Bishop Orris

The bishop of the diocese in which the characters' covenant is found, Bishop Orris is both blessed and cursed. He is blessed in that he is sensitive to the presence of evil and can see the good in people's hearts. His curse is that he can also sense magic, but is incapable of distinguishing the presence of magic from the presence of evil; to him, they seem the same. This delusion, coupled with his piety and his dread of the Infernal, makes him a dangerous antagonist when he happens across the player characters and becomes convinced that they are in league with Hell.

Bishop Orris is an opponent best suited to a covenant not entirely divorced from the mundane world. The bishop has great influence over the local population, and his antagonism toward the characters can cause them great difficulties, but his impact is lessened if the characters are socially isolated.

His story works best if he is presented as a puzzle that needs to be solved, rather than a monster to be defeated. The bishop is a good man who has the interests of his flock in mind while he opposes the characters. In many ways, he highlights the problem faced by the Order; magi are forbidden from meddling in mundane affairs, but the mundanes are not similarly prohibited from meddling in theirs.

If you have already established the diocese into which the player characters' covenant falls, then Bishop Orris can be a new appointment to the episcopal seat, or else be the incumbent bishop taking on a more prominent role in the saga.

The bishop's seat should be a city near the characters' covenant, so they fall within Orris' diocese. The cathedral is a minor pilgrimage site, thanks to its relic of St. John the Apostle, and the constant flow of pilgrims is both a nuisance and a revenue stream to the cathedral staff and its congregation.

The bishop's staff consists of a secretary, several archdeacons, a cathedral chapter of canons, and a host of assistants in minor orders. Each archdeacon heads the canon court within his archdeaconry (a subset of the entire diocese), and administers the interests of the Church there. The canons attend to the cathedral itself, and constitute the choir for which it has become famous.

The cathedral described here is written in a generic enough manner that it can be slotted in to most cities in western Mythic Europe. It need not be dedicated to St. John the Apostle, but could still possess a major relic of the saint; the location of St. John's Hand is not known in Mythic Europe. If your saga is not set under the authority of the Roman Church, you will need to alter some of the details to account for the differences between Western and Eastern Christianity.

Age: 51

Personality Traits: Avaricious +3, Self Important +3, Social Climber +2

Archdeacon Geoffrey

Geoffrey is the most senior of the archdeacons within Bishop Orris' diocese, and the only one to be ordained as a priest. Geoffrey is a political creature, at home among the intrigues of the episcopate, and likes to consider himself the power behind the throne. This is not the case: Bishop Orris is wise to his ambition, and ensures that he has little actual influence. Geoffrey has a weakness for money, and is not above skimming money from the diocesan funds if he thinks he can get away with it.

Age: 32

Personality Traits: Loyal to Bishop +3, Obsequious +3, Jealous +2

Adam is the devoted secretary of Bishop Orris. In fact, he is much more than simply an appointments clerk: he is both chamberlain and steward to the bishop's personal household, and also acts as the bishop's manservant. He is jealous of his position at Orris' side, and loathe to permit anyone else to get as close; consequently, he is overworked and almost always exhausted.

Father Peter

Age: 67

Personality Traits: Practical +3, Honorable +2, Brave +1

Father Peter is the provost of St. John's canons, and the bishop's confessor and confidant. He therefore has the potential to have a great deal of influence over Bishop Orris, but has never exercised any such power. Father Peter is old, and suspects his time is short; he worries that there is no one to take his place. He recognizes Brother Theodoric as a true mystic, respecting his power and simultaneously discounting him as suitable for a worldly task such as his own.

Characteristics: Int +1, Per 0, Pre +2, Com +4 (2), Str –1 (1), Sta –1, Dex –1, Qik –1 (1)

Size: 0 Age: 57 (47)

Decrepitude: 1 (0) Warping Score: 1 (5) Confidence Score: 1 (3) Faith Score: 0 (1*)

* from participating in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Virtues and Flaws: Senior Clergy; Educated, Great Communication, Inspirational, Magic Sensitivity, Privileged Upbringing, Puissant Magic Sensitivity, Sense Holiness & Unholiness; Meddler, Mistaken Identity; Clumsy, Lesser Malediction (cannot distinguish evil from magic), Fear (the Infernal)*, Noncombatant, Poor Hearing

* from Warping

Personality Traits: Protective of Flock +4, Paranoid About Hell's Intentions +3, Brave +2, Devoted to God +2

Reputations: Just 4 (Local), Trustworthy 3 (Ecclesiastic)

Combat:

Dodge: Init –1, Attack n/a, Defense –1, Damage n/a

Soak: –1

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Ancient Greek 3 (translation), Area Lore: Diocese 4 (parishes), Artes Liberales 2 (rhetoric), Charm 3 (invoking saints), Civil & Canon Lore 5 (papal bulls), Concentration 3 (while praying), Divine Lore 2 (Cantores), Etiquette 4 (the Church), Folk Ken 4 (penitents), Intrigue 5 (church politics), Latin 4 (liturgy), Leadership 6 (holy influence), Magic Sensitivity 3+2 (practitioners of magic), Native Language 5 (exhortation), Organization Lore: Church 5 (clergy), Organization Lore: Nobility 3 (pious nobles), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 0 (2) (legal issues), Philosophiae 2 (theological concordance), Profession: Preaching 4 (swaying hearts), Ride 1 (on roads), Sense Holiness & Unholiness 2 (good), Theology 7 (biblical knowledge)

Equipment: Ruby ring of office, clerical vestments. He may also be carrying the relic of St. John (see The Cathedral of St. John the Apostle, later), particularly if he has cause to fear for his life from supernatural sources.

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Appearance: The bishop is tall and stick-thin. In his youth, his hair was orange-red, but has faded to pure white; apart from his tonsure, he has a full head of hair. His eyes are a clear blue, and his nose is large and hooked. He is a strong orator and clever rhetorician, able to infuse his powerful voice with emotion to stir men's hearts.

Unlike many bishops, Orris was not a member of a monastic order prior to his appointment, but was a parish priest within the diocese he now rules. This 'local boy made good' story has contributed to his local reputation, and the cathedral city in particular is proud to have him as their bishop. Bishop Orris benefits from being able to preach to his parishioners in their own language as a native, and from knowing the specific problems of his diocese.

Note that both of the bishop's Supernatural Abilities are aligned to the Divine realm, so he suffers no penalty in any supernatural aura, and gains any Dominion aura as a bonus. His high Warping score and low Decrepitude score result from the holy blessings he receives from the cathedral's cantors (see later). The bishop can rely on the substantial resources of his cathedral, most notably its relics, but when he enters the saga, he does not routinely carry them with him.

Brother Theodoric

Age: 42

Personality Traits: Pious +5, Otherworldly +3, Hopeful +1

Brother Theodoric is the de facto leader of the Holy Tradition of Cantores at St. John's. He has no true leadership qualities, but is the chief chorister and most experienced of the holy magicians. He established the Cantores here a decade ago, and carefully chooses new recruits based on the visions he receives. Some of the canons feel snubbed that they have not been initiated, but Brother Theodoric is oblivious to this, and Father Peter works hard to negate any tension and ill feeling. Theodoric has True Faith.

In common with other lords secular and spiritual of Mythic Europe (Lords of Men, pages 40–41), Bishop Orris has a working knowledge of the Order of Hermes, although some of it is erroneous, thanks to misinformation spread by the Order. He knows that magi are organized locally into covenants, but conceives these to be similar to cathedral chapters or monasteries. Unless they have taken pains to conceal it, he is aware that the characters' covenant falls within his diocese and is possibly aware of its name, but has not been sufficiently concerned to learn more. He has never met a magus before, and

As described in The Church (pages 48–51), churches can be described using the same system as covenants. This insert describes the resources that Bishop Orris, as head of his diocese, has available to him. He may use any of these resources for himself, just as a magus can utilize the resources of his covenant. The Hooks and Boons described here can be found in The Church and Covenants.

