The Rhone Valley

Known as "the Bruiser" to the local boatmen, the Rhone is famed for its fierce currents, shallows, and spring floods making navigation difficult. Travel by barge is possible up to about Macon. The river combines with the Saone at Lyon to flow through the great furrow of le sillon rhodanien between the Massif Central to the west and the foothills of the Alps to the east, forming the southwestern frontier of the Holy Roman Empire. The land is poor and hot, swept by the fierce Mistral. The region is known for its luxury goods: wine, honey, limes, and olives.

A major trade route from north to south since pre-Roman times, only four bridges cross the great waterway — the ancient bridge of Lyon built on a forest of oak piles, the Roman stone bridge at Vienne, the newer Pont St Benezet of Avignon and a lesser wooden bridge at Arles linking the main settlement to Trinquetaille on the west bank.

Travel from Macon to Arles takes about 3 weeks due to the river's navigational difficulties. At Arles, the goods are transferred onto smaller sailing barges for the last stage to the sea and then by larger ships or galleys onwards to other ports. Travel upstream is aided by hitching barges to teams of draft horses or using magic to offset the effect of the current, but typically takes at least one to two weeks longer.

This town has dominated southern Provence since its commune was established in 1129. Considered semi-independent of the Holy Roman Empire and holding no allegiance to the local Catalan count of Provence, it is one of the central sites of the Coenobium

The utriculari, or boatmen of the Rhone, form a powerful guild in the 13th century, controlling trade along the waterway. Although nominally based in Beaucaire, the largest concentration of guildmembers resides in Arles, where the majority of shipments transfer to ocean going vessels.

Barques du Rhone — These large barges, typically linked in trains of 5–7 craft and drawn by teams of over 50 horses along the banks, provide the main means of transporting large bulk goods from the northern markets to the Mediterranean. The magi of the Coenobium secretly use at least one of these barges as a floating laboratory, mooring the vessel along the banks or tributaries in areas with significant Magic auras.

Coches d'eau — These "water coaches" are used by important travelers and nobles and either use sail or are drawn by horse. Jerbiton magi prefer this travel method over magic but the coaches are not usually available to Redcaps on mundane errands. As most riverboats are marked with a cross or other religious symbols for protection, many magi incorporate subtle wards within these designs to ease their journey.

All magi openly visiting Avignon are asked to stop here and announce their intentions and length of stay, in line with the rules of Hospitality promulgated by House Jerbiton. The various Redcaps of the Tribunal, encouraged by Alazais, have made it known that a silver florin containing a pawn of vis should be donated as a gesture of good will. This vis is used to help support the non-Jerbiton Hermetic specialists retained by the covenant.

Magi conceding to this local custom receive a consul to guide and assist them during their stay. The consul is responsible for the magus's conduct while in the town, leading some visiting magi resent the imposition of a potentially meddlesome minder in their private affairs. Those magi declining the offer of hospitality and its complementary responsibilities are held to be in poor taste and watched closely by the covenfolk. Disruptive guests openly flaunting their presence or using magic to affect mundanes within the city draw the attention of the ex-hoplite Xiphos or the covenant's non-Hermetic allies. Although the Coenobium may stop short of declaring Wizard's War on a recalcitrant visitor, they seek to subtly disrupt and obstruct the offending magus thereafter, including manufacturing charges at Tribunal. Although seemingly peaceful on the surface, the Coenobium's long and patient reach is inexhaustible when seeking redress.

Common to the Rhone and its tributaries, the lesser drac are aquatic Faerie drakes that lure their helpless prey (washerwomen, children, or vagrants) into watery lairs through their illusory powers. Feeding on the fear the stories of their predations cause, these dragons are very different from Orms and act out stories in the role as Child Stealers or Sexual Predators. They possess some or all of the powers attributed to their elder namesake and are encountered along the more sinister sections of the Rhone's tributary streams.

This version of the drac represents a younger dragon but is not designed for use as a player character. A Faerie enchanter of magus level power using this creature as a template is possible but would require dropping several Virtues and additional Pretenses to provide balance.

Faerie Might: 15 +10* (Animal)

* Denotes increased Might from the Place of Power Virtue

Characteristics: Cun +1, Per 0, Pre –2, Com –5, Str 0, Sta 0, Dex +1, Qik +3

Size: +3

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Focus Power (Crafter of Illusion), Greater Power (Gift of the Drac); Faerie Beast, Improved Powers, Increased Faerie Might x2, Personal Power x1 (Transform into Human), Place of Power (the Rhone near Beaucaire), Reputation as Confidence, Rhone Regio Network; Cruel (Major), Monstrous Appearance**; Incognizant.

** Some more civilized drac spend the

majority of their time disguised in human society as boatmen, washerwomen or merchants. These particular Faeries lack the Monstrous Appearance Major Flaw and substitute the Infiltrator Virtue (Minor or Major depending on the Social Status Virtue mimicked) and Dark Secret Flaw instead. The more sociable drac may even be Narrowly Cognizant and usually possess Faerie Speech and additional Pretenses that help maintain their role.

Personality Traits: Cruel +3 Reputations: Watery threat 3 (local)

Combat:

Bite: Init +3, Attack +10, Defense +9, Damage +6***

Grapple: Init +3, Attack +7, Defense +9, Damage na

*** Includes a +3 bonus for Crushing Jaws: reflects the fact that although these dragons are not particularly strong compared to humans, the muscles with which they bite down are tremendously powerful. The muscles which open its mouth are comparatively weak. A human may hold a drac's jaws closed with a successful Grapple.

