Summer Is Icumen In

"Sumer is icumen in, lhude sing cuccu" is one of the oldest medieval folk songs for which we have the words and the tune. In this story a cuckoo is planted in the nest of a medieval court, with potentially dire repercussions for the Order of Hermes. The tale has three parts, and is designed for the sections to be run many years apart, with other stories taking place in between that may well feature some of the protagonists in other ways. In the first part, "Summer is icumen in" a local noble lady has been victim of a terrible crime, and given birth to a much-wanted heir but apparently not by her husband, as he is away. The magi are asked to help save her from disgrace.

While written as if occurring in the Provençal Tribunal, the story can be used in almost any Tribunal setting if the names are changed. The lord and lady without an heir may well be established characters in your saga, or the story may be an opportunity to introduce new characters. As written, Lady Gracia's husband is the current castellan of Montcuq, a small town and castle eighteen miles west of Cahors, and not far from the covenant of Jardin, which can be found in Through the Aegis. He is a baron (though titled, like most Provençal nobility, "comte") of the important Trencavel family, and currently politically neutral between the Crusader and the Toulousain factions.

The song, incidentally, is English, and from the 13th century.

Spring is ending, and the first days of summer are here. Grogs on watch bask in the welcome sunshine, butterflies flutter by as covenfolk are busy cleaning and conducting roof repairs, now that the rains of spring have departed. It is a warm, almost idyllic day; birds sing their sweet melodies, interrupted by the harsh cry of a distant cuckoo. Everyone seems unusually content, and even the magi slow their walks to urgent lab business to enjoy just a few moments of the sunshine.

It is a grog who sees the travelers first; a small group of people, one, apparently female and wealthy by her dress, on a horse, with small retinue of guards and servants. They are approaching along the track that leads to the covenant. A noblewoman is approaching the covenant!

The visiting noble lady is Gracia St. Daune, wife of a local comte. She is an important noblewoman who married into the (until recently powerful) Trencavel dynasty.

Eighteen months ago her husband went to the Vatican to try to get the Pope to restore to the Trencavel family the lordship of the cities of Carcassonne and Beziers, taken from them in the recent Crusade. (Or went on crusade, or traveled abroad for other reasons, depending on your setting. The reason for the lord's absence is not important to the story, only that he has been absent for eighteen months or more).

Ten months ago Lady Gracia was delighted when her husband returned home unexpectedly and made love to her one night. In the morning he was gone, as mysteriously as he arrived, and soon after she found herself pregnant.

One month ago she gave birth to a son, named Valentin, whom she loves dearly. Now, however, she has realized something is wrong, and that her husband cannot be the father of her child.

The truth is that a Merinita magus called Galafre, attracted to Gracia and desiring a child before he takes his Longevity Ritual, seduced her by pretending to be her husband, entering the castle invisibly, and sleeping with her. He then used magic to prevent any curiosity among the townsfolk as to how Gracia became pregnant under such odd circumstances. These elaborate magical plans are likely to be his undoing, for he has created a number of magical devices that are very obvious once a proper magical investigation is launched. Also his Merinita mysteries of Glamour, Perpetuity and Animae Magic were gained at the cost of a Vulnerable Magic flaw: his magic is dispelled by the sound of wedding bells. His attempts to protect his secret may reveal his guilt, as may his lack of knowledge of Occitan culture, for Galafre hails from the Normandy Tribunal. Galafre's plan is far from cunning; this is because he was assisted by a troubadour, Sir Vital, whom he knows to be a faerie and believes to be his friend, but who is befuddling and betraying him (using the Guide power).

Being a member of the Shadow Masters mystery of House Merinita (Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults page 82), Galafre

has modeled his whole plan upon a story told to him by Vital; that of how Uther Pendragon engendered Arthur upon Countess Ygraine. Sir Vital, a Highly Cognizant faerie who gains vitality by replaying the myth of the cuckoo heir, is behind the plan. This may not become clear for many years yet, however.

The visitor is clearly a noblewoman, and as she comes closer Area Lore rolls may reveal her identity. She is Lady Gracia St. Daune, wife of the Lord of Montcuq, the Comte St. Daune. She is an important woman, and not someone anyone would expect to find approaching the covenant. The two outriders and four guards are all clearly cautious; but she appears confident and determined, and is talking to a second woman who by her dress is a maid or similar, who is riding alongside her on a donkey.

What is known about

Lady Gracia St. Daune?

An Intelligence + Area Lore: County of Toulouse test (or similar ability; Gossip and similar Virtues or Flaws provide a +3 bonus) reveals information that is already known to people at the covenant about Gracia St Daune and her husband from talking to visitors, and while traveling.

• 3: She is a local noblewoman. Lady Gracia and her husband, Rogier, live in a castle at Montcuq.

• 6: While not royal, her husband if of very high birth. He is one of the minor Trencavels, an important family that, before the Crusade, ruled Beziers and Carcassonne.

• 9: In the struggle between the Crusaders and the ancient enemy of the Trencavels, the counts of Toulouse, Rogier St. Daune is neutral. He does, however, control a strong castle and could raise a considerable force of knights. The Trencavels were lords of Beziers and Carcassonne and enemies of the counts of Toulouse until dispossessed by the Crusade.

• 12: Comte St. Daune has been away from his young wife for well over a year. He is currently in Rome seeking the Pope's return of Trencavel lands that were seized by the crusaders.

• 15: The Comte and Gracia have no children, and both are desperate for an heir. He is known to have been vexed when duty called him away from his young wife before he had a child.

• 18: The family has been declining in importance since the crusade and it is vital that they have a child, for while of a relatively minor branch of the family, they are the only survivors apart from the direct heir, Raymond of Limoux, who is uncle to the Comte. Lady Gracia is not of noble birth herself, but the daughter of a prosperous merchant and a foreign lady. Her marriage to the Comte was permitted by the family's loss of status, but all involved prefer that this is not mentioned.

• 21: Gossip suggests that Gracia St. Daune had a child just a month ago, a healthy son. A washerwoman at the covenant has a sister who is in service in Cahors, who heard from a merchant's wife there that he had seen the baby while

visiting the castle, and no one remarked on the fact that the Comte could not possibly be the father. He found this very strange, apparently.

24: Word has reached the covenant that the Comte St. Daune has just returned from Rome, and is currently at Montpelier (or some other place a few days travel away). He has succeeded in his business, and there will be political implications, but he is keen to hurry home to his wife.

Regardless of how much is known about the lady, once she arrives she confidently spurs her horse right up to the gates and calls out in a strong voice "Soldiers! I am here to converse with the magicians! Tell them that a lady named Gracia seeks their time, and will reward them in ways wizards like to be rewarded!" Despite her elfin features, the blonde hair of a queen, and great beauty, the most striking thing about the lady is her violet eyes. (She has Strong Faerie Blood; her statistics can be found at the end of this chapter. Female characters can't help but be a little put out by her, the result of her Envied Beauty Flaw. The storyguide should prompt them to act jealous and a little insecure around Lady Gracia.)

Of course Lady Gracia has no idea who is a magus and who is not, and so she will treat anyone not in armor as if they were very important, unless they are clearly of low status. She is polite, but extremely firm; she is absolutely determined to speak with a magus, and she will explain that she is aware of the Order of Hermes, and has heard much of the covenant, and was once friends with a magus of Bellaquin. She is impatient to be about her business, and to leave for the ride home, because she needs to be back at Montcuq before her husband's return in a few days. Assuming she eventually is allowed to enter the covenant and meet with the magi, she orders her four guards to remain with the horses, and leaves the two knights outside, bringing only her maid into the discussion with her. She will ask the magi to send any servants and any but their most trusted retainers out of the room, and explain that what she has to say is for their ears only.

Gracia, once assured that what she says will go no further, tells her story. She is disturbed by The Gift, and if anyone present suffers from the Blatant Gift she asks to speak to one magus or maga, the least disturbing one, alone. She is extremely uneasy, like most people, around Gifted individuals, and on edge through the interview, but desperate enough to be very polite.

Her tale is an odd one. One night just over ten months ago, while her husband was supposedly far away in Rome on important business, he arrived back unexpectedly late at night, and came to her chamber. He said he was tired and would explain his return in the morning, but seemed in good spirits and very cheerful. In the morning he was gone, and no one in the castle had seen him, or knew of his return. Gracia admits she thought then her husband was dead, and cried bitterly all day, before, that very evening, a courier arrived, bringing one of the Comte's regular letters from Rome. All seemed well, but it was two weeks

before she received another letter, dated the day after the encounter, proving that it was no ghost she had seen. The letter spoke of his desperate yearning to return home, and the fact that business dragged on as he bribed his way through the Papal Curia, official after official, attempting to arrange the needed audience with the Pope. It was certain he had not been in Montcuq that night.

Soon Gracia realized she was pregnant, and just a month ago a son was born to her from that union. Now she has finally heard the news she longs for. Her beloved husband the Comte is returning home. The only problem is that when he arrives, she faces utter disgrace, for he has been gone over eighteen months, and she fears he will renounce her and the child. And what of her baby? Who is the father? She fears she has fallen prey to an incubus, sorcery, or worse, and promises to reward the covenant lavishly if they can save her and her son.

However, there is more. Hardly anyone has spoken to her of the troubling matter of her son's parentage. With the exception of one maiden who asked her straight out who the father was, her hostile mother in law who called her every name under the sun, and then seemed to forget the whole thing over the evening meal, and a town priest who questioned her at length, no one seems to think there is anything odd about her giving birth to the child, even with her husband away so long. The only hostility she faces is from the town's Cathars, and they regard any childbirth as an intrinsically wicked act.

Lady Gracia remains extremely calm and poised as she tells her story, but she is clearly troubled, and perhaps mentally unwell. It is likely that the magi have many questions, and she does her best to answer them. First, she promises that she has access to "things you magi will want." If pushed, or questioned by magic, it is revealed that she has, within her own personal dowry land, a vis source: a cave from which spiders that contain potent destructive magic can be harvested. She will happily grant legal title to the hill and cave, in exchange for help. Second, she has purchased some more "things magi want" for silver from the courier who takes letters to and from her husband, who the characters may well soon realize is a Redcap, Jacobella, who carries messages between the Tribunal of Rome and this Tribunal. (This consists of a small stock of vis, just four pawns of Vim in the form of white feathers). Gracia resists discussing the reward in any detail, and indeed if pushed grows annoyed, asking "is not saving an innocent woman reward enough?" If treated badly she simply announces her intention to go to a particular rival covenant for assistance.

A Perception + Folk Ken stress roll against an Ease Factor of 12 (because Gracia is capable of lying if need be) reveals that she is telling what she believes to be the truth, but is holding something back. A few questions the magi might ask follow. Lady Gracia answers forthrightly any question she thinks will help her get the magi involved in protecting her. It is impossible to cover all possible questions, and the storyguide should provide other answers as required based on what Gracia knows.

Q. You say your husband came to you. Did he come alone and act normally?

A. He came in suddenly, just after she had retired. The maidservant Eloise saw him, and he dismissed her from the chamber, saying he wished to be with his wife. It was definitely him, in every respect; only his accent seemed slightly odd, but she put this down to him having been in Rome so long. He even addressed her by a secret pet name that no one else ever uses, or to the best of her knowledge knows, and made remarks which no one else could have known (and she blushes) about things that had transpired in their bedchamber in the past!

Q. How was he dressed when he came in?

A. He was wearing the same clothes he departed in, but with his armor on. He took off the armor and lay down his sword, and she moved it from where he balanced it against the bed, as it could have easily fallen and injured someone. It is uncharacteristic of him to be careless like that, though. The sword was no dream; it felt heavy and perfectly solid, and so did her husband when they coupled.

Q. Did anything seem wrong about him?

A. He seemed cheerful, but was in a hurry to bed her. He was more urgent, insistent and not as gentle as normal; she put it down to the long period they had been apart. She recalls only one thing that was slightly odd; he was wearing a strong musk perfume, sweet and not unpleasant, indeed quite seductive. He told her he purchased it in Rome.

Q. When did he leave?

A. He got up at some point in the night, and never returned. Eloise saw him going out to the courtyard, but the soldiers on watch did not see him leave, and no one in the town mentioned seeing him, nor was his horse ever stabled.

Q. Who are the three people you mentioned who asked you who the father was?

The maiden who asked about the father was a young woman who had married that day whom she met while out hunting, and to whom she gave a purse of silver. The bride and groom were not from Montcuq, and Gracia was heavily pregnant at the time. The girl seemed to be not very bright, and asked Gracia who the father was. This should have upset her, but she was confused as to why anyone would ask the question, as she keeps remembering a dream she had where the Comte was delighted by news of her pregnancy before he set off. Her mother-in-law, Bonita St. Daune, lives in Carcassonne. She came to throw Gracia out of the castle, having apparently received a letter saying that she was pregnant. A furious row followed, with Gracia insisting the child was her husband's and conceived before he set off, and Bonita furiously arguing with her. However just before the evening meal (taken just after sunset, if anyone asks), she calmed down, seemed embarrassed and apologized profusely. Finally, while out hawking one day she met Father Tomas, a town priest, who questioned her at length about how she could be pregnant when her husband was away so long. Gracia states she responded indignantly, and accused him of listening to Cathar gossip, before riding back to town. He has not raised the matter since.

