Against the Dark - The Transylvanian Tribunal Chapter Five: The Slavs

The Slavs are an ethnic group of people living in central and eastern Mythic Europe, primarily between the Baltic and Black Seas. During the sixth and seventh century the Slavs migrated south into the Pannonian Plain, the Carpathian Mountains, the Danube Basin, and the Balkan Peninsula. History does not record why they left, where exactly they came from, or even who they really were. Ptolemy described them as two Lithuanian tribes, the Stavani and the Soubenoi, but does not specifically locate their original homeland. Four hundred years later Byzantine scribes mention three tribes ­— the Venethi, Antes, and Sclaveni — also originating from an undefined northern locale. In the 13th century there are too many named Slavic tribes for an educated scribe to record, and the tribes are all generally referred to as Slavs. Individual tribes naturally use their personal tribal name, but since few Slavic tribes hold political power, this is only of interest to them.

Overview

Though many and individually fierce, the Slavs as a whole never developed into a cohesive, permanent political power. A small number of Slavic groups have become political powers: the Serbs, the Bošnjanin (Bosniaks), and the Croats. Other Slavic groups remain vassals of the Hungarian and Bulgarian kings, happily paying tribute and co-existing with the neighboring Vlachs, Greeks, Magyars, Petchenegs, and other races. The paradoxical nature of the Slavs allows them to assimilate other cultures easily while at the same time maintaining essential traditions that retain a Slavic identity. The Slavs’ lasting strength and longevity lie in their mobility and strong family connections. The basic social unit is the patriarchal extended family, called a zadruga, the members of which live together in a cluster of sunken-floored log cabins. Primarily herdsmen and farmers, a family can relocate rather quickly, which is especially useful when living in an undefended blockhouse. When danger looms the entire clan can be gone by morning, packing its few possessions and herding its livestock through the night. Larger clans are led by a chieftain who in turn pays tribute to a more powerful overlord, usually in both money and military assistance. Most Slav settlements do not have defenses, but a few north of the Danube River are surrounded by a raised, earthen wall topped with a wooden palisade. The chieftain, his military retainers, and his most immediate extended kin live inside, but several families not as tightly connected live outside the walls. Several “wolf-pits” — concealed holes dug into the ground — offer additional protection. The settlement’s agricultural fields surround the wall and are in turn encompassed by the community’s common pasturelands. Both types of settlement are

The Slavs

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Story Seed: The Székely Anchorite

Slavic legends, especially those of the Serbs and Croats, say that the leader of the mass migration that first moved the tribes from the lands north of the Carpathian Mountains was a mystical hermit, a taltós of unsurpassed power. Rising above the petty squabbles of local chieftains, this man united his people and led them south to a promised land. During times of strife communities return to this myth, saying that someday a taltós will appear who will deliver them from their sufferings, overpower their cruel overlords, and bring a time of peace and prosperity. This myth is more popular in tribes that have not risen to positions of political power, and is most often heard in communities living in the isolated forest glens and river valleys of the Transylvanian plateau and upper Danube River valley. The Székely or Szekler people are a subgroup of the Hungarian Magyars, an offshoot of the Slavic Avar tribe. Not considered pure-bred Magyars and thought inferior, they have been relocated to the easternmost border of the Kingdom of Hungary and ordered to protect the kingdom from wandering Cuman and Mongolian raiders. They co-exist with their Vlach and Saxon neighbors, but not always peacefully. By reputation they are the finest and fiercest warriors in the Tribunal. Magyars by blood, they also have a tradition of taltós — shape-changing shamans who would lead their warriors into battle. Recently the legend of a hermit who will lead his people to prominence has resurfaced, and the Székely who once peacefully guarded the frontier have turned aggressively against their neighbors. While not a large-scale revolt yet, the Szekler people are forming a nascent political identity, following the preaching of a mysterious man who has recently appeared in their villages. Nearby Vlachs say a Magyar taltós has reclaimed the power of his ancient tradition, has assembled other lesser taltós to his call, and is forming an empire. If this is true, it would add another volatile power to the political landscape, a situation that House Tremere should surely investigate.

|] rarely in strategic places; rather they are built near rivers or lakes where fresh water can be easily obtained. A few are hidden in the thick forests that carpet areas of the Tribunal, but the vast majority of settlements sit in plain view along the various river courses that thread through the plains. Physically, a Slav is of average height with a round-shaped head and muscular limbs, most being blond, brown-haired, or black-haired. The Slavs further south have slightly darker skin due to intermarriage over the centuries, while those north of the Carpathian Mountains have fairer skin. A Slav male wears a long-sleeved linen or wool tunic that falls to his knees, belted with a leather belt and covering a pair of tight breeches. Only the wealthy wear leather boots, with the majority of Slavs wearing wicker shoes. A colored wool cloak is often worn, and those with means sometimes wear a leather cloak. Seasonal changes bring heavier clothes, and fur-lined hats and mittens are common winter apparel. Women wear a single-piece, patterned dress with loose sleeves, which covers them from neck to ankles, and which is then topped by a wrap-around apron. Men, wom en, and children carry a small knife on their belts used for working and eating, and many people also carry whetstones and firesteel and flint in pouches on their belts. Married Slav women always wear a decorative headdress — a leather brow-strap with a decorated fold that covers their plaited hair. Only girls and unmarried women allow their hair to remain visible, and even then it is usually braided and bound atop their heads. The Slav warrior is not as well equipped as his non-Slav neighbor, unless he has already assimilated that neighbor’s culture through generations of coexistence, as the Serbs have generally assimilated Byzantine methods of warfare, commerce, and society. Spears and small wooden shields are common and armor and helmets are not used. Few Slavs are professional military men, perhaps only those closest to the chieftain. In times of trouble the members of a settlement can raise a considerable force to defend their homes, but the large invasions of Slavic warriors running bare-chested towards the enemy are long gone. Two of their more notable traditions are the Slav’s hospitality and cremation prac tices. Offering a stranger a meal is a core cultural value and no Slav will refuse a visitor a place at his table. His diet is similar to his neighbor’s; most meals consist mainly of vegetables: onions, peas, lentils, cucumbers, walnuts, peaches, cherries, and apples. Bread and porridge are common, usually made from millet, but wheat, rye, and barley are also grown, and brewed beer is always plentiful. Meat is only available for the wealthy, who have the leisure time to hunt wild game. Slavs do not bury their dead, an anomaly among the peoples of Mythic Europe, and prefer cremation. The corpse is surrounded by grave goods, weapons, jewelry, and other symbols of social rank, and burned on a pyre. The clergy condemns cremation and insists that a proper Christian burial is essential for the immortal soul of the deceased and the spiritual health of the flock. Slavs dwelling in larger settlements, those living closer to prosperous towns, and those with higher social status are abandoning the ancient tradition, but cremation is still widespread. In 1220, the major Slavic groups in the Transylvanian Tribunal are the Serbs, Croats, and Bošnjanins. Many Bulgarian people have Slavic roots mixed in their ethnicities. Smaller Slavic groups include the Krashovani living near the Timok River in Serbia, the Šokci living in the Pannonian Plains along the Sava River, the Gorani living south of Serbia in the northern areas of the Despotate of Epiros, the Montenegrins living in the province of Zeta in southern Serbia, and the Székely living in the eastern Carpathian Mountains.

