Hermetic History and Culture

In the era of the Founders, the Order of Hermes was not divided in to Tribunals as we know them today. The second Grand Tribunal in 865 created the Tribunals. The great debate confirmed the right of the new Tribunals to pass Peripheral Code laws, which were binding only in their own Tribunal.

The need for improved communications between covenants helped form the basis for the creation of the new Tribunals. The idea was first brought forward by House Mercere, who argued the Redcap network should be based regionally. Redcaps should be trained to work primarily within a small geographical grouping of covenants, so they grew to know the terrain, local magi, and prevailing mundane culture. Those covenants distant from Durenmar were distinguished by their own local customs and already dealt mainly with their neighbors. This sense of regional identity formed much of the basis for the new Tribunals.

The Tribunal of 865 is remembered as one of the most controversial. Despite the role of magical communications and Hermes Portals, it soon became clear that those who favored decentralization would win. The original Tribunals were the Rhine, the West Franks (today the Normandy Tribunal), the Sanctuary of the Alps, and the Roman, the Theban, Britannian, and the Lotharingian Tribunals. The Lotharingian Tribunal covered roughly the kingdom of Lotharingia as it had existed under King Lothair — excluding the Italian area that was ruled by part of the Roman Tribunal, but including the area today known as Toulouse — but it did not survive for very long.

The Normandy Tribunal borders today are not those of the original Tribunal. This shaping of the Tribunal by subsequent events is currently an important subject in Hermetic circles. History is used as a powerful argument in the hands of the Lotharingian Tribunal movement, who are a group of covenants who wish to secede from the Tribunal (and the neighboring Rhine Tribunal) and reform the ancient Lotharingian Tribunal. (See Chapter 10, Normandy Sagas, The Lotharingian Tribunal).

The West Frankish Tribunal initially included the county of Gascony, but did not include the regions of Flanders or Brittany. King Charles the Bald had been forced to acknowledge the independence of Brittany in 846, and faced with the Celtic culture, Breton language, and political independence of the region, it was decided at the Second Grand Tribunal that Brittany was properly situated in the Britannian Tribunal (which itself was later to divide into the Stonehenge, Loch Leglean, and Hibernian Tribunals). The association of Brittany with the British Isles went beyond the cultural, linguistic, and political however, for it also shared a magical heritage deeply influenced by the druids, House Diedne, and the stories of Merlin.

The eastern part of what is today the Normandy Tribunal was originally part of the Lotharingian Tribunal. The mundane kingdom of Lotharingia was split after the abdication and death of King Lothair in 855, his sons dividing the kingdom into three new kingdoms — Italy, Provence, and Lotharingia. Four years after the Second Grand Tribunal established the Lotharingian Tribunal, in 869, Lothair II died without heir. Charles the Bald, King of West Francia, attacked to seize the kingdom and was met with an army by Louis the German, King of East Francia. In 870, at the Treaty of Meersen, the two kings divided the Lotharingian Kingdom.

This political move was met in Hermetic culture by the Rhine and West Frankish Tribunals likewise incorporating the covenants of Lotharingia. While greatly diminishing the size of the Provençal Tribunal, it was a move greatly appreciated by the covenants of that region, who had more in common with the covenants to their east and west and, being distant from the center of their former Tribunal in Provence, lacked political influence therein. There was no reason why mundane events should have caused such a revision, but they formed a pretext and in 898 at the Grand Tribunal the decision was upheld; the Lotharingian Tribunal ceased to exist, its southern region forming what is now called the Provençal Tribunal. There are, however, those who are working to resurrect it.

The Lotharingian Movement

In the last few years the covenants in this region have recalled their heritage. Some now seek not reunion with Provençal, but instead a new Lotharingian Tribunal. This would increase their presence at the Grand Tribunal, allow them to pursue their own paths, and most importantly let them restructure the Peripheral Code. The Normandy Tribunal, while sympathetic to the problems of living with mundanes, is still too restrictive in its interpretation of the Code for the liking of urban magi like those of Florum. The Lotharingians see exciting new possibilities for commercial and cultural development, yet feel stifled by the dead hand of tradition. Sympathetic with the Apple Guild of the Rhine Tribunal (see Guardians of the Forest, page 29), they seek freedom by appealing to the brief existence of their proposed Tribunal in the distant past. (See Chapter 10: Normandy Sagas, The Lotharingian Movement for a full discussion.)

The Viking invasions of the nineth and 10th centuries saw the sacking of several early West Frankish covenants, and the beginning of the fear of the Norse Order of Odin. Many legends spread as to the power of the Norse rune magi, though little is now known as to what their powers involved. Fortunately, within a century Paris was safe, as the fierce Vikings settled and deterred further raids from their kin. By 920 Robert, their leader, had become Earl of Normandy, and was a vassal of the French king. Their duchy, known as the Terra Northmanorum (Land of the Northmen), was eventually to give its name to the whole Tribunal, confirmed at the 17th Tribunal in 983. In light of the preeminence of the Duke of Normandy in the territories claimed by the Tribunal, and the decline of the Franks as a people, the Tribunal supported the proposal of Adrianus of Montverte, and the Tribunal of the West Franks was renamed the Normandy Tribunal.

The Schism War saw violence throughout the Tribunal, with some of the most terrible clashes occurring in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. Fudarus was itself assaulted, and for a long time the Diedne held the upper hand. When the Diedne finally fell, their history and purported crimes were purged from Tribunal records. However, many references remain extant in older books, personal memoirs, and the archives of the older covenants. Documents often possess peculiar gaps or erased pages, which are believed to be excisions carried out by House Guernicus censors. No attempt was made to purge the memories of those who fought, so a great deal can still be reconstructed from their later writings.

For over a century House Diedne had played an important role throughout the Normandy Tribunal, and the lack of a proper understanding of the nature and role they played prevents anyone fully understanding the forces that shaped the Tribunal. History has been to some extent forgotten here. It is quite possible that magi can inadvertently stumble upon references and old texts that lead them into forbidden mysteries with dangerous implications for themselves and the Order.

Many of the ruined sites once frequented by the Diedne are still well known. Terrible magical battles have left scars on the landscape, and there are frequent whispers of the ghosts of those slain in the conflict haunting the living who trespass in these places. When the great House Diedne covenant of Branugurix was finally attacked, the entrances to the regio in which it lay were somehow sealed, and some of the attacking force were never seen again. The recent experience of Lapis Crudus, which reappeared after being trapped for decades in a regio, has reminded the Tribunal that the Diedne may well wait there, plotting their return and revenge upon the Order. Periodic scares have rocked the Tribunal, and many magi have over the years been marched on suspicion of being secretly Diedne sympathizers, or practitioners of their outlawed magics.

Brittany had been in political disorder throughout the 10th century, owing to Norman raids and a series of famines and crop failures. Many Breton leaders fled to the British Isles, and despite occasional victories the duchy was to take many centuries to recover. There can be no doubt this chaotic period was caused to some extent by the magical struggles of the Schism War.

Immediately following the defeat of House Diedne, Brittany was subsumed under the authority of the Normandy Tribunal. The reasons cited at Grand Tribunal were geographical, but there is no doubt House Tytalus and House Flambeau wished to control the former covenant sites of their enemies. Some of the Diedne sites are now forgotten, as the Quaesitores forbade the communication of their locations, while others were swiftly claimed by the victors along with their vis sources. The generation who fought there has long since died or been lost to Twilight, but the ancient Diedne sites still exist, some filled with magical traps and magical riches, and some, it is said, with secrets thatmight corrupt a maga's very soul.

Story Seed: The Language of Vis

A magus of the Provençal Tribunal claims a bounteous vis source within the southern reaches of Normandy, based on the fact that the villagers near the source use "oc" rather than "oeil" to indicate affirmation. The characters are asked to discover whether this is a true language isolate, or whether the magus is trying to pull a fast one.

This wealth of magical resources captured from House Diedne led to an immediate disagreement between the victors. Brittany was relatively vis rich, and some Flambeau and Tytalus magi squabbled over the spoils of victory. There were still deep wounds in the Hermetic community caused by the corruption of House Tytalus in the late nineth century, and despite the fact that they had fought alongside each other, the cessation of hostilities saw the Tribunal's magi begin to once again divide into Northern Tytali and Southern Flambeau. So great did the tension become that by the early 11th century it was feared open warfare might break out between the rival factions. The Quaesitores were now forced to act. With their support Pertheus of Tytalus proposed a set of Peripheral Code rulings that now bear his name (see The Perthean Compact). This granted all of the contested vis sources to the Tribunal as a whole, and required magi to compete on a seven-year basis for the right to harvest from them. Many members of Flambeau were disgusted at this, for it took from them what they considered their rightful spoils of the Schism War.

Denouncing the Perthean Compact as a swindle placing power in the hands of the Tytali, three Flambeau-dominated covenants in the south of France stopped attending the Normandy Tribunal and allied with the Provençal Tribunal instead. The matter was clarified at the next Grand Tribunal, dividing the territories of the two Tribunals along linguistic lines, the Langue d'oc region going to the Provençal Tribunal, and the Langue d'oeil to the Normandy Tribunal.

By 1050 the Normandy Tribunal had finally taken its modern borders.

The empire of Charlemagne was not an empire in the same sense as that of the Romans; even the great Charlemagne did not try to directly impose his authority on his vast territories. Instead he relied upon the vassal system, where subject rulers pledged allegiance and fealty and ruled in his name. Vassalage, where the lesser swear oaths of fealty to the greater, is an important part of the medieval mindset.

Vassals owe loyalty to their overlord, but can sometimes war among themselves. As their own power waxes they may become real threats to royal authority, as the dukes of Normandy did after 1066. Vassals may hold land in many different regions, and may well have conflicting loyalties.

These ideas have impacted Hermetic culture. The great covenants of the Tribunal have adapted the idea of fealty, and vassals, into Hermetic terms, and have founded a series of daughter houses similar in some ways to those of the monastic orders (see Liege & Vassal & Covenants).

In the Tribunal there is little space away from the mundane population of the land. The power of the Dominion is made every year more apparent as new abbeys, cathedrals and great churches, and powerful castles spring up across the landscape. Vis sources may be becoming rarer, or is it perhaps that the Hermetic population is growing faster? Either way, vis is quite scarce in the Normandy Tribunal, and despite the great age and cultured traditions of many of the covenants, the lack of resources is leading to increased disputes over vis rights. The Tribunal is aware of this problem, and has made a number of rules to deal with it. Scarcity of magical resources, and the problems of interacting with mundane society, are the key issues facing the magi here. There are few places to hide from the mundane world — few untamed areas of wilderness in this civilized land of adventurous knights, warring lords, influential ladies, and great churchmen. How can the Order cope with the power and demands of the mundane world as it encroaches upon their studies, and their magical work? The compromises demanded when interacting with the mundane world form a key theme in most Normandy sagas.

The sensitivity of the local rulers to military threats to their authority makes castles and fortifications hard to maintain without a noble supporter, but while a "tame" noble companion may be the nominal holder of the castle, what happens if inheritance, conquest, or royal decree removes him from a position of power? What if a rival covenant manages to seduce him over to their side? The covenants of the Tribunal are increasingly seeking new ways to deal with the mundane world, and the tensions are leading to what many magi see as dangerous compromises.

