the voluminous hall free of mice and rats Kattenfeest. He whips up the townsfolk second phase of building having just begun. that might otherwise damage the cloth into a frenzy of feline-grabbing and leads The Graslei, Ghent’s main docks, run north- stored there. Come springtime, however, the procession to the belfry of Ypres with south through the center of the city. the cats are unfortunately surplus to re- macabre laughter. Later on, the jester may quirements. The superstitious townsfolk of be seen skulking around the corpses of the Ypres regard them as agents of witchcraft, cats, seemingly collecting something. Per- and catch all that they can lay their hands haps this is an urban hedge wizard who is Antwerp on. The luckless cats are taken in sacks up collecting vis from the cats? to the top of the belfry of the Cloth Hall, In Roman times, a giant by the name adjacent to the large cloth market, and are of Druon Antigon plagued the estuary of hurled down to their deaths, in a ritual the River Scheldt, waylaying and wrecking known as the Kattenfeest. The wisest and many ships. The villainous beast exacted a stealthiest felines manage to hide up and toll, and cut off the hands of those who re- avoid this grisly fate, ensuring that there fused to pay, or of those to whom he sim- will be enough cats left over to hunt next ply took a disliking. A soldier named Silvius winter’s vermin. Brabo challenged the giant to a duel and ultimately prevailed, severing the giant’s hand and tossing it into the river. This hero was granted the land at the site of the battle, and Story Seed: thus was the city of Handwerpen, meaning Save the Cats “hand-throwing” (later Antwerpen in Flem- ish, Anvers in French) founded. To this day, An intelligent cat at the covenant, perhaps the familiar of one of the magi, hears of the plight of the cats of Ypres and be- Story Seed: seeches the magi for aid. If they are able to stop the killing, they will earn the eternal A New Lifestyle gratitude of the cats.

A new beguinage is established near the covenant, and the mother of the convent proselytizes in the local area, to great effect. This new lifestyle appeals The Beguines to many of the disaffected womenfolk of the covenant, who promptly quit The Beguines are a spontaneous move- life with some measure of independence, en masse, living the covenant seriously ment of widows and unmarried women or some combination thereof. Manual la- short of staff. How might the magi be who have begun to settle into urban con- bor is valued in such communities and the able to persuade them to stay? vents. Taking their name from St. Begga, women typically occupy themselves with the mother superior of a covenant in An- acts of charity such as caring for the sick, denne, Brabant, in the seventh century, or small cottage industries such as sewing beguines differ from nuns in that they are and weaving. Story Seed: not bound by vows, nor do they renounce A typical beguinage, or beguine con- Neighbors in Need the possibility of marriage, although there vent, takes the form of a tiny walled town are other rules. The single women who on the outskirts of a larger town or city, A beguine convent is being op- choose to enter such convents are mostly consisting of terraced rows of cottages ar- pressed by an overbearing landlord, and drawn from the wealthy classes — the ap- ranged in one or more large square court- looks to the covenant for help. The pious ostolic poverty (which in any case is not yards around a convent church. Beguinages women of the beguinage may be willing overly severe) espoused by the beguines have just started to flourish in Flanders. By to labor for the covenant in exchange for is a matter of choice. A woman’s decision the middle of the 13th century, large be- protection and being freed from their to enter a beguinage might be based on guine convents are established in both Gh- debt, although the magi may make an personal piety, unfortunate family circum- ent and Bruges, and several other cities in enemy of the landlord. stances, a desire to lead a simple communal Flanders, Brabant, and northern Picardy.

95 The Lion and the Lily the city’s coat of arms depicts two severed Tournai long-forgotten Mercurian magic. For example, hands before a castle. the southernmost road is active when Mars is The settlement that grew up around a ascendant, since that route emerges from the Roman fort was Christianized by St. Amand Tournai, the seat of Flanders’ bishopric, Forest of Cuise on the road to Reims, within in the seventh century. Antwerp has long has an ancient pedigree and is a cultured and distant view of the Roman Porte de Mars in since been an important harbor, although pious city, in stark contrast to the unrelent- Reims’ north wall. Starting with the road lead- the city itself is not so large or noteworthy ing industry and commerce of most of Flan- ing directly south and proceeding clockwise, as the great Flemish cities. It prospers on the ders’ towns. The Roman town was converted the roads lead to Reims, Soissons, Cambrai, trade of fish, grain, and salt, as well as the to Christianity by St. Piat, and it became the Boulogne, Utrecht, Cologne, and Trier. An In- import of raw wool from England. capital of a Frankish realm under the kings telligence + Artes Liberales roll against an Ease Chilperic and Clovis, the former of whom is Factor of 12 may be made to accurately predict buried here, and the latter of whom was born which road will be active at any given time. here and established the bishopric. Since On the day of Mercuralia, the Roman Ypres 1187, the city has been independent from festival of Mercury (May the 15th), it may the Counts of Flanders, being now directly be found that all roads possess this magical Ypres (Ieper) is located on the site of an subordinate to the French crown. journey-shortening power. On this day, an- ancient settlement from Roman times and The city is dominated by the grand cient footsteps may also been be spotted on was re-founded in the 10th century, growing cathedral of Notre-Dame and its belfry. the road. If they are dug up carefully, each to become one of Flanders’ largest and most It is split in two by the River Scheldt, but imprint is worth a pawn of Rego vis. important cities. As with all such populous its walls still manage to encompass it com- cities here, its success derives largely from pletely, crossing the river in a series of elabo- the production of woolen cloth — there is rate stone arches, which forces river traffic a large cloth market in the center of the city to stop and pay a toll. Tournai is home to near to the Church of St. Martin. Ypres also many kinds of artisans, and its gold- and sil- specializes in linen weaving, since the waters versmiths are especially famed. of the River Lys are suitable for retting flax, which is grown all around. To the south of Ypres lies the Heuvelland, Flanders’ modest uplands and most sparsely Bavacum populated region. A ridge of wooded hills up Conventio to 500 feet high affords a commanding view In the county of Hainault, hidden in the of much of the Flemish lowland. forest on the eastern edge of Flanders at the Florum border with Brabant and Picardy, lies a crumbling milestone at the meeting point of seven This covenant and its vassals depend on the ancient Roman roads, which are now disused emerging industrial area in the Low Countries. Story Seed: and overgrown. A short distance away from The odd rules for claiming magical resources this monument may be found the remains in this Tribunal have forced this cluster of cov- The Giant of of the Roman city of Bavacum, now thickly enants into a tight alliance, since each has a covered with forest and undergrowth. This portion of the resources usual for a covenant in Steenvoorde settlement, an administrative and supply another tribunal. As a group, these covenants A clever giant by the name of Yan center sacred to Mercury as well as a mili- want to opt out of the Tribunal, and are sup- den Houtkapper (John the Woodcut- tary post, was sacked and subsequently aban- porters of the putative Lotharingian Tribunal. ter) lived in the town of Steenvoorde doned at the end of the third century. and crafted a pair of everlasting boots, Around the junction and the adjacent ru- which he gifted to Charlemagne. In re- ins is a Magic aura of 3. On any given time and History turn, the emperor presented him with a date, one of the seven straight roads radiating princely (and suitably huge) set of ar- out from the milestone may be found to have mor. To celebrate their hero, the folk a special property: it provides a clear route A group of the native magicians who of Steenvoorde dress up a giant manne- through the forest, and after only a morning of dwell in this covenant has an odd origin quin with the set of armor, which they travel, one will emerge from the woods within story. It includes a magical oak, a spider who proudly carry through their town in a sight of the destination city at the other end of marries a princess, and the creation of flax. procession to this day. the road: a much-shortened journey of hours These folk magicians do not have the Gift; The armor might be blessed or mag- instead of days. The other six roads function Pelagius of Jerbiton discovered them soon ical, and attract the interest of a charac- exactly as one would expect — an awkward after the formation of the Order, and drew ter with Giant Blood (the only kind of trek along an overgrown forest road that is not them into the service of his House. The blue person whom it would fit). However, particularly useful and proceeds to its desti- flowers of the flax plant give the covenant its the townsfolk would surely become nation at the usual pace. The particular road name, and serve as its symbol. enraged if their most prized possession with this power depends on the configuration Florum, as the covenant is usually called, were to be stolen. of the seven heavenly bodies in the night sky, was for most of its early history a small Jer- and may perhaps also be governed by some biton House covenant situated between Bru-

96 The Lion and the Lily ges and Ghent, at the site of the covenant people know that they work for magicians, now called the Spider’s Palace. It avoided the although all know that their landlords are the New Minor Virtue: Schism War entirely: most of its members old family, currently led by Piet de Spinnen. moved to Ghent temporarily, so that they Faerie Blood could not be attacked without rousing the wrath of the Church. (Spinnen) House Jerbiton has experimented with Culture and Traditions A character who has Spinnen Blood many fashions of covenant governance, each can convert his or her own body weight of which has affected this covenant. In the The covenant pretends to be a suburb of fiber into cloth per day, simply by 10th century, the Primus advocated living for inhabited by a group of families who have touching it. Old cloth, or products much of the time in cities. The Jerbiton magi resided here since the area was agricultural. made of cloth fibers, can be unwoven from the Spider’s Palace moved back to Gh- All of the property is owned by the old farm- using the same ability, but this counts ent, but founded a vassal house at the Palace ing family, and so it is never sold or rented to toward the maximum weight of cloth a so that they would not lose their claim on its outsiders. The oldest families share a secret character can alter per day. Some Spin- magical resources. magical power that has proven lucrative to nen, particularly those who have served During the 12th century, a different Pri- their Hermetic masters. as companions to magi, create other mus asked all Jerbiton covenants to open useful objects, like tents, ropes, or sails their membership to magi of other Houses, in lieu of the same weight of cloth. which the two covenants both did. The The False Leader: modern covenant remains in Ghent, and has Piet de Spinnen members of many Houses. Piet de Spinnen is actually Petrus, the ugliest of the princes. He would give her a mundane son of Calvinus of Jerbiton, de- great gift as dowry, which would replace the scribed below. He was born in Valnastium, fallen forests. The oak then died and after a Setting and and like many young Alpine men, served as a simple test, the spider was able to take hu- Physical Description mercenary in Italy. He was modestly success- man form. As her dower, Spin Head gave his ful, and became wealthy and famous enough wife the first flax plant, and wove its fibers to develop such strong rivals that he faked with his fingers into a wedding dress. The city of Ghent is rapidly expanding, his own death and returned to Valnastium. Only a few of the descendants of this as the wealth generated by its textile indus- The House needed to provide an heir to strange match, in each generation, have the try draws people from the countryside. The Arne de Spinnen, who was childless. Petrus magical ability to weave cloth with their fin- spreading suburbs are filled with strangers was trained by an old Redcap for the role. gers. When Pelagius discovered the Spinnen, and foreigners. Florum predicted this, and Many of the leading de Spinnens have there were a dozen people with this ability. fifty years ago established a large flax farm a been people who owe their lives and success In 1220, there are almost thirty. The cov- mile south of Ghent. The city has enveloped to the House. Arne, who was also not who enant employs all of the Spinnen, who live the farm, which the covenant has developed he seemed to be, accepted this “bastard of his far better than before, now that the covenant into an industrial complex. This supplements youth” as his heir. Piet’s bastardry is a conve- can sell their wares to international traders. the smaller sites that the covenant has ac- nient form of dismissal by aristocratic rivals, The covenant keeps the existence of the quired in Ghent over the centuries. and explains Piet’s deep interest in the works Spinnen secret by hiding them in plain sight. The Farm, as the covenant’s servants con- of the Church. Petrus is the willing spokes- Many of the Spinnen are members of the Weav- tinue to call their neighborhood, has a popu- man of the covenant, and is very pleased with ers’ Guild in Ghent. The covenant maintains a lation of almost three hundred. In its middle how his life has turned out. He has several large workshop where some of the relatives of is a huge factory, but this is not used for its children, two of whom have been sent to the the spider-kin weave garments using mundane obvious purpose. The covenant uses the mag- new university in Paris. They spent a year methods. Much of the spider-kin’s output is ical powers of a family with a unique faerie there and then secretly went to Valnastium secretly exported. The origin story for flax is heritage to create most of its cloth, but needs for further training as servants of the House. widely known in Belgium, so a character who a factory to make its source of wealth incon- has sufficient clues to develop suspicions might spicuous, and therefore legal according to the guess the nature of the spider-kin. Tribunal’s Peripheral Code. Under the cover The Spinnen of illusions, the covenant uses this space for the magical processes of cloth creation. Characters with Spinnen blood are all Around the factory are a series of tene- members of a family founded soon after the Magi ments, which take up several city blocks. arrival of Christianity in Belgium. Knowing These are of higher quality than is usual for that the old ways were ending, the ancestral The membership of the covenant is fluid. accommodation in the newer sections of oak of a fair maiden summoned a series of It generally has between four and six mem- Ghent. The tenements were originally con- faerie and mystical princes as potential hus- bers. Two of the members currently reside at structed for the workers of the factory by the bands. She declined them all, and then the the Palace of the Spider, described below, to de Spinnens, a fictional family maintained oak explained that its thousand years were use the excellent laboratories there. The cove- by the magi. The tenements house the cove- done, and that the best way to preserve her nant is also hosting three visitors, a Quaesitor, nant’s staff and their families. Not all of these family was to wed Spin Head, the last and a Tytalus hoplite, and a Redcap, who are us-

97 The Lion and the Lily ing it as a base for exploring sites for a House Alroy of Flambeau citrants. These destroyed faeries are usually Guernicus covenant should the Lotharingian found as large stones, sitting unaccompanied in Separation occur. The four members currently Age: 82 (Apparent age 60) fields. Prunellie could restore these goblins, but in residence are described below. Personality Traits: usually chooses to harvest them for vis instead. Brave +3, Prunellie’s focus on urban faeries is con- Easily bored +1 sidered a little bizarre by her fellows in House Rhesus of Verditus Merinita. That being noted, she has a firm alli- The Norman tradition of fighting for re- ance with a tribe of kabouters, and has trained Age: 85 (Apparent age 54) sources requires most covenants to have a others in her urban faerie magic. Prunellie Personality Traits: champion. For this covenant it is Alroy, an older selected the site of the Farm. It is directly Proud +3, Flambeau magus with a distinguished record of above an ancient kabouter workshop, which Dependable +2, combat in the Levant. Alroy decided five years provides it with a Faerie aura. Prunellie’s sup- Stubborn +1 ago to train an apprentice, and he chose to port for the Lotharingian Tribunal stems from settle at this covenant because it was wealthy, her belief that the strange capitulation of the Rhesus of Verditus is the leader of the cov- comfortable, far from Muslims, and promised faeries to the Divine is unique to Flanders and enant, among the magi. He is a clean-shaven, the occasional excitement of Tourneying. Brabant, and perhaps Frisian lands. muscled man who appears to be in his fifties. Alroy is at a difficult stage of life for a Rhesus is interested principally in the magi- Flambeau magus. He has lived far longer cal uses of flax. Rhesus came to Florum, from than he expected to, and has killed most of the Roman Tribunal, in part because of the the things he considered frightening when Vassals professional jealousy that infects members of he was younger. Raising an apprentice and his House, and in part because he is a weaver fighting Tytalus magi are challenges that he Florum has two vassals. Requies Aeter- and was interested in the spider-kin. He sup- hopes will rekindle the fire in his spirit. Al- na, described at the end of this chapter, is ports the Lotharingian ideal because he finds roy is a creature of passionate enthusiasms a covenant in decline. The Spider’s Palace, Normandy’s culture, where he needs to keep attempting to throw off a veteran’s ennui. described below, is closer and is significant defending resources that in any other tribunal to the operation of the covenant. would simply be his, to be tiresome. Prunellie of Merinita

Calvinus of Jerbiton Age: 104 (Apparent age 61) Personality Traits: Age: 59 (Apparent age 45) Generous +3, Personality Traits: Secretive +1 Wily +3, Aloof +1 Prunellie of Merinita is an elderly maga who travels throughout the Low Countries Calvinus is a middle-aged magus with attempting to understand the strange nature the Gentle Gift. He is believed, in Ghent, to of the Faerie realm here. In ancient times, the be the younger brother of Piet de Spinnen’s Belgians had a series of gods and were guided Spider’s Palace father, who left Ghent to go trading in Italy by ancestral trees. Close to the coming of decades ago. It is readily apparent that Piet the Christians, however, the trees and faeries The Spider’s Palace is the original site of takes notice of his counsel. Many people say came to some sort of understanding, and ac- Florum. This was the site of the thousand- that Uncle Calvin’s money allowed the fam- tively encouraged the spread of the Domin- yearold oak spirit that guarded the local ily to pay for the last round of construction ion and the domestication of the forests. people, and guided their ancestress into mar- on the Farm. Calvin is a private man, who Faeries assisted the transition to agriculture riage with the spider prince. The spider built spends a lot of time reading his books. He is in many ways. The faeries taught men how to a fine palace here for his wife, which in time believed to speak five languages, so he often fell the forests, to plow, to plant wheat and faded from the mundane world. It is used as negotiates on behalf of his nephew, or trans- flax, and to drive piles into the muck so that the covenant building by magi. lates for him. they could build dikes and claim land from the The Palace of the Spider is slightly more Calvinus, like many Jerbiton, is trained sea. An emissary was sent to teach the use of than two days’ travel north of Ghent. A in urban magic. He is skilled at illusions, spy- flax, and a gnome developed starch as a gift for single magus usually lives here, to maintain ing on the covenant’s mundane rivals, and ar- humans. The kabouters, a sort of dwarf, made the covenant’s claim to the surrounding re- ranging criminal actions. He had a (fictional) a hundred bells and gave them to all of the sources, but at the moment two visitors from wife in Italy, and his supposed daughter, after missionaries of whom they approved. A choir Ghent are using the laboratories here. That being raised by her (equally fictional) ma- of kabouters, conducted by a gnome, also sang two places so close have to be divided into ternal grandparents, has recently arrived in the first carillon in the Low Countries. two covenants, just so that other magi have Ghent. Calvinus’ apprentice, named Sophia, Not all of the faeries of the Low Coun- no legal right to attempt to steal these re- is charming but as bookish as he is, which tries agreed to aid the Christians. The friendly sources, demonstrates what the magi of these makes some of her cousins worry that she faeries, however, aided the humans by teach- covenants see as a flaw in the Normandy Tri- might never marry. ing saints where and how to attack the recal- bunal’s way of apportioning resources.

98 The Lion and the Lily Reims relic — is still used by the archbishops in a Picardy grand ceremony to crown the King of France (see Chapter 2: History of Mythic France, Picardy is a relatively poor relation to the The great city of Reims, the largest in The Holy Oil of Consecration). The power great regions of Flanders, Normandy, Ile de Picardy, is the seat of the most powerful arch- and privilege of the archbishops of Reims to France, and Champagne, which it borders. A bishopric in France, and is famed as the site of anoint the king has been used wisely to en- land of rolling hills and plains, dotted with the coronation of the French kings. Its name sure the prosperity of Reims through the ages; woods and containing most of the sprawling comes from a Gaulish tribe, the Remes, of they enjoy a powerful role of arbitration be- Forest of Cuise in its southeastern reaches, it which it was the capital. It later became an im- tween potential contenders for the throne. neither benefits from centers of trade or in- portant and wealthy Roman city, and several The great cathedral school of Reims has been dustry, nor from vast tracts of rich agricultural roads were built to its gates. On a Christmas a shining light of the liberal arts for centuries. land. Nevertheless, it is home to several rich day at the end of the fifth century, Clovis, the The Archbishop William White Hands grant- bishoprics, including the great Archbishopric Frankish king, was baptized by St. Remigius ed the city a charter at the end of the 12th of Reims, and numerous wealthy abbeys. (Rémi), bishop of Reims. The phial of holy oil century, and it has swelled since. Picardy has no single ruler, but the influ- used to anoint him was miraculously brought At the north end of the city are remains ence of the French king, Philip, predominates. from heaven by a dove. To this day the Kings from Reims’ Roman days. The north en- Since 1180 he has annexed several counties of France cite this miracle as a symbol of their trance of the city walls, the Porte de Mars, is bordering the Ile de France, including Valois, divine right to rule. The phial — a potent a triumphal arched Roman gate. Nearby are Clermont, Artois, and lands around Amiens. The bishops rule most of the other counties. The northernmost towns of Picardy have swelled from a recent influx of disaffected Flemish workers, bringing prosperity and a nascent cloth-making industry. However, these city folk have also brought the seeds of rebellion and unrest with them, causing the local bishops and the French king to respond with fairly brutal treatment.

Soissons

Soissons is favorably located in the center of rich farmland in the valley of the River Aisne. It was at a time the capital of a large fragmentary Roman kingdom — the kingdom of Soissons — under a king named Syragius. The Franks, united under Clovis, were a great rival to this realm, and at the Battle of Sois- sons Clovis defeated Syragius at the gates of his city. The Frankish king immediately ordered the return of a precious vase from Re- ims, but a rebellious Roman soldier refused him and smashed the vase at his feet, retorting that the king would have only that which his destiny grants him. The next year, Clovis happened upon the selfsame soldier while re- viewing his new troops. He promptly raised his sword and cleaved the soldier’s skull, de- claring “Thus you did with the Soissons vase.” For a time Soissons was the Frankish capital under Chlotar, son of Clovis. The city’s Monastery of St. John of the Vines, founded in the 11th century, has enjoyed the patronage of the French kings, becoming one of the richest abbeys in France. Its wealth has funded a great abbey church and the town’s cathedral, dedicated to St. Gervais, which are both regularly enlarged and improved.

99 The Lion and the Lily the remains of a temple to Mars and the ru- Arras ins of an ancient Roman forum. In the center The Miracle of of the city is the eighth-century Monastery of St. Remigius, the patron saint of Reims. Our Lady Arras is the seat of the county of Artois, He was buried in 533 and a basilica was bordering Flanders, and tribal town that was built over his grave. Since then, the Basilica In the year 636, a small congregation originally the capital of the Atrebates people. of St. Remigius has been rebuilt into a much in the chapel of Boulogne was visited by The Romans settled here and named it Atreba- grander structure. The outline of the vast ca- an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Follow- tum. The Benedictine Abbey of St. Vaast was thedral of Notre-Dame, which begun work ing her divine guidance they rushed out founded on the slopes of the Baudimont hill in 1210, to be built in the new French style, to the sea shore, whereupon they wit- in the seventh century by St. Aubert; it houses is at the southern end of the city. The opu- nessed a boat with neither sails nor crew the relics of St. Vaast, the first bishop of Ar- lent archbishop’s palace is home to a famed gently come aground, bearing a statue of ras. There is a large grain market frequented collection of relics that are used for the cor- the saint. The famed relic is now housed by Flemish traders, who sell woolen cloth in onation, including the aforementioned holy in the cathedral of Notre-Dame, which exchange for grain. Arras is home to numerous phial; Charlemagne’s talisman, believed has become a magnet for pilgrims — it is troubadours and entertainers of repute, a tradi- to contain a fragment of the True Cross; a believed to grant safe journeys to them. tion established in the 12th century by its most coronation chalice; and the reliquary of the The Kings of France traditionally under- famous trouvère (minstrel), Gautier d’Arras. His Holy Thorn. take this pilgrimage and several English most popular and enduring work is a romance kings have also visited. named Eracle, in which the hero Heraclius becomes Emperor of Constantinople.

The Montagne de Reims nearby peasants. According to some of the wilder tales, villagers who stray here are of- In stark contrast to the cultured civiliza- ten taken captive by a dark dwarf-like folk. Boulogne tion of Reims, there is a hilly forest wilder- When they return, they are scarred with ness that begins immediately to its south, ex- some deformity and sullenly refuse to speak Boulogne, sited where the River Liane tending southwards for 15 miles as far as the about their ordeal. meets the sea between two hills, has been valley of the River Marne, and which is 25 an important port since Roman times. Then miles across. Trees densely cover a limestone named Bononia, the Roman emperor Claudi- plateau with a crazed and uneven geogra- Nanteuil us used it as his base to invade Britain; there- phy, featuring tiny lakes, underground rivers, after it served as the principal port connect- and chasms. This makes these woods, unlike Near to the center of the forest is a re- ing that new province with the rest of the the Forest of Cuise, somewhat unsuitable mote vale where the Knights Templar have empire. Nowadays it is the seat of an impor- for hunting — not that hunting is a pursuit founded a priory. This is a decidedly odd tant county, a sizable port and fishing town, that would interest the archbishops of Reims place to house such an establishment, for it and a site of pilgrimage (see insert). The up- anyway. As a result, all sorts of wild beasts is very difficult to reach, and doesn’t seem to per town has grown up around an old Roman roam with relative impunity. The Montagne lead anywhere. It is recorded in the writings castle; the current count has just started to de Reims is home to several peculiar sites and of the magus Norlanus that he once visited rebuild its ruined ramparts and walls. sources of vis. the site and found it to be a regio, possibly of The Boulonnais hills form the coastline Divine origin. Leaving the priory as a guest, north of Boulogne. This is a windy and wild he writes that he found himself in a com- region of chalk cliffs, capes, and dry valleys. The Grove of St. Lie pletely different, lighter version of the forest. On a clear day, the coastline of England may Others claim, however, that Norlanus merely be seen from the cliffs. Atop a ridge on the northern edge of experienced a potent Twilight episode. the forest, with a commanding view of Re- ims and the surrounding plain, is an ancient Gaulish burial mound surrounded by a grove Hautvillers Abbey Amiens of oaks. This tranquil place has a tiny chapel dedicated to St. Lie, a fifth-century her- Not far from the north bank of the River Amiens, the historical capital of Picardy, mit-saint. The pale flowers that grow on the Marne is Hautvillers, founded in 660 by St. was the principal settlement of one of the larg- mound may be harvested for a few pawns of Nivard. There is a large abbey church in a est Gaulish tribes, the Ambiani. The Romans Creo vis; this constitutes a tropaeum. secluded and idyllic spot, surrounded by named it Samarobriva. In the fourth century, vineyards. This monastery is now a branch St. Martin of Tours, then a Roman horseman, of the Reims school, and some of the most sliced his cloak into two and gave half to a The Faux de Verzy magnificently decorated manuscripts to be beggar who was sitting freezing in the winter found anywhere are produced here. A few winds. The cloak of St. Martin is one of Amiens’ In the eastern reaches of the forest is miles upstream is the ancient Gaulish town two great relics. The other, and greater, is the a sinister grove of deformed, twisted, and of Ay, a diminutive community of vintners head of John the Baptist, brought back from stunted black beeches. This place, which with a royal residence that is infrequently the Fourth Crusade in 1206. In 1218 the main has a Faerie aura of 4, is shunned by the visited by the Kings of France. church of Amiens burnt down, but the bishop

100 The Lion and the Lily and his subjects have already started construc- stables, and even a “town square.” A Magic Adalard. The monastery grew to house hun- tion on a much larger cathedral church, which aura of 2 pervades throughout. The secretive dreds of monks, and became famed as a great will be more worthy of this holy relic. folk of Naours are quite shy about revealing theological center and for its library, where For about a dozen miles downstream of the existence of their caves. They are, how- the Carolingian script was first developed. Amiens, the River Somme meanders so slowly ever, not pagan; there is a small church in the Desiderius, the last king of the Lombards, was that its valley becomes a swamp of peat bogs village above ground that they attend. exiled here in the eighth century. At its peak, and water meadows. The shallowness of the Corbie was arguably the most important cen- waterway limits river traffic and the swamp- ter of western Christianity, and founded and land is thus sparsely populated, apart from a inspired numerous daughter houses. few hamlets of peat-cutters and hunters. Corbie St. Ansgar, the Apostle of the North (see Guardians of the Forests: The Rhine Tribunal, pages The famous Benedictine Abbey of Cor- 69 and 77), was born in Corbie in 801. He The Blue Springs of the Somme bie, the principal monastic center of northern spread the practices of the abbey further France, is located in a secluded spot in the val- north to the borders of Christianized lands, On the edges of the swamplands of the ley of the Somme, upstream from Amiens. It to a site in Saxony. The abbey there came Somme are scattered a number of enchanted was founded in 657 by the wife of Clovis II, to be known as Corvey. St. Ansgar later be- pools, some of them alongside poorly trav- St. Bathilde, and rose to ascendancy under the came archbishop of Hamburg and went on eled roads. Revolving shafts of blue light seem direction of the cousin of Charlemagne, St. to proselytize in Norse lands. to emerge from within these springs; if you look closely (which is not advisable) you may even spy wealth-laden carriages and other treasures slowly spinning around beneath the waters. Mischievous water sprites are believed to dwell here and steal anything that falls into or becomes trapped by the pools, and way- lay travelers with their enchantments. On the other hand, a toddler or babe who slips into one of the springs will be blessed with beautiful blue eyes, and gifts willingly given to the waters may be rewarded. The pools have Fa- erie auras of differing strengths, up to 3.