The Old Ways

In 1220, all of the tribes of Slavs have converted to Christianity, a relatively easy process because the Slavs already believed in a supreme god, one who ruled his diverse pantheon with much more power than the minor deities. To the Slav peasant, Christianity was an addition to his old beliefs rather than a replacement of them. Instead of calling his supreme god Perun — or Rod, Svarog, Svantevit, or Triglav as other tribes did — he called it “God” and left it at that. Many 13th-century Slavs are thoroughly Christian and at the same time still hold many pagan beliefs. Local priests call this dvoeverie, or “double faith,” and note that it is more prevalent north of the Danube River. Perun is the name of the supreme god that most of the Slavic tribes followed. The “Thunderer” or “Lightning Bolt,” Perun is the ruler of the heavens and the living world, protector of the World Tree. He is forever locked in battle with Veles, a dragon deity associated with the underworld, trickery, and magic. Until the end of time, Veles will steal Perun’s cattle, forcing the sky-god to track down and slay the dragon, which will fall to the underworld for a span of time before resurfacing and continuing the epic struggle. There are still Slavs who believe that every lightning storm is an echo of a recent battle between the immortals, one of their many skirmishes. The old ways are not just fireside tales told for the entertainment of children. Many Slavs still follow the ancient traditions and even make pilgrimages to holy sites important to the old religion. Many of these sites have been overtaken by the Order of Hermes, though. One of the most important sites, the island of Rügen, is now home to the domus magna of House Bjornaer. Because these sites frequently have Magic auras, instead of Faerie auras like the sites of other pagan gods, Hermetic theorists believe that Perun and Veles may have been titans instead of pagan gods, and so affiliated with the Magic realm instead of the Faerie realm. If Perun and Veles are beings of the Magic realm, then perhaps lost magic traditions can be found by exploring these sites or investigating those who exclusively follow the old religion. According to written sources, holy sites are sacred clearings found in forests or atop remote mountains. The clearing is surrounded by a wooden fence and protected by werewolves. Some of the sacred glens have statues of Perun: a wooden or stone figure with multiple heads.

The Serbs

The original Slavic settlers of Serbia entered the Balkan Peninsula in the sixth and seventh centuries, as part of the great Slav migration that swept from the north. Scholars are unsure if they were originally a distinct tribe or an offshoot of a larger tribe. One of the oldest Serbian legends tells of a great anchorite leader who brought the tribe from their homeland at the request of Emperor Heraclius, who asked the Serbs to serve as mercenaries in the Roman army. Refused entry into the more fertile areas of Roman Dacia by the whimsical emperor, the Serbs eventually settled in the geographically diverse lands they still inhabit in the 13th century. Like other Slavs, the Serbs are organized around the extended family unit, the župa. Several clans are organized into a district, called a župaija, which is lead by a chieftain (župan). The rugged terrain between the Drina and Ibar Rivers — the Serbs’ first foothold in the Balkans — allowed the Serbs to coalesce into principalities, with the župans growing in power well beyond other Slavic chieftain roles. The župan of the župaija of Raška, situated near the border of the growing Serbian and Bulgarian states, assembled enough political clout to become the archižupan (grand chieftain), leading to a series of family dynasties that would rule Serbia. Savvy alliances with the larger neighboring powers, Bulgaria and Byzantium, kept Serbia intact, as the archižupan played one

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The Weapons of the Slavic God

Folk legends say that Perun had several fantastic weapons that he regularly employed against the dragon Veles. His most common weapon was his firestone arrow, a stone arrow that when thrown would change into a lighting bolt. Throughout the Pirin Mountain range travelers can find “Perun’s stones” or fulgurites — natural hollow glass tubes formed when lighting strikes the mountain soil. Two to three inches in diameter and up to several feet long, most of these stones contain a pawn or two of Auram vis. Longer specimens called “Perun’s arrows” have been found that are spelllike vis, and if hurled will actually turn into a lightning bolt before striking the target. Unlike Perun’s stones, Perun’s arrows are always found in magic auras. Perun’s Arrow CrAu 25 R: Per, D: Mom, T: Ind This thee-foot-long fulgurite tube changes into a lightning bolt when hurled and delivers +30 damage to a target if a successful Attack roll is made. Treat the fulgurite as a javelin (Thrown Weapon) with an Initiative of –1 and an Attack modifier of +1. (Base 5, +4 unnatural) The most powerful weapon associated with Perun is his golden apples. According to legend, Perun would throw a golden apple high into the sky, where it would change into a multitude of lightning bolts that would descend and wreck untold destruction. One Serbian legend claims that a single apple killed more than 600 people. There are several Tremere who would dearly love to include a Perun’s apple in the House’s arsenal. To date, no such apple has been discovered.

|] against the other to retain his hold over the area. Similar events happened in Bosnia and Croatia, so that by the 13th century each is viewed as an individual country, although both have subservient connections to their more powerful neighbors.