Furthermore, the seeking of companions to act as landholders has led many magi dangerously close to a position of vassalage to mundane overlords. What happens when the mundane overlord seeks the companion's support and feudal service, or even worse, comes asking for support from his magician friends? The Oath denies the magi the right to act as court wizards, and restricts the selling of powerful magic items, but when the liege lord is leaning on his vassal this tension can become deadly. The romances have many tales of knights who sought aid from magicians and faeries — will the magi dare deny aid, even if providing it means a gross violation of the Code of Hermes?

A central question is whether covert aid may be given. If there are no witnesses, or the magic may be explained away as natural events, is it legitimate? Exactly how should "interfering with mundanes" be interpreted? Rather than an academic question for House Guernicus to ponder, this is a real and pressing issue here in the Normandy Tribunal.

Another great issue facing magi in the Normandy Tribunal is the shadow of Charlemagne. This mightiest of monarchs is renowned as great Christian king. The romances celebrating his exploits tend to make much of his role as a champion of Christendom, and a slayer and converter of heathens. The rising popular cult of knighthood derives much of its energy from the chivalric romances, tales which celebrate the crusading virtue of heroes who fight pagans, defeat Saracens, and trick Jews. The Crusades have demonstrated already that those who do not observe conventional piety can easily become victims. The horrific pogroms elsewhere and the Albigensian crusade to the south have acted as a terrible warning of what could come to befall magi and heretic alike. Yet the romances have also some influence on the Hermetic community. Many House Flambeau magi love the tales of Roland and El Cid, and the struggle against the Muslims of Iberia. It is probable the intolerant spirit of the muscular Christianity espoused by these heroic tales may have been a strong influence on the decision of many magi to participate in the Schism War against the avowedly pagan House Diedne. Denouncing rivals as Infernalists, or Diedne, has a long tradition in the Tribunal. Hunting diabolist magi in the Order has become a dark yet significant fashion locally, following the Corruption, or Betrayal, of House Tytalus. Many of the darkest conflicts in Hermetic history took place here, and they cast dark shadows.

The Church is very strong in the area, and Christian virtues are also espoused very clearly by many knights. Even in the wilderness holy men live in hermitages, offering counsel to the greatest in the land, and reputedly working great miracles by their piety. It is a potentially dangerous situation for the Order, and every covenant will eventually have to seek compromise and some form of accommodation with the Church, especially in areas where the pious gaze of the French king falls.

It has often been said nationalist loyalties lay behind the partitioning of the Order in 865 with the creation of the Tribunals. In fact, this may well have had more to do with House politics — some say the activities slowed House Tremere and was part of the Sundering, others claim it was part of their plan to take over the Order. Nonetheless, magi forced to live in close proximity to the kings and clergy of Mythic Europe may develop some sympathies for their homeland, and there is definitely a rivalry to this day between covenants from different regions of the Tribunal. Brittany and Normandy are historic enemies, while the Ile de France and Normandy eye each other with suspicion. Aquitaine has a much more southern culture, and is seen as relaxed and frivolous by some northerners. This does not apply so much to magi — the Order is a supranational organization, more like the Church, although even the clergy can be divided by national issues, as has been shown repeatedly in the last century. Magi may well rise above petty regional politics, and the affairs of dukes and kings, but a more serious threat lies in the partisan politics of grogs and companions that has even led to brawling at Tribunal. Magi at Tribunal should carefully watch their followers for signs of disruptive local loyalties, and expect to have to deal with these prejudices whenever they travel far away from their home.

One of the aspects of the Hermetic culture of the Tribunal is the tradition of the magus errant. In knightly culture, the knight errant is a young, often newly knighted, man who seeks to establish himself politically by his heroic deeds, and win the attention of a powerful patron. An important part of this process is the romantic courting of fair maidens, yet even this disguises a political and temporal motive — the fair maiden is usually an heiress, and eventually the knight errant hopes to marry into wealth and stability, and to be able to hang up his spurs, manage his estates, and found a dynasty. The magus errant is similar; in an area where vis is a scarce resource, he (or she) seeks to demonstrate his usefulness, acquire vis or discover new sources by adventure, and make his name. While nominally allied to a covenant, such young magi travel to the furthest corners of Europe or beyond in search of adventure and magical wealth, then come home to retire to the covenants of Normandy to enjoy the fruits of their new-found magical power and reputation. Of course, the exact nature of the adventure sought by the young magus is determined by his House and personal interests, yet it is probably true to say Normandy magi travel further, and adventure more outside their home Tribunal, than many other members of the Order of Hermes.

The magi of Normandy are, as we have seen, forced to dwell extensively on the issues of living with the mundane world. They are also aware of how much that world is shaped by the great noble dynasties, and the bloodlines that often seem to be somehow connected with particular realms — the Capetians, Angevins, Carolingians, and Merovingians are the most renowned examples. There is a lingering belief that Hermetic magic might manifest in the blood, despite other evidence to suggest The Gift is not hereditary. Mythic Blood is known throughout the Order, and is so common as to not really provoke much comment or interest, though some famous bloodlines do exist — that of the Mercere lineage being the best-known example.

Yet some magi, in light of the importance of the bloodline in their world, have begun to try to trace the mythic bloodlines of the magi of Mythic Europe, and to try to use magic to uncover the genealogy back to their progenitors. While Mythic Blood manifests slightly differently from generation to generation (the magical ability of a magus' father may be slightly different to that of his daughter or son) and often skips generations, these theorists hold that all magi bear Mythic Blood, but it is purer in some than in others. In most magi it is latent, manifesting as The Gift — but in those with the Virtue Mythic Blood the bloodline runs pure, and to these theorists they represent a true magical aristocracy, or a series of magical families, bound by ties beyond even those of membership in the Order. Obviously, this is a highly contentious theory, and very unpopular with those who happen to not be so blessed.

The theory was originated in the 11th century by Metrodorus of Thebes, a Jerbiton magus who became a Quaesitor, and who was obsessed with magical bloodlines and mundane politics. His theory held all of the Founders to be descended from potent magical beings of antiquity, though subsequent theorists disagree on the origin of the blood, and the nature of their ancestral heritage. While not of Mythic Blood himself, he argued both the greatest Hermetic magi and many great noble families shared common ancestors, and felt that it was noble breeding which raised them above common men, not fortune, fate, free will, or even divine blessing. Arguing that magi should always search initially for an apprentice among the great families of Mythic Europe, where by his theory the mythic blood of heroes ran purest, Metrodorus was eventually marched after attempting to take a younger son of a king from a monastery. While this was the overt cause of his failure to win over the Grand Tribunal to his ideas, the divisions he created in the Order, and prejudices he briefly stirred up against those with Mythic Blood, were equally damning — the hereditary controversy of 1132 saw his books burned publicly, and three of his most vociferous disciples Marched alongside him for their role in his crimes. While the advocates were Marched for their actions, the Order made no ruling on the truth or otherwise of his ideas.

As the Order of Hermes swiftly dealt with the controversy, and most of those who carried Mythic Blood had no interest in his theories, Metrodorus' ideas largely died out, except in the Normandy Tribunal. There still remain a few magi who hold that Metrodorus had stumbled on a valuable insight. A few even believe that their Mythic Blood demonstrates they are the rightful rulers of the Order, and hold that councils and Tribunals should be replaced with a system of autocratic rule. Profoundly interested in tracing how the bloodlines are related, they perform extensive research into genealogy, blood parentage, and family relationships. These researches are dangerous and difficult, owing to the lack of mundane records, the secrecy with which magi guard their histories to prevent powerful Arcane and Sympathetic Connections falling in to enemy hands, and the fact that magic exists that can target an entire Bloodline, not to mention the obvious elitism and consequent unpopularity of the theory in the Order. Magi with Mythic Blood may be horrified at being approached by Mystery Cults who claim they are part of this great heritage, and who presume to sneer at "lesser magi." Magi not so gifted may be horrified to discover that their mundane family history is being carefully researched by someone intent on learning their exact genealogy, and who claim they may have some distant claim to a mundane title. Worst of all, magi who indulge in this kind of research also often uncover unpleasant truths about powerful nobles and royalty — bastardry, consanguineous marriage within the forbidden degrees, and other secrets such prestigious personages would do anything to conceal.

With this in mind, the recent resurfacing of these ideas in the Normandy Tribunal following the Angevin and Capetian clash has led to some controversy, and while some magi say that the idea of "familia" of related magi is merely analogous to the guilds of the Rhine Tribunal, there are many who feel these matters are simply too dangerous to be allowed to be openly discussed. Some say the resulting practices could endanger the whole Order of Hermes. Yet the Order thrives on research and ideas — can an idea be too dangerous? The whole issue is bound to divide some future Tribunal if these ideas continue to spread, and as it is a matter of individuals, not covenants, the outcome is still unclear.

The Normandy Tribunal has a number of conventions which magi from other Tribunals find unusual or downright confusing. Many of these revolve around vis: a rare commodity in this Tribunal, known sources for it are jealously guarded. The Schism War left the Tribunal squabbling over the magical resources left behind by House Diedne (see History). So to avert further strife, all vis that does not originate from within the grounds of a covenant was declared to be the property of the Tribunal as a whole rather than of any specific individual covenant. This ruling of the Peripheral Code remains today, and every seven years the covenants of Normandy compete in a tournament to secure the lease for harvesting vis sources for the period between Tribunal meetings. The Tourney, as it is called, also offers opportunities to secure other resources — principally books — and a new covenant can get a good head start in its life by winning prizes in its first tournament.

The Normandy Tribunal is home to over a hundred magi, but its expanding mundane population and concomitant Dominion has resulted in a patchy distribution of its already-scarce supply of vis. The intense competition for what few sources of vis remain has shaped the entire Tribunal, affecting both the size and number of covenants, and the societal ties between them. The provisioning of vis is a matter of importance on the agenda of every one of the Tribunal's covenants, and more ink and parchment has been used detailing the disputes and laws regarding vis sources than any other section of the Tribunal's Peripheral Code.

Normandy's rules regarding the provisioning of vis are collectively known as the Perthean Compact, after Pertheus, the magus who was responsible for drafting the first version of these Code rulings after the Schism War. The defeat of House Diedne left the vis coffers of many covenants severely depleted, and everyone sought to claim the resources left behind by the defeated House. The strife that resulted from the clash between Houses Tytalus and Flambeau (see History, above) left the Tribunal willing to accept a system that fairly distributed a dwindling resource and reduced quarrels over vis ownership. The Perthean Compact revolves around the ruling that all vis sources, whether they are exclusive access in perpetuity or a fixed term lease, belong to covenants, not to individuals. It categorizes vis sources into four types: seisins, legacies, tropaea, and luctationes.

The Tribunal of 1025 ruled that a vis source that is within a day's return march of an established covenant of the Normandy Tribunal is considered to belong to that covenant automatically; such a source is called a seisin. A seisin recognized by the Tribunal grants its owners exclusive right of harvest.

