Chapter Seven The Lowlands

The northern third of Germany contrasts greatly with the rest, both in terms of its landscape, which is low-lying and homogenous, and the age and character of its cities, in which trade, not politics, is the life-blood of the upper classes. Moving eastwards from the North Sea, past the Friesian islands, swamps and moors give way to a couple of hundred miles of orderly pastures and farmland dotted with prosperous cities, and interspersed with only a few forests and heaths.

In the south of the lowlands are a handful of cities founded by Charlemagne after his conquest of the Saxons in the 8th century, and others founded as missionary-bishoprics to convert the pagans in subsequent centuries. The northernmost coastal cities are newer — though they may lack great churches or scholars, they are nevertheless growing wealthy on trade with the far-flung cities of the Baltic. Far from Rome or the center of the empire, they are vying for independence, seeking the status of Free Imperial City, but currently find themselves under the rule of the Danish king, Valdemar II, who has recently swept to power in Holstein and Pomerania.

Unlike the rest of the Rhine Tribunal, who consider themselves secure at the center of the Order of Hermes, the magi here, while also firmly established in the Tribunal, are conscious of living on a Hermetic frontier. Most are aware of at least some of the Scandinavian wizards beyond their borders.

Friesland is a broad and unrelentingly flat swathe of territory bordering the North Sea. It consists mostly of swampland, which is gradually being drained to make way for pasture, although it is prone to flooding. Due to the limited suitability of the land, the region is sparsely populated, with few towns of any size. The Friesian people are considered odd and backward by most Germans; they have historically been independent and are only nominally part of the empire, as free subjects who administer their own system of tribal law. The Friesian Islands, a chain of mostly deserted and desolate sandy retreats, enclose the shallow Wadden Sea.

A covenant of pirates who prowl the North Sea, Waddenzee is a Spring covenant that skirts Hermetic law and blatantly breaks mundane law on a daily basis. It is only the inability of the local nobility to work together that has saved Waddenzee from certain destruction.

Waddenzee is not the original name of the covenant on the island of Terschelling. It was originally founded by Axior of House Flambeau, a member of Oculus Septentrionalis who disagreed about the eventual site for that covenant. Instead, Axior founded his own covenant here in 1165, named after the island, and it soon attracted new members. Axior himself was killed in a magical accident less than two decades later. In 1200, two new members were admitted to the covenant, Eric Ribecus and Hygwald Veritas. At the Tribunal of 1207, these two magi announced that they were the only remaining magi of Terschelling, as the others had elected to leave. Furthermore, the covenant was to be renamed Waddenzee (indicative of a wider and more ambitious claim of notional Hermetic territory), and its charter and symbol had changed. This caused uproar in the Tribunal, with the two magi being accused of all sorts of malfeasance, but the Quaesitors who investigated could not uncover any evidence of wrongdoing. A vote was taken as to whether Waddenzee was a new covenant, and therefore required the permission of the Tribunal to form, but the support of the Oak and Ash Gilds prevented this eventuality.

Sited on a deserted stretch of coastline on the Friesian island of Terschelling, Waddenzee is very exposed to the weather. Its members have actively discouraged other human settlement on the island, and now share it only with many thousands of seabirds. Because of the noise of the birds in the spring and summer, the island is commonly thought to be haunted; this is a superstition that the magi of Waddenzee have done nothing to dispel.

The covenant takes the form of a low long-house built in the Danish style. This massive building, partially sunken into the ground, is the living, eating, and sleeping quarters of Waddenzee's covenfolk. The four magi each have separate buildings adjoining the long-house, attached to it by sunken covered walkways coming from the center of each of its walls. These buildings house the magus, their laboratories, one or two consortes and a handful of warriors. The covenant building, and the area for a few hundred paces around, has a Magic aura of 3. Their library is quite poor, consisting of a few scant books that follow the interests of the current magi. Waddenzee is quite rich in vis, although most of its "sources" do not actually belong to it.

Waddenzee was effectively formed anew about twenty years ago when Hygwald and Eric fought and killed the leader of a pirate band, and found themselves in possession of three powerful ships and a willing crew. In the following decades the magi of the covenant have adopted the pirate lifestyle, and now have five ships, all magically enhanced. The pride of the fleet is the Nebelkönigin, stolen from the covenant of Oculus Septentrionalis. The ship was carrying a substantial amount of vis and magical books when it was attacked by the magi of Waddenzee, but as no magus was present on the ship at the time. As it was involved with a substantial trading venture forbidden by the Quaesitores, Oculus Septentrionalis has not been successful in securing its return through legal means. The Lübeck covenant is determined to see an end to Waddenzee, but is currently held back by Fengheld, with whom the pirate covenant has shrewdly developed a mutual understanding.

Waddenzee goes to great pains to keep its activities legal under the Code of Hermes (primarily by ensuring there are no witnesses), and thus far has avoided serious censure at Tribunal. They have been warned by the Quaesitores on numerous occasions that they are treading a fine line, and should the mundane authorities ever see fit to try to get rid of the pirates, they will find no support from the Tribunal, and will probably each face charges of High Crimes. Oculus Septentrionalis is just waiting for them to put a foot over that line.

HYGWALD VERITAS, FOLLOWER OF TREMERE

Age: 48 (Journeyman)
Personality Traits: Arrogant +3, Honest to Quaesitors +3, Respect for Authority –3

Hygwald Veritas is a devious magus of House Tremere, and co-founder of Waddenzee. A native of England (and trained in the Stonehenge covenant of Blackthorn), Hygwald is scrupulously honest with the Quaesitores, and secretly aspires to become a member of this select group. When dealing with any other being (magus or not, human or not), Hygwald's arrogance shows through. He offers respect to members of his House, and elsewhere whenever prudent, but has no compunction about lying, cheating, and stealing to further his own aims. He appears to be a well-groomed man in his late thirties, and always dresses in a manner which displays his great personal wealth and sense of importance. He is a specialist in Mentem magics, particularly Rego Mentem, and makes heavy use of Aura of Rightful Authority.

ERIC RIBECUS, FOLLOWER, OF TYTALUS

Age: 52 (Journeyman)
Personality Traits: Reckless +6, Wry Humor +4, Passive –4

Eric Ribecus is the other founder of the covenant. This black-haired magus of House Tytalus hails from Ribe in Denmark, and is the most serious about the pirate lifestyle of all of Waddenzee's magi. He is a dashing extrovert who is charming with the ladies, and he has an over-inflated view of his own abilities. He appears much younger than his true age due to illusions and a good longevity ritual. He is a generalist in his magics, although he favors Aquam and Auram. In combat he can most often be found fighting alongside his men with his magical sword. His familiar is a long-tailed skua called Aegir, a large seabird famed for its rapacious habits.

LUCAS VON BECK, FOLLOWER OF FLAMBEAU

Age: 45 (Journeyman)
Personality Traits: Aggressive +3, Morbid +2, Blunt +1

Lucas von Beck of House Flambeau is the son of a German altgraf, and seems unwilling to put aside his noble lifestyle, despite being considered dead by his mundane family. Lucas is a very tall, stocky man who is always dressed in black, although since experiencing a Twilight he has the embarrassing problem of having his clothes disintegrate after excessive spell-casting. He is an expert in Perdo magics, and known for his short temper, being likely to end arguments with mundanes who annoy him with swift and brutal applications of Perdo Corpus spells. He has recently started to study necromancy, finding that his pirate life provides him with ample bodies for research.

HACHIM AL'KHALEJJ, FOLLOWER OF CRIAMON

Age: 36 (Journeyman)
Personality Traits: Secretive +3, Devout Muslim +2, Introverted +2

Hachim al'Khalejj is a bit of an oddity — a quiet, naïve Muslim magus of House Criamon (the filius of Hassan of Fengheld) who seems to have fallen in with the other three aggressive magi purely by chance. Still, their raiding allows him to live in an opulent lifestyle, and his knowledge of astrology proves very useful to the other magi in planning their raids. Hachim dresses in purloined silks, favoring cream and blue, and walks with a limp.

