Constantinople

Forever Roman at heart, Constantinople is a city of forums and colonnades, public baths, palaces, churches, and monasteries. She has a hippodrome, an aqueduct, a senate house, and a slave-market. Like Rome, the city is built around seven hills, occupying a triangular piece of land bordered by the Golden Horn, an inlet of the Bosporus Strait and the Sea of Marmara. Originally called Byzantium, the city was rebuilt in 330, and Constantine the Great christened it Nova Roma Constantinopolitana, "New Rome, the City of Constantine," the capitol of his renovated Roman Empire. Constantine extended the city's walls and commissioned many of the buildings and monuments that still stand as important features in daily Constantinople life. Successive emperors added to the urban landscape, often building monasteries and churches, but none matched the building programs of Justinian (527-65), who refurbished the major churches, palaces, government buildings, and public works. In her heyday, Constantinople shone like a jewel, with clean streets, orderly forums, running water, and gleaming defensive walls.

While once the brightest metropolis of Mythic Europe, in the 13th century Constantinople, the Queen of Cities, is a dark and dangerous place — a fetid, squalid shadow of her former glory. Nearly a third of city still lies in ruins, scarred from the Latin siege and the subsequent fires that gutted her interior. Pockets of wealth remain, abutted against abject poverty. Affluent nobles and bureaucratic clerks walk the same streets as the homeless and destitute, but the tally of thieves, drunks, and whores outnumber the priests, princes, and merchants. Generations of foreigners have produced a mishmash of tongues, creating a modern Tower of Babel, with each racial group distrusting the others. Urban tension has been exacerbated by the Latin occupation, which put its own desires before the needs of the populace. Civil law has evaporated, and each racial group protects itself with ad hoc gangs or bought mercenaries.

The current Latin emperors are more concerned with plundering the city than rebuilding it. Most of the prized artifacts and relics have already left Constantinople, shipped to the crusaders' homelands soon after the city fell. Others were lost in the fires that accompanied the various attacks,

Constantinople is a multilayered patchwork of Divine, Infernal, Faerie, and Magic auras that have fluctuated and changed many times over the years. The city originally had mostly Faerie auras, spawned from the worship of the Greek gods. Constantine's efforts created many Divine auras, which suppressed and sometimes destroyed the prevailing Faerie auras, but not always. While Constantine built monuments and buildings dedicated to his new Christian God, he still allowed worship of the pagan gods. This practice was eventually outlawed in 391. Many temples were destroyed, but an equal number were appropriated for other uses. The Temple of Aphrodite near the Baths of Zeuxippus, for example, was converted into a royal stable in the late fourth century and still stands in 1220. Areas with powerful Faerie auras survived the impingement of the more numerous Divine auras.

The multitudes of violent atrocities that have peppered the city's past have created Infernal auras. During the centuries, existing Infernal auras have been eaten away by the impinging Divine auras, but later acts of violence created new ones. Many of the Infernal auras created during the Fourth Crusade are powerful, and have not yet been eradicated by the neighboring Dominion auras. The city has always had Magic auras as well, although these were never as numerous as the other types of auras. Most auras had preternatural tethers rather than natural tethers, but even those existed in small numbers. To prevent these auras from diminishing, magi of House Jerbiton annually performed magical activities and spellcasting in the auras. Since the conquest of the city these efforts have ceased and the Magic auras are not currently maintained.

Despite the many churches, the Divine aura is not as strong as one would expect. Most of the Divine auras are Dominion rather than empyreal auras, meaning that their strength and size are determined by the number of faithful worshipers. A Dominion aura is centered on a church altar and radiates outwards from it, encompassing the community and diminishing as it travels outward. The only remaining relic that has the power to generate an empyreal aura is the Crown of Thorns, held by the Venetian podesta. The Dominion auras are also weaker than they were in the past because of fewer faithful followers.

All of the auras are influenced by the calendar, increasing and decreasing in strength according to various times of the year. Most auras spread according to their own rules, but generally flow until they run into another aura of equal or stronger strength. Because of this fluid interplay, every place in the city has an aura of some type. In places where auras of different realms but equal strength meet, they form a border and rest against each other. It is not uncommon for a character to walk out of a Divine aura and into an Infernal aura with a single step.

a black scar that has yet to be repaired and almost half of the buildings of the city still lie in charred ruins. While it may have housed nearly half a million people in Justinian's day, its current population is not even 200,000.

Most visitors reach Constantinople by sea, and the city has many harbors lining both the north and south sea walls. The largest is the Harbor of Theodosius, half away along the southern wall. This port is busy with commercial ships from all corners of Mythic Europe, and is the likely entering point for characters coming to Constantinople by ship. The imperial navy, diminished and commandeered by the Latins, is anchored in the Kontoskalion. The Harbor of Julian is just south of the imperial palaces, and was once used exclusively by the aristocracy and the emperor's family. The two busiest ports on the northern sea wall are the Neorion and the Prosphorion, both awarded to the Venetians and reserved for their military and commercial ships. Every port is defended by outer fortifications and towers.

It is difficult to tell the city's misfortunes by judging the ports alone. Merchant ships enter the harbors daily, and the military ports are busy with boats ferrying knights across the Bosphorus. Armed galleys prowl the shores looking for pirates and safeguarding commercial vessels. Fisherman put out for their daily catch, and sweating dockworkers ceaselessly move bails and barrels on and off boats. The sea walls, standing thirty feet high and fortified with hundreds of towers, are kept in good repair by the conquerors. All this activity and the constant military presence make the harbors relatively safe.

Constantinople does not sit in isolation, and both shores of the Bosporus are lined with cities, towns, fortified castles, strongholds, monasteries, and churches. Most of these communities have felt the effects of the last twenty years, and have suffered as a result. But even those most severely hit have maintained a semblance of their former selves.

The largest community is Hebdomon, lying outside Constantinople, seven miles

from the walls on the European shore of the Bosporus. It lies on the Egnatian Road, which runs from Constantinople to Rome. Originally a summer retreat for the emperor, it became a notable seaport for the imperial navy and an important feature of ceremonial life. Early emperors were crowned here instead of Haghia Sophia, and then traveled in a processional through the Golden Gate to the Hippodrome. A medium-sized city, Hebdomon is home to many churches, including the Church of St. John the Baptist, a palace built by Emperor Justinian, and several forums and monasteries. A large plain lies to the north, called the Campus, where

the imperial army used to camp before excursions. Hebdomon's harbor is protected by the Cyclobion, a round tower built to defend

the otherwise unfortified city. The harbor at Hebdomon has long been a favorite point of arrival for sea-coming visitors, both friendly and hostile. While the Cyclobion is fordable, it is nothing compared to the sea defenses of Constantinople. This was the initial landing site of the crusading forces, from which they then travel on horseback to Constantinople. After the city's fall, the governor of Hebdomon surrendered the city to the Latins, who have maintained it since.

