The Lost Covenant of Val-Negra

Symbol: A wagon wheel with spokes made of seven swords

One of the oldest covenants of the Order of Hermes, Val-Negra was once a paragon of power and influence on par with Durenmar. It was the most populous covenant in the Order's history, having 33 members at its peak. Ravaged by politics and devastated in the Schism War, its legend is familiar to every Hermetic magus, yet much remains mystery. Even its exact location and the means of entry are forgotten.

Some believe Val-Negra still exists in self-imposed isolation, deliberately hiding from the rest of the Order. Others say it's slowly fading into myth because of the mystical nature of Mount Perditu's regio, or has been absorbed by the Magic Realm. But a few say the potential remains for bold magi to seek out and revive Val-Negra.

Complex and largely forgotten, the history of Val-Negra should only emerge from dedicated effort on the part of magi researching the many rumors, tales, few facts, and many obvious lies.

Delendar the Destroyer

Val-Negra was originally the stronghold of an old Mercurian wizard named Delendar, who seized it after defeating a cabal of sorcerers who had themselves subjugated the mysterious indigenous inhabitants, the Aerie Clan. Flambeau came to recruit Delendar after the Founding, but the old wizard had passed before his arrival. In his dying vision, Delendar saw the coming of Flambeau and bequeathed him the stronghold. His only apprentice, young Delendos, joined the Order under House Flambeau.

The Founding

Val-Negra was established immediately after the First Tribunal, but it took several years before Flambeau and Guernicus agreed upon a charter. Flambeau insisted upon suzerainty over any covenants Val-Negra helped establish. His insistence on this matter resulted in the Second Grand Tribunal creating procedures to establish and govern Regional Tribunals. The next year, 774, the Covenant of Val-Negra was officially recognized, and a regional Tribunal formed around it.

The Golden Age

The covenant knew a glorious history during the golden age of the early Order. The stories of this era are too numerous and varied (and contradictory) to detail here. Troupes should feel free to write their own version of history on this blank page.

The Schism War

Long suspicious of House Diedne and wary of their regional influence, members of Val-Negra clamored for conflict. Their political clout helped spark the Schism War, though they only hastened the inevitable. At Val-Negra, Primus Entisimon galvanized his House into unity with a stirring speech. The vaults opened, pouring forth vis and silver from the coffers indiscriminately. Many members sallied forth to make early strikes upon an unprepared enemy.

These early expeditions suffered heavy casualties: Lucien the Fat of Flambeau died in an ambush; Leo Augustus of Flambeau and Vegetius of Tremere perished in the assault on Askelarre; Delendez of Flambeau won many victories against the Diedne of Galicia and Navarre, but disappeared into Twilight amid the heat of battle; Val-Negra lost seven magi of various Houses in the Final Victory against Llewellyn. At the end of the war, Iarna of Flambeau departed to pursue the Diedne to the far corners of existence and was never seen again. An Ex Miscellanea prophecy says she will return should the Diedne ever reappear. Of 25 magi at the start of the conflict, only 4 survived by the end. Thus, many of the cultures and traditions of Val-Negra perished as well.

The zealous magi also made the tragic mistake of leaving their home weakly defended. Five Diedne Archmagi assaulted Val-Negra, believed impregnable to outsiders. What trickery they used in order function inside the Aegis remains a mystery. Passing undetected through magical traps and wards, they bravely assaulted the Iron Door itself. In the chaos, something was released. The Diedne killed three of the five defending magi and several grogs. But they, in turn, were destroyed by the horror unleashed.

The two surviving defenders, themselves archmagi, astonishingly managed to

subdue this menace and reclose the door. But the ancient magical seal had been disenchanted. In its place, they cast a powerful Hermetic ward upon it, enough to keep whatever it is locked inside. Unlike the seal, created by a now-lost Rite of Fenicil that made it permanent, the circular ward can be broken by simply opening the door.

This crisis caused a quiet panic. The Quaesitors made great effort to keep events secret from the Order at large, and decided Val-Negra must not rise again. The domus magna of House Flambeau moved to Castra Solis.

The Black Vale (Val Negra) is located in a gorge of the Tessier River on the southern side of Mount Perditu in the Pyrenees. Cut deep into the living rock, the sun directly shines down into the ravine only during the peak hours of the day. The thick mists rising from the river below obscure even this small amount of light and inspired the name Val Negra, "the black vale."

Many strange things happen on Perditu. Travelers become lost and are usually never seen again. Those who do return remember almost nothing. Folk tales speak of a faerie "King of the Lost Mountain," who built Perditu as a sanctuary for the forgotten heroes of yore. Though Merinita magi report encounters with strange faeries on the mountain, the fabled Lost King and his stronghold remain both lost and fables. Very few human settlements persist, mainly isolated villages in the foothills subsisting on goatherding and simple agriculture.

