Confluensis

Story Seeds

The Dangerous Device

Fudarus is currently offering a generous deal to new vassals, for Harpax wants new pawns to help him in his feud. The characters are required by their oath of fealty to locate the pieces of a powerful, pre-Hermetic item to assist him against his sister. What Harpax does not know is that the item is actually a relic of House Diedne, that Buliste has manipulated him into wanting to find it, and that she intends to frame him once he possesses it. In the meantime, the characters are left holding a potentially dangerous device, both in a political and magical sense.

False Charges

A merchant commonly used by the characters disappears. Unbeknownst to them, the merchant has been a vital part of Fudarus' network of spies for many years, and Harpax has arranged for him to be imprisoned on false charges (this imprisonment might be caused by either a mundane or a supernatural agency). In attempting to free their ally, the characters receive help from a spirit dispatched by Buliste.

A Third Contender

Three years ago, Porphyrion of Tytalus moved from the Rome Tribunal to Normandy. This powerful Archmage (who has been living as an eremite up until now) asks to join the covenant of the player characters. The political and magical power he brings could prove a major boon to a young covenant. However, local Tytali who have investigated this magus conclude from his personality and reputation that he is considering the leadership for himself, either before (or more likely) after either Buliste or Harpax is defeated. His motives for joining a weak covenant surely must further this goal, if indeed that is his intent.

A New Threat

The feud need not end with the Grand Tribunal; many sagas will only just be getting going by this point. For example, after a tumultuous few years within House Tytalus, the Grand Tribunal comes around and Prima Buliste is in attendance alone. The House and the Order see this as tacit acceptance that Buliste is the true Prima of House Tytalus, and that the feud is over. On the last day of the Grand Tribunal, Harpax arrives at Durenmar. He carries news of a major threat to the Order, and claims that he was serving the House and the Order by putting his life on the line, rather than politicking in the comfort of Durenmar. He believes that he has therefore proved his superiority. Not only is the feud renewed, but the Order has a threat to face. However, it is possible that this danger has been manufactured by Harpax in a desperate bid to win the mantle of Primus Tytali.

The Covenant of the Confluence is the largest of the Quaesitorial covenants in the Tribunal, hidden in the swamps of the Cotentin Peninsula. Normandy is one of the more turbulent Tribunals, so investigators and hoplites dominate Confluensis. Constructed in the shape of giant stone flowers, the covenant represents both growth and stability for the region. Its location at the point where the fresh river water meets the salty seawater is emblematic of its purpose as well: it exists to maintain a balance between the covenants of Normandy. To this end, the covenant maintains several vassals, including the lesser covenants of House Guernicus in the Normandy Tribunal and Dragon's Rest, a Mercer House on the Seine. The covenant itself has suffered a major setback recently, and it remains to be seen if it has the strength to continue in its role.

The covenant was established on the instructions of the Founder Guernicus, to ensure that Hermetic law was respected at the edges of the Order. The initial site for the covenant was the lair of the dragon Gargouille in the swamps that lie between Rouen and the mouth of the Seine. It operated successfully there for many decades, and in time incorporated a Mercer House. Following the Schism War, the Primus of Guernicus increased the size of the covenant, and this, coupled with the increasing volume of traffic along the Seine, made the covenant too large to continue its activities undetected.

The covenant's current site was originally settled as vassal covenant, named the Orchard of Sour Apples after a nearby vis source. Thirty years later, when it was clear that Confluensis needed to relocate, it negotiated the absorption of the client covenant's members and the appropriation of their site. The magi of House Mercere did not relocate; they retained the older site as a vassal covenant called Dragon's Rest, which remains active. At this time, the covenant's symbol was changed from a dragon spewing a fountain of water, which was retained by Dragon's Rest, to a stylized whirlpool. In 1220 the two covenants retain a very close relationship, with the excellent laboratories of Dragon's Rest and the beautiful library of Confluensis used by members of both covenants.

Throughout its history, the covenant has served the policies of the Primus of House Guernicus. During the many crises of the Order, its current location has served as a mustering point and logistical base for the House. In its previous location it was sacked by Diedne magi during the Schism, although three of its members, who were active in other parts of the Tribunal at the time, survived to restore it. It also played a significant role in the effort to cast down Tasgillia, the diabolic Prima of Tytalus.

Confluensis hides within the complex network of brackish marshes that separate the Cotentin Peninsula from the rest of Normandy. The swamps cover over 2500 acres of untamed land. Cotentin is sometimes referred to as an island, because the swamps divide it almost completely from the mainland. The lack of easy road access to the peninsula has reduced the interest of outsiders, so that it is both sparsely populated and free of large noble holdings.