A second important outcropping of the city is Galata, a fortified community across the Golden Horn from Constantinople. For centuries it has served as one of the primary defenses of the city. The Castle of Galata was the terminus for a great chain that could be raised across the Golden Horn, protecting the city's northern harbors. This castle was stormed by crusaders in June 1203 and the great chain was broken — a foreshadowing of the fate of Constantinople. Galata served as the home to the crusaders until April 1204, when the victorious Latins left Galata for richer houses inside the city.

Whether by land or by sea, every journey into Constantinople begins at the city's walls. The city has always been surrounded by walls, which have been torn down and extended three times. The current land walls, called the Walls of Theodosius, run from the Golden Horn to the Sea of Marmara. Fortified with nearly a hundred towers and over twenty gates, these walls have never been breached. Composed of two parallel walls, the Walls of Theodosius runs behind a de-

Belisarius is perhaps the most famous general of the Byzantine Empire, noted for his success on both Western and Eastern fronts, and in the city itself. One of his most retold exploits is the battle with the gigantic whale "Porphyrio." The whale had been plaguing Constantinople for months, destroying ships at harbor and along the strait, and effectively crippling Constantinople's maritime trade. Taking a single galley armed with a hundred sailors, Belisarius fought the beast for a day. At sunset, bristling with spears and scourged by Greek fire, the whale submerged and Belisarius claimed victory. Porphyrio was not seen for generations.

The beast was not dead, however, and routinely resurfaces near the city for brief moments. It does not follow any pattern, but has been spotted over the years by sailors and dockworkers. While it has never attacked a vessel, its appearance is often a precursor for troubled times and calamitous events. It was last seen in April of 1203, a week before the Sea of Marmora was covered in Venetian ships carrying Latin knights.

Magi of the Thebes Tribunal, especially those interested in Hermetic Divination, are convinced that Porphyrio is a magic creature and believe the beast has a lair on the sea floor. Attempts to find it have so far failed, even those aided by Alexandria's Glass Submarine. Current speculation suggests that Porphyrio's lair must be hidden in a Magic regio.

fensive ditch, which is segmented so that various parts of it can be filled with water to act as a moat. The outlying wall is lower than the interior wall, being 30 feet high and 7 feet thick. The inner wall is a marvel of defensive engineering, looming 40 feet high and nearly 17 feet thick. Between the walls the ground is elevated in an area called the "peribolos," a heightened terrace that allows further defensive advantages. The land between the ditch and the outer wall, called the "patateichion," is also elevated.

The Sea Walls follow the shore of the peninsula and, combined with the land walls, completely encapsulate the city. These walls are also fortified with towers and gates that lead to the various harbors. Those on the northern side of city serve its commercial interests, and the southern harbors are used for imperial and military purposes. The sea walls are 30 feet high on the Golden Horn and 45 feet high along the Sea of Marmara.

Ten gates and several smaller postern gates dot the walls. Five of the ten gates are used for pedestrian traffic, with the remaining five used for military purposes. The most spectacular gate — the Golden Gate or Porta Aurea — stands as a triumphal arch. Adorned with gold plate and bordered by a pair of large copper elephants, this gate was only opened for a victorious emperor returning from war. The last time they were opened, however, was when the emperor Alexius V Murzuphlus fled the city through them, departing in the dead of the night after the crusaders had stormed the walls.

There is another famous gate, further

north along the wall, which leads to the Palace of Blachernae. Called the Golden Mantle, it is capped by a golden globe bearing a figure holding a cape around its shoulders. According to legend, as long as this globe rests atop the gate, the city is safe from lightning. Is this object of ancient Greek manufacture, as people suspect, or perhaps one of the failed protective enchantments created by Hermetic magi?

Entering the city is not difficult. Visitors and traders are allowed through the gates during the day, and enough secret passages exist to allow a small group to slip inside the city at night. The magi of Moero's Garden know of a secret passage near the Gate of Pege that grants access underneath the Walls of Theodosius. The covenant regularly sends search parties into the city to seek out lost artifacts and missing relics.

Behind her walls and amid her inhabitants, the city unfolds like a flower, unfortunately tainted with deprivation and rot. Most of Constantinople is open to anyone brave enough to face whatever dangers wait. Several areas are hazardous during the day, and all but the most secured buildings are deadly at night. The palaces are guarded constantly and admittance

is limited. While the smaller parish churches are always open, the larger churches are not. Though unguarded, the doors are often locked and opened only for special Church occasions and important visitors.

The city is crisscrossed with streets. Primary streets are straight, as is typical of Roman engineering, and even the secondary streets and alleys follow a more planned course than other cities in Mythic Europe. The Mese, or "Middle Way," is the main thoroughfare through the city. Originating at the Philadelpheuem — a crossroads on the Third Hill that links smaller avenues running from the city's walls — it runs through the heart of Constantinople to the imperial palaces. It is bordered with columns and porticos, which serve as boundary lines for the many merchant stalls that line the street. The Mese connects all the famous forums of the city and served as the official path for most imperial ceremonies.

Constantinople remains the most important city in Mythic Europe for the selling of commodities. Its markets still bring products from all over the world, and anything imaginable is for sale in the city. Constantinople's markets are controlled by the guilds, whose members range in social status from the nearnoble prestige of silk manufacturers to the peasant-like status of caulkers and street cleaners. The city has had guilds for a long time, and those that would be anachronistic in Paris or London have existed here for decades. While Western guilds fight for autonomy from local magistrates, Constantinople's guilds are all state run, so that even the highest guild master is subservient to the rule of the city's prefect.

Guilds follow the civic divisions of the past, selling and living in specific areas. The candle makers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, and perfumers still sell near the portico of the Haghia Sophia, in the imperial section of the city. Meat sellers and fish mongers have their shops in the Forum Tauri, and the Forum Amasturanum houses the cattle and horse sellers. The celebrated Forum of Constantine houses the slave markets and brothels. Anything is for sale if the price is right.

Forums are open-air public plazas used for markets, meetings, religious and imperial ceremonies, and general gatherings of people. All are noteworthy, and decorated with columns and monuments. The most renowned is the Forum of Constantine, resting on the summit of the Second Hill. The column originally held a statue of the Emperor Constantine, but it was replaced with a cross in the early 12th century when the original statue was destroyed by a storm. Surrounded by colonnades and porticos, the forum leads to the main entrance point of the imperial section of the city. It is one of the major markets in the city, with buyers visiting sellers' stalls every day of the week.

