Champagne and Burgundy

Story Seed: Donatores' Destruction

A plot is hatched among some of the more aggressive magi and covenants, who have always been leery of the Donatores, to destroy the covenant and claim its valuable sources of Perdo and Corpus vis. One way of accomplishing this would be to engineer grounds for a Wizard War against Eulogius; without him, the covenant would surely fall. This would obligate Florum to come to the aid of their vassal, possibly alienating them further from the rest of the Tribunal.

Story Seed: Restless Dead

The characters have a problem with the restless dead near their covenant and decide to consult the magi of Requies Aeterna. However, it will likely be difficult to persuade Eulogius or his filius to leave and help. Even finding and gaining access to the covenant amid the old ruins may not be trivial.

The eastern and southeastern lands of the Normandy Tribunal are a network of ancient pilgrimage and trade routes, liberally dotted with Gallic and Roman ruins. Ever since Roman times when a great road was built from Lyon to Boulogne, this region has been the main link between Mediterranean lands and northern Europe. The pilgrimage routes head south through many vineyards, passing by Europe's greatest monasteries, several of which are sites of pilgrimage in their own right.

There are few covenants in these lands, perhaps due to the exceptionally strong presence of the Church here, although the roads are oft-traveled by Redcaps who ply the route to and from the Rhine, Greater Alps, and Roman Tribunals. The Mercer House at Cunfin lies strategically on this route, and is also close to the trade fairs of Champagne, where Redcaps often surreptitiously establish their own trading tents.

The region named by the Romans as Campania ("Land of Plains") is a rolling and prosperous territory bounded by the upper Seine to the south and by the forested uplands of the Ardennes and Argonne to its north and east. It is mostly good farmland except for the St. Gond swamp, the large forest of Orient, and a few smaller forests. Champagne's main source of prosperity and fame in 1220 is its cycle of trade fairs, bringing merchants, wares, and wealth from far afield. Over the last century, St. Bernard of Clairvaux founded numerous Cistercian abbeys in Champagne, and their industrious monks have established several cottage industries. Champagne is also known for its red, slightly sparkling wine.

Champagne and Burgundy Covenants

Current Covenants: Cunfin, Atramentum Renatus

Ruined, Abandoned, or Lost Covenants: Bibracte, Lixivia, Moles Magna

The ancient city of Châlons is sited on the River Marne, at a point where the roads extend from the trade fairs north to Reims, Picardy, and Flanders. Unlike the trade cities of Champagne, Châlons is more important as an ecclesiastical city; the bishops of Châlons play an active role in the coronations at nearby Reims, and the city is dominated by two great churches. The basilica Notre-Dame lies on the pilgrimage route that leads further south into Burgundy and ultimately to Santiago de Compostela, and is a place of pilgrimage in its own right, being sited on a spot where shepherds discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary in a burning bush. The freshly built Notre-Dame-de-Vaux is a collegiate church in the new French style, with pointed vaulting and two Romanesque towers. The adjacent college has a famous courtyard of arcades with sixty statue columns of prophets and saints.

Immediately to the south of the city is a large and placid meadow by the river, lightly grazed by flocks, which is part of the estate of the bishop. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (see below) and Pope Eugene III both famously preached here; nowadays the site is considered an auspicious and convenient meeting place for all sorts of travelers, some of whom may be on considerably less-pious business.

Provins prospered greatly under Henry I of Champagne in the latter half of the 12th century, becoming one of the region's principal cities. It is famed for its two annual fairs, the first held from May to June in the upper town, and the second from September to October in the lower town. During the fairs, the city swells into a huge marketplace crammed full with visitors from Mediterranean and northern lands. Apart from numerous merchants, innkeepers, and moneychangers, there are many cloth-makers, dyers, and weavers, and there is a sizable Jewish community. The court of the current count, Theobald IV, stays for extended periods in Provins; it is beginning to become a center for the arts under his patronage.

The lower town of Provins is centered on an 11th-century Benedictine priory, where the relics of St. Ayoul were miraculously located. The upper town has grown around a hilltop castle, which is held by the counts of Champagne. The pinnacle of the upper town's fortifications is the Caesar Tower, a great square watch tower and prison believed to have been erected by Julius Caesar himself.

Theobald IV, Count of Champagne

The current Count of Champagne is a charismatic 19-year-old named Theobald. His lands include many lesser counties and baronies in Champagne, and he is also the overlord of Blois and Chartres in Île-de-France, and Auxerre in Burgundy. However, his mother Blanca of Navarre, who is loyal to the French king Philip, currently rules as regent. The young man is less interested in the usual pursuits of the nobility, such as hunting and castle building, but instead is a budding and gifted poet and musician with a love of literature and travel. His romantic ways and wanderlust cause his mother considerable consternation; she is already beginning to organize a political marriage for the lad.

If your saga follows real history, Theobald will come of age in 1222 and the early half of his reign is troubled, with considerable financial and political difficulties and three marriages. In 1235 his fortunes improve dramatically as he inherits the kingdom of Navarre (in northern Iberia), due to his mother being the daughter of its deceased king, Sancho VI. Theobald will become one of the most accomplished troubadours and poets of his time, to the extent that he becomes known as "the Chansonnier." He famously brings roses from Syria to grow in Provins, from whence Edmund Lancaster of England will add them to his coat of arms.

The Champagne Trade Fairs

There are six main trade fairs in the great Champagne cycle, two each at Provins and Troyes, and one each at Lagny and Bar-sur-Aube, plus several lesser fairs in the other towns. These fairs are one of the principal points of exchange for goods from northern and southern Europe. Woolens from Flanders are typically traded for Oriental spices and luxuries, and merchants from as far afield as Constantinople and Scotland may be found here. The influence of the trade fairs is such that Troyes has even established a system of measurement, the Troy ounce.

Redcaps, mostly organized by Confluensis and Cunfin, erect temporary Mercer Houses at most of the fairs, and trade in vis, books, and other Hermetic items, while also exchanging news and messages. For more information on trade fairs, and those of Champagne in particular, see City & Guild, page 104.

Troyes, also hosting two of Champagne's annual fairs (from late June to early August, and from November to mid-December) is equal in stature to Provins, but considerably more venerable having been founded on the site of a Gaulish fortress. An early bishop, St. Lupus, spared Troyes from Attila the Hun's onslaught by offering himself up as a hostage, and returned only after many years of captivity.

