Curse of the Rhine Gorge

This small band of wizards refers to its own members as exsules (exiles, singular exsul), a name they bear with pride. There are less than a dozen at any one time, and they preserve a tradition similar to that of the Order, but, divorced as they are from more recent advances in Magic Theory, display some unusual features. Their magic has a distinct exotic flavor; they know Hermetic magic although all suffer the Weird Magic Flaw due to their isolation from the Order. More dangerous to the Order, they all know the Parma Magica as well; however, this has been imperfectly passed down from the original members of the Order, and all have inherited the Flawed Parma Magica Flaw. Most of them have studied from vis for their entire careers, and the Poor Reader Flaw is common. Their line has also been cursed with the Faerie Enmity Flaw. Many have the Mythic Blood Virtue, stemming from Merinita herself or powerful magical spirits. The Virtues Ways of the Forest, Free Study, and Study Bonus are also common. As inheritors of Merinita's tradition of nature magic, many have walked the Paths through the Forest (see Chapter 4: The Forest), and it may be common for them to be able to overcome one or more of the Lesser Limits of Hermetic magic. It is possible that they have also accepted magi of House Diedne fleeing the destruction of the Schism War; in this case, they should excel at spontaneous magic. Their spells should be mostly different from those of the Spells chapter of ArM5, as they have little access to the grimoires of the Order of Hermes. They prefer to cause the fury of nature to rise up against their enemies, rather than attack them directly. Most importantly, their magic should be alien and frightening to a Hermetic magus.

This chapter illustrates how the various ingredients presented in this book may be assembled into a playable saga. If you wish, it can be readily used as the basis for your saga, although it is but one of many possibilities (see Chapter 11: Rhine Sagas for other ideas). Here you will find a suitable starting point — a reason for a group of magi to gather together in the Rhine Tribunal with a common cause, descriptions of local places and legends, some starting non-magus characters (who may be suitable for either player or non-player roles), a variety of initial challenges, as well as suggested long-term themes and plots.

The setting for this saga is the valley of the middle Rhine, between Mainz and Cologne, and surrounding lands. For a stretch of about twenty miles the River Rhine narrows to a gorge and is especially rich in mythic sites and ancient legends. Numerous robber-baron castles perch over the river, profiting from tolls on the river traffic which is the lifeblood of the region. Here is the intersection of the domains of three powerful archbishops, and two ancient faerie courts. Here is the venerable city of Trier, with the most complete Roman remains in Germany, and the wooded expanse of the Westerwald, at whose edge the hero Siegfried slew the dragon Fafnir. Here are also the remains of four lost covenants.

The Lessons of Failure

The fate of each of these four covenants provides a lesson on the common causes of covenant failure, which may be instructive. Respectively, don't deal with demons, don't make powerful Hermetic enemies, don't meddle drastically with mundanes and the Church, and make sure your dealings are subtle enough and your defenses strong enough. Should the magi in your saga fail to heed these warnings, a similar fate may await them.

With its many supernatural sites and reputed vis sources, the Rhine Gorge has long been attractive to magi, despite the various dangers of the region. Over the past centuries several covenants have established themselves here, although none has endured. In 1220 the history of these lost covenants is forgotten by many, although the records of the Rhine Tribunal allow at least a partial picture to be patched together. Among those few who have made a detailed study of the Tribunal's history, some have noted that all of these covenants failed within a period of exactly 11 Tribunals (77 years). This has given rise to a myth that holds that the Rhine Gorge is cursed. This appears to be merely speculation — or at least, if any living magus knows the real reason for any such curse they are certainly keeping quiet about it.

After the loss of the covenants of Treverorum and Rheinstein, it was deemed that the Rhine Gorge was at that time too dangerous for magi to inhabit (or rather that it would be too dangerous for the Order for magi to inhabit it). The Rhine Tribunal of 1200 AD ruled that magi were forbidden from practicing any form of magical activity there for the next twenty years. It is now 1220, and with the expiry of this ban it is considered safe for magi to return to the region.

The leadership of Durenmar covenant has decided that the founding of a new covenant in the Middle Rhine would help to reinvigorate the Tribunal and further its interests. No new covenants have been founded in the Tribunal for several decades, which has resulted in the proliferation of Fengheld's chapter houses, adding to their power, and a number of magi moving instead to neighboring Tribunals, diminishing the power of both Durenmar and the Rhine Tribunal. With Durenmar's sponsorship, a prospective covenant may stand a fair chance of getting past the Tribunal's rigorous approval process (see Chapter 3: Tribunal History and Customs, Upon Founding a Covenant). A group of freshly Gauntleted magi are therefore recruited; some from the Rhine Tribunal already find themselves at Durenmar as they complete their apprenticeships, and others may be invited to travel there from other Tribunals. They are tasked to investigate potential covenant sites, to choose one, and to establish a covenant there, subject to the approval of the other covenants of the Tribunal.

Your first task together with your players is to generate the magus characters, together with suitable backgrounds for each. Some of these young magi may have been apprenticed in the Rhine Tribunal, in which case the Minor Virtue (Gild) Trained (see Chapter 3: Tribunal History and Customs, Upon Being a Rhine Magus) may be taken, if desired. The parens of such a magus might even be one of the magi (of master or archmage rank) described in this book. It is equally possible for a freshly Gauntleted magus to have traveled from further afield, from another Tribunal. In this case the young magus is less likely to be familiar with the Hermetic traditions of the Rhine. A mixture of Rhine and non-Rhine magi of different Houses is suggested, although this saga works for almost any conceivable complement of magi.

At least one or two of the magi should come from a rich or well-established covenant, which allows them to start with a personal shield grog and a reasonable sum of money. Others may have gifts from their masters or be accompanied by traveling companions, although likely not all will be lucky enough to have their own grogs or significant possessions. Thus, by pooling their resources, the magi should at least have a small number of grogs and sufficient funds in order to begin their exploration. It is suggested that several of your magi (but less than half) originate from the Rhine's largest covenant, Fengheld, which will add an interesting political dimension (see below). These magi should deliberately be favored with the allocation of initial resources, each having a well-trained personal shield grog and a generous sum of money.

Excerpts from the Records of the Rhine Tribunal Relating to the Covenants of the Middle Rhine

• 1031 AA (892 AD): The First Tribunal sponsors a proposal for a new covenant, Rudiaria, affiliated to House Flambeau, which is duly founded. The tribunal asserts Rudiaria's ownership of all magical sites along the river Rhine between the towns of Mainz and Cologne.
• 1073 AA (934 AD): The covenant of Oakdell is founded by magi of House Diedne in the Westerwald, just to the east of the Rhine, with the sponsorship of magi of the First Tribunal. It is clarified that Oakdell is forbidden from infringing on the territory of Rudiaria covenant.

• 1101 AA (962 AD): The Tribunal has heard charges of diabolism brought against Eginolf of House Flambeau of Rudiaria covenant, which remain unproven. Reports of malefic activity in the vicinity of Rudiaria are, however, noted with disapproval, and that covenant is therefore ordered to investigate and report within seven years. The magi of Rudiaria are also urged to redouble their efforts to avoid disturbing the mundanes of the region.
• 1108 AA (969 AD): House Mercere reports that Rudiaria covenant has been destroyed — burnt down in an apparent catastrophic magical accident, with all of its magi slain or missing. Diabolic involvement is suspected, though the exact cause is not revealed. It is noted that this event coincided with a crippling famine in the region, which has contributed to mundane unrest. Declarations of regret are heard for the believed loss of these magi.
• 1115 AA (976 AD): House Mercere reports that nothing is salvageable from the former covenant of Rudiaria, and that the site has been sanctified by a local archbishop from Mainz. Oakdell covenant's claim of ownership of all sites formerly belonging to Rudiaria is refused.
• 1136 AA (997 AD): Oakdell covenant brings charges of espionage and of meddling in their affairs against magi of Durenmar covenant. These spurious claims are unproven.
• 1143 AA (1004 AD): Severus Maximus of House Flambeau declares Wizard War against Caithlinn of House Diedne (of Oakdell covenant). Magus Cirion of Tremere declares Wizard War against Pietro of House Diedne (of Oakdell covenant).
• 1155 AA (1016 AD): It is reported that the covenant of Oakdell was razed to the ground, with all of its magi of House Diedne slain during the recent Schism War.
• 1227 AA (1088 AD): Magi Xantippes and Julia, both Jerbiton, and maga Selena Tibicena, House Bonisagus, announce their intention to establish a covenant in the city of Trier dedicated to recovering the lost secrets of the Romans. No sponsors of the proposed covenant are forthcoming from the covenants of Irencillia, Crintera, or Dankmar, and therefore the First Tribunal does not recognize this proposed covenant.
• 1234 AA (1095 AD): Magi Xantippes and Julia, both Jerbiton, and maga Selena Tibicena, House Bonisagus, together with Arliandus of Tremere, again announce their intention to establish a covenant in the city of Trier. The First Tribunal approves the founding of Treverorum covenant.
• 1248 AA (1109 AD): Treverorum covenant brings charges against Valdus of House Tytalus for theft of vis, claiming that he has twice harvested from a site belonging to them. Valdus accepts that he harvested this vis, but argues that the site, lying outside the city walls of Trier, does not belong to Treverorum. He also claims that magi of Treverorum had neglected to harvest this vis for themselves. It is ruled that the site, being within a day's march from the covenant, belongs to Treverorum. However, it is noted that Treverorum has suffered no harm or loss of vis as a result of Valdus' actions. Valdus is therefore fined one pawn of vis and ordered to seek the permission of Treverorum before harvesting from the site again.
• 1262 AA (1123 AD): Magi Schwall of Bjornaer and Fulmonious of Tytalus found the covenant of Rheinstein in the Rhine Gorge with the sponsorship of the First Tribunal. Rheinstein simultaneously announces it will pay a tithe of three pawns of vis each Tribunal to every other covenant, for the next five Tribunals.
• 1290 AA (1151 AD): The murder of the Redcap Ioanna in the city of Trier is reported. The Tribunal expresses sincere regret. Magi of Treverorum covenant disavow any knowledge of this incident. A Quaesitorial investigation is ordered.
• 1297 AA (1158 AD): Magus Xantippes of House Jerbiton is found guilty of significant meddling in the affairs of mundanes, having repeatedly used Mentem magics of his own devising on the inhabitants of the city of Trier for personal enrichment, setting in place a chain of events which caused damage to relations between the Order of Hermes and the mundane world, and that may have contributed to the death of the Redcap Ioanna. He is fined ten pawns of vis, ordered to distribute his accumulated fortune to the covenants of the First Tribunal equally, and charged to spend three seasons scribing a tome or tomes for the Great Library.
• 1304 AA (1165 AD): A Quaesitorial investigation into reported unrest in the city of Trier has revealed that magi of Treverorum covenant are guilty of interfering in the affairs of mundanes and the Church, to the extent of causing possible harm to their sodales. Treverorum is fined fifty pawns of vis and warned in the strongest possible terms to repair relations with the inhabitants of Trier without delay. Treverorum is ordered to pay this fine by the next Tribunal.
• 1311 AA (1172 AD): Magus Scholastus of House Jerbiton of Treverorum covenant announces that he is the sole surviving member of his covenant, which is duly abolished. He announces that, due to the activities of local churchmen, in his opinion the city of Trier is currently not safe for magi to visit. He refuses to be drawn on further details and departs immediately for the Tribunal of the Greater Alps. It is later noted that the fine imposed on the former covenant of Treverorum remains in part unpaid. It is ruled that Scholastus is liable for the remainder of this fine and a request is dispatched to the Greater Alps by Redcap.
• 1339 AA (1200 AD): Horst of House Mercere reports that Rheinstein covenant was attacked and destroyed by an army of irate mundanes, led by the archbishop of Trier. The fate of the magi of Rheinstein is unknown. Horst notes that their actions have in large part contributed to their demise, and may have caused undue attention to the Order of Hermes in the region. It is ruled that magi are forbidden from practicing any form of magical activity in the Rhine Gorge for the next twenty years.

