Father Joseph of Napoli

Father Joseph is a churchman. He is a papal legate whose mission is to provoke a Christian revolution within the Order of Hermes. His task is to reinvent the Order as a true religious order controlled from Rome.

Aims and Motivations

To reinvent the Order of Hermes as a religious order, Father Joseph needs to accomplish three tasks:

• He needs to appoint a magus to the office of Grandmaster of the Order of Hermes (or persuade the Order to appoint someone to this office).
• He needs to establish the Grandmaster of the Order as a Christian religious title. For this to happen, the pope must acknowledge (probably in a papal bull) both the existence of this title and the Order itself. The new religious Order of Hermes also needs to acknowledge that, like all good Christians, the Grandmaster is subservient to the pope — God's representative in Mythic Europe.
• Finally, the father needs to (eventually) have Marched anyone who will not accept this new vision of the Order. He anticipates this will include devout pagans, Muslims, and Jews within the Order who will not convert to Christianity, along with others who wish to remain independent of Rome. Elimination of such characters via Wizard War (waged by Father Joseph's allies) is also possible, but Father Joseph would prefer the unambiguous legal process of a March.

As far as Father Joseph's mission is concerned, the Hermetic practice of magic is unproblematic; he does not want to burn magi at the stake or even restrict the use of magic. In fact, he envisages that canon law will be extended (via papal bulls) to cover magi as a new order of religious, and the Code of Hermes and the regional Peripheral Codes will be adopted as new volumes of canon law that apply to this new holy order. The Houses of Hermes and the regional and Grand Tribunals are all acceptable to Father Joseph's and Rome's new vision for the Order. The independence and scholarship of the magi is likewise satisfactory to Rome.

Even the possible impact of the magi's work on theology will be tolerated. Father Joseph acknowledges that some arcane knowledge will surely improve the Church's understanding of the world, as well as mankind's place in God's plan, but he also believes that other aspects of Hermetic knowledge will surely be shown to be false or misleading. Father Joseph is not a true specialist in either theology or arcane lore, so he cannot judge which is which. However, the possible adoption of some arcane lore is no different than the way in which the Church already deals with theology disputes. Individual, mun-

Free Virtue, Supernatural

This supernatural power is granted to a legatus missus by the Divine. It is an inherent benefit of this Church office.

The character has a power equivalent to the Hermetic spell Aura of Rightful Authority (ArM5, page 151), but with Voice Range; this power has no cost and no penetration. The character also has a Magic Resistance of 15 and a Soak bonus of +3. If the character carries a relic, this Magic Resistance is added to that of the relic.

If a legatus missus delays or deviates from his mission, then his Commanding Aura ceases to work until he completes penance. The Commanding Aura is also lost when a legatus missus completes his mission.

Some other Church officials also receive the Commanding Aura as a benefit of their office (see The Church, page 26, or Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 42-43).

dane, Church theologians throughout Mythic Europe already hold to all sorts of disputable theories. Some of these theological "heresies" eventually go on to become accepted as conventional theology, others are restricted to obscure Church scholars and forgotten texts, and a very small number are branded and repressed as true heresy. The secrets and theories of magi will be treated no differently: some will be embraced, others will be tolerated, and a very few will be outlawed.

While Father Joseph is an officer of the Church, his mission does not necessarily represent the attitude of all churchmen. Clearly, his mission and status as a legate indicates that the pope is willing to entertain this kind of relationship between the Church and the Order, and presumably he is supported by a faction within the Church. However, other factions within the Church may be opposed, and work against Father Joseph. It is possible that the pope may not even really expect Father Joseph to succeed; rather, the pope may anticipate using Father Joseph's eventual failure to reconcile the Church and the Order, as a pretext for the Church to adopt a more aggressive stance against the Order.

Characteristics: Int +3, Per 0, Pre +1, Com +2, Str –2, Sta –1, Dex +1, Qik –1(1)

Magic Resistance: 25 (+15 papal legate,

• 10 relic) Size: 0

Age: 54 (44) (+5 Longevity Ritual)

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

Faith Points: 2 (1 from relic, which re-

generates; + 1 from mass)

Virtues and Flaws: Priest; Arcane Lore, Inspirational, Relic, Temporal Influence, Well-Traveled; Commanding Aura; Driven; Ability Block (Martial), Arthritis*, Visions*, Vow, Weak Characteristics

* These Flaws are due to Warping.

Personality Traits: Driven +6, Religious +3 Reputations: Papal Legate to the Order of Hermes (ecclesiastical) +4, Quaesitor's notary (Hermetic) +1

Combat:

Dodge: Init –1, Attack +1, Defense –1, Damage NA

Soak: +2 (–1 Sta, + 3 papal legate)

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: Area Lore: Naples 3 (history), Area Lore: Rhine Tribunal 2 (covenant locations), Area Lore: Rome 2 (churches), Area Lore: Rome Tribunal 3 (covenant locations), Artes Liberales 1 (logic, reads Latin script), Awareness 3 (spell effects), Bargain 3 (treaties), Charm 2 (covenant grogs), Civil and Canon Law 5 (magic), Code of Hermes Lore 3 (mundane interference), Concentration (meditation) 2, Dead Language: Latin 5 (church use), Divine Lore 1 (angels), Etiquette 3 (Hermetic), Folk Ken 4 (magi), Guile 2 (written communication), Intrigue 5 (magi), Leadership 5 (religious), Living Language: Low German 3 (travel), Living Language: Italian 5 (Napoli dialect), Magic Theory 2 (spells), Music 1 (church), Organization Lore: Church 5 (papal curia), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 4 (Christian magi), Profession: Scribe 3 (copying), Ride 2 (long distances), Theology 3 (magic)

Powers:

Commanding Aura, see insert (as papal legate). Faithful Wisdom, see Supernatural Powers.

Equipment: Priest's stole, well-worn monk's habit, finger-bone relic, letters of authority (kept in a leather scroll case), writing equipment (ink, parchment, legate's seal, wax, etc.), riding horse (with saddle and tack).

Encumbrance: 0

Appearance: Father Joseph is a tall, ascetic man who usually hunches slightly, after many years spent at a writing desk. However, when he preaches, his posture rises and his eyes glisten. Although clearly aged, the father does not seem decrepit, thanks to his Longevity Ritual. Father Joseph wears the regalia of a priest and a fingerbone relic on a silver chain around his neck, and he carries a satchel filled with writing equipment. When traveling, the father rides an impressive, very expensive, glossy black stallion. Lighter and swifter than a warhorse, the father's horse has a formidable constitution and may be ridden for many days with little rest. Father Joseph is usually accompanied by one or two clergymen. As his plans advance, his retinue may be joined by a magus ally, who may comport himself as another clergyman.