The Forum of Theodosius sits near the center of the city. Also called the Forum of

The Basilica Cistern's ceiling is supported by 336 columns. Two columns in the northwest corner are mounted on stone pedestals in the shape of medusa heads, one upside down and the other on its side. These heads, imported from afar in the days of Justinian, can produce vis. If the water level has remained above their heads for the entire year, on the summer solstice the moss that gathers around their eyes can be scraped off for 8 pawns of Imaginem vis.

Tauri, it contains the Column of Theodosius, one of the city's permanent magical marvels. Rising 150 feet into the air and made of marble, a spiral staircase rises through it to a platform at the top, and its sides are covered in strange carvings and hieroglyphics that represent the fateful prophesies of the Sybil. They are extremely difficult to decipher until a particular event has happened, after which it is clear that the event was prophesied. Several past conflicts are depicted, including the recent siege of the city. The death of the emperor Alexios V Murzuphlus is also shown; Captured in 1205, he was flung from the tower's top to his death on the pavement below.

The Column of Theodosius sits in the center of a Magic Aura of 5, Constantinople's largest and most powerful Magic aura. The aura extends to the limits of the forum, and because no neighboring aura is near its strength, it does not wax or wane. Past magi have wondered how they could found a covenant here, but the space is too public and the aura does not extend into any of the facing buildings.

The column's prophesies can be viewed by everyone, but understood by only a few. Any character who spends an hour gazing at the writings and pictures will receive a vision

The column may also be studied by those with Premonitions, acting as a Source Quality of 6. The column is made up of six marble porphyry drums separated by iron bands, meaning that a character can study the column six times before its lore is exhausted. This is a busy area of the city, and studying the column will be fraught with distractions. While the two lower drums can be studied from the ground, the character will need a ladder or other means to study the higher parts of the column. The interior staircase is windowless, and will not assist in viewing the carvings.

In its prime, Constantinople provided running water for its inhabitants and working lavatories that flushed waste into the harbors. This urban management was accomplished by the Valens Aqueduct and a system of large cisterns to hold accumulated water. Despite not being repaired for over fifty years, the Valens Aqueduct still provides water to the city. The cisterns are located at the summits of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Hills. They are huge open-air basins surrounded by rows of columns. The Basilica Cistern is a vast underground reservoir located beneath the First Hill, supplying the imperial section of the city with water. It is part of a labyrinth of underground tunnels and chambers that connects the cistern to the Great Palace complex, as well as to other underground rooms throughout the city.

Housing the governmental representatives and citizens of the Republic of Venice, the Venetian Quarter is separated from the rest of the city by a wall constructed

in 1205 to 1207. Within is a bustling hub of commercial activity. Most feel secure within the walls and with the current state of political affairs, but many remain uneasy. Many Greeks actively resent the foreign merchants' exemptions and advantages, which effectively exclude Greeks from the profits of the shipping business. The wall is constantly patrolled by Venetian soldiers. Mistrust continues between the Venetians, the other former crusaders, and Constantinople's Greek population.

Fearing a secession of the Quarter from the republic, the government of the Venetians in Constantinople has been strictly controlled. A podesta (governor) is appointed by the republic; His role is to maintain relations with the Latin emperor, and administer the Eastern section of the Venetian acquisitions as he see fit. The podesta must balance local interests and constantly reassure the republic that her best interests are being served. The Venetian Council of Constantinople advises the podesta, mirroring the Council of Venice that advises the doge. The podesta and Constantinople Council ultimately answer to the Council of Venice and the doge. Venetian holdings in Western Greece are directly administered from the republic, and Durazzo and Corfu are specifically excluded from the podesta's authority. In 1220, the current podesta is Ottaviano Quirino.

Inside the quarter's walls, life is grimmer for the Venetian citizens than for

the officials. Much of the quarter still lies in ashy ruins, where armed gangs and vicious bandits make their homes. With access to ports on the Golden Horn, the Venetian Quarter is popular with smugglers, who find access to the city easier here than at other patrolled ports.

The heart of Constantinople, the Hippodrome is 1,600 feet long and 400 feet wide. Originally used for chariot races and other entertainment, it has two long sides, a curved southern side, and a straight northern side connected to the Great Palace and reserved for the imperial family. In its heyday it could seat 80,000 spectators.

Statues once lined the arcade atop both long walls, but many have been destroyed, pulled down for their inlaid precious metals or out of pure maliciousness. Both ancient and contemporary, they included a large statue of Athena, a mighty bronze eagle standing on a serpent, a splendid Helen of Troy, a she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, and a huge hippopotamus with a crocodile in its jaws. Many of these had magical properties, according to the citizens, and they could move, sing, play instruments, or act out a specific scene.

A long stone pier runs through the center, called the spina, which the chariots used to race around. It is also adorned with monuments, many of which have been destroyed, but two prominent statues remain.

The Nika Riots, one of the most violent events of the city's past, produced ghosts that return once a year to haunt the city. The Nika Riots started when two factions of supporters of the chariot races — the Greens and the Blues rose up in revolt and terrorized the city. The emperor Justinian tricked them into gathering in the Hippodrome, where his general Belisarius attacked them with imperial troops, killing 30,000 rioters. On the anniversary of this slaughter, January 14th, hundreds of Infernal ghosts rise from the ground at night and swarm the Hippodrome, wailing their revolutionary cry, "Nika!" (Victory). In the past, they could not escape the Hippodrome, as they were trapped by the more powerful Dominion auras of the city. But since the city's Dominion auras have lessened in might, the ghosts are free to roam the Great Palace and city.

On the southern end sits the Serpent Column — three intertwined bronze serpents rising up to hold a bronze chalice between their huge heads. Originally standing in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Constantine the Great moved it, first to the porch of Haghia Sophia and later to the Hippodrome. On the northern end of the spina stands the Egyptian Obelisk, a towering chunk of rock placed by Julian the Apostate.

The Hippodrome is still used for popular entertainment and imperial ceremonies. Jousting has replaced chariot races, but live entertainers still juggle and dance, display wild animals, and practice feats of dexterity and cunning. Festivals and religious celebrations are held here as well.

The Hippodrome has a mix of auras. During the day a Dominion aura of 1 surrounds the more powerful Magic, Infernal, and Faerie auras. A Faerie aura of 2 surrounds the southern end of the spina, centered on the Serpent Column, and a Magic aura of 2 surrounds the Egyptian Obelisk at the northern end. Patches of Infernal auras of 2 sprout up along the old race track, specifically at the sites of the worst fighting of the Nika Riots and the burning of the Bogomil leader, Basil.