The majority of Waddenzee's covenfolk are pirates or their followers, a rough group of nearly 200 men from all the nations of Europe. They spend most of their time enjoying the fine foods and wine that comes from their raiding, and generally only two ships leave the covenant's harbor at any time, taking 80 men with them. Waddenzee probably has the largest turb of all of the Rhine's covenants, but at any one time nearly half of them will be at sea, and most of the others will be drunk. Discipline is poor, although all the men accept the authority of the magi and their chosen deputies. Among these are Aethelbald, who claims to be the Saxon heir to the Crown of England; Bjorn Ironside, who is the ship's master of the Nebelkönigin; Calum, a lapsed priest who provides a heretical form of spiritual sustenance to the pirates; and Aelfhere, a Friesian shipwright whose ability is nothing short of magical.

Story Seed: War Against the Pirates

If your saga follows real history, from the middle of the 13th century onwards, the Hanseatic League begins to take steps to counter and defeat the various pirates of the North Sea and Baltic. Larger ships are built, and captains adopt the habit of travelling in convoys for protection. This requires the pirates to attack with greater force and numbers. As the League grows in wealth and influence, it will later be able to recruit entire armies and petition powerful nobles to take the fight directly to the pirates. Given these developments, Waddenzee may face an uncertain future indeed. Moreover, with the likely involvement of the leadership of Oculus Septentrionalis in the League, it is entirely possible that a full-blown attack on Waddenzee itself could be launched. However, it will be more than twenty years before the League is formed, so the pirates of Waddenzee are fairly safe for a while yet ...

A couple of dozen miles upstream from the estuary of the River Ems, in a region called Drenthe, scattered across a low ridge perhaps fifty feet above the surrounding swampland, are dozens of graves marked by large standing stones and boulders. These are the only stones to be found in Friesland. The pirates of Friesia, including those of Waddenzee covenant, come to this haunted place to bury their dead. Lucas von Beck of Waddenzee harvests both vis and bodies from this haunted place for his necromantic research, and it has only fleetingly crossed his mind that the supernatural power he finds here may not be magical in origin.

Holstein consists of territory between the North Sea and the Baltic, where a number of new port towns are springing up. Bordering Denmark proper, it is under the control of the Danish king, Valdemar II "the Victorious" who conquered it in 1201. In 1214, Frederick II formally acknowledged Valdemar's possession of Holstein and Pomerania, after he had supported his claim to the imperial throne. Erich, of the Danish house of Sven Estridson, administers the land as duke on behalf of Valdemar II.

If your saga follows real history, Valdemar II will be defeated by Adolf IV of Holstein in 1227, at which point Holstein and Pomerania will return to the Holy Roman Empire, Lübeck will be proclaimed a Free Imperial City, and Hamburg will have its Free status restored.

At the beginning of the 9th century, the Vikings established a major trading center here, by the fjord of the River Schlei, where the overland Baltic-North Sea crossing is at its shortest. Two hundred years later, a new fishing town grew up nearby on the north side of the Schlei, next to a Benedictine cloister dedicated to St. Johannis. Haithabu, the old Viking city, lies just a few miles away. All that remains are earthwork ramparts, burial mounds, and ghosts, if the locals are to be believed ...

Since its founding at the beginning of the 9th century, Hamburg has had a violent history. It was first destroyed in 845 when a huge Viking fleet invaded up the estuary of the River Elbe. The Polish burned the city to the ground in 1030. Later that same century, Hamburg was raided twice by the Wends, at which point the city's archbishop abandoned it, moving the see to Bremen instead. Fortunes improved in the 12th century, and in 1189 Frederick Barbarossa granted a tax and customs exemption for all goods brought by ship from sea and along the Elbe, proclaiming Hamburg a Free Imperial City. Since then the port has flourished, and Hamburg has grown into a sizeable city and trading center. However, it was occupied by Valdemar II in 1216, and currently owes its allegiance to the Danish crown.

Hamburg's most famous archbishop (before the see moved to Bremen) was St. Ansgar, known as the Apostle of the North. In the middle of the 9th century, the holy man courageously and successfully undertook missionary activity in the northlands in the face of a Viking onslaught, founding many churches in northern Germany and Denmark, as well as the first ever church in Sweden. Ansgar died and was buried in Bremen in 865, after which the Vikings destroyed his Danish churches and Sweden reverted to paganism.

The Ash of Nortorf

Infernal Might: 15 (with the potential to be 60)
Personality Traits: Ambitious +2
Special Powers: Grant Victory, Grant Virtue (Entrancement), Grant Virtue (Inspirational), Grant Virtue (Tough)

The small town of Nortorf in Holstein is unremarkable other than forming a meeting place for the roads to Schleswig, Lübeck, and Hamburg. Unremarkable, that is, except for a small ash seedling that sprouts in the churchyard of Nortorf. Every year, on New Year's Night, a white horseman on a white horse cuts it down. A black horsemen on a black horse tries to prevent him, but is put to flight. It is prophesied that one day the black horseman will prevail, and the shoot will grow into a tree. When it is tall enough for a horse to be tied beneath it, a king will come with a mighty army and a terrible battle will be fought. The king will not be conquered if his horse remains under the tree during the fight, and fell powers will be granted him.

Story Seed: The White Horseman

Forces working on behalf of the black horsemen ensure that the characters hear of the ash at Nortorf, but not its prophecy. It is revealed that it will be a great source of vis once grown. Hopefully they will guard it on New Year's Night, when the Divine white horseman comes to prevent the prophecy of doom taking place. If the characters fight him off, or even kill him, he never comes again, and evil has an inroad.

Lübeck is the most important coastal port in Germany, and one of its richest cities, acting as a hub of trade for the Baltic Sea. Although there had been older Wend settlements on the site, it was effectively founded in 1157 by the then duke of Saxony, Henry the Lion, who seized the site from the counts of Holstein after it was mostly destroyed in a fire. Henry developed Lübeck as a city with a harbor, established it as a bishopric, and did much to support trade. He also granted the city a number of special privileges, called the Statutes of Lübeck, meaning that it is run independently by a council of merchants, the leader of whom is named the Älderman. This council administers its own system of justice, and taxes are spent on great civic projects, of which Lübeck's prosperous citizens are very proud. One such project is a great brick cathedral under construction at the southern tip of the city, which is due to be completed within a decade.

The city is located on an oval island at the mouth of the River Trave, surrounded by moat canals. The quayside is thronged with merchants' counters and warehouses, behind which rise tidy brick townhouses, guilds, and other civic buildings. Furs, leather, timber, amber, and iron ore are imported from around the Baltic, and the city exports salt, spices, grain, herring, cloth, and metalware. Due to various fast days and the Church's prohibition on the eating of meat on Fridays, fish is an important part of the German diet, and Lübeck has a profitable monopoly on the trade in herring. One of the driving factors for the close trade cooperation with Hamburg is that Lübeck requires salt for the preservation of its fish catch. The trade in salt, mined in Lüneburg, is controlled by Hamburg. Lübeck has a large fishing fleet, which operates in the fertile herring grounds off the Scanian coast (the southern tip of Sweden). As well having as many merchants and fishermen, Lübeck is home to skilled shipwrights and toolmakers.

Lübeck (and the covenant of Oculus Septentrionalis) is a common port of call for Redcaps on their way to the Novgorod Tribunal. The sea route is generally preferable: for example, the city of Novgorod can be reached in a few weeks by ship in relative safety (excepting the risks of storms or piracy), whereas the same journey overland would take months through mostly wilderness terrain with poor roads. The merchants of Lübeck have, since 1205, established a trade counter in Novgorod, where Oculus Septentrionalis maintains a contact.

Oculus Septentrionalis ("Eye of the North") is a Summer covenant of mostly Jerbiton magi located in the city of Lübeck. Although they have relatively little Hermetic power, and mostly distance themselves from the rest of the Tribunal, they have a amassed a great deal of mundane wealth and influence in the city home into which they have seamlessly integrated themselves.