A. Back at the castle with his nurse. It is not safe to take such a tiny infant on a journey, after all.

Q. How do you know so much about the Order of Hermes?

A. As a young girl she met Valgravian of Jerbiton many times, a scholar from the covenant of Bellaquin. He was a good friend of her father, who is sadly no longer with us, having died a decade or more ago. She has not seen Valgravian since. (Lady Gracia's father was a wealthy wine merchant, of no noble status. She avoids revealing this, lying if need be and dodging questions concerning him, but if pressed hard she admits that he was a companion of the magi of Bellaquin (a local covenant). She avoids the topic of her mother almost completely, apart from to say she died

One of the strangest and least appealing aspects of the Cathar faith is their despising of pregnant women, and contempt for midwives, who are shunned. This derives from their basic belief that humans are pure spirits trapped in matter, and that salvation lies in being liberated from the body, which is a prison, and from this material world, which is one of torment and evil ruled over by Satan. The same principles which make some Cathars embrace martyrdom joyously and go singing to their execution leads to their regarding giving birth and trapping another soul in this awful world as being a terrible sin. For this reason non-procreative sexual practices may be favored by Cathars over orthodox coupling, though many reject all carnal relations as evil. In some places mothers are spat upon, and midwives have even been beaten, despite the Cathars' famous pacifism. Attitudes and beliefs vary widely, but generally Cathars regard pregnant and nursing women as unclean at best, wicked at worst. If you have set the story outside Provence this will not matter, and can be ignored; it is not central to the story. when Gracia was young. This is a complete fabrication. The truth about Lady Gracia's ancestry can be found in Part 2 of this story if the characters pursue the point by magic at this time.)

The main thing Lady Gracia is holding back is that she has come to doubt her own sanity. If questioned carefully enough, and reassured or somehow calmed by magic she may reveal this. She has already hinted (in response to some questions) that she doubts whether she is correct about events. Until recently, she actually believed that her husband had issued a proclamation before he set off to Rome announcing her pregnancy, and that he was the father, and that the mysterious episode of his return must have been a dream. However, now she is even more confused, because while in Cahors and conversing with a lady, she suddenly seemed to come to her senses. She then remembered things exactly as they had transpired, and realized her husband had left long before she became pregnant. Unless she is now under the effects of a spell, and some evil magician or demon is seeking to destroy her and her son?

The lady in question, Alcetta, is a notorious gossip, who if tracked down simply states that she was astonished by Lady Gracia's effrontery in passing off her bastard as her husband's son, and when she made a few subtle digs the woman seemed utterly shameless, right up until the moment when she goaded her bluntly and asked who the father was, at which point she seemed to be struck with guilt and rushed off. Alcetta lives to gossip, and will certainly gossip about any mysterious strangers who come asking her questions.

Eloise, The Maidservant

Eloise is rather diffident and shy, and very discreet. She will confirm what Lady Gracia has said only if Gracia tells her to. She is utterly terrified of magicians, and nervous around men. The Gift renders her petrified, shaking and stammering. She strongly disapproves of Lady Gracia coming here, but does what she is told, and may be persuaded by older female characters to answer questions, although she knows no more than Lady Gracia. However, she did see the Comte (or his ghost — she is still not convinced he is alive) come in and order her downstairs on the fateful night, and she does recall the peculiar musky smell of his perfume. She therefore sees no problem with the baby.

Some characters will decide the best way to handle affairs is to find Comte Rogier, and apprise him of the situation, or magically investigate his role in the affair. He is currently at Montpellier, and making haste toward the castle. If he is met upon the road he seems unaware that there is anything suspicious about his wife having had a son in his absence, and insists that while dealing with the Papal curia certainly felt as though it took years, he was only away for six months or so. It is clear that his mind has been tampered with by magic, but as he is happy with things as they are this may prove a disincentive to the magi to be further involved. However, Rogier will eventually realize he has been bewitched, and so the characters may wish to do all they can to discover the underlying cause of the mysterious events before his wife is beheaded as an adulteress.

The obvious starting place to begin unraveling the mystery is Montcuq, where the baby is, and where the conception occurred. The journey there is uneventful, and Lady Gracia may travel with the characters, or, if they are on foot, ride ahead saying she will meet them there. If there are Blatantly Gifted individuals on the journey, she will make any excuse she can to leave the magi behind and head off on her fast horse. As the characters approach Montcuq they can, by careful inquiry, discover that the whole countryside is rife with gossip about how Lady Gracia has given birth to a bastard child, though people will not share such gossip with frightening strangers unless heavily persuaded, or drunk.

Montcuq is surrounded by a dry ditch and embankment, topped with a five-pace-high wooden palisade. There are only two gates into the town, both two story wooden towers, each with a large gate and the Trencavel family shield prominently displayed above the entrance. A toll of a coin is charged by the gatehouse keepers, who live in the rooms above the gates. The north gate is owned by the schoolmaster Poncius, but his duties mean that he leaves the collection of the toll to the lame beggar Perrin, who is happy to talk to unGifted strangers in the hope of more coins. The south gate is manned by Grigori, an elderly soldier who has the grant as his pension after years of duty, and is reluctant to discuss anything with strangers, unless he has seen them with Lady Gracia. He sends his grandson Per to run straight to the castle with news of any unusual strangers of obvious wealth or importance, as soon as he can. Both gates have a faint odor of sensual musk perfume about them, a not unpleasant smell, but the source is hard to pin down.

The gatekeepers are completely convinced that the baby is the Comte's son, and take immense umbrage at any suggestion otherwise, unless the matter is raised very delicately. The same is true of companions and grogs. Magi are not convinced, but they feel something fail to Penetrate their Magic Resistance. It may take some time to locate the source of the magical effect, which is the Trencavel shield hanging above the gate, between the two windows to the gatekeeper's room (and easily reached from there, if permission to enter can be gained.) The shield is subtly modifying the memory of the Comte's departure in all who pass through in either direction.

Once the source of the magic is detected the characters are likely to ask where the shield came from, and are told that it was a gift to the town from Sir Berangar, a knight of Carcassonne. He actually gave two, one for each gatehouse. Requests to remove the shield will be refused, unless Lady Gracia orders it. Sir Berangar was, in fact, Sir Vital, who may be recognized from his description if the carters from Cahors who brought the item here can be located.

Just after entering Montcuq (Dominion aura 3) the characters encounter a wedding procession leaving town. There is a festive air, and the streets are filled with happy and loud people accompanying the bride who is sitting on an ass. They largely ignore strangers, and go out of their way to avoid Gifted ones, but it is possible that some of the guests can be persuaded to explain that they are off to the wedding to be held in a nearby village, "because by the bishop's edict no weddings may be celebrated in Montcuq!" If the characters decide to confirm this at Cahors, the bishop has no knowledge of the proclamation.

The Church

Father Tomas can be found near the church, and has little to add to Gracia's account. After the birth of her son he went to the castle to arrange the baptism of the infant, and to politely inquire as to how she came to be pregnant while her husband was so long away. He is embarrassed that he asked, and can no longer remember why he thought it was unusual. He can't remember exactly how long ago the Comte left, but he is absolutely certain that there was nothing suspicious about the birth, though if the characters can assure him he was right in the first place his suspicions return, and he finds it odd he stopped being concerned. As he is rarely in the market building at noon, the keep at sunset, or passing through the town gates, once his suspicions are raised he starts to make discreet inquiries, and starts to realize that something is terribly wrong in Montcuq.

He can throw light on the bishop's edict, even producing a letter written in Latin, ostensibly from the bishop of Cahors, that a monk delivered around eighteen months ago. It simply states that, in the absence of the Comte, no weddings are to be conducted within the walls of Montcuq until his return, as the feudal fees traditionally owed him when a marriage is conducted can not be collected. Therefore all weddings are to occur in neighboring parishes, where persons resident will stand witness for the bride or groom.

He can recall little about the monk who delivered the message, who did not stick around long, but he was surprised because it is not the kind of thing the bishop usually cares about and because he had never heard of a marriage payment being collected in the county of Toulouse before, though such rights are claimed by some French nobles. If the edict is examined by someone familiar with Civil & Canon Law, an Intelligence + Civil and Canon Law stress roll against an Ease Factor of 9 reveals that the bishop has curiously omitted to add his seal, 12 that the wording is wrong for an ecclesiastical document and that it is a fake, and 15 that it seems closer to the secular common law of Normandy than local or canon law and that the author may not have been a native of the region. Once it is revealed that the edict is false (or another equally false edict rescinding it is somehow sent to the good father), Father Tomas will be delighted to begin celebrating weddings again.

The magi may have worked out by now the connection between weddings and the failure of the spells. How difficult it is to find a young couple willing to wed is left to the storyguide; it should require some clever plan on the part of the characters to find a young couple and arrange a marriage. The church has a rather splen-

In this region the term Comte, literally Count, is used for any nobleman of standing, that is a person with the Landed Noble virtue who holds a castle or two. In other settings the equivalent rank is baron, or just a knight who is owed fealty by four or more other knights. Major nobles, such as the count of Toulouse, are referred to by that term to prevent confusion, as everyone knows they owe fealty directly to the king, but the term used is actually comte as well. Knights who hold minor castles, such as Sir Heliot (see Part 3), but owe fealty to Comte Rogier are just referred to as "Sir," again to lessen the confusion caused by the plethora of knights. If your saga follows history then in the second half of the 13th century French usage of titles becomes common.

did bell, which is rung during weddings. Galafre has not got round to removing it yet, but he has cast a spell to silence it.

The Market Building

Before the gates of the castle stands the market square, a large space now partially filled in with permanent stalls and a large area of cattle pens. One section in the center has a brick floor and a red brick upper story supported on brick columns, and at ground level is open to the street on all sides. The covered market is used for cheese and dairy transactions, and the upper rooms by the local guilds, who each have it for one day of the week, excluding weekends when it is used for town business. The consuls of Montcuq, twelve elected leading citizens who represent the town's interests by advising the Comte, meet here once a month to drink wine and bemoan their lack of real influence in local government. The door to the room is locked, and a locked chest within the room contains the consul's seal and various town charters. The room also contains a wooden statue of the Comte — this is actually a Glamour, a physical illusion (see Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, page 101), and within the Glamour is concealed a small crown of knotted cherry tree boughs, an enchanted item made by Galafre.

The Castle

The castle consists of a single stone tower on a rise at the east end of town. A low (three paces high) stone wall surrounds the stables, great hall, bakehouse, and garrison quarters; the gatehouse opens directly on to the town marketplace. The gate stands open during the day, and servants constantly move in and out of the gate, being exposed to the effects of another enchanted Trencavel shield like those over

Montcuq is pronounced in French in the same way as "my arse!" As such the place name is considered highly amusing by any character who speaks French as their native tongue, though if they only hear the name and do not see it written down they will not realize the issue. In Occitan it is pronounced "mon-kuk" and hence is not amusing at all. French-speaking, and literate, characters who see the name written down immediately get the joke; Occitan characters can be offended by the French being so childish! However, more significantly, the name derives from the Latin montem cuci, or "mountain of the cuckoo," and is still called this in Latin documents, if any are uncovered in the course of the story, or any Latin books are consulted on the town and region. This is no coincidence; it was one of the reasons why Galafre chose Lady Gracia to sire his son upon. If you relocate the story you can name a local hill "Cuckoo Hill" to maintain the theme, and have someone draw it to the characters' attention.

the town gates. Again, magi notice an effect fail to Penetrate as they pass through.

The tower serves as a keep and has five floors, with the entrance up a flight of stairs on the second floor. The accompanying map shows the layout, and tower floors. The guards allow characters introduced to them by Lady Gracia to move freely around the lower three floors, but entry to the Comte's quarters (the upper floors) is only possible if with Gracia. Physical investigation reveals little new, and none of the guards remembers seeing the Comte at any time since he departed for Rome.

All of the servants eat with various family members, prominent townsfolk and various hangers-on in the Great Hall around sunset each day. Lady Gracia and the Comte, if present in Montcuq, preside over the meal, and at sunset a hidden enchanted device activates. This one, another Cherry Bough Crown like the one in the market building, is positioned on the roof, having been thrown there by Galafre during his escape from the castle. The thatch roof is weak and retrieving it could result in a fall; it

The shields are the source of the musky smell, as Galafre's sigil manifests every time the item's effect is activated by someone entering the gatehouse. It affects only the gate room itself, under the arch.

The Scandal Forgotten

PeMe 30

Pen +0, unlimited uses

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Room

Expiry: 7 years

The shield removes any memory of how long the Comte has been away, permanently. If the target is reminded of the date of his departure, or if wedding bells are heard, the memory is restored until the victim passes though the gate again.

(Base 5; +1 Touch, +2 Room; +10 levels Unlimited Effect, Expires after 7 years)

is safer to fetch it with a pole from the walls, as it lies on the roof ridge. This item ensures that no-one in the castle has concerns about the pregnancy for very long.