The Caves of Naours

A half-dozen miles north of Amiens, on a limestone plateau, is the village of Naours. From above ground it appears to be a perfectly normal settlement of a few hundred peasants, surrounded by plots of dreary farmland. However, barely half of the village is above ground, while the rest is hidden in a giant network of caves that amounts to nearly an underground town in its own right. Centuries ago, the villagers dug out a series of caves known as muches. During the Viking invasions, they hid down here and discovered a powerful cave spirit, a genius loci (see Realms of Power: Magic). They entered into a pact of mutual protection with the spirit, a compact that has been honored ever since. The complex of underground passages and caves is about 100 feet below the surface, linked to it by chimneys, a couple of stairways, and a steep road. The subterranean dwelling has hundreds of rooms capable of sheltering more than a thousand souls, with more than a mile of “streets,” a smithy, a brewery, storerooms, bakeries, cattle sheds,

101 The Lion and the Lily Laon Compiègne The city of Laon is perched dramatically Compiègne is a small but ancient city by atop an irregular rocky outcropping, over a the banks of the River Oise, in the south of mile long and quarter of a mile wide, which Picardy. It came into being when a palace was looms 300 feet above the surrounding plains. built by Charles the Bald as a country retreat, Unsurprisingly for such a naturally defensible as a copy of Charlemagne’s palace in Aachen site, it has been long prized and oft disputed. (Aix-la-Chapelle). A royal abbey that is now Fortified by the Romans, who named it Lau- named after St. Cornelius and that houses dunum, it successfully resisted invasions of that saint’s relics was founded afterward, and the Germanic tribes in the Dark Ages. The the town grew up around it. This monastery bishopric of the town was established by St. is the predecessor of St. Denis as the royal Remigius, an archbishop of Reims (see be- burial site, and ancient Carolingian kings lie low) who was born in Laon, and who bap- at rest here. tized Clovis. Laon reached its zenith under Requies Aeterna the Carolingian kings in the ninth and 10th centuries; Charles the Bald donated richly to The Forest of Cuise Requies Aeterna (Eternal Rest) is a small its church and his successors resided in a pal- Winter covenant of Ex Miscellanea magi from a ace here, so that it was the nominal capital of To the south of Compiègne is a huge tradition known as the Donatores Requietis Ae- France for a time. expanse of woodland, a long finger of forest ternae, “Givers of Eternal Rest,” who are dedi- In the late 10th century, Hugh Capet stretching from the edge of the Ile de France cated to assisting the dead in leaving the world conspired with the bishop of Laon to wrest to the Ardennes, with a mostly uninterrupted of the living. A vassal of Florum, the covenant control of the city away from the Carolin- length of seventy-odd miles. Much of the for- is politically unimportant, but it has attracted gians; he established his capital in Paris, thus est is a royal chase, reserved for the French the unwanted attention of the Tribunal’s Quae- Laon was no longer a capital and ceased to kings to hunt. It is generally a pleasant, sitores in the past. Nowadays, the covenant be of great political importance. Neverthe- sunny, and spacious place of winding rivers is little more than an empty shell, most of the less, the ancient and stern city remains a sig- and ponds, gently rolling hills carpeted with Donatores magi having since moved away from nificant intellectual center, with a famed ca- beech and oaks, and is rich in deer, wolves, this place, the site of their tradition’s founding. thedral school that flourished under Anselm and boar — in short, an ideal place for a of Laon in the 11th century. About a century hunt. The forest is dotted with occasional ago, the citizens of Laon seized on the weak- small villages and monasteries, crossed by a History ness of their bishop, Gaudry, to secure for few roads and numerous hunting paths. Magi themselves a communal charter. The bishop of the Tribunal are unaware of any significant A rise in sinister encounters with the rest- purchased the revocation of this grant from faerie presence in these woods; if there is any less dead was observed in many parts of France the King of France and ruthlessly exacted faerie ruler of this forest domain, then he or during the 11th century, with frequent haunt- his revenge on his subjects. Many townsfolk she is surely both reclusive and generously ings and visitations, and hordes of the walking rose up in revolt, torching the episcopal pal- inclined to mortals. dead blighting some areas. These occurrences ace and executing the bishop and his lack- were blamed on a cult of the dead, which was eys, before running into hiding. The confla- believed to be especially active in Picardy. Early gration also consumed the ancient cathedral. Prémontré in the 12th century, a group of hedge wizards, Ever since, the people of Laon have had a clergy, and others combined forces to combat distinctly uneasy relationship with their The abbey of Prémontré lies in a secluded this threat. They received divine instruction to bishop; the Kings of France have alternately valley in the Cuise Forest about ten miles west travel to the town of Nesle in Picardy, which ruled in favor of him and his subjects. of Laon. St. Norbert, a German from near was being ravaged by a band of undead war- The spires and wall towers of Laon Cleves, discarded his worldly possessions and riors. They prevailed in a great battle, banish- culminate in the splendid new cathedral of vowed himself a life of poverty after a divine ing the restless dead, although many of the Notre-Dame, which is nearly completed in revelation — he was thrown from his horse in group lost their lives and the town was ruined. the new French style. Adjacent to the older a storm. He came in midwinter in 1120 with Thus were the Donatores formed, and several Church of St. Martin is a chapel and com- the bishop of Laon to a clearing in the forest, of the hedge wizards in the group decided to mandery of the Knights Templar. From the at the site of a former failed monastery, where remain at the ruins of Nesle, in case the un- craggy gates of the city above, a couple of the bishop ordained him. Norbert founded a dead should return. The Quaesitor Muirgheal roads snake down the sides of the mount, monastery there and soon became a friend of met with this group and ultimately arranged whose south-facing slopes are carpeted with St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The order that he for them to join the Order of Hermes, despite vineyards, to the smaller lower town. founded, the Premonstratensians, also known the misgivings of many magi in the Normandy An elderly eremite magus, Norlanus of as Norbertines, was inspired by the Cister- Tribunal. For more details of these events, see House Jerbiton, spends much of his time at cians and formally recognized by the Pope Houses of Hermes: Societates. Those of the newly Laon’s cathedral school. He is well respected in 1126. They are a severe order of canons inducted Ex Miscellanea magi who stayed in for his wisdom and for the clarity of his writ- — their work is to preach — who have ad- Picardy declared themselves a covenant in ings; consequently he has been granted the opted the rule of St. Augustine and who wear 1123, arranging an oath of fealty with Florum. sole rights to a small vis legacy for many a white habit. The Premonstratensian order Since its founding, Requies Aeterna has years. He lives in the city, but his sanctum is has since established several hundred monas- been closely monitored by the Tribunal’s Quae- hidden in the rocky cliffs, where the Terram teries throughout western Europe, principally sitores, who remain suspicious of their mun- vis may be harvested. in northern France, Germany, and England. dane dealings, especially their contacts with

102 The Lion and the Lily the Church — a number of the Donatores magi were trained clergymen. It gradually became apparent that the local problem with the restless dead had been permanently resolved, and so most of the magi of the covenant moved away and spread across western Europe, in search of those blighted places where they might practice their art. Thus Requies Aeterna became neglected and slipped into Winter, although it remains the spiritual center of the Donatores and the main repository of their collected lore. Setting and Physical Description The covenant is located amid the abandoned ruins of the old town of Nesle, in the plains of central Picardy. The site, widely believed by the locals to be haunted, is centered around an unconsecrated graveyard that was the site of the final climactic battle in which the Donatores banished the undead. As a result of the powerful magics that were un- Eulogius, one of the founders of the Dona- replacements from their liege, Florum, in ex- leashed, the site has a Magic aura of 5. The tores, runs the covenant; he is assisted by his change for an increase in their vis tithe. Every magi of the covenant constructed a set of cat- youngest filius Henri, who stays mostly out year, therefore, Florum sends a small contin- acombs beneath the graveyard, where most of a sense of duty to his tradition, taking it gent of servants to labor at the covenant. The of the covenant’s modest structures are hid- upon himself to preserve the covenant’s li- covenfolk of Florum dread picking the short den. The new town of Nesle has been rebuilt brary and lore for future generations. straw, which means they are assigned a full year a couple of miles away from the ruins. of service away from Ghent at this dreary ruin, and do everything they can to try and avoid it. Eulogius of Culture and Traditions House Ex Miscellanea Age: 130? (Apparent age 104) Story Seed: Donatores magi are dedicated to aiding the Personality Traits: dead in passing from the world of the living, Addled +3, Donatores’ Destruction and banishing the restless dead; for more details Forgetful +1, A plot is hatched among some of of this tradition, see Houses of Hermes: Societates. Sinister +1 Requies Aeterna now has so few magi that the more aggressive magi and covenants, who have always been leery of the Do- its internal organization is practically nonex- Eulogius is perhaps the only remaining natores, to destroy the covenant and istent; they struggle to maintain their sancta founder of the Donatores, but his years of claim its valuable sources of Perdo and and the library, but otherwise take no interest fame and active search for the restless dead Corpus vis. One way of accomplishing in outside affairs, Hermetic or otherwise. The are many decades behind him. Now an elder- this would be to engineer grounds for a local townsfolk have long forgotten the hero- ly man, he is likely not far from Final Twilight. Wizard War against Eulogius; without ics of the Donatores, now simply regarding One of his most crippling Twilight scars is him, the covenant would surely fall. This the place as a haunted ruin, and relations with that his body is slowly becoming cadaverous; would obligate Florum to come to the aid the Church have lapsed. When they travel, he is now almost impossibly gaunt and his of their vassal, possibly alienating them the magi pass themselves off as monks, for skin is withered and lifeless. Another is that further from the rest of the Tribunal. they wear humble robes. The covenant has he is pained by sunlight, therefore he mostly a minimal relationship with Florum, its liege, remains in his subterranean sanctum. Despite and the Tribunal at large, although it attracts these handicaps, Eulogius is a peerless banish- Hermetic interest in two ways. Firstly, the site er, and he has become a master in the Arts of Story Seed: is rich in vis, roughly half of which finds its Perdo, Corpus, and Mentem in the long years way to Florum, and secondly, the covenant is since his induction into the Order. Restless Dead home to the noted library of Donatores lore. The characters have a problem with the restless dead near their covenant Covenfolk and decide to consult the magi of Re- Magi quies Aeterna. However, it will likely Virtually all of the covenfolk of Requies be difficult to persuade Eulogius or his The covenant currently consists of only Aeterna either died off or departed some time filius to leave and help. Even finding and two magi, both Donatores, although, as al- ago, and the magi were unable to recruit re- gaining access to the covenant amid the ways, you may add magi of your own devis- placements in the local area, their site being old ruins may not be trivial. ing should you so wish. The decrepit magus a place of ill repute. They begged for some

103 Chapter Nine Champagne and Burgundy

The eastern and southeastern lands of Compostela, and is a place of pilgrimage in its the Normandy Tribunal are a network of an- own right, being sited on a spot where shep- cient pilgrimage and trade routes, liberally Champagne and herds discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary dotted with Gallic and Roman ruins. Ever Burgundy Covenants in a burning bush. The freshly built Notre- since Roman times when a great road was Dame-de-Vaux is a collegiate church in the built from Lyon to Boulogne, this region has Current Covenants: Cunfin, Atramen- new French style, with pointed vaulting and been the main link between Mediterranean tum Renatus two Romanesque towers. The adjacent col- lands and northern Europe. The pilgrimage Ruined, Abandoned, or Lost Covenants: lege has a famous courtyard of arcades with routes head south through many vineyards, Bibracte, Lixivia, Moles Magna sixty statue columns of prophets and saints. passing by Europe’s greatest monasteries, Immediately to the south of the city is a several of which are sites of pilgrimage in large and placid meadow by the river, lightly their own right. Châlons-en-Champagne grazed by flocks, which is part of the estate There are few covenants in these lands, of the bishop. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (see perhaps due to the exceptionally strong pres- below) and Pope Eugene III both famously ence of the Church here, although the roads The ancient city of Châlons is sited on preached here; nowadays the site is consid- are oft-traveled by Redcaps who ply the the River Marne, at a point where the roads ered an auspicious and convenient meeting route to and from the Rhine, Greater Alps, extend from the trade fairs north to Reims, place for all sorts of travelers, some of whom and Roman Tribunals. The Mercer House at Picardy, and Flanders. Unlike the trade cities may be on considerably less-pious business. Cunfin lies strategically on this route, and is of Champagne, Châlons is more important as also close to the trade fairs of Champagne, an ecclesiastical city; the bishops of Châlons where Redcaps often surreptitiously estab- play an active role in the coronations at nearby lish their own trading tents. Reims, and the city is dominated by two great Provins churches. The basilica Notre-Dame lies on the pilgrimage route that leads further south Provins prospered greatly under Henry I into Burgundy and ultimately to Santiago de of Champagne in the latter half of the 12th

Champagne Theobald IV, Count of Champagne

The region named by the Romans as The current Count of Champagne is a If your saga follows real history, Theo- Campania (“Land of Plains”) is a rolling and charismatic 19-year-old named Theobald. bald will come of age in 1222 and the ear- prosperous territory bounded by the upper His lands include many lesser counties and ly half of his reign is troubled, with con- Seine to the south and by the forested up- baronies in Champagne, and he is also the siderable financial and political difficulties lands of the Ardennes and Argonne to its overlord of Blois and Chartres in Île-de- and three marriages. In 1235 his fortunes north and east. It is mostly good farmland France, and Auxerre in Burgundy. However, improve dramatically as he inherits the except for the St. Gond swamp, the large his mother Blanca of Navarre, who is loyal to kingdom of Navarre (in northern Iberia), forest of Orient, and a few smaller forests. the French king Philip, currently rules as re- due to his mother being the daughter of Champagne’s main source of prosperity and gent. The young man is less interested in the its deceased king, Sancho VI. Theobald fame in 1220 is its cycle of trade fairs, bring- usual pursuits of the nobility, such as hunting will become one of the most accom- ing merchants, wares, and wealth from far and castle building, but instead is a budding plished troubadours and poets of his time, afield. Over the last century, St. Bernard of and gifted poet and musician with a love of to the extent that he becomes known as Clairvaux founded numerous Cistercian ab- literature and travel. His romantic ways and “the Chansonnier.” He famously brings beys in Champagne, and their industrious wanderlust cause his mother considerable roses from Syria to grow in Provins, from monks have established several cottage in- consternation; she is already beginning to whence Edmund Lancaster of England will dustries. Champagne is also known for its organize a political marriage for the lad. add them to his coat of arms. red, slightly sparkling wine.

104 The Lion and the Lily The Champagne Trade Fairs

There are six main trade fairs in the great Champagne cycle, two each at Provins and Troyes, and one each at Lag- ny and Bar-sur-Aube, plus several lesser fairs in the other towns. These fairs are one of the principal points of exchange for goods from northern and southern Eu- rope. Woolens from Flanders are typically traded for Oriental spices and luxuries, and merchants from as far afield as Con- stantinople and Scotland may be found here. The influence of the trade fairs is such that Troyes has even established a system of measurement, the Troy ounce. Redcaps, mostly organized by Con- fluensis and Cunfin, erect temporary Mercer Houses at most of the fairs, and trade in vis, books, and other Hermetic items, while also exchanging news and messages. For more information on trade fairs, and those of Champagne in particular, see City & Guild, page 104. century, becoming one of the region’s principal cities. It is famed for its two annual fairs, the first held from May to June in the upper town, and the second from Septem- ber to October in the lower town. During the fairs, the city swells into a huge marketplace crammed full with visitors from Mediterranean and northern lands. Apart from numerous merchants, innkeepers, and moneychangers, there are many cloth-makers, dyers, and weavers, and there is a sizable Jewish community. The court of the current count, Theobald IV, stays for extended periods in Provins; it is beginning to become a center for the arts under his patronage. The lower town of Provins is centered on an 11th-century Benedictine priory, where the relics of St. Ayoul were miraculously located. The upper town has grown around a hilltop castle, which is held by the counts of Cham- pagne. The pinnacle of the upper town’s fortifications is the Caesar Tower, a great square watch tower and prison believed to have been erected by Julius Caesar himself.

Troyes

Troyes, also hosting two of Champagne’s annual fairs (from late June to early August, and from November to mid-December) is

105 The Lion and the Lily

returned only after many years of captivity. glass, carvings, or steeples. In and around the Rashi Like Provins, Troyes has two centers: an buildings are several placid vegetable gardens ecclesiastical district around the cathedral, and orchards. There is also a spring and a large One of Troyes’ most famous sons, af- which has hosted important Church councils set of fishponds that are lovingly tended. ter perhaps Chrétien de Troyes, is Rabbi in centuries past; and a commercial district Despite the austerity and plain style of Shlomo Yitzhaki (1040-1105), better where both fairs are held, around the older the place, the monastery has flourished and known by the acronym Rashi. A Jewish castle. Henry I, known as “the Liberal,” was served as a model for many other Cistercian community was established in Troyes in also responsible for the flourishing of Troyes, houses. The monks are industrious; the abbey the 11th century under the protection founding 13 churches and 13 hospitals in the workshop produces a great volume of manu- of the Counts of Champagne. Born in town. The famous 12th-century poet Chrétien scripts, and they have recently founded an Troyes, Shlomo went to study at the de Troyes (see Chapter 10: Normandy Sagas, industrial forge at nearby Wassy, where iron Jewish academies in Worms and Mainz The Arthurian Cycle) lived in Troyes for much is smelted. Clairvaux also maintains a town- before returning at the age of 25. He is of his life. A blessed young man from Troyes, house at Bar-sur-Aube. Pope Eugene III, elect- famed for his two great commentaries Jacques Pantaléon, the son of a local cobbler, ed in 1145, was a former monk of Clairvaux. on the Tanakh and the Talmud, which will grow to become Pope Urban IV in four The entire abbey has a Divine aura of 6. masterfully combine literal and non- decades if your saga follows real history. literal interpretation with allegory and symbolism, and he is thus one of Juda- ism’s greatest meforshim (commenta- tors). Copies of his works may be found Clairvaux in Troyes and in other prominent Jewish communities; the two great commentar- Clairvaux Abbey (“clear valley”) was ies are both tractatus in Theology (Ju- founded in 1115 by St. Bernard and is one daism) with a Quality of 13. of the largest and most important Cistercian abbeys in French lands. It consists of a sizable set of austere quadrangles and precincts, equal in stature to Provins, but considerably comprising mostly lodgings and workhouses, more venerable having been founded on the encircled by a sturdy wall replete with watch- Cunfin site of a Gaulish fortress. An early bishop, St. towers. Its 300-footlong abbey church, in the Lupus, spared Troyes from Attila the Hun’s on- shape of a Latin cross, is severely plain and Located in the Champagnois village slaught by offering himself up as a hostage, and lacking in any ornamentation such as stained from which it takes its name, the covenant

The Catalaunian Fields

The Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, one the main body of the Hunnish forces. Dur- had poured from their own wounds.” of the greatest and bloodiest battles of the ing the ruckus, Theoderic was slain by an Today the battlefield, about a dozen miles early Dark Ages, took place in 451 in fields Ostrogoth’s spear, although the Visigoth out from Châlons, consists of mostly deserted not far from the Roman city of Catalaunum advance fell upon Attila’s household guard fallow and scrubland, which is roamed only (Châlons-en-Champagne). Earlier that year, and forced them to retreat to their forti- by a few straggly sheep and grimy peasants. Attila the Hun, accompanied by his allies, fied camp. They held out long enough to A Malevolent Infernal aura of 3 (see Realms of the Ostrogoths, had seized on the weak- force the Visigoths, who were short on sup- Power: The Infernal, page 15) is present at this ness of Roman power in Gaul and invaded plies and weakened, to withdraw, allowing foul place. A dark brook runs below the ridge westwards. By mid-year he had already Attila’s escape. Although his westward con- at the center of the fields. On the anniversary mercilessly sacked Reims and besieged Or- quests were thus thwarted, he lived on to of the battle (at the night of the summer sol- léans; Paris was saved by the prayers of St. menace Europe for another two years. stice), the stream runs red with blood and the Geneviève. The Roman general Aetius led a The savagery and carnage of the battle terrifying screams of dying men and horses force of auxiliaries from Italy, and they were was unprecedented, and more than forty may be heard. On this night, an ascent of the joined by the Visigoths under Theoderic, thousand were brutally slain. The sixth-cen- stream will lead into a nightmarish Infernal and the Franks lead by their legendary sor- tury churchman Jordanes wrote that “a brook regio, where shades of the ancient combat- cerer-king Merovech. The two forces, each flowing between low banks through the plain ants fight on, goaded relentlessly by warrior fifty thousand strong, met at the Catalau- was greatly increased by blood of the slain. It demons, and where the dead and dying are nian Fields at midsummer. was not flooded by showers, as brooks usually piled in great heaps. Any magus prepared to Attila’s diviners correctly foretold disas- rise, but was swollen by a strange stream and brave these horrors may find that significant ter for the Huns, but also the death of one turned into a torrent by the increase of blood. quantities of Perdo and Corpus vis can be of their opponents’ leaders. As the Huns Those whose wounds drove them to slake their harvested. Some, but not all, of this vis might attempted to seize a strategic ridge on the parching thirst drank water mingled in gore. be Infernally tainted. A few miles to the east battlefield, they were repelled by the Ro- In their wretched plight they were forced to of the battlefield lie the overgrown remains man alliance, precipitating a rout back into drink what they thought was the blood they of Attila’s camp, fortified with a low wall.

106 The Lion and the Lily of Cunfin is home to both magi and monks. This is an unusual arrangement, but it has St. Bernard of Clairvaux proven to be a useful one as it allows the Or- der of Hermes to stay informed about mat- Bernard de Fontaine (1090-1153), lat- living conditions not having gotten much ters within the Church that might concern er St. Bernard of Clairvaux, was one of the less severe; indeed the simple life free of them. It is here that the concerns of the Or- greatest churchmen of the early 12th cen- luxuries and a regime of voluntary depriva- der mingle with the matters of the world in tury and a leading figure in the reforming tion attracted many devout followers. more ways than one. Cistercian order. Born into a noble family Bernard’s personal humility and wis- and entering the monastery of Cîteaux at dom, combined with a deep conviction the age of 21, by the age of 25 he was sent and eloquence, led to his rapid rise in the to found the monastery of Clairvaux from Church. He quickly became prominent in History the ground up. Great physical hardships the elections, councils, and schisms of his were endured at this site — the monks day, and he preached the Second Crusade Although the covenant of Cunfin was were said to have lived on nothing but at Vézelay in 1146, ultimately coming to recognized by the Normandy Tribunal of boiled vegetables and water, to have slept be regarded by many as a leader of Christi- 1192, magi have occupied the site for much on pallets, and to have had no heating. anity. Throughout his life he continued to longer than thirty years. Rumor persists that Some argue that these circumstances were eschew luxury and adhered to Clairvaux’s the monastery with which it shares its name merely misfortune, others say that such spartan regime. He was a vigorous oppo- was founded by Valoran, a student of St. a strict regime was in fact according to nent of the liberal intellectualism of Peter Nerius, in 1136. The covenant proper was Bernard’s design. Either way, the survival Abélard (see Chapter 7: Ile de France, founded by Eloi of Jerbiton, with the support of the community under such harsh condi- Abélard and Héloïse), and served as pros- of his parens Jerome, as a vassal of Confluen- tions was close to miraculous. The monas- ecutor in his trial for heresy. Bernard is the sis. Despite the current presiding Quaesitor’s tery was soon a great success, despite the patron saint of farms and farmhands. concerns about the potential for conflict with the mundanes, the covenant’s close ties to the Church have proved useful to the Order. It has a single, low tower, and its windows cribe these manifestations to his obvious piety Cunfin also plays an important role in are plain and undivided, lacking the stained and holiness. There is some truth to this, but House Mercere’s operations within the Tribu- glass one might expect. Its crosses are made the abbot knows about Eloi and the Order, nal. When the old Mercer House covenant in from nothing fancier than wood. and he shares their aims. All of the magi at Tours was raided in 1197, the magi of Conflu- Unknown to most of the mundane in- Cunfin, with the exception of Angelus, have ensis saw an opportunity to take advantage of habitants, a Magic regio covers the area the Gentle Gift, which greatly reduces their Florum’s weakness and suggested that Cunfin around the abbey and within it is the cov- problems with the mundanes. In addition, Eloi host the new one. Given its proximity to the enant proper. Originally in the ruins of a Ro- uses his Holy Influence to give the Dominion trade fairs of Champagne and Confluensis’ man fort, the covenant has been rebuilt by surrounding the monastery a Calm temper, agreement to pay for the construction of a Celeres according to his own vision, so that further dampening potential conflicts. Mercere Portal, the Redcaps agreed. That this now visitors are confronted with the sight In addition, Cunfin serves as one of the gave Confluensis and its vassals a monopoly on of a miniature castle, pennons flapping the Tribunal’s Mercer Houses. Providing shelter to Redcap services was not lost on their rivals. breeze. While Eloi spends most of his time travelers is a sacred duty to the monks, and as The last major event in Cunfin’s for- at the monastery and Angelus rarely ventures the abbey lies very close to the trade routes mative period was the arrival of Celeres of forth from his cave, the rest of the covenant’s of Champagne, the brothers are quite used to Bonisagus in 1199. An ancient and eccentric members live here in romantic style. a large number of people coming and going magus, upon his arrival he announced that he The regio itself is somewhat of a mys- from the monastery. The covenant is a major was seeking the Holy Grail, and that Cunfin tery. Exactly how a Magic regio can co-exist focus of House Mercere’s mercantile activity would be the castle from which he and his with the strong Divine aura of the monastery in the Normandy Tribunal, and a small group knights would search for it. Many in the Or- is unknown, although it has been the sub- of Redcaps call Cunfin home. The covenant der viewed this proclamation as final proof ject of extensive study by several Bonisagus also houses a Mercere Portal to Dragon’s Rest. of Celeres’ madness, but he has become an magi. The regio’s single level can be accessed Cunfin also plays host to a number of integral part of the covenant. by anyone holding a charm made from the unusual magi: Grail seekers. Celeres’ aims stones of the fort. are well known among the Order, and while many question his sense, none question his Setting and scholarship. The Bonisagus magus is reputed Culture and Traditions to possess every book ever written on the Physical Description subject of the Grail, as well as a great number of works on King Arthur and his legendary Cunfin’s primary purpose is to serve as a adviser, Merlin. More than a few magi have Like all Cistercian monasteries, Cun- buffer between the Order and the Church. made their way to Cunfin to consult these fin is a rough and simple place. It lies ina As prior of the monastery, Eloi wields a great works for their own research, and Celeres deep, well-watered valley, as most Cistercian deal of influence over the monks, especially is always happy to have company. Anyone monasteries do, and its simple buildings are the abbot. The monks know that their prior is who has visited the covenant can tell stories devoid of all but the crudest ornamentation. reputed to have mystical powers, but they as- of his peculiar brand of hospitality.