The covenant is further hidden by a ring of magically generated mist and unfavorable currents. The covenfolk are trained to navigate the usual pattern of the current, which can be varied using a magical device in the council chamber of the covenant. The watch grogs have items that allow them to see through mist, and the turb captain has a device that makes the mist more or less severe. The covenant also has a ring of active defenses, which the magi claim to alter regularly.

The covenant was constructed in the swamp's tidal zone. Most of its buildings sit above the water on a series of stone structures, and are connected by a lacework of bridges. The site's high aura and rich vis sources, combined with the Normandy Tribunal's unusual rules for claiming exclusive use of resources, made raising such an unusual covenant feasible. While it does make for a striking display of power, perhaps intended to overawe prisoners and Tribunal delegates, it also served a more practical function. Only a few select magi know that one of the covenant's founders had developed a flaw in her Gift that made this unusual arrangement necessary.

A Place to Begin

This covenant provides a detailed setting for troupes unfamiliar with the unique features of the Normandy Tribunal. Confluensis is part of the Tribunal, but is in many ways aloof from it. It is in France, but away from mundane French settlements. It is a liege, but deals straightforwardly with its vassals. It is subject to the Peripheral Code of the Tribunal, but rarely attempts to breach it. The Confluensis setting illustrates the distinctive features of this tribunal, but allows players to absorb these slowly, over a series of stories

The covenant's major buildings were constructed with a mixture of magical and mundane tools. The central buildings were created magically, as is obvious from their whimsical design. They are raised above the water on platforms that form enormous stone flowers, which lends some weight to the conjecture that the site was colonized by followers of the Terrae cult tradition within House Guernicus.

Any skilled stonemason can tell that the flowers are single pieces of unnaturally shaped rock. The buildings they support seem, superficially, to be made of dressed granite blocks. The stone is similar to that produced by the quarries that provided the stone for Mont Saint Michel. Some buildings were produced with human labor, while others appear to be dressed stone simply because it suited the aesthetic preferences of the magi who created them.

The Great Hall and Guests' Quarters

Most of the covenant's buildings stand on an enormous stone sculpture that resembles, with remarkable attention to detail, one of the sundew plants native to the marshes. It has five broad pads that mirror the insect-capturing pads of the sundew, although one of these pads is insufficiently unfurled to be useful as anything other than a tethering point for boats. Each of the open pads is surrounded by a ring of stone globes that connect to the pad with covered walkways that look, from the air, like the sticky threads of a sundew. The pads are connected by walkways that take the form of stems leading to a central nexus. At the center is a spike of stone six stories high. The magi have recently begun engraving the spire with scenes from the history of their covenant in a way that is deliberately reminiscent of Trajan's column. At the top of the spike is a watch post.

The largest and westernmost pad supports the Great Hall. Its lower floor provides dining and training space for many of the covenant's staff. Its upper floor has a ring of mezzanine rooms, which are used to store supplies and for covenant administration. One end of the hall rises from the very edge of the pad, and on this side a pulley system has been installed to land cargo from the covenant's small fleet of lighters. These are pulled up to the balcony on the upper floor where they are unloaded and their contents stored.

A cluster of eighteen houses surrounds the Great Hall. These houses are of various degrees of luxuriousness, the finest of which are used by the covenant's visitors and senior staff. These houses have supporting columns descending to the swampy earth below, but it is obvious that these were added after the sundew was originally created.

Pad of Gatherers

Proceeding clockwise from the Great Hall, the closest pad houses covenfolk who are involved in the covenant's food production. The covenant's diet is rich in seafood and chestnuts. A mill, a granary, a brewery, and a bakery are also on this pad.

Pad of Crafters

The next pad, which is slightly larger, is home to the covenant's tradesmen. The currents underneath this pad are dependably tidal, and with careful timing they can be used to dispose of the waste of industry. The folk here are cunning ceramicists and gather many varieties of clay from obscure locations in the swamp. The covenant also produces a great deal of paper, made from papyrus reeds. These plants were introduced to the area and were magically propagated by Quaesitors who found temporary paper records convenient.

Pad of Parades

This is an open area used for public events, sports, and Aegis rituals. In addition, the Pad of Parades frequently hosts Tribunal Meetings. When lacking more significant use, it is left to flax driers, rope makers, and other artisans who require large, clear spaces.

Furled Pad

This pad seems unformed, or perhaps curled around an enormous fly. It is not sufficiently wide to be used for residences. Instead, the pad and the stem that leads to it are used for mooring points for the covenant's boats and ships.

Bell Flower

To the west of the Sundew are eight buildings that serve as the residences of the magi. Each is two stories high, and the group rests on the petals of a marvelous, bellshaped flower. Its center is open to the water, so its petals form a ring about an ornamental lake. Rising from the center of the lake are three massive stone stamens, which support a stone disc that is technically the covenant's council chamber. As access without flight is impractical, it is rarely used.