The Tribunal of 1109AD ruled that if a man can get from the covenant's council chamber to a vis source and back again, on his own two feet and unaided by magic, between sunrise and sunset on a day which is within a month of an equinox, then the vis source is a seisin of that covenant. This ruling superseded previous entries into the Peripheral Code which were unclear as to the definition of "a day's return march".

Nearly every covenant in the Tribunal has a specialist called a cursor, or "runner," usually a highly athletic grog, whose sole purpose is to prove to the Quaesitores in a trial run that their vis source is within this range. Cursors are prized members of any covenant, and some trade them like cattle. As a general rule, assume that a fit man can cover a number of miles in a day equal to 10 + (2 x Athletics) cross country. Through untamed wilderness, the distance can be reduced by five miles per day (or perhaps more), whereas well-traveled roads might add five miles per day.

Barnabé

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

Size: 0

Age: 25 (Apparent age 25)

Decrepitude: 0

Virtues and Flaws: Standard Grog; Enduring Constitution, Improved Characteristics, Puissant Athletics; Covenant Upbringing, Proud (Minor), Social Handicap (arrogance)

Personality Traits: Self-Important +3, Loyal +2, Brave –2

Combat:

Fist: Init +3, Attack +4, Defense +6, Damage 0

Dodge: Init +3, Attack n/a, Defense +7, Damage 0

Soak: +3

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, 0, –2, –4, Unconscious

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

Abilities: Area Lore 4 (roads), Athletics 5+2 (day-long running), Carouse 4 (relaxing), Awareness 2 (obstacles), Brawl 3 (dodge), Folk Ken 3 (grogs), French 5 (covenfolk), Guile 1 (avoiding work), Latin 3 (Hermetic), Order of Hermes Lore 2 (seisins), Stealth 3 (woodland), Survival 2 (woodland)

Encumbrance: 0 (Burden 0)

Appearance: An athletic young man in the prime of his life; he has dark hair and a scant beard.

Barnabé is a cursor. He was chosen for this position at the covenant when he showed promise as a child, and received special training in athletics, both long-distance running and sprinting. Because of the attention given to him as a child he is now possessed of a remarkable arrogance, and has an over-inflated view of his own importance. He considers himself to be indispensable to the magi, and treats others as if he were better than them. Due to his facility with Latin, he is often chosen to accompany the magi as an interpreter.

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: Legacies

The Tribunal of 1025 ruled that a vis source which is too distant to be declared a seisin can be made a legacy of the discoverer by a vote of the Tribunal. A legacy lease issued by the Tribunal offers a covenant exclusive rights to harvest from the source, but the terms of the lease last only seven years. The Tribunal of 1032 instituted the need for holders of a legacy lease to acquire renewal of that lease from the Tribunal every seven years at the Tribunal meeting; if the Tribunal votes against the renewal of the lease, the Tribunal takes possession of the legacy and it becomes a tropaeum instead (see below).

Traditionally, any newly discovered vis source is a legacy of the covenant that found it, and it is very common for a new legacy lease to be granted without serious competition. The only exception is if the vis source is close enough to another covenant to be considered a seisin; the rulings regarding seisins take precedence over legacies. The renewal of an established lease is more difficult to achieve, and usually requires backing from other covenants to be successful. Such backing is often too expensive for young covenants, and there is often too much rivalry between the older covenants to achieve viable coalitions to keep legacies in their hands. At each Tribunal meeting, less than half of those covenants trying to renew a legacy are successful. Those that are not renewed become tropaea (see below). Occasionally, a vis source may remain a legacy for many lease periods if there is a reason why the vis would be very hard for another covenant to harvest. For example, it might require a unique item, spell, or password, which the discoverers refuse to relinquish. Alternatively, it might be very close to a covenant, but take more than half a day to reach — it might be up a mountain, at the bottom of a lake, or deep within caverns.

While in possession of a legacy lease, a covenant is guaranteed exclusive rights to harvest its vis. If proof can be offered at Tribunal that a non-leaseholder has harvested vis from a legacy, the offender is automatically found guilty of the High Crime of depriving a magus of his magical power. Mitigating pleas for mercy are almost always granted (see Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 59), so the charge rarely ends in a Wizard's March.

The covenant that holds a lease is entitled to grant the harvest of the legacy to any magus or covenant it desires, including magi who intend to set up a covenant within a day's march of the vis source (thus making it their seisin). This is how most new covenants are founded (see below for more details).

Tricks and Cheats

All covenants have to have a legally recognized council chamber (see below), but this council chamber need not be at the same physical location as the covenant itself. A covenant could decide that having their council chamber in a village five miles down the road is strategically superior, allowing them to claim more vis sources. The Quaesitores occasionally check that the magi really do meet here, and that it is not a fake council chamber.

Some seisins are just assumed to be within the legal distance, but because of difficult terrain they actually take more than the requisite time to reach. However, a claim that remains uncontested stays a seisin until challenged.

Some vis sources have suspiciously easily traversed terrain en route to the covenant that claims them. Magi have financed the building of roads that allow their cursor to reach a source of vis that would otherwise be ineligible as a seisin; others have cut down forests, drained marshes, and so forth; one Merinita magus even moved a hill two miles south!

Covenants have also done the reverse: influence the terrain between a rival and its vis sources to invalidate a seisin. Such extremes are usually only worthwhile if the covenant is able to claim the seisin for themselves, but spite can also be a powerful motivator.

Story Seed: The Trial of Marathon

A vis source is claimed as seisin by two covenants, so the Quaesitores organize a race to see which of the two cursores can get there soonest from their respective council chambers. All sorts of underhand tricks might be surreptitiously employed by either side to ensure that their grog wins the race.

Story Seed: Judge, Herald, or Crook?

The player's magi secure an interim lease on a vis source, but do not gain a single harvest since another covenant with an interim lease gets there first. This happens again and again, with the same covenant contesting all of their new-found vis sources. The magi may come to suspect the Quaesitor with whom they are securing the interim leases of selling this information to their rival. Proving this allegation could be hard.

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: Tropaeum

The Tribunal of 1032 ruled that the known vis sources that were not seisins of a covenant or currently held under a legacy lease were tropaea (singular tropaeum, meaning "trophy") and owned in common by the Tribunal as a whole. Tropaea are to be distributed among the members of the Tribunal on seven-year leases by being won in the Tourney. A vis source becomes a tropaeum, and thus the property of the Tribunal, if it does not qualify as a seisin, and a petition for a legacy lease has been rejected by the Tribunal. Only vis sources that require minimal effort to harvest are eligible to become tropaea; vis sources that require effort or skill to harvest are declared luctationes (see below) instead.

Tropaeum leases, like legacy leases, last from one Tribunal meeting to the next, and the holder of the lease has the same rights of exclusive harvest as the holders of legacy leases. However, a covenant that wishes to establish itself within a day's march of a tropaeum must seek the approval of the Tribunal before it does so, and if they win the vote the tropaeum becomes a seisin of the new covenant.

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: Luctatio

The Tribunal of 1039 ruled that a vis source owned by the Tribunal that relies heavily on the abilities or skill of the harvester becomes a luctatio ("contest") rather than a tropaeum. The list of all luctationes owned by the Tribunal is a matter of public record and a copy is kept at Confluensis, although the method of obtaining the vis need not be detailed. Any magus can attempt to harvest this vis if he is prepared for the effort or danger that it poses, although succeeding in a luctatio does not confer any rights over that vis source in subsequent years. Like tropaea, the Tribunal's permission must be sought before establishing a covenant in close proximity to a luctatio, but it is usually marginally easier to do so.

Luctationes do not cost Build Points to acquire because they do not belong to a single covenant. If a covenant does have exclusive access to a luctatio for some reason, then it is costed as a vis source with the Contested Resource Hook.

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: Interim Leases and Plundering

The Tribunal of 1025 determined the procedure for establishing a seisin or legacy. Upon finding a vis source, the discoverer must report its location to a Quaesitor, who grants an interim lease on the vis until it can be officially declared at the next Tribunal meeting. An interim lease does not hold the same legal weight as a full lease; specifically it does not guarantee exclusivity due to the difficulty of determining which lease was granted first, and who has the stronger claim. Should another covenant discover the same vis source, it may also obtain an interim lease. Multiple leaseholders must settle the matter privately until a final ruling can be made at Tribunal.

All seisins, legacies, tropaea, and luctationes are a matter of public record, but they have the advantage of granting exclusivity of harvest. A covenant which harvests a hitherto unknown vis source but chooses not to secure an interim lease is guilty of plundering, a Low Crime under the Peripheral Code of the Normandy Tribunal. Traditionally the Tribunal has treated such cases harshly (fines have been in excess of three times the amount of vis plundered), and many magi consider that it is not worth the risk. At least a legacy guarantees them seven years of harvesting from a vis source. Nevertheless, given that legacy leases are notoriously difficult to renew, there is a definite incentive for a covenant to neglect to declare a vis source to the Tribunal but to continue to harvest from it clandestinely.

Example Tropaea

• On St. Martin's day, Aquam vis in the form of sea foam is cast up onto a secluded beach.
• Water from a secluded pool is worth Intellego vis if collected when the image of the second full moon in a month is reflected in it (this occurs about once every 3 years).
• If the weather atop a particular hill can be captured in a bottle of blue glass on midwinter's day, it becomes Auram vis.
• The discarded bandages of a certain leper colony are Corpus vis.

Example Luctationes

• A tree in a forest has a basilisk family nesting in its roots; the fruit of the tree, if the basilisks permit collection, is Perdo vis.
• The mournful song of a ghostly maiden is Mentem vis; first she must be enticed to sing her lament, then the magus must capture the song in physical form.
• There is a cliff ledge upon which a falcon nests every year. On the same day every year, a serpent tries to steal an egg; if prevented, the egg contains Animal vis. If successful, the serpent contains Vim vis (if it can be caught).

The Perthean Compact was instituted to clearly delineate the fair distribution of a dwindling resource of vis, and to free the Tribunal from its numerous squabbles over who owns a vis source. Given that it has served to promote more quarrels, not to mention cheating and outright raiding, it is perhaps no surprise that its original author, Pertheus, was a member of House Tytalus.

For example, a certain vis source is common knowledge to several covenants, but a political conspiracy keeps it from being formally registered. The covenants operate this secret vis cartel to ensure that they always receive its harvest rather than it being made a tropaeum for the Tourney.

For example, after a complaint from the Primus of House Mercere, it was clarified by the Tribunal that the various public operations of Redcaps involving the trading and lending of vis were not subject to the Perthean Compact, which only legislated the gathering of vis in Normandy, not its subsequent fate once it becomes the property of magi. However, the covenant of Praeda runs an auction where vis smuggled in from the southern Tribunals is sold to the highest bidder from among the covenants who are members of a consortium. This is contrary to the Perthean Compact because, as a luctatio, it should be a free contest to all, not available to an exclusive clientele who pay a fee to remain part of the consortium. Ironically, the actual plundering of the vis from other Tribunals is not itself a crime in Normandy; it is the manner in which it is distributed that contravenes the Perthean Compact.