107 The Lion and the Lily The Grail Library

Few published works on the subject of him twice, the Life of St. Padarn once, the Description: A collection of Chretien’s King Arthur and the Grail exist in 1220, but Life of St. Carannog once, and the Life of four major Arthurian poems, Erec et Enide, that has not stopped Celeres from assem- Gildas numerous times. These works bridge Cliges, Yvain, and Lancelot. These deal bling a formidable body of texts. The books the gap between the stories and tales of the primarily with the nature of courtly love fall into several categories, of which the ma- first group and the histories of this one. and the ideals of chivalry. jor works are described here in detail. History of the Britons Perceval Tractatus, Area Lore: Britain (Quality 5) Tractatus, Dominion Lore (Quality 6) Folk Tales Author: Nennius, eighth-century British monk Author: Chretien de Troyes Description: The author of this work Description: An unfinished story about Many of these books are written by begins by stating “I have made a heap of all naive boy who became a knight through a se- Celeres himself, recording the numerous that I have found” concerning the history ries of misadventures, this is the first work to stories he has encountered on his travels. of Britain, beginning with its founding by mention the Grail. His life is changed when They contain the original stories in their Brutus, the great-grandson of Aeneas. This he visits a mysterious castle and encounters native languages, translations into Latin, is the earliest book to give an account of the equally mysterious Grail. Discovering and commentary on the works in Latin. the life of Arthur. that his failure to ask about the Grail’s true Legends of Brittany nature has prevent his host, the Fisher King, History of the Kings of Britain from being healed of his grievous wound, Summa, Faerie Lore (Level 3, Quality 5) Tractatus, Area Lore: Britain (Quality 9) Author: Celeres of Bonisagus Perceval sets out to rectify his error. While Author: Geoffrey of Monmoth, a twelfth both Perceval and his fellow knight Gawain Description: A collection of stories told century Oxford cleric by Breton conteurs, transcribed by Celeres triumph in a series of adventures, the secret Description: This book greatly ex- of the Grail is never revealed, as Chretien of Bonisagus. This large volume describes pands upon the work of Nennius, focusing numerous locations in Brittany that are tied died before completing the poem. No fewer on Arthur’s adventures. It also includes the than four later authors published their own to Arthur, and usually to faeries as well. Prophecies of Merlin, a series of prophetic Arthur’s battle with a giant atop Mont St. “continuations,” each bringing the story to a utterances from the legendary wizard. The close in their own ways. Michael and Merlin’s disappearance into the section on Arthur ends with the king be- Forest of Broceliande feature prominently. ing wounded grievously wounded by his Joseph d’Arimethie Arthur Among the Britons traitorous nephew Mordred and leaving for Tractus, Dominion Lore (Quality 5) Tractatus, Area Lore: Britain (Quality 5) the Isle of Avalon to treat his wounds. Author: Robert de Boron Author: Celeres of Bonisagus Description: Also called The Romance of the Minor Works: Annals of Wales, Concerning the Grail, this book expands upon the mystery of Description: Numerous Welsh tales tied Ruin of Britain, The Life of Merlin in some way to King Arthur. These include the Grail, explaining that it was the vessel in the story of Culwych and Olwen, in which which Jesus had broken the bread at the Last Arthur and his knights must recover numer- Romances Supper and that Joseph of Arimethea used to ous treasures so that Olwen’s father will al- collect Jesus’ blood at the Crucifixion. Fol- low the knight Culwych to marry her, and These books are almost all written in lowing the Resurrection, Joseph and his fam- the Welsh Triads, short tales told in threes, French and represent a new development in ily took the Holy Grail (as Robert calls it) to like The Three Fortunate Concealments the Arthur cycle. Instead of histories or folk England, where they and their descendants, and The Three Great Queens of Arthur. Ex- tales, these are long-form poems that cel- including Perceval, guarded it. ebrate chivalrous virtues and use the story cerpts from the works of the sixth-century Parsifal bard Taliesin are also included. of Arthur and his knights as instructional devices. These works are Celeres’ favorites. Tractatus, Magic Lore (Quality 5) Minor Works: The Book of Taliesin, The Life of Author: Wolfram von Eschenbach St. Efflam, The Life of St. Illtud The Lais of Marie de France Description: Written in German, Tractatus, Charm (Quality 5) rather than the French of the other major Author, Marie de France romances, this story is a greatly expanded British Histories Description: Marie de France was a version of Chretien’s masterpiece that dif- fixture at the court of Marie of Cham- fers significantly from the French retell- These books are primarily historical pagne, daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine. ings and continuations. Wolfram is writing accounts that include occasional mention This widely popular collection of her “lais” about a very different type of Grail from of Arthur. All are written in Latin. (poems set to music) honored love and his predecessors, and this book is rich with The Llancarfan Saints’ Lives chivalry. The original sources for many alchemical and astrological imagery and Tractatus, Dominion Lore (Quality 6) of these were Breton tales, and their wide shows abundant Arabic influence. The sto- Authors: Various monks at the monastery dissemination laid the groundwork for the ry describes the resting place of the Grail of Llancarfan in the twelfth century. romance form. as a castle called Munsalvaesche, where is Description: A collection of hagio- Arthurian Romances guarded by an order of Templars. graphic texts containing numerous referenc- Tractatus, Etiquette (Quality 6) Minor Works: Roman de Brut, Perceval Con- es to Arthur. The Life of St. Cadoc mentions Author: Chretien de Troyes tinuations, Perlesvaus

108 The Lion and the Lily Magi Angelus of Ex Miscellanea Arthuriana in the Age: 97 (Apparent age 75) Personality Traits: Early 13th Century Eloi, Follower of Jerbiton Calm +2, Merciful +2 If the history of Mythic Europe follows our own, then in 1220 two major Age: 62 (Apparent age: 52) When Eloi found Angelus in 1191, in a French Arthurian Romances remain to Personality Traits: small cave a stone’s throw from the monas- be written: the Lancelot-Grail cycle (also Pious +3, tery of Cunfin, neither of them expected to called the Vulgate Cycle) and the Ro- Diplomatic +3, have such an impact on each other’s lives. mance of the Grail (the Post-Vulgate Forgiving +1 Eloi told the eremite of his dream to bring cycle). These are sets of stories by together his faith and his life as a magus, and unknown authors that contain mostly Eloi is the lynchpin that holds the cov- Angelus told him of the life of St. Nerius. Af- pre-existing Arthurian tales, but in a enant of Cunfin together. The monks know ter Angelus showed him the monastery and collected form that focuses primarily on him as Brother Eligius, the prior, a man re- its regio, Eloi had a vision of the future. At the Grail. The former is a five-part cy- spected for his wise council and beloved for the next Tribunal meeting, the covenant of cle that will be completed by the mid- his devotion to God. The magi know him as Cunfin was recognized, with Eloi and Ange- 1230s, with the latter being finished by a man deeply concerned about the Order’s lus as its founding members. mid-century. The two are largely the relationship to the Church. Eloi sees himself Before Eloi encountered him, Angelus same, though the latter substitutes Ar- as a follower of St. Nerius, a man attempting had not left his cave in several decades. The thur for Lancelot as the central charac- to bridge the gap between the Magical and only record of him the Order of Hermes pos- ter in an effort to de-emphasize Lancelot the Divine. It is his charisma and devotion sesses dates from the Tribunal of 1144, where and Guinevere’s adulterous relationship. that binds together Cunfin’s otherwise frac- he presented himself and then entirely with- Both of these are increasingly moralis- tious elements into a workable whole. drew from view. He keeps to himself about tic, and the Lancelot-Grail cycle is the A younger son of a minor noble family, his lineage, but Eloi believes that his parens primary source for Sir Thomas Mallory’s Eloi was bound for the church from an early was Valoran, the filius of St. Nerius himself. telling of the story, the version perhaps age. His parents intended for him to be a Angelus is a holy hermit, living alone most familiar to modern readers. priest, and the boy himself was quite excited in his cave, contemplating the Divine. He by the prospect, but he was found by Jerome believes that Magic is an emanation of the of Jerbiton and became a magus instead. Divine and that to experience Twilight is to nant’s affairs, though Eloi and even Celeres While he proved to be a useful tool for Je- see the Face of God. Magi are blessed, in his have been known to seek his counsel on im- rome at Confluensis, he was never quite able view, but also cursed. Twilight is a blessing portant matters. The monks of Cunfin know to reconcile his desire to serve God with his bestowed by God, but to seek it out is sinful. that he lives in the hills above their monastery, Gift. In 1191, however, he met Angelus, who Doing so presumes that one is worthy, while and between their holy hermit and their pious taught him about St. Nerius. Seeing a way only God can make that judgment. prior, they count themselves doubly blessed. to reconcile his two natures, Eloi moved to Angelus is rarely involved in the cove- Cunfin to join the monastery and founded the covenant. His parens saw this as an opportunity to establish closer ties with the Church, and Eloi agreed. His unique skills and obvious A Grail, a Graal, or a Gral? piety led the monks of Cunfin to elect him prior not long after, and he has maintained The twelfth century French word through a number of changes and ending control of the monastery ever since. graal, used by all of the French authors as a chalice. In all of these, however, the Although he is not a member, he has close of the romances, was not invented by Grail is closely linked to the Eucharist. contacts with the Priory of St. Nerius (see Chretien, though it is not common. What Wolfram, on the other hand, uses Realms of Power: The Divine, page 94). Like them, exactly is meant by it, however, is not en- the word gral in Parsifal, and it is clear he he seeks to have St. Nerius recognized by the tirely clear. In Perceval, the Grail is clearly means something very different. He is very Latin Church, but this is secondary to his goal a dish of some size, as a maiden needs two explicit in describing the Grail as a stone, of maintaining peaceful relations between the hands to carry it, and Chretien is quite ex- and it is linked to the heavens. Wolfram’s Order and the Church. With his influence plicit in what it does not contain, “a pike account differs markedly from the French in the powerful Cistercian order, he seeks or lamprey or salmon.” Robert de Boron stories, and his description of the Grail is to smooth over potential conflicts between and Chretien’s continuers confirm that it the most obvious feature. magi and the clergy. His current concern is is a dish or a vessel. (Robert de Boron is It is also worth noting the while Wol- the newly created Dominican Order and their the first to call it the Holy Grail; Chretien fram describes the guardians of the Grail as vigorous pursuit of heretics. He hopes to keep refers to it as “such a holy thing” but calls “Templars,” he does not mean the Knights them away from the Order of Hermes. it only “the Grail.”) In the later romances, Templar. Wolfram’s word is templeisen, however, its form becomes uncertain, as while the Knights Templar were usually in Perlesvaus, where it is described as going referred to as Tempelherren in German.

109 The Lion and the Lily

Celeres, Follower What gave it such powers? Celeres’ perhaps no longer concerned with finding it, as he of Bonisagus overactive imagination was captured. He knows he is not as young as he once was, immediately set out to find as many books and he has come to believe that the Grail Age: 150? (Apparent age 100) about King Arthur, the Knights of the Round is something that perhaps cannot actually Pesonality Traits: Table, and especially the Grail, as he could. be found. Still, he wishes to know as much Forceful +3, When he heard about the covenant of Cun- about it as he can and to share that knowl- Charming +2, fin, with its community of monks and its edge with his fellow magi. A true Bonisagus, Absent-minded +2 holy hermit, it seemed like something out of he has begun composing a great story cycle the romances he had been reading. Celeres about the Grail, which he hopes will en- Celeres’ life changed in near the end of made his way there at once and through lighten others about its true, spiritual nature. the twelfth century when he discovered a sheer force of personality convinced Eloi to His time at Cunfin has clearly influenced his copy of Chretien de Troyes’ Perceval. What admit him as a member. views, as more than a few traces of Cistercian was this “graal” that Perceval was seeking? Celeres is obsessed with the Grail. He is thought can be found in his manuscript. Celeres gets on quite well with the Red- caps that call Cunfin home, and he refers to Hervé filius Évrard, Follower of Mercere them as his “knights.” He relies on them to bring him any news or word of the Grail that Characteristics: Int 0, Per +2, Pre +2, middle-aged man with dark brown they encounter. He is also quite close to his Com +1, Str 0, Sta 0, Dex 0, Qik 0 hair and olive skin. He bears a strong last apprentice, Artorius, and he hopes that, Size: 0 resemblance to his father, Évrard of if he is unable to finish his Grail cycle, Arto- Age: 35 (35) Tours, including the latter’s tendency rius will finish it for him. Decrepitude: 0 to dress in simple town garb. His re- Warping Score: 0 (0) assuring demeanor hides a calculating Confidence Score: 1 (3) and driven mind. Artorius filius Celeres, Virtues and Flaws: Redcap; Clear Thinker, Follower of Bonisagus Educated, Gossip, Piercing Gaze, So- Although he would never admit it, Hervé cial Contacts; Ambitious; Busybody, would not be where he is today without his Age: 33 (Apparent age 33) Envious. foster brother, Renaud Fouinon. Hervé has Personality Traits: Personality Traits: Driven +3, Jealous +2 always felt that his father lavished more at- Loyal +2, Reputations: Capable 3 (Hermetic), Gos- tention on Renaud. To some degree this is Regal +2 sip 3 (Hermetic) true, as Évrard is aware of the obstacles Re- Combat: naud would face within House Mercere as A newly Gauntleted magus, Artorius was Dodging: Init 0, Attack n/a, Defense one not of the blood of the Founder. It was brought to Cunfin as an orphan at the age of +3, Damage n/a during their time at the University of Paris sixteen by Eloi, who intended to make the Soak: +0 that Hervé’s jealousy of his brother came to boy his apprentice and train him as his own Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Uncon- full flower. Renaud’s natural intelligence al- successor. Celeres, however, proclaimed that scious lowed him to eat, drank, and sleep his way he found himself in need of a “squire” and Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 through his coursework while Hervé strug- exercised his right to take Eloi’s apprentice as (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead gled with the difficulties of Latin, a tongue his own. When Artorius passed his Gauntlet (21+) he had never fully mastered. Yet even when (a process Celeres refers to as his “knight- Abilities: Bargain 5 (appraisal), Brawl 2 Renaud joined the Goliards, Évrard’s sup- ing”), his parens gave him the name of leg- (dodging), Charm 5 (building trust), port never seemed to waver. Hervé swore endary king of Britain. Artorius’ future plans Code of Hermes 3 (political intrigue), then and there to best his brother, and re- are unknown. Etiquette 3 (merchants), France Lore 3 dedicated himself to his studies. (trade routes), French 5 (mercantile), While he has never had the academic Folk Ken 5 (merchants), Guile 2 (redi- mind that his father wished for him, he has Évrard de Tours, Redcap rection of blame), Intrigue 5 (gossip), proven a shrewd judge of character and a Latin 5 (academic usage), Order of capable negotiator. Hervé has found his Age: 87 (Apparent age 49) Hermes Lore 4 (politics) calling among the merchants of France, Personality Traits: Equipment: A collection of enchanted deftly maneuvering his way through trade Stubborn +2, devices useful to a mercantile Redcap, fairs and always emerging with a substan- Grumpy +2 whose effects include Scales of the tial profit. While he has taken over as head Magical Weight (InVi 5), Sense the of the temporary Mercer House at the Évrard is the senior Redcap of the Tribu- Nature of Vis (InVi 5), Posing the Si- Champagne fairs, his father has still not nal, and the only one of the covenant’s Red- lent Question (InMe 20), and Trust of given him the acknowledgment he desires. caps to have served at the old Mercer House. the Childlike Faith (PeMe 10), all with As a result, while Renaud wanders the He was responsible for the relocation to Penetration 0 and 24 uses per day. countryside of France, reveling in his de- Cunfin, and now, having rebuilt the network Encumbrance: 0 bauchery, Hervé has set his sights on even and trained his apprentices, he is ready to re- Appearance: Hervé le Brun is a stocky, higher positions within House Mercere. tire. He is semi-retired already, as his official duties now require him only to oversee the

110 The Lion and the Lily

Mercere Portal to Dragon’s Rest. He quite enjoys spending time with Celeres; despite Burgundy The Monasteries what other magi think about him, Celeres has a playful sense of humor that Évrard finds The southeastern realm of the Norman- of Burgundy refreshing after living in a monastery for so dy Tribunal was the former heartland of the long. Évrard appears to be in his late forties, Gauls, and has several ancient settlements Burgundy is undoubtedly home to as he did not begin taking a longevity ritual that they founded. The duchy of Burgundy the greatest monasteries of Mythic Eu- until later in life. itself came into being at the treaty of Verdun rope. It boasts Cluny, the mother house The covenant is home to two other Red- in 843, which divided the empire of Char- of the Cluniacs, Cîteaux, the mother caps, Renaud Fouinon and Hervé le Brun. lemagne among his grandsons. The north- house of the Cistercians, and Vézelay, Both were trained by Évrard, and while Ren- western part of the ancient kingdom of Bur- which houses the relics of St. Mary aud was a foundling brought to the covenant gundy fell within the lands apportioned to Magdalene and which is the region’s by Eloi, Hervé is Évrard’s son. Hervé has the western kingdom of Charles the Bald. In greatest site of pilgrimage. There are taken over his father’s position running the the 11th century, Henry I of France granted many other significant monasteries, temporary Mercer House at the Champagne these lands to his brother Robert, thereby including Pontigny (where Thomas cycle fairs (see City & Guild, page 104), a posi- founding a junior branch of the royal Ca- Becket spent part of his exile from Eng- tion Renaud wanted but was denied, likely petian house, which has since proven loyal land), Molesme, St. Seine, St. Benigne, because of his membership in the Goliards to the French kings. The Burgundian dukes and Fontenay. Clairvaux (see above) (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 93). are also related to the royal houses of Castile is on the northern edge of Burgundy. Renaud, along with Celeres and Eloi, is part and Portugal, partly as a result of their val- Many of the monasteries have large of the covenant’s hastiludium team. They iant crusading in Iberia. vineyards — due to both the favorable have won the event three times in row, some- Unlike Champagne, which relies on geography and climate, and the indus- thing that Renaud is quite proud of. trade, pilgrims are the lifeblood of Burgundy try of the monks, Burgundy is one of the and the Church has unsurpassed power here richest grape-growing areas of Europe, as a result of Burgundy’s many influential renowned for its wine. monasteries, most notably Cluny and Cî- Covenfolk teaux, several of which lie along the pilgrimage routes. The current Duke of Burgundy, Auxerre Most the monks of Cunfin are ignorant as Hugh IV, is only eight years old. His mother, to its true nature, though most of them have Alice de Vergy, rules as regent in his stead; Originally a Roman town named Autes- met all of the magi at one point or another like the regent of Champagne, she is also siodurum located on the Roman road from (with the possible exception of Angelus). loyal to France. Lyon to Boulogne, Auxerre has been a spiri- The abbot, the cellarer, and several of the The duchy of Burgundy should not be tual center since the fifth century. One of brothers know the truth, and, thanks to Eloi’s confused with the larger kingdom of the its earliest and most famous bishops was the example, they support the magi’s aims. The same name that lies to its southeast, which is fifth-century St. Germanus, a brilliant noble- abbot, a middle-aged man named Martin, is also known as the kingdom of Arelat, being man who studied in Rome and who was ap- especially sympathetic, and he has used his the larger part of the old kingdom of Burgun- pointed by the Roman emperor as governor considerable influence within the Cistercian dy that was divided at the treaty of Verdun. of the Gallic provinces. Initially a proud and Order to help the magi as much as he can. That kingdom is split between the Greater impious man, he was miraculously converted Alps and Provençal Tribunals. to a life of prayer and charity by the previous

The Future of Cunfin

While the magi of Cunfin currently enjoy an amicable relationship with the Cistercian Order and the larger church, it seems unlikely that the situation can last. The covenant has survived thus far due primarily to Eloi’s use of his personal charisma, his Holy Influence, and his relationship with his parens Jerome to keep both the Church and the Quae- sitores at bay. Without Eloi, the entire experiment would certainly fall apart. Even with him, the covenant faces significant challenges that it may not survive. (See Chapter 11: Confluensis, The Specter of Rome.)

111 The Lion and the Lily bishop St. Amator, who burned his hunting trophies and gave him the tonsure against his will. Later bishops expanded Auxerre’s influence, and it was home to a famous school in Carolingian times. The city has since waned; nevertheless, the pope declared Auxerre a Holy City in the 12th century. The most venerable establishment in Auxerre is the Abbey of St. Germanus, a Benedictine monastery founded in the sixth century by Clotilda, the wife of the Frankish king, Clovis. Underneath is a large Carolin- gian crypt adorned by magnificent frescoes, where St. Germanus is buried and which is a site of pilgrimage. The Cathedral of St. Étienne, which started construction in 1215, is little more than a massive building site.

Avallon ninth century by the invading Normans who Avallon is a walled town set on a granite also sacked Avallon. Afterward, it was rebuilt The Morvan hilltop above lush terraced slopes overlook- and reestablished on a nearby hilltop; an ing the River Cousin, on the site of the Ro- idyllic location amid scenic hills on the edge The only true wilderness of any size in man citadel Aballo. The ancient settlement of the Morvan, which affords a splendid view Burgundy is known as the Morvan; its name, was sacked by the Goths; fortification of the of the valley of the River Cure and surround- of Celtic origin, means “Black Mountain.” This later town was begun after successive attacks ing lands. A burgeoning town has grown up basalt massif is somewhat higher than the sur- by Moors and then Normans. Nowadays the in the valley below, which prospers from the rounding lands, an upland that is frequently defenses are formidable, and Avallon is a stra- steady flow of pilgrims. wreathed in rain, snow, or mist, and where the tegic asset of the Dukes of Burgundy, which Despite the sanctity of Vézelay, the rivers are prone to becoming suddenly turbu- has thwarted more than one besieging army place does have a slightly checkered histo- lent and engorged. Much of the Morvan is for- in the last couple of centuries. The main at- ry. Overwhelmed by the flow of visitors, in ested with oaks, hornbeams, and beeches, with traction, and a major draw for pilgrims, is the 1096 the ambitious abbot commenced con- some conifers on the higher slopes amid the Church of St. Lazarus, which is just over 100 struction on a much larger abbey church, rocky escarpments. This rolling, impoverished years old and houses a relic, a piece of the to be funded by stringent taxes that were land is sparsely populated, with no fertile fields skull of St. Lazarus, which offers divine pro- levied on the local peasants. The serfs re- or vineyards. The few errant peasants who eke tection against leprosy. sponded by rising up in revolt and slaying out an existence here are mostly shunned by the abbot. Then in 1120, after the church those who dwell in more-civilized parts. Magi was finished and perhaps in Divine retribu- here know of several vis sources amidst the tion, it burned down in a conflagration on Morvan, most of them contested due to the Vézelay the day of the great pilgrimage (22nd July), presence of the dark faeries that lurk by the engulfing a thousand pilgrims. The hilltop lakes and streams and in the forests. The Benedictine monastery of Vézelay Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene has since is home to the relics of St. Mary Magda- been rebuilt. lene, one of Christianity’s holiest saints, Furthermore, although the monks seem Bibracte to whom many miracles are attributed. It to be in no doubt that the relics, which are has been a major site of pilgrimage since housed in the church’s crypt, are indeed the Mont Beauvray, in the southern Morvan the 11th century, and is the starting point true relics of Mary Magdalene, their origin is not far from Autun, is the site of the ancient for one of the principal pilgrimage routes nevertheless a little hazy. According to one Gallic city of Bibracte, where in 52 BC the to Santiago de Compostela in Iberia. St. version of events, a saint by the name of Ba- Gallic chieftain and king of the Arveni Vercin- Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second dilo brought the relics from the Holy Land in getorix led the local tribes against the Romans. Crusade at Vézelay, and Philip II and Rich- the ninth century. Another story relates that In the following winter, Caesar began writing ard the Lionheart met here before departing the tomb of the revered saint was discovered his Commentaries on the Gallic Wars here. Its name on the Third Crusade. Thomas Becket in in a crypt at St. Maximim in Provence. A derives from the double line of wooden and exile here announced the excommunication scene of the Unction at Bethany was carved stone ramparts surrounding the hilltop. Bi- of supporters of the English king Henry II on a sarcophagus, depicting the anointing of bracte subsequently fell into decline as Autun in 1166. Jesus’ head by a woman of Bethany, who was rose to prominence, and was abandoned. The original monastery, founded by presumed to be Mary Magdalene. Centuries later, a covenant of mostly Gerard de Roussillon, was destroyed in the Diedne magi rebuilt the site and its fortifi-

112 The Lion and the Lily cations, and established a cult worshiping one of the earliest in all of France, which later miles to the south of the city. The cave is ad- Vercingetorix. Many in the Tribunal came to hosted several Church councils, including one jacent to a forest spring — which is the source regard them as increasingly insular and intol- that regulated the Benedictine monasteries in of the River Marne — and is home to a power- erant, and their covenant was attacked and the seventh century. In 1220 the city has be- ful genius loci (a spirit of nature). Sabinus bar- destroyed by Flambeau and Tremere magi come somewhat less important, with the rise gained with the spirit for its protection, and a few decades before the Schism War. The of Dijon as the new ducal capital. thus was able to hide away in the cave for nine crumbling ruins have been largely forgotten Two of the great arched Roman gates still years, after which time the spirit became tired and overgrown ever since. serve as entranceways. The Gate of St. Andrew of his company and he was discovered. Sabi- is in the eastern wall, and the Porta Senonica, nus was taken away to Rome for execution, but leading to Sens, guards a bridge over the River the cave and spirit still remain. Aquam vis may Arroux at the northern edge of the city. On be harvested from the spring with the spirit’s Mont Auxois the eastern edge of the town is a vast Roman permission; the site is, however, considered a theater, which held twelve thousand specta- luctatio by the Tribunal, since the genius loci A short distance to the northeast of the tors, but which is now used merely as a quarry. is notoriously difficult to please. Morvan and a half-dozen miles to the south In a meadow just across the river and outside of the abbey of Fontenay lies the peak of the town lie the remains of a temple to Janus, Mont Auxois, 1300 feet high. Here lie the the two-faced god of gates and portals, begin- remains of Alesia, a Gallo-Roman oppidum nings, and endings. The remains of miles of Dijon (a fortified hilltop settlement). It is the site of ramparts and an extensive system of aqueducts the famous Roman siege where Caesar won may be found around the old city walls. Robert I of Burgundy moved his ducal seat a final victory over Vercingetorix, who was The Cathedral of St. Lazarus is at the from Autun to Dijon in 1051. Ever since, the forced to surrender (he was subsequently city’s southern end, housing the relics of that city has prospered and grown fat off the ducal taken to Rome in chains and strangled years saint, which Gerard de Roussillon brought court, becoming an artistic and commercial later). Amid the abandoned ruins on the hill- here from Provence in the 10th century — he center, home to poets, artisans, and numerous top are bronze-working forges, and a subter- wanted to establish a pilgrimage site to rival visiting minor nobles and their toadies. Dijon ranean temple to a Gallic mother goddess, Vézelay, but met with little success. This grand is now the largest settlement in Burgundy. The Matres. The place retains a Magic aura and church serves as the chapel of the Dukes of only interruption to this burgeoning growth might make a suitable site for a covenant, de- Burgundy and an adjacent episcopal palace is was a major setback in 1137, when a huge fire spite being haunted by the shades of pagan their former seat. In fields about a mile to the after a riot destroyed nearly the whole city. dead. southeast of the cathedral is a strange fifty- Duke Hugh II rebuilt, expanding the walls foot-high ruined pyramid — likely the tomb and erecting a grand ducal palace. In 1220 of some forgotten Roman worthy. the foundation stones for a great new church The Fountain of St. Reina to be built in the new French style have just been laid. The Abbey Church of St. Benignus On the southwestern edge of the hilltop, a houses the tomb of the city’s founder and pa- Divine aura prevails. St. Reina, a young Chris- Langres tron saint in its crypt. tian woman, was beheaded for refusing to wed Olibrius, the Roman governor of Alesia, Langres, a walled hilltop town and the and a fountain miraculously sprang forth from northern gateway of Burgundy, takes its the spot of her martyrdom. The waters were name from the Gallic tribe the Lingones, for Cîteaux held to have curative powers and attracted it was their capital. The Romans fortified it pilgrims for a time, although the place gradu- as Andemantunum; at its peak it was at the In 1098, there was a Benedictine monk ally became forgotten and was abandoned intersection of twelve Roman roads. In more and abbot of Molesme named Robert (later in later centuries. The old fountain may be recent times, Langres has been ruled by its St. Robert of Molesme). Dissatisfied with the found, shrouded by trees next to the ruins of a influential bishops. One of the earliest bish- decadence of his own monastery, he left with Merovingian chapel dedicated to the saint. ops was the martyr St. Didier — during his twenty monks to found a new establishment brave defense of the town against barbarian in a horrible swamp about a dozen miles invaders, he was beheaded, yet he picked up south of Dijon. Among the cistels (reeds), his head and left on horseback. A chapel was which gave their name to this new abbey, the Autun founded on the spot where he later died. monks gradually drained the land and forged a working community, suffering considerable The greatest Roman city in Gaul, besides hardship. In the following century Cîteaux perhaps Lugdunum (Lyon), was named Au- The Cave of Sabinus prospered under the leadership of St. Ber- gustodunum after its founder, the emperor nard of Clairvaux, and became the mother Augustus, and was sited on the principal Ro- In 70 AD, a chieftain of the Lingones, Sa- house of the new Cistercian order. Now it man road between Lyon and Boulogne. The binus, seized on the Roman weakness after the is the mother of more than 500 Cistercian city has endured through the ages and houses death of the emperor Nero and led a rebellion monasteries spread across Europe, and thus probably the most complete Roman remains in in Langres. Sadly for him, the rebellion ended is an important center of Christianity. the Normandy Tribunal. In the Merovingian in failure, and so the warlord fled the city and Despite its importance, and the great wel- era, Autun became an important bishopric and took refuge in this secluded cave about ten ter of buildings that have sprung up, Cîteaux

113 The Lion and the Lily retains an atmosphere of austerity and pious crises. In 1220 Cluny has waned slightly with corruption and fall from grace. In this case, it humility, where rigid discipline and manual the rise of the Cistercian order, but it remains is certainly possible that servants of the Devil labor prevail. The great abbey church, fin- arguably the most powerful center of Chris- hide amid its byzantine hierarchy, and that ished in 1193, is the new burial place for the tianity in Europe, rivaling even Rome, and is one or more Infernal auras are to be found Dukes of Burgundy; they were formerly in- the leader of western monasticism. In stark inside its Divine aura, or that the Divine aura terred at the cathedral of Autun. Since 1147 contrast to Cîteaux and the Cistercian order, is weaker than it should be in some places. there has been an attached monastery called which preach austerity and poverty, Cluny La Trappe, where Trappist monks lead a life embodies the opposite — wealth, splendor, of solemn contemplation. and magnificence. The abbots of Cluny are well aware of their elevated stature, and are not at all afraid to adopt all the pleasant trappings of such status, living as well as kings. Cluny The abbey proper is a sprawling complex of palatial constructs, dominated by the stu- Cluny, founded in 910 by William I pendous Abbey Church of St. Peter and St. of Aquitaine, is quite simply the most awe- Paul that was built by the famed abbots St. some and powerful monastery that has ever Hugh and Peter the Venerable. It is the largest existed. As the mother house of the Cluniac church — indeed the largest building of any order, consisting of a thousand monasteries type — in all Christendom. Nearly 600 feet Atramentum all over Europe, it is at the center of a giant long, it has two transepts, four aisles, and five network of power and authority over the belfries, and has grandiose ornamentation of a Renatus Church. All subsidiary houses are answerable magnificence befitting its size. Cluny’s library to its abbot, with the priors meeting annually is one of the richest and biggest in Europe. Helios of House Tytalus and Gulo Midu- here; the abbot himself is answerable only to The abbots also maintain an opulent town sulfis of House Bjornaer founded a vassal cov- the pope. Ever since the Gregorian Reforms house in Paris. A large and wealthy town is enant of Fudarus in the Arrée Mountains of instituted by Pope Gregory VII and leading located adjacent to the monastery — it pro- Brittany in 1200, which they named Atramen- to an increase in papal authority, Cluny has duces many of the luxury goods demanded by tum (“Ink”) after their sodalis who died during been strongly associated with the papacy. the monks, and is home to specialist crafts- the founding of the covenant. One year later, Given that many popes were themselves for- men such as jewelers and goldsmiths. The five of Fudarus’s magi left Fudarus and ousted mer monks of Cluny, it is easy to appreciate town exists largely to cater to the needs of the two young magi from the site, renaming its greatly favored status. Pope Urban II, one the wealthy monks, but also benefits from a the covenant Exspectatio (see Chapter 4: Brit- of those from Cluny, at the end of the 11th steady flow of visitors to the place. tany, Exspectatio). Exspectatio did compen- century declared it “the light of the world.” As a great center of the Church, Cluny sate Helios and Gulo by providing resources However, St. Bernard of Clairvaux later con- assuredly has a strong Divine aura. However, for a new covenant in Burgundy, around a demned Cluny’s decadence, retorting “Will many have commented on the extravagant former legacy of Fudarus. This covenant was the light shine only if it is in a candelabra of and excessive lifestyle of many of the monks, named Atramentum (“reborn”), and they have gold?” Cluny’s supreme power waxed in the claiming that they have been corrupted by since been joined by Iacula of House Bonisa- 11th century under a series of talented admin- the temptations of wealth. Therefore, as an gus and Philip of House Ex Miscellanea. istrators, sucking in vast amounts of gold from optional, somewhat dark take for your saga, Helios filius Kybella is a Tytalan theur- generous kings and dukes across Europe, al- you may decide that certain sinister supernat- gist who is fascinated with the schemes of the though it suffered a few intermittent financial ural powers are orchestrating Cluny’s gradual former covenant of Bribracte (see Chapter 2: Hermetic Culture, Past and Present Cove- nants), and is investigating whether they succeeded in raising the spirit of Vercingetorix. Philip is a member of the Donatores (see Houses of Hermes: Societates, House Ex Miscel- lanea), a tradition which seeks to give final rest to the unquiet dead. Philip was formerly a member of Requies Aeterna, and has only recently joined Atramentum Renatus. He too is interested in the former covenant of Bri- bracte, and is concerned that Helios’s actions are making the ghosts angry. A Quaesitor is interested as to whether the reports of a ravaging wild beast in the area of the covenant constituted a breach of the Code by Gulo of Bjornaer. Iacula is fascinated with projectile motion, and as part of her research has come up with a number of spells with great martial potential.