Like Provins, Troyes has two centers: an ecclesiastical district around the cathedral, which has hosted important Church councils in centuries past; and a commercial district where both fairs are held, around the older castle. Henry I, known as "the Liberal," was also responsible for the flourishing of Troyes, founding 13 churches and 13 hospitals in the town. The famous 12th-century poet Chrétien de Troyes (see Chapter 10: Normandy Sagas, The Arthurian Cycle) lived in Troyes for much of his life. A blessed young man from Troyes, Jacques Pantaléon, the son of a local cobbler, will grow to become Pope Urban IV in four decades if your saga follows real history.

Clairvaux Abbey ("clear valley") was founded in 1115 by St. Bernard and is one of the largest and most important Cistercian abbeys in French lands. It consists of a sizable set of austere quadrangles and precincts, comprising mostly lodgings and workhouses, encircled by a sturdy wall replete with watchtowers. Its 300-footlong abbey church, in the shape of a Latin cross, is severely plain and lacking in any ornamentation such as stained glass, carvings, or steeples. In and around the buildings are several placid vegetable gardens and orchards. There is also a spring and a large set of fishponds that are lovingly tended.

Despite the austerity and plain style of the place, the monastery has flourished and served as a model for many other Cistercian houses. The monks are industrious; the abbey workshop produces a great volume of manuscripts, and they have recently founded an industrial forge at nearby Wassy, where iron is smelted. Clairvaux also maintains a townhouse at Bar-sur-Aube. Pope Eugene III, elected in 1145, was a former monk of Clairvaux. The entire abbey has a Divine aura of 6.

Rashi

One of Troyes' most famous sons, after perhaps Chrétien de Troyes, is Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki (1040-1105), better known by the acronym Rashi. A Jewish community was established in Troyes in the 11th century under the protection of the Counts of Champagne. Born in Troyes, Shlomo went to study at the Jewish academies in Worms and Mainz before returning at the age of 25. He is famed for his two great commentaries on the Tanakh and the Talmud, which masterfully combine literal and nonliteral interpretation with allegory and symbolism, and he is thus one of Judaism's greatest meforshim (commentators). Copies of his works may be found in Troyes and in other prominent Jewish communities; the two great commentaries are both tractatus in Theology (Judaism) with a Quality of 13.

The Catalaunian Fields

The Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, one of the greatest and bloodiest battles of the early Dark Ages, took place in 451 in fields not far from the Roman city of Catalaunum (Châlons-en-Champagne). Earlier that year, Attila the Hun, accompanied by his allies, the Ostrogoths, had seized on the weakness of Roman power in Gaul and invaded westwards. By mid-year he had already mercilessly sacked Reims and besieged Orléans; Paris was saved by the prayers of St. Geneviève. The Roman general Aetius led a force of auxiliaries from Italy, and they were joined by the Visigoths under Theoderic, and the Franks lead by their legendary sorcerer-king Merovech. The two forces, each fifty thousand strong, met at the Catalaunian Fields at midsummer.

Attila's diviners correctly foretold disaster for the Huns, but also the death of one of their opponents' leaders. As the Huns attempted to seize a strategic ridge on the battlefield, they were repelled by the Roman alliance, precipitating a rout back into the main body of the Hunnish forces. During the ruckus, Theoderic was slain by an Ostrogoth's spear, although the Visigoth advance fell upon Attila's household guard and forced them to retreat to their fortified camp. They held out long enough to force the Visigoths, who were short on supplies and weakened, to withdraw, allowing Attila's escape. Although his westward conquests were thus thwarted, he lived on to menace Europe for another two years.

The savagery and carnage of the battle was unprecedented, and more than forty thousand were brutally slain. The sixth-century churchman Jordanes wrote that "a brook flowing between low banks through the plain was greatly increased by blood of the slain. It was not flooded by showers, as brooks usually rise, but was swollen by a strange stream and turned into a torrent by the increase of blood. Those whose wounds drove them to slake their parching thirst drank water mingled in gore. In their wretched plight they were forced to drink what they thought was the blood they had poured from their own wounds."

Today the battlefield, about a dozen miles out from Châlons, consists of mostly deserted fallow and scrubland, which is roamed only by a few straggly sheep and grimy peasants. A Malevolent Infernal aura of 3 (see Realms of Power: The Infernal, page 15) is present at this foul place. A dark brook runs below the ridge at the center of the fields. On the anniversary of the battle (at the night of the summer solstice), the stream runs red with blood and the terrifying screams of dying men and horses may be heard. On this night, an ascent of the stream will lead into a nightmarish Infernal regio, where shades of the ancient combatants fight on, goaded relentlessly by warrior demons, and where the dead and dying are piled in great heaps. Any magus prepared to brave these horrors may find that significant quantities of Perdo and Corpus vis can be harvested. Some, but not all, of this vis might be Infernally tainted. A few miles to the east of the battlefield lie the overgrown remains of Attila's camp, fortified with a low wall.

Located in the Champagnois village from which it takes its name, the covenant of Cunfin is home to both magi and monks. This is an unusual arrangement, but it has proven to be a useful one as it allows the Order of Hermes to stay informed about matters within the Church that might concern them. It is here that the concerns of the Order mingle with the matters of the world in more ways than one.

Although the covenant of Cunfin was recognized by the Normandy Tribunal of 1192, magi have occupied the site for much longer than thirty years. Rumor persists that the monastery with which it shares its name was founded by Valoran, a student of St. Nerius, in 1136. The covenant proper was founded by Eloi of Jerbiton, with the support of his parens Jerome, as a vassal of Confluensis. Despite the current presiding Quaesitor's concerns about the potential for conflict with the mundanes, the covenant's close ties to the Church have proved useful to the Order.

Cunfin also plays an important role in House Mercere's operations within the Tribunal. When the old Mercer House covenant in Tours was raided in 1197, the magi of Confluensis saw an opportunity to take advantage of Florum's weakness and suggested that Cunfin host the new one. Given its proximity to the trade fairs of Champagne and Confluensis' agreement to pay for the construction of a Mercere Portal, the Redcaps agreed. That this gave Confluensis and its vassals a monopoly on Redcap services was not lost on their rivals.

The last major event in Cunfin's formative period was the arrival of Celeres of Bonisagus in 1199. An ancient and eccentric magus, upon his arrival he announced that he was seeking the Holy Grail, and that Cunfin would be the castle from which he and his knights would search for it. Many in the Order viewed this proclamation as final proof of Celeres' madness, but he has become an integral part of the covenant.

