A New Revision

This revised edition of The Broken Covenant of Calebais is the third version of the adventure to be published for Ars Magica. Calebais was the first adventure ever published for the game, back in the days of First Edition, and it was revised and expanded for Second Edition. Now, for Fifth Edition, it has been revised and expanded once more. Although the plot, setting, and atmosphere remain the same, the text has been almost completely rewritten to integrate this classic adventure more firmly into the Fifth Edition version of Ars Magica.

This version of the story of the broken covenant consists of three chapters, each of which tells a different part of the story. In chapter one, the characters will unearth the mystery of Calebais and the region that surrounds it, and learn much about its history, people, and the legends that are all that remain. Chapter two contains the covenant itself, a floor by floor description of what has become of the once-grand palace for wizards and those who served them. The final chapter concludes the story by leading the characters to a convent where they can gain more information about the treasures they have inherited, including the secret of the legendary Bell of Ibyn.

While the events of these chapters are based around a framework for a story, they do not outline that story from beginning to end. Instead, they describe the places, people, and events associated with Calebais. This is a dynamic setting that should interact with the characters, and change depending on their actions. The inhabitants are independent, and act on their own initiative, as well as in response to what the characters do. If the characters choose not to enter an area, the inhabitants might instead come to them.

For this reason, you will need to be familiar enough with the elements that make up the story to be able to invent things as you go along. It requires a bit of extra preparation on your part, but in return you will have a better story and your troupe will have a better experience. Make sure you read each chapter thoroughly before playing it, so that you will understand all the subtleties of what is going on and can feel free to change things or make up new elements as you think appropriate.

The rewards of this story are great, and so the challenges are significant. Nothing about Calebais should be simple, though it does not need to be frustrating. When in doubt, go easy on the characters. Even if they generally have the advantage, botches on important rolls can lead to crippling injuries and even a dead character or two. Make sure they come prepared with "cannon fodder" — characters they can afford to lose if things go wrong — because many of the encounters are more dramatic when they are deadly.

The group might initially want to make a scouting mission, just to see what is in the ruins, and then use this information to return to their covenant and bring back the right tools for the job: specialized characters, new spells, better equipment. You should encourage this kind of thinking, for it is much more realistic, and will make the story more rewarding. The more familiar they become with the covenant, the more likely they are to figure out its secrets, which is the best result of all.

At the end of each chapter, several options are presented for taking the story in different directions. Consider these ideas and your own before running the adventure. Perhaps one of the players' choices will make one of the options especially attractive. Don't let your preconceptions hinder you — be ready to change your mind about the encounters as you go, to produce an exciting and fulfilling story that still makes sense.

Don't expect to be done with this supplement in just one play session, either. Five sessions is normal, and it can easily be stretched even further if the characters are very thorough. Also, the last chapter takes place long after the first two have been completed, and yet is still part of the story; you can mix in other adventures and then come back to it. The supplement works particularly well if you can introduce the story into a setting that you have already developed, so that you can both foreshadow it and refer back to it. You can even build an entire saga around the adventure, if you wish.