The baby Valentin lies in his crib, sleeping contentedly and completely unaware of all the trouble he has caused. His nurse, the loud and rather crude Mengarda, dotes upon him and watches him carefully at all times. She is a wet nurse who tragically lost her own child a week before Valentin was born, and she has poured all her affections upon the little prince, as she calls him. While she is happy to let Gracia and Eloise near the baby, she will do everything she can to keep him far away from Gifted individuals, and as Valentin wails piteously whenever one enters the room, that may not prove hard to accomplish. Valentin and his nurse rarely leave the private part of the tower, and they take their meals here, unlike everyone else. His blonde hair and striking violet eyes are clearly his mother's, and there is little physical resemblance to the Comte.

Talking to most of the citizens of Montcuq reveals that most are perfectly normal, hardworking, and loyal folk. While Comte Rogier has only lord been here for five years, he is well liked, and yet many people talk nostalgically of the years when Comte Baudouin was lord here before his treachery and execution. Some people, however, have avoided being in the castle, at the market building or passing through the gates, mainly minor craftsmen and women, and if questioned very discreetly may reveal they are fully aware that the Comte can not be baby Valentin's father. Many of them have noticed that others do not speak of it, and pretend not to know, and therefore avoid mentioning it for fear of reprisals from the castle. A few are very aware that

something is terribly wrong in Montcuq, recalling problems with their memory and that they keep forgetting something important, but few know what it is exactly they have forgotten. One or two believe the town to be under Comte Baudouin's dying curse; they are wrong, but right to be concerned. If asked about strangers in town, they remember large numbers of them. Unfortunately a lot of people pass through Montcuq, and few are particularly memorable. One who is, a troubadour of amazing talent named Sir Vital, is mentioned many times by people who have seen him play in the market square.

Sir Vital is a troubadour who often entertains at the castle, and is frequently in town. Distinctively garbed and deeply

At noon each day, when the effect is triggered, the room has a faint musky smell, which might be traced to the statue.

Infidelity Ignored

PeMe 28

Pen +0, 1 use/day

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Room

Expiry: 7 years

This effect removes the memory of concerns about Lady Gracia's pregnancy from anyone in the room at noon each day. This has had the desired effect of preventing the town's opinion makers and leaders from believing any scandalous rumors. The device fails immediately if it is within the sound of wedding bells. This item has not affected Lady Gracia, whose memories and concerns about the event are much deeper.

(Base 10; +1 Touch, +2 Room, +3 Levels Environmental Trigger; Expiry: 7 Years)

charismatic, everyone assumes Vital is an extremely talented musician, but no one has realized that he is a powerful faerie. Vital is absolutely intent on ensuring that his Faerie nature is kept secret, and the Infiltrator Virtue he possesses (described in Realms of Power: Faerie page 52) allows him to pass as human and act appropriately around people, even appearing normally to those with Second Sight.

Sir Vital is a boon companion of Sir Galafre, and has long subtly used his Faerie Power of Guide (see Realms of Power: Faerie page 59) to direct Galafre in increasingly heinous acts to follow his plan to recreate the Cuckoo Child story. These acts would rarely seem sensibly planned to a human, but Galafre fails to realize this. The fact he has covered his tracks so badly should, however, raise suspicions in the magi.

Sir Vital has little understanding of Hermetic magic, and fails to realize that the magical devices that Galafre has littered the town with at his instigation are deeply ineffectual and will eventually give the whole plan away. Once it is clear to him that Galafre's plan has been discovered by powerful magicians, Vital approaches them (still posing as a mortal troubadour), reveal that he was with Galafre on the night of the conception, and betray his crime, even offering to testify against him at a trial or Tribunal (although Vital will actually flee). Galafre has outlived his usefulness as a pawn, and Sir Vital wants him out of the way — he will even slay him himself while accompanying the characters if it will preserve the secret that Sir Vital is a faerie. If Vital's nature is discovered, he flees, and even if slain he still has one chance to return. Sir Vital's statistics appear at the end of this chapter.

Sir Vital has one terrible weakness, his Sovereign Ward. He is completely unable to use his powers when church bells are ringing, and for every ten minutes within their sound he takes +10 damage and suffers horrendous agony, as if burned by the sound. This makes it very hard for him to enter most towns, but given Galafre's Vulnerable Magic flaw, which makes his magic end permanently and even worse be utterly undone (even if from an enchanted device) if within the sound of church bells, the two have clumsily conspired to silence the church bell at Montcuq. In doing so they may have inadvertently revealed their weakness to the characters, but Vital does not think like a human.

Galafre is actually quite easy to find, because he remains in the area of Montcuq, and usually within the town, using his magic to disguise himself as different people, perhaps even as Eloise, Father Tomas or Lady Gracia. The great problem he has is that he has only a limited knowledge of Occitan, and that is an ability he has "borrowed" from Sir Vital, who has a strange Faerie power that lets him take an ability from someone as part of a bargain and confer it upon another (described under Sir Vital below; see Faerie Instructor, a Minor Virtue–, Realms of Power: Faerie page 62.) He occasionally visits a cave in a cliff with a Faerie aura of 2 just two miles from the town, if he needs to cast spells.

Galafre uses Removal of the Conspicuous Sigil to obscure his magic, but under Vital's baleful influence did not think to put this effect in his enchanted devices. Nonetheless his sigil is little known; an Intelligence + Organization Lore: Order of Hermes stress roll against an Ease Factor of 21 is necessary to identify him from his sigil, with a +3 for Merinita magi, +3 for those from the Normandy Tribunal, and +6 for other members of the Shadow Masters group.

It is possible that the Comte returns before the situation can be resolved, and finds he has a son. Galafre has already cast spells on him to confuse him by altering his memories of exactly when he left, and given his True Love for his wife he is inclined to accept the situation even if he suspects bastardy, given the need for an heir. However, he will be unable to tolerate the gossip of the countryside, and once he leaves town and is made aware of the fact he can not be possibly be the father, he orders Lady Gracia's arrest. He then hands her

over to the Church courts for trial, and because of his True Love for her seeks out the best notaries or scholars to defend her. This may well involve him approaching the magi.

If tried for adultery Lady Gracia is taken to the bishop's court at Cahors (see the next story) and beheaded in the market square if found guilty. The child then becomes a ward of the bishop, who turns it out, and eventually Valentin arrives at the covenant seeking shelter. Comte Rogier enters a monastery to live out his life in repentance and mourning.

It is likely that Galafre's plot is quickly uncovered if the magi use Intellego Vim magics to track down the items. It may well be that his magic's vulnerability is uncovered, and if the hoaxed edict is discovered it is simple to stage a wedding, and dispel the effects of his magic. The enchantments will fail, as they are equally imbued with Vulnerable Magic, and can be collected as evidence for a Tribunal case on a charge of "interfering with mundanes." However, serious moral questions arise. First, the heir is not the true heir, and not the child of Comte Rogier, and yet his mother loves him, and so it seems does the Comte. Second, both are desperate to ensure that the townsfolk and others do not learn of the whole affair, and no scandal attaches to the family name. Unfortunately this may be incompatible with dispelling the magics, or bringing Galafre to Hermetic justice.

One way to resolve the problem is for the Comte to publicly claim that he did return from Rome for a single night to father the child. He would have needed supernatural aid of some sort, whether from a saint or from a magician, and the characters should work out the details of the story with Rogier and Gracia. If the Comte supports Gracia's story, no one dares to publicly contradict them, although there are still people who have doubts.

Further, removing the enchantments does not restore the memories that have been deleted already. Some people will be puzzled that they failed to recognize the problem with the dates and the childbirth, and most will be unwilling to speak against their much-loved lord and lady, but rumors will eventually spread their was something odd about the child's birth. Those rumors will come to fruition in the third part of the story.

Galafre may seem like a charming figure, but the charm is entirely superficial, and his vile acts could easily cause a major problem for the Order of Hermes, as well as being morally repugnant. Of course he does not see things this way; he would argue that all seductions are based on deceit and trickery, and his fathering the child was an unintended result of a simple seduction gone wrong. Furthermore did Merlin the Magician not change the appearance of Uther Pendragon so he could lie with the Countess who became Arthur's mother? He may go further, slipping in to blasphemy as he protests that our Lord was engendered upon the Virgin by the Holy Spirit, and that he should not be judged. The problem is that Galafre really believes that his actions were acceptable and reasonable, and can manage any level of self-deceit to justify himself. He is utterly irresponsible, and always convinced he was in the right and is the victim of persecution by others.

Five to eight years have passed since the events of the previous story, as suits the needs of your saga. (This story assumes that Valentin is at the castle — if he now lives with the magi, adapt the haunting to occur when he is with them, but somehow traveling outside the Aegis of the Hearth.)

Little Valentin has grown up to be a delightful young boy, and Lady Gracia and her husband still reside in the castle at Montcuq. However, things have once again become difficult there, and once again Lady Gracia seeks assistance from the magi. The castle is in uproar; mysterious voices announce peoples' secrets, strange knocking noises echo from the walls and an exorcist sent by the bishop of Cahors was hurled bodily into a dung heap! And somehow Valentin is at the center of all this — his toys come to life, his wooden horse races around the castle without a rider, he was found sound asleep balanced on the edge of the battlements, and on one occasion he seemed to fly up in the air during a meal in the Great Hall. Word is spreading that the child is bewitched. Lady Gracia realizes she must seek help, and after the Bishop's exorcist, Jorda, failed to assist, and indeed fled in terror, to whom can she turn but the magi?

The characters probably suspect that Valentin is Gifted, as the disturbances are similar to the experiences they all had before they learned how to control their Gift and were adopted as apprentices. They may even consider Valentin to be a potential apprentice worthy of adoption. Sadly the disturbances are actually caused by faeries, unconnected with Galafre and the troubadour Vital. Neither of those two is present in Montcuq for this story, but it likely that if they are alive after the first story the magi are expecting to find them

If Sir Vital is slain his body is reduced to an old coat, a pair of boots, some straw and sticks, and two bright brass buttons. However his lute remains, containing seven pawns of Faerie Imaginem vis, and if anyone picks it up they immediately realize it is faerie. It confers the Supernatural Ability Enchanting Music 3 (or a +3 bonus to characters who have it) on the wielder, and while it remains intact it Sir Vital can reform his body. If destroyed, he reforms before the third part of the story, and the lute returns to his possession. If the vis is used the lute crumbles to dust, and Sir Vital is not able to return, in which case it may be another faerie, perhaps his brother who returns to continue the story later, having taken on the role.

involved, and various red herrings may distract them from the real cause of events.

Identifying the faeries and stopping the "haunting" should prove to be straightforward, but unfortunately the faeries return until the correct way of dealing with them is discovered.

The story begins on a beautiful early autumn afternoon when the grogs on duty at the covenant see dust on the horizon heralding a rider approaching the covenant at great speed. As the figure approaches it is possible to make out that it is female, and wearing the distinctive headgear of a Redcap. It is Jacobella, a friend of Lady Gracia and a Redcap from the Roman Tribunal who often brings messages to this one. She is clearly in a great hurry. Once she arrives she leaps off her horse, leaving the exhausted beast to be stabled and watered by the grogs, and demands an immediate audience with any magi who can be disturbed. She stresses this is an important matter, and asks for by name the magi who traveled to Montcuq in the first part.

She delivers any messages she has picked up on her travels for the covenant, then relates the events that have brought her here in such a hurry. Lady Gracia sent her, because it seems that the castle, particularly young Valentin, is bewitched. It would take too long to relate all the incidents that have occurred, but as far as Jacobella knows it all began about ten days ago. The Comte mentioned hearing a scratching noise, that he put down to rats in the walls, and so the lazy ginger tomcat from the stables was brought into the tower and allowed to sniff around. On reaching the private upper stories however he fluffed, hissed and retreated sharply back to his stable, and has refused to be tempted back in to the tower, even for trout!

For three days the scratching continued, and then loud knocking sounds began, a whole flurry of taps. The noises mainly occurred upstairs, but soon were heard in the Great Hall, and then all over the castle. The guards were spooked, and the Comte called Father Tomas in to say prayers. Then five days ago things became far worse, as objects began to move around, and things set down vanished, only to be found hours later exactly where they had been put down. That night the first stones began to appear from nowhere, striking guards on duty as if thrown from the town, and the guard was doubled and sent out on fruitless patrols to find the perpetrators.