Into the Black Vale

The magical center of the mountain, the greater portion of the Black Vale's wilderness has Magic auras varying between 1 to 4, depending on location and time of year. At the edge of the gorge sits the mysterious village of Perdut. Beyond it, the valley twists in a complicated network called the Labyrinthine Caverns. At the innermost point lies the fortress of Val-Negra, secreted in the deepest layer of a regio with a Magic aura of 8.

The Village of Perdut

Magic Aura 6

Perdut is a tiny isolated village, whose residents have been warped by the aura to appear extremely old or very young. They haven't seen outsiders in generations, but their folklore speaks of a time when strangers would come to meet with the "watchers." They live in fear and awe of these unseen watchers, unknowingly referring to members of the Aerie Clan who still walk invisibly amongst the villagers on occasion.

This village of about thirty consists of five houses and a shared plot of farmland. On a hill stands an old manor. Empty for years, the villagers maintain it out of fear of and respect for the watchers. This once served as Val-Negra's guest house.

These villagers gladly show visiting characters to the guest house, providing service and food. Though they seem intimidated by strangers, The Gift apparently doesn't affect them. A small stone building sits on the outskirts of the village. Now in ruins, this once housed a Mercere Portal (destination unknown), deliberately destroyed by a

Proceeding into the gorge, travelers cross into the regio and enter the Labyrinthine Caverns.

The Labyrinthine Caverns

Magic Aura 6

The gorge twists and splits chaotically, and the trail seems to shift and change. All along are numerous cave openings into what is known as the Labyrinthine Caverns. These complex caverns are likewise inconsistent, forming shifting mazes of endless dark passages that connect to the regio network of the Pyrenees. Various creatures have become trapped in this honeycomb of passages. Others inhabit areas around cave openings. These include flesh-hungry ogres, venomous drakes, mutated animals, and fiery serpents. Travelers may be forced to deal with numerous terrible foes to pass through this area.

The Valley of Mists

Magic Aura 7

Passing from the Labyrinthine Caverns to the Valley of the Mists involves crossing the regio boundary, accessible only when the valley fills with mist rising up from the Tessier River at night and soon after dawn. This level of the regio is filled with a thick mist which obscures vision and makes breathing laborious. Its consistency varies from hot and humid to bone chilling cold, with opposite extremes existing paces apart. It is quiet here. Living things rarely stir. Those with Second Sight may perceive the mist as thriving with spirits; ghosts of lost travelers, malicious imps, river sprites, tortured spirits who have forgotten their purpose and origin, and others.

Finding the boundary to exit the Valley of Mists is easy as finding a clearing in the fog; easily accomplished with Auram magic, but finding Val-Negra requires finding a hidden circle of light. The boundary cannot be perceived from any other location. Finding the circle requires at least an hour, and a failed Perception test (Ease Factor 12) requires another hour. Once the boundary is crossed, Val-Negra becomes visible in the distance.

The Circle of Light

Mu (Pe)Vi(Te) 79

Pen +0, constant effect

R: Touch D: Constant T: Boundary

This shrinks access to Val-Negra to a small circle of light ten paces in diameter, preventing anyone seeing into the next level of regio unless standing in it. This spell utilizes the Mystery of Hermetic Architecture and the enchantment Closed Privacy of the Enchanted Regio, both detailed in The Mysteries Revised Edition, page 97.

The Fortress of Val-Negra

Magic Aura 8

From the circle of light, a successful regio perception reveals the entrance of a massive stone bridge across a vast chasm. There is nothing but desolate plateau on this side, but across the distance one may clearly see the crumbling yet still majestic fortress of Val-Negra built along the face of the mountain. The most impressive edifice, the great Black Tower, looms tall over the covenant. The outer walls still stand strong, and several other towers remain intact. Few interior buildings remain; most have crumbled into ruins. A vast garden of magical plants, grown wild, spreads over the area. Several scattered pits lead down into a network of caves and tunnels beneath the covenant. The Black Guard of the Aerie Clan stands constant watch, despite a lack of visitors in generations.

A few sites within Val-Negra proper stand out as of particular interest.

The Guardian's Tower

Crossing the chasm, one formally enters the precincts of Val-Negra. The path to the main gate crosses under a bridge between the Guardian's Tower on the right (overlooking the chasm) and the Black Tower on the left (built into and up out from the stone of the mountain). Neither can be accessed from here. Entering the Guardian's Tower requires crossing the bridge from the Black Tower, which can only be entered from in-

In times past, Redcaps were equipped with enchanted lanterns which shone different colored lights illuminating a safe path through the regio all the way to Val-Negra. Obtaining one would make the journey much easier, but could form a story unto itself. Harco keeps such a lantern in their vault, and the Primus Garus owns one as well. But asking to borrow one will certainly raise questions.

side the covenant. A magus may use magic to transport himself up onto the bridge, but he may be inhibited by a very powerful Aegis of the Hearth (level 50, with a Penetration of 25). At least two guards of the Aerie Clan (see below) occupy the tower at any given time, one on the top floor and one on the bottom. If visitors are properly identified as Hermetic magi, the guards grant them entry and provide them with tokens to operate within the Aegis.

