The Convent

Sitting high on a rocky hill overlooking the water below, the convent is a collection of whitewashed stone buildings surrounded by a high wall. The four-story church tower is the focus of the entire structure, and is the only building more than two stories high. In the surrounding area are gardens, orchards and fields. Short walls covered with vines separate the different crops. Nuns in pure white habits, twenty in all, work silently outside, and the whole setting is pastoral and picturesque.

During the journey, Ash will tell the characters about the prioress and her domineering ways, and joke that only those outside of the Order need such authoritarian leadership. As they reach the outskirts, she will make sure that they know the name of the nun who gave her the letter (Sister Larine). Then, after making sure everything is in order and that they can find their way back, she asks for some traveling money and bids them farewell. She does not wish to be further involved; she stays at the nunnery often when traveling and would rather not be seen with the characters, just in case something goes wrong.

As they approach, the nuns outside might see them from a distance and watch them curiously, and those in the courtyard will greet the visitors formally and send for the abbess. They will not be invited into the convent until after she has seen them and determined their business, so they may wait a few minutes outside the gate while the

Remember that characters with The Gift have grave difficulties when dealing with normal humans. Without the Gentle Gift, magi will have a very hard time convincing the abbess to see them, and the nuns will eye them warily the whole time they remain. Wizards will also be at a great disadvantage in the tests that follow, for it will take an incredible show of virtue to convince Sister Hedwig to help them. As for characters with the Blatant Gift, it is doubtful that they would be allowed into the convent at all.

When the abbess arrives, she will brusquely ask the characters their business, and if she deems it important she will arrange to meet with them later in the day. She will ask three of the nuns to make temporary quarters ready, where the characters can bathe and rest. If some of the characters are of noble bearing, they will be taken to the guest house, but a group of primarily warriors and other disreputable sorts (including characters with The Gift) will be shown to the hayloft that is built above the stables against the convent walls.

sisters try to avoid staring at them. If the characters ask about Sister Larine, the nuns will look surprised and say very sorrowfully that she has died. They will answer no other questions, silently shaking their head and politely returning to work. If the characters force them to talk, or speak sharply to them, the nuns will grow very agitated and try to avoid them, and word will spread throughout the convent of the uncouth strangers.

An aristocrat from birth, Hedwig now enjoys a position of respect similar to a baroness. Within the convent, she is indisputably in charge, making all decisions that affect their relationship with the outside world: entertaining visitors, expelling unwanted members, overseeing repairs and new construction, and so on. Her authority does not bother the other nuns, at least the more spiritually advanced among them, as it means that they need not bother with such matters, and can concentrate on bettering themselves. She is generally a good leader, but very used to getting her own way.

Hedwig is not the first abbess at the convent, but she is the first abbess under the Cistercian rule. Her guidance has seen the nuns

Characteristics: Int +1, Per -1, Pre +1, Com +1, Str -3, Sta +1, Dex -2, Qik -2

Age: 58

Personality Traits: Authoritative +3, Careful +3, Kind +2 Appearance: The abbess is a stocky woman in her late fifties who retains the energetic poise and demeanor of her youth. Her hair is well groomed, and her voice is strong and authoritative. Her majestic frown betrays what she thinks of inefficiency or lack of ability in others.

Roleplaying Tips: Speak with a deep, steady tone and use a voice that says "obey me" without seeming overbearing. Your gaze should be steady and your face full of dignity. Sister Hedwig is sharp and direct, but also wise and very kind. She will allow no mischief within her convent walls.

into a new age, and distinguished the nunnery very highly, pleasing both the secular potentates and her father-abbot, not to mention a large number of other influential Cistercians. Thus, her convent is accorded a great deal of leeway, and she feels she can bend the rules on occasion when she has good reason. For example, it would probably be frowned upon for any abbess to allow male guests to stay within the walls of the convent for more than a night, or encourage the nuns to interact with strangers to gauge their worth. However, Hedwig believes this sort of liberality will ultimately lead to good. If caught, she would probably suffer only a mild penance, and then only if it could be shown that her actions caused great harm.

