Introduction

Unless your saga is set right on the very fringes of the civilized world, the magi and covenfolk will inevitably come into contact with urban settlements and the activities centered upon them. Even though there may be some skilled craftsmen who live and work in a covenant, sooner or later something will be needed that must be bought from outside — perhaps a flawless glass candelabrum for an enchantment or a pair of finest kidskin gloves for a maga no longer able to bear the touch of iron. Few covenants are self-sufficient in even day-to-day commodities, and covenfolk may be sent to purchase *cheese from the local market or to order shipments of wine at an annual fair.

This book provides background information on the urban centers of Mythic Europe, craft activities and the guilds that control them, the lives of merchants, and the trade that is the lifeblood of towns and cities.

It is important to remember that the Hermetic Order is a part of the fabric of Mythic Europe. Nobles and the Church are generally aware of the existence of the Order, and peasants may be aware of a local covenant. Within the town, townsmen may also be aware of a nearby covenant, particularly if the magi or grogs frequent the market; craftsmen, in specialized fields, may occasionally manufacture laboratory goods for magi; and mercantile factors may deal with the covenant's purchasing agents, or even buy produce from the covenant. Of course, broader Mythic Europe is likely to be misinformed, and prejudiced, about the precise details of the Order of Hermes, but the Order is nonetheless an obscure rather than a secret group.

This does mean that it is impractical for most covenants to shun all contact with the mundane world. Magi or covenfolk who travel to town need to make many decisions about the knowledge they reveal, the material wealth they display, and the power they demonstrate to the townsfolk. Covenants populated by very large numbers of grogs (greater than 100) may even be mistaken for small towns by the mundane world.

Fortunately, many Tribunal rulings have asserted that it is possible for magi to interact with the mundane, but by the same token, many a magus has been sanctioned for thus "bring[ing] ruin on [his] sodales." Some activities — flooding the market with magical goods, or the devastation of towns, for example — are clearly violations of the Code, but the legality of many other activities is contestable. In fact, Tribunal politics is a very important factor in determining whether a particular interaction with the mundane is, or is not, a violation of the Code. A magus who is politically powerful within his Tribunal has more latitude in his affairs with the mundane, although he may also have more enemies seeking opportunities to sanction him.