Soon stones and other objects were flying around at all times of day and night,

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

Size: 0 Age: 56 (19)

Decrepitude: 1 (1) Warping Score: 1 (1) Confidence: 2 (5)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Animae Magic, Major Magical Focus (Illusions), Glamour; Affinity with Imaginem, Affinity with Mentem, Faerie Magic*, Inoffensive to Mundane Animals, Perpetuity, Second Sight, Self-Confident, Skilled Parens, Unaging; Curse of Venus, Lecherous;, Deficient Form (Terram), Flawed Parma Magica (Mentem), No Sense of Direction, Overconfident, Vulnerable Magic (Magic dispelled within sound of wedding bells)

Personality Traits: Lecherous +6, Overconfident +3, Irresponsible +2

Combat:

Dodge: Init: +0, Attack –, Defense +0, Damage –

Fist: Init: +0, Attack +2, Defense +0, Damage +0

Kick: Init: –1, Attack +2, Defense –1, Damage +3

Soak: +2

Fatigue levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

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

Abilities: Artes Liberales 2 (astronomy), Bargain 2 (faeries), Charm 5 (seduction), Faerie Lore 3 (faerie women), Faerie Magic 4 (Mentem), Finesse 3 (illusions), Folk Ken 2 (townsfolk), French 5 (Paris), Guile 3 (acting), House Merinita Lore 6 (mysteries of the Shadow Players), Intrigue 1 (plotting), Latin 4 (writing), Magic Theory 3 (Mentem), Order of Hermes Lore 1 (Merinitae), Parma Magica 2 (Ignem), Penetration 1 (Glamours), Second Sight 1 (illusions), Stealth 1 (urban)

Arts: Cr 8, In 8, Mu 8, Pe 13, Re 8, An 2, Aq 2, Au 3, Co 7, He 2, Ig 2, Im 13, Me 18, Te 2, Vi 5

Equipment: Galafre makes any equipment he requires from the stuff of magic, using Glamours, which are solid Imaginem spells that only certain Merinita magi can create using a House Mystery magic. See Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, pages 92 – 101 for details of Glamours, Perpetuity and Animae Magic, all of which are known by Galafre.

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Appearance: Sir Galafre is a handsome young man who can change his appearance by magic, and his equipment and his clothing by Glamours, and does so whenever he needs to evade pursuit.

Spells Known:

Physician's Eye (InCo 5) +17f The Inexorable Search (InCo 20) +17 Eyes of the Cat (MuCo(An) 5) +12 *Rise of the Feathery Body (*ReCo10) +17 Gift of the Frog's Legs (ReCo 15) +17 Phantasm of the Human Form (CrIm 25) +31 Aura of Ennobled Presence (MuIm 10) +21 Disguise of the Transformed Image (MuIm 15) +31 Image Phantom (MuIm 20) +31 Removal of the Conspicuous Sigil (PeIm 20) +28 Silence of the Smothered Sound (PeIm 20) +28 Veil of Invisibility (PeIm 20) +28 Image from the Wizard Torn (Re(In)Im 30) +31 Sight of the Transparent Motive (InMe 10) +28 Perception of the Conflicting Motives (InMe 15) +28 Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20) +28 Trust of Childlike Faith (PeMe 10) +33 Calm the Motion of the Heart (PeMe 15) +33 The Call to Slumber (ReMe 10) +28 Confusion of the Numbed Will (ReMe 15) +28 Loss of But a Moment's Memory (PeMe 15) +33 Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20) +28

and one evening just three days ago Jacobella arrived and was shown to her room, only to be bombarded by stones that seemed to fall through the ceiling! That night things became unbearable — the toys in Valentin's room began to dance, his hobby horse raced around the castle on its own, and two of the guards deserted and fled the castle, swearing it was haunted. And then, just after midnight the voices started, loudly crying out the secret thoughts of all present, spreading malicious gossip and claiming to be the ghost of Galafre, come for revenge, and accusing servants of all manner of dreadful things. Even Jacobella was not immune, the voices claiming she was remiss in her duties — "you are no Belin!" — and accusing her of having cheated many a magi in their vis deals. Jacobella could take no more, and on seeing Valentin rise in to the air, apparently quite unconcerned, at breakfast, she rushed to Lady Gracia and asked permission to fetch the magi. Gracia did not hesitate, and asked her to ride forth at once, to tell the covenant her son was bewitched and plead with them to come immediately.

If the magi do not think of it, Jacobella can raise the possibility that the boy is Gifted, and this could be the first manifestations of his Gift, in episodes called 'turbulences' by the Order (see Apprentices, page 12).

Questioning Jacobella

Questioning Jacobella is an obvious first line of inquiry, but she actually knows little more than she has told. She can detail a few specific incidents she saw with her own eyes, like Valentin rising in to the air, and the shower of pebbles that seemed to fall through the roof and bombard her. She lacks Second Sight, so saw nothing, but she notes that events seem to occur equally during the day and at night, though at night they may be slightly more violent.

Father Tomas said prayers and sprinkled holy water through the castle, but has not performed a full exorcism rite, as he insists that the bishop of Cahors must authorize such a ritual. An Intelligence + Canon & Civil Law roll against an Ease Factor of 9 shows that this is correct, as the priest is not an exorcist, and a bishop's authority is always required. A 12 reveals that exorcism rites are usually directed at persons, not places, and that the next thing usually done after a blessing is to celebrate Mass in a room within the 'haunted' building, and repeat this until things calm down.

If asked about the voices, Jacobella says that they seem to come from out of the air, or sometimes from within the walls, are always male but vary in accent and intonation, and always have an odd quality, as if they were played on a pipe organ, or created by some artificial means. They never sound natural like a Creo Imaginem effect, which can be made to perfectly imitate human speech, and they are often punctuated with loud sighs and groans. They constantly lie and spread utterly malicious untruths and gossip. She has noticed one thing: events rarely occur when Lady Gracia is in a room. This has made her suspicious of the comtess.

Jacobella is, however, hiding something. Perception + Folk Ken against an Ease Factor of 9 reveals she is holding something back, and a roll of 12+ reveals that she is embarrassed and worried by something the voices have said. In fact, she knows that the "voices" can apparently read her mind, and that the things they have said about her have been true in the main, while slanted to make things sound as bad as possible. An Intelligence + Organization Lore: Order of Hermes roll against an Ease Factor of 15 reveals that Jacobella has in the past been accused of sharp practice in vis dealings, and of failing to deliver messages promptly and on time, and that once she was brought before Tribunal after her failure to deliver a declaration of Wizard's War had disastrous results. Fortunately, on that occasion the reason was that she had been shipwrecked, and unable to escape the coast of North Africa in time, but Jacobella's reputation has been tarnished since the death of Otto of Tytalus in a Wizard's War he knew nothing of.

On arrival in Montcuq the characters are probably surprised to find some of the wealthier citizens fleeing the town, taking many of their possessions with them. This is normal practice when a pestilence breaks out in a town, but on this occasion has been inspired by stories that the town is assailed by demons. While most incidents remain confined to the castle, rumors have spread of occasional outbreaks in the town itself, and few people feel safe. The church is unusually well attended, and Cathar Perfecti (holy men and women) are preaching openly in the streets that the sins of the rulers have brought the judgment of God upon the whole settlement. Within the Church, the response is more muted, but Father Tomas freely admits he is at a loss to know what to do next.

The panic was caused by the arrival and rather sudden departure of a diocesan exorcist, Jorda, who was sent by the bishop of Cahors. His attempt to drive out the "evil spirits" afflicting the castle was met by a sudden howling wind that tore through the whole structure, and then by a shower of pebbles. Terrified he fled in to the courtyard, where he was pelted and caked with dung from the stables. His dignity and nerves shattered, he has fled back to Ca-

It may be interesting at this point to explore the notion of "turbulence," and the terrible effect The Gift first manifesting had for one of the magi. Select a player who might enjoy a flashback episode, and get them to help you set the scene of their life before they were taken as an apprentice. The others play roles such as parents, friends and locals, and the story shifts to a flashback exploring how that magus's Gift first manifested, the chaos and misery that was caused by the spontaneous magical manifestations of their untrained Gift, and how eventually they were adopted as an apprentice and their life changed forever. Then cut back to the scene in the 'present day' with Jacobella worriedly describing the chaos descending upon the castle.

hors to report to the bishop. Now that the Church is involved it is likely a response will follow shortly, and many Cathar families have deemed it wise to leave town now, as have the wealthier citizens who can afford to just up and leave. Everyone else is scared and jumpy, and things are rapidly escalating out of control.

As the characters enter the gate they may recognize some old servants of the Comte among those fleeing. While they have loyally served the family for years, this is just too much for them, and they want to get out and as far away from their home as possible, preferring to become bandits or vagabonds rather than to stay and face an invisible enemy who shouts out their darkest secrets to anyone in ear shot. It may be possible with good Leadership ability to persuade them to return, but they can confirm that everything that Jacobella told the magi is true, and that indeed things have got worse since then.

Attempting to calm the townsfolk, prevent a mob gathering, and prevent more people fleeing could be a difficult task for magi who decide to address this side of things first. It is probably better to try and resolve matters within the castle initially, especially given that reactions to The Gift are even worse than normal given the current unusual circumstances.

Within the castle, pandemonium reigns. As soon as the characters enter the gates the "spirit" cries their names, mixed with foul abuse and, if they can penetrate Parma Magica, even worse secrets. Embarrassing secrets, brutally honest evaluations of their personality flaws and failings, and sinful or criminal episodes from their past are broadcast loudly to all the characters and the handful of remaining guards and servants, and to Lady Gracia, who has come down to meet them. From within the castle loud crashes and thunderous knocking can be heard, and the sound of Nurse Mengarda, now a trusted retainer, swearing at the spirit and telling it where to go in very loud and determined tones.

There are in fact eight faeries involved in the malicious haunting, and they are attracted by Lady Gracia, having a long standing dispute with her sidhe mother, Desdemona, a powerful faerie princess. (See Hork, below) They move through the castle, causing as much misery as possible, but never harming Lady Gracia, Valentin, or, strangely enough, Mengarda the Nurse. The magi may be suspicious of the latter fact, but the reality is simple. Mengarda, once roused, is simply too tempestuous and strong willed, irate and cantankerous for even a malicious faerie to wish to take on. They retreat before her righteous fury, and in fact are generally appalled and disconcerted if any mortal has the temerity to just shout at them, and tend to avoid harassing that individual for a while, just in case.

Lady Gracia, who possesses Second Sight, has glimpsed several of the host, although they do all they can to hide from her. She tries to hide what she has seen from the magi, as she does not want to acknowledge her faerie legacy. If she is made to confess, perhaps in desperation, she still has no idea as to how the end the haunting, but if she sees Hork she recognizes him as an enemy of her mother and knows that his role is to seek out and expose impostors, in this case young Valentin.

Unfortunately the bishop of Cahors responds heavy-handedly, and inappropriately. If the magi travel via Cahors they hear about his preparations to come and investigate. Otherwise, it is by now common knowledge in Montcuq he is on his way; within two days he will arrive with a group of monks, two more exorcists and a guard of a dozen crusader knights.

Rather than concentrating on the problem at the castle, he assumes it is the sins of the town that have caused the evil to fall upon the lady of the place, and begins a detailed inquiry in to the sins of the townsfolk, setting arduous penances and perhaps having the Comte burn a few particularly stubborn heretics

to start to set things right. The idea that the sins of the people can be visited upon a town or nation in some horrible form as a punishment by God, in this case as far as the bishop is concerned in the form of demons, is an Old Testament one, and he will argue Theology with anyone who disputes that these afflictions are caused by the people breaking their relationship with God.

If this has little visible effect upon events at the castle, he looks deeper, and magi come under particularly intense scrutiny, and may find themselves on trial for heresy, sorcery, or necromancy, unless they can persuade him of their orthodoxy. He is aware of the Order of Hermes, and regards most magi as learned scholars and perfectly acceptable, but he may come to believe a particular character (and by implication their covenant) has strayed into diabolism or sin.

The bishop is not an unreasonable man. He is determined to find the sin underlying the problem, and he may ask pointed questions about Valentin's birth, but he is unaware of the unusual circumstances of the conception unless it has become common knowledge or the magi inform him of it. If he does become aware of it, he will not harm the child, but will insist on administering the sacrament to the boy, and asking the exorcist to pray for any evil spirits afflicting the boy to leave.

The bishop is less reasonable when faced with Cathars. He is sure the heresy is allowing sin in to the town, and his presence chases away the Perfecti and many prominent Cathar citizens, who flee till he has left. If the game is set after 1232, he may well wish to call upon the Inquisition to root out the heresy in the town, and Comte Rogier and the magi must find a way to prevent this. Comte Rogier is appalled by the idea, and tries to convince the magi to assist him in persuading the bishop that it is not necessary. Perhaps discovering the bishop's own secret vices could give leverage? Comte Rogier has spent enough time in Rome to know that some senior churchmen have foibles they would prefer were not too public.

The first problem is that, since Jorda the Exorcist fled back to Cahors yesterday, the characters have just two whole days from arriving at the castle to the Bishop's Response described above. While it is not essential to stop the faeries before then, things become much more difficult and dangerous once the Church arrives in force.

The haunting is caused by Hork the Hobgoblin, a malicious faerie. If any of the host, minor faeries, are destroyed, they are soon replaced, unless the west facing windows are shuttered, forbidding the faeries entry. If Hork is destroyed, it will take much longer for them to return, and if their vis is somehow harvested or their Might reduced to zero, they will not. If Hork can be sensed, by Second Sight or magic, it may be possible to attack, destroy or capture him via magic. Alternatively, swearing at the fairies vilely and with great determination can cow them in to at least temporarily leaving a character or room alone. They dislike being sworn at and retreat from it.