Library Tower

South of the Bell Flower is the Library Tower. It is square, three stories high, and rises directly from the ground. It is the oldest structure in the covenant, and it was created with a ritual that was not designed for this location. Its lowest floor is not used because it is always partially flooded and is filling with silt. The next floor is effectively the covenant's council chamber. It is linked to the Bell Flower with a graceful bridge. The highest floor contains the covenant's library and magical storeroom. The roof is used by sentries, for ceremonies, and very occasionally to light signal fires. A Mercere Portal between Confluensis and Dragon's Rest is also here.

Story Seed: The Bud and the Venelli

The covenfolk awaken after a night of astrological phenomena to discover that a huge stone flower bud has emerged from the swamp. Subsequent research determines that the covenant is not, as was guessed, the creation of magi interested in Terram magic. It is the site of an older compact between the faerie powers and the native Celtic tribe of this region. A faerie with the body of a man and the head of a wild boar rises from the swamp to explain that to bring the bud to flower; the magi need to fulfill their half of the pact. He pours back into the marsh's waters when his message is delivered.

Very little is known about the historical Venelli because their culture was erased first by Romanization, then by Norman conquest. Characters seeking information about the Venelli, by subjecting ancient artifacts to examination, may find that although Christian foundations have obscured all trace of the Venelli on the mainland, on the Channel Island of Jersey some of their relics may still be found. Jerseymen were hired as mercenaries by the last King of the Venelli in his battle against Rome.

Characters seeking the graves of Jersey mercenaries may be attracted to sites said to be haunted by shipwrecked men. Characters may have adventures with the undead, wreckers, and faeries that collect ghosts. Alternatively, it is also said that once a year, on All Hallows Night, a ship departs Le Havre carrying the souls of all drowned sailors off to Hell. The Captain is a terrible creature, but will play fairly for the soul of one of the men he collected hundreds of years ago, and deliver it if beaten. The ghost of a Jerseymen can describe the sacrifices of the Venelli.

The pact between the powers of the marsh and the kings of the Venelli originally involved the sacrifice of enemy kings captured in battle, but by the coming of the Romans, the Venelli had found a simpler alternative. The Venelli would declare a pig their king, truss it up, and fling it into the swamp. The legs have to be trussed correctly, but fortunately the ritual is commemorated on the coins struck by the last king of the Venelli to hire mercenaries to fight Caesar. They show a pig skeleton, trussed with his legs spelling the initials of the king. Characters seeking such a coin may find it:

• On Jersey, allowing characters who dealt with the Ship of the Dead to instead visit the wreckers, ghosts, and faeries;
• In the collection of a numismatic Jerbiton magus, who dispatches the characters to distant places to find a better coin for trade;
• In the hands of a demon, who needs to be tricked into parting with it.

If the characters complete the story and drown a regal pig, the result might be any of the following:

• The covenant gains a source of Rego or Animal vis.
• The covenant gains a new flower on which to build structures. Lacking a player character strongly tied to a floral motif, it is a valerian. When people rest inside the small chambers formed from the valerian's flowers, they find a deep, restorative sleep that heals wounds rapidly and remedies many other medical complaints. It is perfectly suited for a hospital, but why would the spirit of the swamp give the covenant a hospital suited for dozens of people?
• The senior remaining Venelli, the new king of the tribe, gains the ability to sense the proximity of vis, much as pigs can snuffle up truffles.
• Select characters gain the ability to skinchange into gigantic boars, or creatures half-man, half-boar. These are the successors to the Venelli king's bodyguard.
• The characters gain the ability to call up the ghosts of past boar kings, which defend the swamp from intruders. They take the man-boar shape, but their bodies are constructed of water and debris, so they are very difficult to destroy with mundane weapons.
• A white lady, a local faerie, is sent to the covenant as an emissary by the powers of the swamp. Over time she will teach them its mysteries, and lead them on other adventures.

Confluensis's powerful Magic aura derives from its location. It lies at the precise center of the band where nutrient-rich fresh water turns back the sterile salt. Beneath the raised floors of the covenant, at the rise and ebb of the tide, the forces of creation and destruction strive ceaselessly against each other. On spring tides these forces create dancing vortices, which the magi snare in enchanted nets and harvest for vis.