In 1144 AD, the Rhine Tribunal, at the urging of the Ash Gild, ruled that more information should be gathered about the Norse wizards in lands to the north of the Tribunal — the purported Order of Odin. To this end, Oculus Septentrionalis was formed and dedicated to investigating this potential threat. Uniquely, at the time of its founding, this covenant had no magi and no site, and its charter was written by senior magi of the Tribunal. (The Tribunal ruled that an initial site was not mandatory, and that a covenant need only consist of a number of magi bound by a charter.) Three magi, lead by Axior of House Flambeau, volunteered for membership, were given a grant of resources, and were instructed to find a suitable site in the north of the Tribunal.

In its first two decades, however, Oculus Septentrionalis remained a covenant in name only. At the Tribunal of 1158 it was revealed that, despite generous grants of books and vis, its magi had failed to fulfil their obligations according to the covenant's charter, having neither established a site nor begun investigation of the Norse wizards, and still maintained their previous sancta at their former covenants. They were ruled to have failed in their duties, were fined three pawns of vis each, and were ordered to vacate their current sancta within a year, and establish a permanent site for the covenant before the following Tribunal. Two more magi of House Jerbiton decided to join the enterprise at this point. However, the then four members (one having since died) could not completely agree over the choice of site for their covenant. After two years, three of them established sancta in the new port city of Lübeck, on the Baltic coast. Axior, the nominal leader of the group and most martial of the magi, whose blatant magics disagreed with mundanes, found this intolerable. He split from the others, departing in search of an alternative site, and founded the covenant of Terschelling (later to become Waddenzee). His covenant quickly developed a rivalry with Oculus Septentrionalis.

Since then, the covenant's magi have made little further progress with their original mission, showing scant interest in proactively investigating or combating the Norse wizards. Instead they have adopted an informal policy of peaceful contact and trade with any magically inclined folk of the northlands they encounter. Indeed, two such individuals have since married magi of the covenant. The only strong proponent of the original Ash philosophy was Axior, and he never even stayed in Lübeck. The remaining magi instead embraced the teaching of the new Apple Gild that arose in the middle of the 12th century, seeking a harmonious existence with the mundanes of their city. They were largely successful.

Crintera, their neighbor, to the east, has viewed Oculus Septentrionalis with considerable hostility from the start. Crintera's worst fears were realized when Rügen was invaded by the Danes — they suspected Oculus Septentrionalis of aiding this attack. At the Tribunal of 1179, the then Primus of Bjornaer, the pugnacious Urgen, presented charges but failed to offer proof. Thwarted by the Tribunal, he instead resorted to a declaration of Wizard's War against Oculus Septentrionalis' leader, Prudentum of Jerbiton. Prudentum was hopelessly outmatched by Urgen and was rent apart by the great bear. The other magi hurried back to Lübeck licking their wounds, fearing outright destruction at the hands or claws of avenging Crintera magi. These fears later receded somewhat with the rise of the more moderate Falke to the leadership of Crintera — since then, the two covenants have simply ignored each other.

The Magestones of Verditius

At the time of the Order's creation, the Founders Bonisagus and Verditius worked together to produce several breakthroughs. While he was learning the Hermetic magic, Verditius crafted a number of magestones with the appearance of fist-sized onyx pebbles. That they are imbued with a powerful Creo Vim effect is obvious, as they bear runes of these two Arts on either face. Each stone manifests a Magic aura of 3, large enough to cover a large room or laboratory. Verditius gifted his magestones to Bonisagus to help the growth of the nascent Order — at the time of their creation, he did not consider them to be extraordinary. Yet his technique was never incorporated into the Hermetic theory, and the instantiation of auras remains a fundamental limit — several magi since have tried to replicate the magestones, but none has succeeded, making them far more valuable than Verditius could ever have imagined. Their exact number is unknown, but those that remain are jealously guarded by Durenmar.

As an incentive to the newlyfounded covenant in 1144, Oculus Septentrionalis was secretly gifted with three of the magestones, so as to enable them to adapt to establishing a covenant in a site without an aura. The magi of the covenant now share the stones equally among themselves, so that they are able to work in a Magic aura in their labs for up to two seasons every year. Along with their mundane dealings, the possession of these items is one of the covenant's cornerstones (and biggest secrets). Only the senior magi of Durenmar are also aware of their existence.

There is no single structure that houses the covenant, its magi being mostly dispersed among their own individual abodes. Instead, there are numerous properties that belong either to the covenant or its magi, including a number of opulent townhouses, warehouses, a shipyard, and a fleet of ships.

The townhouse of Henri de Tours (the covenant's disceptator) and his family, being the largest and most impressive, serves as a common meeting point of sorts and is usually the first port of call for visitors to the covenant. It is a rather grand brick building in the new Lübeck (Baltic) style on a main street, the Holstenstrasse. The ground floor consists of a merchant's shop and offices, where Henri conducts his business dealings, with a library and scriptorium above. The next floor up is a series of fabulously outfitted meeting rooms, a dining hall, and guest chambers, where visiting magi may be accommodated. Above that are the familial living quarters, with the three labs of Henri and his wife and daughter at the top.

The principal disadvantage of the covenant's site is the lack of a Magic aura or any magical resources in the city itself. Indeed Lübeck has a typical Divine aura. However, the magi have demonstrated that it is possible to survive, flourish even, in an environment that most would consider unwelcoming to magic.

Ever since the covenant settled in Lübeck, only magi with the Gentle Gift are permitted membership. This provision was added to their charter at the insistence of the Quaesitores. Discreet and subtle use of magic is something the magi take very seriously — they are known by the burghers of the city as either merchants, scholars, or craftsmen, but not as wizards. Oculus Septentrionalis is thus akin to a secret society within the city, which is kept carefully hidden from view. Visiting magi who exercise good judgement and who are reserved in revealing their magical natures are welcomed; those that do not very rapidly find themselves asked to leave.

Oculus Septentrionalis mostly keeps itself aloof from the politics of the Rhine Tribunal, except for the Apple Gild, of which they are one of the principal proponents — aside from Boris, the Redcap, all of them are members. Although the interests and activities of the magi are diverse, they all have other professions that are at least as important to them as their status as magi. Magic thus plays a rather limited role in the covenant; for example, most of the magi do not even bother with their Parma Magica on a daily basis. It is rare that they are seen casting spells, although this may in part be due to the fact that most have developed at least some ability with discreet spellcasting. Living apart from each other, the magi meet infrequently and hold council rarely, lending a somewhat conspiratorial or gossipy tone to the covenant's internal politics.

One of the covenant's perennial problems is a shortage of vis; they claim only a few sources, all of which are located a significant distance from Lübeck. Estrid, the seafaring magus of the covenant, is responsible for gathering vis from a number of sites around the Baltic. To help alleviate the shortage, Oculus Septentrionalis has come to a secret arrangement with the vis-rich Fengheld: in exchange for an annual tithe of a rook of vis, Oculus Septentrionalis sends a vast shipment every year to that covenant, consisting of luxuries and precious goods, and more than a hundred pounds of silver. With the vast mundane wealth they have accumulated — which may even surpass that of all the other Rhine covenants put together — they can easily afford this. The covenant has a good-sized library, although it is no match for Fengheld or Triamore, let alone the Great Library. Unsurprisingly, it consists mostly of mundane tomes; the best Hermetic texts cover Rego, Mentem, Imaginem, and Corpus.

With the new leadership of Waddenzee, the animosity between the two covenants has worsened into outright enmity. The magi of Oculus Septentrionalis are dismayed and outraged by Waddenzee's acts of blatant piracy, which have caused the loss of more than one of their ships and numerous cargoes (both mundane and magical). These conflicts are just a symptom of the deep-seated mistrust and philosophical differences between the two covenants. A major goal of Oculus Septentrionalis is thus to see the end of Waddenzee. As they lack either the martial or magical power to defeat them directly, they are left with only two means: either by rule of the Tribunal or by secretly inducing a counterattack by a mundane army against the pirates. They have made attempts at Tribunal already, but have secured no major censure of Waddenzee to date, having yet to provide concrete proof. In this they are somewhat hamstrung by their own desire to avoid attracting unwanted interest from the Quaesitores, who would surely take great interest in the exact extent of their mundane dealings, if they were ever fully revealed.