Hooks: Pilgrimage Site (Major, Surroundings), Urban (Major, Site)

Boons: Aura (Major, Site); Chapter of Canons (Minor, Church), Edifice: Lady Chapel (Minor, Fortifications), Edifice: Chancel (Minor, Fortifications)

Resources: Divine Aura 5, rising to 6 in the Lady Chapel. Books: The Bible (Summa on Theology, Level 10, Quality 3; Summa on Organization Lore: Church, Level 3, Quality 3), Parish Register (Summa on Area Lore: Diocese, Level 3, Quality 5), The Missal (Tractatus on Organization Lore: Church, Quality 7; Tractatus on Music, Quality 7), Breviary (Tractatus on Organization Lore: Church, Quality 8), Sentences by Peter the Lombard (4 Tractatus on Theology, Quality 9), The Decretum by Gratian (Summa on Civil & Canon Law, Level 5, Quality 11), Sic et Non by Peter Abelard (Summa on Theology, Level 5, Quality 13), 8 other Tractatus on Theology, Civil & Canon Lore, and Organization Lore: Church (Quality 7). Relics: Hand of St. John (see later), Rib of St. Martin (see later), Fragment of the True Cross (Faith score 1), 3 other minor relics (Faith score 1). Specialists: provost of canons (Theology 5), chief chorister (Holy Music 8), 4 Cantores (Ceremony 5), 3 canons (Organization Lore: Church 5), archdeacon (Civil & Canon Law 7), 2 notaries (Profession: Scribe 5), exorcist (Divine Lore 6), deacon (Profession: Steward 5), 4 doorwardens (Brawl 5), 8 acolytes used as clerks, scribes, messengers, and distributors of alms (Organization Lore: Church 4). Vis Sources: 3 pawns Creo vis (tears on the statue of St. John the Apostle), 5 pawns Imaginem vis (echoes in the cathedral following Easter Mass), 2 pawns Vim (water washed off the chancel steps). (502 Build Points)

The Hand of St. John the Apostle

Evangelist and prolific writer, St. John was called 'The Beloved Disciple', and Jesus made him the guardian of the Blessed Virgin. He was the brother of St. James the Greater, and the two were known as the Sons of Thunder. St. John died at Ephesus. The Hand of St. John is one of Christendom's most significant relics, as it is the hand that penned the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. The Hand has a Faith score of 4, giving it 4 Faith Points and a Divine Might of 40. It also has two Powers.

Turn Back the Missile, 2 points, Init +5, appropriate Form. The Hand can defend up to 10 people at Range Voice from missiles, hurling the weapons back at their originators. The power protects against any missile, whether thrown or shot, and can even affect objects impelled by magic. The attackers must defend against their own missiles, as if they were the targets of their own attacks; Penetration, if necessary, is calculated using the relic's Might. Once invoked, the power persists until it is no longer needed — typically at the end of combat. This effect emulates one of St. John's miracles.

Curse of Drowning, 2 points, Init +8, Aquam. The target of this curse begins to vomit forth sea water, and starts to drown. The relic's wielder must continue to concentrate, and can end the effect at any time. While it persists, the target must make Deprivation rolls (ArM5, page 180–181) every 30 seconds, and can take no other action. Once the effect is ended by the wielder, if the target is still alive but took any wounds from drowning, then these become Long Term Fatigue levels instead.

The Rib of St. Martin of Tours

The patron of beggars, horsemen, and soldiers, St. Martin of Tours is a popular saint in France and Italy. His Rib has a Faith score of 2, giving it 2 Faith Points and a Divine Might of 20. It also allows the holder to activate the saintly power Grant of Serenity (Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 88).

expects them to be dressed in blue robes with tall, brimmed, blue hats and carrying staves. He is also aware that the Order regulates itself through a series of laws and secret Tribunals, and that it is democratic in nature.

In general, Bishop Orris is suspicious of magic, since he has encountered sorcerers before whom he knew, deep down, to be evil (thanks to his Lesser Malediction Flaw). He has been told that not all wizards and magi are evil, and on a rational level believes this to be possible. Nevertheless, he knows that God has blessed him with the ability to identify evil, and reserves judgment until he has had personal experience of them.

If the storyguide is interested in using Bishop Orris as an antagonist, but feels that the character does not quite fit within his saga, there are a number of options as to how his character can be changed. Note that several of the options in this section could be combined.

Not a Bishop

As an antagonist, Orris' story revolves around his desire to protect those for whom he is responsible against the threat that he perceives the characters to pose. If the saga does not have a suitable bishopric nearby for Bishop Orris to head, it is not essential that he is a bishop for this story. Naturally, some elements will have to be altered to match his changed status. The least disruptive change is to make Orris an abbot: an equivalent ecclesiastic rank, but head of a cloistered community rather than a member of the secular clergy.

For a complete change, Orris could be the preceptor of a local chapter of the Knights Templar, or even a pious noblemen with links to the clergy, perhaps through a younger brother. For either of these options, it might be necessary to rebuild Orris' statistics to make him a more martially focused character.

The canons of the cathedral constitute a Holy Tradition of Cantores (Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 93-94) who practice their devotion to God through music sung in plainchant. There are five members of the Holy Tradition at St. John's, including the chief chorister Brother Theodoric. There are also four other members of the cathedral chapter who are not Cantores, but occasionally participate in their group ceremonies (one of these is the provost of the chapter, Father Peter). The five Cantores employ Holy Music, Invocation, Blessing, and Enchanting Music as their favored Abilities, and regularly employ the last of these to infuse the congregation with a sense of wonder for God, or other emotions appropriate to the Mass being celebrated.

Bishop Orris is aware of the abilities of the Holy Tradition, and is in awe of their faith. He has rarely asked them to use their miraculous powers, trusting in Brother Theodoric's piety to guide them. In recognition of this non-interference, every year the cathedral chapter gathers to perform a ritual blessing of the bishop's health, which has resulted in a bonus to his aging rolls of +5 (Holy Music / Blessing 50). This has continued for 10 years, and has resulted in Warping for the bishop.

Brother Theodoric can lead a ceremony of the four Cantores and receive a +24 bonus to miraculous effects (from the total of the Cantores' Presence + Holy Music). With the full chapter of nine canons present and performing a ceremony without a leader, the total bonus is +46 (+25 group bonus, –9 participants, +30 from total of the Cantores' and canons' Presence + Holy Music). If they use the Invocation Method rather than Holy Music, the bonus from the Cantores' Communication + Invocation is +14 for a led group and +16 for an unled group.

Other Motives

As written, Bishop Orris is motivated by his episcopal duty as a shepherd to protect his flock against the wolves of the Order. However, his methods can remain the same while his motives change. He may not be deluded by his powers at all, but instead desire the downfall of the characters for different reasons. He may resent the apparent power that they have, or desire possession of a resource (such as a source of income) that they have claimed, and so he plots their destruction for his own gain.

If Bishop Orris is motivated by selfishness, he is less likely to receive assistance from the Cantores at his cathedral; in fact, the characters may find a potential ally in Brother Theodoric. He is still able to manipulate the other institutions of the Church, thanks to the authority of his rank, but it will be easier for the characters to overcome these obstacles — if the bishop is driven by worldly desires, his allies may be less loyal.

Taking alternative motivations to the extreme, Bishop Orris could be corrupt, morally or supernaturally, and desire the characters' demise out of sheer malice. Perhaps the magi have had a beneficial effect on the local community, and this is too much for a corrupt Bishop Orris to stomach. This variant should be carefully considered; the cliché of a corrupt churchman can be easily overused, and the ethical dilemmas of this story are lost if the characters are right and the bishop is wrong. Furthermore, in Mythic Europe, it is less likely that a truly corrupt man would attain an episcopal rank — not with the active interest of angels, saints, and holy men looking out for the church.

A More Powerful Bishop Orris

Bishop Orris is already reasonably powerful, not because of what he is, but rather who he is. If the storyguide believes that he would not pose a sufficient challenge to her players' characters, there are a few ways in which he can be enhanced. Making him an archbishop or cardinal would invest him with a personal Magic Resistance

which stacks with any provided by the relics he carries. He would also gain the Commanding Aura by virtue of his position (see Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 42-43, or The Church, page 26). An archbishop's cathedral should have another 500 build points to spend on resources, such as more specialists and more vis that could be employed by a larger chapter of Cantores. The Cantores of the cathedral could be allowed access to more Holy Powers, and use their powers at the bishop's direction. If they have the Understanding Power, then they can grant Bishop Orris Divine counsel and visions of the future, making him aware

If Orris' home city is the site of a preceptory of Templars or Hospitallers (or conceivably Teutonic Knights, depending on the location), then these allies could be brought into play sooner in the story, and pose a serious challenge to the characters. The Church Knights are veterans of siege warfare, and are particularly effective against a covenant, if their siege engines are protected by a Blessing supplied by the Cantores that grants Magic Resistance.

of the actions of the characters and able to

plan appropriate responses.