On the other hand, the last few decades, under Pope Innocent III and (since 1216) under Pope Honorius III, have seen a concerted effort to reform the Church and concentrate power in the papal curia. Bringing the Order of Hermes under papal control would certainly be a magnificent addition to the pope's powers in Mythic Europe, and Father Joseph's mission can easily be seen as part of the ongoing program of Church reform and concentration of power within the papal curia. In addition, and quite apart from the magical powers of the magi, Father Joseph's mission could be seen as the papacy taking the Order of Hermes' claim to be an "order" seriously. It is just bad politics for a widespread, pseudo-religious order to be

seen to be beyond papal authority. The papacy fears that the example of the Order of Hermes might cause some of the monastic orders to wonder whether they too might be better off independent of Rome.

It is important to make the distinction between the Church as a human institution and the Church as an expression of the Divine. Like most churchmen, Father Joseph is not a holy man; he does not have True Faith, nor can he perform miracles, although he can pray to the saints for intercession. Father Joseph is a Christian and a good man. He tries to lead a moral life according to the teachings of Christ and the canons of the Church.

Father Joseph's mission is likewise not a holy one. His mission is political, and arises from the earthly ambitions of the Church. This does not mean that his mission is necessarily incompatible with the will of the Divine, and Father Joseph certainly believes that his mission is sanctioned by God. He may even find that the Divine directly comes to his aid; he does, for example, receive the Commanding Aura directly from the Divine.

However, Father Joseph could be wrong. If relevant, the true position of the Divine upon Father Joseph's mission is something for your troupe to decide for your own saga.

Father Joseph is aware of the existence of Holy Magic (see Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 66). He views Holy Magic and mainstream Hermetic magic as being two similar but different things. He views Holy Magic as being like a cathedral constructed by angels, built next door to Hermetic magic which is like a cathedral built by men. The cathedral built by angels will clearly be superior to the one built by men. However, both cathedrals glorify God. The fact that the angels have built a cathedral is not a reason to tear down the one built by men. Similarly, the existence of Holy Magic does not mean that Hermetic magic should be suppressed or replaced. This is just Father Joseph's opinion.

Father Joseph was born in Napoli. He was the son of a fisherman, but as a boy, his family pushed him to follow his uncle and enter holy orders. Joseph rapidly advanced to the grade of deacon, then, at the age of 19, he left the formal service of the Church. He had been recruited to act as the notary of the Hermetic archmage Pompius of House Guernicus.

Pompius was a Quaesitor, and Joseph traveled extensively with him throughout the Rome and Rhine Tribunals. The elderly Pompius' wiry limbs were crooked and bent with the years he had embraced. Nonetheless, the bright-eyed archmagus was lively and intelligent, and he was often called to adjudicate, investigate, and advise upon Hermetic law and crimes.

Deacon Joseph eagerly learned about the mysterious Order of Hermes while he helped Pompius perform his duties, and, over the years, Joseph came to deeply respect the miraculous powers of the magi. However, he also observed that, like all men, magi struggled both to understand their place in the Divine plan, and always act as good men should. Joseph would also later confess that he was very envious of The Gift, and that he was terribly frustrated by the knowledge that he could never become a magus. Although he now accepts that his envy represented a failing of his own character, Joseph suspects this may have been exacerbated by the strange anti-social aura seemingly created by The Gift. Joseph now no longer envies The Gift, and although he still finds many magi (at least initially) seem odd and untrustworthy, he is aware that this is mostly a consequence of The Gift.

For almost 17 years, Joseph followed Pompius as he journeyed around Mythic Europe, and they had many long conversations together about the roles of the Order and the Church in the Divine plan. Pompius even made a Longevity Ritual for his notary. Unfortunately, in the summer of 1202, the archmage abruptly turned to stone in the middle of an investigation. Distraught and confused, Joseph was able to arrange for a nearby covenant to recover the lifeless statue of his friend and master, but it was apparent that the elderly magus had irrevocably passed into Final Twilight, leaving behind only a fossilized husk. The shocked Joseph presented Pompius' remaining case notes to the Quaesitor's successor, and then quietly trudged back to Napoli, his birth city.

At Napoli, Joseph re-entered the formal Church, becoming a canon at San Giovanni Maggiore, where he wrote several books about the Order of Hermes. Joseph was ordained as a priest in 1210, and soon after, he was called to Rome. Copies of his books had been circulating in the papal curia, and Father Joseph was asked to help Pope Innocent III formulate Church strategy toward the Order.

In 1216, Innocent III died, but Father Joseph's position in the papal curia continued upon the succession to the papacy of Honorius III. In 1219, Father Joseph was invested formally as a papal legate, and assigned his mission to act as envoy to the Order of Hermes.

From his time as the notary of the Quaesitor Pompius, Father Joseph knows

a lot about the Order of Hermes, and his information is mostly accurate. Although he is no expert in Hermetic Law, he knows more about the Code of Hermes than many non-specialist magi do. He is certainly well aware of the Oath of Hermes, and many common Peripheral Code rulings. He knows the procedures for and legal standing of Marches, Wizard War, and Certamen. He knows the details of the main provisions for interference with the mundane, molestation of faeries, and dealing with the devil. Father Joseph therefore knows that his proposal will be considered by many magi to be at odds with the current Oath of Hermes. However, his point is that the Oath (or how it is interpreted by the Order) can be changed.

Father Joseph is quite familiar with the location, layout, and number of inhabitants of many of the covenants in the Rome and Rhine Tribunals (including some of those hidden in regiones). He knows this because he has personally visited these covenants in the company of Pompius. Of course, most of his information is almost twenty years out-of-date, but magi do not move covenants particularly frequently. Father Joseph is unlikely to be very familiar with magi Gauntleted in the last 20 or so years, unless he met them as young apprentices. From reading petitions and letters to the papal curia, the father also has some idea of the location of the main (non-hidden) covenants in the rest of Mythic Europe — although he must rely on the reports of priests and bishops who are often very ignorant about the details of the Order of Hermes.

Father Joseph knows how the Order of Hermes is structured. He knows about the Tribunals and Houses (and the general flavor of each House), and he knows about Quaesitors and Redcaps. He isn't familiar with the details of the Tribunals that he hasn't visited, but he knows enough to comprehend that how the Code is interpreted can be quite different from Tribunal to Tribunal. The father knows that Mystery Cults exist, but other than the House Cults, he does not know much more than the names of any particular Mystery Cults. The father also knows a lot about the history of the Order, such as the foundation of the Order, the Schism War, and the scourging of House Tytalus. Father Joseph also knows that lesser hedge wizards (outside the Order) exist. He doesn't know anything detailed about hedge wizards, but he does know about the formal "Join or Die" position of the Code.