Hilda

Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre –1, Com +1, Str +4, Sta +2, Dex +1, Qik –2
Size: +1
Age: 28
Decrepitude: 0
Virtues and Flaws: Custos; Great Strength, Puissant Single Weapon; Covenant Upbringing, Obese, Oversensitive (to disrespect)
Personality Traits: Brave +3, Loyal to Magi +3, Tolerant –3
Reputations: None
Combat:
Mace and heater shield: Init –1, Attack +13, Defense +10, Damage +12
Mace: Init –1, Attack +12, Defense +6, Damage +12
Short bow: Init –4, Attack +7, Defense +1, Damage +10
Pole axe: Init –1, Attack +9, Defense +1, Damage +15
Dagger: Init –2, Attack +7, Defense +2, Damage +7
Fist: Init –2, Attack +5, Defense +2, Damage +4
Grapple: Init –2, Attack +6, Defense +3, Damage +4

Soak: +9
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-6), –3 (7-12), –5 (13-18), Incapacitated (19-24)
Abilities: Athletics 2 (endurance), Awareness 3 (ambushes), Bows 2 (short bow), Brawl 4 (grappling), Carouse 1 (drinking quantity), Folk Ken 2 (peasants), High German 5 (orders), Great Weapon 2 (pole axe), Latin 3 (making reports), Leadership 5 (grogs), Music 1 (singing loudly), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (Fengheld), Single Weapon 6+2 (mace and heater shield), Teaching 2 (Martial Abilities)
Equipment: Full metal scale armor, mace, heater shield. Hilda also carries a pole axe and a short bow, and a standard traveler's kit with any number of useful tools.
Encumbrance: 0 (4)
Appearance: Hilda is an immense woman, both in height and girth. She wears her blonde hair short, to suit her helmet more comfortably, and has piercing blue eyes. Her armor, specially made for her, has the appearance of being made by a cooper rather than an armorer.

Hilda is a covenant grog, born and bred at Fengheld. Given this upbringing she finds nothing unusual about a woman being a warrior, and is constantly surprised that the "mundanes" have such an issue with this. She is prime leadership material, and will whip any unformed grogs into military shape with ease. She is also competent at her main job breaking heads — and Fengheld valued her highly, making the gift of her to young magi all the more valuable. She has a forceful personality and brooks no disobedience, disrespect, or laziness, which tends to make her less popular with the other grogs — but as she sees it, she is not out to make any friends.

Apprentices in the Rhine Tribunal usually travel to Durenmar for their final seasons of tuition before their Gauntlet. Here they may choose to join a gild and be inducted into its philosophy by one of its members. Should you so wish, you may play out these seasons at the start of the saga, allowing your magi-to-be to build political contacts, and perhaps presenting the Gauntlet as a roleplaying challenge. Alternatively, you may start out by simply choosing a suitable gild as part of the magus' background and assume that the Gauntlet has just been completed, beginning the saga with the formal and grand initiation into the Order of Hermes that takes place at the Forum. The new magi then achieve the rank of journeyman. For details of Durenmar, see Chapter 6: The Black Forest, Durenmar.

The magi are greeted by Murion, Prima of House Bonisagus and Praeco of the Rhine Tribunal at the Forum, immediately after the ceremony of initiation. Here she will present the outline of her plan to recolonize the Rhine Gorge, offering the support and sponsorship of Durenmar in this endeavor. Her plan is suitably grand, if a little light on practical details. Murion is a powerful and somewhat overbearing archmagus, so the characters should feel suitably daunted in her presence, and thus disinclined to bother her with petty questions.

Next the magi need to gather together what information they can and prepare for exploring the Rhine Gorge. It would be highly beneficial to consult the Tribunal records that may be found in the Great Library; it takes a season of painstaking work for one magus to extract the relevant pieces of information (see the insert on page 116) from the many ancient tomes that constitute these records. (Should any of your player magi belong to House Mercere, this task may constitute a suitable Gauntlet.) Out-ofdate directions to the former covenants may also be found by consulting the records of House Mercere (insert above). This may have been prepared in advance, if you wish to set out immediately. Some magi at Durenmar (for example, Occultes) may offer support and encouragement, but most are preoccupied with their own work. There are always a number of visiting magi at Durenmar, which presents an opportunity to introduce non-player magi who may later feature in your saga, or to introduce other story hooks.

The task that now faces the magi to leave the relative safety of Durenmar and strike out on their own — may seem rather daunting. This can be tailored to different levels of difficulty, as desired. For example, here are two contrasting possibilities:

The Records of House Mercere

Salve sodales,

In response to your recent request, herewith is the information that I have been able to find concerning the locations of the former covenants of Rudiaria, Oakdell, Treverorum, and Rheinstein. The following are directions to these sites, as listed in the notes of the followers of Mercere who were responsible for this part of the Tribunal. Since the covenants in question no longer exist, doubtless much of this information is no longer accurate. Nevertheless, I hope this may be of some limited use to you in your endeavors.

"The covenant of Rudiaria is located on the right bank of the River Rhine, opposite the town of Bingen, some twenty miles downstream from Mainz. The fortress of the covenant is partially visible from Bingen, and they have a number of boatmen often to be found dockside who should be willing to ferry Redcaps across the river." — Crumena filius Mercere, 1032 AA

"Oakdell covenant is some dozen miles within the Westerwald forest. It is not easily reached from the Rhine direct, rather it is better to take a boat from Koblenz to the village of Ems just up the River Lahn. From there the covenant can be reached in half a day: take the forest track northwards, asking for the village of Herschbach. After two hours, turn left — westwards — at the standing stone. The magi of Oakdell are rather unwelcoming and secretive, so I do not recommend that you visit frequently. I have not heard of any threats from the fay of the Westerwald." — Harundo, follower of Mercere, 1075 AA

"Treverorum covenant is located in the city of Trier, on the Fleischstrasse. There is a merchant's shop which sells an assortment of luxury and esoteric wares — identify yourself with the phrase "Pax Hermae," and you will be shown to the magi, who are housed in the rest of the building and below. You can usually be assured of a comfortable stay." — Ioanna, follower of Mercere, 1236 AA

"The covenant of Rheinstein proper is located on the tiny island of Pfalz in the Rhine between Bingen and Koblenz, near to the village of Kaub. This island is not to be confused with that one further upstream near Bingen, which is reputedly haunted and to be avoided. The covenant seemingly also occupies Burg Rheinstein, near Bingen, though the magi are not usually to be found there. Beware of the treacherous boating conditions of the Bingen Hole, and travel only with an experienced crew on a sturdy vessel." — Ioanna, follower of Mercere. 1265 AA

— Xavier of House Mercere (Archivist of the Rhine Tribunal)

A GENTLE INTRODUCTION

The saga commences within the support structure of an existing friendly covenant, which provides some labs, books, grogs, vis, or money (or some combination thereof) to the young magi. This is likely to be a covenant at which some of the magi were apprenticed — Fengheld or Durenmar may be suitable for this purpose. They may be allowed to stay for several years at their parent covenant(s) before they are expected to set up by themselves. With plenty of starting resources, there is no immediate hurry to establish a covenant of their own, and they may make an number of exploratory forays to the Rhine Gorge first before moving there permanently. This saga setup is suitable for newcomers to Ars Magica.

IN AT THE DEEP END

Upon their arrival at Durenmar, the young magi find that the so-called plans laid for this new covenant are rather less detailed than had been hoped. Indeed, the Tribunal's oldest covenant (and most of its magi) are found to be hopelessly disorganized. They will have to undertake the bulk of the research and preparation themselves, using their initiative to gather together some scant starting resources.

Some moral support may be found from other magi or covenants, but precious little in the way of practical help. Traveling to the Rhine Gorge only lightly equipped, the magi are left to establish a covenant from the ground up, relying on their wits, their magic, and not a little luck. This saga setup is more suitable for experienced Ars Magica players.

Story Seed: The Black Forest

One evening, an injured young magus emerges from the Black Forest surrounding Durenmar and staggers back to the covenant's guest quarters in a state of fear and panic. It seems that he had blithely set out on an ill-conceived hunting trip into the forest, ignoring various dire warnings from Durenmar's covenfolk about its dangers, and that his amicus, a somewhat inexperienced and reckless Jerbiton magus, together with their grogs, are now missing, having been dragged off by horrid shadowy figures who attacked their camp at night. The other magi of Durenmar are either holed up in their labs or seem reluctant to help, so it is left to the characters to organize a search party and attempt to rescue this missing magus, possibly with the help of a small number of Durenmar's foresters and trackers. A successful completion of this rescue could even constitute a suitable Gauntlet for Flambeau, Tytalus, or even Merinita apprentice(s). This state of affairs might be a genuine accident; alternatively it could be an elaborate setup by the parens of one of your characters in order to test him. Either way, there is the opportunity for plenty of mischief in the Black Forest, perhaps encountering some of its more sinister denizens (see Chapter 6: The Black Forest). If successful, the rescued magus will surely be grateful and may readily reward the characters with some gesture of support (for example, a promise to sponsor their covenant proposal at the next Tribunal).

Grogs — the various warriors and servants who accompany, serve, and protect the magi — are less important than the magus characters. Indeed, not every player needs to take a grog at the very beginning of the saga, since the first sessions will present several opportunities to acquire and recruit grogs from the local area. Furthermore, it is possible that some of the other covenants of the Tribunal will donate some of their grogs as part of their founding gift, if the covenant is formally approved. One such grog is given below.

A grog who is assigned to be the shield grog of a particular magus should be played by someone other than the player of that magus.

From Durenmar to the Rhine Gorge is a journey of nearly one hundred miles, typically taking about a week. The likely route leads from the northeastern edge of the Black Forest, via Wimpfen, through the Odenwald, where bandits are known to waylay poorly-protected travelers, to Frankfurt, which has a large market fair, and then to Mainz.

Downstream from Mainz, the valley of the Rhine begins to close in, with its banks becoming mostly forested and hilly. At least as far as Bingen or Rüdesheim the banks can be navigated by foot along a poor-quality road, although by far the majority of traffic travels on the river itself. The banks gradually become steeper as one enters the gorge proper, culminating in cliffs at its center at Loreley. Between Bingen and Koblenz more than a dozen castles are sited along the river, and even more are under construction or planned. The reason for this building spurt is that the narrowed width of the river in the gorge allows an adjacent castle (together with the height advantage of the slopes) to enforce a toll on the passing river traffic. Given the high volume of this traffic (the overland alternative is unfavorable), the collection of these tolls is a highly lucrative endeavor. In fact, only the most important nobles, including the local archbishops, have formal permission from the emperor to collect tolls on his behalf, although many minor nobles collect "unjust" tolls independently. The worst of these, the so-called robber-barons, impose tolls that blur the distinction between the selling of a right of passage and theft. The map of the Rhine Gorge thus resembles a kind of chessboard, as its various nobles jostle for position and control of the tolling stations through the conquest or exchange of castles.

Byrek

Characteristics: Int 0, Per –2 Pre 0, Com 0, Str 0, Sta +2, Dex +1, Qik +3
Size: 0
Age: 27
Decrepitude: 0
Virtues and Flaws: Covenfolk; Affinity with Athletics†, Enduring Constitution†, Long-Winded†; Clumsy, Depressed, Simple-Minded †Possibly due to a magical item (see below)
Personality Traits: Demoralized +3, Morose +2
Reputations: None
Combat: Long spear: Init +6, Attack +10, Defense +10, Damage +7
Axe and round shield: Init +4, Attack +8, Defense +8, Damage +6
Axe: Init +4, Attack +7, Defense +5, Damage +6 Fist: Init +3, Attack +4, Defense +7, Damage 0

Soak: +4
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, 0, –2, –4, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Abilities: Athletics 7 (running), Awareness 2 (obstacles), Brawl 2 (fist), Carouse 1 (solitary drinking), Craft: Whittling 2 (figurines), Folk Ken 2 (emotions), German Lore 2 (Pomerania), Great Weapon 5 (long spear), Hunt 2 (birds), Leadership 1 (revolt), Low German 2 (Pomeranian), Ride 3 (at speed), Single Weapon 2 (axe and round shield), Survival 3 (heathland), West Norse 2 (Danish curses), West Slavonic 5 (Sorbian)
Equipment: Long spear, axe, round shield, and a heavy leather hauberk, which he sheds when running.
Encumbrance: 2 (2)
Appearance: Byrek is tall and sturdily built, and quite awkward. He is most often slouched against some vertical surface, propped up by his spear. He takes no care of his appearance or his equipment. Rarely clean-shaven, he has lice in his thick black hair and scratches constantly. His weapons are rusty, and his hauberk filthy.