114 Chapter Ten Normandy Sagas

This chapter presents a number of ideas ter 3, Hermetic Culture: Hermetic History). follow their liege into the new Tribunal. for sagas set in the Normandy Tribunal. A di- Four covenants of the Rhine have pledged However, a player vassal covenant that has verse range of sagas can be set in the Tribunal, their partial or total support for the scheme, one of the other lieges must decide whether and Tribunal politics are strongly influenced along with three covenants of Normandy. they support or repudiate the plan to secede by the interaction between the Order of The consortium intends to propose their ob- from Normandy, and how this will affect Hermes and mundane authorities. Of course, jective at the next Grand Tribunal in 1228, their relationship with their liege. Further, not all sagas set in the Tribunal need to be po- but do not plan to actually establish the Tri- covenants may possess leases to legacies litical in this way. The Tribunal is populated bunal until later on, for they suspect that within the disputed territory, even if they with plenty of faerie, magical, and Hermetic the Grand Tribunal will resist the concept. are not there themselves, and may find that characters to tell other stories with. The founding principle of the movement, as they no longer own those sources under the The saga seeds described in this chap- conceived by the covenants of Florum and Lotharingian Peripheral Code. ter are only ideas to get your troupe started. Triamore, is to establish a tribunal in which The establishment of a new tribunal is You will need to add some flesh to these magi are no longer forced into hiding from not unheard of; the most recent was the ideas to suit the particular style and interests the mundane world, but can be open about Novgorod Tribunal in 1008. However, the of your troupe, and you may want to take their abilities and arts. This they intend to Lotharingian Tribunal would be carved a plot in a completely different direction to do gradually, with the help of ecclesiastical from lands that have belonged to the Rhine that suggested here. On the other hand, you allies in the cities of the Rhine. They dream and Normandy for many centuries rather shouldn’t feel that you need to spend hours of using their knowledge for the better- than from virgin territory, and the tradi- deciding the minute details of how a particu- ment of mankind, while remaining true to tion-minded members of the Order — in- lar plot will play out before beginning the the Hermetic Oath of not interfering with cluding most of the Rhine Tribunal — are first session, as the actions of the player char- the affairs of mundanes. They believe they horrified at the suggestion. The opposi- acters may strongly influence how events un- hold sufficient power as a consortium of tion might seem overwhelming, but both fold. You probably only want to pick a few of covenants to prevent the nobility from forc- of the Tribunals set to lose territory have the saga seeds described here to be “active” ing them to interfere in political and mar- detractors who wish to see them fail, and during your saga at any one time, otherwise tial situations. By being able to write their the more-distant Tribunals do not care. The Normandy will be a very busy place. own Peripheral Code, they can determine supporters of the new Tribunal are marshal- If you are not a storyguide for your precisely what is deemed to be interference ing resources and arguments they can use troupe, you should check with them before with mundanes, and grant themselves more to win over the leaders of the Houses. The reading the rest of this chapter. permission than the Rhine does, but more Provençal Tribunal may welcome the new restrictions than Normandy. tribunal and attempt to combine with it, or The issue of the formation of a new Tri- else become worried that its own territory bunal could form the backdrop for a whole in Arelat and Provence (which was also part saga. Rather than individual story seeds, this of the original Lotharingian Tribunal) will section offers story elements that can be in- be poached. With all eyes focused on Lo- The Lotharingian tegrated into such a saga. A covenant locat- tharingia, Normandy Tytali might decide ed in Flanders, Picardy, or Champagne (or to recapture territory lost to the Provençal Tribunal alternatively, in Upper or Lower Lorraine Flambeau. The whole political map of the in the Rhine Tribunal) should play great at- Western Order of Hermes could be affected In Hermetic law, a Tribunal must consist tention to the developments regarding the by these plans. of twelve or more magi from at least four Lotharingian Tribunal, for it is these regions Characters might be sent into the region different covenants. A political movement that will partly or wholly compose the ter- on speculative missions: to discover the qual- started in the Rhine Tribunal is working to- ritory of the new Tribunal. It is also impor- ity of certain vis sources, the properties of wards instituting a new Tribunal, taking the tant to consider where the liege, if any, of mystical places, or the availability of certain north and west territories of the Rhine and the player covenant is situated. If they are other resources that can be used as bargain- the adjacent portions of Normandy to re- a vassal of Florum, one of the architects of ing chips. form the Lotharingian Tribunal (see Chap- the new Tribunal, they will be expected to

115 The Lion and the Lily The Normandy and/or hostility by the Rhine Tribunal, but would not be out of place in Normandy. Giv- A Romantic Covenants en their location, they cannot in all honesty not be part of the new Tribunal if it forms, so The Covenant of Florum is the most by coming aboard early they hope that they Saga prominent of Normandy’s covenants that will be able to manipulate the new Peripheral support the Lotharingian movement. Their Code to permit their current lifestyle. In 1220 one of the major cultural influ- dissatisfaction with Normandy regarding Oculus Septentrionalis is another cove- ences in the Normandy Tribunal is the body mundane interference and raiding are made nant that is likely to be too distant to become of literature known as the romances. Recited clear at every Tribunal meeting, and Florum part of the new Tribunal. However, they sup- by poets, minstrels, and trouvères, and in- sees the new tribunal as an opportunity to port its goals despite their feud with Wad- creasingly the subject of books, the romances start again from scratch. Spider’s Palace is denzee, which has targeted them specifically are a driving force behind the celebration of also an enthusiastic proponent of the move- in the past. They want the Order in the new knightly culture, chivalry, and romantic love. ment, in support of their liege. Tribunal to have an open relationship with The romances tell tales of ancient heroes, Florum expects that Requies Aeterna, mundanes, particularly with respect to trade. mysterious magics, and faeries and devils. Al- as its vassal, will join it in the new Tribunal. Like Fengheld, they may establish a cov- most everyone, from plowboy to the greatest While the members of this covenant have enant in the region that will seek to counter noble, knows the stories and thrills to hear little interest in politics, they are likely to whatever Waddenzee proposes. them recited. They are not just history or dra- acquiesce to the wishes of Florum. They sus- ma, but an inspiration to heroism, and in fact pect that the Rhine magi who join the new are a form of secular literature vying with the Tribunal will reject the concept of vassalage, hagiographies (lives of the saints) in popular and that they will have their oath of fealty to The Cabal of appeal and in providing role models for life. Florum annulled by the new Peripheral Code Frankish Gold The best-known tellers in Normandy are of the Tribunal. They do not chafe under this the trouvères, known as troubadors in the oath; they merely see their independence south of France and minnesingers in Germa- from their feudal duty as a bonus. This Tytalan cabal (see Schemes of ny. Of noble birth, these knight-poets sing House Tytalus) works to ensure the success the praises of war, chivalry, and courtly love, of the Lotharingian Tribunal. Some members and compile their poems in books called of the cabal have a genuine interest in the chansonniers. The lower-born equivalents The Rhine Covenants new Tribunal, seeing it as an opportunity to were minstrels known as jongleurs. The jon- set up a utopian society for magi — specifi- gleurs might lack the Free Expression so vi- The Rhine Tribunal is known for its an- cally Tytalus magi. They relish the opportu- tal to their aristocratic counterparts, but are cient traditions and stagnating politics that nity to be free from the historical weight of stifle any attempt at innovation or reform the Peripheral Code of their respective Tri- (see Guardians of the Forests: The Rhine Tribunal bunals, and while they may not actually be for more information on the Hermetic land- members of a covenant that is proposing to Story Seed: scape in the Rhinelands, including the cov- formally join, they intend to establish a new enants mentioned in this section). It is per- covenant in the territory. The Grail in Iberia haps not surprising therefore that there are The motives of other members of the A knight associated with the cov- some who seek to escape from its yoke. cabal are not so simple. Augustina of Con- enant returns from a tournament with Triamore is a covenant on the edge of the fluensis is a surprising member of the cabal, copy of Parsifal, a German version of Ardennes in Lower Lorraine, and is the prin- but she supports its goals on a theoretic Chrétien’s Perceval by the knight-poet ciple Rhine instigator of the new Tribunal. level. She cares not one wit for the actual Wolfram von Eschenbach. There are ru- Daria la Gris of House Tremere seeks to move Lotharingian Tribunal, secretly believing it is mors that Wolfram’s Parsifal was actually her covenant from a rather minor role in the doomed to fail, but appreciates that it should written by the Rhine magus Gunnar Von Rhine Tribunal to a major role in the Lothar- be possible for dissatisfied magi to become Falster, but in the margins of this volume ingian Tribunal, and grant greater license to independent from one of the established Tri- Wolfram claims that his story is a trans- their existing mundane relationships. bunals. Augustina is interested in the Order’s lation of a book originally written by Fengheld is a huge covenant in the cen- reaction to such an assault in the heartland “Flegetanis the heathen” (who is alleged ter of the Rhine Tribunal, and about half of of its power. Prima Buliste is a member of to have known the “mysteries of the its 23 members are supportive of the new the cabal purely because it distracts her rival heavens”) and found by a “Meister Kyot” Tribunal, at least in theory. They are too dis- from concentrating on her other schemes. At in Toledo. The story also describes the tant geographically to join the Tribunal as a least one member of the Cabal of Frankish Grail’s resting place as the castle of Mun- whole, but they already have a chapter house Gold is a saboteur, seeking to hinder rath- salvaesche (in Latin, mons salvationis). in Cologne, and plan to establish more. er than help the new Tribunal’s supporters. Next to this passage is scrawled the word These outposts are intended to mature into A covenant interested in the Lotharingian “Montserrat.” Could Montserrat, the jag- full covenants if the new Tribunal thrives. Tribunal might discover that someone is ac- ged mountain above Barcelona that was Waddenzee is a martial covenant sited on tively working to sour relationships between once home to a now-disappeared cov- the Frisian island of Terschelling. Their pira- them and the other covenants in the region. enant, be the resting place of the Grail? cy in the North Sea is viewed with suspicion

116 The Lion and the Lily skilled storytellers and musicians who relate stories, took the foundation that Geoffrey of the great romances, the chansons de geste. Monmouth had established in his History of Story Seed: Many undoubtedly do engage in elaboration the Kings of Britain and used it to tell fantastic and creativity rather than just repeating the tales about the adventures of Arthur’s knights. The Unbreakable traditional tales, as proved by the many vari- These stories, written not in Latin but in the ants of those legends in circulation. vernacular, are romances instead of histories. Blade In the last century, the subjects of the The works of Chrétien and his followers are Some of the covenant’s grogs embark songs, which are usually accompanied by a poems that celebrate great feats of chivalry upon the great pilgrimage to the cathe- fiddle, have diversified from knights, hero- and question the nature of courtly love. dral of Santiago de Compostela in Iberia. ism, and warfare to include the new themes The Arthurian romances have proved ex- Upon their return, they present the magi of courtly romance, brave Saracen oppo- ceedingly popular, especially among the no- with a strange souvenir: a tiny fragment nents, and increasingly magic, wizards, fa- bility. Two of the continuations of Chrétien’s of metal that radiates residues of power- eries, and the supernatural. Court wizards unfinished were commissioned by Perceval ful magic. The grogs explain that it was appear, and characters call upon the faeries Joan of Flanders, in part to demonstrate the sold to them in a village near the Ron- for help, ride faerie horses, or are tricked by legitimacy of her claim as Philip of Flanders’ cevaux Pass, in the Pyrenees. The man devils. These themes reflect the reality of rightful heir. This should come as no great who sold it to them claimed it was a frag- Mythic Europe, though they are often dis- surprise, as the romances celebrate chival- ment of Durendal, the legendary sword torted and exaggerated just as the tales told rous virtues. Knights are expected to serve of Roland, whose hilt contained relics of Charlemagne and other historical figures their God and their king, to practice justice, of St. Peter, St. Basil, St. Denis, and the are doubtless inaccurate. (Charlemagne and to champion their ladies, and to help people Virgin Mary. As Roland lay dying, he at- his knights are always described in terms of in need. The romantic knight is at once a tempted to break the blade rather than the contemporary world, not the historical military paragon, a virtuous Christian, and a let it fall into the hands of his enemies. reality of their period.) social adept. The stories created the ideals to He failed to break it, and instead the While the trouvères and jongleurs know which the knightly class aspires. Yet, even in sword cut a huge gap in a mountain, now the tales they spin are often fictional or em- the romances, these ideals are unrealized. In called La Breche de Roland. Could this bellishments on real events, they often con- Chrétien’s stories, the drama arises from the be a chip from the great sword? Where tain much material of interest to magi. The discrepancies between the theory and prac- does the sword now lie? Is it in fact in the chansons de geste include references to real tice of chivalry. It is from those moments in church of Notre Dame in the village of monsters, magics, regiones, and treasures, and which the characters fail in their chivalrous Rocamadour, as the locals claim, or is it it is said that many can be an invaluable guide duties that the stories derive their power. somewhere else? for those with arcane knowledge, leading to The romances create an ideal that not even vis sources and magical places, or faerie loca- their heroes can live up to, but it is one that tions. The tellers do not realize that they are the nobility of France continue to pursue. mances, as they almost certainly contain imparting such lore, but they find avid listeners The Arthur stories provide several jump- more magical secrets than the mundane at many covenants. Interestingly, many of the ing-off points for players interested in a writers passed on. Geoffrey of Monmouth tales mention old books from which the sto- romance-centered saga. Magi may also be claimed to have based his work on a “very ries they tell apparently derive, and some may interested in tracking down the “lost books” ancient book” found in Brittany, while the actually be based upon lost Hermetic works cited by so many of the authors of the ro- German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach said that are now only extant in the form of the romances based upon them. Some trouvères are very aware of the Order of Hermes, and even tell stories based upon the adventures of Story Seed: magi to please their Hermetic patrons. There are two main cycles in the chan- The Strange Fate of Chrétien de Troyes sons de geste, the Arthurian Cycle (or The magi of Cunfin receive a shock they mean him harm. Celeres explains that Matter of Britain) and the stories of Char- when Celeres is found unconscious in the Chrétien’s description of these knights ex- lemagne and his twelve paladins (the Matter covenant library, slumped over a book. actly matches Wolfram von Eschenbach’s of France). Having merely fainted from shock, he re- description of the Grail Templars. The covers quickly and shows the magi what journal ends abruptly just as Chrétien is caused him such a fright: the book he has ready to set out on his trip. The Arthurian Cycle just received from one of the covenant’s Did Chrétien ever visit Brittany? Was Redcaps. The book appears to be a journal he being followed by knights who served that once belonged to Chrétien de Troyes. the Grail? Was he killed because he knew The late 12th and early 13th centuries In it, he lays out his plans for a trip to Brit- too much, or did he disappear into a fa- have seen a blossoming of Arthurian litera- tany to investigate some of the Arthurian erie regio like Merlin did? (In reality, the ture. Inspired by numerous sources, French sites there so that he can finish his poem date and exact nature of Chrétien’s death writers have transformed the Matter of Brit- Perceval. He expresses concern, however, as is unknown; we know only that he was at ain from its Celtic origins into a recognizably he believes that he is being shadowed by the court of his patron Philip of Flanders French form: the Arthurian romance. Chré- a group of knights, and he is worried that in 1182.) tien de Troyes, the master of these types of

117 The Lion and the Lily

return from disgrace. As a child he fights Salvirius and defeats a formidable giant, and by his valor soon gains Charlemagne’s favor so that Age: Unknown (apparently 50) courtly feasts and entertainments. eventually he is adopted as if a son. (Char- Personality Traits: Salvirius can grant Virtues to other lemagne’s own son appears in many of the Reclusive +3, characters, through a process whereby he romances as a villain of the darkest hue). The Manipulative +2 assigns to the character a mystical quest tale ends tragically but heroically, with Ro- that requires a sacrifice (acquisition of a land falling while fighting a rearguard action Salvirius has a frighteningly large scar Flaw). The Virtues he can grant include in the Pass of Roncevaux, blowing his magic in his chest — almost as if he had been mor- Strong Faerie Blood, Shapeshifter, Animal horn to bring back the army who arrive too tally wounded by a spear — but the scar is Ken, Faerie Blood, Second Sight, and Wil- late to do anything but exact vengeance on usually covered and he dresses as if he were derness Sense. In your saga, you may also his killers. The tragedy is one of the best- a hunter or woodsman. Salvirius advises the wish to allow Salvirius to grant some Her- known stories in all France, and one of the Boar King, but travels independently of the metic Virtues. Salvirius might be a faerie, a great themes of the romances. The Matter of main court and usually he only makes an magus who has become a faerie, or a magus France includes many other stories, however, appearance when the court is encamped. living in the faerie court; he may even be a and some are little-known to modern audi- Even then Salvirius partakes in few of the Diedne refugee from the Schism War. ences. Because of the rich mythic and supernatural elements, and the prevalence of wizards, faeries, and magic in them, they are an that his story came from a book discovered Some of the older stories depict the Basques excellent resource for the storyguide to mine by “Meister Kyot” in Toledo. The search for as the aggressors there, but in the tale as for inspiration, as the song of a trouvère has missing tomes such as these consumes the at- told in 1220 it is generally the Saracen who inspired many a group of magi to seek out tention of more than one Seeker. is the foe. The Saracen enemy, however, is some ancient magical secret. Arthurian literature in Mythic Europe often depicted as clever and honorable, and is recognizably similar to the stories play- many fights involve discussions of the Trinity ers may be familiar with, but several key alongside the expected swordplay. Nonethe- elements are missing. Notably, Galahad is less, the romances glorify Charlemagne as a The Romances absent, the fall of Camelot is not caused by great Christian king, and while conversion and the Order Lancelot and Guinevere’s adulterous affair, of the heathen is a central theme in some of and many of the romances feature Arthur the romances, usually they are just enemies only as a minor figure. The stories were about to be slain. Most magi regard these stories as pure knights, and Arthur was used only as a reason Roland is possibly the greatest hero of fantasy, but not all view them this way. to have them go out and adventure. Because the romances. Charlemagne’s nephew by his Some see them as containing kernels of truth of these differences, storyguides wishing to sister, Roland suffered the exile of his parents — pieces of old legends that have been re- incorporate Arthurian themes into their sagas in his childhood, but his childhood bravery cast into a new form. These magi read the are strongly encouraged to read the original brings about reconciliation and his mother’s romances not as guides to behavior, but as romances, particularly Chrétien’s works. For more on the most important period stories, see The Grail Library in Chapter 9: Cham- Story Seed: The Secret Master pagne: Cunfin. The subtle courtier, Salvirius, offers to (Intellego Animal, magnitude 3 effect with teach a Major Hermetic Virtue to the Boar a Penetration of 50), via an Arcane Con- King’s magus ally. This is something he nection. Of course, the magus will not be The Matter of France has not offered before, and he claims that aware that he is being scryed upon, un- it is the last of his knowledge, although he less the effect cannot overcome his Parma The Matter of France is the story of the will not reveal precisely what he offers. In Magica or he is able to detect scrying in great King Charlemagne, who despite what return he asks the magus to deliver a mes- some way. The magus is the real message; the Germans might say, in the romances was sage on a specific day at a specific time, to Salvirius is identifying him to a third party King of France and had his capital at Paris. the Hill of Martyrs in Paris. who periodically scrys the road leading to The stories tell of his great campaigns, most The message is sealed in red wax with the Hill of Martyrs. notably against the Saracen foe in Spain, an imprint of a snake swallowing its tail If the magus delivers the message and though he conquered much of Mythic Eu- and, if it is opened, it is blank. If the ma- returns to Salvirius, he is taught the Ma- rope. He had twelve heroic companions, the gus does deliver the message, he finds that jor Hermetic Virtue Diedne Magic (see paladins, though the names of these wor- the recipient is a drunkard and a dullard, ArM5, page 41); this takes one season and thies vary from account to account. Gener- who merely throws the message into the means that the magus acquires the Major ally featured are the wise Duke Naymes, the Seine. In fact, the magus is scryed upon Story Flaw Dark Secret. This Flaw is part brave Archbishop Turpin, chivalrous Roland, as he walks down the road to the Hill of of the Virtue and doesn’t count for balanc- Oliver, Ogier the Dane, and the villainous Martyrs. It is the vellum the message is ing Virtues; thus, in addition the magus Ganilon whose treachery leads to tragedy in printed on that is targeted by the effect acquires a Major Hermetic Flaw. the Pass of Roncevaux where Roland is killed.

118 The Lion and the Lily The Boar and Story Seed: The Dragon The Hidden Enemy A Tribunal Quaesitor visits the cov- The boar was the fierce symbol of the enant. The Quaesitor is gathering hop- kings who ruled Gaul more than one thou- lites to investigate, forcefully, rumors sand years ago, and the dragon was a pow- that a Diedne magus thought to have erful symbol of the Viking raiders who for died in the Schism War has been seen a time, more than three hundred years ago, in the forest in the company of the Boar dominated the region. Today, boar and King. The Boar King meets the hop- clues to lost magics. They are particularly dragon are both eclipsed by the lion and the lites outside his regio, ordering them to interested in the lost books that so many of ascendant lily, but anachronistic remnants of leave, and he will not allow the magi to writers of romance based their tales upon. those courts jealously remember their apo- enter his regio. There are also magi who believe the ro- gee and plot their revival. The Boar King If a magus of the covenant is al- mances tell the true story of the Grail, and and the Children of Odin are each possible lied with the Boar King, then he may that unlocking their secrets will reveal the antagonists for a hoplite saga (or any other be called upon to help defend the Boar resting places of a great artifact. Few of these sort of saga) set in Normandy. Alternatively, King’s realm from the Quaesitor. This magi agree on the precise nature of that arti- the characters could become members of the might throw him into opposition with fact or how to decode the cryptic references court of the Boar King, or join the Children his covenant sodales. in the stories, but they are undeterred. The of Odin. Knights of the Green Stone are one such In a particular saga, one, both, or none of group (see The Mysteries Revised Edition, page these groups may exist — this is left for the Story Seed: 131), but there are undoubtedly others. troupe to decide. Finally, there are a few magi who do be- Desecrated Temple lieve in the chivalric ideals espoused by the romances, and who strive to live their lives Several pagan temples dedicated to according to this code. Celeres of Bonisagus, The Boar King the Boar King were destroyed by Chris- who now lives at Cunfin, is one such magus, tian missionaries, but a newly revived though more than one member of the Order The Boar King is a faerie once worshiped cult of the Boar King is attempting to questions his sanity. by the Gauls. He lives in a wooden fortress re-consecrate one. If members of the in a regio with a Faerie aura of 7, which can covenant are allied with the Boar King, be accessed from several dark, dank for- they are approached by the cultists est groves, where the sun barely penetrates seeking assistance in a brewing con- Romantic Saga Structure the fetid air. The Boar King claims to own frontation with the church — maybe the forests of the Normandy Tribunal — al- covenant members even lead the cult. The romances can provide a template though as other supernatural creatures also Alternatively, local church officials who for a saga structure. A group of heroic magi make this claim, the situation is clearly com- have learned of the revival might ap- may undertake quests not unlike those of the plex. At any rate, he hunts boar in the au- proach the covenant seeking allies to knights in the stories. In a high fantasy-style tumn, and hunters who take too much from suppress the cult, and to also confirm saga, the magi would be continually falling the forest find themselves hunted by the Boar that the covenant is not involved. into faerie regiones where the chivalrous King and his court. behaviors of the romances are the norm and From his forest fortress, the Boar King faerie knights stand at every crossroads to has brooded on the encroachment of men challenge all who would seek to pass them. and especially the Divine into his forest, Sagas inspired by the romances may well and he has slowly concluded that merely include a quest for the Grail, which was first hunting down the odd greedy hunter has introduced into the literature in Chretien’s done nothing to slow the advance of men. Perceval but which quickly came to dominate Several centuries ago he had good relation- the story cycle. If the players wish to explore ships with the local members of House this path, the troupe should decide on the Diedne, who helped him patrol his forest nature of the quest. In the early romances, estates. The Boar King is aware that House the Grail is a physical object that may be re- fell during the Schism War, and has recovered, while in the later stories it is more cently decided to seek replacements for his a symbol of spiritual perfection rather than fallen Diedne allies, probably among Me- something that can be obtained. Both types rinita and Bjornaer magi, who he hopes will of stories are worth telling, but it is best if the help prevent (and reverse) the destruction troupe decides on which of two they want of his forest. to pursue.

119 The Lion and the Lily The Boar King Story Seed:

Faerie Might: 40 (Animal) trespassers enter areas that are nor- Master of the Hunt Characteristics: Int –1, Per +1, Pre +2, Com mally empty of people. This power If a Merinita or Bjornaer magus –2, Str +4, Sta +5, Dex +2, Qik 0 needs to penetrate to be successful, passes through the forest, the Boar King, Size: +1 but groups of magi (for example) of- accompanied by a more-subtle member Age: n/a (30) ten travel with grogs and companions of his court, approaches him, preferably Confidence Score: 2 (6) who have no Magic Resistance. As it when he is alone. The courtier, named Virtues and Flaws: None takes several days to penetrate into Salvirius, will try to gently establish the Personality Traits: Reckless +3, Proud +2, the heart of the forest, and he uses magus’ attitudes to the wilderness, and Wrathful +1 this power daily, the Boar King can if he appears suitable will offer him a Reputations: King of the Forest 3 (local), be well prepared for visitors. part of the forest’s power in return for Ally of House Diedne 2 (Hermetic) Ancient Rage, 5 points, Init –10, Animal: a sacrifice and completion of a quest Combat: The Boar King enters a frothing — perhaps destroying a newly estab- Boar Spear (foot): Init +3, Attack +13, De- fury; he has +3 to all his Attack and lished settlement in the forest. By mim- fense +9, Damage +11 Soak scores, and a –3 penalty to his icking the Forest Paths (see Guardians of Boar Spear (mounted): Init +3, Attack Defense. He also ignores all Wound the Forests, page 35), the Boar King hopes +16, Defense +12, Damage +11 Penalties except Incapacitated when to entice the magus into becoming a for- Tusks (gore): Init +0, Attack +12, Defense enraged. His rage lasts for a day, and est guardian. Whether the Boar King’s +10, Damage +7 during this time he attacks anyone at path is a true Forest Path is debatable, Soak: +10 the slightest provocation, and he may but his court can certainly provide many Wound Penalties: –1 (1–6), –3 (7–12), –5 neither retreat nor give quarter. resources to a magus ally, so it might not (13–18), Incapacitated (19–24), Dead Impaled by the Thorn, 5 points, Init –5, Cor- effectively matter. Salvirius, in particu- (25+) pus and Mentem: The Boar King may lar, can teach a number of Virtues. Abilities: Animal Handling 5 (boar), Area hurl a boar spear at any human target Lore: Normandy Tribunal 5 (forest), within Sight Range. No roll is required Athletics 5 (running), Awareness 3 to hit the target, and if this attack pen- (trespassers), Brawl 9 (gore), Carouse etrates she is paralyzed and cannot The Children of Odin 3 (lament), Dead Language: Latin move, speak, see, smell, or otherwise 3 (hunting terms), Dead Language: act or think (including casting a spell). Gaulish 5 (druidic terms), Etiquette The character does not age either. The Children of Odin is a Mystery Cult 1 (courtly), Faerie Lore 5 (worship), Wrenching the spear from her body whose members view themselves as the heirs Folk Ken 3 (hunters), Great Weapon 7 ends the effect, but inflicts a Heavy to the magic of ninth-century Viking raiders. (boar spear), Hunt 10 (hunters), Lead- Wound — although magic may be Despite this purportedly ancient pedigree, ership 5 (faeries), Living Language: able to overcome this difficulty. the cult itself is new: its Hierophant, Queen Breton 3 (hunting terms), Organiza- Call of the Hunter, 10 points, Init 0, Herbam: Skuld, only began to initiate her followers a tion Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (House Using this power, the Boar King can decade or so ago. The cult is secretive, small, Diedne), Ride 5 (hunting), Stealth 7 appear at any location in his forest. and yet to be exposed to the wider Order. (forest), Survival 10 (forest), Swim 3 Equipment: The Boar King carries a num- The philosophy of Queen Skuld is (swamp) ber of boar spears, but his court can purely a philosophy of power. She believes Powers: furnish him with anything he desires, that the duchy of Normandy rightfully be- Voice of the Woods, 0 points, constant, Ani- although some items may be glamour, longs to the Normans, and that she is her- mal (Herbam or Mentem): The Boar not real. self the true descendant of the Viking earl King can converse with any wood- Vis: 4 pawns of Animal in each tusk. Rollo who captured Normandy in 911 (see land creature or plant. They will also Appearance: The Boar King is a large man Chapter 2, History of Mythic France). For obey any order he issues to the best of with the head of a boar. His speech is the Children of Odin, the annexation of their abilities. oddly accented due to two large tusks Normandy by King Philip II of France is an Sylvan Sanctity, 1 point, Init 0, Mentem: that protrude from his jaw. His arms abomination that must be reversed via the When he uses this power, the Boar and naked torso are adorned with ab- installation of Skuld as the maga-Queen of King is aware of the approximate lo- stract tattoos and bronze bracelets, Normandy. Of course, the megalomaniacal cation and number of all human in- and he normally wears animal-hide pursuit of mundane power holds little inter- truders in his forest. Normally, this trousers and a cloak. He often rides est for most magi, and such a scheme offers is quite a large number of people and a wild horse bareback, accompanied no obvious mystical benefits to the other there is too much information for by a group of faerie knights. He is cult members. However, Skuld has man- the Boar King to fully understand. also travels with a number of other aged to learn many secrets of Viking magic However, he can easily identify when courtiers. — or so she says — during her exploration as a young maga of Viking wrecks and ruins. These secrets have lured other magi to join Skuld’s cult.