With regard to magic theory, Father Joseph knows less than a typical freshly Gauntleted magus does. However, he does

Copies of these books, written by Father Joseph at San Giovanni Maggiore between 1203 and 1210, are circulating within the Church. The intended readers are clergy. Magi, in general, do not know of the existence of these books.

The Order of Hermes (Order of Hermes Lore Ability tractatus, Quality 8) The Rule of The Order of Hermes (Code of Hermes Lore Ability tractatus, Quality 8)

History of the Magi of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rome (Order of Hermes Lore Ability tractatus, Quality 8)

know more than many young apprentices. He has a good understanding of the sorts of things that are possible with Hermetic magic. He knows about Arcane Connections, the Arts, Magic Resistance, Parma Magica, vis, and that, for example, it is more difficult for magi to cast spells within the Divine aura of cities and churches. He cannot teach someone the Arts or Parma Magica, nor can he cast spells, of course. The father just knows that these things exist, what they are for, and how they generally work. He certainly knows enough to accurately copy texts about the Arts; this was some of the work he did for Pompius.

Father Joseph is familiar with some common spells, including The Aegis of the Hearth, Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie, Whispers Through the Black Gate, Demon's Eternal Oblivion, and a variety of Wards. He would not be able to identify such spells as they were cast, but he might be able to identify them by their effects.

For rare or highly specialized knowledge (such as knowledge of the Arts specialties of an individual magus, the magnitude of a spell to read a mind, or the location of the secret entrance of a covenant), the storyguide should make, on Father Joseph's behalf, rolls for Order of Hermes Lore, Code of Hermes Lore, Magic Theory, or Area Lore against appropriate Ease Factors, as required.

Clearly, if it suits your saga, Father Joseph's background can be changed. The most obvious change is to move his background details to a different Tribunal. There should be no problems with doing this. Where in Mythic Europe Father Joseph comes from, and where he worked with the Quaesitor Pompius makes no difference to Joseph's capability, or suitability, to now serve as a papal legate. Replace his Area Lore and Living Language Abilities as appropriate. If required, the dates in his background can also be changed.

In some sagas the Order is a special and obscure, but (in general) not a deliberately isolated or successfully secretive part of Mythic Europe. In such sagas, the fact that Deacon Joseph (a simple scribe employed as a notary) could wander from the direct control of the Order of Hermes and eventually become a confidant of the pope requires no further explanation. In such sagas, the Order does not keep close track of exactly where every grog is and what happens to them.

However, in other sagas, the Order of Hermes is much more secretive, and the magi should have tried to contain Father Joseph long before he became a problem. In such a saga, Father Joseph should not have been allowed to leave when Pompius entered Final Twilight. The Order would have found a new role for Pompius' scribe elsewhere in the Order, or they would have magically erased his memory of the Order (allowing him to return to the mundane world without risk), or he would have been simply killed.

For a saga where the Order of Hermes is highly secretive, some explanation of how Father Joseph got away is needed. Some possible explanations that your troupe could consider are:

• • It was an oversight. Pompius enters Final Twilight in a spectacular manner, and his notary is wrongly thought killed in the resulting carnage. The mistake is not discovered until years later, when Father Joseph returns as legate.
• • It didn't happen here. Even a very secretive Order of Hermes is likely to have regions, or even entire Tribunals, where security is lax. Fortunately for Father Joseph, Pompius entered Final Twilight while in one of these regions, and the local magi did not try very hard to locate Deacon Joseph or prevent him from returning to the Church.
• • It was a conspiracy. Father Joseph did not leave the employ of the Order of Hermes. He is really (and possibly unknowingly) a pawn of some faction within the Order who wish either to provoke confrontation with the Church or to control it. See the Dominion section later in this chapter.
• • It was a miracle. The Divine intervened and either saved Father Joseph from magi who were pursuing him, or allowed his memories of the Order to return a few years after the magi believed they had been removed.

Father Joseph can be encountered the first time in a number of ways. In considering the initial encounter, it is important to remember Father Joseph is not a violent man. He will not petulantly argue his point, nor will he provoke the magi to violence. His initial intentions are merely to get magi thinking and talking about his ideas.

The storyguide should carefully consider the progress that Father Joseph has already made when he is encountered by the player characters. Perhaps, the covenant is one of the first approached by Father Joseph, and thus he has few, if any, Hermetic allies. Alternatively, Father Joseph may already have numerous converts to his cause within the Tribunal.

If Father Joseph already knows of the covenant, either because he visited it as a Hermetic notary or because local clergy or another magus told him its location, then characters may encounter him when he approaches the covenant to seek an audience with the magi. If the covenant is inaccessible to Father Joseph (or if the storyguide believes the player characters may immediately kill him), then characters may meet him as a guest of another covenant, when they visit.

Father Joseph needs a token to cross the covenant's Aegis of the Hearth, because of the Divine Might of the relic that he carries, unless the Aegis is too weak to prevent the entry of the relic. For this reason, rather than relying on the hospitality of unknown magi, Father Joseph may prefer to stay at a nearby parish church. In this case, he will send a messenger (perhaps the parish clerk) to the covenant and request that the magi visit him in the church. Note that Father Joseph's Magic Resistance (due to his office as papal legate) does not prevent him crossing the Aegis boundary; Aegis of the Hearth only keeps out things with a Might, not things with a Magic Resistance. The father knows that he can just leave the relic behind, if he wants to cross the Aegis boundary without a token.

An advantage of meeting at a parish church is that it is a canon crime to spill blood within the sanctuary of the church. While Father Joseph is aware that, like many nobles, some magi will consider canon crimes inconsequential, he believes that this legal point will give even very hostile magi some cause for thought.

If the player characters travel widely perhaps they are Redcaps — then they may

encounter Father Joseph likewise traveling between covenants or ecclesiastical centers.

The magi may encounter the father's ideas before encountering the man. Magi either sympathetic or hostile to Father Joseph could approach the player characters seeking allies. Player characters might also hear about the legate and his mission through ecclesiastical contacts.

If Father Joseph's plans are well advanced when your saga begins, he could be first encountered when he (or his allies) dramatically propose an alliance between the Church and the Order at Tribunal. A large faction in favor of the father could have already formed.