Like all Cistercian monasteries, Cunfin is a rough and simple place. It lies in a deep, well-watered valley, as most Cistercian monasteries do, and its simple buildings are devoid of all but the crudest ornamentation. It has a single, low tower, and its windows are plain and undivided, lacking the stained glass one might expect. Its crosses are made from nothing fancier than wood.

Unknown to most of the mundane inhabitants, a Magic regio covers the area around the abbey and within it is the covenant proper. Originally in the ruins of a Roman fort, the covenant has been rebuilt by Celeres according to his own vision, so that now visitors are confronted with the sight of a miniature castle, pennons flapping the breeze. While Eloi spends most of his time at the monastery and Angelus rarely ventures forth from his cave, the rest of the covenant's members live here in romantic style.

The regio itself is somewhat of a mystery. Exactly how a Magic regio can co-exist with the strong Divine aura of the monastery is unknown, although it has been the subject of extensive study by several Bonisagus magi. The regio's single level can be accessed by anyone holding a charm made from the stones of the fort.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Bernard de Fontaine (1090-1153), later St. Bernard of Clairvaux, was one of the greatest churchmen of the early 12th century and a leading figure in the reforming Cistercian order. Born into a noble family and entering the monastery of Cîteaux at the age of 21, by the age of 25 he was sent to found the monastery of Clairvaux from the ground up. Great physical hardships were endured at this site — the monks were said to have lived on nothing but boiled vegetables and water, to have slept on pallets, and to have had no heating. Some argue that these circumstances were merely misfortune, others say that such a strict regime was in fact according to Bernard's design. Either way, the survival of the community under such harsh conditions was close to miraculous. The monastery was soon a great success, despite the living conditions not having gotten much less severe; indeed the simple life free of luxuries and a regime of voluntary deprivation attracted many devout followers.

Bernard's personal humility and wisdom, combined with a deep conviction and eloquence, led to his rapid rise in the Church. He quickly became prominent in the elections, councils, and schisms of his day, and he preached the Second Crusade at Vézelay in 1146, ultimately coming to be regarded by many as a leader of Christianity. Throughout his life he continued to eschew luxury and adhered to Clairvaux's spartan regime. He was a vigorous opponent of the liberal intellectualism of Peter Abélard (see Chapter 7: Ile de France, Abélard and Héloïse), and served as prosecutor in his trial for heresy. Bernard is the patron saint of farms and farmhands.

Cunfin's primary purpose is to serve as a buffer between the Order and the Church. As prior of the monastery, Eloi wields a great deal of influence over the monks, especially the abbot. The monks know that their prior is reputed to have mystical powers, but they ascribe these manifestations to his obvious piety and holiness. There is some truth to this, but the abbot knows about Eloi and the Order, and he shares their aims. All of the magi at Cunfin, with the exception of Angelus, have the Gentle Gift, which greatly reduces their problems with the mundanes. In addition, Eloi uses his Holy Influence to give the Dominion surrounding the monastery a Calm temper, further dampening potential conflicts.

In addition, Cunfin serves as one of the Tribunal's Mercer Houses. Providing shelter to travelers is a sacred duty to the monks, and as the abbey lies very close to the trade routes of Champagne, the brothers are quite used to a large number of people coming and going from the monastery. The covenant is a major focus of House Mercere's mercantile activity in the Normandy Tribunal, and a small group of Redcaps call Cunfin home. The covenant also houses a Mercere Portal to Dragon's Rest.

Cunfin also plays host to a number of unusual magi: Grail seekers. Celeres' aims are well known among the Order, and while many question his sense, none question his scholarship. The Bonisagus magus is reputed to possess every book ever written on the subject of the Grail, as well as a great number of works on King Arthur and his legendary adviser, Merlin. More than a few magi have made their way to Cunfin to consult these works for their own research, and Celeres is always happy to have company. Anyone who has visited the covenant can tell stories of his peculiar brand of hospitality.

The Grail Library

Few published works on the subject of King Arthur and the Grail exist in 1220, but that has not stopped Celeres from assembling a formidable body of texts. The books fall into several categories, of which the major works are described here in detail.

Folk Tales

Many of these books are written by Celeres himself, recording the numerous stories he has encountered on his travels. They contain the original stories in their native languages, translations into Latin, and commentary on the works in Latin.

Legends of Brittany Summa, Faerie Lore (Level 3, Quality 5) Author: Celeres of Bonisagus

Description: A collection of stories told by Breton conteurs, transcribed by Celeres of Bonisagus. This large volume describes numerous locations in Brittany that are tied to Arthur, and usually to faeries as well. Arthur's battle with a giant atop Mont St. Michael and Merlin's disappearance into the Forest of Broceliande feature prominently.

Arthur Among the Britons Tractatus, Area Lore: Britain (Quality 5) Author: Celeres of Bonisagus

Description: Numerous Welsh tales tied in some way to King Arthur. These include the story of Culwych and Olwen, in which Arthur and his knights must recover numerous treasures so that Olwen's father will allow the knight Culwych to marry her, and the Welsh Triads, short tales told in threes, like The Three Fortunate Concealments and The Three Great Queens of Arthur. Excerpts from the works of the sixth-century bard Taliesin are also included.

Minor Works: The Book of Taliesin, The Life of St. Efflam, The Life of St. Illtud

British Histories

These books are primarily historical accounts that include occasional mention of Arthur. All are written in Latin.

The Llancarfan Saints' Lives Tractatus, Dominion Lore (Quality 6) Authors: Various monks at the monastery of Llancarfan in the twelfth century.

Description: A collection of hagiographic texts containing numerous references to Arthur. The Life of St. Cadoc mentions him twice, the Life of St. Padarn once, the Life of St. Carannog once, and the Life of Gildas numerous times. These works bridge the gap between the stories and tales of the first group and the histories of this one.

History of the Britons

Tractatus, Area Lore: Britain (Quality 5) Author: Nennius, eighth-century British monk

Description: The author of this work begins by stating "I have made a heap of all that I have found" concerning the history of Britain, beginning with its founding by Brutus, the great-grandson of Aeneas. This is the earliest book to give an account of the life of Arthur.