The Perthean Compact and New Covenants

Due to the scarcity of vis in the Normandy Tribunal, storyguides may wish to limit the number of Covenant Build Points that can be spent on vis sources and vis stocks. The limit depends very much on the individual saga, but 3 to 5 Build Points per magus to be spent on vis is reasonable. Note that a new covenant has to have vis sources (typically seisins) which produce a pawn of vis per year for every magus in the covenant, although some or all of this vis may be given away due to the feudal obligations of the covenant to its liege. Vis given away in this manner does not cost Build Points.

Alternatively, a new covenant can be created with one or more legacies or tropaea, vis sources that will probably pass from its hands at the next Tribunal meeting. These are bought as normal vis sources, accompanied by the Vis Lease Hook (see below).

Minor Resources Hook: Vis Lease

One of the covenant's vis sources is a legacy or a tropaeum rather than a seisin. When the lease expires, the covenant must campaign at the Tribunal to retain the lease on a legacy; or else compete in the Tourney to win the right to harvest a tropaeum. If taken for a legacy, this Hook presupposes that there is a reason why the vis source is not a tropaeum (for example, it might be newly discovered). This Hook can be taken more than once, affecting a different vis source each time.

A century and a half ago, a famed Hermetic author, Perpauca Bonisagi, wrote several great books for her covenant's library. However, her covenant jealously prevented most visitors from reading them, and Perpauca perceived that much of her effort was going to waste. Therefore, she initiated the practice of writing books and donating them to the Tribunal as a whole. She was widely lauded for her efforts, and achieved some measure of prestige and an altruistic reputation. Perpauca was able to convince several other magi to follow her lead, and, since then, this practice has been followed by others. As a consequence, the Tribunal has a fairly large stock of books that are kept at the covenant of Confluensis, and they are distributed to covenants as prizes at the Tourney.

Contributing an original book to the Tribunal's library grants a magus an automatic prize at the next Tourney, the lease of a book of similar quality to the one offered. In game terms, a character may chose a book that is worth up to as many Covenant Build Points as the one he contributed. Books are assigned to contributors early on in the prize-giving procedure (see The Hermetic Tourney, below), and if more than one contributing author desires access to the same book, then certamen is used to resolve this conflict. Over the years, magi have left comments regarding the quality and subject matter of each tome in a pamphlet attached to each spine; perusing these pamphlets allows a magus to gain an accurate measure of the Quality and Level (if applicable) of the book.

The Perthean Compact and Personal Vis Sources

Players who wish to give their magus this Hermetic Virtue should consider the Perthean Compact when they do so. A Peripheral Code ruling of 1144 makes it clear that any vis that is generated by the person of a magus (in his hair, blood, and so forth) is the sole possession of that magus, and not subject to the Perthean Compact. However, magi with an external vis source must consider the implications of their Virtue choice. The vis source could be a seisin of the covenant, with and internal agreement between the magi of that covenant that the vis belongs to the character, for whatever reason. Alternatively, the vis might derive from a source outside the Normandy Tribunal, and thus not be subject to the Perthean Compact. Combined with the Dark Secret Flaw, the Virtue could be as a result of plundering an undisclosed source, with serious consequences should this be discovered.

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: The Library of the Tribunal

The Tribunal of 1081 ruled that the books owned in common by the Tribunal are available as prizes at the Tourney. Winning a book in the tournament grants exclusive access to that tome for a total of seven years; at which point it is returned to the Tribunal's store. The book store is maintained at Confluensis, and a list of the books and their authors is a matter of public record. These books cannot be consulted by any member of the Tribunal unless they have been won at the Tourney. The leasee is responsible for the book's safety during the seven-year lease, and it must be returned to Confluensis before the next Tribunal in an acceptable state. Books are leased under a Cow and Calf Oath (Covenants, page 95) which states that copies made of a book belong to owner (that is, the Tribunal), not to the copyist.

Story Seed: Lending Library

The characters need a specific book (for whatever reason), which is currently leased to another covenant. What must they concede to the current leasee for them to lend the book to the characters? Further, since the original covenant is technically still the leasee, what happens when the book goes missing or is damaged?

In 1081, Florum Covenant was ordered by the Tribunal to dismantle its linen factory. which was equipped with blatantly magical devices for the production of cloth. It was ruled that the excessive amount of fine quality cloth produced was being used to unduly influence the mundane population of Ghent. At the next Tribunal, Florum appealed against the former ruling, citing that they were now so poor that their access to laboratory supplies was virtually non-existent. They claimed that their magical power was therefore being limited by the previous ruling of the Tribunal. The appeal was dismissed as spurious by Quaesitor Celestin, who remarked that "the mundane resources of a covenant cannot be considered to contribute towards the magical power of its members." This ill-considered comment was enshrined in the Peripheral Code of the Normandy Tribunal, although the legal loophole that it created would not be exploited for several decades. (Florum later reestablished its linen factories using more subtle means to enhance the quality of their cloth.)

In 1113, the magus Koilios staged a successful raid on the supply convoy of the covenant of Lapis Crudus, and stole a significant amount of food and luxuries (but oddly, left vis and glassware alone). This caused Lapis Crudus considerable hardship, and they complained to the Tribunal. However, when challenged, Lapis Crudus were unable to explain what part of the Code has been violated by Koilios. Furthermore, Koilios was a skilled politician from House Tytalus, and cited the ruling of 1088, indicating that what had been taken from Lapis Crudus did not infringe the rights accorded them by the Code of Hermes. Koilios had picked his target well; Lapis Crudus was not wellliked, and Koilios was able to defeat Lapis Crudus and win exoneration for his theft. A succession of weak Quaesitors at subsequent Tribunals failed to put a stop to this quasilegal robbery, and the tradition that mundane raiding is not a Hermetic crime in and of itself is now too deeply entrenched in the Peripheral Code of the Normandy Tribunal to be easily excised.

In 1220, this practice seems outdated, and many covenants deliberately avoid such tactics for fear of appearing barbaric to covenants of other Tribunals. Not all covenants in Normandy have such social compunction however. It has become a tactic used primarily to thwart rivals who have the temerity to establish a covenant near to a pre-existing one. Consistent and judicious tampering with a rival's supplies and income may ultimately cause the rival covenant to founder, and this licensed thuggery has resulted in a relatively high extinction rate of new covenants in the Tribunal. The Covenant of Montverte derives most of its mundane resources from preying on the wealth of nearby covenants; its victims are not allies and will not unite against the threat regardless of their common plight.

The consequences of conducting or suffering a raid depend on the targets chosen, the success of the raid, and the level to which the saga measures the cash flow of the covenant. Raids should be primarily a source of stories, but may result in the gain or loss of supplies. Being the repeated victims of a raiding covenant can result in the Poverty Hook, but most raids lead to only a temporary shortage. Likewise, being a raiding covenant could be a source of the covenant's income, but is more likely to lead to short-term luxury. If employing the Wealth & Poverty rules of Covenants (Chapter 4), the storyguide may wish to keep a precise track of which categories of yearly expenditure are increased or mitigated as a result of a raid.

NORMANDY TRIBUNAL RULINGS: MUNDANE RESOURCES AND RAIDING

The Tribunal of 1116 confirmed the earlier ruling of 1081 that the mundane resources of a covenant do not necessarily contribute to the magical power of its members. Specifically, food, consumables, building supplies, arms and armor, and luxury goods are not part of a magus's magical power. However, completed or partially completed books, vis, enchanted items, and laboratory supplies all are components of a magus's magical power.

Later rulings clarified that livestock and covenfolk were not afforded any especial immunity, but clearly apprentices, familiars, and magical beasts were. Further, a maga conducting a raid cannot damage the physical buildings of the covenant itself, and must not break the Code in any fashion during the course of a raid, such as putting the life of another magus in danger. The raiding maga must challenge any accompanying magi to certamen; should she lose then she must abandon her raid. If she wins, then her opponent must retreat to a distance of at least a mile, and cannot return until the sun rises. Junior magi are often assigned the duty of accompanying supplies to the covenant; this prevents the raiding party from scrying ahead and restricts the use of area-affecting magic that might inadvertently affect the escorting magus.

Books Deld in Common

Below is just a sample of the books owned by the Tribunal. Storyguides are encouraged to expand this list to cover a wide range of subjects and Qualities.

The Babble Within Thought, by Hicuccus of Criamon, Summa on Mentem, Level 12. Quality 11. Build Points: 23

The Dismal Itch, by Azenis of Tytalus. Summa on Corpus, Level 10, Quality 11. Build Points: 21

De Lapii, by Jeremias filius Guernicus. Summa on Terram, Level 17, Quality 14 (this is one of the Branches of the Arts, see Covenants, page 93) Build Points: 31

Insights from Twilight, by Perpauca Bonisagi. Summa on Magic Theory, Level 6, Quality 11. Build Points: 28

Mirrors of the Soul, by Perpauca Bonisagi, Summa on Imaginem, Level 12, Quality 16. Build Points: 28

The Mole's Work, by Adanos Lutorum of Tytalus. Lab Texts for Rock of Viscid Clay, Earth That Breaks No More, and The Forgiving Earth. Build Points: 11

The Peril of Phoebos, by Perpauca Bonisagi, Tractatus on Ignem, Quality 11. Build Points: 11

The Primal Power, by Peter of Uist. Summa on Aquam, Level 9, Quality 17. Build Points: 26

Research Notes on Aegis of the Hearth, by Notatus and others. Tractatus on Mastery in Aegis of the Hearth, Quality 11, plus a Lab Text of a 20th-level version of the spell. Build Points: 15

Subtle Knives, by Jacinda of Flambeau. Summa on Penetration, Level 5, Quality 8. Build Points: 23

Unveiling the Tempest, by Daniel Tonatris. Summa on Auram, Level 8, Quality 12. Build Points: 20

Cross-Border Disputes

Raiders from Rhine and Iberian covenants have both successfully conducted raids on Normandy covenants in the past, since when in Normandy they are under the jurisdiction of the Normandy Peripheral Code (Houses of Hermes: True Lineages, page 56). All that the Normandy Tribunal can do in recourse to such cross-border raids is to judge foreign magi extremely harshly if they break the Code during one of these raids, hoping that it will be a deterrent to others. Such raids have been rare up to now, and it is not considered an important issue to the Tribunal as a whole; however, those magi who live within striking distance of another Tribunal disagree.

Parts of the Normandy Tribunal are heavily populated with covenants and mundane towns, and frequently the Tribunal has adjudicated disputed interactions with towns. Once towns were merely extensions of noble estates, but recently many towns have become more autonomous, leading to the possibility of complex entanglements between town law and the Code of Hermes. The ruling currently regarded as precedent setting was made during the Tribunal of 1200 to resolve a dispute between Fudarus and its new vassal Atramentum. Of course, the rulings of the Normandy Tribunal are not binding on other Tribunals, and may be subject to reversal.