Recently the magus Theoderich of House Jerbiton (see Chapter 9: The Eastern Marches, Heorot) has quit the covenant to join in the founding of Heorot in Denmark. However, he remains well-disposed towards his former home.

HENRI DE TOURS, FOLLOWER OF JERBITON

Age: 66 (Master)
Personality Traits: Ambitious +3, Diplomatic +3, Scheming +2

Henri de Tours is a corpulent and sociable man, dressed splendidly as befits his status as probably the wealthiest merchant in Lübeck (which makes him one of the wealthiest men — at least among commoners — in the whole of Germany). He is well regarded among the city's burghers as a cultured and able administrator and diplomat. Apprenticed in the Normandy Tribunal, he joined the covenant not long after its founding, and as the oldest remaining member now serves as disceptator. He plans that his familial dynasty will lead it for many generations to come. Henri is a master of Mentem magics, although the more he learns of that Art, the less inclined he becomes towards using it directly. He employs higher magnitude Mentem effects to increase the subtlety, not the raw power, of his magics (see his sample spell on page 72).

Brunhilda, Henri's wife, is a matronly and insightful woman originating from Sweden. They first met when Henri was a young magus, freshly arrived in Lübeck, and eager to explore the Baltic. His first encounter with the magical folk of Scandinavia set him on the course of love, not war, and the two have been married for more than thirty years. Brunhilda has the power of divination — like Norse wise women she can enter a trance, and send her spirit, in the shape of an animal, far and wide — although her magical powers are not broad enough to qualify her as a member of the Order of Hermes. The magi of the covenant, however, mostly regard her as their equal. Indeed, she is more active than Henri in the covenant's day-to-day organization. Her divinatory abilities are put to good use as, Henri displays an uncanny knack for choosing the right cargoes and the right ports, at the right times.

Creo Mentem Spell

MY NEW BEST FRIEND
R: Eye, D: Sun, T: Individual, Level 25
Requisite: Muto

This spell causes the target to believe that the caster is an old friend. The spell actually causes the caster to be temporarily substituted for one of the target's real friends, adding realism; which means that the target will not suspect something is wrong, nor concentrate on the substitution unduly. Additionally, once the spell has expired, the target will not necessarily realize that he has been duped. The target will have one pivotal memory about the caster, usually (but not always) about how they became friends; and a host of supporting memories of minor events. Note that the caster does not know the memories that will be replaced, but can be assured of a friendly reaction (the target acquires a 'Friendly to Caster' Personality Trait at +3). Only if the target is a misanthrope with no good friends will the memories be entirely false, in which case the target gets an Intelligence roll against an Ease Factor of 9 to reveal the memory as false. Henri's sigil, which reflects his trading interests, tends to create a memory associated with a business partner or a former transaction.

(Base 5, +1 Eye, +2 Sun, +1 complexity)

GUNHILDA HENRASDOTTIR, FOLLOWER OF JERBITON

Age: 31 (Journeyman)
Personality Traits: Loyal to Family +3, Compassionate +1, Independent -2

Gunhilda Henrasdottir, of House Jerbiton, is Henri's daughter and filia, a rather plump young maga specializing in housecraft. She suffers from being excessively sheltered by her parents, but her marriage to Estrid offers her a taste of excitement.

ESTRID DANESSON, MAGUS EX MISCELLANEA

Age: 36 (Journeyman)
Personality Traits: Extroverted +2, Energetic +1, Conciliatory –3

Estrid is a relatively recent recruit and is the second Scandinavian wizard to be successfully absorbed by the covenant. Born in Ribe in Denmark, he is the younger cousin and bitter enemy of Eric Ribecus at Waddenzee. Whereas Eric began his Hermetic training early, Estrid joined the Order of Hermes much later, as a hedge wizard specializing in sailing and weather magics. The two magi have battled more than once on the open seas, although it has not yet come to a full Wizard War. A flamboyant and roguish man — the opposite of his rather demure wife — he maintains his sanctum and laboratory on his ship, being more often away at sea than in Lübeck.

MARCUS NAVICULARIUS, FOLLOWER OF VERDITIUS

Age: 58 (Master)
Personality Traits: Proud of his Abilities +3, Skillful +1, Friendly –2

Marcus, a large, stern-faced man with iron-gray hair and beard, is known as the foremost shipwright in Lübeck. He owns a shipyard and workshop that doubles as his laboratory, where he employs a number of highly skilled craftsmen and laborers. A master of Terram, his method of enchantment is suited to the creation of extremely large items, especially ships, although he is incapable of enchanting anything smaller than a sword. His creations thus cost a great deal of vis, which he earns from the sale of magical vessels to other covenants. Much to his chagrin, however, Waddenzee has recently stolen one of his best, the Nebelkönigin. Nevertheless he maintains a secret correspondence with Waddenzee's shipwright, Aelfhere — the two often exchange ideas.

Story Seed: The Dark Jerbiton

The exact extent of the dark side of Imanitos Mendax in your saga is for you to decide. For instance, he may simply be a somewhat amoral magus who poses no real harm beyond his devious moneymaking schemes. On the other hand, if you choose to introduce diabolic wizards into your saga, Imanitos makes an excellent candidate for a dark magus. Furthermore, if you use the saga plot "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" (see Chapter 11: Rhine Sagas), he fits as one of the principal servants of the demon Radegast, who seeks to corrupt the new Baltic towns (see Rostock below). Imanitos does not match the typical diabolist stereotype, at least in appearance, but a fair-seeming servant is actually a far more effective and valuable pawn than an obvious monster. Apprenticed at the powerful covenant of Doissetep in the Provencal Tribunal before being sent to the Rhine to take his gild training and Gauntlet, he might belong to a small and highly secret lineage of dark Jerbiton. Where other dark lineages have been uncovered and exterminated, this handful of tainted magi survives, and flourishes, due to their extreme subtlety and feigned preference for the mundane over the occult.

There are several ways in which Imanitos can act to spread corruption, both among magi and mundanes. Important persons of Lübeck are corrupted by visits to the Goldenes Kalb, sowing a dark seed at the heart of the future Hanseatic League. He might replace his covenant's precious magestones with infernally tainted duplicates gifted by his master, with the aim of slowly corrupting all the magi with greed while they work in their labs. The magi of Waddenzee are similarly vulnerable. Their theft of Hermetic books may have been engineered, and these tomes tainted. For example, Lucas von Beck might unknowingly use black knowledge in his study of necromancy. Only Hachim may have the wisdom to prevent his covenant's fall into greed and darkness. Imanitos can accomplish much with the use of summoned demons of low Might, which are (relatively) easy to control. Astasians, tiny messenger-demons, can be used to communicate with his subordinates and the magi of Waddenzee; they may simply be presumed to be "airy spirits." Other minor demons under his dominion may specialize in thievery, espionage, or lust.