The Serpent Column

Originally adoring the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the Serpent Column now sits in the Hippodrome. The magi of Moero's Garden discovered that it can produce vis, provided that a certain procedure is followed. Four times a year, at the solstices and equinoxes, a ram must be sacrificed and its blood poured into the bronze chalice, where it is consumed by the column. After the fourth time, on the summer solstice, the consumed blood reforms, congealing into a dark red lump of pulp that is worth 8 pawns of Animal vis.

A second power of the statue is to keep the city free from snakes — an ancient ritual that predates Hermetic magic theory. Originally intended to keep the Temple of Apollo free from the reptilian predators, the enchantment now safeguards the city. Acting much like a ward, the column prevents mundane snakes from entering Constantinople. Snakes with a Might score are unfazed by the ward.

The column's Faerie aura is due to its resident, a Might 10 faerie calling himself "Belisarius," who lives in a regio above the column. Entrance to the regio is fairly simple — a character merely has to hold a Roman-style sword in his hand and walk counterclockwise around the column. The regio has a Faerie aura of 4 and is the size of the Hippodrome, depicting the ancient structure in all its past glory. Belisarius, an incognizant faerie, leads a small community of urban faeries. The group continually react the Nika Riots, staging the final conflict between the rioters and Belisarius and his imperial guardsmen. Belisarius views this as an allegory against change, and his display shows the superiority of rightful rule and tradition. Though incognizant, Belisarius knows that he needs human participants for his show, and he will send his faerie minions out into the city to lure viewers inside the regio.

At one time almost one third of the many statues in the Hippodrome were automata crafted by Ollaferus of House Verditius, a second generation magus who refined and perfected the inner Mystery of Automata for Verditius the founder. The automata had limited movement, as they were each designed to enact a specific scene from Byzantine and Roman history and legend. Like many of the non-magical statues, most of the automata of Ollaferus have been destroyed, melted down, or carted off.

Verditius magi of the Theban Tribunal would like to recover these statues — not for their arcane secrets but to decorate their studios. Naturally, few wish to sully their hands moving a half-ton stone statue, and so they ask others to do it for them. Novice magi are perfect choices, especially those unlucky enough to have acquired a shard. Many Verditius magi will offer to neutralise a young magus' shard with a token if he delivers one of the few remaining automata.

The Egyptian Obelisk

Julian the Apostate desired to suppress Christianity by promoting the pagan gods of Rome; retrieving the Egyptian Obelisk from Thebes in Egypt was one of his strategies. The stone is not complete, having been broken during its transportation to Constantinople. Originally ninety feet tall, only its upper third remains, standing at an impressive thirty feet. It is covered in engravings, both Egyptian hieroglyphics and pictures representing Roman scenes of the Hippodrome.

These engravings can be read, providing a cryptic clue to the future. A character may divine the future with an Intelligence + Magic Lore + stress die roll against an Ease Factor of 15. The results are handled as Hermetic Divination, described in The Mysteries Revised Edition, pages 59–62. As this is a pre-Hermetic artifact, visions of the future may break the Hermetic Lesser Limit of Time. Finding the other two missing thirds of the obelisk reduces the Ease Factor by 3 for each found piece, so a complete obelisk lowers it to 9. Few clues exist as to where these remaining two pieces are.

Built over a former temple of Zeus, the Baths of Zeuxippus is a large bathhouse, which is adorned with over eighty statues of famous Greeks, Romans, and pagan gods. Originally open to the public, admittance to the bathhouse has been restricted since the Nika Revolt of 532. Parts of the complex only allow nobles, while other sections have been quartered off for military use, and a prison occupies one of the former bathing rooms. The complex is large enough to separate patrons from prisoners.

The baths were a popular meeting spot for many of the Jerbiton magi who once lived in the city, so much so that they dubbed themselves "the Covenant of the Baths of Zeuxippus" as a small joke among the city's Hermetic population. This joke has blossomed into the rumor that there actually was a covenant housed in the baths, however. Magi of the Theban Tribunal know this is false, but magi of more distant Tribunals still believe in the spurious covenant. Not a popular spot with Constantinople's public, the baths offer a fairly private spot for visiting magi to rest. The bathhouse is often the unofficial meeting place for magi and their associates.

Constantinople has over 200 churches, which is more than it needs to provide religious services for its occupants. Many were built by previous emperors as patriarchal endowments to show their generosity, coupled with architectural grandeur to match their pride. Most are smaller churches, built to serve a particular neighborhood. Few churches have any relics, as these were the most sought-after prize, after gold, of the crusaders. Smaller churches may have escaped notice, though.

Haghia Sophia

The Church of Divine Wisdom, also known as the Great Church, is actually the third church build on this site. Enlarged with each successive rebuilding, the current church is a marvel of engineering, with its ceiling rising 168 feet above the congregation's heads. Fashioned after a Roman basilica, the Haghia Sophia is the largest cathedral in Mythic Europe. An exterior apse leads to an inner narthex, which in turn runs to the nave. Above the nave is the huge central dome supported by columns, which gives the impression that Hagia Sophia is a round building.

Before the city fell, the Great Church was brimming with relics, gold statuary, and beautiful mosaics. Since the Latin occupation, the church has been thoroughly looted, its relics stolen, the high alter dismantled for its gold, and the many chandeliers pulled down and stripped of their silver. Wild orgies of debauchery and violence were committed in the three days of looting, sullying the church's Divine aura. But what is even more deplorable to the Greeks is the conversion from Eastern Orthodox Christianity to Western Christianity, and the replacement of the Greek patriarch with a Latin, who is subservient to the pope.

Despite the changes, many imperial ceremonies still happen in the Great Church, barely changed from the Greek tradition. Emperors, for example, are still crowned here. The high altar has been rebuilt; it is a shadow of its former glory, but it acts as the center point for a Dominion aura of 5. The aisles and exterior porticos have a Dominion aura of 2. The nave has an Infernal aura of 7, a result of the massacre of over 1,000 innocents perpetrated by the Latin crusaders. With the removal of the majority of the relics that used to be stored here, and the subsequent lessening of the Dominion aura's might, the present Dominion aura is not strong enough to weaken the lingering Infernal aura.

The Theban Tribunal

Those relics that remain were impossible to move, and so still serve their original purpose. One of the columns that supports the dome — the Column of St. Gregory the Thaumaturge — can still heal the wounded, providing a +6 bonus to Recovery Rolls and decreasing the healing time of a wound by one level. A Heavy Wound heals in the time normally necessary for a Medium Wound, for example, and a Light Wound is healed in a day. A tube is anchored to one of the nine doors that lead from the narthex to the nave. If a sick person puts the tube in his mouth, his disease is sucked from his body.