In the case of 1200, the magi of Fudarus were claimed to have interfered in the mundane and thereby brought ruin upon the magi of Atramentum, by sending an agent to form an artificer guild in the town of Le Conquet. This, it was claimed, ruined the magi of Atramentum — as guild politics interrupted the work of artisans in the town whom they had commissioned to manufacture quality items for enchantment, which in turn delayed Atramentum's ability to collect vis from a newly discovered source. The Tribunal ruled that there was no case to answer. The basis was that Le Conquet was closer to Fudarus than Atramentum, and therefore Fudarus's activities in the town had precedence. Effectively, the Tribunal ruled, the magi of Atramentum had "ruined" themselves by relying on the work of mundane artificers, and not long afterwards the magi of Atramentum were evicted by senior magi leaving Fudarus.

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: The Town Senex

The Tribunal of 1200 determined that the agents of the covenant closest to a town, referred to as the senex, have superior rights to those of the agents of other covenants operating in that town. In particular, this means that if the actions of the senex collaterally damage the interests of another covenant, then ruin has not been caused. The senex is judged to be the covenant in which the town's church bells sound the loudest, as determined by a Quaesitor. Therefore, if a town's church bells cannot be heard at all in a covenant that covenant is too distant from the town to claim senex rights, and for many towns therefore there is no extant senex.

The Order and Towns

The Order and Towns (Code of Hermes Ability summa; Quality 8, Level 4) was written by the Quaesitor Fluvius, in 1208, and is regarded in the Normandy Tribunal as the preeminent authority on mundane interactions allowed under the Code. The Tribunal rulings below are discussed in his book, along with a number of hypothetical case studies. It was partly an attempt to resolve issues that arose during the French annexation of the English lands in Northern France.

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: Urban Covenants

The Tribunal of 1207 determined that a covenant may be sited in a town (see Covenants, page 11), and the normal interaction of covenant members with the townsfolk does not thereby cause ruin to other members of the Order of Hermes.

Further, the Tribunal of 1207 determined that a covenant may be granted a town charter by a mundane lord (see City and Guild, page 8). However, the magi themselves cannot take advantage of any privileges under the charter, as to do so would be effectively the same as swearing an oath of fealty. It is acceptable, however, for a covenant to collectively pay a tax, either in coin or mundane produce. It is also noted that while the contents of grants of charter are, of course, entirely at the discretion of a mundane lord, lords who propose charters should be reminded that magi cannot be held accountable to such a document. This may help avoid unnecessary future friction with the nobility.

Many towns are governed by officials either elected or appointed under their charter (see City and Guild, page 13). The Tribunal of 1207 also deemed it acceptable for eligible members of a covenant to vote or hold office in a town. Whatever the town charter might state, a magus, however, is not eligible as under the Code of Hermes he cannot swear an oath of fealty to mundane authorities.

A Covenant Charter

Charters are granted to towns by lords. It could be a good idea for a covenant to have a grant of charter as the document formally limits the powers of mundane authorities over the covenant. A feudal lord could make any demands he likes of a covenant without a charter, and being forced to refuse such demands may create problems for the magi. Of course, if the lord doesn't actually know of the covenant's existence (for example, it is hidden in a regio) this is not a problem.

Implications of the Rulings on the Town Senex and Urban Covenants

The senex ruling has sometimes been used to determine the ownership of unclaimed, urban vis sources when competing claims are presented simultaneously, although runners are also used for determining vis source ownership. One reason that runners are not used to determine the senex is that an attempt to resolve the original situation with runners was vetoed, with veiled threats of Wizard War, by the powerful magi of the island covenant of Fudarus. In addition, as the sound of the town's bells only carry a certain distance, a covenant can only claim senex rights in a town that is near. Of course, magic and the geography of the region could affect the distance sound can travel.

The rulings made in 1207 followed the acceptance by several covenants of offers of charters made by King John, and his subsequent demands for military assistance during the French annexation of some parts of the Normandy Tribunal. Despite these rulings, the Tribunal did affirm that the solicitation of mundane grants of charter was acceptable, and indeed to be commended, as properly implemented charters are an avenue by which the relationship between the covenant and the lord can be formally limited — therefore discouraging lords from making rash claims over covenants built on their land.

It should also be noted that exactly what is allowed as "normal interaction" under these rulings is ambiguous.

The Normandy Tribunal's interpretation of the parts of the Code that concern meddling with the mundanes is looser than that in many other Tribunals. A covenant is rarely convicted of meddling with mundanes if the covenant's actions do not "bring ruin upon" other magi. Magi interpret this to mean that magi are guilty of the offense of meddling only after mundanes have carried out painful reprisals against Hermetic victims. To prevent that targeting of Hermetic interests, covenants often act through mundane allies who are called "masks". If the mask of a covenant is the target for reprisal, this does not, under Tribunal custom, indicate ruin and therefore is not interpreted as a breach of the Code.

It is vital for magi using this legal separation that their masks never identify magi, either a single covenant or unnamed members of the Order, as their sponsors. If they do so, they cease to provide protection from charges of meddling with the mundanes. Masks provide no protection from charges of depriving other magi of their power, so they cannot legally be used against the senex of a town. This traditional interpretation, which protects magi stringently and mundanes only when they strike at the Order, may be the result of centuries of Tytalan policy.

Normandy Tribunal Ruling: Mundane Interference

There have been no specific rulings, which sets the Tribunal's policy regarding the use of agencies and masks on unstable ground. Magi who are new to the Tribunal may witness events that would be considered violations of the Code of Hermes in other Tribunals, and even by a strict interpretation of Normandy's Peripheral Code. However, there are numerous precedents that give a defendant legal standing when testing whether ruin was actually caused by his actions, and the Tribunal rarely convicts in situations where damage to a Hermetic magus cannot be unequivocally demonstrated.

An Ear for Distant Bells

InIm Level 15 R: Personal, D: Concentration, T: Hearing

This spell allows the caster to precisely determine the distance and direction from their location to the source of a sound. This spell was invented in the Normandy Tribunal by the Quaesitor Fluvius.

(Base 3, +1 Conc, +3 Hearing)

Further Excerpts from the Normandy Peripheral Code

871 (The inaugural meeting of the Tribunal of the West Franks.): Present are the covenants of Confluensis, Pagus, Baiocassium, Bibracte, and Sinapis (the covenants of Fudarus and Branugurix both attend the Britannian Tribunal meeting).

885 (3rd meeting of the Tribunal of the West Franks): Maga Adela of Jerbiton, a frequent attendant at court, was accused of acting as "court wizard" to King Louis III between 879 and 881. She maintained that the accusation was brought by a magus with whom she had a long-standing feud, and there was no evidence to suggest any risk to the Order resulting from her friendship with the king, who died in 882. The maga was acquitted.

899 (5th meeting of the Tribunal of the West Franks): The Tribunal votes to support the decision of the 7th meeting of the Grand Tribunal, subsumes some of the former territories of the Provençal Tribunal and extends eastward to share a border with the Rhine Tribunal.

983 (17th meeting of the Tribunal of the West Franks): In light of the preeminence of the Duke of Normandy in the territories claimed by the Tribunal, and the decline of the Franks as a people, the Tribunal supported the proposal of Adrianus of Montverte, and the Tribunal of the West Franks was renamed the Normandy Tribunal.

1018 (22nd meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): The Tribunal welcomes Fudarus to its 22nd meeting; and since it is the only surviving Breton covenant, the Tribunal claims Brittany and all its magical resources.

1025 – 1039 (23rd – 25th meetings of the Normandy Tribunal): Pertheus of Tytalus proposes a series of rulings to end disputes over magical resources in the Tribunal, later called the Perthean Compact. (see the Perthean Compact, above).

1095 (33rd meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Covenant of Nauche-Fleur was accused at Tribunal of entering into a feudal obligation with their local baron. The covenant protested that the oath was taken by an unGifted companion who acted the role of Lord of the Manor on behalf of the magi. The Tribunal ruled that the magi were innocent.

1102 (34th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): In response to a complaint from three Flambeau magi of Provençal, the Tribunal rules that lacking a clear geographical boundary between Provençal and Normandy, the border should be determined on linguistic grounds. Territory disputed by the two Tribunals shall be henceforth decided by the language of the closest settlement; if it is a langue d'oeil then it is Normandy, else it is Provençal. Despite protests from Provençal at the Grand Tribunal in 1129, this decision is upheld.

1109 (35th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Quaesitor Muirgheal encounters a group of hedge wizards who are fighting a plague of restless dead, and inducts many of them into the Order as the Ex Miscellanea tradition of the Donatores Requietis Aeternae (see Houses of Hermes: Societates, House Ex Miscellanea).

1116 (36th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Raiding of mundane resources is explicitly permitted by Quaesitor Lothaire based on an earlier ruling (see Mundane Resources, above).

1116 (36th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Magus Praecepsus of Flambeau was accused of using a sword enchanted with Perdo spells to cut down the enemies of the king during the raid on Paris by the count of Meulan in 1111. The Tribunal ruled that, since there was no evidence, to mundane eyes, that magic was involved, there was no charge to answer.

1123 (37th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Pandion of Flambeau was accused of depriving Antonin of Dragon's Rest of his magical power by stealing twelve valuable horses from the Redcap, one of which was a magical creature. Pandion was convicted, and ordered to return the magical horse, along with a fine of 10 pawns of vis, but was permitted to retain the other eleven horses as spoils from a lawful raid. The Tribunal noted that while livestock did not in general contribute to a magus's magical power, enchanted creatures — even those that were not familiars — certainly did. After a request for clarification, Quaesitor Lothaire extended this ruling to exclude covenfolk from a magus's magical power.

1130 (38th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Jacinth of Oleron was accused of deprivation in that, conducting a raid against the covenant of Infelicitas, he caused the collapse of the upper story of the covenant. Further, he was accused of attempting to slay a magus through the physical destruction of the covenant. This second charge could not be proved, but Jacinth was convicted of the first, since two laboratories were destroyed. Quaesitor Lothaire ruled that raiding magi are forbidden from damaging the physical structure of a covenant, and reminded the Tribunal that they cannot contravene the Code in an otherwise legal raid. Jacinth escaped a Wizard's March, but suffered the loss of his familiar.

1144 (40th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Quaesitor Lothaire was publicly accused of partisanship by Jacinth of Oleron, who cited specific instances where the Quaesitor was a beneficiary of numerous raids conducted by the covenants of Montverte, Fudarus, and their allies. A subsequent Quaesitorial investigation exonerated Lothaire from any wrongdoing owing to lack of substance to Jacinth's accusations. Nevertheless, Lothaire did not regain his status as chief Quaesitor of Normandy, and was invited to join Magvillus in recognition of his long service to the Order.

1172 (44th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Atlax of Tytalus was accused of stealing and reading the messages carried by the Redcap Camille while the latter was hosted at Fudarus. Quaesitor Whent held the covenant responsible for their magus's crime, and stripped Fudarus of the lease of a legacy, and granted it to House Mercere instead.

1179 (45th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Magus Pernix of Merinita was accused by Magus Visurgis of Tytalus of interfering with mundanes when he used magic to heal a young nobleman who fell from his horse. The accused argued that the only people who knew that magic was used were the injured man himself and the abbot, prior, and infirmarian of the monastery where he was taken to recover. All were friends of his covenant and so there was no scandal or "ruin." Magus Pernix was acquitted.

