The Ship of Desire

This story is designed for companion characters, allowing players to add depth to their characters through a variety of social and romantic interactions. Any type of companion character — martial, mystical, academic, or artistic — is suitable for this story. Grog characters can also be incorporated, and players should enjoy marching such characters through the intimate entanglements that await them. As storyguide, you will need to consider the power of magus characters before allowing them. The antagonist is not especially powerful and will need to be beefed up to present a challenge to magi. A beginning magus, fresh out of apprenticeship, would fit most easily, without requiring the storyguide to make great changes to the story.

This adventure deals with faeries, an enigmatic and whimsical group. What a faerie wants, mostly, is to be involved in human stories and feed off their emotions. From this perspective, "The Ship of Desire" is an automatic win for Cupid, the faerie antagonist.

This story takes place in the summer months of 1221, when historically the papal legate of England was recalled to Rome. Set so soon after the canonical start date of a saga, this scenario could easily be a companion character's first story, allowing the player to explore the motivations and passions of his newly created companion.

For reasons determined by the saga, a group of player characters must cross the English Channel. They find passage aboard La main blanche, "The White Hand" in French, a Flemish vessel that will happily ferry them across. Accompanying them is a collection of storyguide characters, each with his own motivation for making the voyage. Cupid, a faerie stowaway, will make the voyage troublesome, causing the various characters to fall in love with each other solely for his own amusement.

Cupid is following Piccardo, a venditor of House Verditius escorting a faerie, Argosus, to Sardinia. Cupid plans to use his enchanted arrows to incite love in the various passengers, hoping that the emotionally charged consequences will increase his faerie vitality. After arriving in Dover, knowing Piccardo's plans to cross the Channel, Cupid began looking for an appropriate vessel. He quickly discovered La main blanche, talked to the crew, and discovered that an important person was due, a fat merchant, and that they were leaving the next day. That evening, he encountered the two musicians playing in a tavern. They too planned to leave the next day, so Cupid told them about La main blanche. The next morning, as Piccardo and Argosus were heading to their previously booked ship, Cupid enchanted that ship's captain, making him fall in love with a local woman. The captain decided to spend another few days in port. Posing as a passerby, Cupid informed Piccardo that La main blanche was leaving soon and that there was room aboard.

Having arranged for a full list of passengers, Cupid easily enchanted one of the crew members, making him fall in love with a stranger and rush off through the dockside crowd chasing her. Copying the crewman's appearance, Cupid walked aboard and started preparing the ship for departure. He didn't count on the PCs' arrival, but figures that the more passengers there are the more potential for his merriment.

The important passenger is Pandulph, the papal legate to England, and his bodyguard/attaché, Arsizio, rushing across the Channel to get to Rome. Pandulph carries incriminating evidence against the scholars of the University of Cambridge, particularly a group of teachers at Schola Pythagoranis. If this evidence reaches Rome, it could seriously affect the teachers, who are in actuality Jerbiton magi, and so ultimately the Order of Hermes.

Finally, two female troubadours, Carelia and Elena, board the ship. They feel lucky to climb aboard La main blanche, and hope to entertain the others with their songs and tales. Little do they know that Cupid has plans for them.

magical liaisons.

Elena are troubadours returning to their native county of Toulouse. Folpert Berlensis is the captain of the ship, and

The characters become Cupid's playthings, confined aboard Le main blanche, where love will run rampant, secrets will unfold, and unlikely alliances will rule the day. They have the chance to thwart Cupid, intercept Pandulph's evidence against the Jerbiton scholars, and/or assist Piccardo the Veriditus in escorting the faerie Argosus.

The passenger list is large, providing several companion-level characters for the PCs to interact with. Piccardo, Argosus, and Cupid are essential to the adventure, while the others could be omitted if you have a large group of players. Besides the three just mentioned, you must ensure that enough characters of both genders are present for the adventure to work. With this many NPCs, the storyguide will have her hands full portraying each different character. Alternatively, these characters could be used by other troupe members. If this scenario best fits only one or two of the players' characters, the other players could forego playing grogs and use the NPCs for the session. Besides lessening the burden on the storyguide, such a move would make the NPCs seem more real, and their agendas more important. Good choices for troupe play are Elena, Arsizio, Carelia, Piccardo, Pandulph, and Folpert, in that order.

The eight storyguide characters are grouped together here for convenience. Piccardo is an Italian venditor escorting Argosus, a faerie watchman, to Sardinia. Pandulph is the former papal legate of England, and is rushing to Rome accompanied by an Italian knight, Arsizio. Carelia and

Piccardo is a venditor, a selling agent working for House Verditius, providing a safe go-between with mundane clients to whom the Verditius magus would like to sell enchanted items. Piccardo works for Rycas, a magus living at Verdi on the island of Sardinia. Piccardo recently brokered a deal between Rycas and a Northumbrian faerie ruler, Lady Æthelburh. In exchange for a crafted magical device, Lady Æthelburh has traded her watchman, Argosus, to provide seven years of service to Rycas. Piccardo is escorting Argosus to Verdi.

Cupid is the faerie stowaway, the cause of the upcoming

Life is good for Piccardo, and he is very loyal to Rycas. Escorting Argosus is a challenge, but Piccardo does not believe it is beyond his capabilities. He does not openly display his connection to the Order and prefers to present himself as a merchant journeyman. He is ever watchful for new trading partners, however, and will be interested in the player characters once he learns of their connection to the Order of Hermes. Once problems arise, he will also look to them for aid during the voyage.

Characteristics: Int +2, Per –1, Pre –1, Com +2, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex +2, Qik –1

Size: 0 Age: 30 (30) Decrepitude: 0

Warping Score: 0 Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Venditor; Gossip, Venus' Blessing, Warrior, Well-Traveled; Enemies, Overconfident; Busybody Personality Traits: Loyal (to his mission) +3, Overconfident +3, Inquisitive +2

Combat:

Dodge: Init –1, Attack n/a, Defense +1, Damage n/a Dagger: Init –1, Attack +7, Defense +2, Damage +3 Short sword: Init –1, Attack +12, Defense +7, Damage +5 Throwing knife: Init –1, Attack +8, Defense +4, Damage +2 Soak: +1

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (geometry), Athletics 3 (running), Awareness 2 (searching), Bargain 4 (enchanted items), Brawl 2 (dagger), Carouse 1 (staying sober), Charm 4 (first impression), English 3 (vulgarities), Etiquette 3 (tribunal gatherings), French 3 (tavern jargon), Folk Ken 1 (magi), Guile 3 (lying to customers), Intrigue 2 (Verditius vendettas), Italian 5 (merchant terminology), Latin 3 (travel guides), Normandy Tribunal Lore 2 (covenants), Order of Hermes Lore 3 (personalities), Sardinia Lore 3 (Verdi), Single Weapon 6 (short sword), Thrown Weapon 4 (throwing knife)

Equipment: Besides his clothing, Piccardo carries a sword, dagger, and throwing knife. Aboard ship he has his traveling gear, including a blanket, cloak, and other necessities for the road.