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Cult Members taneous Magic: see ArM5, page 44. Ordeals endured during the cult’s Initiations Queen Skuld Exactly which magi in the Tribunal are may include gaining the Flaws: in the cult is a matter left to the discretion Minor Hermetic Flaw, Blood Haze: The Age: 77 (Apparent age 37) of the troupe. There are unlikely to be more maga is crazed by bloodshed, and if she Personality Traits: than half a dozen current members, and all is directly involved in a combat situation Driven +3, members should have a relatively good Ig- she has a –10 penalty to Formulaic magic Proud +2, nem Art score, which may favor Flambeau, and has a –3 penalty to her Concentration Secretive +2 so that they could survive the first Quest to Ability Score. The character is considered the burning ships (see below). Members of in a combat situation if she is close enough Queen Skuld is the Hierophant of Montverte who can claim descendant from to smell blood that has been shed through the Children of Odin, and given the the covenant’s Scandinavian founders might violence (about a dozen paces). small size of the cult she has acted as be particularly interested in the cult. Minor Hermetic Flaw, Flawed Parma Magi- Mystagogue at all initiations complet- ca (Vim): see ArM5, page 54. ed thus far. She was once merely Skuld, Major Hermetic Flaw, Deficient Technique an unremarkable Tytalus maga resident Mystery Scripts (Creo): see ArM5, page 53. at Atramentum. She left House Tytalus for House Ex Miscellanea in the year The cult currently has Initiation Scripts 1178, and disappeared a few years lat- that grant the following Virtues: The Ships of Flame er; Skuld was last seen heading through the English Channel in a small boat to- Minor Hermetic Virtue, Life Boost: see These three perpetually burning Viking wards Scandinavia. She now resides in ArM5, page 44. longships, mortuaries to dead Viking war- a regio on the River Seine (see below). Minor Hermetic Virtue, Minor Magical Fo- lords, are each located in a different small Apart from her initiates, other magi are cus (Shape-shifting): see ArM5, page 46. Magical regio of aura 6 on the river Seine. unaware of her return to the Tribunal Major Hermetic Virtue, Life-Linked Spon- Each regio can only be entered by drifting in 1205. Given her long absence, it is possible that Queen Skuld is not really the Skuld who left for Scandinavia at all, but an impostor. She might be some kind of faerie or magic creature, or a powerful hedge wizard (maybe even an actual member of the Order of Odin). She may even really be a refugee from the Schism War.

Mystery Cults

Mystery Cults are Hermetic traditions that incorporate secret modifications to Hermetic theory that are revealed only to members. Full rules that describe how Mystery Cults reveal their knowledge (Initiation) are given in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults and The Mysteries: Revised Edition. If the troupe does not have access to these titles, then Initiation can be ap- proximated by a superior cult member (the Mystagogue) assigning the Initiate a Quest that should take about a year to complete. During the Quest, the Initiate undergoes an Ordeal (gains a Flaw) and comes to a higher understanding of the Mystery (gains a Virtue). The instructions for an Initiation are contained in a special Laboratory Text called an Initia- tion Script.

121 The Lion and the Lily

not authentic it is possible that Queen Skuld Story Seed: Attack Ships is aware of this fact; that is, for some reason she is lying to the other cult members about A group of monasteries on the Nor- is a Child of Odin, he may in fact be the the true nature of the cult’s magic. mandy coast are raided by Vikings, and as responsible cult member. the covenant is nearby the magi are asked to perform (or assist in) an investigation. There are also a number of merchant ships Nordic Triumph missing in the area. As it is more than two hundred years since the age of the Viking MuMe(He)(Te) Level 65 The Tradition raids, it will be obvious to the characters R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Structure, Ritual that there must be some kind of trick of Kings or magical explanation behind such an This ritual is cast while on board a ship, anachronistic assault. Investigation might which the spell transforms into a dragon- Philip II, called Augustus, sits on the reveal that Hermetic magic has contrib- prowed longship, and the crew are trans- throne of France. He rules with absolute au- uted to the raids, but any Hermetic sigils formed into fierce Viking warriors who view thority under a divine mandate to protect the appear to be shrouded (see ArM5, page the caster as their chieftain. The spell does church and to rule his subjects with justice. 159). In fact, the assault is the work of not give the crew any Abilities they did not His position seems very strong and secure, but the Children of Odin, and the spell Nordic already have, but it makes them think and there are many questions in the background Triumph has been used to produce the ef- act as if they are Viking warriors, including that have stirred up a number of schemes. fect. Mounting these attacks was a Mys- acting as a trained group in combat. This story arc draws on the historical back- tery Initiation Quest, and the investigators ground in Chapter 2: The Mythic History of may discover the responsible cult member. (Base 15, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +4 Struc- France. It depends upon the player characters Alternatively, if a player character magus ture, +2 Requisites) having some link with mundane nobility. The nobility themselves are linked by blood, marriage, and feudal oaths, and it is through this down the Seine in a boat aflame on a par- ever, the cult may be wrong in this claim. If, network that the characters are most likely to ticular day — the date corresponding to the in your saga, the cult is in fact an authentic learn of the plots. Others will emerge through death of the Viking warlord. It is a simple heir to the Order of Odin, then you might contacts in the Order of Hermes. matter, however, to leave the regiones by like to add to the cult’s repertoire some of Several plots are targeting the oil of merely swimming to the banks of the Seine. the rune magic powers described in Ancient anointing and/or the throne of France. For de- Each Viking longship burns fiercely and Magic (page 133). Alternatively, during the tails of the holy oil, see Chapter 2: The Myth- inflicts fire damage (+20 each round) on any- course of your saga, a researcher in the cult ic History of France, The Holy Oil of Con- one standing upon the deck. This is a magi- may manage to integrate rune magic with secration. The player characters should come cal attack with a Penetration of 30, which Hermetic theory. Either option could in- across each plot in turn, and have the oppor- may be resisted as normal. The fire does not crease the power of the cult considerably. tunity to learn something about them. Fully require fuel and does not consume the Vi- On the other hand, if the Mystery Cult is resolving some of them should, if possible, be king longship, but foreign material brought into the regio is consumed unless protected by magic. A high-magnitude Perdo Ignem effect might be devised to extinguish the fire, Story Seed: Story Seed: but this will probably also destroy the regio. A Norman Conquest The Tapestry Cult Initiates must (as their first Quest) find their way, unaided, onto the deck of one A covenant magus with a strong Nor- If a character is a member of the Mys- of the longships and recover an axe from a man pedigree is approached by a rela- tery Cult, he is sent to retrieve the Bay- fallen Viking warrior, but Queen Skuld is the tive seeking support for an Anglo-Nor- eux Tapestry from the town of Bayeux only long-term resident in the regiones. She man invasion of the French mainland. In (see Chapter 5: Normandy). Queen Skuld has constructed her Laboratory on the deck fact, the relative is under the control of wishes to use the tapestry to aid her Pen- of one longship. Other cult members some- a Child of Odin and is merely sounding etration on a spell cast on the French king times travel to her burning ship, but the diffi- out the character’s attitudes to the French (who is the current “Duke” of Normandy). culty of timing visits means that Skuld usually occupation of Normandy. If the charac- Alternatively, a group of Viking warriors communicates via Haunt of the Living Ghost. ter appears enthusiastic about the pros- appear at the gates of Bayeux and proceed pect of an invasion, he will be formally to hack their way through into the cathedral approached by the Mystery Cult, which to steal the tapestry. Either the covenant is The Order of Odin claims to have a more-realistic plan for approached by the church post facto to Normandy. If the character joins the cult, recover the Bayeux Tapestry or covenant The Children of Odin Mystery Cult is not the troupe can tell a number of stories members are present in the town during the the Order of Odin. It is a Mystery Cult that about his Initiation through the degrees assault. In either case, the raid should be sus- claims to have discovered the secrets of some of the Mystery Cult. piciously anachronistic to the characters. of the magic of the Order of Odin. How-

122 The Lion and the Lily saved to the end, when several plots are about to come to fruition at the same time. Story Seed: It seems unlikely that the power and authority of the king lies in his family back- Does Kingship Depend on the Holy Oil? ground, or else how could the Carolingians and Capetians rule? Perhaps it resides in the A powerful magus, who has probably came to a Tribunal vote, could they muster holy oil, and could be acquired by anyone experienced one bad Twilight too many, sufficient support against a senior magus, bold enough to take and use this. Perhaps it has decided to take the holy oil and in- one who would make a very powerful and resides in the oil but requires the ceremony tends to apply it to himself, convinced it dangerous enemy? and blessing of the church to activate it. will help him become Primus of his House. A small group of German nobles plans Maybe it lies in the crown or the throne? It He is working on enchantments using the to steal the holy oil so they can stop Philip may lie in the blood of Merovech, a notion spells he thinks he will need to walk into II anointing his son. They think this will supported by the continuing tradition among Reims Cathedral and take it. He might visit break the Capetian succession and give the Frankish kings to have themselves depict- the player characters’ covenant to consult them the chance to put a Carolingian back ed with the long hair and beard traditional for a book on mundane history or talk with a on the throne. Their candidate is from the the Merovingians, even if they do not favor senior magus. Alternatively, he might be East Frankish line and can trace his ancestry the same style in reality. A magus who unrav- met at Tribunal and let slip a clue to his to Charlemagne. They know of the ruling eled the mystery of kingship and learned its plans. Can the characters expose his plot of Pope Stephen II, and erroneously believe secrets might make use of the knowledge to before it brings the wrath of the mundane the “seven generations” reprieve is about to assume power within the Order. authorities down on the Order, but with- expire. It is quite likely that this plot only out being themselves accused of spying on comes to the attention of the player char- a magus? Before the Quaesitores, would acters when they are in Reims, either going Saints they stand a chance of being believed? If it for the oil themselves or guarding it.

There are numerous saints closely linked turned monk then bishop. Noted for St. Valery: Sixth-century shepherd from the to the Frankish king. One may answer a giving half his cloak to a naked beggar. Auvergne who became a monk and later supplicant’s prayer and guide characters to Played an important role in stamping out lived as a hermit near Amiens. information about the mysteries surrounding paganism in Gaul. St. Vedast: Bishop of Arras who prepared the kingship. St. Remi: Bishop of Reims, known as Apostle Clovis I for baptism. Usually depicted of the Franks. Baptised Clovis I, his fam- with a wolf, often carrying a live goose. St. Clotilde: Wife of Clovis I, the first Chris- ily, and 3,000 followers. St. Louis: If your saga follows history, Louis tian Merovingian king. Patron of the St. Riquier: Seventh-century pagan from IX (currently 5 years old) ascends to the lame; invoked against sudden death and northern France. Converted by Irish throne of France in 1226. His reign is iniquitous husbands. missionaries and became a priest, then notable for his piety, and he is canon- St. Martin of Tours: Fourth-century soldier bishop, but ended life as a hermit. ized as St. Louis in 1297. Factions within Mythic Europe, especially those with access to divination powers, might try to Story Seed: Does it Depend on the Man? encourage or hinder this outcome.

A small group of French nobles feel favor? If not, characters will find it easier that the king is not behaving in the correct to challenge his position. His reluctance kingly manner. They think they can ma- to join the crusade in southern France sug- nipulate his young son and turn him into gests that he has not. the sort of leader that a king should be, so Through their contacts in the nobility, The Noble Life they are plotting to remove Philip, proba- the characters are asked to aid investigation bly by means of a “hunting accident.” The of the suspicion that King Philip is being In the Normandy Tribunal the harsh real- player characters’ closest contact among badly advised. The growing army of clerks ities of living in close contact with mundane the mundane nobility comes across the at court is not entirely to the king’s liking. society have led some covenants into very plot and asks the characters for help. Some of his advisers and bureaucrats are close relationships with the nobility. Some An educated young man with high covertly recruiting their own friends and have come to embrace a companion as nomi- Presence arrives at the covenant with an relations to swell the bureaucracy at the nal holder of their lands, thereby hoping to unusual request: he is seeking someone king’s expense. Some are over-protective, evade the problems of land ownership in the capable of giving him a permanent, non- keeping him from the crusade for fear he feudal system. It can be very difficult to hold a scarring tattoo of a red cross. He is part of will be injured, and others are exploiting castle or manor in the Tribunal without some another plot involving several of the French him to further their own interests, so do all apparent relationship with a liege lord — yet nobility to replace Philip’s line entirely. they can to keep him close at hand and mis- magi are forbidden by the Oath to enter into Philip’s own ascension clearly met with informed. Behind it all is a truly evil man on such relationships, so a companion is often divine approval, but has he retained divine the king’s staff, prompted by a demon. required to fulfill that role. This relationship with the landholding

123 The Lion and the Lily knight can drive many stories, and indeed the survive by being associated with a Cistercian court, often at important events like Pente- whole saga. It is particularly suited to a slow monastery, and a monastic establishment is an cost, Easter, or Christmas, can be considered saga (see ArM5 page 218) where the com- option even though it is subject to the atten- to be part of the seasons spent working by panions and grogs can play a central role. It tion of the Church. Another popular method the knight. Wealthy companion knights may is not possible just to appoint somebody and is to establish a covenant in the manor or castle consider paying Écuage, a payment made in then let them get on with representing your of an heiress or widow, but this lays one open lieu of the military service so as to increase interests, as knighthood makes its own de- to romantic or opportunistic suitors. Even a their free time to study or train. Écuage is mands and can frequently impact the whole mercantile establishment such as Florum faces very common, and the French army consists covenant. Making the covenant nominally the problem of the guild’s scrutiny. If armed largely of mercenaries and paid serjeants, as held by a companion draws those characters and armored grogs are required, a castle or well as knights seeking glory in battle and into focus, and grogs and companions can manor may be an obvious choice for a cov- the resulting spoils of war. gain new life as they are seen in the natu- enant, in a Tribunal notably devoid of wastes Another duty of the knightly class is to ral context of the mundane community, be- and wilderness for magi to hide within. enforce law and justice. In the Normandy coming valuable intermediaries between the Tribunal the legal system is based on Frankish mundane world and the magi. When design- Tribal Law, and is best represented by the abil- ing your companions, it is important to think ity Common Law, though it is not the same as about how they fit into the local political, Duties of the Knight the Common Law of England. (The Proven- clerical, and mercantile environment, and çal Tribunal in the south uses Civil Law based they will frequently inspire stories that have Just because the magi do not owe fealty upon the Roman model, and this is one of the repercussions upon the magi. Montverte is a to a lord, that does not mean the companion great differences between the langue d’oc- and good example of a covenant that has entered who is holder of their estate does not. Each langue d’oeil-speaking regions of France.) into such an arrangement, which has an ob- knight owes military service to his liege — Most capital crimes are tried by the higher vious appeal in the Normandy Tribunal. forty days every year — and he is expected nobility or royal court. Trial by combat is still A castle or manor with a “tame” knight is to turn up suitably armed and equipped. This a right occasionally invoked, and even wit- not the only option. Cunfin has managed to and the customary attendance at the liege’s nesses can be challenged, though champions are often used. A loss, however, results in very severe penalties, so it is often a method used Story Seed: Does it Depend on the Bloodline? by the strong to avoid justice. Knights may well be called upon to act as champions of the A maga of House Jerbiton has found a without bringing down upon themselves a poor and the oppressed, including those who boy descended from Merovech in whom charge of scrying. feel themselves ill-treated by a magus. the heritage is strongly expressed. He dis- Scattered across Europe in both noble Along with the duties inherent in plays some of his illustrious ancestor’s special and less-exalted families, there are descen- knightly status there come many privileges. powers: he always wins brawls even though dants of the Merovingian Dynasty. One of Knights can use their rank to demand re- he may be much slighter than his opponent, these may manifest the supernatural legacy spect and obedience from commoners, and can often understand what an animal’s call of the Quinotaur strongly enough to have enjoy better food and drink. They are much means, he has some ability at divination, The Gift. A magus who decided to claim given to the pleasure of the hunt, and many and he has the Purifying Touch. He wears his birthright would be a significant chal- knights indulge in poetry or music. Some be- his hair uncut, which marks him out as lenge to the political stability of the realm, come trouveres, as the romantic troubadours strange to mundane eyes. The maga has tak- and a problem for the Quaesitores. A lone are known in the Normandy Tribunal, and en the boy as her apprentice even though he maga (a Peregrinator, see Guardians of the sing the tales of Charlemagne and Arthur at is unGifted. She intends to get her protégé Forests: The Rhine Tribunal page 20) of House the courts of the nobles, who are great en- as close to the throne as possible, believing Ex Miscellanea living in the Rhine Tribunal thusiasts for these performances. that he will use his mundane power and in- has discovered that she is descended from The other great sport of the knight is the fluence to the benefit of the Order, with her Merovech and plots to claim the throne of tournament, which is often frowned upon by working behind the scenes to ensure this is the Western Franks for herself. She mistak- the church and sometimes by the king, as so. She believes she can do this without be- enly believes her goal will benefit the Order it provides an opportunity for his vassals to ing seen to breach the Code. so much that the Quaesitores will approve. meet and plot rebellion. Stakes in the tourna- She spends plenty of time in the labo- Her investigations have led her to believe ment are often a ransom equal to the knight’s ratory with him, studying his Virtues and that she must somehow secure for herself equipment. Successful tournament knights making sure he learns Latin and the Liberal the correct coronation ceremony. Should can and could become wealthy, but at the Arts. While the boy is getting a good edu- a female claimant make herself known, she risk of grave injury or accidental death. Still, cation, she is starting to cultivate suitable would face hostility from the Church, the so popular are tournaments that they have mundane contacts so that when she be- nobility, and most of the rest of the world. come, like much of the knightly culture, to lieves he is ready, she can introduce him to It is likely that only a sign from Heaven be reflected in the Hermetic culture of the noble society at the highest possible level. could convince the world of her claimed Tribunal. Rumors of magical assistance given The characters may have to investigate right. The player characters may discover to tournament knights by their covenants suspicions about her motives in building her plans and can be called upon to thwart frequently emerge, and are treated very seri- close relationships with powerful nobles, her before any obvious harm is done. ously by the Quaesitores as potentially leading the Order into conflict with mundanes.

124 The Lion and the Lily

Young knights often choose to become knights errant, a description rather than a title Story Seed: Story Seed: or social class. Like the heroes of the romances, the knight errant rides out in search of A Romantic Interlude The Knight Errant adventure, which can take many forms. Slay- ing monsters, dealing with faeries, fighting in The essence of courtly love is the pur- Young questing knights looking for wars, and wooing a lady in courtly romance all suit of an unobtainable woman, often one wealth and fame who turn up at the cov- form part of this experience, and what knight whom the lover has only glimpsed, or has enant are nothing unusual, and the stories can resist the allure of the rumors of the tower hardly spoken to. When a maga learns she they bring of monsters, faeries, and hidden of magicians in the haunted forest? Many a is the subject of a number of love poems treasures are sometimes worth listening companion has first come to the Order’s cov- and ballads, some so enchanting they have to. One young knight, however, provokes enants while seeking adventure. become popular ditties sung even by the a flurry of interest in the covenfolk when Errantry is, however, a passing phase, covenfolk, she may be baffled, concerned, they mistake him for one of the magi about usually associated with the younger knight. or irate. When the lover turns up to press the same age. He is almost identical. The At some point he is expected to have amassed his suit, completely unaware that she is a magus (or maga) was taken from his home enough wealth and respect to be granted maga, not a noblewoman, the whole cov- at an early age, and has no recollection of more lands and a comfortable manor house, enant may be less amused and more con- who he was. Nor did his parens, who is and hang up his sword as much as possible cerned, especially as he starts to compose currently lost in temporary Twilight, think to concentrate on his wife (hopefully a rich songs and poems about her home and it wise to inform him. If the two meet, heiress), his estates, and the hunt and plea- “court.” The trouvere is an important noble however, the story may come out and the sures of court life. His chief aims are always and landowner in his own right, so direct missing past will be dredged up. More to produce an heir and to further his family’s action would be disastrous. If he learns his worryingly, the twin brother, if such he is, reputation and wealth by enlarging their es- love has no husband, the genuinely smit- forms an Arcane Connection to the magus, tates and fortune. Companions may expect ten trouvere may actually go as far as to and the covenant may well not be the only to be supported by the magi they associate propose marriage. This situation will re- people to see the family resemblance. The with in these ambitions, which can cause quire very delicate diplomacy, or some magus risks having his true name, date of conflict with the Code. clever ruse. The fact that the trouvere is birth, and many other details perhaps best carrying a minor relic in his ring does not not known exposed, but the young knight make things any easier, as it grants him will be delighted to find his long lost sib- Legal Issues some Magic Resistance. ling. How will the magi cope?

The relationship between the magi and him to get on with running mundane mat- realm. An aggressive campaign of expanding the knight companion can be problematic. In ters. While their interference in the latter a companion’s estates or magical wealth gen- 865 the Grand Tribunal made a ruling that was clearly proven, the precedent was set eration which impacts on the local economy was to have serious repercussions on those based on Iola’s distinction under pressure would clearly be a cause for a case at Tribunal, who live with a mundane lord. Magi are from Verditius magi who argued that if an so covenants must maintain a delicate balance bound by this ruling not to work as “court economic relationship was deemed inadmis- between maintaining their interests and pro- wizards,” yet they have a natural desire to sible, all sales of magical items would be- tecting their homes. As mundane resources are support the titular owner of their home, mag- come suspect. (In fact, the Grand Tribunal not protected under the infamous 1116 ruling, ically or mundanely. If they live in a covenant ruling of 1061 was to limit sales of magic rebellion and mundane raiding is technically that is situated in a manor or castle, they will items to mundanes). It was agreed that magi legal in the Tribunal, providing that the labora- wish to use magic to improve living condi- had a right to defend themselves and their tories and libraries of the magi themselves are tions and further their own interests against covenant, and its physical location was irrel- not damaged. The latter are clearly protected, potential mundane threats. To what extent evant. The Tribunal ruled that, in accordance as demonstrated in the ruling of 1130 when does this run the risk of breaching the Code? with the “not bringing ruin upon my sodales” the covenant of Infelicitas had been damaged The vital aspect is that even if one lives clause, providing no danger to the Order was by a raid that destroyed two laboratories, and within the actual home of a mundane noble, brought about by their actions, the situation was declared an illegal action. no vassal relationship exists. Court wizards of a covenant within a castle or manor was Despite these rulings, it is clear that one are generally defined as “employees,” but legal. Magical support may be offered to the must be careful at all times when intervening employee here is not a function of economic companion lord as a consors — that is, as an in mundane affairs. In 1179 Pernix of Merinita support, but rather a relationship of subor- acknowledged asset of the covenant. healed a young nobleman of life-threatening dination enforced by vows (usually of vas- However, in 1088 a ruling was made injuries after he fell from his horse, but as co- salage). This distinction was first made by against Florum, who by their actions were vert magic was used, and those with knowl- Iola of Guernicus in 1047. The claim was said to be upsetting the local economy. They edge of the event were limited to friends of made by enemies of the covenant of Mont- argued that limiting their mercantile actions the covenant, the earlier precedent clearly verte that they were acting as court wizards was depriving them of magical power, but applied. No ruin had been brought upon the by residing within the home of a mundane this was found to be a spurious argument. Order, so Pernix was acquitted. The Nor- lord. They argued in their defense that they This precedent has limited the extent to mandy Tribunal is understandably reasonable held no oath of vassalage, and that they left which covenants can interfere in the mundane about the necessities and accommodations of

125 The Lion and the Lily

largely in manor houses (manoir, in French), many of which are fortified as a result of the warfare of the last few decades. Often sur- mounting a low motte, or mound, the manor is enclosed by a wooden or stone wall. The manor itself is usually stone and timbered for support, with a thatched roof. A typical manor consists of a large two- story hall, with the upper story being a duplicate of the ground floor. A doorway leads in from one end, with a large door for livestock to be driven in on one wall, and a smaller door opposite. Inside the space is a single room (occasionally divided by movable screens) with an archway at the far end leading into a kitchen or service area. On the upper story, reached by internal spiral stairs built into the wall, or by wooden stairs inside, the family and more-important servants live and sleep, life in such a settled and civilized land, but it Possible Homes the room above the kitchen being the family’s is all too easy to accidentally bring calumny private chamber. The upper story is elabo- upon ones sodales by interfering in mundane for Magi rately decorated with bright murals and stone matters, and such assistance should always be carvings to display wealth, but both floors circumspect and covert if possible. Not all magi who decide to have a close usually have a proper fireplace and often a It is worth noting that most nobles relationship with a mundane lord will actu- chimney. This arrangement, with most folk are aware of the existence of the Order of ally live within his home. sleeping in one of the two halls — the salle Hermes (see ArM5 page 15) and if faced inferior (ground floor) or salle superior (upper with an aggressive foe who appears to be us- story) — gives vivid physical expression to so- ing magic against them are likely to quickly Manors cial class distinctions. Both stories have many appeal to the Church, king, or other magi- windows, with square windows and window cians for assistance. Blatant magical aid could No matter where you go in the Tribunal, seats increasingly common. There is usually a easily result in “ruin” and serious charges be- you will not be too far from the residence barn, wooden outbuildings, and sometimes a ing brought against careless magi. of a local knight. The knightly class resides small chapel within the enclosure.

Story Seed: Story Seed: Story Seed: The Miller’s Son The Warring Vassals Cheating at Tournament

The magi are approached by a loyal The covenant enjoys good relations A well-respected but older knight who member of their covenfolk who has served with at least two landowners, both of is a great friend of the covenant has suffered the covenant well for many years, perhaps whom are knights and also possibly com- a run of appalling bad luck. Poor harvests having performed an exceptional service panions. They are firm friends, yet owe and the need to pay a heavy tax toward his such as saving a magus’ life. He has come to fealty to two different lieges who have liege’s daughter’s dowry, and then a fine after ask a boon of the magi. His son has always suddenly fallen into a deadly dispute that losing a court case over land, has led him been good with horses, and has worked for is leading towards a war. Both will clearly into near-destitution. He plans, however, many years in the covenant as a stable hand, call upon their vassals to support them, to ride to a great tournament nearby, and but now he is approaching maturity. He has probably by raiding and attacking their despite his advanced years hopes to make a secret ambition — to become a knight. friends’ lands, as well as by providing mili- money from ransoms and his winnings. Sad- While his low birth, coarse manners, and tary service. The resulting deaths and in- ly, he realistically stands little chance of suc- lack of adequate equipment prevent this juries may well result in tragedy, and the cess against the younger men, and far more dream from being realized, the miller asks if fighting might even destroy covenant vis of being accidentally maimed or slain. A the magi could help in this matter. The miller sources. Backing either side would result proud man, he would refuse any assistance, is popular in the area, as is his son, and a rude in a clear breach of the Code of Hermes, financial or magical. But it is possible the refusal might offend many of the covenfolk, so can the magi find a way to resolve the magi may be able to covertly help him win but to train the boy as a knight and then find conflict before their friends are drawn into at the tournament. The only complication is a way of introducing him to a noble court the bloodshed? the presence of another magus, who is there where he can be knighted will require all the as a spectator, and who must be distracted or magi’s wits if they consent to assist. fooled if magic is to be used.