Various methods can be used to defeat the faeries. One of the simplest is to find some way to detect them, and then to employ Might stripping spells to destroy them. The problem is that the magi need to locate the faerie to attack it, or cast the spell upon a room or the whole castle (Target: Structure, +1 magnitude for larger size).

The bishop of Cahors of course varies with the date. From 1208 to 1235 it was the scholarly Guillem IV Cardaillac; he was replaced in 1235– 36 by Pons d'Antejac, and from 1237 to 1250 the diocese is in the possession of Guerau V Barasc, until Bartomeu de Roux takes over until 1273. If you have set the story elsewhere this does not matter, and a suitable local bishop can take on the role. If the bishop in question is already a friend of the magi, one of his exorcists can be the intransigent clergyman who causes complications.

Wards can provide relief, but only if the faeries can either somehow be trapped in the ward, or trapped outside it. Theoretically an Aegis of the Hearth could be cast upon the castle, once the faeries are expelled, to prevent them returning. However if prevented from continuing their destructive rampage within the castle, the faeries simply continue it within the town, starting by tearing around the marketplace. As old secrets and bitter thoughts are revealed among the townsfolk, ancient feuds are resurrected; once one family is accused of having denounced a Cathar family's relatives to the Crusade, leading several of them to the stake, violence breaks out. Others are denounced for having betrayed Comte Baudouin (a former ruler of Montcuq; see Part 3 for his story), and as adultery, lies, and even murders are revealed the town descends in to violent anarchy, as citizens fight and kill each other, and finally an angry mob lynches some Cathars (or Jews, or foreigners), and furious lynch mobs attempt to slay anyone Gifted or clearly magical, and storm the castle in a terrifying peasant uprising.

Players may recognize the symptoms described above as typical of what we today would term a poltergeist case. In the thirteenth century they are often regarded as caused by witchcraft, demons or malicious faeries, but are rare enough to not be widely known. Characters with appropriate Realm Lores know how the phenomenon is usually explained in terms of that realm: for the Realm of Magic, it is witchcraft, though this does not seem to be the case here; for the Infernal Realm, a demon, but that does not sound quite correct either; and for the Faerie Realm, malicious fay, which fits the known facts well. (The Divine does not do this sort of thing.) This particular 'poltergeist infestation' is modeled upon the case of 1190 at Dagworth, Suffolk, England, in the home of Sir Osborne of Bradwell, detailed in Ralph of Coggeshall's Chronicon Anglicanum. The word 'poltergeist' is anachronistic for 1220, with 'hobgoblin' the contemporary term.

Another and slightly bizarre approach would be to find Galafre if he is still alive, and ask him to employ his magic to protect his son. Galafre has an extensive knowledge of Faerie Lore, and may well be able to work out the means needed to end the infestation. Alternatively, he could attempt to find his way to Arcadia, locate a path to the realm ruled by Lady Gracia's mother, and bargain with her to intervene. Such an adventure is beyond the scope of this book, but may make for a very exciting story if the magi must accompany the treacherous and amoral Galafre deep within Faerie, and then trust him to negotiate on their behalf.

Eighteen to twenty five years have passed since the first story, and Valentin is now a young man. The time has come for him to make his bid for glory, cast off those who love him and attempt to seize

Hork is a hobgoblin, a noisy spirit that afflicts a family. His resentment toward Lady Gracia stems from her mother, a potent faerie who plays out stories involving rags to riches, and who made Gracia's father wealthy and smoothed the path for Lady Gracia's marriage into the minor nobility in the aftermath of the fall of Carcassonne. Hork is a faerie who reveals people who have pretended to be what they are not in order to cross class divisions, and his games involve persecuting people who have taken on a position not justified by birth, which is true of both both Lady Gracia and Valentin, for different reasons. Hork has a long term rivalry with Gracia's mother, the Faerie Queen Desdemona, who grants 'faerie titles' to the undeserving: Hork ensures that their past is revealed, and their sins become public knowledge.

Faerie Might: 35 (Imaginem) Characteristics: Int –1, Per 0, Pre +1, Com +1, Str +7, Sta +1, Dex +2, Qik -2

Size: +2

Virtues and Flaws: Narrowly Cognizant; Free Expression, Faerie Speech, Faerie Sight, Greater Powers x 2, Huge; Great Strength, Hybrid Form, Improved Characteristics x 2, Lesser Power, Lightning Reflexes, Premonitions, Reserves of Strength; Berserk, Fury, Incomprehensible, Intangible Flesh, Meddler, Monstrous Appearance, Nocturnal, Tainted With Evil, Traditional Ward (bent pins), Wrathful

Personality Traits: Wrathful +6, Meddlesome +3, Incoherent +3.

Combat:

Dodge: Init: –3, Attack –, Defense +2, Damage –

Stone: Init: –3, Attack +11, Defense +2,

Soak: +3 Wound Penalties: –1 (1–7), –3 (8–14), –5 (15–21), Incapacitated (22–28)

Damage +12

Pretenses: Awareness 5 (fragile items), Brawl 6 (dodge), Concentration 2 (focussed), Folk Ken 1 (children), Guile 2 (lying to mortals), Hunt 1 (people fleeing it), Intrigue 1 (causing arguments), Leadership 6 (the host), Legerdemain 3 (filching), Music 1 (eerie singing), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 1 (malicious gossip), Premonitions 3 (disturbing insights), Thrown Weapon 6 (stone)

Powers:

See the Guilty Secret, 2 points, Init –4, Mentem: Silently ask the target what the deepest, darkest secret they are trying to hide is. (Base 15, + 1 Touch; 20 levels)

The Invisible Voice, 1 points, Init –3, Imaginem. Allows a strange voice to come from Hork's current location, and talk for diameter duration. He uses this to reveal secrets or tell lies about who he is and what he wants, or to sing in an eerie and horrible manner. These, however, are horribly (and fortunately) garbled by Hork's Incomprehensible nature making them hard to understand. (Base 1; +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, + 1 intelligible speech; 4 levels)

Lift the Unwilling Victim, 1 point, Init –3, Corpus. As Lift the Dangling Puppet, ArM5, page 134. (Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration; Intricacy cost –1 15 levels)

The Rush of Freezing Air 1 point, Init –3 (Auram). Causes a freezing blast of cold air to rush forth from where Hork is standing, and howl around the building until it dissipates naturally. Mainly a cosmetic effect, but useful to scare people and break the concentration of spell casters. (Base 2; Touch +1, Diameter +1; 4 levels.)

The Creepy Cold, 0 points, Init –3, Ignem. Chills a room to make it freezing cold. Anyone entering the room notices the icy cold. (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Room; Intricacy cost –2; 25 levels)

The Terrible Weeping, 0 points, Init –3, Imaginem. Weeping and sobbing seem to emanate from every surface of the room, mournful voices wailing in a cacophony of unsettling misery. (Base 1; +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, + 2 Room; Intricacy cost –1; 10 levels)

The Shadowy Chamber, 0 points, Init –3, Ignem. A room is affected as by Gloom of Evening, ArM5 page 142 (Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +2 Room; Intricacy cost –1; 15 levels)

Eidolon, 1 point, Init –4, Imaginem. Hork can use this power to create an illusory image of his true horrific form. He appears as an ugly muscular man with ragged moth's wings that wave constantly in a non-existent breeze, and a bunch of deadly nightshade where his head should be, with two burning coals for eyes. (Base 2; +2 move as directed, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 intricacy of effect, +1 Intricacy point to reduce cost. 25 levels, Lesser Power.)

Traditional Ward: Hork is a puncturer of false reputations. A bent pin harms him, and he can not pass a bent pin left in a doorway or shutter.

Appearance: As described under Eidolon. Most of the time Hork is invisible as an intangible entity, and he tries to stay out of sight of Lady Gracia, and anyone else who he suspects might be able to see him with Second Sight.

the heroic destiny that has been shaped for him from his very conception.

The magi may have more important things to do than watch the Comte's fortunes closely, but his diplomatic and legal successes result in him establishing a small but well run holding, and regaining a few of the old rights of the Trencavel dynasty, and slowly becoming a respected elder statesman, with influence at court in both Paris and Toulouse. Well liked for his patience, gentle nature, and wisdom, he has outlived many of his relatives, and now is one of the very last of the Trencavels. In fact his son, Valentin, is generally accepted as the future heir to the title of Comte Trencavel, and head of the family, because of his youthful dash and energy.

While Comte Rogier has made his name through peaceful means, Valentin has turned out to be a man of action, and a truly amazing leader and warrior. He spends every spare moment he can now that he is of age participating in tournaments, bringing glory upon himself and winning valuable prizes, and, by his generosity with those rewards, winning even more valuable friends. Valentin is already sung of all over the region as a true chivalric hero, perhaps one of the greatest knights ever, and his name is often linked to that of the greatest knight of a previous generation, William the Marshal, though many say Valentin may grow to be greater, if not killed in one of his reckless acts of valor and audacity. He has not yet taken a wife, but he has amassed a fortune and a great reputation, and has strengthened the defenses of all of his father's castles, and it is said, cleared the roads of brigands.

The Comte succeeded in restoring the Trencavel fortunes to a considerable extent, and reclaimed many castles and lands that once belonged to the dynasty, from both the counts of Toulouse and the Crusaders, but he did so by tact, diplomacy, Papal support, and endless lawsuits rather than by force of arms. He has, however, also built up his forces and strengthened many of the castles in his lands. Now a major power and greater noble, Rogier had achieved almost all of his goals when he set out to deal with one of his vassals, Sir Heliot of Lolmie, who had rebelled, as vassals so often do in the county of Toulouse. It should have been a largely symbolic conflict; Rogier would besiege the castle, burn some crops, and his vassal would surrender, at which point Rogier would grants concessions on the matter that sparked the rebellion. However on this occasion a crossbowman on the walls of the besieged castle shot the Comte as he was riding nearby, to the astonishment of all concerned, and he fell mortally wounded.

The Comte was carried from the field, and that night his wife Gracia appeared mad with grief. After a short conversation with a troubadour named Vital she left, apparently taking the Comte with her, and neither has been seen since. The Comte is presumed dead, and no one knows where Lady Gracia may be.

Now Valentin is about to come in to his inheritance, and intends to begin by ending the siege of Lolmie castle, hanging the defenders, and razing the fortification. He has assembled a sizable army, and seems to be planning to recapture the old Trencavel lands, and recover his lost inheritance. Furthermore, he has become firm friends with the king of France, and whereas his father always favored diplomatic channels and political and legal solutions to problems, Valentin appears to be a great warrior and is perhaps involved in the king's plans to once and for all defeat the rebellious counts of Toulouse, take their lands from them, and crush the Cathar heretics. Yet with his reputation, many men will follow Valentin anywhere, and some fear that his ambitions go far beyond simply retaking the family lands lost in the Crusade, vast as they were.

In the previous two stories Lady Gracia has approached the covenant for assistance; at the start of this story she and the Comte are both missing. While the characters may have heard some of the information in the previous section, they definitely hear it all when the gossipy Jacobella arrives in a tremendous state of excitement, having ridden directly from Montcuq. It is the morning after the Comte was shot, and she pleads with the magi to rush to Lolmie and save his life. She has stranger news too, for she met at the castle a troubadour, Sir Vital, whom she last saw many years ago in town around the time of the birth of Valentin, and he did not look a day older! (It is to be noted that Lady Gracia also looks no older than she did when the characters first met her, owing to her Strong Sidhe Blood. However, it is likely that the characters know the reason for that by now.) Sir Vital has taken Lady Gracia to the Comte, and she urges the characters to get there too.

The castle of Lolmie is built in to the cliffs overlooking the valley, and the church and village of St. Laurent below. High up a track the tower stands with a strong wall to defend it, and deep sandstone caves form the dungeons below. The characters arrive to find the area crawling with men: over a hundred knights, with a similar number of sergeants and some two hundred levy who have marched from all over the region following Valentin. In addition, a company of one hundred and fifty hardened mercenaries (Almogavars, see Grogs, page 90) are involved in supporting the work of engineers who are tunneling in to the cliff face below the dungeon, planning to make an assault through the caverns once they are breached. Sir Heliot, his six knights and ten soldiers realize that their position is hopeless, and have repeatedly offered surrender if their lives will be spared, but to no avail. Valentin is completely unwilling to listen, and is intent on avenging his father (whose body he believes to be within the castle) by hanging every last defender. Valentin is nowhere to be found; nor are Vital, Gracia or Comte Rogier.

When the characters arrival at Lol-

The faerie host are similar to the Sluagh of Celtic mythology, and may be related to the spirits of the unbaptized dead. Beings of pure destructive mischief, they enter a building through west-facing doors and windows, and once inside wreak chaos. They act individually, but travel together, and each lairs in a separate room in a building, and torment and frighten those who enter. Normally they cause a great deal of destruction and then move swiftly on, but the host in the castle are obeying more powerful faeries who herd them to serve their needs. As faerie ghosts, spells and Magical Foci that affect either ghosts or spirits also work upon them, as do Mentem effects if they can be detected to be targeted. If they manifest using their Eidolon power, their appearance is disturbing. All can speak in a loud croaking or hissing voice, but they rarely tell the truth, unless compelled. They are not, however, demonic and may be bargained with, tricked or persuaded to depart by appropriate measures. They are simple creatures and rather naïve and easily fooled.