Encumbrance: 1 (1)

Vis: Piccardo carries an allotment of vis with him: 2 pawns of Muto (butterfly wings), 2 pawns of Rego (silkworm bodies), 3 pawns of Animal (boar teeth), 1 pawn of Herbam (white rose petal), 1 pawn of Mentem (gooseberry), and 1 pawn of Terram (obsidian sliver). He also carries a lesser enchanted device that can identify raw vis and indicate its number of pawns, called the Platter of Hermes. The Platter of Hermes is an enchanted ceramic plate with twelve gems set around its circumference. If an item that contains raw vis is placed on the platter, a number of gems will glow equal to the number of pawns contained within the item. If the item does not contain raw vis, no gems glow. If the item contains more than 12 pawns, all the gems glow. (Intellego Vim, base level 4, +1 Touch, +1 Requisites (Creo Ignem to make the gems glow), +3 (6 uses a day) equals a final effect level of 13.)

All of the particulars of this story can be changed without affecting the essentials of the scenario. Water transport was a common mode of travel during the Middle Ages, making it easy enough to change the ports, voyage, and destinations of La main blanche. The ship is agile enough to sail up or down Europe's major rivers, so that the actual voyage could take place across a sea, along a coast, or on any of the watery arteries that thread the lands. Simply pick a waterway that is near the covenant and a destination along it, a city or large town. The PCs are sailing to or from the covenant, along the waterway, from or to the chosen location. Sailing upstream or downstream is immaterial, as the ship can do both easily.

You will have to change many NPCs' ultimate destinations, based on if your group is sailing toward or away from Rome and Toulouse. The latter is the easy change; simply make someplace else Carelia's and Elena's homeland.

If your voyage is steering away from Rome, Pandulph could be gathering political allies before returning to the pope. Considering his heavy involvement in politics, this is not as odd as it first seems. Yes, he's rushing to Rome, but first he has to take care of some political business, ensuring an ally or placating an enemy. It doesn't ultimately matter; the action of the adventure is aboard the ship.

The alternative method is to change Pandulph into another NPC. You can use the same stats but might have to make subtle changes to his motivation. Papal legates are appointed throughout Mythic Europe, and their political might varies from a full legate to a mere messenger. His evidence — a book he wishes to use to accuse a group of scholar magi of heresy — does not have to be from Cambridge, but any scholastic group that has significance for your saga.

Similarly, Piccardo does not have to be returning to Sardinia and the domus magna of House Verditius, but could be taking Argosus to any Verditius magus in any location. If adding a Verditius magus to your saga won't work, Piccardo could simply be a companion character working for any Hermetic magus.

Changing the date a few years will not cause undue problems, even if you wish your saga to follow European history. Historically, Pandulph was not replaced with another papal legate, and Stephen Langton, the archbishop of Canterbury, became the ecclesiastical leader of England. Langton died in 1228.

Appearance: Piccardo is portly, round-faced, and jovial. He is quick to smile and his blue eyes beam with an impish gleam. He is well dressed, wearing a striped jerkin of brown and green, dull yellow hose, and a widebrimmed straw hat.

Argosus claims to be the son of Argos Panoptes, the hundred-eyed herdsman who protected Zeus's flocks and was slain by Hermes. It is hard to say if this is true, considering the mercurial nature of faeries, but Argosus certainly looks the part. He is nearly eight feet tall with fifty eyes set all about his head. Fearing that he wouldn't get ten paces across Mythic Europe with such a grotesque companion, Piccardo asked Lady Æthelburh to disguise Argosus's features. She complied, and a faerie illusion masks Argosus's fifty eyes, making him look like a mundane man with just two eyes. The illusion does not further alter his appearance. Piccardo has draped a grey cloak around Argosus, hoping not to draw attention to his great height and powerful build. He calls Argosus Bue, which is Italian for "ox".

Argosus is a watchman, and little else interests him. He is obliged to travel with Piccardo, and happy to follow his chaperone's orders. He is an incognizant faerie, meaning that he does not know that he gains his vitality from interacting with humans. He needs to guard, to receive the trust instilled in him from a mortal overlord. Without this, he is listless and morose, making him a docile traveling companion. Piccardo has no understanding of this, and just assumes that Argosus' languid nature is his natural state.

Faerie Might: 10 (Corpus)

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

Size: +1

Virtues and Flaws, Greater Power; Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech**:** Great Perception (x2), Humanoid Faerie, Increased Might, Large; Monstrous Appearance, Vulnerable to Iron; Incognizant, Reclusive, Simple-Minded, Traditional Ward (flute playing)

Personality Traits: Watchful +3, Withdrawn +3, Brooding +2

Combat:

Dodge: Init +1, Attack n/a, Defense +7, Damage n/a Cudgel: Init +2, Attack +14, Defense +11, Damage +9

Soak: +3

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–6), –3 (7–12), –5 (13–18), Incapacitated (19–24), Dead (25+)

Pretenses: Animal Handling 1 (sheep), Awareness 6 (guarding), Brawl 5 (dodge), Concentration 4 (maintaining power), Great Weapon 6 (cudgel), Penetration 2 (Faerie Speech), Survival 1 (mountain pastures)

Powers:

The Eyes of Argos, 3 points, Init –4, Imaginem: This power mimics a level-40 version of the Hermetic spell Discern the Images of Truth and Falsehood, (ArM5, page 144). (Base effect 35, +1 Conc. Intricacy points reduce Might

cost by 2.)

Equipment: Loincloth and a large shepherd's crook (this acts as a cudgel)

Vis: 2 pawns of Corpus, shepherd's crook

Appearance: Argosus is a monstrous giant. Eight feet tall and nearly 400 pounds, Argosus has fifty eyes set all about his head, although this is currently masked by Æthelburh's enchantment. He is normally dressed in a shaggy loincloth and holds a large shepherd's crook.

Argosus is a companion-equivalent faerie character. He has 10 points of balanced Virtues and Flaws and 360 points to buy Pretenses.

Pandulph was the papal legate to England from 1211 until 1221, when he was recalled by Pope Honorius III. He was a key player in the convoluted political environment, which included the papal interdict of England (1207- 1213), the rebellion of King John's barons, the threatened invasion of England by France, and the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. Pandulph personally accepted King John's submission to the pope in 1213, relieving him of his excommunication. Historically, after being recalled, Pandulph continued to serve the pope in diplomatic affairs before dying in 1226.

Pandulph is dashing to Rome in hopes of changing the pope's mind, so that he can continue to be the pope's representative in England. Since the death of King John, during the minority of the boy king Henry III, Pandulph was the effective ruler of England, a very powerful and lucrative position. Pressure from Stephen Langton, archbishop of Canterbury, and some powerful barons motivated the pope to recall the legate, a decision Pandulph hopes to reverse. Pandulph has made several enemies during his tenure, including Louis, the son of King Philip of France, which forces him to travel incognito. Abandoning his horse and usual assortment of retainers, he is sailing with only his personal luggage and his warrior companion Arsizio to keep him safe.