Imanitos Mendax, follower of Jerbiton

Characteristics: Int +2, Per +1, Pre +2, Com +2, Str –1 (0), Sta +1, Dex –1, Qik –2 (1)
Size: 0
Age: 55 (39) (Gauntlet at 22; Master)
Decrepitude: 0 (2)
Warping Score: 4 (3)
Confidence Score: 2 (5)
Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Master; Gentle Gift; Affinity with Finesse (gained from Twilight), Affinity with Guile, Affinity with Mentem, Apple Gild Trained, Minor Magical Focus (Deception), Quiet Magic*, Self Confident, Social Contacts, Subtle Magic; Dark Secret, Lecherous; Compulsion (Lies), Deficient Form (Animal), Deficient Form (Ignem), Lesser Malediction
Personality Traits: Lustful +3, Scheming +2, Brave –1
Reputations: Amoral 2 (Hermetic), Master of minor Mentem spells 2 (Hermetic)
Combat:
Dagger: Init –2, Attack +1, Defense 0, Damage +2
Soak: +1
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Abilities: Artes Liberales 3 (forging handwriting), Awareness 1 (in crowds), Bargain 1 (ladies of negotiable affection), Brawl 1 (dagger), Carouse 1 (staying sober), Charm 4 (women), Code of Hermes 2 (oaths), Concentration 3 (Mentem spells), Etiquette 2 (nobility), Fengheld Lore 1 (master magi), Finesse 3 (Mentem), French 2 (langue d'oc), Folk Ken 3 (nobility), Low German 6 (Saxon), Guile 7 (plots), Infernal Lore 2 (servile demons), Intrigue 3 (Hermetic politics), Latin 5 (sycophancy), Leadership 1 (employees), Lübeck Lore 3 (corruption), Magic Theory 5 (inventing spells), Music 1 (lute), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (Lindengilde), Parma Magica 4 (Mentem), Penetration 2 (Mentem), Philosophiae 1 (morals), Profession: Tavern/Brothel Owner 1 (accounts), Profession: Scribe 2 (copying books), Ride 1 (keeping level), Teaching 1 (Arts), Waddenzee Lore 2 (piracy), West Slavonic 2 (Sorbian)
Arts: Cr 6, In 9, Mu 7, Pe 8, Re 9; An 3, Aq 5, Au 5, Co 5, He 3, Ig 4, Im 9, Me 17, Te 5, Vi 11
Twilight Scars: Although he hides it well, Imanitos' tongue is actually forked. His voice is compelling, and people want to listen to him. A faint smell of funerary incense accompanies him.
Equipment: Fine clothing of the latest fashion, expensive jewelry.
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Spells Known:
Whispering Winds (InAu 15) +15

Prying Eyes (InIm 5) +19

Aura of Ennobled Presence (MuIm 10) +25, Mastery 1 (Quiet Casting)

Disguise of the Transformed Wizard (MuIm 15) +25

Invisibility of the Standing Wizard (PeIm 15) +18

Rising Passion (CrMe 15) +25, Mastery 1 (Quiet Casting)

Gossip of the Marketplace (Cr(Re)Me 20) +24

Weight of a Thousand Hells (CrMe 25) +24

Perception of Conflicting Motives (InMe 15) +27

Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie (InMe 20) +27

Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20) +28, Mastery 1 (Quiet Casting)

Recollection of Memories Never Quite Lived (MuMe 5) +32

Seed of Betrayal (MuMe 15) +25

The Blinded Sentry (PeMe 5) +34

Trust of Childlike Faith (PeMe 10) +34

Loss of But a Moment's Memory (PeMe 15) +26

The Invisible Eye Revealed (InVi 20) +21

Clear Breath of the Consummate Liar (MuVi(Me) 20) +26

Masking the Odor of Magic (PeVi 20) +28

New Spells:
Rising Passion; CrMe 15; R:Eye, D:Sun; T:Ind: Raises an unnatural carnal lust in a target. The target has no control over his or her passion, and is likely to act inappropriately. (Base 4, +1 Eye, +2 Sun)

Gossip of the Marketplace; Cr(Re)Me 20; R:Eye, D:Sun, T:Ind: Implants a piece of information in a target, who is then compelled to pass this information on to his friends until the duration expires. (Base 3, +1 Eye, +2 Sun, Rego requisite to compel gossiping, +2 complexity)

Seed of Betrayal; MuMe 15; R:Eye, D:Moon, T:Ind: Changes the target's emotions towards his master(s) to contempt, such that he will readily betray them. Subtract 5 points from the target's relevant Loyal Personality Trait, for the duration of the spell. (Base 3, +1 Eye, +3 Moon)

The Blinded Sentry; PeMe 5; R:Touch, D:Mom, T:Ind: Renders the target insensate for a moment, sufficient for the caster to slip past him, raise a shout, cast a spell, or pick his pocket. Only the initial touch is registered by the target. (Base 4, +1 Touch)

Clear Breath of the Consummate Liar; MuVi(Me) 20; R:Per, D:Conc; T:Ind: Allows the caster to manipulate the workings of a Frosty Breath of the Spoken Lie cast on himself. He can make himself appear to be lying or telling the truth, as desired. Casting without words or gestures is obviously advisable, and casting under Masking the Odor of Magic is also advantageous. (Base effect, +1 Conc, Mentem requisite)

Appearance: Imanitos is tall and quite lean; his medium-length hair is thick and black, his eyes are blue, and he is classically handsome, sometimes sporting a neat beard as the fancy takes him. He usually dresses in immaculate clothing of the latest fashion, in blue or black hues, that are ostentatious and show his wealth and social awareness. He wears a large ring on his left hand, in the shape of a serpent grasping a large ruby in its mouth; he intends to make this into his talisman. Forever vain, Imanitos has had made a special longevity ritual that preserves his youthful appearance at the expense of being less effective. (It gives him a mere +2 longevity modifier, but his Apparent age only increases with an Aging roll of 7+.)

Imanitos would appear, at first sight, to be a well-intentioned and charming magus. However, a closer look at this character reveals the shadier side of both the covenant and Lübeck. As his surname ("Liar") suggests, he is guileful, but also treacherous and subtle. His debonair facade barely conceals a lack of morals — his weaknesses for pretty women and mundane finery are frequently indulged, and he is not above murder, when it suits his needs.

Imanitos poses and is commonly known as the proprietor of an upmarket tavern, the Goldenes Kalb. Somewhat less well-known is its secondary business — upstairs are a number of discreet and opulent chambers, where the lusts and perversions of certain select and wealthy clients are catered to by a number of courtesans under his employ (and charms). Subtle magics greatly assist this enterprise and make it into a very profitable endeavor. For example, rich visitors who sample his wine often find their desires strangely heightened. His third and most delicate business is crime and extortion — he has gathered blackmail information on numerous well-respected citizens (and magi, for that matter).

The top floors of his townhouse, above the tavern and brothel, are devoted to Imanitos' sanctum, which is highly secret (and magically protected). Unsurprisingly, his magical focus is the Art of Mentem, although he is also competent with Imaginem magic, to facilitate disguises. He is in his fifties (though appearing twenty years younger), and has just recently become a master, having spent some time at Fengheld covenant, winning the approval of three of their magi.

About twenty years ago, when he was a peregrinator, Imanitos spent a number of years as a guest at Waddenzee when the new magi of that covenant had just completed their takeover, ostensibly on a mission to foster good relations with Oculus Septentrionalis. He got on well with Eric and Lucas, but not Hygwald, who characteristically viewed him with some disdain, despite being his junior. Upon his return to Lübeck, it soon seemed that Imanitos' diplomacy had failed, given Waddenzee's blatant piracy. In fact, this was part of his plan; and he is involved in a major conspiracy with the pirate covenant — details of Oculus Septentrionalis' ship movements are secretly communicated in advance to Eric, so that he can plan their raids to great effect. Imanitos demands a share of the spoils in return. Thus his loyalties are seriously divided, although his greater loyalty is to himself. He simply sees this underhand scheme as an opportunity for personal enrichment. The other magi of Oculus Septentrionalis, unaware of his treachery, hold him in mixed regard despite his loose morals, he is acknowledged to have his uses. However were his secret dealings with Waddenzee to be uncovered, he would certainly be expelled from the covenant without delay, and face their undying enmity.

CAROLUS, FOLLOWER OF JERBITON

Age: 35 (Journeyman)
Personality Traits: Analytical +2, Idealistic +1, Organized –3

Carolus is a well-intentioned but scatterbrained young magus who poses as an eccentric scholar, sometimes lending his services to those city folk with a penchant for education. A somewhat naïve recent stay at Crintera, in an attempt to repair relations with the Rügen covenant, turned sour when his raven familiar, believed to be spying, was blinded by Caprea of Bjornaer, a guest maga there. In fact there was a raven spying at Crintera, although it was actually Kolkrabus, the devious familiar of Murion (see Chapter 6: The Black Forest, Durenmar). Caprea was fooled and her wrath was misdirected at Carolus' familiar instead.