Characteristics: Int –2, Per +1, Pre +1, Com +1, Str –10, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik +8

Size: –5

Faerie Might: 5 (Mentem)

Confidence: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Greater Power x 2; Intangible, Lesser Power x 2; Little x 2; Incognizant, Traditional Ward x 2 (can only enter from the West; being sworn at)

Personality Traits: Destructive +3, Mischievous+2, Naïve +1.

Combat:

Dodge: Init: +0, Attack –, Defense +9, Damage –

**Soak: +**1

Fatigue levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1), –3 (2), –5 (13), Incapacitated (4), Dead (5)

Pretenses: Brawl 7 (dodge), French 3 (threats), Latin 3 (ecclesiastical), Music 1 (creepy singing), Occitan 3 (insults), Penetration 1 (Terram)

Powers:

The Invisible Hand, 0 points, Init +7, Ter-

ram. An item made of wood, metal, stone, or animal products up to the size of a barrel is lifted into the air and moves at speed as if carried by the spirit, which moves with the item, touching it all all times. The item can be made to strike something for +0 damage. Often this is used for minor effects, like hiding small items, or rearranging furniture or causing candlesticks to float down corridors to scare witnesses. (Base 5, + 1 Touch, +1 Concentration, +2 Requisites. Intricacy 2 points to reduce Initiative, 3 points to reduce Might cost. Greater Power: 50 levels.)

Rapping and Knocking, 1 point, Init +2, Imaginem. This power causes very loud and very intricate knocks to seem to echo from walls, ceilings and furniture, from any point the spirit is touching. The rapping can spell out long sequences of letters if need by by the "A is one, B is two, C is three knocks" code or similar, although "one knock for yes and two for no" is faster. The sound can be as loud as thunder, and highly distracting to spell casting attempts. (Base 1, + 1 Touch, +1 Intricate Effect, +1 Very Loud, +1 Diameter. 3 Intricacy points to reduce Might Cost, 20 levels. Lesser Power.)

Stench of Foulness, 1 point, Init +6, Imaginem. Causes all within a room to smell an overwhelming disgusting sweet cloying smell of rotting flesh. Has no effect but to severely distress those who experience it. (Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Room, +1 Diameter, 5 levels, part of same Lesser Power as Rapping & Knocking above))

Rain of Pebbles, 0 points, Init +6, Terram. Causes ten pebbles per round to form on the ceiling and fall naturally, doing –5 damage (owing to small size) to all below for a period of two minutes. The pebbles vanish at the expiry of the effect. Causes a great deal of noise and distress, but surprisingly little damage. (Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Group, +1 Diameter, 2 Intricacy points to reduce Might cost. 30 levels. Greater Power.)

The Sudden Terror, 1 point, Init +6, Mentem. As Panic of the Trembling Heart, ArM5 page 148, but Range: Touch. (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, 1 Intricacy point to reduce Might cost. 20 levels; part of same Greater Power as Rain of Pebbles above.)

Eidolon, 1 point, Init +7, Imaginem. The faerie can manifest an illusory form, always a horrific and deformed animal with human features, which can be seen and heard, and that can move and speak as directed by the faerie, until it has no further use for it, at which point it vanishes. Each of the seven faeries has a form in which it appears, which are described under Appearance. (Base 2; +2 move as directed, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 intricacy of effect, +1 Intricacy point to reduce cost. 25 levels, Lesser Power.)

Traditional Wards: The Host suffer from not one but two wards – the first is a restriction, in that they can only enter a building through a west-facing window or door. Once driven out of the castle it should be possible to keep them out by simply closing the shutters or doors; even though intangible, they cannot pass through a west facing wall, closed door, or locked shutter. Secondly, swearing foully at them forces them to retreat and cower from the abuse. As they are invisible and intangible, this may not be clear to the characters, however.

Appearance: The host consists of seven faerie ghosts, each of which has the form of a deformed and horrible animal with vaguely human facial features. Normally insubstantial and invisible, they can appear via the Eidolon power above, and are visible to Second Sight as faeries. Each has a unique form: a white rabbit with pink swollen eyes; a black hare with a forked serpentine tongue; a green monkey dripping with pond weed; a black cockerel with two heads; a white owl that glows brightly; a black rat wearing a crown; and a white bird with a very long and razor sharp beak.

mie the situation is very confused, but it is clear that everyone is eager for battle, apart from the defenders, and the mercenaries who simply want to be paid and avoid being injured or killed. Even the levy, dragged from their farms, are intent on bloodshed, and the passion and anger they feel is apparent. Soon after the magi arrive, two things happen. Firstly, the gates are thrown open and the ten soldiers come out, having thrown down their weapons. The knights wait within, still unsure what to do. Then suddenly Valentin appears high above the castle on the cliff top. If the characters do not intervene, he makes an insanely dangerous climb across the cliffs, and then a tremendous leap on to the tower of the castle from a rock far above. Only momentarily stunned by his hard landing, he attacks Sir Heliot, who stands upon the roof calling out still to the besiegers for a truce.

Several things now happen all at once. The remaining knights panic, grab their horses and try to cut their way out, but are pushed back by the levy who charge in through the gates. If no one intervenes, dozens of the simple farmers will die, before Valentin's knights man-

Rebellion by a vassal against his liege is often a protest, claiming that ancient rights have been infringed, or that justice has not been done, or that the appropriate gifts and boons have not been offered. Often the act of besieging a castle and negotiating terms of surrender is largely symbolic in Provence, and the fighting when it does occur is not brutal. Burning your vassal's crops and despoiling his lands is generally a bad idea if he may well make peace after the rebellion, and you will have to help him survive the winter because of the devastation you wrought. The rebellion of Sir Heliot was of this type, and he expected it to be peacefully resolved when Comte Rogier arrived and laid token siege by his agreeing to surrender if Rogier listened to his grievances and offered justice. Of course, it all went tragically wrong.

age to surge in and cut down the desperate defenders, showing no mercy. Simultaneously, the fight between Heliot and Valentin on top of the tower leads to the two men balancing precariously on the crumbling battlements as they trade blows. If the characters do not intervene, Sir Heliot is eventually knocked back and falls to his death on the rocks far below. Valentin then rushes through the castle looking for his father's body and slaying anyone who offers any show of resistance. Finally, the mercenaries take custody of the ten surrendered soldiers, and with ruthless efficiency drag them off to hang them from trees down the rocky road, as per Valentin's orders that no mercy is to be shown.

The actions of the characters are likely to change the details, but the castle has almost certainly fallen, and Valentin's reputation grown. Even the mercenaries are impressed. Still, allow the characters to intervene at any stage and shape the outcome. They might be able to calm Valentin before the massacre occurs.

When Valentin find the characters he will be exuberant at his success, and insist (unless placated) all the defenders (if any survive) must be hanged. This includes the noncombatants: Heliot's sons, the servants and other staff. He orders Heliot's wife and daughter and any other women folk to be thrown from the tower to their death on the rocks below.

Valentin demands this as justice for his father being shot dead from the walls by a crossbowman; persuading him to do otherwise will be difficult but not impossible. It is certainly not unprecedented to slaughter a garrison, and in fact it is quite normal for the garrison to be hanged if they did not surrender and for the knights to be ransomed, or hanged too if many died taking the castle. Valentin will argue that this is justice, but the garrison made repeated efforts to surrender, and while hanging the crossbowman may be considered reasonable, any survivors insist (truthfully) that there were no crossbowmen in the garrison. Several of the soldiers saw Comte Rogier fall, but none saw where the bolt came from.

Valentin orders the castle filled with brushwood and fired, hoping to collapse the walls and raze it, and the engineers are ordered to complete the undermining, and to break structural points to ensure that the castle collapses. Valentin's attitude toward the magi will depend on his previous relations with them; he is extremely polite, but he is disinclined to listen to anyone's advice. He has plans, and those plans require him to move fast. Strangely, once his demands for justice for his father have subsided he loses all interest in the question of where his mother and father actually are, and immediately returns to Montcuq to assume his title as Comte. Something is clearly wrong, and it is possible that the characters realize he is under the influence of Vital's Guide power, and break it by magic.

Talking to Valentin's Troops

If the characters spend some time talking to Valentin's troops they soon learn that the troops idolize him, and that his reputation is much greater than seems to be justified by his abilities as demonstrated up to the moment of his heroic leap. He has been a remarkably successful tournament knight, and is a brave young man, but somehow he is ranked in his mens' eyes with Alexander, Roland, and other great captains of history. Indeed the stories about him that are being repeated by troubadours seem out of all proportion to his actual deeds. (This is because Sir Vital has established them among the troubadours over many years.) A test of Communication + Folk Ken against an Ease Factor of 12 reveals that many of them have heard that Sir Valentin is not the son of Comte Rogier, but was actually begotten upon his mother by the king's father, and may well be the rightful heir to the kingdom. Several of them, on a result of 15, admit that they would support his claim to the throne, and on an 18 state boldly they should march on the capital and put him on the throne! On a 21, however, the story changes, and it is the former count of Toulouse who is said to be Valentin's real father. This new story has yet to take firm hold, but after his heroics at Lolmie it rapidly will.

The troops still say this even if the whole story makes no sense in terms of dates, succession, and other potential

heirs. Vital's Enchanting Music has befuddled their senses, and Galafre, if alive, has supported it with Mentem magics.

If the characters do not talk to the troops, they eventually hear much the same from troubadours, minstrels and storytellers visiting the covenant, but several days may be lost, preventing the magi from intervening early, and making the final phase of this story a desperate race to prevent catastrophe.

The magi may be deeply concerned about the fate of Lady Gracia and Comte Rogier. Talking to the few troops and handful of knights who were here when

The third story about Valentin sees him as an adult, finally fulfilling his faerie legacy as he tries to seize a throne or at least a county, and become a great king or emperor as his story dictates he should. In Provence, this means reclaiming his Trencavel patrimony, setting the king of France and the count of Toulouse against each other, and then betraying both in a naked grab for power. However, feudal politics are similar across Europe, and the same story can be told anywhere, with a change of cast.

These events can occur even if Sir Vital was slain in the first story (See Sir Vital's Lute, earlier). If, however, Valentin was raised by the magi and the Comte and Lady Gracia are dead, the story requires that Valentin has left the covenant and laid claim to the Trencavel lands, using intrigue and gold together with his exceptional charisma (and tourney successes) to claim that his mother was victim of a miscarriage of justice, and have the pope and king recognize his legitimacy. This process may well have involved the magi.

Rogier was shot, none of them saw the crossbowman on the walls, but all saw the Comte fall. A skilled physician found him pierced through the chest, the bolt having gone directly through his body and out the other side. (If anyone thinks to ask, no one has recovered, or indeed looked for the bolt, and it is nowhere to be found.) He was carried away from the castle, down to a small clearing in the woods half a mile away, and there made comfortable in his tent, but it was clear to all that the wound was mortal. Around sunset, Lady Gracia arrived, and she tended her husband's wound in deep distress until just after dark, when the tent went quiet. No one entered but Valentin's friend, the troubadour Sir Vital. At dawn Gracia was gone, and Vital said she had left for a nunnery. Of Rogier's body there was no sign.

What has really occurred is that Vital carried Rogier and led Gracia down a secret path, and entered a grotto, one of the many caves that honeycomb the region. Deep within the tunnels, walking in complete silence, Vital carried the dying Comte to a crystal cave, crossing from the Faerie aura 3 of the caves to a Faerie regio of aura 7. The cave is made of faceted crystals that reflect any light in startling prismatic displays, and is a place of unearthly beauty. Rogier is still just about alive, and Gracia waits with him; she does not yet realize that she can not find her way out of the regio without Vital.

Finding the missing couple is difficult. Clues exist: a trail of blood drops that can be followed with a Perception + Hunt against an Ease Factor of 9 leads to the cave, and clever plans such as using the Comte's blood, or even Valentin, as an Arcane Connection might also work.

It may be possible to find them by asking locals if they saw anything odd that night. A shepherd, seemingly unconcerned by the battle raging below him, tends his flocks at night on the ridge above. He saw the three enter the grotto, and even knows that it is locally called the "Cave of No Return," though he has no idea why.

If the magi can rescue Rogier, he is Incapacitated, but can be saved. If healed he now realizes something is terribly wrong, and even Lady Gracia begins to wonder whether Vital can be trusted at all. Both insist on intervening in events. Valentin and Vital have no intention of allowing Comte Rogier to return and disrupt their plans. Valentin still loves his "father," and will stop sort of killing him, but allows Vital to try to force the Comte in to a monastery or any other plan that gets him out of the way. Vital for his part has no qualms about slaying Comte Rogier if necessary, but fears Valentin's response to such an act.

Over the next few days, more and more lords and mercenaries arrive at Montcuq, which takes on the character of a huge armed camp. Guards are posted to prevent any odd visitors, including the magi, from bothering Comte Valentin, although two nights after the battle at Lolmie a great feast given in honor of his succeeding to the title of Comte de Montcuq may provide an opportunity for the characters to approach him in the confusion. The feast is held in the market square, and curiously little mention is made of his dead father, or missing mother, though it is by now widely rumored that Lady Gracia has entered a nunnery on the death of her husband.