Geography

Serbia sits along the western edge of the Transylvanian Tribunal, at the junction of the Balkan Peninsula and Eastern Mythic Europe. The original occupants settled in an area bordered by the Sava and Danube Rivers on the north, the Morava River on the east, and the Adriatic coast on the south west. The northwestern territories developed into Croatia and Bosnia, two ethnically similar principalities, which lie on the western half of Serbia’s northern border, across from the Drina River. The eastern half of the north borders the Kingdom of Hungary, and the eastern edge of Serbia abuts the Kingdom of Hungary and extends south to the Adriatic Sea. Serbia is a land of mountains, rugged hills, and plains, crisscrossed with numerous rivers. The Balkan Mountains lie to the south, the Carpathians to the east, and the Alps to the west, with all three mountain chains extending their foothills into Serbia. The coast is separated from the interior by the Dinaric Alps, which run parallel to the Adriatic Sea. The climate to the west of this mountain chain is similar to other Mediterranean countries, whereas the Serbian interior is similar to the Hungarian climate. Communities can be found everywhere but are most numerous along the rivers, thriving on the arable land of the fertile river basins and living along the lines of communication and trade used by the Serbian people. Ras The capitol of Serbia is Ras in the center of Raška Land, the župaija controlled by the imperial Nemanja family. Ras was taken from the Byzantine Empire by Serbian troops during the Hungarian-Byzantine war of 1127–9, during which the Serbians fought against the Byzantine emperor. Burned to the ground and rebuilt, there is little left of the original structure. A new stone wall surrounds the city, which is perched atop a gorge overlooking the major east-west and north-south land routes, offering an advantageous central point from which to rule the kingdom. Merchants prefer the recently formed trading enclave of Novi Pazar, “new bazaar” in the Serbian language, which sits below Ras and is located on the crossroads of the trade routes. Though not as large or prestigious as the Hungarian or Bulgarian capitol, Ras and Novi Pazar form the cultural, political, and religious center of the Serbian kingdom. Though considered to be the royal market, Novi Pazar is not protected by Ras, whose fortified walls sit hundreds of feet above the market town. The king’s will is certainly enforced, but sellers and buyers face fewer restrictions in Novi Pazar than in other towns, and the less-regulated market allows for a diversity of goods and people. Still a hinterland with few foreign visitors, Novi Pazar serves as a gathering place where information can be gained, rumors traded, and stories told. It is a favorite place for Hermetic magi to clandestinely meet agents and companions. Studenica Monastery 15 miles north of Ras at the headwaters of the Raška River sit the white marble walls of Studenica, the royally endowed center of the Church of Serbia and residence of Serbia’s archbishop, Sava Nemanja (see later). Within the enclosed walls are two churches — the Church of the Virgin and the Church of the King — both started and finished by Sava’s father, Stefan Nemanja, the founder of the current royal line. A combination of eastern and western architecture, the churches are universally held as beautiful examples of both western Roman (Italian) and eastern Roman (Byzantine) building styles. Beautiful frescos decorate the interior of the Church of the Virgin, including one which depicts Stefan Nemanja, accompanied by the Blessed Virgin Mary, displaying a miniature model of the church to Jesus Christ. The four portal frescoes are recently finished and posses magical powers similar to those possible by skilled mythic artists (Art & Academe, pages 133–5). For example, the blue background of the Crucifixion portrayal changes color to match the sky: blue during the day, golden at sunset, and black at night. Although minor when compared to the great magic of powerful magi, these simple effects delight the frescos’ viewers. St. Stefan was canonized in 1200, less than a year after his death, and his relics were translated from Mt. Athos, famous for its many Orthodox monasteries (see The Sundered Eagle: The Theban Tribunal), to Studenica in 1206. Since then, holy oil has flowed from the tomb containing the saint’s relics, so the local population has dubbed the saint “the Myrrh-flowing.” This miracle happens every day, lasting just long enough to fill a small vial with oil, and all day on the saint’s feast day (February 13). A vial of St. Stefan’s oil has miraculous properties and anointing a person with a vial bestows the effects of a saint’s miracle upon the recipient. To determine the effect of the oil select a miracle from the list of suggested saint’s miracles found in Realms of Power: the Divine, page 88, picking one of the powers that costs 1 point of Divine Might to invoke. With a Divine Might of 50, St. Stefan is a very active saint and very involved with his family and his church. The Studenica is the most holy site in Serbia and has a Divine aura of 8. Dubrovnik Resting on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, picturesque Dubrovnik is typical of Serbia’s coastal cities with its Mediterranean climate and economy based on maritime trade. Unlike the wooden palisades and earthen ramparts that protect the cities of northern Serbia, Dubrovnik’s fortifications are stone, a remnant of its former relationship to Byzantium. Its walls are a marvel of contemporary architecture — a complex series of double walls, circular and square towers, and attached fortresses. Called Ragusa by its Italian neighbors, Dubrovnik was a contender with the merchant empires of Venice, Genoa, and Amalfi. Its prosperity was its downfall, and Dubrovnik was captured by the Republic of Venice in 1205. In 1220 the city still pays tribute to Venice and serves as a military naval base for Venetian galleys. Animosity exists between the Dubrovnik natives and the Venetian force occupying Ragusa. Even the city’s name is contentious. While some citizens look to the Nemanja fam ily for succor, others look eastwards, thinking that Dubrovnik’s fortunes fared best when it was part of the Byzantine Empire. Tension has not yet built to the breaking point, nor has violence erupted as it did in coastal Zadar (see later), but it is one of the mundane hotspots that House Tremere watches.

The Dynasty of the Sacred Roots

The most famous archižupans of the Serbs are the Nemanja family, who still hold power in 1220. A noble prince with humble beginnings, Stefan Nemanja rose to power in the late 12th century, as a vassal to Byzantium and aiding the emperor in his war against the Kingdom of Hungary in 1164. Three years later Nemanja rebelled against his former liege and defeated a Byzantine force at the Battle of Pantino. Hoping to separate himself completely from Byzantine rule, Nemanja allied with the Republic of Venice, the Kingdom of Hungary, and princes from the Holy Roman Empire in 1171, but the campaign collapsed due to internecine Serbian fighting, Venetian mutiny, and plague. Later in the year Emperor Manuel Komnenos invaded Raška and besieged its capitol city of Ras. Nemanja was defeated and taken in chains to Constantinople. But through an odd turn of events, the emperor and archižupan became friends. Nemanja returned to Ras a strategos (duke) of the emperor, recognized as the only legitimate ruler of the Serbian people. Nemanja spent the rest of his reign solidifying his rule over his people, retiring from sovereignty in 1195 and handing the responsibility of rulership to his son. He died in 1199, and since his death holy oil has flowed from his tomb. A longtime supporter of Eastern Orthodoxy, building both churches and monasteries and aggressively pursuing the Bogomil heresy, Nemanja was canonized by the Eastern Church in 1200, and his tomb is at the Studenica monastery in central Serbia. Nemanja had three sons: Stefan Vukan, Stefan the First-Crowned (Stefan II, his successor), and Rastko (Sava). Nemanja broke tradition by abdicating to his second son instead of his eldest; Vukan’s disappointment lead to a civil war in 1204, the same year that Constantinople was besieged by the Latins. Stefan II was eventually able to defeat his brother but the effort cost him and he was unable to assume any of the former Byzantine lands lost when the city fell. Instead of gaining any new territories, he concentrated on Serbian principalities and succeeded in binding them together into a single Serb kingdom. Seeking imperial recognition, Stefan II asked the pope to crown him, hoping to rise as an equal to the Hungarian and Bulgarian kings. He received his desire in 1217, when a papal legate crowned him as “king and autocrat of all Serbian and coastal lands.” Stefan II’s brother, Sava, is arguably more important to the Serbs than his ruling brother. Retreating from the political troubles of his family, Sava joined the community of monks on Mouth Athos. Returning to Studenica Monastery in Serbia in 1208, Sava began to organize the Serbian Orthodox Church. In 1219 Sava petitioned the Patriarch of the Greek Church to make the church of Serbia autocephalous, meaning that it is self-ordained and can make its

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Story Seed: Saving the Hermetic Envoys

Perhaps one of the reasons for Serbia’s recent good fortunes is the regular presence of two custos ambassadors from Kezdö Válasz in Stefan’s court. Reporting to Essedarius and Leona and acting with the permission of the Tribunal, the pair informs the king of possible Tremere reactions to any actions the sovereign might take. While not advisors, they merely bring the Order of Hermes to the noble’s attention, highlighting House Tremere’s vast influence in the Tribunal. Never a threat and never an ally, the ambassadors remind the king that the magi cannot meddle in royal affairs. However, over dinner, they casually mention the happenings in Hungary and Bulgaria, the continuing tensions between the Latins and the Greeks, the latest incursions of giants and vampires, and the unsettling rumblings from dragons who have been quiet for decades. By using the ambassadors, Essedarius and Leona separate themselves from the king, adhering to the prohibition against magi intervening in mundane affairs. The ambassadors keep careful records of their activities and conversations and make regular reports to Kezdö Válasz. The records are then taken to Coeris, where they are stored. Younger Tremere magi are often entrusted with this delivery, and Essedarius may ask a pair of magi to meet the ambassadors and receive the regular reports. Unfortunately the pair has recently been accused of thievery, adultery, or some other nefarious crime and awaits execution in King Stefan’s dungeon. Their reports are missing, taken by the king. Naturally the ambassadors are innocent. The player character must prove it by finding the true culprits, discovering what the motivation behind the false plot is, and saving the ambassadors.