The top floor of the Guardian's Tower connects to the Black Tower via the bridge. A bell in the center of the tower is enchanted to ring whenever someone crosses the boundary of the regio. Because of the design of the covenant alongside a cliff, the middle floor of this tower is on the covenant's ground level. The bottom floor is built in to the cliff overlooking the chasm below. Large windows open to a terrifying fall.

The Black Tower

The most prominent physical feature of the covenant, the Black Tower stands as a silent memorial to past days of glory. It was created by Delendos, and presented to Apromor as the seat from which to preside as Primus. Successors maintained their sanctum here until the relocation of the domus magna.

Half the tower is embedded in the very mountain; only the top is unattached. There are several staircases within. The Grand Stair runs between the third and sixth floors, and the seventh can only be accessed by magic. The top two floors were one considered the traditional sanctum and seat of the Primus of

Fond of strange, magical plants, Astella of Jerbiton established a vast garden which yielded vis and herbs of virtue. Astella fled in the early days of the Schism War and the garden has since grown feral, covering much of the surface of Val-Negra. Bizarre creepers, strange exotic plants, and weird magical flowers have forced their tendrils deep within the rocks of the fortress walls; destroying the plants would cause many parts of the ruin to simply collapse into a stupendous pile of dust and falling rocks. Several rooms

of the covenant contain plants that have colonized the chambers: some potent vis sources, others with strange spell like powers, and a few monstrous plants capable of killing unwary intruders. Astella's Garden itself still stands, and there the chaos of plant life falls into order, regulated by ancient enchantments. For magi willing to take the risk, studying the garden and wild growth is equivalent to a Significato in Herbam (see Covenants for details), rolling a Stress Die + 8 for the amount of experience gained.

House Flambeau. The sixth was designed to be the reception halls of the Primus, a private area outside his sanctum where he could entertain guests and hold private meetings. There are a small dining hall, a spare lab (in relatively good condition), and guest quarters for up to six people.

The seventh floor cannot be accessed by mundane means, for it is sealed off without doors, windows, or stairs. It contains separate living quarters for the Primus, a tiny private library, a main lab (redesigned by successive Primi) and the infamous Dissolution Chamber (the specialized Perdo laboratory of Apromor). Other things that remain here are up to the imagination of the storyguide.

The fourth and fifth floors contain numerous miscellaneous rooms for various purposes; meeting rooms, a conference hall, a scriptorium, two guest laboratories (in a state of ruin),

The third floor is the first reached when traveling through the covenant's main corridors. In once served as a grand hall and reception room, hosting some of the most lavish banquets and most significant meetings of the Order and House Flambeau. Mostly empty, remaining furnishings lie against the walls, coated with a thick layer of dust.

A spiral staircase leads down to the second floor. The exterior juts out from the rock slightly and supports the rest of the tower above it. This level also has the only exterior door, opening to the bridge leading to the Guardian's Tower. It also serves as barracks for the watch guards. There is another spiral staircase behind a blocked-off door, which leads down to the ground floor and in turn the basement.

Most of the ground floor is embedded in the rock, except for that portion of the exterior wall next to the entrance path. This space was once used for storage, though it was filled and forgotten long ago. The staircase leads further down into the basement, which was filled with storage even longer ago and forgotten while the covenant was still thriving. There are two trap doors in the basement, one wood and the other stone. Covered over with junk, they have not been opened in ages. Beneath the wooden door is a cellar, which once contained magical ingredients for lab activities. Much has rotted away, though some still remains and strange magical effects persist.

The stone door requires a (combined) Strength of +3 to open, or the use of magic. Underneath is another spiral staircase, carved from stone, which leads down past the catacombs into the Dungeon. Passages in the Dungeon level lead back up to the Catacombs. Further down, the staircase ends abruptly in solid stone. Jade spiral flecks within the rock suggest a magical creation, for this is clearly a sigil effect, not natural stone. The rock is solid though, and completely bars the way further down. The next area can only be reached if this barrier is somehow circumvented. Any Aerie in the vicinity sound an alarm and ferociously attack anyone attempting to pass beyond. Their dire warnings of great and ter-

rible danger beyond may dissuade some from investigation, but the threat of having to fight your way out of Val-Negra against the whole Aerie Clan if the staircase is disturbed may be more convincing.