Pandulph is furious at being recalled, both because of the implied loss of faith in him and the immense fortune that could have been culled from the English. As a papal

legate, he collected large sums of money for the Church. All this is left behind, a fact Pandulph cannot forget or forgive. His revenge is planned. He carries a letter that lists several educational errors practiced by the masters of Cambridge, the greatest being their reliance on the New Aristotle over the erudition of the Church Fathers. Aristotle's new translations are being gobbled up by the students, and he imagines that this could undermine the sanctity of the learning institution. Most of this written venom is aimed at the students of Schola Pythagoranis, a group of Jerbiton magi masquerading as scholars. Pandulph knows that at the University of Paris, similar copies of the New Aristotle are banned. If the Church has lost some of its grip on England, thinks Pandulph, censoring her students' reading material might regain some papal control. Only Arsizio is privy to this information. Art & Academe has much more information on the New Aristotle, and both the universities of Cambridge and Paris.

Although Pandulph is arrogant, he will engage in intellectual discussion with a learned scholar, preferring theology over politics.

Characteristics: Int +1, Per –2, Pre +4, Com +1, Str –1, Sta –4, Dex –2, Qik –2

Size: 0 Age: 60 (59) Decrepitude: 2 (6) Warping Score: 0 Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Priest; Educated, Great Presence, Puissant Leadership, Self-Confident, Social Contacts, Temporal Influence; Enemies, Enfeebled; Vow (of Chastity)

Personality Traits: Loyal (to his mission) +3, Greedy (for

revenues for the Church) +3, Arrogant +2

Combat:

Dodge: Init –1, Attack n/a, Defense –1, Damage n/a

Soak: 0

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Inca-

pacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Artes Liberales 3 (grammar), Awareness 3 (alertness), Carouse 2 (staying sober), Charm 3 (diplomats), Church Lore 5 (papal curia), Canon Law 6 (legate authority), Common Law 2 (real estate law), English 3 (servants), Etiquette 4 (nobility), French 5 (nobility), Folk Ken 3 (clerics), Guile 4 (lying about motivations), Intrigue 4 (papal alliances), Italian 5 (nobility), Latin 5 (Biblical references), Leadership 8+2 (intimidation), Philosophiae (moral philosophy) 3, Theology 4 (heresy), Teaching 2 (canon law)

Equipment: Expensive clothes

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Appearance: Pandulph is a stick-thin man with a bald head and cadaverous skin. He dresses in a fur-collared cloak and expensive, tailored clothes. Taller than average, he presents a foreboding appearance, especially when angered.

Pandulph's evidence is a book written by Edward of Milton, the headmaster of Schola Pythagoranis and a Jerbiton archmage, to Robert Grosseteste, the recently appointed chancellor of the University of Oxford. Titled Deus et magus ("God and the Wizard"), it is a tractatus on Theology (Quality 7). In it, Edward makes several false assumptions about the interconnected relationship between magic and the divine. While certainly heretical by church standards, it was meant as an intellectual exercise from Edward to his friend, Robert. Pandulph hopes to use the book, which mentions the Order of Hermes several times, to prove that a collection of heretical wizards is attempting to subvert current teachings in the university. While not the original, it may be the only other copy, and it is certainly the only copy Pandulph has.

Arsizio is a knight from northern Italy. He has been attached to Pandulph for some time, serving as the legate's messenger, confidant, and bodyguard. Arsizio is privy to Pandulph's schemes, including this current venture. In his mid-thirties, Arsizio ruthlessly follows Pandulph's directions, and has little compunction to restrain him from the most atrocious behavior. Pandulph knows Arsizio as a loyal supporter and faithful collaborator.

Ever the realist, Arsizio will question player characters to discover their origins, destination, and the current political scene. He never knows where his future travels will take him, and prefers to be prepared for any eventuality.

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

Size: 0 Age: 36 (36) Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Knight; Affinity with Single Weapon, Improved Characteristics; No Sense of Direction, Poor Student, Proud

Personality Traits: Proud +3, Loyal (to Pandulph) +2, Mean +2

Combat:

Dodge: Init +2, Attack n/a, Defense +5, Damage n/a

"The Ship of Desire" follows the attitudes of love found in medieval romances — characteristically a profound adherence to notions of chivalric love, with only hints of actual sexual congress between characters. Typically, a male character professes his unconditional love for an unattainable beloved, usually a noble lady who is married to a social superior of the character. To prove his love, the protagonist undergoes quests and emotional torment for his lady.

This adventure could take a more bawdy tone and still be completely within medieval notions of love. Medieval audiences loved the risqué, from the evidence in fabliaux and other poetry. Chaucer's work, written in the mid-fourteenth century, is rife with lewd references, and paints an earthier, sexual picture of love. Running this scenario with a more explicit tone would still be perfectly within the paradigm of thirteenth century culture. The storyguide should use her assessment of her group in deciding how bawdy this adventure should be.

This scenario also assumes only

heterosexual attractions between characters, again following examples of actual medieval romances. This does not mean that homosexual attachments didn't exist, or that they can't be found or hinted at in the corpus of surviving medieval texts. If it is within the players' zone of comfort, Cupid could arouse romantic feelings between characters of the same sex. Again, a storyguide should use her sense of the group to determine exactly how feelings of romantic love will appear in the game.

Dagger: Init +2, Attack +8, Defense +6, Damage +6 Fist: Init +2, Attack +5, Defense +5, Damage +3 Long sword: Init +4, Attack +13, Defense +10, Damage +9

Soak: +11

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Animal Handling 3 (falcons), Athletics 3 (climbing), Awareness 2 (alertness), Brawl 3 (dagger), Church Lore 3 (papal legate responsibilities), English 5 (London dialect), Folk Ken 1 (knights), French 5 (vulgar language), Great Weapon 2 (flail), Guile 3 (lying about himself), Hunt 2 (deer), Intrigue 3 (plotting), Italian 5 (chivalric terms), Leadership 3 (soldiers), Ride 3 (battle), Single Weapon 6 (long sword)

Equipment: Arsizio wears full chainmail and carries a long sword and dagger at his hip.

Encumbrance: 0 (3)

Appearance: Arsizio has dark brown hair, cut short in the front and worn long in the back, and a dark mustache and goatee. He wears a piebald (many-colored) surcoat over his mail. Years of fighting have scarred his hands and arms, and a thin scar runs down the right side of his face.

Carelia is a musician and traveler. She has abandoned the normal way of life associated with a woman in exchange for hardships on the road, suspicion, danger, even death at the hands of an unknown highwayman or drunken knight. Yet she perseveres, unwilling to sink into the ranks of mothers, whores, and washerwomen. Love is a foreign emotion to her; love does not fit into schedules, practices, performances, and life on the move. Love, for her, is confined to her notion of independence — of not needing a man, lord, or savior — and to her idea of freeing herself from society's gender conventions.