Story Seed: The King’s Sons

Stefan II’s first wife was Eudocia Angelina, daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Angelus, and his second is Ana Dandolo, daughter of the Venetian Doge Enrico Dandolo. The mother of five of Stefan II’s children, Eudocia was accused of adultery by her husband and chased from Serbia in 1200. In 1220 Stefan II and Eudocia’s eldest sons, Radoslav and Vladislav, are 28 and 26 years old. Both are taking their leisure in the principality of Zachlumia, located on the Adriatic coast. The young men spend their days hunting, fishing, and wandering the countryside. Serbian folktales often place a prince as the protagonist. Consequently, Serbian faeries think that Radoslav and Vladislav make ideal targets from which to gain vitality, and they have included the pair in many faerie adventures. It doesn’t help that the princes favor the gentle slopes of the mountain of Hum in northern Zachlumia as their hunting grounds. Because the princes are more interested in hunting than faeries, they generally do not know how to get out of their various predicaments. A few magi of the Tribunal know about this situation and try to assist when they can, although they take pains not to molest the faeries too much and keep their “mundane interference” to a minimum. Assisting the princes anonymously is a favored tactic.

|] own decisions in appointing bishops and archbishops. At the same time, the patriarch consecrated Sava as the Serbian church’s archbishop. Besides his ecclesiastical position, Sava is also famous for writing the Nomocanon, a thick collection of ecclesiastical law used by all of the Slavic churches. Sava is blessed by God and has the Holy Method Invocations and the Holy Powers Adjuration, Blessing, and Wonders (Realms of Power: The Divine, pages 46–56). In 1220, Serbia is a strong kingdom, both politically and religiously. With the Nemanja brothers controlling both the church and state, they are able to keep the various principalities cohesively joined. By playing neighbor against neighbor by making and breaking various alliances, Serbia remains a political figure even though its wealth and military strength are a mere shadow of the Kingdoms of Hungary and Bulgaria.

The Christian Schism

The split between Eastern and Western Christianity runs through the Kingdom of Serbia, creating an almost tangible line between those subservient to the pope and those subservient to the patriarch. Croatia, to the west, owes allegiance to the pope and follows the customs of the Roman Church. Bosnia is a buffer zone, with the Bosnia Church following its own doctrines (see later). Serbia itself is ostensibly Roman. When Stefan II was crowned king by the papal legate, most of the dioceses in Serbian officially adopted the rites of the Western Church. Some refused. The Bay of Kotor and Ston, two coastal cities that have long supported the Greek Church, continue to practice Eastern Orthodoxy. Because of this mix, the Serbs have an unusually high tolerance for religious diversity. The split between the Roman and Greek Church is not the great divide that foreigners expect. Many have a foot in both camps; Stefan II was crowned king through the Roman Church yet Serbia’s religious autonomy was granted by the Greek Church. In the early 13th century, Serbia has not yet had to deal with the imposed conflicts. Every priest in Serbia is supposed to speak Latin and be able to perform the rites of the Western Church, but many cannot. The issue is not between priest and parishioner but between priest and religious superior; Rome wants all priests to perform the western rites. While this is tolerated in 1220, it will become problematic in the years to come.

Serbia’s Slavic Neighbors

The Kingdoms of Bulgaria and Hungary are not Serbia’s only neighbors. The Bošnjanin and Croats are ethnically more similar to the Serbs that the Bulgars and Magyars. Weaker in political power, their political relationships are different from those of Serbia. Both are vassals of the King of Hungary, as is Stefan II, but whereas Stefan has been crowned a king, the Bosnian and Croatian rulers are merely bans, a title equivalent to duke. Bosnia and Croatia are weaker than Serbia, but Hungarian support and sporadic internecine feuding in Serbia have kept Stefan II from claiming these territories.

Bosnia

Bosnia is entirely landlocked, bordered by Croatia to the west, Serbia to the south and east, and Hungary to the north. Its northern extremities occupy parts of the Pannonian basin, running as far north as the Sava and Danube Rivers. Sitting atop the Dinaric Alps, much of Bosnia is mountainous and hilly. Seven major rivers drain into the distant Adriatic Sea, the largest of which is the Neretva River, which separates Bosnia from Serbia and, once the river turns south, Serbia from Croatia. Human settlements dot the river banks. In the 13th century, the largest communities are: Vrhbosna (a pre-cursor to modern-day Sarajevo), home to the ruling family and center of the religious community; Banja Luka (“Duke’s Meadow”) in the northwest; and Zenica on the Bosna River. Vrhbosna houses one of House Mercere’s oldest mansiones. This semi-public trading post is notorious for the amount of trouble that occurs on its premises. Arguments are daily events and brawls common. A year ago fisticuffs between two local merchants escalated to murder. None of the visiting magi

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Story Seed: The Impending Crusade

Incited by the Bosnia Church’s refusal to deal with the country’s Patarians, Pope Honorius II has sent a papal legate to the King of Hungary to exhort Andrew II to attack the heretics. The king is making obvious moves to take matters into his own hands. Warriors are assembling throughout the Tribunal and clerics are preaching against the Patarians. Rumors that the king will launch a crusade to burn out the heretics are easily believed as Hungarian knights congregate. Crusades are like catapults, and can often miss their intended targets while still raining destruction on innocent bystanders. House Tremere stands undecided as to how to deal with this apparently inevitable crusade. Their Oath of Hermes prevents them from interfering with mundanes, yet they are fully aware that a crusade could permanently alter the political landscape of the Tribunal. Most members of the House still remember the calamity of the Fourth Crusade and the neighboring Theban Tribunal is still reeling from its aftermath. While it seems unlikely that the King of Hungary’s crusade could escalate to those proportions, no one expected the fall of Constantinople either. To further complicate matters, several of the decision-making Tremere magi know mundanes from both sides of the conflict, and have had past exchanges with Hungarians, Bosnians, and Patarians. If the House decides to intervene, how will they do so? Can they disperse the storm even as the dark clouds gather? Recalling that minor incidents can often ignite a tense situation into a raging conflagration, the House is especially observant of even little interactions along the border. Historically, nothing happened for a dozen years, until Pope Gregory IX convinced the Duke of Croatia to take up the cross and invade Bosnia in 1237. Declared an official crusade, it spilled outside its religious motivations and degenerated into a war between Bosnia and Hungary. It ended in 1240–1 when the Mongol invasion diverted the rulers’ attention to other, more-pressing matters.

|] or their staff was implicated. Some speculate that an Infernal aura has developed in the mansio but it has yet to be detected. Called the Banate of Bosnia — Banate being a Slavic word for “frontier providence” — the area is ruled by a ban, the social equivalent of Serbia’s archižupa. The current ban is a vassal of the King of Hungary, who holds the real reins of power. Like Serbia, Bosnia has its own church. Recently formed from remaining Bogomil followers who survived Stefan Nemanja’s pogrom to destroy them in the late 12th century, the Bosnia Church exists autonomously, thriving in the gap between the Roman and Greek Churches. The congregation calls itself Patarians (Latin: Patareni), and continues to follow Bogomil doctrines. Lead by the djed (the bishop) with his council of twelve men called strojnici, the Bosnia Church is a loose organization of monastic houses (hiža) each led by a gost (abbot) and his strojnici. The Bosnia Church does not concern itself with political affairs, and besides burials has little interaction with the Bošnjanins. Alongside their tolerance for fellow Christians, the Serbs and Croats also tolerate the alleged religious heresy of the Bosnian Church, but this sentiment is not shared by Bosnia’s more powerful neighbors. Recent letters from the King of Hungary command that the Bosnia Church purge itself of the Patarians. The Bosnia Church officially claims that there are no heretics in Bosnia and has ignored these commands. If you saga follows medieval history, the Kingdom of Hungary will soon invade Bosnia.

