The Oracles of Didyma

Didyma is a cluster of crumbling temples, ten miles south of the city of Miletos and a mile east of the Anatolian coast in the Thebes Tribunal, in the southwest of the Empire of Nicaea. Didyma has intermittently housed an oracle cult for over two thousand years, and the bustling port of Miletos was once a strong intellectual and political rival to Athens in the ancient world.

The Hermetic covenant was founded in 990 when remnants of the oracle cult converted to the Order of Hermes, joining House Ex Miscellanea as the Branchidae tradition. Today, magi from other Houses also live at Didyma.

The history of Didyma is inextricably entwined with the history of the Branchidae.

The Branchidae are a pagan Ex Miscellanea tradition. It is a literal lineage composed of Gifted blood descendants of the tradition's founder Branchos, who died around 900 BC. Since Branchos, the Branchidae have maintained temples and interpreted the oracle at Didyma. As political control of the region has changed over the centuries the nature of the oracle cult has also changed: at times it has been controlled by officials in Miletos, or even abandoned altogether. In the late 300s AD imperial edicts of the Christian Roman Empire closed the temple, outlawed the cult, and built a large church, a monastery, and a fortress at the site.

However, in the 8th century earthquakes irreparably damaged the church and fortress. These were abandoned, which ended four

Tribunal: Thebes Year Founded: 990 Season: Autumn Symbol: Eye of the Branchidae

centuries of Christian occupation. Secretly, local still-pagan, Gifted descendants of the Branchidae (who had preserved the cult secrets) re-occupied the site. These hedge wizards were discovered in 990, just before the Schism War, by the magus Cletus of the Lineage of Pralix. Cletus converted the Branchidae to the Order of Hermes, and gathered numerous prophecies that helped Greek magi to avoid the worst of the Schism conflict. The matriarch Soteria (the grand-parens, and great-great-grand-mother, of the current Branchidae patriarch Alexander) was the first Branchidae convert to the Order of Hermes.

THE FOUNDER BRANCHOS

Little is known of Branchos. He constructed the first shrine to Apollo at Didyma and his daughter was the first oracle. Reportedly Branchos lived for several centuries, and perhaps he did not die, instead joining Apollo's retinue at Olympos.

UNGIFTED BRANCHIDAE

Many of the covenfolk at Didyma are unGifted Branchidae. These covenfolk have no special rights or privileges, but their children are carefully observed for The Gift.

Several external lineages have been founded by Branchidae magi. These are: The line of Tessa: departed Didyma in 1105. The line of Damen: departed Didyma in 1116. The line of Bastards: unknown.

In 1220 there is one magus (location unknown) in the line of Tessa and two known magi

Gifted members of the Branchidae have the following Virtues and Flaws, in addition to usual allocation of Virtues and Flaws. Developing these Virtues and Flaws is a part of Opening the Arts for Branchidae.

Major Supernatural Virtue: Death Prophecy (ArM5, page 41)

Minor Hermetic Virtue: Branchidae Prophecy

Major Hermetic Flaw: Weak Spontaneous Magic (ArM5, page 61)

This Hermetic Virtue allows the character to interpret an oracle's visions. A Branchidae apprentice acquires this Virtue when his Arts are opened, and the Branchidae know of no other way to transmit the Virtue. However, Apollo Didyma may be able to grant the Virtue to other characters. For details, see later.

in the line of Damen. In a great crisis the magi of the line of Tessa and Damen may assist Didyma, which is effectively their domus magna.

There is an unknown number of magi in the line of Bastards, who are the Gifted children of unGifted Branchidae who have lost contact with the ancestral family at Didyma. Such magi could be in any Hermetic House, unaware of their Branchidae birth-right.

Since 1132 the covenant has been under the leadership of Alexander. He inherited the title of Patriarch when, after an absence of five consecutive solstices, his parens Jason was deemed lost to Final Twilight. The title of Patriarch is held by the oldest resident Branchidae at Didyma, and Alexander is the fourth Patriarch (following Soteria, Basil, and Jason). Alexander was a young magus (in his early 40s) when Jason died and there were elder non-resident Branchidae magi, Damen and Tessa, who could have returned to rule over Apollo's sacred spring. Although the details are now obscure, Alexander somehow prevented Damen and Tessa from returning to Didyma. Both elder Branchidae have since reputedly entered Final Twilight (several decades ago), and so Alexander's reign as Patriarch is now without apparent challenge. His filia Nikola (herself now an old woman) should be the next Matriarch (if she outlives Alexander), although there may be potential challengers among the filii of Damen and Tessa.

Under Alexander, the covenant has become a steadily more blatant presence in the city of Miletos. The covenant openly holds property within the city and collects fees for conducting prophecies for the Christian citizens of Miletos. Despite the obvious pagan origins of the prophecy rituals, this "traditional" eccentricity is tolerated, as the ecclesiastic ruler of Miletos, the metropolitan Niketas II, is himself an ally of Alexander and thus prevents the church from raising concerns about Didyma. Indeed, Niketas even owes his election (in 1172) as metropolitan to Alexander's secret magical interference. In addition, the secular administrators are much too occupied with the decline of the Byzantine (now Nicean) Empire, of which Miletos forms a province, to be overly concerned about the covenant, as long as the magi continue to pay taxes.

The last Wizard War fought at the covenant was in 1110, when Hector (House Merinita) was killed by his filius Achillios. The dispute nominally involved a laboratory con-

The Branchidae petition Apollo Didyma (the aspect of Apollo resident at Didyma) for prophecies. These are received via oracle visions, which are then interpreted by the Branchidae. The oracle is usually a separate person to the Branchidae performing the interpretation.

The Oracle's Vision

Petitioning Apollo Didyma requires the Branchidae to first decide the subject of the prophecy. The subject can be an individual, a place, a bloodline (ArM5, page 93), or a nation. The Branchidae then prepares a draught of water from the Sacred Spring (which is at the covenant), into which he must transfer a pawn of vis (of any Art). Preparing the potion takes only the length of time required to transfer the pawn of vis: one day if performed in a laboratory (ArM5, page 94), perhaps quicker if the transfer is effected with ReVi spells. The prepared potion is consumed by the oracle, causing her to enter a trance, which lasts about an hour. Afterwards she recites the vision.

• The oracle must have the Visions Supernatural Flaw, but she need not be Gifted.
• If the prophecy subject is an individual the Branchidae must also have an Arcane Connection to that subject.
• If a bloodline is the subject the Branchidae needs an Arcane Connection to a bloodline member.

Interpreting the Prophecy

After hearing the vision the Branchidae can interpret the prophecy, which takes about a day, and the result is the prophecy text. The prophecy usually takes the form of a cryptic phrase or analogy. The game effect is that any character who reads (or is told) the prophecy text receives a special Prophecy Point that provides a one-off +3 bonus, similar to a Confidence Point, to a single roll involving the prophecy subject.

For the purposes of copying, a prophecy text is treated like a Laboratory Text with a level of 5.

Each prophecy has an expiry. This is also revealed when the prophecy is interpreted and Prophecy Points cannot be spent after the expiry. Typically, a prophecy expires after a year or a decade, but prophecies valid for centuries are sometimes received.

Multiple Prophecies About the Same Subject

No matter how many times a character reads a particular prophecy only a single Prophecy Point is earned. However, a character can read several different prophecies about a single subject and earn a Prophecy Point for each.

As a rough guide, Apollo Didyma will only make one prophecy about a grog-level character (he will make another when the previous has expired, however). Up to three prophecies can be simultaneously valid about companion or magus-level characters, and up to six prophecies about characters with Mythic Blood. Usually, only one prophecy can be made about a place, bloodline, or nation, unless it is especially important to Apollo Didyma.

If all valid prophecies for a subject have been received then subsequent oracle visions merely repeat previous visions, resulting in duplicate prophecy texts. Duplicate texts do not provide an additional Prophecy Point to the reader.

Prophecies About Faeries

Prophecies about faeries are more effective and provide a +6 bonus (instead of +3). The Branchidae believe this is because Apollo Didyma (source of the prophecies) is a powerful faerie. In fact, it is because prophecies are stories — so faeries actively try to fulfill prophecies.

Manipulating Prophecies

The Branchidae, generally, do not lie about the content of the prophecies. This is because the Branchidae are pagans for whom faithfully transmitting the prophecies of Apollo Didyma is an aspect of religious belief. If the Branchidae do nonetheless lie about a prophecy, then no Prophecy Point is associated with knowing the false prophecy (which is unlikely to be obvious in-character).

taining a large forge (now William's laboratory), but Hector or Achillios may have had secret Merinita cultic motivations too. Achillios left the covenant soon afterward, joining House Verditius at the covenant of Ingasia**.** Achillios entered Final Twilight in 1170.

In 1165, an unusual, Giant Blooded, young boy appeared on the Sacred Way. The boy claimed to be the son of Zeus, and was quickly found be Gifted with a strong vein of faerie blood. A Didyma resident magus, Nicodemus of House Merinita, named the boy Herakles and took him as his apprentice. Herakles continues to reside at Didyma, and is reputed to be the incarnation of his Olympian namesake. Nicodemus entered Final Twilight in 1207.

Herakles' reputation as the demigod was firmly established in the minds of the citizens of Miletos when Panormos (a port town a mile west of Didyma) was plagued in the early 1200s by attacks from sea-monsters. Praying to the saints achieved little, so the elders of Panormos approached Didyma for guidance. The impetuous Herakles promptly volunteered to slay the monsters and led the other younger magi of the covenant, two Branchidae sisters Lydia and Cora, out into a sea boiling with thrashing sea-monsters. Eventually, in 1205 Herakles slew the last of the monsters, depositing the bloody severed heads of a dozen fearsome creatures in Panormos' agora. Tragically, both Lydia and Cora were drowned in the quest, although Lydia's body was never recovered. The sisters' mother, Nikola (House Branchidae), blames this fatal escapade on Herakles.

While Herakles was slaying sea-monsters, great political changes were occurring in the secular world. Between 1204 and 1205 Constantinople was besieged and eventually over-run by Latin crusaders, and with its capital lost the Byzantine court fled to the city of Nicaea. Miletos (in the extreme southwest of the new Empire of Nicaea) also received wealthy refugees from Constantinople, among whom was the young Jerbiton maga, Ariane. She was a daughter of a wealthy family and she had lived and was educated among the now exiled imperial elites. Alexander welcomed Ariane, aware that her secular influence may help the covenant in the years to come, and although she is incapable of interpreting the Branchidae prophecies Ariane has converted to paganism, participating in the worship of Apollo Didyma. Ariane remains at Didyma.

The fall of Constantinople also preceded the arrival of the Flambeau magus William of Normandy. William followed in the wake of the crusader armies (or so he says), and after the siege he adventured in the Anato-

Didyma was built with a budget of 2575 Build Points, distributed as described below.

Resource	Build Points
Enchanted Devices	502
Laboratories	360
Laboratory Text	271
Library	1125
Money	10
Specialists and Teachers	58
Vis Sources and Stocks	249
Total	2575

lian mountains, hunting and slaying mythic creatures. While happily engaged in the pursuit of a snake-legged giant (a child of the titan Typhon) William met and befriended Herakles who, having recovered from the sea-monster quest, was likewise hunting Typhon's spawn. William returned with Herakles to Didyma and has been an official resident of the covenant since 1210. Although William claims to have not directly participated in the siege of Constantinople, Ariane is very suspicious and fearful of him.

After the deaths of Cora and Lydia, in 1205, the Branchidae were in crisis, as there were no Gifted Branchidae heirs (in the resident lineage, at least) to follow Alexander and Nikola. Fortunately, in 1211, the clever and Gifted Aoede was born. She is now the apprentice of Alexander.

The covenant is described through the following Boons and Hooks:

Powerful Ally (Apollo Didyma) (Major Boon): Each Theban covenant has a supernatural patron. For Didyma this is the faerie Apollo Didyma — the aspect of Apollo manifest at Didyma, and source of the Branchidae's prophecies. It is rare for a covenant's patron to be a faerie. It is well-known to both magi and mundanes that Apollo Didyma is the patron of Didyma. (Covenants, page 21).

Powerful Ally (Metropolitan of Miletos) (Major Boon): Niketas, the Metropolitan of Miletos, is an ally of the covenant. (Covenants, page 21).

Edifice (Temple to Apollo) (Minor Boon): The magnificent temples to the old pagan gods at Didyma are well-known. Most locals consider the temples part of the region's heritage and (even if not pagan) admire the beauty of the buildings, although, of course, a few extremists hate the pagan structures. The temples have been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries, but most date from a rebuilding ordered by the Emperor Trajan in 100 AD. (Covenants, page 14).

Increased Aura (Minor Boon): The aura at the covenant is 4 (but a Faerie aura, see later). (Covenants, page 8).

Right (Minor Boon): The covenant of Didyma has the right (granted by the city

of Miletos) to conduct prophecies, despite their dubious pagan connotations. (Covenants, page 16).

Secondary Income (warehouses) (Minor Boon): The covenant owns warehouses at the Lion Harbor that are rented to the merchants of Miletos. The warehouses are guarded by the turb and are well regarded because of wards against spoilage and vermin. Since the fall of Constantinople there has been an economic boom at Miletos, so this source of income is currently very secure and profitable. (Covenants, page 16).

Veteran Fighters (Minor Boon): The covenant has a platoon of experienced fighters split between Didyma and the Miletos warehouses, and enlarged by the addition of William's Frankish mercenaries. The skill of the Franks is well received but there is antagonism within the turb, as a number of the Greek fighters fought (for the Byzantine emperor) at the siege of Constantinople. (Covenants, page 18).

Road (Sacred Way) (Major Hook): The Sacred Way is a paved road, lined with shrines, stretching between the city of Miletos and the covenant of Didyma; it takes about 5 hours (at a normal pace) to walk. The Sacred Way is not a secret and everyone who lives in Miletos knows of it. As well as a conventional road, the Sacred Way is an important route from the faerie realm into the mundane world, and it is common for faeries to appear on the Sacred Way. (Covenants, page 9).

City (Miletos) (Major Hook): The bustling city of Miletos is 10 miles north of Didyma, and pretty much anything in Mythic Europe can be sourced from its seething ports. If a rare good cannot be immediately purchased, city merchants can find a source within a season - for a price. On the other hand, close proximity to civilization means that the covenant cannot easily hide from mundane scrutiny and is thus liable to be enveloped by crises that affect the city, such as wars, politics, and famine (Covenants, page 23). Currently, the negative impacts of the city are minimized, due to the covenant's ally (the Metropolitan) and it's Right (which gives the covenant a clear position in the legal and administrative life of Miletos).

The following magi were residents at Didyma for a decade or more:

Soteria: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Converts to the Order of Hermes in 990, age 38. Final Twilight around 1040. Parens of Basil and Jason.

Cletus: Ex Miscellanea, Lineage of Pralix. Converts Soteria in 990, and Basil in 993. Remains at Didyma until 1013.

Basil: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Converts to the Order of Hermes in 993, age 18. Son of Soteria. Parens of Brasidas and Tessa. Final Twilight in 1087.

Jason: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1013. Son of Soteria. Parens of Damen and Alexander. Final Twilight in 1130.

Orion: Verditius. Arrives at Didyma in 1020 from Ingasia. Joins House Merinita in 1030. Parens of Hector. Disappears 1053 (assumed dead).

Brasidas: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1035. Son of Basil. Final Twilight in 1083.

Hector: House Merinita. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1050. Parens of Achillios. Killed in 1110 by Achillios.

Tessa: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1075. Grand daughter of Jason. Leaves Didyma for the covenant of Alexandria in 1105.

Achillios: House Merinita. Gauntlets in Didyma in 1080. Leaves for Ingasia in 1111, and joins House Verditius (enters Final Twilight in 1170).

Damen: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1085. Greatnephew of Jason. Leaves for the covenant of Polyaigos in 1116.

Alexander: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1112. Greatgrand son of Jason. Parens of Nikola, Cora and Aoede. Current resident.

Lana: Merinita. Arrives in Didyma in 1110 from Aegae. Parens of Nicodemus. Enters Final Twilight in 1179.

Nicodemus: Merinita. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1145. Parens of Herakles. Final Twilight in 1207.

Nikola: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1150. Niece of Alexander. Parens of Lydia. Current resident.

Lydia: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1178. Daughter of Nikola. Killed in 1205.

Herakles: Merinita. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1180. Current resident.

Cora: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Gauntlets at Didyma in 1183. Daughter of Nikola. Killed in 1205.

Ariane: Jerbiton. Arrives in Didyma from covenant of Xylinites in 1205, age 31.

William of Normandy: Flambeau. Arrives in Didyma from covenant of Montverte (Normandy Tribunal), in 1210. Current resident.

Aoede: Ex Miscellanea, Branchidae. Apprentice of Alexander. Great-grand daughter of Alexander. Scheduled to gauntlet at Didyma in 1231. Current resident.

However, should these ameliorating circumstances be lost, then the covenant's relationship with the city may drastically change.

Monster (Major Hook, Unknown): A powerful demon sleeps in the rocks beneath the covenant. Its previous awakenings were responsible for earthquakes at the site. (Covenants, page 9).

Crumbling (Minor Hook): Even the newest parts of the temple structure were built hundreds of years ago, and parts are on the brink of collapse. (Covenants, page 15).

Faerie Aura (Minor Hook): The Didyma aura is a faerie aura (level 4). (Covenants, page 10).

The magi at Didyma are Alexander and Nikola (Ex Miscellanea, both Branchidae), Ariane (Jerbiton), Herakles (Merinita), and William (Flambeau). Alexander's young apprentice, Aoede, also lives at the covenant. William is a metoikos (resident foreigner) in the Tribunal, and since 1210 has been the guest of Herakles (see The Sundered Eagle, page 25). This means William cannot hold offices in the Tribunal, although he may still vote. William's status as a guest applies to his

Tribunal status: he is considered a full covenant resident under the covenant's charter. The other magi are all normal members of the Theban Tribunal. Nikola serves as an arche in the current Tribunal Council of Magistrates, and she is a member of the Treasury Council (see The Sundered Eagle, page 25).

Alexander, Nikola, Araine, and Aoede are all pagans who, like a number of the coven-folk, dress in the robes of ancient pagan priests and priestesses. Alexander is an ancient, bulky, bearded mass and he disconcertingly vibrates and pulses with a palpable aura. He is the leader (Patriarch) of the covenant and although he now rarely leaves the temple complex, his plotting is responsible for the covenant's current security with regard to its secular and ecclesiastic neighbors. Alexander's young apprentice, Aoede is a nervous nine year old girl, who shyly orbits behind him. Nikola, a tall distinguished woman who carries sadness deep in her blank Twilightscarred eyes, is the stateswoman and military leader (Strategos) of the covenant. She is a prolific correspondent with other Theban Tribunal officials and Redcaps, and others often meet with her on Tribunal business. Nikola is always interested in discussing Tribunal affairs with visitors. Ariane is a slender middle-aged woman, and the temple she has converted to a laboratory is shrouded in thick black drapes that grant only fleeting glimpses of the secrets concealed within. Although reclusive, Ariane is friendly toward characters who trouble to learn about her, but she is fearful and mistrustful of Latin magi. In her role as covenant Chancellor, Ariane extensively uses The Intangible Tunnel to scry on the covenant's interests and resources, and her familiar, the cat Chloris (a patient, but unpredictable, observer from many of the covenant's dark corners) keeps Ariane inconsistently informed about the activities of visiting magi. Ariane is typically accompanied by one or more of her handmaidens: a trio of blind women who arrange her mundane affairs.

Herakles is strong, giant-blooded magus, and it is common knowledge in the city of Miletos that he is the terrifying incarnation of his namesake. Herakles believes this too, and is exceedingly reckless in his determination to breathe life into his Olympian reputation. He is good friends with the Norman magus William, and the pair often hunt either faerie creatures along the Sacred Way or the monstrous children of the Titans who dwell in the wild Anatolian mountains. William is a Latin knight topped with a burst of red hair that pops and sparks with static discharges. Despite his alien appearance, William is well-liked by mundanes, as he has the Gentle Gift, and he leads a small group of veteran Frankish mercenaries, who are experienced in both mundane fighting and the pursuit of exotic supernatural quarry.

Characteristics: Int -2, Per -2, Pre 0, Com -3, Str -5, Sta -3, Dex -2, Qik -2 * characteristics include -3 age Penalty.

Size: -2 Age: 9 (9)

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

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Apprentice; Death Prophecy*; Branchidae Prophecy*, Gossip, Keen Vision, Luck, Puissant Intellego; Twilight Prone, Weak Spontaneous Magic*; Fear (dark).