Soak: +2

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

Wound Penalties: –1, (1–8), –3 (9–16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25+)

Pretenses: Area Lore: Rhone 4 (hiding places), Athletics 2 (lunges), Awareness 3 (prey), Brawl 5 (grapple), Concentration 2 (remaining invisible), Folk Ken 2 (river folk), Hunt 4 (prey), Occitan 6 (Provençal), Stealth 4 (stalking prey), Survival 3 (river), Swim 2 (rivers)

Powers:

Crafter of Illusion, 0–5 points, Init 0, Imaginem. A drac can create illusions, particularly to lure its prey, by spontaneously producing the effect of any Creo or Rego Imaginem spell of fourth magnitude or less at a cost of (magnitude) Might points. Focus Power, 2 Intricacy points to increase magnitude of effects, 3 intricacy points to improve Initiative.

Transform into Human, 3 points, Init 0, Animal. This allows the drac to turn into human size from its larger natural size. MuAn 30 (Base 10, +2 Sun, +2 size): Personal Power (30 levels).

Gift of the Drac, 3 points, Init –3, Aquam. Allows a person grappled by the drac to breathe easily underwater until they resurface in the Drac's air-filled lair or escape to the riverbank. MuCo 30 (Base 4 +1 Touch, +4 Until, +1 Part): Greater Power (30 levels).

Vis: 3 Imaginem in eyes

Appearance: In its true form, the creature is a greenish-black worm with a long sinuous body girt with webbed legs like a flamingo and vestigial fin-like wings of blue lace.

The statistics above represent a small adult drac, just grown into maturity. Their strong illusory powers allow them to move silently, become invisible, and change their appearance readily in human form.

(see section later for further details).

The Order of Canons of St. Rufus, the patron saint of Avignon, maintain an abbey, church and hospice just outside Avignon, near the Rhone. The grounds have a Divine aura of 3.

Pont Saint-Bénezet

These 22 arches of stone span the low-lying Isle de Barthelasse in the midst of the stream. The eastern end contains a drawbridge to prevent access via the Porte du Rhone into the city, but the great gatehouse remains incomplete. In the early years of the 13th century the unpaved bridge is still intact.

A small chapel dedicated to St Nicholas of Myrna exists above the third pier from the east bank. It contains the interred body and relics of St Benezet, and is a site of veneration for many of the Rhone boatmen as they journey along the river supplying their livelihood. At the centre of a small Divine aura of 4, the chapel covers the first few piers of the bridge only. A retired Redcap and former boatman known as Jorin serves as the chapel's doorman, reporting to his Hermetic superiors of the Coenobium.

St Andre

Built on Mont Andaon above the western end of the bridge, this prosperous abbey-town dominates the road to the commune of Avignon and provides lodging for the pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela along the Way of St James. The abbey shelters the bones of St Casarie, a sixth century Visigothic hermit-princess and is blanketed by a strong Divine aura of 4.

The abbot of St André is a distant relative of the Les Baux family, and one of the most powerful local landowners. More open-minded than many churchmen, he

secretly maintains good relations with the magi of the Coenobium. The clergyman sometimes entertains the more respectable of the local hedge wizards. Characters refusing the hospitality of the Coenobium may approach the abbott to allow them to lodge in the appropriately named Tower of Sorcerers, but any arrangement requires discretion or risks arousing the ire of the local bishop or the interests of the Coenobium.

Beaucaire (Occitan: "beautiful rock") across from Tarascon on the western Languedoc bank of the Rhone is nominally part of the County of Toulouse. In 1216, the count has recently recaptured it from Simon de Montfort's forces after a short siege. The town is dominated by the powerful utricularii of the Boatmen's Guild, who control the wharves at the cliff's base, beneath the city. Unusually, the Coenobium maintains no presence in the town, but recent rumors of the return of the mysterious Drac, a local sorcerer-dragon believed to predate the formation of the Order, may draw them.

The Drac

Local legend tells of a cruel sorcererdragon, the ancient Drac (Occitan: "dragon"), who preys on the river-folk of the Rhone, luring mothers and young children to his lair beneath the waters. A notably crafty creature, the elusive river serpent is claimed to be responsible for the deaths of over three thousand knights and villagers, having escaped several campaigns to hunt it down over the centuries. Its magical powers allowed the beast to walk amongst the townsfolk unseen when it desired.

As the story does not mention anyone ever slaying the elder dragon, it was believed to have died of old age, but a decade ago a spate of disappearances in or around Beaucaire has been attributed to the return of the creature. No further disappearances have been reported for the last few years and the townsfolk are beginning to forget the incidents, but one of the wells in the marketplace of Beaucaire is rumored to be still linked to the creature's lair.

Faith & Flame

Aucassin of Tytalus

In reality, the recent return of the Drac is attributable to a Tytalus eremite secretly styling himself "Aucassin Le Draconnet," who has adopted the tale to cover his search for an apprentice and the forcible recruitment of his minions. An orphan adopted by a Rhine peregrinator, Aucassin was inexplicably drawn one day to a weak Magic aura centered on a disused well in the old marketplace of Beaucaire when revisiting his city of birth post-Gauntlet. Beneath the well lay the entrance to the underwater regio network. The Tytalan has built his sanctum within the regio that extends beneath the Rhone and Drac rivers, seeking to take advantage of its powerful Magic aura.