Haghia Eirene

The church dedicated to Divine Peace, also called the Old Church, is the oldest church in Constantinople. It is the third building occupying this site, rebuilt at the same time Justinian rebuilt Haghia Sophia. It has a rectangular floorplan with a central dome, much like Haghia Sophia, and an external atrium and narthex. Fewer relics were stored here, so it escaped the general plunder that rent the city. It has a Dominion aura of 4.

Called the "Holy Chapel" by crusaders, this is one of the thirty chapels that comprise part of the Great Palace. Specifically used by the emperor and his family, this became a vast storehouse of relics, all of which have been removed. It has a Dominion aura of 4, which at night falls to 3.

Among the relics stolen were two pieces of the True Cross, the iron head of the spear of Longinus, the two nails that affixed Christ's hands to the cross, a crystal phial of His blood, His tunic, the Crown of Thorns, a piece of the Virgin Mary's robe, and the head of St. John the Baptist.

Church of the Holy Apostles

Built in the form of a Greek cross capped by five domes, the Church of the Holy Apostles was the busiest church in Constantinople, offering religious services for many of the population. It was the final resting place of emperors and patriarchs up until 1028, with Constantine VIII being the last emperor in-

Justinian commissioned the best architects of the day to rebuild the Great Church — Isidore of Miletus and the mathematician Authemius of Tralles. They requisitioned building material from across the empire, including columns from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. As materials arrived, the pair quarreled over the design, with Isidore wishing to add complexities based on the theories of Heron of Alexandria. He succeeded in his wish because his partner, Authemius, died within the year. While attributed to natural causes, rumors circulated that Authemius' death might have been premature.

The magi of the Thebes Tribunal, especially Catella from the Mercere covenant of Alexandria, would love to investigate the Great Church and search for insights derived from Heron's theories. Such insights exist, but it would take a season to uncover and require daily investigation of the architecture. Catella is willing to fund any magus who has an idea how to do this, paying for his time and investigation notes with vis and gold.

Built near the end of the fourth century by Julian the Apostate, this library was claimed to hold over 600,000 texts. A pagan and trained scholar, Julian stocked his library with his own personal collection, as well as copies of every academic and literary text his scholars could find. Among the volumes were several curiosities, many magical, with the most famous being the 37-yard-long guts of a dragon, upon which the Iliad and the Odyssey were written in

gold letters. Rumors say if the dragon guts are read, they increase the reader's wisdom.

By 1220, Julian's library has been built over and his collection dispersed, hidden by Julian's supporters after the emperor's demise. The library is a favorite quarry for the many Seekers of Thebes, who occasionally find lost sections of it and continually prowl for more. The more fabulous items are still hidden, and competition to find them is fierce.

Story Seed: The Return of Zeno

Originally a mercenary Isaurian chieftain from the Taurus Mountains named Tarasicodissa, Zeno was an unpopular emperor, ruling from 474–491. Plagued with assassination attempts, he was eventually overthrown by rivals and buried alive in the Church of the Holy Apostles. His pleas for mercy lasted for three days, after which he was presumed dead. In actuality, he merely lay dormant, waiting to return. A demonblooded villain, he is immune to deprivation, age, and starvation. Described by Leo Grammaticus as "bushy-haired and ill-formed, (he is) goat-footed and hairy-legged, black-skinned, absurd in stature." At night he crawls from his opened sarcophagus and wanders the church. This demonic monster cannot exist outside an Infernal aura, making it difficult for him to leave the church.

According to Hermetic legend, metropolitan magi who wished to safeguard their secrets would bury occult tomes and writings in the crypts beneath the church, thinking that the ghosts of the departed emperors would protect their work. Hermetic necromancers would also summon the ghosts of emperors whose souls had not gone on to Heaven, working in the Infernal aura generated by Zeno's lair. Both undertakings were dangerous, as Zeno would kill and devour anyone he could catch. A storyguide could put almost any treasure here, perhaps something to lead the characters on to another adventure, forcing them to overcome Zeno before acquiring the prize.

terred there. Since then, emperors have been buried in churches that they were more closely associated with. The relics it once held have been stolen, many being shipped back to Venice, including the skulls of Saints Andrew, Luke, and Timothy, and the post called the "Column of Flagellation" to which Christ was bound when he was flogged. Ravaged by looters, who exhumed the emperors' corpses and stole crowns and jewelry, the church only has a Divine aura of 4. During the day, the Dominion aura suppresses an Infernal aura of 3 caused by a demon, Zeno, living in the crypts below it (see insert). At night, however, the Dominion aura falls in might to 3, and the Infernal aura strengthens to 4, overpowering the Dominion aura and allowing the demon below to prowl the church.

The Church of St. John the Baptist of Studius and The Studion

Founded by the Roman patrician Studius in 463, the Church of St. John the Baptist is one of the most celebrated churches in Constantinople. The nearby monastery, the Studion, is the center of intellectual activity in the empire. The church is a typical basilica, with nave, narthex, and atrium, and the monastery is a series of stone buildings surrounding a square footprint.

The Church of St. John the Baptist escaped the worst looting in 1204, and retains a Divine aura of 5. Perhaps this was because the church collected more books than relics. The Studion still operates, seemingly impervious to the Latins' rule, and holds the largest collection of ecclesiastical and secular books of both the Latin and Byzantine Empires.

Two imperial palaces exist. The larger, the Great Palace, lies to the southeast, overlooking the Sea of Marmara. The smaller, more recent Palace of Blachernae sits in the northwest corner of the city, near the sea walls of the Golden Horn. Both are sprawling complexes of stone buildings, fortified against attackers and housing riches and treasures beyond comprehension.

The Great Palace

Continually adorned and enhanced through the long history of Constantinople, the Great Palace is actually five palaces: Chalke, Magnaura, Daphne, the Sacred Palace, and the Palace of Bucoleon. They are all connected by passages and walkways, which also connect the Great Palace to the Hippodrome and the Baths of Zeuxippus.

The Palace of Bucoleon

Resting on the slopes of the First Hill and overlooking the harbors on the Sea of Marmara, the Palace of Bucoleon was the home of the empire's earlier emperors. Centrally located,

The Palace of Magnaura

An imperial palace of remarkable size, whose name means "fresh breeze" in Greek, the Palace of Magnaura contains a throne room among its many rooms and suites. Used as an audience chamber to greet distinguished guests, the throne room holds a golden throne that can levitate to the ceiling upon command. Two gilded lion statues sit before the throne, which can open their

The automata inside the Palace of Magnaura were constructed in the early 10th century by Aella of House Verditius. Born in Crete, Aella worked more closely with Byzantine imperials than many thought she should, and was accused several times of being a court wizard working for the emperor. She was never convicted, due in great part to her husband, Vaanes of House Guernicus, and his legal help. She was ostracized twice, but returned both times insistent on maintaining her enchanted creations.