* House Virtues/Flaws Personality Traits: Shy +3

Reputations: Apprentice of Alexander 1 (Hermetic)

Combat:

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

Soak: -3

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Uncon-

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-3), -2 (4-6), -3 (7-9), Incapacitated (10-12), Dead (13+)

Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (astronomy), Athletics 1 (climbing), Brawl 2 (fist), Dead Language: Classical Greek 1 (Hermetic usage), Guile 2 (covenfolk), Leadership 1 (Branchidae family), Living Language: Romanic Greek 5 (Hermetic usage), Magic Theory 2 (inventing spells), Organization Lore: Didyma 1 (secrets), Stealth 2 (Didyma)

Arts: Cr 3, In 3+3, Mu 0, Pe 0, Re 0; An 3, Aq 0, Au 0, Co 2, He 0, Ig 2, Im 5, Me 0, Te 0, Vi 0

Twilight Scars: None.

Casting Sigil: The A minor chord, which emanates from the target at a volume proportional to spell magnitude. A first magnitude effect chimes with barely a whisper.

Equipment: Simple tunic Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Spells Known:

Moonbeam (CrIg 3/+2)

Phantasm of the Talking Head (CrIm 10/+5)

Image of the Beast (InAn 5/+6) Prying Eyes (InIm 5/+8)

Vis: None.

Appearance: Aoede is a nervous, shy girl, 9 years old, often anxiously hiding behind Alexander (whose considerable bulk

gives plenty of cover). She is the darling of the Branchidae family and both Gifted and unGifted Branchidae look out for her, although due to her Gift the unGifted Branchidae tend to resent this slightly. Aoede is Alexander's apprentice, and her father and mother are, respectively, Lysias (a turb member) and Rhea (a covenant servant). Both her parents are members of the extended Branchidae family.

As she is usually in Alexander's presence, and he shares his Parma Magica, Aoede does not usually find Gifted magi frightening. Aoede finds Ariane to be endlessly fascinating and she wants to be just like her. Aoede also loves to ride on Herakles' back like a horse, although she has recently begun to pretend that she is too old to be interested in this.

When she is not studying with Alexander, Aoede is allowed to invent spells in his laboratory.

Aoede's Death Prophecy is to die in the dark.

Characteristics: Int +2(2), Per +1(1), Pre -2(2), Com +2(2), Str -2(1), Sta +1(1), Dex -1(1), Qik +1(1)

Age: 129 (99; -8 Longevity Ritual, -2 Bronze Cord)

Decrepitude: 2(1) Warping Score: 8 (37) Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus, Death Prophecy*, Branchidae Prophecy*, Clear Thinker, Deft Form (Corpus), Good Teacher, Improved Characteristics, Large, Method Caster, Puissant Intellego, Temporal Influence (Church, via Metropolitan), True Friend $(Mileta)^{**}$ ; Driven (major; continuity of Branchidae), Pagan, Weak Spontaneous Magic*, Obese, Proud (minor).

* House Virtues/Flaws

Gained via Familiar Bond (does not need to be balanced with a Flaw).

Personality Traits: Driven +6, Loyal (Mileta) +3, Proud +3

Reputations: Branchidae patriarch 3 (Hermetic), Pagan priest 4 (local)

Combat:

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

Soak: +3 (Sta + Bronze Cord)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Uncon-

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-6), -2 (7-12), -3 (13-18), Incapacitated (19-24), Dead

Abilities: Area Lore: Miletos 6 (history). Artes Liberales 2 (astronomy), Awareness 3 (details), Bargain 3 (mundanes), Brawl 2 (fist), Civil and Canon Law 3 (ancient rights), Code of Hermes 3 (apprentices), Concentration 3 (spells), Dead Language: Classical Greek 5 (Hermetic usage), Dead Language: Latin 3 (Hermetic usage), Finesse 3 (Creo), Folk Ken 3 (clergy), Guile 3 (pilgrims), Intrigue 6 (church), Leadership 4 (Branchidae), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (poetry), Magic Theory 9 (inventing spells), Organization Lore: Byzantine church 3 (Miletos), Organization Lore: Didyma 8 (history), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 4 (Theban Tribunal), Pagan Theology 6 (Anatolia), Parma Magica 6 (Mentem), Penetration 4 (Intellego), Teaching 4 (Hermetic)

Arts: Cr 16, In 18+3, Mu 12, Pe 10, Re 12, An 10, Aq 7, Au 9, Co 19, He 7, Ig 7, Im 9, Me 14, Te 8, Vi 18

Twilight Scars: Characters within hear-

ing distance of Alexander sense a deep throbbing hum, and he is surrounded by a faint colored nimbus that reflects his mood

Casting Sigil: The sphere. All Alexander's spell effects produce spherical results or have spherical cosmetic elements.

Voting Sigil: A bronze disk (a foot in diameter) imprinted with the covenant's symbol (the Eye of the Branchidae). Equipment: White hooded toga

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Spells Known: Spell totals include +3 for Method Caster, talisman attunement bonuses have not been added.

Opening the Tome of the Animal's Mind (InAn 25/+35

Voice of the Lake (InAq 25/+32) Enchantment of the Scrying Pool (InAq 30/+32) Sailor's Foretaste of the Morrow (InAu 20/+34) Gentle Touch of the Purified Body (CrCo 20/+39) Purification of the Festering Wounds (CrCo 20/+39

Cheating the Reaper (CrCo 30/+39) Incantation of the Body Made Whole (CrCo 40/+39)

Whispers Through the Black Gate (InCo(Me) 15/+39

Sight of the True Form (InCo 20/+44) The Inexorable Search (InCo 20/+44) Eye of the Sage (InCo(Im) 30/+34) Cloak of Bird Feathers (MuCo(An) 30/+26) Leap of Homecoming (ReCo 35/+35) Converse with Tree and Plant (InHe 25/+32) Shadows of Fires Past (InIg 15/+32) Vision of Heat's Light (InIg 20/+32) Phantasm of the Talking Head (CrIm 10/+29) Aura of Ennobled Presence (Mulm 10/+25) Peering into the Mortal Mind (InMe 30/+39) Past of Another (MuMe 35/+30) Scent of Peaceful Slumber (ReMe 20/+30) Numbness of the Gift (InVi 20/+42) Piercing the Faerie Veil (InVi 20/+42) Wizard's Communion (MuVi 10/+34)

Wizard's Vigil (MuVi 40/+34) Demon's Eternal Oblivion (PeVi 10/+32) End of the Titans (Magic equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 10/+32)

Faerie Bane (Faerie equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 10/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Animal (PeVi 15/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Aquam (PeVi 15/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Auram (PeVi 15/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Corpus (PeVi 15/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Herbam (PeVi 15/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Ignem (PeVi 15/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Imaginem (PeVi 15/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Mentem (PeVi 15/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Terram (PeVi 15/+32) Unraveling the Fabric of Vim (PeVi 15/+32) Circular Ward Against Demons (ReVi 25/+34) Aegis of the Hearth (ReVi 25/+34)

Vis: None.

Appearance: Alexander is large, obese bearded man, surrounded by a colored nimbus, about two paces in diameter, and radiating an audible hum. He wears a hooded toga, in the style of a pagan priest. Alexander does not stray far from the Temple of Apollo and his laboratory is built within the temple. He holds the covenant offices of Patriarch and Librarian, and is the head of the Branchidae family.

Alexander's death prophecy is that he will be slain by his apprentice. His two living apprentices are Nikola and Aoede (currently aged 9). A third apprentice (Cora) was killed in 1205.

NUMBNESS OF THE GIFT

InVi 20

R: Personal, D: Conc, T: Touch

When the caster places his hand on another character who has The Gift his hand feels numb. This effect must penetrate the magic resistance (if any) of the target, and if the target is a member of the Order of Hermes casting this spell normally counts as scrying (which is prohibited by the Code). This spell is based on the "detect the traces of powerful magic" guideline. If the target has the Blatant or Gentle Gift the spell still works.

(Base 10, +1 Conc, +1 Touch)

WIZARD'S VIGIL

MuVi 40

R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Group When Wizard's Communion (ArM5, page 160) is used to assist casting, the Wiz-

ard's Communion effect must last for the whole casting time of the effected spell. Wizard's Vigil is a version of Wizard's Communion with Sun Duration for use with Ritual spells, as for rituals the casting time is 15 minutes per magnitude. For the purposes of calculating the effect Wizard's Vigil is treated as a Wizard's Communion two magnitudes lower. The version known by Alexander is therefore treated as a level 30 Wizard's Communion. Some of the other magi know versions of a different level.

(Base 30, +2 Sun)

STAFF OF BRANCHIDAE

Alexander's talisman is seven-foot-tall wiry staff, made of hornbeam, and allegedly a branch of a tree planted by the founder Branchos more than two thousand years ago. It has been opened with 30 pawns of vis (15 slots used).

Talisman attunements:

+6 Vim vs hostile magic,

+4 control things at a distance,

+4 destroy things at a distance,

+3 project bolt or other missile.

Talisman powers: Tongue of Beasts

InAn 35

Pen: +0, Unlimited uses

R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Individual The caster can communicate fluently with any animal.

(Base 10, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter; +10

Unlimited uses)

Sticks to Snakes

MuHe(An) 30 Pen: +0, 24/day

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual

Transforms a stick into a writhing

The snake is Size -4, has a Soak of +2, and attacks with fangs (Init +3, Attack +11, Defense +10, Damage -7). The snake is venomous so any wound it causes may be poisoned; Ease Factor 6, Light Wound (ArM5, page 180).

(Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; +5 24 uses

per day)

Grasping the Snake

MuHe(An) 25 Pen: +0, 24/day

R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Individual A version of Sticks to Snakes that transforms the talisman into a writhing snake. This snake has the same statistics as Sticks

to Snakes, and (as it is the talisman) has Alexander's Form Magic Resistance scores. (Base 10, +2 Sun; +5 24 uses per day)

Swarming Bolts of Earth

Mu(Re)Te 41

Pen: +22, 24/day R: Sight, D: Momentary, T: Group

Ten large crystal spears rise from the ground, and speed toward and impale the target(s). Each spear does +10 damage.

(Base 3, +3 Sight, +2 Group, +1 Rego Requisite; +5 24 uses per day +11 Penetration 22)

MILETA: ALEXANDER'S SNAKE FAMILIAR

Season: Summer

Magic Might: 14 (Animal)

Characteristics: Int +1, Per +3, Pre -2, Com -5, Str 0, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +3

Size: -1

Confidence Score: 2(5)

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Animal; Greater Immunity (steel weapons); Arcane Lore, Improved Characteristics, Self Confident, Student of Infernal, True Friend (Alexander), Unaffected by The Gift; Dark Secret, Magic Monster, Reclusive, Tainted with Evil, Visions

Qualities: Greater Power (Aura of Rightful Authority), Greater Power (Awaken the Slumbering Corpse), Greater Power (Shadow Form); Gift of Speech, Improved Attack (grapple), Lesser Power (Vipers Gaze), Personal Power (Human Shape)

Animal Qualities: Ambush Predator, Crafty, Grapple, Keen Sense of Smell,

Slippery, Venomous Personality Traits: Loyal (Alexander) +3, Reclusive +3, Serpent (essential) +3, Liar +1

Reputations: Massive snake 1 (local), Reclusive laboratory assistant 1 (Hermetic)

Combat:

Grapple: Init +3, Attack +9, Defense +8, Damage n/a

Fangs: Init +3, Attack +9, Defense +8, Damage +1*

Mileta can inject venom into any fang wound she causes (Ease Factor 9, Incapacitating Wound; ArM5, page 180).

Soak: +4 (Sta + Bronze Cord)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-4), -3 (5-8), -5 (9-12), Incapacitated (13–16), Dead (17+)

Abilities: Artes Liberales 1 (logic), Awareness 4 (food), Brawl 4 (grapple), Concentration 3 (Viper's Gaze), Dead Language: Classical Greek 5 (Hermetic usage), Dead Language: Latin 3 (Hermetic usage), Guile 4 (magi), Hunt 4 (rats), Infernal Lore 4+2 (demonic pacts), Intrigue 4 (plotting), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (archaic), Magic Theory 6 (inventing spells), Organization Lore: Didyma 4 (HIStory), Stealth 4 (hiding), Survival 3 (water), Swim 5 (stealthily), Teaching 1 (magic theory)

Aura of Rightful Authority, 0 Points, Init +5, Mentem: As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 151). Greater Power (20

levels, –2 Might Cost, +4 Init) Awaken the Slumbering Corpse, 0 Points, Init +2, Corpus: As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 134), except Range: Touch, and Duration: Sun. Greater Power (25 lev-

els, -3 Might Cost, +2 Init) Human Shape, 1 Point, Init +1, Corpus: Mileta transforms into a tall, skeletal-thin, hairless woman; she retains her fangs. She is of both Corpus and Animal Form when so transformed. (R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Individual) Personal Power (20 levels, -1 Might Cost; Realms of Power: Magic, p 39)

Location (both ways): Invested in familiar bond (ArM5, page 105).

Shadow Form, O Points, Init +1, Animal: If Mileta enters a shadow big enough to cover her, she can transform into a shadow. As shadow she has +4 to Stealth and cannot be damaged by physical attacks. (R: Personal, D: Concentration, T. Individual) Greater Power (30 levels, -3 Might Cost, +1 Init) Vipers Gaze, 1 Point, Init -3, Animal, Cor-

pus: As the Hermetic spell (ArM5,

page 120), but also targets humans (Corpus). Lesser Power (15 levels, -2 Might Cost

Equipment: None, black hooded toga in human shape.

Vis: 3 pawns of Animal in venom sac.

Appearance: Mileta is an enormous iridescent-scaled snake, 6 inches in diameter and 20 feet long. She either hides deep in the Sacred Spring, or works (in human shape) in Alexander's laboratory. When humanoid, she pretends to be an unGifted Branchidae, which few even of the covenfolk realize is a lie. Even fewer realize Alexander's odd assistant is also the spring snake.

Mileta's Dark Secret is that she is a demon transformed into a magic creature (centuries ago, long before she met Alexander). Mileta does not know why or how she translated into the Magic realm and in fact retains no loyalty to hell. This is a Dark Secret because many magi would refuse to chance Mileta's true nature or loyalty. Note that it is impossible for Hermetic magic to be absolutely certain that she is not a demon pretending to be a magic creature, except via PeVi effects such as Demon's Eternal Oblivion, which at best only reveal that a target is a demon weak enough to be affected by a particular casting. The transformation may have happened via a miracle or some long-lost magic. It is also possible that Mileta may have just been fooled or deluded into believing that she was once a demon

The Familiar Bond was forged with an InMe Lab Total of 35. The Cords are: +1

Gold, +2 Silver, +2 Bronze.

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

Age: 90 (78; –5 Longevity Ritual)

Decrepitude: 1 (2) Warping Score: 7 (3)

Confidence Score: 2 (5) Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Death Prophecy*; Branchidae Prophecy*, Education, Hermetic Prestige, Improved Characteristics, Puissant Rego, Puissant Intellego, Self Confident, Warrior; Pagan, Study Requirement, Weak Spontaneous Magic*; Depressed.

* House Virtues/Flaws

Personality Traits: Sad +3, Loyal +3 Reputations: Tribunal arche 4 (Hermetic), Pagan priest 4 (local)

Combat:

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

Strategos Sword: Init +3, Attack +10, Defense +9, Damage +7

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -2 (6-10), -3 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+

Abilities: Area Lore: Miletos 2 (personalities), Artes Liberales 2 (logic), Awareness 4 (military), Bargain 2 (pilgrims), Brawl 2 (fist), Civil and Canon Law 2 (ancient rights), Code of Hermes 3 (procedures), Concentration 3 (spells), Dead Language: Classical Greek 5 (Hermetic usage), Dead Language: Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Finesse 3 (items), Folk Ken 2 (Branchidae), Guile 4 (Alexander), Intrigue 4 (Branchidae), Leadership 5 (Branchidae), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (dialects), Magic Theory 6 (lab refinement), Organization Lore: Didyma 5 (turb), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 6 (Theban Tribunal), Pagan Theology 3 (Anatolia), Parma Magica 6 (vim), Penetration 4 (Intellego), Single Weapon 6 (sword), Stealth 2 (temples), Teaching 2 (Hermetic)

Arts: Cr 9, In 12+3, Mu 8, Pe 12, Re 18+3; An 9, Aq 6, Au 8, Co 10, He 6, Ig 5, Im

6, Me 7, Te 8, Vi 20

Twilight Scars: Nikola's eyes are fixed and blank, like those painted onto an Egyptian sarcophagus; this does not affect her vision, but looks very curious. Nikola's blood is a deep brown color and is mildly acidic (similar to lemon juice). The acidity is noticeable if her blood is tasted or similar, but it does not normally injure Nikola or others.

Casting Sigil: A faint, but audible echo precisely one diameter out of phase with her casting. Sometimes it is Nikola's casting voice that repeats, other-times it is audible components of the spell effect. Further, fainter echoes are potentially accessible to characters with the appropriate InVi spells to recover sigils.

Voting Sigil: The Strategos' sword.

Equipment: Brown hooded stola, Soteria's SOTERIA'S HAND hand, Strategos' sword

Encumbrance: 0 (0) Spells Known:

Opening the Tome of the Animal's Mind (InAn 25/+25

Doublet of Impenetrable Silk (MuAn 15/+18)

Bind Wound (CrCo 10/+20)

Purification of the Festering Wounds (CrCo 20/+20) The Chirurgeon's Healing Touch (CrCo 20/+20) Whispers Through the Black Gate (InCo(Me) 15/+23

Seven-League Stride (ReCo 30/+32)

Tales of the Ashes (InIg 5/+20) The Ear For Distant Voices (InIm 20/+22)

Wizard's Sidestep (variant with Touch Range and Group Target) (ReIm 25/+28)

Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20/+23) Tracks of the Faerie Glow (InTe 25/+24)

Unseen Arm (ReTe 5/+30)

Sense of Magical Power (InVi 2/+36) Piercing the Faerie Veil (ÌnVi 20/+36)

Piercing the Magic Veil (Magic equivalent of Piercing the Faerie Veil (InVi 20/+36)

Numbness of the Gift (InVi 20/+36) The Invisible Eye Revealed (InVi 20/+36) Sense of the Lingering Magic (InVi 30/+36) Wizard's Communion (MuVi 20/+29) Wizard's Vigil (MuVi 40/+29)

Aegis of the Hearth (ReVi 25/+42) Aegis of the Hearth (ReVi 40/+42)

Maintaining the Demanding Spell (ReVi 15/+42) The Spell Persists (variant of Maintaining the Demanding Spell with Sun Duration, maintains spells of Level 30 or less) (ReVi 35/+42)

Vis: None.

Appearance: Nikola is a tall, white-haired woman with a long face and blank eyes (a Twilight Scar), and she dresses wears a brown stola and hood, in the manner of the ancient pagan priesthood. Nikola is a respected member of the Tribunal and serves as an arche on the Tribunal council. She will inherit the role of Patriarch from Alexander, as Matriarch, and is the covenant's Strategos. In this office, she casts the covenant's Aegis of the Hearth (level 40). Usually the other magi assist (via Wizard's Communion) her to cast the Aegis, to ensure that it has sufficient Penetration, but if the others are unavailable Nikola casts a lower level 25 Aegis.

Nikola lives in her laboratory with her husband and servant Alexios, whom she married soon after her daughters Lydia and Cora died; he is aged 43 and is neither Lydia nor Cora's father. Nikola was shattered by her daughters' deaths, which she blames on Herakles, but she found some solace in Alexios' embrace. Alexios has since, privately, come to believe that Nikola, even if not consciously, married him to distract herself from her daughters' deaths. However, he gives a quiet, brittle smile and denial to any suggestion that his and Nikola's relationship is not a deeply loving one.

Nikola's Death Prophecy predicts she will die on a full moon.

Nikola's talisman is the enchanted, lead plated skeletal hand of Soteria (the first Hermetic Branchidae). It was exhumed by Nikola many years ago, and has been opened with 10 pawns of vis (6 slots used).

Talisman attunements: +4 destroy the human body,

+4 wards.

Talisman powers:

The Wound that Weeps PeCo 25

Pen: +0, Unlimited uses

R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Individual As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 133). Has no Penetration as the intention

is to intimidate mundanes. (Base 5, +2 Voice; +10 Unlimited)

Exorcise the Cursed Room PeVi 26

Pen: +22, 24/day R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Room Demons in the Room lose 5 Might. (Base effect, +1 Touch, +2 Room; +5

24 uses, +11 Penetration 22)

STRATEGOS' SWORD

Nikola also carries the Strategos' Sword, an invested item and symbol of her office. It was made by the Verditius Orion almost 200 years ago. The long sword was opened for enchantment with 15 pawns (12 slots used).