Byrek's mother was a witch of the Horse Clan at Crintera covenant (see Chapter 9: The Eastern Marches, Crintera) and when he came of age she gave him a magical amulet carved of horse bone that she told him would make him as swift and as tireless as a horse. Byrek attributes his running ability and mighty constitution to this amulet, which he never takes off; but whether it actually works is unknown. Nevertheless, Byrek is capable of amazing feats of endurance, and he was often used by Crintera to run messages. Due his focused mind he is able to remember messages very well, but he does tend to be very single-minded about tasks and neglect things that are second nature to most grogs. He is also remarkably clumsy for one who is so graceful at speed.

Byrek feels rejected by Crintera; he feels that the reason that he was given away by the covenant was because of some fault in his abilities. Consequently, he has become very depressed and demoralized and may even appear surly to some. Once he is convinced that he has a useful function to fulfill at the characters' covenant his depression may lift.

In searching for the remains of the covenant of Rudiaria, it will be found that the only part of the ancient Redcap instructions that is still accurate is the reference to a fortress standing on the right bank of the river, opposite Bingen. In fact, very little trace of the former covenant or of any magic remains. Investigation of this site is therefore likely to prove fruitless of the four potential sites, this one is the least suitable for the founding of a new covenant. After the destruction of Rudiaria in the 10th century, archbishop Rudbrecht of Mainz claimed and sanctified the land — the keep formerly occupied by the magi was rebuilt and has longsince been occupied by a minor noble family, vassals of Mainz, and a sizeable village has grown up around it. The squat and square castle is now called the Brömserburg, and the name of the town itself, Rüdesheim, likely either derives from the name of the covenant or the archbishop.

The Rulers of the Middle Rhine

Siegfried II, Archbishop of the Holy See of Mainz and Archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire; holds extensive lands including Mainz (customs duties), Bingen, Burg Klopp (just tolls), Moseburg, and Burg Rheinstein.

Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne and Archchancellor of Italy; holds Cologne (customs duties), Schloss Fürstenberg, Burg Drachenfels, and Burg Rheineck (just tolls).

Dietrich I, Archbishop of Trier; holds lands including Trier (customs duties), Koblenz (just tolls), Burg Erembertstein, and Burg Treis.

Louis I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhiner; holds Baccharach, Burg Stahleck (just tolls), and Burg Thurant.

Werner IV, Count of Bolanden; vassal of Mainz and fervent castle-builder, holds territory southwest of Mainz and Burg Ehrenfels, Burg Sterrenberg (unjust tolls), and Burg Liebenstein.

Dieter II, Count von Katzenelnbogen; a fervent castle-builder holding a large but sparsely populated territory between the Taunus and the Lahn east of the Rhine Gorge, including Kaub (unjust tolls), Burg Hohenstein, Burg Kaub, and Burg Katzenelnbogen (unjust tolls).

Henry II the Rich, Count of Nassau; holds territory along the Lahn and around the Westerwald, including Burg Nassau, Nassau (unjust tolls), and Limburg (unjust tolls).

Gerlach IV, Count of Veldenz; vassal of Trier, holds territory southwest of Koblenz and along the Mosel.

Eberhard II, Count of Aremberg; holds lands bordering the Eifel west of Koblenz, including Altenahr, Burg Are, and Burg Aremberg.

Philip I, Baron Falkenstein; vassal and younger brother of the count of Bolanden, where he holds some lands, plus Burg Reichenstein.

Jürgen, Baron Schönburg; holds Oberwesel, the Schönburg, and Burg Pfalz (unjust tolls).

Eberhard von Eppstein, Baron of Braubach; vassal of the Count Palatine, holds Braubach and the Marksburg (unjust tolls).

Thibaud the Fat, Baron of Rüdesheim; minor vassal of Mainz, holds Rüdesheim and the Brömserburg.

Arnold, Baron von Eltz; a minor noble holding Karden and Burg Eltz (unjust tolls).

Hermann von Wien, Baron of Sooneck; a minor noble holding Burg Sooneck (unjust tolls).

Story Seeds: Rüdesheim

There is a tragic story in the recent history of the Brömser family. An ancestor in the 12th century, Hans Brömser, departed on the Second Crusade but had the great misfortune to be captured by the Saracens. With no end to his captivity in sight, the noble lord offered up a prayer, promising his only daughter to the Church if he would be freed. The crusaders returned to storm his prison, granting his wish, and the knight returned home. His daughter, Mechthild, was most distressed when he recounted the tale of his solemn vow and his rescue, for in the meantime she had fallen in love with a young knight from Bolanden. She could not be reconciled to living her life as a nun, and so cast herself into the Rhine in despair and drowned. Her sorrowful father built a chapel on a nearby hill in her memory and lived out the rest of his days in grief. Ever since, the restless ghost of Mechthild has haunted the Brömser family and castle. The current baron, Thibaud, discreetly asks a visiting group of knowledgeable strangers for aid.

Although the covenant site was sanctified long ago, Rudiaria's old dungeons beneath the castle were merely bricked up and are long since forgotten. They may hide Hermetic treasures, as well as sinister hints of the covenant's black past. Perhaps the current baron stumbles on and opens up these old chambers, thereby releasing a demon from its captivity who now blights the local area.

Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard, educated at a Benedictine monastery from the age of eight, was a most remarkable woman and probably the most famous abbess in German history. In the middle of the 12th century she founded the Rupertsberg monastery that overlooks Bingen. Her talents were extraordinarily broad, encompassing theology, medicine, mysticism, diplomacy, poetry, and politics, although it was for her nearmiraculous musical compositions that she was most famed. Despite never fully mastering Latin, she corresponded widely (with the aid of a scribe) and her advice was eagerly sought by the emperors, popes, and archbishops of her day. Hildegard also exchanged letters with several Hermetic magi, and many say that she was admitted into House Jerbiton around 1158 as a Larta (unGifted) maga and afforded their protection and tutelage. However, she never attended Tribunal and met only a handful of magi in her life, and the truth of this story has not been ascertained.

SELECTED WORKS

Scivias (Know the Ways) — Tractatus on Theology

Liber Vitae Meritorum (Book of Life's Merits) — Tractatus on Philosophiae (moral philosophy) and Theology

Liber Divinorum Operum (Book of Divine Works) — Summa on Philosophiae (metaphysics) 2 and Theology 5

Physica — Tractatus on Philosophiae (natural philosophy) and Medicine

Causae et Curae — Summa on Philosophiae (natural philosophy) 2 and Medicine 3

Ordo virtutum (Play of Virtues) — Tractatus on Artes Liberales (music), Philosophiae (moral philosophy), and Theology

Symphonia Armoniae Celestium Revelationum (Symphony of the Harmony of Celestial Revelations) — Tractatus on Artes Liberales (astronomy, music)

The originals of Hildegard's works all have a Quality of 13, which is exceptional (Hildegard had a Communication of +4 and the Good Teacher Virtue). Substandard copies might have a lower Quality, however.

The Mice of the Mäuseturm

Infernal Might: 10 (Animal)
Size: –10 each (swarm Size 0)

Swarm, 0 points: Each mouse swarm contains about a thousand individuals, enough to fully engage about three average-sized people. When attacked by a swarm, a victim will be bitten on any exposed flesh. No attack roll is required for the mice; the amount of damage taken each round is dependent on the amount of protection possessed:

Protection	Damage Total per round (armor does not add to Soak)
None (loose clothes)	Stress die + 6
Minimum (sturdy clothes)	Stress die + 3
Moderate (winter garb or partial armor)	Stress die
Good (half armor)	Stress die – 3
Excellent (full armor)	Stress die – 6
Total (full armor, helm, and gauntlets)	Stress die – 9

Anyone attacked by a swarm will be able to kill 10 mice for each 5 points of their Brawling Attack Total each round. As soon as over half the mice are killed, the swarm will retreat. Spells that affect areas (T: Group or Room) may kill or affect the entire swarm if placed correctly, but the target would certainly include any victims of the swarm. The mice have fiery teeth and are immune to all forms of fire damage.

Each swarm of the demonic mice that inhabit the Mäuseturm should be treated as a single creature, and there are about ten swarms here, although the number of swarms that emerge depends upon the level of threat. Animal spells of R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Group will affect one swarm (assuming that Penetration Total is sufficient), and at one magnitude higher (extending T: Group tenfold) the island can be temporarily cleared of the mice. However, the Infernal aura of the island causes them to be spontaneously generated — until the aura is cleansed, the mice will never be permanently defeated.

Bingen is at the southern edge of the Rhine Gorge, with a Roman bridge over the River Nahe where it meets the Rhine. The old walled town is guarded by Burg Klopp, where tolls are collected on behalf of Mainz. Immediately downstream is the Bingen Hole, one of the two most hazardous river stretches, where numerous rocks together with the suddenly accelerating river flow and treacherous eddies make navigation perilous. Only skilled and experienced (or foolhardy) sailors and boatmen — of which there are sufficient number — venture therein.

A small island at the mouth of the Bingen Hole shoulders a half-ruined slender tower, the Mäuseturm (Mouse Tower), which was built in the 10th century by the greedy archbishop Hatto II of Mainz, to exact extortionate tolls. Not long after it was built there was a terrible famine in the lands around Mainz. One day a horde of starving beggars came to Hatto's episcopal palace, imploring him to lower the exorbitant price of the corn that he had selfishly hoarded in his storehouse. Tired of being pestered by these wretches, Hatto tricked them into a barn, promising them their due. However the barn was empty — the archbishop locked the peasants inside and they were burnt alive on his order. Hearing their screams from his palace, he scornfully proclaimed "Listen, how the mice squeak among the corn!" Yet at that moment, in divine retribution, thousands of ferocious mice emerged from the burning barn and attacked the palace. Hatto fled in a boat to his tower, but the mice swam after him onto the island, gnawing their way inside, and ate him alive. The corruption of the mad archbishop and the famine were possibly linked to Rudiaria's misdeeds.

The island, which has an Infernal aura of 3, is uninhabited except for the powerful demonic shade of Hatto that haunts it. Passing sailors shiver and cross themselves — none have dared to land on it in decades.

Bishop Hatto

Infernal Might: 30 (Mentem)
Characteristics: Int +1
Size: 0
Personality Traits: Hateful +6, Merciless +4, Brave +3
Combat:
Touch: Init +3, Attack +6*, Defense 0, Chill Touch (see below)
* This attack can only be dodged with a Brawl defense; weapon defense rolls automatically fail as the weapon passes through the bishop's ghost.

Powers:
Lurk in Shadows, 0 points: The ghostly bishop can remain within a shadow and be totally unseen. Even when moving towards his victim, the patch of darkness will only be spotted on a Perception + Awareness roll against an Ease Factor of 12 (9 during the day). Only if the bishop is seen can his attacks be dodged.

Fear, 4 points, Init +0, Mentem: The bishop can instill an overwhelming fear of the island in up to 10 people per use of this power. If they cannot escape, repeated applications of this power might drive them insane, or cause them to drop dead of fright. Such is the fate of any who spend a night on the island.

Chill Touch, 0 points, Init +3 (with attack), Corpus: The touch of the bishop is like a blade of ice, removing a Fatigue level from the target. This will also restore 5 Might to the Bishop.