Croatia

Croatia sits at the border of western and eastern Mythic Europe, sandwiched between the Italian communes on her left and the Slavs of Serbia and Bosnia and the Magyars of Hungary on her right. Croatia is geographically diverse: the foothills of the Alps extend into Croatia’s western border, the lush valleys and plains of the Pannonian basin lie to the north, the densely wooded Dinaric Alps form her eastern border, and to the south sits the rocky coastline of the Adriatic Sea. The Croats have a similar history to the Serbs. Migrating from some lost homeland in the sixth and seventh centuries, the Slavic tribe settled in the junction of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkans, along the Adriatic Sea. Originally two duchies — the Duchy of Pannonia to the north and the Duchy of Littoral Croatia to the south — both fell under Frankish rule in the eight century, introducing the Croats to the feudal system of government long before their fellow Slavic neighbors. Adopting the Frankish and Byzantine system of political military obligation over the more loosely structured tribal organization of the Slavs, the ruling families raised Croatia to an independent kingdom in the 10th century. The last ruling family — the Trpimiroviæ family — ended their rule in an ineffectual power struggle between brothers in 1091, at which point the northern Croat nobles asked Ladislaus I of Hungary to rule the kingdom. Since then, Croatia has been a vassal principality of the Kingdom of Hungary. While ruled by the Arpád dynasty of Hungary, the Croats have the freedom to govern themselves as long as they stay within the limits of vassalage. The ban and his twelve deputies oversee the administration of Croatia and command its army. They avow that the King of Hungary has no say over Croatia unless he is physically standing in the country, and that Hungarians may not settle within the country’s boundaries. These pronouncements are more fiction than fact. Croatia serves the King of Hungary as a buffer state to the west, especially against the power-mongering Italian provinces and the Holy Roman Empire. Knin Located at the source of the Krka River, fortified Knin is the former capitol of the Kingdom of Croatia and still plays a major role in the present political environment. Founded on a Roman military camp called Burnum, the city is overlooked by an impressive fortress. Viewed as the major stabilizing factor along the Croatian Adriatic coastline, Knin is a symbol of Croatian solidarity in a landscape otherwise dominated by the militarily superior Venetian Republic. Though powerful and well fortified, Knin is also an example of Croatia’s military impotence. While most of the Croatian coastline pays tribute to Venice, the nobles in Knin do nothing. Zadar Better known as “Zara,” the name given it by Italian merchants, Zadar is the most prosperous seaport on the Croatian coastline. The city was raided and destroyed by crusaders in 1202, and despite it being a possession of the King of Hungary, little was done to remove the Venetian force. Two years later, however, a loyal Croatian nobleman wrested Zadar from the crusaders’ hands, but the respite was short-lived. Within a year Zadar was again under Venetian control, although this time the Venetians concluded a peace treaty with Zadar’s ruling council, making them overseers rather than occupiers. The peace treaty is a sham and most citizens know it. Zadar’s overall prosperity hasn’t suffered, just shifted hands, which makes the situation worse for the locals. Re

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Story Seed: Diocletian’s Palace

The Roman Emperor Diocletian (245 – 316 AD) was born near the city of Salona, in the Roman Province of Dalmatia. He constructed a huge limestone palace near his birthplace and retired there after his reign. Centuries after his death the palace was used as an administrative building for the various governments that ruled the area. Nearby Salona was a focal point of Croatia’s Christian conversion in the ninth century, and legends say that the monks Cyril and Methodius invented the Glagolitic alphabet used to translate the Gospels into Old Slavonic in one of the palace buildings. A favored site for refugees and those escaping religious per secution, Diocletian’s Palace lies in ruins in 1220, a broken fragment of its former glory. Ruined but not abandoned, the palace still attracts the attention of many. Monks from Salona search the ruins for relics of martyred saints and treasure seekers still prowl the unexplored complex looking for vestiges of Diocletian’s treasure. Tremere magi occasionally investigate the palace looking for the rumored dragon that lives within, wrapped around a mound of Roman gold. Current speculation is that the dragon must live within a regio, but whether it is an Infernal or Magic beast is an open question.

|] sentments run high and violence regularly occurs on nighttime docks and in dark alleyways. Periods of extended violence have led to an increase in Infernal auras, and Infernal regiones have developed over scenes of the more gruesome examples. Money, murder, and malcontents draw demonic attention, and several magi worry that if something isn’t done to soothe the tension, Zadar will become a focal point of demon activity. Many prospective demon-hunter magi brag that they will hunt demons in the deserted nighttime streets of Zadar. Historically, sporadic violent insurrections occurred throughout the 13th and 14th centuries. Venice finally released the city to Croatia and Hungary in 1358. Soon after the violence of 1203, House Tremere built a zenodochium in a regio in a magical lacuna found in the city. Anticipating more fighting, the building was staffed by a competent surgeon and a few assistants. The House lost contact with the men several months later and the regio itself seems to have disappeared. Efforts to find the men have tapered off over the years, but occasionally young magi try their hand at finding the surgeon.

The Oppida of Histria

Histria contains two closely linked oppida, Old Histria and Shrouded Bay. These camps claim the resources of a large Adriatic peninsula and its surrounding islands. Originally Histria was a covenant in the Roman Tribunal, but its magi now serve as the gatekeepers to the Transylvanian Tribunal, and are its main negotiators with foreigners. These camps, together, serve as the Mercere House for the Tribunal.

History

Histria takes its name, however distantly, from the tribe that occupied this peninsula when the Romans invaded. The Romans named the territory after its inhabitants. The Covenant of Histria, then in the Roman Tribunal, took the name of the peninsula as its own. It asserted a right to the resources of the entire area, using its name to emphasize that claim. The incessant political conflicts in that Tribunal wore Histria down, and its members sought refuge as foederates in the Transylvaninan Tribunal. Old Histria has since become the Mercere House for the Tribunal, and acts as the main point of contact between the Transylvanian Tribunal and those to the west. Rego vis washes up on one of the beaches of an island called Cres. It seems to form after storms, but it steadily accrues through the year, rather than being harvested annually. Cres is too far from Old Histria for its magi to deter raiders. A chapter house was thus established here to defend Cres from raids by Transylvanian Tremere magi. When Histria joined Transylvania, the settlement on Cres, called Shrouded Bay, also became an oppidum. It is theoretically independent, but the two camps have mutual membership and are closely allied.