Ward Against Men

ReCo 35

Pen: +0, Unlimited uses

R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Individual Wards the target against people. Nikola must briefly lower her Parma Magica to use this effect upon herself.

(Base 15, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter; +10

Unlimited)

Arms Multiplied

CrTe 38

Pen: +0, 6 uses per day R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Group

Creates 10 duplicates of the sword. The duplicates have no powers, but are effective for mundane use. As magic effects, and thus resisted by Magic Resistance, the swords are of little use against supernatural foes.

(Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 Group, +1 complex shape; +3 6 uses)

Demon Bane

PeVi 40

Pen: +40, Unlimited uses

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual Inflicts 15 Might damage on a demon. (Base 5, +1 Touch; +10 Unlimited, +20

Penetration 40)

Characteristics: Int 0, Per –1, Pre +1**,** Com –2, Str +5(1), Sta +4, Dex +2, Qik +1

Size: +2

Age: 60 (56; –4 Longevity Ritual)

Decrepitude: 0 (1) Warping Score: 5 (8) Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift; Hermetic Magus; Giant Blood, Strong Faerie Blood (Sidhe); Faerie Magic*, Great Strength, Improved Characteristics, Improved Characteristics, Tough; Proud, Deficient Technique (Muto), Pagan; Reckless.

* House Virtue

Personality Traits: Proud +6, Reckless +3 Reputations: The Demigod Hercules 5 (local)

Combat:

Fist: Init +1, Attack +9, Defense +8, Damage +5

Herakles' Club & Shield: Init +2, Attack +12, Defense +12, Damage +8

Soak: +7

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

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–7), –2 (8–14), –3 (15– 21), Incapacitated (22–28), Dead (29+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Miletos 3 (Didyma), Artes Liberales 2 (astronomy), Athletics 3 (jumping), Awareness 3 (ambush), Bargain 4 (spells), Brawl 6 (fist), Carouse 1 (drinking), Code of Hermes 1 (faeries), Concentration 2 (spells), Dead Language: Classical Greek 3 (Hermetic usage), Etiquette 1 (Hermetic), Faerie Lore 4 (monsters), Faerie Magic 2 (vis use), Finesse 1 (terram), Folk Ken 1 (coven folk), Guile 2 (faeries), Hunt 3 (monsters), Intrigue 2 (Hermetic), Leadership 1 (faeries), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (Hermetic usage), Magic Theory 4 (inventing spells), Organization Lore: Didyma 2 (Merinita), Organization Lore: House Merinita 3 (pagan gods), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (Thebes tribunal), Parma Magica 4 (Vim), Penetration 4 (Vim), Second Sight 5 (faeries), Single Weapon 5 (club), Swim 2 (sea)

Arts: Cr 8, In 9, Mu 7, Pe 8, Re 9; An 6, Aq 7, Au 7, Co 8, He 5, Ig 6, Im 5, Me 5, Te 8, Vi 9

Twilight Scars: A booming voice; Voice Range at Loud is 60 paces, Firm is 30 paces. He cannot use Quiet, and No Voice is as normal (see ArM5, page 83).

Casting Sigil: Heat. Herakles' spell effects cause the ambient temperature to rise slightly (usually only about one degree, but more for high magnitude effects).

Voting Sigil: An ancient, Greek silver coin

with the Sacred Spring on one side and the head of Zeus on the obverse.

Equipment: Herakles' club, round shield, lion-skin cloak.

Encumbrance: 0 (1)

Spells Known: * apply Deficient Technique (halve Casting Total) after die roll / aura modifier, etc.

Blunt the Viper's Fangs (PeAn 15/+18) Jupiter's Resounding Blow (CrAq 10/+19)

Bind Wound (variant with +1 Size mod.) (CrCo 15/+20)

Footsteps on the Sacred Way (InCo 15/+21) Whispers Through the Black Gate (InCo(Me) 15/+18)

Disguise of the New Visage (MuCo 15/+15)* Preternatural Growth and Shrinking (variant with Personal Range, +1 Size mod.) (MuCo 15/+15)*

Traitor's Coin (PeCo 15/+20)

Gift of the Frog's Legs (variant with +1 Size mod.) (ReCo 20/+21)

Shriek of the Impending Shafts (InHe 15/+18)

Palm of Flame (CrIg 5/+18) Fist of Shattering (PeTe 10/+20)

Broken Word Broken Sword (PeTe 20/+20)

Unseen Arm (ReTe 5/+21)

Sword Ward (ReTe 20/+21)

Wizard's Communion (MuVi 20/+20)*

Wizard's Vigil (MuVi 20/+20)*

Piercing the Faerie Veil (InVi 20/+22)

Demon's Eternal Oblivion (PeVi 5/+21)

End of the Titans (Magic equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 5/+21)

Faerie Bane (Faerie equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 5/+21)

Disenchant (PeVi 15/+21)

Gather the Essence of Beast (ReVi 15/+22)

Vis: None.

Appearance: Herakles is giant strong-man. He claims to be the son of Zeus, and the incarnation of his namesake. William of Normandy is his guest at the covenant and the pair often hunt magic and faerie creatures together.

Herakles sometimes travels incognito, using the Disguise of the New Visage and Preternatural Growth and Shrinking spells. His favored disguise is as an ancient crone. This disguise doesn't affect the impact of his Gift but can allow him to pass unrecognized.

Herakles' Club

Herakles' club was carved from an ancient oak by Zeus himself. The club is not a magic item, but it is an Excellent Quality item (see City and Guild, page 69). This means that it has improved game statistics and is slightly larger than usual (hence a higher minimum Strength).

Herakles' Club (Single Weapon): Init: +1, Atk: +4, Dfn: +3, Dam: +3, Str: 0, Load 1

Footsteps on the Sacred Way

InCo 10

R: Road, D: Concentration, T: Individual

Locates the position of the target, which the caster has an Arcane Connection to, along a road. Herakles uses this to detect a person walking along the Sacred Way, but it works on any road.

(Base 3, +2 Road, +1 Concentration)

Traitor's Coin

PeCo 15

R: Touch, D: Bargain/Momentary, T: Individual

If the target breaks the bargain made when this spell is cast, then a hideous scar, a brand of an ancient Greek coin, appears on his forehead.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +3 Bargain)

Broken Word Broken Sword

PeTe 20

R: Touch, D: Bargain/Momentary, T: Individual

If the target breaks the bargain made when this spell is cast, then his sword (or other metal weapon) is catastrophically weakened, and when next the weapon strikes (or parries) a blow it shatters. The weapon must be named by the caster, and carried by the target, at the time that the bargain is made.

(Base 2, +1 Touch, +3 Bargain, +2 affect Metal)

Sword Ward

ReTe 20

R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Individual Wards the caster against metal weapons. (Base 5, +1 Diameter, +2 affect Metal)

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

Age: 46 (39; -4 Longevity Ritual, -2

Bronze Cord) Decrepitude: 0 (1) Warping Score: 4 (7) Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: The Cift; Hermetic Magus; Major Magical Focus (teleportation); Arcane Lore, Clear Thinker, Educated, Improved Characteristics, Privileged Upbringing, Temporal Influence (imperial eunuchs)*, True Friend (Chloris)**; Pagan, Restriction (cannot cast when seen by unGifted humans); Ability Block (martial), Fear (Franks), Reclusive.

* House Virtue

** Gained via Familiar Bond (does not need to be balanced with a Flaw).

Personality Traits: Reclusive +3

Reputations: Pagan priestess 1 (Hermetic), Pagan priestess 2 (local)

Combat:

Fist: Init 0, Attack 0, Defense 0, Damage –1 Soak: +4 (Sta + Bronze Cord)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Uncon-

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -2 (6-10), -3 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Constantinople 2 (scholars), Area Lore: Miletos 2 (Didyma), Artes Liberales 2 (astronomy), Awareness 3 (being watched), Charm 2 (scholars), Civil and Canon Lore 1 (imperial), Code of Hermes 2 (mundane interference), Concentration 2 (spells), Dead Language: Classical Greek 5 (Hermetic usage), Dead Language: Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Etiquette 2 (Byzantium court), Finesse 2 (spells), Folk Ken 2 (pagans), Guile 2 (magi), Intrigue 3 (Byzantium/Nicaean court), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (rituals), Magic Theory 5 (vis use), Medicine 2 (diseases), Organization Lore: Didyma 3 (vis sources), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (Theban Tribunal), Pagan Theology 2 (Apollo), Parma Magica 3 (vim), Penetration 4 (vim), Philosophiae 2 (pagan), Stealth 2 (urban)

Arts: Cr 6, In 9, Mu 5, Pe 5, Re 10; An 5, Aq 5, Au 5, Co 14, He 5, Ig 5, Im 5, Me 6, Te 6, Vi 8

Twilight Scars: Ariane can seemingly survive on air alone, she has a +3 bonus to Deprivation of food rolls, but a -3 penalty on Deprivation of air rolls.

Casting Sigil: A yellowy, green fog that briefly emanates from either Ariane herself, or the target of her spell effects.

Voting Sigil: A coin-sized, gold locket containing a copy of the icon of St. Loukia (an image of a beautiful woman in a pastoral setting holding a lamb; she is the patron of the covenant of Xylinites: The Sundered Eagle, page 101). Equipment: White hooded stola

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Spells Known: Sense of the Lodestone (InCo 5/+25)

Sense of the Lodestone (InCo 5/+25) Step Sideways (ReCo 15/+36*) Ward Against People (ReCo 30/+26) Leap of Homecoming (ReCo 35/+36*) Seven League Travel Circle (ReCo 35/+36*) Chill Touch of Exposure (Pelg 5/+12)

Chill Touch of Exposure (Pelg 5/+1) Palm of Hearing (InIm 10/+16) Palm of Seeing (InIm 15/+16) Palm of Speaking (CrMe 5/+14)

Wizard's Communion (MuVi 20/+15) Wizard's Vigil (MuVi 20/+15)

Maintaining the Demanding Spell (ReVi 15/+20) Opening the Intangible Tunnel (ReVi 15/+20) Aegis of the Hearth (ReVi 25/+20)

* includes Major Magical Focus

Vis: None.

Appearance: Ariane is an attractive, slender woman, who usually dresses in a thin white stola (female toga equivalent) and she is the covenant's Chancellor. She is the daughter of a wealthy Constantinople merchant and was trained in the eunuch school at the politically powerful Jerbiton covenant of Xylinites (in Constantinople). Ariane (a Gifted child with a wealthy father) was eagerly accepted by the Jerbiton, despite her gender. Everything then changed for her when Constantinople fell. Ariane's father was killed, as was her parens, Theoderic, and Ariane fled into exile, heading for Miletos with one of her father's trading partners. Xylinites is now a Criamon covenant; see The Sundered Eagle, page 101.

Ariane was welcomed and invited to join Didyma by Alexander, and she has since converted to paganism, but still has contacts in the exiled imperial court at Nicaea, as many powerful eunuchs were her former classmates at Xylinites. Ariane is distressed by the presence of Franks at the covenant, and wishes that William would return to Normandy.

Ariane's Restriction means that she cannot cast when seen by unGifted humans. If unGifted people in her presence close their eyes, or face away from Ariane, then she may freely cast, but secret observers will prevent her from casting. If magic creatures, demons, faeries, mundane animals, etc, observe Ariane casting, this has no effect on her capability to cast.

Ariane is married to one of the turb leaders, Sebasten. He does not live with her but regularly visits her bed. Ariane's familiar is the cat Chloris.

Sense of the Lodestone

InCo 5

R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: Individual

The caster senses the distance and direction to the target. The caster must have an Arcane Connection to the target. Ariane casts this spell through an Intangible Tunnel.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration)

STEP SIDEWAYS

ReCo 15

R: Personal, D: Momentary, T: Individual

The caster instantly moves to a location she can see within 50 paces. If a Dexterity + Finesse roll against an Ease Factor of 6 is failed, then something goes slightly awry: she might be facing the wrong way, or appears a foot or two above the ground.

(Base 15)

SEVEN LEAGUE TRAVEL CIRCLE

ReCo 35

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Circle

Everyone within the circle instantly moves to a location that the caster has an Arcane Connection to, within seven leagues (21 miles). This is sufficient to travel between Miletos and Didyma. If the caster fails an Intelligence + Finesse roll against an Ease Factor of 9, then something goes slightly awry: the travelers might be facing the wrong way, or appear a few feet above the ground.

Items worn or carried by the travelers (armor, weapons, bags, clothes, etc) move too (which requires suitable casting requisites), but large items do not move. For example, a horse in the circle would not travel, nor would a tree, but a marble statuette carried by a traveler would travel (with a Terram requisite).

The caster does not need to be within the circle. Note the spell is powerful enough to cause Warping on the travelers.

(Base 30, +1 Touch)

CHILL TOUCH OF EXPOSURE

Pelg 5

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual The target shivers like an unwanted baby left alone in a cold and frosty dell. The target loses a Fatigue level. Repeated casting of this spell can cause the character to eventually become unconscious; this usually takes 5 castings (see ArM5, page 178). Ariane has learned this spell to cast down an Intangible Tunnel.

(Base 4, +1 Touch)

William's familiar is a large hunting falcon named Torvus, who from his wheeling, soaring vantage provides William with piercing tactical surveillance that extends for miles.

A very knowledgeable visitor may recognize that that the pagan priestly regalia worn at Didyma is actually closer to ancient Roman than ancient Greek tradition. This is because the pagans of Didyma, despite claiming (and believing) to constitute a continuous cult spanning two thousand years, have in fact been periodically reinvented after interruptions by Persian, Greek, and Roman conquests, Christian oppression, and other disasters. The most recent reinvention was after the Christian occupation of the site that ended in the 8th century. The pagans of Didyma are thus effectively a secondhand reflection of ancient stories about the oracle cult, created by the faerie Apollo Didyma, who is himself a fantastic mirror of human narratives. This subtle distinction is really only accessible, and meaningful, to characters who are either very well informed about the interaction between faeries and stories or have genuine supernatural knowledge of the distant past. Even native Greeks only know about the practices of their ancient ancestors via surviving stories and depictions on ancient monuments and artifacts, which are frequently not complete, have uncertain dates, and represent a confusing mixture of practices from many native and foreign cultures. Even the extant temples (statues, mosaics, etc) at Didyma were mostly actually constructed under Roman occupation in the first century AD..

Didyma's covenfolk are mostly Greek. Most are members of the Branchidae family and were born at the covenant, which is a substantial village, but others are from Miletos or other villages in the region. A few Frankish mercenaries form a tiny but boisterous minority.

Companions associated with the covenant include: Callista, the covenant's representative

PALM OF HEARING

InIm 10

R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Hearing The caster can hear from the perspective of the target. This spell must Penetrate in order to sense creatures with Magic Resistance. Ariane has learned this spell to cast down an Intangible Tunnel.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +3Hearing)

PALM OF SEEING

InIm 15

R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Vision

The caster can see from the perspective of the target. This spell must Penetrate in order to sense creatures with Magic Resistance. Ariane has learned this spell to cast down an Intangible Tunnel.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +4

PALM OF SPEAKING

CrMe 5

R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Individual The caster can form words directly in the mind of the target. The target can recognize the caster's voice and is aware that the words are not being relayed via their normal senses. Ariane has learned this spell to cast down an Intangible Tunnel.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter)

CHLORIS THE CURIOUS: ARIANE'S CAT FAMILIAR

Season: Summer Magic Might: 12 (Animal) Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre -2, Com -4, Str -7, Sta 0, Dex +3, Qik +4

Confidence Score: 1(3)

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Friend, Magic Animal; Perfect Balance, Puissant Awareness, Second Sight, Sharp Ears, Social Contacts (cats of Miletos), True Friend (Ariane), Unaffected by The Cift; Curse of Venus, Meddler; Compulsive (curiosity), Nocturnal

Qualities: Lesser Power (Prying Eyes), Lesser Power (Whispers Through the Black Gate), Personal Power (Cat's Leap), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Power x2 (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Power), Personal Eyes (Eyes for Eyes Eyes (Eyes for Eyes Eyes Eyes (Eyes for Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes (Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes sonal Power x2 (Leap of Homecoming)

Animal Qualities: Ambush Predator, Crafty, Good Jumper, Skilled Climber, Thick Fur Personality Traits: Meddler +6, Curious +4, Cat (essential) +3, Timid +2

Reputations: Pregnant cat 1 (local) Combat:

Claws: Init +3, Attack +8, Defense +10, Damage -5

Teeth: Init +4, Attack +8, Defense +7, Damage -6

Soak: +3 (Sta + Bronze Cord)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Uncon-

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-2), -3 (3-4), -5 (5-6), Incapacitated (7-8), Dead (9+) Abilities: Area Lore: Constantinople 1 (allevs), Area Lore: Miletos 3 (allevs), Athletics 3 (jump), Awareness 4 (at night), Brawl 2 (claws), Carouse 1 (at night), Charm 1 (tomcats), Concentration 1 (Prying Eyes), Dead Language: Classical Greek 5 (Hermetic usage), Dead Language: Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Hunt 4 (mice), Intrigue 1 (gossip), Leadership 2 (cats), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (rituals), Magic Theory 2 (Intellego), Organization Lore: Didyma 2 (gossip), Sec-

Powers:

Cat's Leap, O Points, Init +2, Animal: Personal

(stalking), Survival 2 (urban)

ond Sight 3 (regio boundaries), Stealth 4

Range, Animal version of Gift of the Frog's Legs (ArM5, page 134). Personal Power (15 Levels, –2 Might Cost)

Eyes for Power, O Points, Init +6, Vim: Chloris can see vis (R: Personal, D: Constant, T. Vision). Personal Power x2 (20 Levels, -2 Might Cost, +4 Init)

Leap of Homecoming, 1 Point: Init +0, Animal: Animal version of the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 135). Personal Power x2 (35 Levels, -3 Might Cost)

Mental Communication: (both ways) Invested in

familiar bond (ArM5, page 105).

Prying Eyes, 0 Point: Init +5, Imaginem: As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 144). Lesser Power (5 Levels, –1 Might Cost, +3 Init)

Whispers Through the Black Gate, 1 Points: Init –2, Corpus: As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 130). (15 Levels, -2 Might Cost)

Equipment: Leather collar stamped with Ariane's sigil and studded with tiny stones. The stones are fixed Arcane Connections to: three points on the Sacred Way (the covenant terminus, the Panormos junction, a point two miles south of Miletos), the Delphinion (in Miletos), the Lion Gate (in Miletos), and an alley-way near Xylinites (in Constantinople). There is room for another six studs.

Vis: 3 pawns of Animal in eyes.

Appearance: Chloris is a small, innocuous, tortoiseshell cat, and Ariane's familiar. She is Cursed by Venus and thus is constantly either pursued by excited tomcats, pregnant, or nursing young kittens. The Delphinion temple (in Miletos) is her favorite site to raise litters and many of the cats of Miletos are her descendants. Some of her descendants may be magical, but many are not. Chloris is very independent, often wandering far from Ariane and not seen for several seasons.

The Familiar Bond was forged with an InAn Lab Total of 26. The Cords are: +1 Gold, +1 Silver, +2 Bronze.

Characteristics: Int 0, Per +2(2), Pre 1(1), Twilight Scars: Different colored eyes (one Com 0, Str +1(1), Sta +1(1), Dex +1(1), Qik +2(2)

Age: 55 (54; -2 Longevity Ritual, -2

Bronze Cord) Decrepitude: 1 (3) Warping Score: 4 (21) Confidence Score: 2 (5)

Virtues and Flaws: The Gift, Hermetic Magus; Gentle Gift; Improved Characteristics, True Friend (Torvus)**, Puissant Perdo*, Quiet Magic, Quiet Magic, Self-Confident, Subtle Magic, Warrior, Well-Traveled; Ambitious (greatest monster slayer), Difficult Longevity Ritual, Difficult Underlings; Vow (to never kill a man).