Vis: 6 Perdo, in crosier. This can only be found once the Bishop has been destroyed. Appearance: A ragged, vaguely manshaped shard of darkness. As it looms closer, the demonically twisted face of the bishop can be discerned, complete with mitre.

The shade of Bishop Hatto is wholly insubstantial and cannot be engaged in combat, nor does he have meaningful Characteristics — he owes his existence to his overwhelming hate.

The town of Baccharach is surrounded by extensive vineyards, and its potent wine is much appreciated in the local area. Every autumnal equinox the wine harvest is celebrated here by a lively festival attended by townsfolk and peasants from several miles around. A short distance opposite Baccharach's modest quayside is an island in the river, where the most riotous of the festivities are known to take place. On the far side of this island, a few yards out into the river, is the Stone of Bacchus — a weathered finger of rock jutting fifteen feet out of the water. Locals believe that touching this stone brings luck to the wine harvest. The island has a Magic aura of 2; it has a small copse of trees but is not really large enough for a covenant.

Story Seed: The Morning After

Any grogs who have been recruited in the local area will likely profess a great keenness for the festival and ask permission from the magi to attend. Those who stay in the town do not experience anything remarkable, but things get more interesting for the small number of braver souls who venture onto the island. Typically, a number of vats of wine are mysteriously procured and ferried over, and as night falls the party begins in earnest. Copious quantities are drunk, but few show any ill effects (+6 to all rolls to resist adverse effects of alcohol). The wine instead begins to induce hallucinations and visions, subtle at first, but becoming increasingly vivid as more is drunk, ultimately inducing all kinds of crazy and debauched behavior that each participant perceives differently. (Appropriate Personality Traits may be acquired and existing ones adjusted by up to 3 points for the duration of the night.) As dawn breaks, the spell is broken (–6 to all rolls to resist adverse effects of alcohol for the next day, resulting in a terrible hangover). Any leftover dregs of the wine retain their potent hallucinatory power, as Muto vis. (A typical harvest is about 6 pawns. It might be reasoned that by leaving more wine undrunk, the amount of vis could be increased. However, that has the opposite effect — the more riotous and magnificent the celebrations, the more vis will be found, up to a maximum of 12 pawns, regardless of the actual volume of any remaining wine.)

The island that formerly housed the covenant of Rheinstein occupies a unique position in the center of the river and retains a Magic aura of 2. It is not especially large, being only 100 yards long and less than half as wide. The upstream half shoulders a partially ruined castle — the damage inflicted by the archbishop of Trier's army remains unrepaired. Within its walls (or what remains of them) is a tiny courtyard, in the middle of which only the rocky stump of a central tower remains. The side of the island facing the left bank (where most river traffic passes) has a small pier built on top of partially submerged rocks. The downstream half of the island has a tiny copse of maybe a dozen trees, in front of which swings a fresh corpse from a makeshift gallows. A couple of hundred yards upstream is another island, longer and thinner, but with more trees, crescentshaped around a curve in the river. The two islands are connected by a narrow spine of rock, which only emerges when the river level is at its lowest. When the river level is high, however, Pfalz island becomes flooded, with only the castle (whose inner courtyard is also prone to flooding) and the trees above water. With its elongated shape and the sturdy and thick walls of its prow-like upstream end, it gives the eerie appearance of a stone ship floating on the Rhine.

The walled town of Kaub, little more than a prosperous village a couple of hundred yards downstream on the right bank, has recently come under the rule of the Count von Katzenelnbogen, who is constructing a castle (Burg Kaub) on the hillside high above. He has begun collecting tolls from those merchants who travel overland from Rüdesheim.

The magi may take a liking to the island — if the castle were to be rebuilt, it would make a suitable, albeit somewhat cramped, covenant. The problem, however, is its current occupant — Lord Robert Schönburg, bastard son of a local baron, who lives in the ruins with a band of about a dozen malcontents and ruffians, making a living by charging exorbitant tolls on the passing river traffic. (The island has a unique advantage as a toll station; the entire width of the river can be covered by bowshot.) He has acquired an ill reputation, as his "tolls" often more closely resemble outright theft. Unless the magi were willing to fall in with this band (whereupon they would soon discover a darker side to Robert), they would likely need to be evicted by force.

Lord Robert Schönburg

Characteristics: Int +3, Per –1, Pre +2, Com +1, Str 0, Sta 0, Dex –1, Qik –1
Size: 0
Age: 29
Decrepitude: 0
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: Gentleman; Entrancement; Arcane Lore, Educated, Premonitions, Privileged Upbringing; Avaricious, Black Sheep; Nocturnal, Tainted with Evil
Personality Traits: Arrogant +3, Greedy +3, Scheming +2
Reputations: Little More than a Thug 2 (Local)
Combat:
Fist: Init -1, Attack +1, Defense +1, Damage 0
Soak: 0
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 2 (accounts), Athletics 2 (jumping), Awareness 1 (light sleeper), Bargain 1 (gaining advantage), Brawl 2 (dirty fighting), Charm 4 (women), Chirurgy 2 (burn wounds), Civil and Canon Law 2 (tolls), Concentration 1 (Entrancement), Entrancement 5 (women), Etiquette 2 (subtle insults), Faerie Lore 1 (Loreley), Folk Ken 2 (soldiers), High German 5 (fine speech), Guile 3 (to affronted husbands), Hunt 2 (from horseback), Infernal Lore 4 (pacts), Intrigue 2 (nobility), Latin 3 (incantation), Leadership 2 (ruffians), Magic Lore 3 (occult properties), Philosophiae 3 (natural magic), Premonitions 3 (expeditious retreats), Ride 2 (while hunting), Rhine Lore 3 (nobles) Stealth 1 (eavesdropping), Theology 1 (mortal sin)
Equipment: Fine clothing, sword (for show — he can't use it), any number of pouches with herbs, strange rocks, and animal pieces. He owns about 10 pawns of vis of mixed types.
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Appearance: Robert is a tall, handsome man, with black hair at shoulder length. He prefers to be cleanshaven, and usually affects attire of solid black or dark green. His clothes are always of the most expensive materials, and he also favors ostentatious jewelry, often bearing his personal symbol: an eagle with wings displayed, pierced through the heart with a spear. He has startlingly green eyes, that captivate the victims of his charms, particularly women.

The illegitimate son of Baron Schönburg, Robert was given a fine education in Cologne, which is where he met the mentor who initiated him into the Dark Arts. He then returned to his father's court, where Baron Schönburg put him in charge of collecting the toll duties from Pfalz Island. From this base, Lord Robert has collected a motley group of suspicious characters who assist him in what amounts to piracy. He flaunts his ambivalent status in noble circles, turning up to social events to which he has not been invited, then acting disgracefully. The baron is ashamed of his only son's behavior; furthermore, he suspects him of exacting a grossly unjust toll. However, Schönburg's loyalties are divided and this has left him impotent to settle the matter.

Robert is a committed servant of the Devil, not because of any religious fervor, but rather for the benefits he can reap from such service. Robert's natural desire for wealth has become much stronger since his initiation, and he has discovered that people tend to avoid his company more often. This does not faze him; with his new power of bewitchment, he has been able to ensure that people do what he says without hesitation, a power that he loves and tends to use in frivolous ways. Another of his Dark Powers is the uncanny knack to know if he is in trouble or about to be exposed — a power that has saved his skin on many occasions. Finally, his forbidden knowledge of the occult has allowed him to exert control over minor natural magics. Lord Robert can cast spells using his Intelligence + Infernal Lore + aura + stress die as a Casting Total, but such spells must be cast as if they were Ritual spells, requiring both time and vis. He may use gemstones and the like in such magics to give him a bonus to this roll equal to their Shape and Material bonus.

Robert is not suitable as a player character, but rather should be the villain of a saga whose covenant is set in the Rhine Gorge. As the saga develops, Robert may become more proficient at his Hell-born magic and may even develop powers to rival a Hermetic magus by dealing directly with a demon. The exact nature of these powers are left to the storyguide to develop.

Hidden among the trees on the south (upstream) island are two burial mounds. Robert violated these ancient graves for their paltry treasures (possibly vis), awakening the grave guardians — powerful undead corpses with powers of stealth and destruction. These specters wait patiently to exact their revenge, until one night in midsummer when the river level has dropped enough so as to allow them to walk across the rocky spine and attack the castle.

From the rocky spine, which extends across the eastern flank of Pfalz island, can be harvested one dripstone every season. The power of these rocks remain unknown until one day a passing

Story Seeds: Pfalz Island

ship's captain inquires after a charm that may protect him from the Loreley siren (see below), which the former inhabitants of the island seemingly sold.

Among the copse of trees on the island grows a vine that seems to bear a similarity to Durenmar's famous vine, although it is much younger and smaller. Indeed, the magi of Rheinstein secretly took a cutting of that vine and grew it here. Its sap can also be harvested for Intellego vis, although only in very modest quantities and with great care. However, were the magi of Durenmar aware of someone taking this cutting, and might they not be displeased to hear of it?

DRIPSTONE (CHALCEDONIUS)

A brownish stone with the feel of hardened wax. When pierced through and worn around the neck, the wearer can perceive magical or faerie illusions on a Perception roll against an Ease Factor of 3 plus the magnitude of the illusion, and can discern truth from falsehood on a Perception roll against an Ease Factor of 6. A dripstone is worth 1 pawn of Imaginem vis.

The prosperous town of Oberwesel lies two miles downstream from Kaub, on the left bank of the Rhine. It is held by Baron Jürgen Schönburg, who owns a large castle of the same name on a riverside hill immediately to the south of the town. The Schönburg family is distantly descended from the fae of the nearby Court of Dark Summer (see below), and a small measure of faerie blood thus flows in their veins. A faint trace of a faerie aura is even found at certain times of year around the castle, and the red crocuses that grow in early summer immediately outside the walls are a source of Ignem vis.

Count von Katzenelnbogen

Over the last couple of generations, the Katzenelnbogen family has expanded prodigiously from their relatively humble beginnings in a backwater territory on the east bank of the Rhine. Their aggressive castle-building and recent intrusion into the Rhine Gorge has caused the archbishops some considerable consternation. The current count, Dieter II, is a tall, proud, but not particularly pious man, with a fondness for tournaments and warfare. Like his forefathers, he has a great love of the ruthless accumulation of territories and castles, and it would be very easy to make an enemy of him. With considerable respect and care, however, the player characters may alternatively become an ally — he has no bones about dealing with wizards, if they prove to be of use.

Wolkan

Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Pre -1, Com +1, Str +1, Sta +1, Dex +2, Qik +2
Size: 0
Age: 23
Decrepitude: 0
Virtues and Flaws: Branded Criminal; Improved Characteristics, Social Contacts; Ambitious
Personality Traits: Self-Interest +3, Loyal 0, Brave -1
Combat:
Short Sword: Init +3, Attack +10, Defense +8, Damage +6
Thrown Knife: Init +2, Attack +7, Defense +6, Damage +3
Dagger: Init +2, Attack +7, Defense +5, Damage +4
Fist: Init +2, Attack +4, Defense +4, Damage +1
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: Athletics 1 (escaping), Awareness 1 (being watched), Brawl 2 (dagger), Carouse 1 (putting at ease), Charm 2 (getting out of trouble), Folk Ken 2 (criminals), High German 5 (criminal cant), Guile 2 (to authorities), Intrigue 3 (outlaws), Leadership 1 (thieves), Legerdemain 3 (filching), Profession: Boatman 2 (rowing), Rhine Lore 3 (criminal types), Single Weapon 4 (short sword), Stealth 3 (in towns), Survival 2 (in towns), Swim 1 (holding breath), Thrown Weapon 3 (knife)
Equipment: 2 daggers, short sword, change of clothing.
Encumbrance: 0 (1)
Appearance: Wolkan would be handsome were it not for the livid brand on his cheek that marks him as a convicted criminal. He has shoulder-length brown hair that he allows to fall across his face, obscuring the brand. He dresses plainly, but has a sense of self-assurance and grace that often impresses people.