Once Father Joseph starts making his presence felt in the Order, magi want to know more about him. Player characters may be assigned to investigate the man's history and motives.

The Order knows very little about Father Joseph. Some magi may remember him as Pompius' notary, but Father Joseph is much more likely to remember magi than for magi to remember him. Magi who have good relationships with senior Church officials may have heard recent news of Father Joseph and his mission, especially after he was officially made a legate.

As he has written several books about the Order of Hermes, some magi may know of Father Joseph as an author. However, there are plenty of better books about the Order available to magi. What makes Father Joseph's books unusual is that they are primarily in circulation within the Church, especially the papal curia. Only magi with strong Church contacts are likely to have noticed Father Joseph's books.

However, it is not very difficult for magi to find out about Father Joseph's background. Magi who have met him previously can use magic to refresh their memories, and he is willing to discuss his background, as he has nothing to hide. He is reluctant to offer information about his birth family in Napoli, out of suspicion that some magi might threaten to harm his family as a way to influence him. Such threats will not sway him — he believes his mission is more important than his family — but he prefers to protect his innocent family from harm by unscrupulous magi.

To determine whether a magus knows of Father Joseph's life as the notary of the archmage Pompius, make a roll on the Reputation Ease Factor Table (see ArM5, page 19). Father Joseph's reputation as a notary is low because it is many years since he worked in this capacity. Once this is known, further details, such as cases, crimes and convictions, can be discovered by consulting the Quaesitorial records. The records actually taken by Joseph will also contain his signature, which can be used as a Sympathetic Connection (see ArM5, page 84).

At Napoli, Father Joseph is wellknown both at his old church of San Giovanni Maggiore and within the wider community. His family are not wealthy; most are still simple fishermen although he has several relatives serving as lowly clergy. Nobody in Napoli, except perhaps at the bishop's court, will have anything but the vaguest idea of Father Joseph's mission as a papal legate.

Father Joseph carries a finger bone of Saint Jerome. This is a saintly relic, which he wears on a silver chain around his neck beneath his robes.

Saint Jerome is the patron saint of scholars. He lived in the fourth and fifth centuries, and was the primary translator of the Vulgate Bible — the main Latin translation of the Bible used by the Church. Any character with a score in Church Lore knows of Saint Jerome, and Father Joseph has sufficient Magic Theory to be aware that possessing the relic gives him some protection against magical effects. A rough idea of the powers of the relic can be determined with a suitable Intellego Vim effect (with sufficient penetration).

The finger bone relic has 1 Faith Point, and a Divine Might of 10. See ArM5, page 189, and Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, pages 43–46, for information about relics. The finger bone has the power Faithful Wisdom. Relic powers are activated by spending the relic's Might Points, which replenish every sunrise.

Papal legates represent the pope, the head of the Church. Speaking to a legate is equivalent to speaking to the pope, and an attack on a legate is seen by the Church as tantamount to an attack on the pope himself. There are several grades of legate, and Father Joseph is a legatus missus. The legatus missus grade receives a particular mission from the pope, and the legate loses his title, authority, and legal powers upon the completion of his mission.

The status of legates within the Church is trivial information for characters to discover. Any character with an Ability Score in Church Lore knows what a legate is. To specifically know of Father Joseph as a legate, make a roll on the Reputation Ease Factor Table (ArM5, page 19). Remember that, when encountered, Father Joseph will freely volunteer this information anyway.

Letters of Authority

As a legatus missus, Father Joseph carries a set of letters that detail his legal powers. The intention is that Father Joseph presents these letters to religious, Hermetic, or secular authorities to establish his status as a papal legate. His letters explain that he is a papal legate sent as an

To check whether a character knows (or can guess) that Father Joseph is likely to be carrying letters of authority, make an Intelligence + Church Lore roll against an Ease Factor of 9.

Father Joseph's usual procedure is to present his letters to the bishop when he arrives in a new diocese. Father Joseph is very plausible, and he does not usually have a problem convincing the bishop that he is a legitimate legate. Once the bishop has met with Father Joseph, he then assigns a well-known deacon or priest to accompany Father Joseph in his travels in the diocese. The presence of the bishop's deacon means that Father Joseph is easily accepted within the diocese, and also allows the bishop to be kept informed of Father Joseph's movements. When Father Joseph leaves the diocese, the deacon travels with him, both to help confirm the father's identity in the next diocese — and to ensure that the father has truly departed.

The wary watching of Father Joseph by the bishops has nothing to do with his mission. The bishops are just worried that Father Joseph is really in their diocese to audit them. They are suspicious of legates because, in the last few decades, the pope has begun to claim more real, practical power over all the dioceses of Mythic Europe, and there is still some uneasiness about precisely where the division lies between the powers of the pope and the powers of the lesser bishops. On the other hand, even the most rebellious bishop will not openly interfere with or hinder Father Joseph's mission, for this very reason such interference would just provoke the papacy to act against the bishop.

On the other hand, a bishop might hinder Father Joseph if he strongly believes that the Order is heretical or Infernal. Father Joseph knows and understands the political situation that he faces as a legate, and he really is not interested in the affairs of the bishops. He also has a good idea which bishops of Mythic Europe have strong hostile opinions about the Order.

Faithful Wisdom

1 point, Init +3, Mentem

R: Touch, D: Season, T: Individual

The character is blessed with the ability to read a single text specified at the time of the blessing. The text might be a tractatus, summa, Lab Text, or similar. This blessing overcomes any difficulties that the character may have, such as being illiterate or unable to understand the language, alphabet, or notations used in the text. The character reads at the rate of a normally literate person, and obviously he must have a copy of the actual text in order to read it.

If the character is literate in any language, then he can make a copy of the text, without errors, using the normal copying rules. The character need not be naturally literate in either the language or script of the text. The copy is exact — it is not a translation — so he may not be able to read the copy when the blessing expires.

This blessing lasts for the special duration of Season.

If, in your saga, you require Father Joseph to have a greater Magic Resistance, you can increase the power of the finger bone relic. Increasing the Faith Score of the relic to 2 or 3 increases the father's total Magic Resistance to 35 or 45, and the relic may also manifest additional powers. Life of the Ascetic and Rebuke of the Scholar are additional example powers and Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition (page 88) contains more examples of relic powers. Even if you do not need to increase the power of Father Joseph's relic, you might like to swap the Faithful Wisdom power for another one.

Life of the Ascetic

5 points, Init +3, Corpus R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual

The blessed character is freed from his need to eat or drink for the duration of the effect. The character will still become hungry and thirsty, but he will not suffer loss of Fatigue, take Wounds, or die because of this deprivation.