* House Virtues/Flaws

** Gained via Familiar Bond (does not need to be balanced with a Flaw).

Personality Traits: Ambitious +6, Brave +3 Reputations: Monster Slayer 2 (Hermetic) Combat:

Fist: Init +2, Attack +4, Defense +5, Damage +1

Long Sword & Shield: Init +4, Attack +11, De-

fense +11, Damage +7 Lance & Shield*: Init +4, Attack +13*, Defense +12*, Damage +6

Pole-Axe: Init +3, Attack +11, Defense +7, Damage +12

Short Bow: Init +1, Attack +8, Defense +6, Damage +7

* Includes +3 Mounted Bonus

Soak: +13 (Sta + Armour + Bronze Cord) Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1(1-5), -2(6-10), -3(11-6)15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Animal Handling 1 (horse), Area Lore: Constaninople 1 (crusaders), Area Lore: Miletus 2 (creatures), Area Lore: Normandy 3 (nobles), Artes Liberales 1 (astronomy), Athletics 2 (running), Awareness 4 (creatures), Bow 3 (short bow), Brawl 2 (fist), Code of Hermes 1 (vis rights), Concentration 3 (spells), Dead Language: Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Etiquette 1 (nobles), Finesse 2 (items), Folk Ken 2 (nobles), Great Weapon 4 (pole axe), Guile 1 (fast talk), Hunt 4 (mythic creatures), Leadership 5 (combat), Living Langauge: Low German 2 (military usage), Living Language: French 5 (Norman), Living Language: Romaic Greek 2 (Hermetic usage), Magic Lore 3 (creature weaknesses), Magic Theory 4 (items), Organisation Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (monster hunters), Parma Magica 6 (Corpus), Penetration 3 (Vim), Ride 3 (horse), Single Weapon 5 (long sword), Stealth 2 (sneaking), Swim 2 (river)

Arts: Cr 7, In 6, Mu 8, Pe 7+3, Re 7; An 6, Aq 5, Au 5, Co 17, He 6, Ig 7, Im 5, Me 5, Te 7, Vi 7

blue, one brown), and his hair crackles with static electricity. In darkness flashes of light can be seen flowing over his head. Casting Sigil: The spectacular, but harm-

less, discharge of electricity.

Voting Sigil: A falcon's feather made of silver. Equipment: Long sword, round shield, pole-axe, lance, short bow and arrows, breastplate (talisman) and mail armor with helm, and warhorse. A collection of magic arrows (see below). Note: William only carries the weapons he is immediately using. The rest are carried by his warhorse Lambert.

Encumbrance: 3 (4)

Spells Known:

Image of the Beast (InAn 5/+13) Bind Wound (CrCo 10/+25)

Purification of the Festering Wounds (CrCo 20/+25)

The Chirurgeon's Healing Touch (CrCo 20/+25) Eyes of the Cat (MuCo(An) 5/+15) Gift of the Bear's Fortitude (MuCo 25/+26)

Grip of the Choking Hand (PeCo 25/+28) Blade of the Virulent Flame (Crlg 15/+15) Quell the Scent (PeIm 10/+16)

Words of the Unbroken Silence (CrMe 10/+13) Wizard's Vigil (MuVi 20/+16)

Demon's Eternal Oblivion (PeVi 5/+18) End of the Titans (Magic equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 5/+18)

Faerie Bane (Faerie equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 5/+18)

Personal Ward Against Demons (R: Touch, D: Sun, ReVi 10/+15)

Personal Ward Against Faeries (R: Touch, D: Sun, ReVi 10/+15)

Personal Ward Against Magic Creatures (R: Touch, D: Sun, ReVi 10/+15) Gather the Essence of Beast (ReVi 15/+15)

Appearance: William is a magus of House Flambeau, of the school of Ramius, and of the Normandy Tribunal. He has wild red hair, which crackles and sparks with static discharges (a Twilight scar), and is determined to be the greatest hunter of magic and faerie creatures. Since the bloody siege of Constantinople, William has sworn to never kill a human (again). His familiar is a kleptomaniac falcon named Torvus.

William originally came to the Theban Tribunal in the wake of the Crusaders who besieged Constantinople in 1204. He has since befriended Herakles and the pair hunt together. William also commands a small band of mercenaries who followed him from Normandy. William is unmarried and his soldiers quietly joke among themselves about his apparent close relationship with

QUELL THE SCENT

Pelm 10

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual

Destroys the target's scent. This is very useful for stalking animals (and other creatures) that rely on smell. Add +3 to Stealth rolls in such circumstances.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)

Morpheus Arrows

ReMe 15

Pen: +0, charged item (3 arrows) R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Group

These arrows are charged items, activated when a character is hit by the arrow. The character (and the group he is a part of) drop into a deep slumber.

(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Group)

FIRE ARROWS

Crlg 5

Pen: +0, charged item (5 arrows) R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual

These arrows are charged items, activated when a target is hit by the arrow. The arrow erupts into long tongues of flame upon impact (+5 damage; plus normal missile damage). The arrows also automatically ignite a flammable target that is hit (which takes +5 damage each round until extinguished).

(Base 4, +1 Touch)

Bridging Arrows

CrHe 15

Pen: +0, charged item (2 arrows) R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Individual

These arrows are charged items, activated when the arrow is shot from a bow. A bridge made from twisted wood spans the distance between the bow and the arrowfall. The bridge is 1 pace wide, up to 100 paces long and can support creatures of up to Size +4 (although large creatures may find the bridge very narrow)

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +2

WILLIAM'S CRUSADE ARMOR

William's Talisman is an iron-wrought eagle welded to a steel breastplate. Only the iron eagle (small/metal) is actually enchanted, but as it is a part of armor, it benefits from the shape bonuses of armor (see ArM5, page 97). The talisman has been opened with 15 pawns of vis (8 slots used).

at Miletos, Philip, a turb leader, Ella, the oracle, and the local metropolitan, Niketas.

Callista represents the covenant in Miletos and liaises on behalf of the magi with the city authorities and merchants. She lives in the Delphinion, a palatial re-purposed temple in the heart of Miletos. Callista is well-known to be a pagan, which causes concern in parts of the city; however, it also enhances her perceived status as a representative of the Didyma prophets.

She is an arche (a grog leader) and her husband, Cleon, is a Miletos tax official.

Philip is one of two turb captains (the other is Sebasten, husband of the maga Ariane), and he's well-liked. Philip is an un-Gifted Branchidae, and his grandfather was a faerie goblin who served Nicodemus, parens of Herakles. Philip is very serious and dedicated to the turb, but frequently finds the women of the covenant try to distract him from his duties. Unfortunately, his reserve with the women only causes them to redouble their attentions.

ELLA THE ORACLE

As oracle, Ella is accorded respect by the other covenfolk, and she has no other duties at the covenant. On the other hand, Ella

is hypersensitive to whispers that she free-loads on her role as oracle, and thus likes to talk up the importance of her oracle duties. A younger woman, Julia, also has visions and thus sometimes serves as oracle. Ella is jealous and wary of being usurped by Julia.

Ella's Greater Malediction is that via her oracle duties she has become addicted to consuming vis, and suffers Deprivation (ArM5, page 180) if she cannot consume vis. The check time is one month, and the lost Fatigue levels are Long-Term Fatigue levels that can only be regained after she has consumed a pawn of vis.

Niketas is the politically powerful met-

Talisman attunements: +7 protect the wearer, +7 repel faeries.

Talisman powers: The Light Pours Out of Me

Crlg 15

Pen: +0, 24/day

R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Individual Brilliant, incandescent light streams out of the armor. The light only illuminates, it does not cause damage.

(Base 5, +1 Diameter; +5 24 uses)

Iron Ward

ReVi 23

Pen: +16, Unlimited

R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Individual Wards against faerie creatures of Might 15 or less.

(Base effect, +1 Diameter; +10 unlimited uses, +8 Penetration)

Endurance of the Berserkers

ReCo 25

Pen: +0, 24/day

R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Individual As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 134), except with Diameter duration.

(Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter; +5 24 uses)

Season: Summer

Magic Might: 12 (Auram)

Characteristics: Int 0, Per +3, Pre -1, Com 0,

Str -6, Sta -1, Dex +1, Qik +6 Size: -3

Confidence Score: 1(3)

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Friend; Magic Animal; Educated, Keen Vision, True Friend (William), Unaffected by The Gift; Avaricious; Blackmail, Fragile Constitution.

Qualities: Greater Power (The Cloudless Sky Returned); Gift of Speech, Lesser Power (Sailor's Foretaste of the Morrow), Personal Power (Shriek of the Impending Shafts), Personal Power x2 (Sight of the True Form)

Animal Qualities: Accomplished Flier, Fast Flier, Keen Eyesight, Pursuit Predator, Extra Natural Weapons.

Personality Traits: Hoarder +6, Falcon (essential) +3

Reputations: Thief 2 (local)

Combat:

Talons: Init +5, Attack: +6, Defense: +12, Damage: -4

Beak: Init +6, Attack: +6, Defense: +9, Damage: -5

Soak: +1 (Sta + Bronze Cord)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-2), -3 (3-4), -5 (5-6), Incapacitated (7-8), Dead (9+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Constantinople 1 (from above), Area Lore: Normandy 3 (from above), Area Lore: Theban Tribunal 3 (from above), Artes Liberales 1 (astronomy), Athletics 5 (flight), Awareness 4 (prey), Brawl 2 (talons), Code of Hermes 1 (familiars), Dead Language: Latin 4 (Hermetic usage), Guile 1 (magi), Faerie Lore 2 (traditions), Legerdemain 3 (picking pockets), Living Language: Low German 2 (military usage), Living Language: French 5 (Norman), Living Language: Romaic Greek 2 (Hermetic usage), Magic Lore 2 (monsters), Magic Theory 3 (Auram), Organization Lore: Didyma 1 (structures), Stealth 2 (hiding hoard),

Survival 3 (cold)

Powers:

Location: (both ways) Invested in familiar bond (ArM5, page 105).

Mental Communication: (both ways) Invested in familiar bond (ArM5, page 105).

Sailor's Foretaste of the Morrow: 3 points, Init +2, Auram: As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 127). Lesser Power (20 Levels; –1 Might Cost)

Shriek of the Impending Shafts: 0 points, Init +4, Herbam: As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 136). Personal Power (15 Levels, –2 Might Cost)

Sight of the True Form: 0 points, Init +4, Corpus: Equivalent to the Hermetic spell at level 15, but constant effect (ArM5, page 130). Personal Power*2 (30 Levels; –3 Might Cost, +1 Init)

The Cloudless Sky Returned: 4 points, Init +1, Auram: As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 128). Greater Power (45 Levels, -1 Might Cost)

Equipment: None.

Vis: 3 pawns of Auram in tail feathers.

Appearance: A brown falcon with a three foot wing-span, Torvus is a hoarder of fascinating objects, and he has several stashes of objects on and under the roofs of the Didyma temples. Among his hoard are documents which reveal corruption by the tax officials in Miletos - unbeknown to William, Torvus is using this information to blackmail the head tax official, Leander.

Torvus is a fast flyer and has a +3 bonus to rolls involving speed.

The Familiar Bond was forged with an InAu Lab Total of 20. The Cords are: +1 Gold, 0 Silver, +2 Bronze.

ropolitan (archbishop) of Miletos. He is a companion and ally of covenant, but his close relationship with the covenant is not well known, even at the covenant. Of course, Niketas does not actually live at the covenant, but at his Episcopal Palace (in Miletos). See External Relationships, later, for more details.

There are over 100 grogs and other specialists living at the covenant. These include:

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

Size: 0 Age: 38 (38)

Decrepitude: 0 (0) Warping Score: 1 (4)

Confidence: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Custos: Ways of the Town, Clear Thinker, Intuition, Social Contacts (Miletos officials), Temporal Influence, Compassionate, Pagan; Ability Block (Martial)*, Generous.

* due to Warping

Personality Traits: Kind +6

Reputations: Representative of Didyma 4 (local), Practicing pagan 2 (local), Generous 1 (local)

Combat:

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

Soak: 0

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -2 (6-10), -3 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Miletos 5 (merchants), Artes Liberales 1 (mathematics), Awareness 2 (quality), Bargain 4 (merchants), Charm 3 (merchants), Dead Language: Classic Greek 3 (Hermetic usage), Dead Language: Latin 2 (Hermetic usage), Etiquette 3 (Miletos), Folk Ken 4 (merchants), Guile 3 (merchants), Intrigue 2 (merchants), Leadership 5 (covenfolk), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (trade), Magic Theory 1 (items), Organization Lore: Didyma 4 (business dealings), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 2 (Theban tribunal), Profession: Merchant 4 (logistics)

Equipment: Agenda and warehouse log books, robes.

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Vis: None.

Appearance: A tall woman with long black, curled hair slowly fading to gray.

Ariane's Blind Maidens

Ariane's Restriction prevents her casting when seen by unGifted people. As a result, she shuns the covenfolk, except her three servants, who were were blinded so as to not interfere with her magic. This may seem cruel, but Ariane (educated alongside eunuchs in Constantinople) blandly views her servant's blindings as a component of office. Generally, the covenfolk respect and admire the sacrifice made by Ariane's blind maidens.

Ariane's blind maidens are Magarethe (who was Ariane's servant at Constantinople) and Nicola and Eleni (who were young girls blinded soon after Ariane arrived at Didyma 16 years ago).

THE TURB

The turb consists of 18 fighters (The Standard Soldier, ArM5, page 22), and two leaders. Philip is one of the leaders (see Com-

panions), The Grizzled Veteran (ArM5, page 21) is used for the other (Sebasten). There are also four Frankish mercenaries. Usually, two bands, each of four men, are based at the Miletos warehouses (one band on-duty, the other off-duty), with the remainder at the covenant. The warehouse fighters serve in Miletos for a week, before trading places with a covenant band. The Frankish mercenaries are treated like the other bands and take a turn at warehouse duty.

WILLIAM'S FRANKISH MERCENARIES

William of Normandy is accompanied by a band of four grizzly-bearded, troublemaking Franks, named Marcel, Thomas, Alain, and Guy. The mercenaries are not bad men and are loyal to the covenant and William. However, they cannot communicate well with the other covenfolk and thus spend far too much down-time drinking together

Philip

Characteristics: Int -1, Per -1, Pre +1, Com Encumbrance: 2 (4) +1, Str +1, Sta +2, Dex +2, Qik +2

Size: +1

Age: 31 (31)

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

Virtues and Flaws: Custos: Affinity with Single Weapon, Faerie Blood (Goblin), Improved Characteristics, Inspirational, Large, Puissant (Leadership), Driven (dedicated to turb), Curse of Venus: Temperate

Personality Traits: Driven +6

Reputations: Didyma leader 2 (local)

Combat:

Fist: Init +2, Attack +5, Defense +5, Damage + 1

Longsword & Shield: Init +4, Attack +14, Defense +13, Damage +7

Short Bow: Init +1, Attack +11, Defense +8, Damage +7

Soak: +11

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-6), -2 (7-12), -3 (13-18), Incapacitated (19–24), Dead (25+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Miletos 3 (Didyma), Athletics 2 (jumping), Awareness 3 (weakness), Bow 5 (short bow), Brawl 2 (fist), Carouse 2 (legends), Faerie Lore 2 (goblins), Leadership 4+2 (combat), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (slang), Organization Lore: Didyma 2 (defenses), Single Weapon 7 (sword), Stealth 4+1 (ambush), Swim 2 (sea), Teaching 2 (martial)

Equipment: Mail, helm, longsword, round shield, short bow, quiver.

Vis: None.

Appearance: Philip is tall, lanky, and imposing with tightly curled black hair and a full beard flecked with early signs of gray, Despite his size Philip is surprisingly stealthy.

HELM OF ZOTIKOS

This bronze helm is an invested item made by the magus Nicodemus for his goblin servant Zotikos (Philip's grandfather), and inherited by Philip. It was opened for enchantment with 15 pawns of vis (4 slots used), and has two effects:

Death Speaker

InCo(Me) 20

Pen +0, 24/day

R: Eye, D: Concentration, T: Indi-

By looking into the eyes of a corpse the wearer can speak to the deceased's spirit (similar to Whispers Through the Black Gate, ArM5, page 130).

(Base 5, +1 Eye, +1 Concentration, free requisite; + 5 24 uses)

Shriek of the Impending Shafts

InHe 20

Pen +0, 24/day

R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Hearing As the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 136). (Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +3

Hearing; +5 24 uses)

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

Size: 0 Age: 46 (46) Decrepitude: 1 (1) Warping Score: 3 (13)

Virtues and Flaws: Covenfolk, Improved Characteristics, Warrior, Infamous, Motion Sickness*, Reckless*, Oversensitive.

* due to Warping

Personality Traits: Brave +3, Reckless +3, Loyal +3

Reputations: Troublesome Frank 4 (local) Combat:

Fist: Init +2, Attack +8, Defense +8, Damage +1

Long Sword & Shield: Init +4, Attack +13, Defense +12, Damage +7

Lance & Shield*: Init +4, Attack +15*, Defense +13*, Damage +6

Short Bow: Init +1, Attack +9, Defense +6, Damage +7

* Includes +3 Mounted Bonus

Soak: +11

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -2 (6-10), -3 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Animal Handling 3 (horse), Area Lore: Constantinople 1 (crusaders), Area Lore: Miletos 3 (prostitutes), Area Lore: Normandy 3 (bandits), Athletics 3 (running), Awareness 4 (battlefield), Bow 3 (short bow), Brawl 5 (fist), Carouse 2 ("debates"), Charm 2 (women), Chirurgy 2 (battlefield wounds), Etiquette 1 (military), Folk Ken 3 (soldiers), Guile 3 (superiors), Hunt 4 (tracking), Leadership 2 (combat), Living Language: Low German 2 (military usage), Living Language: French 5 (Norman), Living Language: Romaic Greek 1 (slang), Magic Lore 2 (monsters), Ride 4 (horse), Single Weapon 6 (long sword), Stealth 2 (sneaking), Survival 3 (foraging), Swim 2 (river)

Equipment: Long sword, round shield, lance, short bow and arrows, full-chain mail with helm, and warhorse.

Encumbrance: 2 (3)

Vis: None.

Appearance: A hardy Frankish warrior. After years of Hermetic service, little surprises Marcel, who has fought demons, giants, serpents and many other fantastic abominations. Perhaps because of his bravery, Marcel is very sensitive to accusations of cowardice. Despite communication problems, he is married to Lyra, the beautiful young daughter of a goat farmer whose farm is located an hour's walk from the covenant. Lyra lives with Marcel at the covenant.

and drunkenly shouting at their Greek allies. It is not due to lack of opportunity to learn that the mercenaries cannot speak Greek well. They just have not bothered to learn anything beyond the rudiments.

Game statistics are provided for Marcel; the others are similar. The mercenaries often help William to hunt monsters and can fight together as a trained group led by William (group bonus +18). Alternatively, one of the mercenaries can lead the others (group bonus +9).

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

Size: 0

Age: 60 (60)

Decrepitude: 2 (0) Warping Score: 4 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Custos, Common Sense, Premonitions, Blind, Incomprehensible*, Offensive to Animals*.

* Due to Warping

Personality Traits: Loyal +3

Reputations: Wise Custos 3 (local) Combat:

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

Soak: -1

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -2 (6-10), -3 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Constantinople 4 (secrets), Area Lore: Miletos 3 (Didyma), Awareness 6 (hearing), Charm 4 (men), Dead Language: Latin 2 (Hermetic usage), Etiquette 3 (Hermetic), Folk Ken 5 (magi), Guile 4 (magi), Intrigue 6 (covenant), Leadership 4 (covenfolk), Living Language: French 1 (Norman), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (cursing), Music 3 (singing), Organization Lore: Didyma 4 (relationships), Premonitions 7 (Ariane), Profession: Servant 5 (Ariane), Stealth 3 (urban), Teaching 2 (covenfolk)

Equipment: simple tunic/robe.

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Vis: None.

Appearance: Magarethe is an old but agile woman now bent by years, whose eyes were burnt out in Constantinople 35 years ago, in order to serve Ariane. Magarethe is very loyal to Ariane and also respected among the covenfolk. As a result, she is the current leader of the covenfolk. She has a lot of Warping due to the vicissitudes of a life-time of service to magi.

There are 58 BP worth of specialists at Didyma.

TEACHERS

Basil: An elderly and learned monk who secretly converted to paganism many years ago and has since lived at the covenant. He still corresponds with his brethren in Miletos and has a dispensation from his abbot to live

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

Size: 0

Age: 44 (43)

Decrepitude: 0 (3)

Warping Score: 1 (6)

Confidence: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Custos; Improved Characteristics, Intuition, Lightning Reflexes, Premonitions, Protection (Apollo Didyma), Second Sight, Tough, Greater Malediction (vis addicted), Envious, Fear (snakes)*, Oversensitive (accusations of free-loading), Visions

* due to Warping

Personality Traits: Envious +6 Reputations: Oracle 3 (local)

Combat:

Dodge: Init +1, Attack na, Defense +6, Damage na

Soak: +3

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-5), -2 (6-10), -3 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Area Lore: Miletos 3 (Didyma), Athletics 2 (running), Awareness 3 (movement), Brawl 4 (dodge), Charm 3 (pagans), Etiquette 2 (Didyma), Faerie Lore 3 (Olympians), Folk Ken 4 (covenfolk), Guile 4 (covenfolk), Intrigue 4 (Didyma), Leadership 2 (covenfolk), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (archaic), Organization Lore: Didyma 4 (history), Organization Lore: Order of Hermes 1 (future), Premonitions 7 (Didyma), Second Sight 7 (faeries)

Equipment: Hooded stola of a pagan priestess.