In 1220, the maga Passara filia Bacauda filius Aella of House Verditius still oversees the automata, making sure that time and wear do not destroy them. Blessed with the Gentle Gift, Passara lives in apartments in the palace given to her by the emperor's autocrat. Proud of her lineage and its mysteries, Passara refuses to live anywhere else. Formosos of House Guernicus, the grand filius of Vaanes, thinks that Vaanes' involvement was criminal. His pride won't let matters rest, and he is determined to prove that Passara is actively working for the Latin emperor and not just overseeing the automata. He will try to enlist player characters to clandestinely investigate Passara and her mundane involvements.

mouths to roar and shake their tails. A tree of gilded bronze stands nearby, its branches full of birds fashioned out of precious metals and encrusted jewels. When the emperor was in attendance, as visitors lay prostrate on the floor before him, the throne would rise, the lions would roar, and the birds would sing. All these marvels still exist in the palace.

The Palace of Blachernae

Built in the fifth and sixth centuries and originally laying outside the city walls, the Palace of Blachernae was enclosed within the walls in 627. Overlooking the Golden Horn on the slopes of the Sixth Hill, the Palace of Blachernae became the principle residence of later emperors before the coming of the Latins. It also served as their prison; Isaac II Angelus was imprisoned in a tower in the Blachernae when his brother, Alexius III, overthrew him.

Several of the imperial crowns of past emperors were stored here, but were stolen during the three days of looting that followed the city's fall. Because of this plundering, and due to the notorious practices of the last imperial residents — the Angeluses — the entire palace complex has an Infernal aura of 2.

The Porphyry Chamber

An important aspect of imperial life in pre-fall Constantinople was the notion of being born in the purple. The Byzantine emperors maintained a magnificent birthing room of purple porphyry — a rare stone imported from Egypt in the fourth century — and hung with purple silk wall drapes. Children born here are called porphyrogennetos, or literally "born into the purple," and had a better claim to the imperial throne than an older heir born outside it, even if female. In short, children born to a reigning emperor and empress outrank older siblings born before the succession to the throne. This exception to primogeniture was extremely important, and the room was guarded to ensure that only empresses could give birth within its hallowed walls.

Porphyrogennetos princesses may not marry outside the Byzantine Empire, even for diplomatic advantage, though this tradition has been flouted on occasion with disastrous results. Being porphyrogennetos gives a character a claim to the imperial throne, a good education, and the support of the people. The Empress Zoe was crowned despite male contenders because her birth in the room was deemed to give her the best claim. But for this reason many porphyrogennetos children have been blinded when their parents lose power, or been forcibly placed in convents and monasteries. With the recent rapid succession of rulers, a number of individuals from imperial families can claim this highest rank. While observed by the new Latin emperors, like many Greek traditions, they are not slavish about the Porphyry Chamber and the room is no longer constantly guarded.

The newest of the two covenants located within the city of Constantinople, Michael's Tabula is a tightly knit group of magi, mostly of House Jerbiton, who survived the sack of the

city in 1204 and who pledged to stay. These pious magi fervently oppose the presence of the crusaders; although their covenant is publicly dedicated to restoring Constantinople to its former glory, their unofficial aim is to ultimately repulse the invaders from their city, a goal in which they are receiving covert assistance from several magi and covenants sympathetic to their cause.

Michael was a famed magus of Thermakopolis (see Chapter 12: Infernal Landscape) and the leader of the Jerbiton magi that ultimately failed in their effort to defend Constantinople. During that covenant's destruction, he was the last to die, heroically, in its defense. On his death bed, he, his surviving apprentice Petros, Wilrich of House Flambeau, and three other Jerbiton magi (two from Moero's Garden and one an urban eremite) pledged their lives to the city's defense and swore never to abandon it to the invaders. The oath of these magi was recorded on a tablet of stone, after which this new covenant was named. The surviving magi retreated into the city's catacombs — some bitter and thirsting for revenge, others praying devoutly for deliverance — where they established new sancta and hid away their remaining magical resources. Michael's Tabula was formally founded in 1207, at the first Tribunal after the fall of Constantinople in 1204.

In Mythic Europe, a character born in the Porphyry Chamber is granted a supernatural power at birth, reflected in a Minor Supernatural Virtue that does not count against her normal allotment of Virtues and Flaws. Because of the mercurial realm auras of Constantinople, the gained Virtue is not always Divine, as one would assume. If a character is born in the chamber, the storyguide should roll a simple die and consult the following:

Roll V	irtue
1	Infernal Minor Supernatural
2	Magic Minor Supernatural
3 – 4	Faerie Minor Supernatural
5 – 9	Divine Minor Supernatural
10	The character receives a Major
	Supernatural Virtue instead of
	a Minor. Roll again for type,
	ignoring a second 10.

The player can pick any Supernatural Virtue that suits the realm indicated, with the troupe's approval. Other characters will assume that the child is born with God's blessing, as the emperors like to say, and think that the supernatural power is Divine. The Virtue's true realm alignment may remain a mystery, even to the owner, which is an insidious aspect of Infernal and Faerie Virtues.

The covenant is centered around an abandoned mithraeum (a worship site associated with the Mithraic Mysteries) beneath a ruined district in Constantinople, which has a Magic aura of 3. The magi have converted the mithraeum into a rudimentary council chamber, and have ceremonially placed Michael's Tabula (the stone tablet) atop the former altar. They have established underground laboratories, some of which are shared, in nearby chambers. New stone walls, erected with the aid of their patron, bar all entrances to the covenant; they can only be navigated by magi in possession of magical keys. Only trusted allies are admitted to the underground site. Other visitors may be received in one of the various city residences where the magi discreetly live.

Michael's Tabula's Patron: Fylakas

Retreating into Constantinople's catacombs in 1204, the founding magi discovered a mysterious entity who protected and assisted them against the marauding crusaders — a powerful humanoid figure made of rock, rising out of the ground. The magi of the covenant named it Fylakas ("guard") and took it as their patron spirit, but have not yet managed to communicate with it at length. As a result, they know relatively little about it. The spirit possesses power over the earth; as well as controlling the gateways to the catacombs, it can cause violent earth tremors and thereby damage or collapse city buildings. There are several possibilities as to Fylakas' true nature, the most likely being that it is an ancient earth elemental. Another possibility is that it is a demon, released from its binding during the sack of the city. If this is the case, then it is likely duping the pious magi. However, it is also conceivable that one or more of them, despite their piety, may not be above soliciting demonic aid, if it would rid the city of the Franks.