A Weaker Bishop Orris

It is not necessary to change the bishop's character to make him a weaker opponent for the player characters: just make him less ardent in his pursuit of them. A bishop is a busy man with many demands on his time, and even if he genuinely believes the characters to be a threat, he can afford to move against them slowly unless they retaliate.

The initial encounter between Bishop Orris and the player characters could take a number of different forms. The key feature is that the bishop gets close enough for his Magic Sensitivity to alert him to the characters' magic. One example of such an occasion is given later, but the storyguide might have other opportunities for the characters to rub shoulders with a bishop.

Every year, a bishop is obliged to visit the parishes within his diocese. He must examine the state of the clergy and congregation, ensure that the buildings and land owned by the Church are well-maintained, and to deal with any Church business. This obligation is normally devolved to Orris' archdeacon, but he has fallen ill, so the bishop has decided to perform the visitation in person.

The yearly visitation probably is of little interest to magi. It may be that the archdeacon is usually more lax than the bishop, and most years he doesn't bother visiting every parish, missing the more remote ones (such as that of the covenant). However, news reaches the covenant that the summoner has called a person to face the bishop's court on a charge of sorcery. In itself, such a case should attract the attention of magi, who are forever nervous about such accusations being laid against them. If the storyguide thinks that a bit more spice is needed to pique the interest of the characters, then the accused can be somehow linked to the covenant. He may have worked for the covenant in the past, or been a recipient (willing or not) of their magic. Perhaps it is the farmer who sells his crops to the covenant, or even someone in the covenant's direct employ. The accused could even be linked directly to one of the covenfolk — a relative of one of the favored grogs, or even a Dependent or True Love of one of the player characters. If a magus is notorious for a crime (in the technical sense that there are witnesses to him performing magic), then he may be summoned himself.

If the accused is intimately connected to the characters, play through the summons. The summoner is a sub-deacon of the diocese who is paid by the accused, not the court, for issuing the summons. He justifies this by reasoning that if he didn't do this job, the accused would be ignorant of the charges against him and be found guilty in absentia. The charge he levies is appropriate to the income of the character — basically, how much he thinks he can get away with. Summoners have a disreputable job that attracts accusations of trivial summons purely to extort a fee. Perhaps this summoner is in

The Arrival

The bishop's entourage arrives in midafternoon, and the whole parish attends to see him. It is rare to see the bishop, and there is a festival air. A feast has been arranged for the visitors, paid for out of parish revenues, and it is as lavish as the parish can afford. Bishop Orris is accompanied by his secretary, four acolytes, and four guards hired from his cathedral city, for a total of ten people. If the region has a reputation for being lawless, there may be more guards: they are responsible for protecting not only the clergymen, but also the alms and wages they carry with them. A player can make an Intelligence + Organization Lore: Church simple roll. If he succeeds against an Ease Factor of 9, the character is aware that this is an unusually small retinue; two or three times this number is permitted, and can be a great drain on the resources of the parish.

This should be the first time that the characters have come met the bishop personally. Players can make an Intelligence + Organization Lore: Church roll to see what they know about him. Lacking this Ability, they can still make a roll of a stress die plus the Bishop's Reputation (4). The character knows everything under the highest Ease Factor they beat, and under all lower Ease Factors.

Botch	Provides information about a dif
	ferent bishop.
3	This is Bishop Orris.
6	He is considered a fair man; the
	men of his city are proud of him.
9	He is a local, having grown up
	only about ten miles from here.
12	He is influential in his city, and
	by all accounts a powerful orator.
15	In the past, he has taken a very

Ease What is Known

The feast takes place in the open air if the weather is appropriate, or in a shelter made by removing one wall from a barn if it is not. Food is provided only

hard line against sorcerers.

for the visitors, the parish priest, and one or two local figures such as the reeve or notable freemen. However, trestle tables have been laid out for the peasants to eat whatever food they have brought with them, and the bishop has generously donated several barrels of ale to share among them.

It is possible that a magus or companion from the covenant will be invited to sit at the bishop's table, although this is only likely if the characters have a substantial presence in the parish, and are considered well-known or important enough to dine with the bishop. Thanks to The Gift, it is unlikely that a magus has a sufficiently good reputation to receive such an invitation, but if he does (or has The Gentle Gift), then the encounter between the magus and the bishop that precipitates the rest of the antagonism occurs over supper (see later).

The Bishop's Court

On the day after his arrival, the bishop holds court within the parish church. However irregular the summons or the charges, the accused would be wise to attend the bishop's court and defend himself.

A simple platform has been built in front of the altar, and a table and chair have been placed on it. The bishop sits in judgment on this platform, accompanied by a notary and his secretary Deacon Adam. A large proportion of the parish's freemen attend, standing in the nave. Bishop Orris begins by leading the parish in a prayer for justice and Antagonists

wisdom, during which time he exerts his spiritual authority and tempers the Dominion aura toward Justice (see Exerting Holy Influence, later, or Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, pages 38–40). This is not a normal procedure, but the bishop's fear of the Infernal, coupled with the charge of sorcery, leads him to this course of action. The temper provides a bonus to all activities that promote the uncovering of secrets.

The court commences with the deacon reading a checklist of all items having to do with the upkeep of the church, the collection of its tithes and dues, and the conduct of the priest and congregation. The assembled parish is required to swear that each of these duties has been executed correctly, providing evidence such as church ledgers as proof.

The bishop is the sole judge of guilt and innocence, and the court claims jurisdiction over moral offenses and matters connected to religious obligations, and all crimes committed by clergymen. There are not many cases to be tried: a case of brawling in the church, a failure of certain individuals to attend religious festivals, and a case of a woman giving birth after only seven months of marriage. You could also add cases arising from story events in the last year. Most of these cases are dealt with through monition (official warnings), small fines, and public penance. Characters may notice that the bishop hands out judgments fairly, and is prepared to give defendants the benefit of the doubt without appearing unduly lenient.

While regional variations certainly exist, practicing magic in and of itself is neither a secular nor a canon crime in most of Mythic Europe. However, the mode of practice or effects of magic can be illegal. For example, if magic is used to commit theft or murder, then the magician has committed a crime. Similarly, if performing magic involves idolatry, then this is punishable by a canon court. Hermetic magic was purged of overt idolatry by Bonisagus, but theologians and practitioners of holy magic still claim it invokes the symbolism of sacrilegious rites through its gestures and words (Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 66-69). A character who hears (and understands) the words and sees the gestures of a magus casting a Hermetic spell can make an Intelligence + Artes Liberales roll to recognize influences from pagan sources; the Ease Factor is 9 for a non-Ritual spell and 6 for a Ritual spell. The individual may interpret these influences as idolatrous.

Bishop Orris can sense manifestations of the Divine, Infernal, and Magic Realms, thanks to his Supernatural Abilities. In the presence of such things, he feels momentarily dizzy, and breaks out a cold sweat. If the sensations come from the Divine, he experiences an upwelling of joy, and rays of golden light seem to shoot from the source of Divine power. When experiencing either the Infernal or Magic Realms, he finds it uncomfortable to look directly at the place, object, or being, and it seems shrouded in gloom and hollow despair. In all cases, he must Penetrate any Magic Resistance to receive any sensation at all.

The Ease Factor to detect a person with the Gift is 15 – (highest Art divided by five or highest Supernatural Ability). Against Hermetic magi in particular, this is quite difficult. However, take into account the following modifiers:

• The bishop is next to the altar, and therefore in a Dominion of 5. This adds to his Magic Sensitivity roll.
• If a character is on trial, she is also within the Dominion aura of 5. If

the characters are just bystanders, then they are in a Dominion aura of 4. Subtract 3 times the aura from their Magic Resistance while within the Dominion.

• The Just temper of the Dominion adds to the bishop's Magic Sensitivity roll.

If the characters cast a spell, then Orris may detect that instead, or he might detect an enchanted item carried by a companion or grog. Magic Resistance may not be an issue in such cases. If the bishop's Magic Sensitivity fails to Penetrate, the character is aware that something has been rebuffed by her Magic Resistance and may elect to investigate, giving the bishop more opportunity to detect the presence of magic.