Encumbrance: 0 (0)

Vis: None.

Appearance: Ella is a pampered middleaged woman with a shaved scalp that shows off her shapely head.

at the covenant, in the 8th century monastic ruins at Didyma. This dispensation was arranged at the request of the covenant's ally Niketas, the Metropolitan of Miletos. Com +2. Artes Liberales 6 (astronomy), Dead Language: Classical Greek 5 (Hermetic usage), Dead Language: Latin 5 (Hermetic usage), Living Language Arabic 4 (trade), Philosophiae 4 (pagan), Scribe 5 (Hermetic works), Teaching 5 (Dead Language: Classic Greek). (12 BP)

Abbas: A strongman and master stonemason, he organizes repairs on the crumbling covenant. Com 0. Craft: Stonemason 6 (temples), Teaching 2 (apprentices). (8 BP)

Specialists

Scribes: Five young scribes aged between 15 and 20 who have been seconded by Niketas (the covenant's metropolitan ally) from monasteries in Miletos. Each will return to Miletos on his 20th birthday, to be replaced by a new 15-year-old scribe. Artes Liberales 2 (logic), Scribe 4 (quickly) (Total of 20 BP).

Stonemason's apprentices: Three young masons who work with Abbas. Their apprenticeship lasts for 10 years, and afterwards, they either remain at the covenant, or gain work in Miletos. Craft: Stonemason 4 (temples) (Total of 12 BP).

Cleon: A tax official and husband of Callista, he helps to ensure smooth relationships between the covenant and the Miletos officials. Civil and Canon Lore 5 (taxation), Intrigue 6 (officialdom). (6 BP).

The majority of the covenant, including the magi, are based in the temple complex at Didyma. The covenant also owns warehouses in Miletos, where it is represented by a companion, Callista. The metropolitian of Miletos is an ally of the covenant, although his relationship with the covenant is not well known.

Strangers arriving at the covenant are met by an arche (one of the leaders of the grogs), usually Sebasten or Philip (the turb leaders), or Callista (in Miletos). Either the Patriarch (the leader of the magi, Alexander) or the Strategos (the maga responsible for defenses, Nikola) is summoned to greet strangers identified as magi or otherwise exotic. The Strategos issues tokens for the Aegis.

The majority of covenfolk dress, act, and speak indistinguishably from the Greek citizens of Miletos. The magi tend to dress in the anachronistic hooded togas of pagan priests of the Roman-era.

The covenant welcomes visitors, particularly pagans, and is hospitable to all magi, except those with bad reputations who are treated with distrust.

The covenant is governed by the Council of Magi, which is led by the Patriarch (see elsewhere for charter and details). The covenfolk are governed by their own subservient Council of Archai which meets once a month to decide most issues related to mundane resources.

Visiting magi are generally expected follow the wishes of their hosts. Visiting grogs and companions are expected to follow the directions of the Council of Archai.

The Council of Archai

The Council of Archai decides issues like turb training, gathering lab supplies, and mundane interactions. The council members each have the title arche (mirroring the structure of the Theban Tribunal) and each of the five archai serve for five years. The archai's terms are staggered so that one retires, and a new one is elected, every winter solstice at the covenant's mid-winter feast. Council decisions are made by majority vote, with each arche having an equal vote.

The current archai include:

Magarethe: the longest serving arche in the current term (who hence holds the office of archon: leader of the council). Magarethe is one of Ariane's blind maidens (see earlier).

Callista: represents the covenant in Miletos. Sebasten: turb captain and Ariane's husband. Basil: a scribe and the oldest (non-magus) member of the covenant.

Philip: another turb captain.

Income and Supplies

The covenant gains income by conducting prophecies and other rituals for the Christian inhabitants of Miletos and the surrounding villages. Although clearly pagan in origin, these rituals have been retained as local "Christian" rites. This heterodox prac-

tice is frowned upon by some priests, but the Metropolitan Niketas has prevented serious censure of the covenant. The covenant also holds imperial decrees, dating from the second century AD, which grant the Didyma oracles license to conduct prophecies. These decrees are still considered to be legally valid in Miletos, and 10% of the oracle fees are tithed in tax to the city treasury (perhaps explaining the tolerance of city officials).

Additional income is received by renting warehouses at Miletos to merchants, who are very aware that their landlords are the Didyma oracles. The covenant's agent, Callista, in fact charges a premium because the merchants' wares are protected by magic wards. The covenant's usual clients are Greeks, but currently one warehouse is being used by a Venetian cartel.

The Charter of the Council of the Magi of Didyma

The covenant's charter was drafted by Soteria in 990, and draws upon ancient Branchidae traditions. Its principle terms are:

• The Patriarch/Matriarch is the most senior, resident, Gifted Branchidae. This is currently Alexander.
• All resident magi meet in a Council of

Magi on the winter and summer solstices. A magus becomes resident by majority vote at a Council of Magi, or by being gauntleted by a resident magus. The Patriarch can revoke residency at any time and a magus absent for more than five consecutive solstices is deemed to have resigned residency and any offices.

• Extraordinary Councils of Magi may be called by the Patriarch with at least one Moon's notice.
• Each resident magus owes one season of covenant service each year, which must be approved by the Patriarch. Alternatively, a magus can pay a residency fee of 3 pawns of Vim vis per year (to the coffers). The season of service can be deferred, but for no longer than the date of the next Tribunal meeting.
• The Patriarch must present to the Council of Magi a prophecy for the covenant, at the council immediately preceding a Tribunal meeting.
• The Patriarch appoints a resident magus to the office of Chancellor (currently Ariane), who is responsible for the collection and storage of the covenant's vis stocks (the coffers). The Chancellor may trade vis from the coffers with resident and visiting magi, but the coffers

must gain, or break-even, numerically on any trade. The Patriarch and Strategos may requisition vis from the coffers. The Chancellor must report on the coffers at the Council of Magi.

• The Strategos (currently Nikola) is a resident magus, appointed to office by the Patriarch, who is responsible for the covenant's defenses, mundane and supernatural, including the Aegis of the Hearth. The Strategos has the sole right to distribute Aegis tokens. The Strategos nominally leads the turb and is responsible for its training, but Nikola has delegated these roles to qualified covenant servants.
• The Librarian (currently Alexander) is a resident magus appointed to office by the Patriarch, and is responsible for the storage and copying of books and lab texts, and deciding disputes over access to books. The Librarian must also recruit and train the scriptorium (a pool of scribes).
• The covenfolk govern themselves via a Council of Archai, who are elected by covenfolk for five year staggered terms. The longest serving archai, the archon, represents covenfolk at the Council of Magi.
• Decisions are made via a majority vote.

Each resident magus and each office has a vote. There are no proxies, so voters must attend.

Votes at the Council of Magi

Currently there are 10 votes on the council. These are distributed as:

Alexander 3 (Patriarch, Librarian, resident) Nikola 2 (Strategos, resident)

Ariane 2 (Chancellor, resident)

Herakles 1 (resident)

William 1 (resident)

Magarethe 1 (covenfolk archon)

Agenda for the Council of Magi

The typical agenda of the council is:

• Attending resident magi name themselves and any offices they hold.
• Other magi (and others) attending name themselves and their relationship to the covenant.
• Any current prophecies involving the covenant or the magi are discussed by the council. If this council is the one immediately preceding a Tribunal meeting, then the Patriarch presents a new prophecy.
• If needed, votes are held for new resident magi.
• Each of the Chancellor, Strategos, Librarian, and archon (covenfolk leader) reports on the discharge of her office, which is discussed by the council.
• Each resident maga reports on her executed and proposed covenant service, which is approved by the Patriarch.
• The Patriarch confirms existing officeholders, or names new ones.
• Any other issues are raised by resident magi and others.

The main part of the covenant is at Didyma. The covenant also owns property in Miletos.

Geographically, Didyma is an uninspiring flat, dry plain, less than 100 paces above sea level. Crossing the plain is a regular, paved road, marked every half mile with a saint's shrine. This Sacred Way stretches from Miletos, about 10 miles to the north, makes a brief diversion to the fishing town of Panormos and terminates, in the center of the Didyma plain, in a craggy hollow split from the limestone rock.

The natural geography is uninspiring, but the man-made geography is spectacular.

Reaching out of the hollow, slicing long black shadows over the plain, is a collection of tall, marble-columned, pagan temples. The largest, the temple to Apollo, is over 20 paces tall and, despite having foundations in a hollow, can be seen for several miles across the flat Didyma plain.

The hollow depression that the temples are built within is about five paces deep, further accentuated and defined by a retaining wall. This wall is the Boundary target for the Aegis of the Hearth.

Most of the main structures at Didyma are ancient temples in varying stages of ruin.

Apollo's Temple

The largest temple is the enormous temple to Apollo, built on a base 50 pace**^s** by 100 paces (45,000 square feet), topped by a stone forest of over 100 columns, each 20 paces tall. The temple is mostly open to the air, but the central structure is enclosed, and divided into three sections. Two enclosed sections form Alexander and Nikola's laboratories, the third section (between the two laboratories) is the covenant library and scriptorium. As well as books and Hermetic laboratory texts, the library contains a record of the many thousands of prophecies that the Branchidae have made over the millennia. Most of the prophecies concern relatively trivial issues (from the perspective of magi), such as the best time for a village to harvest a crop, or the outlook for a marriage between two Miletos families, or the predicted fortunes of a deal between merchants. The majority of the dusty prophecies have already come to pass, or are now moot as they concern individuals who lived and died centuries ago.

As well as images of gods, especially Apollo, there are many life-size statues and frescoes of wild animals, mythic and mundane, within the temple. Such animal frescoes are unusual for a Greek temple, and probably reflect the large number of mythic beasts that follow the Sacred Way into Mythic Europe.

Sacred Spring

In the heart of the Temple to Apollo, in an open air section bordered by a crumbling wall, is the Sacred Spring. The spring feeds a square pool about 500 square feet in area, 1 pace deep, and is an important vis source for the covenant. The waters of the Sacred Spring are also a component when the magi petition Apollo Didyma for prophecies.

Athena's Temple

This well-maintained temple is shrouded in thick black drapes that snap and crack in the wind and make it impossible to observe activities inside (usually overcoming Ariane's restriction). Like all the covenant's smaller temples, Athena's temple is built on a stone, stepped, platform about two paces high with an area of about 3,500 square feet with 10-pace-high columns around the perimeter that support a roof. The roof covers two large cella (rooms) flanking a central hall. The temple contains Ariane's laboratory and the coffers (the covenant's vis stocks). Usually, only Ariane and her blind handmaidens are found inside.

Zeus' Temple

The ground outside Zeus' Temple is littered with the bones of fantastic creatures, and exotic pelts are stretched to cure, in the hot sun, between the columns. The temple is structurally sound, but has much minor damage. This temple contains the laboratories of Herakles and William, and William's Frankish mercenaries camp in the central hall.

Temples of Dionysus and Hermes

These temples are damaged - fallen columns and headless and missing statues - but are sometimes used as stores by the covenfolk. The Temple of Dionysus once housed the laboratories of the sisters Lydia and Cora (both killed in 1205), and if visitors to the covenant require laboratory space, these will be offered.

The Baths

The baths were built during the Roman period, and the complex consists of a central domed hall with two wings. Originally both wings contained baths, fed by a system of pipes that connect to the Sacred Spring, but, by 1220, the eastern wing baths have been filled in and that wing is now used by the covenfolk as living quarters. The central domed hall is the covenfolk's meeting, storage, and work area.

The western wing baths are functional and tiled in exquisite mosaics of pagan gods and myths. The western baths are fed by the Sacred Spring, but the Roman-era system of boilers to heat the waters has been replaced by Hermetic enchanted items. All of the covenfolk bathe regularly in the warm bath waters, which gives the covenfolk a +1 Living Modifier to their aging rolls.

In front of the Temple to Apollo stand two round altars carved with images of gods and titans. The original function of the altars has been lost to the Branchidae, and today the large altar (about 7 paces across, and a pace high) is used as a Certamen dueling circle; the opposing magi stand on the altar's rim. The small altar (3 paces across and a pace high) has no particular use.

Ruined Temple and Church

There are two collapsed buildings at the covenant: Hera's temple, which collapsed in the early seventh century, and a church built by Emperor Theodosius in the fifth century. The church was the heart of a small colony of monks living at Didyma. It collapsed in an earthquake in the late 800s and the chapter of monks relocated to Miletos. The elderly monk Basil, now a pagan convert, and a few young monks sent from Miletos by the metropolitan live in a still-standing corner of the church.

The Covenant Wall

The covenant lies in a hollow in the Didyma plain. The hollow's perimeter is edged by a stone retaining-wall about five paces tall. The wall is too high for cavalry to traverse and is treacherous for heavily armed soldiers. For characters climbing the wall make a Dex + Athletics roll (encumbrance due to armor applies) against an Ease Factor of 9; failing

characters fall and take +10 damage.

The wall is also the target for the covenant's Aegis of the Hearth (level 40 cast by Nikola).

On the eastern side of the covenant, five large, wide steps (each one pace tall, two paces deep, and 50 paces wide) led from the covenant-basin up to the plain. Characters on foot can traverse these steps without penalty, but for mounted characters make a Dex + Ride roll against an Ease Factor of 6.

A wooden crane is used to lift bulky items into and out of the covenant-basin (Zeus' Arm; an enchanted item, see later).

All of the residents of Didyma have personalized their laboratories in some way.

Alexander's Laboratory

Alexander's laboratory is watched over by Apollo Didyma, and is larger and better equipped than a standard Hermetic laboratory. It also contains a gallery from which his young apprentice Aoede can observe without interfering in the laboratories activities (70 BP).

Virtues and Flaws: Greater Guardian (Apollo Didyma; +3 In); Gallery (+1 Teach), Lesser expansion (+1 In)

Characteristics: Size +1, Refinement +4, General Quality +1, Upkeep +2, Safety +8, Warping +1, Health 0, Aesthetics +2 Specializations: In +4, Teaching +1

Nikola's Laboratory

Nikola's laboratory is large and luxurious; she lives right within her experiments with her husband Alexios. There is sufficient space for the large specimen collections (currently animal bones) necessary for her Study Requirement, and it takes Nikola at least a season to swap the specimen collection. Unfortunately, the laboratory is rather dominated by an enormous statue of the founder Branchos (80 BP).

Virtues and Flaws: Greater Feature (Branchos statue; +3 In), Palatial (+1 In, +2 Teach); Living Quarters, Specimens (+1 An); Greater Focus (Branchos statue; +4 In)

Characteristics: Size +1, Refinement +4, General Quality 0, Upkeep +4, Safety +2, Warping 0, Health 0, Aesthetics +5 Specializations: An +1, In +8, Teaching +2

Ariane's Laboratory

Ariane's laboratory is dark and poorly lit with smokey candles; thick black drapes block out the light. When Ariane fled Constantinople she brought with her a vis still (which helps to extract vis from the aura) and a lot of unglamorous, but quality equipment (40 BP).

Virtues and Flaws: Greater Feature (Vis still; +3 Vis extract.); Superior Equipment (+1 Vis extract.); Defective Lighting, Undecorated (–1 Vis extract.)

Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement +2, General Quality 0, Upkeep 0, Safety +2, Warping +1, Health 0, Aesthetics 0 Specializations: Vis extraction +3

Herakles' Laboratory

Herakles' laboratory is watched over by his father, Zeus, and because of Herakles' giant size he treats the laboratory as cramped. For anyone else the laboratory is an Awkward Shape instead (increase General Quality and Upkeep by 1, but remove the Score in Spells specialization). Herakles offers animal sacrifices (of mutton fat) to Zeus on the solstices and equinoxes to keep his laboratory functioning (30 BP).

Virtues and Flaws: Greater Guardian (Zeus; +3 Re); Cramped (Spells +1), Sacrifices (+2 Re)

Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement +1, General Quality –1, Upkeep +1, Safety +3, Warping +2, Health –1, Aesthetics –3 Specializations: Re +5, Spells +1

William's Laboratory

This laboratory was originally outfitted by the Verditius magus Orion, in 1020, so a prominent feature is a large forge. William wonders whether the feature is more annoying than useful (40 BP).

Virtues and Flaws: Greater Feature (forge; +3 Items), Specimens (magic creature skeletons; +1 Vi); Guard (mercenaries); Greater Focus (forge; +4 Items)

Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement +1, General Quality –2, Upkeep +1, Safety 0, Warping 0, Health 0, Aesthetics +4

Specializations: Vi +1, Items +7

ABANDONED LABORATORIES

The two abandoned laboratories have been stripped of most equipment (50BP each). Virtues and Flaws: Basic

Characteristics: Size 0, Refinement 0, General Quality -3, Upkeep 0, Safety 0, Warping 0, Health 0, Aesthetics 0

Specializations: None

The covenant's buildings in Miletos are clustered at the edge of the Lion Harbor (one of two harbors in Miletos). This huddle of dockside temples and warehouse does not lie under an Aegis of the Hearth, but the warehouses are protected by enchanted items.

THE WAREHOUSES

These three warehouses stand adjacent to one another at the Lion Harbor; each has solid, well-ventilated, stone walls, a wooden roof, and a footprint of 5000 square feet. Each warehouse is protected by a Vermin Ward, Ward Against Rot, and a Pestilence Ward. The covenant also owns a dock large enough to unload substantial ships. The warehouses and dock areas have a Divine aura of 2.

There are usually 8 members of the covenant's turb (see The Turb) stationed at the warehouses who have access to 5 Defender Swords. There are also usually a dozen porters and teamsters at the busy warehouses, who are hired as needed from the citizens of Miletos by Callista (see Covenfolk). These workers are unlikely to have met the remote magi.

The covenant also keeps a magic dredge (The Oracle's Dredge), two small, archaic cedarwood boats, and half a dozen Porter's Helpers at the warehouses.

The Delphinion

Behind the covenant's warehouses is a simple, well-preserved, but defunct, stone temple. This was the Delphinion, the start of the Sacred Way, and is now the residence of the covenant's representative, Callista, her husband (Cleon, a tax official), two teenage children, and a small staff of six domestic servants. Callista carries a wand (Warning Flame, see later) that she can use to signal the covenant proper, when needed.

The Delphinion is a lacuna with a Faerie aura of 4.

The covenant has established relationships with its supernatural, Hermetic and mundane neighbours.

APOLLO DIDYMA

Apollo Didyma is the patron of the covenant and he physically manifested here in ancient times, but this has not oc-

curred in recent centuries. He appears to reside in the Faerie realm at several places, including Olympos.

Apollo's main agenda is the furtherance of the worship of the pagan gods and foiling the plots of the servants of the titans. He protects the Branchidae by sending prophecies to warn of danger, and very occasionally responds directly by sending intermediaries down the Sacred Way to represent him. Apollo is not particularly interested in the wider Order of Hermes, whom he refers to as "the priests of Hermes".

Sphinx

Faerie Might: 20 (Auram) Characteristics: Int +2, Per +2, Pre -1, Com

+1, Str +4, Sta +2, Dex +1, Qik -2

Virtues and Flaws: Increased Faerie Might; Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, Lesser Power (Hound), Hybrid Form, Improved Characteristics, Personal Power (Flight), Personal Power (Shriek of the Impending Shafts); Narrowly Cognizant; Monstrous Appearance, Sovereign Ward (riddle solver), Wrathful, Visions

Animal Qualities: Accomplished Flyer, Aggressive, Ambush Predator, Tough Hide Personality Traits: Treacherous +6

Reputations: Merciless hunter and riddle teller 3 (local)

Combat:

Claws: Init -3, Attack +9, Defense +7, Damage +6

Grapple: Init -2, Attack +6, Defense -3, Damage n/a

Teeth: Init -2, Attack +9, Defense +4, Damage +5

Soak: +4

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-7), -3 (8-14), -5 (15-21), Incapacitated (22-28), Dead (29+)

Pretenses: Athletics 5 (flying), Awareness 4 (prey), Brawl 5 (claws), Faerie Lore 5 (riddles), Faerie Speech 5 (riddles), Hunt 4 (prey), Stealth 4 (stalking), Survival 3 (Didyma plain)

Faerie Sight: This power allows the sphinx to automatically distinguish mundane things from glamor, to automatically identify another faerie's glamor, and to automatically see an Arcane Connection (and know to whom it is an Arcane Connection, if that person is present). She can also use Faerie Sight to determine the motives and goals of other faeries (Awareness + Perception roll against an Ease Factor equal to Might of other faerie / 5). See Realms of Power: Faerie, page 50 for more details.