In fact, Hedwig is the reason the convent is Cistercian in the first place, because she is related to a well-known bishop with close ties to Rome. Because of his influence, when she petitioned the order to be allowed to join, the Pope issued two bulls in favor of the nunnery, from which it draws most of its political might. One stated that the convent was to be directly subject to the Holy See. The other confirmed it as a member of the Cistercian order and raised its rank from a priory to an abbacy, increasing its power and independence from the diocesan bishop.

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Because of her exalted independence, Hedwig can even travel to the meeting of abbots in Clairvaux every year, though she is not allowed to participate. She and her advisors crowd the sessions with other influential nuns of the order, engaging in judicious lobbying on the outskirts and subsequently meeting at Tart for a general chapter of their own, deliberating and voting on issues that affect the Cistercian nunneries. The abbots have not seriously penalized them for these outrageous acts, but only weakly decreed that they must abstain from wine while on their journey. Thus, while the abbots would seem to wield great and conclusive power over the nuns, in most cases the women are simply too much for their father-abbots to handle. It is in this environment that Sister Hedwig makes her political nest, and she finds it quite comfortable and well-suited to her.

When she is ready, the abbess will send for the visitors, instructing their leaders to meet with her in the parlor. She will be attended by two others, Sister Palona and Sister Alice. These nuns are her senior advisers, and she will not meet with the characters without them, for the sake of propriety as well as the extra boost to her authority.

The abbess will begin by asking their business, and once she confirms they are seeking Sister Larine, she will apologize for their loss, for Larine died in the time since they last heard of her. Yet their journey may not have been for nothing, she tells them, as Larine gave some information to the abbess before she died. If it is relevant to their reason for coming here, and she believes that by helping them she will do good, she might be willing to share it.

She will ask why they wished to see Larine, and how they knew her, for she was not aware that she had any living relations outside the convent. Together with her advisers (one excelling at logic and argument, the other a saintly visionary) she will question the characters thoroughly on these matters, attempting to discern their true intentions and find the weaknesses in any lies they tell. The crossexamination will be brisk and may even unearth secrets the characters would rather keep quiet, due to Alice's holy insight. Magic bothers Sister Hedwig, especially its being used for ill; they also will not aid those who have committed evil acts in the past through whatever means — if they fully intend to do so again.

Eventually, the abbess will ask for three days in which to consider the matter. She must reflect on what the characters have told her and decide whether or not they are people of virtue and righteousness. If the characters are willing to wait, she will see them returned to their lodgings and kept comfortable and occupied in the meantime. If not, she will nod sadly and escort them back to the gate.

If they stay, Sister Hedwig will secretly arrange several tests for the characters over the course of the next few days. These tests are included as story hooks in the sections that follow. They are designed to offer them opportunities to be virtuous and to sin, so that she may observe how they truly act.

Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Pre -3, Com +2, Str -3, Sta -3, Dex -2, Qik -2

Age: 61

Personality Traits: Devoted +1, Calm -3, Nice -3 Appearance: Sister Palona walks hunched over with a limp, and has a small round nose which is frequently reddened and raw as she is often sick. She is strident and shrill, and gesticulates with wide, aggressive gestures when she speaks.

Roleplaying Tips: No matter what anyone else says, react to it as badly as you can, and let your thoughts show clearly on your face. Stare people in the eye, as that's the best way to see into their hearts, but look away disdainfully if they stare back. Remember that even though you are vile and constantly suspicious, you're also a nun.

SISTER PALONA

Sister Palona finds meaning in life by strictly separating the divine from the diabolical. Everything in the world must be either from God or from the devil, and she is intent to determine which side the characters favor, as that is how she interprets the duties that Sister Hedwig has assigned her. She is very sharp, and will report everything she finds to the abbess, who is wise enough to extract the truth from Palona's polar views. Though arduous and difficult, Sister Hedwig finds her extremely valuable as she is well-versed in law and an excellent orator.

Sometimes they do clash wills, though; Palona once believed she should have been made abbess instead, and Hedwig has had to discipline her harshly on several occasions where she has overstepped her place. Palona still quietly dreams of this appointment, and tells herself that it is God's will that she will one day take on those august duties. She will likely transfer much of her lingering resentment for Hedwig to the characters for the duration of their stay.