Characteristics: Int +1, Per +2, Pre +1, Com +4, Str –2, Sta –2, Dex +2, Qik –1

Size: 0 Age: 30 (30) Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Wanderer; Free Expression, Great Communication, Puissant Music, Second Sight, Well-Traveled; Dependent (Elena); Noncombatant, Offensive to Animals

Personality Traits: Loyal (to being independent) +3, Self-

Sufficient +2 Reputation: Musician 5

Combat:

Dodge: Init –1, Attack n/a, Defense –1, Damage n/a

Soak: –2

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Athletics 1 (running), Awareness 3 (audience reactions), Bargain 3 (performance remuneration), Charm 3 (potential patrons), English 3 (poetry), Folk Ken 3 (audiences), French 4 (poetry), Languedoc Lore 3 (cit-

ies), Music 6 (recorder), Occitan 5 (poetry), Second Sight 3 (ghosts), Stealth 2 (hide), Survival 4 (hills), Swim 1 (rivers), Teaching 3 (music)

Equipment: Besides her clothing, Carelia carries a recorder, a thin reed instrument made of wood.

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Appearance: Carelia has an almost regal bearing, despite being born from the lower class of society. She wears a tight red dress under a maroon traveling cloak. Her hair is dark and streaked with gray, braided and worn atop her head under a plain white cap.

Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Wanderer; Affinity with Enchanting Music, Enchanting Music; Fear (of forests), Lame Personality Traits: Loyal (to getting home) +3, Shy +3,

Inquisitive +2

Reputations: Musician 3

Combat:

Dodge: Init –2, Attack n/a, Defense –4, Damage n/a Kick: Init –3, Attack +0, Defense –3, Damage +2

Elena is young, twenty or so, and scared. Her love is music, which is also her protector, succor, and savior. She has seen terrible things already in her young life, and has been frightened like none other she knows. Carelia is her protector, but is often too stern to provide comfort or emotional support. That she finds in music. Where Carelia has built stone walls around her heart, Elena's is untried. She has not loved, and the stirrings in her heart will be too much for her to handle. She has no experience with romance, having been shielded from its snares by Carelia.

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

Size: 0 Age: 22 (22) Soak: 0

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Awareness 2 (searching), Charm 1 (men), Concentration 2 (playing music), Enchanting Music 7 (making audiences sad), English 2 (curses), French 2 (dining), Music 4 (psaltery), Occitan 5 (poetry)

Equipment: Elena's sole possession of worth is her psaltery, a stringed instrument with a sounding board, like a small zither. It is easily portable and fits in her lap.

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Appearance: Elena wears a dark green dress under a gray traveling cloak. She has dark hair, worn in a single long braid down her back, and dark eyes. She wears a small cloth hat to cover her head, but her braid is visible, in defiance of convention. Her right leg is shorter than her left, making her limp when she moves.

Folpert Berlensis is captain of La main blanche, which he has owned for ten years. Born in Oostkerke in Flanders, on the coastal plain near Bruges, Folpert grew up sailing ships and is an expert sailor. Lacking any national allegiance, Folpert transports cargo to suit his needs, and he is willing to skirt the local authorities in pursuing his business agenda. Pandulph has paid handsomely for discreet passage across the Channel, and Folpert is happy to oblige. Nothing in the negotiation said that other passengers weren't allowed, so Folpert has taken additional people aboard. Pandulph won't be happy about this, but is in little position to argue.

Folpert deals in vis, buying, selling, and even stealing it for important customers. He has a few Mercere contacts that use his services, but is a relatively minor player in the Hermetic vis trade. His life as a sailing merchant is the perfect cover for this trade, providing the means and the excuse to visit ports located near covenants. As the story begins, Folpert has ten pawns of raw vis in various items.

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

Size: 0 Age: 35 (35) Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Merchant; Ways of the Sea; Arcane Lore, Educated, Warrior; Enemies, Overconfident

Personality Traits: Domineering (to crew) +3, Cheery (to passengers) +2, Loyal (transporting Pandulph) +1 Combat:

Dodge: Init +1, Attack n/a, Defense +4, Damage n/a Fist: Init +1, Attack +5, Defense +4, Damage +2

Bludgeon: Init +1, Attack +8, Defense +5, Damage +4 Short sword: Init +2, Attack +9, Defense +6, Damage +7

Soak: +3 Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (astronomy), Awareness 3 (weather), Bargain 4 (grains), Bows 3 (short bow), Brawl 3 (bludgeon), Carouse 2 (drinking songs), Dominion Lore 1 (saints), English 3 (navel terms), Faerie Lore 2 (water faeries), Flemish 5 (navel terms), Folk Ken 3 (port authorities), French 3 (navel terms), German 3 (market terminology), Guile 4 (lying about costs), Latin 4 (pagan authors), Leadership 2 (crewmen), Magic Lore 3 (vis), Normandy Lore 4 (covenants), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (covenants), Profession: Sailor 5 (coast of Normandy), Single Weapon 3 (short sword), Stealth 2 (hiding), Swim 2 (oceans)

Equipment: Folpert usually carries his short sword in a scabbard at his side. He owns a full suit of chainmail, but keeps it in the hold with his other belongings. He has ten pawns of raw vis: 3 Ignem (rust-colored rocks), 3 Creo (dried rose petals), 2 Perdo (blackened fingernail), 1 Animal (rabbit ear), and 1 Imaginem (a small shoe). He also has a Platter of Hermes. This item is almost identical to the item held by Piccardo, and could be mistaken for it very easily; a magus would realize that both were made from the same Lab Text. Folpert uses his Magic Lore to find vis, and the Platter (which he bought with vis) to confirm his finds and ensure that he is not cheated.

Encumbrance: 0 (1)

Appearance: Folpert is a tad shorter than average, with large bushy eyebrows and sandy blonde hair, worn long. His face and arms are sunburned. He usually wears a blue tunic and yellow hose.

Cupid is a faerie, styling himself after the Roman god, with appropriate powers to warrant his name. He is another member of Lady Æthelburh's faerie court. Unlike Argosus, Cupid is a fairly cognizant faerie, knowing that he gains vitality from human emotions. Having discovered Argosus' journey, he is secretly tagging along in hope of entwining new victims in his snares of love, ultimately to increase his own Might. Cupid is mischievous, and delights in the effects his arrows create among the passengers. He has a sense of irony and enjoys seeing the bittersweet results of his efforts. His Might increases if he can get two people to actually fall in love, or if a person kills himself or another due to unrequited love.