History of the Kings of Britain

Tractatus, Area Lore: Britain (Quality 9) Author: Geoffrey of Monmoth, a twelfth century Oxford cleric

Description: This book greatly expands upon the work of Nennius, focusing on Arthur's adventures. It also includes the Prophecies of Merlin, a series of prophetic utterances from the legendary wizard. The section on Arthur ends with the king being wounded grievously wounded by his traitorous nephew Mordred and leaving for the Isle of Avalon to treat his wounds.

Minor Works: Annals of Wales, Concerning the Ruin of Britain, The Life of Merlin

Romances

These books are almost all written in French and represent a new development in the Arthur cycle. Instead of histories or folk tales, these are long-form poems that celebrate chivalrous virtues and use the story of Arthur and his knights as instructional devices. These works are Celeres' favorites.

The Lais of Marie de France Tractatus, Charm (Quality 5) Author, Marie de France

Description: Marie de France was a fixture at the court of Marie of Champagne, daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine. This widely popular collection of her "lais" (poems set to music) honored love and chivalry. The original sources for many of these were Breton tales, and their wide dissemination laid the groundwork for the romance form.

Arthurian Romances Tractatus, Etiquette (Quality 6) Author: Chretien de Troyes

Description: A collection of Chretien's four major Arthurian poems, Erec et Enide, Cliges, Yvain, and Lancelot. These deal primarily with the nature of courtly love and the ideals of chivalry.

Perceval

Tractatus, Dominion Lore (Quality 6) Author: Chretien de Troyes

Description: An unfinished story about naive boy who became a knight through a series of misadventures, this is the first work to mention the Grail. His life is changed when he visits a mysterious castle and encounters the equally mysterious Grail. Discovering that his failure to ask about the Grail's true nature has prevent his host, the Fisher King, from being healed of his grievous wound, Perceval sets out to rectify his error. While both Perceval and his fellow knight Gawain triumph in a series of adventures, the secret of the Grail is never revealed, as Chretien died before completing the poem. No fewer than four later authors published their own "continuations," each bringing the story to a close in their own ways.

Joseph d'Arimethie Tractus, Dominion Lore (Quality 5) Author: Robert de Boron

Description: Also called The Romance of the Grail, this book expands upon the mystery of the Grail, explaining that it was the vessel in which Jesus had broken the bread at the Last Supper and that Joseph of Arimethea used to collect Jesus' blood at the Crucifixion. Following the Resurrection, Joseph and his family took the Holy Grail (as Robert calls it) to England, where they and their descendants, including Perceval, guarded it.

Parsifal

Tractatus, Magic Lore (Quality 5) Author: Wolfram von Eschenbach

Description: Written in German, rather than the French of the other major romances, this story is a greatly expanded version of Chretien's masterpiece that differs significantly from the French retellings and continuations. Wolfram is writing about a very different type of Grail from his predecessors, and this book is rich with alchemical and astrological imagery and shows abundant Arabic influence. The story describes the resting place of the Grail as a castle called Munsalvaesche, where is guarded by an order of Templars.

Minor Works: Roman de Brut, Perceval Continuations, Perlesvaus

Eloi, Follower of Jerbiton

Age: 62 (Apparent age: 52)
Personality Traits: Pious +3, Diplomatic +3, Forgiving +1

Eloi is the lynchpin that holds the covenant of Cunfin together. The monks know him as Brother Eligius, the prior, a man respected for his wise council and beloved for his devotion to God. The magi know him as a man deeply concerned about the Order's relationship to the Church. Eloi sees himself as a follower of St. Nerius, a man attempting to bridge the gap between the Magical and the Divine. It is his charisma and devotion that binds together Cunfin's otherwise fractious elements into a workable whole.

A younger son of a minor noble family, Eloi was bound for the church from an early age. His parents intended for him to be a priest, and the boy himself was quite excited by the prospect, but he was found by Jerome of Jerbiton and became a magus instead. While he proved to be a useful tool for Jerome at Confluensis, he was never quite able to reconcile his desire to serve God with his Gift. In 1191, however, he met Angelus, who taught him about St. Nerius. Seeing a way to reconcile his two natures, Eloi moved to Cunfin to join the monastery and founded the covenant. His parens saw this as an opportunity to establish closer ties with the Church, and Eloi agreed. His unique skills and obvious piety led the monks of Cunfin to elect him prior not long after, and he has maintained control of the monastery ever since.

Although he is not a member, he has close contacts with the Priory of St. Nerius (see Realms of Power: The Divine, page 94). Like them, he seeks to have St. Nerius recognized by the Latin Church, but this is secondary to his goal of maintaining peaceful relations between the Order and the Church. With his influence in the powerful Cistercian order, he seeks to smooth over potential conflicts between magi and the clergy. His current concern is the newly created Dominican Order and their vigorous pursuit of heretics. He hopes to keep them away from the Order of Hermes.

Angelus of Ex Miscellanea

Age: 97 (Apparent age 75)
Personality Traits: Calm +2, Merciful +2

When Eloi found Angelus in 1191, in a small cave a stone's throw from the monastery of Cunfin, neither of them expected to have such an impact on each other's lives. Eloi told the eremite of his dream to bring together his faith and his life as a magus, and Angelus told him of the life of St. Nerius. After Angelus showed him the monastery and its regio, Eloi had a vision of the future. At the next Tribunal meeting, the covenant of Cunfin was recognized, with Eloi and Angelus as its founding members.

Before Eloi encountered him, Angelus had not left his cave in several decades. The only record of him the Order of Hermes possesses dates from the Tribunal of 1144, where he presented himself and then entirely withdrew from view. He keeps to himself about his lineage, but Eloi believes that his parens was Valoran, the filius of St. Nerius himself.

Angelus is a holy hermit, living alone in his cave, contemplating the Divine. He believes that Magic is an emanation of the Divine and that to experience Twilight is to see the Face of God. Magi are blessed, in his view, but also cursed. Twilight is a blessing bestowed by God, but to seek it out is sinful. Doing so presumes that one is worthy, while only God can make that judgment.

Angelus is rarely involved in the covenant's affairs, though Eloi and even Celeres have been known to seek his counsel on important matters. The monks of Cunfin know that he lives in the hills above their monastery, and between their holy hermit and their pious prior, they count themselves doubly blessed.

