Shipwreck of a Different Color

The dawn brings another vessel limping into the covenant's docks. This tattered hulk might carry crusaders from an unfortunate skirmish in Egypt, pursued to the Red Sea before they fled in a stolen fishing boat. However, their pursuers aren't far behind, and intend on settling accounts with blood. The ship may be crewed by willing faerie sailors, wishing to reenact stories of survival, rescue and service, for the right bargain. Or the passengers might possibly be the remnants of a Catholic or Orthodox expedition, seeking to reestablish communications between the abuna and the Mediterranean Christian communities. While the messenger or envoy might be dying, his message is undamaged and his retinue of hired guards now find themselves far from home and without an employer.

Story Seed: Vis from Beyond

Long ago, a devout Christian and member of the village saved it from a visitation of the faerie dragon Ceto, though it cost the martyr her life. Her bones now lie among the fire coral vis source, perfectly preserved and untouched by the sea, unlike other objects occasionally pulled from the waves. The woman is venerated as a local saint, though unrecognized by the Ethiopian church, and the bones possess a Faith point. So long as they lie in the coral, no vis may be gathered. Even if they are removed, the vis does not appear immediately and the individual who recovered the bones begins to experience dreams and visions. The woman's spirit promises to reveal the secret of the vis sites and the methods for harvesting them once her remains are delivered to the bishop in Adulis, but can the magi manage this task without drawing more attention to the covenant?

The following resources could be exploited by a covenant.

Income Sources

Ikhmindi has no real local sources of income other than fees and barter from acting as an occasional caravanserai. Since caravans only pass through the area during the spring and late autumn, there are limited opportunities for profit and many potential complications associated with a large group of armed men camping on the covenant's doorstep or accessing its well.

The covenant could try to supplement this with its own caravans.

Vis Sources

The vis sources around Ikhmindi are threatened by treasure hunters who might unwittingly damage a site's vis generation capability by looting a location or vandalizing the structure.

Abandoned Copper Mine

4 Rego vis per Year 20 points 3 Terram vis per Year 15 points

Black Sandbar of the Nile

8 Creo vis per Year 40 points

Temple Kiosk of Qertassi 7 Imaginem vis per Year 35 points

Abandoned Copper Mine

4 pawns of Rego per Year; 3 pawns of Terram per Year This small warren of tunnels was carved from a hillside along the Wadi Allaqi caravan route, about 25 leagues to the east of Ikhmindi. A small but exquisite statue of Hathor watches just inside the entrance, but the hieroglyphic seal at its base has been defaced. The entire complex is no more than 300 linear feet of mine. The vis gathers in small nuggets of pure copper ore or any mining implements left leaning against the open seam of metal. The whole system enjoys a Magic aura of 3, but permanently ceases

generating vis if anyone removes the statue. This source costs 35 Build Points.

Black Sandbar of the Nile

4 pawns of Creo twice per Year

When the Nile floodwaters begin to surge in June, and when they begin to recede in October, Creo vis is deposited on this remote sandbar in the form of rich black silt, enough to fill two amphorae. The sandbar is two leagues to the north of the covenant's fishing camp, and exploiting it is a simple matter of discovering it. There is no Magic aura here.

This source costs 40 Build Points.

7 pawns of Imaginem per Year

Twenty-five leagues to the north-east is a small, abandoned temple, kiosk structure, and quarries, all dedicated to Hathor. When the powerful haboob sandstorms blow through this area, the howling winds deposit Imaginem vis in the sands which gather around the base of the four internal columns topped with Hathor-faced capitals. The temple has been somewhat scavenged for dressed stone, leaving only walls, but the kiosk, with its sandstone slab roofing, four internal columns, and twelve external papyrus-sculpted columns, is mostly intact. This site has a Magic aura of 3, but does not generate vis if the Hathor capitals are removed or damaged. Repairing or replacing the capitals restores production.

This source costs 35 Build Points.

For the covenant established at Ikhmindi, a number of themes present themselves for incorporation into a usual Ars Magica saga. These themes include survival in a harsh environment, exploration of a strange land for treasure-filled tomes, discovery of lost ancient magics, triumph in the face of Bedouin adversity, and the hope of forging a great covenant legacy.

Two different and aggressive Bedouin tribes have decided to demand surrender and tribute from Ikhmindi. They know of the properties of the covenant's well, and want not only a cut of caravan camping fees, but information when weak caravans are in the area to plunder.

What might begin as a small demand for free water or a meal can escalate to tribute of actual wealth and information, perhaps even calls for wives or slaves in exchange for not attacking. Obviously, this threat must come from a sufficiently large tribe capable of overwhelming the covenant's defenses and harassing its population while remaining mobile enough that magi cannot eliminate them without significant effort.

A single tribe might be bought off or scared away without the ever increasing demands, but these two tribes are also competing for their own dominance of the local area, and so neither is willing to accept less than submission from Ikhmindi.

Lost Tombs and Treasures

Many temples, tombs, and ruins exist along the shores and hills bordering the Nile river. An entire saga could be devoted to unlocking the secrets and valuables lost to antiquity. In this type of saga, magi established at Ikhmindi worry less about the mundane requirements of daily survival, either through secured resources or magical assistance, and focus on uncovering, unsealing, and plundering the hidden caches of the pharaohs. Their primary foes will consist of tomb guardians, resident spirits, and the magical beasts bound as sentries. They may form rivalries with devout mundane groups or with other Hermetic magi living as eremites or participating in regular expeditions from Mythic Europe.

Other stories include escaping with treasures from tomb-regiones before the entrance closes while another group attempts the same feat, out-running another group also seeking shelter from an impending storm or holding the shelter from aggressive individuals trying to enter. The saga would be dominated by the acquisition of ancient magical treasures and the trade or deciphering of those treasures, possibly including regular visits to Mythic Europe in order to sell these prizes.