When she was young, Palona fled her home and inheritance with a lover, intending to elope with him. He brought her to the convent to make her safe until he could come back for her, but he never returned. Worse, she learned many years later that he lives in another village in the region, married advantageously. If the characters learn this, her bitterness may be explained, but she will forever become their enemy if she realizes her secret is known.

SISTER ALICE

Alice is a poet of sorts, deeply immersed in the ascetic mysticism that the Cistercian order supports and encourages. Local theological scholars may have read her verses concerning emotional imagery of heaven, or descriptions of dreams she has had of Christ motioning to the wound in his side. She frequently has divine visions which have led to her increased commitment to holy pursuits and peace of mind. She will not take much notice of the characters unless they have something of spiritual significance to say, but her first impressions of them will be accurate and deep, and Sister Hedwig will greatly value her insights. If the characters have truly helped others in the past, Alice will recognize this and suggest that the abbess aid them in return.

Because of her holiness (many believe she will ascend directly to heaven when she dies), she is highly respected by the other nuns, even those who resent the abbess's strict rule. The characters, especially the magi, should recognize that something about Alice is very different from their own experience. It is like she has The Gift, only instead of it disturbing and prickling others with its strangeness, it fills others with awe and wonder at the divine. She may be the closest the characters ever come to meeting a saint, and she should have a memorable effect on them.

If this brief description of Alice does not impress them, remember that she has a divine magic resistance of 60. If any of the magi tries to cast a spell at her, she may find them later and tell

Characteristics: Int 0, Per +2, Pre +3, Com +1, Str -1,

Sta 0, Dex -1, Qik -1

Age: 39 Faith: 6 (6)

Personality Traits: Compassionate +4, Somber +2,

Joyous +1

Appearance: A powerful and saintly visionary, preoccupied with heavenly distractions, Alice has piercing gray eyes and a very thin frame.

Roleplaying Tips: Focus completely on either your own thoughts (ignoring your surroundings) or what is happening immediately around you (tuning out the other world in your head). Hunch your head and look at the floor with your eyes closed, or else don't move your face or body as you look at the person who has your attention. When you do reveal your intuition, speak quietly but confidently.

them this in her own terms: "If you wish to touch me with your will, you must first bring your heart closer to God. You are twelve great steps removed from the edge of my sphere; you have turned your back on Him and pursued His shadow upon the earth before you; yet the distance is not so much that you cannot make your way back with His help, if only you would turn your gaze to the light."

SISTER MALORES

This beautiful young woman is actually a faerie who once lived in the wild areas tamed by the sisters. The Dominion makes her slow-witted, and she was found unconscious by local villagers and brought to the nunnery. With nowhere else to go, Malores eventually became a nun herself, but from what she understands of theology, she worries that she cannot go to heaven when she dies as she does not have an immortal soul. Occasionally, she acts in strange ways and has been severely punished in the past for leaving the dormitory to pray beneath the full moon. Sister Palona says of her "She is corrected by word of mouth without result; she is urged by blows but there is no improvement."

Sister Malores does not age, and the nuns already suspect there is something supernatural about her. She has the faerie sight, and will recognize magical characters. She will feel drawn to them, and they will continually find her following them whenever she

Characteristics: Int -3, Per +3, Pre +4, Com 0, Str -2,

Sta 0, Dex +1, Qik -1

Age: 55 (29)

Personality Traits: Joyous +5, Curious +3, Distracted

+1

Appearance: Malores is lithe and willowy with a vacant and serene expression, and appears about thirty years old, though the nuns all know she has lived at the abbey for at least that long. There is definitely something fay about her, perhaps in her

eyes or a slight point to her ears.

Roleplaying Tips: Though she cannot talk, she will attempt to communicate through pantomime. Consider this a challenge. Play out her desperation, her sense of being completely lost, and the special quality of innocence she has about her.

can. She cannot speak within the divine aura, but if she spends a month in a magical or faerie place, she will regain her voice.