1179 (45th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Camille of Mercere was accused by Buliste of Tytalus of interfering with mundanes, in that he used a local knight to secure the vis from one of his legacies. The knight later admitted to his confessor that he had "done the work of devils," and it was only the swift action of Atlax of Fudarus that prevented ruin from being brought on the Order. The Tribunal agreed; Camille was ordered to pay fifteen pawns of vis to Fudarus in damages, and the vis source in question was declared off limits for at least three decades.

1207 (49th meeting of the Normandy Tribunal): Pugnatis had been found guilty by the 48th Tribunal of mundane interference in that she had used magic to control the mayor of Laval to obtain access to a vis source. She was ordered to create some enchanted items by way of a fine. She and the items failed to turn up at this Tribunal, and she was expelled from the Order.

In principle it is simple to form a new covenant in the Normandy Tribunal. The only legal requirement is that the nascent covenant has exclusive access to one or more sources of vis that collectively supply a minimum of one pawn of vis per year for every magus in the new covenant (or at least four pawns per year, if there are fewer than four magi). Even given the scarcity of vis in the Normandy Tribunal, this seems easier than, say, the stringent requirements of the neighboring Rhine Tribunal (see Guardians of the Forests, page 16). The new covenant must have an official meeting place, called (for want of a better term) the council chamber, although it need not be a room where the council (if there is one) meets. Instead it could be the home of the covenant's leader, a cave where the magi regularly meet, or even a grove of trees distant from the magi's sancta, as long as it is positively identified to the Tribunal. This council chamber cannot be within a day's journey of another covenant's council chamber, which by tradition has been established that it should be impossible to reach one council chamber from another using the Seven League Stride spell. A provision in the Peripheral Code specifically prohibits a covenant from sidestepping the Perthean Compact through the establishment of chapter houses (see Guardians of the Forests, pages 83 and 110), which are remote sites of a covenant and could potentially be placed right on the doorstep of another covenant's seisin so long as its council chamber was legally placed. The Covenant of Fengheld in the Rhine Tribunal has a chapter house in Cherbourg (see Guardians of the Forests, page 83), but this is considered a coenobium (see below) by the Normandy Tribunal.

Note that a covenant needs only to have sufficient vis supply when it is established. Should it lose the vis source, or acquire new members, the covenant does not lose recognition in the eyes of the Tribunal, so long as the source was genuine at the time of establishment. Vis extracted from the local aura does not count as a vis supply but as vis stocks, since its production is not guaranteed and thus cannot contribute to meeting the requirement of foundation.

Saga Seed: Feudal Duty

The player covenant begins as a vassal of another covenant. They will probably eventually want to win their independence from their liege covenant; the trick is doing this without making any enemies (see Breaking Free, below). The terms of the Oath of Fealty should be clearly recorded: each contains one or more duties of service for the vassal covenant to perform, and one or more duties of protection owed by the liege covenant.

Typical Duties of Service

• At every Tribunal, one quarter/one half/all the vassal magi must surrender their sigils as free proxies to a representative of the liege covenant;
• At every Tribunal, all the vassal magi must vote as directed by a representative of the liege covenant for one/ three/five of the votes;
• Every year/three years/seven years the vassal covenant must provide one/ three/seven pawns of vis (possibly of a specific type) to the liege covenant;
• Every year/three years/seven years the vassal covenant must spend one season copying or writing books to contribute to the library of the liege covenant;
• Every year the vassal covenant must collect the vis from a legacy of their liege.

Typical Duties of Protection

• The liege must not support any action at Tribunal that is to the detriment of their vassal;
• The liege must support any action at Tribunal that is to the benefit of their vassal, unless they can prove that it is harmful to themselves;
• The liege is obliged to answer one/two/ three requests for assistance from their vassal every seven years; this assistance can be refused if it would interrupt a season, or require the expenditure of the liege's vis;
• The liege covenant will gift the vassal covenant with a vis source that is legally theirs to grant/a certain number of books for the vassal covenant's library/ a certain number of enchantments;
• The vassal covenant has the right to spend one/two/three seasons every seven years copying books from the liege's library, and these copies are protected under a Cow and Calf agreement.

Depending on the terms of the Oath of Fealty, the vassal and liege could acquire a number of Boons and Hooks. Terms that are favorable to the vassal may give them the Powerful Ally Boon, but most oaths leave the vassal with Hooks such as Beholden. The table below indicates the Boons and Hooks that are particularly appropriate for representing the Oath of Fealty between a liege and its vassals.

For descriptions of these Boons and Hooks, see ArM5, Chapter 6, and Covenants, Chapter 2.

Breaking Free

To gain independence from a liege, a vassal covenant must either wait for its liege to default on the oath of fealty, or deliberately break it themselves, since either party can cancel the oath following a successful prosecution.

Example: A liege supports a vote at Tribunal that is detrimental to its vassal. The vassal now has a legal claim of a Low Crime against its liege. If it decides to prosecute this claim and wins, the liege will be forced to pay damages to its vassal. The liege can retaliate by canceling the oath, but it would lose the duties of service that it gains from its vassal. Alternatively, the vassal can decide to use this opportunity to escape from its oath, and cancel it.

Example: A vassal wishing to free itself from infeudation refuses one of its duties of service, leaving itself open to an accusation of a Low Crime. To cancel the oath of fealty, the vassal must allow itself to be convicted and pay the fine handed down by the Quaesitores. If the liege does not wish to lose the vassal, it may decide not to prosecute the case, but this would cause it to lose face. It might instead be able to persuade the Tribunal to hand down a particularly harsh fine on its defaulting vassal, making the payment of the service the preferable course of action.

Covenant	Major Boons	Minor Boons	Major Hooks	Minor Hooks
Vassal	Powerful Ally	(none)	Beholden, Indebted	Beholden, Favors, Indebted
Liege	Favors Owed, Hidden Resources*	Promised Favors	(none)	Protector

* Represents tithes of vis or other resources that are supplied at agreed intervals by the vassal.

The difficulty in establishing a covenant lies in obtaining exclusive access to vis sources of sufficient size. Because of the Tribunal's strict rules regarding vis sources, by far the most common way for a covenant to form is through the support of an established covenant. A covenant that obtains a legacy lease over a vis source may choose to sponsor a new covenant, often consisting of the former apprentices of the covenant. The vassal covenant is established within a day's march of the legacy, and ownership of the vis source passes from the liege covenant to the vassal, which may then register it as a seisin at the next Tribunal meeting.

The liege-vassal lines of covenants are the mainstay of the Normandy Tribunal's politics and demography. The liege covenant exerts feudal control over its vassals through oaths of fealty, and five great lines dominate the politics of the Normandy Tribunal through these oaths: Fudarus, Confluensis, Florum, Oleron, and Montverte. Two further lineages are now extinct: one — dominated by House Diedne — was extinguished during the Schism War, and the line of Sinapis was abolished soon after by the departure of House Flambeau from the Tribunal (see History, above).

Past and Present Covenants

Because of the sparse distribution of vis in Normandy, and the way in which new covenants tend to form, most covenants are quite small, with an average of only four magi. This means there are about 15 to 20 covenants in the Tribunal, of which three quarters are either a liege or a vassal (or both), and there are usually only one or two coenobia among the remainder. There are also about half a dozen or so eremites.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the covenants of the Normandy Tribunal, but indicates some of the most noteworthy of the Tribunal's covenants including all those mentioned in this book. The covenants are arranged in chronological order, by the date of their founding.

Branugurix (791 – 1012): Domus magna of House Diedne, located in a regio close to Mount Dol (see Brittany: County of Rennes). Its name was actually Bren Gwrac'h, but the Order adopted a Gallic version of the name for ease of use in Latin. The entrances to the regio were somehow closed by the Primus of the house during the climactic battle of the Schism War, and some Flambeau and Tremere magi were lost, trapped inside. The exact location and the former method of entering the regio is detailed in the records of House Guernicus (and perhaps elsewhere), but is not widely known. There are rumors that some members of House Diedne survived within the regio, and that there are some who are working to free them from their centuries-long imprisonment. House Guernicus takes a great interest in those who spend a lot of time in the area around Mount Dol.

Fudarus (798 – present): See Brittany: Fudarus.

Confluensis (810 – present): See Chapter 11: Confluensis. This covenant originally occupied the site now inhabited by the covenant of Dragon's Rest.

Bibracte (822 – 969): Vassal of Fudarus, located on Mount Beauvray in Burgundy (see Champagne and Burgundy: The Morvan), consisting of a small number of Diedne magi and a magus of House Tytalus. The covenant resurrected a cult worshipping the Gaulish hero Vercingetorix; however, the magi gradually became obsessed with anti-Roman ideals, firstly outlawing Latin in favor of Brythonic, and ultimately refusing all dealings with magi from "Roman" Houses. This earned them many enemies, and, seizing on the weakness of Fudarus in the aftermath of the betrayal of House Tytalus, four Flambeau and Tremere magi from Montverte simultaneously declared Wizard War on the magi of Bibracte, accusing them of devil-worship. These actions resulted in the sacking and destruction of the covenant.

Pagus (840 – 1008): Vassal of Confluensis. Founded at a ruined Roman outpost near the town of Cherbourg, it offered a commanding strategic vista over the English Channel. The magi invested a large amount of vis, during the late eighth century and early nineth century, restoring the Roman buildings, including a dock. Cruelly, the covenant then suffered enormous damage during the Viking raids, from which it never recovered. It was destroyed in the Schism War.

Baiocassium (851 – 1011): Vassal of Branugurix, located in the forest near Bayeux. The magi of Baiocassium, predominantly of House Diedne, were the descendants of Gallic druids and had good relationships with the local faeries.

Sinapis (855 – 1063): Located in Anjou, near the center of France, this covenant was an important liege before the Schism War. Following the conflict between House Tytalus and Flambeau, it was abandoned as its members left for Provence and Iberia.

Rotomagus (875 – 892): Founded near Rouen by the first generation of apprentices from Sinapis, and destroyed less than a quarter of a century later when the Vikings sacked Rouen. The sole surviving member left House Flambeau in shame, and joined House Ex Miscellanea.

Florum (907 – present): See Flanders: Florum. This covenant originally occupied the site now inhabited by the magi of Spider's Palace.

Ligurio (913 – 1011): Vassal of Fudarus on the Aquitaine-Brittany border in the Vendeé; it was destroyed by giants hurling huge boulders, presumed to have been sent by the Diedne covenant of Kerguntuil.

Kerguntuil (920 – 1007): Vassal of Branugurix. A coastal covenant situated on the Rose Coast (see Brittany: Mainland Armor and Argoat). The members of Kerguntuil were particularly interested in the many Breton tales regarding giants, and many of their covenfolk were larger than average humans. It is rumored that a Quaesitor suggested to the Templars that they built their chapel at Lanleff to cleanse the region from the diabolic taint of the Diedne.

Baiocassium Minor (936 – 1005): Vassal of Baiocassium located within the town of Bayeux. Destroyed in the Schism War.