Most of the covenant's buildings and infrastructure are scattered throughout the swamp, but many covenfolk reside on an island, called the Orchard, northeast of Coutances. This island has a useful aura and a vis source, which led to its seizure from a faerie court not long after the site was colonized. On the island is an orchard that produces small, sour apples. If a virgin peels one of these apples with her left hand, the skin takes the shape of her future husband's initial. The flavor of the fruit varies by taster and is thought to predict the sweetness, or otherwise, of the marriage. Few apples have ever been used for this purpose, since the hedge magicians who knew of them were usually illiterate, and Hermetic magi value the Intellego vis they contain too much for them to be wasted. The island's aura, once Faerie, has gradually been transformed to Magic, although a minor Faerie aura reappears on the solstices.

The covenfolk are all that remain of the Venelli tribe. These Celtic people had their capital at Coutances but were first conquered and then colonized by the Romans. Most of the tribe entered the service of the Order when the invading Normans burned their capital in 998. The Venelli were originally pagans; their final king represented himself with a boar, as was common for Celtic monarchs. Their indigenous magical traditions were repressed by the Romans, and then obliterated by House Guernicus after a pagan sympathizer assisted House Diedne during the Schism War.

The modern Venelli make their living providing services for the magi. They sometimes seek goods or services in the southern English ports, but no longer have any role in mundane Norman society. Most speak Norman French or English as a second language. Their native tongue is mutually intelligible to Breton speakers, but has an accent and expressions not found anywhere else. Few have military experience, but their knowledge of the marshlands makes them formidable guerrillas.

The covenant's people dress in wool garments, the raw materials for which are acquired in English ports. Their clothing is brightly colored, using a mix of herbal and mineral dyes. This makes them quite distinct from the surrounding populations and has occasionally led to them being mistaken for faeries.

The covenant was founded to maintain the peace along the sometimes-lawless periphery of the Order, and it has fulfilled its purpose with distinction for several centuries. The Quaesitors of Confluensis are known both for their extensive knowledge of Hermetic law and for their dedication to practical solutions. Over the years, the Presiding Quaesitors of the Tribunal have been known to be merciful when times allow it and harsh when conditions demand it.

The entire Tribunal has suffered a great loss recently. Renita Bjornaer, the Praeco and leader of Confluensis, died last winter. The Presiding Quaesitor, a ruthless magus named Proctor, has stepped in her role as leader of the covenant, but the matter of who will fill her role as Praeco remains to be seen.

Before the Praeco's death, Proctor served as one of the three supporting legs of the Tribunal. As the magus most responsible for policing the relationships between magi, he was Renita's closest ally, though he often preferred a more aggressive approach, while she favored diplomatic solutions. The other two members of this stabilizing triumvirate were (and still are) Jerome of Confluensis and Eloi of Cunfin, both of House Jerbiton. Jerome, the more worldly and diplomatic of the two, acts as the Tribunal's primary liaison with the nobility of France and Flanders. Meanwhile, the pious and revered Eloi, with his contacts in the powerful Cistercian Order, maintains the Tribunal's limited relationship with the Church. With the passing of the Praeco, these three see themselves as the primary force keeping the Tribunal from sliding into chaos.

The Traitors volunteer to be exiled from House Tytalus. They are considered to have lost all of the conflicts in which they were participating. They are untouchable foes, unworthy of the attention of a Tytalus when selecting rivals. There is usually a single Traitor, although elderly Traitors are often accompanied by a younger successor in training.

The first Traitor was Promethea, filia of Kalliste. She agreed to not participate in the struggle against Tasgillia, the demonically corrupted Prima of House Tytalus. Instead, Promethea went to Magvillius and waited for the struggle to end. If the uncorrupted members of House Tytalus had been destroyed, she would have restored the House. Waiting for the defining struggle in the history of the House to end was, however, a deep moral error, according to the Analects of Tytalus. Promethea was unable to participate in the culture of her House and became a hoplite, and eventually a Quaesitor, instead.

The Traitor has a single obligation to House Tytalus: to restart the House's conflicts if they stall. The members of House Tytalus understand that it is useful to have someone outside their games who can make them interesting again if they become stale. The magi of House Guernicus, who have the right to select Quaesitores from other Houses, occasionally select the Tytalus magus who volunteers to be Traitor. The Traitor understands the excesses of Tytalus magi, and for the last few generations has often been trained for their role since early apprenticeship. If the Traitor is not selected as a Quaesitor, she is usually accepted as a hoplite.

Since the time of Tasgillia, the Traitor has borne a magical key as her symbol of office. They do not discuss with others what it is that it does, but most magi conjecture that it weakens the defenses of Fudarus in some way. Others suggest that even were that to have been true centuries ago, some Tytalus Primus in the intervening time must have enhanced the defenses so that the key is now little more than a symbol.

The magi of Confluensis have been selected by the Ruling Council of House Guernicus for their commitment to Hermetic Law and their ability to maintain the peace in this fractious and difficult Tribunal.