The narrow shaft winds deep into the mountain, terminating in a small round room of damp stone (about ten paces diameter). The walls are carved in relief sculpture depicting ancient conflicts, and possibly containing clues to the history of Flambeau. A large circle of iron, about five paces diameter, is set into the center of the floor and engraved in the design of a wagon wheel with spokes made of seven swords, (the covenant symbol of Val-Negra). Knocking against it reveals that it is thick and solid, but the dull ring indicates there is space beyond. Magic is unlikely to reveal much information, for the door itself is enchanted to frustrate any such effort unless the spell exceeds level 40 (PeVi40 Masking the Odor of Magic, with a Constant Duration and a Target of Room).

This is the Iron Door.

The Iron Door

The ominous Iron Door has been a fixture of Val-Negra from the beginning. There is no record of who created it, nor how or why. Legend claims it has been here as long as the Aerie and their Shrine, and imprisons powerful demons or other malicious spirits. In truth, it probably originates sometime after Delendos created the Black Tower, and

The truth of Val-Negra is simple. Only a few old and powerful magi still living have ever been there or know anything about it. Aware of the danger of the Iron Door, they discourage tourism and are reluctant to share information. Nevertheless, they may relish telling tales of Val-Negra's golden age, and player characters can thereby charm information from them via clever roleplaying. It is also a daunting task for young magi, and older magi quickly lose interest. But with some effort and wisely applied magic, the players could be the ones who reveal the mysteries of Val-Negra.

may have been created by him or another magus. But as for how, and what lies behind, there are no certain details on record. What is known is that since the era of Apromor's Primacy, it has been forbidden to tamper with the Iron Door, and there are warnings of some mysterious danger locked behind it.

The Iron Door, magically protected by a powerful ward yet physically easy to open, imprisons the Adulteration of Flambeau the Founder. An Adulteration is a bizarre magical creation resulting from Twilight episodes, as described in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults. House Criamon is aware of these terrible entities and the havoc they can cause. This particular Adulteration is the magical detritus of one Hermetic history's most powerful magi, and certainly the deadliest.

The Adulteration is not in any sense actually Flambeau, who is long dead or passed into Final Twilight. Though it believes it is the Founder, it is naught but a horrific shadow of the great magus who once was. If released, it causes havoc and horror, devastating the countryside driven by pure angst and wrath. It is a crazed, psychopathic magical construct, built from the mistakes, the base desires, and the failings of the Founder.

The catacombs house corpses of many ancient magi, and some of their ghosts walk these halls. They are keys to its legacy, but in death their memories are faded and distorted.

One of these is a Living Ghost, Archmagus Abaddon of Tytalus. A powerful necromancer, he was one of the two who subdued the Adulteration and resealed the Iron Door. He took the responsibility of guarding it and protecting Val-Negra from outsiders, sacrificing himself to maintain his post for eternity. As the last magus of Val-Negra, the Aerie Clan serves him devotedly.

It is Abaddon who sustains the Aegis of the Hearth over the covenant, employing the Mystery of Hermetic Empowerment and often binding the ghosts of past members. This knowledge may shock and outrage players initially, but in truth these ghosts volunteer for the effort and need no coercion. Abaddon has several specialized laboratories hidden in the catacombs. Using Lab Texts, he is able to craft the item in a single season, and the spirits he employs can empower the devices two or three times before they must be dismissed. The vis available for his enchantments is such that he can continue this for centuries, for not only was Val-Negra rich, the Haruspex makes sure he is well supplied to maintain his duty. Abaddon also maintains vigil over the Iron Door, making sure the ward is not disrupted and ready to recast it if needed.

If you want to flesh out his details, refer to The Mysteries: Revised Edition pages 64–74 for rules concerning Hermetic Spirit Magic and the Living Ghost. Abaddon can be a resource for magi seeking such knowledge, and may possess a few unique mysteries as well. He has many useful spells stored in his Talisman and is free to create other items as desired. Storyguides are encouraged to be creative thinking of ways he might employ his magic, for he is reputed to be one of the most powerful necromancers in the Order of Hermes.

Abaddon is intended as a roleplaying challenge, with an idiosyncratic personality that can frustrate and amuse players. He is obsessed with his duty as guardian of the Iron Door, but he is a Tytalus through and through and enjoys befuddling and annoying visitors. His haunt is the whole of Val-Negra, and he prefers to mimic a semblance of life by conjuring and possessing a strong young body (which he dissolves if needed). Direct confrontation with Abaddon should probably be unnecessary. In fact, though he may be initially suspicious of visitors, he is willing to trust them (to an extent) and will grant them Casting Tokens for the Aegis. He may even ask them to help cast a more powerful one over the covenant or request assistance for many varied neglected tasks. Abaddon can also be a hook for a saga revolving around the restoration of Val-Negra.

Magic Might: 50 (Mentem)

Personality Traits: Eclectic +5, Obsessed +3, Ruthless +2

Reputations: Hermetic Prestige 4, Necromancer 3 (Hermetic)