SISITER NADALINE

Nadaline was Sister Larine's closest friend, for they were very close all of her life at the convent. Nadaline was given to the convent soon after Larine joined, and they latched on to each other. There are many things about Larine that puzzled Nadaline, in particular her love of the sound of the church bell. Once she said that "the bell could hear her devotion," but did not elaborate. Nadaline refuses to answer questions about her past or Larine's, and becomes very angry if pressed about it, because she knows very little and misses her very much. She works hard and obeys her superiors. She generally dislikes the sisters who come from noble descent, as she feels they are incapable of hard work. She does not allow criticism in her kitchen, though in other places she is more meek and retiring.

Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Pre -2, Com -2, Str +2, Sta +2, Dex +3, Qik -1

Age: 55

Personality Traits: Brave +2, Discerning +2, Patient -3 Appearance: Nadaline is white-haired, wrinkled, with strong blue eyes, hefty build, and an intimidating demeanor. She always seems to have some sort of tool in her hands: a rolling pin, bucket or plucked chicken.

Roleplaying Tips: Emphasize her doughty girth and toughness by holding your arms out and squaring your jaw. Expressively wave around whatever she happens to be holding.

You should play through all three days of living at the convent in detail, to give the players a sense of what such pious and secluded life would be like, and perhaps allowing their characters to grow and change from the experience. The quiet and subtle nature of this chapter has remarkable power and strength if you take the time to develop it properly.

If the abbess learns that the characters have been using sorcery on the convent grounds, she will be very upset and summon them to meet with her and her advisers again. This may evolve into a theological debate about the inherent evils of magic, which will demonstrate that Palona and Alice have opposing views. Nonetheless, Sister Hedwig will firmly ask the characters to refrain from such activities while they stay with them. Her poor opinion of them might be lessened a little if the characters clearly used their powers virtuously.

After pondering this development, Sister Hedwig may decide to use it to test them further. She will arrange for the characters to be placed in positions similar to the conditions that caused them to use magic, and watched carefully to see if they do so again. She will also give them very hard work to do, such as digging up brambles or repairing the roof, to see if their magic has made them too lazy or proud to help.

The rule that the Cistercian nuns follow is extraordinarily strict, even more so than the typical monastic oath. They do not speak except when there is clear need, they are supposed to travel in pairs or groups of three, even within the abbey walls, and they do not leave the convent. They own no property and dress in identical white habits without adornment. Their duties involve many hours of hard work each day, periodically interrupted by the services, in which they all gather to chant and worship. Each of these services takes about twenty minutes and is an essential part of monastic life; nuns may only miss them if they have been given particular dispensation by the abbess.

Every new day begins in the same way. The nuns are awakened in the middle of the night for Matins and Lauds, where they gather in the church to sing the service and then return to their beds. They do this quietly, so as not to disturb guests, by sending a sister through the dormitory, and descending down special stairs that lead directly to the church. It is a soft and sleepy office, and creates a feeling of intimacy among the holy sisters that often bridges grudges and hostility that they may have for each other.

In the morning, the nuns gather for Prime, the service named for the first hour of daylight, when the bells are rung to welcome the new day. This occurs usually at about 7:00. Guests will probably be awoken by the tolling of the bells, especially if they do not live near a monastery and are not used to hearing them ring the offices. After Prime, the nuns have a simple breakfast in the rectory, during which time a reader appointed by the abbess recites a devotional passage for the day, and then the nuns wash and attend to the necessities of nature before beginning household chores such as laundry, cleaning, or working in the kitchen.

All of the nuns rise every morning for Matins and Lauds, and believe that keeping this rigorous schedule helps make them healthier and holier. While going to the office, if any of the nuns sees the characters up and about in the early hours engaged in prayer, study, walking or other wholesome activities, the abbess will hear of it and be impressed. She will not think less of her guests if they sleep all the way through Prime, but she will if she learns they have complained of being awoken by the bells.