In all, it is possible for Bishop Orris to detect the character's magic, and mistakenly identify it as evil. If all else fails, the storyguide could simply rule that he is successful, for the sake of dramatic necessity. Even storyguide characters roll ones on occasion.

When it comes to the accusation of sorcery, the accused is brought forward and the charges against him described. As explained in the nearby insert, magic is not a crime per se in Mythic Europe; the legal accusation brought before the canon court is that the magic was effected by exhorting pagan entities, and thus idolatrous. The charges may be entirely falsified or entirely true, depending on the specific situation chosen by the storyguide, but the accusation is based on hearsay rather than tangible evidence.

Compurgation

If the accused is indeed a practitioner of magic, or currently under the influence of a spell, then the bishop may detect this thanks to his Magic Sensitivity (see insert). If the bishop detects the presence of magic, then he blanches as the defendant is brought before him. Pulling himself together, he delivers an impassioned speech to the crowd about the seriousness of the case and the dangers of sorcery to one's eternal soul. Nevertheless, he is bound by his own sense of justice, and cannot convict on hearsay alone.

The bishop resorts to compurgation to settle the case. He asks for witnesses to step forth and attest to the character of the accused. They are asked to take an oath on the Bible he has brought with him that the defendant is of good character and incapable of the crime of which he has been accused. If at least 12 persons take such an oath, then the accused will go free. Parishioners are reluctant to come forward initially, concerned about being seen as supporting a potential sorcerer. This is particularly true if the bishop has lectured on the perils of witchcraft. The accused is permitted to appeal to individuals for help, and may implore members of the covenant to stand witness for him. Should one of the magi stand witness for the accused, then the bishop detects his magical ability when he takes the oath. He does not interrupt proceedings, but takes a good look at the witness, resolving to find out more about him. Naturally, if magic is used to persuade witnesses to step forward, then the bishop may detect this too. If he does, he is likely to call off the whole proceedings and drag the accused back to the cathedral for a full trial, since Hell is clearly trying to interfere here.

If insufficient witnesses attest to the character of the accused, then Bishop Orris convicts him of the crime. Depending on the seriousness of the case, he might demand a public penance (typically, wearing a white sheet before the congregation) or a fine. If magic was deemed to have been used to commit a major crime, then the defendant might be turned over to the mundane authorities for another trial.

Orris' Dilemma

Ultimately, the outcome of the case does not matter to the furtherance of the plot; the purpose of this story is to allow the bishop to be exposed to the magical nature of a magus and to detect the stench of Hell on him. If this did not happen as a direct result of the trial, then another excuse for the bishop to come across a player magus should arise, even if it is just a chance meeting on the road or at an inn. If the covenant maintains a chapel, then the bishop's visitation could legitimately include the covenant to ensure that it is being well maintained — and the covenant's Magic aura is very easy to detect if it is not entirely enclosed in an Aegis of the Hearth. Alternatively, the bishop might receive testimony from a priest who has witnessed a spell being cast, or even heard confession from a grog or servant of the covenant who admits to having done the bidding of witches and sorcerers. In these circumstances, the bishop is sure to investigate further before deciding on a course of action.

After becoming convinced of the wickedness of at least one of the player magi, Bishop Orris returns to his cathedral. There he meditates on his face-to-face encounter with evil, and prays for guidance. He is torn

between an obligation to fight evil and a need to protect the weak. His flock could suffer if he goes to war against the covenant; besides, he lacks good information on his enemy. He therefore decides to take things slowly, gathering information about his foe while trying to bolster his parishes against the evil in their midst.

At this point in the story, the characters are probably entirely unaware that they have made an enemy. While they go about their business, the bishop marshals his forces against them. What follows is a gradual escalation of the bishop's opposition to the characters until his actions force a response from them, at which point the story reaches its climax. This section describes the weapons that Bishop Orris has at his command, and what stories might develop from their use. It is assumed that the characters react to the events triggered by the bishop's actions; the consequences of actions initiated by the characters are dealt with in a later section.

Orris' first step toward protecting his flock is to provide them with some spiritual armor against the deceits of sorcerers. His sermons take up a common theme, based around the cardinal virtue of Prudence, and demonstrate the points he wants to make through practical examples from the bishop's court. He interferes in the exercise of secular justice as well, offering guidance which proves well-considered, and publicly acts as a spiritual advisor to any who require it.

All Dominion auras within his diocese take on a Wise temper (Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, pages 39–40). In practical terms, individuals become more prudent, gaining a bonus to Personality Traits associated with the temper, such as Careful, Cautious, Chaste, Practical, and Prudent. Similarly, they become less Ambitious, Overconfident, Naïve, and Lecherous, taking a penalty to appropriate Personality Traits. The bonus also adds to all activities that support making sensible decisions, and penalizes those that oppose prudent behavior. The size of the bonus or penalty depends on the bishop's Holy Influence roll: Presence + Leadership + stress die. A total of 9 grants +1, a 15 grants

The effect is subtle, but any storyguide characters whom the magi meet within the diocese become more suspicious of their motives, and less likely to exhibit blind trust. Longstanding vendors may reconsider the wisdom of trading with wizards, and allies might start asking for greater assurances from them. The player characters and their covenfolk are not themselves affected by this temper unless they reside within a Dominion aura.

A Prudent Populace

Magi are used to people distrusting them, but when everyone becomes more cautious around strangers and less naïve toward covenfolk, then it is possible that the grogs will notice. The locals also become more curious; they are actively interested in the covenant's business, and less likely to simply ignore the presence of the covenant in their vicinity.

If the grogs are used to leaving the covenant in search of drink, gambling, or female company, they find a new paucity of these vices. The covenant's steward

Orris' Lesser Malediction Flaw is central to this story, and storyguides should consider its provenance, as the player characters may resolve the story by removing the curse (see Resolution, later). The belief that magic is evil is a common position in Mythic Europe, although by no means universal; there are many who know the truth. In the bishop's case, he appears to have empirical proof of this belief because of his curse. He has had concrete exposure to the power of Hell, and receives the same sensation of evil when he is around magic. Furthermore, Orris has only ever perceived magic as evil, and in his mind there is no difference; he is not aware that it is possible to sense magic separately from holiness or unholiness.

This curse was laid on him by a supernatural being, and there are several options for how that occurred. God — or an angel working under instruction — could have placed the curse on Orris as a means of testing the player characters. They are guiltless of any specific crime in this story, yet are persecuted by a powerful adversary. The test is whether they can maintain the moral high ground and restrain their power. It may be possible for them to make the problem of Orris simply go away, but this is not a matter of what they could do, but rather what they should do.

Alternatively, a demon could be responsible for the malediction. This would have happened many years ago, before Orris was a bishop but showing inclination of a promising career. Given the Supernatural Abilities he has, he could be a powerful enemy of demons, so Hell muddies his ability to detect them, causing him to waste energy persecuting magical — and potentially innocent — individuals.

Finally, the curse could be the result of a curse from a powerful hedge wizard or faerie. This is likely to have been a response to some event early in Orris' life in which he caused offense to such a being. Curses of this type often obey the dictates of poetic justice, so it is likely that Orris' error was that he witnessed something he did not understand and jumped to the conclusion that it was the work of the Devil.

(or whoever normally keeps track of its finances) notices that the covenant has had a slight but steady increase in expenditure. The locals are less likely to offer credit to the covenant, and seem to have become shrewder at bargaining; whereas before the covenant was able to make a good deal, its agents now need to work harder to make the same exchanges that they did before. Characters who have regular dealings with locals can make Perception + Folk Ken simple rolls. If they beat an Ease Factor of 6, they are aware that something has changed in the attitude locally, but beating an Ease Factor of 9 is necessary to pinpoint it. An Intelligence + Divine Lore roll against an Ease Factor of 6 reveals that the temper of the Dominion aura is the most likely cause of this effect.

Burning Bridges

The Wise temper is not simply turned against the characters; it affects all aspects of life in the diocese. All across the land, the common people start to act with zeal and prudence, allowing practicality to overcome tradition. For example, the freemen of a town commission a bridge to cross the river, rather than walking several miles to the existing one. In doing so, they attract the attention of a demon builder (such as Architectus, see Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 66). Three times, they manage to outwit the demon. Shamed, the demon seeks revenge by framing them for diabolism and ensuring that the characters see the "evidence." Since the town's new bridge is an edifice apparently built by evil magic, the covenant might seek to destroy it, but this only confirms what the bishop has been saying about them.