Rebuke of the Scholar

1 Point, Init +10, Corpus R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Individual

The cursed character is struck with a bad case of stammering, and he is unable to form a coherent sentence. If he is a spell caster, the cursed character must take the appropriate penalty for casting spells without words. Although he cannot form the appropriate words for spell casting, the caster can still make noise with his voice; if he does so, the range of Voice Range spells is unaffected by this curse.

Authentication of Papal Documents

The papacy has not managed to establish a robust system for authenticating papal letters. Father Joseph's letters do carry papal seals, but such seals can be forged, though there are harsh penalties for doing so. This is why Father Joseph also relies on a chain of introductions from diocese to diocese.

If required, Hermetic magic can determine that the father's letters of authority really do come from the papal curia this is a part of the history of the vellum that the letters are written on (see InAn guidelines: ArM5, page 117). The pope has probably not personally written the letters — a scribe in the curia would have performed this task for him.

Loss of Letters

The letters themselves are only a record of the pope's confirmation of these powers to Father Joseph. Physically possessing the letters does not grant Father Joseph any special powers. This applies both to his legal powers and the Commanding Aura Supernatural power. So, if Father Joseph's letters are lost, stolen, or destroyed, he does not technically lose his authority, nor does a thief acquire the father's powers by merely possessing his letters or copies.

Of course, it may be difficult for Father Joseph to establish his identity to strangers without the letters, and a character who acquires the letters or copies may be able to pretend to be Father Joseph. Of course, an impostor will need to be careful that he does not encounter people who already know the true Father Joseph.

If he needs replacement letters, Father Joseph must return to Rome to get them. He might also leave a replacement set of letters with a friendly bishop.

Father Joseph uses a number of approaches in his attempt to bring magi within the Church.

Father Joseph's main intention is to travel among the Hermetic covenants he knows of and try to discuss and negotiate his ideas with the magi he encounters. If Father Joseph can encourage magi to think about his ideas and talk about them either to him, or better yet to other magi, then he will consider that he is making progress. The father does not need to keep traveling, and settles for several seasons, perhaps in a monastery or as the guest of a covenant, if he thinks that regular meetings with the local magi will help his cause. Generally, the father tries to convince politically influential members of the Tribunal, and then rely upon magi to spread his ideas for him.

Where he is able to, the father attempts to discover the locations of more covenants, and he would love to accompany a Redcap traveling about the Tribunal. The father also uses the Redcap network to carry messages for him, if permitted. If he runs out of known covenants to visit, the father travels within clerical circles, attempting to discover rumors of where more covenants might be found.

Ultimately, Father Joseph would like his ideas presented at a Tribunal meeting, but he is more than willing to let sympathetic magi speak for him at such a gathering.

The covenant magi are seen casting spells by the local clergy. The dean writes to the papal curia describing the miraculous events and asking for guidance. Eventually the dean's letter is passed to Father Joseph, who recognizes the presence of Hermetic magi. He comes to the deanery to meet with the dean and track down the magi.

The magi of the covenant, who are sympathetic to the Church, agree to let Father Joseph stay as a guest for several seasons. Christian magi from all over the Tribunal come to hear Father Joseph preach about the Church's position on magic, and his message of brotherhood between the Church and the Order. The visiting magi are generally well-behaved, but the magi of the covenant need to find accommodation for all the pilgrims and their retinues.

After a few seasons, a band of pagan magi arrive. The pagans are argumentative, hostile, and insult both the pilgrim magi and Father Joseph. The father is not alarmed by this, but many of the pilgrim magi are aggrieved, and several malicious certamen matches are waged. Unless someone acts to calm the situation, Wizard's War may be declared (or maybe even murder committed).

Story Seed: Pilgrimage

One (or more) of the covenant magi accompanies Father Joseph as he travels about the Tribunal. During the journey, the magus has ample opportunity to discuss the father's vision for the future of the Order. If given the choice, Father Joseph chooses for his traveling companion a magus who is actually against his proposal (though obviously not a magus who is uncontrollably homicidal toward Christians). The father hopes to convert his companion, through calm argumentation and example, during the course of the pilgrimage. From Father Joseph's point of view, there is little point in traveling with an already converted magus!

The magus may be accused of reveal-

ing the location of hidden covenants to Father Joseph — although it is not clear that this is in any way a Hermetic crime. The magus may also need to defend Father Joseph from pagan magi, either via certamen or even more aggressive attacks.

Story Seed: The Address

Father Joseph travels to the Tribunal and wants to address the meeting. He wishes to propose a formal treaty between the Order and the Church, and open negotiations for the formulation of a religious Rule for the Order. The covenant magi may be supporters of Father Joseph, in which case they need to argue for Father Joseph's right to speak to the assembled magi — in most Tribunals, it is customary to allow only magi to address the formal Tribunal meeting. If Father Joseph is denied permission to participate in the Tribunal, perhaps one of the covenant magi addresses the Tribunal in his stead. If the covenant magi are opposed to Father Joseph, then they might try to prevent him from speaking or they might address the Tribunal in reply.

In either case, the magi could be involved in pre-Tribunal intrigues. Father Joseph would like to save his address for an occasion when he knows that he has some support. Ideally, he would like his proposals accepted by the Tribunal, but a second best result would be for a significant minority to publicly support him, creating a division within the Tribunal. If the father and his allies do not think either is possible, he will merely wait until the next Tribunal meeting.

Another of Father Joseph's strategies is the Societas of the Mystical Christ. This is a Hermetic societas for Christian magi who support Father Joseph's vision for a religious Order of Hermes. There are chapters of this Societas in each of the Tribunals.

The Societas of the Mystical Christ was founded at Father Joseph's suggestion, but (as he is not a magus) he is not a member, nor does he control the Societas. There is no magical benefit or cost to magi

associated with belonging to the Societas. It is not a Mystery Cult. A character does not even need to be a particularly devout Christian to be accepted as a member, but pagans, Muslims and Jews must convert and be baptized before they can join. Father Joseph regularly meets with the leaders of the Societas (at least once a year), and he has a good knowledge of who is a member. If threatened by a magus, the father may try to seek help from the local members of the Societas. However, the main purpose of the Societas is to spread and discuss Father Joseph's ideas, and to be a kind of embryo of the father's new vision for the Order he expects that the first Grandmaster of the Order of Hermes will be drawn from

The Societas of the Mystical Christ is known of by the papal curia and some sympathetic bishops. A magus who identifies himself, to high-ranking Church officials, as a member of the Societas is accorded respect and legitimacy. If a magus member of the Societas identifies himself when he makes a petition to the papal curia (see The Church, pages 46–48), he receives a +3 bonus to his Petition Total. Although the Societas is not a secret, knowledge of it is not common (either in Hermetic or Church circles), so lowranking Church officials are unlikely to be impressed as they do not know what it is.

among the leaders of the Societas. Father Joseph is content to let the magi of the Societas claim credit for his ideas, if they wish.

