Covenant
A covenant is a group of allied magi. The word "covenant" refers to the oath of cooperation and/or brotherhood they take together, but also (more commonly) to the group itself. In most covenants, the magi live together and share a magical library[1]. Most covenants also have guards (called grogs) and servants (covenfolk).
A Typical Covenant
The covenant typically houses a handful of magi[1] (one for each player), an equal number of grogs, and about double that number of covenfolk (servants, craftsmen, and so on)[2]. Atypical covenants can be larger or smaller, and the magi might not live together.
Covenants in the Saga
The covenant plays an important role in most sagas, providing not only a setting for story events but also a common interest for all the magi. It can become a kind of central character in itself: one that outlives any individual player character. The covenant thus provides the "home base" of the characters, and adventures can revolve around its interests. As all characters live there, its interests are the interests of all characters and the interests of the characters form the covenant's interest.
The conditions and facilities of the covenant provide the basic resources for character development - from the contents of the library that the wizards use, to the lavish (or miserable...) living conditions that the covenfolk enjoy. The covenant's abundance or shortage of books, vis, and wealth help define the rate at which character can advance in their Arts and Abilities.
Seasons
Like characters, covenants can progress (or deteriorate) over the course of a Saga. Ars Magica uses the metaphor of seasons to describe a covenant's life cycle, from the instability and rapid growth of Spring through the prosperity of Summer to the decrepitude of Winter.[3]
Covenant categorica
There are a number of ways to categorize a covenant. By membership, a covenant can be a single-house covenant or a multi-house covenant.
A domus magna is what one might call the lead covenant of a house. What defines a domus magna is inexact, but generally understood. However, at least in the case of House Verditius, there is dispute as to whether its domus magna is in Verdi, the traditional location, or now located in the Theban Tribunal, as the current primus refuses to move from the Theban Tribunal to Verdi[4].
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ars Magica Fifth Edition, p. 13, "Covenants"
- ↑ Ars Magica Fifth Edition, p. 71, "Baseline"
- ↑ Ars Magica Fifth Edition, p. 68, "Covenant Seasons"
- ↑ Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, p. 112, "Current Concerns"
Legacy Page
The history of this page before August 6, 2010 is archived at Legacy:covenant