Proctor, Follower of Guernicus

Age: 93 (Apparent age 60)
Personality Traits: Ruthless +3, Strict +2, Distrustful +2

Proctor is the Presiding Quaesitor of the Normandy Tribunal, and with the death of Renita Bjornaer, the nominal leader of Confluensis. He has served as Presiding Quaesitor for the last two Tribunal meetings. He seems unlikely to let his housemates elect anyone else for the next Tribunal, despite his House's tradition of rotating the position. His likely successor, in case of accident or Twilight, is his filius Aristarcus.

Proctor's grandparens was killed by Tytalan diabolists, leaving his parens with an abiding hatred of that House. This has been passed on to Proctor, making him extremely suspicious of the Tytalus magi within the Tribunal. He is a strict enforcer of the Code, but also a staunch Transitionalist. His paranoia may yet lead him to take extreme measures in the name of the Order.

Proctor is an older magus, who wears a white beard but has no mustache. His favorite robe is slate green. It is usually clipped with two crossed pins, each a miniature swan's feather, one of lead and the other of ivory. His familiar is a sacred ibis, a souvenir of his youthful rambling. His face is weathered and his hands are leathery, but his skin is pale.

His talisman is a fool's cap bell. It is a palm-sized sphere of brass that has a metal ball within it, so that it chimes when he walks. Proctor carries his talisman in his pocket. He does not discuss its origin with people he distrusts, and so many members of the Tribunal think he carries it to remind himself not to act foolishly. He believes it to be one of the bells worn by Richard the Devil when serving his penance in Rome. It is enchanted with effects that defend against Infernal influence.

Aristarcus, Follower of Guernicus

Age: 52 (Apparent age early 30s)
Personality Traits: Focused +2, Garrulous +2, Aloof +1

Aristarcus filius Proctor is a legal-minded magus who most often argues cases before the Tribunal. His rhetorical skills are unmatched. Proctor's distrust of House Tytalus has not been passed on to him, and although Aristarcus holds to more of a Traditionalist position within their House, the two are frequent allies and have a similar faith in the power of law.

Aristarcus still appears to be in his early thirties, because of a powerful longevity potion. His hair is blond, and he wears it waistlong, which is unusual among mundanes. This choice, mixed with his strong views on mundane non-interference, have caused some to conjecture that he is of noble, perhaps Merovingian, blood. Wise magi do not mention this speculation to him, because he sees it as an accusation of bias. Such accusations are one of the few things that can rouse him to anger. He wears clothes that are considered fashionable among the nobility of Paris, provided fashion does not become too ridiculous. His familiar is a swan, his talisman a sword.

Cavillor, Follower of Guernicus

Age: 43 (Apparent age 35)
Personality Traits: Energetic +3, Optimistic +2, Trusting +1

Cavillor is a younger magus of Transitionalist leanings, originally from the Roman Tribunal. He is Aristarcus' counterpart and most often appears before the Tribunal arguing in defense of magi accused of Code violations. While his skills are not as practiced as those of Aristarcus, he is earnest and tenacious in his pursuit of what he believes is right. He is currently being retained by some of the magi of the pro-Lotharingian faction as a legal advisor, which Proctor is likely to interpret as a personal betrayal.

Cavillor is a clean-shaven young man, with gray eyes and black hair. His skin has a dark tone, which he explains through reference to his family's partly Arabic heritage. His clothing is plain and generally brown. He is married, and wears a ring that entirely lacks magical powers. His talisman is a sixounce block of iron that was a Carolingian exemplar for standard marketplace weights. He has no familiar.

Valerian, Follower of Guernicus

Age: 78 (Apparent age 45)
Personality Traits: Indifferent +3, Deliberate +2, Reliable +2

Valerian is the Tribunal's chief hoplite and enforcer. A known master of Terram, he (along with Adanos Lutorum at Exspectatio) is reputed to be part of the Guernicus Terrae cult. (See Houses of Hermes:True Lineages, page 68.) A slow and methodical man, he is relentless in pursuit of his quarry. He has direct, muscular views concerning the dispensation of justice.

Valerian has dark hair, black eyes, and perfect teeth. He does not smile: a rapid sideways quirk of the mouth is as close as he comes, when pleased. He wears robes of the slate-green fabric produced in this covenant. As a magus who has agreed to serve as a hoplite for an indefinite, extended period, he wears the Tribunal's sash of crimson and grey swirls on significant occasions. His sash is edged with leopard fur, to denote his rank as chief hoplite for the Tribunal, the general to whom the Praeco would entrust military planning during a Wizard's March. His talisman is a five-foot-long steel crowbar of the kind used by masons to lay foundations, which he uses as a walking staff.