Although he does not attend Tribunal meetings, Aucassin has successfully maintained a Persona for several years (see Houses of Hermes: Societates, pages 87–90) as the consummate merchant, Rene of Dragonianum — a successful capo within Beaucaire's trading establishment. He deals with the Redcaps and hedge wizard allies of the Coenobium in this mundane guise, but has been careful to avoid direct contact with Gifted magi lest his ruse be revealed. As Rene he subtly controls the town's council using his skill in manipulation and select low-level Mentem magics. He is careful enough to avoid displaying any overt magic in town that would draw the attention of the Quaesitores.

In the last two decades Aucassin has discovered that his Mythic Blood descends from the Drac of old and that he is therefore an heir to the creature's magical legacy. Within the complex he has discovered detailed instructions, expressed as images on the cave walls, for rituals promising immortality through unleashing the potential of the dragon blood running in his veins and a deeper level linked to the Magic Realm. The images and the regio together form parts of a Mystery Initiation Script designed to transform a human heir into a truly Magical being by maturing the initiate into a true elder Drac. He has uncovered what appears to be a portal into the Magic Realm via a boundary aligned to the Form of Imaginem, which is guarded on the other side by a sleeping dragon Vestige resembling a giant Drac (see Realms of Power: Magic, pages 21–23). Although he has harvested some of the unusual vis beyond the portal, he feels he is not ready to challenge the elder creature for his inheritance until he more deeply understands the ritual images.

Imperial counterpart to Beaucaire on the west bank, Tarascon is known for its own local amphibious dragon legend. In the hills outside the settlement is the cave lair of the slain Tarasque, a six-legged amphibian beast tamed by St Martha and then cowardly slain by the villagers of Nerluc in AD 48. Although the remains of the beast have been scattered over the centuries, the lair deepens into a submerged cave network that may connect with other caves in the region. The cave has a weak residual Magic aura of 2, although stronger regiones are believed to exist and lesser cousins of the infamous dragon may lurk within.

Just north of the town near a small island lies the battle site of the forces of Hannibal and the Volcae tribe, made famous as the Battle of the Rhone Crossing. On a clear moonlit night, travelers in boats have remarked seeing giant skeletal remains of elephants lying on the river bed and giant ghostly animal shapes marching beneath the currents.

Arles is a free city or commune in the style of the Italian city-states, governed by an elected foreign podesta or chief magistrate since 1132. The podesta in turn appoints the remaining local consuls. In the 13th century it is a busy seaport, a popular embarkation point for Crusaders and pilgrims from northern France on their way to the Holy Land.

Les Arenes

Once fortified against Moorish raids, the stonework of the Roman arena has been scavenged for building works throughout the city. The ruin now holds a poor neighborhood consisting of a maze-like cluster of hovels. Although there are several churches, the majority of the population here engages in illicit trades. The more genteel citizens avoid the suburb at night.

Within this unofficial thieves' town lies the Mercer House, disguised as a pilgrim's auberge dedicated to St Cyprian. It is nominally owned by the current leader of the Coenobium, the Chief Redcap, Alazais of Mercere. See later in the section on the Coenobium for further details.

Many events of the past and present could lead to stories in this area.

The Golden Court of 1174

Held in the meadows just north of Beaucaire, this Faerie-infested festival continue to inspire tales about its opulence, extravagance, and excess. Nominally held to celebrate the reconciliation of the Duke of Narbonne with the King of Aragon by the then Count of Provence, Henry II, the Golden Court consisted of a spectacle of 100,000 Provençal knights, according to the laudatory chronicle of Abbot Geoffrey Breuil of Vigeios.

In truth, most of the knights were not human but rather faeries reveling in the foudat or spirit of deliberate foolishness and whimsicality created by troubadour culture. Thiry-thousand golden sous of glamour were plowed into the soil here, and whole herds of faerie cattle were slain and roasted over expensive wax and pitch-pine torches in an orgy of conspicuous wealth, leaving a tale lingering to this day. The faeries crowned the troubadour Raimbaut of Orange, Guilhem Mita, as "King of the Minstrels" using a golden crown sent by the faerie blooded noblewoman Sorgest, Countess of Urgell, a renowned supporter of the troubadour movement.

A multitude of faeries resembling the famous troubadours and nobles of the day revisit and replay the festival on its anniversary, always looking for new humans to draw into variations of the tales they relive. Although the site is still aligned to Faerie, with a modest aura of 3 that rises to 5 on the anniversary of its opening, the field has recently attracted the attention of the Infernal. Many minor demonic spirits associated with envy, greed and lust have detached themselves from the crusading army's wake and begun to settle in the surrounding area. These demons are similar to Tempters & Evil Spirits (see Realms of Power: the Infernal, page 39). The Coenobium magi suspect the field may be a plentiful source of renewable, albeit Faerie tainted, vis and may send the characters to investigate before considering any application to join their community.

A Stay in the Water Kingdom?