Faerie Speech: This power allows the sphinx to duplicate the language spoken by her human audience. See Realms of Power: Faerie, page 50 for more details. Flight, 0 points, constant, Auram:

The sphinx can fly and carry in her claws (or as a rider) another character of up to Size +1. (Personal Power; 25 spell levels)

(Base 4, +2 Sun, +1 Constant; +10 two intricacy points to reduce Might Cost) Hound, 1 point, Init –10, Corpus:

The sphinx knows the direction and distance to her quarry. (Lesser Power, 25 spell levels)

(Base 3, +4 Arcane, +1 Concentration; +5 one intricacy points to reduce Might Cost)

Shriek of the Impending Shafts, O points, Init -4. Herbam:

As per the Hermetic spell (ArM5, page 136). (Personal Power, 25 spell levels) (Base 2, +2 Sun, +3 Hearing; +10 two intricacy points to reduce Might Cost)

Equipment: None. Vis: 4 pawns of Auram in wings.

Appearance: The sphinx has a lion's body from which grows the upper torso and head of a woman (like a feline centaur), and she has the wings of an eagle. The sphinx hunts lone travelers on the Sacred Way, but avoids groups. Her favored tactic is to swoop onto her prey, grab him (successful grapple), gain altitude, and then drop him from a height. Each round, carrying a character, she gains 20 feet in altitude, and a falling character takes +1 Damage per two feet he falls (see ArM5, page 181).

The sphinx's Sovereign Ward means that she cannot harm a character who solves her riddle, and she must offer a riddle if a character requests one.

Herakles and William hunt sphinxes (for vis), and a sphinx is a possible familiar for a Merinita magus. The sphinx can receive oracle visions from Apollo Didyma, if she drinks the sacred water at the covenant.

The Sacred Way stretches about 10 miles between Miletos and Didyma, making a brief diversion to the town of Panormos, a mile to the north-west of Didyma. The Sacred Way is paved in stone blocks about one pace square, and the road varies between five and seven paces wide. In ancient times, shrines to gods, statues of sphinxes and other beasts, statues of Branchidae patriarchs, and mausoleums of important Miletos citizens were dispersed along the Sacred Way. In 1220, most of these have been dismantled and instead Christian shrines stand at half mile intervals. The Sacred Way has a Faerie aura of 1, except for the shrines which have a Divine aura of 2.

Practically any faerie from Realms of Power: Faerie or other supplements can use the Sacred Way to enter the mundane world. The magus Herakles also appeared as a child on the Sacred Way, and several Merinita have tried to find a route back along the Sacred Way into the Faerie realm. Perhaps the Merinita Orion, who disappeared in 1053, found the backwards route. A common sort of faerie that appears on the Sacred Way is the sphinx.

MILETOS

The ancient port of Miletos was founded more than two thousand years ago, and was the site of Mythic Europe's first planned town (laid out in a grid). Long before Rome rose, Miletos was a powerful trading center, albeit eventually eclipsed by cities like Athens, and it was the home of the first philosopher: Thales of Miletos. Miletos is sometimes called Palatia (city of palaces) as it is littered with ancient stone temples and administrative buildings, although the temples have long since been re-purposed.

The walled city covers a rocky peninsula and has two main gates (the Sacred and Lion gates) that open to the mainland. It has two harbors (the Lion Harbor, protected by a gated sea-wall, and the Theater Harbor) and fresh water still flows along a Roman-era aqueduct. In 1220, Miletos' population is several thousand, but the ancient population was much larger, so there are many abandoned buildings (and a ruined Roman-era wall) south of the current city walls. Stone and space for construction is thus easily available.

Following the siege of Constantinople many wealthy, refugee Greek merchants fled

to Miletos, heralding an economic boom. There are also busy Venetian, Arabic, and Jewish quarters. Of course, everyone knows that Venetian merchants conspired to cause Constantinople's fall, but business is business, so trade between the Italians and others is both substantial and profitable. However, beneath lies a black seam of antagonism, which occasionally erupts into street violence. All four groups - Greek, Italian, Arab, and Jew - use Miletos as a distribution hub for goods from Constantinople, North Africa, the Orient, and the rest of Mythic Europe.

The covenant is a well-known and open presence in Miletos, but the magi rarely travel into the city. Despite its pagan reputation, the covenant is tolerated because of Didyma's long history of interaction with Miletos, and because the covenant's ally, the metropolitan, discourages serious questioning. The covenant's magically warded warehouses are valued by all the merchants.

THE STRATEGOS AT MILETOS

The regional imperial Nicaean administrator, responsible for a large provincial hinterland that includes the covenant, is the Strategos. He is an intelligent, middle-aged man named Anakletos, who, when Constantinople fell, was a capable, young military officer and son of a wealthy Constantinople family. He found himself rapidly promoted to Strategos, in the far-flung Miletos province, following the devastation of the Byzantine army by the crusaders.

The Strategos' fortress consists of ten towers centered around a large courtyard, and is built on a hill in the middle of Miletos overlooking Theater Harbor. The fortress stands on the site of the Roman-era theater, which was converted to its current military use more than 500 years ago, but only a few long-lived individuals (such as Apollo Didyma) remember the theater beneath the fortress.

Nominally, Anakletos commands a regional military force of ten infantry taxiarchia (each numbering 1,000 soldiers, including archers, heavy and light infantry), and two 3,000 strong moria (heavy cavalry). However, due to substantial losses over the last few centuries, these formations only exist as accounting fictions in the city's ledgers. The actual Miletos garrison (although still large for the city's current size) consists of barely 100 infantry and 100 cavalry. Anakletos also employs around 100 Latin mercenaries (Franks and Italians) to

man the city gates, and as marines to patrol the nearby sea lanes for pirates. Ironically, some of the older mercenaries laid siege to Constantinople 16 years ago. Including mercenaries and levies from the villages in the provincial hinterland (including the covenant), Anakletos can raise a total force of about 3,000. However, assembling such a substantial force takes a season and leaves the countryside totally defenseless.

Anakletos knows of the covenant, and

The Didyma covenant has a long history of interference with the ecclesiastic rulers of Miletos, which ensures that the covenant's pagan practices can continue.

Archbishop Nikephoros (965-969) Archbishop Epiphanios (969-1013) Archbishop / Metropolitan Michael $(1013-1170)^3$

Metropolitan Niketas (1170)** Metropolitan Nikephoros II (1170)** Metropolitan Niketas II (1172- present)

Michael, a precocious unGifted Branchidae (nephew of Soteria), was elected archbishop as a teenager and due to a Longevity Ritual lived for an exceedingly long time. His intrigues raised the archdiocese to a metropolis.

Niketas and Nikepĥoros II were both hostile to the idea of pagans residing at Didyma, and both died suddenly after being elected metropolitan. There was no metropolitan in 1171 due to an inability to form a quorum of canons.

The covenant's relationship with its tax official, Cleon, means there are few taxation issues for the covenant. However, Cleon discovers the Nicaean court has become suspicious of the head tax official Leander and is sending a delegation to audit tax activities in Miletos. Cleon has done nothing wrong, but knows his closeness to the covenant will appear dubious to the imperial auditors. The real danger is the unknown attitude of the auditors to the pagan activities at Didyma, and the attitude of Leander's successor (if he is replaced).

The player characters could try to deal with the audit of Cleon's activities in isolation, or they could help Leander dodge the audit, which will earn his gratitude.

has even received a fearsome prophecy of a Muslim invasion. Anakletos knows that the oracles are members of a regional league of semi-pagan sorcerers (his perception of the Theban Tribunal), but he has much to worry about with pirates, fear of an invasion, and disputes between his Latin mercenaries and Greek soldiers, and so is content to leave the covenant alone. Anakletos moved in the same social circles as the maga Ariane in Constantinople (although he is not a eunuch), and he knows that she now lives at Didyma.

THE KOMMERKIARIOI

Kommerkiarioi are tax officials, who evaluate and tax goods arriving at the port at a rate of 10%. Half of the tax is sent to the imperial capital, Nicaea, and the remainder funds the local military forces and other official expenses. Taxed goods are labeled with an imperial seal, which indicates the good should not be taxed again (within imperial

cities). Tax officials must also supervise when goods are split into smaller lots, as this breaks the tax seals and otherwise the goods will be re-taxed when moved. Forging tax seals is punishable by death (perhaps commutable to a heavy fine in some circumstances).

The head kommerkiarioi, Leander (a greedy, tall, bald man with piercing eyes), is well known locally to be corrupt, although nothing has been proven (yet) in Nicaea. Many merchants pay Leander bribes to be taxed at a low rate.

The covenant's warehouses at the Lion Harbor are within the jurisdiction of the kommerkiarioi Cleon, who is the husband of Callista (the covenant's representative in Miletos). Unlike Leander, Cleon is honest and careful to ensure all goods in the covenant's warehouses are taxed correctly - although he does not inquire too closely into the provenance of goods already bearing his colleagues' seals. Cleon is also the tax official responsible for the covenant. He travels to the covenant once a year to assess its tax (10% of the oracle fees).

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

Size: 0

Age: 88 (85; -4 Longevity Ritual)

Decrepitude: 2 (4) Warping Score: 3 (5) Confidence Score: 1 (3) Faith Points: 3 (+1 relic)

Virtues and Flaws: Senior Clergy; Educated, Improved Characteristics, Relic, Temporal Influence; Commanding Aura; Crippled, Favors (magi of Didyma); Ambitious (church politician)

Personality Traits: Ambitious +3, Wise +1 Reputations: Elderly politician and metropolitan of Miletos 4 (local and ecclesiastical)

Combat:

Dodge: Init -2, Attack n/a, Defense -2, Damage n/a

Soak: +1 (Sta + Commanding Aura)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

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

Abilities: Area Lore: Constantinople 1 (churches), Area Lore: Miletos 5 (churches), Artes Liberales 3 (logic), Awareness 3 (miracles), Bargain 5 (benefices), Charm 2 (monks), Civil and Canon Lore 6 (Greek church), Concentration 4 (prayer), Dead Language: Classical Greek 5 (church use), Dead Language: Latin 5 (church use), Etiquette 4 (church), Folk Ken 4 (clergy), Guile

3 (clergy), Intrigue 5 (church), Leadership 8 (clergy), Living Language: Frankish 1 (crusader use), Living Language: Romaic Greek 5 (written), Magic Lore 1 (magi), Music 3 (hymns), Organization Lore: Church 7 (Miletos diocese), Philosophiae 4 (ancient), Teaching 4 (clergy), Theology 7 (schism)

Powers:

Commanding Aura: Equivalent to the Hermetic spell Aura of Rightful Authority (ArM5, page 151), but with Voice Range, with no cost and no Penetration. Commanding Aura also gives Niketas a Magic Resistance of 10 and a Soak bonus of +2.

Saint Nikephoros' Journey, 3 Faith points, Init +2, Corpus: Equivalent to the Hermetic spell Leap of Homecoming (ArM5, page 135).

Equipment: Relic of Saint Nikephoros (ring), crosier (crooked staff), pallium (scarf), clerical robes.

Encumbrance: 0

Appearance: An old cripple hidden deep within coarse clerical robes. The relic of Saint Nikephoros is a fragment of bone inset into the archbishop's ring. It has the power Saint Nikephoros' Journey and a Faith Score of 1, giving Niketas a total Magic Resistance of 20.

Niketas cannot walk (but can crawl) and so is usually encountered seated on his throne in the episcopal palace, and when he needs to travel is carried around by a pair of young, strong monks.

Miletos has a long history of Christianity, and the region is firmly within the Greek church, although there are some Latin clergy who conduct the Roman rites in the Venetian quarter of the city. Among other doctrinal differences, the Greek church does not accept the pope, in Rome, as the sole leader of the church. There is also a long underground tradition of paganism in the area, largely due to the presence of the Branchidae. Many Miletos citizens thus mix a few half-remembered pagan traditions into their nominally Christian rites. This includes a tradition of traveling along the Sacred Way (stopping at the now Christian shrines) to receive a prophecy for events like weddings, births, and important business decisions.

One of the earliest Miletos bishops (Kaisarios Eusebio) was a delegate at the Council of Nicaea in 325, where many Christian doctrines were agreed under the supervision of Emperor Constantine. In 538 bishop Hyakinthos was raised to an archbishop, and in the early eleventh century the archbishop Michael successfully campaigned for Miletos to be raised to the rank of metropolis. Metropolitan is a higher rank within the Greek church than archbishop, but the distinction is virtually meaningless to the Latin church.

The current metropolitan (elected in 1172) is an ancient cripple named Niketas. He was once a monk and is personally pious but ambitious. He is tolerant of the pagan magi at Didyma and respects the magi's expertise with supernatural problems. Indeed, Niketas and Alexander are good friends and correspond regularly by letter. Alexander cultivated this friendship many years ago, and he used magic to interfere and ensure his friend Niketas' election as bishop. Niketas also convalesced for a season in the baths at Didyma, following an illness in 1194, and Alexander created a Longevity Ritual for him. Niketas is indebted to the covenant, especially Alexander, for his high station and long life and he uses his influence to discourage serious questioning of the pagan influences at Didyma.

PANORMOS

A mile northwest of Didyma, bounded by the turquoise sea, is the port of Panormos, with a population of just under one thousand. Many of the townsfolk are unGifted Branchidae family members and the Chris-

tian covenfolk travel to Panormos churches each Sunday to celebrate mass. Many townsfolk also make the reverse journey - to seek prophecies from the Didyma oracles. There are Arab traders in Panormos, who are rumored to buy (and then sell on) plundered goods from the pirates who occasionally raid the Miletos shipping lanes.

The townsfolk of Panormos are aware of the covenant: the Sacred Way passes the town, and the covenant temples are clearly visible from their homes. It is also wellknown that the magi, led by the terrifying demi-god Herakles, slew a number of seamonsters that plagued the town in 1205. The weathered skulls of a dozen of the monsters are still hung from the arch that straddles the main road heading east (which connects to the Sacred Road just outside the town).

THE COAST AND THE DIDYMA PLAIN

Along the coast are six small fishing villages, and there are dozens of small farming communities scattered over the Didyma plain. Each has less than 100 inhabitants and (outside fish) the local produce is mostly grains, vegetables, and goats. Virtually all of the villagers are Christians who attend weekly mass in either Miletos or Panormos. However, many also travel once or twice a year to Didyma to receive traditional prophecies. The covenant is well-known and largely well-considered, but the magi and oracles are considered very odd.

AGAMENOTH

Agamenoth is a demon prince slumbering beneath the Didyma plain. His physical forms are a gigantic earth elemental and a long seam of black coal. Agamenoth caused the earthquake that destroyed the church and monastery at Didyma centuries ago, but has since been sleeping in his coal form. However, he was awakened by Constantinople's fall, and when fully conscious he will cause earthquakes that damage Didyma and Miletos.

Theban covenants must have specific purpose (see The Sundered Eagle, page 27); Didyma's is to make and interpret prophecies. Historically, the covenant helped the Tribunal to avoid much damage during the Schism War, and magi embarking upon important ventures still sometimes travel to Didyma for a prophecy.

The Children of Olympos is a Theban league that seeks to forge close relationships between magi and faerie gods (see The Sundered Eagle, page 125). Obviously, with an oracle and pagan temples, Didyma is of great interest to the league. League members frequently arrive at the covenant seeking to worship or contact the faerie gods. This pilgrimage may be a part of the league's Mystery Initiation scripts.

Herakles sympathizes with The Children of Olympos, although he is not a member, largely because he already considers himself to be a faerie god. The league would dearly like to recruit Herakles.

Ariane is also sympathetic to the league and perhaps interested in joining.

Order: Aerial Power

Infernal Might: 40 (Terram)

Characteristics: Int +1, Per 0, Pre +3, Com 0, Str +10, Sta +4, Dex +1, Qik -1

Size: +5

Confidence Score: 1(3) Virtues and Flaws: None Personality Traits: Fury +6

Reputations: Demon Prince of Earth-

quakes 3 (infernal)

Hierarchy: +8

Fist: Init -1, Attack +12, Defense +10,

Damage +10

Soak: +20

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Uncon-

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-10), -3 (11-20), -5 (21-30), Incapacitated (31-40), Dead (41+)

Abilities: Athletics 5 (leap), Brawl 10 (fist) Powers:

Coagulation, 3 points, Init -1, Terram: Agamenoth can form a physical body (see Realms of Power: Infernal page 31). His preferred physical forms are a giant earth elemental, with black-cracked skin that stinks of sulfur (statistics given), or a deep black seam of coal several hundred paces wide and long.

Envisioning, 1 point, Init 0, Mentem: Agamenoth can appear in the dreams of a character (see Realms of Power: Infer-

nal page 32).

Lord of Moving Earth, variable, Init −1, Terram: Agamenoth can duplicate any named Hermetic Creo, Muto, or Rego Terram non-ritual spell from ArM5. The Might Cost is the magnitude of the spell.

Move Through Earth, 0 points, constant, Terram: Agamenoth can move through earth (or stone) without penalty.

Obsession, 1 point, Init -5, Vim: Whenever a character sins in his presence, Agamenoth can infect the character with the Personality Trait: Fury +1; see Realms of Power: Infernal page 31. Whenever a botch is rolled for a character with this trait, roll an additional number of botch die equal to the value of the Personality Trait. If these die botch, the character enters a furious rage (see Fury, ArM5 page 54).

Recalcitrance, 0 points, Init, Constant: for any Hermetic Rego effect, including wards (and equivalent supernatural powers of any realm), Agamenoth is treated as if his Might is 60.

Stir the Sulfurous Earth, 10 points, Init –1, Terram: By using this power Agamenoth causes an earthquake, which also releases a stench of sulfur. The earthquakes triggered by Agamenoth cause extreme shaking within an area one mile in diameter, for a simple die worth of rounds. During each round of shaking, characters within the area must make a Dex + Athletics roll against an Ease Factor of 6 to avoiding falling over. For each vulnerable structure within the area (stone buildings, etc), make a single stress roll against an Ease Factor equal to the number of rounds of shaking, and add +3 to the Ease Factor for buildings more than 2 stories tall. Structures that fail this roll collapse. Characters inside collapsing structures take +15 damage due to falling masonry and may be trapped underneath the rubble. Outside the area, the earthquake can be felt for a distance of 100 leagues (300 miles) but causes no real damage. Agamenoth must Penetrate the the Magic Resistance of the area that suffers damage, so Aegis of the Hearth normally protects a site.

Equipment: None.

Weakness: Abhors water (causes no damage, but Agamenoth must flee water or spend a Confidence Point to remain in its presence for a diameter).

Vis: 8 pawns of Terram in skin.

Appearance: Agamenoth appears either as a gigantic black mound of earth and rock with sulfur leaking from cracks in the surface as it forms limbs and heads as needed, or as pitch black seam of coal.

Theban covenants are grouped in regional units called phylai (see The Sundered Eagle, page 25). Didyma belongs to the Kretan phyle (alongside Alexandria, Favonius, and Polyaigos). Phylai are administrative, so membership does not imply a common political or mystical outlook. However, covenants of a phyle obviously have regional interests in common. In the Kretan phyle the main common interests are the mundane shipping lanes and Didyma's prophecies of Muslim invasion.

Each phyle is represented by four magi (archai), on the Council of Magistrates, which administers the Tribunal. Nikola is one of the Kretan archai, and she serves on the treasury council, as a "tutor" with the duty of identifying the Gifted (but un-apprenticed) children of the Tribunal (assisted by Alexandria's Redcaps). Nikola's tutor role is important for Didyma, as it should allow Nikola to recover lost Gifted Branchidae from the line of Bastards.

Favonius is a flotilla of ships rather than a fixed location and was only founded 50 years ago (see The Sundered Eagle, page 83). The ships of Favonius sometimes moor in Panormos, and the magi occasionally visit Didyma.

The covenant of Alexandria (see The Sundered Eagle, page 112) is about 75 miles north of Miletos and was founded about 100 years after the Branchidae converted to the Order of Hermes. Alexandria is a Mercere covenant and the current bureaucratic hub of the Tribunal. The Redcaps regularly travel to Didyma. There is only one Gifted magus at Alexandria, a Bonisagus maga named Catella, who like Ariane was trained in Constantinople but left around the time of the siege. Ariane and Catella know each other well, although they rarely meet in person. The Branchidae Tessa lived for almost four decades at Alexandria, but left in 1140 for an unknown destination, and she is assumed to be in Final Twilight. Her apprentice supposedly continued the line of Tessa, but his name and fate are unknown at Didyma. There are several un-Gifted Branchidae, descendants of Tessa's servants, at Alexandria.