Wolkan was imprisoned on Pfalz Island by Baron Schönburg for theft. Lord Robert offered him freedom from the jail, if he volunteered to assist Robert collecting the tolls. Wolkan has no idea that what he is doing is unjust, or that Lord Robert is any more than he seems to be.

Wolkan would make a good grog for a covenant set on Pfalz. He knows the system for toll collection, the selling of the dripstones (see their description on page 124) for protection against the Loreley, and has contacts in towns both up and down the Rhine with a number of minor criminals and mercenaries who might prove useful to the magi. However, he has his own agenda — to gain leadership of his criminal contacts and grow rich on the proceeds. He may use the covenant's resources to further this ambition.

Many generations ago, seven virgins lived at the Schönburg. Their father died broken-hearted at the lack of a son, leaving these beautiful but cold-hearted maidens to be raised by their aunt, who was too meek to curb their excessive desire for liberty and self-indulgence. Often the sisters held magnificent banquets, or went out riding and hawking, and they attracted the interest of many knights from far and wide. All these suitors were cruelly rejected, however, after much wooing and toying. In frustration, two knights urged the sisters to make a final choice, but they grew so tired of these suitors that they resolved at last to leave the Schönburg altogether. They embarked on a boat on the Rhine and the eldest delivered a scornful speech to all those who had gathered at the riverside. Yet at that moment a terrible storm arose, and a wave swept over the boat, drowning them all. At this spot, immediately downstream from Oberwesel, seven pointed rocks now stand just above the surface of the waters, as a warning to the young maidens of the Rhineland.

Story Seed: Acquiring Pfalz Island

Pfalz island is owned by Baron Schönburg, and so the magi will probably need to deal with him if they wish to establish a base there. Should his bastard son Robert be immediately dislodged by force, they will likely make an enemy of him — despite the fact that Robert's crimes are tarnishing the family name, the father is unfortunately blind to his son's misdeeds. These schemes, therefore, need to be clearly exposed, before he will turn against his son. The baron's daughter and heir, Karlotte, is a striking red-haired young woman with seemingly more than the usual dose of faerie blood, and, unlike her father, is all too aware of the unpleasant nature of her half-brother and rival Robert. On a recent journey through the woodlands west of the castle, she was attacked by an unknown dark figure. She has succumbed to her seemingly superficial wounds, and now lies in a coma from which she cannot be roused. The magi may need to consult the fae of the Court of Dark Summer, who will reveal a cure... for a price. Should they manage to cure Karlotte and prove the involvement of Robert in this attack, they will win Baron Jürgen's gratitude. He may then be willing to lease the island and agree to an arrangement about the tolls for example, a share of the profit if the magi agree to oversee reconstruction of Burg Pfalz and the toll collection. However, they will still need to evict Robert and his band by force.

At the most treacherous and narrowest stretch of the Gorge, the Rhine narrows to a canyon of merely 150 yards wide, where the roar of the fast-flowing waters over lurking rocks echoes back from the rocky slopes. Here a siren by the name of Loreley calls out from the cliffs to lure passing sailors and ships to their deaths in the rapids. The 400-foot-high cliff has a Faerie aura of 2, but is nearimpossible to climb from above or below. Vis may conceivably be harvested here, although it would be extremely hazardous to try. Even without the siren — sometimes she will not be seen, for example, at night, in rain, or in fog — this stretch of river is tricky enough (Profession: Boating, Ease Factor 9 for those who have not learned the positions of the rocks).

Koblenz, whose name derives from the Latin for "confluence," is a fair-sized city located at the point where the River Mosel joins the Rhine. A Roman fort on the site was long ago destroyed, but the old town walls still remain. The principal church and collegiate foundation of St. Kastor, dating from 830, has recently been enlarged into an impressive fourtowed structure. In 1018 Koblenz received its city charter from emperor Henry II, and ever since it has been under the ownership of the archbishops of Trier. The city is home to a handful of other churches, a courthouse, and numerous merchants who prosper on the trade in wine from the Mosel valley. The Teutonic Knights have recently established a chapter house at the north end of the city.

The Benedictine monastery of Maria Laach, located in isolated and idyllic meadowlands adjacent to Laach Lake, is foremost among the several monasteries around the Middle Rhine. Founded in 1093, the abbey church itself is a both a masterpiece and a landmark in Romanesque architecture, being the first columned basilica built with arches. An elaborate and exquisite gardened courtyard in front of the building, replete with many statues of beasts and fountains, is a divinely inspired mortal re-creation of the paradise of the Garden of Eden, and has a Divine aura of 4.

Amid the hills to the west of Laach Lake, a giant hole has been eroded into the rocky ground. The edges of the hole are steep and treacherous, and only blackness can be seen within, although a foul stench emanates from the rotting carcasses of the sheep and cattle that have fallen to their deaths inside. No-one knows how deep it is. An Infernal aura of 1 surrounds the void, dubbed the Teufelsloch ("Devil's Hole") by the locals.

The ruined Rolandseck castle stands on the left bank of the Rhine, overlooking the peaceful idyll of the island of Nonnenwerth in the middle of the river, which is home to a nunnery. The famous Roland, count of Angers, was the nephew of Charlemagne and the greatest knight of his day, his deeds in battle and in tournaments being the stuff on legend. One day Roland came to this spot and fell in love with Hildegunde, daughter of a local count, Heribert. The two pledged to marry with his blessing, and Roland began the construction of a castle and watchtower where they would dwell. Alas, Roland was called away to battle against infidels in Iberia. The news brought to Hildegunde was grievous indeed, and her betrothed was believed lost. At last, after many months of waiting, she joined the island convent in despair. Roland returned to his castle too late, his beloved having become a bride of the Lord. The couple could only occasionally and sorrowfully greet each other from across the distant waters until the end of their days.

Loreley

Faerie Might: 30 (Aquam)
Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre +5, Com +5, Str –2, Sta –1, Dex +2, Qik 0
Size: 0
Personality Traits: Hateful to Men +3, Jealous of Women +3
Combat:
Dodging: Init 0, Attack n/a, Defense 0, Damage n/a
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Powers:
Faerie Nature: As a faerie, the Loreley does not suffer from Fatigue, nor is she affected by diseases or old age. She can understand any languages, and can be understood by anyone. All faeries also have the Second Sight Virtue, and gain the benefits or penalties of any supernatural aura when using their faerie powers, according to the Realm Interaction table (see Ars Magica 5th Edition, page 183).

Vulnerability to Iron: Cold iron is extremely painful to the Loreley, and she will take a Light Wound even from the merest touch. Any iron weapon that hits her (that is, still has a Damage Total after subtracting her Soak), has its wound level increased by one.

Infatuation, 4 points, Init +0, Imaginem: The Loreley's voice can create a strong desire in all who hear it to approach her. They will do everything in their power to get close to her, even leaping into the river and scrabbling up the cliff, or steering their craft towards the rocks, if that is what it takes. This power can affect up to ten people each round, who get a single Intelligence stress roll against an Ease Factor of 9 to resist it. Women receive a +3 bonus to this roll, as do those who have blocked their ears with wax. Possession of a dripstone (see page 124) allows the wearer to ignore the song if he makes a Perception roll against an Ease Factor of 6.

Control Person, 8 points, Init +2, Mentem: If the Loreley can lure someone close enough to make eye contact, she can attempt to dominate his mind. This power only works on men, and can only affect one person at a time. The victim must make an Intelligence stress roll against an Ease Factor of 12 or do anything that the Loreley tells him, even leap to his death if that is what she desires.

Control Water, 1 point per magnitude, Init +0, Aquam: The Loreley may cause any Creo or Rego Aquam effects up to 30th level, at a cost of 1 Might per magnitude of the effect.

Form of Water, 10 points, Init +3, Aquam: The Loreley can transform herself into water and slip into the Rhine. While in this form she will regenerate 5 Might points per hour (four times her usual rate), and she will recover from wounds in minutes, hours, or days (for Light, Medium, and Heavy wounds, respectively), rather than days, weeks, and months. This makes her almost impossible to kill.

Vis: 6 Aquam, in blood; 4 Imaginem, in comb Appearance: An exceedingly beautiful maiden, clothed only in her long, golden hair, which she is forever combing with a jeweled comb.

The daughter of the Rhine Spirit (see Chapter 5: The Rhine, The Rhinefalls), the Loreley resents humankind's attempts to tame her father and tries to wreak as much havoc on shipping as she can. Women do not escape her fury either — she is jealous of their ability to win the hearts of men when she can only hold their attention with her glamor. She will lure mariners towards her cliff and then nimbly scramble down to greet them, capturing them with her Control Person power and causing them to drown.

Drachenfels (Dragon's Rock) is one of the most famous sites of legend, being the cave where the great hero Siegfried slew the dragon Fafnir and bathed in its blood to become invulnerable, as told in the Nibelungenlied. A Magic aura of 3 pervades an extensive series of catacombs; this might be a suitable site for a covenant, were it not for the presence of the Schloss Drachenfels, a large castle erected directly on top of the hill above, which is owned by the archbishop of Cologne. Although Fafnir was slain many centuries ago, perhaps his brood, or that of his brother Regin, who conspired with Siegfried in the slaying, endures.

The Drachenfels hill, 1000 feet high, is the lowest and nearest to the Rhine of the Seven Hills. Long ago the wild Rhine formed a large lake here, which would occasionally spill over in a destructive torrent into the valley below to the north. At the behest of the local people, seven giants arrived in the land to fix the problem. With their huge spades, they dug a gap in the mountainside and the lake was emptied. The grateful folk gifted them rich treasures, which they had taken out of the mines, and the giants went on their way. However, the great heaps of rocky ground that they dug out — the Seven Hills — remain.

The broad expanse of the hilly Westerwald stretches more than fifty miles east from the right bank of the Rhine north of Koblenz. A mostly uninterrupted, rumpled blanket of forest, it consists mainly of birch, beech, and oak, with some fir and pine trees on the higher slopes. Bordering the Westerwald to the south is the valley of the River Lahn. Some two dozen miles upriver from the Rhine, the fortified town of Limburg (not to be confused with the duchy of the same name) defends a large wooden bridge over the river dating from the 12th century.

In searching for the site of the former covenant of Oakdell, the old Redcap instructions still apply: taking the forest track northwards from Ems on the River Lahn, an ancient and weathered standing stone is to be found on the left of the track after several miles. This marks the point where a barely used path winds its way off to the northwest. After another couple of hours, this path crosses a small stream before opening out into a glade surrounding an ancient oak. Here is the tiny hamlet of Waldheim, comprising a handful of rude buildings and little more than a dozen people in all. The largest hut is home to the hamlet's elder, Ludold, a gaunt white-haired man wearing a bone necklace. His son Torven, a wild-looking young man dressed in leathers, occupies a smaller dwelling. Two more huts housing Waldheim's two other families and a barn round out the hamlet. On one side of the clearing can be seen a spot where two sizeable stone buildings formerly stood, but little more than the crumbled foundations remain. One of the plots is home to neatly planted vegetables and the other forms an open pig pen. Despite the wild appearance of the pigs, they do not disturb the vegetable patch and feed obediently at a trough. The hamlet has very little contact with the outside world, except to occasionally trade some of their pigs for grain. The glade has a Magic aura of 2.

Seldom does Waldheim receive any visitors, but any that arrive are likely to be greeted in a polite but cautious fashion. These mysterious and reclusive inhabitants appear to be harmless, but on closer inspection the father and son may be revealed as minor hedge wizards. Ludold is a cunning man, a lesser hedge wizard with the power to create minor potions and charms. Inside his hut all kinds of ingredients are arrayed on shelves; old bones, dried herbs, mushrooms, preserved organs, and so on (some of which may be vis). Torven befriends many forest creatures, and is accompanied by a wolf, which he has seemingly tamed. He appears to exert some kind of unspoken control over the creatures of the glade.

On the far side of the clearing the forest path continues, leading towards the center of the Westerwald and the faerie Court of Bright Winter. The inhabitants of Waldheim are friendly and subservient to the "good folk of the forest," ensuring the blessing and protection of their hamlet. However, they seldom visit the court and are reluctant to reveal details to strangers, instead professing to be loyal subjects of the count of Nassau.