If the characters make inquiries about the political situation, they learn only that the king's supporters rejoice in the young Comte's victory (common knowledge) and that he remains as always a darling of the royal court. Furthermore tensions are once again increasing between the king and the count of Toulouse, Raimond VII, who is chafing under royal authority. A test of Communication + Intrigue against an Ease Factor of 15 reveals that many at the court believe that the count of Toulouse may soon rebel, in a desperate final attempt to recover what was lost in the Crusade, and that relations between the ancient enemies the Trencavels and Count Raimond of Toulouse are poorer than they have been for a long time. Only the Count's personal friendship with Comte Rogier was preventing an outbreak of the ancient Toulouse – Trencavel feud.

The castle where Comte Rogier was shot by a crossbow bolt is just five miles from Montcuq. The castle of Lolmie lies south across two ridges on the southern slopes of a valley, about 8 miles east of the covenant of Jardin. The two castles have a complex history and are the setting for a very recent tragic recent story that will be known to many locals and covenfolk, and some local magi.

In 1214 Comte Baudouin, brother of Raimond VI the Count of Toulouse, set out from Montcuq to besiege the castle of Lolmie. Despite having long been an ally of his brother in the struggle against the Crusade, Baudouin had switched sides in 1213, and was granted the lordship of Montcuq. In 1214 while on his way back there he stayed at Lolmie, and the lord of Lolmie betrayed his presence to two of Raimond's knights. The garrison stood by, while the knights captured the naked Baudouin and took him to Montauban nearby, where he was immediately hanged while his brother watched. He was given no chance to do penance or receive the Final Sacrament, and he cursed the residents of Lolmie (see Faith and Flame, page 43.) As these events probably occurred thirty years before this story, the victims of the curse are all dead, but the story is well remembered.

Soon everyone hears that the king is traveling south, planning to meet with Raimond and remind him of the terms of the Treaty of Paris. Naturally, Vital and Valentin are going to attend, and given the facts known to the magi, they may well suspect that something terrible will occur, and they have good reason to intervene, and prevent Galafre's meddling from bringing ruin upon the kingdom.

The meeting between the king and Count Raimond is scheduled to take place at Sauzet, a small castle in the heavily wooded Lot valley just eight miles north of Montcuq. Sauzet is a tiny town with a small castle very similar to that at Montcuq, and is held by Sir Maynart, an enthusiastic vassal of Comte Rogier who was at the siege of Lolmie and has three knights. The plan is for the count and king, together with Alphonse, to meet up and spend three days hunting during the day in the great dark oak woods, then talk at night, and for the count to offer homage again for the county of Toulouse, ensuring a lasting peace. Comte Rogier had arranged this, and the rebellion at Lolmie was a minor distraction he felt it best to deal with immediately as it was embarrassing when he was involved in such important affairs of state. Now the young Comte Valentin hopes to receive the Trencavel estates back, and the title of Viscount Trencavel from the King. This is quite a realistic aim; however, if the count of Toulouse is shown to be a traitor, Valentin hopes for far more, and is willing to betray anyone to achieve his story outcome.

Even if his father has been found, Valentin is quite unable to break free of the evil influence of Sir Vital's Guide power, no matter how much he protests he will. In this case, Sir Rogier remains comte, but Valentin is still present and taking an important role as the son of the host of the peace negotiations.

The First Day

On the first day, Sir Vital cannot approach Sauzet. The reason is simple; etiquette demands that the church bell is rung repeatedly to announce the arrival of the king, and each of the other ranking nobles. (Vital's Sovereign Ward prevents him entering an area where church bells can be heard.)

Valentin arrives the night before at the castle, where all preparations have been made, and many houses have been prepared for the guests. Already tents and pavilions ring the town, while a huge bustle of folks with provisions, entertainers (high and low), and people who have simply heard the king is coming and come to gawp have arrived and fill the streets with noise and confusion. The arrival of Valentin with his army from Lolmie adds to the chaos, and Gifted individuals find it extremely hard to get anywhere near the castle.

On the morning of the first day, word arrives that the king is just a few miles away, and preparations become frantic. At the arrival of the king and his brother Alphonse, with a small body of knights, at mid-morning the noise becomes fantastic, and the church bell is rung to announce the news to all for miles. A fair develops just outside the town, which is not walled, and people arrive from all over the region just to watch. Just after noon the count of Toulouse arrives, with thirty knights and a huge body of retainers, and as wine and bread is distributed throughout the town to the crowds a holiday atmosphere develops.

The count is lodged in a large house in the town, while the king and Alphonse are in the castle itself. Valentin discreetly lodges in a small hunting lodge just two miles to the west in the forest, but only his closest retainers know where he is. During the day he appears in town occasionally, playing the role of an efficient steward, but taking no public part in the formal meeting of the great men that occurs within the castle. The meeting between king and count is rumored to be cordial, though the king is described as somewhat quiet, and it appears that he spends much of the day in the local church deep in prayer. The evening meal goes on for hours, and the best way to gain entry is to pose as entertainers or kitchen staff, as the castle is extremely well guarded.

Raimond appears to be content and in an agreeable mood, and makes several assurances to the king that heresy is no longer tolerated in his lands. Alphonse is however noticeably tense, and the king, tired, retires long before the festivities conclude.

There is much gossip in town about the royal hunt tomorrow, when the count and king will chase fat stags in the woods of the Lot Valley. If the magi ask they may well be able to learn where the best hunting can be found, and guess that whatever Valentin and Vital plan, it will occur during the hunt.

Early in the morning the great nobles gather to take part in a day's hunting. Valentin is at the hunt breakfast, and, along with just nine of the closest companions of the notables, rides out in the early morning light to chase deer, although many beaters, hound handlers, and assorted servants carrying food set out before dawn to perform their duties. A grog who can make a Presence + Hunt test against an Ease Factor of 6 is hired to help out, and assigned some duties that places him in the woods. (You can play out the hunt using the rules in Lords of Men page 51 if you wish.) Some miles outside town the hunting party is joined by the troubadour, Sir Vital, who rides alongside Valentin.

During the morning Valentin and Vital soon (like many of the huntsmen) fall far behind the count of Toulouse and the king, who are more accomplished hunters, with several miles separating the different groups in the great oak woods of the valley.

This depends entirely upon your setting and the current date in your saga. In a Provençal setting, the saintly King Louis IX is king from 1226 to 1270, and likely still young (he was born in 1214). His mother, Blanche of Castile, acted as regent until 1234; his younger siblings are Robert (born 1216), John Tristan (born 1219), Alphonse (born 1220), Phillip (born 1222), Isabelle (born 1225) and Charles (born 1226). Given that the French monarchy descends by primogeniture and legitimate births only, Valentin, even if he had been fathered by the king, would have no claim to the throne. In fact that is not important, because the Prophecy of the Lion has a greater grip on men's hearts, and Valentin does not plan to usurp the king, but the title of count of Toulouse. He then plans to marry Isabelle, and with his good relations with the court carve out a huge personal fiefdom across the whole of Provence.

The terrain is rough, and the walls of the valley riddled with great caves, while streams, dense underbrush, and loose scree that give way suddenly to flowery meadows or little hills topped with shrines to the Blessed Virgin. Around noon the count of Toulouse discovers a great bear hiding in a cave, and after it is chased out by his huntsmen a pursuit begins, which ends when Raimond slays the bear in a tremendous struggle. Alphonse and the king come upon the scene as the bear's carcass is being prepared just after the kill. The sighting of an immense white stag then gives rise to a wild chase, and the three men ride slowly after their retainers, who rapidly outdistance them through their love of the chase. As the three pass through a small coppice, close to a woodsman's house, another deer appears, running directly between the men who are now strung out. Valentin and Sir Vital appear on a rise nearby, and then a fatal arrow is fired.

Afterward the situation is confused, but what appears to happen to a mundane observer is that Count Raimond notches an arrow and lets fly at the deer. The king turns his horse, and watches the deer, while Alphonse rides straight at it drawing his sword. Raimond's arrow perhaps glances off the deer, and appears to strike the king full in the face, yet miraculously he is unharmed. Then

It is important that Valentin perform some reckless and successful act of valor; the details do not matter. The aim of this scene is to establish that Valentin has all the makings of a hero, but equally many flaws and poor judgement. While he appears consumed with rage at his father's death, he is in fact exuberant at being finally free to pursue his ambitions. The characters may attempt to temper his youthful passion, but it should become clear something is badly wrong. Valentin is required by his story to betray his family and friends, and the characters have taken on the role of friends by assisting his mother on two occasions.

In fact, Sir Vital has warned Valentin that treachery is afoot, and that Raimond is planning to slay the king. As Valentin spurred his horse down the rise to the royal group, Vital used his Unerring Arrow power to kill the king; to his immense surprise it fails (all kings have Magic Resistance, and Louis also has True Faith and relics, and these are more than enough to stop the enchanted arrow.) Unfortunately for the "hunting accident" scenario Vital plans, Raimond's arrow really does miss the deer, and strikes Alphonse, seriously wounding him. However, given that the king saw an arrow come toward him, and Alphonse was struck by a second arrow, the confusion is immense.

The king cries "Treachery!," and spurs his horse for the woods. Raimond, aghast, leaps from his horse and runs to his brother in law Alphonse. There is little fondness between the men, but Raimond is genuinely contrite at what he sees as an accident. Alphonse misunderstands the situation, and calls out, and Valentin, lance couched, rides in intent on running the traitor Raimond through.

How the scene plays out now depends entirely upon the actions of the characters, assuming they have realized there is a problem and have followed the royal party. If they are not present or are unwilling to intervene, Valentin kills Raimond, and runs to assist Alphonse who is struck dead by another arrow, seemingly from nowhere. (Sir Vital, again). The king turns his horse and witnesses the death of his brother, and the heroic deeds of Valentin. He rides forward even as Raimond expires, and embraces Valentin, and in the heat of the moment promises him he will be not just Viscount Trencavel, but the count of Toulouse, for saving his life from the traitor. For a moment Sir Vital watches from the top of a rocky outcrop, before quietly slipping away, to plan another cuckoo's birth.

Unless of course the characters are in the right place to take action, and choose to do so. The climax may be the

His appointment as count of Toulouse marks the beginning of the ascendancy of Valentin. Now Vital has left him, he is on his own, and his "borrowed" single weapon and leadership abilities have gone forever as the faerie loses interest in his story. The cuckoo has betrayed his father, his mother, and his lord, and has come in to his inheritance, and Vital has gained the vitality that making mortals play out his story always grants. For Provence and Normandy the implications are tragic and momentous, and your saga may well depart from history at this point. Of course, it is entirely possible that Valentin will swiftly fall from grace and lose his life now that he is left to his own devices, and nothing more than a young and rather shallow man whom people like and respect more

Raimond VII came to the title on the death of his father in 1222. He successfully defeated Amaury de Montfort and regained control of most of his lands by 1224, but was excommunicated in 1225, and from then until the Treaty of Paris in January 1229 fought a series of engagements against the French king. By the treaty the Viscounty of Trencavel became a royal possession, and this was the key to Comte Rogier's plan: he knew that as the last great Trencavel he had more to gain by allying with the king. Meanwhile, Raimond's daughter Joan has been forced to marry Louis IX's brother Alphonse. If your saga follows history the county of Toulouse passes to Alphonse with Raimond's death in 1241, and then is incorporated in to France. The situation in this story assumes a date between 1229 and 1241, but it can be moved by changing the protagonists as required.

than his abilities justify.

It is very likely, however, that the characters realize that something is badly amiss, that Galafre's crime has severe repercussions, and that Valentin is being manipulated by a faerie. They are likely to be able to prevent the plot and events outlined above coming to fruition. Vital does all he can to prevent this, and uses all the means within his power to prevent the magi interfering. His influence over Valentin can easily turn him against the characters, and persuade the young man they are dangerous black magicians who should be denounced as heretics and hunted by his forces. Under Vital's influence, Valentin can forget his parents, and allow his quest for glory to lead him to ignore their fate, so how much easier to turn him against the magi whom he barely knows?

The issue is really, should the magi intervene? If Vital is stymied, he will make no secret of his intention to turn his full wrath against the Order of Hermes, gloating in any confrontation that if they "molest the fey" he will see to it that they face justice, and that the Order brought about the whole affair through Galafre's hubris and lust. However, not interfering may equally result in disaster for the Order, if and when Vital's troubadours reveal the full story, perhaps after Valentin has perished in a bloody attempt to seize the throne.

The major characters from the first part of the story are collected here for convenience. Some of them are repeated in later parts, but altered by the ravages of age and blessings of experience, so be careful not to refer to the wrong section.

Lady Gracia St. Daune

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

Size: 0 Age: 22 (22) Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 (0) Confidence: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Gentlewoman; Educated, Strong Sidhe Blood, Temporal Influence, True Love, Wealthy; Ambitious, Driven (protect her child), Plagued by Supernatural Entity (Faeries); Envied Beauty.