The Societas of the Mystical Christ uses the old Roman Christian emblem (the superimposed Greek letters chi and rho), followed by the astrological sign for mercury as its symbol.

If the Tribunal is dominated by pagan (or other anti-papal) magi, Father Joseph's proposals are met with strong resistance. In this case, the members of the Societas of the Mystical Christ need to be very secretive and cautious — they run the risk of concerted Wizard's War from the dominant Tribunal pagans. Of course, such a repressive environment is something that the very early Church also experienced, and the challenge of preaching to a bastion of paganism is welcomed by Father Joseph.

In the Rhine Tribunal, the Societas of the Mystical Christ might conduct itself as a Gild (Guardians of the Forests, page 27). The olive would be a good choice for a tree for such a Gild, given its association with Christianity. Alternatively, the existing Apple Gild could become allies of Father Joseph. In the Theban Tribunal, a League could play a similar role.

The Priory of Saint Nerius (Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition, page 94), and the covenant of Cunfin (The Lion and the Lily, page 106) may also become allies of Father Joseph.

As presented here, the Societas of the Mystical Christ is not a Mystery Cult; it is a political faction. However, for your saga you might like to consider the possibility of the Societas (or a select inner circle) having access to Mystery initiation scripts that offer members Divine Virtues.

Father Joseph mobilizes the few members of the Societas within the Tribunal to secretly shelter him. He is moved from location to location throughout the Tribunal, preaching, and (hopefully) slowly converting magi. The persecution (and even death) of a few of his followers is not necessarily a disaster for Father Joseph; martyrdom is one of the ideals of Christian sacrifice.

The covenant magi may be local members of the Societas of the Mystical Christ who must hide the father, and carefully transfer him to new safe locations. Alternatively, the magi might be members of the Societas in a neighboring, less pagan-dominated Tribunal. In this case, they are called upon to provide support to their brothers across the Tribunal border. Finally, the magi could be hoplites or Quaesitors of the Tribunal asked to hunt down and eliminate Father Joseph and his disruptive supporters.

Story Seed: The Good News

Magi who are known to be pious Christians are sometimes recruited by the Societas of the Mystical Christ, rather than directly by Father Joseph. The Societas tries to research potential recruits, to determine by their writings and deeds whether they will be sympathetic to the new vision for a religious Order of Hermes.

If the player characters become members of the Societas of the Mystical Christ, they might be asked to testify to the good character of magi from neighboring covenants. Alternatively, if the player characters are not yet recruits to Father Joseph's cause, they may stumble upon agents of the Societas who are investigating the good characters of Tribunal magi.

When a priest of the Church is ordained, he is offered a benefice, which is an income collected from his parishioners' tithe contributions. Indeed, a priest cannot technically be ordained unless there is a vacant benefice for him. Organizations, like monasteries, can also be assigned a benefice, in which case the monastery keeps the main proportion of the tithe and pays a priest to officiate in the parish church. See The Church (pages 41–43) for further details.

Father Joseph proposes to assign benefices to Hermetic covenants, so that the covenant will keep the majority of the tithe, employ a priest in the parish church, and forward a small proportion of the tithe to the local bishop. This is exactly what a monastery does. The purpose, from Father Joseph's point of view, is to enmesh the covenant in the mundane and ecclesiastical communities that surround it. Father Joseph hopes that the magi will become more interested in the affairs of the parish (a healthy, productive parish means a larger tithe), and that the covenant will thus come to occupy a similar

position in the community to a monastery.

As far as most magi are concerned, the wealth of the benefice is convenient, but if magi really want wealth, they can just create it with Creo Terram effects. However, a well-defined relationship with their community would simplify mundane relationships. Having a similar status to a monastery (and being supported in this by the Church) would also allow a covenant to convincingly deny aid to local nobles seeking magical assistance.

Story Seed: First Rights

The pope directs the bishop of the local diocese to grant several benefices to the covenant. This counts as a Typical Income Source for the covenant. However, the bishop removes benefices from a chapter of canons in order to grant them to the magi.

The canons are outraged, and are determined that their income must be returned. Of course, the bishop was aware that his actions would annoy the canons. The canons are from the second most powerful church in the diocese (after the bishop's cathedral), and he is concerned that the canons have become too powerful and wealthy. The magi of the covenant make a powerful ally (and gain wealth) if they assist in suppressing the canons. However, the canons make for bitter enemies. On the other hand, if the magi refuse to take the benefices, they make an enemy of the bishop.

Story Seed: Care of Souls

The covenant magi are granted a benefice. They must now find a priest to pay to perform mass in the parish church (from which the benefice is collected). Once he is established, the priest occasionally turns to the magi for help with the needs of the congregation — perhaps the magi can help cure diseased farm animals, or help find a lost child, or determine who is lying in an argument between merchants.

Story Seed: The Tithe

The covenant magi, or their agents, must travel throughout their parish once a year to assess the crop yield of each field. The tithe is one-tenth of the yield. Usually, this task is performed by the parish clerk, but the magi might use the opportunity to search for vis sources within the parish. Negotiating a tithe that included naturally occurring vis among the wheat or other produce would be an efficient way for the covenant to increase their vis stocks.

Synods are regional meetings of clergy. They are essentially the clerical version of Tribunals, though held much more frequently and (usually) for much smaller geographical jurisdictions (see The Church, page 45). Local noblemen or their representatives are often invited to synods to discuss items of mutual interest to the clergy and nobility, and Father Joseph tries to encourage sympathetic bishops and archdeacons to likewise invite local magi to their synods. He also encourages magi to reciprocate and invite bishops and abbots (or their representatives) to attend Tribunals and covenant councils (as non-voting speakers or observers).

As a legate, Father Joseph has the authority to call special synods if he needs to, and he can invite whomever he chooses. However, he prefers to encourage the regional clergy to invite magi to more routine synods. This is because Father Joseph wants to create a real, long-lasting relationship between magi and the Church, rather than something that requires his ongoing personal intervention.

In 1215, the papacy decreed that slander was a canon crime. The local bishop believes that magic is not evil. However, he has learned that a number of priests in his diocese have been preaching that magic and magi are the tools of the devil. The bishop decides to call all his clergy to a synod to clarify his position on magic, and to clarify the papacy's position on slander. He invites the magi of the covenant to attend the synod to help demonstrate that they are not evil.