Should the magi wish to settle here, they are faced with a choice of either ousting the existing inhabitants or peaceful coexistence with them. Neither is likely to be very difficult at first, but each has consequences. If they violate the hamlet, they may subsequently find the forest and faerie court to be ill-disposed to them. The site is lacking in all but the most basic of facilities (although it has the virtue of being isolated), but the inhabitants are reluctant to see any major construction or disruption to their home.

Story Seeds: Waldheim

In order to hunt or harvest vis in the Westerwald, it is recommended that mages seek the permission of the fay of the Court of Bright Winter, since otherwise their disfavor may be earned. In exchange for the granting of such permission, a favor must be performed in return. The count of Nassau, who holds lands immediately south of the Westerwald, has begun an aggressive policy of expanding into and controlling the forest. To this end, he sends bands of foresters into the woods to hunt down its wolves. The Court therefore asks that the wolves be protected and the intruders expelled. Note that a landmark ruling of the Rhine Tribunal (see Chapter 3: Tribunal History and Customs, History) does permit magi to actively defend such wilderness areas.

Waldheim's elder, Ludold, may be willing to trade minor potions or charms, or vis (which he harvests in various forms from in and around the glade), with the characters. In exchange, he asks that they should find a suitable wife for his son, since there is no-one of marriageable age in the hamlet. The son Torven is friendly enough, but rather distant, preferring the company of animals to people.

Torven

Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre –1, Com –1, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex +3, Qik +1
Size: 0
Age: 24
Decrepitude: 0
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: Wise One; Animal Ken, Intuition, Latent Magical Ability, Wilderness Sense; Magical Air; Magical Animal Companion, Reclusive
Personality Traits: Brave +2, Loner +2, Loyal to Waldheim +2
Reputations: Wise One 1 (Local)
Combat:
Short bow: Init 0, Attack +9, Defense +4, Damage +6
Knife: Init +1, Attack +6, Defense +3, Damage +2
Fist: Init +1, Attack +5, Defense +3, Damage 0
Soak: +2
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Abilities: Animal Ken 3 (wolves), Animal Handling 3 (pigs), Athletics 2 (in forest), Awareness 2 (while hunting), Bows 2 (short bow), Brawl 2 (breaking holds), Charm 1 (peasants), Chirurgy 1 (animals), Faerie Lore 2 (Bright Winter), Forest Lore (Westerwald) 3, High German 5 (Franconian), Hunt 3 (roe deer), Leadership 1 (Waldheim), Magic Lore 2 (herbs), Stealth 3 (in forests), Survival 3 (forests), Swim 2 (rivers), Teaching 2 (wilderness skills), Wilderness Sense 3 (forest)
Equipment: Plain brown clothing (well made), wolf-fur jerkin, bow
Encumbrance: 2 (2)
Appearance: Torven is an unassuming man of average height, with scruffy brown hair and a patchy beard. He takes little care of his appearance. Red-Hame is a wolf, with a distinct ruddiness about the neck and along his back, from which he gets his name.

Torven is the unofficial leader of Waldheim, but couldn't be less suited to the role. The other villagers treat him with reverence because of his ability to speak to and befriend animals, but Torven would rather he was just left alone he doesn't get on very well with people, finding it hard to maintain a conversation without running out of things to say. He also tends to make strangers wary, although animals instinctively trust him. He much prefers to be out in the deep forest, accompanied by his constant friend Red-Hame, a large wolf who has adopted him. He is also still young, and does not seek the burdens of leadership. Nevertheless, he feels responsible for the villagers and will be the first to come to their defense if they should be threatened. His hunches about danger have saved the villagers more than once from both natural and human disasters.

On more than one occasion, when Torven has been in sore need of help such as when facing a fierce animal or the count's huntsmen — one of the many packs of wolves that prowl in the Westerwald have appeared and helped him. Torven has no control over this Latent Magical Ability, and has learned not to rely upon it; however, it makes him a potent force in the forest. Torven was taught to use a short bow by his uncle, who was a forester under the count of Nassau; he has had no other exposure to Martial Abilities.

Red-Hame is a faerie wolf, with a Faerie Might of 12. He is the messenger of the Winter Court, and expresses its wishes to the villagers of Waldheim through Torven.

The Courts of Dark Summer and of Bright Winter are rival faerie courts on opposite sides of the River Rhine. The Seelie Bright Winter, associated with light, snow, cold, and the hunt, may be found in midwinter at daytime among the highest snow-covered hills of the Westerwald. The Unseelie Dark Summer, associated with dark, fire, warmth, and agriculture, may be found in midsummer at nighttime amid the lowest swampy ground of the Hunsrück forest to the west of the Rhine Gorge. Dark Summer holds dominion over Bright Winter from Walpurgis Night until All Hallows Eve, and vice versa. Either of these courts may become a contested vis source, with some measure of diplomacy and skill on behalf of the magi. Further details and inhabitants have been left to the storyguide(s) to devise.

As an alternative, you may wish to use the Courts of the Seasons (see Chapter 4: The Forest) instead. For example, King Holly (Winter) may be placed in the Westerwald, the Alder Prince (Spring) in the Odenwald, King Oak (Summer) in the Palatinate Forest, and the Willow Maiden (Autumn) in the Hunsrück.

The River Mosel rises in the Vosges Mountains and flows through the middle of Upper Lorraine. The lower Mosel, between Trier and Koblenz, winds its way in tortuous curves between the rugged forested hills of the Eifel and the Hunsrück, past a handful of castles and vineyards on the south-facing slopes. Although not as large or as busy as the Rhine, a fair amount of river traffic travels upstream from Koblenz as far as Trier or Metz.

The name of Trier, the oldest German city, derives from the Celtic Treverii tribe who first settled on the site. Then came the Romans; the emperor Augustus raised the city to a regional capital, naming it Augusta Treverorum. However, it was during the reign of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome in the early 4th century, that the city reached its peak. Augusta Treverorum became the capital of the western Roman empire, home to more than 80,000 people; in contrast, the current population is barely a tenth of that. The current city walls enclose a much smaller area inside the footprint of the old city, which is bordered by the remains of Roman walls. Trier thus has the most complete set of Roman remains in Germany — inside, outside, and underneath the current city.

Constantine's Basilica is a dramatic arched brick edifice enclosing a huge throne room 80 yards long, which is now the palace of Trier's archbishop. The cathedral of St. Peter, although partially rebuilt in the 11th century, is the oldest church in Germany, being one of the four venerable churches founded by Constantine (the others are St. Peter's in Rome, the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and the Nativity in Bethlehem). The site of the cathedral was donated to the emperor Constantine by his mother, St. Helena. Its greatest relic is the Seamless Robe, the garment worn by Christ during the crucifixion. The Porta Nigra (Black Gate) is an awesome four-story sandstone Roman gatehouse in the north wall. In 1035 it was converted into the church of St. Simeon, in honor of a Greek hermit saint who had taken refuge there. Adjacent is the collegiate foundation of St. Simeonstift. In the southeast corner of the city, the remains of the Kaiserthermen (Imperial Baths) have been rebuilt into a castle as part of the city walls.

Trier is surrounded by extensive vineyards — wine is the principal export of the city, transported down river to Koblenz and the Rhine. Just to the south of the city is the Basilica of St. Matthias, housing the remains of the apostle who replaced Judas Iscariot, brought to Trier by St. Helena.

The Fleischstrasse is a main street leading to the city's major marketplace. In searching for the site of the former covenant, it may be found that the merchant's shop formerly owned by Treverorum has since changed hands and now sells wine. The proprietor, Isaac, knows nothing of magi, or of the former covenant. To the left of the shop is an inn, the Blaue Keiler (Blue Boar); immediately to the right is a narrow alley leading to a back street and a butcher's shop. Isaac is a Jew, taking advantage of recent changes in rabbinical law that now permit the selling of grape products to Gentiles. Isaac manages the shop on behalf of its owner, his uncle, who is a prominent Jew called David ben David.

The covenant site occupies two underground levels immediately behind the shop, between the two streets and beneath the alley. It may be discovered and accessed in at least five different ways. Perhaps the most likely is through investigation of the wine shop's cellar, where a passageway leading to the upper level has been bricked off — Isaac will relate that the former owner told him that he believed this to be haunted. Two of the upper-level sancta have wooden shutters in their ceilings, which may be uncovered by clearing out the disused back yard, formerly a small garden, but currently a waste tip. In one corner of the neglected graveyard on the other side of the alley is a raised stone grave bearing the name Selena Tibicena, with a sanctum marker in place of a cross and the words "May she rest here in peace." This small structure is not, in fact, the burial place of this maga, but instead conceals a secret set of stairs leading down to what was formerly her sanctum. On the Niederstrasse, the less prosperous back street, the burnt-out remains of a house adjacent to a brothel are inhabited by vagabonds. A disused set of stairs leads down. Lastly, and least likely, the lower level may be accessed through the ancient underground culvert from outside the city walls (see below).

The magi may decide to establish themselves at Treverorum. On the one hand, this is the most intact site, and its chambers could easily be claimed. On the other hand, the sancta are hidden away underground, in the middle of a city. It would be near-impossible to set up here without the knowledge of the merchant above them, and maintaining their privacy would be difficult.

David ben David

Characteristics: Int +2, Per 0, Pre 0, Com +2, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik 0
Size: 0
Age: 30 (30)
Decrepitude: None
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: Merchant; Wealthy; Educated, Puissant Bargain, Social Contacts, Well-Traveled; Pious, Outsider; Judged Unfairly
Personality Traits: Devout Jew +3, Honest +2, Insensitive to Insults +2
Reputations: Jew 3 (Local)
Combat:
Dodging: Init 0, Attack n/a, Defense 0, Damage n/a
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: Aramaic 3 (Torah), Animal Handling 2 (horses), Artes Liberales 3 (accounts), Awareness 2 (faulty goods), Bargain 5+2 (luxuries), Bavarian Lore 2 (towns), Carouse 2 (amongst Jews), Charm 2 (gaining trust), Civil and Canon Law 3 (regarding merchants), Etiquette 2 (gentlemen), Folk Ken 3 (empathizing), French 2 (trading), Guile 2 (perceiving cheats), High German 6 (Yiddish), Intrigue 3 (merchants), Italian 2 (trading), Latin 3 (bargaining), Leadership 1 (amongst Jews), Low German 2 (trading), Medicine 2 (infected wounds), Philosophiae 2 (debate), Profession: Merchant 4 (luxury goods), Profession: Ship's Captain 2 (on the Rhine), Rhine Lore 3 (towns), Ride 1 (good roads), Swabian Lore 2 (towns), Swim 2 (rivers), Teaching 2 (Academic Abilities), Theology: Jewish 3 (duties)
Equipment: Plain clothing befitting a merchant, bearing the wheel symbol of Jewdom, skull cap.
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Appearance: Of average height, David is unmistakably Jewish, both through physiognomy and through cultural symbols. He wears his black hair short, with two long curly braids in front of each ear. When appropriate he dons the skull cap and/or prayer shawl, unashamed to be seen in public with these clear symbols of his religion. He dresses moderately, not flaunting his wealth.

David ben David is a wealthy merchant from an even wealthier Jewish family, who plies his trade between Trier, Koblenz, Bingen, and Mainz. His family has operated in this region for years, and as a child he traveled far and wide with his father and uncles, learning all about the Rhine, its tributaries, and its trade. When he reached thirteen, he entered the famous Jewish academy at Mainz and learned both his Aramaic and Latin letters, as well as scholarly pursuits such as (Jewish) Theology, Artes Liberales, and Medicine. When his father died ten years ago he returned to Trier to take over the business, which also involved taking a wife, Sophie. They have yet to have any children.