Arthuriana in the Early 13th Century

If the history of Mythic Europe follows our own, then in 1220 two major French Arthurian Romances remain to be written: the Lancelot-Grail cycle (also called the Vulgate Cycle) and the Romance of the Grail (the Post-Vulgate cycle). These are sets of stories by unknown authors that contain mostly pre-existing Arthurian tales, but in a collected form that focuses primarily on the Grail. The former is a five-part cycle that will be completed by the mid-1230s, with the latter being finished by mid-century. The two are largely the same, though the latter substitutes Arthur for Lancelot as the central character in an effort to de-emphasize Lancelot and Guinevere's adulterous relationship. Both of these are increasingly moralistic, and the Lancelot-Grail cycle is the primary source for Sir Thomas Mallory's telling of the story, the version perhaps most familiar to modern readers.

A Grail, a Graal, or a Gral?

The twelfth century French word graal, used by all of the French authors of the romances, was not invented by Chretien, though it is not common. What exactly is meant by it, however, is not entirely clear. In Perceval, the Grail is clearly a dish of some size, as a maiden needs two hands to carry it, and Chretien is quite explicit in what it does not contain, "a pike or lamprey or salmon." Robert de Boron and Chretien's continuers confirm that it is a dish or a vessel. (Robert de Boron is the first to call it the Holy Grail; Chretien refers to it as "such a holy thing" but calls it only "the Grail.") In the later romances, however, its form becomes uncertain, as in Perlesvaus, where it is described as going through a number of changes and ending as a chalice. In all of these, however, the Grail is closely linked to the Eucharist.

Wolfram, on the other hand, uses the word gral in Parsifal, and it is clear he means something very different. He is very explicit in describing the Grail as a stone, and it is linked to the heavens. Wolfram's account differs markedly from the French stories, and his description of the Grail is the most obvious feature.

It is also worth noting the while Wolfram describes the guardians of the Grail as "Templars," he does not mean the Knights Templar. Wolfram's word is templeisen, while the Knights Templar were usually referred to as Tempelherren in German.

Celeres, follower of bonisAgus

Age: 150? (Apparent age 100)
Pesonality Traits: Forceful +3, Charming +2, Absent-minded +2

Celeres' life changed in near the end of the twelfth century when he discovered a copy of Chretien de Troyes' Perceval. What was this "graal" that Perceval was seeking? What gave it such powers? Celeres' perhaps overactive imagination was captured. He immediately set out to find as many books about King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and especially the Grail, as he could. When he heard about the covenant of Cunfin, with its community of monks and its holy hermit, it seemed like something out of the romances he had been reading. Celeres made his way there at once and through sheer force of personality convinced Eloi to admit him as a member.

Celeres is obsessed with the Grail. He is no longer concerned with finding it, as he knows he is not as young as he once was, and he has come to believe that the Grail is something that perhaps cannot actually be found. Still, he wishes to know as much about it as he can and to share that knowledge with his fellow magi. A true Bonisagus, he has begun composing a great story cycle about the Grail, which he hopes will enlighten others about its true, spiritual nature. His time at Cunfin has clearly influenced his views, as more than a few traces of Cistercian thought can be found in his manuscript.

Celeres gets on quite well with the Redcaps that call Cunfin home, and he refers to them as his "knights." He relies on them to bring him any news or word of the Grail that they encounter. He is also quite close to his last apprentice, Artorius, and he hopes that, if he is unable to finish his Grail cycle, Artorius will finish it for him.

Hervé filius Évrard, Follower of Mercere

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

Size: 0

Age: 35 (35)

Decrepitude: 0

Warping Score: 0 (0)

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Redcap; Clear Thinker, Educated, Gossip, Piercing Gaze, Social Contacts; Ambitious; Busybody, Envious.

Personality Traits: Driven +3, Jealous +2

Reputations: Capable 3 (Hermetic), Gossip 3 (Hermetic)

Combat:

Dodging: Init 0, Attack n/a, Defense +3, Damage n/a

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: Bargain 5 (appraisal), Brawl 2 (dodging), Charm 5 (building trust), Code of Hermes 3 (political intrigue), Etiquette 3 (merchants), France Lore 3 (trade routes), French 5 (mercantile), Folk Ken 5 (merchants), Guile 2 (redirection of blame), Intrigue 5 (gossip), Latin 5 (academic usage), Order of Hermes Lore 4 (politics)

Equipment: A collection of enchanted devices useful to a mercantile Redcap, whose effects include Scales of the Magical Weight (InVi 5), Sense the Nature of Vis (InVi 5), Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20), and Trust of the Childlike Faith (PeMe 10), all with Penetration 0 and 24 uses per day.

Encumbrance: 0

Appearance: Hervé le Brun is a stocky, middle-aged man with dark brown hair and olive skin. He bears a strong resemblance to his father, Évrard of Tours, including the latter's tendency to dress in simple town garb. His reassuring demeanor hides a calculating and driven mind.

Although he would never admit it, Hervé would not be where he is today without his foster brother, Renaud Fouinon. Hervé has always felt that his father lavished more attention on Renaud. To some degree this is true, as Évrard is aware of the obstacles Renaud would face within House Mercere as one not of the blood of the Founder. It was during their time at the University of Paris that Hervé's jealousy of his brother came to full flower. Renaud's natural intelligence allowed him to eat, drank, and sleep his way through his coursework while Hervé struggled with the difficulties of Latin, a tongue he had never fully mastered. Yet even when Renaud joined the Goliards, Évrard's support never seemed to waver. Hervé swore then and there to best his brother, and rededicated himself to his studies.

While he has never had the academic mind that his father wished for him, he has proven a shrewd judge of character and a capable negotiator. Hervé has found his calling among the merchants of France, deftly maneuvering his way through trade fairs and always emerging with a substantial profit. While he has taken over as head of the temporary Mercer House at the Champagne fairs, his father has still not given him the acknowledgment he desires. As a result, while Renaud wanders the countryside of France, reveling in his debauchery, Hervé has set his sights on even higher positions within House Mercere.

Artorius filius Celeres, Follower of Bonisagus

Age: 33 (Apparent age 33)
Personality Traits: Loyal +2, Regal +2

A newly Gauntleted magus, Artorius was brought to Cunfin as an orphan at the age of sixteen by Eloi, who intended to make the boy his apprentice and train him as his own successor. Celeres, however, proclaimed that he found himself in need of a "squire" and exercised his right to take Eloi's apprentice as his own. When Artorius passed his Gauntlet (a process Celeres refers to as his "knighting"), his parens gave him the name of legendary king of Britain. Artorius' future plans are unknown.