The bishop also sets about investigating the covenant as early as possible. He quizzes Father Geoffrey about them, since they fall within his archdeaconry. He tells his archdeacon to keep an ear to the ground, and to ask questions about the characters at his next visitation. He is particularly interested in any complaints brought to the canon court or local lord, any rumors about their activities both within the diocese and beyond, and any relations that they have with local notables. It can be assumed that anything contained within the local or ecclesiastic Reputations of the characters or the covenant is known to the bishop after this investigation.

He then turns his attention to more direct means of gathering information. He hires a couple of agents to go into the villages and towns nearest the covenant and find out as much as they can. The storyguide should think back over the stories she has told in the saga so far, and note any blatant use of magic by the characters in front of witnesses, and any supernatural event that attracted their attention. The bishop's agents do not necessarily discover the characters' motives or the stories' resolutions, but they learn at least that the magi or their servants were associated with the events. They also gather lots of information that has nothing to do with the characters, but has been connected with or blamed on the magi and their strange ways.

Working for the bishop, the agents are bold enough to approach any noblemen or significant locals with whom the magi have a friendly relationship (or are rumored to have such a relationship), and ask subtle questions of their servants, serfs, friends, and enemies. The agents may even have the opportunity to approach the covenant's own servants, but the bishop advises against this, unless he has already discovered that the covenfolk have an uneasy relationship with their masters.

After the agents report back, Bishop Orris is in possession of a vast amount of information about the covenant. How much of it is accurate depends very much on how subtle and secretive the characters have been over the covenant's history. At the very least, he discovers the names of most (if not all) of the magi at the covenant as well as many of the companion characters, and the name of the covenant itself. At most, he could have a list of the sorts of magic each magus has been known to use, along with strengths, weaknesses, and possible crimes committed with magic.

A third source of information for Bishop Orris may be available, depending upon the saga's assumption as to the amount of knowledge the Church has about the Order of Hermes. If, as The Church suggests, the pope has sent a legate to represent the pope at Tribunal meetings, Bishop Orris corresponds with that legate to try to discover if he has learned anything pertinent to the characters under the bishop's scrutiny. Again, how much the bishop learns through this route is highly saga-dependent.

Blocking the Bishop's Sources of Information

Of course, the characters have opportunities to discover that someone is asking questions about them. These opportunities should be lightly scattered through other unrelated stories without drawing too much attention to them, so that the characters only gradually realize that someone is systematically investigating them.

Some possibilities include:

• A "chance conversation" at a roadside tavern between a grog and another customer turns out to be more probing than the grog was expecting from a stranger.
• An ally of the covenant asks in passing if a particular character managed to meet up with his cousin. Apparently, a distant relative came around and was asking where his cousin lived, and similar questions.
• A Quaesitor has been alerted through his agents within the papacy that a legate has received a question about the magi. He arrives at the covenant to investigate what they might have been up to, without revealing the true purpose of his visit. This may lead the characters to believe that the Quaesitor is responsible for the investigation.

If the characters themselves have mundane agents, they could become aware of the bishop's agents, and attempt some

counter-intelligence action or reveal the bishop as the source of all these questions. It is best if such a story starts mid-encounter, with the characters' agents desperately trying to get back to their masters with some specific information. If the agents do not survive the story, then neither the players nor the characters learn what was going to be passed on.

Armed with the information he has gathered, Orris requests the assistance of the Friars Preacher, and the local chapter house provides him with three capable individuals: Brothers Peter, Bartholomew, and Alonso. The Order of St. Dominic was specifically instituted to combat heresy and to sway the hearts of men against idolatry and sinful behavior, and the three friars sent to the diocese are the sort who lead by example as well as through preaching. Dominican friars wear distinctive black habits, earning them the moniker of "Black Friars."

Their preaching revolves around God's hatred of idolaters and sorcerers, likening them to murderers, adulterers, perjurers, and fornicators. Brother Alonso, in particular, is fond of describing in fine detail the horrors that face sorcerers in Hell. Using Scripture as a guide, they liken magicians to fraudsters, because they falsify miracles; to fornicators and sodomites, because their crimes are against Nature and against God; and to idolaters and blasphemers, because they call upon demons. The friars do not restrict themselves to generalities; they lay accusations of sorcery directly at the door of the player magi. They use any of the facts that Bishop Orris has gathered to support their accusations, but are honest with their facts and do not embellish or lie for rhetorical effect. As described in Art & Academe (pages 13–14), those with Profession: Preaching are experts at persuading crowds to their way of thinking, and the Black Friars are expert preachers.

The result of this concerted campaign against sorcery in general, and the magi of the covenant specifically, is the acquisition of a bad Reputation at a score of 1. Everyone identified as being involved with the covenant's magic, even if they are not themselves a magus, gains this Reputation. The exact nature of the Reputation might vary from person to person; if particular crimes involving magic can be pinned to an individual, then they will be. Each specific identifiable event adds another experience point to the Reputation, which increases as an Ability (ArM5, page 167). Every season that the friars continue to preach, the negative Reputation gains another experience point. This Reputation gradually makes it difficult for the characters to conduct any business within the diocese, as they are met with sullen obstruction, hostility, or outright fear by any mundanes who recognize them. The Reputation also impacts negatively on the loyalty of the covenfolk, causing grogs to be surly and uncooperative (Covenants, page 40).

With the Black Friars in the region, the changes in local attitude become much more blatant than they were under the Wise temper alone. The covenfolk are liable to hear rumors about their masters — and possibly themselves — when they interact with locals. Once the characters have become aware of the reputation, they may attempt to discover its source, and come across the Dominicans preaching in a village near the covenant. What happens if the characters take direct action against the friars is covered in a later section.

Blame the Witch

One consequence — perhaps the main consequence — of the negative Reputations imposed by the Friars Preacher is that the characters get blamed for every misfortune that strikes the diocese. This leads to any number of stories, until the characters realize that they are the target of an unusual number of rumors, and decide to find the source.

Brothers Peter and Bartholomew look so similar to each other that they could be brothers. They are not locals, but hail from a region where the native language is the same as the bishop's diocese. Both friars are personable and maintain a cheerful banter with each other that puts people at ease. They have the demeanor of the common-born (which they are), but this hides their keen intelligence and academic training. Brother Peter is more of a theologian than Brother Bartholomew, and has a great memory for Scripture. Bartholomew often plays the fool to draw crowds, having perfected the pratfall and the head-over-heels

tumble.

Brother Alonso is from a distant kingdom, such as Aragon or Sicily (change his name to Alan if he is from northern Europe). He has a thick accent, and appears to be entirely humorless. He uses his apparent poor understanding of the local language to maintain a distance between himself and the other brothers, although his command of the tongue is better than he lets on. Alonso appears as a somewhat sinister character who has an uncompromising attitude toward sin.

All three friars are of impeccable character. While they frequent alehouses and market squares to spread their message, they abstain from excessive drink and eat frugally. They travel together, but take it in turns to preach in the market squares, only remaining in each town or village for a few nights before moving on. If the characters actively seek them out, it may take several days of tracing their steps before they can be found.

Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition has a template for a Franciscan friar that can serve as a basis for these Dominicans (page 96 ). They should have Profession: Preacher and perhaps the Puissant (Ability) Virtue in this Ability, rather than Teaching.

• A faerie is bewitching cows and preventing bread from rising. When the characters get the blame rather than the faerie, it no longer derives vitality from its actions. While faeries cannot actually starve through lack of vitality, it is transformed by its cravings into something more dangerous. Simply defeating the faerie does not end this problem; the cause of its transformation must be addressed. Alternatively, a cognizant faerie might even accuse the characters of molestation, since

• If a player magus has a predatory familiar, it is accused of eating valuable livestock. The creature summoned to the manor court, and it is tried for destruction of the lord's property. A group of men are sent to the covenant to ensure that the familiar attends court.

they are stealing vitality from it.

• A rival covenant capitalizes on the player magi's bad Reputation. Within the diocese, a church has been built on an ancient vis source. The rival magi cause the church to collapse, allowing them to claim the vis from the source. Naturally, the players' covenant is blamed.