BORIS OF NOVGOROD, FOLLOWER OF MERCERE

Age: 37 (Journeyman)
Personality Traits: Indolent +2, Avaricious +1, Talkative +1

Boris is a well-traveled, shrew-like Russian who poses as an itinerant merchant. His Redcap duties commonly take him to the northern Rhine covenants and the Novgorod Tribunal, although he finds Lübeck a useful base. When not on the road, he enjoys the comforts of the city and oversees his newly built establishment at the northern end of town, the Novgorod Inn, which is beginning to be popular with Redcaps and Russian merchants. He hopes to achieve the rank of master in the next couple of years, whereupon his inn may be entrusted with the status of a Mercer House, and attract yet more Redcaps. Boris has a habit of selling all kinds of nick-nacks to magi, from which he profits modestly; he may well be willing to initiate trades in books, items, or vis with the player covenant, at the right price, of course. In particular, he is able to acquire vis from the Novgorod covenants relatively cheaply.

Story Seed: The Genesis of the League

The location of Oculus Septentrionalis in the city that happens to father the Hanseatic League is unlikely to be coincidence! The exact extent of the covenant's involvement is for you to decide in your saga. Henri de Tours, a skilled diplomat and famous merchant, may play a leading role in the negotiation of the Treaty of Lübeck and Hamburg. The League may even be the conception of the covenant itself, with Henri rising to become the Älderman. Alternatively, the magi may prefer to take a more backseat role. In any case, it is likely that Oculus Septentrionalis will be in a position to accumulate unheard-of levels of wealth. However, as their fortune grows, so too does the probable disfavor of the Quaesitores and the risk of a detailed investigation. Should these dealings be revealed at Tribunal, the magi may try to offer huge bribes to other covenants in an attempt to avoid censure.

The Hanseatic League

The advocate and common council of Lübeck: We have made an agreement with our beloved friends the citizens of Hamburg.

That if by chance robbers or other evil men rise against our citizens or theirs, from that place where the river which is called the Trave flows into the sea to Hamburg, and thence along the Elbe to the sea, and if they assail our citizens or theirs, whatever costs or expenses are incurred for extirpating those robbers we ought to share with them, and they with us.

If by chance any criminal should outrageously kill, wound, beat, or, God forbid, in any way ill-treat outside the city any burgess of Hamburg or Lübeck whom he has accused, whatever expense is incurred in taking him and punishing him, we shall share with them and they with us, this condition being added, that whatever happens to their citizens near their city, and to our citizens near our city, they with their citizens, and we with ours, shall punish at the expense of the city.

Further, if any of the burgesses of theirs near our city of Lübeck, or burgesses near the city of Hamburg, should be ill-treated, we shall surrender the doer or doers of the deed for punishment, and they will surrender such people to us at the expense of the commune likewise.

— Treaty of Lübeck and Hamburg, 1241

Hanse (trade associations; singular "Hansa") have existed in Germany since at least the 12th century. Contracts and agreements between merchants may offer mutual protection from pirates and robbers, a means for settling disputes, and agreed prices to protect and ensure profits. However, to date these trade associations remain mostly small-scale. Assuming that your saga follows real history, the treaty of Lübeck and Hamburg will be the most significant yet. In the decades following, many cities in Germany and around the Baltic join in this enterprise, which becomes known as the Hanseatic League. By the end of the 13th century, scores of cities will be members and the Hansa will have grown rich and influential, becoming a great force to be reckoned with. Lübeck is the League's leading city, with the Statutes of Lübeck forming a model for its governance.

OTHER MAGI

There is room at Oculus Septentrionalis for one or two more magi (likely Jerbiton, members of the Apple Gild, or Redcaps) of your own devising, should you wish. Such characters should have the Gentle Gift Virtue and a mundane profession, or at least the semblance of one. The covenant has also recently established two laboratories for peregrinatores above the Novgorod Inn, although visiting magi seldom bother to do labwork due to the lack of a Magic aura.

In contrast to the virtual army commanded by Waddenzee, Oculus Septentrionalis has no turb as such. Living in a naturally well-defended city, there is no need, and in any case, a large group of independently minded soldiers would not be tolerated. Instead, the covenant employs a handful of mercenaries who are mostly occupied protecting the covenant's commercial interests — the line between those who work for Henri's various businesses and those who serve the covenant directly is very blurred. Several of the magi, including Marcus and Imanitos, employ their own staff independently. Apart from numerous servants and two scribes, Gunhilda's elder sister Matilda (who is not Gifted) serves as autocrat and Henri's housekeeper.

Hidden in the Everstorf Forest to the north of Schwerin lies a rectangular bed of many large stones, 40 yards long and 10 yards wide. Here there used to live a giant who would terrorize the peasants of Naschendorf by stealing their cattle and trampling their crops. One day the farmers found the giant asleep and resolved to trap him. They gathered up their tools and dug a huge, deep grave beside him. The giant was rolled in and covered with earth. So that he could not escape, the giant's wife dragged many stone blocks with her apron and covered over the grave. The giant suffocated and the villagers could thereafter live in peace. The giant-wife was never heard from again.

The Baltic Cog

At the beginning of the 13th century, ships in northern Europe were not radically different from those used by the Vikings: they were long, narrow vessels that were seaworthy and suitable for warfare, but ill-suited to the transportation of cargo. At most they could carry thirty or forty tons.

Marcus Navicularius is currently working on a innovative design for a greatly improved cargo ship — the Baltic cog. To be built with abundant timber from Novgorod, his ship will feature a complete hull redesign to take a round, flat-bottomed shape made possible by his ingenious use of a new, center-mounted rudder. The ship will bear a single large mast with a squarerigged sail. A single cog will be capable of transporting hundreds of tons of cargo. By the middle of the century, if your saga broadly follows real history, this ship design will be adopted by the merchants of the new Hanseatic League, allowing trade on a scale never before possible. This breakthrough contributes in no small part to the growth of Baltic commerce and the League in the 13th century.

Rostock is an expanding trading town and important port of the Baltic Sea, although somewhat overshadowed by its neighbor Lübeck. Rostock is the chief town of a dynasty of Sorbian princes, who are named after the Mecklenburg (castle), their chief seat which is situated between Lübeck and Rostock, a short distance inland north of Schwerin. Prior to the invasion of the Danish king, the family of Mecklenburg and the region they ruled were dedicated to the worship of Radegast, whose cult center was at Rethra (see Chapter 9: The Eastern Marches, Pomerania). However, in 1161 the town was burned by Valdemar I and the pagans were driven out into the surrounding countryside. Rostock is now occupied mainly by Germans and the Mecklenburg family have now accepted Christianity and sworn allegiance to the emperor, hoping to gain his support to retake their ancestral lands.

Story Seed: The Prophet of Radegast

The Mecklenburgs pay only lipservice to the Church; they remain true to the god of their ancestors, Radegast (see Chapter 11: Rhine Sagas, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea). His patronage has served them well, and their secret worship has granted them powers normally denied to man. Recently, a "prophet of Radegast" has made himself known to them; this is actually Imanitos Mendax of Oculus Septentrionalis, who has a place in his schemes for these powerful nobles with a dark secret.

Saxony is a large and important duchy; apart from the Harz Mountains (see Chapter 8: Central Germany, The Harz Mountains) and the Teutoburger Forest, it consists of fertile lowlands and numerous cities, a dozen or so of which date from the time of Charlemagne. Many of these cities are home to cathedrals and powerful bishops. This is the ancestral home of the Welf family, the chief rivals to the Hohenstaufens who currently hold the imperial throne. The greatest Welf ruler in living memory is Henry the Lion (1129- 95), who grew to be duke of both Saxony and Bavaria. However, he became too powerful for the liking of Frederick Barbarossa, and when he staked a claim to the rich silver mines of Goslar, Frederick stripped him of most of his estates. The current duke is Albert I of the Ascanian line, descended from Albert the Bear, a rival to Henry who profited from his downfall.