Évrard de Tours, Redcap

Age: 87 (Apparent age 49)
Personality Traits: Stubborn +2, Grumpy +2

Évrard is the senior Redcap of the Tribunal, and the only one of the covenant's Redcaps to have served at the old Mercer House. He was responsible for the relocation to Cunfin, and now, having rebuilt the network and trained his apprentices, he is ready to retire. He is semi-retired already, as his official duties now require him only to oversee the Mercere Portal to Dragon's Rest. He quite enjoys spending time with Celeres; despite what other magi think about him, Celeres has a playful sense of humor that Évrard finds refreshing after living in a monastery for so long. Évrard appears to be in his late forties, as he did not begin taking a longevity ritual until later in life.

The covenant is home to two other Redcaps, Renaud Fouinon and Hervé le Brun. Both were trained by Évrard, and while Renaud was a foundling brought to the covenant by Eloi, Hervé is Évrard's son. Hervé has taken over his father's position running the temporary Mercer House at the Champagne cycle fairs (see City & Guild, page 104), a position Renaud wanted but was denied, likely because of his membership in the Goliards (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 93). Renaud, along with Celeres and Eloi, is part of the covenant's hastiludium team. They have won the event three times in row, something that Renaud is quite proud of.

Most the monks of Cunfin are ignorant as to its true nature, though most of them have met all of the magi at one point or another (with the possible exception of Angelus). The abbot, the cellarer, and several of the brothers know the truth, and, thanks to Eloi's example, they support the magi's aims. The abbot, a middle-aged man named Martin, is especially sympathetic, and he has used his considerable influence within the Cistercian Order to help the magi as much as he can.

The Future of Cunfin

While the magi of Cunfin currently enjoy an amicable relationship with the Cistercian Order and the larger church, it seems unlikely that the situation can last. The covenant has survived thus far due primarily to Eloi's use of his personal charisma, his Holy Influence, and his relationship with his parens Jerome to keep both the Church and the Quaesitores at bay. Without Eloi, the entire experiment would certainly fall apart. Even with him, the covenant faces significant challenges that it may not survive. (See Chapter 11: Confluensis, The Specter of Rome.)

The southeastern realm of the Normandy Tribunal was the former heartland of the Gauls, and has several ancient settlements that they founded. The duchy of Burgundy itself came into being at the treaty of Verdun in 843, which divided the empire of Charlemagne among his grandsons. The northwestern part of the ancient kingdom of Burgundy fell within the lands apportioned to the western kingdom of Charles the Bald. In the 11th century, Henry I of France granted these lands to his brother Robert, thereby founding a junior branch of the royal Capetian house, which has since proven loyal to the French kings. The Burgundian dukes are also related to the royal houses of Castile and Portugal, partly as a result of their valiant crusading in Iberia.

Unlike Champagne, which relies on trade, pilgrims are the lifeblood of Burgundy and the Church has unsurpassed power here as a result of Burgundy's many influential monasteries, most notably Cluny and Cîteaux, several of which lie along the pilgrimage routes. The current Duke of Burgundy, Hugh IV, is only eight years old. His mother, Alice de Vergy, rules as regent in his stead; like the regent of Champagne, she is also loyal to France.

The duchy of Burgundy should not be confused with the larger kingdom of the same name that lies to its southeast, which is also known as the kingdom of Arelat, being the larger part of the old kingdom of Burgundy that was divided at the treaty of Verdun. That kingdom is split between the Greater Alps and Provençal Tribunals.

The Monasteries of Burgundy

Burgundy is undoubtedly home to the greatest monasteries of Mythic Europe. It boasts Cluny, the mother house of the Cluniacs, Cîteaux, the mother house of the Cistercians, and Vézelay, which houses the relics of St. Mary Magdalene and which is the region's greatest site of pilgrimage. There are many other significant monasteries, including Pontigny (where Thomas Becket spent part of his exile from England), Molesme, St. Seine, St. Benigne, and Fontenay. Clairvaux (see above) is on the northern edge of Burgundy. Many of the monasteries have large vineyards — due to both the favorable geography and climate, and the industry of the monks, Burgundy is one of the richest grape-growing areas of Europe, renowned for its wine.

Originally a Roman town named Autessiodurum located on the Roman road from Lyon to Boulogne, Auxerre has been a spiritual center since the fifth century. One of its earliest and most famous bishops was the fifth-century St. Germanus, a brilliant nobleman who studied in Rome and who was appointed by the Roman emperor as governor of the Gallic provinces. Initially a proud and impious man, he was miraculously converted to a life of prayer and charity by the previous bishop St. Amator, who burned his hunting trophies and gave him the tonsure against his will. Later bishops expanded Auxerre's influence, and it was home to a famous school in Carolingian times. The city has since waned; nevertheless, the pope declared Auxerre a Holy City in the 12th century.

The most venerable establishment in Auxerre is the Abbey of St. Germanus, a Benedictine monastery founded in the sixth century by Clotilda, the wife of the Frankish king, Clovis. Underneath is a large Carolingian crypt adorned by magnificent frescoes, where St. Germanus is buried and which is a site of pilgrimage. The Cathedral of St. Étienne, which started construction in 1215, is little more than a massive building site.

Avallon is a walled town set on a granite hilltop above lush terraced slopes overlooking the River Cousin, on the site of the Roman citadel Aballo. The ancient settlement was sacked by the Goths; fortification of the later town was begun after successive attacks by Moors and then Normans. Nowadays the defenses are formidable, and Avallon is a strategic asset of the Dukes of Burgundy, which has thwarted more than one besieging army in the last couple of centuries. The main attraction, and a major draw for pilgrims, is the Church of St. Lazarus, which is just over 100 years old and houses a relic, a piece of the skull of St. Lazarus, which offers divine protection against leprosy.

The Benedictine monastery of Vézelay is home to the relics of St. Mary Magdalene, one of Christianity's holiest saints, to whom many miracles are attributed. It has been a major site of pilgrimage since the 11th century, and is the starting point for one of the principal pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Iberia. St. Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second Crusade at Vézelay, and Philip II and Richard the Lionheart met here before departing on the Third Crusade. Thomas Becket in exile here announced the excommunication of supporters of the English king Henry II in 1166.