Attracting Unwanted Attention

A Quaesitor passing through the area hears of the Reputation that the characters have acquired, and begins an investigation. If the accusations against the characters are specific, then this might appear to be a clear case of meddling with mundanes. The Quaesitor might even find enough evidence to bring a case at Tribunal.

If the characters make a direct and overt move against the bishop or the diocese, Orris conducts a public ceremony to invoke St. John's wrath against them. He calls upon the saint to punish the perpetrator, attempting to invoke St. John (Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 87). If this fails, he repeats the attempt every day. If the characters' crime was particularly heinous, and the saint has not responded to Orris' ceremony of invocation, Bishop Orris humiliates the saint's relic the following week, attempting to threaten the saint into action (Realms of Power: The Divine, page 87—88). If either attempt succeeds, the saint uses either his Curse of Drowning or Ignis Domini power against the character.

The Black Friars might use some of the following quotes from Scripture to support their message:

As for the illusions of art magick, they were put down, and their vaunting in wisdom was reproved with disgrace (Wisdom of Solomon, 17:7).

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live (Exodus 22:18).

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 19:31).

A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20: 27).

There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. (Deuteronomy 18:10–12).

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. (I Samuel, 15:23).

Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. (Isaiah 47:13-14).

And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. (Micah 5:12–13).

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts (Malachi 3:5).

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5: 19–21).

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelations 21:8).

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.(Revelations 22: 14–15).

If Bishop Orris has not managed to encourage his opponents to seek penance and be forgiven by God for their magic, he turns to more direct means of coercion. Before he embarks on this more extreme road, he preaches a sermon before a packed congregation, picking an important holy day if possible, such as St. John's Mass (December 27th). He implores the magi to submit to the earthly representatives of God and surrender themselves to His mercy. Those magi who are known by name are specifically commanded to seek the forgiveness of God by burning their books, breaking their staves, and setting aside their magic (it is a commonly held belief that a magus needs a staff to perform magic; see Lords of Men, page 41). The bishop ensures that a written copy of this sermon is delivered to the covenant. He waits a week for any response.

Excommunication

If the covenant ignores or refuses the demands of the bishop, then he follows through on his threat. Up until now, the bishop has turned the populace against the characters, and the covenant might be of the opinion that this is as much as he can do. They are about to be proved wrong.

Bishop Orris lays the ultimate spiritual sanction upon the magi: excommunication. In a midnight ceremony at the cathedral, the bishop conducts this fearful rite with the assistance of all the clergy he can muster, and the characters are cast out from the Church and declared anathema. Anyone who knowingly associates with them inherits the spiritual taint of excommunication. Those specifically excommunicated are the "known" wizards: that is, anyone the bishop's evidence makes him believe has used magic.

At this point, the loyalty of the covenfolk must be seriously considered. Excommunication is a dreadful curse to any God-fearing person. An excommunicant is denied benefit from any sacrament other than penance, and should he die, Hell is almost a certainty. Unless the covenfolk and turb are exceptionally loyal, or the characters take extraordinary measures to prevent it, the covenant will be emptied as its inhabitants flee the taint of anathema.

The Church Knights

Having employed his most powerful spiritual weapon, the bishop turns to the most powerful earthly force he has at his disposal — the Church Knights. There are several orders of the Church Militant that Bishop Orris could call upon; which one he uses depends on the saga's location. In Iberia, his allies are the Order of Santiago. In Eastern Europe, it is the Teutonic Order, who operate out of Hungary. Nearly everywhere else in Mythic Europe, the Knights Templar are

Divine Might: 75

Areas of Veneration: Authors, booksellers, friendships, against burns & poisoning, tanners

Feast: December 27

Attributes: Chalice with a serpent, book, eagle

Powers: Curse of Drowning (see relic, earlier), Expel Demons, Grant Visions, Heal Burns, Ignis Domini, Purge Poison (see later), Raise the Dead, Terrify the Unbeliever, Turn Back the Missile (see relic, earlier)

Grant Visions, 2 points, Init +0, Imaginem: The target of this power receives a true vision of the future, although it is clouded in mystical allegory. An Intelligence + Divine Lore of Ease Factor 9 permits a rough interpretation; if a higher roll is achieved, then more is revealed.

Heal Burns, 2 points, Init +0, Corpus: This power heals any non-lethal wound caused by fire.

Purge Poison, 1 point, Init +0, Corpus: This power drives poison from a person, causing them to vomit it forth. The target is healed of any non-lethal wound or fatigue caused by the poison, and takes no further damage.

If the covenant has any spies in the cathedral, the player magi get an idea of the character of the bishop. He spends night after night in vigil, prostrate on the chancery steps, praying for a sign that his judgment is correct and his chosen course of action is the only way to protect the people whom God has placed under his care. From this, they may realize that the bishop is not a villain, and a peaceful solution can still be sought.

Excommunication is a terrible thing to happen to a Christian, but the social threat of being anathematized is sometimes insufficient to coerce characters (or players). After all, magi are social pariahs anyway, and being shunned is nothing new to them. In such cases, the storyguide may apply any or all of the following game penalties to excommunicated characters:

• The immediate loss of all Faith points, if any. Divorced from the sacraments, the character cannot gain any more Faith points while excommunicated unless she possesses True Faith.

• The loss of one Confidence point as soon as she hears of the excommunication. This penalty can be a crushing blow to one's self-belief.

• Gaining a Local reputation of "Anathema" at a score of 1.

• The character's baptismal name now becomes a sympathetic connection.

• The character attracts the attention of demons. Should she die while still anathematized, then Hell wins an easy soul.

• The tenor of The Gift's social penalty changes, so that the character is now shunned by God-fearing folks specifically for her presumed impiety, rather than any other reason.

• Other characters with Faith points (for example, from receiving a sacrament) somehow know that the their own soul is imperiled by associating with the character.

All these effects disappear once the character has reconciled with the Church. Bear in mind that the intent of excommunication is not as a vindictive punishment but as a medical penalty; a means to apply pressure to make a person repent and return from the spiritual wasteland of anathema. Naturally, a character who is not Christian cannot be anathematized, and suffers no penalty.

the most appropriate order. All of the militant orders are charged by the pope to fight pagans and infidels, and the bishop is able to use the authority of his rank to persuade the local commandery to assist him. The bishop turns to the Church Knights only after he has tried excommunication. By calling in the Knights, Bishop Orris is contemplating the spilling of blood; while he hopes that the mere repu-The Church Knights arrive in the city with a great deal of pomp. The city folk know why they have been called in, and greet them with enthusiasm — by this stage, the negative Reputation of the characters is well-established. The knights come in

tation of the Templars will prove sufficient to force compliance, he is also aware that he must be prepared to follow through on his threat and condone military action against the covenant. force; in addition to the commander, there are at least five other knights, plus a dozen or more brother sergeants. The exact size of the force should be tailored to the perceived forces of the covenant, prior to any desertions thanks to the excommunication. The Church Knights have at least as many brother sergeants as there were grogs in the turb, and a number of brother knights equal to the number of companions. The Church contains the statistics for brother sergeants and brother knights (pages 126–127); otherwise, use the templates in Ars Magica Fifth Edition. The Church Knights are the same as the Knight companion template (ArM5, page 23), and fight as a trained group with the commander as leader, who has a Leadership Ability of 5. The brother sergeants have the Standard Soldier grog template (ArM5, page 22), except for the leader of each trained group of five men, who is a Grizzled Veteran (ArM5, page 21). It is highly likely that each knight has a relic with a Faith of at least 1.

Against the Covenant

Once the Church Knights have arrived in the region, they march on the covenant immediately. The characters may be forewarned if they have spies in the town, but apart from that, they are likely to be unprepared. The Church Knights are experienced in war, particularly in sieges, and if the covenant is well-defended, they stockade it while preparing an escalade. Rules for mass warfare and sieges can be found in Lords of Men (pages 109–116). Assume that the commander of the knights is an experienced tactician with direct experience in the Holy Land, and that he has a team of siege engineers who can undermine the covenant's fortress.