David's biggest stumbling block is his religion. He is a devout Jew, and proudly wears the patch of cloth identifying him as such (see Chapter 5: The Rhine, Jews in the Holy Roman Empire), despite it being a symbol of the Christian oppression of his people. He refuses to compromise his religious devotion to make his life easier, as so many other fellow Jews have. Despite suspicion and outright hatred from his Christian competitors, David has maintained a level head and a very thick hide. Given his age, education, and convictions, it will not be long before he is asked to become a rabbi by his community, where his kindness is greatly respected.

Magic Items in the Sanctum of Arliandus

THE DOOR OF DEIMOS

This is an iron door, with faces and skulls embossed onto its surface and highlighted in inlaid lead and silver. Arliandus named it after the son of Ares, whose name meant "Terror." The door is not locked, but has a complex latch requiring putting one's hand inside the mouth of a leering face and twisting the catch. The door is also invested with the following effects:

Recognize Your Master, InCo 5, R:Touch, D:Mom, T:Ind (Base 4, +1 Touch): A compartment on the inside of the door holds an arcane connection (currently to the long-dead Arliandus). If the arcane connection matches the person touching the door, then nothing happens. If it does not match, or the toucher successfully resisted the effect (it has a Penetration Total of 0), then the second effect is triggered. The toucher may choose not to resist this effect if he knows it exists. This effect is triggered even if the door is not touched with bare flesh. Operates 6 times per day (+3 levels). Final level: 8

Repel the Intruder, CrMe 15, R:Touch, D:Sun, T:Ind (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun): This effect is triggered by the first effect (+3 levels). Anyone affected must make an Intelligence roll against an Ease Factor of 12 or flee in terror. Operates 6 times per day (+3 levels), has a Penetration Total of 22 (+11 levels). Final Level: 43

THE CRYSTAL OF A HUNDRED CANDLES

As the door opens, a small crystal embedded in the ceiling blooms into light, illuminating the whole chamber.

Lamp without Flame, CrIg 10, R:Touch, D:Conc, T:Ind (Base 4, +1 Touch, +1 Conc). Operates 24 times per day (+5 levels), item maintains concentration (+5 levels), environmental trigger (+3 levels). Final Level: 23

THE MIRROR OF DREAMS

An ornate, gold-framed mirror is surrounded by a set of elaborate smaller mirror fragments — a willing subject who stares into it will see his own thoughts visualized before his eyes. This assists greatly with certain types of lab work; +3 may be added to any Lab Total involving Mentem. However, use of the Mirror is unsettling and tends to disturb the user's dreams; 1 Warping Point is gained for each season of use (this is due to it being a Powerful Mystical Effect). It also counts as a continuous effect for calculating yearly gain of Warping Points.

Depiction of the Waking Dream, InCrMeIm 35, R:Eye, D:Conc, T:Ind (Base 25, +1 Eye, +1 Conc). The thoughts of the subject become visible as images surrounding his head in a mirror. The workings of Mentem spells can thus be analyzed quite precisely. Unlimited uses (+10 levels). Final Level: 45

THE TRUMPET OF GHOSTLY SUMMONING

A small silver trumpet, when blown, summons forth any ghosts or spirits in the area and renders them visible.

Vision of the Haunting Spirits, MuMeIm 40, R:Touch, D:Sun, T:Room (Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 Room). Operates twice per day (+1 level). Final Level: 41

THE UPPER LEVEL

The first level of the former covenant consists of three sancta, in a poor state of repair and mostly empty, apart from detritus and rats. The former sanctum of the necromancer Selena Tibicena, underneath the graveyard, contains a variety of skeletons. A wide circular shaft formed the center of the covenant, bringing light down from the garden to the lower levels. A path around it connected the chambers at this level, but it is now completely overgrown and impassable. An old ladder leads up. Unlike the Divine aura present at street level, these chambers have a Magic aura of 1. This also holds true for many of the underground chambers of Roman remains elsewhere in the city.

THE LOWER LEVEL

The central room of the lower level, reached by the stairs from above, was the council chamber of Treverorum. A great oak table bearing the covenant's symbol (the Porta Nigra) is smashed. One wall of the chamber has a solid metal door bearing a sanctum marker, which may be determined to be magical in nature. Opposite is an opening leading to two smaller chambers, the library (containing waterlogged and moss-covered remains of books and parchment), and stores (empty). The other walls each have double wooden doors. One merely leads to an overgrown pond at the base of the central shaft. The other leads to an underground stream — a disused sewer, perhaps. Here are a handful of burial alcoves, where the magi of the covenant were laid to rest. The Roman culvert leads in a few hundred yards all the way to the Barbarathermen (ruined Roman baths) just outside the city walls, which have a maze of passages and chambers beneath them. In the other direction it leads underneath the Frankenturm, a fortified residential stone tower in the city occupied by a prominent merchant family. This deeper level has a Magic aura of 2.

THE SANCTUM OF ARLIANDUS

The chamber of Arliandus of House Tremere is protected by an item of his creation, an immense metal door. Should the magi bypass or successfully resist its protection, they will discover this one intact sanctum, complete with a modicum of Hermetic treasures (see insert). Here is a well-equipped Hermetic laboratory, specialized in the study of Mentem. The storyguide may additionally place a number of books, items, or laboratory texts here that may be of value to the magi. Among any vis that may be found are a number of old Roman coins (a few pawns of Mentem).

Story seed: The ghosts of Treverorum

In investigating the burial alcoves, one of the ghosts of the magi of Treverorum is disturbed. He may either pester the characters or be willing to reveal some of the covenant's lost secrets, for a price.

A few hundred yards outside the city walls to the east, along a road named, perhaps by coincidence, the Hermesstrasse, a large oval-shaped Roman amphitheater is located at the base of the Martinsberg hill. This deserted ruin has a faint Magic aura of 1. At the sides of the sandy floor of the arena, overgrown passages lead to a small set of empty chambers in the adjacent hillside and immediately underneath the amphitheater, which were used by the gladiators. Here the aura is slightly stronger (2); one may be able to detect (either through the use of spells or with Second Sight) the faint presence of ghosts.

If the Trumpet of Ghostly Summoning is played here, at night, the ghosts of three gladiators gradually coalesce. They don their arms and armor and march up to the amphitheater, whereupon they will boldly challenge anyone present to a duel to the death. None of their faces are visible, but each seems to be a powerful warrior wearing minimal armor, his muscles gleaming in the faint light. Each will wager some trinket (such as a piece of jewelry or a handful of Roman coins) on the outcome of the fight, and any challenger must offer something of similar value in return. The fight then commences — the ghosts are formidably skilled — which seems deadly real to the participants. However the gladiators are not completely substantial and to onlookers their blows do not appear to draw blood - a killing blow will merely render a person unconscious. Although all damage should be reported to the player as normal, the storyguide should keep a track of it as if was non-lethal combat (see Ars Magica 5th Edition, page 174). Only once the character has received medical attention should the player be told what wounds his or her character has really suffered. If a gladiator wins he claims his reward before bowing solemnly to his fallen foe and fading away into nothingness. (The wagered item may later be discovered buried in the sands of the underground chambers, but weathered or rusted into uselessness by many centuries.) If a gladiator is defeated he likewise fades away, leaving behind his wagered trinket, which is worth 2 pawns of Mentem vis. After he has fought, each gladiator cannot be summoned again that year.

Story Seed: The Amphitheater

The clues are present that may allow the magi to piece together the secret of this site and enable them to harvest vis here: The 1248 AA excerpt from the Tribunal records suggests the existence of a vis source not far from Trier, which may lead them to investigate the amphitheater and thus detect the presence of a weak Magic aura and the faint traces of ghosts. This in turn may lead them to try out the trumpet found in Arliandus' sanctum.

Ghostly Gladiators

MARCUS THE VALIANT
Magic Might: 20
Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre +1, Com +2, Str +2, Sta +3, Dex +3, Qik +2
Size: 0
Personality Traits: Brave +3, Duty-Bound +3, Honorable +1
Combat:
Gladius and round shield: Init +3, Attack +14, Defense +13, Damage +7
Gladius: Init +3, Attack +13, Defense +10, Damage +7
Dagger: Init +2, Attack +11, Defense +8, Damage +5
Soak: +7
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Appearance: Marcus is the leader of the three gladiators. He is a stocky man equipped to fight as a hoplomachus with a round shield, a manica on his right arm, greaves on his left leg, a gladius, and an ornamented, brimmed bronze helmet.

CYRILLUS OF ARGENTORATUM
Magic Might: 20
Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre +1, Com +1, Str +2, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +4
Size: 0
Personality Traits: Brave +3, Duty-Bound +3, Crafty +1
Combat:
Trident and net: Init +7, Attack +12, Defense +14, Damage +7
Net: Init +4, Attack +11, Defense +11, Damage +7*
Dagger: Init +4, Attack +8, Defense +8, Damage +5
*Resolve as a scuffle attack (see ArM5, page 174) to immobilize or entangle a weapon.
Soak: +4
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Appearance: This combatant is a wiry, dark-haired figure armed as a retetarius, with a trident and a net. His shoulder is protected by a galerus (metal shoulder guard) and his left arm by a manica (heavy linen quilting). He wears a copper mask of Poseidon.

CAUDELIX THE GAUL
Magic Might: 20
Characteristics: Int 0, Per 0, Pre +1, Com 0, Str +5, Sta +4, Dex +2, Qik +1
Size: +1
Personality Traits: Brave +3, Duty-Bound +3, Violent +1
Combat:
Great axe: Init +1, Attack +16, Defense +9, Damage +15
Hatchet: Init +1, Attack +11, Defense +7, Damage +9
Gauntlet: Init +1, Attack +8, Defense +8, Damage +7
Soak: +8
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-6), –3 (7-12), –5 (13-18), Incapacitated (19-24)
Appearance: The final gladiator is a burly giant of a man, his fair braided hair falling behind a fierce-looking iron skull cap with an attached "spectacle" mask. He wields a long-handled axe and his only body armor consists of leather bracae protecting his thighs, and bracers on his forearms.

After a certain period of investigation (and doubtless several adventures), the magi will hopefully have found one or more sites in or around the Rhine Gorge that they think may be suitable for the siting of a covenant or chapter house. It then remains to choose one such site, successfully establish residence there, gain formal Tribunal approval (if they wish to found a covenant), and establish the necessary infrastructure, security, comforts, and supplies to ensure their prosperity (which has many story possibilities). By now they should have recruited (or begin recruiting) some grogs from the local area. Possibly they have picked up a companion or two, as well.

No one site is perfect, each having contrasting advantages and disadvantages requiring a measure of compromise or prioritization. This is a choice between the Forest or the City (or something in between), mirroring the choices already made by the existing Rhine covenants. Those such as Crintera, Irencillia, and Dankmar have chosen the former, hiding themselves away in the wilderness, whereas Oculus Septentrionalis, Triamore, and Waddenzee have chosen the latter while not all are located in actual cities, they are all deeply involved with mundane affairs in one way or another. Thus, their choice of site is likely to influence how they are viewed by the other covenants and gilds of the Tribunal.

It might be that the magi have trouble agreeing on a preferred site, in which case they could conceivably establish themselves in more than one place; for example a main covenant site and a subsidiary chapter house. However, a new covenant that already starts out with its own chapter house(s) is a little unusual and precocious, and may result in greater challenges.

Arguably, the two most powerful covenants in the Tribunal, Durenmar and Fengheld, have different preferences about this new establishment. Durenmar wants to see a politically neutral covenant, broadly respecting the old traditions, in order to help pull the Tribunal together. Fengheld would prefer to found a new chapter house in the Rhine Gorge — this would boost their numbers, establishing them as a true giant of the Tribunal. Fengheld will therefore make seemingly generous offers of support to the magi, if they will agree to join their covenant in this fashion. Access to their considerable resources, and not needing to seek sponsorship for the formation of a new covenant, may be attractive, at least in the short term. However, the magi would, to a large extent, be sacrificing their independence. Some of them may be in favor of forming such a chapter house (probably those that were apprenticed at Fengheld), while others prefer sticking to Durenmar's original plan. If they are to stay together, they need to find a solution accommodating both parties.