The third hour (about 9:00) marks the ringing of the bells again and the nuns gather for Terce, followed by the liturgy, and then a chapter meeting among the nuns to read from the Rule and discuss abbey business. This is when the sisters will inform the abbess what they have seen and heard of the characters, and when she will direct them what to do during the following day. The nuns spend the rest of the morning performing manual labor in the vestry, the gardens, or vineyards, though not on Sundays, when instead they attend Mass.

At noon the nuns chant Sext, the sixth hour, and then gather for a hearty meal, consisting of a pound of bread, and fruits and vegetables in season, but no meat. On cold days, this might be a warm, hearty soup, and there is often a choice of two dishes. Guests might be invited to lunch with the abbess, if she would like to keep an eye on them or ask how they are doing. As the nuns do not speak during meals, the room is silent except for the reading of more Scriptures and the shuffle of bowls, spoons, benches and feet.

At each chapter meeting, the abbess will inform the sisters that she has not been convinced the characters are worthy of hearing Sister Larine's last message, and that she is not going to tell it to them. All the nuns know that when she makes up her mind, no amount of persuasion will change it. She will tell them this whether it is true that she doesn't intend to help them or not (though she is not, strictly speaking, lying; she will not be convinced until three days have passed, and she doesn't intend to tell the characters anything, for she actually has something to show them). This misinformation is a test to see if the characters are spying on her and the nuns, or if the nuns are communicating with them. She reasons that if they overhear this, or somehow convince one of the nuns to tell them, they will show their true colors or give up and leave of their own accord, neatly punishing themselves.

After lunch the nuns rest briefly and engage in quiet, artistic activities in the afternoon, such as embroidery or copying devotional texts, further prayer, or meditation. Those who have been assigned unusual duties by the abbess will carry them out at this time. This sedentary stretch of the day is interrupted by Nones, named for the ninth hour, which is observed at about 15:00.

While many of the nuns are resting and otherwise occupied, the characters might notice Sister Palona sneaking off to a distant corner of the compound. If they follow her without her noticing (and she is very alert and will be cautious), they will find she goes to tend a very small but beautiful flower garden. She cares for the greenery lovingly and with surprising tenderness, humming softly to herself. This may soften the characters towards the sour-faced and bitter woman, and the abbess will notice this and approve.

When all the work is done and the day is over, the bells ring for Vespers, and the nuns gather again to sing the service and herald the approach of evening. They then take a light supper while listening to more Bible readings, study, and gather one last time to sing the closing service, Compline. They then go to bed.

In the late afternoon or early evening, a pretty young nun seeks out one of the male characters, probably a handsome grog or companion. She shyly asks him if he would like to help her gather grass for the refectory table. She is very curious what he will do when he is alone with her; having lived at the convent most of her life, she knows little of men and would like to know more. If the character behaves as a gentleman, this event will eventually be another positive mark for the troupe when the abbess finds out. However, if things get out of hand, it may ruin any chance of the characters ever impressing the nuns. This is such a perilous test that you might want to allow another character to see them go off together, so that other players can intervene or get help if the situation looks like it might end badly.

By every day's end, the nuns have worked for about six hours, prayed together for about four hours, engaged in quiet contemplation and study for about eight hours, and slept for eight hours. While this routine may seem severe, it is very attractive to the nuns as an escape from the uncertainties of life in dangerous times. The convent offers food, shelter, education, and community, and also the chance to learn and develop spiritually. It is an extremely attractive medieval lifestyle, producing a flowering of deep and fulfilling devotion, and on the whole the nuns are quite content.

The place where the nuns make their home is fairly typical for the middle ages. Most monasteries and nunneries were built to this plan, as this convent was originally a Benedictine house. It may seem large, but wealthy abbeys often support a number of lay brothers, men called conversi, who were not monks but vowed to serve and help with the labor. The nuns do not have any such help, and do all the work themselves.

The convent is built around a great square courtyard, called the cloister, which is open to the air with a covered walkway around all four sides. During times of prayer or exercise the nuns might walk around this path, and should not be disturbed. The cloister is to be silent at all times. It is bounded on all four sides by the important areas of the building.

To the west is the hospitum, or guest house, where the characters might stay. There are four separate rooms, and plenty of space to accommodate a large group on narrow bunks. Water is heated for two guest washrooms. Farther south is the abbess's house and the parlor, accessible from the principal refectory, where guests eat.