Valerian's familiar is an invisible magical spirit. It is able to manipulate dozens of objects in a room simultaneously, and appears to be able to fly. Such a familiar is beyond the ordinary power of Hermetic magic to bind, so Valerian must be a member of some Mystery Cult. To make Valerian's membership less obvious, the spirit often takes the form of a crow.

Valerian is surprisingly popular with the covenfolk, possibly because he does not consider their actions his legitimate concern. He also likes gardening, and his tools and methods have spread among the covenant's food gatherers, making their duties easier. Valerian also occasionally repairs the structures of the covenant using magical rituals. This includes the homes of the covenfolk, and they are grateful for his help even if he is not overly warm.

Jerome, Follower of Jerbiton

Age: 87 (Apparent age 50)
Personality Traits: Caring +3, Friendly +2, Modest +2

Jerome is the Tribunal's primary contact with the nobility of France. The son of minor noble, he was abandoned by a power-hungry uncle after the death of his parents. He was found near death by a Redcap and nursed back to health by a Jerbiton magus who took him as an apprentice.

Unknown to Proctor, Jerome is secretly responsible for saving the lives of dozens of "troublesome heirs." He rescues children who are likely to be killed because of their birthrights, using Mentem magic to convince people they are dead, and then places them in either in monasteries or covenants. Occasionally he finds a Gifted child this way, as he did with Artorius. He knows this is very likely a Code violation, but he continues anyway. He recalls all too clearly what it is like to have someone desire your death simply because of your birthright.

Jerome's relocations cannot be accomplished without the assistance of magi from other covenants. His chief partner in this matter is his former apprentice, Eloi of Cunfin. Any character who is part of this network gains the Dark Secret flaw, but can also count Jerome as a strong ally. Jerome's network of contacts may be ancient; for example, William the Bastard disappeared for eight years during childhood, before returning to claim first Normandy, then England.

When not rescuing children, he takes great joy in his mediocre skill at chess. He maintains many boards in his laboratory, and plays games by letter with several far finer players. He is a popular correspondent, because he does not quit when it is clear he will lose, and plays well enough to be a challenge. He and his correspondents have agreed that one day they must seek the magical chessboard that is one of the Treasures of Britain. He is entirely undeterred by other magi who claim that "chessboard" is a poor translation for the name of an earlier, more obscure Welsh game.

Jerome takes pains to not dress like a nobleman. He looks much like a member of one of the preaching orders, although they generally attract younger men. He carries a wand, and has a bearded vulture as his familiar. The odd things it eats in the swamp have changed the color of its chest plumage to a mossy green.

Eloi, Jerome's fillius, is a politically important member of the Covenant of Cunfin (see Chapter 9: Champagne, Cunfin).

Augustina of Tytalus, the Traitor

Age: 46 (Apparent age 36)
Personality Traits: Concerned About House Tytalus +3, Carefree +1

Augustina is a small, assertive woman who looks both tired and happy much of the time. Her hair is black, but her eyes are blue. Her familiar is a small ape, and her talisman is either a locket on a ribbon or a dagger; no one is sure which, because one is kept permanently wrapped about the other.

The current Traitor, Augustina was trained by the mater of Buliste, the Prima of Tytalus. Augustina was prepared for the role of Traitor from early apprenticeship, and was trained as a hoplite primarily by the previous Traitor. Like most Traitors, Augustina has served for the majority of her life in the Normandy Tribunal, advising her covenant's leader on the games of House Tytalus. Given Proctor's feelings about House Tytalus, it comes as no surprise that she is usually given high-risk and low-trust assignments by the Quaesitores.

Confluensis has three vassals. One is a small covenant with only two members, a Quaesitor and a hoplite. Its location is not defined in this supplement, so that troupes can chose a location convenient to their sagas' needs. Cunfin, described in Chapter 9, Champagne is also a vassal of Confluensis. The last vassal, Dragon's Rest, is a Mercer House.

This vassal covenant inhabits the original site of Confluensis. As its name indicates, it lies around the submerged cavern that served as lair for the dragon Gargouille. It is situated in the estuarine swamps that have formed in a bend on the north bank of the Seine. Its covenfolk are few, and engage in trade. Many are descended from the man who helped kill Gargouille, and other men spared annually by the Bishop of Rouen often enter this covenant's service. Dragon's Rest is the hub of the Tribunal's Mercere Portal network, with connections to Cunfin, Confluensis, and Harco, among others.

One of the officers of the Normandy Tribunal is the Evangelium. This person, always a Redcap, travels to each covenant to report the results of Tourneys. Dragon's Rest is the home of the current Evangelium, Myrina.