Münster lies in the center of a flat and highly fertile plain called the Münsterland, and is a prosperous market city. The cathedral is named after St. Liudger, its first bishop from the time of the bishopric's founding as a monastery ("Münster" derives from the latin monasterium) in 805, as a base from which to convert the Saxons.

The Holy Vehm

The League of the Holy Court, Vehmgericht — or simply the Holy Vehm is a system of secret tribunals primarily of northern Germany, the principal seat of which is in Dortmund. The Holy Vehm tries all capital crimes, claiming that the Imperial Mandate granted by Charlemagne to the Vehmgerichte grants them the power over life and death (called the Blutbann, the blood-ban). Formerly reserved to the emperor alone, the Vehm claim that this right has been usurped by the nobility of Germany. The Vehm has a sinister reputation, which is justly earned. Their activities are characterized by secret meetings, night-time kidnappings of suspects, terrifying trials before a hostile court, torture (in some regions), followed by summary justice, the inevitable result of which is death by hanging.

Members of the Vehm style themselves the Wissende (wise ones). Every free man, born in lawful wedlock, and neither excommunicate nor outlaw, is eligible for membership, and the society boasts many tens of thousands of members scattered throughout the length and breadth of Germany, but concentrated in the north. Initiation into the ranks of the Wissende involves an oath to uphold the Vehm with all their power, to guard its secrets from all — even their closest kin — and to bring before its tribunal anything that they may discover. Each initiate is presented with a rope and a knife upon which are engraved the mystic letters SSGG, standing for Stein, Strick, Gras, Grün (stone, stick, grass, green), which is one of the many secret signs of the society by which members recognize each other. Any crime punishable by death is claimed by the Holy Vehm as part of its jurisdiction, but the crimes of heresy, witchcraft, perjury, secret or open murder, and sacrilegious acts receive most of its attention. Revealing the signs, passwords, membership, or activities of the Vehm is also punishable by death. Women and children are outside their competence, as are Jews and heathens. Nobles are also exempt, for the requirement of trial by peers can rarely be met for the upper ranks of society.

Presiding over each court is the Stuhlherr (chairman), most usually the secular or ecclesiastic lord of the region. The Oberststuhlherr, supreme leader of the Vehm, is the archbishop of Cologne. The actual ruler of each court is the Freigraf, appointed for life by each Stuhlherr. The greatest body of the initiated are the Freischöffen (lay judges) who accuse the suspect and decide the verdict. The court usually holds session on a hillock or other well-known spot, although more recently, vast underground chambers have started to be used, where available. Only the initiated are allowed to attend, with interlopers being put to death. Any Frieschöffe can accuse a man of a crime, at which point a summons is issued. If he does not present himself to the Vehm, and his accuser can present to the court seven witnesses to his own character as a man to be trusted, then the case is considered proven; the actual charge is not even gone into. The Imperial Ban (Blutbann) is pronounced, and members of the Vehm called the Fronboten are responsible for carrying out the only sentence of the court — death by hanging in a public spot, leaving a knife bearing mystic letters next to the corpse to indicate that the deed was not murder. If the accused is brave enough to turn up at the Vehmic Court, he requires twenty-one witnesses in favor of innocence to assure his acquittal. If the accused is one of the Wissende, then only his oath is needed to clear him, unless his charge is that he has revealed the secrets of the Vehm, in which case death is inevitable. The Vehm even employ Fehmenotes, secret informants scattered throughout the empire, who watch both for those who have escaped the "justice" of the Vehm, and for those who deserve it.

Archmage Philippus Niger of Durenmar (see Chapter 6: The Black Forest, Durenmar) makes use of the Holy Vehm. Two of his trusted men are Freigrafs, and he knows of more than a score Fehmenotes. He has caused the execution of dozens of suspected hedge magicians by the Vehmic Courts, and at least one Marched magus. He is also responsible for the gradual spread of the Vehmgerichte southwards, for he believes that this institution is a perfect tool for ridding the Order of the threat of hedge wizards. He has assured House Guernicus that there is no danger to the Order of Hermes from the Vehm, an assurance for which he has no actual grounds.

The Teutoburger Forest

Magic Might: 50
Personality Traits: Patient +3, Unforgiving +1
Special Powers: Grant Flaw (Simple-Minded), Grant Victory, Regio, Shroud, Stasis

The forest-clad slopes of the Teutoburger hills are known for an important victory of the native German people, lead by Hermann against the invading Roman legions (see Chapter 2: History, Germania Magna). Charlemagne also fought a war here in the late 8th century while establishing his empire. The forest has always seemed an important beachhead to establish when conquering a land, which is possibly why it has such strong guardians. At the center of the forest is a great clearing surrounded by a circle of ancient trees of differing types. These trees act jointly as the guardians of the forest, watching over it and ensuring that it remains unsullied as one of the few remaining wildernesses bordering the northern lowlands. After the Battle of the Teutoburger Forest in the 1st century, the remaining Roman legions retreated into the heart of the forest, and were never heard from again.

At the top level of the regio, a fortified camp of the Roman soldiers is to be found in the center of the clearing. The guardians neither allow them to die nor to leave the forest (although they can leave the clearing to hunt and gather food, they remain trapped in the regio), even though they have grown to treat the trees with reverence.

Paderborn is centered around a spot where hundreds of tiny warm springs rise up and form the source of the diminutive River Pader. It is most famous for being the site of the meeting between Charlemagne and Pope Leo III in 799, at which the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire was agreed. In preparation for the pope's arrival, Charlemagne began the construction of a lofty cathedral and palace. The palace, however, lies in ruins, destroyed in two conflagrations in 1000 and 1165.

Twenty miles to the east of Paderborn, near to the town of Höxter, lies the great scholarly abbey of Corvey. It was here that the monk Widukind penned the epic History of the Saxons in the 10th century. South of Paderborn the lowlands give way to the inhospitable and rugged Sauerland, bordering Thuringia.

In a large clearing on the southeastern edge of the Teutoburger Forest, is a jumbled array of thirteen sandstone rocks, some more than a hundred feet tall. Formerly a site of pagan worship, a series of caves beside the rocks was consecrated as a chapel in 1115. A carving of the Descent of Jesus from the Cross adorns the foot of one of the biggest rocks. Inside one of the others, one can climb up to another bare chapel, whose window catches the rays of the sunrise on the summer solstice. A sense of enigmatic peace surrounds this strange site; it is occupied only by a tiny handful of ascetic hermits, who seek solitude and divine insight. There is a Divine aura of 4 here.

Bremen is a port city on the north bank of the River Weser. Its bishopric predates that of Münster and the other Saxon cities, being founded in the 8th century when Charlemagne sent his first missionary, Willehad, to christianize the Saxon tribes. Its first church was built in 789, and has since expanded to a sizeable cathedral. Despite the fact that Bremen's market traders have long held independent rights, the archbishop, Gerhard II, vies with merchants for control of the city.

To the northeast of Bremen stretches an extensive swampy wasteland known as the Teufelsmoor (Devil's Bog). For many miles, a dark peat moss covers all, permitting no grass or trees to grow, and no man or beast to dwell. The moor is almost always layered with thick mist, and oppressive dank smells waft from it onto the surrounding farmland. The place has an ill reputation, and the locals, believing it to be cursed, rarely dare to venture within. At night strange shapes and lights can sometimes be seen faintly through the gloom. Some peasants harvest the rotten black peat from the edge of the moor, which makes an excellent fuel, if you can stand the smell. The Teufelsmoor would make a suitable (if somewhat unpleasant) location for a covenant.

Story Seed: Freeing the Legionaries

It is possible to bargain with the forest spirits for the release of the Roman soldiers — they may likely ask the characters to repel a mundane (or other) threat or intrusion into their forest. If released, the Romans would make loyal and well-trained grogs (though they are significantly Warped by the centuries). Alternatively, it may be found that a renegade magus or hedge wizard has remained hidden in the forest and employed the legionaries as his personal turb.