Faerie Might: 20 (Mentem)

Characteristics: Int +0, Per +1, Pre +5, Com +1, Str +1,

Sta 0, Dex +1, Qik +1

Size: 0

Virtues and Flaws: Positive Folktales; Greater Power (Cause Love), Increased Faerie Might; Faerie Speech, Greater Presence (x2), Cognizant within Role, Humanoid Faerie, Increased Characteristics, Lesser Power (Flight), Personal Power (Disguise); Meddler; Traditional Ward (wax candles)

Personality Traits: Meddlesome +3, Mischievous +3, Amorous +2

Combat:

This adventure is designed as a drop-in adventure, allowing a storyguide to insert it into a story she already has planned. She could take a break from his story, allowing a beta-storyguide to run this inserted story, before she continues with the main story. If this is not an inserted adventure, the storyguide might need a hook to draw the player characters in. Several Story Flaws can be used to do this, especially those that grant a character a relationship with an NPC who can request their help. Close Family Ties and Mentor both work, with either a family member of the mentor requesting the character to visit or run some waterborne errand. A Dependent that does not live with the character could also request a visit; perhaps they are being threatened by some mundane force and require the character's presence. Any faerie-aligned Story Flaws are also appropriate hooks, with the faerie friend, nuisance, or plaguing entity guiding the character to the ship because he has somehow heard of Cupid's plan.

Dodge: Init +1, Attack n/a, Defense +1, Damage n/a Short Bow: Init +0, Attack +11, Defense +8, Damage +7 Soak: +0

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Pretenses: Athletics 4 (flying), Bows 6 (short bow), Charm 5 (women), Faerie Lore 3 (wards), Penetration 4 (Cause Love), Stealth 4 (hide)

Powers:

Cause Love, 2 points, Init +1, Mentem: Cupid can cause any mortal to fall in love with a target of his choosing. This is not true love, but a temporary, enflaming passion for someone.

Costs 25 spell levels. (Base 4, +3 Sight, +2 Sun) Intricacy points used to decrease Might cost and increase Init.

Flight, 3 points, Init -7constant, Auram: Cupid can fly and can make others fly as well. He cannot carry anyone. Costs 20 spell levels. (ReCo Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1

constant) Intricacy points used to decrease Might cost.

Disguise of the Transformed Image, 0 points, Init +1, Imaginem: A personal version of the Hermetic spell, ArM5, p.146. Costs 10 spell levels. (Base 4, +2 Sun) Intricacy points used to decrease Might cost and increase Init.

Equipment: Cupid carries a golden bow and a quiver that's full of arrows.

Vis: 4 pawns of Mentem, a golden bow.

Appearance: Cupid naturally appears as a nude, eighteenyear-old man, with bright curly hair and gleaming eyes. For much of this adventure he is disguised as as a sailor in his mid-twenties, with a face blotched from too much salt spray and alcohol.

Cupid is a magus-level character, meaning he gets 10 points of Virtues free and has to balance additional Virtues with an equal number of Flaws. He has 360 points to buy starting Pretenses.

Cupid is not a sailor. He knows his disguise will ulti-

mately fail if he spends too much time trying to do sailing things. Consequently, he makes himself look busy, rather than doing any actual work. He may try to assume another guise while aboard. To do so, he will need to get rid of the character he plans to mimic. The easy solution is to lure a character into the hold, overpower him, tie him up, then return to the deck looking like him.

The story begins with the player characters looking for passage aboard a ship. Their reasons for traveling this route should be determined by the storyguide prior to this adventure. This leaves great latitude in deciding the "hook" used to lure the players to this scenario, and should be based on events and happenings in the players' saga. It could be as simple as a routine voyage, taken regularly to supply the covenant with annual provisions. Perhaps the group is returning home, after another adventure that has taken them far from the covenant. If a recently Gauntleted maga is among the group, the characters could be escorting her. "The Ship of Desire" is short and sweet, as adventures go, and a determined group could finish it in a single game session. Additionally, this scenario can be easily inserted within a larger adventure of the storyguide's own design, bridging events or providing a travel story between destinations.

Folpert plans to sail La main blanche from Dover to Harfleur. Most ships bound for France sail to Calais, the shortest route across the Channel, but Folpert is sailing further south. Although he is not averse to taking the shortest route, Pandulph would rather reach Harfleur, where he has

Threading their way through the wharf, past the wattle and daub warehouses and the raucous dockside taverns, the characters find Folpert, who is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Pandulph. If negotiations have not previously been completed, he eagerly listens to the characters' request to board his ship. Both the troubadours and the venditor have already booked passage with him, and are waiting aboard the ship. Since there is plenty of room, Folpert doesn't mind how numerous the PCs' party may be. It should be an easy matter to agree a good price. Folpert seems amiable and trustworthy. He suggests that the party board, since, he claims, he is only waiting for the wind to shift before he sets sail.

Dover is the most accessible English port from the continent, lying only 20 miles from the shores of France. Flanked by the famous White Cliffs, it is bustling with activity. But despite its popularity, it is a dreary, ugly place, with cramped quarters, twisting streets, and dangerous alleys. Like all ports, Dover is home to a varied collection of people. The French and Flemish abound, as do the English, Scandinavians, and Germans. The docks are a sweltering knot of foreign tongues and sweating backs, as cargo is bought and sold, loaded and unloaded, and sent to distant ports. At Dover's perpetual market, merchants ply their trade and craftsmen sell goods from their stalls. Jewish moneylenders set their tents up near the dock's perimeter, eager to assist those with the collateral or good name required to ensure a loan.

Harfleur is a medium-sized port city sitting at the mouth of the Seine. It is the juncture between Paris and the rest of the ocean-bound north, along the Normandy coast to Spanish or Danish lands. Prospective travelers thread through the longshoremen and dockworkers, seeking passage aboard the various cogs and galleys. Ships are the only means of transporting people across the ocean, but even those going inland look to book fare. Sailing up the Seine might take longer than riding a horse to Paris, but the dangers are noticeably lessened. Since most of the cargo is stowed below deck, ship captains are eager to accept passengers, whose fare easily outbalances the responsibility of carrying them.

There is no need to embroil characters in dockside entanglements, unless the storyguide wishes to extend "The Ship of Desire" into a longer story. After the stage is set, and the chaos of the docks described, move the characters directly to Captain Folpert and his ship, La main blanche. If the characters are acting for the covenant, it is reasonable to assume that passage aboard the ship has already been procured. If not, the characters could interview a handful of ship captains, inquiring as to the possibility of passage. In this case, the storyguide will have to create competing captains, but this will not derail the story. Change the name of the captain and the ship if need be; events will transpire despite the players' choice of ferry and they board the same ship that Cupid has secured for the rest of the NPC passengers.

From the docks, the group must climb into a small rowboat, called a "gig," to be ferried to La main blanche. The day dawned clear and pleasant weather makes this ride more thrilling than dangerous. The docks are crowded with ships, many cogs and smaller hulks, as well as southern galleys and Scandinavian longships. Cargo is being loaded with a long, dockside crane, so the gig is free to ferry passengers back and forth, under the steady hand of Folpert. Once aboard, Folpert will point out the characters' berths, a narrow space on the deck allocated to each passenger, where they will store their personal luggage and sleep.