The magi come to hear of Nicolette, a young woman living in Beaucaire, who tells all who will listen of her dreams of underwater kingdoms and dragons. Most folk think her mad but indulge her by listening to her stories when unable to escape her attentions. The older folk say that she once disappeared for seven years without warning, only to return as suddenly as she left, but with no memory or explanation of where she had been and no memories of the son she had abandoned as a babe. Her husband and maturing son care for her the best they can and quickly divert her talk from her dreams when strangers enquire too pointedly.

Nicolette may be a drac bride, a Faerie touched woman, once a maid servant and prisoner of the Faerie serpent released to spread tales in the mundane world. Alternatively, she may just be one of Aucassin's escaped grogs. In either version, the madwoman may seek refuge in the covenant, drawing the unwanted attention of the Tytalus magus, or else leading them into stories beneath the waters of the Rhone.

The Deeper Secrets of the Rhone

A brief account of the recent sightings of the Drac is contained in the Otia imperialia ("Recreation for an Emperor" or "The Emperor's Solace"), an encyclopedia of myth and magic written between 1210 and 1214 by an eminent former resident of Arles, Gervais of Tilbury. Gervais mentions entrances to the Drac's lair via a pool outside the North Gate of Arles and within one of the main wells of Beaucaire.

The local Redcaps believe at least one other entrance can be found within Magic auras along more desolate stretches of the Rhone. These connect to a large interconnected regio network that is believed to lie beneath the Rhone valley, potentially providing an alternate magical means of travel throughout the region. Travel through the labyrinth is marked by inhuman breathing sounds, giving a feeling of being hunted by some unknown evil.

The Alyscamps

Once the funerary destination of rich Romans, this field stretching along the Via Tolosa to the east became known for its crypts and sepulchers. At one time the necropolis was so famous and desired that the Rhone boatmen guided floating coffins from all over Europe downriver to the cemetery, although not all their clients' valuable belongings ended up interred at their final destination.

The area's importance has faded since the relics of St Trophimus were removed to the cathedral in 1152. The local people have begun using the stones for building material and the current city council has begun a practice of gifting sarcophagi to important visitors, further depleting the site.

The Barbegal Ruins

A few miles north of Arles lie the ruins of a Roman watermill complex once used as a covenant site in the late ninth century by a trio of magi. One of the magi was a Verditius engineer rumored to have discovered a way to extract different Forms of vis from Magic auras using magical waterwheels.

The peaceful settlement suffered the depredations of Fraxinetum (see earlier). Its sole surviving member fled to join the nascent Coenobium. The Barbegal complex retains a Magic aura of 5.

Pont Flavian

A single-arched bridge framed by two triumphal arches, the Pont Flavian crosses the River Touloubre near St. Chamas as part of the Via Julia Augusta. Built in antiquity, the structure has endured for more than one thousand years thanks in part to the faerie ogre who has taken up residence beneath it. The ogre can be bargained with, and a toll of sheep and beer often purchases a caravan's passage through this area.

A range of limestone teeth jutting from the northern edge of the plain of the Crau, these little mountains resemble

the greater Alps to such an extent that they are regarded locally as their diminutive offspring. Wild and untamed, they rise above the medieval town of St-Remy just to the north and contain areas of untouched wilderness, home to both Magic and Faerie auras and their respective creatures.

The stronghold of Baux was razed in 1162 at the end of a long conflict known as the Baussenque Wars between its scions and the Catalan counts of Provence. Hugh III, son of Bertrand, is the current Seigneur of Baux but spends most of his time elsewhere, preferring the bustle of Marseilles, which he holds as viscount on behalf of the Holy Roman Emperor. His relatives include the Prince of Orange and many of the minor nobility of Provence. One of his younger cousins, Marcus, is well known amongst the family as the wizard Balthazar, a somewhat notorious member of the Coenobium.

Beneath the plateau of Les Baux lies the infamous Val d'Enfer, a rocky valley associated with a weak Infernal aura of 2, known for the many sinister caves that line the gorge. These caves provide entrances to a Tartaran regio. The regio is the lair of the lesser demons of pride and ambition that have spurred on the Baussenque lords

Characters may seek to access the watery labyrinth by following the descriptions and clues in Gervais' text. The encyclopedia contains the equivalent of 4 tractati of Quality 6, on Provençal Lore (history), Faerie Lore, Infernal Lore, and Magic Lore, and can be used to research the Drac and its lair. See Art & Academe, page 26 for details on additional uses of encyclopedias.

To Pay the Ferryman

The main crossing between the two towns is by ferry. The guildsmen of Beaucaire guard the right to cross fiercely, usually charging steeply for any transit. This is at the instigation of Aucassin of Tytalus, who controls several agents within the boatsman's guild in both Beaucaire and Arles whom he uses as informers and enforcers. So far, he has allowed Redcaps to pass unmolested, but recently one of his thugs humiliated a messenger entrusted with a private message to one of the Coenobium's magi. The Coenobium asks the characters to investigate whether the utricularii need to learn the benefits of cooperating with their agenda.

To Heal the Sickly Heir

About a decade ago Aucassin kidnapped several children from the area, giving rise to Gervais' recent accounts of drac related disappearances. He finally captured a sickly Gifted child who appears to share his Mythic Blood. Although he is unclear of the full path he must follow, he believes that the odd child, nicknamed "Le Petit," must play a part in his ultimate transformation and has begun to train him as a Hermetic apprentice. Unfortunately the child is wasting away from a magical illness and the Tytalus is poorly skilled in healing magic. Disguised as a poor washer woman the eremite may approach the characters to help heal his heir, seeking to play on their compassion while concealing his true ambitions.