The cook, Sister Nadaline, asks (or perhaps orders) the characters to bring several baskets of bread from the bakery and a cask of wine from the storehouse. If they humbly assist her, or at least don't make much of a fuss about it, news of their charity will reach the abbess. Nadaline may press her luck, though, and then conscript the characters to help her in the kitchen for several hours. The abbess will not think well of her for doing this. She may also become suspicious of the characters if they don't complain, and decide to leave them alone for a day to see what they do when they are left aimless.

Sister Palona may spot the characters carrying the heavy barrel into the kitchens, and purposefully stumble into them. If they react poorly, she will simply walk away smugly. If they are polite and deferential, she will begin to berate them, blaming them for getting in her way. She will do everything she can to anger the characters, even causing a scene by breaking the cask they were carrying, spilling the wine everywhere and screeching at their clumsiness. Obviously, word of the encounter will be carried back to the abbess.

The south side of the cloister contains the common refectory and day-room, where the nuns take their meals. It is a long, vaulted chamber with pillars that direct the eye upward and inspire the nuns to contemplate the heavens while they sit. The kitchen lies between the two refectories, with easy access to both. Beyond are the gardens and vineyards on their gentle slope towards the river.

The second night at the convent is the full moon, and the characters might be awakened by a quiet keening sound. Those who investigate discover the mute sister in the garden chanting in a strange whispering voice. She is clearly praying to the moon, which might strike characters as pagan worship. Sister Hedwig will not think well of the characters if they tell her about this, or spread word of these strange activities throughout the convent, as she regards it as divisive and unkind, and forces her to have Malores punished. She thinks this is cruel, because the voiceless sister cannot understand why what she is doing is wrong.

Above the refectories is the dormitory, where the nuns sleep. Beds line the simple chamber, though there are also several private rooms for nuns who have been granted more privacy, or who are ill and need to sleep apart. There are two sets of stairs; one leads down to the common refectory, while another leads past the scriptorium to the south transept of the church.

Staying with the nuns in secret is Raphael, a young squire once employed by the local baron who has taken sanctuary at the convent. He was a little too friendly with the baron's wife, and was furiously dismissed by his lord, who also challenged him to a fight of honor. Raphael fled the duel and hides in the stables fearing the baron's vengeance, and he has no idea what he will do once his thirty days end, when he will probably be hauled out forcefully by the baron's men. He is a skilled manservant, and good at music, but no one in the area would hire him now. One day he will inherit land, but he doesn't think he will live that long in his current situation. He will avoid magi, but he might show himself to a companion or grog, perhaps making light of his situation at first by making fun of them, "common ruffians, mingling with noble blood," and accidentally provoking a fight with his insensitivity. If the characters help him, Sister Hedwig will be pleased. If they hurt him too badly, it will also reflect badly on them.

On the east side of the cloister is the chapter house, where abbey business is transacted, and the vestry, where materials for the services are kept and where the priest prepares the Mass. A small penitent's cell is also nearby. A long hall leading to the outer courtyard allows access to the outer gate, where the small gatehouse limits all contact with the outside world. Against the wall are several storehouses and specialized buildings, such as the stables (which usually quarter only a pair of mules), the bakery, and the laundry.

To the north is the church, built in the shape of the cross, with a long pillared nave leading east to the choir, where the nuns sit before the high altar, and two transepts making a north-south crossbeam. The common altar and pews fill the western half of the church. A great door in the northern transept leads to the outer courtyard, and allows access to the church without passing through the convent. Elegant pointed arches cap the ceilings, and give the windows a distinctly Gothic look that the Cistercians are just beginning to make famous.

The priest, Father Martin, arrives at the convent on Sunday to give Mass. He is a dour, tired man in his fifties who gets along well with the nuns but does not like strangers. He will likely be dismayed at the guests, and may even spread ill word of them through the village if they do not mollify him. Yet if they want to impress the abbess, they must attend the service, and she will be particularly impressed if they visit confession. The father will assign them strict and tough penance for their sins.