Montverte (941 – present): See Normandy: Montverte.

Caput Capra (981 – 1005): Vassal of Branugurix, and the furthest east of Normandy's Diedne covenants, on the banks of the Loire not far from Fleury (see Ile de France: Fleury). Caput Capra was the youngest of Branugurix's vassals, and was founded to protect the ancient druidic site at Fleury from the lawlessness of the late 10th century. Caput Capra was the first casualty of the Schism War in the Tribunal. Apprentices of Confluensis are brought to the scant ruins of the covenant to receive their lessons in history.

Aedes Salii (998 – 1063): Vassal of Sinapis. Established on Jersey (one of the Channel Islands), this covenant — named after the Salii, the priests of Mars — was founded to coordinate the Schism War in Normandy and Stonehenge. After the war, the Tremere members returned to their home Tribunals, leaving it in the hands of House Flambeau. It was disbanded when House Flambeau withdrew from the Normandy Tribunal; two of its members joined Lapis Crudus.

Orchard of Sour Apples (1020 – 1051): Vassal of Confluensis, formed after the Schism War. It was later the site of the relocation of Confluensis, and its members joined its liege covenant.

Lixivia (1021 – 1124): Vassal of Florum. Established in the duchy of Champagne just as the Champagne trade fairs were established (see Champagne & Burgundy: Champagne) for the express purpose of acting as an intermediary between the Order and mundane merchants. The covenant consisted of Redcaps and Gentle Gifted magi, and altruistically offered to source any material desired by any covenant. However, magi were suspicious of their motives, and they soon became the popular prey of raiding (see Demography of the Normandy Tribunal). Driven into poverty, the covenant disbanded.

Oleron (1028 – present): See Aquitaine: Oleron.

Vexatores (1048 – 1064): Vassal of Fudarus. Founded specifically to provoke Sinapis during the conflict between Houses Flambeau and Tytalus, Vexatores was founded 21 miles north of the Flambeau covenant (the minimum legal distance), at the site of one of the vis sources claimed from House Diedne. Vexatores was not intended to be a long-term prospect, and it was abandoned when the conflict between the Houses ended.

Dragon's Rest (1051 – present): Vassal of Confluensis; founded when Confluensis relocated to the Cotentin peninsula. See Chapter 11: Confluensis for more details.

Lapis Crudus (1063 – present): Considered to be part of the line of Sinapis. See Ile de France: Lapis Crudus.

Nauche-Fleur (1072 – 1166): Vassal of Montverte, this covenant operated a school near to Niort in Aquitaine, where instruction in both martial and academic subjects funded the opulent lifestyle of the magi. The covenant's role in mundane politics was ever a source of controversy in the Tribunal; consequently none of the apprentices it trained remained to continue its work. The covenant died when the last of its founders entered Final Twilight.

Infelicitas (1099 – 1158): Vassal of Fudarus, founded when Rancrax of Tytalus lost a wager with his rival, and was forced to leave Fudarus as per the terms of the bet. The covenant foundered when Rancrax was slain in Wizard's War by a member of Moles Magna, and the remaining two magi were not interested in continuing at the site.

Nidi (1100 – present): Vassal of Oleron; see Aquitaine: Conventio Nidi. Spider's Palace (1117 – present): Vassal of Florum; see Flanders: Florum.

Requies Aeterna (1123 – present): Vassal of Florum; see Flanders & Picardy.

Alcuin's Auberge (1124 – 1197): Vassal of Florum; a small Mercer House in the city of Tours, founded by Redcaps from Lixivia. It fell to unknown raiders.

Moles Magna (1136 – 1182): Vassal of Oleron. Located on the edge of the Morvan (see Champagne & Burgundy: The Morvan), this covenant was built actually within a dam of a minor tributary of the River Yonne. The river formed a small lake at the covenant's back, and cascaded over the dam hiding them from view. It was eventually destroyed when the river burst the dam after heavy rain; since the covenant had magically reinforced the dam against such a fate, it is assumed that they had angered a supernatural creature by restraining the river.

Atsingani (1187 – present): Vassal of Montverte; see Anjou: Atsingani.

Cunfin (1192 – present): Vassal of Confluensis; see Champagne & Burgundy: Cunfin.

Atramentum (1200 – 1201): Vassal of Fudarus; its founding was sponsored just as the battle between the two Tytalan Primi began. Cynics would say that the young magi were duped into preparing the ground for the magi of Exspectatio, who now occupy the spot. The founders went on to form Atramentum Renatus.

Exspectatio (1201 – present): Vassal of Fudarus; see Brittany: Fudarus.

Atramentum Renatus (1201 – present): Vassal of Exspectatio; see Champagne & Burgundy: Atramentum Renatus.

Eboris (1204 – present): See Ile de France: Eboris.

Oaths of Fealty

When sponsoring a vassal covenant, the liege covenant demands an oath of fealty from its vassal. Each liege covenant has a single oath sworn to by all of its vassals, which details the rights and responsibilities of the vassal to the liege and vice versa. These terms vary from liege to liege, but the basic provisions are that the vassal has a duty of support, and the liege has a duty of protection. Support is usually in the form of a tithe of vis, and granting the liege a free proxy of the voting sigils of the vassal's members. Some oaths ask for only a nominal amount of vis, or allow the vassal magi to use their own vote with direction from their liege. The duty of protection usually enjoins the liege to use the proxy votes wisely, and not to the detriment of its vassals; further, the conditions under which they may be asked for assistance are usually clearly laid out. Oaths of fealty between vassal and liege covenants are part of Normandy's Peripheral Code and legally enforceable, although covenants are still forbidden to take oaths of fealty to a mundane lord. The oath can be dissolved by mutual agreement of both parties, or else following the successful prosecution of one party by the other for defaulting on the terms of the oath. An example oath of fealty is given in the description of the covenant of Confluensis (see Chapter 11: Confluensis).

The moral obligation of a vassal to a liege is a strong one, and the protection offered to a young covenant of inexperienced magi can determine whether the vassal persists or founders. Further, the societal implications of betraying an oath to a covenant that has sheltered and protected another (or believes that it has) must not be underestimated; vassal covenants who break away from their line often find themselves with the bitterest of enemies — not just their former sponsor, but also the vassal covenants of that sponsor.

Not all covenants come about through the liege-vassal system. A very lucky magus might discover a new vis source, and establish it as a seisin of a new covenant. Such an eventuality is the dream of every young magus raised in the Tribunal; in reality, finding a new vis source in such a magic-poor Tribunal is no mean task, let alone finding one that has a suitable site for a covenant within a day's return march.

Covenants may also become independent by severing the ties with their liege covenant. The same is true of covenants whose lieges founder, leaving them free of any feudal obligation. It is rare for a liege covenant to fail, because having vassal covenants strengthens its resources and political clout. Nevertheless, covenants do die out, and as vassal covenants of the same liege have no obligation to each other, all are emancipated by this event.

Independent covenants are free from feudal obligation, but also lack the political support of their line. They often ally themselves to one of the five great lines, or attempt to form one of their own, although these minor lines have neither the weight of history nor the accumulation of resources to make them equal contenders to the great five.

Not all magi in the Normandy Tribunal are members of covenants, although the proportion of eremitic (or solitary) magi is much lower in the Normandy Tribunal than in many other Tribunals due to the scarcity of resources. An eremite is not the same as a covenant that consists of only one magus (perhaps due to attrition or accident). The latter has the capacity to grow, whereas an eremite has chosen a solitary existence for whatever reason. An eremite is forbidden by the Peripheral Code from owning a seisin, and he must rely upon tropaeum leases won at the Tourney or attending luctatio for his vis supply. There is one eremite who lives near Laon who is so well respected that he is always permitted to extend the lease on a legacy near to his home, because no one in the Tribunal votes against him, but this is an exceptional case.

Some covenants form without meeting the formal vis requirements set out by the Peripheral Code. Such covenants are not recognized as valid by the Tribunal, but are instead considered as a community (coenobium) of independent magi rather than a true covenant. These coenobites, like eremites, are not permitted to own a seisin, and are hardly ever successful in establishing a legacy. Further, they must compete in the Tourney as if they were solitary magi rather than members of a covenant. Whereas eremites may get some measure of respect for choosing a solitary lifestyle, coenobites are considered to be flagrantly disregarding the traditions of the Normandy Tribunal, and are thought of as vulgar and uncouth.

In the period following the Schism War, the tradition has developed of randomly choosing a covenant by the drawing of lots to host the next Tribunal meeting rather than it being at the Praeco's home. This means that even a new Spring covenant may find itself declared to be hosting the Tribunal, and the Hermetic Tourney that invariably accompanies it. The covenant is expected to provide a secluded area for the tournament, an excellent Aegis of the Hearth, and lavish hospitality. On top of all this, Quaesitors arrive in great numbers, and always take the opportunity and pretext of preparing the covenant, and ensuring its safety for the Tribunal, to conduct a series of lengthy though subtle investigations into the affairs and allegiances of the covenant. Hosting can bankrupt or seriously deplete the resources of even a Summer covenant, and often the only way forward for a Spring covenant called upon to host the Tribunal is to undertake loans and debts of obligation to either its mother covenant or another powerful covenant, and sometimes several. As so often happens, a gesture that on the surface seems to empower the young and weak actually serves to keep them securely in their place. Many covenants will, however, grant a pawn of vis, or a useful copy of a Lab Text, as a gesture to the hosting covenant from their own stores.

The great influence of knightly culture on the Tribunal is reflected by the tradition of Hermetic Tourneys. This idea was doubtless inspired by the magical tournaments of House Flambeau, and the fiercely competitive spirit of many Tytalus magi. The contests have been in existence since the Perthean Compact, but only in the last few decades have they come to be called tournaments, aping mundane culture. The events have grown and changed over the years, and are still open to further refinement or change in the future.

In recent years the Hermetic Tourney has become an accepted part of the Tribunal meeting, though the tournament occurs after the actual business of the Tribunal has been completed. It is the responsibility of the hosting Covenant to find a location within a day's travel where the tournament can take place. Tradition demands the location should be secure from uninvited guests. Concealing the camp site, market, melee field, and other required amenities from mundane gaze is not easy, though a casting tablet (see Covenants, p.89) for a ReMe35 Moon Duration version of The Shrouded Glen can be made available by the Tribunal. The actual design of the tournament site is left to the hosting covenant, guided of course by the ever-helpful Quaesitores. Each team that does not represent one accepted Normandy covenant must stake five pawns of vis per magi to enter; this can discourage entrants from other Tribunals, although the vis is used as part of the prizes. Teams are limited to a maximum of five members, excluding grogs and companions.

The primary purpose of the Tourney is to distribute the tropaeum for the next seven years, though many other prizes are on offer as well. Some have argued the practice of distributing vis sources via the Tourney has reduced the chance of a covenant being granted a legacy, as many magi enjoy seeing the excitement of the tournament contests. The contests are held to create an overall ranking for the team, and prizes are then distributed as discussed below.