Story Seeds: Sponsor's Gifts

One of the sponsors presents a gift of a strange magic item. When asked what it does, the magus merely offers up an enigmatic smile and hints to its activation. Are the magi brave enough to try it out?

One of the sponsors unexpectedly presents extravagant gifts, impressing the Tribunal with generosity towards the new covenant. However, once the Moon Duration Imaginem spells wear off, the gifts are revealed to be far more mundane, even somewhat insulting. This is a forewarning of that sponsor's true feelings towards the characters' efforts.

A restrictive and bureaucratic provision of the Rhine Tribunal (see Chapter 3: Tribunal History and Customs, On the Founding of Covenants) stipulates that a prospective covenant must be sponsored by one magus from every other covenant in the Tribunal. Securing promises of sponsorship is likely to involve making all kinds of promises in return, so that the prospective covenant ends up owing a number of debts and favors. The parens of any magus trained in the Rhine will probably be willing to act as a sponsor from his covenant. Also, Murion will likely throw the weight of Durenmar behind the proposal. It should be born in mind that failure to provide a sponsor reflects badly on a covenant, therefore most covenants will agree to fairly modest terms in exchange for providing a sponsor, unless they perceive the proposal as a direct threat. It is also not necessary to convince an entire covenant; the sponsorship of one sole magus (who may not necessarily agree with his fellows) suffices. The most sensible time for such politicking is the days immediately preceding the formal start of the next Tribunal gathering at Durenmar.

Companions

As the magi begin to settle in at their chosen site, they may befriend certain noteworthy persons, who may be played as companion characters. Possibilities include forester (for example, Jarvis from Semita Errabunda), merchant, priest, monk, ship's captain, architect, minor noble, or someone linked to one of the faerie courts, each of whom may be useful to the covenant in certain ways. Some of the characters described in this chapter (Torven, David ben David) are suitable and may be chosen by players. Since a player rarely adventures with both his companion and his magus at the same time, these two characters should ideally be dissimilar.

THE RECEIVING OF GIFTS

Each sponsor presents a gift to the nascent covenant. The nature and magnificence (or otherwise) of this donation reflects the greatness of the sponsor covenant, as well as its attitude towards the new covenant. Those whose sponsorship was grudging at best are unlikely to give anything of any great value, but at least some of these gifts should prove of significant worth or usefulness, such as books, magic items, valuables, or grogs. Some gifts are presented immediately, others are merely promised and delivered in subsequent seasons (or years).

The magi will find it difficult to avoid becoming embroiled in the Tribunal's politics. They are expected to choose a gild to join (likely not all the same), and thus become involved in the politics of that gild. In choosing between forming a covenant of their own or a chapter house of Fengheld, they are straightaway having to choose between two powerful covenants, although steering a neutral course may be possible with some skill. (Durenmar and Fengheld are rivals, but certainly not enemies.) In either case, although the magi will have little power themselves to begin with, they may nevertheless play a significant role in determining the balance of power within the Tribunal.

An issue that may sooner or later arise is that a faction of the northwestern covenants develops — the so-called Lotharingians — wishing to secede from the Rhine Tribunal in order to more freely allow themselves dealings with the mundanes (see Chapter 3: Tribunal History and Customs, The Lotharingian Tribunal). Finding themselves at the border of these two regions, the player covenant would have to choose between loyalty to Durenmar and the ancient traditions of the Tribunal, or granting themselves a freer hand in mundane meddling and a potentially greater say in a smaller Tribunal.

Albertus Magnus

Albertus Magnus, also known as Albert of Cologne, was born in Bavaria in 1206. If your saga follows real history, he grows to become arguably the most talented natural magician and philosopher of his time. He might come into contact with your magi or even be recruited into the Order of Hermes.

Educated in Padua, Albertus joins the Dominican order in the early 13th century and studies at Bologna. He travels widely and teaches at Cologne, Regensburg, Hildesheim, Freiburg, and Strassburg, before moving to Paris in 1245. In 1260 he is appointed bishop of Regensburg. He produces works on theology, the natural sciences, alchemy, astrology, and the mantic arts (divination from dreams), all of which is compatible with his Christian belief, he argues.

The new covenant or chapter house will face a number of challenges and story possibilities. Mundane involvement is inevitable (unless the characters choose the path of complete retreat to the forest) — the region is densely populated by powerful nobles, archbishops, and merchants. However such people also provide the potential or temptation for the gain of significant wealth or influence. If they choose the city site, there are many possibilities. At the island site, the charging of tolls is the most immediately obvious profitable endeavor. The magi would not be alone in collecting tolls without formal permission, but a certain measure of martial power is required for enforcement. The forest site provides a more conventional challenge of survival — how to clothe, shelter, feed, and protect themselves to a standard befitting magi, while hidden away in the wilderness.

The Business of Toll-Gathering

The magi will early on consider the problem of how to secure significant funds for the prosperity of their covenant. After all, paying for the upkeep of buildings, grogs, and labs is certainly not cheap. An obvious and potentially lucrative possibility, if they establish themselves in a fortified position in the Rhine Gorge itself, is the charging of tolls.

IMPERIAL TOLL LEVELS

Small rowboat (5 persons or less) — 1d
Large rowboat or fishing vessel — 2d
Small ship (10 tons capacity or less) — 4d
Single-masted ship — 8d
Large ship (two or more masts) — 12d

These are the prices set by the emperor, which those levying "just" tolls (with his permission) are obliged to abide by. Those levying "unjust" tolls are free to set their own levels, although higher prices will likely attract additional resentment and resistance to payment. On a typical day, at least two dozen vessels of various types will pass by a toll station, providing a daily income of 10 schillings or more — this is sufficient to feed a couple of hundred peasants or maintain a typical castle. However, the tolls need an effective means of enforcement, both to protect against rival toll-gatherers and to ensure payment. If a toll station is perceived to be weak, or their force is a bluff, sooner or later ships will try to run the tolls, especially if the prices are excessive. Word spreads quickly among ship captains about any changes among the toll stations.

BY LAND OR BY RIVER?

Despite the widespread imposition of tolls, the transportation of goods along the Rhine is generally preferable to the overland alternative and remains a profitable endeavor. In making this choice, a merchant has to balance an equation involving the risk of a ship foundering (based partly on the experience and competence of the crew) versus the risks of overland portage (such as banditry), and the likely tolls imposed on either route. Portage is generally slower and less convenient, therefore river transport is preferred unless its risks or costs are significantly higher. However, close to half of the merchants choose to avoid the risks of the Bingen Hole and instead portage overland from Rüdesheim to Lorch. Recently, some merchants have started going further overland from Rüdesheim as far as Kaub. Although difficult, this route bypasses several tolling stations on the river. The count of Katzenelnbogen has noticed this, however, and has started imposing tolls on this overland traffic at Kaub. No matter which route the merchants take, there is usually someone there to charge a toll.

THE RHINE LEAGUE

The number of tolling stations slowly grows, and by the middle of the 13th century there are a dozen between Mainz and Cologne — a barely manageable number. Amid the imperial power vacuum of the Interregnum in the 1250s, however, the number of stations doubles in just four years, as the severity of the robber-baron problem increases rapidly. Merchants struggle to stay in business, and legitimate toll-gatherers suffer with an ever dwindling share of the take — the system only works for so long as there are a moderate number of toll-gatherers with acceptable toll levels.

An alliance, the Rhine League, arises, founded by Mainz and Worms to protect the interests of their merchants, and is soon joined by many other cities, the princely nobility (the legitimate toll-gatherers, including the three archbishops and the Count Palatine), and a number of lesser nobles. The League seeks suppression of unjust tolls through both trade sanctions and the destruction of robber-baron castles. It disbands after only three years, having largely met its aims, successfully besieging or destroying nearly a dozen castles and unseating several robberbarons.

At least, this is what happens if your saga follows real history exactly — you should, however, feel free to adjust any details as suits your story needs. The Rhine League will likely be a formidable challenge for any covenant that has set itself up as robber-barons, or that is allied with them — it has a great deal of resources at its disposal and the ability to raise a large army, to say nothing of having God on its side.

One possible long-term focus of the saga is the purported curse of the Rhine Gorge. If such a curse does indeed exist, the characters may gradually accumulate clues, with sinister threats arising as the manifestation of the curse. The saga may be designed to reach its climax in about seven decades, as these forces gather and the doom of the covenant and nature of the curse becomes clear. The magi face destruction, unless they are able to prevail where their predecessors have failed, by defeating the curse and establishing a Hermetic center of power that will endure.

There are a number of possible causes of the Curse of the Rhine Gorge. Below are four suggestions, each associated with one of the four supernatural realms. (Or maybe there is no curse, other than the misfortune the magi of the region have brought upon themselves?)

THE REVENGE OF THE NIBELUNGS (MAGIC)

As told in the Nibelungenlied, the hero Siegfried cheated the ancient races of dwarves and giants who first tamed the Rhine. In return, his dynasty (and any kingdoms or wise men who follow in his footsteps) was doomed to fail within seven decades. The Burgundian kingdom did indeed fall, defeated by Attila the Hun. The power of the Merovingian kings failed, and even the empire of Charlemagne was eventually fractured by attacks of Norsemen. The covenants and noble families of the Rhine Gorge have likewise shared this fate, all failing within seven decades. Should this curse be broken, it may be possible to reveal the lost Rhinegold, and other treasures. But perhaps this would require the untaming of the powerful elemental spirit of the river itself? This may be linked to the schemes of Schwall of Bjornaer (see Chapter 4: The Forest, The Path of the Heartbeast).

THE RIVALRY OF THE COURTS (FAERIE)

Since time immemorial, the two faerie courts on opposite sides of the river have played out a game, using the nobles of the Rhine Gorge as their pawns. Due to the ancient rules of this game, the "board" must be cleared after 77 years, and then the game started anew, resulting in the loss of any nobles, covenants, or even kingdoms that may have unknowingly been under their sway. The characters may be clued in on this given the 77 years between the destruction of each of the covenants of the Rhine Gorge. The games go back more than a thousand years, when the river formed the frontier between Roman and barbarian lands. The Romans were the pawns of the Court of Dark Summer, and the barbarians the pawns of the Court of Bright Winter. In a later round of the game, the summer court adopted the Burgundians and the winter court the Huns; the plays of the game are reflected and recorded in the events of the Nibelungenlied.

THE PACT OF RUDIARIA (INFERNAL)

The first covenant in the Rhine Gorge succumbed to the lure of infernal temptation, agreeing to sign away their souls to a powerful devil after a period of 70 years in return for many gifts. Rudiaria thus grew to great power, even at one time holding the corrupt archbishop Hatto II of Mainz under its sway. But when the appointed time came, the magi — now fearing their fate — attempted to cheat their way out of the bargain. They failed, and their covenant was destroyed battling the forces of Hell in a great conflagration. In retribution, this powerful devil lured the later covenants of the region into temptation and to their falls in a similar timeframe. This might be linked to another infernal-oriented saga plan (see Chapter 11: Rhine Sagas, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea).

THE CORRUPTION OF THE MEROVINGIANS (DIVINE)

In the 5th century, the Merovingians, great Christian wizard-kings, rose to ascendance as part of God's plan. Merovech himself was descended from David and in possession of the Holy Grail. However, within seven decades, his descendants became corrupted, battling between themselves, and the lineage fell from grace. God instead blessed the mayoral (Carolingian) dynasty, cursing the endeavors of all wizards in the region to fail in the same time as it had taken the Merovingians to fall. Unfortunately, the Order of Hermes shares in this fate. Indeed, a quick glance at the geopolitics of the Rhine Gorge reveals that God's plan clearly favors the Church above all else — three powerful archbishops rule unchallenged with great estates. Only those magi and wizards who have demonstrated humility and piety (which the former covenants did not), such as the pious Larta maga Hildegard of Bingen, have any part of his plans and have met with success. Perhaps by seeking out the knowledge and writings of Hildegard, and the counsel of future saint and natural magician Albertus Magnus, the magi might find the path to enlightenment and prove their worth in the eyes of the Lord.