Personality Traits: Loyal to husband +6, Ambitious +6, Fierce +3

Combat:

Dodge: Init: +0, Attack –, Defense +1, Damage –

Fist: Init: +0, Attack +2, Defense +1, Damage +0

Kick: Init: –1, Attack +2, Defense +0, Damage +3

Soak: –1

Fatigue levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, -5, Unconscious

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

Abilities: Area Lore: County of Toulouse 4 (Nobles), Artes Liberales 3 (music), Athletics 2 (grace), Bargain 2 (favors), Brawl 1 (rough dances), Carouse 1 (staying sober), Charm 3 (subjects), Civil and Canon Law 1 (family law), Concentration 1 (resisting effects), Etiquette 4 (at court), Folk Ken 2 (servants), French 3 (noble), Guile 2 (lying to her maids), Hunt 3 (falconry), Intrigue 3 (Trencavel schemes), Latin 3 (Church), Leadership 3 (Castle Montcuq), Music 1 (singing sad songs), Occitan 5 (poetry), Organization Lore: Church 1 (pro-Cathar churchmen), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 1 (covenants), Organization Lore: Trencavel Domains 2 (dynastic claims), Philosophiae 1 (natural philosophy), Ride 3 (gracefully), Stealth 1 (slipping silently across rooms)

Equipment: Anything she needs

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Appearance: Despite her elfin features, the blonde hair of a queen, and a beautiful face, the most striking thing about the lady is her violet eyes. Other women can not but help be slightly annoyed and put out by her, even if they do not admit their jealousy of her. Men, however, find her utterly charming.

Abilities: Area Lore: County of Toulouse 4 (Nobles), Artes Liberales 3 (music), Athletics 2 (grace), Bargain 2 (favours), Brawl 1 (rough dances), Carouse 1 (staying sober), Charm 3 (subjects), Civil and Canon Law 2 (family law), Concentration 2 (resisting effects), Etiquette 4 (at court), Faerie Lore (curses) 1, Folk Ken 3 (servants), French 3 (noble), Guile 2 (lying to her maids), Hunt 3 (falconry), Intrigue 3 (Trencavel schemes), Latin 3 (Church), Leadership 4 (Castle Montcuq), Magic Lore 1 (legends), Music 1 (singing sad songs), Occitan 5 (poetry), Organization Lore: Church 2 (pro-Cathar churchmen), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (covenants), Organization Lore: Trencavel Domains 3 (dynastic claims), Philosophiae 1 (natural philosophy), Ride 3 (gracefully), Stealth 1 (slipping silently across rooms)

Abilities: Area Lore: County of Toulouse 5 (Nobles), Artes Liberales 3 (music), Athletics 2 (grace), Awareness 2 (faeries), Bargain 3 (favours), Brawl 1 (rough dances), Carouse 2 (staying sober), Charm 4 (subjects), Chirurgy 1 (sword wounds), Civil and Canon Law 2 (family law), Concentration 2 (resisting effects), Etiquette 5 (at court), Faerie Lore (curses) 4, Folk Ken 4 (servants), French 4 (noble), Guile 3 (lying to her maids), Hunt 3 (falconry), Intrigue 4 (Trencavel schemes), Latin 3 (Church), Leadership 4 (Castle Montcuq), Magic Lore 2 (legends), Music 3 (singing sad songs), Occitan 5 (poetry), Organization Lore: Church 2 (pro-Cathar churchmen), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (covenants), Organization Lore: Trencavel Domains 3 (dynastic claims), Philosophiae 1 (natural philosophy), Ride 4 (gracefully), Stealth 1 (slipping silently across rooms)

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

**Size: –**1 Age: 30 (30) Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 (0) Confidence: 2 (5)

Virtues and Flaws: Redcap; Well-Travelled; Enchanting Music, Linguist, Magic Items, Puissant Music, Self-Confident (Confidence: +1), Social Contacts (Nobility); Indiscreet, Meddler; Fragile Constitution, Small Frame, Weak Characteristics, Weak-Willed

Personality Traits: Indiscreet +3, Meddlesome +3, Cheerful +1

Combat:

Dodge: Init: +0, Attack –, Defense +2, Damage –

Fist: Init: +0, Attack +2, Defense +1, Damage +0

Kick: Init: –1, Attack +2, Defense +0, Damage +3

Dagger: Init: +0, Attack +4, Defense +1, Damage +3

Sword, Short: Init: +0, Attack +8, Defense +5, Damage +5

Sling: Init: –3, Attack +3, Defense +1, Damage +4

Bow, Short: Init: –2, Attack +7, Defense +3, Damage +6

Soak: 0

Fatigue levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–4), –3 (5–8), –5 (9–12), Incapacitated (13–16)

Abilities: Area Lore: Greater Alps Tri-

bunal 1 (passes), Area Lore: Iberian Tribunal 1 (nobles), Area Lore: Normandy Tribunal 1 (personalities), Area Lore: Provence Tribunal 1 (geography), Area Lore; Tribunal of Rome 2 (geography), Art of Memory 1 (Latin messages), Artes Liberales 3 (music), Awareness 2 (alertness), Bargain 3 (vis deals), Bows 2 (short bow), Brawl 1 (dodge), Carouse 1 (gambling), Catalan 3 (Barcelona), Charm 1 (being witty), Code of Hermes 2 (mundane relations), Enchanting Music 2 (boosting morale), Etiquette 2 (Hermetic), French 4 (slang), German 3 (Alps), Intrigue 1 (Hermetic politics), Italian 5 (songs), Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Music 3 (sing), Occitan 5 (Toulouse), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 3 (covenants), Ride 2 (speed), Single Weapon 3 (short sword), Spanish 3 (Aragon), Survival 1 (camping), Thrown Weapon 1 (stone)

Equipment: Short sword, short bow, sling, quiver of arrows, horse, bedroll, camping gear, small harp.

Encumbrance: 2 (2)

Appearance: A very petite, fragile, boyish woman who could easily pass for a teenage boy, and often does. She never takes off her distinctive red cap, even when asleep, and dresses in men's clothes when on the road, but likes colorful dresses (if she can acquire them) to wear at covenants.

Jacobella, Aged 44 (Part 3)

As above, but abilities improved as follows

Abilities: Area Lore: Greater Alps Tribunal 2 (passes), Area Lore: Iberian Tribunal, Area Lore: Normandy Tribunal 2 (personalities), Area Lore: Provence Tribunal 2 (geography), Area Lore: Tribunal of Rome 2 (geography), Art of Memory 1 (Latin messages), Artes Liberales 3 (music), Awareness 2 (alertness), Bargain 3 (vis deals), Bows 2 (short bow), Brawl 1 (dodge), Carouse 1 (gambling), Catalan 3 (Barcelona), Charm 1 (being witty), Code of Hermes 2 (mundane relations), Enchanting Music 2 (boosting morale), Etiquette 2 (Hermetic), French 4 (slang), German 3 (Alps), Intrigue 1 (Hermetic politics), Italian 5 (songs), Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Music 3 (sing), Occitan 5 (Toulouse), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 3 (covenants), Ride 2 (speed), Single Weapon 3 (short sword), Spanish 3 (Aragon), Survival 1 (camping), Thrown Weapon 1 (stone)

Characteristics: Int –3, Per –6, Pre –1, Com –2, Str –3, Sta –3, Dex –3, Qik –4

Size: –2 Age: 7 (7)

Decrepitude: 0 (0) Warping Score: 0 (0) Confidence: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Strong Faerie Blood; Plagued by Supernatural Entity (Faeries)

Personality Traits: Amiable +3, Leader +2, Stubborn +1

Combat:

Dodge: Init: –4, Attack –, Defense +1, Damage –

Fist: Init: –4, Attack –3, Defense –4, Damage –3

Kick: Init: –5, Attack –3, Defense –5, Damage +0

Soak: –3

Fatigue levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–3), –3 (4–7), –5 (8– 11), Incapacitated (12–15), Dead 16+

Abilities: Area Lore: Montcuq 2 (castle), Artes Liberales 1 (lessons), Athletics 2 (climbing), Etiquette 1 (at court), Folk Ken 2 (servants), Intrigue 1 (getting what he wants), Leadership 2 (local children), Occitan 5 (poetry), Stealth 1 (in castle)

Equipment: a wooden sword, wooden horse and paper crown.

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Appearance: A very handsome young boy with blonde curly hair and striking violet eyes.

Characteristics: Int +1, Per –2, Pre +3, Com +2, Str +1, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik 0

Size: 0 Age: 22 (22) Decrepitude: 0 (0) Warping Score: 0 (4)

Confidence: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Strong Faerie Blood, Wealthy; Ambitious, Plagued by Supernatural Entity (Faeries)

Personality Traits: Determined +3, Stubborn +2, Likable +1

Combat:

Broadsword: Init: +0, Attack +16, Defense +15, Damage +7

Lance (mtd. ): Init: +0, Attack +17, Defense +15, Damage +6

Dodge: Init: –2, Attack –, Defense +4, Damage –

Fist: Init: –2, Attack +4, Defense +2, Damage +1

Kick: Init: –3, Attack +2, Defense +0, Damage +4

Soak: +7 (partial chain armor)

Fatigue levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious

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

Abilities: Area Lore: Montcuq 2 (castle), Artes Liberales 1 (lessons), Athletics 2 (climbing), Brawl 3 (dodge), Etiquette 2 (at court), Folk Ken 2 (servants), Hunt (deer) 1, Intrigue 4 (plotting at court), Leadership 5 (knights), Occitan 5 (poetry), Organization Lore: Trencavel Domains 3 (dynastic claims), Ride 4 (tournaments), Single Weapon 4 (sword), Stealth 1 (in castle)

"Borrowed Abilities": Leadership 11 (tourney), Single Weapon 12 (lance) Equipment: Broadsword, lance, heater

Encumbrance: 2 (3)

shield, partial chain.

Appearance: A very handsome youth with flowing blonde locks, a manly jaw and striking violet eyes, always dressed in the very latest fashions of the Paris court. He is a role model to young men throughout the region who admire his tournament skills, said to be the greatest seen since the death of William Marshal.

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

Size: 0 Age: n/a (23) Faerie Might: 35

Virtues and Flaws: External Vis Source, Improved Might +15, Improved Might +15; Faerie Instructor, Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, Highly Cognizant, Humanoid Faerie, Improved Characteristics, Infiltrator, Warrior; Ambitious, Pagan, Sovereign Ward: church bells; Prohibition (Never love a mortal woman).

Combat:

Dodge: Init: –2, Attack –, Defense +5, Damage –

Fist: Init: –2, Attack +4, Defense +4, Damage +0

Kick: Init: –3, Attack +4, Defense +3, Damage +3

Morning Star & Heater Shield: Init: +0, Attack +9, Defense +9, Damage +7

Short bow, Init: +1, Attack +7, Defense –, Damage +6

Soak: +9

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

Pretenses: Bargain 2 (Merinita magi),

Bows 2 (short bow), Brawl 3 (dodge), Carouse 1 (getting people drunk), Charm 4 (courtly love), Enchanting Music 5 +3 (lute), Etiquette 1 (ladies), Guile 3 (seduction), Hunt 1 (tracking), Music 5 (sing), Penetration 3 (Guide), Ride 2 (tricks), Single Weapon 4 (mace and chain), Stealth 2 (hide), Survival 1 (forest)

"Borrowed abilities": Area Lore: Local Region 5 (nobles), Craft: Armor 4 (chainmail), Legerdemain (cutpurse) 4, Profession Washerwoman 6 (bedlinen), Ride 5 (escapes)

Powers:

Guide, 3 points, Init –2, Mentem. Subtly influences the target's actions for up to one day, acting in a similar manner to the Common Sense Virtue but encouraging the victim to serve the faerie's agenda, though there is no compulsion to follow the 'advice'. (See Realms of Power: Faerie 59 for details). (30 levels)

Unerring Arrow, 3 points, Init +2, Herbam. Redirects an arrow in flight to strike whatever target Sir Vital intends. The arrow always strikes so as to ignore armor. (Base 10; +2 for Intricacy of Effect, +2 Intricacy for Initiative.)

Equipment: Full chain mail, lute containing 7 pawns Imaginem vis that provides the Minor Virtue Enchanting Music to user.

Appearance: A handsome young knight, dressed in the latest courtly fashions or full armor as would be appropriate to his current situation. Always impeccably dressed, with a cloak of forest green and a bright orange sash. His accent is always slightly foreign, no matter where he is and which language he is conversing in, in a manner that lends charm to his words. His Faerie Speech Virtue allows him to always converse in the last language he was addressed in, and only that tongue, but he understands all languages perfectly. He appears human and of noble birth because of his Infiltrator Virtue (even to those with Second Sight) and his faerie nature is concealed. Highly Cognizant means he is aware that creative mortals can change his story (see Realms of Power: Faerie for details) and that he draws Vitality from making humans play out the story he embodies.

Sir Vital's story is of The Cuckoo Hero: a man engendered upon a noblewoman by an impostor who rises to become the epitome of nobility and seizes greater glory than a true heir could have, before betraying the family that nurtured him. In a nutshell, that is the theme of these stories.

Chapter Six