The oath of fealty between Dragon's Rest and Confluensis is wordy, but comparatively equitable because of the positive relationship between the Houses of Guernicus and Mercere. The two covenants have agreed to the following points:

• Each will aid the other when any member of either covenant is subject to Wizard's War.
• Each will vote with the other on matters discussed by Tribunal, accepting that Redcaps who lack The Gift are reluctant to vote at Tribunal.
• Each will offer membership to members of the other in case of cataclysmic destruction.
• Each will offer, as rapidly as is possible, any information learned that will influence the fortunes of the other, as far as the duties of Quaesitores and Redcaps permit.
• The trading enterprises of the two covenants will, in so far as is possible, not compete with each other, and will offer each other aid in times of distress.
• Dragon's Rest will pay a tithe of one pawn of vis per year per member to Confluensis.
• Dragon's Rest will provide hospitality to the members of Confluensis who wish to use its laboratories, and Confluensis will provide the same hospitality to Redcaps wishing to use its library. (Confluensis has also allowed members of Dragon's Rest who were not Redcaps to study at its library.)

As the heart of the Normandy Tribunal, Confluensis makes an excellent place for player character magi, presuming they do not mind having other, more senior magi around. Sagas involving the covenant will likely have a political bent, as the leadership's primary concern is holding the often-fractious Tribunal together. The following are few possible starting places for sagas of this type.

With the recent passing of Renita Bjornaer, the Tribunal faces a crisis of succession. The previous Praeco was a powerful and unifying figure in Tribunal politics, despite her advanced age. Now that she is dead, the future is much less certain.

After Renita, the oldest member of the Order in France was her sept-mate, Stellatus. He has no interest in politics, however, and has recently departed for Iberia, where he can be closer to other members of his clan (see Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults). This leaves the next-oldest magus as Celeres of Cunfin.

It would be hard to find a magus who was less like Renita than Celeres. His eccentricities and influence on the Redcaps of Cunfin already worry the residents of Confluensis. Proctor is concerned that he would misuse additional authority. Proctor would like Celeres to be set aside in favor of a more-suitable candidate. Unfortunately, Somnifer of Lapis Crudus, or perhaps Geirlaug of Montverte, is next and each presents a set of difficulties.

In this saga, the players would be working to defuse the succession crisis at the behest of Proctor. His difficulty is that he does not wish to jeopardize his appearance of impartiality in the matter, so he cannot act directly to influence the process. Proctor's criteria for the new Praeco are simple: he wants either someone whom he can trust or someone whom he can control. More than a few magi would rather see Proctor's power checked. The next Tribunal meeting is in a little more than a year. Can the players fulfill the Presiding Quaesitor's demands by then, or will he be forced to step in and act directly?

The pro-Lotharingian Tribunal faction may be a minor annoyance for the Rhine Tribunal, but it presents a serious issue for the Normandy Tribunal. The area that would be taken for the new Tribunal represents not only considerable mundane wealth, but some of the Tribunal's richest vis sources as well. With the loss of these sites, Brittany, already the most vis-laden area within the Tribunal's borders, would produce more vis than all of the rest of the Tribunal combined. With this area dominated by House Tytalus, this could upset the delicate balance of power in the Tribunal (see The Haunted Woods of Broceliande, below).

In this saga, the players would act as Confluensis' agents within and without the Tribunal in advance of the Grand Tribunal of 1228. They would be working to defeat the creation of a new Tribunal, either by convincing the covenants that would make it up not to pursue independence, or by rallying the voting members of the Grand Tribunal against the measure. These efforts could take any number of forms.

Players might also be involved with the formation of a new covenant within the new Lotharingian Tribunal. Confluensis has already made preliminary investigations into a site for a new Quaesitorial covenant and Mercer House. Magi in this type of saga would be the "new law" in a frontier covenant, and while they would have strong connections to the Normandy Quaesitores, they would have their own set of problems to deal with.

Brittany holds more vis and more faerie sites than anywhere else in the Tribunal, with only Fudarus and its vassals anywhere near the area. Numerous covenants have been founded in the area, particularly within the forest of Broceliande, but none have survived. Whether this has been due to territorial faeries or territorial magi is open to debate.

In this saga, in order to combat the growing influence of House Tytalus, a new covenant is to be founded in Brittany with the support of Confluensis. Players can, of course, take on the role of the magi of the new covenant, but they might also be moresenior magi acting as the covenant's sponsors. Either way, the new covenant is likely to be the target of both faerie mischief and Hermetic interference.

One cause for concern among the Order of Hermes is the newly formed Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans. Charged with combating heresy, they have been at the forefront of the Albigensian Crusade in the Provençal Tribunal, leading the fight against the Cathars. One troubling development in the last several years has been the issuance of a Papal Letter of Inquisition, granting the individual bearer extraordinary power backed by the throne of St. Peter. These are extremely rare; only one Dominican has one to investigate the Cathars. Still, they point to a change of stance in Rome, and several magi in the Tribunal, including Eloi of Cunfin and Jerome of Confluensis, are concerned that when the Cathar threat is ended the Church's inquisitors may turn their attention northward.