La main blanche is a medium-sized vessel, able to ply rivers and seacoasts as well as hazard the open sea. She is a cog, a flat-bottomed vessel common to the northern seas of Mythic Europe. In sailor's parlance, she is either a small

Players will naturally want to make Folk Ken, Guile, and Intrigue rolls as they interact with the NPCs. Extensive rules for using these Abilities can be found in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 24. After the player characters have interacted with an NPC, the storyguide should secretly roll a Perception + Folk Ken + stress die for each

player character. On a result of 9 or greater, inform the player that something does not seem quite right about the NPC. If the roll is 12 or greater, tell the player that the NPC is deliberately hiding something. Use these rolls to plant suspicion, not give away any secrets.

cog or a large hulk. Cogs are described on page 84 of City & Guild; a hulk is a smaller vessel, more streamlined and narrower than the tubby cog, although both types of ships are very similar. She measures 22 yards long from stem to stern (front to back), and her deck is 8 yards wide at its waist. Two raised decks or "castles" sit at stem and stern, which provide shelter for the passengers, who will spend the entire journey above deck. The forecastle is approximately 7 yards square and juts out over the bow. The stern castle is 9 yards square, extending slightly over the gunwales and stern. Both castles have closed wooden railings surrounding them, their names obviously taken from the fortress. Stairs allow access to both upper decks. The area underneath the decks is not closed in, only covered, making the sides open and exposed. While some privacy exists for passengers staying under the stern castle, it is minimal.

La main blanche has only one deck, below which lies the cargo hold. The deck does not run flush to the ship's sides, allowing water to drain from the deck to the hold. Everything stored below, from transported cargo and finished goods to the sailors' daily supply of biscuits and their personal goods, has to be stored in sealed wooden barrels. This is a rather inefficient, but standard practice. The hold is packed as full as the captain can make it, to maximize his profits. On this ship, the captain has 20 tons of finished wool cloth and grain.

She is steered by two rudders at the stern, one on either side. A pair of oars stationed at her middle aid in steering, but these oars are ineffectual for forward momentum. For this, she relies on her square sail atop a single mast. Folpert has four crewmen to assist him. In a pinch, he and two additional sailors could maneuver the ship.

La main blanche has four sailors, although one is actually Cupid in disguise. They are named Colbert, Emont (Cupid), Gerland, and Norbert. They have known each other for four or five months, as Folbert hires new crewmembers and fires troublesome ones. The sailors are groglevel NPCs.

Characteristics: Int –1, Per 0, Pre –1, Com –1, Str +1, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +1

Size: 0

Age: 25 (25)

Virtues and Flaws: Wanderer; Tough; Compulsion (various dockside vices)

Personality Traits: Vulgar +2, Brave +1, Loyal (to Folbert) +1

Combat:

Bludgeon: Init +1, Attack +8, Defense +5, Damage +3 Fist: Init +1, Attack +7, Defense +6, Damage +1 Dagger: Init +1, Attack +8, Defense +5, Damage +4

Soak: +5

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Athletics 2 (aboard ship), Awareness 3 (at sea), Brawl 4 (fists), Carouse 3 (getting drunk), English 3 (tavern talk), Flemish 5 (songs), Flemish Coast Lore 3 (coves), Folk Ken 2 (prostitutes), French 4 (tavern talk), Guile 2 (accountability), Profession: Sailing 4 (rough weather), Swim 3 (calm waters)

Equipment: Sailing clothes

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Appearance: The sailors all look like sailors: sunburned arms and faces, calloused hands, and weathered clothing.

Colbert, Gerland, and Norbert will certainly notice that Emont is not pulling his weight. Rather than suspect that Emont is really Cupid, they will merely think him lazy, and will complain to their captain. PCs could easily overhear such complaints.

The troubadors and the venditor and his companion are happy to make the characters' acquaintance. They introduce themselves and exchange pleasantries while they arrange their gear in their allocated spots. Folpert is anxiously awaiting the legate, and will not spend much time helping the PCs make themselves comfortable. Just before noon, the legate and his party arrive. They leave their horses with the rest of their retainers, bidding them farewell. PCs noticing his arrival will rightly assume that he is a man of great means. Folpert ferries them to La main blanche, announces that the wind is finally blowing in the proper direction, and sets sail.

Arsizio introduces Pandulph as "Guglielmo Savelli," an Italian merchant banker who had been in England looking after his business interests, and is now returning to Rome. Anyone who noticed Pandulph's large entourage as he arrived, however, might be suspicious. Even for a very important banker, the livery and splendor of his men seemed extravagant. Pandulph and Arsizio demand berths under the rear deck, and insist that they do not share the space with anyone. Folpert agrees and moves his gear under the forecastle. The other NPCs and the players will have to

sleep on the open deck, unless they can somehow convince Pandulph that there is ample room beneath the rear deck to shelter everyone. Pandulph is not inclined to agree, and Arsizio silently reinforces Pandulph's decision with a bellicose swagger.

PCs may be curious about Bue, whom Piccardo keeps hooded. Piccardo dismisses their inquiries, saying that Bue is merely his escort, and not to pay the big man any attention. If the PCs mention that they are attached to a Hermetic covenant, Piccardo indicates his vocation, and says that Bue is merely a vassal of Piccardo's employer.

Unknown to all, Cupid has been aboard since dawn, arriving with the other sailors who spent the night at a nearby tavern. The sailors are hung over from a night of carousing, and do not notice that their companion is acting differently from normal. Cupid is thrilled at the prospect of this excursion, and spends the morning observing the various interactions between the travelers. It is important to make the PCs the focal point of this story. Cupid will become interested in the PC with the highest Presence Characteristic, although you should keep the PCs' Virtues and Flaws in mind when deciding Cupid's attention. He will unerringly notice any PC with the Flaw Curse of Venus, followed by anyone with the Virtue Venus's Blessing. He naturally gravitates toward any character with True Love, either the Virtue or the Flaw, although his arrows are powerless to affect such a character.

The assault of love begins later that evening. After the evening meal of biscuits, Cupid shoots arrows into two NPCs, making them fall in love with two player characters. These blossoming loves should seem natural, in that the storyguide should select NPCs and PCs who make the love interests believable. Targeting a member of each gender is preferred, but that depends on the particular PCs aboard. If, for example, you have an all-male party of PCs, and have decided against homosexual relationships, then Cupid will shoot Elena and Carelia with arrows.

The besotted are vastly interested in their new loves, and want to hear all about them. They are also willing, even eager, to talk about themselves. This is a good opportunity for two PCs to subtly interrogate the two love-struck NPCs. Probing questions will force a Love vs. Loyalty check, as described in the Mechanics of Love insert. Even if the NPC succeeds in maintaining his secret, he will still puff himself up and exaggerate his importance. For example, Arsizio will inform his love that he is protecting Pandulph, who is carrying a very important book to the pope, one that will "put those intellectuals in their place." Piccardo will talk about his important mission, claiming that no one else could manage it. There is no privacy aboard the ship, and the lovers will not be shy. Anyone standing nearby these confessions of love will hear them.