The dean of the rural priests located near the covenant has fallen into a heresy (perhaps he is a Cathar), and a number of his priests have followed him. The covenant's representatives are invited to attend a synod called by the dean, and they recognize the dominance of this heresy in the theological discussions. The covenant must choose whether to report this heresy to the bishop or let the heretics continue. If the magi report the heresy, they might be called upon to help rehabilitate (or suppress) the dean and his followers. If the magi ignore the problem, they might also be accused of heresy when the bishop (or archbishop) eventually discovers it.

The covenant invites the local bishop to send a representative to their yearly council meeting. The bishop's representative (a deacon) is a severe ascetic, and he is concerned at the ostentatious and extravagant wealth displayed in the council chambers. The deacon complains to the bishop about the wealth of the covenant, and the bishops writes the magi, asking them to explain their sources of income. The bishop might be merely curious (and perhaps fishing for gifts) or he might follow the ascetic concerns of his deacon.

If relations between the ecclesiastical authorities and the magi of a diocese are proceeding well, Father Joseph encourages the bishop's court to seek the assistance of magi in performing investigations. Hermetic services would be valuable in establishing the authenticity of miracles, and the facts in some cases of canon crimes.

Of course, magi who assist the bishop's court could be accused of acting as court wizards. However, this is exactly what Father Joseph wants. He wants such a case to be brought before the Tribunal, and for the Tribunal to rule (and add to the Peripheral Code) that such activities

are not Hermetic crimes. Of course, Father Joseph will not embark upon this stage of his plan until he is fairly confident that his Hermetic allies will be able to successfully push his agenda at Tribunal. Even a defeat over this point at Tribunal might not be a disaster; a second-best outcome may result in the creation of a Tribunal precedent that acting as an ally to the bishop's court is a lesser Hermetic crime, punished by a relatively low vis fine.

Reports of a holy man, living in a small village within the diocese, reach the bishop's court. It is said that the holy man heals lepers who pray and fast with him. The bishop asks the magi to report on whether the holy man is a conduit for miracles, a charlatan, or possibly some sort of wizard (hedge or otherwise).

Story Seed: Possession

The summer is unusually hot, dry, and still. In the town square, the foul stench of the tanneries swarms and tumbles, and outside the cathedral the cobbles are stained with dark blood. The thick blood was spilled when a family of Jews was murdered on the cathedral steps during the warm, starry twilight of the previous Sunday. No one in the town seems to know who is responsible for the murders, and the bishop fears that some of the townsfolk are possessed by a murderous demon. Anxious to prevent a wild pogrom, the bishop asks the magi to investigate and deliver the town from the demons.

Obviously, Father Joseph's long-term plan for the Order does not tolerate the presence of infidels and pagans. Father Joseph tries to convert such characters, and convince them to submit to baptism — however, he only tries to do so by theological debate. Father Joseph is not stupid, and he is aware that threatening or forcing magi to convert is likely to be counterproductive. He also does not want to become distracted by converting individual magi; his target is the entire Order.

Story Seed: The River Jordan

Following the model of John the Baptist at the Jordan River, Father Joseph sets up a mission at a covenant on the banks of the Danube. He offers to baptize any magus who wishes to convert in the living waters of the river.

A group of pagan magi arrive, wanting to be baptized, but they are pursued by the jealous, troublemaking, animalistic spirits of their pagan cult. The magi of the covenant might be the hosts of the baptisms, in which case they (and their grogs) need to deal with the manifestations of the pagan spirits. Alternatively, maybe the player characters are the converting pagans, in which case they need to defeat their jealous, former gods.

Father Joseph ultimately needs the Order to align itself behind a Grand Master who can be acknowledged by (and answerable to) the pope. There are several possible ways that this could come about.

• The pope, on the recommendation of Father Joseph, could declare a magus to be the Grand Master of the Order of Hermes. This is Father Joseph's least preferred method, as a Grand Master declared in this manner would not be seen as legitimate by most magi.
• A magus, probably a member of the Societas of the Mystical Christ, could declare himself the Grand Master of the Order of Hermes. This is little better than a declaration made by the pope, as the majority of magi would be unlikely to fall in behind such a usurper.
• The Grand Tribunal could vote on, and declare a Grand Master, who can then be acknowledged by the pope. This is Father Joseph's preferred method, as such a Grand Master would be generally perceived to be legitimate.

A second-best option would be for a regional Tribunal to declare a Grand Master, with the other regional Tribunals then being forced to choose whether or not they support this Grand Master (or declare their own).

Obviously, however the Grand Master is selected, there will be a lot of political intrigue about who will be the Grand Master, and whether it is possible for there to be a Grand Master at all. A Grand Master (especially one widely seen as illegitimate) could also become a target for certamen challenges or Wizard's War.

The papacy and Father Joseph do not care how the Grand Master is selected, how long he serves for, or how and whether he can be challenged for his title. All that concerns the papacy is that there is a mechanism to select a Grand Master that most of the Order feels is legitimate. Father Joseph believes it best that, at each Grand Tribunal, the archmages of the Order vote a magus to the office of Grand Master, who serves until the next Grand Tribunal meeting, similar to the way that the pope is chosen by the cardinals of the Church.

Once the Grand Master has been chosen, an agreed version of the Peripheral Code is disseminated and supported by the Church as the canon rules for the new Order. The papacy expects the new Order to continue to administer itself, almost without change, through its own institutions such as Tribunals and Houses, in much the same way that the mundane religious orders govern themselves. Eventually, the papacy may try to encourage the new Order to become more monastic (segregation of magi and magae, a prayer routine, elimination of violence as a legal tool, etc.), but this is a battle the Church is content to leave to future generations.

The Rome and Normandy Tribunals both proclaim rival Grand Masters. The magi of the Order are split between supporting the two rivals, and as respected magi, the player characters are approached by Father Joseph to broker a compromise between the two factions. The papacy can clearly resolve the issue by acknowledging one of the Grand Masters — however, the papacy does not know which faction has the most support. Alternatively, one of the player characters may be named as one of the opposing Grand Masters.

Father Joseph plans for a radically transformed Order, and magi have to choose some response, even if that response is to ignore him and hope that he goes away.

Many magi likely laugh at Father Joseph's attempt to embrace and transform the Order. In their minds, the Church and the Order are irreconcilable forces. Father Joseph points out that Rome itself was once a pagan capital; the world turns and changes with every dawn.