Michael's Tabula retains the largely disorganized but fanatical feel of an underground resistance movement. Council meetings are often heated and chaotic, but the magi ultimately pull together around their common cause. However, opinions differ as to how cautious or bold they should be in acting against their city's Frankish rulers. There are some in the Tribunal, including the Quaesitores, who tend to view the covenant and their possible meddling with suspicion, but this is outweighed by a greater number who hold sympathy for their cause.

The magi have so far managed to discover a few sources of vis in the catacombs and have begun assembling a library, some of which are old tomes rescued from Thermakopolis. Every year or two, a Redcap arrives with a generous donation of money and books, but this mysterious sponsor chooses to remain anonymous. Some of the magi may be in possession of knowledge or relics relating to the legacy of Heron of Alexandria; see Ancient Magic, page 87.

There are about a half dozen magi, mostly from House Jerbiton, many of whom have lived in Constantinople since before the Fourth Crusade. They are all devout Christians.

Age: 36 (Apparent Age: 11) Personality Traits: Depressed +2, Meditative +2, Immature +1

Petros, the filius of Michael, had a troubled apprenticeship. First, his master botched his own Longevity Ritual; it instead took effect on his apprentice and stopped his growing further. Despite now being in his fourth decade, Petros retains the body of an 11-year-old boy. Second, his master died during the city's defense, shortly before Petros was to swear the Oath of Hermes. Despite his youth and inexperience, the magi of Michael's Tabula elected the boy their leader, out of respect for his pater.

Petros is a melancholy individual, a man trapped inside the body of a boy. His prayers for manhood remain unanswered, and he bears the shame of the failed defense of the city and the fall of Thermakopolis. In his darkest moments of despair, Petros has considered joining a monastery, but stays at the covenant to honor his pater's cause.

Wilrich of House Flambeau

Age: 51 (Apparent Age: 43) Personality Traits: Devout +3, Valiant +3, Crude +1

Born and raised in Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire, Wilrich is one of a handful of "Frankish" magi in the Tribunal. Unfortunately, he conforms to many of the stereotypes about Franks: he is large and burly, fair-haired and bearded, and is somewhat uncouth, speaking Greek with a thick accent. However, he hides a deep piety beneath his brusque exterior.

Wilrich joined the Fourth Crusade as a knight under the retinue of the bishop of Halberstadt. To satisfy the protestations of the Quaesitores, he forswore the use of any of his magics for the duration of the crusade. As the voyage progressed, however, he became increasingly disillusioned with the righteousness of their cause. Ultimately, in the chaos of the fall of Constantinople, he abandoned the attack and instead acted to protect the innocent, battling demons. He found himself fighting alongside the dying magi of Thermakopolis, and saved Petros. A truly formidable swordsman, Wilrich is the most martial of the magi and the most active in its military plans.

The covenant currently lacks the resources to employ or house many covenfolk. Nevertheless, the magi have recruited a varied as-

Little is known of St. Loukia, a martyr of the early Church. The icon of her is set in a gilded frame, just six inches high by four wide, and is made of tiny squares of gold, silver, and colored stone. It depicts a beautiful young woman sitting in a pastoral setting holding a lamb, while healthy flocks, birds, and even the fishes in the stream by her feet watch her attentively. The scene is vibrant, dazzling even, and every so often it is said that Loukia's image raises her arms and screams a warning in a tiny voice. This has only happened three times since the icon came into the possession of the covenant. The first time was before a fire that destroyed the orphanage killing many children, secondly before the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, and lastly in the spring of 1204. A demotic inscription on the frame reads "Loukia, Herald of Last Things," and the Criamon watch avidly just in case …

Loukia was probably a Montanist heretic, condemned for her practices. Montanism was a version of early Christianity that emphasized direct spiritual experience, or gnosis, and its founder Montanus claimed to be the Holy Spirit. Loukia was a pantheist nature mystic with a strong affinity for animals of all types. Her visions were of the Magic Realm, particularly that part associated with the Form of Animal, and meditation on her icon can function as a Level 3, Quality 10 summa for learning the Supernatural Ability Animal Ken. None of the covenant's magi have realized this, fearing to meditate extensively upon it, but the Criamon may eventually discover this attribute.

The icon is currently located in a small shrine in an alcove of the cistern, in a section still only reachable by boat, and has another amazing, possibly unique, quality. A Magic aura of strength 3 emanates from it in a perfect sphere, which expands out far enough to cover the orphanage and eastern end of the monastery complex, before disappearing on contact with the Dominion aura in the central and western parts of the grounds. This is because Loukia is not dead, but trapped in something analogous to Twilight between this world and the Magic Realm, allowing magic to pour into the world.

sortment of miscreants, spies, and mercenaries to serve them part-time. These persons lead a double life, so that the covenant, as an organization, remains largely hidden from view.

Until 1204 the site of a major House Jerbiton covenant, this Constantinople monastery and orphanage is today home to a House Criamon Clutch. The covenant patron is St. Loukia of Berytus, a

magical spirit trapped within a false icon.

Xylinites is a long-established covenant, which was almost destroyed in the capture of the city in 1205, and is now fading into winter with new inhabitants. The covenant exists within the walled monastery of St. Christopoulos, inside the walls of the city of Constantinople but in an area largely given over to pasture and orchards.

The monastery was founded as a lavra (a community of monks living in cells), in 823. In the late 10th century Empress Zoe's first husband Emperor Romanus III Argyrus was particularly lavish in endowing the monastery. He made two particularly important donations — in 1030 he founded an orphanage and school supported from the state treasury and run by the monks, and in 1031 he donated a tiny but beautifully crafted icon of a little-known saint, St. Loukia.

In 1071 Tikh of Jerbiton, a scholar paid to teach at the orphanage school, noticed the icon and that it had unusual attributes. He realized that St. Loukia was Loukia of Berytus (Beirut), a Montanist heretic who claimed to physically enter paradise by the power of the Holy Spirit, and who was executed in the fourth century for blasphemy. After seeking the abbot's permission, Tikh removed the icon from the church and placed it in the school room of the orphanage. He was amazed when a Magic aura slowly developed around the heretical magical icon, and swiftly moved it to the orphanage schoolmaster's house where he lived.

Needing space for his laboratory, he uncovered and partially drained a huge vaulted water cistern under the orphanage and east grounds, founding one of the most enduring Constantinople covenants, Xylinites, in 1074. The magi of Xylinites served for the next 130 years as tutors at the orphanage, which gave them a unique opportunity not only to educate many brilliant young scholars and to locate Gifted children abandoned to the care of the monks, but also to build strong links within the imperial palace.