Polyaigos was also founded about 100 years after Didyma on an island 150 miles southwest (see The Sundered Eagle, page 88). Many of Polyaigos' magi are hoplites and two Branchidae magi, Nestor and Io (the line of Damen), are known to live at Polyaigos.

Other Theban Covenants

The Verditius covenant of Ingasia and the Merinita covenant of Aegaea have good relations with Didyma. Herakles's grand-parens was a magus of Aegaea.

The Covenant has the following resources.

Enchanted Devices

The following enchanted devices are available (some are detailed earlier with the magi characters). The items are worth a total of 502 BP. Lab Texts (59 BP) are available in the Covenant library for Items marked with an asterisk (*).

Vermin Wards (x3) at Miletos (36 BP; 6 BP Lab Text)*

Wards Against Rot (x3) at Miletos (42 BP; 7 BP Lab Text)*

Warning Flame at Miletos (4 BP; 2 BP Lab Text)* Bath Rock (8 BP; 4 BP Lab Text)*

The Oracle's Dredge at Miletos (6 BP; 3 BP Lab Text)* Porter's Helpers (x6) at Miletos (36 BP; 3 BP Lab Text)*

Defender Swords (x10; 5 at Miletos) (80 BP; 4 BP Lab Text)*

Zeus' Arm (12 BP)

Spice Wand at Miletos (6 BP; 3 BP Lab Text)* Vis Divining Rods (8 BP; 4 BP Lab Text)* Diamond of Hermes (10 BP; 5 BP Lab Text)*

The Vis Net (8 BP; 4 BP Lab Text)*

Pestilence Wards (x3) at Miletos (42 BP; 7 BP Lab Text)*

Staff of the Branchidae with Alexander (54 BP) Soteria's Hand with Nikola (22 BP)

Strategos' Sword with Nikola (46 BP)

Morpheus Arrows (x3) with William (18 BP; 3 BP Lab Text)*

Fire Arrows (x5) with William (10 BP; 1 BP Lab Text)*

Bridging Arrows (x2) with William (12 BP; 3 BP Lab Text)*

William's Crusader Armour with William (26 BP) Helm of Zotikos with Philip (turb captain) (16 BP)

Vermin Ward

Re(In)An 29

Pen +0, constant effect

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

These fist sized stones carved with images of rats prevent animals of less than Size –1 from entering a Structure. The wards are used at the Miletos warehouses to prevent vermin from destroying stored goods. The Intellego requisite is required to exclude animals based on Size.

(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 Structure, +1 Requisite; +4 constant effect)

Ward Against Rot

PeAq 34

Pen +0, constant effect

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

These wards (carved stone irises) are used at the Miletos warehouses to prevent stored goods from rotting.

(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 Structure; +4 constant effect)

Warning Flame

CrIg 10

Pen +0, 1/day

R: Arcane, D: Momentary, T: Individual This wand ignites a brazier at the end of

the Sacred Way (just outside the Aegis of the Hearth). The wand is carried by Callista and she lights the brazier to signal to the covenant that there is an emergency in Miletos.

When the brazier ignites, the covenfolk find a magus for assistance. Usually Ariane is the most useful as she can easily open an Intangible Tunnel to question Callista.

(Base 2, +4 Arcane)

Bath Rock

CrIg 19

Pen +0, constant effect

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Room

This rock heats the waters of the baths at the covenant.

(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, + 2 Room; +4 constant effect)

The Oracle's Dredge

PeTe 15

Pen +0, Unlimited

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Part

This is a long wooden pole (about 20 feet long) with a scoop attached to one end. When activated it destroys the mud that it touches (about 10 cubic paces).

The Dredge is used at Miletos to dredge the Lion Harbor, which otherwise fills with sediment from the Meander river. The covenfolk paddle around the Lion Harbor once every month to clear it, otherwise, the harbor

will visibly silt up within a season and be unusable within a decade. The mundane authorities and merchants know that the covenant performs this service for Miletos (and has done so for more than two hundred years).

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Part; +10 Unlimited)

Porter's Helpers

ReTe 15

Pen +0, 24/day

R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: Individual

These handles are activated when clamped to the side of a heavy object, and allow the user to easily move the object (as if he had Str + 5; similar to The Unseen Porter, ArM5, page 156) These assist moving loads at the Miletos warehouses.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration; +5 item maintains concentration, +5 24 uses per day)

Defender Swords

ReTe 20

Pen +0, Unlimited

R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: Individual

An active Defender Sword allows the wielder to automatically "parry" incoming blows from metal weapons. The wielder must be aware of the incoming attack, so he can still be stabbed in the back. However, in normal melee he can automatically "parry" any number of blows in a round.

The wielder must maintain concentration to use the item, but maintaining his awareness of incoming melee blows does not require a Concentration roll (as that is how the item is designed to be used). On the other hand, if the wielder attempts to do something else in the round he must make a Concentration roll (see ArM5, page 82). Maintaining concentration while attacking in the same round requires a Concentration roll against an Ease Factor of 15.

The Didyma turb often fight in pairs, and one grog uses a Defender Sword to defend his partner (see ArM5, page 173). The defended grog can thus freely attack, while the defender "parries" all the blows aimed at the pair.

The covenant has ten of these swords. Five are usually carried by the warehouse garrison, while the others are kept at the covenant.

(Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration, +2 Metal; +10 Unlimited Uses)

Zeus' Arm

ReTe 30

Pen +0, Unlimited

R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: Individual

This wooden crane is enchanted with an effect to easily allow bulky objects to be lifted in and out of the covenant-basin. The objects rest on a square platform with an area of about 50 square feet, and a weight of up to 100 tons can be lifted.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration, +2 Size; +5 item maintains concentration, +10 unlimited uses)

The Spice Wand

InVi 12

Pen +0, Unlimited

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual

This wand vibrates slightly if it touches vis. It is used to search the Arab spice market in Miletos for vis.

(Base 1, +1 Touch; +10 Unlimited Uses)

Vis Divining Rods

InVi 20

Pen +0, Unlimited

R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: Hearing This pair of silver rods is activated by being held outstretched, like divining rods, and allow the user to hear when he is within 30 paces of vis. A Perception + Finesse roll against an Ease Factor of 6 narrows down the location of the vis to about 1 foot.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +3 Hearing; +10 Unlimited Uses)

Diamond of Hermes

InVi 25

Pen +0, Unlimited

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual When this diamond is touched by a Gifted person it glows brightly.

Nikola made this item to aid her duties as a tutor on the Tribunal's Treasury Council, and it is also used to identify Gifted Branchidae. Nikola allows the Redcaps from the covenant of Alexandria to borrow the diamond to confirm rumors of Gifted children.

(Base 10, +1 Touch; +10 Unlimited Uses)

The Vis Net

ReVi 20

Pen +0, 24/day

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual When this net is cast into water containing vis, the vis coalesces as pulsating, translucent crystals that can subsequently be untangled and removed from the net. Each slimy crystal is about fist-sized and contains 1 pawn of vis.

(Base 10, +1 Touch; +5 24 uses)

Pestilence Ward

ReVi 34

Pen +12, constant effect

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

These wards prevents minor demons of Might 10 and less from entering the Structure to cause illness and damage. These wards protect the Miletos warehouses.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 Structure; +6 penetration of 12, +4 constant effect) Library

The covenant has the following books (a total of 1125 Build Points), housed in the library, in the Temple of Apollo. Except where otherwise noted all books are written in Classical Greek. Books marked with an asterisk (*) are original to Didyma.

Arcane Abilities (151 BP)

Cletus, The Law of Hermes, Code of Hermes Summa, (Quality: 10, Level: 3, 19 BP)

Hector, A Bestiary of Anatolia, Magic Lore Summa, (Quality: 9, Level: 3, 18 BP)*

Alexander, On Hermetic Theory, Magic Theory Summa, (Quality: 14, Level: 3, 23 BP)*

Hector, A Directory of Enchantments, Magic Theory Summa, (Quality: 12, Level: 5, 27 BP)* Orion, The Art of Making, Magic Theory Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)*

William, Defenses Against Creatures (Latin), Parma Magica Summa, (Quality: 9, Level: 2, 15 BP)*

Jason, Upon Opposition, Parma Magica Tractatus, (Quality: 11, 11 BP)*

Anonymous, Breaching the Parma, Penetration Summa, (Quality: 10, Level: 3, 19 BP)

Alexander, Upon the Efficacy of Magic, Penetration Tractatus, (Quality: 11, 11 BP)*

Jason, An Ancient History of Miletos, Area Lore: Miletos Tractatus, (Quality: 11, 11 BP)* Euclid, Elementia, Artes Liberales Summa, (Quality: 9, Level: 4, 21 BP)

Heron, Mechanica, Artes Liberales Tractatus, (Quality: 7, 7 BP)

Aristotle, Categories (Latin), Artes Liberales Tractatus, (Quality: 10, 10 BP)

Aristotle, Categories, Artes Liberales Tractatus, (Quality: 12, 12 BP)

Justinian, Digest, Civil and Canon Law Summa, (Quality: 7, Level: 5, 22 BP)

Alexander, Fated Lives, Classical Greek (poetry) Tractatus, (Quality: 11, 11 BP)*

al-Razi, al-Hawi (Arabic), Medicine Summa, (Quality: 10, Level: 4, 22 BP)

Nikola, Rites at Didyma, Organization Lore: Didyma Summa, (Quality: 9, Level: 2, 15 BP)*

Soteria, The Life of Branchos, Organization Lore: Didyma Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)*

Orion, Secrets of the Sacred Way, Organization Lore: Merinita Summa, (Quality: 9, Level: 3, 18 BP)*

Cletus, The Hermetic Order, Organization Lore: Order of Hermes Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Orion, Forge Mysteries, Organization Lore: Verditius Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)* Branchos, Book of Apollo, Pagan Theology Summa, (Quality: 7, Level: 9, 34 BP)*

Alexander, Paths to Olympos, Pagan Theology Tractatus, (Quality: 11, 11 BP)*

Aristotle, Metaphysics II, Pagan Theology Tractatus, (Quality: 12, 12 BP)

Aristotle, Metaphysics I, Philosophia Tractatus, (Quality: 12, 12 BP)

Aristotle, Metaphysics III, Philosophia Tractatus, (Quality: 12, 12 BP)

Hermetic Arts (719 BP)

Jason, Spontaneous Creation, Creo Summa, (Quality: 12, Level: 6, 18 BP)*

Yannis, Genesis Magica, Creo Summa, (Quality: 12, Level: 15, 27 BP)

Meda, Things that Are, Creo Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Isidoros, Creation with Magic, Creo Tractatus, (Quality: 10, 10 BP)

Alexander, The Art of Knowing, Intellego Summa, (Quality: 14, Level: 5, 19 BP)*

Soteria, That Which is Unseen, Intellego Summa, (Quality: 9, Level: 10, 19 BP)*

Tessa, The Knowledge of Thoth, Intellego Summa, (Quality: 12, Level: 10, 22 BP)

Soteria, Oracle Prophecies, Intellego Sum-

ma, (Quality: 10, Level: 18, 28 BP)*

Nikola, Seeing the Truth, Intellego Tractatus, (Quality: 6, 6 BP)*

Cora, Supposition in the Absence of Evidence, Intellego Tractatus, (Quality: 7, 7 BP)*

Nicodemus, Speaking to the Flame, Intellego Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)*

Pompius, A Short Study on Intellego (Latin), Intellego Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Lykos, Metamorphosis, Muto Summa, (Quality: 13, Level: 7, 20 BP)

Agathe, A Study of Simple Changes, Muto Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Nicodemus, Last Light, Perdo Summa, (Quality: 8, Level: 14, 22 BP)*

Egnatius, Meditations on the Void (Latin), Perdo Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Thanos, The Great Undoing (Latin), Perdo Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Damen, Book of Control, Rego Summa, (Quality: 11, Level: 7, 18 BP)*

Lana, Ties of Blood, Rego Summa, (Quality: 11, Level: 13, 24 BP)*

Diodorus, Words of Command, Rego Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)

Methodius, Binding Spirits, Rego Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)

Kleopatra, Powers of the Pharaoh, Rego Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Pelagia, A Compendium of Animal Magic, Animal Summa, (Quality: 14, Level: 6, 20 BP)

Herodotus, Creature Magic, Animal Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)

Domitilla, Studies in Animal Impulse (Latin), Animal Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Hypatia, A Study of Aquam, Aquam Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)

Otho, Spirits of the Air (Latin), Auram Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Nerva, The Art of Corpus (Latin), Corpus Summa, (Quality: 15, Level: 5, 20 BP)

Jason, The Principles of the Body, Corpus Summa, (Quality: 15, Level: 8, 23 BP)*

Anonymous, Mastery of the Body, Corpus Summa, (Quality: 9, Level: 18, 27 BP)

Ariane, Bodies in Extremes, Corpus Tractatus, (Quality: 7, 7 BP)*

Anonymous, On Variations of the Longevity Ritual, Corpus Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Manlius, Notes on the Hermetic Theory of Corpus (Latin), Corpus Tractatus, (Quality: 10, 10 BP) Alba, On the Hidden Soul of Trees (Latin), Herbam Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)

Anonymous, The Olive is the Key, Herbam Tractatus, (Quality: 10, 10 BP)

Nicodemus, Prometheus' Gift, Ignem Summa, (Quality: 13, Level: 5, 18 BP)*

Nonus, The Secret Fire (Latin), Ignem Tractatus, (Quality: 8, 8 BP)

Myrrine, Deception with Magic, Imaginem Summa, (Quality: 13, Level: 6, 19 BP)

Myrrine, Greater Deception, Imaginem Summa, (Quality: 15, Level: 12, 27 BP)

Pantaleon, Amazing Illusions, Imaginem Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Damen, Book of Thought, Mentem Summa,

(Quality: 12, Level: 5, 17 BP)*

Anthea, An Open Mind, Mentem Summa, (Quality: 11, Level: 10, 21 BP)

Damen, Toward a Theory of Mind, Mentem Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)*

Onesimos, On the Shape of the Land, Terram Summa, (Quality: 12, Level: 8, 20 BP)

Nikandros, On Surfaces, Terram Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)

Methodius, Places of Power, Vim Summa, (Quality: 15, Level: 5, 20 BP)

Bonisagus, Studies of The Gift, Vim Summa, (Quality: 9, Level: 12, 21 BP; a translation, possibly apocryphal)

Thoth, Ancient Magics, Vim Summa, (Quality: 7, Level: 19, 26 BP; a very poor translation of a lost original)

Tessa, Power from the Gods, Vim Tractatus, (Quality: 9, 9 BP)*

Laboratory Texts

The following spell Lab Texts are available in the Covenant's library. These are worth 212 BP; the item Lab Texts (see relevant section, earlier) are worth an additional 59 BP. Each magus also has private Lab Texts for the other spells that he knows, which have not been included in the library BP total. These private texts have not been translated for other magi to use, and most of William's private Lab Texts are back in Normandy.

Opening the Tome of the Animal's Mind (InAn 25) Enchantment of the Scrying Pool (InAq 30)

Bind Wound (CrCo 10)

Purification of the Festering Wounds (CrCo 20)

The Chirurgeon's Healing Touch (CrCo 20)

Cheating the Reaper (CrCo 30)

Incantation of the Body Made Whole (CrCo 40)

Eye of the Sage (InCo(Im) 30)

Whispers Through the Black Gate (InCo(Me) 15) Disguise of the New Visage (MuCo 15)

Preternatural Growth and Shrinking (variant with

Personal Range, +1 Size mod.) (MuCo 15)

Cloak of Bird Feathers (MuCo(An) 30)

Seven-League Stride (ReCo 30)

Ward Against People (ReCo 30)

Leap of Homecoming (ReCo 35)

Seven League Travel Circle (ReCo 35)

Phantasm of the Talking Head (CrIm 10)

The Ear For Distant Voices (InIm 20)

Wizard's Sidestep (variant with Touch Range and Group Target) (ReIm 25)

Posing the Silent Question (InMe 20)

Past of Another (MuMe 35)

Tracks of the Faerie Glow (InTe 25)

Unseen Arm (ReTe 5)

Sword Ward (ReTe 20)

istered with the Redcaps) are given below. The vis sources are worth a total of 220 BP.

Arab Market

5 pawns Muto vis per year (25 BP).

Some spices in the bustling, scented Arab market contain vis and Callista regularly uses the Spice Wand (see items) to search the market for the vis-rich spices. Some years, more than 5 pawns of vis is found.

Harvest of Aftonsitiron

7 pawns Creo vis per year (35 BP).

Aftonsitiron is a small village, a mile north of Miletos, that has fertile soils and abundant barley harvests. Some of the barley contains vis, which the covenant grogs search for by walking through the swaying fields with the Vis Divining Rods. The lucky farmers who grow the vis are paid one silver coin per pawn by the covenant. The farmers are perfectly happy with this arrangement as one silver coin for a handful of barley stalks is a fabulous price.

Hunt

Variable pawns of Form vis per year (80 BP).

Every summer faerie animals leave the Sacred Way entering the Didyma plain, and are then hunted by Herakles and William for their vis.

This source is worth a variable amount depending on the creatures hunted. Unless the troupe has a story need for particular faerie creatures (for example, if the player characters are hunting) roll two simple dice three times to determine the vis gathered. The first die in each pair indicates the vis Form type (1 = Animal, 2 = Aquam, etc) and the second die indicates the number of pawns of that type. The total haul of vis therefore varies between 3 and 30 pawns. It is faerie tainted.

Mouth of the Meander River

3 pawns Aquam vis per year (15 BP).

North of Miletos is the mouth of the Meander river, the source of the silt that the covenant clears from Lion Harbor. In spring, the river floods a large delta-plain, and the first flood waters contain 3 pawns of Aquam vis. The Vis Net is used to collect this vis, and the timing of the flood waters is predicted astrologically by Ariane (Int + Artes Liberales (astronomy) roll against an Ease Factor of 6). Grogs usually do the actual collection.

Sacred Springs

13 pawns Intellego vis per year (65 BP).

The Sacred Springs (within the covenant enclosure) are worth 13 pawns of Intellego vis per year (one pawn each full moon). Ariane collects this vis with The Vis Net.

The vis stocks (the coffers) are held in chests in a large room in the temple to Athena. Individual pawns are stored in bronze coins, stamped with the Art glyph, and the Order's glyph on the obverse. Ariane usually transfers the vis from its raw form into the coins (1 pawn per coin). In total there are about 100 coins of each Art available as a substrate for stored vis, and the coins were made in the eleventh century by Orion of Verditus. The coins are specifically designed to hold vis and this prevents any weird reactions or contaminations between the concentrated stock of vis. Some of the pawns, however, are faerie tainted.

The current stocks are (29 BP):

Creo: 13 pawns Intellego: 45 pawns Muto: 12 pawns Perdo: 0 pawns Rego: 3 pawns Animal: 8 pawns Aquam: 6 pawns Auram: 1 pawn Corpus: 7 pawns. Herbam: 13 pawns Ignem: 8 pawns Imaginem: 0 pawns Mentem:0 pawns Terram: 5 pawns Vim: 24 pawns

The covenant has 100 Mythic Pounds worth of mundane wealth (10 BP).

The covenant of Didyma comes to life in your saga when you play it.

Wizard's Communion (MuVi 10) Wizard's Communion (MuVi 20) Wizard's Communion (MuVi 35) Wizard's Vigil (MuVi 20) Wizard's Vigil (MuVi 40) Demon's Eternal Oblivion (PeVi 5) Demon's Eternal Oblivion (PeVi 10) End of the Titans (Magic equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 5) End of the Titans (Magic equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 10) Faerie Bane (Faerie equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 5) Faerie Bane (Faerie equivalent of Demon's Eternal Oblivion) (PeVi 10) Disenchant (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Animal (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Aquam (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Auram (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Corpus (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Herbam (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Ignem (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Imaginem (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Mentem (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Terram (PeVi 15) Unraveling the Fabric of Vim (PeVi 15) Gather the Essence of Beast (ReVi 15) Maintaining the Demanding Spell (ReVi 15) Aegis of the Hearth (ReVi 25) Aegis of the Hearth (ReVi 40)

Numbness of the Gift (InVi 20) Piercing the Faerie Veil (InVi 20) Piercing the Magic Veil (InVi 20)

Ariane, as covenant Chancellor, is responsible for vis harvesting, but she usually delegates to grogs equipped with suitable items. William and Herakles eagerly see to the Hunt. The covenant vis sources (all reg-

The Arab market vis is, probably, only a small fraction of the potential harvest, with the remaining vis arriving in markets in Constantinople, Athens, Venice, etc. The player characters may think to follow the spice to its source and thereby capture a much greater vis source. Of course, this will potentially disrupt the vis sources of magi living near these other markets, angering those magi. Alternatively, another covenant (or non-Hermetic forces) could do the same, cutting the Miletos supply.