Certainly, ignoring Father Joseph stops the magi from being accused of causing a catastrophic confrontation between the mundane and Hermetic worlds. However, the danger is that not every magus ignores the father, and so the Order as a whole might suffer another Schism War. Ignoring the father is only a short-term solution.

Father Joseph has Magic Resistance, due to his Church rank and the relic he carries. However, he is not immune to Hermetic interference with his mind. Specialist magi can quite simply destroy Father Joseph's mind, make him lose interest in his mission, or turn him onto the path of temptation and damnation. This might well be successful. However, Father Joseph represents the papacy. So, if the papacy is truly supportive of his ideas, then at best, the befuddlement of Father Joseph

Attempting to similarly interfere with the mind of the pope is a possibility too. However, to prevent the idea arising again, the minds of numerous other members of the papal curia might also need to be adjusted on an ongoing basis. This is risky, and the Divine might miraculously intervene to save the pope anyway. If discovered following this strategy, the magi would almost certainly be prosecuted for interference in the mundane, not to mention incurring the wrath of the Church and its leadership.

The magi might decide to join Father Joseph's mission, either as members of the Societas of the Mystical Christ or an independent group. Magi helping Father Joseph may be asked to defend him (or other Church officials) from other magi. Father Joseph also asks his converts to travel among the Tribunal covenants, seeking conversions.

Ambitious magi who join Father Joseph are likely to want to be involved in negotiating with Rome the precise terms by which the Order reinvents itself as a holy order. A politically skilled magus may also be interested in maneuvering either himself or a protégé into the office of Grand Master of the Order.

Magi who join Father Joseph run the risk of Tribunal charges of endangering the Order through mundane interference.

The Eastern Orthodox Church does not in 1220 acknowledge the superiority of the western Latin pope (see The Divine Revised Edition, page 83). This means that, in the eastern Tribunals, many Christian magi will belong to the Eastern Church, and thus might not support Father Joseph. On the other hand, large parts of eastern Mythic Europe are occupied by western crusaders, and consequently there are a number of Latin churches, Latin religious orders, Latin

priests, Latin bishops, and Latin magi in eastern Mythic Europe. The siege mentality of the Latin crusaders means that mundane crusaders' groups are likely to support a papally endorsed Order of Hermes.

If Father Joseph operates in the east of Mythic Europe, the Eastern Church fathers may respond by trying to create a rival Greek version of the Order of Hermes. However, it is ultimately up to the Greek and Latin magi to decide whether the Order of Hermes will become divided like the mundane Church. One option is that a single Grand Master tries to walk the fine line between loyalty to Rome and to Constantinople. Another option is parallel Latin and Greek Grand Masters, who might be either hostile or friendly toward each other.

If Rome can establish a Grand Master of the Order of Hermes, can a magus be elected to the papal throne? Ambitious (or mad) magi might see Father Joseph's ideas for the Order of Hermes as a vehicle to carry magi into an open position of power over all of Mythic Europe.

If this does not occur to the player characters, then perhaps the Societas of the Mystical Christ (or a faction of it) is really a cabal of power-mad Tytalus magi. It is possible that Father Joseph has been a pawn of the magi all along, even as far back as his days as a Hermetic notary.

A number of Church figures — for example, Bishop Orris (in this book) — are unlikely to be pleased about Father Joseph's plans. Dissenting churchmen, perhaps including other members of the papal curia, may be willing to work with magi to suppress Father Joseph's mission. Well-informed churchmen may even directly approach magi for assistance. If they learn of Father Joseph's mission, the powerful noble courts of Mythic Europe also (perhaps rightly) fear the consequences of a papal court with control over a large, allied order of such powerful wizards.

An alliance of previously mutually hostile magi, bishops, and nobleman may thus form to oppose Father Joseph.

Murdering Father Joseph is obviously an option. Although he has some Magic Resistance, he is still vulnerable to magic or mundane assassins. However, it is possible that a miracle could save the father from an assassination attempt.

Although Father Joseph is not an unusually holy man in his life, he becomes a saint if martyred. See Realms of Power: The Divine Revised Edition (page 85– 89) for the powers he might acquire as a saint. As a saint (perhaps a patron saint of wizards), Joseph attempts to continue his mission — even if a crusade is declared against the Order

Father Joseph has certainly contemplated the possibility of his martyrdom — there are plenty of precedents of churchmen being martyred trying to convert pagans or heretics. The father is not suicidal, but he has accepted that he may die in office.

Unfortunately, Father Joseph's death is unlikely to solve the problem of his ideas. At best, assassinating Father Joseph merely causes a delay until the papacy learns of his death and assigns a successor. The new legate is likely to be accompanied by members of the military orders, and though still vulnerable to a magical attack, would be much better prepared to defend against mundane attack. In addition, the Societas of the Mystical Christ continues to push Father Joseph's agenda, and support the new legate.

At worst, it may be that the papacy really wanted Father Joseph to fail. Perhaps the papacy really wanted to provoke the Order. In this case, the assassination of Father Joseph provides the pope with the perfect pretext to preach a crusade against the Order. The military orders and other devout individuals immediately answer such a call to crusade. However, to gain the substantial involvement of the nobility, the crusade would have to provide opportunities to acquire land and resources. Although the Order does not generally (at least, openly) own substantial tracts of land, the various "tame" nobles who might defend the magi do own land. The prospect of legally capturing the lands of these "heretical" nobles would provide considerable motivation for minor noblemen, from all over Mythic Europe, to join in the crusade. Major nobles, like Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, might also welcome the opportunity to meet crusade obligations without needing to wearily travel to the ends of Mythic Europe. The involvement of a major noble would rapidly escalate the crusade.

Apart from dealing with crusaders, the magi responsible for murdering Father Joseph and triggering a crusade would certainly be prosecuted at Tribunal for interference in the mundane. Even if a crusade does not happen the murderers still need to explain themselves in Tribunal. Mundane authorities, perhaps aided by sympathetic magi, also try to identify and prosecute the murderers of a papal legate.

Father Joseph can easily be adapted as an antagonist for a wide variety of covenant power levels.

• His Magic Resistance can be scaled by adding Faith Points to his relic.
• The number and power of his Hermetic allies (mainly, the members of the Societas of the Mystical Christ) can be chosen to suit the power-level of your saga.
• The Church's enthusiasm and support for the legate's mission can be increased or decreased.
• For a very high-level saga, it may be interesting if Father Joseph's influence is more advanced. Perhaps a Grand Master has been proclaimed and the rest of the Order is faced with either submitting to the Grand Master's (and Rome's) authority or falling into a new Schism War.