The original monastery, founded by Gerard de Roussillon, was destroyed in the ninth century by the invading Normans who also sacked Avallon. Afterward, it was rebuilt and reestablished on a nearby hilltop; an idyllic location amid scenic hills on the edge of the Morvan, which affords a splendid view of the valley of the River Cure and surrounding lands. A burgeoning town has grown up in the valley below, which prospers from the steady flow of pilgrims.

Despite the sanctity of Vézelay, the place does have a slightly checkered history. Overwhelmed by the flow of visitors, in 1096 the ambitious abbot commenced construction on a much larger abbey church, to be funded by stringent taxes that were levied on the local peasants. The serfs responded by rising up in revolt and slaying the abbot. Then in 1120, after the church was finished and perhaps in Divine retribution, it burned down in a conflagration on the day of the great pilgrimage (22nd July), engulfing a thousand pilgrims. The hilltop Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene has since been rebuilt.

Furthermore, although the monks seem to be in no doubt that the relics, which are housed in the church's crypt, are indeed the true relics of Mary Magdalene, their origin is nevertheless a little hazy. According to one version of events, a saint by the name of Badilo brought the relics from the Holy Land in the ninth century. Another story relates that the tomb of the revered saint was discovered in a crypt at St. Maximim in Provence. A scene of the Unction at Bethany was carved on a sarcophagus, depicting the anointing of Jesus' head by a woman of Bethany, who was presumed to be Mary Magdalene.

The only true wilderness of any size in Burgundy is known as the Morvan; its name, of Celtic origin, means "Black Mountain." This basalt massif is somewhat higher than the surrounding lands, an upland that is frequently wreathed in rain, snow, or mist, and where the rivers are prone to becoming suddenly turbulent and engorged. Much of the Morvan is forested with oaks, hornbeams, and beeches, with some conifers on the higher slopes amid the rocky escarpments. This rolling, impoverished land is sparsely populated, with no fertile fields or vineyards. The few errant peasants who eke out an existence here are mostly shunned by those who dwell in more-civilized parts. Magi here know of several vis sources amidst the Morvan, most of them contested due to the presence of the dark faeries that lurk by the lakes and streams and in the forests.

Bibracte

Mont Beauvray, in the southern Morvan not far from Autun, is the site of the ancient Gallic city of Bibracte, where in 52 BC the Gallic chieftain and king of the Arveni Vercingetorix led the local tribes against the Romans. In the following winter, Caesar began writing his Commentaries on the Gallic Wars here. Its name derives from the double line of wooden and stone ramparts surrounding the hilltop. Bibracte subsequently fell into decline as Autun rose to prominence, and was abandoned.

Centuries later, a covenant of mostly Diedne magi rebuilt the site and its fortifications, and established a cult worshiping Vercingetorix. Many in the Tribunal came to regard them as increasingly insular and intolerant, and their covenant was attacked and destroyed by Flambeau and Tremere magi a few decades before the Schism War. The crumbling ruins have been largely forgotten and overgrown ever since.

A short distance to the northeast of the Morvan and a half-dozen miles to the south of the abbey of Fontenay lies the peak of Mont Auxois, 1300 feet high. Here lie the remains of Alesia, a Gallo-Roman oppidum (a fortified hilltop settlement). It is the site of the famous Roman siege where Caesar won a final victory over Vercingetorix, who was forced to surrender (he was subsequently taken to Rome in chains and strangled years later). Amid the abandoned ruins on the hilltop are bronze-working forges, and a subterranean temple to a Gallic mother goddess, Matres. The place retains a Magic aura and might make a suitable site for a covenant, despite being haunted by the shades of pagan dead.

The Fountain of St. Reina

On the southwestern edge of the hilltop, a Divine aura prevails. St. Reina, a young Christian woman, was beheaded for refusing to wed Olibrius, the Roman governor of Alesia, and a fountain miraculously sprang forth from the spot of her martyrdom. The waters were held to have curative powers and attracted pilgrims for a time, although the place gradually became forgotten and was abandoned in later centuries. The old fountain may be found, shrouded by trees next to the ruins of a Merovingian chapel dedicated to the saint.

The greatest Roman city in Gaul, besides perhaps Lugdunum (Lyon), was named Augustodunum after its founder, the emperor Augustus, and was sited on the principal Roman road between Lyon and Boulogne. The city has endured through the ages and houses probably the most complete Roman remains in the Normandy Tribunal. In the Merovingian era, Autun became an important bishopric and one of the earliest in all of France, which later hosted several Church councils, including one that regulated the Benedictine monasteries in the seventh century. In 1220 the city has become somewhat less important, with the rise of Dijon as the new ducal capital.

Two of the great arched Roman gates still serve as entranceways. The Gate of St. Andrew is in the eastern wall, and the Porta Senonica, leading to Sens, guards a bridge over the River Arroux at the northern edge of the city. On the eastern edge of the town is a vast Roman theater, which held twelve thousand spectators, but which is now used merely as a quarry. In a meadow just across the river and outside the town lie the remains of a temple to Janus, the two-faced god of gates and portals, beginnings, and endings. The remains of miles of ramparts and an extensive system of aqueducts may be found around the old city walls.

The Cathedral of St. Lazarus is at the city's southern end, housing the relics of that saint, which Gerard de Roussillon brought here from Provence in the 10th century — he wanted to establish a pilgrimage site to rival Vézelay, but met with little success. This grand church serves as the chapel of the Dukes of Burgundy and an adjacent episcopal palace is their former seat. In fields about a mile to the southeast of the cathedral is a strange fiftyfoot-high ruined pyramid — likely the tomb of some forgotten Roman worthy.

Langres, a walled hilltop town and the northern gateway of Burgundy, takes its name from the Gallic tribe the Lingones, for it was their capital. The Romans fortified it as Andemantunum; at its peak it was at the intersection of twelve Roman roads. In more recent times, Langres has been ruled by its influential bishops. One of the earliest bishops was the martyr St. Didier — during his brave defense of the town against barbarian invaders, he was beheaded, yet he picked up his head and left on horseback. A chapel was founded on the spot where he later died.