When a Grog Goes Missing

Aucassin has recently begun to abduct mundane servants to care for his young "hatchling". He has so far been able to use his magical talents and his position within the town to cover up the disappearances. Several abductees now dwell under magical compulsion within the cave complex, including a lavender seller wet-nurse and a young female scribe previously used by the Chief Redcap, Alazais. He has forced the latter to act as the child's Latin and Artes Liberales tutor. When another favored grog goes missing during a trip down the Rhone, will the characters investigate further and stumble upon the secretive magus' plans?

Many stories could spring from this area.

The Lost Wheels

Once used to "grind" vis from the surrounding aura, the broken remains of only 13 of the magically crafted waterwheels of Barbegal lie hidden beneath the wild undergrowth. Repairing the complex and recovering the missing three wheels may allow rediscovery of the watermill's secret of producing varied vis on demand — a feat that would surely indebt the characters to the neighboring Coenobium.

Beyond the Elysian Fields

A small covenant of Ex Miscellanea necromancers and spirit magi known as Elisii Campi dwelt within the crypts of the Alyscamps in the tenth century. Although they survived the Schism War by hiding underground, the magi were driven out by the Coenobium, who subtly flexed their growing mundane power, inciting fear in the local populace by spreading rumors of a group of diabolists living beneath the necropolis.

The descendants of the necromancers apparently decamped to a secluded cave network in the Verdun gorge, naming their new covenant Portus Termini. All contact was lost shortly after their flight, leading many to speculate that the survivors were hunted down and slain by hoplites sponsored by the Coenobium. The truth may lie hidden beneath the tombs, but many of the sarcophagi hold enchantments and traps laid by the shadowy magi and hedge wizards of the lost covenant.

When an enchanted sarcophagus ends up in the possession of the characters by chance, it may provoke interest in its origin and set off an investigation into the true fate of its former owners. Will the trail lead to a secret covenant in the Verdun Gorge or will they uncover a bloodstained path leading back into the past of the Coenobium?

Magic Might: 20 (Animal)

Characteristics: Cun 0, Per +1, Pre –2, Com -5, Str +6, Sta +3, Dex +2, Qik –1

Size: +3

Season: Summer

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Animal; Greater Immunity (deprivation), Greater Immunity (fire); Ferocity, Improved Characteristics (x2), Tough; Magic Monster, Mute, No Hands; Baneful Circumstances (Sincere Holy Displays), Weakness (Sincere Holy Displays).

Magical Qualities and Inferiorities: Greater Power (Breath of Flame), No Fatigue; Improved Attack (claws), Improved Attack (teeth), Improved Damage (claws), Improved Damage (teeth), Improved Might (x3), Improved Powers (x2), Improved Soak (x7), Personal Power (Unnatural Flight); Monstrous Appearance

Personality Traits: Ravenous +3, Vicious

+3, Tarasque +3, Cunning +2

Reputations: Savage Beast from Galacia 3 (local), Dragon Mesmerized by Hymns 2 (Narbonnais)

Combat:

Large Claws: Init –1, Attack +17, Defense +10, Damage +13

Large Teeth: Init –1, Attack +15, Defense +7, Damage +12

Soak: +20

Fatigue Levels: None.

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (9–16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+)

Abilities: Athletics 4 (charging), Awareness 4 (humans), Brawl 7 (claws), Hunt 4 (woods), Stealth 2 (remaining unseen), Survival 3 (forests)

Powers:

Unnatural Flight, 0 points, Init 0, Animal. The wings of a tarasque should not carry it through the air, but they do, and do so tirelessly. ReAn 15 R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind. (Base 4, +2 sun, +3 size): Personal Power (25 levels), Improved Power (–2 Might cost, +3 Initiative.)

Breath of Flame, 2 points, Init 0, Ignem. The tarasque breathes a gout of flame 3 paces by 3 paces by 9 paces long. Anything caught in its effect suffers a stress die +25 damage from the fire. CrIg 40 R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind. (Base 20, +2 Voice, +2 size): Greater Power (50 levels, mastery points: –2 Might cost), Improved Power: (+5 Initiative))

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Vis: There are four pawns of Animal vis in the Tarasque's carapace.

Appearance: The tarasque resembles a scaly, winged oxen with a vaguely reptilian lion's head, six legs, a tortoise-like carapace, and a leathery tail. The full body of the creature measures roughly 15 paces long. Its legs end in heavy, sharply curved talons, and its great maw sports sword-like teeth. Wisps of pale gray smoke curl from its nostrils and open mouth.

into conflict over the preceding centuries.

Carved into the rock beneath the valley is the Tremais, a roughly hewn sculpture depicting three figures commonly thought to represent Saints Lazarus, Mary Magdalene and Martha. The location is considered a minor pilgrimage site with a Divine aura of 4 but the Christian shrine lies within a larger Faerie aura of 2, as the original pre-Christian sculpture was dedicated to the Roman commander Marius, his wife, and the Syrian sibyl Martha before being adopted by missionaries seeking to convert the local populace.