In this saga, the players are charged with maintaining the Order's tolerable relationship with Rome. This may require acting as troubleshooters who bring back into line magi who provoke the Church and its agents, or it may result in opening diplomatic channels with the Church. This is likely the trickiest of the example sagas to pull off, as the player characters may have enemies on both sides. No matter what they do, there is likely to be someone who disagrees with their approach. Still, many magi believe that the Order's current relationship with the Church cannot persist indefinitely, and it may be better to act sooner, rather than later.

The Order of Hospitallers has recently founded a small settlement nearby that they hope will grow into a City of God. Cities of God, if they develop as designed, should be perfect habitations that are ruled by the Church, in which all people are devout and worldly sins do not occur. Such pure cities, magi fear, must have high Dominion auras, and will likely attract saintly figures and pilgrims. The magi of Confluensis would prefer the Order removed its institution from the Cotentin Peninsula.

The City of God is currently little more than a grant of land and a hospital staffed by three superannuated knights of the Order. Several factors make removing the knights difficult. The knights are:

• Often bearers of the True Faith virtue or Relics.
• Living in a Dominion aura of 4, since their settlement is, in effect, a small monastery.
• Piously devoted in their cause, so countering them is likely to attract the covert assistance of demons.
• Acting under the orders of the leader of their Order, and sworn to vows of obedience.

Many Cities of God fail, becoming little more than retirement homes for aged Hospitallers. Characters able to maintain good relationships with the Church may turn this to their advantage, as the old crusaders have military experience, the ability to train grogs, and may have faced djinns, demons, and faeries in battle. Characters serving Confluensis are required not to set precedents that other covenants could later abuse, so they are required to act in this matter with the closest attention to the limitations imposed by the Code.

St. Giles is venerated in many places within Mythic Europe, but his veneration in Cotentin has taken a strange turn. His statue is used as a fertility charm, and equipped with a large and obvious member from which people shave wood to make a healing infusion. If this were merely an interesting folk superstition, then magi could ignore it, but locals claim that the statue miraculously regrows the wood slivers taken from its member. Either God operates in a way not usually endorsed by his Church, a demon or faerie is manipulating the saint's statue, or it is a magical device. It would be wise for magi to investigate before the Hospitallers become aware of St. Giles. Belief in phallic saints is heretical, and the Hospitallers may feel this is a task for the Preaching Orders.

The covenant of Fengheld, in the Rhine Tribunal, has founded a chapter house near Cherbourg. Chapter houses are not recognized under the Peripheral Code in the Normandy Tribunal, so the single magus who lives in the Cherbourg covenant is considered a cenobite. The presence of a cenobite is usually a minor problem, but her links to the Rhine Tribunal, her proximity to the City of God, and her harvesting of resources that have traditionally been collected by Confluensis make this one difficult to dislodge, or ignore.

The distraction presented by the cenobite will become more severe as time passes. The cenobite will continue to seek recognition for her covenant in the Tribunal, and in time she may gain covenant-mates from the other chapter houses of Fengheld. Eventually, formal recognition of the covenant would become inevitable. Fengheld itself, however, is likely to face a crisis in the near future (as described in Guardians of the Forest, page 82). Skilled player characters may be able to break Cherbourg away from its distant masters, bringing it under the protection of a local liege.

The other saga and story seeds in this section presume that the characters will be working as agents for Proctor or other senior magi, but some troupes may prefer games in which their characters decide their own activities. This can be accommodated with a few simple adjustments. When the characters join the covenant, they take the roles assigned to some of the NPCs described earlier in this section. These characters either do not exist in the saga, or have been encouraged to fulfill other duties in distant Tribunals by the House. The characters serve Proctor's goals for a few missions, allowing them to become familiar with the local political situation. Then Proctor is removed from the game, either in a way that generates a story, like murder, or through a laboratory accident.

Proctor will be replaced by House Guernicus with a senior Quaesitor of excellent reputation, able to demand the respect of the leaders of the other covenants in Normandy. This older Quaesitor will not, however, have a sufficient grasp of the local political situation to formulate policy. If he first trusts, then depends upon, his predecessors' lieutenants, the simplest path for him is to divide the tasks of the House with his younger colleagues. He will continue to act as the public face of the House and negotiate on its behalf. The player characters need to grapple with one or more of the story seeds given in this chapter without detailed instructions from a senior magus. Magi who operate effectively in this way are certain to be considered useful by House Guernicus, and are given interesting assignments by it representatives.