The theme of Didyma is responding to change. The covenant's current situation relies on numerous threads, such as the small numbers of Branchidae, the tolerance of city and church officials of the pagans supported by the covenant, Agamenoth remaining slumbering beneath the covenant, and the city of Miletos' continued status as a provincial trading port. Should one of these threads snap, the magi will need to scramble to maintain the covenant as it is, and even a single failure may push the covenant into ruinous winter. The arrival and meddling of new magi (perhaps, the player characters) could also be an impetus for change.

All of the described resident magi, companions, familiars, and grogs at Didyma are suitable as player characters.

Additional player character magi of any age may be easily added to the covenant, or could replace some or all of the described residents. For each additional (or replacement) magus the troupe should consider the circumstances of the character's arrival at the covenant. Was the player character magus trained at Didyma (like the Branchidae and Herakles) or did he arrive later in life (like William and Ariane)? Player character Branchidae are likely apprentices of Alexander or Nikola, or contemporary to these magi. Branchidae might also be returned members of the lines of Tessa, Damen, or Bastards. The oldest (Gifted) Branchidae (currently Alexander, aged 129) should hold the title of Patriarch (or Matriarch), so if this is not the case, then the reason should be explained by the troupe.

Additional magi residing at the covenant (regardless of House) means that the number of votes at the Council of Magi and who fulfills each office should be adjusted. This could change the balance of power within the covenant, and potentially away from the Branchidae: Alexander and Nikola currently hold the majority of the power and will resent it if newcomers do not support them.

Storylines at Didyma can include the following. Of course, your troupe can mix elements of the storylines during your saga.

A Sanctuary

The covenant does not change. Autumn persists and the covenant's long shadow stretches through the years without the direct intervention of the player character magi. The Patriarch Alexander continues to lead the covenant and his interference in the metropolitan's court is unchecked. War does not significantly impact upon Miletos. Aoede grows up. If Alexander dies, then he is smoothly replaced by Nikola. Herakles and William are willing to join the player characters in adventures anywhere in the Tribunal. Ariane's familiar Chloris either openly or secretly accompanies expeditions back to Constantinople, reporting back to her mistress about her former home, and Torvus (William's familiar) occasionally steals the player characters' possessions.

This storyline frees the troupe to concentrate on the stories of your own characters. The covenant is a safe, and well resourced place to convalesce, research, and train, and sometimes a setting for stories. However, the covenant is not the dominant focus of your saga.

The Branchidae

This storyline concerns the politics of the Branchidae tradition.

Alexander dies. His natural successor as the fifth Patriarch is his filia Nikola, the next oldest resident Branchidae. However, matters are not so clear. The lines of Tessa or Damen technically should have taken over the covenant when Alexander's parens, Jason, entered Final Twilight over ninety years ago, but the young Alexander prevented his elders' return to Didyma. Tessa and Damen have since reputedly entered Final Twilight, but Damen's filius Nestor is older than Nikola and returns to challenge her right to the office of Patriarch.

Nestor of Polyaigos is of the line of Damen and older than Nikola by several years. When he learns of Alexander's death he secretly travels to Miletos, and sends his daughter Io (also of the line of Damen), and a Flambeau ally (Kaia; also from Polyaigos) to Panormos. Nestor plans to learn what he can of the covenant's situation from Miletos, in the weeks prior to the solstice. In particular, he wants to learn about the condition of the Tessa and Damen wards, and he will hire agents in Miletos, tasking them to travel to Didyma to extinguish the ward flames (see later). Afterwards, Nestor intends to travel to the covenant for the Council of Magi, to claim his title of Patriarch. Meanwhile Io and Kaia will wait in Panormos, ready to travel to Didyma should conflict occur between Nestor and Nikola.

If serving as a background character, Nikola is very reluctant to cede the title of Patriarch to Nestor: Nikola has already waited her whole life for Alexander to die. Nikola questions whether Nestor is in fact her elder or even a descendant of Damen at all. The player characters may need to support one or other faction (and perhaps face the consequences of supporting the wrong party). It may be possible to prove the primacy claims with magic (age and descent are specific facts about a body that can be determined with Intellego Corpus effects). Nestor and Io carry Arcane Connections to each other to easily communicate and to rapidly travel to each others' location, if needed, with Seven-League Stride effects.

The Tessa and Damen Wards: When Jason entered Final Twilight and Alexander seized control of Didyma, the only other resident was the Merinita maga Lana (grand-parens of Herakles). Lana, who entered Final Twilight in 1179, was about twenty years older than Alexander and was an expert in bloodline magics. She, with Alexander's assistance, cast two ward spells that prevented Tessa, Damen, and their descendants from entering the covenant.

Unbeknown to Nestor, these wards were accidentally destroyed in the 1190s. So there is actually nothing to prevent Nestor's return. Nikola does not know about the wards, unless Alexander reveals information prior to his

ReCo(In) 60 R: Touch, D: Fire, T: Boundary, ritual

Cast into a flame, this ward prevents a person of a bloodline from crossing the boundary. This requires an Arcane Connection to the primogenitor of the bloodline, like the faerie Target bloodline does. The ward's duration lasts until the flame is extinguished, or until the Arcane Connection expires. If a fixed Arcane Connection is used, and the flame is tended, this ward can last indefinitely. Despite its high level, the effect will likely have a high Penetration due to the caster being able to also use the Arcane Connection for Penetration. Casting with Wizard's Vigil will also greatly improve the spell's Penetration. The Intellego requisite is required to detect the bloodline (a specific fact about a person).

(Base 15, +1 Touch, +3 Fire, +4 Boundary, +1 Intellego Requisite)

death. The wards were cast into flames burning in bronze braziers (see insert) and warded the covenant boundary against Tessa's and Damen's bloodlines. After Lana cast the effects, Alexander kept the braziers burning in his laboratory. However, when the braziers were accidentally extinguished Lana had already been lost to Final Twilight, and the effects could not be recast (or reinvented) by Alexander. Possibly, Lab Texts for the wards are among Lana's effects, which are held by Herakles. Nestor knows about the wards from information that his parens Damen gathered many years ago.

Aristocles the Wanderer is the filius of Tessa. He was trained by her at the covenant of Alexandria, and also outranks Nikola (but is younger than Nestor). Aristocles' name and fate is unknown at Didyma, and he is in fact no longer in the Theban Tribunal, having spent many years wandering Mythic Europe. He is currently a member of the Transylvania Tribunal living at the oppidum of Tablinum (north of Constantinople on the shore of the Black Sea at the mouth of the Danube; see Against the Dark, page 58).

After Alexander's death, Aristocles also returns to Didyma, but does not arrive until several years after Nestor. Aristocles is not concerned about the Patriarch title, and if Nikola has retained the title, then Aristocles is content

to cede it to her. Aristocles is accompanied by a trio of Tremere (Anica, Octavian, and Petre). The four magi from Transylvania intend to take up residency at Didyma, and willingly accede to any residency requirements made by the Council of Magi. The four Transylvanians appear keen to learn about the Branchidae pagan cult, and whether it has anything to offer the mainstream Order. However, Aristocles has secretly renounced Branchidae pagan-cult practices and believes that the worship of Apollo Didyma should cease. The secret purpose of Aristocles and his Tremere allies is to research and eventually slay the faerie Apollo Didyma. Aristocles and his allies intend to declare Wizard War on the rest of the Didyma magi when he is ready to slay Apollo Didyma. This, he believes, will protect him from any legal claim that he has deprived the covenant magi of magical power or similar; such a legal claim might otherwise arise because the slaying of the covenant's patron effectively destroys the covenant's legal standing in the Theban Tribunal. Of course, a Wizard War declaration will not protect Aristocles from the political consequences of slaying Apollo.

Researching how to slay Apollo Didyma is probably supported by the leaders of House Tremere. However, as actually assassinating the faerie god has obvious potential to trigger a crisis in the Order, going through with carrying out the assassination might not be the intended, official task of the vexillation accompanying Aristocles. On the other hand, House Tremere, or a faction within it, might be quite willing to brazenly spark confrontation in the belief that the Order and House Tremere will benefit in the long term.

Erginos the Argonaut (the issue of union between a Branchidae woman and Poseidon) was a skilled ocean navigator in the ancient world and a crewman on the legendary journey of the Argo, which voyaged prior to the Trojan War. Eriginos is still alive, the captain of the Apeiro, and voyaging with a crew of heroes on the eternal oceans of the faerie realm.

When Aristocles returns to Didyma, Apollo Didyma quickly realizes that Aristocles' true purpose is to slay the faerie god. Accordingly, Apollo appeals for help from his allies among the player characters, and sends an ancient trireme for them to the port town of Panormos. This ship, the Diakopho, is crewed by 200 faerie "ghosts" of dead Branchidae, chaperoned by a squadron of talkative dolphins, and can sail into the faerie realm. Apollo tasks the player characters with locating Eriginos and the Apeiro within the vast faerie oceans and to convince Eriginos to sail his company of heroes back to the mundane world, to defend the god against Artistocles and his Tremere allies. If the player characters in fact support Aristocles, then Apollo instead recruits among the loyal unGifted Branchidae residents of Panormos. The player characters then learn of the quest (which they may chose to interfere with), either when the Diakopho departs from Panormos or when the Aperio and the hero Eriginos return.

City, Church, and War

This storyline concerns interactions between the covenant and the mundane world. The magi at Didyma are able to conduct their pagan cult fairly openly under the guise of "augmenting" local Christian practices with traditional rituals. This is largely due to the willful blindness of the elderly metropolitan Niketas II.

The Metropolitan Niketas II dies, and the clergy of Miletos (and its hinterland) begin to gather at the episcopal palace, in Miletos, to elect a new metropolitan. Quorum for the election is 20 voters, and there are 35 possible voters (comprising 25 priests from Miletos, 3 priests from Panormos, 5 abbots, and 2 priests from larger hinterland villages). The winner must take at least two thirds of the cast votes, and if no candidate has enough votes, votes are recast the following day, with further votes the next day, and so forth,

as required until a candidate has sufficient votes.

The leading contenders are Father Christos and Father Yannis, who are both priests in Miletos. Christos (a middle-aged and charismatic priest) is Alexander's (and Niketas') intended successor, and he is an unGifted member of the Branchidae family. His branch of the family is Christian and has lived for generations in Miletos, but he supports Niketas's relaxed attitude to the activities at Didyma. Yannis (an old and sarcastic theological debater) was formerly a deacon in Constantinople, and fled to Miletos following the crusade. Yannis is appalled at the tolerance afforded to dangerously heretical "traditional" practices in Miletos. If he claims the episcopal throne, Yannis will replace the local priests whom he considers corrupted by pagan heresy with imports from Nicaea (exiles from Constantinople, like himself). Yannis then intends to preach against the traditional oracle rituals conducted at Didyma, and ultimately will attempt to try the "priests" at Didyma as pagans. Yannis may also turn to the small enclave of Latin clergy (in the Venetian quarter of Miletos) for assistance in prosecuting dangerous pagans.

Yannis' probable program as metropolitan is fairly obvious, so the Branchidae pagans at Didyma try to interfere to either ensure that Christos wins the episcopal throne, or that Yannis' reign as metropolitan is short-lived. Many of the existing local priests (whom Yannis intends to replace) are potential allies of the Branchidae. Depending on the circumstances of your saga, the player characters may instigate, aid, or resist such interference. If Yannis is deposed or loses the epsicopal elections he (or his surviving allies) appeal the election to Manuel, the Patriarch of Constantinople (in exile at Nicaea). Unlike the pope, the Patriarch has no real powers to overturn episcopal elections, unless there are clear procedural problems, so the best he can really do is send a delegation to investigate allegations of heresy.

Rights to conduct prophecies, as granted in an imperial decree dating from the second century AD, are an important asset of the covenant, and give substantial legal backing to the ongoing use of traditional prophecies by Miletos Christians. Unfortunately, a set of new, formerly lost decrees are presented to the Strategos' court. These decrees date from the 300s AD and explicitly outlaw the practice of prophecy at Didyma. If found to be genuine, these imperial decrees are difficult for the Strategos to ignore, so if the player characters want to continue the pagan-cult at Didyma (and retain the income from collecting oracle fees), they will need to demonstrate that the new decrees are forgeries, or find some other way to influence the Stategos and his court. If they do not support the Didyma pagans, then the player characters may need to prevent Alexander and the other Branchidae from attempting to suppress this inconvenient information. The new decrees may have been discovered (or in fact forged) by the covenant's enemies, who may include: the metropolitan candidate Yannis; the exiled Branchidae, Aristocles; mercantile rivals; or even the player characters.

Quaesitors arrive in Didyma to investigate allegations of either recent interference in the episcopal elections, historic interference when Niketas II was elected, or interference in the Miletos legal courts. The player characters may be suspected by the Quaesitorial investigation or, alternatively, the player characters could take the role of the Quaesitorial investigators.

Venetian merchants, who occupy part of the docks and warehousing at Miletos (and lease a warehouse from the covenant), start to import Frankish mercenaries to act as "guards", and begin to aggressively poach property from the Arab, Jew, and Greek quarters. Several fires are blamed on the Venetians, as is the "accidental" scuttling of a barge that renders the Theater Harbor (used by Greek and Arab merchants) inaccessible for a number of weeks.

The Strategos' soldiers are then forced to break up a riot by Greek and Arab laborers that targets a Latin church (near the Delphinion). The Latin priest has been badly injured in the riot and the Strategos is afraid that if he dies, then the pope will send a company of Templar Knights to defend the Venetian quarter. The arrival of Templars would be seen by many Greeks (and welcomed by the scheming Venetians) as the beginning of an invasion. The Strategos requests that the Didyma magi use their magic to heal the priest and to also help to contain the ongoing tensions created by the Venetians. The situation is complicated further, as due to the ongoing decline of the Nicaean empire, the Strategos' own military forces are partly composed of Latin mercenaries, so he is not entirely confident of his own soldiers' loyalties.

The Seljuk Sultanante of Rum (in the south east corner of the Theban Tribunal) invades the coastal periphery of the Nicaean Empire. Miletos is not itself attacked, but bedraggled refugees from further south arrive in crowded ships to the Panormos and Miletos ports. As Miletos had a much larger population in ancient times, there is plenty of space on the periphery of the city for the refugees, who create a slum on the mainland, just outside the current city walls.

Due to his stretched resources, Miletos' Strategos has difficulty maintaining order in the slum, and there is also a regional food shortage

Didyma can be moved to other locations that border the Mediterranean (including the Rome Tribunal, parts of the Iberian Tribunal, North Africa and the Middle East), as it is plausible for an ancient temple to Apollo to have been built in such locales. The Language, Area Lore Abilities, and other region-specific details of the characters should be adjusted as appropriate.

The demon Agamenoth can lie slumbering beneath the covenant wherever it is located, but the other external relationships of the covenant will need to be rethought depending on its new locale.

The covenant's pagan practices are tolerated by the local ecclesiastical and secular authorities. This situation could arise anywhere in Mythic Europe as it really depends on the personalities of the local authorities. Note that in the case of the ecclesiastics this situation has arisen because of deliberate manipulation by the covenant to cause the election of favorable clergy; this can potentially happen anywhere in Mythic Europe. Alternatively, the covenant could be moved into a secret regio or merely be very remote and isolated. Such isolation might also allow the pagan cult to flourish, but may reduce the impact of the nearby city upon the covenant, and may reduce the opportunity for the covenant to collect income via the city.

due to the influx of hungry refugees. Eventually, chasing rumors of the oracles' wealth, a mob of several hundred starving refugees walk along the Sacred road to the Didyma temple complex and demand to be fed by the covenant.

In anticipation of further attacks, the Strategos begins to draft a milita from the Miletos hinterland. He expects Didyma's turb to enlist, and the covenant to provide magical assistance. Meanwhile, a well-known Arab merchant who lives in Panormos, Omar Allaid, travels down the Sacred Road to Didyma. Omar is acting as an emissary of the Seljuk Sultanante and offers to allow the Didyma pagans a license to continue their pagan worship under new Muslim overlords, but only if they provide magic assistance for an upcoming sea-borne assault on Miletos.

The covenant must choose whether to support the Miletos Strategos, or Omar Allaid. Both military leaders are skeptical of claims that the "Code of Hermes" prevents interference. If the magi do nonetheless claim neutrality, then regardless of whether Muslim or Greek forces prevail, the magi will quickly find that their pagan-cult is outlawed by the victors.

Sleeping Beast

This storyline revolves around conflict with the long-sleeping, earthquake causing demon Agamenoth (see earlier), who lies beneath Didyma. He was disturbed by the fall of Constantinople more than fifteen years ago, and has since slowly been waking. Although Agamenoth knows of, and dislikes, the pagan temples at Didyma, he is not deliberately attacking the covenant. His "plan" is merely to cause violent destruction.

A massive earthquake strikes causing damage to many buildings in Miletos (see Agamenoth). Characters inside the collapsed buildings take +15 damage from falling stones, and must be dug out from underneath the ruins. Rescuing trapped characters may be trivial if magi with sufficient Terram magic are available, but otherwise it takes many hours (perhaps days) of manual labor to shift the rubble. The next season another earthquake strikes.

These earthquakes are caused by the awakened Agamenoth, and there is stench of sulfur in the dusty air billowing around the ruined buildings. Agamenoth continues to cause earthquakes every few seasons until he is destroyed.

Agamenoth is unlikely to be able to penetrate the covenant's Aegis with his powers, so Didyma is not directly affected. However, if the Aegis is weak or not present for some reason, then the demon can directly target Didyma with earthquakes, which interrupt all laboratory activities for the season (even in labs which did not collapse). In addition, all laboratories have a –3 penalty to Laboratory Activities until a season is spent (for each laboratory) tidying up.

Identifying and locating Agamenoth is diffi-

cult as he lives underground, and has little reason to surface, so the player characters will have to be very cunning to hunt him down or to even realize that he is present at all. The first hint may be the stench of sulfur among the ruined buildings which should be recognized as an infernal presence, but this may be misidentified as a casting sigil (unless investigated further with InVi magic).

His many centuries slumbering mean that Agamenoth is not as well known as his rank of demon prince suggests. However, any character with an Infernal Lore Ability Score can check against an Ease Factor of 12 on Agamenoth's Reputation (see ArM5, page 19). Mileta (Alexander's familiar, herself once a demon) recognizes the stench of Agamenoth in the wreckage of the earthquakes, but is reluctant to reveal this directly, for fear of provoking questions about her origins. However, Mileta might suggest that Apollo is petitioned for information. If he meets her, Agamenoth likewise recognizes Mileta's demonic past, and he has no compunction against using this knowledge to cause trouble for her. Ancient church records in Miletos also contain references to Agamenoth's presence.

If Didyma is used as an NPC covenant, then your characters may wish to (or be forced to) interact with Didyma in the following circumstances. Once at the covenant, visitors can be involved directly or indirectly in any of the Suggested Storylines, or stories can be told about the interaction between visitors and the covenant-characters.

• Some Theban magi, especially pagans, visit Didyma regularly to receive prophecies.
• Pagan characters, including members of the league of the Children of Olympos, may visit the ancient temples for religious or Mystery Cult purposes.
• Pious Christian characters may wish to destroy the pagan cult at Didyma.
• The player characters may be allied to either Nestor or Aristocles the Wanderer, who are estranged members of the Branchidae family and seek to either control or destroy the covenant, respectively.
• Didyma may seek help from the player characters to locate and slay the demon Agamenoth, or demon-hunting characters may learn of his presence some other way and travel to Didyma to slay him on their own initiative.
• The Sacred Way is a source of faeries which could interest Merinita magi.
• Didyma is a good base for magi hunting monsters in the region, and William and Herakles would be good, knowledgeable hunting companions.
• Didyma, and the ports of Panormos and Miletos, are potential launching points for magi seeking to cross the Mediterranean, headed for North Africa. Crusading magi might also use Didyma as a staging point.
• Quaesitor characters might investigate the extent of the mundane interference that entangles Didyma.
• Theban Tribunal officials may travel to Didyma to meet and influence Nikola, who is a member of the Tribunal's Council of Magistrates.