This swampy triangle between the deltas is formed by the two terminal branches of the Rhone. Trinquetaille, the unwalled suburb of Arles on the right bank of the Grande Rhone, provides entry to the Cam-

Faerie Might: 20 (30) (Vim)

Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Pre 0, Com +1, Str +6, Sta +3, Dex +1, Qik –3

Size: +3

Virtues and Flaws: External Vis (skull, grants Tough), Increased Might; Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, Feast of the Dead, Huge x2, Hybrid Form, Improved Characteristics, Improved Powers, Improved Soak x2, Lesser Power, Personal Power x2, Place of Power (Pont Flavian), Tough; Monstrous Appearance, Recovery requires Vitality; Incognizant, Role requires suffering, Susceptible to deprivation, Traditional Ward (Payment: those who pay the toll)

Personality Traits: Destructive +3, Greedy +2, Hungry +3, Ogre +3, Willing to Barter +2

Reputations: Ravenous Guardian of the Pont Flavian 3 (Narbonnais), Sheep and Cattle Thief 2 (local)

Combat:

Club: Init -5, Attack +13, Defense +6, Damage +15

Thrown Rock: Init –6, Attack +13, Defense +4, Damage +14

Large Claws: Init –3, Attack +11, Defense +5, Damage +10

Tusks: Init –3, Attack +10, Defense +4, Damage +11

Soak: +10

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–8), –3 (9–16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+)

Pretenses: Awareness 4 (humans), Bargain 4 (creating terms), Brawl 5 (club), Concentration 4 (maintaining Seeming of the Menhir), Faerie Speech 5 (sounding intimidating), Guile 3 (bluffing), Narbonnais Lore 3 (surrounding Pont Flavian), Stealth 3 (remaining unseen), Survival 3 (hills), Thrown Weapon 5 (rocks)

Powers:

Stone from the Loam, 0 points, Init –4, Terram. The ogre reaches into the ground and draws forth a stone appropriate for throwing. The ogre must be in an area of natural earth to use this power. ReTe 10 R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Part. (Base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Part): Lesser Power (10 levels, +3 Initiative), Improved Powers (–2 Might points)

Seeming of the Menhir, 0 points, Init –6, Imaginem. The ogre takes on the semblance of a large boulder or standing stone appropriate to the area. MuCo 25 R: Per, D: Conc, T: Individual. (Base 5, +1 Conc, +3 Size): Personal Power (25 levels), Improved Powers (–3 Might points)

Stealth through the Grass, 2 points, Init –4, Imaginem. The Ogre makes no sound as it moves. Its voice, thrown rocks and attacks make noise normally. PeIm 20 R: Per, D: Sun, T: Individual. (Base 3, +2 Sun, +3 Size): Personal Power (20 levels, –1 Initiative)

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Vis: There are four pawns of Corpus in the skull it keeps in a net hanging on its belt. This skull has no encumbrance value and grants the bearer the Tough virtue. It serves as the Ogre's external vis.

Appearance: A very tall, brutishly strong man with heavily clawed hands and a head very reminiscent of a tusked boar. He carries the thick stump of a tree for a club, the knotted roots serving as makeshift spikes. He carries a burlap sack over one shoulder, filled with badly cooked mutton, half-full casks of poor-quality beer or wine, and several throwing stones. His forearms are stained a rusty, dark-brown up to the elbow, and the wickedly curved tusks which jut from his lower jaw are almost amber streaked with dirty brown. He wears a ragged hide for a loincloth and saddle cinch serves as his belt. One bare skull and several recently taken heads in various states of decomposition hang from the creature's waist. He has a vicious and hungry look in his piggish squint.

Some claim the ogre can be placated by leaving him a skin of wine and a sheep for each wagon or herd to cross the Pont Flavian, or with a simple sack of coins. Those who attempt to sneak across or damage the bridge are often waylaid and eaten. A Redcap, unfamiliar with the area and trying to deliver correspondence to the covenant, found himself captured by the ogre. In a panicked attempt to barter for his life, he promised the ogre that the magi would pay a ransom for his freedom—whatever the ogre desired, be it ten head of cattle, a great lump of gold, a wagon loaded with full wine casks. Unwilling to surrender his prisoner or leave the bridge, the ogre captured the next shepherd to wander nearby. The ogre made the Redcap give directions to the covenant, telling the lad he would eat a sheep for every day beyond the fourth it took the shepherd to return, and swore he'd eat the boy himself if he failed to return with the wizards.

So how will the magi react when a random sheepherder arrives at their doorstep unannounced, telling them they must come to see the ogre of Pont Flavian, and perhaps pay the ransom for a Redcap they have never met? The ogre is not foolish, either. He has hidden the Redcap in a secret oubliette only he knows and has the strength to open. If the Ogre is killed before the Redcap's ransom is paid, the Mercere will likely rot in an unconsecrated grave, lost in the hills. Complicating matters, the ogre claims to be the cousin of the Boar King (The Lion and the Lily, page 120), declaring his noble kinsman will avenge any wrong committed against him.

argue marshes to the south. It is the site of the Coenobium's Factory, a series of seemingly mundane warehouses that house the bulk of the covenant's magically produced mundane wealth.