The demand from the palace for eunuchs had long exceeded supply, and with the relaxation of the laws against castration many families saw having a eunuch son as a potential route to wealth and influence. The school attached to the orphanage had long accepted paying scholars from the city, and now a large number of youngsters elected or were volunteered by families to be educated there in the art of music, and subsequently castrated if their voices were suitable for the eunuchs of the choirs, the castrati. In addition, politically inconvenient children were often sent to the monastery, and castrated to render them ineligible for the throne or prevent inheritance disputes. The monastery thus became an important source of eunuchs destined for the imperial palace. Former students at the palace promoted the orphanage's interests, while the Jerbiton magi enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, ample opportunities for study, and indirect influence over the imperial court.

In 1205 everything changed. While the Latins have allowed the continuation of the orphanage's funding, the call for eunuchs has largely dried up in the face of Latin disgust at the practice. Three of the Jerbiton magi were slain in the sack of the city, fighting the attackers. The remainder, fearing the censure of the Tribunal, fled immediately into exile. The remaining member, Artoud of Criamon, is dedicated to the Path of the Body (see Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults) and he established a Clutch (a Criamon covenant) dedicated to mystical researches here.

Artoud could not teach in the orphanage, and had never been formally introduced to the monks, owing to his Blatant Gift. But the monks know of his presence in the old cistern. They regard Artoud and the two apprentices he has taught as holy hermits practicing extreme bodily mortification. The companions of the covenant have taken on the teaching duties and act as intermediaries, allowing the ancient covenant a precarious afterlife. Visitors come and go as they always do in Orthodox monasteries, and the staff has little to do with the monks, and less with the hermits. So covenant life can continue, but for how long?

The walled monastery covers several acres and is a thriving community, with a small vineyard, some pastures, and extensive gardens. Entrance is through a gate with a great golden icon of Christ Pantokrator above the archway. The basilica of St. Christopoulos remains the heart of the monastery, with the refectory, kitchen, laundry, and bakehouse clustered nearby. Small wooden houses scattered across the grounds hold the individual monks cells, and some thirty black clergy live here today.

At the west end of the complex stands a small building of great antiquity, an ancient bathhouse. The partially ruined and roofless building today has only two remaining baths; one has been converted into a fishpond, while the other is still used for bathing by the monks. Behind the bathhouse stands the infirmary, and storehouses.

At the east end of the grounds stands a building containing the guest quarters, the school house, and a hostelry for sixty boys — the famous orphanage. The master's house, student's refectory, scriptorium, and library are situated next to it. Several concealed staircases from locked rooms in these buildings lead down to the ancient cistern now used as a storehouse.

The cistern, which is still flooded, holds six excellent laboratories cut into the walls and approachable only by small boats moored by the entrances to the steps. Tunnels branch off from it, carrying water to other parts of the city through a maze of flooded passages that could be explored by boat. The covenant uses them to discretely slip out to attend to business throughout the city.

For most of the covenant's history this was a Jerbiton covenant. It tread a fine line between interfering with mundanes by providing a valuable service to the imperial court and leading families, and fostering political influence in a very literal sense. The academic and aesthetic interests of the schoolmasters reflected the elaborate customs and protocols of the imperial court. These practices ended with the refugees' departure, along with the flight of many of the key officials of the old orphanage.

The current Criamon Clutch has a precarious existence, living alongside devout monks and reliant on loyal companions to teach the orphans. Some children are still left with the orphanage, and the occasional Gifted boy abandoned by frightened parents has given the Clutch some influence at Tribunal.

Following the breakdown almost a generation ago of the elaborately regimented and ritualized daily life of the orphanage, the inquisitive nature of the boys has become more of a problem. Many of the boys tell stories of the haunted storehouses in the cistern and the mad hermits who dwell therein, and a few of the braver souls have broken curfew to explore the subterranean vaults.

Xylinites currently has three magi of House Criamon on the Path of the Body, forming the Tribunal's only dedicated Clutch.

Artoud of House Criamon

+3, Devoted to House Criamon +3

Age: 175 (Apparent Age: 71) Personality Traits: Graceful +5, Pious

Brother Artoud is the current leader of Xylinites. Much of his life was spent in the Levantine Tribunal, in the hills of Central Anatolia. There he was a member of a Criamon Clutch destroyed in the fighting between the Sultanate of Rum and the empire. His loyalty to House Criamon is fanatical, and he is largely uninterested in the wider Order of Hermes, seeing it as dominated by ignorant uncouth Frankish barbarians.

While he attempts to hide the fact, Artoud's body is in better condition now than it was at age 21; the pale scars over his tanned skin are easily explicable as the result of years of bodily mortification. He moves with superhuman grace, causing him to feign a stoop and slight limp among mundane folk, and to move as little as possible — which is easy for him with his years of mystical practice.

He has refused Repose to remain and support his House. As a result he does not suffer from aging, and even physical injury is soon shrugged off. (See House of Hermes: Mystery Cults for the super-human abilities he gained by devout ascetic practice and mastery of the flesh.)

Theoderet of House Criamon

Age: 75 (Apparent Age: 43) Personality Traits: Pious +3, Fatalistic +1, Reclusive +1.

He is official castrator for the orphanage, and because of his known medical skills he has been called upon many times to conduct blindings at the palace and throughout the city. With Deft Art Corpus, and as a master of Perdo Corpus magic, he uses primarily magical means to painlessly and safely conduct these duties. He is philosophically committed to his work, seeing it as helping to establish Harmony where the likely alternative of execution or murder in many instances would simply bring more Strife into the world.

Trasaricus of House Criamon

Age: 21 Personality Traits: Proud +3, Bitchy +2, Idle +1

Trasaricus is the only member of Xylinites born within the Tribunal; he is a nephew of the former Emperor Alexios IV Angelos, who was deposed and killed in 1204. Castrated in early childhood for being politically dangerous, he is an implacable enemy of the Doukas family. His imperial blood fascinates Artoud, who is unwilling to expel his apprentice, but who realizes that soon the youth must be sent far from Constantinople to prevent disaster.

A small staff of grogs conducts the mundane business of the covenant. They wear elaborate Byzantine robes denoting their rank and office. Tutors wear grey, orphans blue, and domestic staff black.

Four eunuch priests who are companions of the covenant are particularly important. They reside in the priests' house nearby the master's house, and officiate at eucharist at nunneries throughout the city. Because of this, they have the ear of many former noblewomen, and at least one empress, who have retired to a monastic life.