Setting and Description

The Istrian peninsula is cradled by the northern Adriatic Sea. Its coastal areas have a Mediterranean climate. To the northwest the ground rises through a series of forested hills into low mountains. This area has forests filled with pine and oak. Old Histria The most defensible Histrian site is the old covenant. This is a pre-Roman fortress on a mountain northeast of Pazin. It has ditches and walls that have been periodically upgraded for centuries, providing superb layered defenses against mundane attack, and it is protected by powerful magical items. It is a little-known fact that the spell Incantation of Lightning, often considered Dru idic, was actually invented in Old Histria, as an agricultural tool. Old Histria is well sited for a covenant. The aura here is strong, a Magic aura of 7. A pool of magical mercury provides bountiful Terram vis. Children dipped into the pool develop the Visions Flaw, but this is rarely done, because many also develop other Flaws. The forests of northern Istria are rich in truffles. These are hunted by a group of strange nocturnal men in dark cloaks, aided by clever dogs. The truffles are an Herbam vis source, and delicious. Magi believe they grow best in ground struck by lighting. Faeries desire truffles and hound those who find them, unless they know the proper methods of propitiation. Magi purchase truffles, weight for weight, with gold. Many covenant members find Old Histria unpleasant to live in during winter. It is cold and the weather is often bad. Old Histria is commodious enough to host formal events, though, and has spare space for the many projects of the Redcap families. Its powerful Magic aura also rewards magi performing research sufficiently for them to ignore the freezing rain. Pula Some magi claim the amphitheater of Pula was built by the Romans, but the faeries of the town know better. They built the amphitheater one night, but were startled by a cock’s crow before they could finish the roof. The amphitheater remains open to the elements and retains a Faerie aura of 6, which rises to 8 on special nights. Characters per forming plays on these nights sometimes slip between worlds, or are granted favours by the strange powers that watch from the shadows behind the final rows of the audience. Some who have slipped into a regio in Pula claim that it is built on top of a faerie town. The residents of Diviægrad react to the needs of the visiting human, or lampoon the lives of those in the mortal realm, but behind their games there is a layer of strange symbolism that magi hope is a trace left by the founders of the town of Pula. Pula was founded by the Colchisan war band sent to reclaim the Golden Fleece from Jason and the Argonauts after the enchantress Medea defeated them. The Colchisians were ruled by a family of sorcerers, and at least one of these magicians had the power to reverse aging. The Temple of Augustus in Pula is dedicated to the Goddess Roma and has a powerful Magic aura of 5. Seekers are convinced that it was once a site of power for the Cult of Mercury. The mundane town surrounding the temple has made it difficult to examine this site inconspicuously. Ancient amphorae are often found near the temple by locals, seeming to rise up out of the ground to be struck by gardeners and passing foot traffic. These contain vis, but are difficult to collect. Pula is the burial site of King Solomon of Hungary. He is a folk hero, and is rumored to have founded the Scholomance, described in Chapter 6. Mount Klek To the east of the lands claimed by the oppida of Histria lies a mountain on which witches and tainted elves dance to demonic music. Its summit has a powerful Infernal aura, and may have a gateway to Hell itself. Witches are common around the mountain. It is said that if you are walking at night and see a dust devil rise at a crossroads, it means two of the witches are fighting, pulling each other’s hair. It is vital not to draw attention by walking through their quarrel. A wise man returns the next morning and places a stone on the spot, thereby giving away any curse placed upon him. Shrouded Bay on Cres Most Histrian magi prefer the island of Cres to Old Histria, particularly in the winter. Cres is ruled by Venice, and is one of a group of islands made, according to folklore, by the enchantress Medea. She tore apart her brother, Aspytrus, who was sent to retrieve the Golden Fleece from her lover, and then built the island chain from his severed limbs. The local faeries insist that this is true. The island has many useful magical resources. There is a well of blood that provides a major Corpus vis source, which is used to produce longevity rituals for Redcaps. Rego vis washes up on a particular beach after storms, in the jetsam of ships. The magi of Histria maintain a large villa there, hidden with The Shrouded Glen. The villa has a Magic aura of 6, but a Magic aura of 1 is found over much of the island. Some say this confirms the myth that it is built on the body of a titanic prince. Grave of Aspytrus After Medea raised the island of Cres, using her brother’s body as a magical focus, she entombed him in a palatial mausoleum. His servants, too afraid of her father to return to Colchis, founded a city near modern Pula. After Medea was cast aside by Jason she spent some time among her people in this city. They were plagued by magical serpents, and Medea banished them by sealing them into her brother’s tomb. The magi of Cres are loath to disturb the tomb. Medea was a powerful sorceress, and her curses may still guard her brother’s remains. Even without curses, the tomb is meant to be filled with magical serpents. In Istria, that might mean orms — wingless and legless drag

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Unusual Vis

Folk witches in Transylvania know that fevers can be broken by making a potion from the roof tar taken from the four houses at the far corners of a village. Hermetic scholars studying this have discovered that on Saint John’s Eve, the roof tar on the houses at the corners of apparently random villages in the Tribunal becomes infused with a little Creo vis. They ensure that the roof tar of many villages is annually collected and inspected, to gain this vis. That the vis forms only in the Dominion seems strange; that it can only be dis tilled from tar of the correct four houses, and fails to coalesce if samples are mixed or lost, is also unusual; but it is called the Strange Vis for an even more remarkable quality. Tremere magi thought it was found only in this Tribunal through a quirk of geography, but when Histria joined the Tribunal, it began to appear in villages on the Istrian peninsula. The vis collection area seems to expand as the Tribunal expands. Some magi believe this indicates that whatever causes the vis to form is aware of the Tribunal’s boundary, but others say that this is ridiculous.

|] ons. That would be bad enough, but it could also refer to zmije zatocnice — votaress snakes. Votaress snakes are murderous little faeries that take serpent form. Their name comes from their vow to not sleep in winter until they have killed a human. They are very intelligent faeries, and are difficult to catch or subdue. Releasing a plague of them from Aspytrus’s tomb just to see what they are protecting — if anything — seems excessive. Some Seekers would like to enter the tomb. They believe that Medea transformed her brother into an airy spirit, who could act as the patron for a mystogogic cult. The serpent guardians may play some role in the Ordeals of his servants. Most magi dismiss this speculation, but a few souls desperate for Medea’s secret of regeneration have tried to break into Aspytrus’s Tomb, and been killed by potent wards. Some say Medea left these, others claim that they have been placed here by the Histrians, and yet others contend that a cult serving Aspytrus already exists.

Culture and Traditions

Istria’s oppida serve as the gateway to the Transylvanian Tribunal. They attract members who wish to be close to, but not within, the Roman Tribunal. Old Histria is the Mercere House for the Tribunal, and acts as a recruiting center, training site, and com mercial hub. House Tremere also uses these covenants as bases for its merchant navy and quarters for the Tribunal’s diplomats. Some people say that they are also the coordinating center for the House’s spies in the Roman Tribunal. The Tremere deny this, of course. Mercere House House Mercere’s members in the Tribunal do not vote unless they are Gifted, as a feature of their covenant with the Tribunal. In exchange for this, the population of Redcaps in this Tribunal has been allowed to balloon. An oppidum can expect a “Redcap” every week, if its members so desire. Whole families of “Redcaps” tour as actors; they carry messages, but also perform works of theatrical art to sway the opinions of the common people. Retired “Redcaps” run businesses in most of the significant towns. The spouses of magi are sometimes acknowledged as “Redcaps,” to provide them with additional rights under Hermetic law. The problem, here, is that House Mercere does not recognize many of these Redcaps as proper members. Formally speaking there are only fifteen Redcaps in all of Transylvania. House Tremere thinks there should be at least two per major oppidum, plus enough to staff the Mercere House, plus those who are retired, in training, or honorary. That’s around 45, by their calculation, but there’s no reason not to have even more. The Roman leaders of House Mercere disagree on this. As detailed in Chapter 8, the children of many forms of Transylvanian vampire make excellent Redcaps. Local representatives of House Mercere are always happy to seek out children that may have the mild, useful supernatural talents granted by vampire blood.

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Mansiones

A mansio is a rest stop like a coaching house, operated by a member of House Mercere. These are placed one day apart on the major roads between covenants. Some mansiones are secret, and only used by members of the Order. Others are semi-public, and also accept custom from traders and priests who travel. Mansiones are not oppida, because they lack a cives as a resident. The largest mansiones are now surrounded by small towns of the descendants of the founders. This has yet to cause trouble because landowners don’t owe fealty to the king in Hungary, but some of the heirs to mansiones are beginning to marry into the petty nobility, which may eventually lead to problems.