The Cave of Sabinus

In 70 AD, a chieftain of the Lingones, Sabinus, seized on the Roman weakness after the death of the emperor Nero and led a rebellion in Langres. Sadly for him, the rebellion ended in failure, and so the warlord fled the city and took refuge in this secluded cave about ten miles to the south of the city. The cave is adjacent to a forest spring — which is the source of the River Marne — and is home to a powerful genius loci (a spirit of nature). Sabinus bargained with the spirit for its protection, and thus was able to hide away in the cave for nine years, after which time the spirit became tired of his company and he was discovered. Sabinus was taken away to Rome for execution, but the cave and spirit still remain. Aquam vis may be harvested from the spring with the spirit's permission; the site is, however, considered a luctatio by the Tribunal, since the genius loci is notoriously difficult to please.

Robert I of Burgundy moved his ducal seat from Autun to Dijon in 1051. Ever since, the city has prospered and grown fat off the ducal court, becoming an artistic and commercial center, home to poets, artisans, and numerous visiting minor nobles and their toadies. Dijon is now the largest settlement in Burgundy. The only interruption to this burgeoning growth was a major setback in 1137, when a huge fire after a riot destroyed nearly the whole city. Duke Hugh II rebuilt, expanding the walls and erecting a grand ducal palace. In 1220 the foundation stones for a great new church to be built in the new French style have just been laid. The Abbey Church of St. Benignus houses the tomb of the city's founder and patron saint in its crypt.

In 1098, there was a Benedictine monk and abbot of Molesme named Robert (later St. Robert of Molesme). Dissatisfied with the decadence of his own monastery, he left with twenty monks to found a new establishment in a horrible swamp about a dozen miles south of Dijon. Among the cistels (reeds), which gave their name to this new abbey, the monks gradually drained the land and forged a working community, suffering considerable hardship. In the following century Cîteaux prospered under the leadership of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and became the mother house of the new Cistercian order. Now it is the mother of more than 500 Cistercian monasteries spread across Europe, and thus is an important center of Christianity.

Despite its importance, and the great welter of buildings that have sprung up, Cîteaux retains an atmosphere of austerity and pious humility, where rigid discipline and manual labor prevail. The great abbey church, finished in 1193, is the new burial place for the Dukes of Burgundy; they were formerly interred at the cathedral of Autun. Since 1147 there has been an attached monastery called La Trappe, where Trappist monks lead a life of solemn contemplation.

Cluny, founded in 910 by William I of Aquitaine, is quite simply the most awesome and powerful monastery that has ever existed. As the mother house of the Cluniac order, consisting of a thousand monasteries all over Europe, it is at the center of a giant network of power and authority over the Church. All subsidiary houses are answerable to its abbot, with the priors meeting annually here; the abbot himself is answerable only to the pope. Ever since the Gregorian Reforms instituted by Pope Gregory VII and leading to an increase in papal authority, Cluny has been strongly associated with the papacy. Given that many popes were themselves former monks of Cluny, it is easy to appreciate its greatly favored status. Pope Urban II, one of those from Cluny, at the end of the 11th century declared it "the light of the world." However, St. Bernard of Clairvaux later condemned Cluny's decadence, retorting "Will the light shine only if it is in a candelabra of gold?" Cluny's supreme power waxed in the 11th century under a series of talented administrators, sucking in vast amounts of gold from generous kings and dukes across Europe, although it suffered a few intermittent financial crises. In 1220 Cluny has waned slightly with the rise of the Cistercian order, but it remains arguably the most powerful center of Christianity in Europe, rivaling even Rome, and is the leader of western monasticism. In stark contrast to Cîteaux and the Cistercian order, which preach austerity and poverty, Cluny embodies the opposite — wealth, splendor, and magnificence. The abbots of Cluny are well aware of their elevated stature, and are not at all afraid to adopt all the pleasant trappings of such status, living as well as kings.

The abbey proper is a sprawling complex of palatial constructs, dominated by the stupendous Abbey Church of St. Peter and St. Paul that was built by the famed abbots St. Hugh and Peter the Venerable. It is the largest church — indeed the largest building of any type — in all Christendom. Nearly 600 feet long, it has two transepts, four aisles, and five belfries, and has grandiose ornamentation of a magnificence befitting its size. Cluny's library is one of the richest and biggest in Europe. The abbots also maintain an opulent town house in Paris. A large and wealthy town is located adjacent to the monastery — it produces many of the luxury goods demanded by the monks, and is home to specialist craftsmen such as jewelers and goldsmiths. The town exists largely to cater to the needs of the wealthy monks, but also benefits from a steady flow of visitors to the place.

As a great center of the Church, Cluny assuredly has a strong Divine aura. However, many have commented on the extravagant and excessive lifestyle of many of the monks, claiming that they have been corrupted by the temptations of wealth. Therefore, as an optional, somewhat dark take for your saga, you may decide that certain sinister supernatural powers are orchestrating Cluny's gradual corruption and fall from grace. In this case, it is certainly possible that servants of the Devil hide amid its byzantine hierarchy, and that one or more Infernal auras are to be found inside its Divine aura, or that the Divine aura is weaker than it should be in some places.

Helios of House Tytalus and Gulo Midusulfis of House Bjornaer founded a vassal covenant of Fudarus in the Arrée Mountains of Brittany in 1200, which they named Atramentum ("Ink") after their sodalis who died during the founding of the covenant. One year later, five of Fudarus's magi left Fudarus and ousted the two young magi from the site, renaming the covenant Exspectatio (see Chapter 4: Brittany, Exspectatio). Exspectatio did compensate Helios and Gulo by providing resources for a new covenant in Burgundy, around a former legacy of Fudarus. This covenant was named Atramentum ("reborn"), and they have since been joined by Iacula of House Bonisagus and Philip of House Ex Miscellanea.

Helios filius Kybella is a Tytalan theurgist who is fascinated with the schemes of the former covenant of Bribracte (see Chapter 2: Hermetic Culture, Past and Present Covenants), and is investigating whether they succeeded in raising the spirit of Vercingetorix.

Philip is a member of the Donatores (see Houses of Hermes: Societates, House Ex Miscellanea), a tradition which seeks to give final rest to the unquiet dead. Philip was formerly a member of Requies Aeterna, and has only recently joined Atramentum Renatus. He too is interested in the former covenant of Bribracte, and is concerned that Helios's actions are making the ghosts angry.

A Quaesitor is interested as to whether the reports of a ravaging wild beast in the area of the covenant constituted a breach of the Code by Gulo of Bjornaer.

Iacula is fascinated with projectile motion, and as part of her research has come up with a number of spells with great martial potential.