126 The Lion and the Lily

Castles Story Seed: Story Seed: War! Throughout the Tribunal are castles of all sizes, dating from successive generations A Mysterious Child After many years of peace, the cov- of warring landholders. They are especially enant is suddenly faced with raids from common on the border between Normandy On a dark winter night, a snowstorm neighboring lords, rebellion by vassals, and Brittany, and on other provincial bound- rages. The darkness is broken by torches, and constant warfare as crops are burned, aries. Brittany, for example, has over six hun- and the liege lord arrives in some discomfort, villages sacked, and castles besieged. Why dred mottes, and forty major castles. The having braved an arduous midnight trek. He has this come about? Suspicion must fall wars and revolts have resulted in many vassals bears a small bundle — a warmly wrapped upon the covenant’s Hermetic rivals, seek- having their castles slighted (demolished) by child, who, he insists, is of great impor- ing to use mundane forces to destroy them angry overlords, so ruined castles are also tance, but must be kept hidden for now. He without infringing the Peripheral Code, quite a common feature of the landscape. charges his vassal with protecting the child, as only mundane resources are being at- While a ruined castle may manage to and raising it as his or her own. What is the tacked. Can the covenant identify their evade detection if the magi use magic or are secret of the child? What intrigues have the foes and somehow manage to turn their suitably discrete, usually possession of a castle characters been drawn into? enemies away, or are they doomed to fall? ties one immediately into the web of vassal relationships, and will require that the landown- ing knight be a companion. Each castle is sup- the land around itself for a distance of twenty ported by a network of manors, and mundane miles, gradually converting wild spaces into • A religious leader, who wishes to reduce relations are therefore vital. Castles are so ob- farmland. Farmland is usually covered by the the city’s culture to a joyless, repetitious vious and party to problems that they are de- Dominion, which impairs magical practice round of prayer. fined as a major hook Covenants( , page 12), and and corrodes vis-harvesting sites. This story • A conspiracy of diabolists among the the possession of a castle will therefore result seed does not examine the rise of the cities in city’s ruling class, royal court, city guard, in stories and problems for the inhabitants. detail, only the effect this has on magi in the or clerics. Normandy Tribunal. Players desiring further • A plague of unknown origin. information may findCity and Guild useful. • Famine. • Invasion, either by a rebellious duke or Magi and Landholders by the king of another country. • Civil unrest between the rising mercan- These story seeds all presume a close Paris tile class and the nobility, or between the relationship between the magi and a land- French and immigrants. holder, and are designed to draw the magi Paris is a city swelled to enormous pro- into the mundane world, which they might portions, with a population rivaling some be keen to avoid. kingdoms. It houses people from everywhere The Royal Court in Europe, and draws in all who lack anywhere else to go. It is a center of culture, and a den of The largest of the cities, Paris, has housed vice. Angels and demons struggle for the souls the court of the King of France for the last of tens of thousands of humans, in battles of few decades. Prior to this the court wandered persuasion hidden just beneath the surface of the royal demesnes, but the French king is so The Advance a million daily transactions. Faeries find new rich and powerful that he can have his retain- shapes, and hide in the alleyways and ale- ers supplied with food and luxuries all year of the Dominion houses. For magi, Paris is a fiery diamond that round, without needing to visit the Crown they long to seize, but cannot grasp. lands where much of his wealth is produced. This saga seed suggests stories that may Anything that harms Paris harms many of The great nobles of France, and some from as develop if the spread of mundane settlements the magi in this Tribunal, who depend on it for far away as Italy and Germany, have settled in exacerbates the pressures on the covenants exotic supplies. The covenant of Eboris, deep- the capital. This provides them with unusually of the Normandy Tribunal. This may serve ly versed as its members are in the undercur- close access to the wealth and power of the as a central arc for a saga that the characters rents of Parisian life, may be able to send up a king, which threatens magi who oppose them. struggle to resolve, or may act as a back- cry for help if something monstrous threatens Magi far from Paris, however, may find ground theme providing occasional stories. the city. How can magi, hindered as they are this situation favorable. When a great noble by the Dominion, defend it? There are many lives for most of the year in Paris, his lands potential foes that might harm Paris. are left in the stewardship of his retainers. These are often more easily suborned by The Growth of Towns Hermetic magi than their masters. Nobles of Threats to Paris the next-lower level of influence, those un- The need to feed and employ the residents able to maintain permanent lodging at the of Europe’s towns, which are rapidly increas- A story or arc of stories might focus on court, have greater autonomy while their ing in number and size, places relentless strain attempts to save the city from any of the lords are away. Magi living in this political on Hermetic covenants. Each city transforms following: environment find that their activities arouse

127 The Lion and the Lily less notice than usual, but that reprisal, if mundanes powerful enough to tempt magi to formally censured by the chief Quaesitor of provoked, is far stiffer than ordinary. break the Code congregate. Most of the se- the Stonehenge Tribunal for attempting to These tendencies toward looser control nior nobility of France know that the Order rescue Eleanor of Aquitaine from captivity. and sterner enforcement become stronger as exists. Some, particularly those with relatives There would have been serious consequenc- the court continues to centralize power. The who are members of House Jerbiton, have a es if that Tribunal had been quorate at the favor of the king, lavished on those who stay rough idea of the extent of action permit- time. Incidents like this will increase in fre- close to him, is too significant for the great ted under the Code. As mundane incursion quency and flagrancy as the covenants of the lords to ignore. The vassals of the great lords continues, covenants will become more des- Tribunal weaken. become increasingly independent, and are perate, while noblemen will become more bought back into line with progressively blunt- powerful. The Quaesitores fear that some er methods by their absentee rulers. Characters of their more-interventionist sodales may be might support either side in such a war, or sim- tempted into active alliance with the French The French Church ply suffer by living near the site of conflict. crown, or with a rebellious vassal. During the war between Henry II and The French church has become enor- Philip II, both sides offered the magi of the mously wealthy in recent times. The conver- Moral Hazard Order substantial concessions in exchange sion of forest into cropland, a duty of some for assistance. Some doubtlessly faltered, monks, provides harvests. The need for The court of France is a moral hazard and many covenants have Dark Secrets skilled clerks to assist in the administration for magi, because it is a place where those from that period. Oleron, for example, was of the lands, homes, and courts of great no-

Masks

Each of the subsections below men- fluence within the city. Some members of behalf of their magical patrons, unaware tions the use of disposable agents, called the law faculty of the University of Paris that the patron is the same individual. “masks,” by magi. These are mundane are also in communication with the cove- Eboris: The Ivory Carvers have a great agents who act on behalf of a covenant. If nant, and may help its members if asked to, deal of financial influence in the district the magi wish to keep their involvement in although they are not formal agents. where the covenant is placed. They are a plan secret, they need only hide or kill Fudarus: The Dyer’s Guild is infiltrated able to seek the assistance of many seedy this middleman. Agents are usually moti- by agents of Fudarus. Easily recognized by people from that district; either those who vated by money, ideology, coercion, or the their stained hands and arms, this guild is perform crime directly, or those who profit desire for excitement. The agents present- small but prosperous due to the magically from it. They provide patronage for many ed here can be used in the complex sys- enhanced dyes it can produce. Securing the artists, some of whom have useful social tem given in Houses of Hermes: Societates, but loyalty of the Parisian Dyer’s Guild was a connections. Byzantine émigrés see the Troupes preferring a simpler system should major coup for Fudarus against Florum, and covenant as part of their community, and instead allow characters to use Intrigue there is noted rivalry between the agents of occasionally pass on useful information. rolls to demonstrate the effectiveness of these two covenants in the city. Montverte: The covenant has sev- the agents a character can control. For fur- The guildmaster, Jon Baudin, is an ex- eral contacts in the Hanse Parisienne, the ther information on the use of masks, see cellent spy due to his apparent guileless- principal merchants’ league of Paris, who Chapter 3: Hermetic Culture. ness but keen intellect. He once answered profit from supplying these rich magi with to Daniel, a magus of House Tytalus, but many types of luxury goods. They also have Daniel died six years ago. Jon has contin- sketchy contact with the eremite magus Masks for Parisian Stories ued to receive instructions from a mundane Anacron, who has in the past collaborated servant of each Fudarus faction using illu- with them on furtive raids on the urban Many covenants find it useful to have sions to impersonate Daniel. Jon knows that storehouses of some of the other covenants. agents of influence within Paris. These can Daniel is dead, and has deduced that he is Oleron: Oleron is self-sufficient come from many backgrounds, because the answering to two different impersonators. enough to not desire a presence in Paris. immigrant community of Paris is so large He occasionally uses this to his advantage But on the few occasions its members have that virtually any fictional background is by reminding one Daniel of agreements he desired to cause trouble, they have been supportable. The oldest covenants have claims to have already made. The Daniel able to recruit roaming gangs of sailors, French masks with legitimate ties to Pari- he is speaking to, assuming the agreement many of whom are native to the island of sian society. As a rough guide, the follow- was made with the other Daniel and not Oleron, to do so. ing covenants have extensive influence in wanting to break his role, often pretends to The masks of warring covenants have the listed areas of Parisian society: remember the agreement. often clashed. Proxy battles using masks are Confluensis: The covenant has a great Fudarus also maintains a number of convenient for magi. They have little imme- deal of influence among the shipping com- other independent agents in Paris, who are diate expense, and may distract rivals from panies that carry goods along the Seine. not aware of each other’s alliance. Two are more-significant avenues of attack. Tradi- This includes much of the food supply for even partners in the same merchant busi- tionally this has meant that, in a way that Paris, so these companies have political in- ness, who scheme against each other on seems almost random to mundane observ-

128 The Lion and the Lily bles provides influence. Royal patronage and Tribunals, the rise of the French Church is Hermetic Culture the increasing popularity of pilgrimages and an excellent opportunity. Under the cover trade have also swelled the treasuries of the of the larger struggle for control of the church. This wealth has bought power not French Church between the king and pope, Hermetic culture, particularly as prac- only in France, but also within the Church. magi can settle their own scores with senior ticed in Normandy, favors the strong over To small covenants in France, the rise of churchmen. The Church is not formally split the weak. As the pressure on covenants in- the Church is a terrible thing. Unlike noble- along national lines, but the wealth of, and creases, the weaker will become the prey men, who are expected to spend their wealth prestige demanded by, the French Church of the stronger. Young covenants that falter on displays of status, the Church’s members is a fracture that magi can exploit. As the will become the vassals of older, more-secure spend wealth on good works. The Church is French Church becomes more wealthy and covenants. The cost of being a vassal will the greatest source of industrial research in powerful, its demand for a greater say in the likewise increase. Ways of diminishing the France, and servants of the Church are avid management of the Church as a whole will pressure will appeal to many magi, and will seekers of ways to make money by exploit- become increasingly strident, and its oppo- find support at Tribunal meetings. ing untapped resources. These good works sition to centralist popes more severe. This extend the influence of the Church, spread- favors magi, because a weak pope cannot ing the Dominion and hastening the decline muster the might of Christendom against Vassalage of Magic. the Order, but it does mean that the Order To the larger covenants of the Nor- needs to keep the peace with dozens of local Vassalage is a system in which the weak pay mandy Tribunal, and to covenants in other Church magnates. the strong for protection, either from a known

Masks (con’t)

ers, sections of Parisian society would attack cessional courts are. merchants who provide the most fashion- each other. The presence of the royal court Common types of masks include: able clothes in Paris, for example, are ser- in Paris has made such battles a risky propo- Administrators: Most great French vants of the Covenant of Fudarus. sition for all magi within the Order, as pun- lords are absent from their demesnes for Procurers: Those who provide the ishment may fall on them indiscriminately. extended periods, and the administra- means of vice for the noble. These include These disruptions, usually provoked tors they leave to maintain their interests mistresses, but any noble with a Weakness by Tytalus magi, are now illegal because are ripe for corruption by Hermetic magi. flaw can be easily exploited. Eboris is the senex of Paris. This grants its Many of these are churchmen. members the right to pursue the sponsors Family Members: Most noble families of masks if those sponsors can be deter- have younger sons or daughters who lack Masks Within the Church mined. Masks defend sponsors from charg- real opportunities for advancement and es of meddling with the mundanes, not of dislike being under the lifelong control of Members of the Order find masks charges of depriving magi of their resources a father or older brother. Covenants can within the Church particularly useful, be- and power. Similar proxy battles still occur provide them with excitement and money cause for most people the Church acts as in other major cities and less-overt conflict in exchange for petty treasons against the the mediator of the one realm to which in Paris remains common. head of their family. Hermetic magic is clearly inferior. House Household Servants: These include Jerbiton currently has many agents in the servants of all sorts, but particularly those Church, but comparatively few in France. Masks for Observing who wait immediately upon the noble. The House has usually focused its atten- and Controlling Nobles Mercenary Leaders: It is risky to pro- tion on the Greek east and the papal court vide direct military support to a nobleman, in Italy, so the rapid and recent rise of the A covenant’s agent requires proxim- because if the sponsorship of the merce- French Church has created many powerful ity either to the noble’s person, or to the nary company by a covenant is discovered, churchmen and women who are suitable as noble’s activities. then that is a definite breach of the Code. masks or allies, but are not controlled by Masks that are physically close to the Sponsorship of mercenary companies is, any House. person, like servants or family members, however, very lucrative because the coin- It is difficult for covenants to secure as are able to report on the movements of rich nobility of Paris need a source of man- masks those French churchmen who have the noble, who they meet, and elements power to be used against rebellious admin- influence in the papal court. These are few, of what they discuss. Some use emotional istrators in the provinces. and in recent years they have tended to be bonds to sway the nobleman on the cov- Periodic Visitors: Visitors to the pious, or puppets of the French king. Most enant’s behalf, while others use familiar- noble’s household like priests, tradesmen, covenants instead allow the French king to ity with the noble’s business to seed his and merchants of luxury goods. In Paris, continue weakening the papacy through retinue with other masks. The sedentary particularly, the court’s competitive opu- his bishops, while they themselves influ- court of France, fixed as it is in Paris, lence brings most nobles into contact with ence the regional leaders of the Church. makes its noblemen far easier to influence a scant handful of merchants who provide They are influenced by masks similar to with casual contacts than members of pro- fineries, and these are excellent masks. The those that are used to manipulate nobles.

129 The Lion and the Lily aggressor or from those paid the fees of vassal- nial party, but it is possible that vis-rich Tri- age. This sort of protection racket becomes even bunals might also be targeted. Story Seed: more significant when the mundane environment is increasingly hostile. As the Dominion spreads, The Demon of Vendée covenants who are able to fulfill the protective Cracking of Old Wards function of lieges will be able to charge more for A demon is trapped in a cave, well their services. Other lieges will fail, leaving their As magic fails across Normandy, ancient below sea level in the cleft at the far vassals at the mercy of the mundanes or in the wards will fade away. These might have been end of one of the rocky promontories at Vendée. As the waves break and the sea difficult position of needing to seek a new liege. placed during the Schism War to hold back surges up the cleft, his frustrated wailing Covenants may even seek lieges from outside the magical allies of the druids, or during the can be heard and, at high tide when the the Tribunal, splitting it apart. Corruption of House Tytalus to deprive them wind blows strongly, he bellows loudly of demonic assistance. Sites that have con- and shows his anger by sending great ex- tained powerful, subdued magical creatures plosions of spray up over the cliffs. This Colonialism for centuries are likely to have weak auras demon, maddened by the seawater, is and be prime sites for colonization by spring held by a ward that magi discover is Mag- Normandy’s magical areas are under as- covenants. Wards may fail individually as the ical, rather than Divine. As the Dominion sault, but its most powerful covenants are Dominion rises in an affected area, or could spreads to this area it will harm the de- still wealthy, effective, and bellicose. A co- crack in clusters as regional events cause the mon, certainly, but not as quickly as it will alition could form, dedicated to colonizing Dominion to spike upward briefly, then fade corrode the ward that contains him. an area with fewer mundanes and covenants. back to its usual level. The martyrdom of Denmark or West Africa might lure a colo- saints often has this effect, for example. Tytalus Schemes The central wisdom of House Tytalus is that there is a constant struggle between one’s nature and the constraints of society; the most laudable goal possible is the pursuit of that which serves self-interest. They believe that conflict is the means by which improvement is sought, and that anything that is easily won is, by necessity, of low value. With its domus magna a key player in the Hermetic landscape of the Normandy Tribunal, it is not surprising that House Tytalus forms a prominent part of the Order’s membership in this Tribunal. Many naïvely assume that Fudarus is at the center of numerous convoluted plots that affect every aspect of politics in Normandy. The problem with this assumption is that it fails to take into account the fact that Tytali magi are proud, independent, and competitive; and its Primi are too busy pursuing their own feuds to coordinate any grander plots. This is not to say that this intrigue-loving House is devoid of interest in Normandy; it is just that each individual member of the House is nurturing her own schemes, and Tytali are not good team players. Nevertheless, they occasionally find the need to work toward common goals that promote mutual self-improvement, and to do so they form clandestine organizations called cabals. The membership of a cabal is anonymous by agreement; its members meet in disguise or else not at all, employing mundane or magical correspondence instead. They may include both local and distant Tytali; it is not usual for two or more Tribu- nals to be represented in a cabal’s membership. Cabals are formed for the tactical resolution of a specific goal, but the motive for pursuing that goal may be different for every member

130 The Lion and the Lily gist lineage have become obsessed with the these songs, seducing them and, when their Ankeu, the spirit of Death that haunts Britta- defenses are down, doing horrible things to Story Seeds: ny (see Chapter 4: Brittany, Ankeu). Anyone their bodies and minds. Burdens of the Cart who reports hearing the creaking of Ankeu’s “Pellinore” believes himself to be de- cart can expect a visit from a member of this scended from the real King Arthur, a tribal The cabal captures a spirit of the cabal, for they are eager to confront it and chieftain and magician of the Welsh, not night, but it proves to not be the Death have seeded the region with agents listening some fanciful creation of the minstrels. He they sought. A character who is a member for stories of the terrible spirit. They believe campaigns in the ecclesiastic arena, seek- of the cabal might be asked to release the that by imprisoning Ankeu they can either ing to manipulate high-ranking churchmen spirit well away from Brittany (perhaps in prevent the realization of Kybella’s vision, or to condemn the licentious stories and the another Tribunal), so it cannot exact re- else learn from it how to stop the visitation bloodthirsty tournaments that masquerade venge on its captors. Characters who are of another Death in the future. as upholding the notion of chivalry. not members of the cabal might be in the Needless to say, if this cabal is actually way of this spirit once it is released. successful in its goal, Death won’t take too A Tytalus maga obsessed with pre- kindly to being tamed. The Primi Tytali venting death is the sole surviving member of her covenant; the others have House Tytalus is currently experiencing a succumbed to the insidious effects of her Cabal of the Crushed Viper situation hitherto unknown in the Order; two experimentation. She requests admit- Primi claim the right to lead the House. Any tance to the characters’ covenant, offer- This is the most recently formed of the ca- other Hermetic House in a similar situation ing her old covenant’s library, vis stores, bals active in the Normandy Tribunal, although would have undoubtedly dealt with the prob- and enchantments as inducement. Un- most of its members are from the Stonehenge lem swiftly and decisively, but that is not the fortunately, she also brings Death. Tribunal. The goal of the cabal is to hinder way of Tytalus. The condition of Primus-hood The cabal’s research has surmised that the promulgation of the chivalric ideal, both for House Tytalus is that one magus must force the prophesied Death, when it comes, in England and in France. The Welsh magus the others to accept his right to lead. Since nei- will come from the East. A long-standing who instigated this cabal did so out of spite ther Harpax or Buliste has achieved a decisive opponent has fled east, and the characters against William Marshal, a prominent English victory over the other, and no other contender “coincidentally” end up in the foreseen or- nobleman renowned at tourney, who led many igin of the catastrophe. They will be ques- attacks against the Welsh. The cabal holds as tioned by the cabal upon their return. its central tenet that the romantic image of the knight is unhealthy to the social devel- Story Seeds: opment of the people. Honor and justice are of the cabal. This section discusses two of the crutches for the morally inept. Like all cabals, Challenges of the Viper most-important cabals currently active in the they work covertly, but since this group skirts Normandy Tribunal, and a third is described so close to contravening the Code of Hermes, A knight who is a close friend of in the section on the Lotharingian Tribunal, they are especially cautious. Those members the covenant (perhaps even a compan- above. In addition, this section details the wid- who are involved in mundane politics (such as ion) is targeted by this cabal. He faces er ramifications of the rivalry between House “Pellinore,” below) do so without magic and a number of challenges that force him Tytalus’s two Primi. More information about without revealing the existence of the Order. to choose between practical necessity the philosophy and culture of intrigue (includ- This might not be a valid defense if their ac- and the high-minded notions of honor ing cabals) within the House can be found in tions are brought to Tribunal, but so far no one and justice. Only after several such en- Houses of Hermes: Societates, House Tytalus. has raised a case against them. counters will the magus at the root of all The reasons for membership in this cabal these stories be uncovered. vary considerably, and the methods they em- A new minstrel arrives in the region, Cabal of the Laden Cart ploy are similarly diverse. Each member of taking up the popular theme of King the cabal takes a pseudonym from the Arthu- Arthur. However, the stories he sings Twelve years ago, Kybella of Tytalus (see rian cycles of stories that reflects his chosen depict the king as a buffoon and make Chapter 4: Brittany, Exspectatio) experienced role in the cabal. Its membership includes: a laughing stock of the stuffed shirts a vivid vision precipitated by an episode of “Lancelot” is specifically opposed to the who make up his court. The heroes of Wizard’s Twilight in which she saw Death rise of the milites within House Flambeau (see his tales are the tax-paying peasants and reaping the souls of Europe, showing no mer- Houses of Hermes: Societates. House Flambeau), the hard-working clergy who live good, cy to kings, bishops, commoners, and magi a society of honor-bound knight-magi. He honest lives without obeying a code of alike. Convinced of the truth of her vision, she works against them by becoming their closest honor. The magus’ disguise works a little instituted this cabal with an ambitious goal: to friend and most ardent supporter, seeking to too well, however, and he unwittingly entrap Death and hold it ransom. She meant outdo them in honor. He then betrays his new finds himself at the head of a common- this goal quite literally, although some of those friend in the worse manner possible, shaking er’s uprising against the local lord. who joined her to find this cabal see the goal his former friend’s resolve in the code of chiv- Members of the cabal who are more metaphorically, and seek ways in which alry to which he has sworn himself. player characters might seek to end the to prevent death due to diseases or the ravages “Vivian” detests faeries. She is concerned Hermetic Tourney. It is a parody of the of time. The other members of the cabal as- specifically that the popularity of the legends chivalric ideal and for all its supposed sume that Kybella is a member, but they never of King Arthur and his court are strengthen- fairness, merely ensures that the power- know which one she is when they gather. ing the fae, who thrive on such fantasies. She ful stay powerful and that the weak re- Kybella and another Tytalan of her theur- therefore targets the troubadours who spread main in their place.

131 The Lion and the Lily has come forth, the House is waiting for the spells and enchantments at his disposal. not to say that one will not place his rival in two Primi to sort things out between them. In Politically, Primus Harpax is the most a life-threatening situation, but the contest is the opinion of the House, both Primi have an influential of the two when it comes to local about superiority; it is not a Wizard’s War and equally valid legal right to the position, since matters within the Normandy Tribunal. He is unlikely to escalate into one. both have defeated all challengers to earn the controls all the resources of Fudarus: its vis The third solution occurs in the unlikely title. Since both candidates have rejected arbi- sources, its money, and most of its enchant- event that a third challenger succeeds in de- tration from outsiders, the Order is forced to ments, as well as the physical building itself feating both Harpax and Buliste, and claims the sit back and watch how the situation will re- through the Rod of the Primus (see Chapter 4: title of Primus for himself. This will not end solve itself, as it has no power to force a settle- Brittany, Fudarus). He has used these resourc- the rivalry between the siblings, but it will at ment outside of the Grand Tribunal. es to buy the loyalty of many magi, and the least place the House on a more-stable politi- The House has polarized into two camps: Decimi are more prevalent in the Normandy cal footing, and restore the power of Fudarus those who call themselves Decimi, who wear Tribunal than their rivals. Prima Buliste, on in the Normandy Tribunal. There are without the tenth Primus’ sigil; and the Fideli, who are the other hand, has the most influence out- doubt members of the House who are more loyal to Buliste’s purple banner. But this choice side of the Tribunal. House Tytalus has always powerful than both competitors; but they seem is based on personal preference rather than on derived much of its strength from networks of reluctant to interfere with the feud, for these ri- the perceived merits of the candidates. Tytali spies and informants, as well as mercenaries valries are almost a sacred institution in House of opposing camps, when they meet, will de- and suppliers of unusual services or goods. By Tytalus. The one thing guaranteed to cause claim loudly the merits of their champion with controlling this network, Buliste remains at Harpax and Buliste to set aside their feud, at unusual vehemence. Magi from other Houses the center of Fudarus’ web of power. least temporarily, would be the appearance of a who try to mediate between the parties are There are only three possible solutions third challenger. As strange as it seems to other often left with the impression that they have to the feud between the two Primi. The first Houses, they would actually work together to been the victims of an elaborate joke. is that one of them acknowledges the supe- neutralize such a threat, jealously preserving The rivalry between Harpax and Buliste riority of the other, and withdraws his or her the right to be each other’s sole opponent. themselves is definitely not a joke, however. claim to the title. As already discussed, the There is an immediate and practical crisis They pursue their two-decade-old fed with an two magi are at an impasse and it would re- point in the current feud: in a scant few years intensity that only Tytalan siblings can achieve. quire a major change in the current situation there will be a Grand Tribunal, and there is Both are powerful magi trained by the same to procure a victory in this manner. only room for one Primus of House Tytalus in master, and have similar magical strengths and The second solution occurs following the the Forum of Hermes at Durenmar. Tytali can interests. Buliste, as the oldest, has the most death or disappearance of one (or both) of the expect the feud to escalate over the next eight raw power, but several unfortunate Twilight Primi. The “rules of engagement” for a Tytalan years as the two Primi hasten to bring their episodes (including the one that resulted in feud preclude deliberate and overt acts of this quarrel to a conclusion. Without a doubt, the Harpax’s claim) have placed constraints on her nature; regardless of the underhanded tactics magus who occupies the seat of House Tyta- magic. The more-careful Harpax is diverse in used by the Primi, both are members of the lus at the Grand Tribunal will be demonstrat- his interests; he might lack the focus in Arts of Order of Hermes and will not entertain any ing his clear superiority over his competitor. his elder sister, but he has a wider grimoire of tactic that constitutes a High Crime. That is Story Seeds

prisoned on false charges (this imprison- The Dangerous Device ment might be caused by either a mundane A New Threat Fudarus is currently offering a generous or a supernatural agency). In attempting to The feud need not end with the Grand deal to new vassals, for Harpax wants new free their ally, the characters receive help Tribunal; many sagas will only just be get- pawns to help him in his feud. The charac- from a spirit dispatched by Buliste. ting going by this point. For example, after ters are required by their oath of fealty to lo- a tumultuous few years within House Tyta- cate the pieces of a powerful, pre-Hermetic lus, the Grand Tribunal comes around and item to assist him against his sister. What A Third Contender Prima Buliste is in attendance alone. The Harpax does not know is that the item is ac- Three years ago, Porphyrion of Tytalus House and the Order see this as tacit actually a relic of House Diedne, that Buliste moved from the Rome Tribunal to Nor- ceptance that Buliste is the true Prima of has manipulated him into wanting to find it, mandy. This powerful Archmage (who has House Tytalus, and that the feud is over. On and that she intends to frame him once he been living as an eremite up until now) asks the last day of the Grand Tribunal, Harpax possesses it. In the meantime, the characters to join the covenant of the player charac- arrives at Durenmar. He carries news of a are left holding a potentially dangerous de- ters. The political and magical power he major threat to the Order, and claims that vice, both in a political and magical sense. brings could prove a major boon to a young he was serving the House and the Order covenant. However, local Tytali who have by putting his life on the line, rather than investigated this magus conclude from his politicking in the comfort of Durenmar. He False Charges personality and reputation that he is con- believes that he has therefore proved his A merchant commonly used by the sidering the leadership for himself, either superiority. Not only is the feud renewed, characters disappears. Unbeknownst to before (or more likely) after either Buliste but the Order has a threat to face. How- them, the merchant has been a vital part of or Harpax is defeated. His motives for join- ever, it is possible that this danger has been Fudarus’ network of spies for many years, ing a weak covenant surely must further manufactured by Harpax in a desperate bid and Harpax has arranged for him to be im- this goal, if indeed that is his intent. to win the mantle of Primus Tytali.

132 Chapter Eleven Confluensis

large to continue its activities undetected. road access to the peninsula has reduced the The covenant’s current site was originally interest of outsiders, so that it is both sparsely settled as vassal covenant, named the Orchard populated and free of large noble holdings. of Sour Apples after a nearby vis source. Thirty The covenant is further hidden by a ring years later, when it was clear that Confluensis of magically generated mist and unfavorable needed to relocate, it negotiated the absorp- currents. The covenfolk are trained to navi- tion of the client covenant’s members and the gate the usual pattern of the current, which appropriation of their site. The magi of House can be varied using a magical device in the Mercere did not relocate; they retained the council chamber of the covenant. The watch older site as a vassal covenant called Dragon’s grogs have items that allow them to see The Covenant of the Confluence is the Rest, which remains active. At this time, the through mist, and the turb captain has a de- largest of the Quaesitorial covenants in the covenant’s symbol was changed from a dragon vice that makes the mist more or less severe. Tribunal, hidden in the swamps of the Coten- spewing a fountain of water, which was retained The covenant also has a ring of active defens- tin Peninsula. Normandy is one of the more by Dragon’s Rest, to a stylized whirlpool. In es, which the magi claim to alter regularly. turbulent Tribunals, so investigators and hop- 1220 the two covenants retain a very close The covenant was constructed in the lites dominate Confluensis. Constructed in relationship, with the excellent laboratories of swamp’s tidal zone. Most of its buildings sit the shape of giant stone flowers, the covenant Dragon’s Rest and the beautiful library of Con- above the water on a series of stone structures, represents both growth and stability for the re- fluensis used by members of both covenants. and are connected by a lacework of bridges. gion. Its location at the point where the fresh Throughout its history, the covenant has The site’s high aura and rich vis sources, com- river water meets the salty seawater is emblem- served the policies of the Primus of House bined with the Normandy Tribunal’s unusual atic of its purpose as well: it exists to maintain Guernicus. During the many crises of the Or- rules for claiming exclusive use of resources, a balance between the covenants of Norman- der, its current location has served as a muster- made raising such an unusual covenant feasi- dy. To this end, the covenant maintains sev- ing point and logistical base for the House. In ble. While it does make for a striking display eral vassals, including the lesser covenants of its previous location it was sacked by Diedne of power, perhaps intended to overawe pris- House Guernicus in the Normandy Tribunal magi during the Schism, although three of its oners and Tribunal delegates, it also served and Dragon’s Rest, a Mercer House on the members, who were active in other parts of the a more practical function. Only a few select Seine. The covenant itself has suffered a major Tribunal at the time, survived to restore it. It magi know that one of the covenant’s found- setback recently, and it remains to be seen if it also played a significant role in the effort to cast ers had developed a flaw in her Gift that made has the strength to continue in its role. down Tasgillia, the diabolic Prima of Tytalus. this unusual arrangement necessary.