Story Seeds for the Mercere House

Characters in the service of the House Mercere have the same duties found in all Mercere Houses: they recruit, train, support, and rescue Redcaps. The family is, however, so much larger in this Tribunal than in others that it poses unique problems. Many Redcaps do their work in family units. In other Tribunals, the disappearance of a single Redcap is a story hook. In Transylvania, single Redcaps do occasionally require rescue, but, far worse, sometimes whole troupes of actors or ships of messengers disappear. When this happens, every covenant can expect a formal request for aid, and ignoring such is considered vile. The House has many children to recruit, raise, and train. New coloniae, particularly in interesting geomorphological areas, may find a small Mercere school tacked into their covenant. Trainee Redcaps are always troublemakers. Negotiating with Harco Houses Tremere and Mercere are closely allied, but the cultural innovations that House Tremere is fostering may cause tension. House Mercere has only 150 members: the Tremere preference that Transylvania’s “true” Redcap contingent be increased by 35 is seen as unbalancing to the structure of House Mercere. The problem for the Roman Mercere is that the Transylvanian Mercere agree with the Prima of Tremere. They see that there is useful and profitable work for them to do, and they see no reason why all of their children shouldn’t also be Redcaps. That some hereditary recluse in Piedmont says it’s not allowed, because she wants to be in control of things, doesn’t sway them. The current détente is that the heads of families of “Redcaps” are accepted as members by the Roman leadership of House Mercere. The House leadership accepts that they may have agents acting on their behalf. Transylvanian magi treat these “closest agents” just like, and informally call them, Redcaps. This détente may break down if someone on the Roman side pushes too hard for control of the House in Transylvania. Player characters could assist both sides by mediating a new détente.

|] Those whom the House does not accept as messengers are often trained as grogs. The Roman Mercere think this is all a bit creepy. They currently don’t recognize any of the vampire-blooded Mercere as proper members of their House. Vampire-blooded Redcaps are considered particularly controversial by Redcaps who see themselves as having the blood of classical heroes. They are, however, on good terms with the bloodcap faction, from Celtic areas, who also have murderous faeries in their ancestry. This Tribunal’s Redcaps see themselves as a large, loving but eccentric family of almostmagicians. Redcaps, and their allies, nurture this family. The family keeps the Order going. As an effect of this, Redcaps in Transylvania routinely call each other “cousin.” Naval Stories The Tribunal has two coastlines, but the Adriatic coast is the most secure. This narrow sea is one of the busiest channels of global trade, and it surrounds Istria. The Mercere and Tremere each maintain a small trading fleet. There are support facilities for this in Shrouded Bay and in an undisclosed cache somewhere in the southern Dalmatian islands. This secret naval base, called Leviathan in House Tremere’s plans, is to be activated in wartime if Shrouded Bay seems insecure. Many stories dealing with trading, piracy and salvage can be developed using the material published in City and Guild. Diplomacy and Intrigue The magi of Histria are the most likely to act as Tribunal envoys to the domus magnae in the regions to the east of the Tribunal. Harco, Magvillis, Valnastium, and the Cave of Twisting Shadows are all ruled by powerful personalities who have a range of needs and priorities. Envoys are always sent in pairs, at minimum: a Tremere and a nonTremere magus as co-representatives of the Tribunal. Player characters who can strike favorable deals with these senior magi can rapidly gain a reputation outside the Tribunal.

Magi

There are currently eight Gifted Histrian magi, plus many unGifted Redcaps, and three other Gifted magi who are members, but are currently in Venice. The unGifted are full members of Histeria, and vote in its internal ballots. Two magi are not detailed below, to allow space for NPCs with strong hooks to the player characters. Magi of these oppida often have the designation “Adiran” added to their name. It signifies that they are “of the Adriatic” and prevents confusion when two magi in the Tribunal have the same name. The large numbers of Redcaps make name duplication much more common than in other Tribunals. Accursius Adiran, Chief Mercere Age: 90 Personality Traits: Dutiful +3, Finnicky +2, Specializes in craftwork and illusions Privilege: Soci Accursius is an elderly magus who is, in a limited sense, the leader of the magi of Histria and the Redcaps in this Tribunal. He has a great deal of prestige, and determines which Redcaps are granted longevity rituals, but doesn’t really have the power to force the sprawling Redcap family to follow his policies. Accursius came to peace with this long ago, and now controls the local Redcaps through annual meetings of the heads of the major families. He takes his duties, which include the protection and supply of the Redcaps, seriously. His advanced age means that he cannot travel without magical aid, which limits him to a laboratory role. He chooses to live at Shrouded Bay, because its simply more pleasant, even though it means his lab is not so good as that of his assistant, described later. Player characters might contact Accursius for many kinds of assistance. He can deploy families of Redcaps to help with various problems. He makes weak longevity rituals, suitable for young magi. He can provide access to the House’s cache of magic items. He is always seeking favors, to use when a Redcap has caused trouble beyond that which the Code requires magi to extricate him from. He may also visit a city near the PCs’ oppidum when on one of his revels. Every few years, his laboratory-bound life annoys Accursius to the point where he goes on a vacation. His vacations are legendary for his ability to embarrass himself, get into trouble, or cause widespread shock and consternation. Whenever he disappears, word is quietly sent throughout the Redcap network to keep an eye out for the Old Man, and to limit the scandal if possible. Leontine Adiran of Tytalus Age: 30 Personality Traits: Intrigued by other magi +3, Loves practical jokes +1, Specializes in espionage. Privilege: Hospes Leontine is the chief negotiator for the Tribunal. She is only thirty, but is one of the most skilled communicators in Mythic Europe. She is usually accompanied on her missions by Merit of Tremere, who currently resides in the Venice chapter house. He is an older Tremere with a shaven head, a muscled frame, and a gaze that can crack bricks. Leontine is being encouraged to nurture her unique talent for diplomacy, at the expense of her mystical abilities. She accepts the rationale of this trade-off, and is happy with it, for now.

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Saga Seed: Diplomats

Characters who regularly act as envoys, or their assistants, travel to the most awe-inspiring places in Mythic Europe. They are honored guests at powerful Autumn covenants. They visit the courts of the mightiest rulers in Mythic Europe. They are sent to negotiate in tricate treaties with Arabic, Cuman, and Hebrew sorcerers. A saga for envoys is focused on deals and favors that have Europe-wide consequences, and has magnificent settings for side stories. It allows troupes to pick their favorites from all of the Tribunal books.