Let the evening play out, with these two romantic attachments commanding most of the activities. Include untargeted PCs by having unaffected NPCs discuss the manifestations of love with them. Each NPC has a companion NPC with him or her, who will be somehow affected by that partner's romantic inclinations. For example, if Arsizio is chasing one PC, Pandulph will ask other PCs about her.

At sunset, those targeted by arrows will suddenly lose their infatuations, and after a few minutes of contemplation, will excuse themselves for bed. Embarrassment overrules suspicion, and rather than ponder why they so suddenly fell in love, they will retire, blaming their actions on the day's wine and the sun.

After dark, Piccardo and Folpert gamble on the stern forecastle. Illuminated by a sputtering candle, they will bet against the roll of the dice. The crewmen will join them, all except Cupid as Emont. The wax candle, his traditional faerie ward, keeps him from coming too close. This behavior will be noticed by the other crewmen. They are all very amiable gamblers, and ask any interested PC to join them.

The Continuing Assault

The previous day's play of love seems somewhat acceptable, but the next day's assault will not be. Cupid again targets the two NPCs from the day before, although this time the affected characters will fall in love with different PCs. Cupid's third arrow strikes a PC, making him fall in love with one of the NPCs not yet the object of anyone's attentions. Something odd is definitely going on, and even the densest PC will realize that love runs amok on the high seas.

Again, let events unfold and enjoy the romantic confusion. Unaffected NPCs will be concerned for their specific companion, and will ask for help in calming or protecting them, as the case may be. Pandulph, for example, might ask the PCs to help him restrain the love-struck Arsizio. Elena might ask the PCs to protect Carelia from an aggressive suitor, who just might be another PC. As the storyguide, you should keep the pressure on, moving back and forth from player to player and focusing on their character's particular entanglement. Spurned lovers from the day before should become involved, asking the new lovers what their intentions are, if they are honorable, and so on. Folpert will

become aware of any commotion. He could ask the PCs to help him handle any rambunctious passengers.

All the while, Cupid stands by, watching the drama unfold. He must physically shoot an arrow to infect someone with love, although when he is in his disguised form, the bow remains invisibly hidden by his disguise power. It looks like he is pantomiming shooting a bow.

On the third day, Cupid decides that a lovers' triangle is due, and shoots two different characters, who both fall in love with the same target. One of the shot characters will be a PC. The second is up to the storyguide. If the group can handle the tension of two of them vying for the same beloved, then shoot two PCs. Besides being merely tense, this could turn violent, so think this

Cupid's arrows make characters fall head over heels in love with other characters. His hope is that the spontaneous bursting of the heart will suppress a character's other agendas. If he is successful, characters act against their better judgment, making foolish decisions over sound ones. Instances will occur when the storyguide has to determine how a character reacts when under Cupid's influence.

The love induced by Cupid's arrows is not permanent, with the effect only lasting for the day. Once struck, an NPC victim receives a temporary Personality Trait of Love +3, targeted at someone of Cupid's choosing. Each NPC has a Loyal Personality Trait to determine how faithful he remains to his own cause. The target of this Loyalty is also indicated. For example, Pandulph is loyal to his revenge agenda, and Piccardo is loyal to his delivery errand. Each character's degree of loyalty, +1 to +3, is listed in the statistical information. Whenever an NPC faces the choice of following Cupid's induced love over his own self-interest, the storyguide should roll two stress dice and add the character's Loyalty score to one and his Love score to the second. If the Loyalty total is higher, the character is able to diffuse love's cravings and keep to his agenda. He is still enchanted, though, and this provides merely a temporary victory over foolishness. If the Love total is higher, the character abandons his personal motivations to the raptures of love.

Cupid can increase a target's love for another by shooting him again with an arrow, continuing the effect for another day. If a character previously struck is hit again, preventing his amorous feelings from ceasing, his Love Personality Trait is increased to +4. By continuing this feat, Cupid can make a character's Love Personality Trait reach +6, but no higher. Additional arrows extend the feelings, but the character's Love Personality Trait will not increase. Also, Cupid is limited by his Faerie Might in the number of arrows he can fire. He uses them wisely.

PCs struck by an arrow do not get this chance to momentarily quell the pull of love. NPCs have this ability in order to prolong the mystery of their secrets, rather than having them blurt them out during the first conversation. The PCs do not have secrets intrinsic to the plot, and so must follow Cupid's love enchantments whole-heartedly. The storyguide should tell the player that his inflicted character is captivated with this new love, and cannot think of anything else. He is compelled to be near her love, craves his lover's attention, and hangs on his lover's every word and gesture. "Does she notice me? Is she thinking of me?" Plato called love a divine madness, and the storyguide should encourage a player to obsessively focus on his lover.

Not every lover should act the

same way, however. A bold lover will stride towards his love, while a shy lover might linger nearby and hope he is noticed. An insecure lover frets more than acts, and may prefer secret love notes to face-to-face meetings. Use a PC's most pronounced Personality Trait to help the player judge how best to act. Ignore a character's Brave Personality Trait when determining how a character might act. This introspection is designed to force a player to explore the personality of his character.

To help a player determine how his character might act, explain to him that what his character wants most is his new lover's undivided attention. He wants to know all about his new love — her past, her hopes, her future dreams and goals. Due to Cupid's arrow, the beloved already has the PC's attention, and he can't think of anything else except how to get near his love. The PC would like nothing better than to spend the day talking with his lover, walking with her, eating with her, requesting a favor — maybe a silk kerchief, a ring, or some other small, personal effect — and perhaps even stealing a kiss.

Since love is blind, and deaf and dumb, the PC disregards any warnings and good advice offered by his companions. He won't care, for example, that Elena seemed desperately in love with another PC the day before, and will easily construct any sort of reason to explain away her previous actions.

Depending on the number of players, there may be some who aren't directly involved in Cupid's love play. Rather than relegating them to mere spectators, the storyguide can arrange a little sideline gambling for those not targeted by Cupid's arrows. An evening's gambling is another way for PCs to discuss the various NPCs, perhaps even discover through rumor and gossip some of the secrets. Piccardo is reluctant to discuss Bue, but if the gambling goes well, he may warm up to the idea.

The gamblers all have money to lose — a handful of English pennies and maybe a shilling or two. Folpert is fairly well-heeled, and afford to lose up to ten shillings. Piccardo has 3 shillings and 13 pennies to gamble with. Medieval money is covered in detail in City and Guild, page 143. A shilling is worth 12 pennies, and 20 shillings make a pound. Folpert makes casual conversation with the PCs during the game. He will subtly inquire as to the PCs' business. If he finds out they are heading to a Hermetic covenant, he will ask if would care to raise the stakes. He and Folpert sometimes gamble for vis. Do the PCs have any they'd like to gamble with? Folpert will let a PC borrow vis, sell him a pawn for 10 shillings, or buy a magic item from them. If they have vis, Piccardo will use his magic item, the Platter of Hermes, to detect whether it is real. Folpert will pay a PC 5 pawns of vis for any relic or lesser magical item he has. If the PC wins, he can always buy the item back.