Lüneburg is notable for its extensive salt mines, on top of which the city is built. The trade in precious salt has garnered the city vast wealth, which they have used to erect grand brick buildings. Due to subsidence caused by the mines, however, houses tilt precariously over rickety streets, and many are dangerously unstable. The recent plans for a great brick cathedral to be built are thus questionable, at best. Even when built on firm ground, the Devil is known to thwart and imperil such projects.

To the south of Lüneburg lies a sprawling wild area, consisting mostly of open heathland, interspersed with small woods. Only a few villagers and shepherds dwell here, tending to the flocks of Heidschnucken (loosely translated as "heathnibblers") that roam all over the heath. These beasts are a cross between goat and sheep, descending from the mouflon of Corsica, from where they were imported about two hundred years ago.

Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, arrived here in 815 to go hunting, hanging his relics of the Virgin Mary on a rosebush. When he returned from the hunt, he found that the relics could not be removed; taking this to be divine instruction, he founded a church at this spot. The venerable rosebush still stands, around which has been built a cloister adjacent to the cathedral.

Hildesheim, the jewel of northern Germany, has grown to be filled with magnificent civic buildings and churches, and is home to artists and architects. This splendor is due to the divinely inspired vision of St. Bernward, bishop of Hildesheim in the early 11th century and advisor to Otto II. During his lifetime, the city rose to greatness and established the now-ubiquitous Romanesque style. The greatest of Hildesheim's churches is St. Michael, a short distance to the north of the cathedral, replete with six towers, and sited on its own small hill. Inside are numerous relics, wondrous paintings, and the crypt of St. Bernward himself.

In the 12th century, Brunswick was the chosen residence of the Saxon duke Henry the Lion, and he beautified the city with numerous works of art and monuments. The centerpiece of the city is an opulent square in which stands the bronze Burglöwe, a great statue of a lion. In 1173, Henry began construction of a cathedral, which is now completed in the distinctive shape of a fortress and filled with riches. This style has caught on with a number of other Welf churches. Adjacent to Brunswick's cathedral is Henry's fortress proper, Burg Dankwarderode, named after the city's heroic founder.

Goslar, a Free Imperial City on the northern edge of the Harz Mountains, is famed for the nearby silver mines of the Rammelsberg. These mines are the largest in Germany, and make the city one of the most prized assets of the Holy Roman Empire. However, the mines are gradually becoming flooded, and thus less productive, due to the presence of spiteful gnomes who have diverted an underground river into them. Anyone able to drive these faeries off and successfully drain the mines would surely be richly rewarded by the emperor.

For a generation early in the 10th century, Quedlinburg was the effective German capital and base of operations for Henry the Fowler in his eastern campaigns. He erected a castle on the Burgberg at the southern end of the town and a palace, which frequently hosted his Imperial Diets. Upon his death, control of Quedlinburg passed to Henry's widow, Mathilde. She founded a collegiate foundation for noblewomen, and the abbesses have ruled the town ever since, although it has become rather overshadowed by the other, more important Saxon cities.

Boglin

Magic Might: 25 (Aquam)
Characteristics: Cun +1, Per –2, Pre –5, Com –3, Str +5, Sta +6, Dex –1, Qik +2
Size: +3 (Body), 0 (Tentacle)
Virtues and Flaws: Greater Immunity, Ways of the Swamp; Tough; Blind, Greedy; Obese, Tainted With Evil
Personality Traits: Greedy +5, Reclusive +2, Guileful +1
Combat:
Tentacle: Init +10, Attack +14, Defense +12, Damage +8
Bite: Init +3, Attack +10, Defense +11, Damage +13 (includes bonus for Ways of the Swamp)
Soak: +12 (immune to damage from bludgeoning weapons)
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: (main body) –1 (1-8), –3 (9-16), –5 (17-24), Incapacitated (25-32); (each tentacle) –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Abilities: Awareness 5 (swamp), Brawl 8 (Tentacle), Stealth 3 (swamp), Survival 6 (swamp), Swim 3 (swamp)
Powers:
Abominable Stench, 5 points, Init +2, Auram: The Boglin may rudely fart out a great cloud of noxious bodily fumes from an orifice just beneath the waterline. This choking swamp gas spreads to a radius of 15 yards over 3 rounds, taking a further 3 rounds to dissipate. Any who come into contact with it must make a Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9, or otherwise recoil with watery eyes, clenching their nostrils shut, unable to act further. Any who botch keel over, vomiting.

Paralysis, 3 points, Init n/a, Corpus or Animal: Each of the Boglin's tentacles is equipped with venomous barbs. This poison may be applied upon any hit that inflicts a wound: A Stamina roll against an Ease Factor of 9 may be made to resist this poison, but a failure results in a –5 penalty to all physical actions as their muscles seize. This poison wears off in about an hour**.** Each tentacle inflicts poison only once in any combat.

Writhing Grasp, 0 points, Init n/a, Corpus or Animal: Any hit by a tentacle that would inflict a Medium Wound or greater instead inflicts just a Light Wound, but the tentacle envelopes the victim in its choking grip. Each round thereafter, the victim may attempt either an opposed Strength roll to extricate himself completely or an opposed Dexterity roll to free his hands to be able to act. If the grip is not broken, the victim will be drawn into the water within range of the fearsome maw in 3 rounds. Only then may the Boglin use its Bite attack.

Regeneration, 20 points, Init n/a, Animal: The Boglin may hibernate and regrow any severed tentacles at the rate of one per season.

Vis: 8 pawns of Animal vis, one pawn in each tentacle; 6 pawns of Perdo vis, in its brain (a black and smelly nodule)
Appearance: The Boglin possesses eight slimy, dark brown, 12-foot-long tentacles. Its large misshapen saclike body, covered with a tough carapace, is rarely seen as it mostly stays under murky waters. Somewhere in it is a broad toothy orifice that serves as a mouth.

These primeval and foul spirits lurk in the swamps of northern Germany. The terrible stench of the pools they inhabit, together with occasional faint murmuring, provides clues to their presence. Only gentle ripples in the water tell of the stealthy approach of a boglin, before the beast suddenly lashes out with its tentacles at its prey (anything moving that passes by). The attacking tentacles should be treated as separate entities, with individual Wound Penalties. An Incapacitating blow may sever a tentacle; each such loss counts as a Light Wound to the creature proper. Once a live victim has been firmly grasped in its great black maw, it will withdraw and drag the victim underwater for later consumption at its leisure — horrid belching hours later tells of its pleasure in its gruesome meal. The Boglin possesses a simplistic and bestial malice — its gluttony is its overriding emotion — but nevertheless it is capable of surprising cunning in the hunt.

Magdeburg, on the west bank of the River Elbe, was the favored city of the emperor Otto the Great in the 10th century. He founded a Benedictine monastery and the city's cathedral, raising it to the seat of an archbishopric in 962. Many surrounding lands were granted to bishops and abbots, and the city thus formed the center of missionary activity (and subsequently the Church's authority) over the Eastern Marches. The Magdeburg Law promotes the continued founding of settlements in these lands by offering generous charters and rapidly establishing local courts.

Some distance to the northwest of Magdeburg, deep in the Haldensleben Forest, lies a squat and forgotten circle of round stones surrounding an ancient stone altar. In times gone by, the pagan god Woden was worshiped at this place. His priests, tall and red-bearded, dressed in long white cloaks, would solemnly approach the grove in the hour before dawn, followed by men dressed in skins and other dark shapes. Surrounded by the chanting of the woodsfolk, a sacrifice would be slaughtered at the altar, and its vital parts burned, releasing the spirit to herald the arrival of dawn. The name of the circle ("Devil's Kitchen") dates from when Christian missionaries arrived in the region and purged most pagan beliefs and practices. Whether any remnants of the priesthood of Woden remain should be decided by the storyguide. The Teufelsküche is the origin of the Wild Hunt (see Chapter 8: Central Germany, The Harz Mountains), and the winter is a bad time to visit this place.