|] Leontine is not the apprentice of, but has become the protégé to, Dominic of Tytalus, the aedile of Coeris. Tytalus relationships are always confusing to outsiders, so there are many rumors about a passionate affair spiced by occasional attempts at mutual murder. These are not true: Dominic has found in Leontine an apt and amusing student, and she has found in him a witty and sly mentor and paternal figure. Characters with special skills, particularly those with narrow Affinities, will often be sought out by Leontine. Her job is to threaten, bribe, and convince, and to do this she needs magical aid in a wide variety of tasks. She can repay this with access to some of the most powerful magi in this, and in surrounding, Tribunals. She also has a vast array of contacts, so she can often suggest just the right person to aid the player characters with a particular situation they find insurmountable. Pahniro Adiran of Tremere, Aedile of Old Histria Age: 110 Personality Traits: Brave +4, Likes fooling people with his ancient codger act +3, Dedicated +3, Specializes in equipping mundane spies. Privilege: Civis Pahniro of Tremere is an elderly magus, close to Twilight, who was given this role as a sort of productive retirement. Few members of the House feel that Histria is likely to be at the forefront of trouble. Pahniro acts as the House’s eyes over this gateway to the Tribunal. He is rumored to be a spymaster, in charge the House’s assets in the Roman Tribunal, but he points out how ridiculous this is. A spymaster would be far better placed in Venice, surely? He’s just an old man preparing his talisman as a House legacy, or so he says. Characters breaching the Code in this part of the Tribunal may meet Pahniro as the first responding magus, assessing the situation before calling in the hoplites and Quaesitores. His talk of being elderly and almost retired, though true, is misdirection. In his youth he served as a hoplite for two decades, and he’s killed three magi in personal combat. Panhiro is a very active letter writer. He may approach Tremere characters for aid if he wants to investigate situations without alarming the Redcaps. Non-Tremere characters may approach him for information, as part of a trade in favors. Aiding senior Tremere is often written into the covenants of coloniae, and so player characters may have a legal obligation to aid Panhiro in fulfilling his “whims.” Placido Adiran of Tremere, Aedile of Shrouded Bay Age: 32 Personality Traits: Hates pirates +6, Wants to be virtuous +3, Enjoys killing people +2, Specializes in combat magic, particularly as it relates to ships. Privilege: Civis Placido is a young Tremere magus with an Affinity for Aquam magic. He oversees the Tremere trade fleet, and maintains its capacity for warfare. Recently he has developed a particular interest in naval sabotage. He has a budget to develop and test new methods of naval warfare, and is seeking collaborators. Placido’s interests may connect with those of the player characters in many ways. Navies, even small ones, have enormously complex logistical systems. Placido needs to keep this network running smoothly, and that requires constant tinkering with his suppliers, their commercial rivals, and the nobility of the areas in which they are active. He may desire specialist skills the player characters have if new ports open. Coloniae with strategic resources on their land will see Placido often, particularly if they have some of the odd resources that sometimes appear in Faerie areas, like cattle that lactate tar or mines filled with prefabricated nails. Placido hates pirates with a surprising zeal. At his core, he likes fighting people to the death, because he finds it challenging and exciting. He doesn’t want to think of himself as a murderer, however, so he channels his destructive urges into the annihilation of people who, everyone agrees, really deserve it. Player characters with a talent for mayhem or magical movement might be invited to clear out pirate nests with Placido. Placido is also aiding Pahniro, acting as the lab assistant to the older magus while he completes his talisman. This style of aid, which is considered dishonorable in other Houses, isn’t unusual in House Tremere. Priscilla of Verditius Age: 40 Personality Traits: Wants to do her own thing, +3, Proud +1, Tentative +1, Specializes in longevity potions. Privilege: Hospes Priscilla is a middle-aged maga who spends most of her time in Old Histria, crafting longevity rituals for the unGifted. She thinks this is a waste of her talent. Priscilla has fallen out with her teacher, but she lacks either the inclination to join a covenant on the frontiers of the Order, or the political acumen to make a better deal for herself. Priscilla does not use the Adiran prefix with her name: she doesn’t feel she belongs here. She wants a workshop where she can make magical puppets in peace. Priscilla hates talking about her work, because she thinks it’s demeaning to craft by rote. She is, however, a gold mine of information for characters designing a coloniae in the Tribunal. She knows how the local laws and customs work. She is familiar with sites mentioned in local folklore, and with the more promising sites the Tribunal’s Survey team has flagged for possible development. Her connections with senior magi, who might aid the project in exchange for concessions, are not strong, but at least she knows who to talk to. Volante Adiran, Gifted Mercere Age: 60 Personality Traits: Happy +3, Amused by people +2, Fierce defender of her family +2. Skilled in travel magic, but her interest in politics has somewhat precluded her magical training. Privilege: Socius Volante is a Mercere of middle age who is likely to succeed Accursius when he dies or fades into Twilight. She is from Italy, and has even less control over the local family than her superior. She recently married a local man from one of the older lines of Redcaps, which has made her less of an outsider. It has, however, also drawn her away from her duties as the magus who fixes the things that go wrong for the family. They live in Old Histria, using the luxurious suite and excellent laboratory that are Accursius’ by right, since he lives somewhere more pleasant. Many of the senior Redcaps in this Tribunal feel that shipping in a new magus from Harco every generation is socially divisive. They don’t understand why there are so few Gifted Redcaps, and want Volante to raise an heir herself, preferably two. That would ensure Transylvania’s Redcaps a line of leaders who understand how things are done locally. Volante is not interested in taking apprentices at this time, and this may cause tension when she succeeds Accursius. Volante is the maga who turns up when something terrible has happened to a Redcap. She is the one characters will report to if they discover one slain. She is a mistress of flight magic, and is the effective controller of the (small) military elements in the Redcap fleet. The magic items she can loan to player characters are those that allow Redcaps to “force passage through difficult regions.” She is always looking for favors on behalf of her House, and personally she’s currently seeking a suitable magical bird for her familiar.

Local Creatures

There are many faeries active in Istria, and some of them are particularly powerful. Builders (Diviæe) The building faeries found on the peninsula are individually small, and not particularly powerful, but they work together in large groups and this can have surprising effects. The Arena of Pula, for example, appeared overnight. It is incomplete due to the early crow of a disorientated rooster, but the stones it is built from come from miles away. This is demonstrated by the path of gigantic rocks left by the faeries interrupted while transporting them from their distant mountain quarry to the city. Faeries provided with building materials and suitable motivation can construct impressive buildings in a single night. The Arena of Pula has a Faerie aura. Magi who have been able to convince these creatures to build other structures report that they too have useful supernatural auras. Efforts to tame and then spread these useful faeries have been made, with mixed success, and are not currently being pursued. The most dangerous, but probably most rewarding, way of gaining the assistance of the building faeries is to enter their city and seek their leaders. Alternatively, characters may attempt to negotiate with the secretive things that watch from the back row when plays are performed at the Arena of Pula on auspicious nights. Use the Brownie statistics from Realms of Power: Faerie, page 81, for building faeries. Giants Giants are rare in Istria, but in ancient times they lived in the valley of the Mirna River. They built two of the towns here, Motovun and Biznet. Some of the locals carry their blood, and many of these are hired by the Mercere and magi of Tremere as grogs. It’s unclear if these are Magical or Faerie giants, because blood of both types has been found in the valley’s population. Strigons The local type of vampire in Istria is called the strigon. It wanders the streets after midnight, knocking on doors as a signal of a death to come. It also sleeps with widows, and sucks the blood from children. Exhumation and staking in the stomach destroy a strigon. This process fills the strigon’s grave with vis-rich blood: the older the strigon, the more vis is produced. Redcaps, who sometimes prefer to travel at night, hate strigons. They may be attacked by the creature, or in areas where a strigon is active, they may be mistaken for it and pursued by a mob. Strigons are difficult to destroy except when they are resting, and their graves can be difficult to locate. The Mercere often ask Pahnrino of Tremere to destroy the creatures, a task he sometimes delegates to younger magi. Local Dragons A race of wise and friendly dragons can be found in Istria. See the dragon section of Chapter 8: Creatures for more details on these beasts.. Attribution Based on the material for Ars Magica, ©1993-2024, licensed by Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games®, under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license 4.0 ("CC-BY-SA 4.0"). Ars Magica Open License Logo ©2024 Trident, Inc. The Ars Magica Open License Logo, Ars Magica, and Mythic Europe are trademarks of Trident, Inc., and are used with permission. Order of Hermes, Tremere, Doissetep, and Grimgroth are trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB and are used with permission.