The previous section describes Bishop Orris' escalation of hostility against the characters on the assumption that they do nothing but sit passively by and allow him to slander their name, ruin their reputations, and then assault their covenant. He will not rest until he has destroyed the nest of evil in his diocese, and the covenant can only afford to ignore him for so long. This section describes some of the ways in which the characters could stop the bishop, and what the consequences of those actions might be.

As soon as the bishop's interest in the covenant has been noticed by the characters, they may wish to research their enemy much as he is researching them. He has a substantial reputation, and characters with appropriate contacts in different circles of society can find out various pieces of information about him.

In ecclesiastical circles, Bishop Orris is well-regarded. He is the second son of a wealthy knight, who was, or so the story goes, was called to religion by a saint in a dream. He joined the Benedictines initially, but following ordination, he secured a release from his monastic vows and took up a post as a parish priest against the wishes of his family. The abbey where he served his novitiate was abandoned soon after he left (for entirely innocent reasons, although the characters may not wish to believe that). He became known for his quiet faith, strong character, and efficiency, and no one was surprised when he was elected bishop.

Locally, he is a popular bishop, at least in part because he is a local himself. The previous incumbent spoke the local language very poorly, and had a reputation for being standoffish. Orris, on the other hand, is well-known for his sense of justice. More than once, he has personally intervened to mediate a dispute between prominent locals, and he is a champion of the poor and weak against the rich and powerful. The city folk in particular are full of admiration for how he faces down local lords who attempt to exert their authority over the free men of the city.

The Bishop's Mistaken Identity

It is tempting for the player characters to assume that Bishop Orris is crooked; after all, they are the good guys, and he is their antagonist — so he must have some angle, mustn't he? Storyguides wanting to exploit this assumption can employ stories involving the bishop's own Story Flaw. Somewhere in the diocese, the bishop has a near-identical double. This individual is a local scoundrel by the name of Turstan, who has proven a source of minor vexation to the bishop. Orris has not yet worked out he has a doppelgänger, but he does hear occasional stories and sightings of him from his parishioners that do not match his own movements. This Story Flaw is due come into full force over the course of this story.

If the characters have agents in the city after this story starts who are specifically watching the bishop, they see him leaving the cathedral one evening dressed in a typical townsman's outfit, clearly trying to avoid attention. This is, of course, Turstan. Archdeacon Geoffrey discovered him a few years ago, and has a small scam going, where the archdeacon accepts a fee from clients for arranging for the "bishop" to perform a blessing on new work premises, business ventures, and so forth. Turstan has just finished one of these engagements, and is off to spend his ill-gotten earnings at the local brothel.

If the characters follow Turstan for a few days, believing him to be the bishop, they witness him drinking heavily, gambling, consorting with loose women, and doing deals with disreputable characters. Of course, the real bishop has impeccable alibis for all of this debauchery, having been seen by several hundred townsfolk during Mass, the blessing of a wedding of a guild-master, and distributing alms to the poor. If the player characters try to denounce the bishop publicly, the charges are so ludicrous that their malicious intent will be obvious to all who hear, only worsening the characters' Reputations.

However, Turstan is not just a con man with a coincidental resemblance to the bishop (although this is what he will claim if confronted). He is intimately connected to the bishop's curse, and his exact nature depends on what the storyguide has decided is the reason for that malediction (see earlier). The scoundrel could be a diabolist in disguise, who has used his infernal magic to undermine the bishop's good works by taking his form. Turstan could be his faerie tormentor, who occasionally visits the city to see how his victim is faring. Alternatively, the double could be an angel, waiting for the characters to confront it so it can reveal the curse and set them on the journey to remove it.

Discovering the Bishop's Curse

A thorough investigation of Orris' past reveals that he has faced both evil and magic before, and reacted the same way each time. Potential sources of information are monks who shared their novitiate with Orris; penitent parishioners who have meddled with petty magics; former victims of possession revealed by the bishop; or even the ghost of a witch who was slain by a lord after being convicted of murder by sorcery in Orris' court. The characters can gather evidence of Orris witnessing true evil, as well as clear uses of magic — some of which were magic used for evil. These cases point toward the bishop's malediction, that magic appears as evil to him. This might spur the characters to discover the source of that curse.

To characters inclined toward resolving this story peacefully, discovering the nature of the bishop's curse is crucial. In this, they may be guided by an angel or saint, who could push them gently toward Father Peter, who knows the bishop better than anyone. There is also the matter of Turstan, the bishop's double, who knows more about the curse than is first apparent. The means of removing the curse is dependent on its origin (see earlier), but could depend on the characters undergoing a pilgrimage or similar quest (for guidance on running a pilgrimage, see The Church, pages 15–19).

Besmirching the Bishop's Reputation

Bishop Orris is the source of all the characters' woes, and were he to lose standing in the eyes of the cathedral chapter and with his archbishop, then his accusations would hold less force, his allies might desert him, and he might even be removed from office.

Attacking the bishop's Reputation is difficult, though, since he is well regarded in the local community for a lifetime of good deeds. However, this tactic could bear fruit if the characters are prepared to spend time on the project. The magical resources available to a magus could be invaluable in creating false evidence. The

characters must provide the bishop with a bad Reputation through a significant event, then work to increase this Reputation through their actions, much as the friars are currently working against them. Once the negative Reputation exceeds the bishop's current Reputation, the new Reputation takes precedence, and people start to believe whatever falsehoods the characters are spreading.

In most parts of Mythic Europe, only the pope can remove a bishop from his see, and characters may submit a petition to this effect (The Church, pages 46–48). However, any request to remove a bishop from office is thoroughly investigated by papal legates, and the characters have to work very hard to falsify the testimony of the cathedral chapter, local dignitaries, and locals who provide character witnesses on the bishop's behalf. The characters' influence with the local nobility and churchmen might be of use here, but also lay them open to accusations of meddling with mundanes.

One of the bishop's principle weapons is the Friars Preacher and the bad Reputations that they impose. Rather than simply permitting them to perpetuate these Reputations, the characters may decide to meet them head on.

Unscrupulous characters might be tempted to attack the Black Friars, or arrange their deaths. How they do this is critical. A public confrontation simply rallies the locals against the attackers, and three mysterious deaths in the middle of the night simply add to the rumors of evil magic active in the area. As a tactic, this is dangerous and ultimately futile, since the bishop simply arranges for some more to replace them, and any rumors about their demise add to the sermons their successors preach. However, the bishop does not have an unlimited supply of Dominicans; if deaths continue, their superior will eventually refuse to send more. Further, the original three friars are by far the best the order has to offer, and subsequent Black Friars will increase Reputation points at half the rate of Brothers Peter, Bartholomew, and Alonso.

Rather than attacking the friars, the characters could decide to attack their ideas. A public debate with the friars could improve public relations; even if the characters do not actually win, their very willingness to partake in public discussion could win them respect. Should a challenge to debate be issued by the characters, it attracts a great deal of attention, and their bad Reputation does not accumulate any experience points that season. If the characters instead simply confront and debate the friars ad hoc, they do not benefit from this cessation in Reputation increase.

Rules for debate can be found in Houses of Hermes: Societates (page 90) and Art & Academe (page 104); the friars are restricted to the latter rules for academic disputatio, whereas magi are free to go beyond such restrictions and be more flexible with their subject matter, but suffer the social penalty from The Gift. If a magus or his representative wins a debate, he immediately earns a positive Reputation of 1 that counters the negative Reputation imposed by the friars. Depending on the subjects covered in the debate, this positive Reputation may also apply to the other characters affected by the Black Friars' preaching.

If the characters lose the debate, then they have at least succeeded in preventing their Reputation from increasing further in that season, unless they lose catastrophically (by botching a debate roll), in which case they have done more harm than good, and the Reputation gains an additional experience point. Further debates can be scheduled for the characters to either try again to win, or to capitalize on previous success (earning 1 experience point per debate), since the friars are keen to engage in debate against their enemy. A maximum of one debate per season can contribute to the characters' Reputation, either positively or negatively.

Perhaps the easiest way of stopping the bishop's crusade against the characters is for all the magi to approach him and seek absolution. If the characters arrange to speak with Bishop Orris, he assumes that this is why they are here and is eager to meet with them. However, the meeting probably does not go the way he hopes.