Although nominally only visitors to the Coenobium, the two Bjornaer magi who permanently dwell on the outskirts of the town spend most of their time within the marshlands of the Camargue. The diminutive Bubulcus roams the swamps astride his bull Animal Companion, usually in his egret Heartbeast form, and is the more sociable of the pair. Elornis One-Leg spends at least a season a year in his North African homeland or traveling through dreams. Descended from a line of African diviners, his Heartbeast is that of a greater flamingo. Both magi are aware of the legendary horses of the Camargue led by the Great Stallion but contact is minimal (See Realms of Power: Magic, pages 59–60).

Nestled to the south of the medieval town of St-Remy at the site of the old Roman settlement, pre-Schism Glanum was the site of two very short-lived Hermetic settlements of the same name in the ninth century — one Mercurian, one Mithraic. Both failed abruptly due to lack of diversity in magical skills and a fanatical prejudice against accepting members not aligned to their cult's philosophy. Neither covenant attempt lasted long enough to be formally recognized as covenants of the then Lotharingian Tribunal by having a Quaesitor review their charter.

Since the Schism War the ruins have been abandoned but have recently been proposed as the compromise location for the next Tribunal gathering (see Chapter 3: Hermetic Culture). The site is currently considered off-limits for formal resettlement until this issue has been decided. Currently only Beatrice of Guernicus dwells here as a visitor to the Coenobium. Her sanctum effectively constitutes a small chapter of Castra Solis loosely dedicated to the bipartisan study of the Roman shrines associated with the various cults that once flourished there.

The House of Baux claims descent from the historical figure of Balthazar, reputedly one of the three wise kings who visited the infant Christ. To reflect this ancestry, their arms contain the Star of Bethlehem, but their actions as a line have been less than Christian. The Gift occurs uncommonly frequently within this mundane family for reasons that are unclear, but which lend credence to Baussenque claims of a magical heritage.

The lords of Baux have traditionally strong links to House Jerbiton, who sometimes recruit the less martially inclined scions of the family into their ranks. Unfortunately even these softer Baussenque heirs usually lack the Gentle Gift and are generally more interested in nepotism and aggrandizement. More often than not they possess the Brutal Artist Flaw as their outlook on Taste and Beauty is considered less refined than many of their Housemates. This often makes them more suited to House Tytalus, and at least one scion has switched allegiance after her initial apprenticeship.

House Jerbiton has learned to use this to its advantage. The Coenobium encourages the story of Balthazar's legacy with the local nobility and actively reinforces the stereotypes and myths propagated by House Jerbiton (see Lords of Men, page 41) to their own advantage or uses Balthazarine magi as decoys and scapegoats.

Although Balthazarine magi are en-

couraged to subtly draw attention away from their less martial brethren, they must be careful not to draw too much attention through their more overt interaction with mundanes. The current Hermetic scion is Marcus d'Les Baux (see the Coenobium, later), although there are at least two other younger Balthazarine magi from junior branches of the family.

Player magi or their apprentices may choose to belong to this lineage. At least two previous Balthazarine magi in recent memory, noted for their particular lack of taste, have joined House Tytalus, and a handful of the more warlike or chivalrous individuals in the past have joined House Flambeau. Marcus may see any younger members of his lineage more as a potential rival than an ally, reflected by the Enemy or even the Beloved Rival Flaw.

Mythic Blood (Balthazarine)

Hermetic, Major

Balthazarine descent grants a Minor Magical Focus with Fear or Obedience, and the associated Minor Personality Flaw tends to be one of Cruel or Proud. Their granted power is usually a version of Aura of Rightful Authority (ArM5, page 151) but with Duration Sun and no Penetration, invoked without words by adopting an overly haughty pose. See ArM5, page 47 for further details on the Mythic Blood Virtue.

Known to roam the crags of the Alpilles, the Golden Goat of Provence is said to guard the cave containing the legendary treasure of her father, Abd al-Rahman III, first Caliph of Cordoba. In its natural form its long coat gleams with a golden fire and it wears a golden coronet around its ebony horns. When encountered it may appear to be trapped and beg to be freed in first Arabic and then Occitan, shifting into the form of a breathtakingly beautiful Saracen princess if its pleas are ignored and promising its treasure to its savior.

Le Chevre D'Or is a form of powerful nymph (described in Tales of Power: Faerie, pages 73–74) that controls the entrance to a regio that leads to a grand treasure trove. Alternatively the maiden may as easily be represented by a Spirit of Deceit (see Realms of Power: the Infernal, page 38).

The geographic entrance to the treasure regio may lie at the base of the Garagai Gorge, in the Val d'Enfer beneath the plateau of Les Baux, or perhaps in any and every one of the various gullies in the foothills of the Provençal Alps. Unfortunately, the Faerie goat provides only ready entry and not ready exit — without Second Sight or other applicable magic, the entrapped lover may be unable to find the exit to the mundane world and must wander the layers of the sinister regio.

Rarely, the young men lured by the princess do find a way out of the trap, but usually only at the expense of their sanity or their soul. When the characters camp overnight while traveling in the area, their most attractive male mundane companion disappears during his watch, only to return late morning with an incredible tale of hidden treasure. Despite attempts to dissuade them, the accompanying grogs wish to investigate; but is the returned youth a Faerie or Infernal impostor seeking to lead them to their doom?

Story Seed: The Golden Fleece of Provence?