There are traditionally six events that comprise the Tourney, usually fought over three days. One is always chosen by the hosting covenant — it is generally considered very bad form for the hosting covenant to win this event, and even a suspicion the contest favored another covenant may result in enmity from others and long-term political repercussions. Choosing a contest, which must involve magical skill, is something of an exercise in diplomacy.

The traditional events that are held each Tribunal are the hastiludium — a "mounted" melee fought with "spears" of magic — the certamen tournament, the joust, the great melee in which the magi with grogs try to rush their opponent team's "castles," and the House Flambeau favorite, the dimicatio.

Story Seed: Fixing the Tourney

The Cabal of the Golden Coin secretly endeavors to engineer the outcome of the Tourney so as to maximize the prizes obtained by its members. While initiated by magi of House Tytalus, the cabal now consists mostly of magi from a variety of Houses. Many of the modifications to the prize levels were proposed by members of this cabal, ostensibly as a point of tradition, but with the real aim of introducing disparities in the prize distribution which can be exploited. Magi of the cabal typically make secret agreements among themselves to fix certain of the contests, so as to optimize the placement of their teams. Certain magi belonging to this cabal opt not to enter with their covenant's team, but instead enter a separate one, which often achieves a very "lucky" placement. A mysterious team of three young magi, all from different covenants and Houses, has for the last three tournaments consistently achieved 14th place. A member of this team, or some other magus from the cabal, may surreptitiously approach the player covenant during the latter stages of the tournament, offering to fix one of the contests for a small bribe of vis.

Winning the Tourney

All competitors in the Tourney are graded according to the success they achieve. These points are tallied by the tournament hosts, and the Redcaps also keep tallies to ensure fairness. A team receives a starting tally equal to the number of members of their covenant, on the assumption larger covenants require greater resources. This also puts members of a coenobium and visiting teams at a disadvantage, for they are given a starting tally of one each. Further points to the tally are earned by competing in the various tournament events.

The scoring is as follows:

The team winning the hastiludium receives 20 points, the defeated finalist 10 points, and the other semifinalists five points each. All teams that participate receive an additional one point.

The certamen tournament is a traditional hermetic certamen contest, and has more prestige. The winner receives 25 points, the defeated finalist 15 points, and the other semifinalists eight points each. All teams that participate receive an additional one point.

The dimicatio is a popular event with Flambeau magi, who excel in this area. The winner receives 23 points, the defeated finalist 12 points, and the other semifinalists six points each. All teams that participate receive an additional one point.

The melee is generally considered to be a light-hearted contest. The winner nonetheless receives six points, the second to fourth castles standing two points, and the fifth castle a single point. No points are awarded for participation.

The Hosting Covenant's Choice event provides the winner with 12 points, the second-placed covenant eight, and the third and fourth three points each. Participation in the event is worth an additional point to all teams who enter.

The Joust is more prestigious. The winner receives 20 points, the second-placed covenant eight, and the third and fourth three points each. Participation in the event grants an additional point to all teams who enter.

Once the points have been totaled a rank order is determined. The highest-scoring team is ranked first, and so forth in order. If there are ties, rank is determined by seniority, as determined by the date of foundation of the covenant or date of Gauntlet of an individual magus. Special "prize pawns" made of gold, not of vis, are then awarded, which are then exchanged by the teams for prizes to be held for the next seven years.

Tradition has shaped the awarding of prizes, as with so much else in Hermetic culture. The first place is known as the Siege of Normandy, and the second place the Siege of Valor. Achieving either of these ranks is a matter of considerable prestige, and such teams are richly rewarded.

The seventh position is known as the Siege of Notatus, after that magus' well known affinity for the number seven and its role in his magical innovations. As Notatus is rumored to have sponsored a contest of magics in the early days of the Order, and he is a popular figure in the Hermetic folklore of the Tribunal with many tales of his activities and sayings still current, this position was granted a greater prize. While this explanation is generally accepted, in fact there may well have been a more pragmatic reason why it was originally introduced, hidden in the Tribunal records.

The Siege of Shame, the 13th position, is traditionally awarded no prize, the rewards being conferred upon the 14th team. This originated with a particularly competitive team from the Iberian Tribunal who in 1151 used a variety of then-legal tactics, immediately outlawed by Peripheral Code, which were widely felt to have brought the Tourney into disrepute. They earned 13th position, and were surprised when the Quaesitores declared that place the Siege of Shame. They stated that henceforth no prize would be awarded to the team that held that position, a tradition upheld by the next Tribunal to remind everyone of the shameful episode.

The 21st position, the Siege of Alms, is a consolation prize. Around 24 teams usually participate in the Tourney, and the last few teams do not therefore receive any prize. To prevent the Tourney from being seen as entirely a way of supporting the status quo, and encourage entrants, a large prize was therefore voted for the 21st position. There is little honor in winning this prize, but the benefits to a new covenant are worth the gentle mockery of the more able teams. The team that achieves the Siege of Alms gets to keep half of their prize (6 pawns), but by tradition they donate the other half to any or all of the lower-ranked teams as they see fit.

Any covenant achieving one of the named ranks in the Tourney has an appropriate Hermetic Reputation of level 2 for the next seven years.

Tourney Events

Tradition and the rules demand there must always be an even number of teams in the tournament. The Redcaps will go to some lengths to attract visiting teams to ensure that this is so, and all teams must have registered. The hosting covenant's choice must also be declared by the summer solstice of the year preceding the event, by a Redcap-delivered message to Confluensis.

The Hastiludium

The hastiludium begins with three members of two teams facing each other across the field, one member balanced or sitting on an object: wooden hurdles, pigs, iron cauldrons, washtubs, or other objects suiting their personal magics. Each team must choose an item as a "mount" that can be found in any peasant village, and which is no longer than a broom or wider than a beer barrel.

The two teams face each other across a field 120 paces long by 40 paces wide. Each magus may cast a single spell before the contest begins in order to prepare, and may then cast magic freely during the contest.

Each team tries to force the other magus off his "mount" using magic, and propel their own "mount" over their opponents' start line. Parma Magica may not be extended over the mounts, but both sides may freely cast magic on either mount. Inevitably, many magi are seriously injured, but tradition states that the magus responsible for the inadvertent injury must provide the vis for the healing. The winning team is the one to first get their mount and magi rider over their opponents' start line. Any magus who touches the floor is out of the contest, and the "mount" must pass over the central line of the playing area, so simply using magic to appear on the other side is not allowable. Each team plays a randomly drawn opponent in a knockout series of heats, until the final determines the winner.

The Certamen Tournament

The certamen tournament works as a knockout certamen competition. Random lots are drawn for who fights whom. The older magus chooses the Technique, the younger the Form. A single champion may be freely chosen for each round by the team, allowing strategy in selection.

The Joust

The joust is a traditional contest of knightly warfare. Two magi, each armed and mounted, face off against one another in a field and charge together, each aiming to unhorse his opponent before he himself falls. The winner is the magus who prevails in a best of three match, and proceeds to compete against a new opponent. Some magi ride mundane horses, while others use magic to create or enhance their mounts. For example, one magus rides a giant dog familiar, another uses a flying mount, another has a mount of shadowy nothingness, and so on. The use of magic is permitted, but only to affect one's own person, mount, or weapons. The joust is the Tourney's most dangerous event — it is sometimes even deadly — and is taken very seriously by the magi. Teams compete in a knockout tournament to establish a winner, with one single magi elected as champion to participate on behalf of their team.

The Melee

The melee is an unusual event, in that grogs or companions are the contestants. On foot, and using only blunt weapons (damage is fatigue unless botched) they struggle for mastery of a mock battlefield. Each team creates a "castle" with a Ring/ Circle Creo Imaginem spell, spacing them equally around the field. Three grog or companion champions for each team attempt to charge across the field, and "capture" their opponent's castle by breaking that team's spell, damaging the ring drawn on the floor in the dust. The last team with a surviving "castle" is the winner. No magic may be employed, and owing to the importance of cursors (see Normandy Tribunal Ruling: Seisins), rapid running and attempted grappling is much more common than violence. Fast grogs often try to slide past the defenders and bring down the spell, while the defenders try to block or grapple them down. Physical combat is allowable, but teams whose grogs seriously injure an opponent's grog forfeit the contest, receive no points, and are heavily fined in vis. This is a recent addition to the Tourney, and unpopular with conservative magi who detest a non-magical event being allowed.

The Dimicatio

The dimicatio is an event common at House Flambeau events. It is unrelated to standard certamen. Each side selects a single champion to participate. The competitors try to cast real spells at one another using the forceless casting option, which is deliberately casting spells with penetration at zero. Each magus uses a fast-cast defense (ArM5, page 83) to try to block the opposing spell. The first magus whose spell reaches his opponent's Parma is the winner.

Needless to say, this contest carries substantial dangers (though perhaps no greater than those a mundane knight faces when jousting with a blunted lance). Aimed spells that bypass Magic Resistance are strictly forbidden. The contest is always conducted under tightly controlled conditions in front of a referee and many spectators. The referee uses an Intellego Vim spell such as Sight of the Active Magics to determine the winner. If a magus' spell actually penetrates his opponent's Parma Magica, this is taken as foul play and he is likely to be immediately charged with a Hermetic crime. The rules of the contest permit any spell that directly targets one's opponent – and the higher the level of the spell, the harder it is to defend against. Ball of Abysmal Flame is a real crowd pleaser. Some magi prefer to limit themselves to non-lethal spells in case some mishap causes their spell to penetrate their opponent's Parma Magica.

The Hosting Covenant's Choice

The Hosting Covenant's Choice varies each time. It must be a true test of magical ability, but beyond that may take any form.

Tourney Prizes

Prizes are selected immediately after the results are announced, in strict rank order. In order to avoid the winning teams selecting all the choice prizes, each team is initially allowed to choose at most one single tropaeum or lump sum of vis of one Art, plus one single book or item. These selections proceed in rank order, until every team has taken something. Those teams with prize pawns yet unspent then get to pick again, in rank order, until all teams have taken their allocation of prizes. They are held until the next Tourney. Failure to return a prize invariably results in charges being brought and disqualification from the next tournament.

Prize pawns may be traded at the following values:

Tropaea: A vis source yielding a number of pawns may be acquired for the equivalent number of prize pawns.

Books: Each book has been given a value in pawns by the Tribunal, according to perceived worth. (Calculate this as 1 prize pawn per 5 Build Points of the book. See ArM5, p. 71).

**Items:**As books. Charged items and those of limited duration are never made available as prizes.

**Entrance Fees (vis):**One prize pawn may be traded for an immediate once-only selection of 5 pawns of Form vis, or three pawns of Technique vis.

Tourney Ranks & Prizes

Rank	Pawns	Rank	Pawns
1	31	12	5
2	24	13	0
3	18	14	11
4	15	15	3
5	13	16	5
6	11	17	4
7	17	18	3
8	8	19	5
9	7	20	1
10	6	21	6+6
11	6

The prizes listed in this table assume at least 200 pawns worth of prizes are available in total, and 24 teams entering. You may wish to adjust these numbers if your version of the Normandy Tribunal is especially poor or rich in resources, or if the number of covenants and teams in your saga is dramatically different.