A Place to Begin

History Setting This covenant provides a detailed setting for troupes unfamiliar with the unique The covenant was established on the in- and Physical features of the Normandy Tribunal. Con- structions of the Founder Guernicus, to ensure fluensis is part of the Tribunal, but is in that Hermetic law was respected at the edges of many ways aloof from it. It is in France, the Order. The initial site for the covenant was Description but away from mundane French settle- the lair of the dragon Gargouille in the swamps ments. It is a liege, but deals straightfor- that lie between Rouen and the mouth of the Confluensis hides within the complex net- wardly with its vassals. It is subject to the Seine. It operated successfully there for many work of brackish marshes that separate the Co- Peripheral Code of the Tribunal, but rare- decades, and in time incorporated a Mercer tentin Peninsula from the rest of Normandy. ly attempts to breach it. The Confluensis House. Following the Schism War, the Primus The swamps cover over 2500 acres of untamed setting illustrates the distinctive features of of Guernicus increased the size of the covenant, land. Cotentin is sometimes referred to as an is- this tribunal, but allows players to absorb and this, coupled with the increasing volume of land, because the swamps divide it almost com- these slowly, over a series of stories traffic along the Seine, made the covenant too pletely from the mainland. The lack of easy

133 The Lion and the Lily Buildings with remarkable attention to detail, one of the A cluster of eighteen houses surrounds sundew plants native to the marshes. It has five the Great Hall. These houses are of various broad pads that mirror the insect-capturing degrees of luxuriousness, the finest of which The covenant’s major buildings were con- pads of the sundew, although one of these pads are used by the covenant’s visitors and senior structed with a mixture of magical and mun- is insufficiently unfurled to be useful as any- staff. These houses have supporting columns dane tools. The central buildings were created thing other than a tethering point for boats. descending to the swampy earth below, but magically, as is obvious from their whimsical Each of the open pads is surrounded by a ring it is obvious that these were added after the design. They are raised above the water on of stone globes that connect to the pad with sundew was originally created. platforms that form enormous stone flowers, covered walkways that look, from the air, like which lends some weight to the conjecture the sticky threads of a sundew. The pads are that the site was colonized by followers of the connected by walkways that take the form of Pad of Gatherers Terrae cult tradition within House Guernicus. stems leading to a central nexus. At the center is Any skilled stonemason can tell that the a spike of stone six stories high. The magi have Proceeding clockwise from the Great flowers are single pieces of unnaturally shaped recently begun engraving the spire with scenes Hall, the closest pad houses covenfolk who rock. The buildings they support seem, super- from the history of their covenant in a way that are involved in the covenant’s food produc- ficially, to be made of dressed granite blocks. is deliberately reminiscent of Trajan’s column. tion. The covenant’s diet is rich in seafood The stone is similar to that produced by the At the top of the spike is a watch post. and chestnuts. A mill, a granary, a brewery, quarries that provided the stone for Mont Saint The largest and westernmost pad sup- and a bakery are also on this pad. Michel. Some buildings were produced with ports the Great Hall. Its lower floor provides human labor, while others appear to be dressed dining and training space for many of the stone simply because it suited the aesthetic covenant’s staff. Its upper floor has a ring of Pad of Crafters preferences of the magi who created them. mezzanine rooms, which are used to store supplies and for covenant administration. The next pad, which is slightly larger, One end of the hall rises from the very edge is home to the covenant’s tradesmen. The The Great Hall of the pad, and on this side a pulley system currents underneath this pad are depend- and Guests’ Quarters has been installed to land cargo from the cov- ably tidal, and with careful timing they can enant’s small fleet of lighters. These are pulled be used to dispose of the waste of industry. Most of the covenant’s buildings stand on up to the balcony on the upper floor where The folk here are cunning ceramicists and an enormous stone sculpture that resembles, they are unloaded and their contents stored. gather many varieties of clay from obscure

134 The Lion and the Lily locations in the swamp. The covenant also produces a great deal of paper, made from Story Seed: The Bud and the Venelli papyrus reeds. These plants were introduced to the area and were magically propagated The covenfolk awaken after a night by Quaesitors who found temporary paper of astrological phenomena to discover • On Jersey, allowing characters who records convenient. that a huge stone flower bud has emerged dealt with the Ship of the Dead to from the swamp. Subsequent research de- instead visit the wreckers, ghosts, and termines that the covenant is not, as was faeries; Pad of Parades guessed, the creation of magi interested • In the collection of a numismatic Jer- in Terram magic. It is the site of an older biton magus, who dispatches the char- This is an open area used for public compact between the faerie powers and acters to distant places to find a better events, sports, and Aegis rituals. In addition, the native Celtic tribe of this region. A fa- coin for trade; the Pad of Parades frequently hosts Tribunal erie with the body of a man and the head • In the hands of a demon, who needs to Meetings. When lacking more significant use, of a wild boar rises from the swamp to ex- be tricked into parting with it. it is left to flax driers, rope makers, and other plain that to bring the bud to flower; the artisans who require large, clear spaces. magi need to fulfill their half of the pact. If the characters complete the story He pours back into the marsh’s waters and drown a regal pig, the result might be when his message is delivered. any of the following: Furled Pad Very little is known about the historical Venelli because their culture was erased • The covenant gains a source of Rego This pad seems unformed, or perhaps first by Romanization, then by Norman or Animal vis. curled around an enormous fly. It is not conquest. Characters seeking information • The covenant gains a new flower on sufficiently wide to be used for residences. about the Venelli, by subjecting ancient which to build structures. Lacking a Instead, the pad and the stem that leads to artifacts to examination, may find that player character strongly tied to a flo- it are used for mooring points for the cove- although Christian foundations have ob- ral motif, it is a valerian. When people nant’s boats and ships. scured all trace of the Venelli on the main- rest inside the small chambers formed land, on the Channel Island of Jersey some from the valerian’s flowers, they find of their relics may still be found. Jerseymen a deep, restorative sleep that heals Bell Flower were hired as mercenaries by the last King wounds rapidly and remedies many of the Venelli in his battle against Rome. other medical complaints. It is per- To the west of the Sundew are eight Characters seeking the graves of Jer- fectly suited for a hospital, but why buildings that serve as the residences of sey mercenaries may be attracted to sites would the spirit of the swamp give the the magi. Each is two stories high, and the said to be haunted by shipwrecked men. covenant a hospital suited for dozens group rests on the petals of a marvelous, bell- Characters may have adventures with the of people? shaped flower. Its center is open to the water, undead, wreckers, and faeries that collect • The senior remaining Venelli, the new so its petals form a ring about an ornamental ghosts. Alternatively, it is also said that king of the tribe, gains the ability to lake. Rising from the center of the lake are once a year, on All Hallows Night, a ship sense the proximity of vis, much as three massive stone stamens, which support departs Le Havre carrying the souls of all pigs can snuffle up truffles. a stone disc that is technically the covenant’s drowned sailors off to Hell. The Captain • Select characters gain the ability to council chamber. As access without flight is is a terrible creature, but will play fairly for skinchange into gigantic boars, or impractical, it is rarely used. the soul of one of the men he collected creatures half-man, half-boar. These hundreds of years ago, and deliver it if are the successors to the Venelli king’s beaten. The ghost of a Jerseymen can de- bodyguard. Library Tower scribe the sacrifices of the Venelli. • The characters gain the ability to The pact between the powers of the call up the ghosts of past boar kings, South of the Bell Flower is the Library marsh and the kings of the Venelli origi- which defend the swamp from intrud- Tower. It is square, three stories high, and nally involved the sacrifice of enemy kings ers. They take the man-boar shape, rises directly from the ground. It is the oldest captured in battle, but by the coming of the but their bodies are constructed of structure in the covenant, and it was created Romans, the Venelli had found a simpler al- water and debris, so they are very with a ritual that was not designed for this lo- ternative. The Venelli would declare a pig difficult to destroy with mundane cation. Its lowest floor is not used because it is their king, truss it up, and fling it into the weapons. always partially flooded and is filling with silt. swamp. The legs have to be trussed correct- • A white lady, a local faerie, is sent to The next floor is effectively the covenant’s ly, but fortunately the ritual is commemo- the covenant as an emissary by the council chamber. It is linked to the Bell Flow- rated on the coins struck by the last king powers of the swamp. Over time she er with a graceful bridge. The highest floor of the Venelli to hire mercenaries to fight will teach them its mysteries, and lead contains the covenant’s library and magical Caesar. They show a pig skeleton, trussed them on other adventures. storeroom. The roof is used by sentries, for with his legs spelling the initials of the king. ceremonies, and very occasionally to light Characters seeking such a coin may find it: signal fires. A Mercere Portal between Con- fluensis and Dragon’s Rest is also here.

135 The Lion and the Lily Magical Resources tary experience, but their knowledge of the Tribunal’s primary liaison with the nobility marshlands makes them formidable guerrillas. of France and Flanders. Meanwhile, the pi- The covenant’s people dress in wool gar- ous and revered Eloi, with his contacts in the Confluensis’s powerful Magic aura de- ments, the raw materials for which are acquired powerful Cistercian Order, maintains the Tri- rives from its location. It lies at the precise in English ports. Their clothing is brightly bunal’s limited relationship with the Church. center of the band where nutrient-rich fresh colored, using a mix of herbal and mineral With the passing of the Praeco, these three water turns back the sterile salt. Beneath the dyes. This makes them quite distinct from the see themselves as the primary force keeping raised floors of the covenant, at the rise and surrounding populations and has occasionally the Tribunal from sliding into chaos. ebb of the tide, the forces of creation and led to them being mistaken for faeries. destruction strive ceaselessly against each other. On spring tides these forces create dancing vortices, which the magi snare in The Traitor enchanted nets and harvest for vis. Most of the covenant’s buildings and infra- The Traitors volunteer to be exiled from structure are scattered throughout the swamp, House Tytalus. They are considered to have but many covenfolk reside on an island, called lost all of the conflicts in which they were the Orchard, northeast of Coutances. This is- participating. They are untouchable foes, un- land has a useful aura and a vis source, which worthy of the attention of a Tytalus when se- led to its seizure from a faerie court not long lecting rivals. There is usually a single Traitor, after the site was colonized. On the island is although elderly Traitors are often accompa- an orchard that produces small, sour apples. nied by a younger successor in training. If a virgin peels one of these apples with her The first Traitor was Promethea, filia of left hand, the skin takes the shape of her future Kalliste. She agreed to not participate in the husband’s initial. The flavor of the fruit varies struggle against Tasgillia, the demonically by taster and is thought to predict the sweet- corrupted Prima of House Tytalus. Instead, ness, or otherwise, of the marriage. Few apples Promethea went to Magvillius and waited for have ever been used for this purpose, since the the struggle to end. If the uncorrupted mem- hedge magicians who knew of them were usu- Culture and bers of House Tytalus had been destroyed, ally illiterate, and Hermetic magi value the In- she would have restored the House. Waiting tellego vis they contain too much for them to Traditions for the defining struggle in the history of the be wasted. The island’s aura, once Faerie, has House to end was, however, a deep moral gradually been transformed to Magic, although The covenant was founded to main- error, according to the Analects of Tytalus. a minor Faerie aura reappears on the solstices. tain the peace along the sometimes-lawless Promethea was unable to participate in the periphery of the Order, and it has fulfilled culture of her House and became a hoplite, its purpose with distinction for several cen- and eventually a Quaesitor, instead. turies. The Quaesitors of Confluensis are The Traitor has a single obligation to Covenfolk known both for their extensive knowledge House Tytalus: to restart the House’s con- of Hermetic law and for their dedication to flicts if they stall. The members of House The covenfolk are all that remain of the practical solutions. Over the years, the Pre- Tytalus understand that it is useful to have Venelli tribe. These Celtic people had their siding Quaesitors of the Tribunal have been someone outside their games who can make capital at Coutances but were first conquered known to be merciful when times allow it them interesting again if they become stale. and then colonized by the Romans. Most of and harsh when conditions demand it. The magi of House Guernicus, who have the the tribe entered the service of the Order when The entire Tribunal has suffered a great right to select Quaesitores from other Hous- the invading Normans burned their capital in loss recently. Renita Bjornaer, the Praeco and es, occasionally select the Tytalus magus 998. The Venelli were originally pagans; their leader of Confluensis, died last winter. The who volunteers to be Traitor. The Traitor un- final king represented himself with a boar, as Presiding Quaesitor, a ruthless magus named derstands the excesses of Tytalus magi, and was common for Celtic monarchs. Their in- Proctor, has stepped in her role as leader of for the last few generations has often been digenous magical traditions were repressed by the covenant, but the matter of who will fill trained for their role since early apprentice- the Romans, and then obliterated by House her role as Praeco remains to be seen. ship. If the Traitor is not selected as a Quae- Guernicus after a pagan sympathizer assisted Before the Praeco’s death, Proctor served sitor, she is usually accepted as a hoplite. House Diedne during the Schism War. as one of the three supporting legs of the Tri- Since the time of Tasgillia, the Traitor The modern Venelli make their living bunal. As the magus most responsible for po- has borne a magical key as her symbol of of- providing services for the magi. They some- licing the relationships between magi, he was fice. They do not discuss with others what it times seek goods or services in the southern Renita’s closest ally, though he often preferred is that it does, but most magi conjecture that English ports, but no longer have any role in a more aggressive approach, while she favored it weakens the defenses of Fudarus in some mundane Norman society. Most speak Nor- diplomatic solutions. The other two members way. Others suggest that even were that to man French or English as a second language. of this stabilizing triumvirate were (and still have been true centuries ago, some Tytalus Their native tongue is mutually intelligible to are) Jerome of Confluensis and Eloi of Cun- Primus in the intervening time must have en- Breton speakers, but has an accent and expres- fin, both of House Jerbiton. Jerome, the more hanced the defenses so that the key is now sions not found anywhere else. Few have mili- worldly and diplomatic of the two, acts as the little more than a symbol.

136 The Lion and the Lily

Aristarcus, erence to his family’s partly Arabic heritage. Magi Follower of Guernicus His clothing is plain and generally brown. He is married, and wears a ring that entirely The magi of Confluensis have been se- Age: 52 (Apparent age early 30s) lacks magical powers. His talisman is a six- lected by the Ruling Council of House Guer- Personality Traits: ounce block of iron that was a Carolingian nicus for their commitment to Hermetic Law Focused +2, exemplar for standard marketplace weights. and their ability to maintain the peace in this Garrulous +2, He has no familiar. fractious and difficult Tribunal. Aloof +1

Aristarcus filius Proctor is a legal-minded Valerian, Proctor, magus who most often argues cases before Follower of Guernicus Follower of Guernicus the Tribunal. His rhetorical skills are un- matched. Proctor’s distrust of House Tytalus Age: 78 (Apparent age 45) Age: 93 (Apparent age 60) has not been passed on to him, and although Personality Traits: Personality Traits: Aristarcus holds to more of a Traditionalist Indifferent +3, Ruthless +3, position within their House, the two are fre- Deliberate +2, Strict +2, quent allies and have a similar faith in the Reliable +2 Distrustful +2 power of law. Aristarcus still appears to be in his early Valerian is the Tribunal’s chief hoplite Proctor is the Presiding Quaesitor of the thirties, because of a powerful longevity po- and enforcer. A known master of Terram, Normandy Tribunal, and with the death of tion. His hair is blond, and he wears it waist- he (along with Adanos Lutorum at Exspec- Renita Bjornaer, the nominal leader of Con- long, which is unusual among mundanes. tatio) is reputed to be part of the Guernicus fluensis. He has served as Presiding Quaesitor This choice, mixed with his strong views Terrae cult. (See Houses of Hermes:True Lineages, for the last two Tribunal meetings. He seems on mundane non-interference, have caused page 68.) A slow and methodical man, he is unlikely to let his housemates elect anyone some to conjecture that he is of noble, per- relentless in pursuit of his quarry. He has di- else for the next Tribunal, despite his House’s haps Merovingian, blood. Wise magi do not rect, muscular views concerning the dispen- tradition of rotating the position. His likely mention this speculation to him, because he sation of justice. successor, in case of accident or Twilight, is sees it as an accusation of bias. Such accusa- Valerian has dark hair, black eyes, and his filius Aristarcus. tions are one of the few things that can rouse perfect teeth. He does not smile: a rapid Proctor’s grandparens was killed by him to anger. He wears clothes that are con- sideways quirk of the mouth is as close as Tytalan diabolists, leaving his parens with sidered fashionable among the nobility of he comes, when pleased. He wears robes of an abiding hatred of that House. This has Paris, provided fashion does not become too the slate-green fabric produced in this cov- been passed on to Proctor, making him ex- ridiculous. His familiar is a swan, his talisman enant. As a magus who has agreed to serve as tremely suspicious of the Tytalus magi within a sword. a hoplite for an indefinite, extended period, the Tribunal. He is a strict enforcer of the he wears the Tribunal’s sash of crimson and Code, but also a staunch Transitionalist. His grey swirls on significant occasions. His sash paranoia may yet lead him to take extreme Cavillor, is edged with leopard fur, to denote his rank measures in the name of the Order. Follower of Guernicus as chief hoplite for the Tribunal, the general Proctor is an older magus, who wears a to whom the Praeco would entrust military white beard but has no mustache. His favor- Age: 43 (Apparent age 35) planning during a Wizard’s March. His talis- ite robe is slate green. It is usually clipped Personality Traits: man is a five-foot-long steel crowbar of the with two crossed pins, each a miniature Energetic +3, kind used by masons to lay foundations, swan’s feather, one of lead and the other of Optimistic +2, which he uses as a walking staff. ivory. His familiar is a sacred ibis, a souvenir Trusting +1 Valerian’s familiar is an invisible magical of his youthful rambling. His face is weath- spirit. It is able to manipulate dozens of ob- ered and his hands are leathery, but his skin Cavillor is a younger magus of Transi- jects in a room simultaneously, and appears is pale. tionalist leanings, originally from the Ro- to be able to fly. Such a familiar is beyond His talisman is a fool’s cap bell. It is a man Tribunal. He is Aristarcus’ counterpart the ordinary power of Hermetic magic to palm-sized sphere of brass that has a metal and most often appears before the Tribunal bind, so Valerian must be a member of some ball within it, so that it chimes when he arguing in defense of magi accused of Code Mystery Cult. To make Valerian’s member- walks. Proctor carries his talisman in his violations. While his skills are not as prac- ship less obvious, the spirit often takes the pocket. He does not discuss its origin with ticed as those of Aristarcus, he is earnest and form of a crow. people he distrusts, and so many members tenacious in his pursuit of what he believes is Valerian is surprisingly popular with the of the Tribunal think he carries it to remind right. He is currently being retained by some covenfolk, possibly because he does not con- himself not to act foolishly. He believes it of the magi of the pro-Lotharingian faction sider their actions his legitimate concern. He to be one of the bells worn by Richard the as a legal advisor, which Proctor is likely to also likes gardening, and his tools and meth- Devil when serving his penance in Rome. It interpret as a personal betrayal. ods have spread among the covenant’s food is enchanted with effects that defend against Cavillor is a clean-shaven young man, gatherers, making their duties easier. Vale- Infernal influence. with gray eyes and black hair. His skin has rian also occasionally repairs the structures a dark tone, which he explains through ref- of the covenant using magical rituals. This

137 The Lion and the Lily includes the homes of the covenfolk, and Jerome takes pains to not dress like a they are grateful for his help even if he is not nobleman. He looks much like a member of overly warm. one of the preaching orders, although they generally attract younger men. He carries a wand, and has a bearded vulture as his famil- Jerome, Follower of Jerbiton iar. The odd things it eats in the swamp have changed the color of its chest plumage to a Age: 87 (Apparent age 50) mossy green. Personality Traits: Eloi, Jerome’s fillius, is a politically im- Caring +3, portant member of the Covenant of Cunfin Friendly +2, (see Chapter 9: Champagne, Cunfin). Dragon’s Rest Modest +2 This vassal covenant inhabits the original site of Confluensis. As its name indicates, it lies Jerome is the Tribunal’s primary contact Augustina of Tytalus, around the submerged cavern that served as lair with the nobility of France. The son of minor the Traitor for the dragon Gargouille. It is situated in the noble, he was abandoned by a power-hungry estuarine swamps that have formed in a bend uncle after the death of his parents. He was Age: 46 (Apparent age 36) on the north bank of the Seine. Its covenfolk are found near death by a Redcap and nursed Personality Traits: few, and engage in trade. Many are descended back to health by a Jerbiton magus who took Concerned About House Tytalus +3, from the man who helped kill Gargouille, and him as an apprentice. Carefree +1 other men spared annually by the Bishop of Unknown to Proctor, Jerome is secretly Rouen often enter this covenant’s service. Drag- responsible for saving the lives of dozens Augustina is a small, assertive woman on’s Rest is the hub of the Tribunal’s Mercere of “troublesome heirs.” He rescues children who looks both tired and happy much of the Portal network, with connections to Cunfin, who are likely to be killed because of their time. Her hair is black, but her eyes are blue. Confluensis, and Harco, among others. birthrights, using Mentem magic to con- Her familiar is a small ape, and her talisman One of the officers of the Normandy Tri- vince people they are dead, and then places is either a locket on a ribbon or a dagger; no bunal is the Evangelium. This person, always them in either in monasteries or covenants. one is sure which, because one is kept per- a Redcap, travels to each covenant to report Occasionally he finds a Gifted child this manently wrapped about the other. the results of Tourneys. Dragon’s Rest is the way, as he did with Artorius. He knows this The current Traitor, Augustina was home of the current Evangelium, Myrina. is very likely a Code violation, but he con- trained by the mater of Buliste, the Prima The oath of fealty between Dragon’s Rest tinues anyway. He recalls all too clearly what of Tytalus. Augustina was prepared for the and Confluensis is wordy, but comparatively it is like to have someone desire your death role of Traitor from early apprenticeship, equitable because of the positive relationship simply because of your birthright. and was trained as a hoplite primarily by between the Houses of Guernicus and Mer- Jerome’s relocations cannot be accom- the previous Traitor. Like most Traitors, Au- cere. The two covenants have agreed to the plished without the assistance of magi from gustina has served for the majority of her following points: other covenants. His chief partner in this life in the Normandy Tribunal, advising her matter is his former apprentice, Eloi of Cun- covenant’s leader on the games of House • Each will aid the other when any member of fin. Any character who is part of this network Tytalus. Given Proctor’s feelings about either covenant is subject to Wizard’s War. gains the Dark Secret flaw, but can also count House Tytalus, it comes as no surprise that • Each will vote with the other on matters Jerome as a strong ally. Jerome’s network of she is usually given high-risk and low-trust discussed by Tribunal, accepting that contacts may be ancient; for example, Wil- assignments by the Quaesitores. Redcaps who lack The Gift are reluctant liam the Bastard disappeared for eight years to vote at Tribunal. during childhood, before returning to claim • Each will offer membership to members of first Normandy, then England. the other in case of cataclysmic destruction. • Each will offer, as rapidly as is possible, When not rescuing children, he takes any information learned that will influence great joy in his mediocre skill at chess. He the fortunes of the other, as far as the du- maintains many boards in his laboratory, Vassals ties of Quaesitores and Redcaps permit. and plays games by letter with several far • The trading enterprises of the two cov- finer players. He is a popular correspondent, Confluensis has three vassals. One is a enants will, in so far as is possible, not because he does not quit when it is clear small covenant with only two members, a compete with each other, and will offer he will lose, and plays well enough to be a Quaesitor and a hoplite. Its location is not de- each other aid in times of distress. challenge. He and his correspondents have fined in this supplement, so that troupes can • Dragon’s Rest will pay a tithe of one pawn agreed that one day they must seek the mag- chose a location convenient to their sagas’ of vis per year per member to Confluensis. ical chessboard that is one of the Treasures needs. Cunfin, described in Chapter 9, Cham- • Dragon’s Rest will provide hospitality to of Britain. He is entirely undeterred by other pagne is also a vassal of Confluensis. The last the members of Confluensis who wish to magi who claim that “chessboard” is a poor vassal, Dragon’s Rest, is a Mercer House. use its laboratories, and Confluensis will translation for the name of an earlier, more provide the same hospitality to Redcaps obscure Welsh game. wishing to use its library. (Confluensis has also allowed members of Dragon’s Rest who were not Redcaps to study at its library.)

138 The Lion and the Lily Riches and Vis senior magi acting as the covenant’s spon- Confluensis sors. Either way, the new covenant is likely to be the target of both faerie mischief and The pro-Lotharingian Tribunal faction Hermetic interference. Sagas may be a minor annoyance for the Rhine Tri- bunal, but it presents a serious issue for the As the heart of the Normandy Tribunal, Normandy Tribunal. The area that would Confluensis makes an excellent place for be taken for the new Tribunal represents The Specter of Rome player character magi, presuming they do not not only considerable mundane wealth, but mind having other, more senior magi around. some of the Tribunal’s richest vis sources as One cause for concern among the Or- Sagas involving the covenant will likely have well. With the loss of these sites, Brittany, der of Hermes is the newly formed Order of a political bent, as the leadership’s primary already the most vis-laden area within the Preachers, also known as the Dominicans. concern is holding the often-fractious Tribu- Tribunal’s borders, would produce more vis Charged with combating heresy, they have nal together. The following are few possible than all of the rest of the Tribunal combined. been at the forefront of the Albigensian Cru- starting places for sagas of this type. With this area dominated by House Tytalus, sade in the Provençal Tribunal, leading the this could upset the delicate balance of pow- fight against the Cathars. One troubling deer in the Tribunal (see The Haunted Woods velopment in the last several years has been of Broceliande, below). the issuance of a Papal Letter of Inquisition, The Praeco is Dead, In this saga, the players would act as granting the individual bearer extraordinary Long Live The Praeco Confluensis’ agents within and without the power backed by the throne of St. Peter. Tribunal in advance of the Grand Tribunal of These are extremely rare; only one Domini- 1228. They would be working to defeat the can has one to investigate the Cathars. Still, With the recent passing of Renita Bjorn- creation of a new Tribunal, either by con- they point to a change of stance in Rome, aer, the Tribunal faces a crisis of succession. vincing the covenants that would make it up and several magi in the Tribunal, including The previous Praeco was a powerful and uni- not to pursue independence, or by rallying Eloi of Cunfin and Jerome of Confluensis, fying figure in Tribunal politics, despite her the voting members of the Grand Tribunal are concerned that when the Cathar threat advanced age. Now that she is dead, the fu- against the measure. These efforts could take is ended the Church’s inquisitors may turn ture is much less certain. any number of forms. their attention northward. After Renita, the oldest member of the Players might also be involved with the In this saga, the players are charged with Order in France was her sept-mate, Stellatus. formation of a new covenant within the new maintaining the Order’s tolerable relationship He has no interest in politics, however, and Lotharingian Tribunal. Confluensis has al- with Rome. This may require acting as trou- has recently departed for Iberia, where he can ready made preliminary investigations into bleshooters who bring back into line magi be closer to other members of his clan (see a site for a new Quaesitorial covenant and who provoke the Church and its agents, or Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults). This leaves the Mercer House. Magi in this type of saga it may result in opening diplomatic channels next-oldest magus as Celeres of Cunfin. would be the “new law” in a frontier cov- with the Church. This is likely the trickiest It would be hard to find a magus who enant, and while they would have strong of the example sagas to pull off, as the player was less like Renita than Celeres. His ec- connections to the Normandy Quaesitores, characters may have enemies on both sides. centricities and influence on the Redcaps they would have their own set of problems No matter what they do, there is likely to be of Cunfin already worry the residents of to deal with. someone who disagrees with their approach. Confluensis. Proctor is concerned that he Still, many magi believe that the Order’s cur- would misuse additional authority. Proctor rent relationship with the Church cannot would like Celeres to be set aside in favor persist indefinitely, and it may be better to of a more-suitable candidate. Unfortunately, The Haunted Woods act sooner, rather than later. Somnifer of Lapis Crudus, or perhaps Geir- of Broceliande laug of Montverte, is next and each presents a set of difficulties. In this saga, the players would be working Brittany holds more vis and more faerie City of God to defuse the succession crisis at the behest sites than anywhere else in the Tribunal, with of Proctor. His difficulty is that he does not only Fudarus and its vassals anywhere near The Order of Hospitallers has recently wish to jeopardize his appearance of impar- the area. Numerous covenants have been founded a small settlement nearby that they tiality in the matter, so he cannot act directly founded in the area, particularly within the hope will grow into a City of God. Cities to influence the process. Proctor’s criteria for forest of Broceliande, but none have survived. of God, if they develop as designed, should the new Praeco are simple: he wants either Whether this has been due to territorial faer- be perfect habitations that are ruled by the someone whom he can trust or someone ies or territorial magi is open to debate. Church, in which all people are devout and whom he can control. More than a few magi In this saga, in order to combat the worldly sins do not occur. Such pure cities, would rather see Proctor’s power checked. growing influence of House Tytalus, a new magi fear, must have high Dominion auras, The next Tribunal meeting is in a little more covenant is to be founded in Brittany with and will likely attract saintly figures and pil- than a year. Can the players fulfill the Presid- the support of Confluensis. Players can, of grims. The magi of Confluensis would prefer ing Quaesitor’s demands by then, or will he course, take on the role of the magi of the the Order removed its institution from the be forced to step in and act directly? new covenant, but they might also be more- Cotentin Peninsula.

139 The Lion and the Lily

The City of God is currently little more than a grant of land and a hospital staffed by three superannuated knights of the Order. Several factors make removing the knights difficult. The knights are:

• Often bearers of the True Faith virtue or Relics. • Living in a Dominion aura of 4, since their settlement is, in effect, a small monastery. • Piously devoted in their cause, so coun- tering them is likely to attract the covert assistance of demons. • Acting under the orders of the leader of their Order, and sworn to vows of obedience.