There are several ways to handle the gambling. The easiest and quickest way is to make a single die roll that covers the whole evening, with each character rolling a Presence + Carouse + stress die. The highest total is the overall winner. Those with a result of 6 or higher break even, and the lowest total is the loser. Another, more protracted, method is to make this roll for each round of play. Characters place their bets, a number of pennies or shillings or pawns of vis, and then each player rolls a Presence + Carouse + stress die roll, with the winner taking the pot.

Several types of dice games were popular with medieval gamblers, and if the troupe seems to enjoy this, you could actually mimic a medieval dice game. A very popular game is called "Azar," and is similar to the modern day game of craps. Two six-sided dice are used. The player with the dice, called the "caster," rolls the dice. If he gets under a 5 or over a 9, the dice pass to the next player. If he rolls between a 5 and a 9, that roll is called the Azar, and bets are placed. After the betting, the caster rolls again. This second roll is called the Chance. To win, the caster's Chance roll must match his Azar roll. Some Azars have additional Chances, based on the chart below. Any other roll means the caster has lost, and must match all the bets placed against him.

The Azar T	he Chance
5	5
6	6, 12
7	7, 11
8	8, 12
9	9

Azar is a very common dice game, and its rules will be compiled in 1283 in Libro de los Juegos ("The Book of Dice"), commissioned by Alphonso X, King of Leon and Castile. The game is called Hazard in English, hasard in French, azzardo in Italian, and az zahr in Arabic. The Azar rules presented here are a simplified version of the actual game.

This is a very fluid scenario, heavily dependent on the particular PCs involved, especially their gender. The large number of NPCs should provide enough potential romantic attachments for all the PCs. If the storyguide is going to have her players run some of the NPCs, she should make sure that the handed-out NPCs provide suitable matches for those playing PCs. It is important to include every player, and some forethought as to possible romantic matches will make the scenario run more smoothly.

Cupid's agenda is a guideline only. If it becomes difficult to follow, due to the genders and specifics of the PCs, change it. The tension of the scenario should build during the journey. Essentially, Cupid will test the waters with a few arrows on the first day, and increase his efforts (and arrows) as the journey progresses. The storyguide should make the first assault odd but not unusual, heighten the tension with the second assault of love, and culminate Cupid's enchantments in a frenzy of love and jealousy. Do not let the suggested series of events limit your play.

through carefully. It is easier for the antagonist to be an NPC, so it might make more sense to shoot a PC and an NPC. Again, the storyguide should use her judgment. This game of love is more dangerous, and it is entirely possible that the two afflicted characters could come to blows over their beloved.

Since this is the last day of the voyage, Cupid will not spare his arrows, and will shoot all ten of them to create a wild melee of love. This should be a frantic explosion of emotion, pursuit, and lover's conquest. By this time, the PCs should be looking for the culprit of all this, and if he hasn't been discovered yet, Cupid will likely be found out on this day.

While love is Cupid' weapon, it is also his Achilles' heel. The troubadours both know love songs, and if they play them, Cupid may become infatuated with their performance. If a performer's Dexterity + Music + stress die roll beats an Ease Factor of 15, Cupid will not target the performer with his arrows. This brief respite will only last a day.

Elena has the Supernatural Ability Enchanting Music, which she can use to counter the effects of Cupid's arrows. She won't figure this out for herself, and has to be instructed by a player character. If she becomes nervous during the voyage, which is likely during the second day, she plays her psaltery and hopes to enchant the listeners to calm them down. She needs to make a Communication + Enchanting Music + stress die roll against an Ease Factor of 9. To calm someone under the influence of Cupid's arrows, Elena's enchantment has to be more powerful than Cupid's. Compare Elena's Penetration total to Cupid's, which is 10. Calculate Elena's Penetration by subtracting the Ease Factor (9 in this case) from her Enchanting Music roll.

At some point, Cupid should be discovered. Any characters with Second Sight can see through his disguise on a Perception + Second Sight + stress die roll against an Ease Factor of 10. Characters with Magic Sensitivity will not see Cupid, but may feel his presence on a roll of Perception + Magic Sensitivity + stress die against an Ease Factor of 11. Even without these Supernatural Abilities, characters may notice that one of the crewmen is acting oddly, or invent other means of uncovering him. Finally, Argosus can see Cupid, using his Faerie Sight power to see the faerie's true glamour. He won't spontaneously announce this information, but will disclose it if asked.

Once found out, Cupid drops his disguise to claim the credit he feels he deserves. Hasn't he made the voyage interesting? Isn't life itself about love and nothing more? Cupid is not ashamed of his nature, and tells the players exactly what he has been up to. If confronted, he promises to stop. He won't, of course, and his arrows of love continue to fly. He will accept a bargain, however. If two characters agree to marry, and exchange betrothal vows, he will stop molesting the passengers. Cupid will consider this a victory, and his Might will eventually increase. During the scenario, however, it will not, and the spoils of Cupid's victory will happen offstage.

If accosted physically, Cupid will lose his mischievous demeanor and react violently. He flies up into the air and fires arrows at the offender. These arrows aren't enchanted, and can damage the target. Because of his faerie nature, Cupid can't be killed. If wounds reduce him to Incapacitated, he falls to the ground, seemingly dead. At the next sunrise or sunset, however, he will gain his composure, looking none the worse for his defeat.

There are few short-term rewards for this scenario. Regardless of how the PCs fare, they cross the Channel, their intention from the beginning. If they have successfully prevented violence during the crossing, or have somehow assisted its progress, Folpert rewards them with a small gift of vis, or returns any property they lost to him while gambling.

There are potential long-term rewards, or consequences, depending on how the PCs performed. One of them could be returning to the covenant with a new husband or wife. If they uncovered and destroyed Pandulph's evidence, they have his unending animosity, incurring a new enemy for their covenant. This does not entirely remove Pandulph's threat, but greatly diminishes it and postpones his plans. If they make their efforts known to Schola Pythagoranis, they could find new Jerbiton allies. If they assisted Piccardo, they have a new ally, one who rubs shoulders with powerful Verditius magi.

This is not a particularly dangerous story, nor do the consequences have any immediate effect on the covenant as a whole. The storyguide should award characters 5 experience points each, and 2 to 3 Confidence Points. A player who jumped into the story, adding complexity or willingly acting out his character's love-induced antics, should receive an additional Confidence Point. Finally, if a player accepted a marriage bargain to prevent Cupid's manipulations, he should receive an extra experience point and Confidence Point.