Shepherds sometimes come across strands of the goat's golden wool snagged in bushes on the hillsides. Such wool is recognized by Hermetic magi as Imaginem-flavored Accrued vis (see Realms of Power: Faerie, page 19). Characters may be tasked with finding this wool by one of the more aesthetically minded magi of the Coenobium if they petition for membership of the Coenobium or wish to access its resources.

Salt preserves, salt protects and salt pays — in the 13th century salt is a valuable magical and mundane commodity worth fighting over. The ruins of the abandoned Hermetic settlement of Castra Peccaius lie on the eastern bank of the Petit Rhone, just across from the future site of Aigues Mortes. Although the settlement has been abandoned for three centuries, the covenfolk of the Coenobium still travel here regularly to harvest a prized vis source from a particularly brackish pond just within the ruins. The magi of the Coenobium nominally lease this land from the nearby Abbey of Psalmody through their mundane dependents. In a few years time, if your saga follows history, the monks will sell the land to King Louis to establish the

embarkation point for his Crusade. This build up of mundane forces may threaten the Order's ability to access to this unusual vis source without disturbing the king's army, as corrupt local commanders move to secure harvest rights over the nearby salt pans to enrich themselves.

The Salt that Preserves

The magical salt produced by evaporation in this secret pond acts as a special form of Dedicated Corpus Vis (See Realms of Power: Magic, pages 122–123). A pawn of this vis allows a magus to add +2 to their Creo Corpus total during the creation of their Longevity Ritual, regardless of the magus' Magic Theory score. Only one pawn of this vis can be used per Longevity Ritual, although it counts as one of the pawns needed.

Control of this small vis source, which produces only 1 to 3 pawns of vis per year of the salt, provides a valuable trade commodity to the Coenobium, who exchange the harvest with a research covenant in the Greater Alps, in return for favors for its elder magi. Threatening this supply is likely to provoke an extreme response from the otherwise politically aloof magi, and is a weakness that might be exploited by opponents of the Coenobium.

Salt: +5 preservation, +3 protection from evil spirits and demons

Based on a hermitage founded by St Giles (Aegidius) in the seventh century, this Benedictine monastery is the first stopping point on the Via Tolosena from Arles. As a waypoint within a day's journey on the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela (see Chapter 5: Gascony, for further details), the abbey and dependent town have become an important pilgrimage site in their own right and are famous as the birthplace and family holdings of the recent counts of Toulouse.

The crypt holding the relics of St Giles is frequented by barren women wishing to become pregnant, although cripples are also found seeking the saint's intercession on his feast day, the first day of September.

Just outside St Gilles on the banks of the Rhone lies the scene of Peter of Castelnaudry's assassination. The ford at which the papal legate was slain, perhaps by a demon, perhaps by one of Raimond VI's supporters, is still stained

Visitors who spend the night sleeping beneath the boughs of Yf report dreaming of green robed magi who disappear into the shadows whispering threats of vengeance. The Diedne of Yf used this site for their pagan rituals, but unlike their fellows further north, it was the Moors sponsored by Fraxinetum rather than the local Flambeau who spilled their blood amidst the groves. Characters who investigate the area looking to speak with pre-Schism War ghosts or uncover clues about their non-Hermetic secrets arouse the suspicion of the Chief Quaesitor elect and her Mercurian allies if they attempt to settle at the site.

by an Infernal aura of 3. On the anniversary of Peter's death, the Rhone runs red like blood and small skull-shaped pebbles can be harvested for several pawns of Corpus vis, but the vis obtained is always Infernally tainted (see Realms of Power: the Infernal, pages 18–19).

Originally the Celtic oppidum Arausio, then later a colony for the veterans of Caesar' Gallic War, this town has been ruled by the Les Baux family since the breakup of the Kingdom of Arles in 1033. Emperor Frederick I promoted the former county to a minor principality in 1163 as he passed through. The current count, Raymond I, still claims the viceroyalty of Arles since his troubadour father William's death in 1218 in the depths of an Avignon prison. His power is greatly limited by the strong influence of the local commune.

One of the finest Roman theaters outside of Italy dominated the settlement's social life until closed by the Christians in 391, and in 1220 it remains in ruins from its sacking by the barbarian invasions of the fourth century. The triumphal arch constructed by Tiberius has been incorporated into the town walls as its northern gate but still retains a Magic aura of 2 that flickers into being at night when the Divine aura subsides. As it stands astride the old Via Agrippa, some Hermetic magi speculate the monument may hold some secrets into the ancient Road magic of their Mercurian past. Both Neo-Mercurians and Cult of Mercury members visit the site discreetly to look for possible clues in the inscriptions or architecture.

This stony plain is of great interest to the magi of Ara Maxima Nova, as legend has it that the hero Heracles was confronted by the giants Bergion and Ligur, sons of Poseidon, on his return along the Via Domitia after successfully corralling the huge cattle of Geryon. Unarmed, the demigod prayed for assistance to Zeus and the plain produced the numerous rocks that he then employed with vigor as missiles, successfully defeating his larger enemies from a distance.

The abundant round stones found on the plain make excellent slingshot or catapult stones depending on their size. Amongst the numerous irregularly shaped rocks can occasionally be found small, perfectly spherical specimens the size of a sling stone that are an unusual form of Terram vis. A handful of these pawns of vis are harvested yearly by the grogs of the Coenobium using lesser enchanted devices supervised by apprentice magi — a tedious and painstaking task used as a punishment for troublemakers or lazy underlings.