Many Cities of God fail, becoming little more than retirement homes for aged Hos- pitallers. Characters able to maintain good relationships with the Church may turn this to their advantage, as the old crusaders have military experience, the ability to train grogs, The Chapter of Cherbourg magi, but some troupes may prefer games and may have faced djinns, demons, and fa- in which their characters decide their own eries in battle. Characters serving Conflu- The covenant of Fengheld, in the Rhine activities. This can be accommodated with ensis are required not to set precedents that Tribunal, has founded a chapter house near a few simple adjustments. When the charac- other covenants could later abuse, so they Cherbourg. Chapter houses are not recog- ters join the covenant, they take the roles as- are required to act in this matter with the nized under the Peripheral Code in the Nor- signed to some of the NPCs described earlier closest attention to the limitations imposed mandy Tribunal, so the single magus who lives in this section. These characters either do not by the Code. in the Cherbourg covenant is considered a exist in the saga, or have been encouraged to cenobite. The presence of a cenobite is usually fulfill other duties in distant Tribunals by the a minor problem, but her links to the Rhine House. The characters serve Proctor’s goals Tribunal, her proximity to the City of God, for a few missions, allowing them to become The Strange Saint and her harvesting of resources that have tra- familiar with the local political situation. of Cotentin ditionally been collected by Confluensis make Then Proctor is removed from the game, this one difficult to dislodge, or ignore. either in a way that generates a story, like The distraction presented by the cenobite murder, or through a laboratory accident. St. Giles is venerated in many places will become more severe as time passes. The Proctor will be replaced by House within Mythic Europe, but his veneration in cenobite will continue to seek recognition Guernicus with a senior Quaesitor of excel- Cotentin has taken a strange turn. His statue for her covenant in the Tribunal, and in time lent reputation, able to demand the respect is used as a fertility charm, and equipped she may gain covenant-mates from the other of the leaders of the other covenants in with a large and obvious member from which chapter houses of Fengheld. Eventually, formal Normandy. This older Quaesitor will not, people shave wood to make a healing infu- recognition of the covenant would become however, have a sufficient grasp of the local sion. If this were merely an interesting folk inevitable. Fengheld itself, however, is likely political situation to formulate policy. If he superstition, then magi could ignore it, but to face a crisis in the near future (as described first trusts, then depends upon, his predeces- locals claim that the statue miraculously re- in Guardians of the Forest, page 82). Skilled play- sors’ lieutenants, the simplest path for him grows the wood slivers taken from its mem- er characters may be able to break Cherbourg is to divide the tasks of the House with his ber. Either God operates in a way not usually away from its distant masters, bringing it un- younger colleagues. He will continue to act endorsed by his Church, a demon or faerie der the protection of a local liege. as the public face of the House and negoti- is manipulating the saint’s statue, or it is a ate on its behalf. The player characters need magical device. It would be wise for magi to to grapple with one or more of the story investigate before the Hospitallers become seeds given in this chapter without detailed aware of St. Giles. Belief in phallic saints is Young and In Charge instructions from a senior magus. Magi who heretical, and the Hospitallers may feel this operate effectively in this way are certain to is a task for the Preaching Orders. The other saga and story seeds in this be considered useful by House Guernicus, section presume that the characters will be and are given interesting assignments by it working as agents for Proctor or other senior representatives.

140 Appendix A Timeline

This appendix provides a summary citizens are saved by St. Genev- insignificant — they are little place to train her. Pralix becomes of the major events of mundane iève, who leads a party down the more than puppets. the acting leader of House Tytalus. and mythic history in the Nor- Seine at night to bring in food. 731 – 767 Trianoma travels widely 799 Third Grand Tribunal of the Or- mandy Tribunal, and a short ex- 470 – 485 Successful campaigns of and contacts numerous wizards der of Hermes. cursus into the future. the Visigoth King Euric across who visit with Bonisagus — many 800 Charlemagne is crowned emperor The dates of the meetings of the Western Europe. of these become Founders. in Rome; re-establishment of the Normandy Tribunal are: 871, 878, 476 Fall of the Western Roman Em- 732 The Battle of Tours — Charles, il- western (Holy) Roman Empire. 885, 892, 899, 906, 913, 920, 927, pire as Italy is conquered by the legitimate son and successor of Pe- 807 Tytalus leaves Fudarus dressed 934, 941, 948, 955, 963, 969, 976, Gothic king Odovacar; the be- pin II, wins a great victory over an only in a leper’s robe and veil, and 983, 990, 996, 1004, 1011, 1018, ginning of the Dark Ages. Islamic army lead by Abd er Rah- carrying a staff. After visiting his 1025, 1032, 1039, 1046, 1053, 481 Clovis, a descendant of Mer- man, thereby halting the north- followers, he enters the Madden- 1060, 1067, 1074, 1081, 1088, ovech, rises to become King ward advance of Islam from Iberia. hofen Woods in Bohemia, and 1095, 1102, 1109, 1116, 1123, of the Franks; the start of the As a result of his tactical brilliance, is never seen again. Hariste be- 1130, 1137, 1144, 1151, 1158, Merovingian dynasty. he is hereafter known by the moni- comes the first Primus of Tytalus. 1165, 1172, 1179, 1186, 1194, 496 Clovis is baptized and becomes ker Martel, meaning “hammer.” 810 Covenant of Confluensis is 1200, 1207, 1214, 1221, 1227, the first Christian Frankish king. 738 Charles Martel campaigns success- founded. 1235, 1242, 1249, 1256, 1263, His people follow suit, although fully against the barbarian tribes. 814 Death of Charlemagne; he is 1270, 1277, 1284, 1291, 1298. paganism takes centuries to fade 742 Birth of Charles (later Char- succeeded by his remaining son Dates in italics indicate Tribunals among the Franks. lemagne), son of Pepin III. Louis “the Pious.” that were displaced by a year to 507 Clovis has by now defeated the 751 Pepin III “the Short” becomes 817 Fourth Grand Tribunal of the accommodate the 33-year cycle Romans, the Burgundians, and king proper, crowned by St. Order of Hermes. of the Grand Tribunal. the Visigoths, united the Franks, Boniface; the start of the Caro- 822 Covenant of Bibracte is founded. and established a capital in Paris. lingian dynasty, as the last of the 832 Fifth Grand Tribunal of the Or- 511 Death of Clovis, though his Merovingians, Childeric III, is der of Hermes. From henceforth, magical lineage endures. One shorn and retired to a monastery. Grand Tribunals will meet every of his four sons succeeds him as Pepin III is the first king to seek 33 years, regional Tribunals every Past Events Childebert I. the pope’s anointment. 7 years from 836 AD. 558 Childebert dies childless; the king- 767 Foundation of the Order of 840 – 855 Reign of Lothar I. Cov- 51 BC Julius Caesar successfully con- ship passes to his brother Chlotar. Hermes. Bonisagus and the oth- enant of Pagus is founded. cludes his campaign in Gaul; he Under him, the Frankish king- er Founders swear the Oath of 843 The Treaty of Verdun ends four writes the Commentarii de Bello Gal- dom has grown to include all of Hermes. The first Tribunal gath- years of civil war among the lico (Commentaries on the Gallic Provence, Burgundy, and Swabia. ering takes place at Durenmar. grandsons of Charlemagne — his Wars). 567 Sigebert wars on Chilperic, son 768 Charlemagne becomes king of empire is divided between them. 250 AD St. Denis and his companions of Chlotar; the Frankish kingdom the Franks. 845 Paris is sacked by Viking raiders. begin to evangelize in Paris. He is fractures and becomes corrupted. 773 Second Grand Tribunal of the Or- 851 Covenant of Baiocassium is imprisoned by the Governor. 573 Gregory appointed bishop of der of Hermes. Procedures for lesser founded. 275 St. Denis is martyred at Mont- Tours. Tribunals are established: a Tribunal 855 – 875 Reign of Louis II. Cov- martre near Paris. 584 King Chilperic I dies leaving his shall consist of at least twelve magi enant of Sinapis is founded. 337 St. Martin of Tours gives half his wife, Fredegund, as regent for his from at least four covenants. 865 Sixth Grand Tribunal of the Or- cloak to a freezing beggar. unborn son, Chlotar II. 774 Charlemagne defeats Desiderius der of Hermes. The boundaries 371 St. Martin becomes bishop of 594 St. Gregory of Tours writes the and becomes King of Lombardy. of the Tribunals are formally set Tours. Historia Francorum (History of the He confirms the “donation” of according to the break-up of the 397 St. Martin dies and St. Perpetuus Franks). these lands to the pope, and be- Frankish Empire, and they are becomes bishop of Tours. 613 Chlotar II “the Grand” reunites comes protector of the Church. also named as the Rhine, West 4th century The Huns begin invad- the Frankish kingdom and rules 778 The kingdom of Aquitaine is Franks, Lotharingian, Britannian, ing Europe. until 628. founded by Charlemagne. Roman, Theban, Eastern, and 445 Attila murders his brother and 628 Dagobert, king of Austrasia and 782 Charlemagne initiates school- Greater Alps Tribunals. becomes undisputed leader of the son of Chlotar, becomes Fing of ing in the Frankish kingdom, and 871 Inaugural meeting of the Tribu- Huns. the Franks, ruling Austrasia, Neus- promotes literacy and education. nal of the West Franks. 447 Merovech becomes king of the tria, Burgundy, and Aquitaine. 789 The Founder Jerbiton meets with 875 – 877 Reign of Charles II “the Salian Franks and rules until 458. 637 Dagobert I dies and the king- Charlemagne, after having adopt- Bald.” Covenant of Rotomagus is 450 St. Geneviève prays for the dom fragments again. ed a number of apprentices of the founded. Huns to avoid Paris, and they ig- 679 The kingdom of the Franks is emperor’s mage-smith, Carolinus. 881 Charles “the Fat” reunites Char- nore the city. again united, now under Theod- Charlemagne issues a decree out- lemagne’s empire, becoming em- 451 The Battle of Châlons — an eric III, but the monarchy is lawing sorcery and paganism, but peror. By now his realm is beset alliance of Romans, Franks, and subservient to the Mayor of the permits “benevolent magic” such by attacks from Norsemen. Visigoths lead by the legend- Palace, Ebroin. as that practiced by Jerbiton. 885 Paris is besieged by Viking raiders. ary Merovech defeat the Huns 687 Pepin “the Large,” of the Frank- 791 Branugurix, the domus magna 887 Charles “the Fat” is deposed and and Ostrogoths in Gaul, ending ish mayoral dynasty, gives of House Diedne, is founded in the Frankish empire is split into Attila’s westward conquests. himself the title Dux et Princeps Brittany. half a dozen kingdoms, most of 458 Childeric inherits his father’s po- Francorum, and rules most of the 798 Tytalus steals the apprentice which are ruled by Norse kings. sition as king of the Salian Franks. Frankish empire. The power of Hariste from Pralix, and founds 888 Odo, Count of Paris, is chosen 464 Childeric besieges Paris, but the the Merovingian kings is by now Fudarus to provide a defensible as king of the Franks on account

141 The Lion and the Lily of his brave and skillful resistance Tribunal with a list of magical der of Hermes. king. of the Norse invaders. resources seized from magi and 1098 The monastery of Cîteaux, lat- 1182 Covenant of Moles Magna is 892 Covenant of Rotomagus is de- covenants destroyed during the er to become the mother house of destroyed. stroyed as Vikings sack Rouen. conflict. Fudarus attends the Nor- the Cistercian Order, is founded. 1187 Covenant of Atsingani is 898 Seventh Grand Tribunal of the mandy Tribunal meeting, adding 1099 Covenant of Infelicitas is founded. Order of Hermes. Charles “the Brittany to the Tribunal’s territo- founded. 1189 Richard, later known as “the Li- Simple,” son of Louis II “the Stam- ries. Pertheus of House Tytalus 1100 Covenant of Nidi is founded. onheart,” with the connivance of merer” and nephew of Charles successfully proposes that the 1102 The 34th meeting of the Nor- Philip II, defeats his father Henry II “the Fat,” succeeds as king of the aggressors have the right of con- mandy Tribunal determines the of England at Ballans and succeeds Franks on the death of Odo. quest over these vis sources and border with the Provençal Tribu- him as King of England, Duke of 907 Covenant of Florum is founded. books, but that in seven years’ nal on linguistic grounds. Normandy, and Count of Anjou. 910 The monastery of Cluny is time, a tournament should be 1108 Louis VI “the Fat,” Philip’s son, is 1189 – 1192 The Third Crusade. founded. held to redistribute them. crowned king in Orléans because 1190 Philip II erects his huge for- 913 Covenant of Ligurio is founded. 1020 Covenant of Orchard of Sour his half-brother, Louis, prevents him tress, the Louvre, in Paris. 920 Covenant of Kerguntuil is Apples is founded. reaching Reims. Ralph, archbishop 1192 Richard is imprisoned by the founded. 1021 Covenant of Lixivia is founded. of Reims, challenges the validity of Holy Roman Emperor; Philip II 922 Odo’s brother, Robert, drives 1025 The 23rd meeting of the Nor- the coronation and anointing. and John, Richard’s brother, offer out the discredited Charles “the mandy Tribunal adopts several 1109 A plague of restless dead stirs him 80,000 marks to keep him Simple” and is crowned king. statutes proposed by Pertheus, in Picardy; they are banished by hostage, but are refused. Cov- 923 Robert I dies in single combat which later become known collec- a group of hedge wizards who enant of Cunfin is founded. with Charles “the Simple” and tively as “The Perthean Compact.” join the Order of Hermes, found- 1194 Eleanor of Aquitaine pays a ran- Rudolph, Duke of Burgundy, This compact sets out the rights ing the Donatores lineage within som of 150,000 marks and Richard takes the throne. magi have over vis sources close to House Ex Miscellanea. is released. He wins a victory over 931 Eighth Grand Tribunal of the their covenant, but also allows for 1115 St. Bernard founds Clairvaux Philip II at Freteval. The Great Order of Hermes. the possibility of covenants acquir- Abbey. Fire of Chartres; much of the city 936 Louis IV, son of Charles “the ing more vis as they grow in power. 1116 The 36th meeting of the and the cathedral is destroyed. Simple,” is recalled from refuge The compact is refined over suc- Normandy Tribunal makes a 1195 16th Grand Tribunal of the Or- in England and crowned Fing of cessive meetings of the Tribunal. landmark ruling on mundane der of Hermes. the Franks, but he has scarcely 1028 Covenant of Oleron is founded. resources, implicitly permitting 1197 Covenant of Alcuin’s Auberge any influence over the feuding 1030 11th Grand Tribunal of the Or- mundane raiding. destroyed. nobility. Covenant of Baiocas- der of Hermes. 1117 The covenant of Florum moves; 1198 Richard again defeats Philip II sium Minor is founded. 1031 Henry I, having been crowned Spider’s Palace is founded at its at the Battle of Gisors; Philip flees 941 Covenant of Montverte is in 1027, succeeds on the death of former site. with his troops and is rescued founded. his father. 1118 Peter Abélard comes to Paris. from a river. 954 Lothair inherits his father’s 1037 Conrad II, the German emper- Lapis Crudus becomes trapped in 1199 King Richard of England is crown; conflict with neighboring or, defeats Odo of Champagne in its regio and is considered lost. slain by a stray arrow during a states and within the kingdom a massive battle at Bar in Upper 1123 Covenant of Requies Aeterna siege in Limousin; he is succeed- continues throughout his reign. Lorraine. founded by Donatores magi. ed by John. 961 The Betrayal of House Tytalus 1048 Covenant of Vexatores is 1124 Covenant of Lixivia disbanded. 1200 Philip II charters the Univer- occurs at Fudarus. Tasgillia, the founded. Covenant of Alcuin’s Auberge sity of Paris. Covenant of Atra- Prima of that House, is executed 1051 Confluensis moves to Orchard founded. mentum is founded. for diabolism, and replaced by of Sour Apples; the latter cove- 1127 Geoffrey V of Anjou marries 1201 Covenant of Exspectatio is her filia, Kalliste. nant is taken over and disbanded, Matilda, daughter of Henry I of founded on the site of Atra- 964 Ninth Grand Tribunal of the Or- and the covenant of Dragon’s England. mentum; the latter covenant is der of Hermes. Rest is established at the former 1129 14th Grand Tribunal of the Or- disbanded and reformed as Atra- 969 Covenant of Bibracte is sacked site of Confluensis. der of Hermes. Normandy’s ruling mentum Renatus. by magi from Montverte. 1061 Philip I “the Fair” succeeds his on the border between itself and 1202 King John of England fails to 983 The 17th meeting of the Tribu- father at the age of 7. His mother, the Provençal Tribunal is upheld. respond to a summons to attend nal of the West Franks decides to Anne, acts as regent with Baldwin 1130 Pope Innocent II takes refuge a French court; Philip II of France rename the Tribunal as the Nor- V of Flanders until 1066. in France. claims Anjou and invades Nor- mandy Tribunal. 1063 12th Grand Tribunal of the Or- 1134 A huge tidal wave strikes and mandy, and supports the claims 986 Louis V “the Indolent,” Lothair’s der of Hermes. The conflict be- reshapes the coast of Flanders; of Arthur of Brittany against son, becomes king, only to die tween Houses Tytalus and Flam- Bruges regains access to the John. This marks a turning point the following year as a result of beau is formally ended by the latter North Sea. in the struggles between the An- rivalries among the senior clergy withdrawing from all hostilities. As 1136 Covenant of Moles Magna is gevins and Capetians; thereafter, and nobility. a consequence, the Flambeau cov- founded. Philip II holds the upper hand in 987 Hugh Capet becomes King of enants of Sinapis and Aedes Salii 1137 Louis VII “the Young,” the second most of France. France with the support of the are abandoned, and Lapis Crudus son of Louis VI, is crowned king 1202 – 1204 The Fourth Crusade. Holy Roman Emperor, Otto III, is founded as a joint covenant be- and marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. 1204 Death of Eleanor of Aquitaine. and Archbishop Adalberon of Re- tween the two Houses. 1144 Geoffrey V of Anjou conquers The covenant of Eboris is found- ims. He makes Paris his capital. 1064 Covenant of Vexatores is Normandy and becomes its duke. ed in Paris. 996 Robert II “the Pious” is crowned abandoned. 1146 – 1147 The Second Crusade, 1209 Beginning of the Albigen- by his father Hugh in 987 and 1066 The Battle of Hastings — Wil- preached by St. Bernard of sian Crusade; many nobles from takes the throne on Hugh’s death. liam of Normandy defeats Harold Clairvaux. France assemble at Lyon and pro- 997 10th Grand Tribunal of the Or- Godwinson, the Anglo-Saxon 1151 Henry Plantagenet, son of ceed to Languedoc. der of Hermes. King of England, near Hastings Geoffrey V of Anjou, inherits 1212 The Children’s Crusade is start- 998 Covenant of Aedes Salii founded. in southern England. This leads Normandy. ed as a shepherd boy from Châte- 1004 The Schism War is declared rapidly to the Norman conquest 1152 Henry marries Eleanor of audun works miracles at St. Denis. against members of House Diedne. of England. Aquitaine. 1214 The Battle of Bouvines — Phil- 1005 Covenants of Baiocassium Mi- 1072 Covenant of Nauche-Fleur is 1154 Henry becomes Henry II, King ip II, supported by Frederick II, nor and Caput Capra destroyed. founded. of England; beginning of the An- the presumptive German emper- 1007 Covenant of Kerguntuil is 1079 Philip I defeats William of Nor- gevin Dynasty. or, defeats the combined armies destroyed. mandy and supports the claims of 1158 Covenant of Infelicitas is of the Saxons, the English, and 1008 Covenant of Pagus destroyed. his son, Robert. abandoned. the Flemish. 1011 Covenants of Baiocassium and 1081 Perpauca’s books are declared 1162 15th Grand Tribunal of the Or- 1215 Lapis Crudus re-enters the Her- Ligurio destroyed. the first tomes of the Library of der of Hermes. metic scene having won freedom 1012 Branugurix is destroyed in the the Normandy Tribunal. Access 1163 Construction on the Cathedral (of sorts) from their trap. final battle of the Schism War, to these books is made into prizes of Notre-Dame in Paris begins. 1217 The Fifth Crusade. called the Tempest. in the Hermetic Tourney. 1166 Covenant of Nauche-Fleur is 1219 Papal ban on the teaching of 1018 The Schism War has ended. 1096 The First Crusade. abandoned. law in Paris. The Quaesitores present the 1096 13th Grand Tribunal of the Or- 1180 Philip II “Augustus” is crowned

142 The Lion and the Lily comes king. formed. becomes Pope Clement IV. Future Events 1228 The Sixth Crusade. 17th Grand 1258 The Treaty of Corbeil, settling 1270 The Eighth Crusade. Philip III Tribunal of the Order of Hermes. territorial claims between France becomes King of France. If your saga follows real history, the Papal ban on teaching of Aristo- and Aragon. 1281 Simon de Brie from Touraine following events may occur: tle at the University of Paris. 1261 18th Grand Tribunal of the becomes Pope Martin IV. 1229 End of the Albigensian Crusade. Order of Hermes. Jacques Panta- 1285 Philip IV “The Fair” becomes 1220 Frederick II of Germany be- 1235 The pope grants the cathedral léon, son of a cobbler from Troy- King of France. comes Holy Roman Emperor. school of Orléans the status of es, becomes Pope Urban IV. 1294 19th Grand Tribunal of the Or- 1223 Louis VIII becomes King of university. 1263 Single currency adopted by the der of Hermes. France. 1248 – 1254 The Seventh Crusade. kingdom of France. 1297 King Louis IX canonized as St. 1226 Louis IX (later St. Louis) be- 1250 The university of Angers is 1265 Guido Le Gros from Saint-Gilles Louis.

Appendix B Languages and Names

Channel Islands, also. Poitevin is the dialect score of 5, Parisians with an effective score Languages in France of Anjou and western Aquitaine. In the rest of of 4, all Occitan speakers with an effective Aquitaine, dialects of Occitan (also known as score of 3, and can communicate with visiting The following Living Languages are spoken Langues d’Oc) are spoken; in the central region English merchants with ease, as long as they in France and bordering lands. Each consists of it is Limousin, and Auvergnat further east. speak Anglo-Norman (effective score 4). several distinct regional dialects, which are giv- Breton is spoken in all but the eastern region en in parentheses; most characters should take of Brittany; it is closely related to Cornish the appropriate one as a specialty. Educated or and Welsh. The Occitan dialects of Gascon, well-traveled speakers will have tried hard to Provencal, and Catalan are spoken by people rid themselves of their dialect, and may have living beyond the southern borders of the Lists of Names standard specialties (see ArM5, page 66). Normandy Tribunal. Lists of suggested medieval names suit- Educated people speak and write some French (Orleanais, Norman, Picard, able for characters from the Normandy Tri- Latin, as usual. It is rare to find a book writ- bunal are given below, for French, Breton, Walloon, Champenois, Bourguignon, ten in anything other than Latin, but ac- Lorrain, Poitevin) and Flemish. Many French names can also be counts and letters are sometimes written in used for Breton. Occitan (Gascon, Limousin, Auvergnat, other languages. Breton is the only one that Provencal, Catalan) is hardly ever written. Breton Same language, different dialects: Male Names (French) Low German (Frisian, Flemish) –1 penalty to both speakers Adam, Aimon, Alain, Alenard, André, French vs Occitan: French, the group of dialects also known –2 penalty to both speakers Anseau, Artaut, Aubert, Aubry, Baudouin, Ber- as the Langues d’Ouiel, is spoken throughout nard, Bertran, Charles, Colin, Denis, Didier, most of the tribunal. Orleanais is the dialect Breton vs Cornish: Dreux, Durand, Enguerrand, Érard, Estienne, of the Ile de France, including Paris. Those –1 penalty to both speakers Étienne, Eudes, Eustache, Évrard, Fiebras, from other parts of the country who need to François, Frédéric, Foucaud, Gautier, Gerard, Breton vs Welsh: Gervais, Geoffroy, Gilles, Gobert, Godefroi, communicate with the nobility also speak this –2 penalty to both speakers language. This includes many merchants and Guignes, Guillaume, Guillot, Guy, Henri, trades persons. Picard and Walloon are spoken French (Norman) vs Anglo-Norman: Hervé, Hugues, Jacques, Jean, Jehan, Josse- in the northern-most region — Picard to the –1 penalty to both speakers lin, Josserand, Julien, Louis, Martin, Mathieu, west and Walloon in Lower Lorraine. Frisian Marcel, Maurice, Michiel, Naimes, Nicolas, Low German vs English: Olivier, Orthon, Perrin, Philippe, Philippot, and Flemish are used in the far north. Lorrain –3 penalty (only –2 if Frisian dialect) is spoken in Upper Lorraine. Champenois is Pierre, Ponce, Raoul, Raymond, Renaud, Reni- the dialect of the Champagne. Bourguignon to both speakers er, Renouart, Regnault, Richard, Robert, Rob- is that of Burgundy. The Norman dialect is in, Roger, Roland, Simon, Tancred, Thibaut, spoken in Normandy and the eastern parts The other pairs are so distinct from each Thierry, Thomas, Vilain, Vincent, Yves. of Brittany. Anglo-Norman, as spoken by the other that comprehension is likely to be based ruling classes in England and those in Eng- on signing and good guesswork, or magic. Example: A character from Normandy land involved in overseas commerce, is very Female Names (French) closely related to the Norman dialect and a with French 5 (Norman) speaks to fellow very similar dialect of French is spoken in the Normans with an effective score of 6, French speakers with no dialect with an effective Adeline, Agnes, Agnesot, Alison, Ame-

143 The Lion and the Lily line, Amelot, Anne, Aude, Blanche, Cath- cilin, Lagu, Loïc, Maël, Maonirn, Mihael, Ghyse, Gilis, Godefroy, Goesin, Hanne, Hen- erine, Chrestienne, Clarisse, Collette, Denise, Padrig, Paol, Per, Pierrick, Rioc, Roparzh, ric, Herman, Hugh, Jacob, Jan, Johannes, Denisette, Dorian, Edine, Emmelot, Florence, Turtouald, Winoc, Yann. Kerstiaen, Klaas, Laurens, Lubertus, Lucas, Genevote, Gervaise, Guillemette, Guillette, Ludolf, Martin, Mattheus, Michiel, Nicolaus, Guiote, Honnorée, Ide, Isabelle, Jaqueline, Olyer, Otto, Pauels, Philips, Pieter, Reiner, Jaquette, Jehanne, Jehannette, Joie, Juliote, Robert, Rodolf, Rutger, Segher, Sois, Stephen, Loyse, Lutisse, Mahault, Margot, Marguerite, Female Names (Breton) Symon, Thieman, Thomas, Volkard, Wellin, Marie, Marion, Martine, Mathilde, Mesot, Wilhelmus, Willem, Wouter, Ysebrand. Mirabelle, Nicole, Odette, Oudine, Pasquette, Agace, Annick, Armelle, Beatrice, Bela- Pernelle, Perrette, Perotte, Philippote, Plantée, dore, Berthildis, Drilego, Franseza, Gaëlle, Poubelle, Rixenda, Serena, Sybille, Symonne, Gwenaëlle, Heranneun, Ivone, Katarin, Katell, Typhainne, Ysabeau, Ysabel, Ysabelet. Maëlle, Maëlys, Mari, Melita, Nolwenn, Female Names (Flemish) Oanez, Prostlon, Rimoet, Rozenn, Yuone. Aghete, Agnes, Alene, Alijt, Alisa, Annen, Aue, Auesote, Bela, Bata, Beatrix, Berta, Clem- Male Names (Breton) ense, Elisabeth, Ermgart, Flore, Gele, Gertru- Male Names (Flemish) id, Grieta, Haedwien, Heile, Helwigis, Hilde- Adiuni, Alan, Arthur, Belado, Benabic, gard, Iseburg, Johanna, Jute, Katrine, Kristine, Bertho, Britou, Budnouen, Corentin, Con- Abelkijn, Alard, Albertus, Amilius, Ligardis, Lisebette, Machteld, Marie, Matilde, briti, Disideri, Deniel, Erwan, Felix, Gaël, Andreas, Arend, Arnulphus, Baldwin, Bar- Mabelie, Margareta, Mette, Nannen, Pernele, Gallmau, Guillouic, Guiomarch, Gwenaël, tholomeus, Bernart, Bertoldus, Clais, Conrad, Reynildis, Sara, Siburg, Sophia, Sybillie, Tetta, Gwenneg, Gwilherm, Heranal, Huon, Io- Daniel, Dodo, Elias, Engelbert, Eustacius, Thedwi, Ude, Weindelmode, Yde, Ysabella. Everart, Florens, Frederik, Gerart, Gerrit,

Appendix C Bibliography

History Legend Rhône Valley 2004, Belgium Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 2004, Brittany 1995, Burgundy F. M. Luzel & D. Bryce. Celtic Folk Tales from Jura 2006, Châteaux of the Loire 2000, Dor- N. F. Cantor (ed.). The Pimlico Encyclopedia of Armorica (2nd edition). Llanerch Publish- dogne Berry Limousin 1998, Normandy 2006, the Middle Ages. Pimlico, 1999. ers, Felinfach, 1997. Northern France and the Paris Region 2001. G. Duby. France in the Middle Ages 987-1460. Myth and Mankind: Legends of Chivalry. Duncan Michelin Travel Publications. Blackwell, 1991. Baird Publishers and Time-Life Books, J. A. Everard. Brittany and the Angevins, Province 2000. and Empire, 1158-1203. Cambridge Uni- versity Press, 2000. Internet Sources R. Fawtier. The Capetian Kings of France, Mon- archy and Nation 987-1328. Macmillan, Travel Guides The Catholic Encyclopedia: http//www.newad- London, 1960. (Geography, Local vent.org/cathen/ G. Holmes. The Oxford History of Medieval Eu- The Internet Medieval Sourcebook: http://www. rope. Oxford University Press, 1992. History, and Legends) fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html G. Merion-Jones & Michael Jones (ed.). Medieval France Maps: http://www.pitt.edu/ Manorial Domestic Buildings in England and J. Dodd. The Rough Guide to Dordogne & the Lot. ~medart/menufrance/mapsmain.html Northern France. Occasional Papers of Rough Guide Travel Guides, 2004. Medieval Naming Guides — French: http://www. the Society of Antiquaries of London, J. McConnachie. The Rough Guide to the Loire. s-gabriel.org/names/french.shtml Vol.15, S.A.L. London, 1993. Rough Guide Travel Guides, 2004. The Megalithic Portal: http://www.megalithic. A. McCall. The Medieval Underworld. Sutton A. Tillier. Paris (Eyewitness Travel Guides). Dor- co.uk/ Publishing, 2004. ling Kindersley, 2002. Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ G. Parker (ed.). The Times Atlas of World His- Michelin Green Guides: Alsace Lorraine Cham- Main_Page tory, BCA. Times Books, 1994. pagne2001, Atlantic Coast 2005, Auvergne

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