For him to give up his pursuit of the magi, they have to agree to take part in a public display of confession and contrition. They have to approach the bishop, humble in demeanor and clothing. Before the entire congregation, they must confess their sins. They have to break their staves, and swear on the cathedral's relics to never practice magic again. They must give up their familiars, and surrender their books to the Church. Finally, they have to accept whatever penance the bishop demands. If they agree to all of this, the bishop is happy to welcome them back into the bosom of the Church, and take steps to undo all that he has done so far. Note that the bishop is not asking anything extraordinary; public confession of sins is standard practice.

There are not many magi who would voluntarily submit themselves to such humiliation, and it is highly unlikely that they would truthfully swear to give up their magic. However, the potential consequences of falsely swearing under the circumstances demanded are too great for magi to risk. Apart from the social impacts if they were proven to have reneged on an oath, there are likely to be Divine consequences as well, such as being struck with the Curse of Drowning by St. John the Apostle and almost certainly anathematized.

If the characters are unwilling to prove their intentions are true, then the bishop will have nothing more to say to them. It may be possible to convince the bishop that magic is not evil; in which case the story might be successfully resolved — see Full Disclosure, later.

Prosecution by the Order

If the characters submit to the bishop, they may be in for a rocky time within the Order of Hermes. A local magus known for his dislike of the Church might accuse them of endangering their sodales, since their actions could encourage the Church to bully more magi into submission. If the characters actually forswear their magic, then they might be deemed to have left

the Order, depriving them of the Code's protection, and making it imperative to slay them before they can betray the secret of the Parma Magica.

The assault against the characters amounts to a gradual attrition of good will, rather than a direct attack, and the characters may not realize the peril until it is too late to do anything about it. As a result, resolution of the story may be equally nebulous. There are three principal ways in which the story can conclude: capitulation, hiding, or all-out assault.

Removing Bishop Orris' Malediction allows him to see that magic is not necessarily evil. While the curse is in place, Orris is incapable of reaching a satisfactory détente with the characters — his uncompromising attitude toward Hell does not permit him to let up his persecution of those who threaten his flock.

The characters may attempt to resolve the curse and free the bishop from its influence. If it was caused by a demon, destruction of the demon destroys its power over the bishop, particularly if the bishop witnesses the actions of the characters. The demon (or one of its minions) keeps an occasional watch on the progress of the event it set in motion so long ago, and celebrates the consequences of the whimsy that caused it to so inflict Orris with the curse. The characters can thereby track the demon and confront it.

If the malediction was caused by hedge magic or a faerie, then it's likely that the curse has some condition which, once fulfilled, ends its power. The characters could discover that condition and aid the bishop in breaking the curse. Discovering the condition might require tracking down the being who laid the curse in the first pace, and it might require some apology or reparation before it is willing to aid the characters in lifting its vengeance on the bishop.

As explained earlier, if the curse has a Divine provenance, then its intent may be to test the characters themselves, rather than to afflict Bishop Orris. In this case, the Lesser Malediction resolves itself once the characters have learned their lesson. This might require them to perform some sort of public penance, as described earlier.

Note that, if the curse was laid by a non-Divine power, the characters could, in theory, break it with Perdo Vim. Discovering that there is a curse, and that it is responsible for the problems, then casting a spell on a hostile bishop bearing relics is likely to be hard enough to make Bishop Orris a challenging antagonist, even if the spell level required is fairly low. However, if one of the characters is a strong Vim specialist, it might be better to give the curse a higher level and have it come from a tradition with which the characters are not familiar, so that they cannot invent a specific Perdo Vim spell. Learning enough about the tradition to craft the spell takes time, and at least one additional story.

In this scenario, the characters approach Bishop Orris and tell him everything. Their ability to get close to him varies over the course of the story. At the beginning, he is strong and hopeful, and will demand nothing less than full contrition (see Submitting to the Bishop, earlier). Toward the latter part of the story, his resolve has weakened, since he is complicit in excommunication and planning bloodshed. This makes him more willing to talk to the characters, but it might be more difficult to accomplish, with the knights of the Church Militant taking turns to guard the prelate from treachery.

If the magi meet the bishop in person, and he suffers the effects of The Gift, they cannot persuade him of their innocence. The bishop thinks he has direct evidence of the characters' evil, and The Gift's taint reinforces this. If the characters present all have the Gentle Gift or are unGifted, or if the characters can somehow include Bishop Orris in a Parma Magica, persuasion may be possible.

The most important part of any face-toface meeting is to convince Orris that magic is not evil. This may be difficult, given the evidence of the bishop's own senses, but the characters can appeal to academic explanations, mysticism, or theology to convince him. It is vital that the characters appear as open and honest as possible; he is a good judge of character, and if he perceives any effort at deception, this could be disastrous for the characters. The magi are also asked to provide details about the Order of Hermes, to correct areas of the bishop's ignorance, which they may be reluctant to do for fear of breaking their Oath.

Although roleplaying should be critical in any attempt to convince the bishop, it can be resolved with the same mechanics as a debate (Houses of Hermes: Societates, page 90). The characters should be wary of using dirty tricks — when the bishop meditates on the debate as he prays for guidance, he should not get the impression he has been hoodwinked.

If the bishop accepts that magic and evil are separate, then he still has some stipulations before calling off his campaign against the magi. He requires them to confess and do penance for any crimes they have committed of which he is aware. He requests a church in the covenant, and for Mass to be said there every Sunday with all the magi in attendance. One of the Friars Preacher will be appointed priest in charge of the church. He expects to see the covenant tithing to the Church (if they have not been doing so), and providing succor for certain unfortunates of the diocese, caring for the mad and the social outcast (this might be a good supply of grogs, companions, or possibly even apprentices). Finally, once a year he will hear the confession of each magus. However, he does not demand that they forswear magic for good. He is quite inflexible about these stipulations, viewing any attempt to avoid them as recidivism. However, in a year or so they may be open to negotiation.

In this scenario, the characters retreat from society. They either relocate to a different diocese, or else take greater steps

to absent themselves from mundane life. They might use powerful magic to hide the covenant, redirecting visitors or covering all structures in an illusion. All food and supplies would have to be sourced from distant regions, using layers of agents who transport goods to the covenant in secret. The magi could only leave the covenant in disguise.

Such precautions would be necessary until their negative Reputation fades, at which point society forgets about them. The Reputation decreases by only 1 experience point per year that the characters do nothing to arouse suspicion, so it could take several decades for it to fade away entirely. By this stage, Bishop Orris has probably died, and stories of the characters have passed into legend.

It might seem that murder is a simple solution to the threat posed by Bishop Orris. There are a number of good reasons why the characters might discount this option, not the least of which is the Code of Hermes. Should a bishop who has been causing problems for members of the Order of Hermes suddenly meet an untimely end, this will alert both ecclesiastical and Hermetic authorities, and the characters find themselves on the wrong end of some very awkward questions. The simple fact that the Church wants to investigate the matter will be enough for a Hermetic conviction for some Tribunals.

Implementing a plan to murder Bishop Orris should not be simple. There is a good chance that he will be forewarned in a dream about any attempt on his life. If the characters have a reputation for ruthlessness, then he may be expecting this action, and have hired bodyguards to defend him against direct assault as well as keeping the cathedral's relics nearby. Against magical attacks, the relic of St. John provides the bishop with a Magic Resistance of 40; the bishop is normally in a Dominion aura of at least 4, increasing his Resistance to 44. If he is assaulted, the bishop prays for a miracle to save him, and the relic he carries can greatly assist this as well. However, at the end of the day, Bishop Orris is an aging man with absolutely no experience in combat, and if all his defenses fail, he can be killed with ease.

If the characters succeed in killing the bishop, their problems are only just starting. In addition to the legal issues discussed earlier, the bishop's replacement could be worse than Orris. Knowing some of what transpired previously, the cathedral chapter does not elect one of their number to the role, but appeals to the papacy for a suitable candidate. The individual chosen to replace Bishop Orris is someone experienced with combating heresy, who is knowledgeable about the Order of Hermes, and who has a great deal of political clout. It would be unusual — but not unheard of — for a cardinal to take up the post, bringing with him his own Divine Magic Resistance that stacks with that from a relic.

The storyguide should not forget the influence of the Divine either. Bishop Orris was a good man, if misguided, and his callous murder should not go unpunished. At the very least, his ghost should be given an opportunity to visit a close friend, such as Brother Theodoric, and describe the circumstances of his death, ensuring that the characters' problem do not simply end with the bishop's death.