Settlement of the Village

If the player characters miss the clues mentioned in the prelude, their first sign of the project is the first wave of workers. A crowd of woodcutters, carpenters, and general laborers one day arrive with their tools, provisions, work animals, and families. They start clearing the site for the village center and erect two simple communal houses, living in tents while the work is done. Some of their tools are magically enhanced, and the mundane ones are high quality, so the work progresses more quickly and easily than usual. Because craft magic requires the use of Finesse by the workers, it is much easier and simpler to find skilled craftsmen than to train peasants in the use of a magical tool. Whatever magical assistance they have at this time is very simple, for instance making metal bits unnaturally sharp or durable.

Depending on how much time elapses between scouting missions, the changes may appear to be anything from the results of a highly organized and well financed operation to nothing short of magical. Very observant magi using Intellego spells can easily keep tabs on the place almost constantly. In the early years, magical support is discreet and the effects minor. As time goes by, the assistance becomes more overt and powerful.

This section outlines what happens and when as the village expands, if noone else interferes. To begin with the help is from the Soterists and discreet. Eventually the Wächter start to give overt help to expose the situation and give their side an excuse to strike the village down.

Lumberjacks and workers clear trees and, in time, build communal houses. About a dozen families move in, and surprisingly large herds of live-

Villagers build their individual cottages along the river. There is no lack of raw materials and the work is fast and skilled work. New families of peasants, workers and craftsmen come trickling in throughout the year and are housed communally until they can build their own homes. Farmlands expand and livestock donated by the backer arrive as well. Work on a wooden church starts. Population exceeds 50 adults, and the mild weather and ample food works wonders for both children and the elderly. The magic used is the same as in the first year, but more frequent due to the increased population. Several different Mentem effects, using all techniques and between magnitudes 3 and 8 are cast periodically in no discernible pattern, mainly used by Relisius' agents to cultivate the mentality he needs from the villagers and root out any problems before they escalate.

A smithy, several wells, and a watermill are built during the year. Large amounts of surplus meat, grain, and hides are stored in one of the communal halls. Population almost doubles. This year, several wonders happen. Some of the fields and orchards grow

from seedlings to full bloom overnight, allowing a second harvest. Entire generations of young animals grow to maturity in a day. Scores of trees are felled and cut to lumber in the blink of an eye. These events are interpreted as miracles and received well by the populace. Magic used for the aforementioned wonders includes maturing animals or crops (CrAn base 3 magnitude, +1 touch, +2 sun, +2 group, +1 size, and similar Herbam guidelines for fields of crops). Craft magic guidelines from Houses of Hermes: Societates, page 60–61 provide a good idea of what magic is necessary to instantly transform raw materials into a finished product. As an example, a Rego Herbam magnitude 3 Touch/Momentary/Individual effect transforms a large tree into a wooden product, with higher magnitudes affecting more trees at once. The user does require a high Finesse, however.

The common storage hall becomes a trading post for the surplus resources, as well as an ale house and lodgings for travelers. Raw materials for the craftsmen begin to arrive at a steady pace, as does salt for preserving the meat. Population is still growing, and although not as quickly as during the first years, it is still significantly faster than that of an average village. Magic use here is no greater than the second year.

Specialists like masons and engineers move in, many of whom are familiar with the idea of getting help from magi through enchanted devices. The workshops of the craftsmen see improvements, and they start to produce enough wares to sell at the trading post. Work also starts on digging a clay pit, constructing a kiln for firing bricks, and making mortar. The roads, fords and bridges in the area are vastly improved, allowing travel almost regardless of season or weather. More magical devices helping the workers find their way into the village, such as Creo Ignem and Rego Terram devices helping the blacksmith heat his forge and work the iron, the diggers extract clay from the pit and, the tile makers heat the kiln.

The foundations for a stone church are laid. It is planned in such a way that the old wooden church becomes a secondary building for the new one. Work starts on a crypt for keeping several holy relics and saints' bones, as well as on the bell tower. Craft magic is employed to aid the stone cutters and masons, using the guidelines from Houses of Hermes: Societates, pages 60–61.

During this year the stone church is finished, and once the bell is installed, the Dominion spreads. The still-growing population thrives and expands further into the surrounding woods in their search for lumber and for hunting and gathering. Several local Magic and Faerie auras wither away. If things make it this far, the Soterists have achieved their goal — for now — in this place and tone down their involvement. Henceforth, they merely monitor the situation and area and avoid significant magical intervention, relying instead on their influence to send in or recruit the needed resources or persons. There are plans to erect more stone buildings and eventually wall the settlement, once it reaches the size of a town. The old fields are converted into sites for dwellings and shops, and a larger area around the town is laid out for fields and pastures. Such an event

really spells doom for the player magi's covenant, its aura, and the vis sources.